The ADVENT
Shiolas

Morrice is no less than a pioneer of Portuguese techno, churning out high-octane bangers and rave-tinged rollers alike from his hometown of Porto since the mid 90s. Lucky for us he didn't slow down, and his fresh offerings are as enticing as ever - we got our hands on some of the finest crop of Morrice's characteristically deranged, sonic techno and 'Back on Tracks' was born.One can hear the realness of a legend-worthy path in dance music in every tough beat and in every bass line twist and turn: the opener 'Dirty Smack' is a raw, no-frills mutant banger that will throw even the most bashful raver into a frenzy, reminding us all why we miss dancing together so much. 'Stress Will Kill' is a tense, paranoid techno roller featuring a super effective lead over an economic but super banging technoid beat&bass. 'Synth Lies' is another trip recalling Midwest movements and exuberant composers like Poindexter.On the flip, you'll find the soulful depths of a warm 'Doctor' as well as the wonderfully Detroitian-via-Douro dream of 'Acorda', all silky pads and stabs. The record closes with a 'Dirty Smack' remix by Paraíso regular Violet who infuses the original with broken rhythms and percussive highlights.

'Intertwined', the first collaborative EP by Paraiso founders Maria Amor & Shcuro, is up next on the decade-old Lisbon label. This pair of syncopated, energized, immersive techno tracks comes with remixes by Tresor residents Fireground and DC's own Black Rave Culture, a trio composed of James Bangura, Amal, and Nativesun. 'Waves of Hope' opens the record in full force with a relentless beat that combines early 90s euphoric energy and jacked-up snares over a fat bassline, soulful pad progressions, technoid bleeps, dubby washes, and Maria Amor's own soothing cut-up vocals, elegantly touching several foundational club music sounds through an inspired lens. On the A2, 'Hotspring Love' brings levitating, airy textures and mixes them with subtle acid arpeggios, pure-hearted vocal melodies, and bouncy percussive accents. The rolling subwoofers of a proper techno party can practically be seen, the fast-paced kick perfectly perforating the bassline. Two remixes can be found on the B-side: first up is Berlin-based duo Fireground, who flip the original 'Waves of Hope' into a more concise take, exploring its dub influences and adding in cinematic, ravey chord progressions to a hypnotizing, ecstatic effect. The italian duo add a distinct dose of Neapolitan techno, carrying the textured intensity of that unmistakable sound. Black Rave Culture pick up 'Hotspring Love' and turn it into an ode to junglism, reappropriating the original pads in a classic DnB workframe with crisp breakbeats and an absolutely nasty bassline that no words can do justice to.

Hard at work for over a decade now, EDND is one of those artists whose influence on her local scene rolls deep and yet feels subtle - she's been silently honing her craft surrounded by a healthy mix of VSTs, classic drum machines and second-hand synthesisers of all kinds in her home town of Portimão. She's also never stopped playing a part as an important cultural agitator in the south of Portugal and Lisbon alike, taking part in jam sessions or community-led parties in all sorts of DIY venues, as well as gracing established clubs and festivals with hers and her duo's Roundhouse Kick mesmerising live acts.For her first solo EP 'Rupture of Plane', EDND finds a fitting home at Paraíso, where she explores the border between inventive experimentation and dancefloor effectiveness. The opener 'Quartz Composer' layers a bouncy bassline with mystery-drenched melodies and carefully sound designed percussive elements while the sparse vocal inspires a state of loving ecstasy. The infectious rawness of 'Field Effects' follows; its visceral, playful kickdrum pacing a dizzyingly trippy synth and an enticing suggestion of the rougher side of acid. 'While Sleeping Watch' ensues, bringing an even moodier, industrial-leaning piece of top-form EBM and techno. Paraíso regular Photonz steps in for a powerful rework of Quartz Composer, infusing it with a tough, whole new broken electro groove and an addictive synth re-design.

Lisbon's Paraíso is back. For the second release on the label, again some of the most essential underground producers of Portuguese origin were recruited to contribute towards a solid VA 12".First up is Silvestre, the Lisbon-born, London-based producer and DJ who has been releasing super inventive dance tracks on Diskotopia and his own excellent Padre Himalaya. His track 'Todos Juntos' is a tough yet playful take on piano house, accented by a gritty kick drum and a youthful vocal sample. DJ Ze MigL follows with his 'No Space' - the Lisbon veteran, who is a true techno pioneer and has released on Chi Wax and Djax Up Beats in the mid 90s, delivers a sonic techno belter, trippy and energetic in equal measures, fit for frenetic peaktime action in any rave deserving of such title.On the flipside, Algarve duo Roundhouse Kick of One Eyed Jacks fame serve up 'Acid Life', right on their flawless brand of romantic, evocative house music, complete with heavenly melodies and a fat bassline. Aveiro's Mind Safari (1980, Subsubtropics) rounds up the record in cosmic fashion with 'Enter Sandman', an arpeggiated journey through space and time, meant for dancing with our eyes closed and our heart open.The result is a dynamic, strong, colourful sonic palette that perfectly depicts the best of today's landscape in the much talked-about Portuguese music scene. Dive in - and feel the fresh waters of Paraíso for yourself.

Two Lisbon mainstays from contiguous generations join forces as Scam Dust for the new Paraiso record: Tiago, Lux Fragil resident, world-renowned DJ's DJ and all-round music whizz plus Shcuro, Paraiso's co-founder, scene documenter and impeccable selector & producer. Funnily enough they also live in contiguous beach towns in the outskirts of the capital, Parede and Carcavelos. That's where they zig-zagged amid home-studios and, four hands in various machines, concocted this refreshingly to-the-bone record. Like a non-local entanglement between Lisbon, Sheffield, The Hague and somewhere in the American Midwest, 'Gastric Pulse' EP opens with a saturated, modulated acid line over a tight, industrial-tinged techno beat, peppered with sonic dirt of the highest order. It sounds like music projects like Downwards and Mathematics would put out. 'Enzyme Breaks' follows suit with a comparably raw spirit, adding some mysterious atmospheric scintillation and drum variations. A certain recluse techno (is that a thing?) comes to mind (and heart), Unit Moebius style. Toms abound in 'Pepsin Drive' - always a promising sign in our book - and the playfulness continues in the cheeky bassline and the intricate clap work. Soulful stabs give the tune extra magic via the mantra-like structuring power of repetition. The final track in the record comes from Pacific North-West transplant Doc Sleep and her collaborator Elias FS step in for remix responsibilities and flip the B1 into a hypnotic, dubby - and yes, jazzy - piece complete with a dive into glitchy, sonic sculpture territories towards the end of the arrangement. Quite the brilliant take. Music still counts (and always will), after all is said and done - and nothing like two hard-working music-makers to remind us of that.