San Francisco duo Vin Sol and Johnny Five, aka Triple Five Sol, unveil their Puppy Cuts imprint with the ‘Sounds From The Pound Vol.1’ EP. It follows their debut EP release on Dark Entries in 2025 and their appearance on a Nervous Records compilation in 2024.
“Puppy Cuts is my new label with Five. After our last record on Dark Entries we decided to start our new label. Deep house and acid steeped in New York Chicago and Detroit vibes” - Vin Sol Triple Five Sol’s ‘Sounds From The Pound Vol. 1’ kicks off with ‘Blocked’, a stripped-back groover with an understated 303 offset by chopped-up gospel samples, before culminating in a jacking vibe. ‘Come Over Mackin’ is next, deep and soulful chords weave through tough drums marked by rimshots saturated in reverb, before the crushed up pads and grainy rhythm of ‘Grocery Bag’ continues. ‘Roll Models’ then closes primed for the dancefloor with an irresistible organ bassline doused in a sustained, dub-like chord, along with more vocals full of feeling.
Baby T is a space away from her work as B.Traits in which Brianna Price can lean more into the junglist, drum ‘n’ bass and hardcore sounds which she loves so dearly. With BSHEE02, the second drop on Price’s own Banshee label, Baby T delivers a darkside masterclass of an EP. This record is a quartet of system blowers which doesn’t let up for a single second from start to finish.
Opener ‘Times Up’ is urgent from the off - the initial strains of this joint find sirens wailing in the monitors over a twitchy kick/drum/hats combo. From here on it’s distilled raver perfection, the drums taking us on a wild Wipeout-style ride as the subbiest of bass skulks at the bottom of the mix. Imagine a more technoid take on the classic breakbeat freerides of Skanna and you’re not far off the ‘Times Up’ sound.
A remix of ‘Times Up’ from man like Aloka leans with devilish glee into the murky underworld that lurks beneath Baby T’s original. Aloka’s version is extremely eerie in a manner which makes you think of the darkest corners of a DMZ party. When things really kick into gear, driven by an irresistible kick dembow, the effect is hypnotic - think the dubwise junglism of the UVB-76 cohort.
BSHEE02’s B-side kicks off with ‘Coercive Control’. This is a cut which delivers on its title in spades, putting the listener in a trance with an interplay of low-slung bass, whirligig synth tones and more of those perfectly executed broken beats. The acid starts to kick in around the minute mark, and it turns out to herald a total earworm of a lead melody.
There’s plenty of dimly-lit malevolence to BHSEE02 closer ‘Dense Dickwood’s grinding atmospherics and gurgling bass throbs. However, Baby T opting for a half-time drum break here gives the cut a vibe not dissimilar to the weightiest jams of classic Massive Attack - that is, until an absolutely remorseless switch-up occurs halfway through, delivering volley after volley of intense drum hits.
With great pleasure we welcome on board ADSR. This is not a standard EP but more a collection of 5 tracks made in the years between 1989 and 2001.
“Kicked” (1989) rides a driving dance groove with subtle Depeche Mode–influenced melodies, fueled by rolling arps and crisp string plucks. “Unit 3” (2001) hits with tough basslines and hard pads over a relentless beat, nodding to mid-80s EBM in the vein of Nitzer Ebb, Skinny Puppy, and Front 242. “Unchained” (1990) drifts on a late-night 808 groove with glassy pads and house-leaning chord stabs, sliding into early techno territory.
The EP closes with two well known tracks but those versions of them have never seen the light before today. “Windswept (Desert Mix)” – 1994 is a pounding early-session track built on tripped-out SH-101 leads, evolving arpeggios, long sweeps, and a steady 909, made for getting completely lost in.“Suboceana (Early Version)” – 1991 serves seductive chord progressions and drawn-out, reflective melodies, a liquid journey for both listening and the dancefloor.
The original album + 6 bonus tracks - limited edition pressing on 180g vinyl
The most talented bossa nova group of the '60s, Tamba Trio perfected a breezy,
swinging version of bossa nova vocal jazz that proved incredibly influential in Brazil
and throughout the world.
Comprising pianist Luiz Eca, bassist Bebeto, and drummer Helcio Milito, the trio not
only played a wide range of instruments but also contributed incredibly close vocal
harmonies. Presented here is their debut album, 'O Barquinho' (Little Boat), which was
a huge hit in Brazil and throughout South and Central America.
One of their later recordings, a rendition Jorge Ben's ' Mas, que nada!' ( But That Is
Nothing!) and included here as a bonus, became their best-known hit, and used most
famously by Nike in a 1998 World Cup television commercial.
Jump Source, the Montréal-based duo of Patrick Holland and Francis Latreille, also known as Priori, announce their debut full-length album Fold, due April 30 via NAFF Recordings.
Fold is their most ambitious project yet—echoing the electronic LP boom of the early 2000s while balancing peak-hour club anthems with an everything-goes pop ethos. Featuring collaborators including POiSON GiRL FRiEND, billy woods, and CFCF, the album moves fluidly between candy-glossed hooks, folktronic balladry, and unexpected rap turns, tracing the turbulence of life in music across shifting cities and timezones.
The third installment of the Collaborations series by Artefakt on their own De Stijl imprint welcomes KMRU. The Nairobi-born, Berlin-based sound artist is known for his immersive use of field recordings, ambient textures and experimental compositions. Together they recorded an extended dialogue rooted in improvisation, shaped by environment and close listening. Artefakt and KMRU blur the lines between ambient, acoustic and electronic forms, creating a spacious and contemplative collection of improvisations.
A Lisbon classic by now, Paraiso (a label, a radio show, a party and now also a documentary) is back for its 19th release with a pairing who's no stranger to the label or the portuguese techno underground: lucky for us, head honcho Shcuro got back in the studio with techno legend in the making Vil to make Repercussions part 2 - and they invited iconic Spanish producer Annie Hall (Delsin, CPU) as a remixer. The record opens with a tour de force, the relentless yet perfectly in control, mutanting and experimental yet elegant and timeless 'Motorik'. In it, you can hear echoes of Detroit groove sense, but also a generous splash of dub sonics seamlessly merging into pure peak time, closed eyes, layers of ear-candy hypnotizing you type of stuff. Things strip back a little in 'Emergence Dub' - still immersive fast techno ammunition, but there is a playful, experimental and sometimes ravey spirit to it, with a wonky mutating key, vocal pads and cheeky percussion working together to create a stunning modern dance piece. Side B is inaugurated by 'Origins', a deep bow to dub traditions with delay-drenched stabs and a bouncy bassline for days. An energetic yet dreamy piece with spoken word samples that will have your heart melt, it perfectly mirrors the duo's influences in a beautiful closing original. Annie Hall steps in for the remix, taking A2 'Emergence Dub' into Breaks geographies, with a talking bassline fit for an electro banger, and the ever-present pads sending us off in zen mode after a delightful ride.
Dewa Alit, master of radical Balinese gamelan, returns to Black Truffle with Baur Bentur. Genetic (2020, BT063) introduced international listeners to the magical sound-world of Alit’s Gamelan Salukat, who perform on instruments tuned to a unique scale derived from modified versions of two traditional Balinese scales. The two pieces heard on Chasing the Phantom (2022, BT093) further demonstrated his radical fusion of tradition and experimentation, with passages where unorthodox techniques make the acoustic ensemble resemble glitching electronics. Baur Bentur now highlights another aspect of Alit’s work, presenting pieces composed in 2024 and 2025 where Gamelan Salukat performs alongside virtuoso pianist Sri Hanuraga. Alit’s music is grounded in deep reflection on the tradition of Balinese gamelan and its place in the contemporary world. His title, ‘Baur Bentur’, which translates as ‘mixing and smashing’, points to his embrace of the intercultural mixture of Eastern and Western elements in the search for innovation. Against the calcification of Balinese music into tourist entertainment, Alit poses his searching, experimental work, which celebrates the communal values and performance practices of traditional gamelan while pushing into startling new directions.
‘Sukat Tacara’ is a study in layered tempos, meters, and polyrhythms, a constantly shifting dialogue between piano and the instruments of Gamelan Salukat. It begins close to a traditional concerto, pairing a brisk sequence of melodic variations from the piano with a spare but propulsive accompaniment of drums and hanging metallophone tones, punctuated by low gong strikes. The piano builds in volume and density across a rapid succession of fragments, at points recalling George Antheil’s ticking wind-up machinery, though Hanuraga’s jazz background shines through in the fluidity with which he navigates the complexities of the score, where chromatic movement co-exists with bluesy phrases. An abrupt change in the piano to patterns of dense clusters introduces a new episode, during which the metallic instruments of the gamelan enter the foreground. The piece dazzles with its inventive rhythms and dynamics, building to a stunning passage featuring the signature heavy muting technique of the Gamelan Salukat metallophones in kinetic patterns that would be at home on a Príncipe release.
The title piece begins at high intensity and rarely lets up, working through bracing unison ensemble melodies and punctuation points where piano and gamelan together seem to become a single, thudding drum. For much of the piece the piano is tightly integrated into the ensemble, the harmonic extensions of the melodic line subsumed into a moving cloud of complex overtones generated by the gamelan instruments. Wildly kinetic on the rhythmic level, the piece swarms with microscopic movements of beating patterns generated by the ‘blend and crush’ of three simultaneous tuning systems: the equal temperament of the piano and the saih cenik (small scale) and saih gede (big scale) used by the gamelan instruments. Accompanied by the composer’s thoughtful liner notes and images of the musicians, Baur Bentur is a stunning next step in Alit’s radical combination of tradition and innovation.
Quinoa’s 8th reference goes off the beaten track, literally. Carola (f.k.a. Mägitee), comes at us with four stripped-back cuts that invite us into unexplored emotional realms. Consistent, throbbing, and rich in texture, it contains just enough of everything and not too much of anything.
The story starts on the A side with “Siouxsie”’s melee of drums and swells that instantly transport us to the smokey comfort of a dance floor, lost in the ecstasy of intertwining bodies.
It follows with “0863”, with a name that winks at his roots hailing from the Appenine mountain chain in central Italy. Its warm, intimate touch sets a suspended tone to the release.
On the flip side the energy shifts, with escapism-anthem “Getaway” whose strings and dreary vocals invoke a nostalgia of futures-to-be in places that may never exist.
Finally, the EP closes off with the title track “The Observatory”. Named after the Griffith Park Observatory, a place where he regularly used to wander at night in the company of deer, coyotes, and the Los Angeles lights. Its deep bassline and intense echoes aim to captivate the most avid stargazers.
We hope this music will touch you as much as it touched us.
Infonabeat Records presents ISSR A004, a release focused on techno in its most essential and timeless form.
A limited vinyl edition of 300 collector copies, designed for both the dancefloor and the shelf, where functionality meets sonic depth.
The A-side opens with Tensal – 24:05, a solid, hypnotic track built on sustained tension and groove, followed by Netika – Albor, delivering raw atmospheres and a precise pulse rooted in the mental side of techno. On the B-side, Joton – Disrupted Patterns showcases his distinctive rhythmic and experimental approach, balancing energy and abstraction, while Ixbalanke – Spectros closes the record with a dark, immersive cut full of texture and analog depth. ISSR A004 is a tribute to traditional techno , direct & uncompromising
Belgian saxophonist, composer, and producer Mattias De Craene (Nordmann, MDCIII) announces a new solo album, ‘A House Where I Dream,’ on VIERNULVIER Records. On his second album, he delivers a highly personal and healing journey, presented as an alternative soundtrack to the 1973 cult film ‘The Holy Mountain.’
The record will be released on October 11 on vinyl LP and through all digital platforms.
"The Holy Mountain" is a surreal Mexican film from 1973 directed, written, and produced by Alejandro Jodorowsky, who also stars in the film. The film holds a prominent place in avant-garde cinema and explores themes such as spirituality, mysticism, and the quest for enlightenment. It is in this vein that ‘A House Where I Dream’ is crafted.
“My mind and soul - and thus my music - come home to this motion picture” - Mattias De Craene
The album will be presented live with the film on October 16 at Videodroom during Film Fest Gent.
ABOUT THE ALBUM
With hypnotic tape loops, grainy textures, and mesmerizing saxophone, Mattias De Craene creates possible worlds that herald a spiritual transformation. From the Scottish Highlands and desolate mountains to the deepest recesses of the soul, this music has the power to create cinematic landscapes that transcend time and space. The sound of these 8 tracks is closely related to the minimalist compositions of Terry Riley, but the work of contemporary artists like KMRU or William Basinski is also drawn from the same material.
Above all, this album is a deeply personal journey and unintentionally serves as a metaphor for De Craene's ascent of his own mountain. For the Videodroom festival by Arts Center VIERNULVIER, the saxophonist began working on a new soundtrack for the film ‘The Holy Mountain’ in 2023, but his body and mind abruptly called him to a halt, forcing him to take a professional break. However, this project never left him, leading to an honest and raw quest to find himself as both a person and an artist, with Jodorowsky as a companion de route and music as an anchor. It initiated a long process of dismantling, searching, healing and back again. The album not only provides a sanctuary for dreaming to all who listen, but for its creator it also serves as both an outcry of despair and a source of comfort during challenging times.
All the tracks on 'A House Where I Dream' share an unfiltered grain of life, as one can almost feel the damp breath of the saxophone blowing.
The album opens with the three-part strong 'Transcention,' where the hypnotic interplay between soprano sax and lo-fi tape loops leads to higher realms of the mind and soul.
Alternating between deep frequencies and farout folk modalities, this mantra-like triptych acquires an alchemical character and ultimately transcends time and space.
In the ethereal 'Away,' one can peer into an abyss of resonance while a saturated tenor sax lends guidance in the spirit of Terry Riley's productions. 'You and Me' also bathes in a similar atmosphere, albeit in the vein of healing 90s ambient as granular sax tones converge with celestial chants. 'Gazing Upwards Towards The Sky,' offers different shades of blue as a slumbering tenor sax is juxtaposed to swift sax patterns. On 'A Stranger That Moved Me,' beauty lands in a soft and subtle manner, while the closing track 'Shepherd's Glow' drifts like a mountain wind flaring up at the darkest hour of the night.
The artwork is created by Gent-based artist Sam Timmerman, who portrays the world of 'A House Where I Dream' with playful repetition and mystique.
Cultivated Electronics Ltd For The Floor series began in 2022 and features split EPs available on vinyl (only) with Electro tracks aimed strictly at the dance floor, bringing together CE regulars and new artists. Volume 5 features Umwelt on the A- side and DJ MELL G x Unklevon on the flip, as well as a remix by label head, Sync 24 alongside Controlled Weirdness. New Flesh founder, Umwelt is known for his dark, industrial-leaning techno that blends dystopian atmospheres with driving rhythms. Here, the French producer delivers two hard-hitting cuts in Memoryscape & Morphing Sequence to open the EP. DJ MELL G from Juicy Gang Records brings a raw, high-energy fusion of electro, breakbeat and techno; fast paced and with bold sound design. She teams up with Unklevon who produces sleek, futuristic electro with crisp drum programming most notably for Boysnoize Records, on Get Down. While Sync 24 & Controlled Weirdness close out the EP with their tough and wonky rework.
MUSAR is proud to introduce Koloah, the newest voice in the family. Making his label debut with You Can Get Me EP, the Kyiv-born, Berlin-based artist arrives fully formed: three original tracks that move between restless grooves and expansive, immersive sound design, accompanied by a brain-melting remix from rising French star Binary Digit.
The EP opens with "You Can Get Me" - a UK-leaning groove anchored by a snaking acid line and fragmented vocal cuts that surface and dissolve, insistent and hypnotic, one of those tracks that lands fast and stays with you. "Get Me Close" follows, shifting the A-side into electro territory: harder edges, colder mechanics, but the atmosphere holds. Koloah keeps the tension tight and the space wide.
The B-side reaches further. The braindance producer Binary Digit takes "You Can Get Me" apart and rebuilds it in his own image - known for his deeply idiosyncratic approach to rhythm and texture, he turns the original into a real summer anthem, faster and focused, the same raw material carrying a completely different emotional weight
The EP closes with "Liminal Forest", a full IDM statement: intricate rhythmic programming, layered synthesis, and a sense of place that feels earned rather than constructed. Koloah signs off somewhere between the forest and the machine.
Recorded in Koloah's Berlin studio, the tracks were built in different periods - which is exactly why they breathe the way they do. Not a forced coherence, but a natural one.
"Atmosphere is the core of all my music and what I pay the most attention to."
- Koloah
This is the beginning of something. Welcome, Koloah.
Berlin’s Beste Modus has been moving from strength to strength over the past five years, with the DJ and producer collective all making their mark on the local scene in the German capital and across the globe. Here we see two of the members stepping up to deliver two-tracks each for the labels ninth release.
Cinthie takes the a-side and leads with ‘Everything I Say’, employing choppy synth stabs, bumpy bass and heavily swung 909 drums alongside a hooky vocal before ‘Good For You And Me’ edges into Garage territory, fusing bright piano chords and a stab-led
bass hook with tension building strings and soulful vocals lines.
On the flip is two cuts from stevn.aint.leavn, the first of which, ‘Quins’, takes a more stripped-back approach via rumbling subs, metallic percussion and a stuttering synth line throughout. ‘Spiff’ then closes the package with an array of organic drum hits, soft chords, airy chimes and heady electronic synths all unfolding dynamically throughout.
With Mr. Coconut, Cosmo Dance delivers a four-track EP that strengthens a distinctive sonic identity, blending retro aesthetics, club culture and cinematic sensibility into a cohesive body of work.
The title track unfolds through refined dynamic control. Warm multilayered percussion, textured guitars and a deep yet restrained bassline create an organic groove that evolves gradually rather than relying on obvious drops. The production favors subtle progression and hypnotic growth, resulting in elegant, mature dance music.
Goodbye expands the project’s narrative dimension. Inspired by the atmosphere of Italian ’70s library music, the track represents the protagonist’s theatrical exit from the club — not a melancholic farewell, but a charismatic closing scene. A playful detail emerges when Dandolo (Cosmo Dance’s alter ego) delivers an ironic “cough solo” precisely as an off-voice introduces Mr. Coconut, adding a self-aware cinematic twist.
Dub nuts explores deeper dub-informed territory. Built through layering and subtraction, the track showcases careful spatial control and restrained low-end management.
The EP closes with the Coccappella Version, a stripped-down reinterpretation of the title track focused solely on percussion and voice, revealing the rhythmic backbone of the project.
Mr. Coconut is a refined balance between club functionality and cinematic storytelling — controlled, elegant and unmistakably personal. It’s not about peak-time fireworks — it’s about atmosphere, detail and identity.
Jolene Cuts delivers a stunning 5-track vinyl-only release that reinvents the spirit of 90s French Touch for today’s dancefloors. No edits here—these are 100% original productions crafted by Danny & Mike, masters of filtered house grooves. From the funk-drenched “Without,” a Kool & The Gang-inspired house monster, to “Fall,” a euphoric blast reminiscent of the best Daft Punk moments, every cut is designed for maximum floor impact. “Mon ami Julien” dives deeper with a warm and hypnotic Scott Grooves vibe, while “Ready for Love” feels like Cerrone remixed by early Bob Sinclar at his peak—pure disco magic reimagined. The record closes with “Burning,” a banging, feel-good anthem built to ignite any set. This is a true celebration of filtered house, disco energy, and feel-good music—strictly vinyl, strictly limited, and packed with five undeniable club weapons. Perfect for DJs who want to tear the club apart, vinyl purists, and anyone who knows that real French Touch doesn’t need gimmicks—just groove, soul, and timeless dancefloor power. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.
Basking in the glow of Lightsaber, the swashbuckling synthesizer synergy of Tending Tropic, Kay-Chi and Sharlese debuts. A cross-continent collaboration that bridges the Atlantic, this group joins forces through a shared passion for italo and wave with their sound set firmly on the floor. The title track is analogue brightness, drums drive a melody that dips and soars next to Sharlese’s uplifting lyrics. Energy levels are high from the needle drop. Cymbals crash for “Timeloop.” Vocoder words are softened by gently scaling chords before generous builds give way to sparking synthwork. Disco flourishes and bongos break to spiralling notes in the playful “Luminara.” Cosmic influences radiate through key shifts and understated toms in this celebration of the night sky. “Inertia” marches to a heavy-hitting beat. Industrially dipped, the percussion is fortified by a simmering melody that spills over into a bold body-throbbing close. Despite being oceans apart, this is a partnership light years ahead.
For its eleventh installment, Raw Soul continues to carve out its place in the deeper end of the house spectrum, this time welcoming Stuttgart-based DJ and producer Jakob Mäder to the fold.
Titled "House Your Feeling", the five-track EP captures Mäder's wide-ranging musical language-rooted in house, yet drifting effortlessly into ambient textures, disco-tinted warmth, and subtly experimental structures. It's a body of work that feels both intimate and expansive, equally suited for late-night listening and early-morning dancefloors.
The collaboration has been a long time in the making. Built over months of close exchange, the project reflects not only a shared musical vision but also a genuine personal connection. That sense of trust and patience resonates throughout the record-carefully crafted, unhurried, and deeply felt.
Across the EP, Mäder explores different shades of house music: from reduced, dreamy cuts to more groove-driven moments, always maintaining a distinct emotional core. One of the highlights comes in the form of a collaboration with Markus Phillip, adding another layer of depth to an already rich release.
Known for his work with the Midnight Service crew and his eclectic productions spanning ambient, deep house and breakbeat, Mäder brings a refined yet playful touch to Raw Soul's catalogue. With "House Your Feeling", he delivers a timeless contribution that feels grounded in the present while nodding to the genre's enduring legacy.
Six tracks. Six undeniable hits. Science can't explain it.
Four dazzling pdqb originals: pop-infused disco house transmissions where retro dreams collide with absurdly modern groove technology and hyper-modern circuitry. Hooks everywhere. Basslines that flirt shamelessly with eternity. Rhythms that know exactly what they're doing.
And then Roman Flügel arrives at the party. With two remixes of such dubby, technoid magnificence that they bend the laws of physics wherever they're played.
The cover? Pure gold. A radiant golden surface punctured by bullet marks - courtesy of world-renowned artist Maurizio Cattelan. When the music hits this hard, the artwork should too.
And the vinyl itself is no less extravagant: it reveals a dramatic close-up of the Direct Hit - a colossal crater surrounded by smoky burn marks, gleaming like a tiny golden monument to impeccable taste.
A small but undeniable upgrade to the cultural history of planet Earth. Play loud. Repeat often. History will thank you.
P.S. Real-world violence is neither glamorous nor welcome - this record stands firmly for peace, joy, and the radical idea that the only explosions worth having happen on dancefloors.
Tom Sharkett has been one to watch in the last year via his remix work for DFA, Sub Pop and more plus his edits that are quietly out there doing damage with those that know. Here he arrives on Test Pressing Recordings with ’25’. Hot on the heels of his remix of LCD Soundsystem’s ‘Home’ – ‘Easily one of the biggest records of the Summer’ (Phonica Records) – here is his first solo EP for the label. ‘Painting On Glass’ arrives and sets the mood. Heavy synths and breaks. ’25’ features the vocals of mui zyu and pulls from the likes of New Order but takes them somewhere new. The third track, 'Sleepwalk', sees mui zyu return — a love song that sets a mood then drops into a vocoder loop midway before a fitting finale. ‘I’ll Call If I Want You’ closes the EP with a vocal from Tom himself. It’s a perfect closer. This isn’t a straight up dance record. It’s an artist showing they’ve got big ideas and a home for them.
White Mechatronica returns.
Introducing Cold Voltage - a new series wired for tension, circuitry, and raw machine emotion. This first volume sets the tone: cold, direct, and built for dark rooms.
On the A-side, Elena Siziva opens with "The Balls", an experimental descent of bouncing basslines and cavernous synth textures. Filmmaker follows, delivering his unmistakable dark wave electro signature - sharp, shadowed, and hypnotic. Violet Position & Echo Protocol close the side with "Into the Silent Blue", an electro vocal cut designed to ignite the floor.
Flip to the B-side: Jennifer Touch strikes with "Don't", a rolling, snare-driven machine track that hits without warning. Mr. Funghi pushes further into EBM/Techno territory with "Off for the Weekend", a relentless piece built to tear down walls. Closing the release, The Spy delivers "Track Reaper", a dramatic Italo wave finale that lingers long after the last note fades.
Baby T is a space away from her work as B.Traits in which Brianna Price can lean more into the junglist, drum ‘n’ bass and hardcore sounds which she loves so dearly. With BSHEE02, the second drop on Price’s own Banshee label, Baby T delivers a darkside masterclass of an EP. This record is a quartet of system blowers which doesn’t let up for a single second from start to finish.
Opener ‘Times Up’ is urgent from the off - the initial strains of this joint find sirens wailing in the monitors over a twitchy kick/drum/hats combo. From here on it’s distilled raver perfection, the drums taking us on a wild Wipeout-style ride as the subbiest of bass skulks at the bottom of the mix. Imagine a more technoid take on the classic breakbeat freerides of Skanna and you’re not far off the ‘Times Up’ sound.
A remix of ‘Times Up’ from man like Aloka leans with devilish glee into the murky underworld that lurks beneath Baby T’s original. Aloka’s version is extremely eerie in a manner which makes you think of the darkest corners of a DMZ party. When things really kick into gear, driven by an irresistible kick dembow, the effect is hypnotic - think the dubwise junglism of the UVB-76 cohort.
BSHEE02’s B-side kicks off with ‘Coercive Control’. This is a cut which delivers on its title in spades, putting the listener in a trance with an interplay of low-slung bass, whirligig synth tones and more of those perfectly executed broken beats. The acid starts to kick in around the minute mark, and it turns out to herald a total earworm of a lead melody.
There’s plenty of dimly-lit malevolence to BHSEE02 closer ‘Dense Dickwood’s grinding atmospherics and gurgling bass throbs. However, Baby T opting for a half-time drum break here gives the cut a vibe not dissimilar to the weightiest jams of classic Massive Attack - that is, until an absolutely remorseless switch-up occurs halfway through, delivering volley after volley of intense drum hits.
Matter at Hand Records launches its first release MAH01: Abeja Descarada is a four track EP showcasing Oliver Albach's vision on contemporary techno, without explorative boundaries. "move on" - sets the tone with a deep, driving pulse, noisy hi-hats and shadowy textures. "you trippin’" - locks into a bleep-driven monotony that unfolds into a subtle cosmic drift. The titel track "abeja descarada" reveals a different vibe — an afterhour piece with soft, gloomy ambience. "unhinged" closes on a raw note: a relentless 808 groove with off-kilter synth work.
Artlab launches its brand-new record label with a special inaugural vinyl release, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the renowned cultural center and multidisciplinary music and arts club. To mark a decade of fostering cutting-edge sound and artistic community, this very first label installment gathers a stellar lineup of artists for a fresh four-track compilation. Showcasing the club’s deep roots in the underground and its forward-thinking vision, each track contributes a unique character and dancefloor mastery to this milestone collection.
Kicking things off on the A-side, the legendary Random Factor delivers a funky, electro-tinged dub of 20:20 Vision's "Calling," immediately setting an infectious, energetic tone. Following this, Barem makes a welcome return with "E.Therian," a driving, highly-kinetic number delivered in typical Barem fashion, bringing his signature rolling groove and undeniable club intuition to the forefront.
On the flip side, Solimano and Furz team up for "Melancholic Dreams," a track with a pushing, Balearic rhythm and dreamy atmospheres that add a lush, emotional layer to the record. Finally, Janeret and Miroloja join forces to close out the EP with "Digital Dreams," a masterful, hypnotic breakbeat number, creating a sophisticated and powerful closing statement for this debut anniversary edition.
Local Sugar Diggers dive back into their closest friends' shelves for another round of sly re-edits and low-slung reworks that flip old and obscure sides into sharp new tools. Nothing overcooked, just tight surgery and a feel for locked-in grooves. A'Ola!' Is all big brassy horns and Latin-flavoured funk while 'Rio Ritmo' then cuts back with a more sunny, whimsical sound for lazy afternoons daydreaming at the park. LTF very much keeps the heat simmering after his Soviet jazz-funk excursions on BMM Records, USA The Content (L)abel and Rucksack Records with the same crate-digger mania here, all executed with a wink and a steady hand.
After years of shaping dancefloors worldwide and carefully curating the sonic and visual identity of Up The Stuss, Dutch favourite Chris Stussy presents his most expansive and personal statement to date with his debut album, ‘Lost, Found & Forgotten...’. Landing on 3rd April, the album unfolds across three interconnected chapters - ‘Lost’, ‘Found’, and ‘Forgotten’ - each revealing a different side of his creative world across 19 tracks while remaining tethered to a singular wider vision.
At its core, ‘Lost, Found & Forgotten...’ is an exploration of creative freedom. Visually and conceptually guided by the image of a kite, the album reflects movement, perspective, and balance. Floating freely yet always anchored, the kite mirrors Chris’s approach to music: unrestricted in emotion and imagination, but grounded in groove, craftsmanship, and intention. It’s a symbol that naturally extends the Up The Stuss identity; pointing skyward, embracing openness, and encouraging curiosity.
“This album has been a long time in the making, and I’m excited to finally share it with you. The process behind it - exchanging ideas with other artists and creating music outside of my comfort zone - has been an incredible experience. It gave me a true sense of freedom, allowing me to not think about boundaries or expectations. I’ve never been more proud of a project than this one. It’s deeply personal, and it represents my sound as a whole. I hope you listen with an open mind and find something in it that resonates with you.” - Chris Stussy.
The ‘Lost’ chapter opens the album by giving new life to music once left behind. These are tracks written across different moments in Chris’s journey, ideas that never quite found a home until now. Rather than relics of the past, they emerge re-discovered, refined, and fully realised. ‘
Found’ represents inspiration in motion. Sparked by collaboration, digging, and shared creative exchange, this chapter captures the moment when ideas connect, and colour floods the sky.
The album closes with ‘Forgotten’ - a nod to the deeper cuts, the B-sides, and the moments that reward patience. This chapter is for the heads and diggers; tracks that may not demand immediate attention but reveal their value over time.
You blink; eyes crusty. Last night went a little too late again, and as you stumble towards the kitchen you stare at the record player like it’s a cup of coffee. The rest of your life can wait. You stare at the record again and hit the lever and the needle falls.
First up: Gastón Cabrera’s Inhumano, a little relentless and unforgiving, like being thrown in the back of an Aston Martin and driven away. The groove builds to a haunting peak, and you want more. Then the record blurs into Alfalfa’s La Fiebre, which tickles your ears with eerie bells, and builds from bass fundamentals into something more driving. It’s hopeful, but makes you work for it – wading through acid; climbing the hill.
Everything stops. Fuck it. You flip the record, and Marcos Coya’s The Underdog starts off easy, but slips you down a dark path to a pool of churning, hypnotic synths. There’s a strange moment of quiet before the final track. vault. and Isaac Elejalde close with authority on Just Melt: a raw and writhing finale spiked with voices and sirens that will leave you out of breath, somewhere else.
Introducing The Goods. Four tracks; one abduction. Limited to 300 copies – vinyl exclusive, forever.
Berlin-based disco don Tobi Schwermann aka Jack Tennis strides into his tenth year making music with a seance on his Art Groupie label. 'Billy's Family' is a heart-sweeping disco sound with sweeping Philly strings and neat guitar lines, golden chords and a nice plump mid-tempo rhythm. 'Lonely Streets' channels Bill Withers gritty soul and moody basslines into an infectious groove, then 'Some Kind Of A Lady' gets lips pouted and hands in the air with unrestrained disco joy. 'VO' closes with a rich ecosystem of whistles, organic percussive sounds and a strident electronic groove with fiery Latin vocals. Eclectic excellence once more.
Focus 21 is back with a second sizzling disco drop, this time in the form of 'Boogie Magic Vol 1', which has its feet firmly rooted in the 80s and the iconic machine sounds of that era. All four cuts are super tight and super funky from Gateway Jones, starting with 'Transmission', which is turbocharged with razzle-dazzle. 'Contact Zone' is slightly deeper and more sensuous with its playful synths and wriggling baseline. 'Non - Physical Boogie' is a taught stepper with loose claps and funky licks, then 'Midnight Call' closes with more of the same - feel good, uplifting but classy and sophisticated disco-boogie brilliance. A vital EP full of craft.
Dutch electronic maverick Spekki Webu stretches out on an expansive album for new label Outer Orbit Records, exploring his deep and wide-ranging influences across a captivating narrative of tripped-out beatdowns and evocative dreamscapes. Spekki Webu is someone who was naturally drawn into the magnetic pull of Outer Orbit after playing for their sister party Mizz Softee. As the time-travelling album title suggests, it's a meditation on formative sounds that propelled him on to myriad adventures across the many microcosms of electronic music. That means indulging in slower tempos and crooked grooves, with the influence of trip hop and illbient looming large in the boom bap drums that punctuate many of the album's passages. There is also space for immersive techno that operates as a lighter reflection of the sound he is best known for, as well as hints of buoyant house music, rolling breakbeat, dislocated ambient and intricate electronica. Cari Lekebusch, a key influence, contributes a rolling, heavy-grooving remix that closes out the record.
Bite the Hand That Feeds You is rooted in a simple but confrontational impulse: to question what is presented as normal. The release reflects on the moral codes and social expectations that shape behaviour, challenging the idea that obedience and gratitude must be synonymous with compliance. Set against a world of contradictions, where values often feel hollow or inverted, the project explores the tension between survival and self-preservation, asking what is lost when conformity is prioritised over instinct. At its core, the release is about reclaiming autonomy from conditioning. The title's central image, a dog turning on its trainer, speaks for itself. A primal rejection of hierarchy and control.
Holden returns to SK_eleven with “Origin,” the final chapter in the SK_X series. With this EP, Holden continues to invert techno’s norms in ways few others can. He places melody directly at the forefront, giving us four tracks that work just as well for the peak time dancefloor as they do for repeat listening at home.
Opener “Crux” tunnels on a singular, winding motif that eventually unfolds into a bloom of texture and agile melody. “Hemisphere” brings a futuristic, otherworldly approach to classic dub techno techniques, blending a funk-driven bassline with dusty, alien chords. On the B-side of the record, “Sustained Light” tells a story of hope and redemption with its patient, atmospheric hook, only to be consumed by the underlying rhythm. “Origin” closes out the record: a forceful, shimmering testament to the power of melody and emotion in techno and Holden’s vision for the modern dancefloor.
After the release of the single “Egal” with singer Geraldine—the two Tuscan producers who met in Berlin—Lorenzo Fortino and Francesco Salvadori strengthen their friendship and musical connection in the studio with their first EP, “Friends Above Berlin,” released on the label Connessioni. The record opens with “Heide” (A1), which drops you straight onto the dancefloor with a blend of minimal house and acid that never lets go, a smooth mental trip full of groove. Next comes “Another Club Dimension” (A2), a track balancing house and techno, where a dominant bassline perfectly drives electronic drums, synthesizers, and ethereal vocals, resulting in a warm, elegant, and decisive sound. Side B opens with “Positive Attitude” (B1), a techno track with references to acid/progressive melodies, building continuously in intensity and emotional impact. The record closes with “Flying Through the City” (B2), where electro and acid sounds merge into a melodic journey with dreamy arrangements, making the track feel suspended beyond music itself, somewhere between past and future.
Through analog synthesizers and Eurorack modular systems, in “Axis,” Equinoxious establishes an axis between electro and minimal electronics, closely flirting with the harshness of industrial. The pieces unfold under a logic akin to the cybernetics of Norbert Wiener: feedback systems, flows of information, and voltage control intertwine with the experience of the one who operates them; the synthesizer ceases to be a mere tool and becomes an organism that reacts and communicates.
These tracks are inspired by speed, the absurdity of reality, the impossibility of things, imaginaries of dystopia, and protocols of romance, delivered with mechanical frankness and precision.
Recorded between 2023 and 2025, the pieces stand out for their FM synthesis basslines and incisive 808 derived percussion; subtractive synthesis, and 90s samplers dragging staccatos and energetic sequences.
"I got to know visual artist, musician, and producer Guido Erfen and sound engineer, acoustic artist, and percussionist Michael Springer as part of a group of five by the name of SHM1. The members of the group organised concerts at Rhenania, a disused grain silo, where I performed with The Absurd in 1988 and 1989. The band was also featured on one of Erfen's tape releases. Erfen and Springer met when they were still at the same secondary school and soon became close friends and musical allies. With the other members of SHM they built an independent network for creating and distributing music beyond the mainstream in Cologne. Rent at Rhenania was incredibly low, allowing a recording studio to be established there.
The first traces of the Ukrainian Underground arrived at Erfen's door via a cassette tape with three bands from Kharkiv and Kyiv, the package including a long essay which detailed the rock scene in the two cities by Sergey Myasoyedow. In 1986, Myasoyedow, together with Sasha Panchenko, had founded the “Novaya Scena“ rock club in Kharkiv, presenting bands inspired by punk, the avant-garde, dadaism, and even medieval melodies. If Erfen hadn't been part of the independent mail-art scene, he wouldn't have had the chance to discover this unorthodox music. It was the summer of 1990, shortly before the Soviet Union collapsed and Ukraine became an independent state the following year.
In 1991, singer and keyboard player Soloveyka from Kharkiv arrived in Cologne and gave Erfen half a dozen cassettes with underground bands from Ukraine and a handful with bands from the Soviet Union. Intrigued by the original music of many of the acts, he visited Ukraine twice, made friends there, compiled a tape with his favourite tracks and finally succeeded in convincing Hamburg label boss Alfred Hilsberg to present underground music from Ukraine on the CD “Novaya Scena“ via his label What's So Funny About (the original home of Einstürzende Neubauten).
The album compiled 20 tracks recorded between 1986 and 1992 by 14 bands out of Kharkiv and Kyiv– music beyond the usual Perestroika records, often with jarring dissonances over grooves that fans of Captain Beefheart or The Fall would certainly enjoy.
On the other hand, there are tracks featuring flute and trumpet that seem inspired by folk, classical music, and punk. Ghostly chamber prog miniatures by Cukor Belaya Smert (lit. Sugar White Death) from Kyiv featuring, among others, the classically trained pianist and singer Svitlana Nianio (née Ochrimenko) and guitarist, visual artist, and spokesman Yewgeny "Yenia" Taran. Nianio sang in her native Ukrainian, as did two more of the bands. Today, this seems more relevant than ever, more culturally and historically significant from a Ukrainian point of view than it was even in 1993. Young Ukrainians were amazed at that time that rock music sung in their native tongue could work!
It is in the aftermath of the “Novaya Scena“ album that the music on this LP was created. About a year after the release of the CD in August 1993, Nianio and Taran came to Cologne to work on music for the dance production "Transilvania Smile" by the dance theatre ensemble Pentamonia2.
The seeds for the Traces of Ukrainian Underground in Cologne were sown. Starting in 1994, a series of informal recording sessions took place at Michael Springer’s Phanton Studio and at SHM studio in Rhenania. Together, these sessions formed the basis of the four different incarnations of the Ukraine-Cologne connection heard on STROOMS’s compilation.
GALA announce Ten Years of GALA – a compilation marking a decade of independent culture
Ten Years of GALA is both an archive and a horizon: a reflection on where GALA has come from, and a signal of what lies ahead.
Founded in 2016 as a one-day gathering in South London, GALA has grown into a global point of reference for dancers, artists and collectives drawn together by a shared commitment to independence, collaboration and underground music culture. Rather than charting success through scale alone, the festival has consistently prioritised integrity, community and musical curiosity – values that underpin this release.
Spanning fifteen tracks, Ten Years of GALA unfolds as a considered journey. It opens with an intimate spoken contribution from Charlie Dark, grounding the compilation firmly in GALA’s home of Peckham before gradually expanding outward into fuller, club-focused terrain. From there, the record moves between moods and tempos, tracing a path from reflective moments into the physical language of the dancefloor.
The compilation brings together longtime friends of the festival alongside newer voices drawn into its orbit in recent years. Each artist contributes a distinct perspective, but collectively the tracks form a coherent portrait – not of a single sound, but of a shared ethos shaped over ten years of gatherings, collaborations and days spent dancing together.
Rather than a retrospective in the conventional sense, Ten Years of GALA functions as a living document. It captures fragments of past editions, scenes and relationships, while remaining firmly oriented toward the future. These are not museum pieces, but records designed to be played, shared and folded back into the spaces from which they came.
Together, the compilation holds a piece of GALA’s first decade – not as a closed chapter, but as a foundation for what comes next.
King Street Sounds Sampler Vol. 6 continues the long-running series from the legendary King Street Sounds catalogue, bringing together a selection of classic house cuts from some of the label’s most respected artists.
Featuring productions from Dennis Ferrer, Mood II Swing, Studio Apartment and Blaze & Palmer Brown, the release highlights the soulful, vocal-led house sound that has defined King Street across decades of dancefloor culture.
Including standout King Street favourites such as Dennis Ferrer’s Touched The Sky and Mood II Swing’s Closer, the sampler brings together several proven catalogue moments in one DJ-friendly vinyl package.
With warm grooves, powerful vocals and timeless club arrangements, these proven King Street records offer strong crossover appeal for both long-time house collectors and DJs looking for reliable dancefloor material.
As the sixth edition in the King Street sampler series, this release presents a selection of essential catalogue moments on one highly playable vinyl release.
A strong catalogue addition for stores serving soulful and deep house buyers.
Alarico returns to Mutual Rytm with his 'Drops Of You' EP, packed with his mind-bending signature rhythms while focussing on a more minimal and atemporal approach than before.
Milan-based artist Alarico has firmly arrived on the world stage in recent years. Taking cues from the harder realms of techno of the 90s, he adds his own quirky rhythms and quickened sense of groove to showcase his modern take on the genre. Building on material dropping via his own Katana Records, with high-profile support from bigname DJs across the scene, he breaks new ground again here on this compelling new EP as he returns to SHDW's label Mutual Rytm with 'Drops Of You'.
Excellent opener '0 Kelvin' races out of the blocks with wiry synths and percussion that sounds like knives being sharpened, all over tight, punchy techno drums. 'One More' then gets more twisted with freaky synth line scurrying about the mix while hammering hits and bouncy drum programming races onwards into an unknown future.
'Asma' slips into a deeper but no less impactful groove - the tightly coiled drum funk is overlaid with soulful vocal whispers and militant snares that cannot fail to sweep dancers away. Next, the slick 'Sunburn' keeps the pace high and is another warp-speed techno excursion with bold drum patterns and dry hi-hats cutting up the beats. It's a fulsome sound fleshed out with great synth detail and euphoric vocal cries, before closer 'Drops Of You' layers broken beats, vocal snippets and psychedelic synth colours into an intense and emotional workout.
Alongside the vinyl cuts, three digital-only offerings are also loaded into this one as a trio of treats in the form of 'Sino', 'What For' and 'Erased', with each track harnessing pacy, energetic rhythms, a mix of bright and murky sonics, and tunnelling grooves crafted for maximum impact.
Alarico 'Drops Of You' drops via Mutual Rytm on 8th September 2023
Despite the thousands of kilometers between them, Monterrey and Medellín have always seemed to move in parallel. Both cities rise around guardian hills that watch over their people, and if you look closer, even the concrete that forms the backbone of each city traces back to these rugged metropolises.
The list of coincidences could go on—small, almost conspiratorial links that chance has woven between the two places. Adding another chapter to this unlikely connection is Regal86, who had already crossed the bridge once before to dive into the depths of Colombia’s “city of eternal spring.”
Doble Filo, his first full-length cut to vinyl, now becomes his latest calling card. The eighth release on Discos Nutabe’s catalog arrives with six tracks—six sharp-edged pieces that lay bare Regal86’s sonic marginality.
It’s a form of exclusion that isn’t imposed but chosen, a deliberate stance to sidestep the demand for exotica that still shapes much of Latin America’s electronic landscape. This is spicy, rough-edged techno—ruleless and unruly—driven by dense, clipped progressions that plunge you into a vortex masquerading as a rayado ritual.
There’s no overload of concept here, nor any caricature of the extravagant. This album simply delivers music built to tear through any club or dive, without false promises or unnecessary labels. If there’s one thing worth highlighting about Doble Filo as a whole, it’s the way it consistently—and almost implicitly—reasserts its core premise from start to finish: these techno tracks are meant to be played wherever the hell you want.
In a moment when oddities tend to be rewarded more than usual, Doble Filo doubles down on fundamentals, reclaiming the spirit of early electronic music and carrying it into an era where immediacy seems intent on blurring the honesty of those who shape the sound.
For Regal86, sonic hustle is the only thing that keeps his spirit steady.
