Adam Johnson & Blamstrain :: CD Reviews (Merck)

Adam Johnson, Merck’s latest signing resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota and produces music that you might not fully expect to hear on the “Severaly Electronified Hip-Hop” label, Merck. Chigliak shifts from ambient driven atmospherics to emotive, jaw-dropping experimental beats, and Berlin influenced techno. Imagine a cross between Sense, Gescom and Monolake and you have a brief idea of the sounds emanating from this disc. Spanning thru 16 tracks and 77 minutes worth of intensified electronic frequencies, Adam Johnson has his style intact and has mixed all the right ingredients to give you an accurate representation of his varied musical approach. If you’re looking for consistency on this disc, you might not be too impressed to hear that Chigliak unleashes varied genres that all stem from the same brain; Adam Johnson. Also look for Adam Johnson on MAS and On Records!

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Blamstrain :: Ensi :: CD

Blamstrain (aka Juho Hietala) is not just another Finland based electronic music composer, he’s also the administrator of tpolm.org (“an organizational unit of the planet of leather moomins”) and has created Ensi; the chemically enriched ambient electronic manifestation of Merck Records’ latest release. On this disc we see Blamstrain’s sonic journey of electrical waves splashing all across the speakers. The sounds of warm air brushing against textured rhythms & cold industrialized techno are only a few of the elements that Blamstrain has in mind. At times Ensi unfolds its delicate blanket of melodies and shiny beats on tracks like “Linja” and “Goodbye P10” and then leaves you in the dust with the raw energetic ambiences of “Alive in Arms,” “Hello A16” and “List”. Quite the epic we have here, and the “first” we’ve heard from this talented Finnish producer. Looking forward to more from Juho.

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Stay tuned for reviews of Deceptikon’s Lost Subject EP, the Dosage (Comp.) 12″, and Frank & Bill’s ma0x 7″ all on Merck Records..