quête:3 elements

Is planet Earth weighing you down? 12 Tribes are ready to take you away. Mars is the destination and their music is the spaceship. Drop your past to join them in a future where humans from all walks of life build new traditions, and music is the language we all speak.

12 Tribes of Mars takes the basic elements of the Reggae, Ska, and Dub traditions and blasts them into outer space. A closer listen reveals that what might seem familiar at first has a truly unique and eclectic sound. Heavily influenced by the spirit of free improvisation, the music is as sexy and danceable as it is uncompromisingly gritty.

On stage 12 Tribes Of Mars really cast their spell: time and time again trance inducing acoustic grooves are torn apart by wild improvisations and electronics, before the musicians return to the rhythm as if nothing had ever happened. Concerts are both an intense, trippy listening experience as well as a high energy dance party, ultimately leaving the audience sweaty and wanting for more.

All members of 12 Tribes are trained jazz musicians that are most comfortable in the borderland between musical genres. In the past years, the band toured the festival circuit and alternative venues of Amsterdam. Now they are celebrating the release of their first full album, Hidden Sun, on a beautiful 12 inch limited edition vinyl and on digital.

Anané’s colourful life in music has seen her do everything from singing at the famous pre-game show at Super Bowl XLI as part of the group Elements of Life, DJ at hotspots like Hi Ibiza, Pacha NYC and Ushuaïa to name a few, while also curating her own monthly residency Nulu Movement, now ten years strong at Le Bain NYC, release unique blends of Afro, house, and pop on labels like Vega Records, and head up her own imprints, Nulu Music and Nulu Electronic. The Cape Verdean-born DJ, producer, vocalist, and songwriter has had countless club hits and has released acclaimed albums like ‘Ananésworld’ and ‘Chapters Of Becoming’, often with a lush, live, and orchestrated style that is truly unique.

With this release, Anané steps forward with her first solo production to date. Here she serves up the sumptuous ‘It Looks Like Love’, a poised, elegant house sound with her own smoking, soulful vocals and classy strings bringing colour to an Afro groove packed with infectious bounce. Neat guitar riffs and silky synths all enrich this most sophisticated sound. The first mix sees Anané link up with veteran Italian Christian Mantini, who has hosted Sunset Ritual parties with Anané and Louie Vega since 2013. Their dub is rooted in warm, rubbery drums that are even deeper and more immersive than the original.

Manda Moor & Sirus Hood are a red-hot contemporary pair who run the Mood label and are defining the contemporary underground. Their remix is more driving, but it retains the soulful vibe with breezy pads and jazzy motifs drifting in and out above the swaggering groove.

Rotterdam-based Chicagoan Jamie 3:26 is a master at blending disco, soul, and house into timeless sounds, and here he delivers a loopy rework that pairs deep drive and sun-kissed vibes with funky, Chic-style bass guitar motifs.

This solid jackin' house EP feat. PAKA PROJECT is packed with groove and a summer-ready vibe. Crafted with DJs in mind, perfect for layering, cutting basslines, and blending.. Cool brass elements, soulful textures, and hints of blues-style vocal samples woven throughout. Full pic sleeve.

Originally released in 2014 on cassette and digital only, Till Human Voices Wake Us was the first album by the Iranian artist on Umor Rex. It became a key work in our catalog, and now, 12 years later, it is available on vinyl for the first time. This is the first in a series of four special, limited reissues to be released in 2026 to mark the 20th anniversary of Umor Rex.

Till Human Voices Wake Us comprises ten tracks with a clear and carefully structured script, based on poems by T.S. Eliot, highlighting Siavash Amini’s work as a composer for theater, film, and art exhibitions. His music deliberately leans toward ambient expressions, at times recalling Morricone’s Western film scores. The interplay between synthetic and digital elements, together with multilayered, soul-healing electric guitar passages, creates an opulent sonic texture that moves between dramatic and melancholic moments with a finely constructed, fluid dynamism.

There is an emotional depth in each piece, guided by tonal variations and shifting textures that turn the music into a mental journey, with landscapes, a sense of cold resolution, and the quiet inevitability of an ending. Till Human Voices Wake Us was Amini’s first album on a non-Iranian label. Following this release, he has also published work, in addition to Umor Rex, on labels such as Room40, Hallow Ground, and Opal Tapes, among others, and is now considered one of the most prominent figures in Iran’s experimental music scene.

All music by Siavash Amini. Original master by Nicholas Szczepanik. Remastered for vinyl by Rafael Anton Irisarri. Artwork by Daniel Castrejón.

"Already established within Iran’s music scene, Siavash Amini has crafted a powerful signature sound that blends meticulously assembled ambient synthesis with languid electric guitar melodies, recalling Lanois and Eno’s classic Apollo." — THE QUIETUS (Tristan Bath)

Fresh from flexing his scalpel skills via an impressive double 12-inch for Hot Biscuit Recordings, The Mighty Zaf once more joins forces with regular studio buddy Linkwood for two more tried-and-tested reworks. 'Get Another Love' is particularly potent, with the duo combining elements from a vintage disco-soul workout - glistening guitars, bass, vocals, strings - with a vintage-sounding drum machine beat which alternates between sweat-soaked Chicago-house jack and post-electro swing. 'He Made You Mine', meanwhile, is a straight edit of a slow, loved-up, immersive and horn-laden disco-soul gem that switches from loved-up downtempo loveliness to punchy dancefloor excellence midway through.

Loftsoul a.k.a. DJ Uchikawa revisits and remixes three tracks from the Loftsoul Recordings catalogue for 2026.

Dear Friend featuring Lisa Millett was the first release on the label in 2010 and instantly became a highly collectable classic. Uchikawa refreshes the track with his customary deep and soulful yet driving energy, maintaining all the musical elements that define his unique fusion of the organic with the electronic.
Wait For You featuring Carla Prather gets retouched with a deep rolling groove and riding hammond organ melody creating a smooth bed for Carla’s haunting vocal.
Uchikawa’s cover version of the Grover Washington classic Mr Magic first appeared under his Rhythm Of Elements guise in 2008. It features the great pianist Makoto Kuriya laying down a sublime solo over the infectious groove and Hideki Ikeuchi killing it on guitar. The 2026 Remix comes with a full-on laid-back jazz double-bass line as the background for the exquisite solo performances.

Death Is Not The End collaborate with Uzbek label Maqom Soul to deliver an LP counterpart to last year's mixtape of the same title, compiling specially picked & fully licensed individual belters from the ex-soviet studios of Central Asian republics between 1978 and 1989 - incl. Uzbek, Tajik, Kurdish & Uyghur artists pulling traditional folk motifs together with pop & rock and psych elements.

"These recordings do not form a smooth or coherent history. They feel more like a sequence of discoveries made at different moments and in different circumstances. Songs and instrumental pieces that once lived inside specific contexts radio broadcasts, philharmonic programs, touring routes now sit side by side, revealing hidden connections as well as clear fractures between them.

Nasiba Abdullaeva appears here as a voice from the end of an era. Trained within a conservatory system, she worked inside the format of the Soviet pop song while filling it with melodic logic that did not come from Moscow or Leningrad. Her voice is soft and sustained, shaped by Eastern melisma, and it never functions as decoration. Even in tightly structured songs there is a sense of resistance, an effort to preserve a musical language rooted in Uzbek tradition rather than fully adapted to an all Union standard.

The ensemble Sintez, later renamed Navo, represents a different path. Beginning as a student rock group, the band was gradually absorbed into the official VIA system with all its limitations and compromises. Yet it was precisely within those boundaries that Sintez and Navo developed a recognizable sound. Electric guitars and jazz rock harmonies do not overpower the folk material but remain in tension with it. Their recordings feel like negotiations between what the musicians wanted to play and what they were allowed to perform.

The Tajik ensemble Gulshan reflects an institutional approach carried to a high professional level. Formed under television and radio structures, the group treated folk material almost as a written score. Carefully constructed arrangements, close attention to orchestration, and restrained use of pop techniques define their sound. There is less spontaneity here, but a strong sense of discipline and structure, where national melody becomes part of a carefully controlled sonic framework.

Koma Wetan occupies a very different space. Formed in the 1970s, this Kurdish rock group approached poetry and folklore as tools of cultural assertion. Their psychedelic rock never feels like a stylistic borrowing. Instead it functions as a contemporary vessel for language and themes that might otherwise have remained unheard. Even today these recordings sound fragile and stubborn at the same time.

The Uyghur ensemble Yashlik, closely connected to a musical drama theatre, operated somewhere between stage performance and popular music. Their songs are built on folk melodies but shaped for wide audiences. What emerges is a constant attempt to preserve the recognizability of Uyghur musical identity without freezing it in a folkloric frame. Yashlik's music exists in a state of balance between representation and development.

Digging Central Asia does not attempt to establish hierarchies or offer a single wayof listening. Names and dates matter less than the sound itself. Tape noise, abrupt transitions, and unexpected timbres remain part of the material rather than flaws to be corrected. This music existed at the crossroads of multiple routes geographic, cultural, and ideological. Heard today in a new context, it no longer feels peripheral. Instead it stands as a reminder that the history of popular music is far more fragmented, layered, and polyphonic than it is usually allowed to be."

We here at TSTD are longtime fans of UK producer/musician/Label maker MATT HUGHES. For a few years he is delivering tasteful, deep, dubbed reworks for Too Slow To Disco, some in Edit form, but also his 2 official remixes for Goodvibes Sound on The Sunset Manifesto 2.
Both new TSTD Edits on this 7 inch are slow disco masterworks, he is giving the originals his trademark deep, warm versions. Who is the guy….?
Matt Hughes is a music producer from the north of England. A purveyor of all things funk, soul, disco, jazz and house! Most recent releases have been with Outcross Records, Bubblegum Pop, Editorial and Too Slow To Disco. A large number of Matt's works have been released under the MAM project with Miguel Campbell remixing the likesof the Climbers, Deadmau5 and Flight Facilities, as well as putting out releases via Wolf+Lamb, Future Classic, Hot Creations, Outcross Records, BPitch Control and Editorial Records to name a few.
Among his most notable collaborations are works with Derrick McKenzie, drummer of Jamiroquai; Drop Out Orchestra, Art Of Tones, amongst others. Each of these collaborations has allowed him to explore new musical dimensions, enriching his characteristic sound with diverse and fresh influences.

With a musical style deeply rooted in disco, funk and jazz, Monsieur Van Pratt combines classical elements with contemporary touches, creating a sound experience that is both nostalgic and innovative. His work not only stands out for its technical quality, but also for its ability to connect emotionally with the listener, making him a central figure in the evolution of modern dance sound.

With Zera, Len Faki returns to Figure with a tightly focused EP that moves between raw, driving functionality and more open, atmospheric moments. Across five tracks, he explores variations in groove, tone and energy, balancing direct, floor-ready structures with a more fluid and spacious approach.

Opening cut Maschine Girl locks into a restless, forward-driving groove. Crisp percussion and a tightly coiled low end create immediate momentum, while sharp synth fragments and metallic accents add a nervous edge. The track stays stripped and efficient, letting its steady build and controlled tension carry the energy.
Kobold follows with a darker and more twisted tone. Warped synth figures weave through a heavy rhythmic backbone, giving the track a slightly mischievous character while maintaining a firm, heads-down drive. The interplay between tonal movement and grounded percussion keeps the groove dynamic without breaking its focus.
Closing the A-side, Maschine Girl (Version) revisits the opener from a different angle. Elements are tightened and subtly rebalanced, shifting the emphasis further toward rhythm and direct impact. More reduced and tool-like in nature, it pushes the groove forward with a sharper, club-ready feel.
On the flip, Zera unfolds with a broader sense of space. Hypnotic synth movement and layered atmospheres sit atop a firm low-end framework, gradually building intensity while maintaining a deep, immersive flow. The track thrives on its slow development, drawing the listener further into its evolving structure.
Rounding out the release, Zera (Hardspace Mix) reimagines the original with a heavier, more physical approach. The groove becomes more pronounced and the rhythmic pressure more direct, tightening the structure into a denser, floor-driven tool that emphasises impact and propulsion.
With Zera, Len Faki delivers a cohesive and wide-ranging release that connects raw, driving tools with more expansive, early morning-leaning grooves — further reflecting the breadth and versatility that has defined his output in recent years.

Disco-house fusionist Risk Assessment rounds off another successful year with a third and final EP of 2025. Braithwaite deals a near perfect hand on 'Play Your Cards', where excerpts from a Loleatta Holloway/Salsoul Orchestra style maximalist disco hit rise above a chunky, bass-heavy groove, before reaching for elements from a jaunty, piano-heavy disco number on the rolling and ear-catching 'Juicy Smollett'. Elsewhere, 'Testing Testing' is a gargantuan disco-house extravaganza full of sampled horns, rubbery bass, stellar orchestration and urgent male vocals, while 'Baby Call Me' sees him re-imagine a smooth and colourful 80s soul jam as a tactile and funky house workout.

With acute focus on dance floor hypnotism and percussive pressure, SIDEB003 offers German collaboration IGLO and Paul Hauck's debut vinyl release. A third project for this duo, 'Stable Fusion' plays to the producers strengths as biting sound design unfolds through reliable groove.

'Stable Fusion' - and, in turn, its title track - presents as an uncompromising dance floor record, complete with pressing arrangements and powerful tension shifts. The infectious nature of club music comes largely from the power and insistence of its minimal elements and IGLO & Paul Hauck put chisel to stone to showcase just that. To add soul to skill, 'Neustadt' claims the A2 with added color and a silver lining in the its mood. Festive chord stabs stutter along with percussion riding up and down the spectrum, maintaining energy without losing impact. Flipping sides, 'Initiator' returns to minimalism and spaced out sequences. Dub chords boom through a low lying swing, complete with unfolding ambient textures. The track is focused and its intentions aren't shy, the slow creep to the EP's conclusion 'Celestis' is met with intrigue. Warbly synth work warms up a pulsating core, creating a more tonal sound system experience than any of its predecessors. Here, ferocity hides behind humility, and 'Celestis' is a crowd pusher with deceptive arrangement to close out 'Stable Fusion' with confirmation of quality and effect.

Words by Noah Hocker

W.R.F. was formed in 2015 by Nina and late studio partner Andrew Weatherall to help wrangle the vast output recorded together beyond his solo releases.
Spotlighting nine tracks from the Apparently Solo series of EPs recorded between 2016- 2019 and released on Bandcamp in 2023, this lustrous time capsule marks the culmination of Walsh and Weatherall’s creative relationship born after they clicked at London’s earliest acid house clubs, becoming partners then managers of their Sabres Of Paradise/Sabrettes labels before taking different paths by the late '90s.
An accomplished musician, Nina had learned the art of studio technology by the time they reunited and started working together in 2012. Created at her Facility 4 Studio situated in the dangerous, gang-ridden no man’s land between Streatham and Mitcham, Anamchara captures the super-prolific creative stretch starting in 2015 that produced Weatherall’s Convenanza and Qualia solo sets, W.R.F.’s The Phoenix Suburb (And Other Stories) plus a whole lot more. According to Nina, Andrew envisioned the spectacular ‘Borderland’ as natural successor to ‘Smokebelch’, his most revered track. When it came to his remix, Nina enlisted renowned viola virtuoso Sarah Sarhandi and composed new harmonies with Pachelbel’s Canon in D Minor in mind.
The set also catches the breakthrough period when, through Nina’s careful coaxing, Andrew started using the computer system she’d set up to better express his musical visions by arranging the elements, grooves and melodies she sent him. Still considered the UK’s greatest DJ-producer, Andrew’s arrangements were inspired by his club-igniting sets. “This allowed me to mix the colours for his palette whilst he was painting the picture,” says Nina. Anamchara straddles the gamut of musical styles explored by W.R.F. at this time, from slower paced psychedelic “drug chug” outings ‘We Two’. ‘Heat To Meat Ratio’, ‘Hidden Watchers Part 1’ to banging acid house and techno sometimes inspired by the violence outside the studio door, including ‘SCHLAP’, ‘Crack-Ed’ and churning acid juggernaut ‘Yacidik’ (“After much dangling of the acid carrot, Andrew took a bite and, after one familiar raised eyebrow, never looked back,” says Nina).
Many tracks fly elements from the enormous sonic library Nina inherited from late partner Erick Legrand that she called The Akashic Library of Sound. Marking Andrew’s 2016 admission into the vault, ‘Rattly Old Puffin’ boasts Erick’s psychedelic guitar and tumbling drum loop Weatherall would run with, including on ‘Borderland’. “Erick was like our third member,” says Nina.
Bringing down the curtain, ‘Alma’’s exquisitely poignant melody that unfolds over thirteen time-stopping minutes was composed by Nina while navigating Erick’s birth and departure date anniversaries to accompany Andrew’s reading from Gordon Burn’s 1991 same-named novel at 2018’s Durham Literary Festival. Burn’s novel imagines early 60s popstrel Alma Cogan, who succumbed to cancer in 1966 surviving to reflect on fame. “Now it just makes me think of Erick. And every time I hear those well-placed cymbal crashes I can only think of the Captain himself.”
A beautiful grand finale for this astonishing selection of pure gold from the vaults.
Kris Needs / 2026

Destination Unknown is an EP by Unpronounceable born from an archive of sounds collected between 2019 and 2024—sonic fragments that took shape without a predetermined direction guided only by an open idea in constant transformation. The original track conceived as a “destination unknown” composition developed its own independent identity. However precisely because of its fluid and cross-genre nature Unpronounceable chose not to place it within a traditional EP context instead opening it up to a multiplicity of perspectives by inviting five artists to reinterpret it freely without genre constraints.

The result is an EP that unfolds like an alternative map of the same sonic territory where each remix explores a distinct direction transforming Destination Unknown into a multifaceted and ever-evolving experience.

In Carl Finlow’s remix Destination Unknown takes on a strong cinematic and narrative dimension. Inspired by the title Finlow imagines a mysterious journey toward a futuristic dystopian city turning the track into a kind of electro soundtrack—dark yet ironic rich in character and capable of evoking vivid images and motion.

MANASYt pushes the track toward more physical and ritualistic territories focusing on the dark pads and the more oneiric vocal elements of the original. The result is a hypnotic pulsating tribal-industrial reinterpretation where rhythm and sonic material become central intensifying the track’s most visceral qualities.

With Gay Horror the focus shifts to an emotional and narrative dimension. The vocals are deliberately made elusive and undefined while the structure develops through a slow controlled crescendo that recalls the atmospheres of ’90s trip-hop. This version also reflects a long-standing human and artistic relationship conceived as a story that travels through time and reaches the present day.

Kevin Follet adopts a more conceptual approach overturning the perspective of the original track. Rather than working with its main elements he brings the underlying structures to the foreground transforming what usually remains hidden into the core of his reinterpretation. His remix is elegant and deep balancing sound exploration with a strong attention to songwriting.

Closing the EP is GP The Synth Roller with a radical and highly experimental reinterpretation. The track behaves like an unstable system: parameters shift without warning surfaces lose coherence sudden accelerations collide with moments of arrest. There is no resolution only a sonic condition in constant tension eventually condensing into a dark compact mass.

Taken as a whole Destination Unknown is far more than a simple remix collection: it is a collective exploration of the potential of a single composition. Unpronounceable’s original track and the reinterpretations by Carl Finlow MANASYt Gay Horror Kevin Follet and GP The Synth Roller move across electro techno industrial and experimental territories offering six different perspectives from the same starting point. An open journey with no fixed destination where every detour becomes an integral part of the path.

Two decades into their existence, Elder remain an anomaly in the heavy underground - a band with the ability to absorb and shed influences from a myriad of genres without falling into pastiche or losing their identity. Their new album Through Zero is a reaffirmation of their commitment to pushing boundaries and cements their status as leaders in heavy psychedelic rock. Elder has long since mastered crushing riffs, melodic jaunts, progressive patterns, hypnotic grooves and ethereal atmosphere along their path of music-making in the past twenty years. On Through Zero, Elder takes these years of experience and forms possibly their most immediate and engaging record to date, while allowing seeds from outside the sphere of rock music to take root and bloom within their progressive framework. Listeners will find familiar elements of new textures, sequences, and sounds alongside Elder"s iconic take on heavy rock. As always, every spin reveals new details. Recorded in Berlin across several months between tours in 2025, Through Zero is the first album which the band not only produced but also comixed together with longtime collaborator Richard Behrens. The album sounds more like a full extension of the band"s creative intentions than ever before.

As the first release of Flux Code Recordings, Ferplay brings us this 4 tracks EP called “Electric Waves”.

Blending trance and breakbeat elements, acid sequences and punchy old-school drums, each track captures the energy of the 90s underground electronic music spirit.

Flux Code Recordings is a record label inspired by old-school and underground electronic music, exploring styles such as trance, breakbeat, acid and more.

It is born from the concept of music as a living language, an ever-changing code and a continuous flow of rhythms and melodies in constant evolution.

Flux Code channels the raw energy and the rave spirit of the underground electronic music culture, connecting past roots with future sonic pathways.

2026 REPRESS

New repress of the first album "Midnight Walkers". We have used the same vinyl metal works as the first 2012 pressing.

After several releases on 7 and 12inch, Stand High Patrol, the french crew of Pupajim, Rootystep and the legendary Mac gyva is back with a long awaited LP. With strictly brand new killer dubadub, digital and hip hop tracks including crazy echos, “Midnight Walkers” is totally unique! It contains all elements of a Stand High live session and offers an evolving dubadub. With the crazy voice of Pupajim and totally timeless dubs, the first album of the three “dubadub musketeerz” deals with the particular originality that made of Stand High Patrol one of the toughest dub sound system of France. Every bass addict and every dub fan should enter the Stand High experience. If you are ready, fasten your seat belt and run the track! We hope that you will enjoy the flight!

Caçador de Horizontes is the fourth and most ambitious album by Brazilian composer and songwriter Raphael Gimenes. Conceived as an expansive double album, it brings together voice and acoustic guitar with richly arranged strings, brass and a wide palette of percussion, engaging with the tradition of Brazilian songwriting while evoking the harmonic sensibility of artists such as Milton Nascimento, alongside elements of modern classical music.

Inspired by travels across the American continent, the album moves between intimate moments and large-scale instrumental passages, creating a cinematic and emotionally resonant atmosphere. Produced by Lucas Delacroix, Alexandre Andrés and Gimenes himself, it features more than 30 musicians from different countries and was supported by the Danish Arts Foundation (Statens Kunstfond).

For the decennial release on Punctuality Warsaw duo W.A.C., aka Private Press step up with their Forever W.A.C EP. Moving away from their more techno-oriented offerings, Forever W.A.C. keeps the tempo and energy of their earlier work but suffuses the mood with warm, glowing trance and prog energy. This is peak-time Punctuality business in its purest form– on time as ever. “No More No Show” comes in hot from the get-go: galloping snare rolls, raved-up breakbeats, uplifting pads, big basslines, acid licks, and the low-end wubs that have become synonymous with the Punctuality sound. One for that point in the night when the dancefloor has melted into sweaty, eyes-closed, hands-up amorphia.

Barely recognisable to its original counterpart, the Rhyw remix strips the A1 down to the bare essentials. Preserving only a few percussive elements, the euphoria of No More No Show is replaced with hazy, cinematic synth washes that drone around a skeletal groove loaded with bassweight, warping the original into a dubbed out psychedelic UK stepper. Shifting to the morning light, “Only Froggerz” is a shimmering roller that ebbs and flows around barreling kick drums, kaleidoscopic synth lines, and vaporous FX, with lustrous chord work driving the emotion dial to 11. Elegant and restrained but relentlessly pummeling, it’s early-morning club gear at its finest.

Rounding out the EP with an essential slice of modern prog, “Close” utilises all the good bits: skippy basslines, filtered squelches, tribal-leaning percussion, and a relentless groove that builds around the subtle interplay between the stabs and the vocals. An epic closer that feels as true to the Punctuality canon as ever.

James Ruskin's Blueprint Records continue the 30th anniversary with another label stalwart as Mark Broom returns with his new EP, "Reality Check".



Mark Broom is a renowned British techno DJ and music producer whose career spans over three decades. Throughout his career, Broom has released over 150 singles, showcasing his versatility across various sub-genres of electronic music. He has collaborated with esteemed record labels such as Defected, Rekids, Warp, Ifach, M-Plant, Cocoon, Glitterbox and his own Beard Man (launched in 2009).



In addition to his solo projects, Broom has engaged in numerous collaborations. He partnered with James Ruskin to form The Fear Ratio, exploring experimental sounds that blend elements of hip-hop, IDM and techno with four albums (to date) on Skam Records, Tresor and of course, Blueprint. Another highlight has been their "Ruskin & Broom" EPs which have peppered the label's roster.Now based in Norfolk (England), Broom continues to be a driving force in the techno scene.



His work has been described as ranging from "club-ready techno and house to left-field electro, downtempo and IDM" highlighting his adaptability and broad musical range.? Returning to his driving Techno roots, his "Reality Check" EP is an essential release for fans of both Broom and Blueprint.

Long time friend of the label Tom Drew delivers his most refined productions to date for the second 12” release on Dream Space.

For his own debut on vinyl, he draws on modern styles of deep, progressive house, paired with intricate sound design elements of deep techno and trance.

The record samples voices and situations that explore ideas surrounding creation, meditation and reincarnation - provoking a dreamlike reflection on the liminal spaces of sleep & awake, mental & physical, life & death.

A versatile EP flowing full with warm psychedelic sounds, these tracks each hold a place for the various stages of the night.

Edition of 200.

Cogitat is the debut album by Nils Edte and the first double-vinyl release on PREDAWN Records. Across ten tracks, it blends classic deep techno with hypnotic, tribal rhythms, dub textures, and ambient, experimental elements. Beginning with the ambient Semen and concluding with the nocturnal Nox, the album unfolds as a journey through abstraction, nature, and artistic evolution-unified by a clear sonic vision and a mature, cohesive sound.

With the Ease EP, Austrian producer and DJ DOS presents a concise continuation of the sound he has developed since the mid-2010s. Often linked to the early lo-fi house movement, his productions combine rough-edged drum textures, reduced melodic elements and a clear rhythmic focus, balancing club functionality with a more introspective tone.

Moondata’s little-known sole single, 1984’s decidedly Balearic, jazz-funk/boogie fusion gem ‘Let The Moonshine In’, is a very important record to the Rotation Sound System crew. It has become a familiar favourite at their annual Rotation Garden Party micro-festival and formed the centrepiece of their first compilation, summer 2025’s superb Everything You’re About To Hear Is True Volume 1. It’s increasingly rare these days for an artist from the 80s to still have their master tapes but even rarer still for them to have the multitrack tapes too. This is something of the holy grail when it comes to licensing old music so when it happens the opportunity to remix and create new versions needs to be grabbed with both hands.

The original record, a genuine rarity beloved of synth-loving crate-diggers, had an unusual gestation. Originally recorded in demo form by musician Jean-Marie Gogniat, it was turned into a finished single by a group of German musicians with a little help from lyricist and vocalist Joe Mwenda, and a crew of backing vocalists whose number included a locally based American singer – a pre-fame Jennifer Rush. Fittingly, the pre-vocal instrumental mix, which has sat unreleased since 1984, is included as a bonus track on the digital edition of this new remix package. The Rotation Sound System crew’s mixes, headed up by long-serving producer Dean Meredith, sprinkle 21st century magic across Gogniat’s one-off masterpiece while retaining core elements of the original and offering nods aplenty to club-focused sounds of the 1980s. They are, in effect, the versions the track deserved – but never got – back in the mid 1980s.

To begin, Meredith reunites with long-time production partner Andrew Meecham for the pair’s first remix as Chicken Lips in three years – a typically sparse and spaced-out ‘Malfunction Dub’ with delay-laden synths, vocals and guitar snippets sit over a sparse post-electro beat and bass guitar. Meredith then joins forces with fellow Rotation Sound System member Ben Shenton for takes under their two bestknown aliases. First, they don the T-Kutt guise for some dubbed out, funky bass guitar-propelled boogie-meets-proto house action that rocks out a killer, Clavinet-expanded groove while spinning in talkbox and backing vocals.

The pair then re-emerge as Mind Fair, famed for their releases on Golf Channel Recordings and their own Rogue Cat Sounds, and deliver a warmer, deeper and more organic-sounding take that’s as languid and tactile as it is warm and saucereyed. To round off the vinyl version of the EP, Rotation Sound System’s other core members – Rob J, Rich Hall and Stuart Robinson – don the now-familiar Wrekin Havoc guise and re-invent the track as a raw, analogue-rich shuffle through 1980s electro – all squelchy synth-bass, stabbing, cut-up vocal samples, chiming synth melodies and echoing beats. The expanded digital download edition of the EP contains a trio of additional bonus rubs. Alongside instrumental versions of the T-Kutt and Mind Fair mixes, we also get a full vocal T-Kutt rework that adds back in Joe Mwenda’s beautifully delivered verses. These additional DJ tools round off a beautifully rendered set of re-imaginations of a genuine cult classic. Gogniat, the man who started it all way back in the summer of 1984, certainly approves.

Pour Me, My Friend, The Nectar of Dionysus PCM004 is a vibrant four-track exploration of deep tech house, crafted with elegance, groove, and an undeniable sense of joy. Rooted in musicality and designed for the dancefloor, this release blends warm, jazz-tinged elements with modern production finesse, offering a rich and uplifting listening experience from start to finish.

On Side A, A1. Andrey Djackonda – Never Disappear and A2. Deep District – Back Room introduce a welcoming atmosphere built on smooth progressions, refined hi-hat work, and dreamy pad textures. The grooves are fluid and inviting, supported by strong basslines and a playful spirit that sets a positive tone from the very first moments — perfect for drawing people onto the dancefloor with ease and charm.

The B-side raises the intensity. B1. Anirr – Still Trying to Be Perfect and B2. Andrey Djackonda – Refresh shift into a more driving, peak-time energy, where tighter rhythms and increased momentum take control. These tracks carry a confident push, designed for those moments when the room is fully alive and the energy calls for a stronger, more direct connection.

Balancing warmth, groove, and power, PCM004 is a well-rounded and versatile EP — an essential addition for those who appreciate house music in its most expressive, dancefloor-ready form.

Panna Cotta Music is a division of MixCult Records

Mystic Letter K presents Occulimus. Behind this alias stands Cari Lekebusch, one of Europe’s most respected and prolific techno figures, with an undeniable legacy and historic releases on labels such as Missile, Hybrid, and Planet Rhythm, among many others.

With Mystic Letter K, Lekebusch steps into a parallel, more mature and conceptual universe—one where he fully explores a mental, tribal, deeply hypnotic and highly danceable strain of electro. His sound is built on constantly shifting patterns: elements that repeat, reconfigure, and sequence themselves in multiple ways, creating a continuous sense of motion that drives the listener into states of trance and altered perception. Occulimus captures this essence with surgical precision: an unmatched groove, raw yet refined, designed for the dancefloor but equally suited for full immersion. Each side of this double vinyl acts as a powerful and versatile tool, allowing any DJ to build, sustain, and transform energy with a single record in the bag.

A direct, functional, and absorbing work that reaffirms Lekebusch’s forward-thinking vision and his unique ability to sculpt sound in motion.

35th ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF THE GENRE-DEFINING OPUS OF ATMOSPHERIC DEATH/DOOM
FROM THE UK METAL LEGENDS. ON LIMITED CORONA VINYL WITH
ADDITIONAL 4 PAGE BOOKLET & REMASTERED AUDIO

Paradise Lost formed in 1988 in West Yorkshire, UK, when vocalist Nick Holmes & guitarist Gregor Mackintosh came together with the idea of taking metal beyond the conventional styles of the time. They were influenced by acts such as Candlemass, Celtic Frost & Morbid Angel, & concocted a unique atmosphere of their own as a result. This was already apparent when their debut album ‘Lost Paradise’ appeared on Peaceville Records in 1990, & blended death metal with doom & some melodic elements, but it wasn’t until their follow-up album, ‘Gothic’, that the band truly made its mark.

Recorded in late 1990/early 1991 at the renowned Academy Studios in Yorkshire (responsible for classic albums from bands such as My Dying Bride, Anathema, Cradle of Filth, among many others), ‘Gothic’ was the album responsible for a whole sub-genre: Gothic Doom Metal, upon its release in 1991. Creating a more sombre & atmospheric form of dark extremity, with the introduction of Gregor Mackintosh’s highly distinctive & unmistakable lead guitar melodies, Paradise Lost established themselves as among the pioneering UK bands of the early nineties, becoming highly influential to a generation of subsequent greats.

This new edition of ‘Gothic’, marking the album’s 35th anniversary, is presented on limited corona vinyl, with remastered audio courtesy of Jaime Gomez Arellano at Orgone Studios. The release also includes a four page booklet containing recollections from the band on the period & the shaping of the album, as originally featured in 2021’s ‘The Lost & The Painless’.

When funk music exploded onto the global pop scene in the late sixties, many of Jamaica's leading music-makers were inspired to incorporate elements of the exciting sound into their work. The result was the fascinating and compelling funky reggae style that proved immensely popular with record buyers on both sides of the Atlantic throughout the early ‘70s.

Pioneers of the sound included such celebrated producers as Lee ’Scratch’ Perry and Lloyd Charmers, whose recordings are heavily represented on both the CD and LP versions of this irresistible collection.

Collected here are some of the finest examples of the funky reggae, performed by some of reggae music’s most accomplished artists, from Ken Boothe and Lee Perry’s Upsetters to British-based acts, Greyhound and The Marvels.

Ital Tek's new album 'Mind Abandon' takes a different direction from his recent run of releases, embracing a more human touch in contrast to the dense, world-building drone of his previous albums and film work. This time, he set out to compose away from the computer as much as possible _ working more instinctively and allowing himself to get lost in the music. Alan found the most natural starting point was his own voice, processing vocals into shifting pads and textures. His guitar sits at the centre of much of the record, joined by live, hand-played percussion and effects, often captured in quick, spontaneous performances. The result is an album of spacious, contrasting dynamics, with textures pressing against each other and rhythmic elements fighting to surface from glutinous, layered sound. "It feels like a very introspective record for me," Alan says. "Losing my sense of identity/self as part of the process - the increasing effort to calm my mind and embrace humanity/imperfection in the music. This path made sense as a jumping off point for a lot of the music to be vocal or guitar experiments - singing in ideas and then processing to become less identifiable." The album feels carved and three-dimensional, weaving industrial and shoegaze influences with the darker edges of post-rock. Subtly embedded in its architecture are traces of dubstep dynamics _ a sound that remains part of Alan's DNA. Opening track "The Ice Is Thin" is driven almost entirely by live guitar and keyboard, awash in reverb. On "A Hidden Path," everything apart from the drums stems from processed vocals and guitar, with a fleeting appearance from his daughter's toy ukulele. It unfolds like the beginning of a journey _ vast and cinematic _ nodding to the widescreen tension of Ennio Morricone before building into a towering wall of noise. "Killswitch" disorients with pounding kick drums crafted from twanging acoustic guitar, pushing through layers of static-charged chords. "Undertow" spirals outward on looping guitar figures set against a pulsing Rhodes. "Misted," built around a rare four-to-the-floor beat, uses guitar as a driving rhythmic device, opening with a bassline that wouldn't feel out of place on a The Cure record. "Imagined Landscape" introduces icy keyboard textures that foreshadow the dark closer, "The Pull," where an arpeggiated bassline reminiscent of DAF underpins unnerving, internalised sound design that feels as though it's scratching from within. Mind Abandon closes on a heavy, stalking note _ fresh sounds drawn from the body and the heart.

2026 Repress

relies heavily on techno and dub elements. Releasing their first two albums on Creation Records sublabel Infonet, the group has also released albums on Blanco y Negro, Foundation Sound Works and Music Man Records. The group recorded three sessions for John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show.The trio also recorded under the names Thunderground, New Adult, Sons of the Subway, and Space DJz.

With Agenda EP, Tom Carruthers closes a landmark trilogy on Skylax Records, following Neutralise EP and Deepline. Three records. Fifteen tracks. One coherent vision of machine-driven house music stripped to its raw, functional core. This final chapter dives deeper into direct, club-focused energy, where groove, repetition and tension do the talking. Agenda is less reflective, more physical — built for movement, sweat, and long transitions in dark rooms. Opening track “Chrome” sets the tone: sharp drum programming, metallic pressure, and looping synth phrases that lock the body into motion. “Agenda (Raw Mix)” follows with a tougher, stripped-down approach — no excess, just pure rhythmic insistence rooted in early Chicago jack and warehouse discipline. “Beat Down” pushes further into machine funk territory, where relentless patterns and rugged textures meet in hypnotic repetition. On the flip, “Fade Away” brings a deeper, moodier tension — a late-night track where subtle emotion seeps through minimal structures. Closing cut “What You Want” is classic Carruthers: jacking drums, understated melody, and a groove that feels timeless rather than retro. As with the previous releases, the visual identity is handled by H5, whose modernist, reduced artwork mirrors the sonic philosophy: clarity, impact, and purpose. Agenda EP completes the Skylax trilogy as a statement of intent — not revivalism, not nostalgia, but dance music reduced to its essential elements.

Punctuality presents its ninth release, Night Time, a potent four-tracker from Irish born, Berlin based producer New Members. Positioned on the spriitzzier end of the label’s canon, the record is a refined exercise in restraint, channeling classic, deep leaning house through a starry eyed, nocturnal lens.

The arrangements are unrushed and uncrowded, with each track built from a small selection of elements deployed for maximum impact. Evoking the deep cuts of early Balance and Global Underground mixes, the EP deftly weaves golden era progressive influences with neoteric production aesthetics. The result is polished, punctual tech house for late nights that stretch seamlessly into the morning light.

Title track Night Time carries a closing track sensibility: cute, catchy vocals glide over bubbling synths, blossoming pad washes, and jazzy chord stabs, recalling the finest Canadian Riviera house releases of the late 2010s: Total eyes closed on the dancefloor energy. Whisper In the Dark comes in trackier and toolier, with a rolling bassline resplendent with attitude and key changes, while trance and euro referencing stabs add a subtle touch of euphoria to the late night feel of the track.

Wishing Well maintains the afterhours feel with subtle atmospherics, gentle pads, and dubbed out acid wiggles, while chopped vocals and a pulsing low end push the groove forward. Hovering between genres, the result is a sleek, highly playable track for savvy selectors. The EP rounds off with Jealousy, a moodier affair with a dub techno feel that maintains the restraint New Members demonstrates throughout the release. Echoed whispers, delayed stabs, and a barely audible sub meld with delicate pad work and beguiling FX to striking effect. The piece as a whole is a luscious meditation on the hours after dark before light arrives.

As the EP suggests, this is once again not to be slept on. More A grade material from Punctuality HQ.

ICONYC steps into new territory with Traffk, a spellbinding EP from UVITA, Twiins, and Motip White. Built around two deeply immersive compositions, Traffik operates as a threshold rather than a destination — a carefully measured passage into unfamiliar territory where tension is curated, expectations are subverted, and every detail feels deliberately withheld until the right moment.

At the center lies the title track, “Traffik,” a commanding convergence of three distinct creative voices distilled into a singular, unsettling vision. Suspended between austere minimalism and intricate design, the piece unfolds with a forceful rhythmic backbone that plunges into subterranean depths. Twisting brass motifs flicker and bend like fractured light across polished surfaces, creating an atmosphere that is both tactile and elusive. As the groove locks into a hypnotic oscillation, a spectral vocal presence emerges, injecting a sense of weight and foreboding before the track fractures inward, collapsing into a violent release that ejects us from its vortex with uncompromising intensity.

On our B-side, UVITA and Twiins reconvene for “Lucy Tried For It,” a continuation that trades overt drama for a slow-burning psychological pull. Anchored by a prowling low-frequency current and a relentless percussive drive, the track draws us deeper through carefully placed sonic detonations that expand its spatial dimension. Gradually, malfunctioning mechanical textures and distant, almost feral cries seep into the framework, setting the stage for an introspective spoken-word moment that nudges the piece further into the subconscious. As fragmented melodic elements begin to surface, “Lucy Tried For It” reaches a moment of suspended reflection before surging forward once more, closing the EP on an emotionally charged and resolute note.

Drumcode returns with its flagship A-Sides series, led by a huge new Adam Beyer single that highlights the 20-track compilation.

If you want a snapshot of techno in any given year, look no further than Drumcode’s annual A-Sides compilation. The release broadly charts the evolution of the genre, while giving a platform to standout demo’s Adam Beyer has received across the course of the year with many emerging artists finding their music on Drumcode for the first time. Case in point – Wehbba, Charles D and Raxon who all debuted on the label via a track on the A-Sides series and have gone on to become regular contributors to Beyer’s influential labels.

This year’s compilation features an exciting mix of established heavy-hitters, alongside a slew of new faces set to make their mark on the genre. ‘We Don’t Say Please’ – is emblematic of Adam Beyer’s sound in 2025 – fresh, experimental and thriving on cross-genre pollinations, as elements of bass music, rap and techno collide, underpinned by a distinctive UK vocal. The results are inspiring.

Elsewhere, the 20-track compilation brims with highlights. HI-LO’s ‘NYC to Amsterdam’ has inflections of New York house fused with driving techno elements. Nicole Moudaber returns to DC in cahoots with the rising ZLATA for the super-charged ‘Report to the Dancefloor’. Oscar L & Charles D mint a new collaborative partnership with the immersive, spacey cut ‘Lift Me Up’. LUSU continue their red-hot run following the recent ‘Move 2 the Groove’ EP, and craft a straight-up mind-mashing single ‘LIKE THIS’. Mark Reeve is in trademark strong form with hypnotic ‘My Mind’, which comes to life via a massive synth led. The fantastic Kaufmann shares her ‘People are Strange’, a nod to a classic vox, re-contextualised for a modern techno audience.

As is tradition, a troupe of ascendant producers land on Drumcode for the first time. They include Uruguay’s Enzo Monza, who delivers the crisp ‘Late Night’ – a favourite of Beyer’s; Mattia Saviola, whose ‘Parallel Dimension’ is a powerful cut with fantastic sound design; Romanian artist Tao Andra, who shares the celestial ‘Unity’; and long-time industry stalwart AdamK, who makes a richly deserved Drumcode debut in partnership with Vikthor feat. MC Stretch on the stunning ‘Silence + The Sound’.

Once I Was Young and The Airplane Album find the producer taking yet another sonic right turn. "These records were made in the same year with a very similar creative process. I moved almost completely away from sampling, experimented more than ever with ambient and techno elements and used the album format as a way to tell a story about moments in my life." Once I Was Young is a storytelling work that journeys through analogue synth-pop, modulated techno and raw, dusty drums with otherworldly melodies. Moments of beauty come through escapist, naturalistic ambient tracks and fusions of Kraftwerkian sequencing with more classical piano, while stark, clubready grooves keep things moving. Airplane contrasts similar shades of light and dark, synthetic and organic, rough and smooth. Glitchy, imperfect analogue sounds, knackered drum machine grooves and eerie synth phrasing evoke a post-human world with icy atmospheres. Elsewhere, warmth comes from bittersweet melodies and loose, funky drums that ooze retro-future charm.
Once I Was Young and The Airplane Album show a diff erent side to Escobar, one that embraces introspection and experimentation while exploring a whole other world of meaningful machine soul

During a job in Cologne, I stayed in a room with a loft bed that had no electrical outlets at the top. Every night, I would listen to my TB303, which runs on batteries, through headphones to help me fall asleep. I loved the sequences, it was like meditation. The TB-303 bassline is iconic in acid music, so I created the Acid Lullabies to bring these two elements together. In 2017, the label Doom Chakra Tapes released ten of the Acid Lullabies on tape. Last year, I felt the urge to rework the tracks, so I mixed them again and created some new ones. I also
asked friends to contribute their own versions.

I’m very glad that the following artists contributed the Acid Lullabies: 47IN4 (Pudel Produkte, Doom Chakra Tapes), Museum of No Art (Séance Center, Cosima Pitz), N:in and Philipp Otterbach (Music from Memory, Offen Music). Two violinists from Ensemble Resonanz performed my piece 'Afternoon Lights' for Acid Lullaby 6. Alex Solman designed the cover, which captures the essence of the project perfectly. Have fun with the Acid Lullabies!

2026 Repress in generic white sleeve!

It's been quite a wait for new &ME material here on Keinemusik. But these two new cuts, adding to our catalogue number KM046, sure have been worth waiting for. The EP starts with „The Rapture Pt.II“ and as the title already suggests, it coherently takes up where his last original material had left us, in a stirred state of sweet, harmony-kissed affection. Known as a virtuoso of sound-details, &ME lives up to that reputation, implementing fine synth-elements and temperately rattling percussions, all conjoined by shimmering layers and, of course, an ultimately heart-melting Piano improvisation that at some point will play along to the rhythm of its synthetic brother to a finale that will leave no crowd untouched.

"Solaris" on the flipside adds indeed a futuristic note to the arrangement, opening up with a broken beat and propelling claps. A cut that, as much as its predecessor, is relying on flow and organic shifts rather than forced and peaktime formatted gimmickry, adding a synth arpeggio, white noise, vocal chants and
harmonies in a rather subtle way. Nevertheless, it unfolds a compelling strength to heat the dancefloor gradually through its playtime.

New chapter on the internationally famous labels "Ocean Trax" and "Confidential Records"

“Shake That Brake” an energetic track that blends classic House elements with a modern club sound.

“Late Night” by The Rituals is a vibrant soul/funk/disco track infused with retro flair and modern polish.

Driven by groovy basslines, tight rhythmic patterns, and shimmering disco elements, the song delivers a warm, feel-good energy.

Funky guitar licks and dynamic arrangements blend seamlessly with soulful influences, creating a lively and infectious atmosphere made for the dancefloor.

“Let Me Show Ya” by Memi P & Andrea Tomei is a groovy soul/funk track packed with rhythm and attitude.

Built around a tight bassline and punchy drum patterns, the song delivers an infectious groove that instantly grabs attention.

Funk-driven instrumental touches and smooth vocal elements blend seamlessly, creating a vibrant, feel-good atmosphere rooted in classic soul energy with a contemporary edge.

“You Know How To Love Me” for this track Gianni Bini and Memi P. joins forces to create a new soul-funk anthem perfect for dancefloors all across the world.

With the help from Fatimah Provillon’s rich and expressive vocals this track has a timeless yet modern sound, a perfect fit for nu-disco, funk and soulful dance playlists.

“Feel The Rhythm” by Memi P is a driving house track built around a solid groove and infectious energy.

Steady four-on-the-floor drums, pulsating basslines, and vibrant synth elements create a dynamic club atmosphere.

The track balances rhythmic intensity with catchy vocal touches, delivering a powerful and uplifting vibe designed to move the dancefloor.

The Fuga compilation returns to Token with its seventh installment by a fresh batch of artists emphasizing the cryptic sound of the Belgian record label. The V/A displays urgency as its focal point, expanding and contracting its acoustic space throughout to channel instability. With eight contributions, Fuga VII sifts through nail biting arpeggios, frenzied percussion, and obscure ambiance to recalibrate techno's current soundscape.

Opening the compilation is contemporary techno mainstay Rene Wise with his debut contribution to the record label 'Rough Rider'. In this A1, Wise plays to his strengths by blending deep techno influences with hyper-focused rhythmic work. With a hint of tribalism, he conjures up synthwork from far off to whip motion into heavy drum patterns. Following this first track, STIPP and Sandrien take control in presenting 'Corrie', a sequence-forward groover that slides through drum programing to streamline rhythm. A shrill pad comes in at the halfway mark, completely lifting the energy of 'Corrie' to strain the track's obscurity with an ethereal counterweight. The brief passage of these kinds of elements provides a lot of dynamic to what would otherwise be a powerfully straightforward piece. Diving deeper, Red Rooms unveils 'Limited Sensory' as the next chapter of the compilation. Always swift and exact, the German artist continues to push into the ultra immersive with a web of elements that whiz by for a peaktime lock in. Cold in attitude, Red Rooms tunnels through 'Limited Sensory' with quick drumsand far-off percussive hits that rumble through the track. Stepping up afterwards is Lindsey Herbert with 'Oscillations in Space' - an appropriately named recording that experiments with mania as a tool for the dancefloor. Fast and spiraling, Herbert keeps her hands on the arpeggio's filter to contain tension through thunderous reverb transitions, balancing panic with pace. AgainstMe then stretches out the followup with the commanding 'Phase Shift' to double down on weight. Textural intimidation and stomping percussion is given the space it needs to perform on heavy weight sound systems, making it an austere middle point for Fuga. MAL HOMBRE then guides the listener to more elastic sound design in 'Critical Velocity', in a most appropriate Token fashion. Snowballing in intensity halfway through, MAL HOMBRE pushes the cutoff of his melody and programs snare rolls for vintage craze through the second section. Bells clash with ringing hats to fly the track along its course without looking back or letting go. Conor Wall takes control with 'The Strategy' that focuses on pace rather than melody, weaponizing metallic texture for a deep dancefloor experience. The ambiance does a lot of story telling here, marking breaks and riding through drops to provide grit to an already substantial record. This leads us to the final contribution in Fuga VII - 'Ad Libitum'. Here, Porteix emphasizes the conclusion of the compilation with mystery. The synths slither around pulsating rhythm, creating uninterrupted motion throughout the track's entirety. Porteix draws the curtains on an inquisitive note, keeping the suspense high until the next Fuga compilation comes around.

Massimiliano Pagliara celebrates 20 years of music production with a special anniversary compilation on Funnuvojere. The release brings together solo productions and collaborations spanning a rich and abundant period that began when Pagliara acquired his first analogue machines, five years after moving to Berlin from Milan, where he worked as a professional dancer and choreographer.

The compilation features 20 previously unreleased tracks, deeply infused with italo grooves, wonky bass-lines, balearic pads, drama, love, sex, and dreams. These tracks evoke a wide spectrum of moments, ranging from intimate, pleasure-driven home listening to full-blown dance-floor euphoria. Throughout the compilation, one can feel Pagliara’s enthusiasm for discovery—his excitement in encountering new machines and immediately putting them to work.

Pagliara’s sonic identity is unmistakable, present in every track and in the compilation as a whole. Like the facets of a crystal, the music reflects his many nuances while maintaining a strong, coherent core. Tracks such as Waves of Desire pay homage to Dream House, reimagined through contemporary production with cosmic tones and infectious drums. Flicker Of Us reveals a dramatic tension between a rowdy bass-line and melancholic pads, while We Can Touch The Sky features Pagliara himself on vocals, blending synth-pop with elements of new wave and glam rock. Cool Breeze unfolds as a sunlit, optimistic walk through a wide Berlin avenue—funky, warm, and filled with curiosity for what lies ahead.

A notable strength of the compilation lies in its collaborations, which highlight Pagliara’s joy in working with other producers and vocalists. Each collaboration reveals a distinct character: the balearic sensibility of A Journey of Discovery with Gatto Fritto, the French house flavour of Neon Memories with Alinka, the 70s disco inflection of It’s In Your Eyes with the late Aérea Negrot, and the driving techno attitude of Whirlwind with Fabrizio Mammarella, to name just a few.

Ultimately, this compilation stands as both a gift to Massimiliano’s long-time fans and an open invitation to new listeners. It offers entry into a world shaped by beauty, order, balance, and ecstasy—guided by an enduring love for the craft.

Filmmaking and music-making share a common element of worldbuilding. Whole cloth, environments are raised in which a perspective can be placed; the viewer, the listener, is taken on a ride into the unknown for a time. Movie, the newest album by DMV-based duo Lifted, is like a film shot with microphones rather than cameras, using the pacing, spatialization, and semiotics of cinematic sound design to lead us through a surreal soundworld that draws as much from Foley artistry as dub, jazz, and electronic music. Musical elements and field recordings shift in and out of focus, collaged in spontaneous improvisation sessions on CDJs by the core duo of Andrew Field-Pickering (Max D, Dolo Percussion, Beautiful Swimmers) and Matt Papich (Co La, Ecstatic Sunshine). We may not see where we are, but our ears give us all the information we need.

We open on a pedal steel, played by More Eaze, but it’s been warped and slowed, gradually pitching upward until it's met by drums and electronics. Imagine the THX logo emerging onscreen. Movie is bookended by two related themes, “The Ice Chewers (Opening Credits), ” and “Midnight Snack (End Credits), ” giving the spatial experiments at the heart of the record form and focus. If there’s a broader narrative to latch onto, it’s in the transition moments, the juxtaposition of various field recordings that indicate movement of characters through space and life happening at its own pace. Tracks are defined by other thematic elements: a wandering piano in "Repossessed, " the drone of Duncan Moore’s bagpipe on “Melts Very Nasty, ” the delicate dance of Dustin Wong’s guitar over Jeremy Hyman’s drums on “Midnight Snack. ” Even with such an expansive ensemble cast, the focus remains squarely on the flow from one scene to the next.

Robert Altman’s use of sonic perspective shifting, as well as Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s intricate construction of environmental ambience and aural representations of the unknown, were both inspirational for Lifted’s focus on sound as a way to establish set and setting in film. We hear Altman especially in the way dialogue emerges and recedes: as Papich puts in a sandwich order, as Field-Pickering browses the grocery store. These techniques have been a part of the duo’s arsenal in Lifted and their own projects for years, but here, without the mandate to make something overtly musical, they are foregrounded and placed in crisp focus. Here is another way to listen to the world, to understand how time, place, and personality are communicated through sound as Lifted closes the gap between artforms. What you can’t see only drives the imagination to more brilliantly invent.