HUNGARIAN producer Martin Mikolai, aka S Olbricht, has been releasing electronic music that runs the gamut from the (relatively) dance floor-friendly to the murky and non-linear since 2010. He has appeared on labels including Gang of Ducks, his own Farbwechsel imprint and London’s celebrated Lobster Theremin, for whom he released the A Place Called Ballacid EP in 2014 and the album For Perfect Beings last year. On July 21 he releases his third record for the label, the EP Purpleblue, which expertly blends machine techno with blissful ambient touches. Here he takes us through the five tracks (well, four tracks and an entire album) that he can’t stop listening to right now.
High Contrast – Savoir Faire
In the past few weeks I’ve started to mix my old drum and bass vinyls at home in my free time with one of my best friends, Erik (also of my Farbwechsel label), and he unearthed this beauty in his collection. The LP it comes from, True Colours, and this kind of music generally, reminds me of my childhood. When I’m listening to this track I can somehow still feel that euphoric sense of happiness and freedom again.
Autechre – Drane 2
Many years ago I promised myself that I’d keep learning everything I could about making music until I could do everything Autechre can do. That was about eight years ago, but I still don’t feel like I know a thing compared to them. Anyway, I’m still amazed by this track. It’s perfect.
Gosheven – Leaper
I couldn’t pick just one track from this, so I’ve chosen the whole album! It’s by the Hungarian artist Balint Szabo, and it came out on the Opal Tapes label about a month ago. When I listen to it I can more or less follow the procedure of how the whole composition was built. I was a little involved in the making of it too – Balint is a real talent and it’s great to hear something of this quality coming out of my country. My favourite of the year.
Squarepusher – Tundra 4
A beautiful, operatic, 13-minute jungle hymn from 2004. I got this from another Hungarian artist (Máté Tulipán, aka Carla Under Water) as a birthday present five years ago. It’s a sick recording.
Finn McNicholas – Coma Forever (Part II)
This album was released in the same batch as the Gosheven album on Opal Tapes. For some reason I haven’t really been into neo-classical stuff in the past few years but this tape single-handedly got me back into it. I really love this kind of darkness and melancholia. Listen here.
S Olbricht’s Purpleblue EP is out on July 21 on Lobster Theremin
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