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Punching our ticket for the tenth trip on the Drum Chums line, we rattle past the control centre, where Approach Release delivers another masterclass in genre-blurring brilliance.
Darting through emotional New Beat, psychedelic soul, stomping Afro-disco and coastal cosmic, AR keeps things right on track and perfectly off the rails.

'So Wrong' starts the party with a growl and a gurn, all gnarly sequences and robotic drums until that mournful vocal moves us into a land of Lynchian longing. Teardrops on the dance floor, clouds in your coffee, it's, it's, Goth Italo folks.

Shifting tone like McCrae shifted gears, Approach Release moves on from Main-Room Gloom into the smooth and sensual soul of 'LuvLuvLuv'. Low-slung, lilting, loose and lysergic, this versatile version-excursion works wonders as warm up and rub down, its brilliant bedroom vocals floating atop the synthetic and psychedelic groove.

Over on the B-side, 'E-Killa' bursts out the speakers with about 100,00 volts of Afro-disco energy, each one perfectly harnessed to whip a crowd into a grinning frenzy. Armed with an unstoppable arrangement, vital vocals and a stomping rhythm section, this delicious drink of tropical pop just keeps on fizzing.

For an encore, Approach Release drops the deeply dramatic 'Lou Cee', a full-hearted bit of Balearique-brilliance stacked with enough synth strings, faux-accordion and earnest outpourings to give Chris Rea a run in the anthem stakes.

100% Drum Fun Guaranteed. .

Born out of a chance encounter in 2012 that led to a lasting friendship, Rhythm Section Int'l & producer, DJ, label boss, radio host, and record store owner Ruf Dug join forces to present 'The Committee'. Sitting somewhere between fictional band and studio collaboration, the record is the first fully in-house production for Rhythm Section, recorded start to finish at their own South East London studio and featuring vocals from label founder Bradley Zero and label mate FYI Chris's Chris Watson.

Right from the studio's initial creation, Ruf Dug felt inspired by the space's unique musical identity, jumping at the opportunity to create a collaborative record there over a two week studio residency. And between his DJ residencies at Pikes, Gottwood and NTS radio the Manchester-via-Ibiza computer game freak and renowned vinyl digger found the time to meld his wide range of influences. Having been a key driving force behind Be With's Holy Grail reissue of Bô'vel's - Check 4 U , Ruffy has more than earned his stripes as a boss level Street Soul collector, pre-empting the resurgent interest in the genre, which began in the mid 80s and is still a popular sound in Manchester today. This new release draws parallels between the DIY attitude of Street Soul labels like TSR, Intrigue, Jam Today & Elite and the modus operandi of the RS studio.

A wholly synergetic work, the project's title 'The Committee' reflects the collaborative nature of this release, as Ruf Dug states: 'Authorship is a strange concept at the best of times but this genuinely is a group effort and I very much enjoyed feeling like just one piece of a larger entity - the complete opposite to my usual production experience of being all alone in my room for days at a time.' The EP also features additional production from Rhythm Section's own Mali Baden-Powell, who DJ's and produces as Z Lovecraft and comes from a background in Street Soul music, his father was also in legendary UK acid jazz collective D'Influence. In addition, the record features a dynamic range of vocalists: sultry deliveries from Natalie Wildgoose and Sienna Mustafa, a rap from her sister Nadina, and the vocal debuts of FYI Chris's Chris Watson and Bradley Zero. 'I had been joking with Bradley that he needed to be on the record somehow and he did appear, playing an egg shaker at one point, but his singing wasn't in the least bit planned... I got back from lunch, and the next thing you know he just starts singing...So I dragged him reluctantly down the corridor to the studio and that's it- now he's a pop star!'

Also playfully melding digidub, soul, chicago house and acid jazz, the release not only marks a new chapter in the development of the Rhythm Section sound, but also catalogues a crucial turning Point in Ruf Dug's musical development. Still oozing with the cheeky DIY approach that won his own label, RUF KUTZ an army of fans, this latest Collab steps things up and opens a whole new realm of possibilities for one of Manchester's favourite sons.

Crush is Delian League’s debut release on Causal Chain, presenting a tightly constructed yet
exploratory take on contemporary club music. The record recontextualizes a range of dance music traditions – electro, grime, UK bass, techno and dub – through a controlled, megamix-like approach that prioritizes flow and transformation over genre fidelity. Tracks shift between lopsided rhythms, club motifs and washed-out pads, creating a sense of constant motion and tension. Unified by themes of intimacy and unpredictability, Crush reflects an
outsider’s perspective on club music and gestures toward possibilities beyond current trends.

Polarity Records returns with its eighth release. After years of experimentation with live performance, new technologies and evolving setups, Luca Piermattei returns his focus to studio production.

Natural Recording Vol.2 marks a new phase in his artistic trajectory: a more essential and distinctive sonic language, balancing emotional depth, harmonic sensitivity and a stronger focus on musicality, dynamics and performance-inspired arrangements. A refined approach where every element finds its place with intention.

KR3.021 Steve Bicknell Remixes - brings together four reinterpretations of tracks from his latest double 12" - Several Streams of Thought - originally released in May 2025 as the sixteenth chapter in the KR3 catalogue. Carefully assembled, the release features reworks by Rrose, Function, Broken English Club and The Hacker. Working from Bicknell’s original material, each artist reframes its core elements through a distinct sonic approach, opening up new perspectives while maintaining a connection to the source work. The visual dimension of the project has likewise been revisited by Marco Maldarella. His artwork for the original gatefold sleeve has been reimagined for this release, extending the dialogue between sound and image and giving the project a renewed visual identity.

A1 The Reassurance Ritual Rrose Remix
A2 Reassurance Ritual Function Remix
B1 The Concept of Practopia Broken English Club Remix
B2 The Power Pyramids [The Hacker Remix]

Collecting Orders For 2026 Repress

Satoshi Tomiie Unveils His Latest Ep, '12b Dub', Exclusively on Phonogramme Records Tokyo &Ndash; Renowned Dj and Producer Satoshi Tomiie Is Back With a Captivating New Ep, '12b Dub', Set to Make Waves in the Electronic Music Scene. This Four-Track Release Marks a Slight Shift Towards a More House-Oriented Sound, Showcasing Tomiie's Versatility and Innovative Approach to Music Production. Having Garnered Acclaim for His Previous Releases and Collaborations, Tomiie Continues to Push Boundaries With '12b-Dub', Solidifying His Reputation as a Trailblazer in the Electronic Music Industry. This Latest Offering on Phonogramme Records Is Sure to Be a Staple in Dj Sets and Playlists Worldwide....

Italian sound artist Giulio Aldinucci returns with his 5th album on Karlrecords: "Materia" is unsurprisingly a truly masterfully composed and sound-designed ambient masterpiece that adds perfectly to a series of critically acclaimed albums like “Disappearing In A Mirror” (2018) or “Shards Of Distant Times” – some of which made it onto several year’s best lists.

Giulio Aldinucci is an Italian composer and sound artist from Siena, Italy. His work focuses on ambient and experimental music, blending field recordings, electronic processing, and acoustic elements. Active since the early 2000s, he has released several solo albums on international labels including Karlrecords, Home Normal, and 99chants. His compositions often explore themes of memory, perception, and the relationship between sound and place.

Aldinucci's music is characterized by immersive, multilayered textures and meticulous attention to sonic detail. He constructs expansive soundscapes by integrating processed environmental recordings, choral elements, instrumental timbres, and subtle harmonic shifts. His style draws from both the aesthetics of contemporary ambient and the techniques of electroacoustic music, resulting in works that are at once atmospheric and conceptually grounded. The interplay between organic and synthetic sound sources is central to his approach, blurring the boundaries between the natural world and the constructed sonic environment.

His works have been presented at international festivals. He has also created art installations and multidisciplinary performances. In addition to his solo output, Aldinucci has collaborated with a wide range of musicians and artists, developing projects that intersect sound art, composition, and performance.

Aldinucci about "Materia": "Materia focuses on the idea of sound as a matter, which can be shaped into complex forms by removing excess material from the sound mass.The album originates from the dichotomy between accumulation and subtraction, creating compositions out of frequency-dense audio material in order to unearth what is “hidden” inside the raw sound mass. Unlike sculpture, in music time can be matter too by shattering sounds into milliseconds andrecompose them with a different fragments order, going beyond the traditional notions of rhythm and duration.“

Split#5 marks the fifth and final installment of the Split series on the Various Artists catalogue of Pi Electronics, pairing Spanish producer Hurtado and Greek producer Nikitas Grs. Despite their distinct approaches, Hurtado's industrial-leaning broken beat funk and Nikitas Grs' psychedelia-infused noise techno converge through a shared aesthetic of textured sound design, raw energy and dark atmospheres. On the A-side, Hurtado showcases his trademark production style through the driving cuts "Show of Force" and "Bad Company", while "The End", featuring vocals by Genevieve GV, reveals a more experimental side of his production. The B-side welcomes Nikitas Grs with two compositions that blur the boundaries between techno, trance and industrial music. The live version of "Susano" unfolds as a rolling, hypnotic dancefloor trip, while "Anoriotos" balances heavy rhythmic impact with an underlying sense of ambient nostalgia. The digital bonus track, "Pollinator 5000", reveals yet another facet of Nikitas Grs' sound palette: a relentless piece of noise-techno that rounds off the release with uncompromising intensity.

Annie Bloch’s luvt is a quiet reorientation of the organ: away from its monumental image and ritualised spaces, towards the delicate mechanics of touch, air and friction. Across seven compositions marking her debut on OOH-sounds, the Cologne based organist and composer turns to the chest organ, a small and mobile counterpart to its larger relative, traditionally used to accompany Baroque music. On luvt, Bloch limits herself to just three stops of wooden pipes, using the instrument’s sensitive keyboard, mechanical subtle effects to crystalline sound world shaped by meditative strategies and fanciful detailing. Bloch’s approach sits at the crossroads of modern composition, new psychedelia, ambient and minimalist traditions, with occasional traces of an avant pop sensibility, while keeping the unique sound and physical character of the chest organ at its core.

The title luvt derives from the German luven, “to turn to the wind” and Luft, “air”, a gesture Bloch extends beyond the mechanics of the chest organ towards what cannot quite be grasped or put into words. Bloch follows the organ into quieter, more intimate territory, letting its monumental potential fade into the background while exploring the sensual its sound. luvt is a gentle and immersive meditation on the sound of the chest organ, revealing the instrument’s contemporary relevance while pushing its expressive possibilities into new territory.

Annie Bloch (*1994) is an organist, composer and songwriter based in Cologne, Germany. As an organist she performs solo and in alternating constellations with an improvisational and situational approach. The reality that every pipe organ as well as the space it speaks in is unique, is something she not only adapts to, but actively works with. The resulting composed improvisations explore states of change. Her pieces focus on the in-between-spaces, that are already leaning towards the next event. Searching for the ambivalences in a sound and lingering on them, her music resists singular truths. The musical material she draws from is informed by her engagement with the experimental music scene, but also by compositional styles of pop and ambient music. She has performed at Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Orgelpark Amsterdam, Philharmonie Köln, Moers Festival and others. As an indie-folk artist Annie Bloch released the album „I DEPEND“ (Papercup Records) with a chamber orchestral band, that she regularly performs with.

Initially released in 2016, The Divine Feminine marked one of the most stark turning points in a career punctuated by creative reinvention. After doubling down on his rap prowess on 2015's GO:OD AM, Mac Miller stunned fans with an audacious pivot to create a concept album that explored his views on the power of love and the sacred energy of women. Hailed by Pitchfork as being "easily his most intoxicating release yet," the embrace of his singing voice and genre-agnostic approach of the songwriting foreshadowed the evolution that would further materialize on his 2018 album Swimming. The 10th anniversary edition of The Divine Feminine features three previously-unreleased songs from the album's recording sessions and will be available on 3LP with printed inner sleeves in a single-pocket jacket upon its release on October 2nd.

Jen Cardini & Shonky revive their 20 year old anthem August In Paris with remixes from Kasra V, Jennifer Loveless and Jump Source.

Originally released on Mobilee Records in 2006, Jen Cardini and Shonky’s record ‘August In Paris’ remains a defining statement from the minimal era. Ahead of its time upon release, the record distilled the genre to its essentials, bleeps, hypnotic grooves and impactful vocals, unfolding with the kind of restraint that continues to resonate two decades on.

To mark its 20th anniversary, ‘August In Paris’ returns with three distinctive reinterpretations from Kasra V, Jennifer Loveless and Jump Source plus a re-release of the original coming out on Jen Cardini’s formidable label Correspondant. As well as this Jen Cardini and Shonky will be playing an All Night Long set at Paris nightlife institution Rex Club on 29th August. Look out for merch on the night too.

Speaking about the project Jen Cardini discussed: “It is crazy to think this was two decades ago and that Shonky and I are still touring and sharing our love for music. For the anniversary, we decided to bring this special track to light again’.’

Each remix approaches the source material from a different perspective while preserving the essence of the original.
UK DJ and producer Kasra V leans further into the track’s skeletal framework, blending his signature sultry sonics into this hypnotic chunky groove to produce something entirely new but familiar.

Jennifer Loveless, an unearthed gem when it comes to production, strips things back even further, delivering a rough and tough uncompromising club version primed for sweaty dark dancefloors, it perfectly encapsulates the original without overshadowing it.

Closing the EP, Montreal duo Jump Source, Priori and Patrick Holland, take the record into more left of centre territory. Their version stretches the original into a warped, slow-burning electro excursion, perfectly suited to the blurred edges of the after-hours.

YARN welcomes René Audiard for its tenth release with "Makes Me Feel", a four-track EP from one of underground electronic music’s most singular voices.

Across years of dub techno, minimal and leftfield electronic experimentation, René has developed an approach to stripped-down music that feels anything but limited. Where minimalism can often become an exercise in taking things away, his work finds possibility in what remains. "Makes Me Feel" is a particularly fitting example: immersive, at times strange, but always full of feeling.

‘Lovin’ opens the EP in familiar Audiard territory: murky low-end, locomotive groove, reduced rhythmic compositions and an understated framework swimming in a pool of detail. 'Possession' lets in more light. Vocal echoes, persistent rhythms and occasional string phrases give it a cinematic quality, while a groove that seems to circle endlessly takes on an almost shamanistic pull. The EP’s 11-minute behemoth, 'Flesh', fills most of the release’s B-side while making a convincing case for patience and sophistication. There are echoes of minimal’s golden age here, but Audiard never mistakes repetition for standing still. Tiny rhythmic fragments sit alongside expansive orchestral gestures, with samples working at every scale of the arrangement. Warmth and cinematic drama run through the track, but it's the playful programming underneath that keeps it moving. 'Night' closes the record on a different note, recalling Audiard’s work with Ali Çakır in Düve. Percussive samples, accordion and Middle Eastern guitar phrases bring a more acoustic character to his reduced 808-infused broken beats, making for a playful, occasionally melancholic ending with a distinctly microtonal feel.

What makes René Audiard’s music so rewarding is how readily you recognize his hand in it. There is a particular grain to the sounds, a way of placing details within a groove, and a willingness to follow an idea wherever it leads. Across “Makes Me Feel”, those instincts give four quite different tracks a shared identity. Even when working within familiar forms, Audiard makes them sound entirely his own. It’s the holy grail of music production: a personal sound signature. And a thoughtful addition to YARN’s growing repertoire of reduced, sophisticated dancefloor music.

Keroxen presents Spandauer Damm 103, a new album by Dancelwerk.
Bringing together modular systems, worn drum machines and digital synthesis, the record nods directly to the first decade of Warp Records and the early logic of bleep culture.
Dancelwerk is a Tenerife-based electronic pioneer and one of the foundational figures of the Canary Islands underground. Active for over 30 years, Spandauer Damm 103 marks both a personal milestone and a renewed point of focus, reaffirming his role in shaping the region’s electronic lineage. The album draws on 1990s electronic futurism, filtering those references through a contemporary production approach rather than nostalgia.
The music moves between places and periods: from the early rave circuits of southern Tenerife, where Dancelwerk built his reputation through DIY releases and warehouse-level experimentation, to his later relocation to Berlin, famously arriving with a shipping container of vintage synthesizers and modular equipment.
Balancing melody and impact, Spandauer Damm 103 sets custom-programmed percussion against detailed sound design. FM, spectral and wavetable synthesis shape its harmonic and textural focus, resulting in music that remains physical without sacrificing clarity.
A long-standing practitioner reconnecting with his roots while pushing the system forward.

Across the past decade, KAS has established herself as a unique voice in experimental electronic music, a composer and synthesist whose work dissolves the boundaries between ambient electronica, contemporary classical, composition, and immersive sound design. Her new album “Ruin: It’s Not Just Music” arrives with a distinctive gravitational pull. The record moves with greater physical force, placing rhythm and impact at the centre of its architecture, revealing a more confrontational and embodied dimension of KAS’s musical language.
The first single “Ruin” arrives May 22nd, with the full album released October 2nd via SOMEONE SPECIAL the new label co-founded by KAS.
Where much of KAS’s earlier work explored harmonic environments, the forthcoming album is built around tension and release. Inspired by the sound of drum and bass, breakbeats fracture through dense fields of synthesis, percussive patterns and her signature melodic fragments – motions that feel closer to the kinetic language of club music than the meditative spaces often associated with her past catalogue. The result is a body of work that feels both recognisably hers and newly charged, music that moves through the body as insistently as it engages the mind.
For listeners who first encountered KAS through the glowing synthesis of “Ears” (2016) or the intricate experimental pop of “The Kid” (2017), this direction may feel initially surprising, yet the shift has been quietly unfolding across the past several years. KAS’s practice has steadily expanded beyond the expectations placed upon experimental electronic artists, moving between orchestral composition, audiovisual installations, film scoring, and large-scale commissions while retaining the unmistakable sonic signature that defines her work.
The 2022 albums “I Could Be Your Dog / I Could Be Your Moon” (2022) and “Let’s Turn It Into Sound” (2022) explored a deeply immersive approach to composition, expanded her reputation and instinct for constructing detailed sonic ecosystems while continuing to blur the lines between experimental electronics and contemporary pop structures. KAS’s most recent output has continued to widen that field including the rhythm oriented electronic album “Gush” (2025) and her return to more orchestral roots with “Thoughts on the Future” (2025). Together these releases underscored the breadth of her practice.
Her prolific collaborators and creative partners have ranged from Patti Smith and Suzanne Ciani to Danny Elfman, Tycho, Glass Beams, RY X, Caribou, Four Tet, Reggie Watts, and Max Richter, while her compositions have appeared in projects with Apple, Chanel, Meow Wolf, the BBC Orchestra, and major film and television productions.
On “Ruin: It’s Not Just Music”, that vocabulary becomes more kinetic than ever before. The record draws energy from jungle, drum and bass, and dance-floor focused electronic music while retaining the intricate synthesis and tonal curiosity that have defined KAS’s work from the beginning. The result is a record that feels equally at home within club culture, contemporary composition, and the experimental spaces that have long championed her artistry.
On May 27th KAS will present a major performance at London’s Barbican Centre alongside the London Contemporary Orchestra, marking the ten-year anniversary of her landmark album Ears. The evening will trace the arc of her creative evolution while also introducing material from the new album.

The year was 1989, and Derrick May was at a creative peak as both a DJ and producer. Under his Rhythim Is Rhythim moniker, he released a string of landmark records on Transmat, while his residency at Detroit's The Music Institute showcased the distinctive DJ style that would soon take him onto the international stage. Around the same time, he hosted a weekly radio show on Detroit radio station WJLB, alongside influential programs by The Electrifying Mojo and The Wizard (Jeff Mills).

For one of these broadcasts, May assembled a 15-minute megamix in his studio during the week leading up to the show. He opened his radio set with this continuous mix, blending his own tracks and versions into a seamless introduction that reflected his approach to DJing at the time. It includes unreleased versions of classics such as ‘Nude Photo 88’ and ‘Strings Of Life’.

‘All of this is unreleased because I made it as I was playing it on the spot as a special Mayday Mix for my show on the radio station WJLB in 1989, edited together straight from the keyboards live to tape. There is no other recording of these tracks in this form, only here’.

The original WJLB master tapes have since been lost, and no official recording is known to survive. Fortunately, many listeners recorded the broadcasts at home. One such cassette, preserved by Richie Hawtin, eventually made it our way. It has been carefully restored and mastered, with the artist’s approval.

To highlight this remarkable document of techno history, the recording is now available as a limited-edition, one-sided 12-inch release. The mix has been cut as a continuous side, visually divided into eight sections, while the reverse features a custom engraving.

This VA release brings together four producers who share a common language: hypnosis, movement, and an obsessive attention to sound design. Across two sides of vinyl, the record moves through different shades of deep and mental techno, held together by a sense of restraint and clarity rather than force.

Na Nich opens the A-side with a mental yet groove-driven piece, where impeccable sound quality meets a clean, deliberate design. LFO-driven elements float underneath the surface, almost speaking, giving the track a voice of its own without ever breaking its hypnotic hold.

Forest On Stasys follows with a tribal and deep approach that still hits with weight. Shakers and layered percussion drive the movement forward, building a rhythmic body that feels both organic and controlled.
On the B-side, Translate stays true to a purely mental identity: repeating LFOs and speaking tones that fold in on themselves, always kept clean and precise, letting the repetition do the work.

Save Your Atoll & Gabriele Santucci close the record with a deep, tribal-leaning cut full of groove and motion. Bongos, shakers, and background percussion build a danceable hypnosis, where every element serves the movement.

Four tracks, four voices, one shared sense of direction — a record built for the floor, but never at the expense of detail.

2026 Repress

Prologue: Wearied by our endless travelling under a burning sun, we stopped by the margins of a tiny stream, embraced by a timid vegetation. The scorching heat made our throat parched and weak: yearning to quench our thirst, we immersed ourselves into the waters without any hesitation, drowning our dryness and our exhausted limbs. I pointed my face, revived by water, towards the sky and I lingered on, admiring it: a flock of birds gently floated, drawing in the sky some abstract shapes. I sat beneath a palm tree, motionlessly admiring the show, the shades of the night approaching. 'The true joy of a moonlit night is something we no longer understand. Only the men of old, when there were no lights, could understand the true joy of a moonlit night.' --

Mining the rich seam between transcendental escapism and crushing physical pressure, Sciama delivers his first album for Samurai Music. Exploring an energetic pitch between half-time and full-tilt 170, the London-based producer sculpts brooding soundscapes of sheer peaks and deep pits, driven by unrelenting but light-footed forward motion and an imposing strain of sound design. As Sciama, Michael Watters has been marking out his exacting sound since 2019 with an assured run of albums on ASC's Auxiliary label. His second EP for Samurai — the Wave Interaction 12" released earlier this year — pointed to his current area of focus inspired by the teachings of electronic music pioneer Daphne Oram. Contemplating the relationship between precise electronic frequencies and human perception, Celetal Form now delivers the full findings of his exploration. Oram coined the term 'celetal' in her 1972 book An Individual Note of Music, Sound and Electronics, trying to sum up a connection between the celestial and electrical. It's this spiritual dimension contained within sound waves Watters is concerned with, and the shape of the music on Celetal Form follows suit. In an opening statement of abyssal ambience, 'Overload Into Silence' establishes an atmosphere that endures throughout the album. Caught between steely textures, vaporous reverb tails and subtle harmonic interactions, the glacial shift of the many layers under Watters' control reveals an intense amount of detail at play even before drums and bass come into play. From there on in, the intensity ramps up from one heavyweight stepper to the next. There is agile, brittle top-end percussion at work on the likes of 'Induced Resonance' and 'Consuming Pulse', perhaps the most closely connected to D&B, while 'Rational Echoes' and 'Scanning Waveband' deal in urgency and techno-coded tension. A half-time roll guides the huge kick drum undulations of 'No Panacea', and 'Celetal Emergence' opens up into more spacious surroundings to let the subtle microtonal inflections of the synth tones set a curious mood. The two 'Intermodulation' tracks bring Watters' exacting approach into sharp focus, pushing the drums back and foregrounding alien frequencies that coalesce into unfamiliar yet strangely uplifting forms. Throughout Celetal Form this uncanny sensation charges the music with a power that reaches beyond its immediate, surface level impact. This intentional reflection on Oram's visionary thinking charges the current sound of Sciama with energetic intrigue that stands apart and invites a mindful, maybe even spiritual, engagement.

After a sought after debut EP on their Perfumed Freedom label Foehn & Jerome return to the imprint with their versatile “Hermanngirl” release. The record spans across four original cuts, brimming with a nostalgic minimalist approach, incorporated with the distinct sound of modern times from the Berlin based duo, a reflection of the highly anticipated Perfumed Freedom parties they run. Diving into PFFD002 you will discover a refined blend of hypnotic and stripped back structures infused with distinct house grooves with an intricate and detailed energy for the floor. A producer pairing that continue to evolve their sound, developing the direction of their Perfumed Freedom set up but maintaining the direction at the core, timeless yet hypnotic.

The single is the latest collaboration from the pioneering electronic artist and follows “Intertwine,” which featured TT, aka Theresa Wayman of Warpaint. Other collaborations on A Body Of Voices include “Turns,” featuring the ethereal vocals of Nicole Miglis (Hundred Waters), and “True Love, Don’t Be Afraid” featuring Stephen McBean (Black Mountain & Pink Mountaintops), “Fight or Flight” ft. Aisha Badru, “Falling” ft. Maiah Manser and multi-instrumentalist Aaron Shaw, “Floating” ft. multi-instrumentalist and composer Spencer Zahn, and the unreleased track, “Take Me” ft. Raphaelle Standell-Preston (Braids, Blue Hawaii). A Body of Voices delivers the most collective and melodically driven project of his acclaimed quarter-century. Having spent decades mastering his natural instincts for space, tempo, and timing, LaValle set a deliberate goal to break beyond his usual parameters by inviting an expansive community of vocalists and marquee indie players into his realm. The resulting record pushes his sonic map entirely, seamlessly blending his signature, textural synthesis with a vibrant tapestry of voices spanning dream-pop, alternative, and R&B. Nearly thirty years into the project, A Body of Voices proves that while The Album Leaf remains unmistakably his, it is a pioneering musical universe he is never afraid to redefine.

This songwriting-focused approach on A Body of Voices marks a natural evolution for an artist who has been steadily making his mark as a soft-spoken innovator since 1999. Now based in Los Angeles, LaValle started out in the San Diego music scene, creating vivid, rhythmic, soaring instrumentals centered around the Rhodes piano. Over more than two decades of acclaimed releases on seminal labels like Sub Pop, City Slang, and others, he has become a definitive touchstone for meditative electro-organic music. While earlier milestones like 2023’s Future Falling and 2024's Blast EP found him increasingly renewed by outside perspectives, A Body of Voices brings that collaborative spirit to its full, unbridled potential.

DJ Support: Mochakk, Joseph Capriati, Jamie Jones, Purple Disco Machine, Groove Armada, Marco Carola ,keinemusik, Adrian Roman, Bill Brewster, Rino, Ruben Mandolini, Terry Farley, Nicolas Masseyeff, Echonomist, Robosonic, Nuno Dos Santos, diskJokke, Dan Marciano Jody Wisternoff / Way Out West, Eelke Kleijn, Henry Saiz, Digitalism, Sister Bliss / Faithless, Innellea, Adriatique, Judge Jules, Sam Divine, TSHA, Simone Vitullo, Joris Voorn, Tommie Sunshine, Fahlberg, Stijn D'hont / DJ Neon

D Stone is a rising force in Amsterdam’s electronic music scene, blending live instruments with electronic production to create his unique take on house music. His sound bridges true house to proto-disco and deeper percussive elements, as showcased in his release Total Unison. A passionate DJ and producer, D Stone crafts infectious tracks by combining samples with live instruments, driving dance floors with his grooves. Born into a musical family, D Stone was immersed in sound from an early age. His father’s influence exposed him to diverse musical styles, sparking his lifelong curiosity. He began playing piano at eight, learned guitar at twelve, and by fifteen discovered electronic music, exploring house as a DJ. A year later, he ventured into production, gaining recognition and landing his first gigs. Inspired by 70s and 80s disco, funk, garage, and 90s tech house, his music blends energy, groove, and soul. With his foundation in live instruments and his forward-thinking approach to electronic music, D Stone strives to create more than tracks—he’s shaping moments that linger in the minds of his listeners.

Envision remixed by DJ & producer Julya Karma Emerging from Brooklyn’s underground and now rooted in Berlin, her practice isn’t about fitting into a lane, it’s about finding what is alive and letting it shape the moment.

Across diverse stages and platforms from Coachella and Lost Village to Berghain, Cercle, Space, The Brooklyn Mirage, DGTL, Time Warp, Audio Obscura, Tomorrowland, and within the orbit of Innervisions, Julya’s performances reflect a commitment to exploration over formula, earning recognition from artists like Laurent Garnier, Dixon, Âme, Adriatique, Rüfüs Du Sol, and Sven Väth.

Tooloop Records celebrates its tenth release with "Orbis EP", a four-tracker from label affiliate Stab9. The record captures a moment of evolution in both Stab9’s sound and the label’s sonic identity, reflecting a broader vision of the Tooloop universe through expanded arrangements, deeper exploration and a more immersive presentation.

Opening the EP, ‘Source’ establishes its atmosphere through a constantly evolving arrangement, moving through several distinct phases while maintaining a sense of fluid progression. Carefully shifting textures, unexpected bass changes and subtle variations in dynamics reveal new details with each turn. Title track ‘Orbis’ shifts the EP towards warmer tones, built around classic house-inspired sounds, melancholic pads and polyrhythmic bass movement. Its rolling low-end and intricate percussion subtly tilt the track towards techno territory, reflecting the circular motion suggested by the track’s title. ‘Beastro’ gradually ascends through a restrained growling bassline and fractured hi-hats, dropping into an engine-cut moment in the middle of the track - a brief suspension before the groove returns, pulling the track back into motion. ‘True Story’ unfolds through a walking bassline, intricate hi-hats and smeared percussion, creating a sense of movement through a world of morphing textures and atmospheres. Its restrained melody embraces the idea of “less is more”, closing the EP with the bittersweet beauty of mono no aware.

With "Orbis EP", Stab9 presents a deeply personal approach to electronic music, where detailed studio craftsmanship meets the physical energy of the dancefloor - the label completing one full turn, and opening the next.

“Neither from here nor from there” is often used to describe migrant identities in territorial terms. In the case of Siete Catorce, it works better temporally: his music has always been so far ahead of its moment that it ultimately carved out a space of its own within both Latin American and global electronic music.

Born in Mexicali and shaped between the Bay Area and northern Mexico, his musical identity emerged through hip hop, dubstep, and the independent borderland scenes. After several years in Mexico City — without a clear place inside the local circuit — he created his own space through his music, developing a distinctive DJ/live set and a singular vision of contemporary Mexican electronic music, becoming a key figure within the city’s most forward-thinking underground.

In 2026, he releases El Valle, his first album in nearly three years. The record moves through different currents of electronic music — ambient, techno, cumbia, and tribal — filtered through a unique rhythmic language marked by syncopation, unpredictable breaks, and a constant tension between restraint and energy.

The album opens with “Mexicali,” alongside Andre Pereda, a tribal track stripped down to its percussive essence, evoking the genre through an ambient and synthetic approach. From there, “Aragón” and “El Rancho” progressively increase the tempo and intensity, combining cadenced phrases with minimalist tribal beats and unexpected turns.

In the second half of the album, now moving through territories of 140 BPM and beyond, tracks like “Montecarlo 1” and “Tierra Roja” drift between futuristic bass music and large-scale techno structures. This is followed by the 8-minute epic “East LA,” where Siete Catorce expands the energy of syncopated techno before releasing it into a pre-Hispanic tribal journey with flute and all the drums required for the occasion.

The closing section arrives with “Tlatelolco,” accelerating into an epic cumbia infused with trance references, and “Los Pinos,” a direct and forceful finale sustained by some of the album’s most precise sound design.

More than genres, Siete Catorce’s work is defined by meticulous sound design and an exceptional rhythmic sensibility — qualities that have established him as one of the most respected drum programmers of his generation.

Deas joins the CROWD family with 'Silent Tension', a refined EP that channels the Polish producer's signature blend of hypnotic groove and hardware driven production. Known for his precise studio craftsmanship and deeply intuitive approach to groovy techno, Deas has steadily built a reputation as one of the standout figures of the contemporary Polish scene. Through years of releases and international touring, he has developed a sound that feels both timeless and unmistakably personal, as proven on the label's 12th record. Opening track 'I Won't Cry' immediately sets the tone with classy vocal sampling from Loleatta Holloway, warm chord progressions and rolling swung percussion anchored by Deas' characteristically rich bass. Following up, 'Waterfall' introduces bleepy modular sequences and chopped vocal fragments, with a sweeping drone synth cutting through the mix above the track's rolling bass. On the flip side, 'Silent Tension' continues deeper into minimal territory, combining crisp clap fills, subtle vocal chops and delayed chord repetitions into a slow burning groove. The vinyl's closing cut 'Where Do They Go' brings dense low end weight and fast dubby chord stabs, accompanied by sharply placed vocal cuts, creating a track that balances restraint and impact. The digital addition 'Here Again' is a classic Deas production, characterised by repetitive synth stabs that gradually transform the cut into a hypnotic hook, while stripped back percussion and a powerful kick give the track a commanding presence. Throughout CROWD012, Deas remains firmly focused on groove and subtlety, while retaining a strong impact. The tracks unfold patiently, with a focus on tension, repetition and gradual escalation, maintaining the hypnotic functionality that has become both Deas' trademark and a defining characteristic of the sound of the label founded by FJAAK and Ellie Acula. The 'Silent Tension' EP stands as a sophisticated and deeply effective club record that further cements Deas as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary techno.

High Focus Records are proud to present the latest collaboration from Verb T & Illinformed. ‘Stranded in Foggy Times’ both continues and completes the trilogy that began back in 2015, with ‘The Man with the Foggy Eyes’, before broadening the horizons with last year’s release ‘The Land of the Foggy Skies’. This final chapter returns to the same conceptual landscape as its predecessors, but also sees Verb T & Illinformed returning to a more classic approach to album making. In spite of its concept, the Foggy Trilogy is something of a personal outpouring for Verb T, with the original aim being to vicariously discuss the trials and tribulations that play a part in his life, including his struggles with chronic illness and the feeling of alienation from leaving his hometown, while also reflecting on the state of the world as a whole. Their approach to making the album meant taking it back to the most natural form, where the idea for the track would be outlined, Illinformed would make the beat, Verb T would write to it and then they would tweak and adjust accordingly. The result is 19 of the most finely crafted tracks to emerge from the UK shores this year. As with the previous albums, ‘Stranded in Foggy Times’ finds Illinformed moving away from the more rugged sound that has shrouded the British scene over the last few months, thanks to his collaborations with the likes of Datkid and Wish Master, instead providing Verb T with an arguably more mellow backdrop. From the string and piano driven introduction on ‘Legacy’, to the blissful head-nod vibes of the closing track, ‘Blind Faith’, the union between beats and rhymes sits at the perfect level. The album also boasts one of the most impressive guestlists of the year, one that is very much a product of both players’ worlds. Thanks to Illinformed’s Bristol connection, there are features from the likes of Res One, Datkid, Leaf Dog, Smellington Piff and Chillman, as well as some locally sourced cuts from DJ Rogue. While on Verb T’s side of the fence, we have features from Rye Shabby and Moreone, along with a collaboration that reignites the same creative spark he found in his early days, as King Kashmere steps into the booth on Feeling Strange. All in all, ‘Stranded in Foggy Times’ does exactly what it sets out to do, by drawing the trilogy to a close while also providing insights into Verb T’s personal world and the world at large. The fact that it also happens to be one of the strongest rap albums of the year is the icing on the cake

A new release from the back alleys of Tokyo

"Prior to the vinyl release of the debut work “Vapor Curve”, which suffered a one-year delay due to manufacturing errors, the release of the mini-album “grainy film” has been confirmed."

Following the artist's previous release, this album completely eschews the use of computer-based DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) software. By relying exclusively on a strictly limited setup of hardware—synthesizers, samplers, and delay units—the artist pursues a meticulously woven, highly original take on minimal harmony.

At the core of this record lie exquisite ambient textures and beautifully shimmering synthesizer arpeggios. These are layered with the organic warmth of the sampler, vividly sketching out the contemporary "sound of Tokyo." As the album title suggests, the gritty, Lo-Fi texture of the sampler evokes the imagery of a vintage, low-fidelity film reel in the listener's mind. Pushing further than the predecessor, this approach embraces a more abstract, dubby, and deep soundscape aesthetic, elevating the album's artistry to new depths.

Describing this stoically refined electronic music, Maruyama reveals that it is "music for a cigar." It is not an assertive sound that demands to be the center of attention in the room. Instead, the moment the needle drops, it possesses an overwhelming power to transform the very particles of the room's air. The nostalgic and melancholic melodies, much like the shifting and fading trails of cigar smoke, embody the aesthetic of shogyo mujo (the impermanence of all things). Amidst a constantly changing world, it offers a desire to simply drift away in the slumber of sound—a supreme deep-listening experience guaranteed to transport you.

180g Heavy double vinyl LP with liner notes by Tyran Grillo. Limited Japanese Obi for the first pressing. Original artwork by Russell Mills and photography by Jean-Baptiste Mondino.

The third Time Capsule is a body of dub reinterpretations by celebrated producer Bill Laswell of Ethiopian singer Gigi. Curated by Tokyo record collector, music researcher and seasoned reissue supervisor Ken Hidaka, it is the first time Illuminated Audio is pressed to vinyl after its CD release in 2003.

Ejigayehu Shibabaw was born in 1974 in Chagni, northwestern Ethiopia and by pursuing a career as a singer, went against her father’s strict, traditional gender roles. As Gigi, she embraced the same musical freedom she had strived for in her personal life, incorporating the Ethiopian church, funk, hip-hop, West and South African music into her work. She first settled in Nairobi, then Addis Ababa, where she quickly established herself as one of the city’s leading singers. A move to San Francisco in 1998 led to a long and fruitful creative partnership with bassist and producer Bill Laswell.

Around the same time, Chris Blackwell had stepped away from Island Records to start the art house film company and label Palm Pictures. He took an interest in Gigi and together with Laswell, pulled together an all-star cast of musicians for her self-titled US debut album, including Herbie Hancock, Pharoah Sanders and Wayne Shorter. It won international critical acclaim, not just for its musicianship but for making Gigi a “defining voice for the Ethiopian expatriate community”, as journalist Tyran Grillo praises in his Time Capsule liner notes. From the nation-defining 1896 victory over Italian invaders to the quiet revolutionaries who wear simple shemma garments, Grillo believes the themes in Gigi make it “a shower of sunlight on her homeland for those ignorant of its struggles.”

After its success, Blackwell encouraged them to go back into the studio to rethink the album and Illuminated Audio was born. “Anyone can make a voice sound worldly”, Grillo remarks, “but rare are those who can make one sound inner-worldly.” Gigi was clear with Laswell to give her vocals a minor role “because it’s already been done.” Instead her Amharic verse is fleeting, exhaling through the textures like ghostly fragments; soaring yet muted. Yet the album is still titled under her name, an assertion by Laswell of her central role in the album’s creation. Not only was it a fully endorsed project by Gigi, but she would be present throughout its development, giving feedback on half-finished ideas as Laswell played them back in the studio. “It works perfectly”, she reflected after the album’s release. “We wanted to capture the whole spirit of each track, and Bill’s remixes create a different music language that really puts you in a pleasant place”.

This new vocabulary takes its lead from a technical approach that Laswell had been perfecting during a furtive creative period at the turn of the millennium. Much like his ambient interpretations of Miles Davis (Panthalassa, 1998), Bob Marley (Dreams of Freedom, 1997), and Carlos Santana (Divine Light, 2001), Laswell approached Illuminated Audio by returning to the original multitrack masters. Gigi wasn’t just reworked, but recomposed into an expansive lattice of instruments, submerged in a watery ambience of dub and trance undercurrents.

Sonically, this new language that Gigi refers to, is manifested by the original album’s more understated parts being pushed to the fore. Explaining his contrasting methods, Laswell saw Gigi as being “put together in a way that fits”. Contrastingly, in Illuminated Audio, “a lot of things that I featured in the remix weren’t as audible in the original.” Instrumentation laying near-dormant, deep in the mix, are brought to the fore: the acid rock guitar and Wayne Shorter’s saxophone on ‘Tew Ante Sew’, Graham Haynes’ flugelhorn on ‘Nafekeñ’, Laswell’s bass on ‘Kahn’, the melodica in Mengedegna or the floating synths and talking drums in ‘Gud Fella’.

Brought to his attention by mentor DJ Nori, Hidaka describes Illuminated Audio as a “masterful sonic exploration into ethereal ambience and dub” and made sure this reissue also contained a full remaster to give its “deep musicality” much better dynamics and density in the overall sound. Hidaka admits that Laswell's music “is sometimes so out-there, it is often misunderstood” and, indeed, to dub album non-believers this might seem like a prolific producer imposing himself on another artist’s work; eternally developing rearrangements that never quite get to its destination. But that’s missing its true power and triumph. This is more than the reissue of a remix, but “a wholly unique musical entity”, as Hidaka describes. Illuminated Audio refers to the illuminated manuscripts that comprise the major part of Ethiopian art and its new compositions stand in proud solitude as a rare body of reworks that both informs and enhances their originals.

Ayu's sixth album, released on 15 December 2004, includes hit singles such as "Moments" "INSPIRE" and "CAROLS"
This masterpiece is packed with classic songs that are still frequently performed live, including songs with an intense rock approach known as "ayu rock"

Fast-rising pianist and producer Yoni Mayraz presents his debut LP ‘Dybbuk Tse!’ revealing the story of a malicious possession that is taking over one’s body and soul.

Dybbuk, known from Jewish folklore, is a malevolent wandering spirit that enters and possesses the body of a living person. It’s a cursed soul of a dead one that wanders tirelessly for sins committed during their life. The most vulnerable victims are the young and the sinful. Possession can be taken literally or as an analogy to the burden that young people carry generations back, which they have no influence on, and which they have to accept. Dybbuk can only be removed by exorcism. The titular ‘Dybbuk Tse!’ is a command to remove the spirit from the possessed body. The album is a story about possession but also about exorcism through music.

Recorded live with his band over the course of a spring week last year, ‘Dybbuk Tse!’ is indeed experimenting with the ‘darker side of things’, but yet with a somewhat lighthearted approach which is so typical of Yoni’s work. He easily combines jazz with the sound of 90’s New York hip hop and raw old school breakbeat. The album interweaves unique Middle Eastern melodies, sophisticated structures and sounds, and beautifully crafted solos played by some of the promising talents on the scene.

London based Israeli born pianist and producer Yoni Mayraz has set foot in the instrumental music scene with his EP ‘Rough Cuts’ released in 2020. Since then, Yoni and his band have been playing major venues and festivals around the world including the legendary Ronnie Scott’s and The Jazz Cafe, to name a few, bringing raw energy to stage with live versions of the studio materials, and stretching the melodies and structures into a Dancefloor-focused take on jazz.

Original Press Release: ‘Headsoup’ is a new compilation that deepens the legend of mysterious Swedish psych collective Goat even further. Collecting rarities from across band’s celebrated career, including standalone singles, B-sides and digital edits and two enormous brand new tracks. It’s a globetrotting acid trip of a record that’s even bigger in its scope than their acclaimed studio LPs.


From the incendiary heavy psych of their earliest work, like debut B-side ‘The Sun And Moon’, to the serene Requiem’-era alternate take ‘Union Of Mind And Soul’, to the simmering menace of their latest material, it’s a record as multifaceted as Goat themselves, packed with detours in every conceivable direction. Taking in jazz-flute solos, pounding Afrobeat rhythms, ferocious desert blues, drifting Ethio-jazz, this is, as the name of Goat’s first album made clear, ‘World Music’ in its most complete form, a sound unrestrained by genre boundaries. Yet the band are anything but lazy appropriators. They approach their forebears with upmost reverence, articulating a celebratory cultural cross-pollination.And what about these two new tracks? ‘Fill My Mouth’ is a scuzzy psychedelic funk knockout, the sleaziest thing the band have ever recorded. ‘Queen Of The Underground’, meanwhile, is truly herculean, a swaggering psychedelic powerhouse of the very highest order. Sometimes dark and heavy, at others joyous and beautiful, like Goat themselves ‘Headsoup’ is mysterious, and constantly shapeshifting, difficult to properly pin down but constantly enthralling. Almost a decade since Goat first emerged from the depths of Korpilombo, there is still no other band on earth that sounds quite like them.

2025 repress.

Rhythm Section International proudly presents it's 8th offering from local boys Chaos in the CBD. Born in New Zealand, but based in Peckham for the last few years (literally just around the corner from Henry Wu and Bradley Zero), these brothers have made a real mark on the scene here in London town and with their latest set of productions are set to take this message further afield.

Having already released internationally on labels such as ClekClekBoom (Paris), Hot Haus (London) and Amadeus (Montreal), the duo's approach to production has matured immeasurably in the last year, as is evident in the restrained potency and poetic subtlety on the 4 tracks across this accomplished EP, Midnight in Peckham.

Taking it's title from the locale the boys have come to know as home, the record channels a delicate late night energy - equally indebted to the hypnotic incantations of Ron Trent as it is to the hazy suburban atmospheres of Burial. These 4 classic cuts pay homage to deep house in it's truest sense - at once sublime, melancholy and meditative . Chaos in the CBD have clearly taken their cue from the mid-west masters of the genre but have not been afraid to let their own influences and environ creep in, and in doing so have created something that is unmistakablely London and infact, timeless.

Kokoroko today announce Tempos Difíceis Sempre Passam, a new remix EP reimagining tracks from their acclaimed album Tuff Times Never Last through the lens of some of Brazil's most exciting contemporary artists.

Translating the album's title into Portuguese, Tempos Difíceis Sempre Passam reflects both the enduring message at the heart of the original record and the creative dialogue between Kokoroko's expansive musical world and Brazil's rich, genre-defying music scene. The four-track collection brings together a handpicked group of artists whose individual approaches blur the boundaries between a variety of genres and contemporary Brazilian sounds.

To be released digitally and on limited vinyl, the EP also sees the return of acclaimed artist Luci Pina, whose artwork for Tuff Times Never Last is reimagined for this new chapter, creating a visual thread between the original album and its Brazilian counterpart.

Leading the announcement is Never Lost (Luedji Luna Remix), available now on all digital platforms. The celebrated Brazilian singer-songwriter brings her unmistakable warmth and emotive vocal sensibility to the track, offering a beautifully understated reinterpretation that deepens the song's themes of hope, resilience and togetherness.

Completing the EP are three further remixes from across Brazil's vibrant musical landscape. Onome of Kokoroko joins forces with acclaimed guitarist Nyron Higor for a richly textured rework of Da Du Dah, while producer Aleh Ferreira delivers a rhythm-driven reinterpretation of the same track. Closing the collection, Bruno Berle transforms Closer To Me with his signature blend of intimate songwriting, Brazilian groove and experimental pop sensibilities.

Together, the remixes offer fresh perspectives on Tuff Times Never Last, extending the album's spirit of optimism while celebrating the creative connections between London and Brazil.

Tip-on Cover, Special Varnish

Available in the following Territories: Wordwide minus Japan & Korea

NOTON is pleased to announce12 Conversations, a collaborative album by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Alva Noto to be released on 18 September 2026.

The partnership between the legendary musician and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto and the German artist Carsten Nicolai (aka Alva Noto) has produced some of the most distinctive and enduring works in contemporary electroacoustic music. Beginning with Vrioon in 2002, the artists spent more than two decades fusing and expanding their disciplines, with Sakamoto's evocative, sustain-drenched piano compositions finding their counterpart in Nicolai's skilful and sensitive electronic detailing.
Each successive project further deepened their artistic dialogue: from the five studio albums of the V.I.R.U.S. series (Vrioon, Insen, Revep, Utp_ with Ensemble Modern, and Summvs), to their score for Alejandro G. Iñárritu's The Revenant; Glass (2017), a wholly improvised performance inside Philip Johnson's iconic Connecticut landmark, in which the pair fixed contact microphones to the glass walls, playing the architecture itself as an instrument; and Two (2019), a document of their live performance at the Sydney Opera House.

Across these works, their distinct approaches achieved a rare synthesis, a brilliantly sustained dialogue between piano and electronics, Sakamoto's warmth and melodic finesse meeting Nicolai's abstract electronic formalism to invoke a mesmeric quietude as deeply satisfying in its melodic resolutions as in the merger of its filmic romanticism and meditative subtlety.
12 Conversations brings together musical exchanges recorded in November and December 2022. Rooted in the same creative period that gave rise to Sakamoto's final solo album 12, these recordings were not originally intended as a standalone release. It was only after the completion of 12 that Sakamoto and Nicolai decided to present these exchanges as a work in their own right.
The album reflects the vitality and curiosity that defined more than two decades of shared inspiration: fluid, exploratory, and forward-looking. Created with openness and trust, it captures a creative process in constant transformation - sounds expanding, altering, and evolving through attentive listening.

Conceived as the continuation of an artistic dialogue extending beyond the physical, 12 Conversations honours Sakamoto's wish that these encounters should exist beyond the archive, offering an enduring testament to one of contemporary music's most revered collaborations.


Carsten Nicolai writes:
"A heavy breath can be heard in the recordings. Yet this work is not about remembrance but continuation, vitality, curiosity, and the spirit of experimentation that shaped an artistic relationship over decades.
The twelve pieces we exchanged in November and December 2022 possess extraordinary density: sounds expanded, altered, recontextualized. Initially, every intervention felt almost inappropriate. Yet this was part of our openness and trust: adding, shifting and radically yet softly transforming.
Even in these final exchanges, plans for future projects continued to take shape, mindful of finite yet firmly believing in the power of new ideas. We chose the name Conversations, which has become a space of memory and vision, where past, present and future intertwine.
For a long time, releasing this music seemed impossible. The loss felt too sudden, and the emotional connection too profound. As time passed, it became clear that these twelve musical encounters should have life outside the archive. To honor Ryuichi's wish, these pieces are now being released as the continuation of a dialogue that extends beyond the physical."

The first single, Conversation 3, will be released on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. The second single, Conversation 6, will be be released on Wednesday, August 26, 2026.
12 Conversations will be available worldwide on vinyl, CD and digitally. A Japanese edition will be available on Ryuichi Sakamoto's commons.

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Ever-evolving Amsterdam duo ANOTR continue their forward momentum with the release of their highly anticipated third studio album, ‘Withness’, out via their own imprint No Art. Rooted firmly in dance music, ‘Withness’ sees the pair refine their sound into their most dance-floor focused and cohesive project to date.

Born during their global tour, ‘Withness’ was shaped in real time: written, tested and refined on dancefloors across the world. Following the expansive, genre-blurring approach of their 2025 LP ‘On A Trip’, the duo felt a pull back toward the club - not as a limitation, but as a unifying space. “We really wanted to have a wide variety of songs that we can play out and create moments,” they explain. “Every track needed to make sense wherever people come together to dance.”

That intention sits at the heart of ‘Withness’. A title that reimagines the idea of “witnessing” into something more active and collective. ‘Withness’ is an album about experiencing life with others. It’s about the moments you share, the people who shape them, and the energy that becomes real only when you’re fully present. The album captures the collective high of friendship. Whether in a packed club, at a festival, or in a living room with friends, the album is designed to soundtrack moments of connection.

“The memories you make with people, they’re the witness of those moments. Withness is about being in it together.” - ANOTR

Sonically, the album marks a clear evolution. Drawing from their early club roots while building on the songwriting confidence developed on their previous records, classic drum machines and 909 samples sit alongside warm, 80s-tinged textures, layered vocals and modern production techniques, creating a sound that feels both nostalgic and forward-thinking.

A key part of the process was spontaneity. The duo embraced a free-flowing, collaborative studio environment, often working with a rotating cast of contributors. Their now-signature “open mic” approach encouraged anyone in the room to experiment with melodies, lyrics and vocal ideas. This energy translates directly into the album’s standout moments. From the euphoric pull of ‘Withness’ to the groove-led ‘Do It With Ya’, the uplifting ‘Paradise’, each track is built to live beyond a single setting.

The LP comes at a timely moment, as their single ‘Talk To You ft. 54 Ultra’ has become the biggest global breakout dance single this year. Sitting firmly in Spotify’s Global Top 200, it has surpassed 175 million streams, and is currently No. 21 in the UK Singles Chart. Spotify have tipped it in their much-coveted global ‘Sound Of The Summer 2026’ list and other highlights include peaking at No. 7 in Shazam’s Global Chart, No.1 on Beatport Top 100 and gaining over 600M UGC views so far.

„Öd“ marks the long-awaited return of Institut für Feinmotorik - the Black Forest collective known for using eight prepared turntables to investigate acoustic micro-phenomena generated by everyday objects - with a new album and their first full-length release on Faitiche. It is also the return of their almost comical understatement as personal artistic principle: „making almost nothing out of almost nothing,“ compressed into the dots on an umlaut.

The Öd-nis, the wasteland, is a field that the collective has been ploughing in sound since their first release in 1997. Eight prepared turntables, four mixers, no records, six hands (give or take) merge into what they call the „Octogrammoticum“. A rotating organism of surfaces in friction, fed with the clutter from a drawer: rubber bands or tin foil, CDs, a discarded socket board. Under IFF's scrutinizing stylus, mundane almost-nothings get scratched open to reveal the acoustic density of negative space itself.

Last year’s „Adhesive Tape“ drew IFF closer together after an almost ten-year hiatus. An eponymous event series at Berlin's silent green set in motion what would become their most twistedly funky release since „Penetrans“ on Staubgold in 2002.

The only thing öd about „Öd" (meaning „barren" or „boring“ in German) may well be its title: layers of improvised play and randomized loops convolve around porous, dubby groove locks, tugging at each other in a call-and-response with howling static that cuts through bulbous ambient techno into a scrap-metal Dixieland phantasm. Stratified yet spacious, these sonic double exposures always hover on the verge of collapsing. What you think you hear might not be what you actually hear.

The album’s track titles resemble Conceptual Poetry, extending this psycho-phenomenological gesture into the realm of spoken language. Conceived by renowned poet Dagmara Kraus, they become word molecules - „stern,” „dies,” „lose“ - tilting delicately between German and English, constantly changing depending on the ear’s perspective and pointing back to the deeply unstable fabric connecting meaning and sound. Which also makes „Öd“ an unusual cross-disciplinary collaboration - at least in the field of electronic music.

PS: Since its beginnings in Bad Säckingen, IFF has always been more than the sum of its rotating parts, moving tirelessly between multimedia art, theory, solo projects and collaborations. With IFF Expanded, the collective now opens its eight-doored apparatus, inviting artists working with CDJs or samplers to join - an ambitious live format that loosens its former purity law while carrying forward a long-standing curatorial practice. The same thread also runs into the related event series Acephalic Headspace.

Institut für Feinmotorik (*1997), artist-group originating from Black Forest working in various fields. In musical context known for transforming turntables into instruments by removing the records and instead applying rubber bands, paper scraps, household materials – resulting in a vivid laboratory for the productive misuse of everyday objects. This approach is documented in record releases and performed live.

Monolink and CIOZ bring a stripped-back electronic edge to Crosstown Rebels with ‘Don’t Talk To Me’. The German multi-instrumentalist makes his Crosstown Rebels debut alongside Italy’s CIOZ, with OMRI. also returning to the label on remix duties. There are few artists in electronic music quite like Monolink. Moving naturally between singer-songwriter, producer and live performer, his music gives as much weight to voice, melody and narrative as it does to electronic production. For ‘Don’t Talk To Me’, he joins Bergamo-born, Berlin-based CIOZ, whose own work is driven by rich musicality and a willingness to move beyond convention. The link-up makes for an intriguing signing to Damian Lazarus’ Crosstown Rebels, bringing together two different approaches to electronic music without either losing their identity.

‘Don’t Talk To Me’ is deliberately pared back, pairing Monolink’s voice and songwriting with sparse textures and gently shifting melodies. Rather than building towards a conventional dancefloor payoff, the track unfolds with a quieter sense of tension, sitting somewhere between alternative songwriting and electronic voyage. An artist whose productions and remixes have quickly made him a recurring presence in the Crosstown Rebels universe, OMRI. takes the track deeper with his remix, adding darker, hypnotic qualities while preserving the original’s restraint. ‘Wasting Time’ closes the release with another sweeping collaboration, built around subtle melodic details and captivating synth flourishes.

The collaboration marks Monolink’s first outing on Crosstown, adding to an impressive career that has seen him craft his distinctive sound via Berlin-based imprint Embassy One and on labels like Cercle Records. Performances have taken that music from Burning Man and Montreux Jazz Festival to Day Zero Bali, where he joined Damian Lazarus for its first edition, as well as sets alongside Lazarus at Club Space, Zamna and more around the world. Meanwhile, CIOZ brings his own expansive approach back to the label, with material also landing via Monaberry, Frau Blau and Stil vor Talent, plus remixes for Diplo, Oliver Koletzki, Patrice Bäumel and the Crosstown head honcho. With both artists comfortable moving between emotional depth and dancefloor function, ‘Don’t Talk To Me’ gives that shared instinct plenty of room to breathe.

Main Phase and TSVI team up for Swarm EP, a three-track release exploring percussive, leftfield club music. Across “Spirit”, “Antz” and “Nectar”, the pair combine their forward-thinking approaches into a high-energy, experimental EP built to rattle any soundsystem.

Athens-based multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer Raphael Meleteas presents "Someone Else", the title track and first single from his forthcoming debut album of the same name.

Written, arranged, performed, recorded and mixed entirely by Meleteas, the recording reflects an organic approach to songwriting, where warm analogue textures, cinematic arrangements and carefully layered instrumentation take precedence over studio polish. Every instrument heard on the track is performed by Meleteas himself.

Drawing from the rich tradition of orchestral pop, cinematic music and library recordings of the late 1960s and 1970s, Someone Else balances intimate songwriting with understated orchestration, creating a sound that feels timeless while remaining unmistakably personal.

Recorded in Athens, Greece, the single introduces the atmosphere that defines the forthcoming album: melodic, reflective and rich in subtle detail, unfolding naturally through live performance rather than digital construction.

"Someone Else" offers the first glimpse of Raphael Meleteas' debut album, also titled Someone Else, which will be released by Veego Records in September 2026.

In August 2022, Australia-based, French born fourth-world music legend Ariel Kalma was invited to participate in BBC Radio 3"s Late Junction series of special collaborations. The program pairs artists that have not previously collaborated to create new music together. Kalma was quick to suggest working together with two musicians whom he has never met - the International Anthem recording artists Jeremiah Chiu & Marta Sofia Honer, whose critically-acclaimed duo debut Recordings from the Âland Islands had been released just a few months earlier. Kalma sent an invitation to Chiu and Honer, which was received with great enthusiasm. Chiu had been a fan of Kalma"s work for a long time, even citing him as a major influence on his approach to electronic music composition. After meeting their goal of 20 minutes worth of music for the program (which was four pieces total), the three musicians were satisfied in what they would present, and sent along their work to the producers of Late Junction; but simultaneously they felt like there was much more to be said, more work to be done. There were several pieces that they had nearly completed that weren"t sent for inclusion in the radio program, and there were many ideas for refining those that had. The three musicians collectively agreed that they would continue work together and try to push the music further. The Closest Thing to Silence is the result of their efforts to take the collaboration further.

We release our second record, COPPIES002. Another hand stamped white label EP, collecting tunes from thecommunity, for the community. This time with tracks by Kerr Wilson, Salomo, illousion and APRS. Kerr starts on A1 with his "The Key To My Heart". He showed the first version of the track to Robert around 4 years ago in a memorable summer spent together. We made the promise that this will be pressed on record one day and, here it is! Thanks Kerr! It's a melancholic late-summer tune that makes you tear up and feel like the warm euphoria won't last forever, but it will surely return if you're patient. Salomo follows with a similar moody approach on "Say less (on the DF)", even though we can argue about the meaning of the title ;). illousion builds more tension on the flipside with "Masc or Mask". Entering dubby, rolling terrains with more high intensity drum patterns for later moments of the night. APRS is closing the EP with "I Want to Speak" on B2, maybe the counter argument to Salomos desire of a less noisy dancefloor. He crafted a minimal, loopy trip that drags you down the rabbit hole and won't iet you go til the party is over. COPPIES002 is available on vinyl only with digi download option