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COMPILED BY PETE PASQUAL, ERICA OLSON & DJ KINETIC

Following on from acclaimed compilations like 'Down Under Nuggets' and 'Heavy Soul' (and two other new titles 'Running The Voodoo Down' and 'Dodgy Bossa (& Silly Sambas)' - details below), Festival Records presents another deep dig into the archives, this time shining a light on rare Australian soul-jazz, jazz-funk, and freaked-out groove rock from the late '60s and '70s.

BACK ON THE STREET AGAIN - AUSTRALIAN FUNK, SOUL & PSYCH (MOSTLY) FROM THE FESTIVAL VAULTS is a stunning 20 track CD and 2LP release that highlights a point when the previously disparate styles of rock, jazz and soul all started influencing each other, and exciting new genres were created. To quote the liner notes (by DJ Kinetic):

Australia produced some amazing music during the 60s and 70s that sat outside of the normal rock mould. Avant guard artists like John Sangster pushed boundaries and experimented with the fusion of local and overseas influences, artists like Dalvanius recorded soaring disco music that was lost amongst the popular music of the time, only to be rediscovered by DJs overseas who were searching for unknown sounds, composers like Brute Force and His Drum took risks and recorded left-field funky sounds hidden within their more mainstream compositions, and popular artists like Billy Thorpe occasionally strayed from their A&R directions and took leaves from the books of American artists who were largely unknown in Australia at the time. Beneath the veneer of bland rock and roll lay an unknown multitude of funky sounds hidden from mainstream view.

In addition to the artists that Kinetic mentions (and the compilation features two John Sangster tracks - stunning versions of 'Hair' and the Beatles' 'A Day In The Life'), the collection includes iconic names of the era like the Daly-Wilson Big Band (featuring Kerrie Biddell), Renee Geyer and the Johnny Rocco Band. '60s sides from Ross D Wyllie and The ID (featuring Jeff St John) reveal the various styles' roots in American rhythm & blues, and the unexpected inclusion of some legendary Australian rock outfits like Tamam Shud and Blackfeather reveals the psychedelic and progressive rock influences at play. The full range of the music is highlighted by the inclusion of both cabaret/daytime TV performer Al Styne and outrageous Kings Cross club act Count Copernicus & The Cosmic Fire as well as the in-house studio 'pops' orchestra, Festival Studio 24 Orchestra.

Co-compilers Pete Pasqual, Erica Olson and DJ Kentic to undertake interviews with specialist media around release. Facebook ad's around release.

'Deep session! It is rare to hear folk music from Japan in such beautiful fidelity and incredible dynamics. This recording is intensely gorgeous and hauntingly disarming. This should open up a whole new world of adventurous listening for folks outside (and inside!) Japan.'Brian Shimkovitz (Awesome Tapes From Africa)

'Sounds absolutely great! Super interesting and engaging.'Ben UFO

'Just Give Me That Old Time Religion, It's Good Enough For Me.'Japan Blues

A hotline to the gods! Kagura is a thousand-year-old form of Japanese Shinto sacred music and dance, accompanying the chanting of myths; the word "kagura" can be translated as "god-entertainment". Passed down over countless generations, the music is rare and recordings even rarer. Shigeo Tanaka was a master of the yumi (bow), an uncommon single-string percussion instrument, which is a true bow: arrows are fired off at the end of each ceremony to fend off evil sprits. The instrument is difficult to play; it's hard to draw out the proper sound and maintain the rhythm.
Yumi kagura is the oldest of all the various forms of kagura. The Tanaka family, based in rural Joge-cho, Hiroshima prefecture, has passed down this yumi kagura tradition for hundreds of years; this lineage continues to this day in the person of his daughter Ritsuko Tanaka. The Joge-cho yumi kagura, which prays for family well-being, bountiful crops and good fortune, was designated an Important Intangible Cultural Property in 1971. The piece featured here, "Takusa saimon", based on the myth "Ama no iwato" (The Rocky Celestial Cave), is mesmeric, reaching back across ages to the time before time, with Tanaka's voice and yumi, accompanied by flute and metal percussion, drawing us closer to the primal activities of the gods. Listeners may find affinities with aspects of musics as diverse as German electronic minimalism like E2-E4, certain Ethiopian music, "spiritual jazz" and more, all tapping into the deep root of forever. Previously available only on a ridiculously obscure 1990 cassette release, Yumi kagura is the first collaborative release by EM Records and Riyo Mountains, a Japanese folk song research team. Available on LP and CD, with the CD featuring a bonus track: "Inagahachiman jinja yumi kagura hono" recorded in 2016 by Tanaka's daughter and successor Ritsuko Tanaka.

+ Direction/liner notes by Riyo Mountains
+ English liner notes & lyrics

A real rarity! 1977's "Stepping Out" by obscure Oliver Sain produced Funk/Soul outfit The 13th Floor has always been a tough LP to catch, the only release by this lesser known St.Louis outfit showcased a unique blend of jazz, funk and soul that has intrigued hardcore collectors of rare grooves and black music since it's release. Released on the highly collectable Blue Candle sub label of Miami's TK Disco empire, "Stepping Out" features lots of different musical flavours - from the languid, Ohio Players-esque "Hang loose" and the incessant mid-tempo burner "Leanin" to the dance-floor groove of "Sweet thang", the LP showcases across it's 9 tracks show a band at the top of it's game, completely in tune with each other and firmly in the pocket. This should be no surprise when you consider the opening track of the album is co-written by a young Chaka Khan and members of the band went on to form parts of her band Rufus and played alongside artists such as Patti Austin, Maxayn Lewis, Ronnie McNeir and High Voltage. The overall feel of the album is one of amazing musicians keeping it gritty, soulful and most of all, funky! This album has always demanded high prices on the second hand / used vinyl market and is a truly lesser spotted gem, which is surprising considering the eye catching sleeve artwork!
This is the first time that The 13th Floor's "Stepping Out" has been reissued on vinyl, fully remastered from TK's original tapes, represented the way the the LP was issued in 1977 with all original cover and label artworks intact. Now, almost 40 years after it's original release the album has now been made available again for 2016, fully licensed in conjunction and with the full permission of Henry Stone music / TK Disco, Miami, FL.

Stirred up from deep within, from an abstract spiral of sound and movement, from a sensation of time and space absolving and converging at once, the Black Flower musicians have molded a tangible matter: the album Artifacts. Their second full album sounds international and ageless. Eastern influences, Ethiodub and jazz effortlessly merge. Fantasy and reality seem to fuse. In a word: nourishment for body and soul.

"Psyche-delicious and accessible 20th century Ethiodubjazz. As if John Zorn put on Fela Kuti's shoes and imbibed Mulatu Astatke's whirls."

Piloted by saxophonist /flutist /composer Nathan Daems (Ragini Trio, Dijf Sanders, Antwerp Gipsy-Ska Orkestra), this instrumental band aims for originality. Fellow musicians and 'brothers down the road' are Jon Birdsong (dEUS, Beck, Calexico) on cornet, Simon Segers (Absynthe Minded, De Beren Gieren, Stadt) at the drums, Filip Vandebril (Lady Linn, The Valerie Solanas, Antwerp Gipsy-Ska Orkestra) at the bass and Wouter Haest (Los Callejeros, Voodoo Boogie) playing keys.

For many of us, the Ethiopian aspect once made known to the world by Mulatu Astatke will stand out. Still, Black Flower further adds oriental scales, Afrobeat à la Fela Kuti, jazz in a John Zorn way and varied western music traditions such as rock and dub. The resulting melting pot is undoubtedly inspired by Nathan's distant travels and the multifariously colorful city of Brussels.

...Pretty legit if you ask me - LeFto, Studio Brussel

After their well-received debut album Abyssinia Afterlife (2014, W.E.R.F. / Zephyrus Records) that created an atmosphere of mythical figures and psychedelia, Black Flower now reflects on ancient and modern cultures. The album title Artifacts refers to centuries-old fragile objects or tools that empowered the development of human culture. The world today would look entirely different without those artifacts. The seemingly brittle suddenly becomes a powerful welding cornerstone. Add the musicians' personal musical backgrounds and the result is an album with an ageless mystique. Artifacts is the synthesis of different cultures, of the past and present, and personal and collective memories. It is the soundtrack to modern reality, based on the elements that connect us.

Brilliant - Gilles Peterson, BBC Radio 6

One of Belgium's Best Bands of these past years (...) Black Flower does not simply play a tune, they always groove! - Kurt Overbergh, Ancienne Belgique

Uncomplicated originality, plenty of space for fantasy and an organic tone: those are the ingredients for Black Flower to lay claim to an age-old human ritual: dancing! Still, Black Flower also stands out in various other settings. Their audience at a jazz club will have felt exalted, their audience at a late-night show will not have resisted dancing. The band wields influence over their surroundings in a way only heart-and-soul musicians can. This mastery has repeatedly taken them to United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands and Germany.

Bruno Patchworks' Hovart is one of the top producers of today's groove music scene. After playing as a bassist and guitarist for various bands, he started producing in the mid-nineties and has kept on mixing today's technologies with the raw spirits of House, Electronic, Disco, Funk, Soul, Reggae & Jazz music's golden years since then.

Following the trail of success left by his various projects as Patchworks, and under many aliases, he's proved his musical ubiquity and unexpectedly stroke in various genres. Many House music diggers would indeed remember that before Favorite Recordings was launched in 2006, Patchworks produced many deep-house tracks on various labels.

On this new EP, he's back as Mr President with 2 new banging titles brilliantly mixing House music atmosphere, with Soul and Disco vibes. He's also teaming up again with Sabba MG on vocals, following to their great Give My Love' efforts, released on EDR Records 3 years ago. As Going to a Go Go' is a fully exclusive work reminiscent of the early House music scene from New-Jersey or Chicago, the nice Disco flavors of Night Time' also come to announce Mr President's upcoming new album in 2017.

Villalegre Recordings is back with his second release after an acclaimed debut ep, which is already found in some 'real deejays' " vinyl cases, namely Dj Garth, Stevie Kotey, Timm Sure, Richard Sen and Massimiliano Pagliara.Discómanos ep consists of 4 edits of unknown gems, masterly revisited by collectors and artists as big as Mike Burns, Rayko , the great Sagittarius and Christian Beetz aka Frwctrl. Once again, Jorge Moreira and Crew dig deep down into many underground scenes around the world, to come up with an ep you'll always want to have in your case.
Listen carefully to Jose Rico's mastering work! A unique sound, which brings back reminiscences of Tom Moulton, Larry Levan, Dany Krivit or the very own Ron Hardy's reel to reel edits. Exotic love (Frwctrl mix) The trip starts with a Christian Beetz opus, which edits and extends a wonderful and unknown antique Spanish disco-funk track, with chorus voices flying like eagles to drive the dance floor to a unique climax. Sweat and pleasure lead by a smashing funky guitar, synths which drive you from the beach to the darkest, most hedonist dance floor. For your Love (Rayko edit)
Rayko is an edit master; he has presented his productions on the biggest disco dance floors on the planet, and this work reconfirms him. 'For your Love' tastes like Paradise Garage and nights of freedom and love. An original track with first class drums and a bass guitar, that reaches straight to the heart. The message comes with violins, which create the perfect emotion to wrap up a disco music masterwork that later becomes house. I want your body (Mike Burns Edit)The original track is a treasure that's hard to get, edited by Mike Burns, one of the strongest artists in the European underground disco scene. Mike selects this cut with a killer bass line, crazy synth effects and organs to turn the original track into an extended cut, which not only shakes the dance floor, but also the cloakroom and toilets. Programa Sintético (Sagittarius 1983 Tribute Edit)Sagittarius edits in a sublime way a mysterious track, loaded with energy, synths and effects. A production work, which transforms the original track into a technoid cut with a frequency in tune with Ron Hardy's proto-techno edits and progressive European music.

From the whip-like crack of Yako's signature staccato vocals and impossible-to-memorize lyrics to the relentless overdrive tempo of their oneof-a-kind prog-core, Melt-Banana have long resided in a cybertopia of their own devising where the limits of technology and human capability are old-world concerns as quaint and cumbersome as bartering with a blacksmith. The demos for Fetch, their first studio album since the severely fried pop-punk of 1997's Bambi's Dilemma, were completed in March 2011, but the Fukushima earthquake changed everything, including
their ability to concentrate on recording. Which stopped completely.

Once they felt ready to return to their music, they decided to approach the songs on a sound-by-sound basis, choosing each tone with meticulous attention to detail, affirming their personal connections, being themselves naturally and openly.


Fetch scrapes glam shimmers off punk's outermost fringes and forges them into a rather intensely technical Deanscape packed with fantastical hybrids. Agata's guitar riffs, seemingly composed in tandem with skipping CD players, are more bad-ass than ever, bright and fractured like the soundtrack for a CC-Hennix-scored biker flick. The album is juiced with electronics and post-rock production, tempering what could easily be a
tiresome and predictable frenzy, yielding unexpected associations: Kate Bush climaxing on Walter White's blue meth; demos of late-period Wire playing metal run through Wasp synthesizers and Autotune; unripe wild
lychees keeping time on an Ankgor Wat tin roof during a monsoon.

They've been performing live as a duo since summer 2012, and will do the same for their '2 do what 2 fetch' tour in support of the album. After nearly 20 years of playing with a live rhythm section, their use of a PC, while opening possibilities for a variety of drum and synth voicings, does not signal a move away from the traditional live band sound, as heard, for example, via the future transmissions from downtown Noiseapolis on
2009's Lite Live: Ver. 0.0. Yako and Agata say they need to feel real band sounds onstage as much as someone in the audience. This is a group that routinely excels at several kinds of impossible simultaneously, so of course any new challenge they come up with for themselves is sure to blow the doors off your Mini Cooper. - First record as a duo expands the M-B sound
into multiple dimensions - LP includes digital download card; first
pressing on clear vinyl

Following on from Plus Instruments Love Is Enough Remixes EP comes an accompanying Dubs EP, featuring deeper reversions by Jamie Paton, Luke Solomon, Khidja and joining them with a breaks meets dubwise, Alphonse. Truus de Groots return to her Plus Instruments project after a 30 years break saw the label pick up her off-kilter House roller, Love Is Enough for one of our (e)special remixing packages. Here then, we turn out attention to everyones favourite, the Dubs. Starting with label mainframe, Jamie Paton, his Cloudy Dub-Out pulls his mix through modular prisms for heads down basement rumble. Echo chamber vocals, twisted syncopations and a bass to breakdown walls, this is Patons true calling - dub to get lost in and rightful to kick off the EP. Next guest remixer de jour, Luke Solomon stays close to his original bumpin remix, warping the vocal with skatntrippin wonk, all atop a funk bass line and riding shuffle percussion. Cha cha cha. On the flip, Khidja triumph again with a tougher version. Not a straight up dub of their remix, this pushes a nod to colder (wave) vibes, with industrial percussion riding high on their trademark production. Hard kick atop refrained synths, growing out of Eastern protoid routes to glimpse their future. Finally, mystery man Alphonse comes in from the dark to close with a killer breaks inspired dub. Utilising the originals bass with an angular break, the intricate cut up percussion, Theremin and vocals all glide, keeping the head and feet (jazz) dancing for some (free) party sound system love. Dub is enough

Again shooting for the altitudes reached on MANHIGH's first journey, Henning Baer's second operation returns to the endeavour with a newly diversified mission. 'Operator' finds us already at the furthest edge of the atmosphere, pulsating waves of distorted electronics and distant, disembodied voices floating in the void. 'Pittsburgh Left' is the fall back to earth, the unrelenting metallic rhythm slowly gaining momentum, momentary shifts in perspective and detail flashing by as the decent accelerates inexorably. The contemplation before leaving the ground, 'AIIM' slowly anticipates the ascent and examines the cosmos before lift-off. Surely the launch phase 'Canadian Suit' is both reflective and onrushing, trapped between tense, contrasting moments before being flung into the unknown. Displaying both Henning Baer's typically acute feeling for talent and Kangding Ray's restless ear, the remix of 'AIIM' is a complete reinterpretation, setting grinding triplet rhythms in an industrial soundscape that suggests travels more fearful than those that surround it.

Words: Albert Freeman

2 tracks out of three are from Sparks... B side, that he opens with a great acid techno tune... And a mental tribe dancefloor. The A side starts with a good Keja tune, exciting for the dancefloor:) and a then comes Matec and his good Acid Mental pumper. Once again Plaque De Trip brings 4 good acid drivers !

Savage Grounds return to Lux Rec for the third time, with their third record. Atrocities comes after Unpleasant Music for Unpleasant People, released in 2015, and Over Fences, 2014. It is, as much as the previous 2, the result of investigations in music, live, composed with a minimum amount of instruments. The duo, comprised of CCO and Daniele Cosmo, worked with a Roland 606, a Roland 909 and a modular synthesiser. Experimenting with FM modulation and loose sequences. The result is concrete noise, anger, ghostly voices, and above all, the sheer conscience of human failures.

7"

Dürerstuben are back at them ivory keys to prove once again their broadly spread outcome of funk and groove.
Being responsible for mothership Luise's first release and hence smoothing the way for a whole lot of pleasent memories we can look back to by now, it's that kind of re-(re!)-animation which puts our hearts to pleaseant warmths. Saddle your moped, pull up your Levi's and straighten your backs: Trays'n'Hits is the right compagnion for long lasting late-night drives, self proclaimed city slackers and mother earth's first outcome of country music you are bound to be proud of listening to. Spin it, Johnny!

Dance floor taskmaster REINHARD VOIGT is at it again,

dropping a new set of raw, willful techno cuts that follow his much-acclaimed solo release REISEN & SPEISEN (KOMPAKT 338) and a stirring split EP effort with Michael Mayer on TIME IS RUNNING (KOMPAKT 328). He even found time in his busy Kompakt schedule to throw in a rare remix for El_Txef_A on rising underground imprint Forbidden Colours. Voigt's latest outing KONTRASTE fits snugly in the artist's tradition of powerful, minimalistic techno with a headbanging twist: oscillating between pure movement,

and monolithic, abstract riff, the a side's THE SINGING SAW interweaves several rugged synth motives around a stoic, empowering bassdrum, while b side jam TRUST takes the scenic route, building its simple, yet highly effective lead sounds up into a towering grinder with a touch of silkiness. As we've grown to expect from REINHARD VOIGT, the whole is always greater than the sums of its parts, with these new recordings again proving his mastery of all things banging.

Moonshine Recordings continues to coordinate dub into all sorts of directions with its steady throughput of vinyl releases. This time around, it's the Spanish-based Bukkha to uplift all followers with two up-tempo rollers that take part in his crucial 'Ruling Sound' EP. His name has been all over the news inside bass culture lately, as the American released highly noted physical music on critical labels like Killa Sound and Dub-Stuy Records. He's been working his way to the top and the only thing the Moonshine Recordings imprint can do is support his efforts in pushing dub music to the masses at any given moment of the day.
On top of this wicked news, Portland's dub producer and engineer 'Skelli Skel' joins this session to frame the taste of the 'PDX Mandem' collective from back home. His love for complex rhythms and heavy bass lines fuel his adventure inside dub culture, something you'll hear when listening to 'MS028'. And with the familiar voice from don Junior Dread, who jumps in on the hype by illuminating the dub with carefully selected freedom of speech, it's the collaboration that speaks for itself. To top it all, TMSV is added to the release roster, a producer whose been dealing some serious damage with his inventive music repertoire. Whether it's music on the darker tip, or the more laidback sound, both Bukkha and TMSV know how to uplift and please their followers with bass-heavy, eardrums-teasing bass music.
Bukkha's 'Ruling Sound' leads his way through musicality by portraying the right balance of instruments and not to mention the gigantic bassline that disperses vibrantly through the lower bottom of the mix. The reigning vocal support from Junior Dread and dub techniques from PDX Mandem family Skelli Skell work out fantastically, as it makes this record come to life. Listen to the instrumental part that propagates in the exact sense of 'dub music', regardless of spinning on a higher beats per minute. The version 'Ruling Dub' by Bukkha himself plays a more meditative part inside your headspace; a clipping where basslines and effects will act up in a blurred version. It's the real attention to detail the American producer shares with remix boss TMSV, who hits fans with a darker joint that pays homage to Drum & Bass. It's aggressive stance forms the pinnacle of 'the right' B-side of a Moonshine Recordings plate. Just make sure you experience the second drop of this absolutely mammoth interpretation, as TMSV shuts down the place!

REPRESSED !!

Originally self-released as a 7'' in 1982, Plath release is definitely one of the obscure gems of the Italian underground. TIP!
Plath were a duo from Prato, formed in 1982 by Silvia Innocenti (voice, bass guitar) and Fabrizio Lucarini (synth, drum machine). Plath were influenced by Throbbing Gristle and early Cabaret Voltaire works, moving in between two essential thematic actions: first, the constant search of a sound which aims to reflect the current reality as they were interpretating it and, second, the constant exposure of their anarchist ideological thinking against the established political and social system.

Mastering by Ruud 66.

Original 7'' graphics reworked for this issue.

While the A-Side includes the original single in full, with the classic 'I Am Strange Now', recently unearthed by Alessio Natalizia/Not Waving in his monumental 'Mutazione' compilation released by Strut Records in 2013, the B-side instead contains a killer percussive edit of Alessandro Adriani made for the most crazy mental dancefloors..

Just in time for ADE, we are more than happy to present a new release by one of our main protagonists since our renaissance. Lehar has made a fascinating career in only two years, he is a key member in our label family as well as Diynamic and plays gigs around the world. His "White Diary EP" is his most unique release so far, with two original tracks by him and two dub versions by UK house legend Charles Webster.
"The Cave" is a very touching track which again shows Lehar's love for deep but popish moments in his music. Again, he has teamed up with L.A. singer Rush Midnight, who already lent his voice to "Number One Hero", which was released earlier this year on the Diynamic sub-imprint 2Diy4. An instrumental version is also available in the digital package.
The title track "The White Diary" is a demanding and hypnotic builder, which was already played often by Solomun during the summer. This is a next level Lehar track, signature sound structure combined with a highly effective arrangement. A winner for many situations.
Charles Webster has been a favourite of the Connaisseur label heads Alex Flitsch and Martin Henkel for ages. Requesting a remix by him has been on the Connaisseur bucket list since day one. He gave "The Cave" two different dub treatments, one
better than the other. His "Dub the First" already takes the original one foor deeper, making it very timeless and hypnotic. His "Dub the Second" takes it even deeper and is adding a proper portion of trippiness. Music for the guardians of the real stuff!

This is the second 12" of a 2-part series of 12"s that will be released digitally as a full-length LP.
After a split single with Muslimgauze and a single of their own on Optimo Trax, we are delighted to present the first Optimo Trax album release by Italy's Underspreche. The album is split across two four- track EPs, released two weeks apart (and also as a complete digital album).
We try to avoid over-hyping our releases, but this one is really fully deserving of the hyperbole I am about to bestow on it. Underspreche first sent me some music a few years ago and seeing them grow and develop has been nothing short of astonishing. I think this is some of the most nuanced and advanced music that Optimo Trax has ever released. There are several dancefloor destroyers here but also music for more developed/leading-edge floors too, as well as some music simply designed to make one's mind melt.

It is very rare that I listen to 4/4 music at home, but this album has been a constant on my hi-fi since it was sent to me.
Super-advanced, organic sampling, inspired vocalisations, acute psychedelic modular sequences, forward- thinking drum programming, this is exactly what I hoped Optimo Trax would be about when I started the label.
From Underspreche's souls to yours.

Following the recent reissue of Vox Populi!s Aither album, Emotional Rescue further explores the more discerning, esoteric sounds of the French 80s avant-garde scene in coute Visual artist, sound designer, musician, label founder and emotional tree consultant Ramuntcho Matta is a man of shifting, relentless talents. Diagnosed with autism at a young age. Therapy based on yoga and music set him on a path, leading to learn from the likes of composter Cuarteto Cedrn. Discovering avant-music at an early age, he moved to New York to study in the "Third Street School of Music", meeting John Cage and going on to work on projects with Laurie Anderson, Brion Gysin and Don Cherry. His architectural concepts applied to composition were explored on his 3 solo LPs from the 1980s. The middle of these, coute, is possibly his most cohesive, exploring the use of extra-European musicians, especially African and Brazilian percussion, jazz horn playing, as well as Uruguayan singer Elie Meideros. Mexicos Cacau de Queirozs performance on saxophone and flute is stunning, former Gipsy Kings member, Jorge Negrito Trasante attributes much of the LPs Brazilian percussive flavour, while Magmas bassist Jannick Top brings gravitas, including performing a water claps duet alongside Matta on the exquisite O Clapo. As one piece, coute endlessly avoids standard musical formulas, seeking textures of far-flung elements; alchemy against a background of freedom to experiment that would be the theme throughout Mattas career, whether setting up SSR records under the alias Michael Pope or in his more recent output, teaching methodology of doubt

Kepler. makes the second contribution to Silencio's catalog with "Planetary Systems I".
With refined ethereal elements rendered from what is surely an eerie origin, "186f", is truly engaging. This track is fueled with a seductive synth heralded by haunting vocals that effectively whisper over its steady, punchy bass line. Meandering in the background is the type of idiophone sound one would associate with a hand-percussion triangle instrument. Its particular effect provides a complex, rolling rhythm that vibrates in a beautiful tone until its objective has been achieved.

On the B-side "452b" is a great track to open up a set with, gentle yet still energetic in how it introduces itself to the audience. It begins with a series of echoing sounds that rise and dive throughout, seemingly reflected off the surface of one's subconscious, in a satisfying manner. Accompanied by a deep pulsating bass line that accents its driving drums, this track will set the tone time and time again.
Imagine the dawning of a realization formed from an inspiring event in nature. The second track, "Luzon", features a laid back tropical tempo and samples that feel transported from a lush, rhythmic rainforest. Kepler expresses this vision within the confines of a catchy groove, utilizing subtle bird sounds and rattles that resonate over layers of atmospheric synth. This is emotional music meant to move a crowd or manufacture a sincere moment of clarity.

Virginia-born singer/songwriter Nicole Wray has everything you'd want in a singer: an infectious Jackson-5-family-member flare, a range like Aretha's, and a church upbringing that's brought a pure, healing texture to her voice. But the struggle she's been through has made her more than a singer. Nicole Wray is an artist. When talking about Queen Alone, her first solo album in some time, Nicole explains, It's a reflection of my soul. It's who I am today.' And aptly so. Nicole is writing and singing songs about her life. And yet to even start to know her soul, you have to go back to the beginning. Growing up in Portsmouth was tough at times for Nicole. However, at the age of fifteen, life opened up quickly when Missy Elliot paid a visit to Nicole's family home to audition her on the spot. Missy was there on the rumored strength and quality of her voice. Instantly blowing her away, she signed and left with Missy that night. Two years later, at age 17, she had a hit gold single off a solid debut album (Make It Hot). Suddenly she was part of a team that included late '90s R&B and rap royalty: Missy, Aaliyah, Ginuwine, Playa, Timbaland and Magoo. She made it, and fast. However, as rapidly as she achieved success, Nicole then found herself needing to re-make it. By late 2001, her time with Missy and company had run its course. They amicably parted ways and Nicole, once on top of the R&B world, was unsure of what was next. It was a very low, but important, point in her life. While neck-deep in this struggle, Damon Dash and Roc-A-Fella Records called. They signed an album deal and by 2004, in what was starting to be a pattern, just as things were looking up Roc-A-Fella suddenly (famously) split. Nicole found herself in a familiar situation. In 2013, Nicole paired up with London vocalist Terri Walker and released the album Lady. Once again, Nicole was tested. Terri parted ways with the group to pursue her own projects shortly after the album's release. Fast forward to now-the transformation from singer-for-hire to pure artist is evident in this new full-length solo release, Queen Alone. The record was written and recorded in 10 days at the legendary Diamond Mine Studios, in Queens NY with Leon Michels and Tom Brenneck handling production. Nicole says she is Singing out loud now-singing from the stomach.' Back in 1998 she was coached how to sing, and told to stay in a pocket that never let her show her range, power, and passion. Today, after stutter-stepping in and out of the industry, there is a new soul and substance to her songs-all of it from her life. They Don't Hang Around", tells the story of her post Roc-a-Fella days, Guilty", is about her brother's incarceration, Make Me Over" tells the relatable story of being broke with expensive taste, and 'Let It Go', a perfect way to end the record, is about the simple act of letting go and moving on. Almost echoing her new record, Nicole says, You have to go through something for it to be real.' She has been living with one foot in fame and the other in real life. The result is clear: she's feeling something real in her music again. And it's hard for us as listeners not to follow suit.

POP AMBIENT - our longest-running compilation series after Total - sees a new instalment for 2017, featuring exclusive material from acclaimed genre veterans and series newcomers JENS-UWE BEYER, YUI ONODERA & SCANNER, MAX WÜRDEN, LEANDRO FRESCO, THORE PFEIFFER, KENNETH JAMES GIBSON and SOULSAVERS remixed by WOLFGANG VOIGT.
Following his own cues from preceding entries, Pop Ambient chief curator Voigt again strikes a perfect ratio of established producers and debuting guests: our complete Pop Ambient solo album crew makes an appearance, from JENS-UWE BEYERs atmospheric soundscapes on the tracks FINAL 9.1 and FINAL 10, to THORE PFEIFFERs glitch romance GOOD LIFE, LEANDRO FRESCOs beatific drone fests SONIDO ESPAÑOL and EL ABISMO, as well as KENNETH JAMES GIBSONs melancholic epic HER FLOOD KNOCKED ME TO THE GROUND (BUT I WAS ALREADY THERE. Other returning artists include ANTON KUBIKOV of SCSI-9 fame (with electronic reverie DEKKA) and Cologne soundsmith MAX WÜRDEN, who was last seen releasing wonderfully immersive albums on BineMusic and Wolfgang Voigt's very own Exponate series. His guitar-infused, dubbed-out cut FERNFELD and the mysterious electronic mantra 186.000 MILES PER SECOND are particularly striking renditions of the rich sonic narratives possible in Pop Ambient.
For the 2017 release, we welcome Tokyo-based Pop Ambient novice YUI ONODERA with his tracks CROMO1 and CROMO2, which both serve as opener: a trained musician and architectural acoustic designer by trade, Onodera embeds diverse influences from traditional sound design, film scores, contemporary composition and electro-acoustic experimentation in his work, resulting in intricate drone sculptures and sound skylines. This skill set gels naturally with the sonic sensibilities of iconic experimental composer SCANNER who teams up with Onodera for the cut LOCUS SOLUS - it's an incredible honour to have such a towering figure in advanced electronic music on board. Wolfgang Voigt himself makes an appearance as remixer, turning the track HAL from electronic-rock-gospel duo SOULSAVERS' 2015 album "Kubrick" into a voluptuous and immersive sound journey. It's the cherry on top of a particularly fluffy cake that will prove irresistible to any connoisseur of ambient music.

This is the first 12' of a 2-part series of 12's that will be released digitally as a full-length LP.
After a split single with Muslimgauze and a single of their own on Optimo Trax, we are delighted to present the first Optimo Trax album release by Italy's Underspreche. The album is split across two four- track EPs, released two weeks apart (and also as a complete digital album).
We try to avoid over-hyping our releases, but this one is really fully deserving of the hyperbole I am about to bestow on it. Underspreche first sent me some music a few years ago and seeing them grow and develop has been nothing short of astonishing. I think this is some of the most nuanced and advanced music that Optimo Trax has ever released. There are several dancefloor destroyers here but also music for more developed/leading-edge floors too, as well as some music simply designed to make one's mind melt.

It is very rare that I listen to 4/4 music at home, but this album has been a constant on my hi-fi since it was sent to me.
Super-advanced, organic sampling, inspired vocalisations, acute psychedelic modular sequences, forward- thinking drum programming, this is exactly what I hoped Optimo Trax would be about when I started the label.
From Underspreche's souls to yours.

Here comes R-Zone 05, this time coming from a pair of established producers who work both solo and as a duo (and one of them runs a prominent German label). The first track is 'Jungle Fever', a slowed down, dub-culture tinged track of sampled loon bird calls, tooting melodies and raw metallic drums that churn deep down below. It's the sort of track that needs to be played in summer, ideally with a reefer on the go. 'Down-E rave' again calls on druggy references for its inspiration - this time E'd-up dancefloors in the mid-nineties. It's a lazy beat with curious vocal stabs, prominent drum breaks and plenty of deft synth work that takes you up, up and away in style. The flip-side sees two versions of 'nRg Zone'. The Happy Mix is a rinsed out and tripped out track of streaming melodies, more old school and rough drums and plenty of bright, pixelated melodies stabs as well as softer background pads. The Moody Mix operates much more down in the darkened doldrums. It seems to have heavy heart and sultry mood as the percussion churns on beneath golden streaming pads and like everything on the R-Zone series, is stuffed with plenty of very real atmosphere.

Minimal Wave present a unique collaboration between one of their long time favorite artists, In Aeternam Vale and Anneq, a stunning young Madrid-based vocalist originally from Minsk, Belarus. In Aeternam Vale and Anneq met in 2011 and began to collaborate in 2015. In Aeternam Vale, originally from Lyon, has been making synthesizer based electronic music since the early 80s, when he began to self-release many of his recordings on cassette. As the years went on his cold and caustic synthpunk sound, often primitive and hypnotic evolved into rhythmic, throbbing music for the dance floor, his own unique style of techno.

On this record, In Aeternam Vale and Anneq come together to create two very different versions of the same track, one fit for the club and the other a more intimate version, for quiet listening at home. Je Ai Dissous, the opener, is a dark smoky track with a hypnotic, cyclical underlay reminiscent of early industrial music while the Page R Version of the same track trandscends the floor and becomes completely filmic. Anneq's seductive vocal is suspended in a beatless, cavernous void. Side B opens with Tendencia, a very classic catchy minimal wave style track, sung in Spanish. The V6 version of Tendencia again focuses on Anneq's voice set in a darker, slower more atmospheric melody. The four tracks culminate in an elegant and thoughtful collaboration from these two strong talents that complement one another so well.

The "Je Ai Dissous" EP is pressed on 160 gram deep purple "spilled" inside electric blue transparent vinyl, limited to 999 copies and housed in a gloss printed sleeve.

Digging deep into the annals of Gospel now, the name Pastor TL Barrett should be familiar to the eagle eyed crate diggers amongst you. An extremely "colourful" character from Chicago's Southside neighbourhood who found himself on the wrong side of the law for his involvement in some activities of a dubiously illegal nature, more importantly, besides this the pastor was widely known for his community activism and positive sermons preaching love and responsibility. Shady past aside, this fantastic 1976 LP entitled "Do Not Pass Me By" is a real Gospel beauty and features 8 tracks of resplendent hands in the air rejoicement. Having never been reissued before this rare as gem is finally back out in the open, complete with it's incredible untampered with sleeve artwork and design. Barrett's unique voice and message is timeless and instantly recognisable, you can't help but become one of the congregation whilst listening to these wonderfully rousing and positive paeans to the lord almighty. Saying that, even if you find yourself to be a non-believer, the soul, funk and jazz stylings (with the odd flourish of synth!) the good pastor is laying down will be equally as alluring to those of you who dig those particular sounds. "Do Not Pass Me By" was originally released on Miami's TK Disco offshoot Gospel Roots, it's the Pastor's second release on the label and is a beautiful snapshot of how things might have gone down at his "Mount Zion Baptist Church of Universal Awareness". A unique LP with with a somewhat lo-fi charm, the tracks contained run the gamut from slow, downtempo ballads to roof raising, danceable Disco-esque anthems.
This is the first time that "Do Not Pass Me By" has been reissued on vinyl, fully remastered from Gospel Roots/TK's original tapes, represented the way the the LP was issued in 1976 with all original cover and label artworks intact. Now, almost 40 years after it's original release the album has now been made available again for 2016, fully licensed in conjunction and with the full permission of Henry Stone music / TK Disco, Miami, FL.

The Tiger is back - finally on full length again! The second studio album for Tiger & Woods not only marks a desired return to a specific format, but is also a huge leap forward in their area of expertise: their brand of fun and functional dance music gets broadened by influences from electronica, italo disco and up-tempo house, while keeping a groove that is distinctly linked to what some people refer to as boogie. After travelling the world from left to right and from top to bottom with a live-set to boot and skilful DJ sets that resemble that genre melting approach, "On The Green Again" is the result of spending valuable studio time at the "Tiger's Lair" - a carefully-built new work place that plays its own part in the creative process of one of the most prolific production teams of our days, while simultaneously starting T&W Records for all sorts of adventures that are linked to Tiger & Woods, but not narrowed to a specific sound. See "Unleashed Tapes Vol. 1" for further reference. A double A-sided 12-inch that owes as much to disco as an influence as it pays homage to the funkier and brighter sides of house and techno. Honing a craft that is rooted in edit culture as an ethos, but has since long left that bumpy road dependable on samples and their clearance, T&W make "On The Green Again" work as the second album that defies the difficulty usually attached to such ventures. 10 brand-new tracks (and three previously released bonus tracks on the CD version) make up the course between peak-time prime cuts similar to "RockMeLoveMe" or "Come And Get My Lovin" and an almost heart-aching track like "Endless Affair". Mixed with bits and pieces in-between and neatly placed between a classic intro and outro segment, those tracks are testament

The first instalment in our new 'Mr Bongo Record Club' compilation series - a selection of favourites, recent discoveries and sought after obscurities, which form the basis of our DJ sets and our radio show of the same name. Including cuts by Claudia, Cortex, Dave Pike Set, Fruko, Neno Exporta Som, Connie Laverne, Barbosa and more. The original concept for 'Mr Bongo Record Club' was a radio show that allowed us to air our treasured record collections, recorded and broadcast once a
month. We wanted to create an outlet free from any genre or BPM restrictions, not constrained by the need to beat-mix every record, a space where we could play latest finds alongside favourites. The only self-imposed rule being that
it had to be played from vinyl. We have always DJ'd across-the-board, but playing in an eclectic way hasn't
always been easy. Recently DJ's such as MCDE, Floating Points, Nick The Record, Leon Vynehall, Four Tet, Jeremy Underground, Antal (Rush Hour), Sassy J and Young Marco - to name a few - have opened things up with very diverse sets to
younger audiences; Brazilian samba-rock, next to modern soul, highlife, disco, boogie, jazz, house, techno and beyond.  
We're seeing a rare groove like sensibility. A shift towards the attitude of legendary club nights hosted by the likes of Mr Scruff and Gilles Peterson, where you could hear house, hip hop, Turkish funk, boogie, jazz, dub and Latin
back to back. At the same time it isn't a nostalgic or retro movement, people have a progressive attitude and a thirst for new-old music. It is a vibrant and exciting time - we are proud to be a part of it.

Back in stock !

Michael Mayer is one of the leading German tastemakers in dance music and his DJ sets have influenced a generation (or two) of musicians and fans.As an artist, Mayer remains tirelessly motivated to DJing, in the studio or behind his desk at KOMPAKT, the label he co-owns. His recording career spans four albums, 23 EP's, nearly 170 remixes and the legendary DJ mixes for fabric and Immer. '&' is his third full-length, a passionate and personal album that speaks as broadly as his DJ sets - embracing his genre-busting love for music, rhythm and atmosphere - and the dancefloor in front of him. '&' is the rare manifest of an established artist who is willing to risk it all and challenge himself, and the world around him. 12 tracks, 12 single narratives coming from a group of very individual minds orchestrated by Michael Mayer - the DJ, artist, A&R but most importantly, obsessed music lover. Michael describes the process of curating and creating '&' as a constant battle between his three alter egos but 'the obsessed music lover has had the final say.' As diverse as they are, all the tracks that result from this long and winding road create a cohesive story and present the elasticity of Mayer's musical galaxy. Michael gladly leaves it to the rest of the scene to discuss the different grey shapes of club culture. For him there is only one club culture - a playful and open-minded one that's easy to comprehend after you hear ‚&'.

finally repressed

Back in February 2013, shortly after their impressive first release as a label, Music Is Love launched a double VA entitled Lovebox: an 8 track double-vinyl release that included tracks from 8 talented up-and-coming producers on their roster. By innovatively previewing the producers in this way, the label laid the foundations for what listeners could expect for each artists' subsequent EPs. The artists who released on it were not hyped up flavours of the month, but rather emerging talents who sat perfectly with the label's musical ethos - quality and original underground house with a contemporary, dynamic feel. Since the VA, the label have gone from strength to strength and have firmly established themselves as one of the most brightest house labels around in the UK.

Just over a year later and following in the success of its predecessor, MIL return with their second VA and with that, a chance for listeners to hear the new additions they've acquired, in addition to some already known faces. Liam Geddes opens proceedings with Untitled. A deep sense of soul permeates the whole track as a rumbling baseline imbues the beat with an ever-present sense of groove that never lets the head stop nodding. Geddes has really fine tuned and matured his sound over the past year, and this track is further evidence of his quality as a producer. The subtle percussive rhythms, electronic bleeps and synth nuances give this track a natural flow, as Geddes conjures something altogether more hypnotic, dark and purposeful.
Mr.KS, one of the newcomers to the label, outlines his coolly crafted style with track (Music) Makes Me Stronger. Brittle drums and deep warped synths suck you in and out and shape the structure of the beat, while afflicted chord patterns combine with the hypnotic repetition of a vocal sample to give the track a gesture towards techno but with a flow that pulls in house elements. Cassio Kohl introducers himself with a warm, melodic house number; rumbling synths circulate in the background of the track while ticking hi-hats and snares play off against the sumptuous vocal sample, which builds and falls back nicely into its original path until electronic glitches sporadically ease in and move the beat forward.

Jamie Trench has been making some serious headway of late and his track I Want You with Rebel serves a timely reminder of a producer on top form. A heavy, rolling baseline resonates intently, building against murky vocal samples, shuffling snares and off-beat key stabs that grow in presence and intensity - a track that will no doubt prove a high point in any DJ set. Label boss Oli Furness has a raw knack for creating crisp, heavy sounds and Take Monday Off remains on a similar path, albeit the beauty lies in the subtlety of arrangements rather than bigger hitting sounds. Chopped shimmying keys tease, filter and build fluently with urgent hi-hats and swinging drums that flourish harmoniously together, while an understated baseline adds weight and rhythmic groove typically inherent in Furness' work.

Italian heavyweight Tuccillo has released on some of the most reputable labels on the circuit - releases for 20:20 Vision and Freerange is evidence enough of his provenance - and this time he brings his baleric house sound with the impeccable sounds of DubFlanged Gru. Shimmering percussion shakes meander against the bumping bassline while the endearing, muffled vocals that threaten to break out are superseded by breeze-block keys that filter and descend into a chattering groove. Dutch producer U Know The Drill brings things back into heavier house territory with a no-nonsense, stripped-back stomper, the type of track we've been used to hearing on Dutch affiliates New Jack City's material. Heavy snares kick with a punch, and the deep drone-like vocal swings against the wobbling baseline and tapestry of electronic bleeps. Other sampled vocals and glitches weave in with the juxtaposing elements playing off one another to huge effect, ensuring that sheer energy pervades the track.

Jackson Ryland rounds off the heavy 8 track VA - scattering hi-hats and swirling pads build, while the shuffling drums roll on until fleeting chord flourishes and a musky vocal hook bring the track into wistful nostalgia. The elements of track balance superbly and are propelled forward by the intricate drum arrangements and well-crafted hi-hat/vocal combo.
The difference in approach and outcome from each artist results in yet another highly impressive outcome, with 8 high grade tracks that show another side to Music Is Love. The sounds are tougher and the mood is darker, but the premise of the whole MIL concept remains more apparent than ever with this release: sourcing fresh underground talent, curating original electronic music and evolving artists already on the roster.

When faced with the decision to take a different direction at the risk of getting lost in a synthetic sound or to further explore the same musical path, Vaudou Game didn't need to consult the oracle for very long when putting together their new album. Since their first acclaimed album, Apiafo and its irresistible single "Pas Contente", these Lyon natives never turned down the heat on over 130 stages across Europe, Africa, America and Asia. Peter Solo has displayed his amulets, charisma and yellow pants around the globe.When time came for them to harness their Afro-Funk sound for the second time, they turned their attention once again to their analog strengths. Vintage material, instruments produced in the 70's and cassette tapes were the "grigris" (or lucky charms) which proved most effective to ward off digital corruption of their music and return them to a tight-knit group with a solid groove.This unbeatable trance rhythm, inherited from James Brown and Fela, icons of Funk and Afrobeat, becomes trident when joined by Mawu, the creative voodoo divinity hidden in each of the group's notes. This inspiration transcends their spirit of communion, plunges them deeply into Mother Earth and results in the telepathic trance which is directly connected to Togo Peter's native Togo.Each song then becomes a celebration where the listener becomes the group's voodoo doll, embraced by the rhythm, submitting itself to the mercilessly metronomic cutting of guitars, struck by the copper-colored flashes of lightning forged by the African voodoo deity Hevioso, pierced by the psychedelic visions generated by the organs and a six-string guitar, cheerful songs, and hypnotic incantations.KIDAYU means "sharing" in Kabye, the language spoken in northern Togo. Sharing, is the philosophy of Vaudou Game - both in their recorded music and on stage.Vintage African funk tinged with voodoo chanting: Togolese Peter Solo and his fellow musicians from Lyon electrify us in a frenzied ceremony" - Télérama

"Oops, he did it again. Berlin DJ & producer ARSY aka DJ Producer is back at the Laube. Three head nodding dance floor killers . Nothing more to say. Comes on 180g Vinyl with Silkscreen Cover by Duktus. Limited to 300 Copies"

RAWAX proudly welcomes Mr. Lamont Norwood aka Dj Di'jital to the family! A true pioneer from Detroit!

Truly an old school Techno Bass jewel, DJ Di'jital has been a key player in the development of what some call the "Second Generation" of Detroit Techno. Having released on classic Detroit labels like Metroplex, Direct Beat, and Twilight 76, there is plenty of good reason why his name and his work have become so legendary over the years.

Influenced by early groups like Kraftwerk and Parliament, it was no surprise that the 80's fusion of Electronic Music, Funk and Hip Hop that brought about the Electro Funk sounds, would have such an impact on him. As a kid, Lamont Norwood aka DJ Di'jital became acquainted with the idea of mixing two songs together using tape decks, which while being limited, still gave him the drive and passion to pursue a career as a professional DJ. Over the years he played many different house parties and underground clubs, even spending some time as a Cabaret DJ.

Throughout this time, Di'jital became an incredibly skilled turntablist, quickly gaining the reputation of being a formidable force behind the wheels of steel. The year 1996 would prove to be quite a momentous one for Norwood, not only signing to the already well established label Direct Beat, but also becoming the official DJ for one of the label's finest and most important artists, Aux 88. Having already released his first EP, "Prototype", on Direct Beat, this would become a great opportunity that would help seal him as an icon of what was now known as the Detroit Techno Bass scene. Over the next few years,

Di'jital continued recording for Direct Beat, releasing some of the greatest and most unique Techno Bass classics to date, even doing a few remixes for some of Aux 88's most well known releases like "Electro/Techno", "I Need To Freak", and "Break It Down". Hit EPs like "From The Mind Of The Master", and "360 Degrees" became instant classics, still very sought after to this day. He also had some of his songs appear on some of the various Direct Beat compilations that were released between the years 1996 and 1999 like "Xperience De Bass II", which released "Radar2Bass", one of his most notable works, as well as the all time collector's album, "Techno Bass: The Mission".
Perhaps what may have been one of the biggest signs that his career was becoming exactly what he had hoped for, was the opportunity presented to him to remix Aaron Carl's classic "Down", which was released on the iconic Metroplex Records in 1998; Something that to any Detroit native would have been an honor and a milestone, given the reputation and level of success and influence that Juan Atkin's imprint had on the Detroit Electronic Music scene, as well as the global Electro/Techno movement.

Between the years 2000 and 2002, there was a small hiatus in complete EPs or albums being released by DJ Di'jital, although there were 2 different tracks released on the labels Bipolar and Studio iK7. In 2002, he went on to sign to another of Detroit's legendary imprints, Twilight 76, where he released 2 EPs, "Bass Programmers", and Di'jital's Revenge". In 2005, already a veteran and having amassed the necessary skill and knowledge needed to be a true beat warrior, Di'jital was now ready to join the resistance...Underground Resistance that is! Featured on the Interstellar Fugitives Vol. 2 compilation ( also later released as a 2xCD/DVD set ), Di'jital also released on the Electrocuter EP, which featured the previously released "Bang", as well as "Track 19".

In 2006, already well into the digital age ( no pun intended ), Norwood would release his first set of downloadable works, starting with an album called "The Prototype", on Twilight 76, which was completely unrelated to his first EP which was also called "Prototype". Recently, Twilight 76 has also released what is so far a 2 volume set of battle cuts dubbed "Electro Battle Tools".

The only known material that is known to be in the future for DJ Di'jital at the moment is a remix of Morphogenetic's "Techno Bass Is Back!", which was originally released as a free download to members of Technobass, but will soon be released on a 12"/Digital release that will launch the site's own label "Techno Bass Music". There will also be a follow EP by Di'jital, so stay tuned! Over the years, DJ Di'jital has proven to be an unstoppable force in the Techno Bass scene, tirelessly working to push the boundaries of Electro forward with his futuristic and visionary beats that have unleashed mayhem across the globe, not just in his published works, but also in his incredible DJ acts, where one can truly witness one of the few actual turntablists in this style of music. Expect more in the future as Di'jital's revenge continues to spread across the globe with his out of the ordinary approach towards Techno Bass music.

Remember how badly we wanted to join them and be part of those sea-faring adventures: Jack London’s The Sea-Wolf, classic TV shows based on his novel The Road, on Radu Toduran’s novels... back then, a couple decades ago, the titles of these shows alone were enough to trigger some strong gusts in our hearts, salty squalls perfect for imaginary downwind journeys we dreamed of with billowing sails. We wanted to cruise alongside albatrosses, seagulls, and fellow sailors. Floating high above a three-masted vessel, we watched our own adventures unfold far below, an imagined movie scene complete with a whole crew that worked the rigging, and all the rest. Cutting waves. Amidst the storm and stress of sounds hitting our eardrums far out in the ocean. Combined with the sounds of rotors, of tropics crossed, of marimbas and cabin wood pounded, of strange music spotted in the distance. And even though it was merely for an hour or two that we were rescued by that seal-hunting ship “Ghost,” as Jack London had it, plus, even worse, often found ourselves surrounded by villains: it was a great escape, for we’d successfully set sails – to new and exciting places.

Both around their own Weilheim shores and elsewhere, brothers Markus and Micha Acher have launched various musical vessels, bands and free-floating constellations over the past three decades – and yet: amid all these other speedboats and unlikely sonic barges, The Notwist has always remained the mother ship. This new album documents the latest live incarnation of this very band, which also features Andi Haberl, Max Punktezahl, Karl Ivar Refseth, and Cico Beck. Recorded on December 16, 2015 on the second of three consecutive, sold-out nights at UT Connewitz in Leipzig, Germany, "Superheroes, Ghost-Villains & Stuff" indeed feels like a first-hand live experience caught on triple vinyl. That’s why it’s the definitive album of The Notwist’s career.

Although there is one song that points to the early, “louder years” of The Notwist – “One Dark Love Poem” off the album Nook –, the rest of the night’s set sees the band perform all the major hits off Neon Golden, The Devil, You + Me, and Close To The Glass. However, these are different, organically enhanced versions, new interpretations and combinations that feel much more alive; thanks to Olaf Opal’s incredible mix, they sometimes even outshine the original studio recordings. Listening to "Superheroes, Ghost-Villains & Stuff" feels like watching these songs evolve and change, moving from one frame to the next, much like a baroque triptych.

What starts out like ‘wimmelbook’ imagery, the music soon folds and unfolds like a Moebius strip: Sans bottom or top, sans inside or outside, the inside becomes the outside and vice versa. It’s all about sonic interconnection, about music as entanglement, music as reconciliation. The rather majestic, cinematic (indie) pop and experimental, kraut- infused jazz, the spirit of the enlightenment and baroque playfulness, the traces of modernism and minimal music, dub leanings, hip-hop lessons, and even hints of house music: here is where they all come together, reconciled in a sound that’s both melancholy and romantic. And ultimately, the spirit of these songs is set free – and the band has released itself, is free at last.

As for the album title, it’s lifted from the song “Kong,” and encapsulates Markus Acher’s motto. Throughout the track, the water theme first appears as a dangerous threat: a force that’s strong enough to wash away an entire house; and yet the fluid state keeps transforming and eventually releases that sense of threat into something rather hopeful, a new musical beginning, a melodic departure that ultimately leads to euphoria and a renewed spirit of adventure. These are the strong gusts mentioned above, it’s the spirit of discovery, the urge to set sail together. The crew’s back at it, working the instruments, the rigging, with sails a- billow, launching the next voyage of discovery, assuming the East in the West and vice versa. And thus the adventure saga continues.

Pico Be (Das Weiße Pferd)

Solkyss are back with a four track blender. On the A side are two thumping tracks from the Stockholm based duo Subdued Camel - one rolling deep and one soaring airily. On the B-side we find Solkyss regulars with two tracks that differ in character. Lonely Shark is an afterglow tune with a driving beat set under an experimental soundscape. From Ensam comes another sun struck, funky piece with that signature cinematic dreaminess he showcased on his debut EP Eee.

The next volume of Wonderwheel's long running Turntables on the Hudson series, curated by Nickodemus, heads down to the Caribbean encompassing diverse music made for the dancefloor. TOTC touches on the culturally rich shores of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Jamaica, Belize, Mexico, Colombia and the USA and beyond with Island inspired vibes.

This double 7" taken with our favorite cuts from the compilation features tracks from DJ Jigoe, Captain Planet feat Chico Mann, Corrado Bucci, and Poirier. On the A side, Afro Cuban artist and recent US & UK Press Darling DJ Jigue gives us the stripped down, Cuban house stomper that is "RIVE", while on the B side Italian producer Corrado Bucci teams up with the classic Columbian group Los Corraleros de Majaguel for a brand new modern take on their Cumbia classic "La Cuidad De Eterna Primavera". On the C side, Captain Planet & Chico Mann's tropical AfroLatin dancefloor smash "Aguacero" finally sees vinyl release, while on the D side, Montreal producer Poirier delivers a jumping Haitian/Creole tune "Pale Mal" with Fwonte on vocals to round out the compilation.

With a title that suggests great things, making reference to 6 Victoria Crosses awarded to the Lancashire Regiment in World War 1, Mr Fantastic and Coherent (of Journeymen fame and much more) have set themselves a tall order. Before you have even listened to the music, the presentation points to success in this venture, with original artwork by the brilliant Stilts and marbled camouflage coloured vinyl to boot!

100 years after the press reported 'the winning of 6 VCs before breakfast' during the Gallipoli campaign in World War 1, S.O.E. (Special Operations Executive) opt for beats and rhymes rather than guns and bombs, and the resulting record is essential. The initial salvo is fired in 'Ready For Combat' which sees Mr Fantastic combine hard-hitting drums with stabbing guitar chops for Coherent to set the tone. The result is an instant smash which will have you rewinding, as I was, time and time again! From there, the duo, joined by Rola (The Numskullz/Journeymen) and Truck (also a member of The Journeymen), stage a three pronged assault over a haunting beat, spitting verse one after another like a creeping barrage before Mr Fantastic delivers the final victory courtesy of his trademark tight scratches. The concept for this EP is highly original and perfectly apt and on 'Foreign Lands', this is perfectly demonstrated as Coherent weaves tales of carnage that would sound at home on a jungle warfare documentary. 'Lyrical Assassin' once more sees Coherent dropping vocal hand grenades over double bass and electric piano skilfully fused together by his fellow soldier Mr Fantastic. Throughout, the subject matter and music is dark and 'Heavy Artillery' encapsulates this perfectly - Mr Fantastic's thumping, bass-heavy production would have sat perfectly on Show & AG's sophomore LP next to tracks like 'Night Time'. On 'Carcasses', Coherent shows the enemy why he is such a skilled MC, delivering surgical strikes with his tight metaphors and hard-hitting punch lines.

The question, then, given the highly ambitious nature of this project, is whether S.O.E. have won the battle they set out to win. With meticulous artwork, dark brooding beats and Coherent's masterful wordplay, the result is clear. They didn't just win the battle but the whole darn war!

The next volume of Wonderwheel's long running Turntables on the Hudson series, curated by Nickodemus, heads down to the Caribbean encompassing diverse music made for the dancefloor. TOTC touches on the culturally rich shores of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Jamaica, Belize, Mexico, Colombia and the USA and beyond with Island inspired vibes.

This double 7" taken with our favorite cuts from the compilation features tracks from DJ Jigoe, Captain Planet feat Chico Mann, Corrado Bucci, and Poirier. On the A side, Afro Cuban artist and recent US & UK Press Darling DJ Jigue gives us the stripped down, Cuban house stomper that is "RIVE", while on the B side Italian producer Corrado Bucci teams up with the classic Columbian group Los Corraleros de Majaguel for a brand new modern take on their Cumbia classic "La Cuidad De Eterna Primavera". On the C side, Captain Planet & Chico Mann's tropical AfroLatin dancefloor smash "Aguacero" finally sees vinyl release, while on the D side, Montreal producer Poirier delivers a jumping Haitian/Creole tune "Pale Mal" with Fwonte on vocals to round out the compilation.

A great step forward for the legendary Tim Maia - working here in a style that's even tighter and more sophisticated than before - yet still equally filled with funk and soul! The arrangements are a bit bigger than before, and the production a bit more professional - but that change only brings Tim into even more heavenly soul territory - with a mix of grooves and strings that lays somewhere between the best early 70s work on labels like Curtom or Motown! Tim's got a new sense of majesty on the album - and also sings in English in a few spots - at a level that makes us wonder why he was never able to crack the American soul market at the time. An essential record from the man who brought American soul music to Brazil - with tracks that include "Over Again", "New Love", "Balanco", "Reu Confesso", "Preciso Ser Amado", "Amores", and "Do Your Thing Behave Yourself".

Munich based pair Jorkes are something of an enigma, having appeared on the scene recently with a fully formed sound and a desire to let their music do the speaking for them. Musically the duo seem to be operating with few boundaries, looking to express their emotional states through their music with scant consideration for styles or genres. This latest release sees Jorkes team up with fellow Munich resident and vocalist Karol Schmejchel to deliver a slice of evocative, slo-mo nu-disco. The release kicks of with the original mix of 'Thank You', marrying chugging drums and warm bass with stirring pads and the emotionally charged vocals of Schmejchel. It's a perfect track for dark backrooms and home lounging alike. The remix comes from Manchester trio Menage a Trois who deliver a sonical beautiful reworking built around heartwrenching keys and heavily reverbed guitar parts. Simple understated drums carrying the record along as their vocal treatment soars towards the heavens, this is sublime stuff. The vinyl release will also feature an exclusive instrumental of the Menage a Trois mix for those who like things a little more stripped back. In keeping with Jorkes' creative outlook, and following on from their previous release, there will be an exclusive music video of 'Thank You' forthcoming which is likely to set pulses racing once again! Thanks for purchasing a real copy!

So kam die Postmoderne über uns und machte aus vormals ehrbaren Kulturschaffenden Werksarbeiter, denen alle Schrauben abhanden gekommen schienen, im besten Fall. Mit minimaler Eigenleistung (nimmt man die unbeabsichtigten Fehler in der Produktion mal aus), aber bei maximaler Entgleisung entstand ein gänzlich neuer Berufszweig. Der grundsolide Werksarbeiter, mit Gema Anmeldung im Griff und guten Draht zu seinem Steuerberater. Um die quietschfidelen Arpeggio Terroristen soll es heute mal nicht gehen. Unsere Protagonisten dieser Geschichte sind andere. Wahnwitzige, Soziophobiker, Menschen mit gebrochenen Lebensläufen statt Joghurt im Rucksack, emsig agierende Mitstreiter mit Tupperdose in der Tasche für die Frühstückspause, willens den Kampf der letzten Kulturoffensive zu Ende zu bringen, samplen, pitchen, alles zerhacken und zu undefinierbaren Fetzen von Funk wieder zusammensetzen. Ausgeglichen vom Duft der Natur ankommend denFortschritt definieren wollen und den Strom in die Maschinen juckeln. Ästheten der Fehler waren geboren. Losgelöst vom Fließband. Hart & tief wird geackert geschwitzt, gebimmelt, der Filter aufgedreht, der Schmutz schaufelweise rangekarrt, bis die Stufe der Erlösung erreicht wird oder eben halt auch nicht. Das Leben ist nun mal kein einziger Orgasmus und der Funk entsteht in den Pausen wie die Befriedigung der Gier und der Besitz des Moments, weil das Leben ist doch nur ein Wimpernschlag und wir immer nur einen Abgrund entfernt von Weltekel oder Erlösung.

Justin Chapman aka Just One is no stranger to the Neroli catalogue, having released on the label the Co-op hits 'Love2Love' and 'Soul Revolutions', followed by his solo album 'Love Music' (a collaboration between Neroli and Divine recordings). Here he shows once again his great talent with 'I Will Follow U'. Other half of Kemetic Just DJ Kemit also delivers 2 different takes on the song, making it an essential EP.

THE ASSISTENZ is the culmination of a four year creative hot streak as vivid as any part of CRISTAN VOGEL's long career. The trio of dance oor-oriented records formed by 2012's The Inertials, 2014's Polyphonic Beings and now THE ASSISTENZ are sensual pleasures rst and foremost: a lifetime of study of frequencies and rhythms on the frontline of the world's clubs has been put into the creation of sounds that interface with the nervous system and emotional re- sponses with extraordinary immediacy. But there's much more too: together with the more ab- stracted album Eselsbru¨cke, these form an enticing sonic narrative, encoded themes running through them, each part revealing more about the whole. THE ASSISTENZ, then, is many things: a personal document, a tribute to Copenhagen where it was recorded and after whose famous cemetery it is named - but also the nal piece in this bigger puzzle, which unlocks untold secrets from the previous three records.

There's a deeper history, of course. CRISTIAN's productions going back to the start of the 1990s have woven their way into the fabric of underground culture. His own recent remasters of his early albums, and the Sub Rosa Classics 1993-1998 collections have shown just how potent his early work remains. But his new work exists in a very different world to those past works, and is far removed from the recent electronic generations who he has in uenced too. In fact, as you listen to THE ASSISTENZ, you realise that there's no point making comparisons with other elec- tronic producers at all. While you will certainly hear some of the most fundamental and enduring vectors of underground music - dub, electro, acid, funk - owing through the tracks, even those things are rebuilt from the molecular level, created completely afresh with new, precise, but some- what skewed vision.

CRISTIAN's understanding of music now is spectral. That is to say, with every step through his exploration of sound over the years, he has made more and more detailed analyses of the specif- ic frequencies that make up speci c sounds and produce speci c effects on the human mind and body. And as a result, his own sound synthesis - increasingly done via the Kyma programming platform - is more and more able to reach beyond the 'synthetic' and impact in uncanny and wonderful ways. The most obvious sense of this is the way his sounds touch on the human voice: not just in the chattering, shimmering, singing tones of THE ASSISTENZ's ghostly centrepiece 'Barefoot Agnete', in the alien radio signals of 'The Merman's Dream' or even in the subliminal 'aaah's hiding in the background of the noisy 'Vessels', but in the way any sound, anywhere in any track can sound peculiarly vocal, heard from the right angle.

And it's not just the boundary between human and non-human, or that between acoustic and synthetic, that get blurred to the point of non-existence. CRISTAN's creative methodology now is all about leaving you so uncertain about where anything came from, or what scale the sounds are operating on, that you have no choice but to let go of preconceptions and standardised criti- cal faculties and go with it. Sometimes that can take you to places where darkness and physical- ity close in on you as on 'Vessels' or 'Telemorphosis', or into haunted spaces on the edge of the void like those of 'Snowcrunch' and 'Barefoot Agnete', but even in those, there is euphoria. And in the voluptuousness of 'Hold' or the body-rocking funk of 'Cubic Haze', all the abstraction is grounded in the sheer pleasure of your own bodily responses to the sound.

So many of the science ction dreams of the 1990s are now (virtual) reality. We live in a time when social networks consciously manipulate our emotions, where data is money, where ma- chines learn, where images can't be trusted, and where the synthetic can feel more real than real. Over some 25 years, CRISTIAN's experiments have traced much of this weirdness and evolved with it, and his understanding of synthesis and algorithmic processes to create structure makes him one of the most important composers working today. But THE ASSISTENZ doesn't just ex- periment with the interfaces between mind, body and machine: it expresses those relationships in ways that are beautiful, troubling, moving and scary, and which even make you want to dance. Together with the preceding three albums it enacts a glorious, endlessly-explorable mapping of just what electronic music can do.

Ben Sun returns to Delusions for his 4th release on the label including three more tracks which show the Australian via London on his best form yet. Full Moon kicks off the Tides EP at full throttle with a muscular conga-led disco house roller. Slurping 909 hats and the most twisted of synth solos courtesy of regular collaborator Fantastic Man (and his beloved Juno 60) provide the icing on this simple bass-cake which never fails to energize the dancefloor in the most special of ways.
Star Ritual drops next, going heavy on the percussion once again for a minimal stripped back drum tool which packs a mighty punch. Dubbed out vocal hits punctuate the beautifully loose groove with subtle hints of afrobeat implied by the bassline making for a warm summer track dripping with tropical vibes.
Finally we have Glass Waves bringing the EP to a glorious close, all chiming synths, bouncing moog bass and waves of chords layering on top of a heavy drum track. Ben repping an early 90's blissed out Nu Groove mood on this one and managing to sound as fresh as ever in the process.

Chances are you've already danced to one of his sets at Panorama Bar - Matthew Styles has been a regular guest DJ at the club for several years -, but you've probably also come across at least one record with music that went through the Englishman's meticulous hands. While Matthew has released great but small numbers of 12"es on various labels since 2007, his credits in mixing, engineering and mastering exceed his solo discography by far.
With the Metro EP we're finally offering a full solo release by Matthew Styles on Ostgut Ton, accounting for his consistent productional finesse, especially with his original track "Liquid Sky" (on Nick Höppner's Panorama Bar 04, 2012) and his 'Dub Mix' of Dinky's "Planes" (on Ostgut Ton / Zehn, 2015).
"I've never worked on a sequential set of songs that came out on the same record," Matthew commented on this 12". As with his productional approach in general, the Metro EP has a certain timelessness: "One piece is from 8 years ago, one from 3 years ago and another from around the time of the recent birth of my second son. I'll leave it up to the listener to guess which is which."
The eponymous "Metro" on A is an elated seven-minute, trippy, meandering analogue synth exploration in House and Cosmic Disco. "Wave 6" opens the flipside with a simple yet beguiling melody: 6 notes dancing completely beatless in 5/4 time, meandering repetitively and escalating towards a blissful - yet only anticipated - climax. "Border" on B2 is a solid addition to the long history of Dub Techno - smooth, steady, super layed back, but also offering many colorful melodic elements.
(de) Gut möglich, dass du schon einmal zu einem seiner DJ-Sets in der Panorama Bar getanzt hast - Matthew Styles spielt seit Jahren regelmäßig am Wriezener Bahnhof -, aber sicherlich hast du wenigstens eine Platte gehört, die vorher durch die akribischen Hände des Engländers gegangen ist. Obwohl Matthew seit 2007 tolle aber wenige 12"es auf verschiedenen Labels veröffentlicht hat, übertreffen seine Credits als Mixer, Engineer und in Mastering seine Solodiskografie bei weitem.
Mit der Metro EP hat Ostgut Ton nun endlich ein volles Solorelease von Matthew Styles im Angebot, das seiner konsistenten Produktionfinesse - besonders bei seinem Track "Liquid Sky" (auf Nick Höppners Panorama Bar 04, 2012) und seinem 'Dub Mix' von Dinkys "Planes" (auf Ostgut Ton / Zehn, 2015) - Rechnung trägt.
"Ich habe noch nie aufeinanderfolgend Stücke produziert, die dann auf derselben Platte erschienen wären", kommentierte Matthew diese 12". Wie generell bei seinen Produktionen besticht die Metro EP durch eine gewisse Zeitlosigkeit: "Ein Stück ist acht Jahre alt, eines von vor drei Jahren, ein anderes von kurz nach der Geburt meines zweiten Sohnes. Die zeitliche Einordnung möchte ich dem Hörer überlassen."
Das gleichbetitelte "Metro" auf A ist eine beschwingte 7-minütige, trippige, mäandernde Analog-Synth-Erkundung in House und Cosmic Disco. "Wave 6" beginnt die B-Seite mit einer einfachen aber betörenden Melodie: 6 Noten tanzen beatbefreit im 5/4-Takt, treiben repetitiv und ansteigend auf einen beseelten - aber nur erhofften - Höhepunkt zu. "Border" auf B2 ist eine solide Dreingabe zur langen Geschichte von Dub Techno: sanft, stetig, super entspannt, aber mit vielen melodischen Elementen.

Drumcode reserve their Limited branch of releases for the special and outstanding productions. Pressing them onto vinyl only, providing the perfect collectors item and sound that techno lovers worldwide constantly pursue.
The current catalogue of Drumcode Limited releases include names such as Adam Beyer, Alan Fitzpatrick, Tom Demac & Glimpse, Ben Sims, Steve Rachmad, 2000 and One and Marco Faraone. dubspeeka proudly joins the list of acclaimed artists to present the forthcoming vinyl only DCLTD20 - sk30.

Continuing his surge through the world of techno, the Bristol based producer has never strayed from the sound that has proven to be so popular amongst colleagues and fans alike.
The dark, haunting and powerful tones that resonate from the opening track sk30 showcase why dubspeeka has made his mark on the underground scene for a number of years.

Once again the chilling synth arrangements that have become synonymous with dubspeeka's style echo throughout the track clashing against the distorted vocal sample.

Yet another example of dubspeeka's unparalleled studio work, the production is intricately woven together with a tight thunderous kick drum demonstrating his prominence as an underground artist of the highest caliber.
Markus Suckut provides excellent support on remix duties for sk30.
Another purveyor of a unique sound, the German-based producer doesn't hold back
when tackling this mammoth remix.
The hard and relentless bassline conjures the perfect background for the bubbling synth tones and echoing percussion.
Markus Suckut demonstrates his skill and experimentat
ion that he pours into his own
production with the powerful and enthralling remix of sk30.

TOTAL compilation series hardly needs an introduction: we rummage through the Kompakt releases to select our favorites from the past year that reflect our best and unsaid tracks, compiled and packaged as a cohesive whole.

For TOTAL 16, the 2xCD and digital track listing features 25 prominent cuts from artists such as THE FIELD, WEVAL, REX THE DOG, TERRANOVA, HUNTER/GAME, FRANKEY & SANDRINO, JOHN TEJADA, BLOND:ISH or PATRICE BÄUMEL.

On top, TOTAL 16 includes eight exclusive tracks which happen to make up the 2xLP vinyl track listing. What you have is a dynamic assortment and comprehensive profile of Kompakt's current label portfolio, including both newcomers and veteran producers in peak form.

Keeping up a good old TOTAL tradition, we also planted brandnew material from core artists and friends - check out exclusive tracks such as MICHAEL MAYER's aptly named ACTION, an absolutely rinsing acid cracker, or MATIAS AGUAYO's stellar KOMM, sitting comfortably among his best and most stirring work to date. Meanwhile, JÜRGEN PAAPE drops silky, atmospheric synth pads on EDEN and THE MODERNIST teams up with Hot Chip's JOE GODDARD for the pop-infused THE PRICE OF LOVE. Another highlight is the debut release from exciting newcomer LAKE TURNER: BEACON FIELDS is a misty- eyed, melancholic piece focussing on exquisite electronic textures and sweeping melodies.

As with previous TOTAL installments, we collect these exclusives on a separate 2xLP edition, but like to add a handful of cuts that can only be found on the vinyl version - for TOTAL 16, these include ALEX UNDER's LLAMAN A LA PUERTA, a densely layered, slow-paced synth jam that makes for a inspired detour from the propulsive, lean beats the Spanish producer has become known for. SWEET 100 present a masterfully crafted study in hypnotic minimalism on SIX, while VOIGT & VOIGT hark back to the pounding, sensual abrasiveness of early Auftrieb releases on DENKEN SIE LAUT, crossbred with the tongue-in-cheek gloom of the brothers' later, more psychedelic offerings.

The Kompakt favorites from the past year, compiled and packaged as a cohesive whole, with cuts from THE FIELD, THE ORB, COMA, BLOND:ISH, HUNTER/GAME, JOHN TEJADA, REX THE DOG, TERRANOVA and many more..

Features exclusive new tracks from MICHAEL MAYER, MATIAS AGUAYO, JÜRGEN PAAPE, THE MODERNIST, ALEX UNDER, SWEET 100, VOIGT & VOIGT and LAKE TURNER

After the success of 2015 Since I Found You', Crossroads are back again to release their first unreleased song. Caught in a dream' is written by the London based vocalist Natasha Springer, showcasing a mixture of high quality modern soul, funk and r n b.

- You break through into that space, exactly how you were before breaking through. Don't
feel profoundly alone. You will see the light and enter the realms of higher consciousness.

A-TON ist eine neue Edition und Plattform des Berghain-Inhouse-Labels Ostgut Ton und konzentriert sich auf Ambient-, Archiv- und andere Musiken, abweichend von den
clubfokussierten Veröffentlichungen des Hauptlabels. Darüber hinaus markiert das erste Release auf A-TON - Chronicles I - den Beginn einer Serie von Veröffentlichungen Luke Slaters unter dessen Alias The 7th Plain und präsentiert geremastertes, zuvor veröffentlichtes als auch bislang ungehörtes Archivmaterial.

Zuerst erschienen auf General Production Recordings zwischen 1993 und 1996, lotete Slaters The 7th Plain die sich stärker ausbreitenden Facetten von Ambientmusik aus und trieb sie gleichzeitig an die Genregrenzen, indem sich The 7th Plain nicht auf beatbefreite Synthflächen beschränkte, sondern treibende Progressionen, nuancierte Rhythmen und raffinierte Melodien mit einbezog. The 7th Plains außerweltliche Musik entzog sich somit der genauen musikalischen Einordnung, nachzuhören auf den beiden Alben The 4 Cornered Room und My Yellow Wise Rug (beide GPR, 1994) - emotionale, gespenstische und eskapistische Musik, bei Erstveröffentlichung vorwärtsdenkende Alben, die in Rückbetrachtung die Zeit besiegt haben.

Ursprünglich aufgenommen in Slaters Spacestation Ø, nun für A-TON komplett geremastert, zeigt Chronicles I die futuristische Ästhetik und musikalische Agenda der Neunziger in einem zeitgenössischen Kontext, ohne Nostalgie aber mit dem Wissen um die Zeitlosigkeit dieser Musik. Mit sieben originären Stücken und einem unveröffentlichten Ken Ishii-Remix klingt The 7th Plain so beseelt und relevant wie eh und je.

Während "Boundaries" (von My Yellow Wise Rug), "Grace" und "Surface Bound" (beide von The 4 Cornered Room) Slater-Aficionados bekannt sein dürften, sind "The Super 8", "T Funk States", "Slip 7 Sideways" und "Chords Are Dirty" bislang ebenso unveröffentlicht wie der zuvor erwähnte Remix von Ken Ishiis "Extra".

Mit Chronicles I erweitert The 7th Plain die Wärme und Kälte analoger Synthesizermusik auf das digitale Zeitalter: Während A-TON Chronicles I als Doppel-LP und CD
veröffentlicht, wird die Musik selbst in verschiedenen Digitalformaten zum ersten Mal überhaupt erhältlich sein - wodurch The 7th Plain einer neuen Generation von Hörern zugänglich wird, die die Vielfalt elektronischer Musikgeschichte erst für sich entdecken.

De Sluwe Vos (Dutch for 'The Sly Fox', a name derived from Aesop's fable of the Fox and the Crow) is the newest addition to the Dutch house and techno scene. His productions are supported by artists such as DJ Sneak, Joy Orbison, Boddika andBicep. Moreover, De Sluwe Vos has a packed tour schedule and travels many miles for all his national and international gigs.

With strong hooks and dirty kicks as his specialities, De Sluwe Vos has released multiple tracks on labels like 4Lux and Slapfunk. Lately, this cheerful producer from Dutch city of Deventer has even been gaining a foothold in the pop scene. His gig at Noorderslag did not go unnoticed: national music platform 3voor12 named him the best act of the festival.

De Sluwe Vos mixes various styles to create his own 'signature sound' with which he manages to constantly keep himself at the center of attention. His 'OG Anthem' is possibly one of the most notable tracks of the moment, this underground hit found its way to the surface and received airplay on both Dutch radio station 3FM and BBC Radio1.

With his discography, De Sluwe Vos is constructing a steady career. But he's not one to stay hidden away in the studio: he's at his best when dominating dance floors in clubs and at festivals. His ultimate goal is to bring the crowd to a higher state of mind, where worries simply disappear and the music takes over. Time and time again, De Sluwe Vosprovides proof for the big bang theory with his performances. Whether it's at Awakenings Festival in the Netherlands or at Together Festival in Cardiff: during his shows he is pure energy. His duet between his Roland TR- 909 drum computer and turntables is always a bold endeavor, just like his stage diving.

The fact that he is a fixture of the club scene is proven by his monthly international gigs, his own night The Core and his notorious live act. With the audiovisual show 'Kontra live', De Sluwe Vos is well underway to becoming 'one of the greats'. And that's no fable!

Not even a month has passed since Sierra Sam and Pascal Hetzel ´s CYRK project launched with the high impact homage 'Tribute' and they return with yet another respectfully rooted release.
Channelling the energies of Detroitian agenda-setters such as Inner City, Joey Beltram and Scott Grooves, CYRK celebrate the original template and ingredients that have gone on to inform every genre that's since passed. Easy to say... A dark art to master without repeating something that's already been done before. Safe to say that CYRK definitely have that art mastered...
Its deft ping-pong riff echoing through classic detuned synth tones and unrelenting beats refusing to stop even for the honeyed evocative tones of singer Christine Eusebio , 'Fantasy' is one of those tracks you'll feel you know but also understand its freshness instantly. The type of track that gets crowds grinning like Cheshire cats the second it pops on... Even though they've never heard it before. Rooted in history, coded in innovation, it's more proof that CYRK's three-headed formula is better than one.
Remix-wise both Pascal Hetzel and Gerome Sportelli remain in Detroit: Pascal looks towards the likes of Mills and UR's 'World Power Alliance' phase for inspiration with his heads-down, militant techno aesthetics while Gerome conjures up sensations of Cybotron and The Preps with his slinky, ice-edged electro adaptation. Both versions take Christine's surging, sensual vocals to new creative pastures... And they've invited you to do the same with the acapella version, too.
Celebrating a legacy while keeping it fresh, CYRK remind us where we've come from... And where we're heading.ind us where we've come from... And where we're heading.

Berlin-based Marlon Hoffstadt drops 'Coach Mike', the fourth EP on his own Retrograde imprint, featuring remixes from Massimiliano Pagliara and The Friend and following a hat trick of successful releases. The four-track EP is the sophomore release from Hoffstadt on his burgeoning label, which he co-founded with Natureboy Gold and Matteo Luis in August 2015. Previously featuring the likes of Kris Wadsworth and Tuff City Kids, Retrograde provides a platform for the artists to explore music alongside other forms of expression such as art, particularly surrealism. The vinyl sleeve artwork from the first four releases, when fitted together, completes the painting 'Interaction' by surrealist Hermann Reimer. With previous releases on FFRR and Play It Down, Hoffstadt boasts a sound that is both innovative yet authentic, and 'Coach Mike' displays the sonic alchemy that the talented producer, aged only 22, has already become known for. The title track starts as a grooving acid-based cut peppered with percussion before building up suspense to a surprising yet satisfying breakdown. This is his first release without vocals, allowing him to focus entirely on creating pure soundscape. Panorama Bar resident and Live at Robert Johnson mainstay Massimiliano Pagliara's rework of the A side is a Balearic-tinged affair, starting with a solid drum and building to a crescendo of bass, pads and synths, along with the analog synth elements for which he's known. This is an undeniable summer anthem that will captivate dancefloors across the world. 'Broncos' is a club track created for the floor. An acid bassline sits alongside industrial elements and stabbing synths.

The incomparable Mark Henning blasts back on Soma with yet another dose of machine funk as he drops the Jaguar EP. Mark has consistently been one of Soma's top artists due to his amazing sound design and keen knowledge of exactly what make a top dance floor track and this latest EP really shows him operating at his highest level.

Mark doesn't waste anytime in getting down business with the elastic funk of title tack Jaguar. Classic drums and one catchy synth hook does the absolute damage on this opener. Ink brings a bit of Chicago style jack to the EP with Henning really working the percussive elements before letting loose with some screaming synth work. On Yes yes, Mark delivers the most melodic sounds of the EP so far, simple and effect percussion backs a extremely well crafted, bouncing hook. Closing of the EP is Atomic and Mark really picks up the pace with this one, definitely heading down a more Techno path. More direct and intensive drums keep the stride whilst subtle vocals, sequenced tones and raw sythn stab delivers the groove.

Henning has once again delivered a very diverse EP that straddles the boundaries between House and Techno perfectly, all brought together with his unique and altogether striking production

Tobias. explores space and gasiform substances with his Helium Sessions on Ostgut Ton. Following his recent image and sound collaboration with visual artist Valentina Berthelon as Recent Arts, Tobias. now delves into the idea of music reminiscing gas leaking into space with four new tracks.
While we all agree that there can't be sound in a vacuum, Science Fiction taught us the opposite, that space can potentially sound hyperfuturistic, hostile yet exciting. And since the Chandra X-ray Observatory discovered the deepest sound in the universe near a supermassive black hole - why should analogue synth jams with the stars seem impossible
With Helium Sessions Tobias. proposes an acoustic representation of the gaseous state of matter in space. LAGEOS 1' on A1 already sets the tone with meandering drones atop a gnawing synth pad and distorted flickering percussion. The title refers to the satellite LAGEOS-1 which will continue to orbit planet earth in 5,860 kilometers altitude for another 8.4 million years (or 4,418064E+12 minutes) - we'll let you do the maths of how often the 6:03-minute LAGEOS 1' could be played until the satellite's returnal.
Nucleon' on A2 comes with a more dubby, deep and throbbing feeling, Helios' on the flip features epic noise textures with shimmering melodic synth leads and a multi-layered break beat vibe, while Spectrum V' on B2 closes this 12 with another dub cut, detailed synth explorations and alienated vocal bits.
Helium Sessions offers four new zero-g tracks from Tobias. spread out over 27 minutes on this extended EP, his third full-length album will be landing in 2017.

The contributions of the late Detroit producer James DeWitt Yancey -better known to the world as J Dilla- to the world of hip-hop can't be overstated, and nowhere is his legacy more apparent than his work as a member of Slum Village. A founding member of the trio, (Alongside rappers T3 and Baatin) Dilla provided the group's distinctly esoteric, free-wheeling sound, built around winding basslines, quirky drumbeats, subtle low-end frequencies, and classic jazz & soul samples. Against the backdrop of Dilla's rich production, T3 and Baatin's free-flowing style of rhyming would also earn wide critical praise, leading to comparisons as the successors to A Tribe Called Quest. (A label they themselves have rejected.) After the success of Slum's 1997 studio debut, Fan-Tas-Tic Vol. 1, the group went to work on their follow up. Though the project was completed in '98, label turmoil kept the project on ice until 2000. By the time Fantastic Volume II hit Dilla was well on his way to his status as a hip hop legend having produced cuts for Common, Busta Rhymes, Erykah Badu, A Tribe Called Quest and many more. Later works from Slum Village may have had more of an impact sales-wise (in the immediate) but Fantastic Vol. 2 had fans and many critics saying that Slum Village, and Dilla in particular, may single-handedly save rap music.' Perhaps that statement is hyperbole but many consider Fantastic Volume II to be Slum Village's finest work ever to this day. Ne'Astra Media Group now presents the album reissued on vinyl, for the first time in several years. Every wobbling bass note of J Dilla's production has been preserved to maintain the legacy of this hip hop rap classic and maintain the legend of one of hip-hop's greatest beatsmiths.

Raised in a musical family Anastacia first developed a career as a dancer, appearing in video clips and on MTV shows. Her debut album Not That Kind was released in
2000 and immediately struck a nerve in Europe, Asia and
Australia, before hitting it big in the US.


Her striking looks and most of all her remarkable vocals had her searing up the charts, helped by hit singles such as 'I'm Outta Love', 'Cowboys & Kisses' and the title song. Teaming up with some of the most successful songwriters of the time, her expressive alto voice had that rough edge needed for an identity of her own in blasting Pop/Rock/Soul tracks that did well both at home and on the dance floor.

Influenced more by Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner than contemporaries Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera she appealed to an adult crowd, eventually turning her into the 'World's Best Selling New Female Pop Artist' at the 2001
World Music Awards.

Strut team up for the first time with respected French label Heavenly Sweetness for the brand new album by the inspired poet, novelist and musician, Anthony Joseph.The Caribbean is an influence that runs through Joseph's discography, obliquely or headon, suggested or on full display. It resonates on each of his albums, from the furious trance of 'Bird Head Son' to the more polished 'Time'. On 'Caribbean Roots', he has now decided to turn a guiding thread and a reference point into a communications cable - a powerful bond that makes light of distance and braves the seas to link his island to that of his friends in the Caribbean arc, dancing to the strains of tumbélé and mendé only a few miles
from Port of Spain where people live it up to rapso and soca beats. Caribbean Roots' represents a return to his roots for Anthony Joseph, who has always remained true to a powerful, deep-seated sense of his Caribbean identity. Having started
out as a joint project with the outstanding percussionist Roger Raspail (Cesaria Evora, Papa Wemba, Kassav), 'Caribbean Roots' swiftly grew into a creative force incorporating
the rhythms, sounds and vibes that rock the Caribbean from San Fernando, Scarborough, Kingston and Les Abymes to Port-au-Prince and Havana. Backed by a band made up
of a blend of local musicians, the album attempts to unite the different islands into a single entity whilst ensuring that the identity of each is in no way diluted by the mix instead creating a richer and stronger alloy. The saxophones of Shabaka Hutchings (The
Heliocentrics) and Jason Yarde, the trumpet of Yvon Guillard (Magma), the bass of Mike Clinton (Salif Keita) and the trombone of Pierre Chabrèle (Creole Jazz Orchestra) all combine to form a group of Caribbean All Stars to which Andy Narrell, the master of the steel pans, brings ringing drum beats. The album features bursts of catchy rhythms and slow percussive riff progressions, as on a film soundtrack, incandescent voodoo funk and rhythmic high-speed frenzies shot through with free-jazz sax. This reunion of the Caribbean diaspora was never meant to come up with a formula divisible into eleven separate tracks - its goal was to explore and discover new sounds. And all of this under Anthony Joseph's guidance, as he spins his lyrical blend of afro-futurism and surrealism, commemorating the Caribbean people's sometimes violent resistance to colonialism. Anthony Joseph, one moment a chronicler reciting his text against a background of simple percussion, the next a storyteller possessed by the power of a hypnotic bassline, then an adventurer chanting among mangroves where the rhythm section and the brass have created an impenetrable thicket. At turns, an MC too, strutting to a fat, throbbing groove in vocal tandem with Sly Johnson or David Rudder to pay tribute to Mighty Sparrow, the undisputed and indisputable king of calypso

Britsh quintet Me and My Friends are set to release their captvatng and mesmerising second album,
Hide Your Way, on Soundway Records this summer. A unique and singular blend, it's the sound of Eng-
lish folk colliding head-on with the golden-era music of 1970s West Africa and the West Indies.
Towering vocal harmonies, soaring cello and clarinet lines, colossal basslines and drum paterns
combine on an exquisite rollercoaster-ride of the emotons from euphoria to melancholia and back
again.
Bound by a mutual love of the sun-drenched vintage sounds of afrobeat, soukous, highlife and roots
reggae, the UK-based 5-piece re-invent these infuences around the instantly recognisable voice and
fnger-style guitar of songwriter and singer Nick Rasle. The band's sound involves a meetng of diverse
musical backgrounds: Fred Harper's gospel-infuenced drumming and James Grunwell's deep basslines
provide the bed for Sam Murray's growling clarinet tone and Emma Coleman's strident cello and faw-
less ear for vocal harmony.
Having enthralled festval audiences across the UK with their breathless live show, Hide Your Way sees
the band embarking on a deeper exploraton of the playfulness and rhythmic agility which has come
to defne their sound. A rich and varied pool of musical ideas sits alongside a plaintve lyricism, as the
songs tell tales of regret, corrupton, loss and deceit. The result is something fresh and original, mar-
rying the emotonal vocal power of folk music with early jazz and delta-blues singing and the driving
rhythms of West-Africa's golden era and the heart and soul of the great roots-reggae songwriters.

For the second vinyl release on DNA_rec, Emiel Zwart hit the road again with a brand new EP "Counterattack". The package includes 2 original cuts and remixes from Ritzi Lee & Remco Beekwilder. As a result they've managed to create a distinctive EP which has a variety of tracks that suits everybody's needs for every club moment. Counterattack opens up with constantly driven synths and sturdy basslines and Ritzi Lee made perfect use of these elements for his remix. Church is the more minimalistic approach compared to Counterattack but when that vocal gets in your head and combined with some hard hitting claps and hihats this track can be played at any time of the evening. And to top things off Remco Beekwilder has made a hard banging remix from this cut as you can expect from the talented producer.

O.D.D., Modini and Casio Royale team up to wreck clubs across the galaxy! I glanced at the wrinkles on my hands as they worked the controls on landing pod. I'd aged considerably since we left Earth to track the alien. Taking an extremely dangerous short cut via the rim of a black hole allowed me to get to the outer regions of the universe before I turned geriatric and was too decrepit to navigate the ship. Now, as we approached Planet Simila, excitement burned within me. It wasn't just about meeting an extra-terrestrial, I was lonely. It had been many years since I'd spoken to anyone other than the ship's computer and here I was about to meet the first known life form outside our planet. I bumped the pod down on the terra firma as gracefully as I could. Intel confirmed Simila had an almost identical atmosphere to earth and that I'd be able to breathe on it unaided. However, precautious as always, I put the large dome shaped breathing apparatus over my head and pulled on the silver safety suit. I took my first step out of a spaceship in 14 years and there it was only yards away from me; a small green creature with large white goggle eyes on the end of two spindly antennas. If you'd asked a 5-year-old earthling to draw a spaceman it would have looked exactly like the thing stood before me. I had no idea whether it could comprehend English or not but nerves made me blurt out: 'Greetings from Planet Earth, I have travelled many light years to meet you, I...
'Here, never mind that pish, ya space helmet, you got the new DABJ Allstars Vol 3 on ya, it's got new stoaters fae O.D.D, Modini and Casio Royale. I've heard it's oot o' this world.'

Series-A was the duo of Sam Anderson aka DJ Maestro and Dave Webb aka Kid Fresh. Sam and Dave both grew up listening to the sounds of the Electrifying Mojo on WJLB in Detroit. They met in 1983 at a DJ gig that they were both hired to play. In 1986, they collaborated on the Nu-Sound II Crew project. After developing a friendship with Juan Atkins, they became hip to the emerging new club sounds that were to become electro and techno.Their subsequent project, Series-A, was named after different car model numbers, but also hints at the evolution of humankind into a new species.

In 1987, Series-A recorded the single Evolution 5 Technology' at Spectrum Sounds Studio in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. Their set up was a vocoder, E-mu Emulator III, Roland 909 drum machine, and an Otari 24-Track recorder. They landed a record deal with Satellite Records in Burbank, California, which had been founded by Pete Moore of The Miracles. After pressing 50 promotional copies, the label ran into financial problems, and the record never reached a full release. Taking cues Kraftwerk, Grand Master DST, Grandmaster Flash & Jam Master Jay, Series-A created dark electro beats in an era when sampling appeared to be the future of music. Lyrically the song addresses our species' entry into the technological age. For this EP reissue, the 7' Mix and Dub Mix are included on the A-side. On the flip is a new remix by prolific Ann Arbor producer JTC, an alias of Tadd Mullinix (aka Dabrye, SK-1, & Charles Manier). JTC speeds up and expands the song to seven minutes. Drawing on influences from Ron Hardy to Jeff Mills, he drives around suburban techno landscapes while simultaneously launching the listener into deep space.

All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The jacket is specially designed by Eloise Leigh and features a cyborg fossil motif with RGB color band and gradients. Each copy includes a post card with with notes.

After making some massive claims regarding electronic music last year which caused a stir in the dance music community, Mat Zo had a lot to live up to with his long awaited second album "Self Assemble". What didn't help was the fact that his first album, "Damage Control" was critically acclaimed by many within dance music and is now considered a modern-day masterpiece with mesmerising tracks such as The Sky and the massive Easy with Porter Robinson.Blending genres and sounds in a way only Zo can achieve, this record flows incredibly well as the tracks move from one to the other almost telling a story of the different styles of electronic music. At times the album is reminiscent of Zo's incredible Essential Mix from back in 2013 in the way that it progresses and constantly surprises the listeners. A lot funkier than Damage Control, it's no less incredible.
Beginning with the beautifully atmospheric "Order out of Chaos" which starts with an absolute wall of sound that boggles the mind in how Zo even went about designing something so complex, this sets the tone for the rest of the record in a cracking way. The melody soon crescendos and we're introduced in to the meat of the album with "The Enemy". Bringing out all the good funky vibes on this track, again Zo exhibits his insane production talents which are a staple of the album. Featuring vocals from the wonderful Sinead Egan, this is a great uplifting tune that'll no doubt have you dancing in your chair or in the club.
'Sinful" acts to continue the funky good-time vibes and transports us to a cool summertime drive. It has us yearning for happier times and again the guest vocals from I SEE MONSTAS go a long way in getting across this happy vibe. Featuring an uplifting almost french house inspired bassline and squelch synths that wouldn't look out of place on a Daft Punk or Madeon record, this is another stunning track from the record. "Patterns Emerging" feels like a bridge into the next section of the album and is unfortunately short. The orchestral element really brings out the emotion on this track and we only wish it was longer. "Killing Time" has those classic chopped up vocals that Zo uses to great effect and some nicely programmed drums that could be a nod to the drum and bass he used to put out under MRSA.'Smacked up on Jack" features some cool middle eastern sounds and a wacky vocal sample that helps to progress the album and keep the listener interested, again though we feel like it's a bit too short and are left wanting more. The next tune "Ruffneck Bad Boy VIP" is an absolute mammoth and one of our favourites off the record. Opening with an immense rhodes melodic sequence and after some nice vocals, the track rips into the electro house and dubstep infused banger that it really is. Some dirty, dirty sound design and drum production will have the dance floors going wild and shows us again why Zo is so good, it's a far cry from the funkier elements of the earlier stuff on the album and shows how Zo can show off a range of electronic sounds. "Lights Out" is a straight up hard hitting electro banger with an infectious vocal sample that only needs to be heard to be understood. Not much more needs to be said about it! Coming into the last section of the record, "Soul Food" returns us to the groove with an astonishing house beat and bass line that have us questioning how Zo makes it so hard not to smile listening to this album."Stereo no Aware" starts sounding like it's taken straight from a space movie epic and soon transforms into a goose bump inducing melody with a driving growling bass line that bring back the epic dubstep we all used to love a couple of years ago. Skrillex eat your heart out. Finishing off this record on a more emotional note, "Too Late" starts off like a guitar ballad and then transforms into something totally different. Egan's melancholic vocals enhance this track to great effect and is all backed by Zo's lovely downbeat production until we're treated to a monster of a climax around half way through the track which will surely blow the cobwebs right off you. Zo says goodbye to us with the phenomenal "The Last Transmission" and what a way this is to close out an incredible sophmore album for the English producer. The melancholic piano chords are a subtle and pleasing way to close out this journey of a record. Mat Zo really has outdone himself here and we're really looking forward to hearing some of these bombs dropped live. Surely a contender for album of the year at such an early stage, yet again it's only the best delivered by Mat Zo.
Latest album, Damage Control was Grammy-nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album last year

The eight tracks on 'Versus' exemplify a remarkable cross-pollination of genres, a true testament to the intense, 'it takes a village' spirit of collaboration among the artists in the Wolf & Lamb aquarium.

The LP kicks off with "Real Love," an electronic duet with San Francisco's PillowTalk. A sparse, airy kick and lackadaisical, scale-climbing bass line complement a vocoder-drenched croon, evoking nothing less than an R&B version of Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works. In the album's next track, "Fo Porter," butter soft vocals from Voices of Black ("I want it/I need it/I just can't get enough/I hold it/I squeeze it/I just won't give it up") complement lush orchestral arrangements, doing for hip-hop inflected dance music what Metro Area does for disco.

"In The Morning," an after the after party, hands to the air entry into the house of god, will instantly conjure up for those lucky enough to have visited the Marcy the familiar image of Gadi's hands feeling up the wall in ecstasy while Zev soldiers through the groove. "Weekend Affair," perhaps the real standout of an all-round exemplary album, punctuates stuttering, oscillating synths with a ferocious cowbell and moaned vocals, continuing a long-standing New York tradition of sexualized Downtown funk.

The gorgeous "Serpentine," with it's kettle-drum compression worthy of Phil Collins's "In the Air Tonight" and atmospheric vocals from French chanteuse Rap Lisa, is rounded out by the it's a perfect ending to the album, a moment of calm before the sharks, always on the move, start circling again.

Figure SPC inevitably arrives at the alphabet's last letter and therefore the end of what has been a most prosperous runtime and success story. Already accountable for its first release 'A' seven years ago, Jeroen Search has proven essential to the sublabel's course with his many cornerstone contributions. This final, special extended release grants him the ample scope to tell the closing chapter in all proper detail. Spread across two fully packed 12s the Dutch veteran producer wastes no time but lets his ever evolving array of machines do the talking. They speak in many tones - be it snappy or propelling, vivid or restrained, stomping or intricate - yet they all retain Search's consistently singular voice. Each of the nine tracks was composed as a live take, with elements being reduced to the utmost minimum but always carrying the kinetic energy onto the next bar. Thus this ultimate catalogue number SPC Z not only bears witness to an artist's impressive ability to reliably distill the pure essence of a groove. It is also the grand conclusion to an esteemed series that has become a staple in many DJ's bags, brought forth plenty of future classics and left its unmistakable mark on techno. Crafty, refined and irresistibly moving, this record is sure to be stirring up dancers around the globe.

Sie schrieb Rihannas Überhit "Diamonds" (in 14 Minuten!), sang und schrieb die David Guetta-Hits "Titanium" und "She Wolf" sowie Flo Ridas Millionseller "Wild One" und komponierte zahllose Songs für Katy Perry, Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Birdy, Christina Aguilera, Kylie Minogue und Eminem. Im vergangenen Jahr gab sie mit dem Song "Elastic Heart" (auf dem "The Hunger GamesSoundtrack" und auch auf ihrem kommenden Album) ihr internationales Chart-Comeback unter eigenem Namen. 2014 veröffentlicht die australische Sängerin und Songwriterin SIA nun endlich ein neues, eigenes Album "1000 Forms Of Fear". Die 1. Vorabsingle ist die in jedweder Hinsicht atemberaubende Pop-Hyme "Chandelier", die mit Jesse Shatkin entstanden war und von ihrem langjährigen Studiopartner Greg Kurstin (P!NK, Lily Allen etc.) produziert wurde. In ihrer Karriere veröffentlichte Sia bislang 5 Solo-Alben, zuletzt 2010 die LP "We Are Born", die Platz 2 der australischen Charts erreichte und ihr auch in Deutschland die erste Album-Chartplatzierung bescherte. Das Billboard Magazin widmete ihr eine Titelgeschichte mit der Headline: "This artist is responsible for 12 million track sales... and doesn't want to be famous".

St. Petersburg talent Ivan Latyshev drops a killer EP on the ever-dependable Dessous Recordings. Ivan has been making waves over the past couple of years with his distinctive brand of deep, groove-heavy house music on labels such as What's in the Box, Street King and Spaghetti Monster - but this To My Youth EP sees the young Russian step up to another level. The title track shows a deep affiliation for classic house vibes, mixed with some jazzy flourishes and swung grooves. The sense of euphoria is tangible, and the spoken word vocals add a level of house mysticism that will be always welcome on deeper leaning dance-floors. Can't Go Away goes a shade deeper still, bringing layers of delay and reverb to the track that help shape a true slow burner. Old Ages also highlights Ivan's love of jazz rhythms and sounds, building from a live drum break into a rolling deep house monster - it's infectious stuff and suggests Ivan Latyshev is going to be name to watch in the next months and years.

The new Analog Solutions 018 , label owned by the Spanish producer Eduardo de la Calle, will be released in May.This time presenting a various artists, by Kristina and ORBE, that combine an ep with a personal character, full of floating arrangements and inherently techno flavor, but sophisticatedly Dub. It seems that the label Analog Solutions will take refuge next references on collaborations lauching a series of various artists so better to be alert .

Different artists will take the place like Japanese Takairo Oishi, already on catalog reference 015 from the spanish label, and also appear in the reference 019 coming soon.

On side A we have 2 tracks of ORBE, the first A1 titled "Modern Cicles it is certainly an exercise in resilience and compromised to the authentic,
where Fernando Sanz aka ORBE develops a track infinite and penetrating where arrangements certainly exemplify the finest and purist made in Spain techno.

The second ORBE track A2 , entitled "Beyond The Ubiquity" reflects the good moment that Madrid based producer ORBE is going on with , and drops certainly an epic ideal for closing sets track with melodic nuances and highly useful for high voltaje DJ,S .

The novel but solid Kristina opens side B1 with his tool "Hydragea", where again, based dub elements, manages to build a disciplined rhythmic atmosphere , at the same time delicate, and that will delight lovers techno more fluctuating.

In the side B2 kristina it attack with "Dicentra" .A extremely funk track with multiple hi hats variants, and where the first minute of listening past, one enters a deep cerebral hypnotism .Dicentra is without any doubt one of the highlights of the record, where Kristina synthesized based revers again and again succulent and repetitive sounds, which make the reference number 18 Analog Solutions certainly Essential to find a place in the case of any dj.

After teasing its release at SXSW recently, Kaytranada presents his highly anticipated debut album '99.9%' via XL Recordings. The album finds the Haitian born, Montreal raised producer delivering on the promise of his early self-released EPs and remixes. Since the age of fourteen, when he first began to DJ and when his brother introduced him to music production software, his output has been relentless. He explains, after he showed me the basics, from that day on I couldn't stop making beats,' pumping out a handful of tracks per day for the next couple of years.
Single releases like 'Drive Me Crazy' with Vic Mensa and 'Leave Me Alone' with Shay Lia soon spread his name like wildfire. With that release Kaytranada cemented his reputation and his sound, an undeniable swing of the drums comparable to Dilla's, a signature soulful touch in the melodies and a healthy dose of funky basslines.'99.9%' continues that tradition and new track 'Bus Ride', which features acclaimed percussionist / producer Karriem Riggins as well as rising Toronto vocalist River Tiber, demonstrates that Kaytranada has stayed within his canon while demonstrating growth on the new album.

DimDj has no control over his life. Machines, records and noise boxes took over years ago. This is more than confirmed by this 5-track journey from acid techno to the old-school electro and further to Kuno's dystopia, who delivers a complete acidic rework over PTN1.

All tracks produced by DimDJ.
A3 - Vocals by Trenton Chase
B1 - Remixed by Kuno
B2 - Additional synth work by Wirenightmare Music

Gone beyond. That's what they say when an (astro) pilot crashes to earth and takes the journey into the big sky.

When Juan Trippe took that last flight little did he know that his re-incarnated self would be an electronic pioneer. In tandem with his co-pilot Guido Zen (his own father also a pilot) and Kyle Martin (from the Land Of Light) they formed Brain Machine and scaled the highest Peaks to bring back music both unearthly and intensely human.

Are we all not stardust anyway This music proves it, takes you out flips you over and rolls you in stardust. Don't try and think it through, make sense of it, grasp it - just wander in wonder and bask in beauty.
Get lost again.

Those disco specialists at To Rack & Ruin are back in business, kicking off their 2016 campaign with an absolute scorcher from Moscovite producer Phil Gerus. After making waves with a string of releases for the likes of Futureboogie and Sonar Kollektiv, Gerus arrives at the Mancunian edit institution in fine form, ready to take over the world with a quartet of fully loaded floor movers for all you dancing fools.
Going hard and heavy from the off, Phil introduces himself with the tumbling toms and zero gravity sequences of 'Delicious Wishes', a neon tinged reshape of an Angelic original. Working the loops and FX like a pro, the Russian sprinkles space dust all over this camp cosmic classic, packing a whole host of extra oomph in the warp drive! "Bossy Lady" Phil turns his attention to Italo, setting pulses racing and feet stomping with the space age sound of . Playing free and easy with the pitch control, the Moscow magician conjures up a space disco body mover complete with tripped out vocals, chunky guitar and nebulous synth lines. Sticking with the moods and grooves of the Mediterranean,
Over on the flip we have "Stop! Let's Slow Down" powering into the peak time in a shimmer of sequins as it supercharges a boogie vintage for the modern DJ. The finest floor shaking boogie reheat since Tiger & Woods last hit a hole in one, this is gonna raise the temperature at any party worth its salt. Phil takes us home with a spaced out version of an all time Italo classic. Reworking the percussion and looping up that low slung baseline, our host supercharges the groove for modern club deployment, rounding off another essential release from your favourite edit imprint.

Pressed on Black Vinyl with hand stamped logo & info

When Kompakt came across Amsterdam-based Harm Coolen and Merijn Schotte Albers aka WEVAL back in 2014, we were blown away when we heard their slow-burning, darkly emotive tracks.

Their debut EP 'Half Age' on Atomnation featured painfully intimate and surprisingly kinetic electronic chamber pop that convinced us they were a perfect fit in Kompakt's family. Following two widely acclaimed EPs for Kompakt and playing numerous festivals including DGTL, Reeperbahn, Iceland Airwaves and Piknic Electronik, we now see the two tackle their self-titled debut full-length WEVAL. What you have before you is not a mere collection of tracks, but a complete listening experience with organic flow, emotional heft and a narrative thread.
Smitten with WEVAL's uniquely personal and catchy approach to producing dark electronic music, it didn't take much to win us over... and so came WEVAL's acclaimed 2014 label debut EASIER EP (KOMPAKT 318), followed by the bold and beautiful 2015 offering IT'LL BE JUST FINE / GROW UP (KOMPAKT 344) which saw the two soundsmiths digging deeper into the granularities of electronic funk than ever before. However, Harm and Merijn's music - while astonishingly fully-formed even in its earliest stages - always seemed destined for more, a bigger format, more space to explore the nooks and crannies of their rapidly evolving sound cosmos. Simply put, they needed to think about an album and their beloved living room studio wasn't cutting it anymore.
An old school building became WEVAL's new home, repurposed to house small creative businesses - but in the summer of 2015, it was abandoned most of the time, with everybody out in the sun while our heroes turned the building's attic into a sweet spot to make some noise, have 24-hour access and lose track of time. And apart from a sketchy tenant being evicted, the occasional soccer game with friends and live gigs across Europe, there really was no interruption to the focussed vibe. It's not like they were looking for distraction anyway: "working on the album all by ourselves in this bloody hot attic was all we had on our mind", the artists admit. And they decided that their album shouldn't sound too clean: "We try to find the beauty in imperfection. It makes things sound more human".
Weval draw their inspirations from no single genre of music but a cumulation of music that inspires them. The results present an astonishingly coherent vision - cuts like the dramatic THE BATTLE, bass growler I DON'T NEED IT or the trippy epic MADNESS share the same DNA of zestful nostalgia, a knack for immersive sound-sculpting and that certain kink in the groove. They also feed on deeply personal experiences and moods, as exemplified by the haunting electronic ballad YOU'RE MINE, the carefully layered, polaroid-tinted JUST IN CASE or the beautifully voiced closer YEARS TO BUILD. And sometimes, it's just an old, out-of-tune piano that stands in the hallway: "Whenever I'd pass by it, I couldn't resist playing it", says Merijn, "so Harm decided to start recording and it became an integral part of YOU MADE IT (PART I)". No doubt about it: this is WEVAL's most powerful and organic material yet - which means a lot, considering the amount of skill already on display in their small, but weighty portfolio.
(de) Als sich 2014 in Amsterdam Kompakts Wege mit denen von Harm Coolen und Merijn Schotte Albers aka WEVAL kreuzten, waren wir sofort Feuer und Flamme für ihre schwelenden, emotional aufgeladenen Tracks. Ihre Debüt-EP "Half Age" auf Atomnation präsentierte intimen und überraschend kinetischen, elektronischen Kammer-Pop, der wie angegossen zu Kompakt zu passen schien. Nach zwei vielbeachteten EPs auf dem Label und einer Reihe von Festvialgigs (inklusive DGTL, Reeperbahn Festival, Iceland Airwaves und Piknic Electronik) nehmen Weval nun mit dem gleichnamigen Release ihr erstes Album in Angriff. Und legen dabei nicht einfach nur eine Ansammlung von Tracks vor, sondern kreieren eine komplette Hörerfahrung mit organischem Flow, emotionalem Gewicht und einm roten Faden.
Angetan vom einzigartig persönlichen und mitreissend düsteren Klang WEVALs brauchte es nicht viel um uns zu überzeugen... und so kam es 2014 zum gefeierten Labeldebüt EASIER EP (KOMPAKT 318), gefolgt vom kühnen und wunderschönen 2015er Release IT'LL BE JUST FINE / GROW UP (KOMPAKT 344), für das die beiden Soundtüftler tiefer denn je in die Granularitäten des elektronischen Funks abtauchten. Nichtsdestotrotz - und obwohl sie schon von Anfang an ausgereift klang - schien die Musik von Harm und Merijn auf dem 12"-Format stets bestimmt für mehr: mehr Freiraum um auch die äussersten Winkel ihres rapide expandierenden Soundkosmos zu erkunden. Sie mussten schlichtweg zum Langspielformat wechseln, und ihr heissgeliebtes Wohnzimmerstudio konnte da nicht mehr mithalten.
Ein altes Schulgebäude wurde schliesslich WEVALs neues Zuhause, umfunktioniert für kleine Kreativunternehmen - doch im heissen Sommer 2015 stand es zumeist leer, da alle draussen in der Sonne badeten, während unsere Helden im Schweisse ihres Angesichts das Kellergeschoss in ein lärmfestes Aufnahmestudio verwandelten. Mit Studiozugang rund um die Uhr liess es sich bestens die Zeit vergessen. Und abgesehen von der Räumung eines zwielichtigen Nebenmieters, dem gelegentlichen Fussballspiel mit Freunden und natürlich Live-Gigs in ganz Europa, gab es auch keine Ablenkungen vom hochkonzentrierten Kreativfluss. Ablenkungen, die das Duo ohnehin nicht suchte: "ganz allein in diesem verdammt heissen Keller am Album arbeiten war alles, was wir im Sinn hatten", geben die Künstler zu. Und sie entschieden sich, dass ihr Album nicht zu sauber klingen sollte: "Wir versuchen die Schönheit im Makel zu finden. Es lässt die Dinge einfach menschlicher wirken."
Weval beziehen ihre Inspiration nicht aus einem einzelnen musikalischen Genre, sondern eher aus einer Akkumulation von Musik, die sie inspiriert. Die Ergebnisse zeichnet eine beeindruckend kohärente Vision aus - Aufnahmen wie das dramatische THE BATTLE, der Bassknurrer I DON'T NEED IT oder die Trip-Saga MADNESS teilen diesselbe DNA aus schwungvoller Nostalgie, einer Schwäche für immersive Klangschnitzerei und einer gewissen Delle im Groove. Sie nähren sich auch aus zutiefst persönlichen Erfahrungen und Stimmungen, wie zum Beispiel bei der eindringlichen elektronischen Ballade YOU'RE MINE, dem vorsichtig geschichteten, polaroid-gefärbten JUST IN CASE oder dem wunderschön gesungenen Schlussakt YEARS TO BUILD. Und manchmal ist es nur ein altes, verstimmtes Klavier, das im Flur herumsteht: "Immer wenn ich dran vorbei lief, musste ich darauf herumklimpern", erklärt Merijn, "also wurde es ein zentraler Bestandteil von YOU MADE IT (PART I)". Kein Zweifel: dies ist WEVAL's stärkstes und organischstes Material bisher - was durchaus was bedeutet, wenn man das Talent bedenkt welches bereits in schmalen, doch gewichtigen Portfolio der Band steckt.

Favorite Recordings proudly presents this new official album reissue of Shine the Light of Love by Googie & Tom Coppola: A beautiful soaring soul album sublimely produced with a sweet LA groove!

Thomas Wilkinson Coppola (aka Tom Coppola) is a pianist and arranger, known for being a principal member of the funky prog-jazz group Air (not to be confused with the French duo). He began working as a musician in Manhattan in the 1960s, where he met Carolyn Brooks (aka Googie Coppola). If they only released one self-titled album with Air in 1970, and Shine the Light of Love as a duo in 1980, these two amazing talents have collaborated with artists such as Herbie Mann, Lenny White, Flora Purim, Ray Barreto or Jeremy Steig to name just a few.

Shine the Light of Love was also released in 1980 on Columbia, after the couple left Air to become born-again Christian. A real lack of promotion from the label caused the record to disappear, however it was, in many ways, years ahead of their contemporaries. Googie's vocals are an absolute delight - with a Minnie Riperton-esque sort of feeling - and the overall album's got some nice jazzy touches and a sublime, sophisticated approach to the overall sound, while never falling into commercial.

An underrated masterpiece that definitely deserved more attention, which is why Favorite Recordings is deeply honored today to present it in a fully remastered version, housed in a fine gatefold sleeve including original notes.

BodyTrax drops it's second EP of 2016 with another essential 3-tracker from Bodyjack. Laugh It Up opens things up and we are in vintage Bodyjack territory from the outset. Rough (and we mean rough!) beats and percussion, vocal hook and a metallic riff combined with possibly his ugliest bass line to date to make this an essential addition the bag/crate of any house DJ. Slow Clap strips things right down to just drums and bass taking the track into even more raw areas. Warehouse vibes! The title track I'm Here All Week on the flip is one of those simple but infectious house tracks that you're going to remember after a night out. Once again, our man's synth n' bass work duck around those sharply programmed beats he's know for to round off the EP with a bang.

The dawn of Multi Culti's astrological epic assault kicks off with exotic neo-hippie modulations from Von party, Red Axes, and 'The Australians' - Dreems, Ccolo, Nick Murray & Kris Baha.
In pole party position of A1 on Vinyl #1 is 'Wet Raga' from Cult Leaders VON PARTY & DREEMS - This sprawling, 13-minute, raga-sampling main-room odyssey powers us into sunrise...and the journey begins. Prolific maestros RED AXES then kick things into darker territory with Boosha Gdola, a squelchy bleep-fest straight out of the Israeli underground. On the flip (which could be titled 'The Oz side') DREEMS comes up to bat again with the herbal Sine 'O' The Tymes, squeezing the groove into an acid genie bottle, bumping along with a few lazy cowbells in tow, until finally giving us melodic finish. Masterful. We are all feeling this one.
Fellow Australian doof dingos NICK MURRAY & KRIS BAHA bring up the tempo, toting electrified guitars, and hypnotic grooves that speak to a lifetime of overhearing digeridoos.
Finally, Ccolo sends us off with F33lings, a curious mix of lush ambient electronics and bush-ready downtempo acid.

Heavyweight soul providers Fat Freddy's Drop are about to take flight once again with the worldwide release of new album Blackbird on 24th June 2013. Blackbird is the third full-length release from the New Zealand band and will see Fat Freddy's Drop exceed half-a-million album sales worldwide, the result of playing over 800 shows in their career-to-date, clocking up 412 appearances in Europe, 27 Australian Tours and over 300 shows in their homeland.

Fat Freddy's Drop celebrate a decade of European touring by releasing Blackbird in East London. The already sold-out show at Village Underground attracted over 4,000 hopeful ticket ballot entries in just 24 hours for only 500 lucky spots.

Featuring nine tracks, Blackbird was written and recorded at Bays, the band's own studio, which was one of the last vinyl pressing plants in New Zealand and then an apostolic church. Fitchie says, 'What you hear on the album is the sound of Bays, the room itself, the vibe of the place and the performance we can get out of the band in there.'

'Blackbird is truer to FFD's musical philosophy than anything else we've done', says Chopper Reeds. 'The song structures are open and unruly - just like our live shows - whilst we've pushed ourselves to deliver rich and deeply layered arrangements that showcase Joe Dukie's exceptional voice. We feel totally at home melding together this unholy mix of disco, rootsy dub, blues, soul and electronic funk - it's what we do.'

Fat Freddy's Drop have released two studio albums, 'Based On A True Story' (2005) and 'Dr Boondigga & The Big BW' (2009), two live albums, 'Live At The Matterhorn' (2001) and 'Live At Roundhouse' (2010) and a stash of limited edition vinyl singles, including the now legendary 'Midnight Marauders' and 'Hope For

Ibifornia, the new album of Cassius, will be released the 24th June. The French duet composed of Zdar & Boombass is back with its filth album. Take a piece of Ibiza ("Ibi") and another one of California ("fornia"), and you'll get all what you need to dance and dream beneath the sun of Ibifornia. For this new record, the 2 acolytes have once again managed to surround themselves with talented artists such as their old partner in crime, Pharell Williams, a totally transformed Cat Power, the great Mike D (Beastie Boys), and the over-playful guitarist Matthieu Chedid, among other names. Action", the first single that features Pharell Williams and Cat Power will be out in EP vinyl as a first teasing support, one month before the release of the album. It features as an exclusiveness the long version of the song Action", and 2 remixes that have already taken us elsewhere, as we're getting ready for the next sound jetlag...rendez-vous at Ibifornia's!

The Earth was incessantly covered in ice, it's landscape an immense, frozen desert. Boulders and sand washed to the valley, crushed under the glaciers' enormous weight, leaving nothing but the hardest rock behind.'
Neunau draws inspiration from natural phenomenons, sculpting his indelible and furious expression into materials: a ritual guided only by the rhythm of his own heartbeat.
Composed exclusively of sounds recorded at the ancient forge museum in Bienno, in the middle of one of the largest valleys in the central Alps, Neunau presents an experience that goes beyond simple listening. His tools — water, iron and microphones — are used to transport the listener through time and place. A true voyage through forgotten ritualism and symbolism, these extracts aim to grind contemporary dance music to its barest essentials, making long-lost times ours again.
Neunau is the debut EP from Sergio Maggioni's Neunau, released by Parachute on 12" vinyl

vinyl only track !

Fuse London have cemented their place in the worldwide underground with an unwavering belief in the DJ and production talents of an extended network of friends and they once again hit gold with Antony Difrancesco and Samuel Bellis dB Productions EP - 87-88 kicks things off with a distinctly Fuse-esque sound, a hazy tripped out groove and spoken female vocal ride a raw jungle tinged b-line.
One Way To Pluto is the EPs vinyl only track and keeps things deep but no less driving whilst Adderall adds an almost techno sensibility in its quirkier elements.
To round the EP off label head Enzo Siragusa once again joins forces with Alexkid under their Kilimanjaro guise to provide a sleek dub interpretation of 87-88

During their European tour earlier this year, Canadian duo Jokers Of The Scene stopped over for a couple of days at Club Bizarre studio in Northern France. The two pair of producers locked up and came up with Betaville and Breakwater, two killer lo-fi and spaced out tracks. Betaville is a fuzzy dream that will make you dance in slow motion with your head in the clouds. Boasting a strong melodic and nostalgic feel, it unfolds its warm analog synth pads, old school sequences and drum machine to psychedelic effect. Imagine Boards Of Canada wanting to make you dance.. Even slower is Breakwater, a dirtier, chunkier track that ditches the softness of Betaville in favour of a more 'in your face' bass line and all together rougher attitude. It chugs along to old fashioned beat box claps and percussion and quirky synth melodies. Lastly Betaville gets the Timothy J Fairplay treatment of being violently pulled apart and chucked in all corners. Reminiscent of early Chemical Brothers music, a heavy beat slaps over agressive drugged up analog sound effects while a repetitive, haunting melody screams on top and reverberated vocals whisper in your ears. Scary.

As one of the first Dutch musicians to establish a vital connection between Detroit and Amsterdam, Orlando Voorn has long been recognized as one of the Netherland's most original and inventive producers in the world of electronic dance music.

Voorn began djing at the tender age of 12 and went on to win the Dutch DMC DJ Championships in 1986 with his own characteristic blend of hiphop and electro. Towards the end of the eighties he acquired his first sequencer, packed away his turntables and turned his hand to producing.

Art thou ready Straight fire coming from Total Science, Phaction and Fokuz Recordings stalwarts Malaky, Satl and Silence Groove. On the A side long time drum & bass veterans Total Science flip Phaction's ''Stratos'', released early 2015 into a hypnotic, soulful groove with a bopping bassline, delayed piano cuts and vocals.

Next up are Fokuz Recordings regulars Malaky, Satl & Silence Groove. Already making a name for themselves individually they now team up on ''Skyfall'' delivering an infectious, heartfelt slice of soulful drum & bass. Good vibes all around but then again, would you expect anything different from us We think not, go and cop that!

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The first Late Night Tales release of 2016 is a very special project by Sasha.

Imagine listening to music inspired by Frahm, Richter and Steve Reich, but made by one of the UK's leading house and techno DJs. Away from the hubbub of the club, the craziness of Ibiza, there's a contemplative side to everybody. Forget the beats and the sweat and the billowing anthems; this quiet, undulating, at times pastoral piece is less about songs and anthems and more about texture and atmosphere. 'Scene Delete' is a side of Sasha you've never heard before. I love post-minimalist modern classical, I love to listen to something completely different that's quite hypnotic as well. It almost purges the system.

About three years ago, my collaborators David Gardner and ThermalBear and I wrote a song called 'Bring On The Night'. I sent it to Ultraista and within a few days she sent it back with this amazing vocal on, with Nigel Goodrich playing keyboards. We tried to do club mixes but we just couldn't get it right. So it sat there doing nothing.

Tracks like this kept building up, until finally last summer my frustration boiled over. We'd made so many tunes that I couldn't remember the names of half of them: What was that thing with a bass sound and a string line It drove me mental. At the same time as we were logging these tracks, I was listening to the Jon Hopkins' Late Night Tales and I thought a lot of the music we'd been working on was in the same vibe. So I sent the music over to Late Night Tales and they really liked it.

Initially, I thought we'd just do a Late Night Tales compilation with maybe a few pieces of my own music. But as we went through everything we'd worked on in the last two years, we realised we had about 50 pieces of music. So we started editing and compiling: 'Scene Delete' is the end result.' - Sasha, January 2016

Think of 'Scene Delete' as somewhere between a mix album, an artist album and a gentle stroll through the soundtrack in your mind. Make sure you switch off the lights before you enter.