Blur News

Fresh from dropping a fine collection of reworks by Scruscru, Blur Records welcome back regular contributor Hotmood. He brings with him a belated sequel to his 2023 EP Disco Power. The Mexican begins in fine form via the tease-and-release, disco-funk powered disco-house slammer 'Give It To Me', before opting for a more elastic and rubbery groove on the similarly-minded peak-time bounce of 'Let Me Dance'. Hotmood decides to breathe new life into a string-laden, cowbell-sporting 1970s disco workout on 'That's What You Had', once more exploring effects-laden disco-house dynamics, while closing cut 'Summer Nights' sees him making merry with loops and samples from an old Earth, Wind and Fire favourite and some suitably powerful beats.

2026 Repress

Repress of Simon Copleston a.k.a Iteration X’s debut EP delivered for Evasive Records in 2003. ’Timecheck’ and ‘Liquid Logic’ are 2 slabs of firing tech-house straight out of South London. Simon worked from his own studio and also Online Studios in Croydon. Simon sadly passed away in 2014 and we wanted to make this well sought after release available again so that his musical legacy lives on.

Jamie 3:26 returns for the third volume in the Dancefloor Damage series! Personal exclusives from his collection, these have damaged dancefloors around the world for years and are now available on vinyl for the first time ever. From the Southside of Chicago to the world. Three killer disco classics re-worked by a legend. No one does it like Jamie! Buy or cry.

Genre defining label Hot Creations welcomes in another milestone release this July, as imprint-founder Jamie Jones makes a long-awaited return with the three-track Bionic Boy. It acts as his first solo EP on Hot Creations since last September’s Handy Work, continuing a standout 2022 for the UK talent.

We’re graced with JJ’s techy, groove-laced sound right from the offset, as Bionic Boy leads the charge. Packed full of hard-edged percussion and rampant kick-hat pairings, a well-known female vocal takes us to the dancefloor and beyond before Moment Of Clarity soon arrives. Euphoric piano stabs live beside Chicago-esque key solos, paving the way for Here Comes The Drums. Darkened pads, tribal drums and whomping kicks meld to form a late-night, club-driven number that represents the signature Jamie Jones sound that we know and love.

As a world-renowned DJ and producer, head of Hot Creations and founder of the global Paradise event series, Jamie Jones has etched out a legacy in electronic music that few others can attest to. His personally curated Paradise series offers an international showcase of house and techno’s most recognisable artists, whilst his flagship label, Hot Creations, continues to pioneer a contemporary house sound. 2022 sees the label host a ‘Ten Year’ anniversary tour, with events planned across Miami, London, New York and Amsterdam, whilst Paradise makes its home in iconic Ibiza nightspot Amnesia. Confirmed guests for the weekly Wednesday residency include Joseph Capriati, Nicole Moudaber, Loco Dice, The Blessed Madonna and many other genre-leading performers.

The Coney Island Rhythm Band join the Sosilly gypsy family with their first track 'Dancing Down The Path' feat. Jerk. Together they deliver a party hands in the air throwback any good disco & house fan should know!

''E.R.M.B'—Contemporary disco that oozes funk thanks to its plump bassline and jaunty, clipped pianos, it's augmented by slivers of classic breakbeat goodness, vibrant strings and an earworm vocal hook and ravey piano chords combine in melancholy fashion to provide a dramatic juxtaposition. BIG!

Jexy's back! After conquering post-pando dance floors with his celebrated Bad Timin' label, the Jexter is getting back to basics and bringing things home to his Good Timin' label. This time, the Balearic Bad Boy slams the breaks on the BPMs and delivers an album full of downtempo groovers, angelic diamondry and more hooks than a pirate convention! Get into it!

Few contemporary labels even come close to the output and influence of Lempuyang in terms of dub techno. Albums, 12"s and EPs come thick and fast and the latest is the first part of the fourth in the Pura Lempuyang series, which offers a glimpse at what they do best. Upwellings begins with Maurizio-style, smoky dub techno before Rothchord ups the drive with a more forceful kick. Paul Simmons's 'Burial (Natty Haffi Dread)' reflects the traditional roots of dub with a more 70s style cut, Another Channel slows to a crawl with an eerily empty arrangement and Inner Echo drives things home with a timeless fusion of molten dub chords and cuddly kicks.

What can be said about Joey Beltram’s ‘Energy Flash’ that hasn’t be said already! The track still gets rinsed, week in, week out, across radio stations, clubs and festivals, testimony to the sheer importance of this techno classic.

Released originally in 1990 on the R&S Records label, ‘Beltram Vol. 1’ included the aforementioned ‘Energy Flash’, alongside three equally ground-breaking dance tracks that possibly get overshadowed by the big lead track. But tracks like ‘Subsonic Bass’ broke the mould and went on to influence a raft of rave and drum ‘n’ bass tunes, thanks in part to its use of the now legendary ‘hoover’ bass sound. The sinister acid of ‘Jazz 3033’ still sounds as fresh today as it did 33 years ago, and the menacingly titled ‘Psycho Bass’ reveals the EP’s most passive moment, as its solid breakbeat cuts through ethereal tones and chugging synths.

‘Beltram Volume 1’ has been remastered by Beau Thomas at Ten Eight Seven Mastering, and the release comes in an updated sleeve, faithfully recreating the 1990 packaging.

‘Beltram Volume 1’ by Joey Beltram is available on R&S Records from 10th February 2023.

Juan Dairecshion is back to his collective’s label catalog with a new EP unveiling four tracks produced between 2021-2023. Drawing from classic house, bleep techno sounds, and funk-infused synth chords, this EP reflects Juan’s creative approach to electronic music production, showcasing his distinctive sound vision.

IN MEMORIAM
This record pays homage to a beloved mother.
Through music, we honor her enduring spirit and legacy.
MER.

LTD repress !

Miami's TK Disco unleashes the official Todd Terje Edit of K C & The Sunshine Band's "I Get Lifted"

Limited copies. Only available to Record Store Day 2015 registered stores in the UK, France, Holland and the USA.

Repress!

Sublime deep House of the highest order from New Jersey's very own Kerri 'Kaoz 6:23' Chandler

'The Mood EP' is pure quality from start to finish & is one of Chandler's lesser spotted releases that is undoubtedly a classic

Released on the legendary Nervous label in 1998 it still stands head & shoulders above most other releases of the time

Fresh, essential & lovingly re-mastered & reissued for 2014

(*Previously unreleased)

Two lost cuts from the orbit of Tony Humphries surface at last, pulled straight from acetates in his private archive and pressed here for the first time. Unearthed like messages from the booth itself, they capture that raw, transitional moment when club music was still inventing its own language night after night.
On the A-side, Kerri Chandler with “Kerri Kaoz Beats”, a stripped, swinging tool full of basement pressure and early-morning intent. No excess, no compromise, just Kerri doing what Kerri does best. Flip it over for Dee Dee Brave – “My My Lover (Tony Humphries Dub)”, a previously unheard Humphries reconstruction that stretches the vocal into something deeper, moodier and unmistakably floor-ready. Spacious, patient, and quietly euphoric.
Two pieces of house history that never made it past the acetate stage until now. Not revisions, not edits, but originals finally stepping into the light. Essential documents from the roots that still point forward.

Kerri Chandler joins forces with Nae (SA) for new single ‘Caged Bird’, accompanied by remixes from the widely beloved Atjazz, and Moplen.

Leading the release is the ‘Full Vocal Media Mix’ of ‘Caged Bird’, which sees Kerri Chandler lay down emotive piano melodies, organic drums and atmospheric strings alongside soulful vocal stylings from South Africa’s Nae.

Up next is Italy’s Moplen, producer for the likes of G.A.M.M. and Lumberjacks In Hell delivers his twist on ‘Caged Bird’, shifting gears into more classic house realms, infusing drifting keys, weighty lowend tones and heavily swung drums and violin melodies with the original’s smooth house aesthetic.

On the flip side is the first ‘Atjazz Remix’ of ‘Caged Bird’, a nine minute cinematic excursion from the British composer, embracing the soulful fragments of the original and twisting them into a slow burning, subtly evolving nine minutes delicately detailed with sweeping echoes, reversed reverberations, crisp percussion and choppy stab sequences. An ‘Atjazz Remix Instrumental’ follows, as the name would suggest stripping away the vocals.

Larionov lands on Tiger Weeds with 'No Way Back'. A direct, tension driven electro EP shaped by raw sequences, melancholic tones and steady forward motion. Throughout the release, Larionov balances stripped-back introspection with functional dancefloor energy. On remix duties, The Exaltics drags 'Celestial Ocean' into darker territory, applying his signature cinematic pressure to create a heavy, peak time version. No gimmicks. No fillers. No way back.

DJ Support: Garnier, Opolopo, Worldwide FM, Marcia Carr, Bill Brewster, Timeout Moscow, Craig Smith, Delfonic, Tony Nwachukwu, Marcel Dettmann, DJ Rocca, Shuya Okino, Borrowed Identity, Titonton Duvante, Alex Attias, Rainer Truby, Sol Power All-Stars, Kyri R2, Robert Luis, Severino Panzetta, Lars Behrenroth, Kassian, Alkalino, Getdown Edits, Moodymanc, Gerd, Lea Lisa, Young Pulse, Mark de Clive-Lowe, Mark Grusane, Alex Barck….

International dance music heavyweight, producer and DJ Alexander Lay-Far returns with a powerful new chapter - Lay-Far Dance Orchestra (LFDO) - a fully-fledged live band project that reconnects him with his jazz-funk and fusion DNA while pushing dance music forward with unmistakable groove, musicianship and emotional weight. Formed in early 2024, LFDO is no nostalgia exercise. With Lay-Far at the helm as bassist, bandleader, composer, arranger and sound engineer, the orchestra has already been turning heads with explosive live performances, reinventing classic Lay-Far cuts, and now unveil their first album “Skybreak” with all new and original material written and produced by Lay-Far together with his bandmates and star guests, including Lipelis, Antoha MC and Seven Davis Jr. This work shows the departure from the predominantly electronic sound of Lay-Far's previous solo albums in favour of live instrumentation recorded to analogue tape and effortlessly bridging the gap between Jazz, Library Music, Disco-Funk, House, Broken Beat and Drum’n’Bass. “Skybreak” is dynamic, passionate, spiritual, cinematic, playful, heartfelt, life-affirming, dreamy and deeply romantic. Ultimately, there’s something profoundly romantic in recording and releasing such music in this day and age!


“Take Flight (Part 1)” is opening the album with style. It takes us on a beautifully orchestrated journey, blending the sensuality of Library Music with high-octane Jazz-Funk and raw b-boy breaks, propelled by breathtaking flute and Rhodes solos of Timur Nekrasov and Maxim Glonti. This aural symbiosis of “beauty and the beats” will become more and more prominent as the album unfolds.



It’s time for “Aquarius Love” created with the inimitable artist and vocalist Seven Davis Jr. (Secret Angels, Ninja Tune). In this composition cinematic soul and heavy jazz meet the restless energy of live drum & bass with deep and heartfelt vocals - timeless sound combined with a timeless message about love and life!



Next is “Head In The Clouds” - a theme for an imaginary rom-com, an ode to all the dreamers - sweet, light, naive and heartwarming. Space-Disco-Funk at its best!

“Where You From” is a fiery Soulful House number with heavy Afro-Latin influences recorded in collaboration with Lipelis. It’s full of Sun, joy and passion. Its irresistible rhythm is emphasised by funky octave bass, wah-wah guitar, catchy piano riffs, guitar solo by Lipelis and seemingly light conscious message delivered by Lay-Far and Maryag. Summer is here!

Now the album takes an unexpected twist in the form of “The Harp of Boom” which at first glance appears to be a classic-sounding Boom-Bap banger. Yes, It’s loud, raw, and gritty, yet it gradually evolves into something delicately-touching and deeply-soulful thanks to a memorable flute melody and lush string arrangement. Definitely recorded with tongue in cheek.


Next is “Feel The Moment” a remarkable collaboration with one of the most recognisable and distinctive Russian artists, singer, trumpeter and cultural icon Antoha MC. It’s a feel-good song, hopeful, life-affirming and bittersweet. A stylish excursion into Brit-Funk and Soviet Jazz-Fusion sound, drawing inspiration from the likes of Atmosfear, Light Of The World or Soviet Jazz bands like Allegro and Arsenal, but reimagining the influences through the modern West London broken beat lens.


The spectacular music journey continuous with “Take Flight (Part 2)” - it’s all about the deep infectious jazz-funk groove, heavy beats, rolling percussion and the glory of the soloing instruments - saxophone and flute by Timur Nekrasov, demonstrating the wide range of emotions from thoughtful and lyrical to restless and borderline vicious. One for freestyle dancing!

As the album draws to an end a vibrant musical triptych “Soul Constant” awaits, mixing together the deep and sensual mood of spiritual jazz with heavy syncopated drum’n’bass rhythms by Michail Fotchenkov, lush orchestration, expressive saxophone solos and the ending which can simply be described as “aural bliss”. It’s breath-taking!

A pleasant bonus is the exclusive version of “Where You From” by Lipelis himself, who is taking it into dub territories, further enhancing the rhythm section and enriching the song with his trademark playful synth flourishes and dreamy guitar solos for maximum effect (and appeal).

The album “Skybreak” by Lay-Far Dance Orchestra is the work of real artistry and craftsmanship with timeless sound that’s not only deeply-rooted but also forward-thinking.

Tessellate presents a VA featuring label favourites Marius Acke, Lewis Taylor and Midas Field. The Trip also provide a brand new track. All tried and tested on the dancefloor.

Lex Wolf will be a familiar name to those who like leftfield edits and trippy disco sounds, following great outings on the likes of Razor-N-Tape. Here, the producer kicks off new label Changes with four cuts of passionate and throbbing pumps. 'Rhythm Papi' has elastic drums and fat bass with erotic vocal whispers, and 'Everybody' taps into classic sampling with jacked-up house drums and sparkling arps. 'Fall Into A Trance' has old school horns and a steamy energy with yet another bold, potent bassline, while 'Keep Playin' is a bouncy sound with panning melodies and vocoder vocals that blend the past with the future. These are full-flavour sounds packed with character.