New In – Jan 2025 – frohfroh – electronic music from leipzig

We heard through the Leipzig releases from January-and put together our highlights for you. Here we go.

Simon behind – “Confusion EP” (Brombért)

Salut! A new fruit from the Brombért Records fruit basket can be admired. And I do not read a press text in advance, but get in directly with the music. The title track starts a little dark and then comes this drum break, which you may have heard elsewhere. In addition, a voice sample and a few drums trained bass lines push the track forward. Good and fleet number between breaks and drum & bass with chic retro vibes. Even number two does not save with bass music and breakbeat references. Dark synths, summoning vocals and many frequencies of the lower spectrum ensure sufficient deepness. I have spontaneously stick a little more than the opener. “Something New” is definitely something for sunnier hours and brings off in good age and melodic drum & bass manner. Ltj Bukem and Co wave over. Really nice catchy and cheesy number. “Every Day, there is something new” is an almost childish naive line of text from it, which promises what may be lost in one of these days: optimism. And finally, a little pop history in the vocals and a Lofi synth that climbs a childlike melody. Not necessarily something for me, but you can do it. Super varied EP on the label with the blackberry -red logo.

Nils' Hit: “Something New” – Why: We need optimism!

Iglo – “price” (Figire)

We discovered Iglo by chance in the last new in edition. Then in January a new EP came out at the Len Fakis Label Figure – even on vinyl. It remains: Iglo is currently my most exciting new discovery. So versed, so elegant-pumping and with such interesting new twists, no young techno act has picked me up for a long time. By the way, he is not completely new: Iglo has been launching music for three years. Somehow he knows very well in the recent tracks, to embed Vocals in its classic, dense and deepen arrangements, which are rather unusual for techno. On the one hand with soul or glam appeal as well as cool and breathed spoken Words, on the other hand with a gentle-floating head voice. Above all, “introspection” stands out here, apparently a version of an already published track from Iglo. But regardless of this, he also has an incredibly fine feeling for just as gripping and stirring sounds as filigree-subtile sounds. And all of which produces it. You notice: I am instant fan. After this EP all the more.

Jens' Hit: “Introspection”-Why: Because as with the other version, the elegiast-floating singing catched me fully.

The Chord Memory Club – “Piano Lessons II” (Noiseberry)

Give the chord memory club (again) “Piano Lesson's”. The youngest EP, published on Noiseberry, presents two tracks that differ greatly atmospherically.

Based on a classic Four to the Floor, the “You Don´t Know the Street Like We Do” layer is a very confident piano (filter) house track with clear French-touch inspirations. The bike is not reinvented here, everything is very conventional, but it is not about innovation here either. The track is an energetic party number and, above all, should be fun – and it definitely does that. The second track “Numb Spots” goes in a different direction, brings some retro-nostalgic melancholy to the release and significantly expands the sound and emotional spectrum of the EP. “Numb Spots” serves a somewhat more distinctive aesthetic with a slightly wave impact and is certainly the stronger track atmospherically – precisely because it leads us as a listener: initially more casually leads to a certain hypnotic density, in order to result in a surprising climax.

David's hit: “Numb Spots” – Why: Simply because it is atmospheric and emotionally so diverse.

Sonnenstadt – „Starless Void“ (Unforced Music)

Juhu, I can discuss a release on cassette. And that optically makes a lot. The sound on the Leipzig label unforced is overwritten with Downbeat, Ambient and “Electronic Oddnesses”. Here the latest release of Sonnenstadt-the downbeat alias of the house producer Zacharias-fits perfectly. Long and atmospheric areas, subtle and organic percussion and low BPM numbers. Here and there a 303-like sound flashes. And then in the last third of the opener a nice voice sample from the “Space” category.

Does anyone else know the “Space Night” from the TV and the associated compilations? The spontaneous research at Discogs results in a musical and thematic intersection for the “Starless Void”. And that is absolutely benevolent. The sounds and the mood of the titles are definitely designed in such a way that you get stuck with your ear immediately and do not click Skippens through the release. Music for which time should be taken and it wants to be heard. With “Electron Rain” it rains fully stereo panorama in full stereo panorama. And at the latest at “Dreams in Cryogenic Sleep” it is clear that this is a very sophisticated and very well-produced ambient sound in the classic sense. A repetitive voice sample on a comfortable synth surface. You got me! I stay here a little and recommend everyone: hear this plate! From the beginning to the end.

PS in the info text is also referred to the hardware used in production. Somehow very common in ambient circles and pretty nerdy. I think it's good and appropriate to the release.

Nils’ Hit: “Electronic Rain” – Why: An endless audible loop.

Lady Maru – „Abstract Lier EP“ (Sanity)

With its parties in the Elipamanoke and several open-air raves on Lake Cospuden, the Sanity crew has contributed a decent part in the past three years, which takes place more faster and harder again in Leipzig. Since the beginning of 2023 there has also been a sanity label, which has not yet slipped on the radar. The last release was released in January – and it is very large with Lady Maru. In fact, I didn't know her beforehand, but a short research makes it clear that the DJ and producer from Rome is a real number in the hard utility techno and Gabba area. It originally comes from the noise and post-punk, and this hardness and sharpness has been transferring them to techno for several years. Your sanity EP is also shaped by this. Crunchy synth sounds meet rave chords and dark industrial and wave inspired beats. It's all a little too gruff and sometimes too little subtle. But it has great energy and dynamics. “Back to My Roots” in particular pushes a lot forward with its vocals and 90s rave fanfares. Remixes come from Sanity-Resident WSX and the Colombian producer Lourdes. Both take the rough edges a little. The latter remix then reconciles me with their spooky vocals, the ambient surfaces and the extra push at speed with this EP.

Jens’ Hit: “Abstract Lier (Lourdes Remix)” – Why: Because this streamlined mix of rasping-hard bass drums, soft ambient sounds and the Psy loops develop an insane pull.

Notsch “#Numbers” (Self-released)

A word with which one should describe “#numbers”? Curiosity. What is meant here is not the curiosity of the recipient: inside, but curiosity as an aesthetic drive of the five tracks, which were published under the name “#number” by the Leipzig artist. Describing the release is actually nonsense, because conventions or borders do not matter at all – you don't need to hear the EP for that. The charm of this releases is primarily that electronic music is explored here. Only consequently that the five tracks look like sophisticated sketches, which are based on different starting ideas – without degrading the release here to the random product. Above all, the lightness of the individual tracks is refreshing, all of which find a lot of space for development because there are no limits to them. Essential deals very confidently with these freedom and never lose orientation. Perhaps this is also due to his interesting musical history: he was previously a bassist of the punk band makata-o.

Davids Hit: “197” – Why: Because he is like a natural simple access for interested listeners: inside.

Elme „Bird Of The Year“ (Teleskop / All My Ghosts)

“Bird of the Year”, the new release of Elme, moves stylistically somewhere in the border area between Postrock and Ambient. It is also a nice cooperation between two very valued Leipzig labels: While telescope takes over the digital, all My Ghosts also released the album on tape. The sound aesthetics, which Elme build on “Bird of the Year”, lives from the sense of relaxed, electronica-driven post rock and the almost casual sampling of no longer too contemporary (entertainment) electronics. This melange is surprisingly fertile and helps to report an atmospheric space in a minutism. In Elme's bandcamp biography, this room reads as follows: “Creating Organic Atmospheres and Moods that Affect the Listener Where The Mind Has No Business-In The Feeling.” And this description is accurate. “Bird of the Year” puts the listeners in a thoughtful state, in which there is always enough of the music, so that it does not contain the background sound, but always keeps presence. This balancing act is difficult to achieve, but Elme seems to do it effortlessly and are therefore responsible for a very exciting release.

Davids Hit: “Shiba Inu” – Why? Imagine that after a long day you have a car ride in the dusk in front of you – then this piece is definitely the soundtrack to hang your thoughts on the highway.

S/h/u/y/a “Reflective Message EP” (Recorded Things)

News from Recorded Things, this time with a newcomer from Japan, who now lives in Berlin: S/H/U/J/A. Its four-track EP exploits a very wide panorama-with a rough-frayed hypno techno in “arrangement”, spilly-boring and yet crystalline saw sounds in “Diagonally”, breaky-tribalistic vibes in “Raise one_s voice” and Elegantly smoothed Deep Techno in “Vase”. As different as the tracks are, it makes S/H/U/J/A, the EP with a melancholy -darkened, inner -shifted atmosphere. Especially in their diversity and clarity.

Jens' Hit: “Raise One_S Voice”-Why: Because the breaky pounding beats and the psychotically leaning vocal samples somehow grab me.

Bigalke – „Kalter Schmerz“ (Don’t Be Afraid Of Yourself)

In one of the last new in edition, we first presented Bigalkes new label project. Another 1-track EP followed in January: “Cold Pain”. Darkly driving, with threatening sounds and yet a certain catchiness, this track makes its way. With a few elements, but a lot of rougher energy. Good (for me) that Bigalke gives the vocals less space here, which have dominated the track at “Shadow Bride” much more in the literal sense. However, the track naturally polarizes less. But there is still so much cold Hall in “cold pain” and demanding hardness that he is already very part of Bigalkes very own sound.

Jens' Hit: “Cold Pain” – Why: Because this track is only available, haha.