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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.

RRL and Lay-Far are back on GAMM with a killa 7" exploring the bridges between Jamaican sound systems and UK 90's club culture.

Side A delivers an uptempo dub vs breakbeat tune that probably could've been championed by someone like Grooverider or similar in the mid 90s.

On the B side we find a fierce original jungle version with those Amen drums hitting bang on.

Our multi-talented musician and producer Lay-Far once in a while takes a break from producing for editing long forgotten gems that need a little retouch.

Here at GAMM we're of course much in favour of this direction, especially when he delivers the goods as with this sunny release.
On the the A Side Lay-Far takes on a classic Nu-Yorican jazz-funk-disco jam with big strings and a killer fender grooves loop.
On the B, it's time to brush off a killer Japanese jazz-funk-disco winner that's been a big tune on the rare groove scene since the 90's...thumpin’ !!

Two of Russian electronic music's rising stars, Phil Gerus and Alexander Lay-Far, invite you to join them at the Solitary High Social Club. While table service is provided, they'd much rather you throw caution to the wind and head to the dancefoor.
Before joining forces in the studio, both Moscow-based musicians have delivered a string of memorable solo productions. Lay-Far has previously released a wealth of material on such labels as Local Talk, City Fly, Lazy Days and 4Lux Black, while synthesizer fetishist Gerus has showcased his electrofunk and disco-fred cuts on Futureboogie Recordings, Sonar Kollektiv, Public Release
and Superior Elevation Records.
The fve tracks that make up Solitary High Social Club deliver a perfect marriage of the two producers' distinctive solo styles, combining the rich musicality of Lay-Far's house productions with the spacey, intergalactic electronics of Gerus's discoid adventures. In many ways, it's a marriage made in heaven - or in Lay-Far's celebrated In-Beat-Ween Studio, at least.
The duo's spacey and melodious musical fusion is arguably best exemplifed by lead cut City 2 City, Star 2 Star', a widescreen, mid-tempo disco epic rich in tactile Rhodes riffs, supernova synth solos, delay-laden drum beats, tumbling melody lines and heavy analogue bass. Fittingly, the track returns in Reprise' form - think sweeping, weightless ambient bliss - to round off the EP.
Elsewhere, the duo provides further proof of their combined musical talents.
Check, for example, the gentle drum machine electro beats, cascading new age melodies and sparkling, stretched-out synthesizer chords of the impeccably beautiful Am I Tripping', or the devilishly percussive, mind-altering brilliance of Love Life', where mutant electro bass, wide-eyed chords and alien melodies rise above a heavy, Afro-infuenced groove. As for Snowfakes On Her Lips', you'll struggle to fnd a more confdent and positive dancefoor workout all year. Blessed with killer piano parts, darting analogue synth-bass and a range of disco-tinged musical fourishes, it's by far and away the most celebratory moment on an already happy-go-lucky EP. It confrms, too, our initial hunch: at the Solitary High Social Club, life is always good.

Ever since the debut, 'Communication EP' which also marked our 50th release, Alexander Lay-Far has a special place in the Local Talk family.Since then things have been going well with plenty more releases, tours, the launch of his label In-Beat-Ween Music plus a new full length album done.
With so many things on the go we're of course very happy to welcome Lay-Far back and with him this time, two UK house legends that need little introduction, Ashley Beedle and Darren Morris. Together the trio produced an EP that embraces the charms of both disco and house and we think it hits on every level. The A-side is dedicated to 'Doctor Feelgood', which is just as the name suggests, a delicious disco house cut that will make you feel good.Extra bonus points for the wonky bassline.
On the flip, you'll find two versions of Slope. The first one is an easy / breezy number built around jazzy drums, warm chords to catch your breath for a minute or two, lovers of rhodes should lend the track an extra ear, it's pure bliss. After those 5 minutes and 14 seconds has ended Lay-Far steps into the remix arena, turns up the tempo and sends the track straight to the dance floor. No need to fiddle around too much, he just sprinkles some extra touches of Lay-Far magic to the original and voila, it's done.

Nemoy And Djemeia Met At Some Sort Of Band/singer Contest In Zurich. He Was In The Jury - No One
Knows Why - And Djemeia Ended Up Winning That Thing. After That, Nemoy Just Didn't Stop Bothering
Her With Soulful, Lo-fi House Tracks, Until Eventually She Gave Up And Recorded These Magical Vocals
Over Some Of His Tracks. A Perfect Fit, Right Away. Alexander "lay-far"s Fantastic Remix Work Takes That
To A Whole New Level. Buy This Record.

Following the success of Joey Negro's 'Produced With Love' album, four of the album cuts get the remix treatment from an all-star cast of producers each with their own particular flavor.

Kicking it off Chicago legend Ron Trent takes the original funked out, Arthur Russell flavoured, 'Distorting Space Time' and turns it into a deep house groover complete with a strong walking bass alongside adding a soul & richness to the elements that only he knows how. Crackazat step up next to take on 'Lactican Boogie' crafting it into an uptempo piano driven, emotionally charged stomper sure to do some damage this summer.

Flip it over and Lay-Far delve into 'In Search of The Dream', adding squelchy synth stabs and a deep bass to give a more hard hitting edge to the track whilst retaining that disco flavor with Angela Johnson's emotive vocals.

Closing out the e.p. Fouk come full circle, bringing their hazy, jazz tinged style to 'Distorting Space Time' - building the remix around those warm Rhodes chords, shuffling rhythm and dynamic bassline.

Gold once again from the Z Records camp!

Former Steppah Huntah' member, Missoless has
collaborated and worked in the past with Nu-Tropic and also
made remix for 4Hero to name just a few.
Now making music as solo artist, she teams up for this
project with singer Stan Smith (Tokyo Dawn Records) to re-
build this forgotten unique Broken vibe. Daz-I-Kue (from
Bugz in the Attic) & Lay Far talented Russian producer also
collaborated and made 2 nice remixes.
You will find here a blend of Hip-Hop / Broken-beat / Nu-Jazz
flavors to rock the floor.

LIMITED COPIES

Capital Bass continues to gather Russian names under one roof and expand stylistic variations. Next big thing is a three-track EP from Ponty Mython (Alex).
This is the second EP by sir Ponty Mython on Capital Bass. It has been two years since his bulletproof Jesus EP in 2013.
During these two years Ponty Mython has been working with such iconic house imprints as Arma, Quintessential, Dirt Crew and others. His new Adverbs EP is a quite eclectic thing.
Side A is a filtered house banger Gracefully - a result of sampling games with Moscow house star Lay-Far (Local Talk, In-beat-ween). Side B - Afterwards tune is a real one-loop thriller, dirty and raw, with African samples and invisible sub bass line.
On B side you can also find a psychedelic version of Afterwards by Saint Petersburg techno artist Nocow (Roots United, Fauxpas Musik). (Roots United, Fauxpas Musik)

SHADELEAF reaches out to the tribes and comes home with a serious crop to see us through !

For their debut V.A selection 'Please Come Correct' Thatmanmonkz has pulled in some serious talent from the fringes of forward-thinking House

Ny*Ak fires the opening beatdown salvo,'U Don't Understand', and cooks up another of those loose, low riding, sample heavy and heady jams, reminiscent of Berlin via early Sound Signature that made last year's EP for Intimate Friends via Rush Hour such an essential!

Next up Cape Town's Jumping Back Slash, who's been making some serious music, fusing elements of S.A House with Kwaito and, well pretty much anything else he can throw into the mix to move your assets.
'Bloodlines' however could just as easily have emanated from 8 Mile, a captivating piece of pure, crisply rendered machine soul back lit with township chants and emotive chords.

Mr 'monkz himself handles B1, and to say this guy's on a roll would be something of an understatement!
Much like Graef and Co, 'imgettintiredofyou' is Deep House that dines out on a diet of Hip Hop, dirty hertz in the low registers and deftly manipulated sample work throughout - killer stuff!

Finally our truly global selection winds up in Moscow as another hotly tipped up-and-comer Lay-Far gives us 'Many-Sided'.
Fans of last year's excellent EP on Fifty Fathoms Deep will know what to expect. Again, a loosely pieced together cut, hinting at West London vibes,and shot through with creative sampling and an undeniable ear for melody and groove that really shines.

JD Records proudly presents 4 new dope remixes of previous JD Records / Subwax Excursions releases. The artists in question is Terrnece Parker, Orlando Voorn, Clip! and Lay-far. For the honorable remix work we have chosen Portugals fastest rising underground house producers, Jorge Caiado. The result is 4 perfect and classy house productions and with his releases on label's such as Balance and Groovement he has proven he definitely is a name to watch in the very near future.

Straight from the weedy fields of swampville Bruxelles we bring you 8 ‘tranches de vie’ of deep zone-hall by weirdtronic bass veteran Michael Crabbé’s best fitting sound costume to date: the mighty Rudi J! You might know him from earlier outfits but that’s not the main issue here. Rudi J is!

When this swamp thing touches the pads, it’s off-road after three seconds, even if you’re in the middle of Europe’s capital. Mixing analog dirt and digital sound bits in a very loose and personal take on dancehall, we’re pretty far away from the dance floor but definitely swinging. It’s a trippy affair wandering around concrete flowers with a deep ambient flavor, but it’s edgy.

A hot summer fever dream following his own lusty path, full of life and wonder but with something sinister hiding around every corner. Often reaching for the stars, a deeper shade of bass keeps things nicely grounded. These sounds are built with a sound system in mind and bass culture at heart. Even if you can definitely surf on it from your couch, picking out all of its ear-pricking details, it will very much come alive on a big sound.

A layered affair with almost jazzy and orchestral elements peeping through the stereo-field, spectral and dissonant but also playful. Like early dubstep, some of these tunes can destroy a clubsound, keeping you skunking out in pedestrian mode and snorting up the atmospherics, finally forgetting about that damn phone.

"raqs", which translates to the Dari noun for "dance" is written the same way like its Arabic original made of the three root letters: ra qa sa - to dance. under this premise of cultural kinship Afghan-German producer artist Farhot is about to addanother sonic layer to his discography, this time designed for the dance floor - a space, where culture can be shared by many, which invites movement and connection.while his earlier work was heavily influenced by the various traditions of hiphop, which later was enfused with sounds inspired by his Afghan roots, on "Raqs" he explores the vibrant musical heritage of mostly Arabic speaking regions from North Africa to West Asia, where as his fascination for Somali music also took him to East Africa. Like a well versed HipHop producer Farhot"s approach to "raqs" was guided by a virtual sampling journey which allowed him to connect and fuse sounds from Egypt, Lebanon or Somalia carefully woven into an EP that stands apart from his previous work but nevertheless carries his sonic signature: productions, that can sound as complex and immense as they sound playful and simple or creating intensity through unconventional ways of chopping and distorting vocals - amongst others one will find samples of Lebanese legend Fairuz dressed in an almost experimental uptempo production. Whoever followed Farhot"s work around the release of his sophomore LP Kabul Fire Vol. 2 via his own label Kabul Fire Records will know that he releases music intentionally alway ensuring a new quality to music, especially when he samples from cultures that are often times overshadowed by conflict or simply forgotten. With "raqs" he reminds us of the rich musical traditions that always existed beyond the west. he also reminds us of the ways that music can connect beyond borders, like an Afghan producer from Germany, who loves Somali music and Fairuz.

With Mr. Coconut, Cosmo Dance delivers a four-track EP that strengthens a distinctive sonic identity, blending retro aesthetics, club culture and cinematic sensibility into a cohesive body of work.

The title track unfolds through refined dynamic control. Warm multilayered percussion, textured guitars and a deep yet restrained bassline create an organic groove that evolves gradually rather than relying on obvious drops. The production favors subtle progression and hypnotic growth, resulting in elegant, mature dance music.

Goodbye expands the project’s narrative dimension. Inspired by the atmosphere of Italian ’70s library music, the track represents the protagonist’s theatrical exit from the club — not a melancholic farewell, but a charismatic closing scene. A playful detail emerges when Dandolo (Cosmo Dance’s alter ego) delivers an ironic “cough solo” precisely as an off-voice introduces Mr. Coconut, adding a self-aware cinematic twist.

Dub nuts explores deeper dub-informed territory. Built through layering and subtraction, the track showcases careful spatial control and restrained low-end management.

The EP closes with the Coccappella Version, a stripped-down reinterpretation of the title track focused solely on percussion and voice, revealing the rhythmic backbone of the project.

Mr. Coconut is a refined balance between club functionality and cinematic storytelling — controlled, elegant and unmistakably personal. It’s not about peak-time fireworks — it’s about atmosphere, detail and identity.

The highly anticipated collaborative album, GOLDFISH, sees two of contemporary hip-hop's most revered and distinct production minds, Hit-Boy and The Alchemist, finally join forces for a full-length statement. Far from a simple beat-swap, this project is a masterclass in sonic cohesion, blurring the lines between their signature sounds to forge a new, golden-hued identity. Beyond production, the duo step from behind the boards to behind the mic to trade verses throughout the project, adding a personal layer to their creative vision.

GOLDFISH is a deeply immersive listen, perfectly balancing the West Coast muscle and polished, anthemic quality of Hit-Boy's work with the dusty, abstract texture and cinematic suspense that defines The Alchemist's aesthetic.

The result is a sound that feels both street-tested and museum-worthy. A collaborative manifesto, showcasing the infinite possibilities when two generational talents decide to link up, creating an instant classic in the canon of producer/MC albums.

Fresh Meat Records is proud to present the vinyl re-release of From Chicago With Love, a record originally produced and released by Mazi Namvar (aka Audio Soul Project) in 2004. Though it may have flown under the radar upon its initial release, the record has recently gained a cult following, with prices on the secondhand market steadily climbing. A single copy now fetches as much as $170, with a recent test pressing selling for $100. Recognizing the demand, Fresh Meat Records has gone to work offering a beautiful repress of the record—one that truly does justice to the original while adding something special for long-time fans and newcomers alike.

From Chicago With Love Reprise is a celebration of a classic with a new dimension. The record includes a fresh fourth track, “Murmurs Low,” which features the saxophonist Jimmy Tripp and a spoken word performance by Mazi. Together, they add a soulful and atmospheric touch to the original, expanding the sonic palette while retaining the deep, intimate energy of the original release.

The tracklist remains faithful to the original with the standout “Tattoo Of You” leading the way on the A1 side, sounding better than ever thanks to an impeccable re-cut by Lawrie Dunster at Curve Pusher. The deep grooves of “Tattoo Of You” still deliver their deep and mesmerizing house vibes, setting the tone for the rest of the release. In the A2 position, “Murmurs Low” provides a captivating, subdued moment, with the saxophone adding a melodic layer to the evolving rhythm that makes this track truly memorable.

On the B-side, “Down” takes its rightful place as the first track, maintaining a dubby soulful drive and emotional call to action. Closing out the record is “Let Me Know,” a track that brings the journey full circle, providing the perfect outro for the reissue and reminding us why this record is still beloved.

In creating From Chicago With Love Reprise, Mazi Namvar has ensured that every detail is accounted for, from the masterful cutting by Lawrie Dunster to the selection of 8 different color sleeves, offering something for both collectors and music lovers alike. The reissue ensures that this classic can now be enjoyed at a reasonable price, far more accessible than the inflated prices on Discogs. This new pressing is a labor of love, showcasing not only the timelessness of the original tracks but also the care that has gone into its revival.

Whether you’ve been following Mazi Namvar’s work for years or are just discovering this release for the first time, From Chicago With Love Reprise is a powerful reminder of the depth and beauty of house music’s rich history, as well as the enduring passion that drives artists to continue creating for the dancefloor. Get ready to experience this iconic record in a whole new way—one that honors the past while looking forward.

Written, produced, performed, mixed, and arranged by Maziar Namvar.
Additional keys on A1 by Joshua Collins.
Saxophone on A2 by Jimmy Tripp.
Vocals on B1 by Lori Reigler.
Copyright Control
2025 Fresh Meat Records

Contours brings together New York–based producers and DJs Abby Echiverri and Clay Wilson for a four-track 12” on Acid Camp. The record moves across acid house and techno, unified by a clear
craft for pressure, pacing, and machine-driven tracks, with moments of restraint that hold up far beyond the dancefloor.

Wilson opens the A-side with “Interdimensional Romance,” a science fiction workout that threads together acid echoes of Chicago, Detroit, and New York. “Nightride” follows with a more laid-back approach, rooted in acid yet softer around the edges, with a subtle ’90s pull. On the B-side, Echiverri’s panned synths on “Chaos Terrain” vividly wax and wane across layers of LFOs. “Roche Lobe” closes the record in a more spacious mood—another acid-minded piece, less aimed at peak-time utility than at the late-night afterglow of the club.

Together, the four tracks understand acid not as a fixed formula, but as a flexible language. These are the songs of the underground clubs on Arrakis. See you at the front of the speakers.
Contours is released as a 12” on Acid Camp Records.

Written and produced by Abby Echiverri and Clay Wilson
Artwork by Gabe Benzur
Layout by Cookhouse Studio
Mastered & Cut by Tim Xavier at Manmade Mastering Berlin
Pressed at RAND
Liner notes written by Daniel Sharp

Downtown Boys have pushed relentlessly forward as an artistic and political project since their founding. Singer Victoria Marie and guitarist/singer Joey La Neve DeFrancesco first met at union meetings while working together at a hotel in Providence, RI, writing many of the band's early songs about labor organizing and exploitative workplaces. The quintet is completed by Joe DeGeorge (sax/synth), Mary Jane Regalado (bass), and Joey Doubek (drums). Over years of touring, and three acclaimed albums, Downtown Boys have continued to grow as artists, musicians, and organizers. Now, the band has arrived with Public Luxury, an enthralling album that keeps politics front and center while summoning the band's most urgent and powerful sound to date. The definition of Public Luxury falls very much in line with that of the title of the second Downtown Boys LP, Full Communism. Straight up, Public Luxury means, "everything for everyone." It's the stubborn insistence that a better world is possible, while fully recognizing the horrors we witness daily, and the individual and collective responsibility to resist the nihilism and hopelessness we all feel. Sentiments like "everything for everyone," and "we will have it all" perfectly represent the cathartic, communal live experience this cadre of multi-instrumentalists create. These sentiments also encapsulate the inclusive, joyful sonic fusion that defines the album: anthemic punk and indie rock mix with Latin traditions, drum machines blend with acoustic drums, saxophones punctuate riffs, and layers of synths add flourishes from new-wave to industrial. The amount of ground covered on Public Luxury can't be overstated, and yet the album feels totally vital and cohesive. Public Luxury is a revisitation of the band's past for the sake of their future. It was co-produced by DeFrancesco with recording engineer and longtime Downtown Boys supporter Seth Manchester (Lambrini Girls, Lightning Bolt, Model/Actriz) at the Pawtucket, RI studio and arts space Machines With Magnets, not far from the band's first home of Providence, RI. Victoria Marie's grandmother-a monumental figure for the band throughout their existence-passed away in May of 2025, and her influence looms large over the album; the songs "No Me Jodas" and "Sirena" are crystallized representations of the love between a woman and her ancestor. Beyond the loss, rage and frustration of the present, Public Luxury points boldly towards a vibrant, open-hearted vision of both music and the world: "Our music is simply for anyone and everyone who believes in the new future we can make together," Victoria Marie declares. "A world that will be awkward, inconsistent, yet truly free when it comes to all that matters."

R&B outsider Zsela joins forces with inc. no world's Daniel Aged and film composer Taul Katz on '4 Dreams', a billowing ambient-neoclassical hallucination that'll tickle fans of Mary Lattimore, Malibu, Nala Sinephro, Gigi Masin. If you only know Zsela thanks to her dramatic 2024 debut album 'Big For You', the mostly beatless, fully reflective '4 Dreams' might come as a surprise. But look a little further back in her catalogue and things will fall into place; remember 'Angels Pharmacy' and Remembrance' from Actress's 'Karma & Desire'? That was Zsela on vocals, so she's got priors. '4 Dreams' started life as the soundtrack to 'Seven Heavenly Senses', an art exhibition from last year at Paris's Hôtel de la Marine, but has since taken on a life of its own. Zsela's breaths are stretched and sculpted into warm, washing biomechanical pads on the opening dream, left to weather tinny arpeggiated FM synths and muggy bass drones. So far, so predictable. But Zsela muddles proceedings with her confident delivery, layering her voice into jazzy, R&B inflected key changes that keep you guessing. Imagine an astral plane answer to Dawn Richard's ambient-inflected pop and you'll have some idea of where this is headed.

Then 'Dream 2' takes an unexpected diversion, the vocals replaced by swirling harp flourishes and the kind of floating synth stabs that draw a core logic from classic Ambient - Harold Budd, Laraaji et al - then adding extra colors just where necessary. And on 'Dream 3', faint, almost folk-y strings enter the frame, calling out from beyond the horizon, almost blotted out by a synth part that's in the thrall of Gigi Masin's legendary 'Clouds' - the track that ended up being repurposed by Björk on 'It's In Our Hands'. Zsela, Katz and Aged keep that momentum for the final track, too, letting cinematic strings echo around subtle synths and vanishing rhythms, hitting those hypnagogic, tranquil notes that so much contemporary ambient music seems to avoid. 'Cause at its heart, '4 Dreams' is deeper than that, a record that's entrenched in jazz, soul and classical minimalism rather than throwaway numbing music, of the contemporary variety.

Black Truffle is back with his fourth EP on GAMM!
This time, BT goes all out, exploring everything from spaced-out, European disco to mid-tempo proto-disco and jazz-disco.

Expect disco interpretations flying in every direction on this 12"...exactly what we've come to love from Black Truffle.
All tracks are mastered by Lay-Far on reel-to-reel tape to capture that beautifully organic, warm analog feel.

The scope, variety and ambition of Ebbb’s debut album Shallow Hits is clear from the off. “Come Alive” whirs into being quietly before morphing into a sun-kissed, radiant piece of calypso-esque electronic pop; the Latin-flavoured “Now You Know” feels destined to soundtrack sun-drenched festivals this summer; “Shallow Hits” is as deft and detailed as it is big, bold and euphoric; while the wonky yet propulsive charge of “Side On” sounds like a drum ‘n’ bass club and church choir combined. A fervent eclecticism and unpredictable restlessness underpins the album. Latterly the record dives into the moody technoid textures and multi-layered harmonies that characterised their debut EP All At Once - exemplified by ‘Youth’ and the closing track “I’m Not Enough” that lands an emotional gut punch to an album that is already littered with them. However there’s a remarkable coherence and identity that underpins the album. Ebbb are exploring far and wide, deep and vast, yet they do so via an approach that remains unmistakably them.

2026 Repress

Mihai Popoviciu, one of the most esteemed names in the deep house and minimal scene, is set to unveil his anticipated new album, ‘Puzzle Box’, on Bondage Music. As one of the label’s core artists, Popoviciu returns for his second full-length album release on the imprint following his successful 2016 album, ‘Home’ - available on vinyl from 15th November 2024.

With a career spanning over a decade and with releases on numerous influential labels such as 8Bit to Berg Audio, Popoviciu has firmly established himself as a go-to within the minimal-leaning realms of house music. Known for intricate soundscapes and deep, hypnotic grooves, his work continues to captivate audiences globally. On ‘Puzzle Box’, he delves deeper into his signature stripped-back yet soulful aesthetic, offering a diverse collection of tracks that traverse through various sonic textures.

“With Puzzle Box, each track unlocks something deeper with every listen” - Mihai Popoviciu.

Consisting of thirteen tracks in total, ‘Puzzle Box’ showcases the Romanian’s sound to its fullest. On the vinyl edition, fans are treated to standout tracks like ‘Batiscaf’, ‘Storm Rider’, and ‘Far Gone’ — vinyl-only gems that capture Popoviciu’s talent for layering subtle, dubby tones with groovy rhythms. The opening track, ‘They All Say’, sets the mood with smooth, atmospheric beats with a skippy groove, followed by the dynamic “Video” and the driving, pulsating energy of “Frankfurt.”

Popoviciu’s skill in crafting versatile productions is showcased throughout the album, with each track offering something unique.
From the sleek, melodic strains of ‘Puzzle Box’ to the hypnotic, rolling basslines of ‘Kinetic’, this LP is a journey into his meticulously constructed sound. The digital version also features the bonus track ‘Body Count 2’, offering a final, rhythmic flourish to round off the release.
‘Puzzle Box’ further cements Mihai Popoviciu’s role as a mainstay on Bondage Music, a label which continues to champion forward-thinking, minimal-leaning house music. With this latest LP, Popoviciu once again proves why he remains a favourite, building on his storied career with another masterclass in refined, deep electronic music.

"Melodic, dreamy bedroom pop with a nostalgic sheen" is how Tom Davies, creator of brand new dream-pop artist Flopsy's dream, describes this charming little album.
Some of you may know him as GeoWizard; the mad British adventurer/YouTuber who travels in straight lines, but here you get to see or indeed hear a completely different side to him - one that sings in soft, tuneful tones reminiscent of Damon Albarn or Ray Davies, builds ethereal, layered harmonies that wouldn't sound out of place on a Fleet Foxes track, and crafts gorgeous guitar and synth parts that could easily have come straight out of John Frusciante or Kevin Parker's handbook.
Written in a young Davies's bedroom between the years of 2008 and 2014, the songs themselves are far from brand new, but with the help of his good friend and writing partner Liam Rhodes (with whom he played in Birmingham Psychedelic outfit "Kinds of light"), Davies has brought these sentimental tracks to life whilst keeping them bang in line with their original vision.
The result is an album that doesn't really fit into any specific genre, in fact you could argue it's just regular old generic pop, but there's an innocence and a playfulness in there that disarms the listener and transports them to a simpler time when melody ruled supreme.

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."

Following Parnell March’s Back Bar Grooves EP in February and November’s release of the Dust Tears (lead song from Sarah/Shaun’s debut) remixes, Edinburgh’s Hobbes Music label returns with a second EP of dream pop from husband-and-wife duo Sarah/Shaun (pronounced simply Sarah Shaun), alias Sarah and Shaun McLachlan (pronounced McLochlun), who wooed hearts and wowed critics with debut EP ‘It’s True What They Say?’ last year.

‘It’s True What They Say?’ attracted fans across the board: Artist Of The Week in The Scotsman, rapturous reviews from The Skinny and Tokyo's Ban Ban Ton Ton blog, BBC 6Music airplay courtesy of Nemone (Mary Anne Hobbs' Morning Show), more radio play from Radio Scotland's Roddy Hart & Vic Galloway, plus Simone Butler (Primal Scream) and Jim Sclavunos (Bad Seeds) via their respective Soho Radio shows, not forgetting ringing endorsements from the likes of David Holmes, Youth, Kevin Bales (Spiritualized), Brent Rademaker (Beachwood Sparks) and Julian Corrie (Franz Ferdinand).

They played gigs supporting Glasgow's huge Glasvegas, at festivals (Kendall Calling, Dunbar Music, Hidden Door), plus a slew of venues across the Scottish capital, ending the year with a trio of shows supporting Glaswegian 80s pop legends The Bluebells at Aberdeen’s Tunnels, Dunfermline’s PJ Molloys and Edinburgh’s Liquid Rooms, while The List magazine tipped them among their Ones To Watch For 2025, with journalist Fiona Shepherd suggesting they were “blending the starry-eyed pop of Sonny & Cher with the electronic experimentation of Chris & Cosey.”

Very much the companion piece to the debut EP but arriving a full twelve months later, Someone’s Ghost is emblematic of the duo’s desire not to rush things or release anything half-baked.

“I’ve always wanted to create the perfect pop record and I do really feel that we’ve achieved that with this one,” says Shaun. And he’s clearly not the only person who thinks so.

REVIEWS, FEEDBACK ETC:

"I LOVE that! Dreamy dreamy pop." ROY MOLLOY (Marvellous Crane/Alex Cameron) on BLAST RADIO, Sydney
“the Scottish music scene’s cream of the cool... buzzy drum beats, high, distant chimes, and heavenly electronics…. very ethereal.” THE SKINNY

"Listening to Sarah/Shaun is like eavesdropping on a noir dreampop, long-distance phone call between them both, across two separate sonic locations. On this stunning 4-song EP, Sarah’s voice, effortlessly mesmerising, draws you into these big beautiful and haunting passages of perfect dream-pop. All beautifully produced in a multi-layered-scape of low-fi analogue textures, epic cinematic crescendos, intense electro-pulse grooves and warped psycho-pop guitar riffs. Within the songs lurk a sense of unresolved emotions, longing and pathos. There are shades of classic Lee Hazelwood & Nancy Sinatra but also Post-Punk Electronica and Beach House. But what a unique sound they’ve created of their own. I love it" DAVID MCCLUSKEY (The Bluebells)
"Absolutely beautiful" SEAN JOHNSTON (A Love From Outer Space)
"Lovely stuff here! Total quality." MARTYN 'MASH' HENDERSON
"Ooooh. Everything the last record promised is here. Well done" GEORGE T aka George Demure (Accident Machine)
"Vince clark Era Depeche Mode in places" KEVIN BALES (Spiritualized)
"Sounds cool. Well done" PETE KEMBER (Sonic Boom, Spacemen 3)
"Glorious, it (Debbie Harry) grabs hold of you and doesn't let go." IAIN DAWSON aka RAVECHILD (Everyone Wants To Play The Hits Podcast)

SOMEONE’S GHOST

Born out of an incredibly anxious, stressful time, the songwriting process for these recordings has been something of a personal tonic for Shaun…

“There was a period when I was having nightmares,” he reveals. “Apparently I was saying there was someone in the room, I was talking to that person and Sarah was seeing all this while I was still asleep.

So, I was thinking that this was my ghost. I started writing songs because I was going through something and I was dealing with something and writing songs was a comfort. My ghost was a comfort, whether it was real or not. The idea of it was a comfort.”

“I firmly believe that everyone has someone who watches over them but all of the songs are essentially about being there for someone,” he says. “Everybody needs someone but also everyone needs to stay real and keep what you have, keep it close, never let it go. If you don’t have it, continue to tell people you’re there for them. It’s about loving and hoping people will be good to you in return.”

While Shaun took the songwriting lead on Filter Of Love and EP closer The Sound Which Stresses The Sound Of My Ears, Debbie Harry was originally instrumentally conceived by producer Jaguar Eyes, alias Ali Chisholm, later lyrically completed by Shaun, and the EP’s lead track, Anhedonia, and one of its stand-outs (much like Starbed on the debut) was conceived by Sarah, as a result of experiencing a bit of a spiritual epiphany of her own.

“When I first heard the word Anhedonia, I didn't know what it meant but when I found out I thought about it quite a bit. How sad it would be to have no enjoyment in anything,” she explains. “This song is really about my own personal beliefs. When I have been down, that's one of the things that helps me the most. It talks about trying to make amends but realising, for some things, you can't. But I think with any kind of faith comes hope… which is always a good thing.”

A record about hope, truth, honesty, a belief in something bigger than oneself… and all set to a soundtrack that wouldn’t feel out of place in a David Lynch or Eighties feature film. What more could anyone ask for, really?

There’s equally a desire to offer something universal and positive to anyone who tunes in. The labels for the 12” edition reveal the dual mantras “Who just wants to survive?” and “It’s about time to live a little”, with both messages also engraved in each record’s run-out grooves. T-shirts accompanying debut EP It’s True What They Say? bore the slogan “Kill Them With Kindness” - leading caps intentional. Shaun carries the acronym KTWK everywhere he plays, as a reminder: it’s stitched into his guitar strap. And this particular wee pebble has already caused a few ripples: people have been approaching him at gigs to acknowledge their appreciation and respect for it.

"We feel we have made an honest, open, colourful, body of work,” say the duo. “We hope to go out and play the songs with the guys (our band) and then potentially make more records. We are taking things as they come. Everything has been organic so far, after all. We are looking forward to whatever this brings."

Nicaraguan-American artist Dagmar Zuniga makes music that feels both intimate and expansive: songs drift like disrupted signals, carried by harmony, tape hiss, and a strong sense of touch. Her debut solo album in filth your mystery is kingdom / far smile peasant in yellow music — written and recorded in New York, Norway, and Athens, Georgia over a period of five years on her longtime companion, the Tascam 424 — was uploaded to Bandcamp and YouTube in January 2025, quickly garnering over two hundred thousand views and the attention of artists such as Mount Eerie, who invited her to tour with them that summer. This year, what was once a jewel of tapped-in algorithms and message boards will meet the world at large, with in filth arriving digitally on March 4, and physically on April 10, via AD 93.

in filth is an atmospheric, devotional collage where one voice multiplies into a chorus of selves, sometimes delicate, sometimes severe; an effect created by Zuniga’s masterful layering of texture and complex harmonies. Synths glitter out like spears of sunlight from beneath clouds of moody, time-distorted guitars, and songs spin about themselves like tightly-wound music boxes, making use of a kind of hypnotic repetition, before melting apart into their components or slipping into the following track.

Zuniga began recording to tape as a teenager, drawn to the physicality of the medium — how a tape recording is fragile, mutable, and alive. Though her ethereal sound may draw easy comparisons to other female pioneers of psychedelic folk, she is influenced just as much by the darker sounds of Syd Barrett and The Fall. Like Barrett, Zuniga is a painter, and she is interested not only in recording music but in creating a full, self-contained artistic universe: she creates her own artwork, merchandise, music videos, and bootleg tapes of new and unfinished music that she exclusively sells at live shows (“If something is not material, it does not exist,” she insists). Her world has not gone unvisited, garnering her a monthly show on NTS Radio ‘World of Pain’, as well as a forthcoming appearance at Rewire Festival in April 2026.

Though Zuniga’s work explores themes of solitude and suffering, the suffering in her songs is not borrowed or displayed; it is held, then opened outward through empathy — an exacting practice of attention that insists on shared ground. Solitude, in her work, is not withdrawal but a starting point for connection. Likewise, over time, her recording process has become increasingly communal, with in filth featuring musicians Hayes Hoey, Austyn Wohlers (Tomato Flower), and Zach Phillips (Fievel Is Glauque). Newer recordings widen the circle even more. For Zuniga, collaboration is a way to “find a place between worlds,” echoing Badiou’s idea of love as a vision refracted through the prism of difference. Meaning emerges there — in the space between voices, between artist and listener. “I hope my music helps people work through difficult experiences,” she says. “The same way it helps me.”

2026 Repress

Paces of Places" is an evocative exploration of the diverse rhythms that define various environments, intertwining physical, symbolic, and digital realms. This album delves into the intricate layers of pace, not just in terms of rhythm, but as a reflection of deeper societal and existential meanings. Each track on the album transports the listener to a unique locale, where the pace of life reveals profound truths about human existence, societal constructs, and the ever-evolving digital landscape.

The concept of pace is multifaceted within this album. It goes beyond mere tempo to encompass the emotional and symbolic resonance of each environment. Whether it's the languid drift of forgotten dunes or the frenetic energy of virtual hideouts, the pace embodies the essence of these places, drawing listeners into a vivid auditory experience that stimulates both thought and feeling.

"Paces of Places" is a profound auditory journey that challenges listeners to reflect on the rhythms that shape their lives. Through its masterful blend of soundscapes and symbolic depth, the album offers a contemplative experience that resonates with the complexities of contemporary existence.

Regular contributor Vick Lavender returns to Cataleya Music for two lengthy stargazing jams. Each clock in at over 10 minutes, taking the listener on an extended musical journey. They combine Spiritual, Soulful and Jazzy House Esthetics with great results. Africanus is a moving composition with mystical melodies, thoughtful instrumentation and percussive layers. No Rhyme, No Reason offers powerful synths, mellow brass and in-step beats. Both Africanus and No Rhyme, No Reason are incredibly engaging pieces of music. The Esthetic EP is Vick Lavender’s most ambitious record on Cataleya Music so far. Listen and be rewarded!

Mean Field Mutation is a thermodynamic phenomenon occurring just below the vaporization point of voracious growth. It relies on the debris of false and almost forgotten narratives. Astral residue of consumer angst, echoes of obsolete newspeak and oscillations of promotional imbecilities collide with free floating particles hovering under the radar of the megamachine. In steady intervals, this results in a meltdown producing random waves of reconfigurations driven by cryptic but sanguine naivety.
Released on Lustpoderosa, Mean Field Mutation is the first musical output by Des Coda. Written and produced by Piero Scherer during the pandemic winter of 2021 in his bedroom studio in Zurich. Moving between playful
serenity and feral distortion, it was produced by layering sounds from field recordings, radio and TV clips, as wellas sequences from drum machines and analogue synthesizers. Taking a stance against commercial copyright, all stems of this production are available for download free of charge and ready to be reappropriated.
Des Coda is an open field for collaborative, cultural experiments beyond the conventional understanding of authorship and representation. It engages with an artistic position that defines the creative process as an interplay between context and concept. The resulting work is not a rigid product of authoritarian ingenuity, but a sensitive, living organism guided by the tensions between society and individual. Des Coda is the zestful curiosity rummaging through the rubble of the present in search of future aesthetics.

The breakout underground star of the past year, the deservedly hyped Thought Leadership returns with another X ideas: the deck this time chooses the suit of Cups. This new collection is closer to the Post-Punk tonality of Pentacles, than the breezy Balearic Jazz of Swords. Gone are the brushed drum samples and airy synths and in their place are BIG guitars, 808 thumps and a decidedly more prominent use of bass as a melodic device.

As the suit of Cups reflects the emotional heart of the Tarot, presented within are a further X pieces, this time displaying the full range and fervour of Thought Leadership.

You know the drill by now. Originally out on cassette only, we present the first ever vinyl issue. It's a hideously limited pressing of 300 for the world, so don't sleep on this.

Side A explores the emotional levels of consciousness; angst, joy, love, sorrow, relief, regret – they are all represented across the first seven tracks, and often within the same piece. XXI kicks us off with a huge tumbling D minor passage, layers and layers of guitar front and centre, whilst the drums pound away in the distance. Release is provided with a gorgeous G Dorian section, where we hear the bass take flight with a high melodic line.

We’re still in familiar Durutti Column meets Dif Juz territory here, but things switch up with XXII. This piece showcases a darker, more angular palette of guitars; think Alan Rankine (The Associates), or Deb Demure (Drab Majesty) in the unexpected harmonic shifts, knotty arpeggiated patterns and heavy, goth-adjacent modulation. A real love letter to 45+ years of darkly inclined guitar heritage.

XXIII enters the fray with tight, thumping 808s and Marr-esque guitar figures; and again, the bass providing heavy melodic counterpoint to the guitars. Enter chiming, lyrical lead phrasing, reminiscent of the eternal opening to "Everybody Wants To Rule The World". Another accidental perfect pop moment from the Thought Leader. Whilst on the topic of Tears For Fears, XXIV comes swinging out of the gate with some serious Sophisti-chug; we’re reminded of "Shout" in the A section, before being beautifully juxtaposed in the B section with more Vini-eqsue patterns, reminiscent of his timeless classic, Another Setting.

XXV gives us welcome pause to take stock midway through the A side. No drums this time, but instead a heartbreaking conversation between two guitars; think Kevin McCormick and David Horridge’s masterful Light Patterns, or perhaps even the early solo-Bill Connors mid-70s cuts for ECM. The moment of quiet reflection passes, and is quickly shattered by the thudding march of XXVI – this piece comes across like The Associates playing "Wicked Game"; heavy, moody, and utterly compelling. XXVII ends our journey across Side A with more Marr-inspired playing; one for the heads and already featured on mixes, this one is real testament to the vision of Thought Leadership.

Side B again takes us on a trip through three long-form semi-improvised pieces. XXVIII is like those classic Jonny Nash, early Melody As Truth releases, slowly unfurling, additional details introduced deliberately piece by piece, this idea builds across 7+ minutes culminating in some utterly joyous ebow fireworks at the end – well Balearic.

XXIX again, like XXV before it, dispatches the drums with a focus purely on melody and mood. The piece feels like a lost Save Room Theme from the Resident Evil series, pure golden age Capcom Sound Team vibes. Unadulterated aural nostalgia for hours spent with a PS1 in haze of hash.

XXX completes this majestic voyage with another Modal exercise; this time the Thought Leader has opted for the Lydian Mode. Beautifully dreamy, undeniably Soundtrack-y, and arguably the most concise distillation so far of everything this project stands for; drum machines, guitars, pedals, one-take improvised solos – XXX has the lot, and is surely destined for greatness.

So, another X epic statements for guitar, homespun with the humblest of means, for all the dreamers out there. The first ever vinyl release of IV Of Cups has been carefully remastered by Be With's engineer Simon Francis to ensure it sounds better than ever after its initial tape release. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut at Abbey Road Studios whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry, in Holland. The original tape cover artwork, so crucial to Thought Leadership's striking visual aesthetic, has been rejigged for vinyl issue here at Be With.

The last 2 LPs flew. You have been warned.

DJ Support: Adam Auburn, DJ Nova, Norm De Plume (Delusions Of Grandeur), Guy Perryman, Simon 'Palmskin' Richmond, Rocco Rodamaal, Damian Lazarus, Demarkus Lewis, Douglas Arellanes, Craig Smith (Yoruba Affil), Lay-Far, Dr. StrangeDub, Dennis Ruyer, Kono Vidovic, Roberto Rodriguez, Bill Brewster, Chris Read, Richard Earnshaw, Hot Toddy, Handson Family, Dj Pope, Robbie Akbal, Golf Clap, Marques Wyatt, Kiko Navarro, Mr Beatnick, Jamie Jones - Hot Creations, Marcia DaVinyl MC, Mikael Ikalainen/ Dj Lord Fatty, Ian Friday, Mr V, Mathieu Schreyer, Willie Graff, Makossa, Stuart Knight, Timo Maas, Bruce Tantum, Sean Brosnan (Futuredisco), DJ Harri, Vinny Da Vinci, Trevor McNamee, Roger Sanchez, and Dom Servini

PDD are excited to welcome the return of the legendary Winding Road Records. Originally launched in 2002 by Schmoov! and home to releases by cult artists such as Ron Basejam, Hot Toddy, both of Crazy P fame as well Vincenzo, Rhythm Plate, Spirit Catcher and not to mention Lovebirds and their monster hit, I Want You In My Soul. After a hiatus, the label is back with a bang and teaming up once again with Lovebirds for another classic EP.

The label say "Fresh from impressing with the pulsating techno of Boris Werner and the fuzzy live house jams of San Proper, Tom Trago's Voyage Direct label turns to a man who needs little introduction: Dutch legend and man of many pseudonyms Danny Wolfers.
Best known under his Legowelt alias, Wolfers has spent the last two decades flitting between strobe light acid house, 808 electro, fluorescent techno and shimmering space disco. Throughout, he's kept his productions pleasingly analogue-heavy, making great use of classic drum machines and vintage synthesizers. While his music may be steeped in the past, Wolfers' productions always sound like the future.

For this first outing on Voyage Direct, Wolfers resurrects the House of Jezebel alias - a pseudonym previously only used for the twinkling deep house warmth of 2010's 'Love & Happiness' - and delivers two tracks of synth-laden analogue house goodness.

'Back In Dogtown USA' sets the tone, as Wolfers layers rising chords, darting electronics and wide-eyed synthesizer melodies over a clattering analogue house groove. As with much of the legendary Dutch producer's work, the track ripples with rush-inducing melodic intent. It's the soundtrack to a party on Jupiter, and we're all invited.

Wolfers' ups the tempo dramatically on 'I Took A Train In 1979', transplanting us to the far reaches of our galaxy via jackin' techno drums, picturesque organ melodies, drifting chords and intoxicating pads. There are echoes of classic Detroit techno, surging Rotterdam electro and vintage cosmic disco, yet it doesn't really sound like any of these things. Like 'Back In Dogtown USA', 'I Took A Train In 1979' sounds like the past, reconfigured and rearranged for the consumption of future generations. In other words, it's a classic Wolfers production."

It's ten up for Ira James's so-far-so-superb Vessel Recordings Group label as the duo of Nonfiction and Kid Enigma step up for a fresh new single. 'Make It Look Good' is an instant house classic with all the key elements nailed: the drums are deep but driving, while the percussion adds texture and bite. And who better to add some further layers of house authenticity than the one and only Chicago don DJ Sneak. First up he goes raw and loop as you would expect, then dubs things out with his second offering. Another doozy from this imprint.

Since 2019, Amsterdam-based curator Pieter Jansen has used his yeyeh label as a vehicle for carefully considered (and sometimes unlikely) ‘first time’ collaborations between different experimental and avant-garde artists including Eversines, Carolina Eyck, Greetje Bijma and Oceanic. After pairing saxophonist/composer/producer Jerzy Maczyński with fellow Polish experimentalist Waclaw Zimpel on 2021 collaborative release Sariani (which was credited to Jerry&ThePelicanSystem in a nod to the former’s earlier album for Warner Music’s Polish Free Jazz series), yeyeh founder Pieter Jansen had an idea. That simple idea – getting Maczyński in the studio with Chicagoan DJ/producer Hieroglyphic Being – was the genesis of this record, the debut album by Universal Harmonies & Frequencies. In June 2022, Hieroglyphic Being flew to Amsterdam to spend five days improvising with Maczyński in a rented studio beneath Volkshotel, under the watchful eye of recording and mix engineer Rein De Sauvage Nolting, better known in electronic music circles for his work as RDS. During those sessions, 26 long, improvised compositions were recorded, with Maczyński contributing saxophones and electronic tools, and Hieroglyphic Being laying down synthesizer parts and vocals. These sessions were captured on film by VLF (Katarzyna Debska), who later created the artwork and visual language for this record release. Some days after the recording sessions, Sauvage Nolting – who had delivered artistic input during the improvisations – sat down with Jansen to select 13 pieces to put forward for the album and a loose conceptual framework. It was then that the hard work began. While a decision was taken to present some improvisations in full, most of what you will hear on Tune IN, as the album is titled, is based on fragments of improvisation. The resultant pieces were reconfigured, re-worked and re-produced by Maczyński and Sauvage Nolting over many months, and in discussion with Hieroglyphic Being. Maczyński added more layers of instrumentation, creating a “whole digital band of reed instruments” – a method he previously utilized on Sariani. What you hear when you play the record defies categorization. It is rooted in a specific moment in time and the spontaneity of musical improvisation – both Maczyński and Hieroglyphic Being are experienced improvisers, albeit with different musical instruments and tools – but also the product of extensive post-production and reflective re-shaping. It is not free-jazz, ambient, electronica, rhythmic cubism (as Hieroglyphic Being’s distinctive sound has previously been called), or avant-garde experimentalism, but something that combines all these musical approaches and more, with a sprinkling of far-sighted futurism mixed in. It is a magical and mystical meeting of musical minds that will pass the test of time in decades to come.

Sasha & Henry Saiz deliver evocative new single 'Love Is All You Need'

Henry Saiz and Sasha are two of electronic music’s most visionary figures, each renowned for blending emotional depth with cutting-edge production. Saiz is a DJ, producer, and live artist who crafts genre-defying soundscapes on his own Natura Sonoris as well as Sasha’s Last Night On Earth. His work resonates far beyond the dancefloor, much like that of Sasha, a pioneer with an enduring creative streak who continues to push boundaries, most recently through collaborations with forward-thinking producers like Artche, Jody Barr, and Joseph Ashworth. Together on this new single, the pair balance transportive grooves with meticulous synth work to perfection.

The wonderfully luminous 'Love Is All You Need' radiates breezy melodic charm while riding a light, uplifting rhythm that feels as airy and warm as the rush of a new romance. Shimmering, sun-kissed melodies evoke the glow of an outdoor Ibizan party with emotive female vocals drenched in reverb, adding a dreamy, blissful layer to round out this hazy and heartfelt electronic trip.

Arriving two years after the first chapter, Absurd Matter 2 isn’t just a sequel, it’s an evolution, redrawing the boundaries established by its acclaimed predecessor. The Berlin-based Italian producer tempers his confrontational sonics with rare moments of introspection, shifting seamlessly between blown-out noise, warped hip-hop, mutant club experimentation, and weightless ambience. Textures disintegrate and reassemble, rhythms flex and crumble, and every detail balances on the edge of fantasy. It’s a poetic, layered response to Nino Pedone’s changing physical reality: the gradual hearing loss and perceptual renegotiation triggered by Ménière’s disease, which struck him in 2022. At first, the experience felt like betrayal, a brutal disconnection from the very sense that had shaped his life. But over time, the disorientation turned into a strange kind of focus. The silence between sounds became as expressive as the sounds themselves.
The first Absurd Matter was a visceral reaction to trauma; the second is more reflective – an ambiguous chronicle of sensory recalibration. Pedone doesn’t represent his altered inner reality through extremes, but through depth, zooming in on illusory distortions, tense rhythmic fluctuations, and fragmented sonics. Dense, immersive, and mystical, the album mirrors Pedone’s evolving relationship with perception itself.
Tinnitus-like feedback wails and noir-ish strings introduce “Repeater”, making it immediately clear that Pedone is painting a more delicately finessed image this time around. Fleshed out by raps from cult MCs billy woods and E L U C I D, the track is marked by subtle, sophisticated contrasts: the blurred, inverted rhythms that couch Armand Hammer’s haunted back-and-forth, and the glitchy interference that offsets the lavish orchestral phrases. Backwoodz associate Fatboi Sharif lends his Lynchian drawl to “Bandage Chipped Wings”, grounding Pedone’s lysergic rhythmic distortions with syrupy, horror-inspired couplets. Pedone also invites discomfort into “Crash Landing”, with droning, metallic tones that contradict South Central rapper ICECOLDBISHOP’s elastic flow. “Bitch, I don't give a fuck about anybody,” he squawks over Pedone’s incongruous rasping textures and time-warped beats, “cash out at any party.” Working alongside London’s Loraine James on production, Pedone reunites with Moor Mother on “I Saw The Light”, blending James’ soft-focus atmospherics with soundsystem-damaging, overdriven bass hits and rusted percussive snips. Moor Mother’s assertive words hover over the wreckage, tightening Pedone’s themes of overstimulation and altered awareness as they stutter and veer off course, vanishing into the backdrop.
Contrasting his more pensive experiments, Pedone’s dancefloor deviations are more concentrated on Absurd Matter 2 than ever before. He torches a stuttering dembow structure on “X”, obfuscating the rhythm’s familiar energy with disturbing audio hallucinations. On “Splintered”, he reunites with Kenyan prodigy Slikback, mangling neon-lit trance arpeggios with dissociated trap rhythms. He sharpens his skills to a fine point on “Oblivion Step”, observing 2- step through a lens of distortion and personal abstraction, shaking blipping synth leads over neck-snapping drums and counteracting the momentum with airless sci-fi soundscapes.
Perhaps the album’s most surprising moment arrives with “Viel”, which features vocals from Los Angeles-based composer Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith. Together, Pedone and Smith chance upon their notion of dub techno, fogging synth stabs and ghostly vocal traces into eerie harmonic distortions. On some level, it’s almost pop music, a far cry from the bleak dissonance of Absurd Matter and a hopeful way to reframe turbulence as transformation. Absurd Matter 2 doesn’t simply document a process; it enacts one. It doesn’t offer clarity; it invites disorientation. It’s not a map of the labyrinth, but a foghorn piercing the darkness.

Blazing onto ICONYC for its 21st release, Swiss sonic alchemist Shiffer makes a striking debut with the magnetic All I’ve Been EP. Celebrated for his emotional finesse and innate ability to connect with unexplored corners, Shiffer’s latest creation, including a lucious collaboration with Paul Brenning and capped off by Jonathan Kaspar’s trademark rework, is a tantalizing suite designed to echo in our timeless halls.

The journey begins with Shiffer & Paul Brenning’s opening manifesto, “All I’ve Been”, a track that unfurls with both confidence and caution, as if self-aware from its very first beat. Mechanical whirs and fractured frames give way to low-end swells that drive forward with an unrelenting undertow. Brenning’s unmistakable vocals start to break a warmer ground as they linger in the liminal space between today and tomorrow before slowly growing in gravitas. Suddenly, the piece begins to contort, drawing spellbinding figures as arresting arrangements and melodic flourishes allow for decompression. Imbued with a tantalizing breakdown that amplifies their exquisite use of negative space, “All I’ve Been” is a fascinating and intimate take that feels as expansive as it ever could.

The follow-up, “Urban Legends”, takes a bolder stance. Anchored by heavy drum programming that carves its place with deliberate force, the track is haunted by ghostlike vocal fragments that lend an unsettling, cinematic edge.. Out from the left field, Shiffer deploys undulating synthetics that intertwine with consummate ease as they glide under the spotlight. An alluring act that treads unhurried and unconcerned, “Urban Legends” operates at its own pace, far from the demands of a world lost in the metropolitan hustle, allowing us to bask in a lore of things that might or might never have happened.

Closing the release, ICONYC calls upon Cologne innovator Jonathan Kaspar, who delivers a singular reinterpretation of “All I’ve Been”. Immersed in iridescent textures, Kaspar layers lush, swelling pads over pulsing low frequencies, their ebb and flow punctured by flashes of distortion that spark like electric currents.. Reflective and equally immersive, Jonathan Kaspar’s take on “All I’ve Been” pushes the collaboration into a brash new terrain while retaining the spiritual ethos intact