To close out the year, Life In Patterns presents Spektrum II, the second installment in the compilation series curated by Ferdinger. This 16-track VA, scheduled to release in early December 2024, comes as a double vinyl with four digital bonus tracks and download codes.
Spektrum II ventures into the depths of dynamic techno, combining driving beats with intricate, groove-rich patterns. The compilation seamlessly shifts from deep, dubby tones to bright, euphoric moments, embodying the labels signature sound. Its a bold exploration of diverse sonic textures, blending harmonic and dissonant elements for an immersive listening experience.
Next year the iconic anthem Cafe Del Mar will celebrate its 30th anniversary, a landmark that will be celebrated with a series of brand new remixes alongside the finest existing remixes in specially remastered versions.
Launching the series of vinyl releases in September is a remastered vinyl-only release of the original mix, as well as the best-known version of this classic track, the iconic Three ‘N One Remix.
Nearly 30 years ago, Paul M aka DJ Kid Paul recording as Energy 52 unleashed a record onto an unsuspecting public that would go on to define club culture for an entire generation of dance music enthusiasts. Named as an homage to the legendary Ibiza sunset spot, Café Del Mar broke down boundaries between the underground and
the mainstream, charting in the UK singles charts on three separate occasions and named as the “best tune ever” by Mixmag at the start of the new millennium. In terms of cultural and emotional impact in dance music, it’s hard to find a record that comes close.
Café Del Mar has come to represent the most euphoric and hedonistic pleasures of dancefloors - in Ibiza and all around the world - and has been remixed by some of the biggest names in the industry. Now, 30 years after its original release, Superstition Records will be putting out a new series of releases, with brand new remixes as well as remastered versions of some of the many remixes from across the last three decades. The vinyl-only remastered version of the original and Three ‘N One mixes will launch the series, with further details about the rest of the series announced in the coming weeks.
In 2021 Paul Van Dyk’s Café Del Mar remixes launched a series of vinyl and digital re-issues on the Superstition Records imprint after an almost 20 years hiatus. From 1993 until 2003 Superstition Records was a groundbreaking Techno, Tech-House and Trance Label and released some of the biggest and most revered records of the early German electronic scene.
California’s beloved Brainstory returns with a new EP celebrating the end of an era. Shoebox Days is an homage to the time spent and the recordings made at their now defunct Long Beach studio, aptly named Shoebox. As the name suggests, the space was tiny and stuffed with gear. While charming, it was riddled with constraints. But, as has been proven time and time again, great art often comes from difficult circumstances, and this new 7 song EP is further proof. The first track, “The Watchers,” opens with an earworm horn melody that immediately pulls you in. The crunchy drums and G Funk bass tones put a bop on it, lush orchestration weaves in and out and sets a mellow vibe. “Blend,” one of only two vocal tracks on the EP, is a California sunshine soaked love song walking the lines of psych rock ballad and B side soul. ”Twin Kitchen” leans you right back into your seat, with Eric Hagstrom’s in-the-pocket drumming carrying the tune.
“Home Alone” is singer Kevin Martin’s ever so relatable tribute to time by himself, time by today’s standards as “disconnected,” but in reality, much more connected… The fellas let some of the jazz background take front stage on “Lone Traveler,” starting out with an air tight groove, and letting loose over it as the track progresses. “Gravity Hill” named after the famed California oddity begins the ending of the EP as Brainstory takes it deep and brings us with them. “Necessary Loss” serves as the closer to this gorgeous journey.
California’s beloved Brainstory returns with a new EP celebrating the end of an era. Shoebox Days is an homage to the time spent and the recordings made at their now defunct Long Beach studio, aptly named Shoebox. As the name suggests, the space was tiny and stuffed with gear. While charming, it was riddled with constraints. But, as has been proven time and time again, great art often comes from difficult circumstances, and this new 7 song EP is further proof. The first track, “The Watchers,” opens with an earworm horn melody that immediately pulls you in.
The crunchy drums and G Funk bass tones put a bop on it, lush orchestration weaves in and out and sets a mellow vibe. “Blend,” one of only two vocal tracks on the EP, is a California sunshine soaked love song walking the lines of psych rock ballad and B side soul. ”Twin Kitchen” leans you right back into your seat, with Eric Hagstrom’s in-the-pocket drumming carrying the tune. “Home Alone” is singer Kevin Martin’s ever so relatable tribute to time by himself, time by today’s standards as “disconnected,” but in reality, much more connected… The fellas let some of the jazz background take front stage on “Lone Traveler,” starting out with an air tight groove, and letting loose over it as the track progresses. “Gravity Hill” named after the famed California oddity begins the ending of the EP as Brainstory takes it deep and brings us with them. “Necessary Loss” serves as the closer to this gorgeous journey.
Here is the debut, self-titled album from a.s.o., singer/songwriter Alia Seror-O'Neill, and producer Lewie Day. 'a.s.o.' is a thematic consolidation of the previous three singles and an impressive artistic progression. Day and Seror-O'Neill show they've mastered the format of the radio-friendly pop song and found how to subvert it completely. Across eleven songs, they have built a rich and compelling body of work.
We know where we are now, emotionally complex, trip-hop torch songs for club freaks. But the palette has broadened to encompass ethereal dream pop à la Cocteau Twins, slow- burning AOR-soul, and dubwise stylings. As a result, 'a.s.o.' is a satisfyingly coherent listen but never a musical monoculture. Variously there are nods toward Julee Cruise, Fleetwood Mac, and the uneasy listening of Portishead. It's an album that wears its influences lightly, is never weighed down by them, and always sure of its own identity.
It's anchored by Alia's unique voice. Her words speak of restraint and release, taking us from the elegiac to the euphoric. This elegantly crafted, perfect pop music sounds like it has had enough of your shit. And Day's music is the perfect foil; deep, slightly menacing, restrained, and powerful. The album has a cinematic texture, as with David Lynch; the seemingly familiar becomes uncanny and strange the closer we look. a.s.o. take our emotions for a joyride before leaving us floating in space.
'a.s.o.' is a journey; by its end, we all are changed
After a stellar debut on the No Guestlist label Blay steps back into the light with an ambitious new record Wave Formations. This record finds Blay pushing further into the space where afro-centric jazz and deep house collide, weaving together synth heavy production with organic rhythms and live instrumentation.
From its opening moments its title track ‘Wave Formations’ holds you captive. From field recordings blurring into a dreamy atmosphere, taking you on a 9-minute spiritual journey across the cosmos.
Its counterpart ‘Rhythm Of Love’ is equally dreamy; A reverb-soaked vocal track with live-band-like energy shape-shifts around its steady and forward pushing rhythm before unwinding into a meandering, melancholic piano outro.
On the flipside, ‘New Teacher’ is an invitation to dance — call-and-response synth phrases on top of driving percussive polyrhythms. What starts off simple and stripped down transforms into a full-on celebration; a boisterous rush of sonic afrofuturism that tries to reach the sun.
Keeping the joyful spirit high, the record closes off with the festive and playful ‘Faith In Us’. This highlife and afro funk inspired record reimagines band members feeding off of one another, switching from recognisable motifs to energetic solos pushing each other further into the light.
Originally released in 2005 on Playhouse, isolée's second album we are monster received widespread critical acclaim and was featured in numerous year-end lists, including Pitchfork's Best Albums of 2005, where it is praised for breathing "so carefree, years from now crits might accuse it of sounding timeless-- maybe even of being so." (Nick Sylvester in his Pitchfork review in 2005)
While closely associated with the minimal and microhouse movement of the mid-2000s, the sound on we are monster resists categorization; its musical vocabulary is too expansive to be confined to a single genre. Tracks such as schrapnell, mädchen mit hase, my hi-matic and enrico avoid many of the production conventions that define its period, allowing the record to retain a freshness that continues to resonate with listeners and music producers alike.
We are monster proved to be significant in more ways than one. Alongside its musical legacy, the album introduced the first record sleeve by Stefan Marx, whose artwork would become a familiar presence across countless releases on influential labels like Smallville or Mule Musiq, but also fashion labels like Comme des Garçons and many art galleries in the years that followed.
This anniversary edition revisits an album whose influence extends well beyond its original context!
Originally released in 2005 on Playhouse, isolée's second album we are monster received widespread critical acclaim and was featured in numerous year-end lists, including Pitchfork's Best Albums of 2005, where it is praised for breathing "so carefree, years from now crits might accuse it of sounding timeless-- maybe even of being so." (Nick Sylvester in his Pitchfork review in 2005)
While closely associated with the minimal and microhouse movement of the mid-2000s, the sound on we are monster resists categorization; its musical vocabulary is too expansive to be confined to a single genre. Tracks such as schrapnell, mädchen mit hase, my hi-matic and enrico avoid many of the production conventions that define its period, allowing the record to retain a freshness that continues to resonate with listeners and music producers alike.
We are monster proved to be significant in more ways than one. Alongside its musical legacy, the album introduced the first record sleeve by Stefan Marx, whose artwork would become a familiar presence across countless releases on influential labels like Smallville or Mule Musiq, but also fashion labels like Comme des Garçons and many art galleries in the years that followed.
This anniversary edition revisits an album whose influence extends well beyond its original context!
following two releases dedicated to sydney's atone, tonal oceans now turns its attention closer to home. after several years in the making, this release reintroduces the berlin trio die elektronische wohlfahrt in a revised form. nearly three decades after its original release on lab records in 1997, alongside the original 12" material, it includes two short pieces from the treffpunkt freizeit cd. die elektronische wohlfahrt was a short-lived project formed by kai kroker (rawell), peter lay, and anne westphalen. their recordings grew organically from late-night after-hours sessions in their studio in berlin's pankow district, capturing a unique blend of warm, quirky and playful textures. although their recorded output was rather limited, die elektronische wohlfahrt occupied the same creative circles as artists and friends such as move d and jan jelinek, at a time when berlin was establishing itself as one of germany's most innovative electronic music hubs. the group also performed at the legendary interference festival, one of germany's key underground electronic events of the 1990s. founded by dr. motte and uwe reinicke, the festival later evolved into interference records, where die elektronische wohlfahrt released the caro ep in 1996, further cementing the project's place within berlin's underground electronic scene. over the past few years, the music has quietly found its way into the hands of a new generation of listeners and discerning tastemakers, making its return feel long overdue.
Tectonic Recordings presents Tectonic Sound: Vol. 2, the second instalment of the various artists series curated by label founder Pinch. Following the first Tectonic Sound collection, released in 2025 to mark the twentieth anniversary of the label, the series continues Tectonic’s forward-facing approach; bringing together artists from their wider family and connecting dots across the underground.
Longstanding figures of the UK Bass scene such as J:Kenzo and Roska sit alongside a new gen of artists including Ehua, Manami, Cimm, Denham Audio, Henry Greenleaf and SHXCXCHCXSH. Beatrice M. also returns following the release of their acclaimed debut album Sinking earlier this year, while Jay Carder and Sir Hiss make their first outings as solo artists on the label, after both appearing as collaborators on Sinking.
Pinch says: ““As Tectonic enters its third decade, the spirit and passion behind the music hold true to its roots. I love every single track on this compilation and how it shows off the various corners of the label's sound. Each artist has delivered something truly special!”
Each artist arrives with a distinct sound and history of their own, but across these twelve original tracks there’s a shared understanding of what Tectonic represents. Different strains of the UK bass continuum come together, creating a space where sounds collide, and new forms take shape.
Pinch leads the charge with ‘Hold On!’, an upfront, high-definition 4x4 propulsion tool that pairs rolling momentum with seismic bass pulses. Manami enters with ‘Turning Point’, further solidifying her newer direction, leaning into deep, dubbed-out territory with a sound that feels both vast and exploratory, while remaining heads-down and locked in. Henry Greenleaf steps in with ‘Whist’, an ominous and otherworldly offering, reminiscent of early dubstep productions that fell somewhere between the lines of dark garage, 2-step and grime.
Elsewhere, SHXCXCHCXSH’s ‘NexxxD’ and Sir Hiss’s ‘2TUFF’ form a middle climatic point of pure chaos, with Sir Hiss serving up a raw slab of gnarled grime waveforms and cascading claps. Beatrice M. & Cimm bring things back down with ‘Pad City’, a cool, meandering cut of shuffling house, while Lorem closes the compilation with ‘Console Corners’, exploring the outer rims of sound manipulation and deconstruction before tying it all together.
Since its formation in 2005, Tectonic has been a trailblazing force in electronic music, helping to define and continually redraw the boundaries of dubstep and its surrounding sounds. The compilation arrives in the middle of a serious run for the label. Earlier this year, Tectonic released Beatrice M.’s debut album Sinking, a major moment for the label that was embraced across the electronic music community. Pinch has also continued his long-running creative relationship with legendary grime MC Trim this year, following their joint 2025 EP No Caller ID, with recent single Striker.
Across Tectonic Sound Vol. 2, those different strands of Tectonic’s history and present day meet head-on. The music moves between familiar forms and stranger territory, with rhythms and frequencies refracting across the collection. It’s a record that feels cohesive without being uniform, reflecting a label whose sound has always been defined by forward movement.
Dutch artist Maurits Verwoerd, aka Nachtbraker, makes his first outing on Up The Stuss with ‘Bodu Imchi’, a four-track collection that highlights the breadth and curiosity that have long defined his work. Drawing from a world that stretches from ambient and cinematic music to dub, jazz-inflected electronics and house, the Amsterdam native has developed a sound that can feel both deeply considered and completely instinctive. Releases across Aus Music, Peach Discs, Heist Recordings, Dirt Crew and his own Nachtbraker and Quartet Series labels have established him as one of the more distinctive voices within the Dutch house landscape, with support from artists including Jamie xx, DJ Seinfeld, Raresh, Shanti Celeste and Axel Boman.
Across ‘Bodu Imchi’, those influences come together in a record that feels fluid, slightly strange and constantly alive. Warmth sits alongside subtle unease, hypnotic grooves give way to more playful rhythmic ideas, and intricate melodies drift through low-slung foundations without ever becoming overly polished. There’s a sense of late-night discovery throughout, the kind of music that rewards close attention but still carries enough physicality to move a room and keep packed dancefloors moving with a locked-in approach. Four tracks, one evolving atmosphere, and a meeting of musical worlds that feels right at home on Up The Stuss. It’s a release that finds character in the fine details: unexpectedtextures, subtle rhythm shifts and elements that seem to appear out of nowhere before then disappearing again. It’s an EP that moves between heads-down focus and hazier hours, capturing the curious, nocturnal spirit that runs through his work.
The first new material from Krash Slaughta since last autumn finds our man dropping a tuff 45 featuring two dope ATCQ remixes. And what else to call that but ATCK a.k.a. ‘A Tribe Called Krash’! First up is Scenario which gets a gritty guitar-led new beat making it sound closer to something by Gravediggaz at their noisiest (or even DMX) than the Afro-centric jazz-hope vibes of Native Tongues. Over on the flip, a co-production with, and tribute to, the now sadly departed Del the Soul Condor, takes Low End Theory’s Buggin’ Out and sticks with the jazzy vibes but swaps Buggin’s minimal double-bass dominated shenanigans for something rather more Latinate and Bonita Applebum-esque. Naturally these are as cheeky as they come so it’s a strickly limited affair. Don’t sleep…
Peach Discs sends their last record of 2026 to the pressing plant in the form of G-Zip's wigg(l)ed-out, tech'd-up, but very much tuned-in "The Mystic Dog" EP.
A new house-focused alias from Stephen Howe – who you may remember from his excellent "Mimesis" EP for Joe Delon's Welt Discos, or his abso-fucking-lutely everywhere remix of Oklou – the G-Zip sound sits in the centre of the Venn diagram between London's tech-house pump and the blissed/blessed relief of deep house.
Hats from early grime instrumentals, interviews in club smoking areas, compilation skit tracks, video essays and jazz interludes – "The Mystic Dog" EP is built from a library of samples that extend far beyond house, tracing a deeply personal line through Stephen's influences and inspirations both past and present. Meticulously sequenced synth lines sit atop tightly woven Digitakt grooves, all mangled together through FX boxes and the Mackie desk that sits at the heart of his Berlin studio.
The EP sets out its stall with "Juiced (Monomania Mix)." Written after Stephen's first visit to Open Ground and inspired by a standout set from Fumiya Tanaka, it pairs stomping, techy drums and phat bass with a restless collage of mono synth patches that donk, squiggle and gurgle throughout.
"Missing Track" leans into contrast as a staccato bassline rubs up against the tighter than tight percussion, before skyscraping synths enter the picture to respond to the rhythm section's call. Flipping the record puts us back into banger territory with "Talking About Drums", as the tuned percussion and heavier-than-heavy subs nail the track to the dancefloor. Until the halfway point that is, when post-dubstep-indebted synths briefly arc across the stereo field – a glistening glow-up amidst the locked-in groove.
Closer "Mystic Dog" showcases Stephen's knack for idiosyncratic melody, as a wonky modular sequence twists and turns across the track while smack-in-the-face drums offer a bashy counterpoint. A classic B2 track if ever there was one, and wicked way to round off the EP.
(Oh, and there's a cheeky alternative mix of "Juiced" as a digi bonus for the hip-house heads).
Dajusch brings his distinctive sound to Backspin Records with 'Oracle', a five-track EP that showcases his instinct for powerful grooves, deep low end and carefully selected synth work, rounded out by a remix from Dutch techno veteran Sterac. Another strong addition to Regal's Backspin Records, this EP balances Dajusch's musical sensibility with his feel for high impact club music, keeping the focus firmly on club functionality.
Opening with 'Boxer', Dajusch immediately strips things down to their essential elements. A buzzing deep bassline provides the foundation while a repeated vocal hook becomes the central motif, surrounded entirely by percussion including a punchy kick, heavy toms and crisp hats. 'Narrow' introduces a saw wave synth that functions simultaneously as bassline and lead, gradually building tension through repetition and a slowly opening filter before a droning pad leads into the return of the drums. Closing the A-side, 'Reeses Piece' is built around a wide gliding Reese bass moving across di?erent notes. A heavy breakbeat, clean claps and hats provide the framework while a high-pitched vocal brings a distinct 90s rave energy, with swinging toms adding movement to an already groovy production.
On the flip side, the title track 'Oracle' shifts the focus towards melody, with Detroit-influenced synth work taking centre stage. A classy melodic motive is complemented by heavily processed vocals transformed into euphoric, drone-like elements, adding another dimension without losing the track's directness. 'Strings' closes the original material with a hefty saturated kick while string synths carry the main theme. Drums straight out of a classic drumcomputer and warm chords build into a more expansive breakdown before returning to the groove. Closing the EP, Sterac's remix of 'Narrow' takes the original saw synth motive into a more hypnotic direction, playing with its pitch and arrangement while reducing the percussion and pushing an already deeper kick further into the mix, giving the synth work more space to breathe.
With 'Oracle', Dajusch delivers a focused statement rooted in classic Techno while remaining connected to a modern sound. Another strong addition to Regal's Backspin Records, this EP balances Dajusch's musical sensibility with his feel for high impact club music', reinforcing the label's dedication to forward-thinking techno with a clear respect for where techno came from.
Returning to Discrepant after 2023's 'Atheitsaregods', Humboldt County, California's most mystical entity continues to reshape its own patented processes of lysergic invocations on 'Squall Lines'.
Conjuring a vast array of sound sources, both organic and electronic, from vocals, violins or flutes to synths and pedals, the duo of Brian Pyle and Merrick McKinlay conveys a carefully sequenced and ritualistic aural tapestry from ancient futures. The synth beam and out of reach field recordings at the beginning of 'Sin Idioma' unfolding a dirge-like procession of drums and bells, flowing into the cave-like ambience of 'Nightshade', populated by echoes of unidentified origin, bleeding seamlessly through a foggy half-light drone into the fractured melodies and creeping voices of the pummelling 'No Chance'.
The B side sequencing from 'Squall Line' to closer 'Totality', drifting from faraway war cries, dissonant strings and crumbling percussion through post- apocalyptic landscapes, hazy pads and murky atmospherics to a final glimmer of processed flutes. A revelation. End time visions for the unquiet spirit.
What makes a life well lived? Career, home, savings, family: these are the milestones that make adulthood legible as success. Friendship, meanwhile, is often treated as something that either endures or doesn’t, more a matter of luck than a relationship requiring its own devotion, maintenance, and care. When really, as the world becomes more isolated and artificial by the day, friendships may be the most important thing a person ever builds.
“A lot of times in life I feel like a late bloomer, like I'm still trying to get my shit together in a way that other people have already figured out,” says Chastity Belt drummer/vocalist Gretchen Grimm. “But then I reflect on my adulthood, and my top priority has largely been my friends, which I do not regret at all.” That priority feels like the guiding principle on the band’s sixth album, All My Friends. Not that they set out to make an album about friendship—during mixing the band's longtime collaborator and engineer, Samur Khouja, pointed out that a lot of the songs referenced the subject. Which makes a lot of sense.
Julia Shapiro (guitar/vocals), Lydia Lund (guitar/vocals), Hunter Truscott (bass/vocals), and Grimm have been making music together for 15 years. Friendship has sustained the Chastity Belt project as its members have grown alongside one another, both as people and as musicians. Across a resonant catalog, they’ve moved from the raucous wit of their early records toward the lush, introspective moods they’ve refined on each album since via trademark intertwining guitars, meticulous rhythms, and double exposure of melancholy and optimism.
All My Friends comprises songs recorded across multiple years, time zones, and studios, including Seahorse Sound in LA, Way Out in Woodinville, and a centuries-old house on the Greek island of Hydra. The oldest track dates back to around 2018; the newest were finished within the past year. These days, the band spans three cities (Los Angeles, Seattle, and Chicago); less writing/rehearsal time means songs are often worked out in the studio, relying on the spontaneity and instinct that comes from knowing one another so well. The result is rawer and less polished than their last couple of records, closer in spirit to the band’s roots.
With 108, Nathan Melja shapes a world built around movement, repetition and presence.
Across four tracks, rhythms unfold with patience. The record opens with “Joe’s Muse”, a playful and deep energetic track, before “Les Planètes” expands into something wider, with the help from New York vocalist Joiah, and more suspended. At the centre, eponymous track “108” draws you into a more hypnotic, ethereal space. “Trippin’” closes the EP with a sharper physical pull, bringing the record back toward the dancefloor without breaking its internal spell.
The release is completed by “Strategic Patterns” as digital bonus, an additional exploration of sounds, repetition and subtle displacement.
108 is a record for the space between attention and abandon, precise in its construction, but always open to wonder. It also offers a faithful portrait of the broad panorama of influences that Nathan Melja incorporates into his music, a sound that can be equally appreciated on the dancefloor and through attentive listening.
Following the critically acclaimed Fantômes… Futurs, praised by FIP, France Inter, Radio Nova, ARTE and International jazz press, double bassist and composer Kham Meslien returns with Vévés électriques, a deeply immersive second album where memory, landscape and improvisation merge into a singular sonic journey. Joined by Laurent Bardainne, Roger Raspail, Naïssam Jalal and David Neerman, Meslien expands the intimate language of his double bass with subtle loops and organic textures, weaving together echoes of Iceland, the Caribbean and imagined territories. Blending spiritual jazz, contemporary classical influences and ambient soundscapes, Vévés électriques is an invitation to drift beyond geography and into a profoundly personal exploration of emotion, identity and freedom.
Set upon an oil-smooth sea, an immense range of directions opens up before Kham Meslien for “Vévés Électriques”, his second album after “Fantômes… Futurs.”
With only his double bass and bow as vessel and sextant, a distant journey nevertheless begins to take shape. Vibrations and the striking of strings against wood quickly trace lines and winding paths across the surface of the water—so many routes to follow before leaving them behind, allowing the outward journey to become an inward voyage as well.
After an improvisation intended to shed light on the course ahead, isolated lands came into view: the shores of Iceland, the lands of the far north, places cut off from the rest of the world by vast expanses of water. Islands battered by a harsh climate that can only be endured by drawing warmth from deep within oneself.
Then the Caribbean arc appeared. The archipelago, a setting for joyful and unsettling experiences, takes Kham back to a childhood from which the passing years have carried him away. Rather than following the conventional channel of the music of these places, the West Indies emerge through memories whose colors are still vivid.
Through the morning mist, Roger Raspail’s percussion locks into the same frequencies of the groove. Double bass and struck skins then become companions on a road that intersects with Laurent Bardainne’s saxophone. Carrying a dreamlike message, David Neerman’s vibraphone also joins the narrative to write a few chapters of its own, while others are enchanted by the flute and voice of Naïssam Jalal, or struck by the metaphorical rhymes of rapper Rocé.
On the surface, through the themes along which the pieces navigate, landscapes slowly reveal themselves and change shape as the shore draws nearer or recedes. Straying from the marked course and allowing oneself to drift, breaking free from pure acoustic sound by adding loops first played live and then sampled, allows Kham to explore the depths. The depths of the ocean, as well as those of his soul. To enter a world of improvisation that reveals itself even as he explores it. Examined up close, feelings become shells to pick up and hold to one’s ear, so that they can be felt intensely until they take material form.
This sea, which had appeared peaceful, became the stage for a succession of stories and images, which then accumulated to give birth to a larger narrative.
YES is a genre-blurring blend of punk, electronic and rap from South Africa, released on limited edition White Vinyl
South African alt-rap trio Internet Girl have officially announced their debut album, YES, arriving November 13 via PACK. Records. Alongside the announcement, the group has released their new single “DA BUSINESS” featuring Kenny Mason.
A high-energy party anthem, “DA BUSINESS” opens with distorted guitar before chopped vocals briefly pull things back, only for an abrupt beat drop and howling synth to send the track into overdrive. As another synth melody sweeps in, TK cuts through the chaos with an introspective opening verse before Kenny Mason crashes in with a gritty guest verse. Live drums, distorted guitars, and surging synths continue to build around them, turning their vocals into something closer to rage-filled battle chants than traditional rap verses.
Partially written on tour last year, “DA BUSINESS” is the oldest song on YES and one of the album’s few guitar-led tracks. Kenny connected with the trio over DMs months earlier before joining them on the track, bringing Atlanta and South Africa together for one of the album’s most charged moments. “DA BUSINESS” follows the trio’s recent single “ALL THE SAME,” a swagger-heavy track built around a hypnotic Spanish-language vocal sample and live drums before a heavily distorted bass synth takes over in its final stretch, drawing inspiration from South Africa’s booming taxi rave scene. Together, the two singles offer an early look at the range of YES, moving between the rock, rap, and electronic sounds Internet Girl have made entirely their own.
Written largely during a week-long trip to South Africa’s Karoo region at the beginning of 2026, YES captures Internet Girl at a turning point. What began as an ad-lib TK would throw into his verses gradually became the philosophy behind the record: saying yes to an idea and committing to it completely, even before there’s any proof it will work. Across the album, that once-delusional confidence begins to feel real as the trio reflect on coming of age, growing more comfortable with themselves, and becoming increasingly assured in the music they make.
The new release arrives on the heels of a big year for the South African trio, who have brought their high-energy live show to stages around the world, including Pitchfork Music Festival Paris and Boiler Room Soweto, while co-headlining Kiss Kiss Festival in South Africa alongside Basement Jaxx.
On his sweeping sophomore solo effort, James Felice squares up against cosmic indifference with expansive orchestral production and a depth of writing that makes even visceral Biblical imagery feel effortless. Recorded in Omaha with Nate Walcott (Bright Eyes) at the helm, Homeworld Blue pairs lush horns, intricate strings and pounding piano with Felice's authoritative, plainspoken voice — grand in scope, but never far from the small, everyday moments it's really about. Drawing on twenty years as keyboardist and accordionist of The Felice Brothers, and following his 2025 solo debut The Little Ones, Felice trades the intimacy of home recording for a maximalist, cinematic scope that sits comfortably alongside audacious songwriters like Joanna Newsom, Fiona Apple and Randy Newman — and closes, fittingly, back in the family kitchen.
On his sweeping sophomore solo effort, James Felice squares up against cosmic indifference with expansive orchestral production and a depth of writing that makes even visceral Biblical imagery feel effortless. Recorded in Omaha with Nate Walcott (Bright Eyes) at the helm, Homeworld Blue pairs lush horns, intricate strings and pounding piano with Felice's authoritative, plainspoken voice — grand in scope, but never far from the small, everyday moments it's really about. Drawing on twenty years as keyboardist and accordionist of The Felice Brothers, and following his 2025 solo debut The Little Ones, Felice trades the intimacy of home recording for a maximalist, cinematic scope that sits comfortably alongside audacious songwriters like Joanna Newsom, Fiona Apple and Randy Newman — and closes, fittingly, back in the family kitchen.
When Index moves, it’s in lockstep, as a single, indivisible unit. Alan Creedon and Alex Lichtenauer (both ex-Control Top) started the project in the summer of 2025, and it quickly became clear that its sound would be an outgrowth of their close friendship. Eschewing the densely orchestrated compositions of their previous band, Index would instead focus on sweaty, visceral physicality, with Creedon’s guitar intuitively latched to Lichtenauer’s drum kit, navigating corridors of tricky rhythm as one. Creedon and Lichtenauer recorded Vis Inertiae in NYC with acclaimed producer Arthur Rizk (Power Trip, Show Me The Body). Despite a litany of freak injuries that befell Lichtenauer before and during the band’s studio time, they say it was the best experience they ever had in a recording session, and Creedon concurs. Rizk was brought into the process early on, when the band played him some bare-bones demos that impressed him, and he was critical in helping ferry the songs to their final forms.
n resurrecting the band Krill—declared dead over 10 years ago—Jonah Furman considered the turritopsis nutricula: the “immortal jellyfish” that reverts to juvenile form instead of dying. “I was always afraid of coming home,” he says. “But home is inescapable.” Now living in the same Chicago suburb he grew up in, Furman ponders the passage of time on Secret Language, a nostalgic and cerebral exploration of family, fatherhood, and fated love.
From 2010 to 2015, Krill recorded three LPs and two EPs, growing into a cult project revered for its complex, rapturous compositions. Anxious, anthemic, mathy, propulsive, they were beloved by Frankie Cosmos, Girlpool, Horse Jumper of Love, and countless others. Personal lives took priority and brought the project to an official close, save for two reunion shows and a 2020 album under the name Knot, but that's retroactively a Krill album, “because it's easier that way.”
The project was revived “on a whim” as Furman puts it: “Theo from Ovlov asked if Krill wanted to open a Chicago show. Then I started writing new stuff.” He recruited Krill’s longtime drummer Ian Becker who, too, had just moved back to town. Both had known guitarist Andrew Clinkman (also of Spirits Having Fun and Moontype) during their collective years in Boston and growing up in Chicagoland, and soon he joined the fold. On Secret Language, the trio tap into their reclaimed city’s famed music community, drawing inspiration from current locals the same way Krill were inspired by their Boston contemporaries like Pile and Speedy Ortiz instead of Pixies or Mission of Burma.
On Secret Language, home can be anything: a place, a person, a feeling. But Krill is “very much” a Chicago band now; a new beginning where it all began.
Amazing! RCA returns with a special three-track release from Funk D’Void & Friends, bringing together three different sides of the house spectrum across one beautifully connected journey. From the warm, rolling groove of the opener through a deeper, more hypnotic middle cut and into the tougher, more driving territory of the closer, each track has its own character while working perfectly as part of the whole. Funk D’Void & Friends doing what they do best. Deep, soulful and groove-led house music with just the right amount of edge. Three tracks, one journey, no filler.
Four solid dub house and deep house cuts from Alessandro Crimi, pressed on blue green marbled vinyl. Get Up opens on a rolling groove, hats ticking against a bassline that breathes rather than pushes. Interstate tightens the low end into something more direct, built for the peak of a set. Look At The Stars slows the tempo down into dub house territory, chords smeared and delayed until they blur into the drums. Multiverse closes the record on a dubbier note again, echoes trailing off into silence between hits. Across the four tracks the mood stays controlled, functional, made for rooms where space and repetition do the work.
Tekamolo is the anonymous project of a renowned musician who chose to hide their identity and leave the listener alone with the music. Their debut, best tunes for your answering machine, was an album of absolute solitude: minimalist electronic songs that felt like messages from an unknown caller, perhaps destined never to be heard. On Friends to Keep Silence With, solitude gives way to dialogue for the first time.
The album was made in close collaboration with drummer and composer Elizabad Volkova, a current member of Mirage, one of Russia's best-known pop groups, and the electroacoustic project INDEX III, which has collaborated with acclaimed contemporary composer Vladimir Martynov and violinist Tatiana Grindenko, a key figure in Russia's experimental classical scene. Before making the record, Volkova and Tekamolo barely knew each other. They'd only crossed paths on Instagram, and Tekamolo had never even seen her play live, only on video. They met in Berlin, where Tekamolo lives, and decided to try making something together, with no stylistic framework, no references, and no idea of what the result should be. To their own surprise, it worked almost immediately. Despite barely knowing each other, they found a shared musical language that felt completely natural. Those first sessions became the starting point for an album Tekamolo would continue working on over the following year.
The new album expands Tekamolo's retro-futurist world of altered voices, fragments of memory and free-form electronics into something more spacious and physical. Rhythm becomes a voice of its own: Volkova's live drums do not simply accompany the music, but enter into a constant dialogue with it. The result exists somewhere between groove and ambient, movement and stillness, melancholy and warmth.
Three decades deep and as essential as ever, Ralph Lawson's 20/20 Vision Recordings continues to mine its rich back catalogue with care. To that end, 'Full Circle Vol.3' feels both respectful and forward-facing with new mixes of enduring classics. Roman Flugel reworks 'Machine Life' into a driving club sound with fresh vocals and elastic acid lines, while MADVILLA sharpens 'Rhythm Freq' into a sleek hybrid of house, UKG and electro. Simon Baker's updated 'The Liptrick' retains its raw punch, and Formidable Force close with a warm, late-night dub of 'Reactivate'. It is a tidy reminder of the breadth and depth of sound this label has always dealt in.
Active Systems' debut EP, The Red EP (Split Lip Records), finds beauty in chaos and strangeness in the familiar: drawing from 90s/00s experimental grooves and stark electro (Underground Resistance, Boards of Canada, μ-ziq, Aphex Twin's Rephlex label) to create something rooted in the "dust, dirt and nostalgia" of underground electronica, Detroit techno and weirdcore. A genuine debut rather than an established alias, the four-track release moves from familiar patterns into unexpected new emotions, from the glacial hip-hop beat and starlit melancholia of "Gabbol" to the skippy rhythms of "Itsover" and the clock-shop funk of "Avoid”. This year, Active Systems has been invited to perform at Superbooth Berlin by Sequentix, played a debut show in Lost's much-hyped Club Room and closed Houghton Festival's The Warehouse stage on theopening night.
Mack Loenz delivers his debut album From The Heart on Maceo Plex’s Lone Romantic imprint, expanding his razor-sharp, cinematic sound through analog synthesis and retro-futurist design.
Across its ten tracks, the album moves through a palette that is both nostalgic and forward-facing, with glistening arps, soaring pads and growling basslines shifting between physical club function and emotional extremes of melancholic yearning, romantic tenderness and futuristic intensity. ‘Follow Me’ opens with shimmering arpeggios and driving bass building to a euphoric crescendo, while ‘Switching My Flow’ pushes into heavier territory with gritty hoover synths, skittering vocals and chest-rattling subs. Elsewhere, ‘It’s Complicated’ brings a more tender, melancholic edge with rolling drums and expansive, symphonic synth work, and ‘Trust Issues’ leans into a nocturnal, romantic yet dystopian mood carried by sweeping leads and pitched vocal splicing. ‘Waiting Game’ moves into darker, industrial-leaning tension, before ‘Back To The Stars’ closes on a reflective, emotional resolve.
Shaped by a vision to push electro into a more expressive space, From The Heart carries a clear emotional core throughout. As Mack Loenz puts it, “In a time where there is a lot of darkness, this album is about bringing light, spreading positive energy, and creating moments that people can feel both on the dancefloor and within themselves.” That sentiment runs through the record, shaping a cohesive statement that balances club functionality with atmosphere, emotion and forward-facing electronic production.
Cult Argentinian darkwave act Euroshima’s Gala sees a vinyl reissue courtesy of Dark Entries. Euroshima was formed in 1986 by Fabián Iribarne, José Wyszogrod, Ricardo Parrabere, and vocalist Wanda. Originally released in 1987 on Polygram, Gala was a success throughout South America. But to the band’s dismay, they received minimal support from the record label, which meant the album would linger in obscurity outside of the region. A CD issue via Twilight Records surfaced in 2020, but this is the album’s first reissue on vinyl.
Gala’s legendary status among cognoscenti is warranted. The album’s nine tracks display all the hallmarks of the best darkwave: spiky guitars, analog synth basslines, and wailing vocals. But Euroshima make their mark on the genre with impeccable songcraft and a honed sense of the uncanny. While the band themselves rejected the label of “gothic”, it’s hard to resist busting out the black eyeliner when listening to gems like the uptempo “Como Los Otro” or the churning album-closer “Mejor Callarlo”. Highly recommended for fans of Xmal Deutschland, Lebanon Hanover, pummeling TR-707’s, and doom-laden synths.
This reissue is co-presented with Twilight Records, responsible for the 2020 CD reissue of Gala. It has been remastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios. Also included is a double sided insert with lyrics and photos, as well as a postcard featuring a photo of the band.
UK underground heavyweight Ploy unleashes his second release on Dekmantel with a brand new four track EP. The release sees the dynamic producer continue to push the envelope with his own flavour of driving, sexy, Ploy house. Putting every ounce of his production prowess on show while proving yet again that Ploy is a force to be reckoned with both in the studio alike. Making tracks for DJs has always been the source of inspiration for Ploy and this is no different with each offering carrying its weight and then some. Straight up, no frills house music that oozes quality by doing the simple things well.
Kicking off the record is title track 'Glizzy', an arpeggiated tech house tool built for the hours that you lose yourself on the dancefloor. From the off Ploy puts his ear for percussive dynamism on show with the understated subtleties of this opener. Thematic sampling, nuanced arrangement and odd ball melodies combine to set Glizzy apart with a gentle nod to hot dog lovers worldwide.
The EP follows suit with A2 'Global Underground'. A contemporary progressive house roller, which rips through the atmosphere with melodic blasts, unrelenting groove, and a powerful bassline.
Offering an equally effective double B-side, B1 is 'Yesterday Now Tomorrow', which sees Ploy lean on his production mastery with entangled percussion and expertly dosed sampling. The result is a swinging heavy house burner that is truly greater than the sum of its parts.
Lastly on the EP is ‘SlowanDip’. A heavily swung, percussive chugger to warm up a dancefloor, paired with a bassline to test the system, this B2 closes out a stellar second showing on Dekmantel for Ploy.
The record arrives at the crest of festival season and is primed to soundtrack dancefloors around the world under the glistening Summer sun. Ploy has quickly carved out a reputation for his unmistakable, drum driven take on house music, and Glizzy only sharpens that identity further. Focused, effective and built with DJs firmly in mind, the EP captures an artist operating with total confidence, delivering four tracks that prove Ploy isn’t just part of the conversation, he’s pushing it forward.
Sempra makes his debut on Up Ya Archives with tracks imbued with his signature blend of jungle and breakbeat, interpreted through his unmistakably soulful lens. Warm vocal melodies and ethereal instrumentation ride smoothly atop the rolling waves of breakbeats and warping basslines. It all culminates in a soulful take on ragga jungle sound, setting Sempra apart from his junglist peers. When asked on his process behind ‘Wicked N Ruff’,
Sempra said:
“I’m really proud of this release! I love the fusion of genres and feeling, these tracks really show my love for contrasts. You get the soft with the hard without losing any of the euphoria”.
Having released consistently across labels including Future Classic, Headroom and Hardcore Energy, Sempra continues to refine a unique sound that draws equally from soundsystem culture and contemporary soul.
Semi Delicious kicks off a three-part VA series, bringing together a carefully curated selection of cuts that set the tone for what’s to come. The first chapter in a series built to deliver something special.
Semi Delicious closes out a standout year with Café Gelato, a sprawling new VA compilation bringing together 17 tracks from the label’s extended family and wider orbit.
A&R’d by head honcho Demi Riquísimo, this three part collection captures the broad, playful club sound that has become central to Semi Delicious.
Across the compilation, familiar faces sit alongside new additions, with contributions from Kamma, Regularfantasy, Big Miz, Retromigration, BELLA, Manuel Darquart, DaisyBelle & Medlar, Baldo & Revivis, Kepler and Demi himself among a 17-track cast.
Landing as the label’s final release of the year, Café Gelato puts a full stop on a major chapter for both Semi Delicious and Demi Riquísimo in 2026, celebrating the community of producers that has grown around the imprint while maintaining the musical pillars at its core.
Big, colourful and built firmly for the dancefloor, Café Gelato closes the year by taking stock of where Semi Delicious is now, while offering a taste of where it heads next.
Semi Delicious’ second instalment of its three-part VA series continues the journey with another carefully curated selection of cuts. Chapter two brings more essential sounds to the table, building on what came before.
Semi Delicious closes out a standout year with Café Gelato, a sprawling new VA compilation bringing together 17 tracks from the label’s extended family and wider orbit.
A&R’d by head honcho Demi Riquísimo, this three part collection captures the broad, playful club sound that has become central to Semi Delicious.
Across the compilation, familiar faces sit alongside new additions, with contributions from Kamma, Regularfantasy, Big Miz, Retromigration, BELLA, Manuel Darquart, DaisyBelle & Medlar, Baldo & Revivis, Kepler and Demi himself among a 17-track cast.
Landing as the label’s final release of the year, Café Gelato puts a full stop on a major chapter for both Semi Delicious and Demi Riquísimo in 2026, celebrating the community of producers that has grown around the imprint while maintaining the musical pillars at its core.
Big, colourful and built firmly for the dancefloor, Café Gelato closes the year by taking stock of where Semi Delicious is now, while offering a taste of where it heads next.
Luis Reich and Max Wurden's Reverence traverses superb ambient and electroacoustic territory with sustained tones, radio interference, fragmented speech and plenty of harmonies that shift almost imperceptibly. 'Sono' opens wide with drones meeting distant brass, before 'Lens' marries brooding bass pulses with floating brass top notes that pass by like half-remembered thoughts. The title track strips everything back to a sparse, suspended core and 'Horfunk' brings damaged broadcast noise to a textured soundscape. 'Studio Blue' closes out slowly and patiently with plenty of sonic decay. A subtly dramatic record.
Savy Records' seventh release marks the label debut of Matti Turunen, one half of Finnish electro outfit Morphology and a cult figure across the wider electro scene. Rantaluhta EP is a timeless masterpiece. Synth-heavy throughout, it moves from bass-driven, Detroit-rooted machinery into a more euphoric, rave-leaning close -- a record that shows real range within the electro spectrum. On the flip, veteran producer Carl Finlow, contributes a remix under his Silicon Scally alias, pushing 'Oleanterinkiitaja' into trippy and galactic machine-funk territory.
