BufoBufo Qeta
Fascinating World

Łukasz Seliga needs little introduction to anyone even roughly following Poland’s dance and electronic underground, as his contributions – as a live performer, producer, remixer or DJ – embellished the better part of its story. Between his solo endeavours under the slg moniker, and projects such as Casiopepe or Seltron 400, he has long traversed genres and sounds, aptly and joyfully, always staying true to his distinct musical vision rather than being prompted by periodic shifts of fancy.On Sideways, his newest EP outing for Trance-Atlantyk, Łukasz appears under his own name – Seliga – for the first time, thus restating his identity and underlining the honesty of his craft. In a time when dance music tends to be driven increasingly by nostalgia, Seliga takes but a sip, ultimately eschewing it. As a result, the music we hear is more of a direct expression of his own abiding purpose – a lived, rather than re-lived experience, an auditory utopia, sung in a language the artist is deeply anchored in, but whose expressive qualities he seeks to enhance, and not simply exploit.Across the EP’s four tracks we are treated to impeccable, entrancing house riddims – masterfully executed, with subtle, yet meaningful nods to dub and ambient, and echoing inspirations such as The Orb, Andrew Weatherall’s remix work and the early Warp catalogue. Driving and soothing, kinetic and cordial, refreshing and utterly danceable, these four tunes succeed in conveying a unique sense of the melanphoric – and this is precisely what makes for their delicious seligability.

Scottish Techno wizard Astro joins PIFF Records on their landmark tenth release, with 5 cosmic and groovy belters.Having recently found success with his own Neptune Discs imprint and regularly performing up and down the country, Astro has firmly established himself as one to watch in the techno sphere.Opening with the title track, Astro combines a relentless bassline with dubbed-out chords and spacey leads. Echoing space-age soundscapes and futuristic sounds of 70s kosmische musik and 90s techno, Astro makes good on the aesthetic promised by his artist name.Astro brings down the tempo for the hypnotic Cloned Substance. A mesmerising hat pattern combines with delay-drenched leads and a bouncy bassline to create a track intent on capturing the listener in a state of trance.Thunderstorm adheres to the tried-and-tested Astro combination of a thick bassline, spacey stabs, and continuously evolving drums. As to be expected, the results are spectacular. Irresistible grooves and rich soundscapes are the order of the day as Astro delivers once again.A haunting and proggy FM-lead acts as the foundation for Pluto, underpinned by a sub-heavy kick and tranquil chords. The meditative ebb and flow of various elements masterfully expresses the solitude of the track’s namesake.Planetary Blitz closes the EP as a digital bonus track. Expanding on the spaced-out motifs of the previous track (as reflected in the track title), Astro substitutes chord stabs and warm basslines for a driving blend of punchy kicks and a subtle glittery guitar.

Altered Circuits' next release comes by way of Bologna-to-Berlin transplant Jacopo Latini. On the Motherboard EP he combines stubby drums and sultry, efficient basslines with richly hued synth work. Once the cuts get going, a tapestry of melody reveals itself: gated leads are accompanied by burbling arpeggios, momentous chord progressions and bright pads that crawl in and out. The patches often incline to the bright and dreamy but are deployed with restraint; in the same vein, concealed and aloof vocal samples get sprinkled in. These techniques - staples for the artist - add an inscrutable quality to his work's mood. It is dance music that feels direct on the surface yet hides more ambiguous emotions underneath. Being a DJ was Latini's first approach to the electronic genres, and it arguably still is his main inspiration - it even occurs he writes tracks with a specific venue in mind. Since starting over a decade ago, and having meanwhile swapped the local Italian stages for the international ones, he has amassed a ton of analogue gear to help him do so. On this occasion, he plugged in his Roland D-50, Moog Sub 37 and microKorg XL, among other favorites, to take on progressive, trance and tech house. "Motherboard", "High Voltage", "It Comes In The Morning", and "Dual Effect" make for a diverse selection but have indeed the same objective: the club floor.

Dance music traditionalist Tom Carruthers joins Craigie Knowes. Tom’s commitment to the ruff n’ ready sound of dance music’s formative years is unshaken on the De-Facto EP, bundled with the same synths, drum machines, samplers and FX used in the by-gone golden era of the UK acid, breaks and hardcore scenes. Soul is found in disorder, not in a world that places false hope in perfectionism.