B12

Scubadevils

Long time fan of B12 and great to see they are finally releasing tunes again (well, have been for a year or so again now) - they are now releasing again all of their work since the early 90's to include a load of unreleased material, B sides etc over a 7 volume CD collection! :eek: The first is just out now and each following volume will be released over the next 6 months, one release per month.

Taken from the B12 website...

"The B12 Records Archive" is a 7 volume double CD series collecting the entire B12 Records music archive from 1990-2005 including 96 tracks and 27 previously unreleased tracks.

B12 Records announce the re-opening of their archives with a 7 volume series, to include every track released on B12 Records between 1990 and 2007.

For the first time, this 98 track “Archive” series will bring together every ultra rare vinyl EP and Limited CD bonus track, gathered into a series of double CDs. The tracks that shaped techno history have been fully digitally re-mastered, and if owning them is not enough, the series will also contain 27 previously unreleased and unheard bonus tracks, recorded by B12 at the infamous Epicentre Studios almost 20 years ago, during the same golden period of UK techno perfection.

Volume 1 of this epic series collects the first 2 ultra rare releases on B12 Records, catalogue numbers B1201 (originally released on vinyl September 1991) and B1202 (January 1992). These two EPs were the first time we heard the Techno of Mike Golding and Steve Rutter, the clean, clear and complex music that contributed to this new era in UK Techno.

CD 1 combines the first ever B12 release, the first Musicology EP, which includes the seminal ‘Telefone 529’ and ‘Obsessed’ (which were both included on the duo’s Warp album ‘Electro Soma’ released two years later in 1993), with 2 Bonus Tracks extracted from the B12 Archives that have never been heard before. "Ming" and "Eliya" uphold every B12 tradition and maintain an unbelievable quality of sound and texture.

CD 2 is a continuation of the experimental techno that clearly defined the Chicago and Detroit influences while building and twisting the music into a unique and unforgettable UK sound. It was here that the duo’s obsession with outer space and futuristic time travel began, a journey that has only previously been experienced by a select few vinyl junkies, tracks that have never before been committed to the pure digital format they deserve.

Also included on CD2 are another 2 Bonus Tracks, again previously unreleased and never been heard before.
http://www.b12records.com/#releases

Tracklisting:
1-01 Metropolis* (4:58)
1-02 Obsessed* (5:50)
1-03 Fear Of Expression (5:19)
1-04 Telefone 529* (4:12)
1-05 Ming** (2:13)
1-06 Eiyla** (6:31)
2-01 Space Age (9:28)
2-02 Rings Of Saturn (5:23)
2-03 Future Bass Seven (5:20)
2-04 Weightless Condition (7:36)
2-05 Don't Always Look At The Rain*** (2:25)
2-06 Colloid*** (5:10)

Some tracks from this volume...

Obsessed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goTSp_M55Kg

Telefone 529

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhnltacOtEI

Fear of Expression

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZXZ2vqJOoY

Metropolis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqTovUwB-VU

What Boomkat have to say...

B12 are one of the UK techno scene's longest serving and most cherished production units, playing a highly influential role in the development of what became known as IDM with their releases on Warp's 'Artificial Intelligence' series. Their location in Birmingham situated them close to the source of the first Detroit techno imports and their sound quickly assimilated the chiming synthetic soul and dancing machine beats of the Motor City into their own brand of UK techno and electronica. The first CD of tracks from the lauded B12 archive includes the seminal 'Musicology' EP under their early pseudonym of the same name, bearing the Rob Hall favourite 'Metropolis', the soul warming Carl Craig alike 'Obsessed' alongside 'Fear Of Expression' and 'Telefone 529', both highlights of their 'Artificial Intelligence' installment. For the hardcore fans there's also a couple of unreleased bonus cuts on 'Ming' and 'Eiyla', two lush old-skool electronica tracks that couldn't have come from anywhere else but the hands of B12. The second CD is another treat for any fans of the original techno sound, with all four tracks from the original 'Space Age' EP under their 2001 alias included in fully remastered glory, saving you from shelling out daft money on one of the super limited vinyl copies. Producers simply don't make tracks like these any more, and despite being completely of it's time, this stuff still raises the hairs on the back of your neck with synth induced ease, from opener 'Space Age' sounding like anything from Ae's 'Incunabula' or 'Rings Of Saturn' sounding like some skewed refraction of the Detroit sound in their inimitable style. The two bonus tracks were originally recorded in 1992, with 'Colloid' being worthy of note for sounding like something from this weeks Marc Houle album, only 16 years ahead of it's time, and a hell of a lot deeper. If you want to dig a bit deeper than your Artifical Intelligence albums then this is a brilliant place to start. Beautiful techno.
http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=144048

Anima

Excellant, can't wait for it

empirix

Good to see indeed!

Scubadevils

Yeah it says the 17th on the B12 website for first shipping but it is available now on Boomkat, ordered my copy on Friday night

Scubadevils

Well, parts 1 & 2 have been excellent, and number 3 now shipping, ordered mine yesterday. Only 4 more to go to complete the Archives!

More British techno history archived for your ease of use, this third Volume of B12's reissue series collects the fifth and sixth releases in the label's catalogue. This is the sound of techno as it began to evolve into the Artificial Intelligence movement of the early nineties - in fact, three of the tracks here are lifted from B12's Electro Soma album for Warp, released in 1993. Also included are a selection of previously unreleased tracks, namely the brilliantly progressive 'Transient Pathways' and 'Ecliptic' (both from 1991), plus the more contemplative 'Go With The Hiss' and 'Somewhere Now' (from 1992). Visionary, classic material.
http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=157044

The B12 Records Archive" is a 7 volume double CD series collecting the entire B12 Records music archive from 1990-2005 including 96 tracks and 24 previously unreleased tracks.

B12 Records announce the re-opening of their archives with a 7 volume series, to include every track released on B12 Records between 1990 and 2007.

Volume three of this epic series collects the fifth and sixth releases on B12 Records, catalogue, B1205 and B1206. These two EP’s continued the new era in UK Techno, and forged a solid and unforgettable path that ran throughout techno music of the early nineties and has since become the digital signature of the Artificial Intelligence age. These EPs contained three tracks which were a year later released on the seminal Electro Soma and other tracks such as Paradroid and Inaneon that led the way into minimal techno more than a decade before the genre was recognised.

CD1 Collects the techno explorations of Mike Golding and Steve Rutter from early 1992 under the guise of Redcell. These tracks are unique slices of Techno history which are accompanied by two previously unreleased tracks from 1991.

CD2, another Redcell incarnation captures the feel of the time with the now undisputed classic, Hall of Mirrors leading the way into a sea of lush synths and beats that have easily stood the test of time. Included on this disc another two previously unreleased tracks, recorded in 1992, these tracks are awesome masterpieces which have finally seen the light of day.
http://www.b12records.com/

Includes...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgztJjBiFnQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCMBDYQmXN0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYjS27G8hac

Scubadevils

Finally completed all 7 installments of the B12 Archives... I'll miss waiting for the monthly issue, enjoyed the last 7 months of them! All excellent but the standout probably being the last, number 7...

http://www.discogs.com/Various-B12-Records-Archive-Volume-7/release/1789006

Terry Cotta

Ye that volume 7 is deadly. The Silicon Garden Likemind mix is some track. Some of the previously unreleased stuff across the series was really nice. It would be good to hear more of it.

Scubadevils

Yeah some great tracks from the previously unreleased material.

Only negative I'll say is that there are some poorly mastered tracks on the first disc of Archive 7 and also on another of the earlier releases, can't remember which one off hand but in both cases a touch too bass heavy which is frustrating.