Here are two releases that I wish I'd reviewed earlier but due to being stuck in other things didn't get round to it. First up lets run with Cygnus on World Building. I spend a few hours a week walking and talking with Ben Gatto Fritto. Not only is he one of the most astute people when it comes to what is happening in every corner scientifically and politically he's also got mega taste in music as many of you know. Ben gave me the heads up on Cygnus a while back and said he's a mad talent then soon after Ari of Beautiful Swimmer and World Building fame dropped this album in the inbox. It's recently hit the stores and is just brilliant. It roams from deeper cuts through to melody-led pieces all with that background of heavy bass and electronics. It's just a superb electronic album from start to finish and we can't recommend it enough. Props to Cygnus and World Building. Out now.

Next up is this mad machine being (loosely) controlled by the Dewaele brothers... Check this thing out.

I was lucky enough to see this in their studio. This is the EMS Synthi 100. There were only ever 31 of these produced and its about ten feet wide and five feet tall and has all these mad patch and plug points and basically still looks like the future even though it was made in 1971. EMS were an English company that folded in the late 70s but if you're a synth geek you'll no doubt have seen the VCS3 (also know as The Putney) which looks like this...

So the Synthi100 is basically three VCS3's and is a beast. David & Steph (happy birthday Steph!!!) basically have / had a loan of one of these from the local university and promised themselves to make a piece of music. When at the studio they would sort of walk over and just tweak and toy and then leave it running. It was literally like HAL 9000 sat there in the corner beeping and talking to itself is some weird futurist metalic language. Anyway, point being they recently released a selection of music with all sounds being generated from the Synthi and publication and Dave and Steph being Dave and Steph it is a beautiful package produced in conjunction with Ill Studio from Paris and the Vinyl Factory. There are images below and you can get more information here...

As an aside, I have to give massive props to the writers who have kept TP moving - Bruce, Martyn and Piers and hope to be bringing more voices into our world as we move forwards in this new landscape we are all helping to create. Cygnus and the DEEWEE Synthi project are available now and both are good for your health. Yours, Apiento. x.