The two collaborators, known separately for contemporary electronic music & free clarinet experimentations team up to create the delirious trip, Footfalls.
Two scenes are presented here, seemingly taken from different sides of the same desolated seaside setting, loosly inspired by poet and novalist T.S Elliot and Samuel Becket. In Towards the Door, Gareth Davis´ bass clarinet breathes slow, wave-like tones that merge with the oft-rythmic electronic textures from his counterpart. A third of the way in, Robin Rimbaud´s synth erupts into a Blade Runner-esque epic harmonic section that disappears as suddenly as it arrives - leaving ripples of oscillation in its wake, slowly unfolding into the sound of waves, as it arrives back where it begun : as a full circle, drawn in echo´s of sound.
Smokefall begins with the words „Invisible choirs“, subtly spoken by a woman’s voice among a blurred distant conversation, as textural sound effects creep forwards to the point where a slow progressing but steady LFO rhythm enters. Water, metal & smoke are absorbed into a creeping tribal passage, acompanied by long clarinet tones. The piece expands further and further into a state of ecstatic harmonic noise that fulfills all parts of your body – if played loud. Both artists from here on move into full on crushing electronics, all while Rimbaud´s Kilpatrick Phenol synth drives the background with its pulses and repetative bassline. The piece has an ellipse like rotation that makes one feel a sort of blissful vertigo that reverberates in your mind after the piece has ended.
Footfalls is an euphoric trip from two artists that – although prolific - manages to arrive at the perfect meeting point to deliver two hard to shake pieces of dizzying electro-acoustic perfection.
quête:a perfect circle
E-Missions co-founder P.Leone returns to Radio Slaves’ Rekids Special Projects dropping four high grade techno cuts. Known for releasing on labels such as Work Them Records and his own co-run E-Missions, P.Leone has firmly become of the most exciting artists within the inner circles of driving underground music. The Berlin-based American artist and Radio Slave collaborator is now welcomed back to Rekids, bringing his versatile sound that encompasses dark techno and groove driven house. 'Beyond Me' opens with eerie warehouse glitches, cavernous drums that ring out into a huge open space while unsettling pads and textures grab your attention, 'Hard to Find' is a rugged, relentless cut with perfectly forward moving rhythm with detailed edgy synths that keep you in suspense. 'Lenox' continues the energy with distorted drums, hitting hard beneath a blistering groove, 'The Genes is of A Flower' then takes control as an atmospheric track with structural synths.
Max Duke's first LP “My Sins” is a journey between house and Techno via electronica, with a unique french house touch that forms an unusual and cohesive debut album. It’s the sound of the musical universe and the influences that have taken hold of the french artist. The album unfolds over the course of 11 tracks, each piece serving as a building block and the result of many months of Max’s work. It is the product of experimenting in the studio, seizing the mood of the moment and reflecting on life experiences. Each song has its own story and helps to complete and close the circle of this captivating musical journey. Guitar, piano and synths are his words in the story; the channel that perfectly transmits all the emotions and feelings bottled up in the album. The range of moods, tempos, impressions, sounds and rhythms oscillates between
downtempo and techno with hints of breaks and house.
Straight up dancefloor cuts like “Almost Done”, “Echoes” and title track “My Sins” rub shoulders with the closed-eye mind wandering soundtrack of “Covered”. “A New Reality” emerges as a tribute to 90s trance. The two sections of “Characters” explore an instrumental middle ground between almost orchestral and minimalism. “My Sins” is the work of an artist in constant movement and evolution who opens the door to his unique world in full. The album will be released 30th September on Redlight Music.
Patience began as bedroom synth project for songwriter Roxanne Clifford after the break up of her acclaimed indie pop band Veronica Falls. Born out of a desire to experiment with a new sound and analogue synthesizers, the project has since grown to become an all-encompassing persona and serves as the main vehicle for the full emotional spectrum always latent in Clifford’s songwriting. From her first long-sold-out 7” singles on Night School, her knack for melodic hooks and oblique emotional stances already contained a glistening sheen of promise. ‘Dizzy Spells’ serves as an intimate portrait of Clifford’s creative adventure, almost diaristic, conceived and recorded in her home studio, as well as with collaborators Todd Edwards (Daft Punk/Uk Garage fame), Lewis Cook (Free Love/Happy Meals) and engineer Misha Hering (Virginia Wing). Dizzy Spells delivers a debut album that twists Clifford’s songwriting into new shapes and ecstasies. The album dances around melancholy, thrown to the floor like a bad dream to be circled, emerging bright-eyed into the early morning full of hope. The Girls Are Chewing Gum (produced by Todd Edwards) bursts open Dizzy Spells like fresh fruit: sweet and rich with a synth-bass line beamed down from Chicago House heaven. Exquisitely sung by Clifford, it’s a wonderful, funky, instant-classic hinting at sexuality and memories dredged from our bodies’ secrets. The bouncy production expertly renders the addictive power of our ephemeral pleasures. Living Things Don’t Last chases themes of longing and loss, opening up into a life affirming chorus that sings of transience, the passing of time and railing against inertia. It’s the perfect example of a song formula that Roxanne Clifford has almost patented: simple and cutting straight to the point. There are shades of Strawberry Switchblade or French synth pop pioneer Jacno in the happy/sad dichotomy and it is all the better for it. Dizzy Spells features all three long-sold out singles, embedded in the full depth of Patience’s soundworld they fit like pieces of a puzzle. White Of An Eye, The Church and The Pressure—all recorded in Clifford’s former home of Glasgow—crackle with razor sharp melodies and dancefloor-ready dynamics. There are exciting additions to Patience’s sonic palette, brought into sharp relief on Voices In The Sand. In this song, a plaintive Clifford enunciates a heart-torn plea to the antagonist, a mournful cascade of synths and haunting vocals evocative of AC Marias, a sepia-toned ode to anxiety, “a storm is on the way”. On No Roses, a Vince Clarkesque production belies a sunburnt sadness. Clifford defiantly sings “you would go out tonight, but there’s nowhere you like,” describing a disenchantment with her adopted city of Los Angeles, she longs for home in a singular refrain “No roses… no roses for us.” An ode to English folk singer Shirley Collins, a surprising yet innate influence throughout Clifford’s work. On Moral Damage, former Veronica Falls bandmate Marion Herbain joins Clifford on an anglo-french duet that feels instant and spontaneous, a cutting comment on emotional accountability. More than a vehicle for Roxanne Clifford’s songwriting prowess, Patience is holding our hand through the night, dancing with tears in our eyes, dizzy and spellbound.
* Remix Records third new EP is an absolute banger. Alexander Norman faces off against rave legend Whizzkid and comes up with 4 stunningly beautiful, yet perfectly heavy hardcore classics. Leaning into the early years, 1991 and 1992, these full on anthems are guaranteed to do the deed. Not to be missed….
Club / DJ Support
Billy Bunter, the Fat Controller, Glowkid, Slipmatt, Dj Jedi, Dj Luna-C, Dj Brisk, Clayfighter, Jimni Cricket, Bustin, Sc@r, Doughboy, Saiyan, Dave Skywalker, Ponder and many others
French modern-classical quartet astrïd return on May 10th with the first part of a new release entitled A Porthole.
Conceptually the two records work in unison, focusing on portholes into the abyss, with part one delving into the depths of the deep sea. The tracks are named after various strains of seaweed, the artwork depicting dark waves and uncertainty. Part two will follow in a years time and will turn its attention to the night sky and constellations.
A Porthole continues astrïd’s signature style of billowing guitars, strings and woodwind. Each element intertwined with another, linked perfectly together through restrained jazz-tinged percussion. 2017’s highly-acclaimed release ‘Through the Sparkle’ with renowned pianist Rachel Grimes (of Rachels) set the bar extremely high for this release but astrïd have matched the depth, melody and quality of that record here.
Part one of this journey features some sublime compositions with Cyril Secq’s expressive and bold guitar playing carrying the pieces into chamber music territory, joined seamlessly by a variety of other instruments that swell and soar and fit perfectly into the story being told. Everything seems to have its place, nothing is overplayed or out of step here, there is an organic nature to the way this quartet plays and interacts with one another as melodies circle back and fade away in the same beautiful breath.
A Porthole is a deeply charming record, exercising glorious, nuanced refrain and offering a sort of hope rarely found in music these days.
• Aqua blue vinyl - limited to 300 copies w/ download code
• The album was mastered by Harris Newman (Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Tindersticks etc)
• The artwork is extracted from an original one of a kind monotype print by Gizeh overlord Richard Knox.
Emotional Rescue announces the second EP of music from one of the label's favourites as part of a non-defined series where two of their (un)classic songs are remastered, reappraised and reinterpreted with new versions by a contemporary artist for reinterpretation today.
Thomas Leer is a respected and revered musician in both experimental and electronic circles. Having moved from Scotland to London in the late 70s, he moved away from playing in punk based bands, to debut his self-financed 'Private Planes' 7" in 1978, before releasing the cult-album 'The Bridge', with Robert Rental, the following year.
Signing to Cherry Red, he released the heralded '4 Movements' in 1981 and followed with 'All About You' in 1982, and it is from these 2 EPs that this release is sourced. The release starts with Saving Grace from the latter, a long famous "Cosmic classic"; it's mid-tempo, spacey, lifting repetition is the perfect soundtrack for those Baldelli trips straight to the stars.
This is backed with Tight As A Drum, a quintessential Leer production, where Teutonic drums is overlaid with sequencers and synth tones to elevate the song to some kind of disorientating outer-dimensional dub, while his lucid, spoken word vocals instill degradation and reinvention.
Asking Bullion to offer his own take on these two songs was the perfect pairing. A revered artist in his own time, the warmth and depth of his versions takes the originals to his own inner world; sampling, rewiring, reprogramming, resigning and replaying. An EP for the floor, the head and the heart.
A mythical and misplaced masterpiece of lost soft rock and acidic folk funk by a one-hit wonderer lost in the wilderness for four decades. From the producer of Margo Guryan, writer behind Wool, Gerry Mulligan collaborator, Tarantino soundtracker and Wendy & Bonnie confidant, Paint A Lady now emerges from folkloric obscurity, to bring a wash of soft psychedelic colour to your vinyl collection and quench the repeat requests of a thirsty new found audience waiting for the rain.
Within certain record collecting circles, especially those who gather under the umbrella that covers fragile niches like 'acid folk' and 'soft rock', it's difficult to imagine a time when the legendary Susan Christie album didn't exist. When Finders Keepers Records first shared the unheard 60's songs like Paint A Lady, For The Love Of A Soldier and Echoes In Your Mind with a wide-eyed audience thirsty for organic soul and festival friendly acoustic funk, Susan's new found fan base instantly felt like they had known these songs all of their lives, and with a single needle drop we saw the birth of what could rightfully be described as an 'instant classic'. Which is why it's hard to believe that the music on this lost 60s acetate was only pressed 12 years ago. As our lucky seventh release in an international discography that now surpasses the 100 mark (and one of a small clutch of English language recordings on the label) Paint A Lady has slowly become one of our most requested re-releases, and with this 2018 edition it is technically accurate to say that this pressing is the first-ever reissue of this elusive and essential LP.
The oft over used term mythical applies to this album on many levels. Perhaps it's the woozy nostalgia found within the pop craft of Paint A Lady that has led to false rumours that original 1960's copies used to exist on the collectors market, or the bizarre claim that songs like the head-nodding title track, and the acid-drenched sound effects on Yesterday Where's My Mind were just a product of a contemporary studio band trying to create a fake folk funk red herring. As a result Susan Christie and her producer and husband of 40 years, John Hill have happily taken the repeat phrase 'unbelievable' as a compliment to their songwriting skills and foresight. In all fairness, with a decade to ponder, the original 1969 song titles alone do seem custom-built for the nostalgia market... No One Can Hear You Cry might lament the unrequited yearning for a record deal which never quite followed Susan's won one-hit wonder novelty hit I Love Onions; similarly When Love Comes might allude to the subsequent 35 year wait for the right label to eventually come along. Echoes In Your Mind and the aforementioned Yesterday... could easily allude to the haunting melodies that sat in the can on John Hill's studio shelf while his projects for Margo Guryan, Wool and Pacific Gas & Electric sat proudly in record racks before benefitting successful French cover versions or making their way on to Quentin Tarantino soundtracks. The track Paint A lady itself, complete with it's future-proofed sample-worthy rhythm section, seems like the perfect title for a mock rock pseudo psych contender - at which point you eventually step back and see the bigger picture. These guys were simply one drop too far ahead of their time; a family force of experimental pop perfection that late 60's America simply wasn't ready for. It is just over 12 years since champion record rustler Keith D'Arcy (who you'll meet on the inside sleeve) stumbled upon one of the original acetates that led to the final release of Paint A Lady, and it's almost a longer 50 years since Susan and John added their final touches to these recordings which tragically went into hibernation for over four decades.
Whether this album has been on your wish-list for what seems like a lifetime, or you are taking a plunge into this deep puddle for the first time, when the needle drops on the first track you'll find that Susan Christie, John Hill and Finders Keepers have been saving up for a very rainy day.
2018 played host to a bumper crop of sounds from some of Philly's grittiest, including Great Circles mainstays M//R and Chaperone. To close out the year that was, we are pleased to present Heckadecimal's 'Murder Tape.'
A Minneapolis-based producer and acid auteur, Heckadecimal has been a fixture within the vibrant Midwestern electronic music community for nearly 20 years. Founder of the legendary 'Anti-human' events and co-curator of the ever-prolific Always Human Tapes imprint - alongside Ryan Wurst and Peter Lansky - Heckadecimal's reputation is one of unrelenting creativity and tireless advocacy for sonic experimentation. His work has found its way to light via a slew of pseudonyms and stage monikers, including The Worm, noface and Wonder Sirens.
In short - Heckadecimal lives and breathes the sonic matter that he leaves pouring out of studio monitors, busted bar systems and finely tuned rave stacks, wherever his travels take him.
Live performance lies at the core of Heckadecimal's practice. When he stormed through Inciting HQ in Philly earlier this summer, he took command over an arsenal of hardware that reminded us of how Octave One or Shawn Rudiman might show up. These were machines that he had lived with; touched with custom modifications, hand-drawn stickers and pockmarks incurred in battle, one got the sense that the gear was a personal extension of the artist.
Perhaps it's a bit maudlin, but we feel a certain kinship with this project. Indeed, these tracks at times feel very much of a piece with the gnarled tonalities in which our stable typically traffics; all low-slung riddims that reach at equal lengths towards mutated IDM aesthetics and post-Packard Plant techno extrusions. These are future perfect grooves that glide along under the vast Midwestern sky, providing a fertile communication conduit with the City of Brotherly Love.
Give thanks for acid. Great Circles will see you in the New Year..
The Brothers Jonathan And Ferdinand Bockelmann Aka Glaskin ... The kellerkinder' Who Are Taking Care Of The schall Im Schilf' & back To The Woods Festival' Form Together The Duo Glaskin. In Recent Months, A Lot Has Happened To Them, They Have E.g. With Esacpe Velocity Released Her Debut Ep And Another 2 More On Hotflush. tymewriter' Is Carried By A Broken Beat Over Which Gloomy Surfaces Overlap. Just Fat !!
Simon D And Pluto Produce Together As Preset. With club Sub' They Deliver A Dirty Techno-breakbeat Board That Does Not Look The Same. Techno Smasher !!
Blitz Resident & Lighthouse Festival Booker Leo Küchler Aka vince' Made His Vinyl Debut With namechanger'. He Does Justice To His Style As A Dj With This Housig-playful Number In Each Case.
Phillip Von Bergmann Is Rote Sonne Resident And Firmly In The Circle Of Friends Of Ilian Tape, Maurice Paloni Runs The Label Alden. The Result Of Their Collaboration Is A Breaker Club Track, Perfect For Building Tension.
2018 played host to a bumper crop of sounds from some of Philly's grittiest, including Great Circles mainstays M//R and Chaperone. To close out the year that was, we are pleased to present Heckadecimal's 'Murder Tape.'
A Minneapolis-based producer and acid auteur, Heckadecimal has been a fixture within the vibrant Midwestern electronic music community for nearly 20 years. Founder of the legendary 'Anti-human' events and co-curator of the ever-prolific Always Human Tapes imprint - alongside Ryan Wurst and Peter Lansky - Heckadecimal's reputation is one of unrelenting creativity and tireless advocacy for sonic experimentation. His work has found its way to light via a slew of pseudonyms and stage monikers, including The Worm, noface and Wonder Sirens.
In short - Heckadecimal lives and breathes the sonic matter that he leaves pouring out of studio monitors, busted bar systems and finely tuned rave stacks, wherever his travels take him.
Live performance lies at the core of Heckadecimal's practice. When he stormed through Inciting HQ in Philly earlier this summer, he took command over an arsenal of hardware that reminded us of how Octave One or Shawn Rudiman might show up. These were machines that he had lived with; touched with custom modifications, hand-drawn stickers and pockmarks incurred in battle, one got the sense that the gear was a personal extension of the artist.
Perhaps it's a bit maudlin, but we feel a certain kinship with this project. Indeed, these tracks at times feel very much of a piece with the gnarled tonalities in which our stable typically traffics; all low-slung riddims that reach at equal lengths towards mutated IDM aesthetics and post-Packard Plant techno extrusions. These are future perfect grooves that glide along under the vast Midwestern sky, providing a fertile communication conduit with the City of Brotherly Love.
Give thanks for acid. Great Circles will see you in the New Year..
LP,180, 2018 REISSUE - REMASTERED FROM ORIGINAL TAPES, CAREFULLY REPRODUCED ORIGINAL ART
Alan Hawkshaw (piano/Hammond) and Shadow's drummer Brian Bennett are responsible for some of the slickest, funkiest and most sought-after library records ever made in the UK, particularly ones recorded on the legendary KPM label. Their work has now become the go-to place for sampling in music today.
Artists such as Dilla, Nas, and the xx, right through to the billion selling Kanye & Drake have taken Hawkshaw's and Bennett's immaculate beat-driven soundscapes for their own usage.
Their new album, in full, iconic KPM cover is a return to the laidback jazz-funk that helped Alan and Brian demonstrate their library chops. The album is classic Hawkshaw/Bennett. It swings, it grooves, moves and thrills with a fair these two have perfected over years.
Standout tracks such as "Hole In One", "In The Clouds", "Interchange", "Oasis", "On The Nile" and "Corcovado" are no mere excursions in nostalgia, for they carrylots of deft studio work that many a producer would give their right arm for.
Hawkshaw's arrangements allow the drums, guitar, bass, strings, Hammond, fute and brass to swirl elegantly around the 12 original tracks; a masterclass in recording.
Cut by Pete Norman, housed in a beautifully designed Richard Robinson sleeve and pressed at 180g by Record Industry in Holland, this release has been aforded the care and attention it rightly deserves. Essential.
Hot on the heels of Rapid Eye Movement's journey of discovery and growth comes the EP 'Split: Remixes' featuring reworks of the quartet of cuts originally signed by label founders Memorial Home and VII Circle.
Invited to apply their own reflections onto the material are rising producers Nur Jaber and Wrong Assessment as well as renowned artists on the underground experimental scene Edit Select and Reggy Van Oers.
First up is Nur Jaber's take on VII Circle's 'Metaphysical Functions' showing how the young Berlin-based Lebanese artist is as much inspired on remix duties than in crafting her already much acclaimed productions. The perfect mixture of dark and intense driving techno beat with haunting ambient-driven melodic motifs and dramatic breakdowns encompasses much of what her sophisticated sense of sonic exploration is about.
Up next on a heavier kicking note is 'Dogma' refashioned by Milanese fellow Wrong Assessment who transmits his vision of both minimal and hard pounding techno by merging a strait rugged beat with undulating synth lines and bouncy cymbals that will drive the audience to an insane rave-spirited dance floor venture.
Following the path, Tony Scott a.k.a Edit Select's interpretation of Memorial Home's 'Second Floor' is a clear example of the unique and forward-thinking sound that the Scottish techno scene 'veteran' has developed throughout the years. Deftly combining a tension-building drum and bassline work with layers of hypnotic synth textures that makes the track both suggestive and trippy-hitting in equal measure.
Concluding the journey is Reggy Van Oers (RVO)'s rework of Memorial Home's 'Ampere' which evinces this quest for organic and mental techno soundscapes inspired by classical and cinematic music, characterising the both complex and powerful crafting signature of Dutch Telemorph label's owner.
Between dark shadows and brightness, REM confirms with this new release that quality and free-minded artistry are the key pillars of the platform's curation philosophy.
Domesica's collaboration with Dutch label Tope Tape, originally founded in the mid-80s by Menko Konings and recently reborn, allowed them to reissue the mythical S.M Nurse album-cassette.
And now - here is their first vinyl release: Boyz In Parx 'Passion', a selection of lovely never-released tracks by this mysterious Amsterdam act, active from 1983 to 1993, with the line-up of Peter van Garderen, founder of the legendary Nine Circles, and Robby Horsfall (†2013), also known from No Honey From These e.g.
'Garage bands suddenly obtain cult status and become the antithesis of their initial appeal'
Garage Class were a group of reluctant outliers who produced one of the finest contributions to the wave of UK DIY music that emerged during the late 70s and early to mid-80s.
Hailing from Alsager in North West England and comprised of Tim Shutt (vocals) Phil Murphy (lead guitar) Clive Williams (guitar) Lynne Sanders (bass) and Phil Bourne (drums / bass on studio recordings) Garage Class originally went by the name of The Pits before their then manager Steve Hurt imposed an alias which, though unpopular within their ranks, would nevertheless reflect the shambolic art they would eventually capture on their first and only single.
As The Pits the group offered a loutish inflection on glam-punk flamboyance, evoking Johnny Thunder hitting the north and remaining disowned yet undeterred in a dreary old boozer. But as Garage Class the group distilled a roughcast and homespun primitivism that felt quintessentially their own. In this they proved too unruly to be assimilated into any wider scene. Early gigs descended into acrimony and recognition proved elusive. Yet what they managed to make back then now sounds like an extraordinary article of underdog ambition.
Released in 1984, four years after it was originally recorded, the Terminal Tokyo single is an unlikely triumph of exceptional messthetic punk. Though raw and unpolished the songs here are precariously pop-minded and indisputably anthemic. The titular A-side reveals the dry and detached drawl of Shutt aka The Subliminal Kid, a sharp, jaded and poetic voice that has some of the most iconic lines never heard in punk. Accompanied by second-hand guitars, on-the-fly handclaps and a chorus like a terrace chant this is the cult hit that never was, a heroically artless masterpiece that has all the ragged character and misfit euphoria of Swell Maps and The Buzzcocks if they were more impulsive and boisterous, and left to their own devices in the remote margins of a Cheshire town. The original B-side is here substituted for I Got Standards, a track that, until now, has somehow remained unreleased. An ideal twin to Terminal Tokyo there's the same brusque and dog-eared quality to the band's delivery, as well as the same upfront emphasis on strong hooks and insistent momentum. Yet again, Shutt is on impeccable form, perfecting an inflated, adolescent antagonism that has all the sardonic, malcontented charm of similarly 'shirty' buggers like Dan Treacy (Television Personalities), Patrik Fitzgerald and Mark Perry (Alternative TV).
Although never accepted in their own time both tracks represent a brief but inspired moment of fervent imperfection, one that epitomized the best of a diffuse and autonomous underground movement spearheaded by The Desperate Bicycles and built upon by the likes of Amos & Sara, The Homosexuals, The Cleaners From Venus and Family Fodder. Like them Garage Class were situated at a point where punk, art, humour and a sense of stubborn independence all intersected.
In the years since Terminal Tokyo has accumulated a retrospective appeal among certain trusted circles, with Jon Dale celebrating the single in his exhaustive and essential Story of UK DIY for Fact Magazine, and original copies regularly changing hands for a foolish forty quid or so. With this inaugural release on the Outer Reaches label Terminal Tokyo is not only restored for the very first time but given a worthy expansion courtesy of JD Twitch (Optimo).
Continuing his own fascination with the fringe history of UK DIY - documented on his own outstanding compilation Cease & Desist: DIY! (Cult Classics From The Post Punk Era 1978-1982) and in his re-edits of Crass Records classics for an early release on RVNG INTL - Twitch reinterprets I Got Standards as an incisive, dubwise outing that pictures Jaki Liebezeit and Muslimgauze on a bender in England's provinces, tasked with remixing the raw product of local punks. A new slant on Garage Class' crude magnificence, built to play loud on contemporary soundsystems.
Although the latter part of 1980 spelled the end for Garage Class with members moving on to other projects (Bourne fell in with The Colours Out of Time, Murphy went on to front The Regular Guys and Shutt eventually left to form Happy Refugees) this reissue attempts to give their fleeting time together and the unique single statement they made the treatment it deserves. If this means Garage Class have obtained cult status, their initial appeal remains. Just listen for yourself.
Psychoskunk are back a new vinyl series of Error Etica This first Section Roots serie included are 3 original tracks of the label's owner Victor Martinez (Error Etica) and special rmx by R2pi.
R2pi is a eight-hands project born from the organic fusion of three Italian techno projects Retina.it (Nicola Buono and Lino Monaco), Prg/M (Pier Giuseppe Mariconda) and Ruhig (Luigi Cicchella).
This new project is a triangulation of three Parthenopean energetic elements that through several different paths have decided to build a perfect "quadrature of the circle", a holistic ensemble where their souls are still distinguishable though.
The music on this EP was conceived in China, between 1989 and 1993. The original tracks were mixed to DAT in real time, in a small neighbour-proof studio inside my apartment in Macau, a 19th floor with a view to the hurricanes. There's a small, unexpected or improbable story behind each track, some little magic fused with the local atmosphere, certainly guaranteeing their lasting authenticity 25 years later.
TAIPEI DISCO
Late 80s Guangzhou was an exotic city where the traditional past coexisted in harmony with the present and even already with the future.
I'd rather spend my weekends in Guangzhou than diving into Hong Kong consumerism - as most ex-pats in Macau did. I took a cab at the border and travelled 150 Km through chaotic roads with family and friends until reaching the hot, humid, mega South China metropolis.
We ate on street joints in the evenings, went on to a karaoke bar and ended up at Taipei Disco, the only proper club in town. All the others were inside hotels and played generic music or they were seedy, sleazy, smoky cabarets.
Taipei Disco used to be a cinema and played cantonese pop music and anglo-saxon pop/rock (that was new). The spacious dance floor was generously lighted, the atmosphere was airy and modern. Boys and girls were in the habit of dancing in pairs, one in front of the other, observing a respectful yet sensual distance. When the girl took a few steps back, the boy went along and vice versa. With legs and feet (more than the upper bodies) synchronized with the music, they never exceeded in extroversion. Cool.
I always carried a MicroComposer and a portable DAT recorder in my travels through China and weekends in Canton. Any spontaneous musical idea was imediately recorded and memorized. The MicroComposer allowed multitrack recording, which was very handy on the road. Based on the emphatic choreography of Taipei Disco's dancers, i started to compose a rhythm track while sitting at a table, with headphones, listening to Cantopop in the background. As if by magic - not a rare occasion in music - everything began fitting together. Odd as it may seem, the track ended up sounding more germanic (Kraftwerkian) than Cantonese pop.
The story ends in a circle: the cantonese DJ at Taipei Disco, whom i used to ask to play certain records, wanted to play my music at the disco when it was basically only just a rhythm track and little else. From a cupboard under his set up he took out a battered keyboard (unrecognizable brand) and invited me to play over the track with the available sounds on the keyboard. The circle was complete, with Cantonese clubbers happily dancing forwards and backwards, as if it were another Cantopop hit.
I didn't get payed but the house offered us free ice cream cups in which little Portuguese flags were sticked.
The track would be finished later, in studio, with vocoder strings ensemble and synth solos.
TAIPEI DISCO (LIVE)
The live version of 'Taipei Disco' was recorded during a live set at the China Pop venue, in Macau, 1993. China Pop was a rock club built in the ample space of an old fishing warehouse, located in the labyrinthic Inner Harbour area. It was decorated with large Mao Zedong and Cultural Revolution posters and memorabilia and had a unique atmosphere, fusing Pop Art with film noir. We began our performance at 1AM, pretty early for Macau's nightlife standards. We were lucky. An audience showed up. And in Macau there were always several friends among the audience, which tranformed a musical performance into a relaxed party.
The atmosphere was particularly surreal on that night. The front row was dominated by French Crazy Horse dancers, a sort of Oriental Moulin Rouge. The girls had finished their last performance of the evening at the Crazy Horse and were still energized from their show. During our performance, right in front of us and perfectly synched, we could hear the famous irreverent screams of can-can dancers. You always had to expect the unexpected in Macau.
RED MAMBO (IMPROMPTU)
I was familiar with the Portuguese-speaking African countries well before having lived in China. I found myself returning several times to one in particular, always attracted by its magic and very distinct, identitary culture and music: Cape Verde.
During the early years of DWART a lot of the inspiration for drum machine rhythms (Roland's TR series) came from African music, especially from new musical trends that gained full autonomy with Cape Verde's independence from Portugal, as was the case with funaná.
I had the privilege of having known and befriended some of the greatest Capeverdian composers, musicians and singers during the 70s and 80s, such as Bana, Luís Morais, Cesária Évora, Paulino Vieira, Chico Serra, Tito Paris, and historical bands such as Bulimundo (ambassadors of funaná) and Os Tubarões (great innovators of morna, coladera and funaná, with the sonic impact of an afro-beat big band).
When Luís Filipe de Barros began playing Os Tubarões for the first time on Portuguese radio, that was the turning point for African music in Portugal. The 'Tabanca' album was so widely heard and talked about that it quickly got a Portuguese release through one of the big labels of the time.
The mystic of this band from the Santiago Island would reach the East. Os Tubarões played to a packed room in Macau in 1992, and after the bombastic gig we arranged a dinner and party at my place.
We ate and drank generously and the moment came for a jam session at the small studio on the 19th floor. Because Os Tubarões didn't all fit in the studio, we recorded an impromptu with only three of the musicians: Tótó Silva (electric guitar), Mário Russo Bettencourt (bass) and Zeca Couto (piano). And there we were improvising without barriers, suddenly detached from cultural roots, labels and constraints, a truly unique moment. The track is now being released exactly as it was recorded, imbued with the real communion between the musicians. And it could only be titled 'Red Mambo'. I wish to dedicate it to the memory of Ildo Lobo and Jaime do Rosário, founders of Os Tubarões, sadly and too soon departed from the land of music.
* "Of all the dubplates in my bag from this last few years, the ones I've selected most often have Walton's name scribbled on the sleeve. 'Black Lotus' is a unique creative statement; I'm very proud to release it on Tectonic and to support Walton, who I believe is a true talent." Pinch
* On July 6th Tectonic recordings presents the game-changing second album by 26 year old Mancunian Sam Walton, better known as simply Walton.
* 'Black Lotus' follows his inclusion on Tectonic's landmark 100th release - Riko Dan's 'Hard Food' EP, plus the 'Praying Mantis'/ 'Koto Riddim' 12' (also on Tectonic) and the 'Taiko' EP on Kaizen - the latter two of which hinted at the album's sound, but didn't fully prepare us for the brilliance to come.
* Abstract electronics, grime, dubstep and new styles that don't even have a name yet coalesce perfectly on this classic in the making. It finds Walton at peak power, reaching just as far (if not more so) than anything on the Pan, Different Circles, Boxed or Tectonic catalogues for pure futurism and new-terrain-traversing brilliance.
* Spacious and modern sounding, with just the right amount of grit, on 'Black Lotus' Walton has taken things the next level - setting an impressive new high bar. This is the best music to take inspiration from far eastern culture since Photek's seminal 'Ni - Ten - Ichi - Ryu' and 'The Water Margin'.
* Cinematic may be a term bandied about too often, but on this record it unquestionably applies, with the whole thing playing out like an epic movie, full of highs, lows, action, reflection and changing scenes.
* The album kicks off with 'Black Lotus', which makes it quickly evident that this isn't just another generic longplayer; a weightless/sino style intro segues into a mystical kalimba line, which is then is enveloped by huge waves of synthesized, pitched-down brass.
* 'Point Blank' offers locked, harsh mechanical funk, full of aggravated excitement, before sleek, spacious grime and disguised pop garage achieve twisted anthem status, on the hugely satisfying 'Koto Riddim'.
* 'No Mercy''s Yakuza crime riff is perfect for Riko Dan's threatening menace, especially at the point his voice gets distorted into a guttral and unsettling, demon-like wretch.
* 'Mad Zapper' is abstract, comprised of simple yet challenging beats, tones and stutters, whilst 'Angry Drummer''s taiko/kumi-daiko style percussion has a rousing, heavy thump.
* 'Pan' sounds equally enthralling whether soundtracking a dark movie scene of impending danger, or carying enratptured ravers on a danceflor journey, especially one suited to the synapse-prodding drama of a high production, lazer-heavy festival set.
* Choppy drums and bouncy bass tones are laced with the georgeos melody of 'Ehru', and 'Vectors' is sleek 'n' deep breakbeat-garage-meets-IDM.
* Although already known for elements of musicality, Walton raises his game even higher with the beautiful closing track 'White Lotus', which has a wow factor akin to hearing Aphex's Twin's 'Jynweythek Ylow' for the first time.
* 'The title came from the idea that I wanted it to be sweet and melodic in areas, but dark and grimey at the same time', recalls Walton. 'I never really listened to much Japanese and Chinese music before working on this, and that element originally came from listening to a lot of Sino grime stuff. It wasn't until I was deep into the process of making the album that I started listening to loads of traditional stuff on YouTube for melodic ideas, which changed how it turned out. The whole dubstep techno crossover thing was also a big influence.'
* 'I'm really happy to have Riko Dan & Wen on there', he adds. 'I've done a few remixes of Riko tunes which have had a great response, so it's been wicked to get some original material done together. The track with Wen was first started a while back, so I'm glad it was finally finished and will see a release.'
* Walton has been steadily gaining serious clout through releases since 2011 on Hyperdub, Keysound, Tectonic and Kaizen, with supporters including Mumdance, Logos, Slimzee, Laurel Halo, Wen, Hodge, Mary Anne Hobbs, Giles Peterson, Paleman, Teki Latex, Commodo, Loefah and Kode9. Key club, festival and radio shows include FWD at Plastic People, Fabric, Outlook, NTS, Rinse and BBC 1xtra.
The Demonic Waves familly is invited on Rouge De Colere for a first Vinyl production !
A superb sound quality here with brilliant tunes from very undeground future overground artists... the new Hardcore generation, daring the melt between industrial, doom , hard technoid and acid.
We are here with 4 very structured tunes, probably not easy to mix on vinyl but really deserving some headheackes to reach the perfection.
Big one ! A bit downtempo for a change on this quiet speedcore label :) I recogn !
About this release *First 10 tracks only come with the limited edition Nijmegen's ESHU welcomes co-founder Ivano Tetelepta for his first solo release on the label. It is also the imprint's first full length, but Tetelepta's second album after the hypnotic drum workout that was True Colours, his debut on Fear of Flying in 2012. It comes as a double vinyl release with the first disc being limited, and finds the producer casting himself free from the dance floor and serving up a beautifully atmospheric soundtrack that would be a perfect companion for a nature documentary. When making EPs and 12"s, Tetelepta's smooth and infectious drums are always front and centre in his work, whether solo or as producing with label mates under the ESHU alias. He's also worked with labels like Siena and KERING, but here he shows another side that focusses on short pieces, melody and blissful sound design. To give this album its perfectly warm analogue sound, the whole thing was recorded via cassette and revox tape. The first ten tracks are short, immersive musical worlds with poignant chords and glistening melodies. Some twinkle and shimmer, some sound like an underwater eco system coming to life, and others seem to come from deepest space where solar winds and sonar pulses pass you by. It's cinematic and evocative stuff that takes you away from the here and now and into a different realm. The four tracks on disc two then start with Senang, a suspensory and multi-layered piece of music that has keys, modulations and samples wrapping all around you before Whistle Of Patience has a supple minimal drum line that slowly gets under your skin. Ede 2 Nijmegen is then a turbulent dub track which builds a darker mood before closer De Test sinks back into supple, rubbery and warm drums laced up with hypnotic pads that circle all around. This is an ambitious album of meditative music that offers a beautiful place to lose your mind.
Snad aka Shyam Anand is an artist from Chicago of Indian descent. He just moved to Berlin. And this is his first release on Suol.His debut EP for us is a three-tracker and absolute quality. Its title 'Home Away From House' alludes to a musical career spanning three continents and to the 'most enlightened circles', as Snad puts it, 'who still travel the Silk Roads and who take their underground seriously -- wherever they call home'. What this means becomes apparent quickly as the title track drops us straight into a softly stabby, hypnotic little sequence on top of an elegantly subtle combination of a drum machine groove and synth bass. Things build up patiently with luscious delayed chords before rising strings transport us to a beautiful place where the Goa sun shines onto the streets of Chicago. Just like all tracks on the EP, 'Cut!!!' is purely instrumental but it doesn't need words to tell its story. Clever drum programming and cool reverbs are in perfect harmony with a melodic bass riff and a silky, modulating analogue lead that guides us to the end with a smile.
'Deep Looking', the EP's final track, has a solid groove at its centre and some delicious ear candy around it. Syncopated toms and claps join forces with a fast hi-hat pattern to provide plenty of momentum for this otherwise dreamily floating acid house number.
An-2 and Samos have turned the clock back to finish off a couple of sessions they'd recorded together years back. Maxim Samos is our keen friend and sophisticated guitar player from Minsk, Belarus that we know for years. His first appearance on Theomatic was back in 2008 with space-rock tune 'Alpha Storm", which received lots of positive feedback and found its way to the Prins Thomas - Live At Robert Johnson compilation. As well as guitars, Maxim can play almost any string instrument and, on one of his erstwhile trips to Istanbul, he dropped by a music store, picked up a Saz and immediately set it alight, blowing away the entire staff. After scoring a big discount, he came out, clutching it in his hands. An-2 commented on Samos' playing on the Saz during one of his first visits to Minsk, and immediately suggested cutting a track together - something that took 10 years, but the wait's been worth it. What we've got is surreal halal-acid-folk-disco affair, perfect for whirling dervishes or dancing the dhikr. The story's continued on the B-side, where we're treated to a tale of trips in a GTI, before finishing with a Nordic saga about cold fronts coming at us from behind the Polar Circle.
San Francisco's Christina Chatfield brings her signature acid sound to god particle with 'The Circle' EP. 'Circadian' reflects and evokes the natural cyclical rhythm of the track as the pitch naturally rises and falls over a steady bassline and consistent tempo. A perfect track to draw the dancer deeper. A2.Black_Hole Steady prominent kick drums keep feet marching through crunchy, distorted sounds and clicking. 'Black Hole' is an otherworldly track that pulls you into the space and won't let you go..B1.Voyage is a visionary guest through alien atmospheres. Chatfield's signature rolling acid lines, panning synths and rapid hi-hats make this one a bottomless groove, perfect for peak energy..B2.Acid_Exhibition. Crisp hi-hats and a kick drum are quickly met by an intrepid acid line. Dreamy synths softly grow throughout 'Acid Exhibition", adding more atmosphere along with steady claps and a vocal sample.
Ron Bacardi joins RNT with a 4-track inferno of disco edit heat! The A-side races out of the gate with the galloping 'Back For More,' followed by the soulful bounce of 'Circles,' which loops a gritty guitar-driven hook to perfection. The B side kicks off with 'Music Play,' an easy-breezy synth-string, electric piano, and horn-laden affair. Swirling percussion and soaring falsettos take us home on 'Never Dance,'but don't get it twisted: with Señor Bacardi at the controls, dance you WILL!
Rico Puestel is in charge for our Cocoon Recordings 144th release. Rico is an 'producer animal' who released more than 100 tracks & remixes since 2005 under various project names such as Dinamoe, Central Scrutinizer and of course under his main moniker Rico Puestel. The enormous amount of productions shaped Rico's knowledge and taste and his new cocoon release 'Neyst' and 'Enokid' seems to be the logical result of his long journey through the techno-universe. Puestels style is very unique and merges elements of dark and hypnotic mainfloor techno as well as orchestral sounds and even industrial elements. 'Neyst' is the perfect hypnotic and dark techno circle that keeps on progressing and building up into sheer madness. No fast food, no leightweight, this is heavy techno business! 'Enokid' comes with a little more of a Chicago house vibe however it is again still deep in Puestels very own style. We especially fancy the crazy break in the middle with the spaced out room effect part and the melody coming in after the break. As stompy and musclepacked this track is, it still seems to be very musical and deep at the same time - what a trip! This one demands a good and proper sound system, well what other Cocoon Release doesn't
- A1: Jone's Disco - Los Porcos
- A2: Comme Ça - Domenique Dumont
- A3: Berlin - Ruede Hagelstein & The Noblettes
- A4: Ol Fashioned Kiss - Ala.ni
- B1: C'est La Vie - Laure Briard
- B2: Samana - Bones & Beeker
- B3: Sonate Pacifique (Radio Edit) - L'impératrice
- B4: Hoping (Herbert's High Dub) - Louie Austen
- C1: Velo Patrol - Roscius
- C2: Plage Isolée (Soleil Levant) - Polo & Pan
- C3: Punks Still You - Justine & The Victorian
- C4: A Walk In The Dark - The Central Executives
- D1: Farewell To Wendo - Mock & Toof
- D2: Pulse - Shigeto
- D3: Speak Low - Billie Holiday
- D4: The Beat Generation - Bob Mcfadden & Dor
Hunting down the coolest sounds around the globe, the wewantsounds crew have curated another special mix for your Lazy Sundays. Dishing out a tasteful mix of new tracks from under the radar, this selection features a string of sunny pop, indie grooves, chilled electro and relaxed disco, the whole seasoned with a couple of leftfield cult classics and classy jazz tracks for good measure. Sunday Mixtape is the perfect sonic brew that will bring you back to life after a long night or hard partying. Many of the tracks in this selection have barely been heard outside of the underground circles and feature young artists who have just sprung out to life with the exception of UK soul diva ALA.Ni and the recent success of her melancholic jazzy album and L'Impératrice, the next disco big thing out of France, whose buzz is getting louder.
Here you'll find new French nouvelle vague singer Laure Briard, US groovy duet Bones & Beeker, minimal house producers Roscius and Shigeto as well as Domenique Dumont with a buzzing balearic beat.
Sunday Mixtape also features a few cult classics such as Mock & Toof's 'Farewell to Wendo', Louie Austen's 'Hoping' and Justine & The Victorian Punks' 'Still You', a sought after NY avant disco 1979 tune led by French expat fashionista Justine and saxophonist (and frequent Arthur Russell collaborator) Peter Gordon.
Markus Fix has been one of the early companions of Deep Vibes Recordings and we're happy to see him back with this stunning 3 Track solo EP. In fact this record somehow seems to close the circle between his early playful works and today's club sound. ' Wanna Let You Go' is a beautiful warm house track with a sweet piano line. What might seem like a perfect sundowner has potential to become a secret weapon for early morning hours too. Release your mind and let the body follow! Whilst speaking of that: ' Back On Earth' will make you jack! Pure energy, compressed to a juicy baseline. No more words needed. ' Reagy Dub' makes the round up and fills in somewhere between the two others. Warm up, cool down or open airs sun splash. Check out this diverse as beautiful record! Have a great summer! Yours truly, DVR.
REPRESSED !!
Detroit veteran Len Bartush (Mutate) returns to advance the series that began with the now classic Circle 1. A full round kick and jack style upbeats are all that's necessary to support the deep, modulated synth lines that travel through lush plates of reverb. Alberto Pascual hits a homerun with his remix that will move any club, festival, or warehouse party. Project 313's remix supplies moving synth lines are stripped down and replaced with driving rhythms and pulsating bass making this a superb techno offering. The Plankton remix turns up the tension with warehouse style percussion and intertwining rhythms complimented by science- fictionesque stabs and pounding bass.
The 'Circle 2' EP is an essential piece of Detroit minimalism. Detroit veteran Len Bartush (Mutate) returns to advance the series that began with the now classic 'Circle 1'.
The EP starts off with Mutate's 'Circle 2' (Machined) original. A full round kick and jack style upbeats are all that are necessary to support the deep, modulated synth lines
that travel through lush plates of reverb, creating an atmosphere perfect for any techno desire from dance floor, to living room, to headphones.
Alberto Pascual hits a homerun with a remix that will move any club, festival, or warehouse party. Big room percussion, moving sub bass, and funky rim shots compliment the dark synths from the original.
Project 313's remix delivers with an interpretation that celebrates the true spirit of the original. Moving synth lines are stripped down and replaced with driving rhythms and pulsating bass, making this a superb techno offering.
The Plankton remix turns up the tension with warehouse style percussion and intertwining rhythms, complimented by science-fictionesque stabs and pounding bass.
DJ's Supporting release:
A.Trebor, Alberto Pascual, Altstadt Echo, Angel Alanis, Anthony Jimenez, Audio Injection , Brendon Moeller, Bruno Ledesma, Chris Liebing, Claude Young, Dadub, Daegon, DCibel, Developer, Drumcell, DVS1, Erphun, Exium - Hector, Exium - Valentin, Felix Lorusso, Hyperactive, Jeff Derringer, Joachim Spieth, Joel Morgan, Justin James, MADA Cedric, Mas Teeveh, Material Object, Measure Divide, Memnok , Monocraft, Morgan Thomas, Octave, Onoffon, Project 313, Rene Walther, Ricardo Garduno, Sigha, Sone, Submerge, Tommy Four Seven, Tony Kasper
Alex Niggemann's 2012-defining long player 'Paranoid Funk' dropped in June to a rapturous response from DJs, dancers and home listeners alike. Here, Poker Flat Recordings revisits some of the exceptional highlights of that record, and deliver a remix package sure to be as equally sought-after by those in the know. 'Paranoid Funk' saw the Berlin resident explore a variety of grooves and textures, an experiment that won him many new admirers and a great deal of critical acclaim. Here, some of the hottest remix talent in the scene get their hands on the originals and twist them into new shapes. Following on from releases on Cocoon, Kling Klong, Circle and two strong EPs on Poker Flat ("Dinosaurs' and 'This") renowned producers Alex Flatner and LOPAZZ take on 'Don't Wait' and drop a growling, main room monster that will standout in any set. Francys, the young Italian making quiet a name for himself on the underground house and techno circuit, lends his skills to 'Back 2 Basics feat. Benji' - channeling the spirit of the early 90s into seven ecstatic minutes. Next up is Salvatore Freda - the highly respected Swiss DJ and producer who injects Niggemann's 'I Don't Care' with a narcotic groove that sits somewhere between Detroit and Berlin - the dubbed out vocals adding an element of otherworldliness that work in perfect compliment to the track's twisted (paranoid) funk. Berlin's own Andre Lodemann picks out 'Lovers' for his excursion, a deep bomb that grows and grows around an exceptional vocal from John Rydell - this is one for the very late nights or early mornings. What is clear from this release is that Alex Niggemann's star continues to rise - the classical pianist turned producer and DJ extraordinaire is moving on to the next phase of his career - and with the slew of outstanding releases to his name already, who is to say where that could lead. Tracklist:
Known in many circles for his wonderful dubstep excursions comes San Francisco native 'DJG' with his excellent take on Drum & Bass. This is his first release when it comes to D&B and we are very proud to be releasing these amazing tunes! Welcome aboard!
A. HYDRATE A deep menacing vibe kicks things off a a steady kick while claps and thick snare are sprinkled throughout leading up to a thunderous reese that will challenge any system. Muffled horns and vocals keep things interesting leading up to a subterranean breakout takes things into dubby territory! A truly wonderful piece of original music!
AA. HYDRATE ( CONSEQUENCE REMIX ) Known for his work with the Autonomic crew, Consequence seemed the perfect match to recreate an already wonderful tune and does a great job with this remix. A hazy intro with dusty crackles leads into the tune's signature kick with claps. Dubby stabs with a drawn out horn take things deeper before the bass punches through.
Consequence has taken his signature minimal sound and added upon the original for a truly deep, original recreation. These are the kind of remixes we like! Dub Dub Dub!!!






























