MINUS101: Magda – From The Fallen Page (Album)

(by Bill Mahoney)

With so much in techno sounding robust and clinical because of modern computer technology, it is refreshing to get primitive with an artist album whose strong traits come from sounding chunky and less-than-calculated. Magda’s “From The Fallen Page” could be someone’s studio goof session, which is precisely why I love it! Almost nothing here sounds Ableton-ed to perfection, so much sounds raw and synthesized, like it is done on 10-year-old technology; perhaps a personal throw-back to her hometown of Detroit in the pre-DEMF era. I would recommend jumping in at “Your Love Attack” and riding it straight through the brilliant funk of “Breakout”, it is here that the album’s joy, bleakness and artistry soar the highest.

nebula: “Shake Stomp and Back Down”

This one is a true treat because it is rare that Nebula ( Steve Cowan ) stops tinkering with his tracks long enough to release them for general consumption. “Shake Stomp” probably sees the light of day because it is a fantastic funk-and-bounce production and it is hard to see how it can get better from here. (Another reason may be pressure from his beautiful wife Sarah, who guest-stars with the catchy vocals). The transition into older track “Back Down” is a glimpse at Nebula’s infectious live talents, something rarely experienced beyond the Ontario party scene. This is a true treat from one of Ontario’s great unsung electronic music talents.

http://soundcloud.com/nebula/shake-stomp-and-back-down

-Bill Mahoney, The Kids Want Techno
(from Facebook)

Jeff Keenan

Jeff Keenan spins because he is fucking great at it! Even dissected at the most basic level, Keenan’s “OD Podcast” contains flowing, seamless mixing – one moment the set is drenched with deep and atmospheric grooves, the next he has the energy at a boil. Like only the greats can, the tempo shift is so baby-soft that figuring out when he did it is nearly impossible. Of course, none of the technical greatness would be worth a damn if the tracks were lousy and, fortunately, Keenan is a wizard in that department also. Kudos to this Boston native for recognizing the talents of Toronto native Alicia Hush – he drops the great “Dirty Dozen” two tracks in and helps set a delicious mood for this phenomenal journey!

http://owlsdance.com/site/2011/09/od-podcast-006-jeff-keenan/

Click here for the track listing…