ALBUM Nadja Lind – Brain Candy Remixed

Sometimes it's hard to know what to say.

Regular TIWWD readers will know I'm a big fan of that Klartraum/Lucidflow sound (Nadja being, for the uninitiated, one-half of the former and co-owner of the latter) so when I tell you that here, Ms Lind serves up a whopping 22 remixes of tracks from her outstanding solo album Brain Candy… and that those 22 remixes come from such highly respectable names as Hernan Cattaneo, Sasch BBC & Caspar, Helly Larson, Saytek and Deep Spelle… well then, you know I'm going to tell you that this album is a total must-buy, don't you?

So then I'm left wondering, "what else can I tell 'em?". I'm not going through all 22 tracks one-by-one saying "this one's a bit more dubby" or "this one has tougher kicks" because, y'know, there's 22 of them. So that only leaves me to point out that if you're already a fan of the Lind/Klartraum/Lucidflow style of deep, dubby, atmospheric techno then you'll have no cause to be upset by any of the rerubs here; yet at the same time, between them there's sufficient stylistic variation to keep the album interesting and to potentially attract a wider audience as well.

But then I would say that, wouldn't I, being a fan n' that? So to hell with it… just buy the damn thing. It's superb, frankly.

Out: This week

About: You can find Lucidflow here, here and here (website/Facebook/Soundcloud)

Nadja Lind – Brain Candy Remixes Pt 1

Seeing as we seem to be on something of a 'deep and atmospheric' tip today, now seems like a good time to tell you about this latest release from Nadja Lind.

Ms Lind is, of course, one-half of Klartraum, who are also the team behind Lucidflow, and few labels do 'deep and atmospheric' like Lucidflow do! It's Nadja's uncompromisingly broody, moody originals – A Choice and The Preach – that do it best for me, by some way, but if you're looking more obviously dancefloor-oriented rubs then (Klartraum playmate and Lucidflow co-owner) Helmut Erbritsch and UGLH do the honours, in techno and tech-house fashion respectively, while my man Hernan Cattaneo teams up with Soundexile for a refix of Limbus that takes us into proggy territory.

Like I said though, it's the originals all the way for me here. Spark up, lean back and enjoy…

Out: This week

About: As well as the website above you can find Lucidflow on Soundcloud and Facebook.

Nadja Lind – Drifting Elements

Another one I'm loving loving loving here… it's quite good fun listening to all this house music and writing this blog sometimes y'know! I think I said recently how much I've been loving that big, dubby Klartraum/Lucidflow sound of late, and this solo offering from Ms Lind, who is of course one half of both, is no exception.

Five mixes to choose from, covering various shades of house and techno… and they're all pretty damn good, to be fair. But the Original and Dunck AKA Pawas's jittery, skittery 'deep techno meets future garage' mix are doing it best for me, I think, with a special mention also for Jeff Fontaine & Deep Spelle's dub house-y rub.

Out: This week

About: You can find Lucidflow at their website, floating on a cloud of sound and in a book of faces.

Mirza-Zadeh - Heart Of Glass

It's been a long day and I'm about ready to crash and burn (not necessarily in that order!) but before I do, there's this… which is, it has to be said, a very enjoyable way to end the day.

Five tracks, coming (mostly) from that most rewarding of musical places where deep house and deep techno collide. Bar-B-Q ain't nothin' but a lazy, sumptous, bassy late-night groove; Bernado's Sarangi is as fine a piece of sitar-sporting downtempo Indian fusion bizniss as you'll hear all summer;  Reflection is more out-and-out deep techno cut, one of those atmospheric, cinematic numbers that sounds like it's been recorded in a huge underground cavern full of leaking pipes; Tachyon takes that same blueprint, but then overlays it with disco synths to quite devastating effect; and finally Heart Of Glass itself is another slower, more sofa-oriented affair, with whispered vocals, tinkling chimes and abstract synth squiggles among the elements that drift tantalisingly in and out of the mix as the track ambles along to its conclusion 6 and a half very chilled-out minutes later.

Superb stuff for those that like it so laidback it's horizontal!

Out: This week

About: This comes on Lucidflow, also home to Klartraum… more info at their website, Facebook and Soundcloud pages

Nick Robson – Sheltered

Five tracks of industrial-sounding deep techno here from Germany's Lucidflow.

There are two mixes apiece of Diving Bell and Under Shelter, and one of Approaching Cloud. Expect cavernous production, static noise and ominous atmospherics, house-paced (as opposed to relentlessly banging East European-paced) beats, a spaced-out overall feel… oh, and on Klartraum's mix of Under Shelter, the tiniest of female vocal snips, which is all that's needed to bring a little light and make this the most househead-friendly track here and the standout for me, with the dubby and the brooding, moody Approaching Cloud a close second.

Out: This week

About: You can find Lucidflow at their website, on Facebook and on Soundcloud.