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LP
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PKR 003LP
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Phil Kieran releases his sixth album, The Strand Cinema on his own label PKR. The last five years have seen an evolutionary shift for the electronic musician, undertaking more soundtrack work, including for film (Nightride on Netflix), radio, and theater. The Strand Cinema album is a tribute to the art deco cinema building, The Strand, where Phil's recording studio is. A stirring and beautiful record, it seamlessly traverses the worlds of contemporary classical to beautifully elevated dance music with a recognizably cinematic influence. Managing to sound both grand and expansive, as well as minimal and introspective -- it's a record that explores the macro and the micro. The opening track "Strand Cinema", begins with a steady, gentle, looping pulse, almost recalling the kosmische ripples of Cluster, before sweeping and enveloping strings enter, resulting in a track that manages to sound both grandiose and tender in one fell swoop. Lead single "Atlantic" perhaps most perfectly encapsulates the various sonic worlds that Kieran is operating in, merging a bordering on euphoric dance beat layered with infectious melodies, while remaining anchored to organic sounds, as strings and percussion collide with the driving and hypnotic groove of the track. "Strike the Match" showcases Kieran's talents for detail, in a track that feels almost palpably textural and rich in complexity but without feeling overly busy or superfluous; while "Elephant in Castle" utilizes intense, almost gargling electronics, that drone with a foreboding and ominous tone, but also produces fractured moments of light, beauty and poignancy. The album was created from organic sounds manipulated by machines; melted, mangled and hacked with computers but machines only sound as good as the human spirit put into them.
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12"
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OMD 010EP
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Optimo Music Disco Plates return with an EP from Phil Kieran. Phil says: "The EP was recorded in my house and made up of mostly live percussion performed live by Thomas Tettey Annang. Originally from Ghana, he moved to Belfast some years ago. . . . We used a wide selection of traditional African drums that all have their own name, each one has a style and a sound. The rhythms used in this record would stem back to South American rhythms but using African drums."
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12"
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COR 132EP
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This remix package of tech-house maestro Phil Kieran's work opens with a remix of "Wasps Under a Toy Boat" by Luke Slater aka Planetary Assault Systems, who delivers a mental techno-monster. Cocoon cofounder Sven Väth had the pleasure of testing the remix and smashed the floors to pieces every time he dropped it. Tom Demac's remix of "Missp" breathes cool '80s air with its bassline and almost industrial beat programming. One hears early Detroit club hymns and the sound of Berlin in the '90s as Demac merges rough beats and stop-and-go effects with the new-wave feeling of bands like Liaisons Dangereuses or Propaganda.
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12"
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GIGOLO 276EP
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Gigolo Records release two killer cuts from the prolific and legendary Phil Kieran. "Love Wish" sounds like a lost techno lament to an erstwhile sound that could only come from a producer with experience. Never showy, the track builds carefully, introducing strings at the final pay-off. On the B-side is the amazing "Odd Ball," again a master-class in reserved arrangements that holds the dancefloor solidly, delivering subtle yet powerful pay-offs at every turn. Truly mind-affirming techno for the body!
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12"
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EDLX 011EP
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The Empty Vessels EP is Phil Kieran's debut on Electric Deluxe. The title track features a stripped-down, swinging groove. Tripped-out sounds flavored from industrial, house, and alien origin shift, move and melt this unique techno hybrid. The Gary Beck remix is for the more traditional dancefloor. A cool groove, dusty bass drum and huge rim shots create a framework for noise build-ups and Gary's own treatment of the already deranged original sounds, sending you straight to rave heaven.
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12"
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COR 073EP
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Cocoon Recordings presents a remix 12" of tracks off of Phil Kieran's Shh (COR 022CD/LP) album. Pan-Pot turn "Blood Of Barcelona" into a subsonic workhorse that sends shivers down the spines of fans of reductionist tech-house á la Dubfire and Radio Slave. Also Dutch talent Egbert van der Gugten ennobles his remix with a comparably hypnotic bass line, but lets his track drift into the sunrise with dub elements and a choir layer so beautiful that you wish for an endless loop.
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2LP
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COR 022LP
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CD
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COR 022CD
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The UK's Phil Kieran has been in the upper echelons of the electronic music game for more than a decade, but is only now releasing his debut album under his own name. Known for rocking clubs and releasing a string of killer 12"s, Belfast-based Phil has hooked up with German powerhouse Cocoon in recent times. Shh is a groundbreaking piece of work that will undoubtedly gain Phil plaudits across the board. The album seems to not only reference every sound Phil has ever loved in music, but is formulated in a completely fresh and futuristic way. Listen carefully, and you will detect elements of dub reggae, old hardcore like LFO, hip-hop, early-'90s electronica such as Autechre/Black Dog and other Warp staples, as well as the futuristic techno that Phil excels in. For the album, Phil went back to old sound lab recordings dating back to the 1950s and 1960s. Utilizing some of these sounds in the initial construction, he built up tracks using a combination of old samples sourced from original and weird places and some live new instrumentation as well. There are live drums, some electric/acoustic/bass guitar and live keyboard playing, as well as some choice guest vocalists. Simply put, Phil has synthesized his myriad of influences into one radically beautiful whole: blissed-out vocal samples, space age electro, cavernous bleeps, fizzy technoid 4/4 beats, glistening glitches, crackers crackles, early R&S sounds, warm keys, acerbic bass line undertows, dense echoes, Orbital cinematics and randy robotics all feature, but really, this is an album far greater than the sum of its parts. It's very much a home- or car-listening album, perfect for post-club play, although plenty of the individual tracks contain discerning dancefloor dynamics, too. Shh is an incredibly stimulating amalgam of sounds that will have your mind and body scrolling through decade upon decade of sound. Destined to take its place amongst not only the albums of the year, but as one of the landmark releases of the last two decades.
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12"
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FLYCAB 003EP
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"Belfast child and techno don Phil Kieran and his wonderful imprint Flying Cabbage are back. Kieran has been holed away writing and producing new music for his Alloy Mental live project, as well as releasing his wonderful Cocoon release Wasps Under A Toy Boat /Tartan Paint, which has been receiving amazing support. Now he's able to devote more time to Flying Cabbage, and what better way to announce this than dropping another club monster. 'Boxes of Black's first incarnation was an idea that Kieran put together and tested with some of his close DJ friends. After some manipulation, additions and subtractions, the new improved end product is something to behold. As with everything Phil produces it really grabs you by the balls. With relentless builds and drops, and a nasty break, it's the final bass laden drop that will really kill it for you! On the remix, Phil has drafted in another master of the dark arts, Perc. Here he toughens the original, yes that is possible, adding a more industrial edge to the production and delivering an evil beast for the floor. Both mixes really should come with a health warning, and that's why we love Kieran and Flying Cabbage!"
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12"
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COR 045EP
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Ireland's Phil Kieran is back again with Missp on Cocoon Recordings, continuing consistently where he stopped with his contribution to the Cocoon Compilation G collection: groovy, dark, technoid -- a sound that reminds of some fog & strobo parties in the mid-'90s. A perfect prime-time track. On the B-side, Pig & Dan interpret the track and give it a new look that is trance-y and playful, but with a good twist of acid and as good as the original.
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