quête:a drive

After taking a deep dive into the dusty crates with Belgian & Dutch music, Harde Smart now unearths a smooth selection of jazzy, funky & soulful gems from their collected vinyl stash. All the music you hear, was recorded and produced during the 1970's, in either Flanders (the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) or Holland. Besides exquisite grooves and hard-pounding drums, the selected songs also have Dutch lyrics in common, making this a rather unique way to approach and compile lyric-driven Flemish and Dutch music from back in the days. Record collectors all over this language area seem to have neglected a considerable part of their own musical legacy for a few decades, while firmly searching for rare grooves and breaks in the bins with more exotic music.

Yet nothing is so certain as the unexpected. 'Flemish & Dutch grooves from the 70's' is the first 'Dutch' compilation album to uncover the genuine, Afro-American funk and soul vibe. A sound that - albeit infrequently - influenced the work of some of the popular and less popular singers and musicians in this small part of the world in the 70's. Although influences undoubtedly also derived from the French chanson and rock music from that era. This 21-track album smashes all musical predictability and takes you on a weird and nostalgic trip; offering a revised set of 'essential homegrown classics' for the local listener, yet also being very exciting to the ears of the non-Dutch speaking audience.

Recorded Between The Release Of Sand (1977) And Lost Secrets(1981), Symphonic Songs Is A Formerly Unreleased Work That Chronicles The Dynamic Shift And Development In Experimental Swedish Composer Ragnar Grippe's Canon.

Following His Seminal Release Sandin 1977, Swedish Experimental Composer Ragnar Grippe Worked On Various Art And Performance Commissions, Often Returning To Stockholm During The Summer Months To Focus His Efforts On His Compositional Practice. It Was There At The Famed Ems Studioswhere He Began Employing The Buchla Synthesizer And The Facilities Multi-tracking Capabilities As New Instruments To Map His Mining Of Sound And Movement.

During The Late 1970's, Grippe Formed A Creative Collaboration With Choreographer Susan Buirge, Specifically Writing Compositions For Her Works restes And tamis, Thus Pushing Grippe To Start Working In A More Intricate Studio Environment. These Passages Inspired Grippe Into A More Complex Layering Process That Focused More On Placement And Structure, Rather Than The Aural Floods And Flourishes Of His Previous Sand Album, Eventually Germinating In His First Full 24-track Composition Entitled orchestra.

After Debuting orchestra In 1980 At The Electronic Music Festival In Stockholm, Grippe Holed Up At Ems Studios With Those Lessons And The Fussy Buchla Synthesizer, In Which Grippe Affectionately Recalls needed To Be Tuned And Calibrated Every 20-30 Minutes. He Emerged With A New Commission For Susan Buirge Later Formally Titled Symphonic Songs And Used In Her Avant-garde Theater Piece ci-déla Which Debuted In Paris In 1981.symphonic Songsshowcased Grippe's Sound Au Courant, Pushing Dense Against Sparse, Calm Into Cacophonous, Using Each Track As Its Own Intersecting Plane. Using The Machinations Of Studio And Structure To Drive Symphonic Songs' Voice, Grippe Culled A Haunting, Often Cinematic Electronic Work That Dots And Darts Into Unexpected Corners With Curious Aplomb.

Listen To The Words, Both Terms Have Their Root In Classical Music, But Not In Its Form But Because Now I Had So Many More Stems Or Voices That Could Be Played Simultaneously Compared To My Earlier Pieces. Coming From A Classical Background, But With Big Nostrils For Pop And Jazz Music, I Can Now See A Thread In Which Classical Got A New Costume, Dressed Up In Buchla Synthesizer And Real Bass Sounds Grippe Says. Since Its Live Theater Debut Over 37 Years Ago, Dais Records Releases For The First Time Symphonic Songs, One Of Grippe's Most Ambitious Compositions, As A Deluxe Double Vinyl Lp (with Limited Edition Color Variants) And On Digital Formats. Artwork Packaging By Artist J.s. Aurelius (ascetic House) With Reflective Linear Notes By Ragnar Grippe.

After a brief wander 'round the garden, Chilean-born Ricardo Tobar returns to the ESP Institute bearing earthly delights. With 2017's Liturgia, he introduced his creative point-of-view—instantly substantiating a sense of rhythm that was deliberately complex yet slightly rough around the edges, while touching upon his musical origins from the guitar-driven corners of psychedelia— however with his debut 2xLP Continuidad, he leaves us gobsmacked and seeking shelter as he leaps from dancefloor comforts and descends into absolute chaos (in more ways than one). Emotionally, the artist has crossed all previously self-imposed and subconscious thresholds, putting his true imagination on display and exposing an unwavering attraction to all things loud, orgasmic and transcendent. He's not subtly hinting at a fetish, but opening his arms wide with conviction, abandoning genre taboos and personally inviting everyone to join his enchanted caravan. Sonically, his appetite for intensity is clear throughout—epic chord changes, ascending peaks in arrangement, accumulating layers of grit that build into impenetrable blankets of distortion and feedback—a kind of aural hedonism that translates visually into the potent video abstractions our Mario Hugo has summoned for the album's packaging. This might all sound like a warning for Hurricane Ricardo, but fear not, listeners will still find some security in the album's rhythmic underpinnings, and although this foray into primitive, ritualistic bang-the-drum percussion is significantly more dangerous than his previous programming, its the imperfection in his passionate studio performances that imbue Continuidad with something remarkably human.

Claremont 56's latest release is very much a family affair. It sees Idjut Boy Conrad McDonnell - a regular remixer of Claremont 56 releases since the label's inception - serve up two spaced-out, dub-wise revisions of a little known cut by Bison, the imprint's very own 'super-group'. The 12' has extra emotional resonance for Bison's Paul 'Mudd' Murphy and Ben Smith, as it marks the band's first release since the passing of fellow founder members Holger Czukay and Ursula Kloss.
Clutching his cherished space echo and tape delay units, McDonnell has delivered two tasty new dubs of 'Salmon Spungcake', a spacey, gently throbbing Bison cut that he co-wrote, produced and mixed for Claremont 56's 10th Anniversary box-set in 2017.
While the original version shied away from the dancefloor in favour of creating a hazy, horizontal mood, McDonnell's 'Zip It Shrimpy Mix' re-invents the cut as a hypnotic dub disco shaker rich in weighty bass, layered hand percussion, locked-in kick drums and spaced-out vocal snippets. In true dub fashion, flashes of the band's original instrumentation - effects-laden guitars, hazy electronics and meandering, deep space chords - float in and out of the mix at irregular intervals. It's the kind of remix you want to get lost in while wearily shuffling at 5am in a dark, sweaty basement.
The glassy-eyed, head-in-the-clouds fun continues on the 'I Think I've Got Gout Mix', an even more spaced-out affair that recalls some of the other inspired dancefloor dubs McDonnell has produced alongside Idjut Boys partner Dan Tyler. Stripped back, heavy, percussive and driven forward by sturdy kick-drums and the track's rich, warm bassline, this is a deep space dub disco tailor-made for space cadets and intoxicated sunrise dancers.

Swazi Gold have created a debut album that shimmers like the coast. There are six songs, two created by each member; through pure collaboration and participation. Swazi Gold are a true democracy.


Formed by the chief songwriters from Melbourne bands Crepes, Dreamin' Wild and Sagamore, this new band brings old friends together. Chris Jennings and Sam Cooper grew up in the Victorian coastal towns of Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove, while TimKarmouche was an inland man, hailing from Ballarat in the state's north-west

"We've been playing together for so long; in different mediums and in different bands. We've played our own key roles, but now we know what each other wants. Swazi Gold shows off our relationship from over the years, which is really cool," says guitarist and bassist Jennings.



Swazi Gold's other guitarist and bass player, Cooper, has a theory about the unifying power of their regional origins:

"It's this kind of small town thing where you strive to be different and creative. Because you're more isolated, you focus on your creativity and align yourself to similar people. I think growing up down the coast has meant I've continued to be drawn to people from other isolated places," he says.



It's this togetherness that's at the heart of Swazi Gold's debut album,Jehovah's Whispers.Recorded in a single weekend in 2017 at the Cooper's family home in Ocean Grove (affectionately termed the "Cooper Ranch")Jehovah's Whisperscaptures a musical intimacy and deep friendship between the three members.



"The bond with all the tracks on the album isn't necessarily lyrical, but it's 100% sonic. The simplicity of the instruments we use and the set-up we have is what's really rad," says Jennings.

"It's a fantasy of what we imagined Jehovah might be whispering in your ear," he adds, grinning.



Drawing from their collective love of African music, American funk, and quirky, melody-driven pop music, the album explores the space between conventional genres and styles of production.

"Using drum machines has made the song-writing process a lot quicker and opened up a whole new avenue stylistically.

As An Undisputed Heavyweight And One Of The Leading Figures Within The Electronic Music Scene, Icicle's Recognized As A Highly Respected Producer - Among Other Ventures Through Steaming Releases Via Hospital Records, Critical Music And Shogun Audio. Propelling His Technically Advanced Production Style Into The 140 Bpm Spectrum, It's A Sight To Behold As Dj Youngsta Reveals The Next Ace Up His Sleeve. The Uk-based Veteran Conveys His Awe-inspiring Take On Dubstep With Four Tracks On A Twelve-inch Platter - Vehemently Battle-tested As A Dubplate And Ready To Off At A Dance Floor Near You.

We Are Immersed In Dense, Granular Fog. 'raising The Dead' Begins The Ritual With Hypnotism And Anxious Unrest. Eerie Lead Melodies Lure Listeners Onwards As Relentless Percussion Takes Hold. Rigorously Increasing The Intensity With Mesmeric Style To The Ruthless Beat Of The Drums - Fragmented Vocals Flicker Through The Mist. As Ethereal Spheres Seem To Vacate, A Disturbed Melody Guides A Path Into The Low-frequency Behemoth That Is 'nt'. Driven By Its Intense Groove And Sonorous Sub-bass Emissions, The Erratic Lead Staccato Does The Rest To Keep Us Fiercely Bouncing To Icicle's Percussive Pulse.

As If It Could Get Any Hotter, We Flip To A Promising B-side Only To Be Proven Wrong Twice. Initiating The Ceremony With 'shout Me' - Haunting Female Choirs Entrance Amidst The Thunderous Sense Of Anticipation. Evolving From Intricate Breaks To Straight Shut-down Maneuvers Without Skipping A Beat. In A Final, Fulminant Outburst, 'noughties Riddim' Goes On To Wrap Up The Masterpiece In A Most Mischievous Fashion. Cutting Through The Noise, Profoundly Satisfying Mid-range Distortion Surges Flare Up In The Distance, While Continuous Pressure Continues To Evoke Cries For Rewinds.

A limited edition 7' release this time by Port Authority, DYANMITE CUTS give you a super fresh loud 45 cuts of this Monster Psycadelic horn driven funk jazz theme. With one of the best Drum breaks that gives you everything. 10/10
Including a wonderful re-production of the original sleeve x500

a t (Lena Platonos) is a Greek musician, pianist and music composer. Her third solo album, 'Lepidoptera' was produced in 1986 and reissued by Dark Entries in 2018. Inspired by a scientific book on butterflies she found in a trashcan one day, the compositions follow minimalistic motifs and carefully-staged soundscapes. Lena narrates each song in deadpan fashion, skillfully reciting her surreal Greek poetry.

We've recruited 4 contemporary Greek producers to remix their favorite tracks from 'Lepidoptera'. First up is 'Cyaniris' remixed by Anatolian Weapons who delivers an enchanted late-night journey through the New Wave forest. Next is 'Araschnia Levana' remixed by Pasiphae who speeds up the pace with machine driven melodic electro pulses. On the B-side we have June remixing 'Cyaniris' twirling the track into a complex deep sea dive with lush drum kicks and pads. Closing out the EP is a remix of 'a Gee´a ´ Aporia Maturna' by Morah who leads us to the underworld of Hades via sinister squelches and full-on apocalyptic rave breakdown. All songs have been mastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The jacket is a reinterpretation of the original 'Lepidoptera' cover, isolating the illustration of the butterfly/woman designed by Eloise Leigh.

Instrumental version of debut album from Andrew Hung Will appeal to fans of Fuck Buttons as the first instrumental, electronic and beat driven music by Andrew since 2015.

As co-founder of Fuck Buttons; the highly-influential electronic duo, Andrew Hung has toured extensively with headline shows at the Kentish Town Forum, Glastonbury and Greenman Festivals, been featured on the 2012 Olympics

opening ceremony and all three albums have featured as Best New Music on Pitchfork. His production work has included Zun Zun Egui’s “Shackles Gift” and co-writing/

co-producing the critically acclaimed “Kidsticks” by Beth Orton. In 2016 he soundtracked the multiple-award winning film “The Greasy Strangler”, and was

nominated for Best Soundtrack at the Empire Awards. In 2018 he soundtracked director Jim Hoskins’ follow up to “The Greasy Strangler”; “An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn” starring Aubrey Plaza and Jermaine Clement. His debut solo

album, ‘Realisationship’ was released via Lex Records in 2017.

Already having garnered support from the likes of Mixmag and other vital taste makers around the globe, Overdue's continued onslaught is led on by none other than the highly talented, US based artist Dalek One. Keeping the torch brightly lit, the eerie soundscapes and forward-minded arrangements, spellbound within the "Witchcraft EP" serve as a perfect follow-up and yet another example of superb quality.

Going straight for the flip-side, "Witchcraft" lunges straight into a tribal encantation of overdriven tape - rhythms like water luring you towards mammoth bass surges - ecstatically driven forward by bold drums and unparalleled groove. Swaths of low
frequencies hitting your every fibre alongside enthralling percussive movements - danger of high impact on sound systems guaranteed.

Lowering the needle on the other side, "Breakthrough" does literally that. As it sets off with a rainy storm - industrious drone and thunder - metallic clangs propelling us onward into what turns out to be an absolute destroyer, full-on armageddon kind of banger. Heavily overdriven bass surges kick some sense into you as the off-kilter drums and experimental switch-ups keep you yearning for more. Minimal sound system
music executed at its finest.

Finishing off this highly combustible collection of music, "Terror Strike" leaves no prisoners as its tribal atmosphere baits unsuspecting listeners into a low frequency rapture, showcasing Dalek One's intricate sound design once again.

Following 1 or 2 small run / mailorder lathe cuts, Polytechnic Youth follow it's hugely successful 'Popcorn Lung' label compilation LP, with it's first full length of the new year, and man... this one is just wonderful! A mighty record to kick off what promises to be another hugely productive, constantly busy year for the Crouch End based synth label.

PY often likes to quote the artist directly in it's press releases, and this one is no exception. Gabe's own words, more than adequately explaining the path leading to this killer set for 2019; 'It feels a little ridiculous to pretend that the person introducing you to Gabe Knox is some kind of bigwig press agent and not just Gabe Knox himself, so let me, Gabe Knox, tell you a little about myself in that hopes that you'll give my music a listen.

In 2014, after years of moderate success as a local musician and club DJ in Toronto, Canada, I looked at my collection of barely functioning analogue synths and drum machines and said to myself 'Instead of trying to unsuccessfully make music you think other people will like, why don't you make something that you'd actually want to listen to for once' I wanted to make music that had the drive shaft of Neu!, the punishing low end of King Tubby, the interleaved melodic lines of Vince Clarke, the melancholic, otherworldly whimsy of Raymond Scott and Delia Derbyshire, the hypnotic drone of Spacemen 3, and the analogue intimacy of Le Car. I wanted to bring the euphoria and hypnosis of dance music to the rock kids, and the energy and excitement of rock music to the dance kids.

This was going to be a tough sell in the clique-y Toronto music scene, so I figured the best way to get the music out there would be by recording when I can and self-releasing a steady stream of EPs online. They would all be a series, a snapshot of the evolution of that initial idea. ABC represents a compilation of the best songs of the first three EPs, subtly remixed and remastered to best suit vinyl. I hope you love listening to it as much as I loved making it.'

This really is a remarkable record. Displaying all the PY traits of icy cool blasts of minimal synth, motorik grooves, melodic pop via passing nods to early mute and sky records. Never before did label head Dom think he'd get the chance to namecheck 2 musical heroes from wildly differing poles -Vince Clarke and Spacemen 3- into one LP PR sheet, so he's understandably excited for this one's release!

250 copies on yellow wax in hand numbered, reverse board sleeves. Sure to go real quick....

Limited to 500 on gold vinyl WW!! Over two decades later, KRS One's debut solo album Return of the Boom Bap finally gets the reissue it deserves. Pressed for the first time on gold vinyl, this double LP not only includes a bonus 7' of Kenny Parker remixes, but also features the first-ever colour sleeve on a U.S. pressing. Stripping away the intricate production of the final Boogie Down Productions album, Sex and Violence, Return of the Boom Bap saw the already iconoclastic rapper return to the bare bones, gritty territory of his landmark masterpiece Criminal Minded. KRS-One's delivery, burned with a reinvigorated fury, spits out his rhymes with pummeling cadences and world-wise intelligence. Although the record isn't as focused on social activism and political protest as the latter Boogie Down albums, KRS-One never made his lyrics simplistic, nor did he turn his back on what could now be called prescient social commentary. The combination of raw beats and emotion-driven rhymes made Return of the Boom Bap a genuine comeback for KRS-One, one of the founding figures of modern hip-hop.

For the twelfth output of Invite's Choice Records, the label returns to doing VA releases again!

'Genetic Disorder' by Dark Quadrant opens the EP with a loopy, bass driven industrial track. The monotonous nature of the track makes it a perfect tool track for transition mixing. Biemsix continues on the A-side with a hypnotising synth and snappy hats and shakers. The 90's style present and short kickdrum is the main focal point in 'Hold On, Hold On'! Dold opens the B-side with a four-to-the-floor loop-techno track dubbed 'Cellar', which describes the smothery atmosphere of this track quite well. Mike Storm is put on closing duties and delivers a dusty track which completely revolves around mind-paralysing EFX accompanied by hard hitting drum machine sounds.

This album is the result of some musings on what drives us in life and how we come to terms with our place in the world. I wrote it around the time I was finishing my philosophy degree. I had also come to a point where I wanted to make music that was more personal, emotional and conceptual than before.

We are deficient creatures. Powerless and ignorant of reality as a whole, and unfortunately our characteristic existence makes us painfully aware of that. Reality is fundamentally hostile (or indifferent rather) and we are not well 'fit' to live in it. We try to deal with this through emotional means. We seek comfort for our deficiencies, a sense of purpose and belonging...

* Five years have passed since the first release of Nowadays Records.Launched with Fakear's signature (seen on Ninja Tune), the label founded by oOgo and Chomsky from La Fine Equipe has seen the growth of many projects such as Clément Bazin, Everydayz, Phazz (who produced for Travis Porter, did remixes for Soulection, Interscope and Mad Decent), Leska, Jumo and many others, all of them carried by the irreplaceable quartet of La Fine Equipe.

Five years during which Nowadays Records released 75 EPs and LPs, toured in and outside of France, and generated several hundred millions stream plays.With its heart in the right place, its eyes on the emerging scene and its ears open on the world, Nowadays built itself a singular and racy identity through the time. Fed by inspirations like Stone Throw, Ninja Tune or Warp, the label places itself as an ambassador of a fast growing scene, defending it through its shows, releases, and events like the two Boiler Room shows in Paris and London.Without sticking itself to a musical gender, Nowadays keeps on widening its horizons by working with foreign artists and mixing the inspirations through its releases, driven by its sound and visual trademarks and aesthetics.

In order to celebrate those five years spent defending as many projects as musical crushes they had, and to thank its community made of more than 150 000 followers around the world, Nowadays unveils the 'Nowadays V', double album with a digital and physical release on November 30th.Through this compilation, Nowadays gathers on one side the tracks that marked its history and, on the other side, unreleased tracks that sometimes lead to collaborations such as the one between Clément Bazin and Leska, or the one between Fakear and La Fine Equipe.

Based in Montreal before a recent move to Berlin, Ombossa appeared on DVS1's Mistress Recordings in 2015. Lately he has started his own imprint Zu:Hause with Akatana, and has collaborated with the latter on an album. The young and talented French producer is now set to have another EP released on Fracture in the early months of 2019. ZI brings you on a trippy ride that will drive dancefloors in a second state, it is tasteful techno, delicate yet powerful. On remix duty, Svreca in pure Semantica fashion goes darker and makes it more industrial for a perfect tool in the darkness of a warehouse, or a long and almost endless tunnel without any light.

Tachyon Audio 003 is the first release by label boss, Nick Payne. Spurn (A1) leads off the E.P. with hypnotic minimalist drums playfully twitching with a roaming bass-line in a sci-fi electro sound soup. Definitely a 3:00 a.m. melter.

The second track, xYyX (A2), offers classic drum kit sounds pounding down through ethereal fading pads. This muscular groove is sure to warm up any room.

Side B starts with a remix of xYyX (B1) by profound artist, Doubt, who brings his own distinct nature to the E.P. This mutation takes the original elements and brings them into a similar but all new realm, taking the listener down a driven, but esoteric path towards feet moving.

The second remix of XyyX (B2), by well-known Denver, CO, USA sound engineer and musician, Soundguy Josh, is a short broken- beat experimentation with strong drums leading the way to a dramatic climactic crescendo.

The last two audio offerings are open-source locked-groove National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) samples. The first, Kepler Star KIC7671081B (B3), is described by NASA as 'light curve waves to sound.' The second locked groove, Stardust Passing Comet Tempel 1 (B4), is an audio recording of a satellite passing through the tail of comet Tempel 1.

This March, the New York City-based imprint Absence Seizure will see its joint founders Abe Duque and Matuss join forces once more to deliver 'Seizure No. 11', following up on their recent collaborative effort 'Seizure No. 10' with another four tracks of soulful, stripped-down techno.

The EP begins in quintessential Duque fashion, running quirky and soulful melodies over a throbbing bassline and emotionally charged synths, whilst tying in the acid sounds that have been a staple of his music since his very earliest releases all the way back in 1993 as a regular in the New York wave of acid house and underground techno. '22 October' presents us with a progressive and skilfully executed cut, toning down some of the more muscular techno he sometimes produces in favour of a more freeform and chilled out vibe that layers funky synth melodies over bouncy rhythms and drawn-out sonic ambient textures.

The baton is then passed to Matuss for the remainder of the EP, beginning the journey straight off the bat with 'Between 4AM and Basement', beginning as an altogether more threatening number than the release's opener. The minimalism of the stripped-back beats instantly builds a dark atmosphere, creating a compelling flow through the track that opens up into a shuffling house-tinged beat and dreamy background soundscapes that carry you gently along for the ride.
The muted rhythms of 'Meet You at the Back Door' morph and skip around from one beat to the next to forge a jumpy and infectious musical trip that will instantly catch you up in its driven grooves. The EP's finale 'Moon Guardian' then opts for a different tack entirely, starting out with a confident, breaky beat and adding layer upon layer until the track reaches an exhilaratingly multifaceted climax. Unsettling cosmic ambience, distorted vocal samples, crescendos of noise and the ongoing and constantly evolving beats are brought to a perfect balance in this track, bringing the EP to a mysterious and gripping conclusion.

This is the first release of Original tracks from 12tree's new label, Hot Piroski. Produced and recorded by 12Tree at his studio in Barcelona.

The label is a boisterous mix of Space Disco, Deep Funk edits and Balearic Beats.

Hot Piroski Hp001features :
'Lazers' - A warm melodic electronic opening layered with with analogue Delay morphs into a deep house bassline driven groover.
'Gamma Ray' - A Deep dark Disco workout for fans of Todd Terje and Disco Bloodbath..
'Swamp Love' - Cajun Voodoo vibes on a Ninja Tune tip
With support from
* Pete herbert,
* Chris Todd/Crazy P
* Ursula 1000
* Agoria
After mixing and releasing tracks with disco dons Pete Herbert, Payfone, Tim 'Love' Lee, Phil Mison, Richard Fearless, and Balearic legends Jose Padilla and Bubble Club, this is the first Original release on 12Tree's own imprint. Enjoy!

Command Strange delivers his highly anticipated LP on Fokuz Recordings. A 12" to enjoy if you're into the more Jazzy and atmospheric sounds of Drum and Bass. With piano driven melodies and stunning pads this is a deep yet melodic record to enjoy as well in a club as at home. All and all it's a well balanced record and no doubt this will be a highly wanted record.