The Hacker

title:: Reves Mecaniques
label:: Goodlife Records

The first solo album by the onetime Miss Kittin collaborator has 3 tracks that feature guest vocalists (Perspects, Mount Sims, Miss Kittin) and seven instrumentals.

Not a record that would advise you to run out and buy, Reves Mecaniques is an interesting disc that skirts many different areas of electronic music. It gives quality doses of several styles (acid, coldwave, EBM, electronica), but lacks the cohesion that the best full length records come upon by magic or design.

Hosomaki: Mix 2

various artists
label:: Mental Groove

Released 4 years after Volume 1, Hosomaki: Mix 2 is not actually a dj mix cd as the name might imply, but rather a collection of some up and coming electronic artists from Switzerland who found a home at Mental Groove circa 2003.

Where the Where is Here compilation seemed to veer towards the 12 inch single a-side and feature some more in your face sides, Hosomaki: Mix 2 tends towards the more laidback approach. I found myself enjoying this compilation as a whole much more than Where is Here where I was drawn to certain tracks again and again.

Tiefschwarz

title:: Misch Masch
label:: Fine (Sony Music Gmbh)

Tiefschwarz combine together elements of house and old school techno for a hybrid and dirty sounding electronic music that takes some getting used to. Songs will have over the top vocals, house string effects, techno rhythms and an industrial edge which makes the music both exciting and hard to swallow upon first listen.

The first disc on this two CD set is a mix by Tiefschwarz. the second is a collection of all the mixes Tiefschwarz have created for other artists..