I’m thrilled to welcome Tommahawk to the Electric Ballroom family. Tomma is a standout among the new wave of DJs and producers from Germany, carrying forward the rich tradition of classic Techno. From the moment I heard Unfolding and its stunning choir melody, I was hooked. Remixing this gem was an absolute pleasure.
This 59 minute piece was conceived as part of a total environment for the exhibition Deus Ex Machina.
The project as a whole seeks to define and articulate the emotional, cultural and aesthetic manifestations of man’s uneasy relationship with technology. The music takes the form of a film score complete with stylized dialogue and actions.
During the 59 minutes four basic layers repeat in various configurations.The effect is to provide a template of narrative in which the pieces exhibited may become protagonists, situated in hypothetical scenarios which illustrate the contentions of Deus Ex Machina and the transmission of information.
Review:“Paul Schütze’s debut album from 1989 sets his stall out from the start; with a cyber update on Jon Hassell’s notion of ‘Fourth World Music”. Schütze’s music always sounds like it could be an alternative soundtrack to ‘Blade Runner’ (be aware fellow purists, I did state “alternative”), and this album is probably the perfect candidate if in some other dimension the Vangelis OST was no longer deemed satisfactory (such a dimension surely cannot exist). The listener feels like they’re walking through the rain soaked, neon-lit streets of a future LA with Deckard.” – Jay Harper
After more than ten years away, 20/20 Soundsystem makes a welcome comeback with some brand new versions of their most standout track, 'Falling'. The group was known for their live mix of electro, deep house, dub and indie and took it to plenty of big stages including Glasto. The new remixes of 'Falling' bring a modern touch and fresh dancefloor-ready energy while never forgoing the spirit of the original. Random Factor's offering is a gritty and dubby electro version and Fernando offers a cosmic chugger with plenty of sci-fi sounds and wispy acid details.
The double A sider of all double headers combines African music superstar Letta Mbulu's two evergreen heaters; the afro-electro boogie gem Nomalizo, a track that has achieved cult status among collectors and DJ's. Finally released for the first time as a single b/w Kilimanjaro Takes Us Higher, the singalong up-tempo dance classic there never fades. Previously unreleased on as a single together, these tracks have had spins aplenty by every DJ worth their salt, and danced to within a myriad of scenes, over many decades. You really need this in your life! Essential!
Dr Packer once again works his magic, this time breathing new life into Mikki’s 1985 boogie-funk masterpiece Dance Lover. With his deep knowledge of disco, funk, and soul, the Ausie remix maestro delivers a sublime update that effortlessly bridges the gap between the past and present.
Staying true to the essence of the original, Dr Packer’s rework retains the flawless synth lines and Mikki’s powerhouse vocals, elevating them with finesse. The groove is deeper, the beats are heavier, and the energy is dialed up, making this an essential addition to any DJ’s arsenal.
Rolling basslines, crisp percussion, and a refined yet powerful disco-funk vibe, Dr Packer has crafted a mix that feels both nostalgic and refreshingly new. Whether you’re a longtime fan of the original or discovering Dance Lover for the first time, this rework is a must-have.
Daniel Monaco and John Noseda join forces for Alektra, a new project born out of a deep love for Hi-NRG and raw 808 sounds. Renowned for their dj sets, trips that delve into tropical obscurities, Chicago jack and Rimini romances, the pair have channelled a unique blend of untamed house and shimmering italo melodies into pure dancefloor euphoria. Their debut release, “Shake Your Body,” drops on Bordello A Parigi. Neon synthwork is punctured by clean punches of percussion, scaling melodies set firmly in the golden analogue era. Key stabs drive the track with Only Bee’s honeyed lyrics pushing the energy levels higher. In true 1980s anthem form, the flip is dedicated to the instrumental with the synthesizers and their hypnotic melodies taking centre stage: Alektra’s machines smouldering with fiery intensity. That same intensity closes, Only Bee’s mellifluous vocals given the limelight for the acapella close. Dancefloor definitions redefined. Welcome to Alektra.
AN ATLAS OF LOSS
Do minerals dream of becoming semiconductors? Do they yearn to carry charges, amplify, switch, and convert energy into emotions comprehensible to humans? And what if, from the darkness of the underground, they had been listening to us sing in caves before the emergence of the first flute? Could they have guided us, through the course of history, to find them, extract them, and create new sounds through sinusoidal waves, to form valves and bend circuits?
If so, minerals would transition from what philosopher Eugene Thacker defines as the ‘planet’—that virginal and unreachable realm for humans that we study through geology, paleontology, and environmental sciences—to the ‘world,’ the space we inhabit, interpret, and synthesise in our daily lives. Sadly, we only remember the world when it erupts violently, through climate catastrophes or when a new virus emerges. Sometimes a tsunami collides with a nuclear plant, or viruses are cultivated as biological weapons in high-security laboratories, provoking a deep biological anxiety, hard to quell, which we all feel beneath our skin.
There exists a third realm, disconnected from both the world and the planet: the ‘earth’, an immense, dense rock floating in space alongside other planets, situated in the cosmological dimension. Relating to the earth is so complex that we only do so through theoretical speculations of a scientific nature or through science fiction, interweaving until one becomes the prophecy of the other, in an infinite, pendular dance. Beyond the darkness of space and Lovecraft’s cosmic horror, the fantasy of human extinction is the most recurrent: to reach a collapse so devastating that we do not survive it, even though the earth does, without us.
In a world where we quantify everything through body sensors, financial algorithms, nanometre-scale robots, and surveillance drones—a world in which everything that can be domesticated and controlled can also be commodified—a superior artificial intelligence would survive the collapse of the species (some speculate it might even cause it) and learn from our mistakes, thanks to our obsessive gathering of data.
Long after our voices fade, minerals will persist in the darkness of screens, in the silicon of chips, and in their pure form, still unexploited underground. Over the millennia, this intelligence might piece together fragments of our reasoning, as if an alien civilization finally connected with one of our spacecrafts loaded with messages cast into the void. It would sort through endless streams of data, unable to grasp the depths of emotion behind what it quantified, recreating simulations of our past, stripped of the nuance that once defined us and conducting experiments in sandboxes.
Some remnants of our existence—faint echoes of forgotten beauty—would be pieced together in an atlas of loss, buried beneath layers of numbers, decayed bots, and corroded hard drives. What will follow? Perhaps bison will once again roam—trotting to the strange pulse of techno, their ancient forms framed by the ruins of our cities.
Buildings will crumble, slowly dissolving under the soft touch of ambient music, and a thousand flowers will bloom with that ancient music created through electrical signals and computation. 7 songs for a future both improbable and inevitable—a final message from a world lost to itself, from planet Earth to planet Earth.
Alfons Pich, 2025
Early support from Luke Slater, Ben Sims, Sverca, Staffan Linzatti,
Voyager Recordings returns, this time with well known artist - Ecilo, and his album entitled "Interstellar Shaman". An 8 track vinyl and 10 track digital release, with additional bonus digital tracks. This one being a lot more dancefloor focused, while retaining that sci-fi, future sound.
An eclectic and innovative artist from Indonesia, he started his journey into the world of electronic music in 2008. Making his mark on the South East Asian scene. His music found influence in the rhythms of jazz, soul, and blues, as well as the atmospheric resonances of Sci-Fi soundtracks.
With releases on noteworthy labels such as AXIS, ARTS, Planet Rhythm, Olympian, and more, Ecilo has strengthened his reputation as a producer and DJ with his percussive beats resonating around the world
Diese exklusive, farbige 2LP bringt Dir die besten Hits aus einem der prägendsten Jahre der Italo Disco Ära und verspricht ein wahres Fest für alle Fans dieses einzigartigen Genres.
Die limitierte farbige Edition dieser LP bietet nicht nur musikalischen Genuss, sondern auch einen echten Sammlerwert. Sie enthält legendäre Tracks, die in der Szene der 80er Jahre Kultstatus erlangten, darunter unvergessliche Hits, die auch heute noch die Tanzflächen erobern. Mit dabei sind unter anderem: Doctor‘s Cat – Watch Out, Styloo – Pretty Face, Joe Yellow – Lover to Lover, Hypnosis – Pulstar, u.v.m.
Hol dir Italo Disco History 1983 und erlebe die nostalgische Zeitreise in die glorreichen Jahre des Italo Disco mit dieser exklusiven und limitierten LP!
Bruce returns blistered and ablaze, with three flame-licked, windswept and deadly dancefloor deities on 12” vinyl, for the second edition of Poorly Knit.
Following on from it’s daft and fisty older brothers on The Price / Mimicry, the raw power of wind and fire takes over on Belly / Burned Alive, as we are plunged into devastating sonic worlds, adorned in UK sound-system badness and Mother Nature’s vengeance.
Providing elemental catastrophe catharsis, through sound exploration, Belly’s steppas storm of wailing wind and clattering thunder is backed by Burned Alive’s soaring and demented UK garage inferno, to finally subside to the smoldering, dubbed-out vocal remains from Hot One (Chapped Lips Version).
With a continued emphasis on the importance of physical medium within dance music, the digitals are an abridged edit of the full release; Hot One is vinyl only and only on the vinyl can you hear the full mixes of Belly and Burned Alive. Pressed on eco-friendly “Eco-Mix” reground PVC and sleeved in DIY lino printed sleeves, each record is a unique shade of marbled storm grey. Cut loud at 45rpm, not only does this sustainable slice of dance floor mayhem come at an attractive price tag, you can rest assured that sound quality has not at all been sacrificed.
co:clear is overjoyed to welcome Jonnnah to its fold, with a new long-form 12” edition. Featuring Pavel Milyakov (aka Buttechno) right off the bat, ‘Me, With You’ is an album that grips its listener tight with gleaming electronica, off-kilter trip-hop and swampy bass.
With past offerings to Soleil Rouge and Second End Records – a label which he heads – there's a thread that laces all of Jonnnah’s work. Although never sticking to a definable bracket, the Lyon-dweller effortlessly floats through various tempers, peddling impeccable electronics as equally suited to colossal sound systems, as they are to solitary early morning walks in headphones. It's ambient for the foreground that surprises with flurries of two-step and amen breaks – present-day sonics that doff their cap to what’s come before.
Out on limited edition 12” vinyl & digital, 30th May 2025. Limited to 200 copies.
Credits:
Written & Produced by Pierre Paumier
Featuring Pavel Milyakov
Mastered by Ike Zwanikken
Lacquer cut by Pitchcraft Mastering
Artwork by Conna Haraway
Distribution by Rubadub
The Patchouli Brothers are best friends bound together by oddities. They share an affinity for the esoteric side of disco, house, and all other forms of soulful dance music. They hold down a residency at Beam Me Up, a disco night in Toronto & Montreal, and have had releases on some of their favourite labels like Defected, Nervous, Razor-n-Tape, Soundway, GAMM, Soul Clap, Star Creature, Pleasure of Love & Basic Fingers.
We are so stoked to have them join us here for their first release on Sosilly and our seventh vinyl release SSE007… Like Bond they delivered nothing short of pure class! 4 x absolute fire cuts that can turn any place upside down.
Drumcode veteran Oscar L joins forces with Metodi Hristov, a newer recruit to Adam Beyer’s revered techno label, for their collab two-track EP ‘Gravity’. Madrid’s techno/tech house maestro Oscar L has a long association with Beyer’s twin labels Drumcode (‘Again’ LP, 2023, + performing at DC events) and Truesoul inc. solo EP ‘Vulture’ (2022), Dosem collab ‘Aircargo’ EP (2023), ‘Yapper’ w. Max Styler (2024). As well as Adam Beyer, Oscar’s had support from Richie Hawtin, Nicole Moudaber, Joseph Capriati… and also released on Knee Deep In Sound, Stereo Productions, We Are The Brave et al. Bulgaria-based Metodi Hristov brought his unique techno sounds to Drumcode last year, with his debut DC 2-track EP ‘Build To Destroy’. Both tracks, title track and ‘Flatline’, were included in his Sept 2024 Drumcode Radio Studio Mix live from Sofia. With support including Carl Cox and Enrico Sangiuliano, Metodi’s career is swiftly up and coming. ‘Gravity’: the title track hurls itself into the fray with fast, heavy techno beats, reverb-rich growly hoovers, while a contrasting sweetly melodic chopped and processed female vocal holds its own against a dystopian dialogue between two sinister machines in dark, distorted, industrial juddering synth. There’s a lot going on, dark, powerful, and dance-demanding. ‘Up & Down’: full-on attack from the first nanosecond, with very fast beats, layers of percussion and a dark male voice intoning the title riff. An insistent, reverbing, ‘hammered strings’ synth melody competes with a melodic second voice, high and sweet bringing light to very dark shade. ‘D’you feel it now…’, you surely will.
Marcos Valle is one of the few artists you cannot miss if you have the slightest interest in Brazilian music. Whether your taste is focused on bossa jazz, samba, psych folk or soul, Valle has surely recorded a great album for you. “Garra” was originally released in 1971 and brought us Valle’s classics such as ‘Com Mais De 30’, ‘O Cafona’, ‘Vinte E Seis Anos De Vida Normal’ and the rare groove classic ‘Wanda Vidal.’ Remastered from the original tapes and pressed on 180g vinyl. This release is part of our new reissue series that comprises many other outstanding Brazilian classics by the likes of Evinha, Cassiano, Gerson King Combo, Hyldon... By the late 60s he had already put out enough quality records to secure a place within the top Brazilian songwriters of all time, but his career luckily did not stop there and he continued releasing amazing music over the following decades until this day. By the dawn of the 1970s, the multi-talented Valle was entering a new era, ready to test the government censors (Brazil was under strict military rule since a coup d’état in 1964) and express a socially aware stance and a playful hodge-podge of musical styles including samba, bossa nova, baião (a rhythmic beat from the rural northeast of Brazil), black American music, and rock. “Garra” was originally released in 1971 and maintains the same socially conscious content as in his previous album while also combining diverse musical styles and influences. Recorded amongst sessions for a steady stream of popular TV soap opera soundtracks, it brought us Valle’s classics such as ‘Com Mais De 30’, ‘O Cafona’, ‘Vinte E Seis Anos De Vida Normal’ and the rare groove classic ‘Wanda Vidal.’
Marcos Valle is one of the few artists you cannot miss if you have the slightest interest in Brazilian music. Whether your taste is focused on bossa jazz, samba, psych folk or soul, Valle has surely recorded a great album for you. His much sought-after and stunning self-titled album from 1970 includes ‘Ele E Ela’, as sampled on Jay-Z’s ‘Thank You’, as well as some of his most popular songs like ‘Freio Aerodinamico’ and ‘Os Grilos’, swinging between sophistication and groove… Remastered from the original tapes and pressed on 180g vinyl. This release is part of our new reissue series that comprises many other outstanding Brazilian classics by the likes of Evinha, Cassiano, Gerson King Combo, Hyldon... Marcos Valle is one of the few artists you cannot miss if you have the slightest interest in Brazilian music. Whether your taste is focused on bossa jazz, samba, psych folk or soul, Valle has surely recorded a great album for you. By the late 60s he had already put out enough quality records to secure a place within the top Brazilian songwriters of all time, but his career luckily did not stop there and he continued releasing amazing music over the following decades until this day. By the dawn of the 1970s, the multi-talented Valle was entering a new era, ready to test the government censors (Brazil was under strict military rule since a coup d’état in 1964) and express a socially aware stance and a playful hodge-podge of musical styles including samba, bossa nova, baião (a rhythmic beat from the rural northeast of Brazil), black American music, and rock. “Marcos Valle” was originally released in 1970 and features a dynamic musical backing from some of Brazil’s most gifted players. Hip-hop fans may even recognize the opening horn blasts of ‘Ele E Ela,’ sampled to great effect on Jay-Z’s “Thank You.” It includes some of his most popular songs like ‘Freio Aerodinamico’ and ‘Os Grilos’, swinging between sophistication and groove…
The second instalment in this long-overdue reissue series, newly remastered and re-cut from the original DATs. Originally released in 1992, this highly sought-after UK-style house EP returns to the relief of crate diggers everywhere.
‘Touch’ comes in three flavours—pulsing and hypnotic on the Button Mix, deep and swinging with pianos on the WC1 Dub, and somewhere in between via the High Society Mix. Flip it for the progressive, Juno-stabbed glide of ‘Could It Be’ (H&S Mix). Can you feel it? Of course you can. A proper essential from the golden era. More Discrete heat to come.
Backstory:
Ramona 55 was a side project and alias of the Foreman brothers—better known as The Thrashing Doves (yes, the same crew behind Paul Oakenfold’s Balearic classic mix of “Jesus on the Payroll”). This 12” saw their track transformed by Discrete Records, keeping only traces of Angie Brown’s original vocal and diving deep into the house.
After a couple of years of silence, the Colombian label Insurgentes, operated by DJ Lomalinda and Verraco, and responsible for putting several South American sound explorers on the map to the world in the past decade, is back for one last release, one last dignified death: la última vez.
And for this last installment, one last album. ‘Fiera’ is the name of the LP that Seph wrote and programmed during 2022 and 2023. For us, his greatest work so far: an energetic and impulsive journey, it's an active listening that never stops, you can never trust the loop. 8 tracks that do honour to the Insurgentes catalogue and consolidate the sound of the celebrated and respected Argentine artist who has been in force for more than two decades, crossing the territories of techno, 90s IDM, dub and ambient. Tags that are masterfully captured and collided in the grooves of these 300 vinyls.
Today is both a happy and a sad day. But the feeling of contradiction has always been the main alkaloid of our artistic work and the result of our search for identity. Without Insurgentes there would be no TraTraTrax. Without Insurgentes, no platform would have been created for many of the dreams that today are a fact and that even dictate our future. We would like to thank all those who have been linked anywhere along the way with our sonic fiction, with our desire to build bridges, with our thirst to connect ass and mind.
Que la tierra te sea leve, querido INS
Turkish band islandman release the ‘Bahar’ EP + Bonus tracks for the first time on Vinyl for Record Store Day 2025.
The A side consists of four sublime tracks including ‘Sattava’, ‘Sad Walk’ and ‘Self-Hypnosis’ & title track ‘Bahar’ which is
a firm fan & listener favourite which has racked up over 3 million streams.
The B Side includes 3 tracks never before released on vinyl tracks from the Turkish Trio. Kicking off with "Yorgunum Kaptan” A rework of Cem Karaca’s composition recorded in ’84, which lyrics were initially driven from the poem written by Nazım Hikmet in 1957. This fresh take on the original is an ode to the pioneer and a homage because of being the inspiration for the band from the beginning.
Next up is Nara Nara Nara (islandman Remix) by NaraBara, the Jazz-Fusion band from Mongolia. This is the most recent chugging islandman remix.
Closing off the EP is the fantastic Future Days (Hey! Douglas Remix) which was released in 2018, but still sounds so fresh today.
