Late Night Driving Music

Now that we are nearing the end of 2006, I want to start highlighting some of the best releases of '06. Two releases I really enjoyed, however have yet to discuss on this blog are Force of Nature's Black Moon 12" and Martin Buttrich's Cloudy Bay 12".

First off, Force of Nature which consist of two longtime friends in DJ Kent and KZA reside in Japan where they have been releasing quality dance records since early 2002. This year was no different for the Japanese duo, they released one of my favorite downtempo records of the year in Black Moon. This Mule Musiq release is one of those downtempo albums, that's not really meant for the dancefloor, however a soundtrack for latenight driving. My favorite track off of this release is "Liberate" which builds off of cosmic synths, a nice lead guitar track, and layering percussion. Fans of Lindstrom, Prins Thomas, Manuel Gottsching, etc. should check out this record.

Force of Nature - Liberate

Martin Buttrich released two amazing records this year, and seems to be one of the hottest producers out there right now. First he released the critically acclaimed Full Clip/Programmer 12" off of Carl Craig's label Planet E. Before most people could get there hands on Full Clip he turns around and drops Cloudy Bay 12" which is more downtempo techno album compared to Full Clip, however equally pleasing. The title track is my favorite, as it builds off the musical landscapes he developed on the previous record. Buttrich has definately made his mark by releasing two classic techno 12-inches in 2006.

Martin Buttrich - Cloudy Bay