Cardiff's Chain of Flowers return to Alter with their first new material since 2015's self-titled debut album. A double A sided single, 'Let Your Light In' and 'Flesh, Blood and Bone' are two tracks which see the band moving beyond the dense shoegaze sonics of their debut, bringing forward a more spacious and streamlined sound that emphasises the powerful urgency of their live performances.
Despite 'Let Your Light In' offering a more optimistic tone to what fans of their debut may be used to, the charismatic guitar hooks, hazy vocals and fist-to-the-horizon anthemic qualities of the group are no less present. On this new found optimism, vocalist Josh explains: "Relationships of all kinds keep this world moving. We live in times of profound darkness, though I somehow find myself lucky enough to be surrounded by people that pour some light and inspiration back in to my life and this is not to be taken for granted. This song is an ode to love and companionship around the world, a gratuitous nod to the better aspects of the human race. A thank you for being you."
'Flesh, Blood and Bone' on the other side appears to follow a darker and more pensive path at first with Josh singing at his most baritone and ominous. However when the chorus hits with its searing synthesiser melody, a switch is flipped. Musically it channels perfectly the bombastic new wave ambition of early Simple Minds, alongside the dramatic post-punk melancholy of the Chameleons. With this, Chain of Flowers are evidently making an effort to find a light within the darkness of the world and their own collective souls.
Pet Shop Boys are pleased to announce 'Catalogue: 1985-2012', a very special series of reissues of all their studio albums released on Parlophone. This definitive edition will feature each album from the duo's peerless discography on the label, remastered and released with additional 'Further listening' albums of bonus tracks, demos and mixes created in the same period of time as each album. Many tracks are being released for the first time. Each album will be accompanied by an extensive booklet in which Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe discuss each song, illustrated with many archive photographs. The entire project is designed by Farrow.
Alongside the 'Further Listening Editions' the remastered original albums will also be reissued on 180gm heavyweight vinyl.
Emotional Rescue starts its 5th year by shining a light on one of Europe's best underground 80s' label in Spain's Auxilio De Ciento. Their Terra Incognita Volumes I and II collated an international mix of synth-pop, new wave, world and industrial sounds to a small but appreciative following. Released in 1985 and 1986, the Volumes have become highly regarded and rightly sought after, finding a place in discerning playlists from London to Amsterdam and Dusseldorf to Glasgow. Here, taking a premise of avoiding the songs unearthed on other recent reissues, is a unique album itself. Starting with Denis Mpunga & Paul K's esoteric Criola, a fusion of fourth world ideals and poly-rhythmic funk. The music of Mal, Bene Gesserit and La Caida De La Casa Usher, however, soon highlight that the decade also belonged to dark, minimal synth as to shiny balearic ideals. The inclusion of Hector Zazou with Bony Biyake and their contribution Komba, is a fitting continuation from their cult Noir Et Blanc LP before, things continue with US avant-artist Danny Alias and his humorous Big Brother "response" to Laurie Anderson's Superman O. Image Pour Image loose indie-pop and the inclusion of seminal Beast Of Burden lead again to a Zazou contribution, this time in his collaborative Stranger In A New Light, before the compilation eclectically ends with the dadaesque Lakota and the post punk dub of Instead Of's closer, Angels .
(180 gr) Mark Barrott steps away from the Balearic sound he's become synonymous with to take a journey back to the territory he first explored with Bepu N'Gali. The Pathways Of Our Lives is a joyous, life affirming piece of 70's Afro Soul with amodern twist, continuing Barrott's love affair with African Polyrhythms and 70's Philly Strings.
It's also the first time since 2014's aforementioned Bepu N'Gali release that he has worked with a full band and sees The Grünewald Quartet return to string duties after collaborating on Barrott's Sketches from an Island 2 album last year.
The Bside, Music for Santoor, Bansuri, Tanpura y Sarod is another track recorded live during one of his spring meditation sessions in Northern Ibiza, with India's Vishnu Quartet performing a 2 hour piece with Barrott directing and later editing it down into the form you hear today.
After a busy and productive first half of 2017 in which Barrott released his Music for Presence EP and two Talamanca System releases, this summer sees Mark Barrott step into high gear with his work at La Torre in Ibiza, where he is sunset resident and has compiled the second edition of their compilation
series (last year's debut charting high in best mixes of the year by Resident Advisor).
Pathways invites the listener inside Barrott's mystical world, where stillness and meditation are the foundations, non-attachment and non-judgement are the windows, and through the music he mindfully sketches a vista into the next chapter in his career.
Pitchfork calls International Feel's "Pathways Of Our Lives" incredible. Hell of a track.
A strange confluence of sound that sounds part Krautrock synth label Brain records, part Hyperdub. Techno haze and synth wormholes with spectacular sound design that has banged at Berghain and soundtracked winter night drives.
Greenspan is known mainly for his work with Junior Boys and Jessy Lanza and Taraval is a longtime touring member of Caribou, but both have released several 12' and EPs of electronic exploration over the past few years.
Inspired by synthesizer minimalists like JD Emmanuel, Cluster and John Carpenter, the two attempted to create a type of dance music with hardware that was indebted to their influences but did not feel intrinsically retrogressive. The idea was to make a type of raw synthesizer and drum machine music that could be listened to beside the hypermodern techno of Pearson Sound or Actress.
The cover art is a tribute to a mysterious mural that looms over the Hamilton Ontario area where the album was recorded.
Each of the five tracks on the EP were edited down from much longer recording jams which were done with hardware sequencers in real time. The recording was done completely off the floor with no overdubs or added material after the fact. As this release might appeal to synthesizer hobbyists and enthusiasts it seemed appropriate to compile a list of the instruments used in the original recordings. they are as follows: Arp Odyssey Pioneer Toraiz SP 16 Eurorack Modular System Roland JX8P DSI Tempest Simmons SDS8 Roland SH101 Roland Jupiter 6 Yamaha CS50 Oberheim OBXA
With this album Cypress Hill turned towards a more tranquil, sedate, slower, spooky sound with beats. The dark mood of this album reflects the strife within the band during this era, when member Sen Dog temporarily left the band to pursue other projects.
On this album both Wu-Tang Clan members RZA and U-God make appearances on "Killa Hill Niggas". Also notable was track "No Rest For The Wicked" which ignited the feud between Cypress Hill and rapper Ice Cube, who they claimed, stole material from the band.
At the time this album was well received by critics worldwide.
Q - 4 Stars - Excellent - "The production is sophisticated, incorporating Indian sitar and sloping, almost psychedelic bass grooves to create a vaguely threatening ambient hardcore."
Melody Maker - Bloody Essential - "...resonates with freakish cheese-wire paranoia...a gobsmacking paradox of expansive claustrophobia.... The funk patters like an erratic heartbeat, the voices are stretched to bursting with menace and loathing and mockery..."
The Allergies' debut album introduced the world to the way they effortlessly fuse funk, soul, disco, hip-hop and breaks into dancefloor-ready nuggets of ear candy. Taking classic sounds and reshaping for the modern age is the signature that won them plaudits across the globe.
Not ones to rest on their laurels, it hasn't taken long for them to deliver more of the goods on their second full-length album, 'Push On'. As well as taking the successful formula of the first record and expanding on the sound with raw Funk, Psych, Northern Soul, and Boogie influences, The Allergies enlisted two giants of underground Hip-Hop to bless mics on the album as well.
After a hugely successful collaboration on their debut LP, once again the dynamic lyricism and production skills of the inimitable Andy Cooper (Ugly Duckling) are present and correct in this new collection. Besides bringing the party on tracks like 'Main Event', he also settles scores with 'It Won't Be Me', before destroying all-comers on the battle Rap behemoth, 'Buzzsaw'. Also joining in on the action is UK MC veteran, Dr Syntax (The Mouse Outfit, Foreign Beggars) who prescribes some more healthy Hip-Hop advice on the track 'Remedy'.
Other highlights include the vintage Soul stomper, 'Entitled to That', Sixties uptempo groover, 'Hold You Close', and the fantastic little strutter, 'Get Down On You'. All in all it's a brand new set of future classics from your new favourite funky beatmakers, The Allergies.
Leading lady and artistic talent Deniz Kurtel returns to Crosstown Rebels to explore new production sounds, venturing deeper into the realms of dub and beyond with The Fifth House. It's also with huge honour that the release includes a stunning remix from highly sophisticated producer Trevino following his recent passing.
Since her first album Music Watching Over Me was released on Crosstown Rebels back in 2011, Deniz Kurtel has continued to push boundaries creatively through her art and music. Focusing on LED light installation, Deniz has travelled the world with her stunning live show, which incorporates both of her talents. Her second album The Way We Live dropped on Wolf + Lamb in 2012 which received high acclaim. More recent releases have also appeared on Rumors and No.19.
Marcus Julian Kaye is better known by his drum and bass stage name Marcus Intalex, and also his house and techno pseudonym Trevino. He founded the record labels Soul:R, Revolve:R and Birdie which served as a platform for his music with notable recent releases also on the likes Hotflush, The Nothing Special, Aus Music and Klockworks. Such a highly respected figure in the industry, many have been shaken by Marcus' passing and in his honor all profits from his remix will be donated to the charity of his family's choice.
This is a journey into sound. A series of journeys across the globe, in-fact. This time with Don Leisure from Darkhouse Family. Let us tell you a story. Firstly, we first need to answer a question. Who is Shaboo
It began in Africa. Nasser Barwani was the son of Shabudin. At the age of 15, Nasser (Don's Uncle) left Kenya and hitch-hiked his way to London. Nasser entered the movie business, occasionally finding himself in front of the camera, acting in Bollywood films. It was then that Nasser changed his surname to adopt a screen name - Shaboo.
According to Don, "Shaboo was the most colourful character in my family. I have fond memories of him playing tabla at family parties. When I was about 17, I was on a journey with my Uncle. Whilst Shaboo drove me around, he was playing the steering wheel as if it were a tabla. It was then I nervously asked "do you think, one day, I'd be able to make music too...". Shaboo was so furious he nearly crashed the car, slamming his hand hard against the wheel. He screamed "OF COURSE YOU WILL!! IT IS IN YOUR BLOOOOOD!!!"...
A week later, inspired by the creative energy of my Uncle, I acquired some music software, and began an all new journey. A journey through the beats..."
Long family car journeys were a constant in Don Leisure's life growing up. "We'd take frequent trips from Wales to London to visit family in the late 80s / early 90s. There I'd mainline into my cousin's record collections, and make full use of the signal radiance to the M4, searching the airwaves for pirate radio stations. However, I wasn't the only one to make use of this. Every trip, my parents would routinely tune their dial into Sunrise Radio - the only Asian radio station around back then.
The soundtrack of these road trips were somewhat unique. Whilst I tried to learn the lyrics to 90s hip hop songs taped off my cousins, my Mum would constantly interrupt, interspersing my boom bap with bonkers Indian radio ads. And here we have the premise of this album. An attempt to recreate this sonic mix, with sounds pulled in from dusty crates and breaks dug from all over the globe."
25 instrumental Hip Hop tracks, linked together in a truly unique style and fashion, this is much more than a beat tape. This is a journey into sound. For real.
Dedicated to Nasser 'Shaboo' Bharwani.
Limited to 75 Tapes
Hippie Priest returns to Argot to release his second album, See It Through. Having made great strides at dialing in his production and strengthening his songwriting since the release of Gaia Variants in 2016, the young Champaign-based producer focuses his sophomore longplayer around a narrative approach. 'See It Through is a day in the life of a lioness", says Hippie Priest, 'Beginning with the soft ambience of waking up in the morning, leading up to an intense hunt in the middle, and into evening revelry and eventual slumber". The album's 11 tracks cover a large stretch of sonic ground to tell this story. Its glowing opener, 'Umbrella Keeper' gives way to widescreen stompers 'Thorn' and 'Quicksand' that clear the way for more contemplative moments like 'Crystal' or 'Cherry Blossom". One can't help but imagine a dramatic hunt while listening to 'Are You Okay' or carnivorous displays on 'Desire". Even tender scenes are possible with closers 'Tanuki' and 'Tired Lioness", gorgeous movements in which Hippie Priest's melodic profficiencies shine brightest. Vital Sales Points: - Second album from the up-and-coming young producer from central Illinois
last year producer and dj eddie c released his third endless flight album 'on the shore'
- a compelling musical trip of drifting repetition in rhythm and melody.
now he drops a new ep, consisting of three new track and 'auf der ufer' - a tune he did with his norwegian buddy rune lindbaek, that is dancing a cosmic dance and that was never released on vinyl before.
the three other works are crossing different territories. the eight minutes meditation 'pumapunku' marries balearic flair with otherworldly synth-spheres.
the also epic 'inner piece' opens the house box with waving basslines, furious chord suspense and some unexpected breaks.
the final is marked by 'lonely without you'
- a funky blue tune that brings in some peoples potential unlimited vibes for endless autobahn rides.
another heartfelt arranged mix off instruments, synths, samples and drum machines by eddie c, the heartfelt canadian in berlin.
Electric Rescue, one of the made-in-France masterpieces of the electronic music and also REX CLUB Resident with his 'skryptom' label is making his debut on Rex Club Music with this 'Melancholic Enchantment' ep. With 3 albums and many ep's on labels like Bedrock, Cocoon Harthouse, Virgo etc to name the essential, Electric Rescue has proved since his debut, 25 years ago, his experience and skills as a confirmed artist in the techno scene.With this new release, 'Melancholic enchantment' Electric Rescue is bringing you to a mindtrip excursions.
Melancholic enchantment & Pavdo, enchant you and carry away in a hypnotic furrow, full of moody and atmospheric sounds. "Subway", in a harder style than the previous ones, with his saturated dub chords mixed with chattered hihat, is an unstoppable hit for big rooms that smiled to make its effect.
And what an honor to entrust to the excellent French producer, Marcelus, to remix PAVDO.
This prominent producer has already appeared on labels like Deeply Rooted, Tresor or Singular Records his label. Also resident for the Tresor in Berlin, Marcelus is a complete artist, excellent DJ, he is also a genie producer with a unique Paw , that you can find in this Pavdo remix.
It takes t he original in deeper and mental regions, with Bell textures and jumbled perc sounding like a ghost train in action. It's definitely a peak time weapon designed for plenty of destruction.
2023 Back in stock!
Multi - instrumentalist with rare elegance, FKJ unveils its first album French Kiwi Juice, and invites us in his world.
Tribute to his idols, affirmation of musical maturity, FKJ goes from Jazz to Soul, with his electronic touch that makes his paw incomparable.
A warm, reassuring and sensual universe.
His children’s questions (Why are there boundaries), his joys (Blessed & Joy), his journeys (Go Back Home & Canggu), the Franco-New Zealander delivers himself in an intimate and profound album, with music as an universal language.
An opus to advise to enthusiasts, travelers, dreamers...
(en) While the last Kompakt offering from legendary Russian synthesists SCSI-9 dates back to 2008, when the duo released their album Easy As Down' (KOMPAKT CD 068), co-founder and techno/house virtuoso ANTON KUBIKOV kept himself busy cultivating his own label Pro-Tez Records - and establishing a career as solo artist with a clear penchant for dub-infused soundscapes and ambient music. WHATNESS is Kubikov's first solo full-length under his proper name, weaving airy and iridescent sonic tapestry that takes up where his excellent contributions to our Pop Ambient compilations left off.
ANTON KUBIKOV's special ear for ambience and tonal spaces was always an integral part of SCSI-9's musical DNA that would alternate between tight dance workouts and vast melodic range - but it's as a solo artist that he truly started to explore these spaces, following mysterious sonic trails into foggy, reverb-heavy territory. Kubikov's contributions to the several instalments of our Pop Ambient compilation series announced the arrival of a promising new project in our talent pool - a promise more than satisfied with the immersive sound bath of first solo outing WHATNESS.
Going from the richly layered electronic drones of LIQUID MIRROR or ENTRANCE to the lush ambient dub of OTHER THE SEA and KURT'S FOREST, or the minimalist, evocative piano of OKTOBER and PIA, the album covers lots of stylistic ground, but remains committed to its overall aesthetic of misty mountains and serene valleys. With the endearing APRIL, a true Pop Ambient classic from the 2016 compilation (KOMPAKT 345 CD 128) makes a welcome return, priming the canvas for the subtle bass throb of NORTH and its charming synth bell orchestra. Masterfully refining and extending his sonic pallet on WHATNESS, ANTON KUBIKOV can claim his spot among the very best of today's ambient composers.
(de) Obwohl die letzte Kompakt-Offerte aus dem Studio der legendären russichen Synthesizeristen SCSI-9 schon eine Weile zurückliegt - 2008, um genau zu sein, mit dem Album Easy As Down' (KOMPAKT CD 068) -, hat Co-Gründer und Techno/House-Virtuose ANTON KUBIKOV nicht auf der faulen Haut geaalt, sondern sein eigenes Label Pro-Tez Records gepflegt - und eine Karriere als Solo-Künstler mit klarem Drang zur verdubbten Tonlandschaft und Ambient-Musik in die Wege geleitet. WHATNESS ist seine erste Solo-Album-Veröffentlichung unter eigenem Namen und webt einen luftigen wie schillernden Klangteppich, der genau da weitermacht, wo Kubikovs exzellente Beiträge zu unserer Pop Ambient Compilation-Reihe aufgehört haben.
ANTON KUBIKOVs besonderes Ohr für Ambientes und tonale Räume war schon immer integraler Bestandteil von SCSI-9s musikalischer DNA, die gerne zwischen fokussierter Tanzathletik und ausufernden Melodieräumen changiert - doch erst als Solo-Künstler macht er sich daran, diese Räume wirklich auszuloten und geheimnisvollen Klangspuren in neblige, hallende Gegenden zu folgen. Kubikovs Gastspiele auf mehreren Ausgaben unserer Pop Ambient-Serie deuteten auf ein vielverprechendes neues Projekt im Talentpool hin - ein Versprechen, das mit dem mitreissenden Klangbad von WHATNESS mehr als erfüllt wird.
Von den reichhaltig verschichteten elektronischen Drones von LIQUID MIRROR oder ENTRANCE zum üppigen Ambient-Dub von OTHER THE SEA und KURT'S FOREST, oder dem minimalistischen, andeutungsreichen Klavierspiel auf OKTOBER und PIA erstreckt sich das Album über viel Stilgebiet, bleibt aber der eigenen Ästhetik dunstiger Gebirgszüge und einsamer Täler true. Mit dem überaus reizenden APRIL macht ausserdem ein echter Pop Ambient-Klassiker von der 2016er Ausgabe (KOMPAKT 345 CD 128) seine Aufwartung und bereitet den Boden für den subtil pochenden Bass von NORTH nebst charmantem Synthieglockenorchester. Meisterhaft veredelt und aufgebohrt, ist ANTON KUBIKOVs Klangpalette auf WHATNESS Grund genug ihm einen Platz zwischen den besten Ambientkomponisten unserer Tage zu sichern.
Tangerine Dream hatten seit ihrer Gründung Ende der 1960'er in Westberlin einen massgeblichen Einfluss auf die Entwicklung der elektronischen Musik und galten als einer der führenden Vertreter des Krautrock. In den 1980'ern lieferten sie beachtliche Soundtracks zu Filmen wie "Firestarter", "Risky Business", "Near Dark", "Thief" und Sorcerer" ab, ihr musikalischer Einfluss auf den Soundtrack der Netflix-Kultserie "Stranger Things" ist enorm. Ihr neues Doppelalbum "Particles" ist eine Mischung aus brandneuem Material und Reinterpretationen, darunter des Titelstücks ihres Albumklassikers "Rubycon" (1975), Liveaufnahmen u.a. des Titeltracks des "White Eagle" Albums (1982), sowie eine eigene Coverversion des "Stranger Things" Theme.
Zeb Wayne returns with a majestic and scintillating song titled 'Wulfman', featuring a trio of top tier remixers including Alva Noto, Calibre and Radio Slave.
Following the release of 'Float' on Rekids last year, 'Wulfman' is a beautiful song that demonstrates how musically versed Wayne is as a producer, blending a serene vocal by Ziwi, with intricate sounds to create a truly beautiful song from start to finish.
Alva Noto, who composed the film score for The Revenant alongside Ryuichi Sakamoto, as well as being the co-founder of esteemed minimal imprint Raster Noton, is the first of three heavyweight remixers. The renowned German producer employs his signature elements of grit, static and glitch resulting in an inimitable melancholic cut.
Well respected for traversing numerous electronic music sub-genres, as evident in his recent album on Craig Richards' The Nothing Special, Calibre ups the energy in his remix using sultry synths, syncopated percussion and mesmerising effects.
Concluding the colossal package, Rekids founder Radio Slave creates a club-ready reinterpretation of his own, complete with fine-tuned kicks, looped vocals and a heady bassline.
Sometimes amongst all the music that we hear every day, something comes along so unique and brilliant that its captivates your mind and soul and refuses to let go.
That was exactly what happened when we first heard DOKTA - the ex-studio engineer with the freshest take on electronic music we have heard for a long time. Fusing a fully analog working method & live instrumentation with a breathtakingly unique arrangement style, DOKTA combines all his experience working with some of the best in the business and transcends it into one hypnotic stream of genre defying mastery.
For his first EP on 20/20 we are fortunate enough to have remixes from fabric resident Jay Clarke, and a collaborative contribution from Seth Troxler and Bas Ibellini. It is a major milestone for 20/20 to finally have a Seth Troxler production on the label. He has been a great inspiration for us and hugely supportive of our output over the years. Seth went into the studio with good friend Bas and came out with a remix worthy of DOKTA's long abstract arrangements.
We hope you enjoy, and with an album in the pipeline for later this year we promise there is a lot more to come...
Gidge is a production duo consisting of Jonatan Nilsson and Ludvig Stolterman. Based in the northern parts of Sweden, Gidge quickly built a solid fan base with releases of their albums Autumn Bells, LNLNN and Lulin. The music of Gidge seems to affect their audience in an emotional way, which eventually resulted in the duo taking the top spot as Best New Artist at XLR8R's readers poll, as well as having the 3LPs ending up on numerous end of year lists. Their main source of inspiration is the vast, snow-covered woodlands of the North. Gidge have for instance recorded all of their percussions in the forest, using only the sticks and rocks that can be found there. 'For Seoul' though came about after the duo went on a trip through Asia, and spent a number of days in the South Korean capital. They fell in love with Seoul, and later on created this two-part hymn for the giant city. Applescal created a remix for the track, which you can listen on the b side.
This grouping of audio recordings is for aural use only. Any emotional content perceived herein is borne of its listener, and is in no way intended by its author. Any sounds resembling speech are not intended to convey meaning.
Several Shades Of The Same Color is Patricia's first album for Spectral Sound — produced in conjunction with his own label Active Cultures.
Tips for listeners: consider the moment in which you exist; pay attention to how these sounds evoke physiological (rather than cognitive) responses. Listeners may find themselves deriving immense physical pleasure from exposure to these sounds. Inability to achieve such pleasure is likely attributable to over-analysis of the aforementioned audio content — or to improper amplification.
Each of Shades' three LPs features suites of tracks that, considered alone, comprise their own distinct, unique worlds. Disc One opens with "I Know The Face, But Not The Name," an unabashedly plaintive trip through classic electro rhythms; flip it over for "The Words Are Only Sounds," a haunting affair for synthesizer and voice. Disc Two's "The Electric Eye is Upon Me" swirls endlessly, while "Shiba Inu Dub" is cut for the floor and coy as its namesake. Disc Three's jackin' "Feel Your Body" will cause you to do just that; "German Friendship" sounds like D.A.F. on dissociatives.
Any emotional associations incurred while listening come at the listener's discretion. Furthermore, the identity of the author and/or their passions regarding the recordings herein shall bear no weight on the listener's experience. This body of work is not intended to generate ideas; rather, its goal is to produce physical sensations in the listener.
Taken altogether, Several Shades Of The Same Color is kaleidoscopic, a multi-faceted techno trip. Listen in full, or listen in part. And if you consider only one of these intermittent listening notes, make it this one: Don't think; just hear.
The Numero Group's dive into the deep end of America's private press continues. Having battled the witches and wizards of Darkscorch, the outlaws of Cosmic Americana, and traveled alongside Ladies From the Canyon and their Lonesome Heroes, it's time to take it easy.With pop music's volume knob adjusted for deflation in the early '70s, softness begat smoothness. Crewmen arrived from the worlds of jazz, folk, rock, and soul, all peddling a product that was sincere, leisurely, and lofty. A sound that was buoyant, crisp, defined. Sometimes classified as West Coast—and, later, Yacht Rock—the compass points of our Private Yacht expedition are the blue-eyed harmonies of Hall and Oates, the cocaine-dusted Fender Rhodes of Michael McDonald, and the combover strums of James Taylor. Here, at the glassy apex of rock's softer side, 20 strong swimmers are gathered together. An album for both relaxation and reflection, where listeners can enjoy the present, a cool breeze, and a taste of the good life.
Dark Entries present the sophomore album from Austin, Texas analogue hardware enthusiast Bill Converse. Immersed in the early days of the 90s midwest rave scene, Bill began DJing at a young age in Lansing, Michigan. Luminaries such as Claude Young, Traxx, and Derrick May were key early influences. Techno, noise, ambient and tape processing are all part of his uncanny sound palette. His debut album 'Meditations/Industry' was released on cassette in 2013 and edited for a vinyl release in January 2016 followed by two 12' singles 'Warehouse Invocation' and '7 of 9' the same year.
'The Shape Of Things To Come' is a 70 minute journey spread across two pieces of vinyl. It's comprised of seven tracks recorded directly to tape with no overdubs, made at Converse's home studio. At the time of recording, Bill was sending this material to Josh Vance (Josua Dorje Ngodup) for feedback. Most of the time Josh would respond in the form of artwork, and then Bill would create another track inspired by this feedback chain. Converse has dedicated this series of tracks to him. The songs on this album reveal a sublime influence from Detroit techno, early Chicago house, and Acid. For this album Converse slightly bumped up the tempos geared for dancefloor energy. Built around vintage synthesizer lines and gritty drum machine percussion, the tracks evoke how things have changed and how they have come to be.'
All songs were mastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. Each LP is housed in a gatefold jacket with a painted photograph portrait by Dietmar Busse and layout design by Eloise Leigh. The gatefold conceals an otherworldly collage made by Josua Dorje Ngodup. Each copy includes a postcard featuring artwork from Bill's sister with notes.
Dark Entires is honored to reissue the long out of print debut album Elevator to Eden by LIVES OF ANGELS. Lives of Angels was the brainchild of GERALD O'CONNELL from London, England. In 1974 he worked at CBS studios mastering recordings from tape to disc. By 1977 he joined his first band MYSTERY PLANE, led by school mate Mark Harvey and later joined by his soon-to-be wife Catherine. Gerald branched off in 1980 forming Lives of Angels as an outlet for his own compositions. He recorded, produced and played all of the instruments on Elevator to Eden' between 1981 and 1983, using a primitive set up of drum machines, one keyboard, guitar and a tape echo. Influenced by the Krautrock sounds of Neu! and Amon Duul II as well as US psychedelic rock, Lives of Angles crafted their own unique post-punk sound. Elevator to Eden was originally released in 1983 on cassette by Color Tape Records, the label started by Gary Ramon of Modern Art. Then in 1986 Fire Records remixed and re-released the album on vinyl but the band was not happy with the mixes. This reissue features the original 4-track cassette mixes of Elevator To Eden on vinyl for the first time ever. The LP includes 9 songs featured on the original Color Tapes release. All songs have been remastered for vinyl by GEORGE HORN at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley directly from the original master tapes. Each LP comes with unreleased photos, original artwork and a lyrics for all songs.
Looky Looky is the new project from Jeffrey Sfire and Ian Clark, both residing in Detroit, Michigan. The pair met in the late 90s when Ian was performing as one half of Le Car with Adam Miller of ADULT. Ian also recorded under the moniker Perspects, and released on Clone, Ersatz Audio and Interdimensional Transmissions. Jeffrey has released a series of singles and remix EPs with Samuel Long as Sfire on CockTail d'Amore Music and Ultramajic.
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The duo released their 8-track debut album 'Part Flamingo' in 2016. All 8 tracks represent one body of work but are presented as 2 distinct concept EP's: 'Part Flamingo' and 'Nurse Coven'. They're loose, fun pastiches of 80's movie soundtracks with accompanying imagery. For the 'Flamingo Boots' EP we chose 4 songs from the album which the pair extended for maxi 12' throbbing dance mixes. Looky Looky describe the project as equal parts light and dark, a contemporary recasting of Italo, Hi-NRG and electro. The songs infuse bright '80s sonic textures with a seedy, sweaty thump. The Motor City duo is about a year into the project, but is already known for their hardware-heavy live set after playing the Honcho Summer Campout last year and the 2017 edition of Gays Hate Techno in northern California.
Rich La Bonte is a musician, writer and editor from upstate New York born in 1946. At age 11 he figured out how to record a piano backwards with his first tape deck and discovered Monk, Mingus and Art Blakey. In 1965 Rich moved to Ithaca, bought an electric guitar and started singing in garage rock band the huns. After the band dissolved, he moved to NYC and played bass and sang in the original cast production of the musical Godspell. In the late 70s La Bonte moved to Hollywood with Shari Famous, released a a few 7' singles as Dada2, and started fLAtDiSk Records, a vinyl subsidiary of Dave Gibson's Moxie Record Company.
Rich released his debut solo album 'Mayan Canals' in 1981. The seven songs were recorded between 1973 and 1980 while living in New York, Pennsylvania and Hollywood. Influenced by everything from Apple Records to Zappa, the album veers from oozy psychedelia to synthesized breezy folk. Vocally Rich sounds like a cross between Tom Verlaine and Lou Reed. Some tracks feature an EMS Synthi A synthesizer, known to generate the sci-fi sounds from Dr. Who. Other songs utilize feedback from a Maestro Fuzztone box into a TEAC 4-track SimulSync tape recorder. Lyrically La Bonte tackles themes of dying celestial bodies, the birth of his daughter, and a critique of Bowie's character in The Man Who Fell To Earth. Included on this reissue are two bonus tracks originally released on the double A side 7' single Chance Circumstance/Drums Along The Maple Wood, a tribute to Irwin Chusid, the eminent WFMU DJ, with vocals by Shari Famous.
All songs have been remastered from original tapes by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The jacket features a replica of the original jacket with a Mayan figure screen printed using the original rubber stamps from Rich's archives. Each copy includes a 6-page xeroxed booklet with lyrics, never before seen photos, and liner notes by Rich La Bonte.
Musically and emotionally, Superpitcher's third full-length studio album, The Golden Ravedays is a one sound autobiography that exhibits the skill, feeling and style that the artist has honed over a period of twenty years, musically, and forty-plus-years, emotionally.
And full-length it is:
The Golden Ravedays is an epic album of 24 tracks that was released in January 2017 and is stretching over 12 respective chapter albums during a one-year period.
The sixth piece of The Golden Ravedays puzzle will be released on Hippie Dance in June 2017.
Number 6 of the series introduces two further tracks of the sound adventure that Superpitcher is taking us on this year.
Side A features Protest Song. If music is a way of transporting us to other places, Protest Song takes us to a desolate, scary and loveless environment, a burnt-down, burnt-out place where the flesh of its former inhabitants is smouldering, void of goodwill and kindness in a cloud of toxic and greedy smoke. It's all Kafka and Orwell and Suffering - the most twisted and eerie track so far in The Golden Ravedays saga. What is undeniably clear is an acute sense of regret and loss - a warning that it could have been avoided, had we only listened to our hearts and protested.
In the same vein on Side B we hear powerful Resistance. Produced after the Paris attacks of 2015 Superpitcher outdid himself with this strong message of Resistance. Where Protest Song paints a picture of under-worldly doom, Resistance's techno beat and insistent refrain sweeps us to the surface of the muck of hatred and intolerance we've politically been dumped in. A voice that seems like a trapped animal is calling out to us. What is it trying to say Is it crying out for help Is that animal all of us Resistance represents hope and encouragement and could be the perfect marching track to any demonstration against negative forces. Much needed in this age of bigotry where it seems like time has leaped backwards to a darker side of history. As for the dancefloor - Resistance is irresistible!
»island people« is a new band project consisting of mastering engineer conor dalton, grammy award winning producer david donaldson, and musician and DJ graeme reedie. on their first self- titled record, they present their collaborative work that evolved over the past three years.
being based in different cities, namely berlin and glasgow, files had to be exchanged back and forth between the three band members in order to create tracks. for their delicate sound structures, field recordings and other sound sources were heavily processed and rendered unrecognizable. layer after layer, the tracks came into being quiet naturally, not only reflecting their continuous way of working, but also incorporating their different and individual backgrounds: 'during the whole creation of the album, we never realized our actions were quickly leading us into forming »island people«, we were too busy having fun, making music and sharing ideas.'
the result of their collaboration is a timeless music that is as open as a natural phenomenon, developing a certain feeling of euphoria over time. all in all, »island people« is a pure listening record in the best tradition of ambient.
'Great Many Arrows' is the 6th studio album from Damien Dubrovnik, the Danish duo of Loke Rahbek and Christian Stadsgaard. It is also the 200th release on their Posh Isolation label, marking 8 years for both the label and project. The label's inception came with Damien Dubrovnik's debut album, and since then the two have been inseparable. Without Damien Dubrovnik there would most likely have been no Posh Isolation, and vice versa.
'Great Many Arrows' is undoubtedly a high point in the varied discographies of both Rahbek and Stadsgaard. It is the most realized Damien Dubrovnik recording to date, and a standout in Posh Isolation's troves.
As a record, 'Great Many Arrows' manages to translate the intensity of the duo's often unrestrained live shows in to carefully crafted studio productions. Unlike the pair's earlier and largely electronic recordings, the compositions on 'Great Many Arrows' set organs, cellos, violas, wind and other acoustic instruments against the backdrop of an electronic landscape.
The new toolset is as apparent on the surface as it is in the enclosed detail, taking the project further from its noise roots than it has ever been. This is not to say that Rahbek and Stadsgaard have traded ferocity for formal constraint. It is rather the opposite. While 'Great Many Arrows' is certainly the pair's most 'musical' work to date, its veneer of accessibility might also make it their most terrifying.
The strength of the recording lies here in the interaction between the melodic, acoustic instrumentation and the bulldozing electronics. Moments of beauty and light are transfigured into utter chaos and rage, the mesmerising change an expression of the equal and opposite form's natural sway as it beckons and slips between its own passing.
'Great Many Arrows' takes its name from a historic archery competition in Kyoto, Japan, in which archers would shoot as many arrows as possible for a 24 hour period. On April 26, 1686, Wasa Daihachiro from Kishu successfully shot 8,133 out of 13,053 arrows, averaging 544 arrows an hour, or 9 arrows a minute, becoming the record holder.
Outstanding three track EP from the archives of Caliban (A side project of London musician Milton Myrie, a session guitar player who worked with cult UK buddhist afro and reggae band Ozo as well as on the much sought after Steel and Skin 'Afro Punk Reggae' 12'). Talk about bang for ye buck.. 1 side crucial oddball digital cuts, b side sounds like a UK jazz funk classic... Gold Print Sleeve. BIG TIP!
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Caliban produced only one self-released 7' 'Open Mind / Digital Reggae' in 1984.
Following the re-discovery of this very little known 7' by Caliban a few years back, UK producer Jackson Bailey aka Tapes managed to track Milton down, who as well as being in possession of most of the stock of the original record, was also sat on a number of amazing unreleased recordings from the Caliban sessions. With an album of unreleased Caliban material compiled by Tapes to follow later on Music From Memory, this EP introduces one of the unreleased tracks, the incredible feel good disco anthem Supernatural'. Taking us on a glittering, rhythm charged rocket tour of the Funk Cosmos, this until-now-unheard future classic will surely set the summer nights alight.
The three track 12' also includes Digital Reggae' which featured on the original Caliban 7'. This computerised dancehall/funk hybrid was partially penned to address the lack of black culture included in the payload of the United States' first space station, Digital Reggae will be included in the Payload of Skylab!'. As well as the original mix, the EP also includes a new dub put together by Milton himself and assisted by riddim specialist Tapes!
Hemlock founder Untold is back on the label with his first vinyl EP since 'Doff' on sub-label HBLK back in 2015. This release follows appearances on last year's #savefabric compilation, and more recently on 'Magic City III' compiled by Mixpak boss Jubilee.
HEK029 follows a rewarding period of A&R for Hemlock that has so far delivered EPs from Bruce and Parris, with several more scheduled to drop throughout 2017.
This EP's two winding tracks are a natural progression from the fiercely textural drum work of Untold's previous singles and album 'Black Light Spiral.' Here the material is given more space to breathe and released from the grid creating a lighter more footloose feel.
'Tear Up the Club' carries the weight of DMZ era half-step using a loose web of elasticated breaks and builds to reveal a striking melodic line.
On 'Watton Res' exotic tones are further compressed and expanded in sequence, encasing drum machine, keyboards and guitar work within a delicate shell.
This June Session Victim return to Delusions Of Grandeur imprint with their third studio album. Listen To Your Heart is the result of a year of cross-continental scripting, started in their Hamburg studio and wrapped up stateside in San Francisco's Room G Studios where the duo had worked on their 2014 LP See You When You Get There. Here we present the second of three LP samplers containing four tracks each, cut nice and loud for the vinyl crew.
Shadows gets things rolling with a classic Session Victim housey groove, looped up pads and hooky spoken vocal samples. Filtered string stabs bring a warm and soulful edge whilst dub delay touches add a floaty element to get lost in. Next up we have Unchained which drops the bpm's for a widescreen, slo-mo jam clouded in a smokey haze with jazzy touches, recalling the halcyon days of Pork Recordings.
Flipping over we have a brand new LP version of previous single Up To Rise, another sublime slice of blissed-out house music with a wonderful organic and live sound palette. Echoing Rhodes licks join the lead guitar tune for a Balearic beauty which will be stuck in your head long after the sun sets. Closing this second sampler we have Over And Over, which winds things down somewhat for an inspired, bass-led roller.
An impeccable demonstration of retro-inspired yet forward thinking house and downtempo music, Listen To Your Heart sees Session Victim at the top of their game.
Mini Album with very high quality packaging. printed clear pvc sleeve over printed outer wich creates a stunning grafic effect when pulled out!
shadowy multidisciplinary artist & videographer denial.of.service returns to FILM for an extended EP of wrought iron electronics, channeling the spirit of classic electro, Industrial & Noise. the artist, active since the 1980's producing video work for a host of high profile names - including not least david bowie, currently transmits sporadically from an undisclosed location, though contemporary work has appeared on the creators project, as well as making the vimeo staff picks on an almost regular basis. recently, video commissions for minimal wave & jealous god affiliate In aeternam vale have ap-peared online, showcasing the artist's trademark crushed, hallucinatory visual aesthetic. If 2015's sensou EP communicated a more brooding, emotive side to denial.of.service - then contour & shape works in stark contrast. the palette remains relatively unchanged, with the 808 providing the back-bone for most of the compositions, paired with the same warped vox and heady synth leads - but this time around the production aesthetic is harsh and abrasive and there's a powerful, burning immediacy to the work. gone are the delicate, introspective leads & gently saturated drums, and in their place bursts of caustic, high energy noise and twisted drum machine strikes - and though much of the more tentatively dance floor material sticks to a stepping half time rhythm, 4x4 moments make a welcome appearance. contour & shape is bold and direct - a thunderous, high-energy salvo from a true creative with a rich and unique electronic music heritage.
Leonard Cohen had gained fame as a poet and singer in the late '60s and continued his creative output successfully throughout the '70s. But when the '80s came along, things didn't go so smoothly. That is, until he drastically changed his sound with the 1988 album 'I'm Your Man'. Synthesizers ruled, and a dark humour was added to his baritone. With enormous critical and commercial success, 'I'm Your Man' is ranked amongst Cohen's best albums. Now available on vinyl again for the first time since 1988!
Eleven tracks recorded by Miles Davis' nonet in 1949 and 1950, The Birth Of The Cool may just be the most accurately titled album ever. The tracks just bleed hipness - cool, smooth, and swinging - and practically define the genre of "cool jazz". Unparalleled recordings required for any fan of mid-century American jazz.
A leopard can't change his spots and Magnus International earned his spots in the sequence hue of Oslo's disco scene. 'Disco is the single thread that runs through all electronic dance music.' After an inconsistent hiatus from recording, the Norwegian DJ had donned the producer cap resolutely for his debut LP, Echo to Echo with us last year in 2016 , the an additional much loved album bonus 12. that all, aside his many other projects for us in the last years. now 2017, Magnus´ 'Synths' are on again , like a breath of fresh air and sunlight, these 4 tracks roll on to the world from oslo´s shores... and as his usually best Magnus is very strong on seamingly endless grooving chords and timing, sweet harmonycentric bliss and tight, on the point drum programming that comes with this 'pull factor' wich makes you want to play or listen out loud over and over again. There´s a Chmmr remix as well so things look really good here!
Since the release of his 2 first albums on Favorite Recordings, Lucas Arruda has quickly established himself as one of the most talented young artist and composer from Brazil. His music is filled with fusion style, mixing influences and elements from his Latin musical background, with his genuine admiration for Jazz, Soul and Funk music.
In spring 2015, it was also not surprising to find Lucas Arruda back with a new LP called SOLAR, receiving great supports and feedbacks from international media and tastemakers. One of the highlight of the album was the song 'Melt the Night', on which Lucas asked legendary producer Leon Ware for his help, reminding his collaborations in the 80s with Marcos Valle, when they perfectly merged together the sophisticated Boogie and AOR touch from California, with the blazing sense of rhythm from Brazil.
Today, Lucas Arruda and Favorite Recordings proudly present a brand new single, announcing the release of Lucas' third efforts later this year. This new opus is pursuing the music direction set with SOLAR, mixing touch of Blue-Eyed-Soul, Pop, Soul and Brazilian styles together, and influenced by the path of legendary Brazilian producer Lincoln Olivetti, who recorded some of the biggest stars of Brazilian music (Marcos Valle, Jorge Ben, Tim Maia...).
In Lucas words: 'These two tracks represent the whole spirit of the new album. In this record I really wanted to honor Robson Jorge & Lincoln Olivetti. They are the main influence on this record. We recorded the basic tracks for the album in the same studio that Lincoln Olivetti did his last works. So, this was very important to capture the true essence of Brazilian Funk/AOR tradition. Hope you guys enjoy it!'
avorite Recordings proudly presents Natureza, first album of Joao Selva. The story of Natureza is made of the meeting between two passionate artists who are Jonathan "Matuto" Da Silva and Bruno "Patchworks" Hovart.Born and raised in Ipanema and son of a pastor, Jonathan Da Silva grew up in a community of ex-prisoners and converted artists. He made his first guitar notes before his 10th birthday, under the watchful eye of Wanda Sa (muse of the bossa nova), and influenced by a father who in addition to his work, was also a true music lover with a collection, where black music, rock and classical meet. From the age of 18, Jonathan began a life of entertainer, traveling the world to offer shows for disadvantaged children and intensively practicing the Brazilian traditional music arts (Capoeira Angola, Maracatu, Samba de Roda, Coco de Roda...). It was later in France and in Lyon that he put down his instruments. There he formed the trio Forro de Rebeca in 2008, touring the all country and winning many praise in media. The trio recently joined forces with American producer Maga Bo on the project Sociedade Recreativa, whose album was released in 2016 on The Jarring Effects label.Bruno Hovart is a recognized producer, multi-instrumentalist, and remixer. After passing through Angers, Birmingham and London, he's based in Lyon since 2001. Bassist and guitarist for various bands, he switched to production in the mid-90s. Passionate about music and tireless creator, Bruno has practiced in almost every imaginable style, when it comes to groove music, collecting many aliases and projects for more than 10 years: Patchworks, Voilaaa, Uptown Funk Empire, Mr President, Taggy Matcher, Mr. Day, Hawa, John Milk, Lightnin 3, The Dynamics or Metropolitan Jazz Affair ... Nothing resists and escapes his talent and production skills. Thus, when he discovered and met Jonathan and his music, Bruno saw an immediate opportunity to broaden the spectrum of his discography a little more, by looking at Brazil. Beyond its traditional heritage, Brazil has always been a land of extremely varied music, influenced by the international scene. Soul, Jazz and American Pop did inspire many local stars such as Chico Buarque, Carlos Jobim, Gilberto Gil, Tom Zé, or Erasmo Carlos. Both fervent lovers of this movement and these names, it's with the idea to pay them a faithful tribute, that Jonathan and Bruno began the Joao Selva adventure. Together they gave birth to Natureza and embark us for a trip into the heart of the Tropicalist Pop influences of Jorge Ben and Caetano Veloso, the intoxicating Funk of Tim Maia, and the social poetry of Vinicius de Moraes.
Celebrating the imprint's 10th anniversary, Mike Dehnert returns to his own Fachwerk label with a new full length LP available in 2x12" and digital, following a striking 12" on DJ Koze's Pampa Records at the end of 2016. Across 10 tracks, here Dehnert explores new territory with a restrained and subtle sound while retaining his commanding touch when it comes to creating deep club music. Intro sets the tone of the album, providing an profusion of tidal tones and textures that soak the listener in sound. Before long though, you're listening to the percussive stabs and pensive drums of Between No Words. Here we hear for the first time on the record the subtle but remarkable vocals of Albert Vogt, who returns throughout the LP. Listeners will also be reminded of Dehnert's skill for crafting complex and emotional music with very few elements, which becomes only more evident as this LP opens up. From here Dehnert traverses through dubbed out techno, deep house and downtempo, all with an experimental playfulness and a lightness of touch that only a producer with his talent and raw experience could pull off. The album peaks with the storming Providing Home 2. With swirling, unpredictable arpeggios, hard hitting drums and a sparingly used vocal hook, this is the track that'll ignite ecstasy across dancefloors for years to come. From here, Dehnert quickly cleanses the palette with the beatless Starground, a ringing and pulsing synth piece, pierced by all manner of klangs and bleeps. This perfectly sets up the album's final epic, Laxwax. Another one aimed squarely at the club, but this time it's for darker dancefloors. In stark contrast to its predecessors on the record, this track is insular, hypnotic and raw. Not content to end on such a note, Dehnert provides one last exertion. Outro is bombastic and pounding, with a rave inspired synth line and heavily swung percussion. Topped with cut up and percussive vocals, the track lives up to it's name summing up the LP and adding to it at the same time. This thoughtful record takes elements of modern pop music and extrapolates them with a patience rarely found within the genre itself. Backed by Dehnert's exceptional experience when it comes to producing club music, the result is an album that's simultaneously poppy and experimental, yet fundamentally rooted in techno. It's for that reason that this will surely be such a crossover hit; it has a palette that is broad yet refined, that will undoubtedly reach new ears while appeasing and surprising familiar ones.
Following 2016's much-acclaimed solo album Mondo Alterado (HIPPIE 008CD/LP), original Pachanga Boy and Hippie Dance mentor Rebolledo returns to the limelight with the jam-packed Mondo Re-Alterado, tapping into his vast and varied network of friends and fellow soundsmiths. Artists such as Superpitcher, DJ Tennis, Maceo Plex, Red Axes, Fango, or Fantastic Twins deliver stunning takes on Rebolledo's unique signature sound, creating a full suite of exclusive remixes, cover versions, and reinterpretations. From the super-energetic club rumblings of Maceo Plex's "Discótico Pléxico" to DJ Tennis's dreamy "Pimiento Drive Version" of "A Numb Gas To The Future" or Fantastic Twins' party bomb "Fantastic Pow Pow", the journey through Mondo Re-Alterado is full of twists and turns -- a world where an epic, cinematic soundscape such as Superpicher's "Rainboy Super Space" sits comfortably alongside the claustrophobic, punishing banger that Fango sculpted from stand-out cut "Pow Pow". Meanwhile, Red Axes turn the casual narrative of "Life Is Strange, Life Is Hard, Life Is Great" into a bouncing workout -- a great companion piece to "WANT", Danny Daze and Shokh's propulsive, jagged dub version of "Fears Come True". Other highlights include Jörg Burger aka The Black Frame with the lush "Black Rainbow Woman", Paulor's country rock extravaganza "Discótico Desértico" and not one, but two excellent contributions from former Italians Do It Better honcho Mike Simonetti. It's a magical, surprising ride that finds beauty in contrasts -- while staying tuned to Rebolledo's spirit of adventure and powerful sense of style.
Superb new Album from APPART, breakbeat Tango and Electroswing master pieace full of electronica
The first release on Youth - a new label from Andrew Lyster, comes from Portland based artist Yard. Hailing from the dark woods of the West Coast of the United States, Yard brings together a collection of tracks from the archives alongside some new material. Canopy and White Fog were originally released on the album Deciduous Flood Plains, and have been reworked for this release. Marshall Acid is pressed to vinyl for the first time having previously only been available digitally via Event Horizon. Yard's gritty sound evokes a spectrum of gnarled city life to organic atmospheres. The release comprises of field recordings, micro-cassette mangles, bass kicks, a live jam between x0xb0x and a modded tr-606 and water drops percolating through the mixes to get that urban hum and grit running up against the forest.
It is summer time in Nang land which means the dials are being set to Balearic. Step forward our all-around good chap, friend and producer buddy Pete Herbert. He has teamed up with Bali based musician and keyboard player Martin Denev to deliver an album of the finest Bali-inspired Balearic House. Hot and balmy evenings here we come.
Recorded on the tropical island of Bali, the album swings from Balearic grooves, to sun-filled terrace house, seaside electronic and swimming-pool funk. We open up with "Batu Karang", summery key stabs, lazy drum machine set the album tone hot, low-slung and swimming in positivity. Things take a more electronic turn with "Time" with its twisting synth-lines and locked on sun-drenched groove.
House music royalty Robert Owens swings by the cabana for a very special guest vocal appearance on "Pass Me By" next. His smooth and powerful soulful vocal compliment the pool terrace house grooves and sneaky thumb piano. As ever, Robert does not disappoint. To close off Side A the title track "Made In The Shade" gives us a slice of Nu Disco summer swing with funky strat and more cowbell of course in for good measure.
The flip side of the album opens up with a hands in the air terrace anthem. House pianos, punchy synth hits and beach disco groove all the way. "Sun Fish" takes things again in an electronic direction. Meandering lead synth lines, walking synth bass giving the perfect back drop to this island hopping anthem. Recent single "Night Boat" is next. Darting firefly arpeggios and lush keyboard layers prevail here. We end on a high with the up-tempo Gamalan inspired "Ruby Star" sending us out on a ocean deep wave..
Welcome to Nang Balearic airlines. Your pilots Pete and Martin hope you enjoy your flight.
Mit - Keine Nacht für Niemand', dem dritten Studioalbum der Band Kraftklub, gelingt den Chemnitzern ihr bislang vielseitigstes Album. Zwischen Euphorie und Aufruhr, Liebe und Depression, Galligkeit und fein ausziseliertem Humor treffen Kraftklub auf insgesamt 12 Tracks die alte Tante Zeitgeist genau zwischen den Augen. Vor allem aber ist - Keine Nacht für Niemand' genau das zeitgeistig-politische Album, auf das wir alle in diesen Tagen gewartet haben. Es wird ein langer und aufregender Sommer
mit Kraftklub!
Optimo Music präsentiert eine neues Sublabel, das auf den Namen So Low hört. Das erste Release kommt vom Glasgow's Happy Meal, ein Duo bestehend aus Suzanne Rodden und Lewis Cook, die auf So Low ihr zweites Album vorlegen. Full Ashram Devotional Ceremony Volumes IV - VI ist mit seinen Kraut-Electronic-Noise-Ambient-Wave Einflüßen gleichermaßen verstörend und einnehmend und garantiert ein spannendes Hörerlebnis.
For This 7th and first EP of this year, Act-Fact Records as chose a young and talented Italian artists "Riciar Ghir" who is at the origin of this "Saphyre EP"
The excellent remixes are released by the very good producer "Thomas Stieler" and "Dubfluss".
This album is the first of the new adventure of Act-Fact Records.
Searing platter of krautrock with scorching doses of The Stooges & Judas Priest. Another ripper from this legendary Finnish horde!
Circle are the very definition of genre-defying, a rare feat for any band, but effortlessly achieved by this prolific Finnish collective. Circle's latest album Terminal is pure hedonistic pleasure. Never content on staying the same, they have created an idiosyncratic cocktail of sonic fusions, conjuring an impulsive, dizzying energy that stirs a spirit of curiosity within the listener, and has the ability to possess all who encounter them.
Whilst many would run out of creative steam (certainly after 30+ albums), Circle continue to boldly explore sonic soundscapes, venturing curiously into terrains of Stooges-esque swagger, trance-inducing kraut rock mantras, beautiful electronic ambience, psychedelic rock noodling, arena storming AOR weirdness, 70s prog rock extravagance, glam pop pomp, and of course their core sound, heavy metal, not to mention other peculiar and daring sounds that simply cannot be pigeon-holed. Terminal is gloriously fruitful in tones, shapes, colours and sounds. Eccentric, accessible, delightful and thrilling.
With FBNM now celebrating their fifth year of operation, Lorenzo has marked the occasion by assembling his biggest project to date - an impeccably curated collection of obscure Italian production music circa 1974 - 1985. The project, nearly a year in the making, has been very close to Lorenzo's heart - beginning unexpectedly in the record fairs of Buenos Aires and leading him on several trips to Rome and Milan, tracking down the original musicians and licensors.
"In this compilation, I have tried to include some of the most interesting cuts I have collected over the years. Tracks like the entirely electronic "Nitrogen" from Alberto Baldan Bembo's "Sound Orchestra" LP on Star Track Records, featuring a wild evolving bassline leading us through frantic rhythmic experimentations. "In the Space", by French born composer Albert Verrecchia and taken from Italian poliziesco drama 'Il Tempo Degli Assasini' (Season for Assasins), tells the tale of wistful longing, played out with serenity on strings and keys, but unexpected interruption from its stop-start arrangement brings an unforeseen tension into the mix... And how could I not include the wonderfully charming "Screw Driver" by Fabio Fabor, from his collaborative album "Superman" with a young Antonio Arena. Featuring an orchestra of beautifully programmed ARP and Oberheim sonorities alongside the Commodore 64 programmed graphical artwork by Antonio Arena himself."
The music itself was partly sourced from Lorenzo's own collection, archived and then restored especially for this release. Where possible, tracks (such as "Vision", "Nitrogen" and "Blue Magnolia") have been lifted directly from the original master tapes kindly lent by the repertoire owners. Every track, however, has been carefully restored, remastered and cut for vinyl by the cautious hands of Andreas (LUPO) Lubich at Calyx Mastering, Berlin.
Journey through vivid sonic currents and a state which might as well be regarded as Rashim's magnum opus: this is a new height with a mini album as the sixth release on ARR. The more basic and primal spirit of this release encapsulates Rashim's music in a way which makes total sense. Bound over for tracks, which all displays a different perspective of this dramatic colossus.
THE TRIAD[30,67 €]
Pantha Du Prince (Hendrik Weber) has been working with longtime engineer Kassian to create an ambient version of last year's triumphant studio return, 'The Triad'. This reworking showcases the otherworldly and moody delicacy that makes Weber's music so absorbing and affecting, with the beats and most vocals removed, his dreamy sonic details come to the fore.
LP is accompanied by a digital download that also includes bonus extra versions of some of the album tracks.
'Spirit Reflection' is the third album LP from Los Angeles singer-songwriter
Gaby Hernandez. Blissful layers of instrumentation, electronics, vocal harmonies and folkloric percussion intertwine with west coast feel to create aunique, beautiful and multi-layered album.
The album features a stellar line-up of LA talent, jazz star Kamasi Washington, Stuart Howard (AKA Lapalux), Kelis and Gaslamp killer collaborator Dexter Story, plus Ninja Tune, Plug Research and Soul Jazz artist Carlos Niño, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and Gabriel Reyes-Whittaker all accompany Gaby, with stunning results. Even before Spirit Reflection had been finished, the demo mixes caught the ear and gained support from Gilles Peterson, Lefto, Toshio Matsuura (U.F.O.) and JRocc (Beat Junkies). Born, raised and based in Los Angeles and of Chilean descent, Gaby Hernandez has been writing and recording since 2001. She was a founding member of the 'creative music ensemble' Build An Ark alongside others including Carlos Niño, Dexter Story and Dwight Trible.
Gaby was the only vocalist on Teebs' debut Brainfeeder release Ardour. She made major contributions to AmmonContact's Ninja Tune releases New Birth and With Voices, plus The Life Force Trio's Plug Research album Living Room. She was also the vocalist on Dimlite's Outernational Duet - released as part of his highly acclaimed Sonar Kollektiv longplayer This Is Embracing.
Hernandez was invited by Mia Doi Todd to sing on the Jonathan Wilson produced song Canto de Iemanja, which was included on Todd's City Zen record Cosmic Ocean Ship and the Red Hot + Rio 2 compilation, which also featured Beck, Seu Jorge, Aloe Blacc, David Byrne and Madlib. Among her main musical comrades is the prolific multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Dexter Story, for whom Hernandez sang on the track Water Bearer from his LP Seasons, on Kindred Spirits. David and Graham from Mr Bongo met Gaby and Carlos Nino at the end of their hugely successful Arthur Verocai album launch and rare record sale at the RAPPCATS venue in LA. Gaby and Carlos passed us a copy of 'Spirit Reflection'.and we put it on the deck. It immediately grabbed us and we couldn't stop listening to it. When we got back to the UK we got in contact straight away and signed the album. We're very proud to be releasing it'... ...this is a future classic, an 'album' in the truest sense of the word. Brilliant.' says Graham.
For it's seventh release, Banlieue Records showcases the work of Budapest-based producer AIWA through a mini album full of dreamy and ethereal sounds. With a subtle nod to the sound design of previous decades, AIWA is channeling inspiration from some of the more cosmic genres but never compromises on a forward thinking attitude that means this release can't be pinned down to a specific genre, rather, it is another example of the unique music Banlieue Records is currently nurturing. From beatless tracks that are anything but static to cuts with a more club-oriented groove, AIWA's sound is on the surface a stripped down, no frills a air. Without compromising on sounding lush, his productions invite the listener to dive deep into the worlds evoked in each track. These often convey the sense of upwards motion, while pulling the listener into a whirlpool of emotion.
4x12 LP, Limited to 150. Deluxe Outersleeve with Punched Out Centerpiece 'Window' and 4 Printed Innersleeves. Deltawerk is the newly Amsterdam based project of Pascal Terstappen aka Applescal and Polynation member Hessel Stuut. Together they are releasing their debut full length LP, entitled 'Passages",
Applescal has to date released on labels including Ghostly International and Traum Schallplatten, while the efforts for his own label Atomnation have seen him welcome music from the likes of Gidge, Weval, David Douglas and Sau Poler, amongst others. Voted at a very respectable #03 for XLR8R's coveted 'Best New Act' in 2015, Hessel Stuut is a member of Polynation and has significant experience not only playing live music, but as a producer, visual artist and designer too. Together, they form Deltawerk, a dynamically electronic duo whom when united create human and lucid music, which feels as much at home in an underground rave as it does in an open-air live performance. While there is a faint echo of artistic collision, the album undoubtedly provides an eerie sense of unity for both Pascal and Hessel's own discography, conserving the warm subculture of
analog and modular instrumentation.
Running a record label offers adiversified and challenging field of activity. This is particularly true when speaking of tiny independent re-issue labels where one, two or three guys have to take care of everything. Tracking down musicians, collecting their stories, writing the liner notes, creating the cover artwork, mastering the songs, promoting the release, communicating with pressing plants and distributors, and so on. Most of the tasks mean fun with the exception of one thing which nobody here at Tramp is keen on doing: writing the sales notes.
Far be it from us to praise our release to the skies. Naturally, we are pretty much convinced of the sheer quality of each song, otherwise we would not have invested so much time and efforts into completing those compilation albums. One thing which surprises us is that despite thousands of Rare Groove compilations on the market neither of the songs to be found here has been compiled elsewhere yet. A fact that not only fills us with pride but also determines our claim for the future. As for now we have done our homework and it is time to let the music speak so that the Gunn High School Jazz Reunion, Keither Florence, Robert Cote, Plas Johnson, Charlie Chisholm Boss-tet, and all the others get the recognition they so richly deserve for their talent and work.
When Tramp opened its doors in the early 2000s it was just for the fun of it. A business plan did not exist and nobody involved with the label had studied anything music related. It was just a bunch of crazy record collectors and music lovers with a simple idea: to share their favourite music with the world. Nobody could have known that this would last for 15 years - and there is no end in sight.
Ninth instalment of Redscale. Grad_u with a masterpiece of dub techno. Vinyl only.
"Holdback", an unexpected twist of events for followers of Redscale, is actually a bold step forward in terms of pace and light. The enticing chords work like a magnet, and the potential of the lady on the mic is no lower than that one of a siren. The personal weapons of grad_u, the most powerful of which are the embracing loops, are of course out there, indicating the
producer's inner spirit and roots.
Picking up where "Holdback" left off, "Outwards from Laniakea" is a statement more rugged, yet as absolute as the message on side A. It's an invitation to put that jacket back to the
cloakroom, switch off that phone and let yourself go, again and again. It's, once again, a compelling statement against conformity.
***
Early support by DJ Deep, Cari Lekebusch, Jonas Kopp, Shlømo, Josh Wink, John Osborn, Echoplex, Don Williams, Wata Igarashi, Regal, Mark Broom, Marcus Intalex / Trevino, Ryan James Ford, Francois X, Albert van Abbe and many more... .
The quiet before the storm. The abyss before birth. The moments that came before everything else. This is Episode Zero, Ben Gibson's inaugural album on Chronicle. It takes us soaring through a musical narrative, beaming down into vast acoustic valleys of sound. From the very rst notes the intent is apparent, lucidly slipping into a pool of full moon atmospherics. Departing deeper he carefully calculates each and every step, building momentum and pace until the way back is completely forgotten. Tracks like "Foreclosure" reach peak potential with crushed, mangled percussion, while others such as "Symptom" maintain a more seductive yet equally deadly pull. Building upon pillars of 12"s, Chronicle and Ben Gibson are now venturing into a new territory with Episode Zero marking the rst step. Join us.
Philippe Hallais returns to Modern Love with a new album, the first under his own name following his label debut as Low Jack with Lighthouse Stories in early 2016.
It's by some distance his most important work to date, setting aside the squashed dancefloor productions of his Low Jack Alias for an album of emotive, indefinable ambient pieces.
After working through different subcultural musical languages as Low Jack, this time Philippe takes inspiration from the TV biopics of high-performance athletes for an album of exceptional
emotive impact; somewhere between pastiche, tragedy and electronic futurism.
Fascinated by the sports documentaries mass-produced by the US TV channel ESPN, Hallais transcribed and amplified its dramatic recipes. These form the material of tearful soap operas
which develop the same narrative ad nauseam; the rise to the top, the betrayal, decline, salvation, comeback and, ultimately, nostalgia and regret. The TV formatting reduces the life of these high level athletes to a generic tale, transforming them into impersonators of their own lives through extreme use of editing, slow motion and musical themes.
Divided into four sides (and eleven tracks) acting as parts in a greek tragedy, the album delves into the dislocations of the mythology of sports and its achievement in mass entertainment; whereby the hero becomes a dispensable and mimetic body. Hallais delves into this unusual portrayal of triviality and disaster, naivety and cynicism that make the real life and ordeals of the hero indistinguishable from their scripted form on TV.
This obsession with storytelling and the creation of bigger than life characters forms the narrative of 'An American Hero', a parable for our times.
It s time for Lewis Fautzi to introduce his first album on Pole Group, a collection of ten tracks of cosmic techno, carefully crafted making a soundtrack of the future, deep, intense and scientific.
Psycho path is the intro, made of granular textures, subtle drones and ambiences, stepping into Entering, pulsating sub bass, continuous sinoidal sequences, pads and tension.
Subconscious starts with the beat, opaque bass drum, micro hi hats, atmospheres and monotonous sequences at a low bpm rate while Diffracted speeds the tempo a bit with electric synths, flanges and twists creating an hypnotic number. Rentless pain follows, with resonant bleeps starring until assymetrical sequences appear and the synth lines evolve in a hi pass filter galore.
Seasick is humid and liquid, gummy sounds, clean drum programming, spaced out sounds and a lot of room. Then we come into Furrow, aimed to the intelligent dancefloors out there, synthetic bubbles, rolling sub woofer action , bleeps and noises. Cyclic Human reminds to the best scifi techno with bell like sequences, digital clicks, jazz harmonies and abstract progression.
Number nine is Optic Chiasm a direct number based on an obscure drum workout and filled with hi pitched relentless sequences, intelligently arranged to create a mental feeling as well as inducing to dance. Album closes with The Brain Revolution, like an evolution of Entering, beatless but still preserving the tension and the movement.
A coherent and complete collection of precise, surgical and futuristic music to be enjoyed as a whole adventure..
Profusion (noun): an abundance of something rich.
The sonic partnership of K15 and Emeson originated in the days of MySpace. A future of combining their skills was inevitable, and now in 2017, it's time to unleash their debut studio album into the ether.
The solo-projects of Tottenham-raised Kieron Ifill (aka K15) date back a decade, but were truly kick-started on labels such as Kyle Hall's Wild Oats and WotNot Music, with a number of genre-crossing releases dropping ever since, including the WU15 project (along with Yussef Kamaal's Henry Wu, on Eglo Records). Additionally to his production work, he has established himself internationally as a DJ, from the Jazz Cafe to the CoOp parties.
Partner in Profusion, Emeson, has many skills to his bow - singing, songwriting, producing, promoting, DJing (under the alias Ed Nice) and acting. As a musician, his varied skill-set has seen him work with Chico Hamilton, Carla Duke, Karmasound, Uzo Madu and Chris Jerome. A frontman for soul-jazz groups LifeSize, The One and Saturn's Children, he has featured on releases for BBE and Tokyo Dawn, and appeared live on stage at the likes of Ronnie Scott's.
The debut single was supported by tastemaker blogs Wonderland, XLR8R and Stamp The Wax, has been bumped by selectors such as Lefto and Jazzie B, and played on NTS, Worldwide FM, Mi-Soul, LeMellotron, Balamii Radio, Itch FM, Invader FM, Soho Radio and various stations across Europe and the US.
This album is full to the brim with summery sun-soaked synths, drifting across the warmest of basslines and heavyweight beats. Emeson's rich vocals gracefully ride atop of K15's delectably bruk twist on neo-soul sonics and electronics, this is some seriously classy contemporary London soul music, that manages to incorporate flashes of various dance music techniques, sound-system etiquette and jazz-tinged rhythms. As future-thinking as it is subtly retrospective, it doesn't lend itself to one genre, it intentionally embodies the best of many. An array of everything that is great about British black music in 2017. The message the album conveys itself couldn't have come at a more poignant time. Where do we begin
Profusion - an abundance of something rich indeed.
The Haggis Horns will release their fourth studio album in September 2017 and as a little teaser, they drop a summer single worldwide on June 9th via their own Haggis Records, a feel good bouncing hip-hop/funk jam featuring guest UK MC/rapper Doc Brown. Think back to the dawn of hip-hop in the early 1980s when the first rap singles featured the Sugarhill Records house band laying down heavy funk grooves for MCs like The Furious Five and Treacherous 3 and you get the flavour. No-nonsense party hip-hop/funk for b-boys, soul sisters and funk brothers! And keeping with that old school flavour, it will come with a limited edition 7" vinyl pressing alongside the digital single and feature an instrumental version on the b-side with the Horns cutting loose on the solos.
Now in their 19th year, The Haggis Horns are still as popular and busy as ever playing clubs and festivals around the UK and internationally and finishing this new album for autumn release. Expect another slab of heavy funk and sweet soul with longtime vocalists John McCallum (Corinne Bailey Rae band) and Lucinda Slim on various featured tracks plus the hip-hop collaborations with Doc Brown. As always, their famous super tight rhythm section holds it down alongside one of the UK's best horn sections of the last 2 decades whose gig/recording credits include Mark Ronson, Amy Winehouse, Jamiroquai, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas and Lily Allen.
Roots In Heaven is a Berlin-based act that could very easily capitalize on his past accomplishments within the world of intrepid electronic music. As a label owner, resident DJ at cutting-edge clubs, and accomplished solo artist behind a number of conceptually unique full-length albums, the conceiver of this project won't likely need any introduction to the intrepid fans of electronic music. As an extension of this artist's already solid commitment to deep sound, Roots in Heaven represents a new voyage without the help of biographical cues to his listeners: hidden behind an evocative mesh mask lined with obsidian feathers, Roots in Heaven ignores the need to provide 'social proof' or self-justification. He communicates purely through the language of concentrated sensory impression, for which reason he has titled his debut, 'Petites Madeleines,' after one of the most memorable descriptive sequences in literary history (the famous meditation on the madeleine from Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu). As a prelude to the first full-length, Roots In Heaven has issued an untitled EP as a resounding 'shot across the bow'. However, this record is no half-conceived experiment to see what works and what doesn't, nor does it even feel like an 'EP' (in the traditional meaning of being a précis whose full report is available elsewhere). Attentive listening to its contents can cause a kind of time dilation, and a mysterious feeling of entering a world where familiar dualities (nature vs. technology, action vs. contemplation) are replaced by a feeling of total immanence. The A-side, 'Sang des Betes", accomplishes this with cascading, viscous layers of electronic tones that narrow and widen, rise and fall like the breath of some ancient entity. Periodically, bright flashes of tone arc across the horizon of the sound space, emphatically present but also elusive.
Panorama Bar resident Nick Ho¨ppner gets to Work on his second solo album on Ostgut Ton, connecting the territories of House music with the ease of Alt-Pop.
Work as in labor. An axiom that fuels the capitalist system just as the Techno/House scene economy says that one needs to keep oneself busy to make a living. As a musician, things are complicated of course. It's a long way from the romantic idea of creating music simply for the sake of art to becoming a full time musician. Those who have accomplished this feat often find themselves in a professional loop of writing the music, producing it, promoting it (with an info text like this), releasing it and then hopefully selling it. After leaving his full time job as Ostgut Ton's label manager in 2012, Nick Ho¨ppner went fully freelance, focusing on his musically diverse, deep and dynamic DJing in and outside Berghain's Panorama Bar, but more importantly spending more time in the studio. The result was his critically acclaimed debut album Folk (Ostgut Ton, 2015), various 12' releases and remixes, and now his sophomore LP, Work, which, more than ever, lays out his refined production skills and his talent to work the machines until they reveal their inner ghosts: nine new songs that now dodge the dance floor, then fully embrace it.
Work as in body of work. A record is more than the sum of clocked up hours at the studio, but the result of an artistic-creative process. On Work, Ho¨ppner shows his everlasting lust for musical detail, his increasing technical skills and compositional finesse. Work is a very personal, soulful and deep record that breaks through the usual club/dancefloor narrative by documenting Nick's interest for hybrid sounds and combining elements from varying musical genres. Work's lead single 'All By Themselves (My Belle)' is a very atmospheric, intimate and steadily unfurling IDM piece with ethereal synth and vocal pads; on the album it's contrasted by 'Clean Living' with Tram 78, a modern Ho¨ppner club classic: powerful, kick-heavy, muscular, cheerful and uplifting. It's a very personal track resulting from a recent reencounter with an old friend. Having spent countless hours together in Berlin's clubs in ever changing states of mind a decade ago or longer, things have since changed for both towards a more - clean living'. Connecting to this musical vibe 'In My Mind' follows with a slightly darker tone putting emphasis on bassline, percussion and squeaky sound detailing. 'Hole Head' pays tongue-in-cheek homage to Nick's love for UK club music, when a dashing melody of synths and vibraphone is matched with clattering breaks and syncopation. The dubby, mesmerizing 'The Dark Segment' not only impresses with its hypnotic synth figurines, but also by morphing to a shuffling Jazz rhythm towards it's middle part; 'Forced Resonance' uses Oberheim synth brass stabs to dramatic effect; the percussion- and clap-laden 'Fly Your Colours' comes with an irresistible piano melody atop an energetic kick; and finally the album-closing, shuffling but rhythmic, noisy yet bluesy 'Three Is A Charm' featuring the duo Randweg on clarinet, cajo´n and acoustic guitar is a coherent departure heading towards Indie Pop territory. It sees Nick collaborating with acoustic instrumentalists for the first time in his ten-year- spanning Ostgut Ton release catalogue.
Work as in artwork. Staying in line with the Folk album, the visual companion for this record comes from German collage artist Frank Bubenzer. As with the artwork at hand, Bankentsunami, and his other works, Bubenzer cuts up print magazine advertisements and recontextualizes them into new motifs, removing all human depiction from the source material, here as a commentary on the world of business, big money and the banking crisis.
Work as in work it. As a slogan 'work' has always been one of the genre's most utilized paroles, coined and put on wax by pioneers like LNR, Blake Baxter or Steve Poindexter, to name a few. Not only calling for the crowds to get moving on the floor but also to fully express themselves and their unique individuality inside an all embracing environment. A mindset rooted in House Music that has been an integral part of Nick Ho¨ppner's identity as a DJ and producer from the beginning and all through his decade-spanning residency at Panorama Bar. Work it!
Local Talk is proud to welcome back Marcel Lune for the release of his album Astral Palms.On this album Marcel continues to explore his fascination for melodies and composition and has created something that is wonderfully refined and thrillingly accessible.Listening to Astral Palms some may hear the influence from such great artists as Floating Points and Local Talk very own Crackazat. What Marcel is doing is fusing the two and adding his twist with enough originality to stand out from the rest.
From the opening track and throughout the album, you get the idea of this young genius' musical universe - music that aims to both soothe the senses and move the feet.
Astral Palms is not only offering a unique twist on melodious and rhythmic house music, it also highlights Marcel Lune' growth as an artist.
Since the millennium 2raumwohnung unites electronic sounds and pop melodies in a variety of ways. The early singles 'Wir trafen uns in einem Garten' (2000) or '2 von Millionen Sternen' (2001) playfully communicated the life-style of a new Berlin. The duo, consisting of Inga Humpe and Tommi Eckart, started as a studio project and continued to develop via eight album productions. At the same time, an important impulse included developments in techno or house music. Their most successful album '36 Grad' stayed in the German album-charts for 33 weeks; 2raumwohnung continued to expand their stage range as well.
Last Days debut, 'Sea' told the story of one man's journey. Now with his 5th album, 'Seafaring', Graham Richardson returns to the sea to examine a range of vocations and exploits adrift.
Drawing inspiration from shipping routes, to Ernest Shackleton and his crew's ill-fated voyage on the Endurance, to families being disjointed and reunited, Seafaring goes some way to hint at what the oceans present to us. Seafaring reflects on it's subject matter by coherently linking moments that are minimal and still, to those that are compelling and cinematic.
Seafaring will be the first Last Days album pressed on vinyl and will be available in white or clear as well as digipak compact disc
A few years ago we received an anonymous email with a link to three tracks and a simple
message: 'Hi, maybe you would be interested in this music.'
It's easy to be skeptical of yet another link from yet another artist in a world overcrowded with them, but listening is our job and so we do it. The songs were instantly striking: extraordinarily slow, somber, and spacious, each vaulted cathedral chord reverberating poetically into the distance, the melodies rolling out like fog across a cemetery.
Captivated, we requested more, receiving a single word in response: Yes.' Then, nothing. Eventually, three months later, we received another email with slightly more information: a name (Irma Orm), a location (Stockholm), and a bit of context (she worked alone, and progress on music was slow but steady ).
Fast-forward to mid-2016: we're informed the album is complete, and it is breathtaking. Hermetic gothic swan songs conjured from funereal piano, twilit ambience, minimalist percussion, and spellbinding vocals.
The mood is lulling and lush but lost in sorrow, stark grey structures looming in the night. Majestic open spaces between notes heighten the melancholic grandeur of Orm's arrangements, blurring the line between lament and lullaby. The songs less end than ebb away,succumbing to their own downcast beauty.
Vibronics having been running things on the UK/European Dub scene for around 20 years with a massive following, a string of albums and singles for their own Scoops label and Zion Train's Universal Egg in-print as well as touring extensively worldwide.
`Crisis' - dating from 1999 - is an uplifting stepper featuring melodica player Vitamin M and has never been released before in any format until now which will satisfy the hordes of vinyl-hungry dub-heads.
Following a number of exciting tunes released on the renowned Quintessentials, here comes Mat Chiavaroli's first long-player 'No Stranger To Madness". Warm Fostex tape hisses and MPC swings, the guy from the Pescara hills delivers 10 tracks for both your dancing and listening pleasure. The A- and B-side tracks are drenched in dusty funk samples, gritty chords and syncopated rhythms. In 'Aroma De Mi Vida' Mat chops obscure Rhodes riffs and layering them with more elements, just like in 'Whoja Vu", a heavy-sampled disco juggler very close to his previous Quintessentials releases. On the flip we find some deep chords melting with powerful gospel vocals, giving life to a track that annihilates boring dancefloors. There's a similar vibe in 'Jeep Ridaz' that reminisces about seminal Atavisme classics with broken detuned bits and agitated cut and pastes give a sense of randomness. The second part of this album shows Mat Chiavaroli's deeper side. 'Double Pain' is a tune that progressively brings you to many aspects of what Mat loves: saturated female vocals stick out while gloomy chords gently develop. 'Storia Losca' has a slightly different attitude with a huge synth presence, live percussion and dreamy pianos. The D side opens with 'The Quiet Bobobo", a distorted floor delight and ends with something closer to Mat's early music, disclosing a fresh collaboration with the young studio fellow P.Lok. 'No Stranger To Madness' fits many bills and is an impressive proof of what Mat's musical ability is.
Ekoplekz returns with his fourth album for Planet Mu, in the shape of 10-tracker "Bioprodukt". The unique lo-fi, woozy sound of Bristol's Nick Edwards stays intact while he veers towards the nineties for inspiration: the bleep and bass sound of the north of England is one touchpoint and the acid gurgles of the 303 are another. While the murky lo-fi production levels and evocative melodies remain, they are now bolstered by a more muscular rhythmic chassis. Snappier kicks and snares mingle with dense layers of percussion and deep undulating sub-basslines adding a funkier edge, as typified by opening track "Elevation" where playful beats interlock with breezy keyboard flourishes to create something uncharacteristically upbeat. Similarly, the gentle, fluid motion of "Slipstream" and "Calypzoid" represent some of the most appealingly chilled grooves in the Ekoplekz canon to date. But the darker-edged material remains. "Expedition" has a pensive, percussion-heavy feel whilst "Acrid Acid" is a dirt-encrusted slow-mo techno meltdown. "Transcience" displays the Ekoplekz trademark dub-fx in full flight over a driving lo-end, before "Descent" leads down to the final section, where the beats fade out, replaced by rippling layers of spectral ferric ambience on the epic "Low-X Over", before finishing with the radiant looped stasis of "Denier Daze". The albums shifting, mperfect patterns and muted colours are visually mirrored in the beautifully realised sleeve by the Print Project.
Horse Follows Darkness is the second record by Delia Gonzalez, her follow up to the album In Remembrance'.
The title is taken from a werewolf genre film her 8 year old son Wolfgang had created. At this time, Wolfgang also turned Delia onto a genre of cinema she had always resisted - the American Western.
Delia explains that what she observed was all relevant - the album is based on our personal experience of moving back to America (from Berlin) and the journey that followed. The record is a manifestation of that, and what one creates for themselves under the given circumstances. Coming back to America, I felt like a foreigner and NYC / America felt like the Wild West. Most Westerns from the 1960s to the present have revisionist themes. Many were made by emerging major filmmakers who saw the Western as an opportunity to expand their criticism of American society and values into
a new genre.'
The narrative of the record is one of re-encountering the frontier mentality that shaped the country but somehow never faded. This time as a foreigner. The genre of the Western remains pertinent, many of the same stories of that brutally deromanticised era are still relevant today. America hasn't changed - the cast, times and settings have, but we still hold onto the same ideal.
Horse Follows Darkness is essentially a modern electronic soundtrack for the Revisionist Western. Even the idea for the record cover is inspired by one of the most well known modern Westerns, Robert Altman's McCabe & Mrs Miller.
The album was recorded with Abe Seiferth at Transmitter Park studios, which Delia likens to going to the finest tailor'. Abe became an integral part of the recording, playing guitar and helping to suggest experimenting with different synthesizers, something Delia was keen to do. Delia refers to Abe as a magical and incredibly intuitive collaborator' regarding the sound of the record.
The music that emerged from these recording sessions combines a range of influences - from the compositions of Erik Satie to 'Salon De Musique', the solo piano record by Su Tissue (of the L.A. punk band Suburban Lawns). The record also took on a much different shape and sound with the introduction of the Sequential Circuits Prophet VS, as well as a vintage Korg Poly synth and the Roland SH-101. The golden era Krautrock recordings of bands like Neu!, Cluster & Harmonia were touchstones as well, the repetition, swirling soundscapes and locked-in rhythm tracks.
"Alpha percussion", recorded in 1985, is a cult groovy ambient album of acoustic percussion, pleasant to listen to and full of samples and break known very well by Djs and artists likes Danny Brown (which uses a sample in "Really Doe", a song of his latest album on Warp Records).
Giovanni Cristiani is one of the most prepared and complete Italian percussionists. Born in Rome in 1952 he graduated in percussion in young age and began playing professionally in Italy and abroad. In 1979, after years of activity at the side of the most popular jazz musicians, constitutes the Music Workshop A.D.E.L., playing drums and percussion courses. Pentaflowers (BEAT Records sub-label and publisher) asked him to make a solo percussion library music album in full artistic freedom that was pressed in limited edition for insiders; so was born "Alpha Percussion", a gem now finally accessible to all thanks to Mondo Groove label.
2x Colored Vinyl[27,19 €]
Deconstructed royal-court music from the forgotten kingdoms of the Buganda, reconstructed electronic wedding music, fluorescent pink African pop, crunched 8-bit drum machines and a 10-foot long monster xylophone are just a few of the many sounds of Ennanga Vision.
This post-modern African soundtrack follows London producer Jesse Hackett's heady musical journey into the heart of Uganda - recording with chief collaborator, multi instrumentalist and singer Albert Ssempeke and featuring assorted vocal legends from the north of the country. The music blends a fully electronic sensibility with unusual, hand-crafted, African one-string fiddles, a 200-year-old harp and an enormous, group-played xylophone. It mixes traditional Ugandan folk songs and modern pop forms into a new PLASTIC ORGANIC VISION.
Hackett is influenced as much by the music of the African continent as he is by European electronic compositions and soundtrack scores. The sounds of hauntingly-dark vocoded vocals, crushed electronics, and poly-rhythmic drum machines sit alongside chiming African fiddles, rippling harps and children's laughter. He is a member of Owiny Sigoma band having sung on and co-written a lot of their work spanning three albums. He is also touring keyboard player for the Gorillaz and has released records on Stones Throw, Honest Jon's and DEEK Recordings, to name a few.
Albert Ssempeke is the son of a prestigious royal court musician who played in the days of the old Buganda kingdom - one of more than twenty five musical siblings, Albert is simultaneously an educator, performer and preservationist of this intricate and complex traditional form of music. Here he plays over ten traditional Ugandan instruments including Amadinada (xylophone), Ngindidi (fiddle), Endongo (harp), Ennanga (flute) and many more
2x Black Vinyl[21,81 €]
Deconstructed royal-court music from the forgotten kingdoms of the Buganda, reconstructed electronic wedding music, fluorescent pink African pop, crunched 8-bit drum machines and a 10-foot long monster xylophone are just a few of the many sounds of Ennanga Vision. This post-modern African soundtrack follows London producer Jesse Hackett's heady musical journey into the heart of Uganda - recording with chief collaborator, multi instrumentalist and singer Albert Ssempeke and featuring assorted vocal legends from the north of the country. The music blends a fully electronic sensibility with unusual, hand-crafted, African one-string fiddles, a 200-year-old harp and an enormous, group-played xylophone. It mixes traditional Ugandan folk songs and modern pop forms into a new PLASTIC ORGANIC VISION.
Hackett is influenced as much by the music of the African continent as he is by European electronic compositions and soundtrack scores. The sounds of hauntingly-dark vocoded vocals, crushed electronics, and poly-rhythmic drum machines sit alongside chiming African fiddles, rippling harps and children's laughter. He is a member of Owiny Sigoma band having sung on and co-written a lot of their work spanning three albums. He is also touring keyboard player for the Gorillaz and has released records on Stones Throw, Honest Jon's and DEEK Recordings, to name a few. Albert Ssempeke is the son of a prestigious royal court musician who played in the days of the old Buganda kingdom - one of more than twenty five musical siblings, Albert is simultaneously an educator, performer and preservationist of this intricate and complex traditional form of music. Here he plays over ten traditional Ugandan instruments including Amadinada (xylophone), Ngindidi (fiddle), Endongo (harp), Ennanga (flute) and many more
Coming hot on the heels of Samuel Rohrer'sRange of Regularity album are two EPs of striking reinterpreta- tions. These new remixes provide an intriguing parallax view of the original tracks, using the percussive eclecticism of the parent LP as a starting point from which to journey into soni- cally vibrant, feature-rich territories. The production specia- lists on the first EP include Ricardo Villalobos and Vilod, the collaborative duo with Max Loderbauer. Villalobos, has alrea- dy formed a strong working relationship with Rohrer's AM- BIQ trio, lends his talents to both of these new EPs. The se- cond one will be completed by a remix of Burnt Friedman. Each individual remix has its own character, they are all united in their ability to provide a quick cure for fatigue with the common loop': they are strung together from fleeting phra- ses that evolve as if they are taking on a life independent of their creators.Villalobos' compelling take on Lenina' pulsates from start to finish with a kind of voluntary anxiety, a commitment to painting every corner of the sonic surface with clearly defined pointillist touches. While this kind of approach would cause less confident producers to collapse at their editing worksta- tion, Villalobos takes to the task with gusto - leaving see- mingly no corner un-animated by sound, he pieces together something surprisingly funky and hyper-real from a catalog of distinct percussive hits, time-reversed ephemera, and playful kitchen sink' ambience. Vilod's Uncertain Grace' remix, though marginally more laidback than the flipside, is no less engaging. A buzzing beehive of activity powered by an organ- like refrain, this is one of those pieces that will induce a fee- ling of perpetual movement into even the most still of physi- cal surroundings. This is especially true when, after four and a half minutes of flotation, a straight-ahead techno rhythm ta- kes over and all the disparate hovering elements fall into place.
Ikonika's third album 'Distractions' builds on 2013's 'Aerotropolis', and the title answers the question Why has the album taken so long' In the last few years she's been building up a strong CV of remixes, from Chvurches to Dawn Richard, Austra and Junior Boys, as well as DJing and working on this album. 'Distractions' distils the character of Ikonika's music productions across a wider set of styles than previous albums, and she subtly fuses and switches elements from contrasting genres, giving the whole set a uniqueness and consistency that puts it in its own lane. Furthermore what sits at the centre of 'Distractions' more than ever is her love of R&B and hip hop, in all its forms, which has opened the door to bring in a selection of guests in a way she's not fully explored before. From the full throttle blend of grime and 80s synth soul 'Noblest' with Andrea Galaxy, to the reflective 'Sacrifice' with up and coming MC Jammz, a slowjam that merges dubstep with hip house drums. The final vocal track is the languid 'Hazefield' co-produced with Sweyn J and featuring Jessy Lanza on vocals. Its mix of mechanic clunk and minimalist, lulling funk could only happen in 2017. The LP artwork takes its inspiration from West London's Golden Mile, a stretch of the Great West Road where the A4 meets the M4, and the road takes on the character of the arcade game Poll Position, with art deco factories and illuminated, hi-tech signage selling lifestyle products. It's this kind of mix of futuristic and industrious with a touch of gentle glamour that the album exudes.
To mark the release of their sophomore album, Dark Sky present a pair of remixes of their latest tracks. Brace yourself for a double treat of raw dancefloor virtuosity via Miami and Munich.
Omnidisc labelhead Danny Daze takes on the atmospheric march of - The Walker', creating an eerie and intensely long build-up that eventually gives way to a slamming yet ethereal EBM finish.
Next up are Munich's techno overlords the Zenker Brothers. They infuse - Kilter' with some genuine breakbeat magic and hard-hitting industrial vibes while brilliantly reinventing the original track's melodic themes. Spot-on.
Plexus Records & Meyso present M.A.J.. This is the first full length effort by French producer Meyso, after a bunch of projects and collaborations including productions for Lomepal, Fixpen Sill, Equipto, Sameer Ahmad and more!
Meyso first appeared on Plexus Records cassette project from 2013, then on the Kapla album on the same label with Mr Hone, Maodea and Oteest. He's been since producing for several French and Belgian rappers and started to be the DJ on tour
for famous French rapper Lomepal. On M.A.J., Meyso confirms his skills and delivers a very rich and dense album.
Influenced at first by producers such as Dilla, Madlib and Dj Shadow, he develops now his own modern approach of beatmaking, incorporating elements of trap and electronic music. With guests such as Caballero, JeanJass, Veerus or Ndobo Emma, the album balances between deep instrumentals made of rare vinyl samples and some catchy rap and soulful tracks.
This LP comes in a limited edition of 500 copies, all hand-numbered and pressed on
180gr, 12''x12'' insert included. Original art is a painting made by Natosito.
Piotr Bejnar, the owner of Otake Records is coming back with a debut album. The album is composed by 12 tracks where each track is telling different emotional story. Piotr invited to cooperate the most recognizable voice in Poland - Krystyna Czubowna, very talented Polish producer and singer Baasch, Kasp who is accompanying on the guitar and other guests.
3LP Album Move D, Jonah Sharp, Juju & Jordash build the new supergroup The Mulholland Free Clinic. Their self-titled debut LP release is the recording of their second ever improvised, allhardware live set which emphasizes the ongoing paradigm shift in live electronic music. Tracklist A Vital Signs B Boneset C Gone Camping D Ebb & Flow E The Dawgs Are Alright F1 Dr. Leary F2 Pillow Therapy Even though they've only played together on three occasions since 2013, The Mulholland Free Clinic has already been praised as one of the ultimate collaborations when it comes to underground and improvised electronic live music. Move D, Jonah Sharp, and Juju & Jordash build this so-called super-supergroup by combining their individual and mutual projects rEAGENZ and Magic Mountain High. Using an armada of analog hardware, The Mulholland Free Clinic's self-titled debut album is the product of a live set recorded at Berlin's emerging party series AWAY at ://about blank in August 2016. Consequently, the connected vinyl label Away Music is set to release its first long player following four 12-inches with appearances by Joe Claussell, Mr. Ties, Move D, Discrete Circuit, and its very own AWAY Soundsystem. Their three-hour long, totally improvised jam session was edited down to a little over
(2x 180 gr LP in a gatefold sleeve with download card) The debut album of Talamanca System, aka Gerd Janson + Mark Barrott + Philipp Lauer. Their past is your future!
On the white island, between Ibiza Town and the infamous fish shack high up on a rock next to a bird sanctuary, you will find the beach of Talamanca. Plagued by too much seaweed, anchored middle-class yachts and joggers, it is also surprisingly the spiritual home of a correspondent post-Balearic group. As luck would have it, a remix request by Mark Barrott bedded the International Feel boss in a trio with Philipp Lauer and Gerd Janson, alias Tuff City Kids. A highly sought-after 12-inch later ("Balanzat"), as well as fantasies of getting together to work on more material, led to a fruitful and effortless studio session on the non-Balearic outskirts of Frankfurt am Main.
The outcome of that meeting forms the homonymous debut album of Talamanca System. A documented vision, or a sunburned imagination of a day and night spent on said island, during a moment in time that probably never was or will be. Still summed up best by dungarees, long hair, yellow sunglasses, espadrilles or that famous picture of people grouped around roofless Amnesia's pyramid well, it is the food of the Balearic gods. But, dear nostalgia, stop right here! Even though Talamanca's debut flies the Balearic flag, it is not about turning back the clock, but rather about a past that could be the future. Dusted, danceable, driving, dreamy and dapper at the same time, this is an album for the club, the car, the beach, the (coke)float and the fountain.
Coined by the colourful and respective talents of the three individuals behind Talamanca, you will hear nine tracks ranging from up to downtempo, piano house smashers that would have deserved the prefix Italo-, percussion rituals captured by a group of Zoo animals on the loose, soundtracks for dusk and dawn, hushed vocals, rites of ambient passages, powerful synth ballads and vamp choirs. If this album were a car, it would be a Citroen 2CV remade by Tesla.
We've said it before and we'll say it again: their past is your future!
REISSUE OF SUPER-RARE ALBUM WHICH SELLS FOR SILLY MONEY ON DISCOGS.
REISSUED FOR RSD AUSTRALIA 2017..NOW WE HAVE A FEW COPIES FOR EUROPE..LIMITED
For decades the mysterious Hiroshi & Claudia LP has been an elusive jewel amongst the curious world of Australian private press LPs. With nothing more than cryptic broken-English album sleeve notes to reference, the mythical Six To Six LP is a bewildering and intriguing jazz oddity. With prices of the rare original record hitting three figures, collectors began demanding to know who was 'Hiroshi', who was 'Claudia' and why did a group of unknown Japanese musicians record an album in Australia in the late 1970s only to issue it in micro-quantities, then seemingly disappear back into obscurity. For years no trace of whom they were nor any clue as to the origins of their peculiar yet entrancing music had surfaced. Until now....
Welcome to the brainchild of Gilles Germain and Carmen Fabro, a French/Italian husband and wife team of restaurateurs and film producers operating in Sydney during the 1970s. Establishing the custom record label 'Atom', the duo released a handful of highly obscure vanity jazz LPs and promotional horse racing 45s. (Yes it's all very strange...) The highlight undoubtedly being the album Six To Six, a session recorded in Sydney in 1979 by a group of touring Japanese jazz musicians led by guitarist Hiroshi Yasukawa, and a forgotten and still undocumented Mauritian cabaret singer performing under the alias 'Claudia'. Sitting somewhere between spacey Balearic disco, haunting soul and hectic funk reminiscent of electric Miles Davis, the Six To Six LP is a curious beast to say the least.
Released specially for Record Store Day 2017 Northside Records and The Roundtable present a limited edition exact reissue of this legendary Australian rare groove LP.
Critical Music reaches its 100th release in its 15th year, celebrating with the landmark album Fifteen Years Of Underground Sonics. Spanning the broad spectrum of drum & bass that the Critical sound represents, the exceptional 15 album is as bold as it is beautiful and looks to serve the test of time in the D&B history books.
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Kasra Critical
Coloured Vinyl
Iona Fortune is a composer and producer from Glasgow and presents the 'Tao of I' album as her debut release.
Inspired by Eastern Philosophy and slated to be the first in an 8 album series exploring all the symbols of the I Ching, her music is influenced by oriental sounds and features a palette of instruments that includes the Guzheng, Gamelan and Synthi AKS.
The overall effect is a singular and beguiling sound that loosely fits in with the Fourth World concept imagined by Jon Hassell, and indeed Iona Fortune has also contributed a track to Optimo Music's new Fourth World compilation 'Miracle Steps'.
The initial vinyl edition will come on a translucide pressing with inside sleeve and original artwork by Iona Fortune.
Pisetzky's full debut album on Just This includes adventures into contemporary Techno music, fines ambient works, and unique broken pieces. An intense mixture of incredible warmth, weird fluffiness, mystic trumpets and high uplifts, the album is interspersed with short ambient and fragmentated interludes, each just a few minutes long: 'State of consciousness' and 'Tears of a rough machine' are serene and reflective tracks that give the listener time to breathe and bringing him/her back to more dancefloor focused tracks of the LP like Viridis, Bakwas and Wand. The result is a magic story, a history in eleven chapters that the listener is guided through, like the landscapes of a mystic journey, with a twist on the melodies and hidden effects behind every deep bass sound.
Brendon Moeller has essentially spent almost everyday of his life since 1994 in a home recording studio. Through research and practice he has evolved into a prolific producer with 10 full length albums under his belt and dozens of singles and remixes. He has performed live and DJ'ed at Fabric, Berghain and Cielo and then some. His love of a hybrid of hardware and digital resources for production shines through. His music has been championed by the likes of Francois K, Speedy J, Danny Howells, amongst others. An eclectic sensibility stemming from a love of many genres of music is always evident in Brendon's work. - - - SSX represents the Silent Season 10 Year Anniversary Compilation, a series of 12"s celebrating a decade of deeper electronic music. The series features artists whose music continues to inspire the Silent Season journey.
Planet Mu are very excited to announce Jlin's long awaited second album Black Origami'. A percussion-led tour de force, it's a creation that seals her reputation as a unique producer with an exceptional ability to make riveting rhythmic music. Black Origami' is driven by a deep creative thirst which she describes as this driving feeling that I wanted to do something different, something that challenged me to my core. Black Origami for me, comes from letting go creatively, creating with no boundaries. The simple definition of origami is the art of folding and constructing paper into a beautiful, yet complex design. Composing music for me is like origami, only I'm replacing paper with sound. I chose to title the album "Black Origami" because like "Dark Energy" I still create from the beauty of darkness and blackness. The willingness to go into the hardest places within myself to create for me means that I can touch the Infinity.' Spirituality and movement are both at the core of Black Origami', inspired largely by her ongoing collaborations with Indian dancer/movement artist Avril Stormy Unger whom she met and collaborated with at her debut performance for the Unsound festival - 'There is a fine line between me entertaining a person and my spirituality. Avril, who collaborates with me by means of dance, feels the exact same way. Movement played a great role in Black Origami. The track "Carbon 7" is very inspired by the way Avril moves and dances. Our rhythms are so in sync at times it kind of scares us. When there is something I can't quite figure out when it comes to my production, it's like she senses it. Her response to me is always "You'll figure it out". Once I figure it out it's like time and space no longer exist.' Similar time shifting/folding/disrupting effects can be heard throughout the record - especially on Holy Child' an unlikely collaboration with minimalist legend William Basinski. She also collaborates again with Holly Herndon on 1%', while Halcyon Veil producer Fawkes' voice is on Calcination and Cape Town rapper Dope Saint Jude provides vocals for Never Created, Never Destroyed . Jlin will be touring extensively this year and is currently lining up appearances including Sonar festival. Later this year she will be collaborating in London with acclaimed UK choreographer Wayne McGregor who played her music recently on Radio 4's Desert Island Discs and described her music as quite rare and so exciting".
Inspired by life on the touring circuit, this EP takes its name from a night the producer spent in Sliema, Malta. Produced to mirror the frenetic movement of (night)life on the road, the album jumps violently between poles of darkness, familiarity, paranoia and comfort in the club.
Berlin's own Marco Haas aka T.RAUMSCHMIERE made an irreparable impression globally in the 00's as a sawtoothed, ANTI-rave radical thanks to his immense stage antics and larger-than-life releases on Novamute. Since then, Haas has established himself as a contemporary with emotive, dark ambient tales on his own imprints Shitkatapult/Albumlabel.
KOMPAKT's love affair with Haas goes back to our earliest days. Some of his first tracks were released on KOMPAKT in the form of two raw EP's entitled "Bolzplatz" (KOM021 - 2000) and "Musick" (KOM037 2001). These two formative releases elevated the "Schaffel" sound to raw and shameless places we never could have imagined. The results set a tidal wave in motion that to this day remains one of KOMPAKT's most infamous legacies.
In an off-chance reunion with Haas in his studio, we learnt about what he'd been doing since the "Monstertruckdriver" days. It turned out he's been ever so busy outside of the mainstream working with the likes of Dieter Meier of Yello, Caspar Brötzmann, Andreas Dorau, Fraktus, Ofrin or Barbara Morgenstern and his recent work with Ulli Bomans aka Schieres under the SHRUBBN!! monicker.
On the way out, he passed over his 2015 self-titled album - which proceeded to blow our minds. It was mutually decided that it's time for him to return home.
May 19, 2017, will see KOMPAKT releasing T.RAUMSCHMIERE's new, epic solo full-length HEIMAT. It presents another side of his work which was always there, but never got that much airtime: the artist, the author, the composer with the crystal-clear sound. HEIMAT is a stunning techno album that neither excludes Ambient, nor gets reduced to constant ass kicking. It's perhaps the best recording so far from this man who asks so deeply, so extensively, so much. And at some point even answers.
* Includes a DIN A2long poster inside the 12" sleeve with edition number and music download code
* Rogue Style 1 EP is an international homage to b-boy culture, where the worlds of breakbeat music and breakdance collide. Sinistarr (USA), Kiat (Singapore), Kabuki (Germany) and HomeSick (Canada) are connected in many ways, now they lay bare their hip-hop roots and give something back with a fresh take through the eyes of drum & bass and juke/footwork. Here is what they have to say:
Sinistarr: "As a teenager I grew up as a b-boy, dancing anywhere I could: schools, parks, festivals, you name it, my crew was there with cardboard and a speaker. I eventually got deeper into DJing and making music and learned to bring a sound that's not just for the crowds and the purists, but also for all the dancers!"
Kiat: "Hip Hop has taught me to keep evolving, to explore new forms in all my art. Progression is the key to evolution. -- I met Sinistarr online thru myspace and we had a musical connection which led to our first collaboration 'Black Diamonds' which is still one of my personal favourite tunes I've been fortunate to be part of it's creation. With Kabuki, i've always been a fan of his work since his 'Makai' alias on No U-Turn, despite meeting him only recently thru the label.I've always known him to be constantly progressing his ideas in his music which I respect alot."
Kabuki: "B-boy culture has always been a strong influence on how I pursued my art, mainly because of its DIY ethos and attitude of perfecting your craft. Incidentally these were also the aspects that drew me to Jungle when I first discovered it in the nineties. -- I'm happy to rub shoulders with Kiat, Sinistarr and HomeSick on this release, as I'm a fan of their music foremost, but also because we became friends through the music."
HomeSick: "I was only a child in the 90s and as a result I feel like my understanding of b-boy culture was experienced second hand thanks to 90s/early 2000s hip hop music. I appreciate the parallels I can see with footwork culture, particularly the similarities to the community mentality of break dancing. -- I know Sinistarr through booking him for our local party night in Alberta, Canada called Percolate. Our city must have left an impression on him because a year later he made the move here from Detroit. Had the pleasure of hosting him as a room mate for a little over half a year, the home was a very potent creative space during this time. Kabuki hit me up a few years ago and we very quickly got to sharing tracks and collaborating together. Mans a master of production and a super important part of the global scene."
The idea for a reminiscence of b-boy culture stem from label owner Booga:
"Why am I interested in this so much I grew up in East Germany and as the movie "Beat Street" premiered in 1985 over here I was age 13 and blown away by the energy, the music, the wit, the style - everything in this movie was better than everyday life in Leipzig. So I started saving for a cassette recorder and taped music shows from West German radio and prepared tapes for school disco gigs to the hope somebody would do the "robot" to Arthur Baker "Breaker's Revenge". Unfortunately that never worked out hahaha. But I was hooked since then and as the wall came down in 1989 I travelled to West Berlin just to buy the Beats, Breaks and Scratches 1-4 vinyl box by Simon Harris. The fascination for breakbeats never stopped and before I discovered Jungle around '94 I was down with the British cut up house thing from the likes of Marrs, Krush and Coldcut as another form of breakbeat music. The "do it yourself" spirit from hip hop culture inspired me to start a local website called breaks.org in 2000 to locally promote the drum and bass scene with emerging producers, djs and mcs for a wider audience and I threw in some interviews with Storm, Kabuki, Rob Playford, Klute and John B. That turnt into a multi author blog called itsyours.info in 2004 which still exists - that is where I had the pleasure to introduce Kiat and Ash in 2007. All these years I was listening and playing drum and bass tunes when the occasional "bboy tune" came up, some were obvious like Alex Reece "B-Boy Flavour", Lemon D "B Boyz", Commix "Change" and some were not so much self-explanatory like Digital & Spirits "Phantom Force" and the remixes by T-Power & Codeine or Fracture's Astrophonica Edit - but I felt the hidden force of breakdancing nevertheless. With the Rogue Style series I have the first class opportunity to ask established and new Defrostatica artists to present a current interpretation of b-boy culture. This is a dream coming true."
After a first release by Dub-Techno father Brendon Moeller, Submersive Records is back with a various artists ep. The Paris based label, launched in 2016 by Process B, is now introducing 3 artists who were invited to present 3 different visions of the label's musical identity, completed by a Albert van Abbe remix. The ep starts with the first appearance of french duo Bevel (Positive Clearance & Process B). Slow yet electric saga, 'Hob' swings between atmospheric, industrial and deep techno sounds. A perfect introduction to the label's roots. Elements come one after the other while holding a certain incisive vibe and giving birth to a track that can fit in both warmup or peak time sets. 9beats, young producer from Lyon, explores a more melodic side with 'Through An Interstellar Cloud'. Used to dive people into his spatial universe through his tracks or analog live sets, 9beats's travel is a good transition from ambient to techno.We said Techno Isolated Lines will not contradict and brings us straight in the middle of the night. Saturation, noises and modular variations are confronted to some melodic slackening, making this track a great immersive weapon.Invited to one of Submersive's label night at Batofar in 2015, Albert van Abbe closes the ep by giving us a completely new version of Bevel's Hob. We easily recognize the original track's lead, mixed this time with raw classic drum jams. Somewhere between Electro & Techno the Remodel version of Albert van Abbe overwhelms by its effective authenticity.From Brendon Moeller to the young and promising Techno scene, this second ep pursues Submersive's mission into the Techno abyssal depths.
Strut present the first official reissue of a landmark album in the field of African music, Mulatu Astatke's 'Mulatu Of Ethiopia' from 1972. Across three formats including a special 3LP version including unreleased bonus cuts and a special unreleased mono pressing of the album
Until he was about 20, Texas-born Melvin Sparks was a rhythm & blues guitarist, backing Jackie Wilson, Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye as a member of The Upsetters. But Sparks gave up his seat on The Upsetters' bus in New York City, where a chance introduction to George Benson led him to a place in soul jazz history. Melvin played and recorded with Lou Donaldson, Leon Spencer, Bernard Purdie, Jack McDuff, Jimmy McGriff, Idris Muhammad, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Charles Earland, Grover Washington Jr., Reuben Wilson and so many more. Even during the quietest years of soul-jazz Melvin stayed relevant through hip-hop and r&b, a quick search at WhoSampled turns up more than 150 samples of his funky chicken scratch. And Melvin's legacy is heard in contemporary soul/funk bands like The New Mastersounds, Soulive and The Greyboy Allstars, all of whom he also guested with several times before his early departure from this realm in 2011.
This release documents Melvin's final band just months before his death. Organist Beau Sasser and drummer Bill Carbone had been working with Sparks for several years, and, despite the power dynamic - they were in their early 30s, Melvin an elder-statesmen of the genre - the unit was sharp, relaxed and performed Melvin's music with a jovial spirit. The trio played the Burlington, VT club Nectar's regularly, but this night featured two "onlys." Per the recommendation of Nectar's agent they used the "Grippo Horns," the only time Sparks used a horn section in the last several years of his life, and they allowed a multitrack recording of the show. Both were strong decisions.
The tracks on this album, lovingly mixed by guitarist, producer and Melvin Sparks fan Eddie Roberts, demonstrate that Melvin played as well in the final months of his life as at any time. Sparks counts "Whip! Whop!" off at what he said The Upsetters called a "showtime tempo," and peppers it, as well as most of the album, with quotes from jazz standards, pop songs and cartoon themes, all woven effortlessly into the bebop-funk dialect he helped create. He unfolds amiable melodies, patiently and methodically, through his several-minute lead on "Breezin'." And Sparks is audibly uplifted by the Grippo Horns helping him perform his 1973 arrangement of "Ain't No Woman" for the first time in decades.
This box contains all four solo albums by Bill Wyman, the first Rolling Stone to release a solo record. The first two (from 1974
and 1976, both issued on Rolling Stones Records) were made the help of a galaxy of musical friends like Lowell George, Dr John,
Joe Walsh, Van Morrison, the Pointer Sisters, Danny Kortchmar, Dallas Taylor, Leon Russell, Bob Welch and Nicky Hopkins.
- The eponymous third album was home to Bill's 1981 big hit single (Si Si) Je Suis Un Rock Star' as well as follow-up hits
Come Back Suzanne', A New Fashion' and Visions, while fourth album Stuff' appeared in 1992, originally in Japan only.
- The albums are now issued on vinyl for the first time since their original release (and 'Stuff' on vinyl for the first time ever),
gathered together in a beautiful rigid slipcase. The new inner sleeves feature all the lyrics and the musician credits.
Jigsawtooth is the third album from Hendrik Kroez's Miwon project.
Limited randomly packed red or white vinyl. Non-Returnable.
On this long-awaited follow up to is critically revered A to B (City Centre Offices) Kroez displays his skill in marrying motorik techno infused rhythms and soaring pop ambient melodies.
This is most evident on 'Charezza' which could very well be the most uplifting track in the n5MD cannon. Other cuts on Jigsawtooth utilize sweeping synth-work that encourage a near kraut/kosmische travel worthy flavor to the proceedings.
Other genre signposts are evident on Jigsawtooth but that's something that's always been a constant with Kroez's work as Miwon. In his hands such coalescence sounds cohesive, natural and is some much welcomed diversity to nought-era electronica.
After a 3 year hiatus from his Avatism moniker, Thomas Feriero, one half of CW/A and owner of Parachute records, returns with an EP for his home label Vakant. A rough yet refined release, unassuming in its effort, Thomas channels both his previous solo work and his CW/A project into a tightly wound package with 4 solid cuts. Various influences converge yet a straight line is etched for all to follow. These are up-front, hard working tracks. Body Music with an undercurrent of breakbeat. His first EP on Vakant since his album. File under need / want.
Tropical Odds is the second album by White Sea, the solo alias adopted by gifted American singer, songwriter and producer Morgan Kibby of M83
Born in Alaska, and now a resident of Los Angeles, Morgan fronted The Romanovs before joining acclaimed electronic music group M83 in 2007, co-writing, arranging and playing keyboards on the albums Saturdays = Youth and Hurry Up, We're Dreaming, as well as completing several world tours.
As White Sea, her first solo album In Cold Blood arrived in 2014, a dramatic debut praised by Billboard for its 'canyon-sized hooks, knowingly grandiose melodies and succulent vocals' and judged 'pop's newest break-up classic' by Flavourwire.
Outside of M83 Morgan has also collaborated with artists such as Greg Kurstin, Panic! at the Disco, Mark Ronson and School of Seven Bells, remixed Ellie Goulding and Britney Spears, and composed the award winning soundtrack to Eva Husson's provocative 2016 movie Bang Gang (une histoire d'amour moderne).
New album Tropical Odds stems from an interactive project launched via White Sea's website featuring digital singles and videos released at regular intervals throughout 2015 and 2016. Explains Morgan: 'Generally being able to create and mix and master my solo material within days has given me the direct freedom to share songs I want people to hear. In short, if I write something that I like, I put it out!'
Now gathered together in album form, the musical moods on Tropical Odds range from the sombre reflections of Gangster No. 1 and Yesterday to the hedonistic rush of Stay Young, Get Stoned and Never a Woman, high drama on Bloodline and Arcadia, and heartbreaking balladry on Secret, One Bad Eye and Lessons.
The debut seances from Crypt Rot drag the listener to depths of morbidity. For sick fiends of Deicide, Dismember, Death, and Dissection.
Southern Lord unleash a torrent of tumultuous filth, having signed Ohio-based CRYPT ROT - formed by several current/former members of Homewrecker — for the release of their Embryonic Devils debut in early 2017. The album's 'Chapters Of Torment' has been issued for early streaming, as the band announces new live dates, including a set at The Power Of The Riff.
Having written and recorded five original songs within a months' time, CRYPT ROT captured these terrorizing, filth-laden death anthems on their Embryonic Devils debut, with each track led by a death-aura segue. For the recording sessions, the band enlisted Bill Korecky at the Mars Compound (Integrity, Ringworm, Homewrecker); the collaboration with Korecky lead to a well-polished, high-gain sound that grasps elements of many genres and crushes its listeners with its ferocity. Upon completion, the album was passed along, ultimately leading to the signing with Southern Lord.
Blondie return with 11th studio album Pollinator lighting up 2017 with an incredible new record befitting one of the world's greatest bands. Produced live in the studio by John Congleton (St. Vincent, John Grant, War On Drugs, David Byrne). The last album recorded at New York's legendary Magic Shop studios before their closure. Blondie's classic writing duo of Chris Stein and Debbie Harry are at the heart of the creation with an impressive list of song writers on the project including Johnny Marr, TV On the Radio's Dave Sitek, Dev Hynes (Blood Orange, Lightspeed Champion) Adam Johnson aka An Unkindess, Sia and Charli XCX. Studio appearances from Joan Jett, Laurie Anderson and The Gregory Brothers.
This Rough Guide features deeply cool cumbia influenced by 1960s Western rock and the hippy movement, spanning the spectrum of psychedelic cumbia from the 1960s pioneers to today's innovators. A classic selection ranging from the vintage Peruvian recordings to classic contemporary bands from Colombia, Chile, Mexico and beyond highlighting how cumbia was reborn in the 1960s to make it relevant to the younger generation.
Includes a FREE download card allowing you to download the full album
Peru has had its share of great electric guitarists bending strings to the rolling beats of cumbia - from Enrique Delgado to José Luis Carballo - who came from its own important domestic tradition of criollo guitar music as much as rock). So it's not an exaggeration to say cumbia peruana (and regional variants at times referred to as cumbia andina, cumbia selvática, and more recently chicha) has had the lion's share of Carlos Santana influences evident in the mix.
Interestingly the Peruvian psych sound so prevalent in the early 1970s had a profound effect on the originators of cumbia; hence we offer the two fine examples from 1970s Colombia that follow. We round out the mix with a gaggle of contemporary artists from Chile, Mexico, USA, Peru, Colombia, Argentina, and Germany, bringing the psychedelic tropical vibe up to date while still retaining the trippy trappings of yesteryear.
ll Camille, LA hip hop's female perspective.
Ill Camille has been a vital member of the LA music scene for some years. Kendrick Lamar used her vocals prominently for the 'good kid, m.A.A.d city' track 'Sing about me', she has been working with other TDE artists occasionally and spend a lot of time writing for different projects Terrance Martin was involved with.
At the same time Camille was developing her own material with her fellow peers such as MNDSGN, Iman Omari, DJ Battlecat, Like (Pac Div) Georgia Anne Muldrow & SIR who are all featured on her album 'Heirloom' just like TDE co-president Punch. 'Heirloom' productions range from smooth, g-funk esque west coast beats to live & organic soulful beats, working as the perfect backdrop for Camille's powerful, intelligent and thought thru lyrics
The album is deeply personal revolving around the issues that mater in her life from friends and family, her role as a woman and the heirloom of her and her surrounding: 'I feel like everyone are heirlooms of our mothers and fathers. An heirloom is just something that's passed down through a family. We get heirlooms in the form of game, encouragement or wise words. I know everyone has an aunt or uncle that's given them some bars about life in general. I have a village around me that have given me heirlooms in the form of conversations'.
Now in its second decade, with a steady stream of the most forward thinking and cutting edge techno productions, Drumcode has one of the biggest selections of releases from industry heavy hitters, whilst not forgetting its future by bringing the newest talented producers into the limelight, where Layton Giordani is now a name firmly within that line up.
The young New York based producer first had recognition back in 2014, and his debut release came via Drumcode with his track "Rivington" on the A-Sides Vol5 compilation in 2016.
Full force into 2017, Drumcode has announced the release of Layton's debut album with "Where It Begins" Consisting of 12 original tracks, the album packs a punch when it comes to no-nonsense techno. Successfully weaving relentless drums and catchy vocal hooks into a selection of thick, brooding, atmospheric tracks.
DJ/Producer from Merseyside UK, John Heckle has produced records for Mathematics Recordings, Tabernacle Records, Crème Organization, Lunar Disko and more. His releases include two full length studio albums, The Second Son and Desolate Figures (as well as The Last Magic Maker mini-album), plus multiple singles, remixes and EPs. Life on Titan, his debut for Mathematics, picked up a Qwartz Electronic Music Award.
Hyboid ist zurück mit spacigem Electro-Pop der dritten Art: "UFOs over Berlin" erzählt die Geschichte von einer UFO-Invasion in unserer Hauptstadt. Das Mini-Album knüpft mit seinen 6 Stücken an Hyboid-Werke aus der Frühzeit des Astro Chicken Labels an. Analoge Klänge und sphärische Melodien und Pads lassen keinen Zweifel: Space is the place!
t's the utmost honor for Sonar Kollektiv to be in the position to introduce 'Ankhor', the brand new album by Liz Aku. Having recorded all sorts of music with different outfits as well as solo projects over the last fifteen years the Belgian soul singer and highly gifted songwriter definitely earned her stripes and is anything but a newcomer to this game. She seems to have found her own, distinctive voice, after traveling to New Zealand and a far-reaching encounter with Mara TK from Electric Wire Hustle. With 'Ankhor' (a combination of the Egyptian symbol for eternal life 'Ankh' and 'anchor') Aku accomplished a masterpiece of Nu Soul, Jazz and Pop, which will make her join the upper league of the players on the scene. For this cause, several allies and efriended producers have helped her out. With Mara TK leading the way obviously, who co-produced three out of the album's twelve songs. On 'Breathing Underwater' and the sublime, for the whole album groove defining opening song 'The Drum Major Instinct' the native New Zealander duets with Aku
The new album of Toulouse based producer Verset Zero : a scary and tortured release with black metal influences. The original tracks are accompanied by three remixes (Blush Response, Violet Poison and Huren).
The Band > SCARLETT'S FALL is a duo formed in 2014 by Ruth Childs (British-American performance artist and singer based in Geneva) and Stephane Vecchione (Swiss performance artist and musician based in Lausanne). They define themselves as dirty-girlie-kitchen-pop mixing catchy melodies and repetitive looping with fragile vocals and provocative texts. Out of their playfully ironic and poetic universe you can ear shades of CAN, Broadcast and Young Marble Giants. SCARLETT'S FALL toured their first album all over Switzerland and supported Tricky, Peaches and Anika.SCARLETT'S SCARED' is SCARLETT'S FALL ironically seductive second album. It all started with an (blue) demonstration vinyl entitled 'The Incredible Sounds of the Synclavier II' released by New England Digital Corp in 1981 to promote the first digital sampling system. Its content gave the basic atmosphere for the whole album: each of the 10 tracks samples a specific Synclavier sound. Add haunting melodies, mysterious vocals and fun beats and you get 'SCARLETT'S SCARED' complete. As the title suggests 'SCARLETT'S SCARED' is about being scared and takes its roots from vintage movies such as Klute (1971) and Metti Una Sera a Cena (1969) that deals with phone stalkers, insomnia, sexual tension, vampires, ghosts and explosive watermelon attack!
Having come up with an annual-ish drop of 12's since 2010, Even Brenden AKA Chmmr set aside the spring of 2016 to challenge himself to a new format: a full-length album. A true nostalgic, he uses Compass Point-era and early Italo sounds for inspiration and attempts to simulate these styles. This makes for a melodic, chuggy and graphic album that belongs a little more in the living room than on the dance floor. With 10 tracks of dusty rhythms and the honest, naive and spacious themes that is Brenden's signature, it's a record designed to signal that today's technological future may not be as different as yesterday's. Features a nice-looking cover painting drawn by the late Harold Cohen's AARON program - automation at its finest. Hidden behind his Chmmr moniker is Even Brenden, whose summery debut found its way into the world via Norwegian psych-disco label Luna Flicks in 2010. The record became somewhat of a soughtafter item and after making pit stops at Relish, Dødpop and Untz Untz Records, he landed on Prins Thomas' Full Pupp in 2014 and have stayed put ever since, all the while enjoying a steady habit of record jocking and the occasional keyboard duty in Telephones' now-defunct live band. Even resides in Oslo makes odd waves without vowels.
Apollo proudly presents the debut from Haramia Tapes, a new mysterious side project from renowned Hungarian electronic music producer Laurine Frost.
More usually known for his refined techno sensibilities, Frost has packed 'Pfunk' with deftly programmed rhythmic structures and infused it with low slung bass and jazzy textures that make for a sumptuous, enveloping listening experience, ideal for fans of Nonkeen, Jazzanova or Leftfield.
'Pfunk' contains seven unique beat sessions - smooth funk, crossed with unique broken rhythms, live drums, bass and found sounds - shot through with cinematic melancholy.
From the elegiac piano of opener 'I Am You' to the twisted drunken breaks of 'Pfunk' to the cooled out percussion and spaced atmospheres of 'Hail', or the moody spy-movie atmospherics of Farewell Four - this is an album that traverses a variety of moods and textures, effortlessly fusing traditional instrumentation with modern electronics and a perfect addition to Apollo's beguiling canon of mellowed out grooves.
"Tiff's Joints returns for its second release with two hefty bubblers bursting with life from Deoke. Deoke is South London's Dave Koor, an esteemed DJ, producer and killer on the keys. He also co-runs the label Albert's Favourites, is one half of Modified Man and plays with his band the Expansions, regularly backing up acts like Andrew Ashong and Connie Constance.""Kamby Version"" was premiered by Stamp the Wax and both tracks have received early support from the likes of Alexander Nut, Brame & Hamo, Jimpster & more."
The first release of Alienata's label is coming from Artificiero, which is the alias of Alfonso Alfonso (Murcia, Spain), an experienced musician who has released nine records with his psychedelic rock band Schwarz. 'Masa Negra' will be his first album with this new project.
In it, Artificiero delivers a sort of 'electronic esoterica', an inner ritual where repetitive beats and drones have an important roll. A ceremony where textures are more prominent than melody.
Following his acclaimed collaboration on Strut with The Heliocentrics, the Father of Ethio jazz presents his brand new studio album, 'Mulatu Steps Ahead' for 2010! The album explores new directions in fusions of Western jazz with Ethiopian modes, moving forward the pioneering sound Mulatu developed during the '60s and '70s, showcased on the recent Strut compilation 'New York * Addis * London'.
For the new album, tracks were recorded with members of Either/Orchestra in Boston, with contributions by traditional Ethiopian musicians in Addis, members of The Heliocentrics and some of the UK's leading jazz and African players during the final sessions in London in November 2009.
Each track on the album tells its own story. The reflective, opener, Radcliffe, was composed specifically for the Radcliffe Institute during Mulatu's time lecturing at Harvard in Boston - the original score is now framed on the wall there. The Way To Nice was written and arranged on the tour bus during Mulatu's recent French dates - "with this track, you are travelling on a long journey, talking and thinking" explains Mulatu. "It was inspired by the many beautiful places on the coast road around Nice." Assosa adapts traditional music from the Assosa tribes in North-Western Ethiopia and Mulatu's Mood re-works a Mulatu jazz fusion composition from the early '90s into a new swinging Afro highlife arrangement. "I wanted to use West African styles within this version and try new ways of using the beautiful sound of the kora." Boogaloo and I Faram Gami I Faram reprise Mulatu classics with new, fuller scores and bonus digital track Derashe highlights the traditional diminishing scales of the Derashe people of Southern Ethiopia, a musical technique that would later feature in the classical compositions of Debussy and the jazz of Charlie Parker. "Many debate how this music developed but the Derashe have played these scales for centuries. It is an untold story."
Stockholm-based Wolfbrigade announce the news of their ninth full-length album, titled Run With The Hunted, set for release on April 28th through Southern Lord.
Formed in 1995, initially as Wolfpack, after five years they ventured into the new millennium as Wolfbrigade. The band have released an impressive volume of LPs and smaller releases, and have toured widely over the years, becoming one of the premier acts of their genre. Their damning music surges with outcries against human socio-political injustices, yearning for transformation and freedom.
Wolfbrigade's Run With The Hunted strikes with ten brutal new tracks of their trademark d-beat, hardcore-crust-punk fury, elevating both the harsh intensity and the melodic attributes of their music to new extremes of savageness. There's a concentrated sense of urgency across the record, and a sense of dystopia fuelling the scathing vocal wrath. Run With The Hunted was recorded in both Studio Fredman in Gothenburg (At the Gates, In Flames, Martyrdöd), by Fredrik Nordström and Henrik Udd, and in Sunlight Studio (Dismember, Entombed, Grave) in Stockholm, by Tomas Skogsberg.
About the new album, Wolfbrigade declares, We looked to explore our rawness, writing straight-up, in-your-face, primitive songs. On this record, we decided to push the melodic strains even further, but without losing either intensity or brutality. Lyrically we have been inspired by both classic and obscure dystopian literature, finding suitably horrible metaphors for the decline of western society. The search for freedom continues, but this time the path is pointed inwards, into ourselves.'
Run With The Hunted
Musically and emotionally, Superpitcher's third full-length studio album, The Golden Ravedays is a one sound autobiography that exhibits the skill, feeling and style that the artist has honed over a period of twenty years, musically, and forty-plus-years, emotionally.
And full-length it is:
The Golden Ravedays is an epic album of 24 tracks that was released in January 2017 and is stretching over 12 respective chapter albums during a one-year period.
The fourth chapter of The Golden Ravedays saga will be released on Hippie Dance in April 2017.
Number 4 of the series introduces two further tracks of the sound adventure that Superpitcher is taking us on this year.
Side A features Blood and Berry.
It is a captivating track that reminds one of the very first years when Superpitcher made music under the alias Sir Positive.
The beat is broken and the going is slow and rolling and the listening is a warm bath. There are flutes there that one never wants to stop and they almost don't. However essentially sweet this track is, like a berry on the tongue, it might lead to some blood on the dance floor!
Listening to Side B of this Golden Ravedays edition is entering a ghost town, alone, under a full moon.
Howl is a confluence of melodies and rhythms from Africa to Arabia where the snakes are being charmed out of their baskets and it is downright creepy.
A spooky voice is saying something but we don't know what exactly and it is bothersome because deep down we know that tonight when we are alone in the dark, we should be ready with the answer - or else.
All we can do is wonder:
Did Superpitcher sell his soul to the vampires for the vocals he let lose in this track
He answers by howling at the full moon behind thorn trees, in the shadows.
Entertaining, thoughtful and brave!
We salute the wolves and their master.
Hooo-oooowl!
Stockholm-based Wolfbrigade announce the news of their ninth full-length album, titled Run With The Hunted, set for release on April 28th through Southern Lord.
Formed in 1995, initially as Wolfpack, after five years they ventured into the new millennium as Wolfbrigade. The band have released an impressive volume of LPs and smaller releases, and have toured widely over the years, becoming one of the premier acts of their genre. Their damning music surges with outcries against human socio-political injustices, yearning for transformation and freedom.
Wolfbrigade's Run With The Hunted strikes with ten brutal new tracks of their trademark d-beat, hardcore-crust-punk fury, elevating both the harsh intensity and the melodic attributes of their music to new extremes of savageness. There's a concentrated sense of urgency across the record, and a sense of dystopia fuelling the scathing vocal wrath. Run With The Hunted was recorded in both Studio Fredman in Gothenburg (At the Gates, In Flames, Martyrdöd), by Fredrik Nordström and Henrik Udd, and in Sunlight Studio (Dismember, Entombed, Grave) in Stockholm, by Tomas Skogsberg.
About the new album, Wolfbrigade declares, We looked to explore our rawness, writing straight-up, in-your-face, primitive songs. On this record, we decided to push the melodic strains even further, but without losing either intensity or brutality. Lyrically we have been inspired by both classic and obscure dystopian literature, finding suitably horrible metaphors for the decline of western society. The search for freedom continues, but this time the path is pointed inwards, into ourselves.'
Run With The Hunted
Fifth release of the Common Series. CS 05 (Tirane) is dedicated to migration and to all identities; it is the celebration of the meeting between Marco Erroi, the producer, and Albanian tenor Edmond Lila, who arrived in Italy with the first landings in the 90's. World Music with Opera contamination in the main track; Gothic and dark atmospheres on the B side. 250 copies hand numbered only on vinyl.
In April Booka Shade will return with their new album GALVANY STREET. A new beginning in many ways. "We're very proud to have reached a lot with instrumental music. With MOVEMENTS 10 we closed a chapter last year. 2017 is the perfect time for a new start and to mix things up." (Walter Merziger) GALVANY STREET marks the return to their pop roots in collaboration with former Archive singer Craig Walker and a few additional guests like Urdur (GusGus), Australian Yates and Daniel Spencer from London. I was aware of the band before we started working together and really liked everything I had heard. I was introduced to the guys by Martin Eyerer one of the Riverside owners. Martin was really enthusiastic about us meeting as he felt we would have a lot in common musically and he was right. We met up in Riverside and we discussed music we liked past and present and we had very similar tastes. I listened to their back catalogue and was really impressed with how great everything was produced and I loved howmelodically driven everything they did was. (Craig Walker)
The second single from the album is - Numb The Pain , a disco inspired feel good pop song. For the single format Booka Shade created 2 special versions of the song. A much shorter, more instant Single Version and a longer, club friendly Extended Mix, inspired by classic 80s 12inch releases.
Every single from the album will also feature an unreleased exclusive song, again inspired by the traditional idea of a B-Side. In this case it´s the instrumental tech house tune - Fade Away , a hint at Booka Shade´s past. Booka Shade will embark on a European Tour in April to support the release of the new album. For the first time in their career, Booka Shade will be joined on stage by singer Craig Walker. GALVANY STREET is the album we wanted to write for a long time. The collaboration with Craig Walker brings in the perfect kind of vocals to complete the music." (Arno Kammermeier).
Camisole Records celebrates its 10th release with the reissue of «Electronic», first Benoit Hutin's LP.This promo album only send to radio and TV in 1980 is now regarded as one of the best Cosmic Library LP of this period.From the disco tinged of Test and Spot to the ambient and kosmische landscapes of Spectre or Synchronisme you can easily see why:The 5 original tracks are completed by 4 edits made by italo australian master Hysteric, Britanny edit wizard Shelter and Camisole boss Atton.
We were very happy to be asked by Connaisseur
Recordings if they could put out another album with our
music! Now it's all come together and they've asked us to
do our own press release for it and quite like the album,
we want to do it in our own way, personal and from the
heart. It's been a few years since our last Connaisseur album, and
a lot has happened since. We've built a new studio,
matured musically, acquired new gear, sold old gear, done a
lot of gigs, lost faith in music and regained it again.
The process of making The Loneliest Man In Space (this
album) was a genuinely pleasant experience, as we never
really set out to make an album at all. We didn't
conceptualize or have any grandiose plans, we simply
enjoyed ourselves in the studio.
Inspiration was running high, so we focused on making a lot
of music uninterrupted, rather than signing tracks, which
left us with quite a bulk of unsigned material. The idea to
release these tracks as an album came from our friend
Alex, at Connaisseur. We instantly jumped on the idea,
listened through the material, taking some tracks out and
composing a few new ones, to make it sit more together as
a whole. We tried to come up with a title that would ft
the feeling of the sum of tracks and settled on The
Loneliest Man In Space. As the album, to our ears, sounds a
little melancholic and a little spacey.
We sincerely hope that you enjoy the album either as a
listening experience, a dance experience or something in
between!
Thank you, and much love!
Vegard & Chris // Of Norway
Die Band Timber Timbre begleitete uns seit über einer Dekade und wurde über die Jahre zu so etwas wie einer Institution in der wie auch immer verorteten Indie-Rock und Folk Welt. Immer schön unterm Radar und immer schön eigensinning gelang es ihnen über die Jahre eine beeindruckende Fangemeinde um sich zu versammeln. Das ist nun eigentlich nichts ungewöhnliches, aber wenn dann Bands wie Timber Timbre nicht nur in ihrer eigenen Suppe schmoren sondern sich musikalisch weiterentwicklen und von Album zu Album besser werden, dann ist das wirklich faszinierend. Das neue Werk - Sincerely, Future Pollution' ist ein Album, das eine Band nur alle zehn Jahre schreibt oder vielleicht auch nur einmal in der Karriere.
Now in its second decade, with a steady stream of the most forward thinking and cutting edge techno productions, Drumcode has one of the biggest selections of releases from industry heavy hitters, whilst not forgetting its future by bringing the newest talented producers into the limelight, where Layton Giordani is now a name firmly within that line up.
The young New York based producer first had recognition back in 2014, and his debut release came via Drumcode with his track "Rivington" on the A-Sides Vol5 compilation in 2016.
Full force into 2017, Drumcode has announced the release of Layton's debut album with "Where It Begins" Consisting of 12 original tracks, the album packs a punch when it comes to no-nonsense techno. Successfully weaving relentless drums and catchy vocal hooks into a selection of thick, brooding, atmospheric tracks.
Maxwell - ein Mitglied der 187 Strassenbande - veröffentlicht mit - Kohldampf' sein erstes Solo-Album. Der Hamburger Rapper bringt nach dem erfolgreichen Dancehall-Album - Palmen aus Plastik' von Kollege Bonez MC endlich wieder Straßenrap aus dem 187 Lager - so wie es sich die Fans schon lange wünschen!
Christopher, Henning & Severin sind AnnenMayKantereit. Sie leben in Köln, sind zusammen aufgewachsen und schreiben heute Songs darüber, wie sie das Leben und die Liebe zerreißt, ratlos macht und beflügelt. AnnenMayKantereit haben sich mit ihren Konzerten von der Straße in ausverkaufte Clubs gespielt.Ihre Videos drehen sie selbst und das erste Album haben sie im Alleingang live eingespielt. Die Fangemeinde ist im letzten Jahr beeindruckend gewachsen,die Videos werden tausendfach aufgerufen und ihre Shows sind immer öfter ausverkauft.Viel Aufmerksamkeit für eine so junge Band, die gar nicht versucht hat, jeden Blick auf sich zu ziehen. Schlagzeug, Gitarre, Bass, Gesang, Klavier,Mundharmonika - das ist das Besteck - und mit guten Songs, viel Blues und Hennings unverwechselbarer Stimme treffen AnnenMayKantereit die Herzen ihrer
Generation, der davor und der danach.
3xLP+CD Artbook
(en) - Nearly two decades after the last official GAS album release, Wolfgang Voigt returns to his iconic Ambient project with a brandnew full-length.
- NARKOPOP continues the classic GAS aesthetic of symphonic scope and subtle variation, taking the listener on an otherworldly journey to the depths of rapture and reverie.
- Available as luxurious hardcover CD incl. 24 pages booklet.
In the body of work of Cologne artist Wolfgang Voigt - who, like few others, has informed, shaped and influenced the world of electronic music with countless different projects since the early 1990s -, GAS stands out in particular as a saturnine sound cosmos based on heavily condensed classic sequences. Even after nearly 20 years, the sound of GAS doesn't seem to have lost any of its luster, as shown by the commanding success of Kompakt's fall 2016 re-release of the essential back catalogue as a 10xLP/4xCD box set.
The overwhelming feedback from a loyal international fan community and worldwide media outlets attests once again to the sheer timelessness of GAS. Which is why it will feel like hardly a day has passed since the release of the last official album 'Pop' nearly two decades ago, when Wolfgang Voigt resumes this specific creative path with the upcoming new full-length NARKOPOP.
Even in the here and now, the unmistakable vibe of GAS immediately hits home, taking the listener on an otherworldly journey with the very first sounds, drawing him or her into an impervious sonic thicket, down to the depths of rapture and reverie. From wafts of dense symphonic mist emerges a floating and whirling feeling of weightlessness, before the listener steps into an eerily beautiful forest of fantasy, pulled in by the allure of a narcotic bass drum.
While earlier GAS tracks were often based on the hypnotic effects of looping techniques, the 10 new pieces on NARKOPOP unfold their magic in a more entwined manner, sometimes with the sonic might of an entire philharmonic orchestra, sometimes as subtle and fragile as the most delicate branch of a tree with many. A main characteristic of Voigt's oeuvre, the coalescence of seemingly contradictory stylistic aspects such as harmonious and atonal, concrete and abstract, light and heavy, near and far is also a decisive feature of NARKOPOP.
In accordance with the transgressive spirit of his collective work, Voigt carries the aesthetic conceptions of his music over to the realm of the visual. Based on his abstract forest pictures, the GAS artwork addresses Voigt's artistic affinity to romanticism and the forest as a place of yearning. For the first time, a closer look at the cover of NARKOPOP reveals signs of architectural fragments which hint at another, maybe parallel world behind Voigt's forest. Truth is the prettiest illusion.
(de) - Fast zwei Jahrzehnte nach dem letzten offiziellen GAS-Albumrelease kehrt Wolfgang Voigt mit einem brandneuen Langspieler zu seinem legendären Ambientprojekt zurück.
- NARKOPOP setzt die klassische GAS-Ästhetik zwischen symphonischer Grösse und subtiler Variation fort, eine Reise zu den Untiefen von Rausch und Entrücktheit.
- Erhältlich als luxuriöse Hardcover CD- Erhältlich als luxuriöse Hardcover CD inkl. 24-seitigem Booklet.
Aus dem Gesamtwerk des Kölner Künstlers Wolfgang Voigt, der mit seinen unzähligen unterschiedlichen musikalischen Projekten seit den frühen 1990er Jahren wie kaum ein Zweiter die elektronische Musikwelt geprägt, gestaltet und beinflusst hat, ragt sein Projekt GAS, ein auf stark verdichteten Klassiksequenzen basierendes, düsteres Klangkunstwerk, in ganz besonderem Maße heraus. Dass der Sound von GAS auch nach fast 20 Jahren scheinbar nichts von seinem Zauber und seiner Kraft verloren hat, zeigte eindrucksvoll der große Erfolg des im Herbst 2016 als 10xVinyl/4xCD Box auf Kompakt wieder veröffentlichten Backkatalogs.
Die überwältigende Resonanz, sowohl seitens der treuen internationalen Fangemeinde als auch der weltweiten Presse, bezeugte einmal mehr die schiere Zeitlosigkeit von GAS. Daher fühlt es sich auch an, als sei kaum ein Tag vergangen, wenn Wolfgang Voigt nun mit NARKOPOP genau da den künstlerischen Faden wieder aufnimmt, wo das letzte offizielle Album »Pop« ihn vor fast zwei Jahrzehnten hat fallen lassen.
Auch hier und heute verfängt der unverwechselbare Geist von GAS unmittelbar und nimmt den Hörer bereits mit den ersten Tönen mit in eine andere Welt, zieht ihn hinein in ein undurchdringliches Dickicht aus Klang, hinunter in die Untiefen von Rausch und Entrücktheit.
Aus dichten sinfonischen Nebelschwaden entsteht ein Schweben und Taumeln, ein Gefühl der Schwerelosigkeit, bevor der Zuhörer von der Anziehungskraft einer narkotischen Bassdrum wieder hinunter in den schaurig-schönen Fantasie-Wald gelockt wird.
Während frühere GAS Tracks oft auf der hypnotischen Wirkung des Loops basierten, entfalten die 10 neuen Stücke auf NARKOPOP ihre Magie auf verschlungeneren Pfaden, mal mit der klanglichen Wucht eines ganzen Philharmonieorchesters, dann wieder so zart und zerbrechlich wie der feinste Ast eines weit verzweigten Baumes. Das für Voigts Arbeiten so typische Ineinanderfließen scheinbar widersprüchlicher stilistischer Aspekte wie harmonisch und atonal, konkret und abstrakt, leicht und schwer, nah und fern ist auch auf NARKOPOP essenziell.
Im Sinne seines grenzüberschreitenden Schaffens, überträgt Voigt die ästhetischen Konzeptionen seiner Musik auch auf die Ebene des Visuellen. Das auf seinen abstrakten Waldbildern basierende GAS Artwork thematisiert Voigts künstlerischen Nähe zur Romantik und dem Wald als Sehnsuchtsort. Wer einen genaueren Blick auf das Cover von NARKOPOP wirft, der wird erstmalig Andeutungen architektonischer Fragmente entdecken, die eine andere, vielleicht parallele Welt hinter dem voigt'schen Wald erahnen lassen. Wahrheit ist der schönste Schein.
Pioneers of electronic experimentation in Venezuela, Musikautomatika is one of the best kept secrets in Latin America's experimental sound scene. They were formed in the late 70s by Luis Levin, Alvise Sacchi and Stefano Gramitto, and counted on the complicity of Mirella López and Gabriela Gamboa. They issued four albums (Musikautomatika -1983, Boston Tape - 1987, Kuba - 1987 y Frecuencias en peligro de extinción - 1993), which are nowadays highly sought after pieces among collectors from all over the world. Free improvisation and cosmic electronic music defines the path this collective of sonic travellers took.'
For fans of 60s-era INA-GRM concrète, electro-acoustic free-improv ensembles, Jean-Claude Eloy, Maurizio Bianchi and even the kind of melodies Tom Dissevelt and Kid Baltan explored on Song of the Second Moon.
1983s Musikautomatika is at last available again on a gorgeous limited edition that features a booklet with plenty of photos and text written by Luis Levin plus an interview with the band made by Luis Alvarado (Cazar Truenos blogzine / BUH Records).
For all of his life Berlin based musician Drei Farben House has been thrilled by the artistic concepts of repetition and modifying resemblances. Small but precise and perceptible variations of (musical) themes have been fascinating him throughout his life as a lover of dance-infused Pop. The artistic concept of handwriting has been questioned in the world of fine arts with some justification, but Michael Siegle aka Drei Farben House has remained a strong advocate of this artistic principle which in his view has resulted in so many impressive musical expressions in the history of Soul and Disco --reference points which have been particularly important to Siegle's creative work. The album's sleeve shows the 'Doris and Norman Fisher House' in Hatboro (a suburb of Philadelphia) designed by Louis I. Kahn from 1960-1967. Kahn, based in Philadelphia and one of the most influential architects of the twentieth century, was already in his sixties and progressively getting famous around this time for his sensitive combination of concrete and brick in larger scales. The almost spiritual sensibility of his buildings and his poetry of light created deep, fundamental connections between the spaces and their inhabitants. New Release Information "Every building must have . . . its own soul", this famous quote of Kahn can easily be seen in the modest and wonderfully warm Fisher house which consits of two intersecting cubic volumes created from cedar wood - finished at the same time when only twenty miles away the newly founded Sigma Sound Studio recorded the Delfonics first record, installing the basements of Philadelphia Soul which was later leading to Phillysound, Disco and House.
Adding on to his extensive discography, Reboot has curated a fresh journey through his world with the aLIVE LP on Get Physical Music. A diverse selection worthy of the international dancefloor, the LP contains the culmination of the artist's long career and the many experiences, stories and inspirations that come with that.The LP includes a free download code for the full digital album + remixes from Ricardo Villalobos, Kölsch, ANNA & Nakadia.
We are proud to unveil our next vinyl release of 2017 on Dust Audio.
* Mikal takes his first bow for Dust Audio in the form of 'The Spirited EP'. The break and bass craftsman reigns down an assault of almighty weight for the imprint which holds no barred.
* Off the back of his critically acclaimed 'Wilderness' album on Metalheadz, Mikal continues to seek out the dance floor through his precision target and locks on for a serious assault of the senses.* The EP's title track 'Spirited' see's the sinister intro build up and transform into a bass laden drop. The stepping drums and jungle infused shuffles entwine with the ghost vocal, whilst the modulated bass will move even the harshest drum n bass skeptics. Unrelenting throughout.* The flip sees Mikal spread his considerable studio talent over two further tunes of constant surprise.
'Low Note' wastes no time in getting to the drop before you've had chance to take a breath. A thunderous one note bass underpins the mid ranged reece and stabs whilst the chunky drums compliment the tidy percussion nicely. A haunting vocal then sets off another 16 bars of unclouded rawness.* 'Linear' finishes the EP with aplomb. Synth chords open up into what you might expect to be a lovely liquid-esque style roller... think again! Mikal takes that premise and turns it upside down and inside out before bringing the dirty funk. Keeping in line with the 2 tunes before, this isn't for the faint hearted. Definitely one for the drum & bass purest, who may well be dancing, but will also be taking down mental notes!
* Mikal and Dust Audio continue 2017's release schedule in style...
1983, in the history of synths, is a key year. During the January edition of NAMM (the most important music fair in the US), indeed, MIDI - the standard protocol for electronic instruments interaction - was introduced to the world. Until then, programming and making synths work together was something practiced by a restricted elite of 'wizards", explorers armed with cables and analog patches, who could create new sonic worlds - but totally temporary, not replicable. Real superheroes of sonic synthesis, scientists of filters who, nowadays, are highly considered by musicians all over the world, after decades of forced exile. In Italy, the seeds of this tradition were planted in RAI's Laboratory of Phonology (in Milan), in the middle of the 1950's; later, pioneers like Piero Umiliani, Federico Monti Arduini (aka Il Guardiano Del Faro), Marcello Giombini, Giampiero Boneschi and Fabio Borgazzi (Fabio Fabor) introduced electronic music in pop. Fabor (together with Antonio Arena) is the protagonist of 'Superman", an album of library music released by the World label (owned by Minstrel group) in 1984. Borgazzi, born in 1920, lived through the whole saga of Italian easy listening music (from big orchestras to the digital revolution), always keeping up with the latest styles and trends. So it's not a surprise, here, to see him using a LinnDrum and the first Japanes synths; and it's perfectly natural to find some electro-funk touches
Fabio Borgazzi - aka Fabio Fabor - played literally every known style of music, from baroque to 'satanic' electronic, in his library music albums released during his career which lasted almost seven decades. Born in Milan in 1920, Fabor was one of the great artisans of post-war Italian popular music. Author, arranger and conductor with a classical background, he started writing songs (in the 1950's and 1960's) for popstars such as Nilla Pizzi, Johnny Dorelli and Milva; he then turned to music for theatre, cinema and tv, to which he dedicated the rest of his career. In 1981, when he released 'Galassia M81, Fabor was a veteran in the scene of library music, both as an author and an editor. It was the so-called golden age for the genre, just a moment before the advent of MIDI - which made everything easier, but flatter too, putting an end to the 'Italian Touch". The tracks featured here (credited to the fictional combo The Astral Dimension: Fabor together with his friend Antonio Arena) still have a definite Seventies taste, reminding the wave of German kosmische musik (especially the Darmstad school), but they also reflect the Moog-mania raging in pop music after the big success of Walter/Wendy Carlos with the 'Switched On' series. Avant-garde and kitsch hand in hand, ambient for documentaries and background music for horoscopes... all in sequence, with the only purpose of being used and generating royalties.
In this space between chaos and conformity disorderly moments welcome new phases into existence, leading to the awakening of an elevated version of the self. Between highs and lows, Transitions of Life remain; the concept behind Synthek's first solo full length sound narrative on his Natch Records imprint. Unfolding across a vexing two-year transformation phase, Synthek's crossings along rough roads are the tribulations to reveal this intimate personal journey of reve- lation through emotional downshift, spiritual upheaval and cerebral quandary. In this dominion, Synthek shapes the eleven track escapade along a sophisticated array of synths and warm analog drums, while contrasting the build and decline of atmosphere through deep bass soundscapes.
Pivotal turning points execute the programming of the album's three part sound design; beginning from darkness and repression, evolving to a more colourful aerial majesty of lucid dream state, morphing into the developed nature of life lessons learned; Transitions of Life making its incarnation into the discovery of the self and re-entry into reality.
*Transitions of Life is a 2x12' release made available through Natch Elements, intro- spective extension to the Natch Records imprint. Visual embodiment of the project artfully presented with photographic time capsule by Salar Kheradpejouh of Berlin, Germany with graphic work curated by Jacopo Saveritano, co-founder of Natch Records.
Norway's PLOINK imprint returns this April with a four-track EP from production duo Dortmund titled Sauerkraut featuring a remix from Christian Tilt.
Hailing from Bergen, Thomas Urv and Miss Mostly's PLOINK events have been championing the Norwegian techno scene for over two decades. Launched in 2014, the PLOINK label has hosted a string of
versatile twelves from the likes of Prins Thomas, Christian Tilt, SkatebÂrd and most recently Mental Overdrive, whoís innovative ëHardwareí album dropped in March. Returning to the label since providing a
track on PLOINKís 20th anniversary release last year, hardware specialist Dortmund, real name Karl Markus Zavodny, is also well known for releases on Montrealís Turbo and Leipzigís Vocabula Recordings.
ëSauerkrautí opens the release with rolling synthetic percussion that builds into an earworm groove, laced with chattering hats in tandem with echoing claps and fuelled by a vibrant acid loop. ëAcid Over Osloí then
motors along, utilising a razor-sharp 303 line within the frame of a crisp drum machine riff with a warmly distorted glow. Christian Tilt then morphs 'Sauerkraut' into an energetic pulsating cut, employing subtly swinging hats bathed in reverb before further processing the acid lead into fresh areas of the stereo field. Echoing bleeps then dissipate in Karl Krankenhaus underpinned by a bone shaking drum groove alongside moments of IDM tinged synthscapes and dubbed out chord stabs.
Dortmund ëSauerkraut EP' drops on PLOINK on 21st April 2017.
* Mastered and lacquer cut by Mike Grinser @ Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin
(180 gr) Talamanca System are the unlikely trio of Gerd Janson, Phillip Lauer of Tuff City Kids and Mark Barrott. Their sole release in late 2014 became one of the best selling on the International Feel imprint. My Past Is Your Future brings them back together for a trio of magical productions that cumulate the power of their production skills and winks at a forthcoming album coming on the imprint this summer.
Talamanca System are the unlikely trio of Gerd Janson, Phillip Lauer of Tuff City Kids and Mark Barrott. Their sole release in late 2014 became one of the best selling on the International Feel imprint. My Past Is Your Future brings them back together for a trio of magical productions that cumulate the power of their production skills and winks at a forthcoming album coming on the imprint this summer.
Talamanca System's debut set them alight across the dance music press and the follow up catapults their distinctive take on modern dance music back into the current consciousness. The EP delivers a nirvanic state, with My Past Is Your Future's use of delicate chords, cascading keys and effortless groove. This is a divine record, paired with a Beatless Stars Is Space mix that strips it back to its core and the Chukka Chukka Dance mix squares up to the dancefloor with an end of night classic.
Best known for his burgeoning Running Back imprint, Gerd Janson is a DJ's DJ, a connoisseur of dance music with an inimitable style that cross genres. His production partner Phillip Lauer forms part of Tuff City Kids and Black Spuma, who have also released on International Feel, with a style that fuses the rhythms of house music with bold melodies to form structured songs. The result is music that can sit comfortably in many worlds.
Mark Barrott started out in the mid 90's as Future Loop Foundation and since has composed music for numerous films & TV shows and founded one of the world's leading music consultancies. His highly-respected International Feel label has featured albums from the likes of DJ Harvey and Jose Padilla, with a huge portion of the releases dedicated to Barrott's own anonymous pseudonyms. Barrott's Sketches from an Island project has gained support from Pitchfork, the Fader, the Guardian and even the Financial Times for its bold and quirky take on Balearic music.
The three of them form an exhilarating partnership in Talamanca System and this EP gives a snapshot into their forthcoming album due to be released on International Feel in May 2017.
Acclaimed Russian producer, DJ and live musician Kito Jempere is back with a stunning second album, this time on Italian label Hell Yeah. Entitled Sea Monster and due for release in early 2017, the nine track album is a fantastic fusion of live instrumentation and electronic production.
Kito Jempere is a musical polymath. The Russian artist, producer, multi-instrumentalist and band leader has been involved in many projects over the last ten years plus. These range from rock to acid jazz to electronic bands and often call upon a rotating cast of other members who are all equally talented.
From playing in small bars to headlining big shows for thousands of people in Saint Petersburg, he has put out a number of albums and singles on labels like Freerange, Room With A View and Hell Yeah and DJs around Europe.
Jempere plays live as the Kito Jempere Band, and here he calls upon his bandmates for their many skills to lend the album a richly musical feel.
Mixed and co-produced by band member Roman Urazov, the album features Artemiy Gunbin aka Noteless, the voice of the Kito Jempere Band and front man of his own rock band Videatape, as well as Ruslan Gadzhimuradov, a long time drummer on many projects, plus Matvey Averin, the bassist but also co-producer for cult group Manizha and finally Sergey Lipsky who here plays guitar and is also half of Simple Symmetry as well as having played for Kito's other project Saint Petersburg Disco Spin Club group.
Sea Monster kicks off with Lifetime Theme, a heavenly groove with loose drums and percussion and gorgeous keys. Form there, Artemiy Gunbin's ethereal and crystal clear vocals take centre stage amongst balearic guitars on album single 'Ampa', and then 'To Talk' is a deeper cut with bumpy drums, long tailed pads and shiny synths all making for a curious and whimsical atmosphere.
'Grid Cells' is a lush instrumental track with clever revel and echo adding a sense of grandeur to the freeform jazz drums and frazzled synths, 'Uohha' is as sunny and laid back as an afternoon on the beach and 'Puzzled' then layers up scuzzy basslines, popping hits and suspenseful synths into something smooth and seductive.
The final third of the album closes out with blissful guitar licks, lazy broken beats and brilliant drum playing that all have you wishing it was summer again.
This is an album with elements of jazz, house, disco, balearic and many more sounds all smoothly blended into one coherent and captivating album full of soul and musical skill.
After the successful Calypso Rose's 'Far From Home' album, Because Music will release a two remixes EP for the Record Store Day. Those remixes are made by the South African Mo Laudi. His work is considered to be in the vein of Jamie XX's music. Forget the thorns, because she has them, and without delay pick this (Calypso) Rose who, at 76 years old, looks fresher than ever. Calypso Rose was always a fighter and had to overcome hostility from her father, a Baptist preacher thoroughly opposed to her pursuing a musical career. And she was sexually abused as a teenager, as she bravely confessed in Calypso Rose, Lioness of the Jungle, the 2009 documentary about her. A tireless worker, she composed almost 800 songs, starting at age 13, and spent 17 years singing on cruise ships for the New York-based company Celebration At Sea, before playing on the legendary stages of the Apollo and Madison Square Garden with two of the greatest calypsonians, Lord Kitchener and Mighty Sparrow. Calypso Rose is a fighter indeed: you don't survive cancer and two heart attacks without a solid dose of grinta.
INCL. RICH NXT RMX
Fizical's 5th released presents a stunning 4 tracks Ep of the Berliner producer Albert Ess.
A very exciting journey including Rich Nxt's remix, where deep fatty base lines and techno/minimalistic sounds are made to smash the dance floor.
Stunning and embracing warm pads are making this Ep specially unique Albert's first debut on Fizical
There was a time when to die was something slightly different from what it is today. Back in the last days of the middle age, some hidden monk was concerned about how to die properly, according to the catholic standarts of that era, so he wrote a book that was a cornerstone in that period.
This has been the leitmotiv and ispiration in the concept that drives this album, the Ars Moriendi book from 1415, a book that gave some clues about how to die properly, avoiding lack of faith, despair, impatience, avarice or spiritual pride, all those actually track titles in this compendium.
Album starts with Impatience a short atmospheric drone sets the path to post industrial mayhem, based on a continuous and obsessive metallic sequence that drives the angst over a dirty rhythm workout until the textures go on top after several bars.
Rules of behaviour breaks the beat into metallic hits as starting point, then more percussive layers add to the main beat until the dark pads take over mixing hate with beauty on a grey canvas.
Despair return to adrenaline, icreasing the tempo, running unstoppable on a relentless sequence with skeleton beats as a driver.
Speculum acts as a sequel from the first track, same sequence different rhythm, extending the anxiety feeling but with a cleaner groove, again a few elements make everything run smoothly no fillers, just tension.
Lack of faith keeps on with the beat as fundamental component, based on a cemented kick and breathing components that grow during the running time.
Avarice returns to harsh kicks and martial sincopation having distortion as the main element until Fm percussions shine on top.
Spiritual Pride is the adrenaline shot in this album, obessive dry sequences, harsh kicks and razor hats in a direct floor burner.
Closing the travel, The search for identity goes underwater: cavernous landscapes and absence of brightness with a pulsating sub frequency doing the low end, while drones and obscure sound design make the rest.
Geography has always been about feelings. Our next record is a special one with lots of them. Several years in the making. A local affair, a Sorgenfri/Sofielund/Gamla Väster/Annelund affair. Geography returns with what will be remembered as probably the best record of 2017, a mini album full of deeply rooted house music from total newcomer Fyodor the DJ, put on wax by Geography straight outta Malmö.
The artwork is done by the artists mother, Margareta. The record is released in two versions, one normal and one special edition, limited to 50 copies. The latter is screen printed by Margareta Heijkenskjöld Holmgren in her studio in Malmö.
In November last year, Undo released 'Disconnect', his third album. A charming long-player that has won very good feedbacks and reviews. Now it's time to unveil the first Ep with remixes from the album. A great and variate package including reworks from friends and artists he admires as mexican Iñigo Vontier, russian Dimitri Veimar and belgium Cabaret Nocturne. There's also a new mix by Undo himself.
Pocosin is the first full-length album from Loess in over 10 years.
During the last ice age glaciers slowly carved away the landscape creating mineral rich sediment. For hundreds of thousands of years melt water carried this fine-grained sediment downstream to parts of North America. In some areas strong winds carried this sediment and deposited it forming a network of ridges and dunes. These deposits of loose
silty wind-blown, or aeolian, sediment are called Loess.
Flash forward to the present, and the duo of Clay Emerson and Ian Pullman may seem to have gone the way of the glaciers and all but disappeared. Instead, their signature loose aural silt has been slowly and methodically accumulating and now makes up their new full-length Pocosin.
Others may have no point of reference and Pocosin is a welcome introduction to the sound of Loess; in a mere blink of an eye from when they began.
Amsterdam's cult producer and DJ Steven van Hulle a.k.a. Awanto 3 likes his samples vibrant, his drums wobbly and his synths sweaty as a Detroit summer breeze. The MPC wizard returns to Dekmantel delivering his second, full-length album. Gargamel is arguably his most compelling piece of work. Spread over the course of nine tracks, van Hulle shows he's capable of serving up many different styles and genres in his ever-expanding arsenal.
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The Rednose Distrikt affiliate kicks things off with his friend and co-producer Darling. 'Azrael' builds over shuffling, infectious rhythms, a cluster of vocal stabs and heartfelt keys.
'This Is When We Met', 'Why Don't You' and 'Gargamelancholia' on the other hand, are aggressive, batty-jackin peak-time tracks embracing classic acid aesthetics, while 'Positive Negative' is a stretched-out house jam incorporating the tussle of wonky boogie and tribal bumps.
Van Hulle drops the tempo on 'Hooli Goose', taking slow release hypnosis turns while making a marching band sound cool. The dry drum machines, melted bass and schizo sounds of 'Ride The Dragon' will appeal to the freaks, and the dreamy 'Happy Bird' is a tripped-out set of ambient and lo-fi themes. Last but not least, Dexter enters the stage to do what he does best with 'Thick': showing who's boss of the 808 with a straight-up electro essential.
Florian Meindl surges ahead in 2017 as he returns once more to his home base FLASH Recordings. He has been locked away in his studio and is now ready to unleash his new album 'Time Illusion'. With these album sessions Florian has created a special collection of analogue focused tracks which will be released on a double vinyl album and digitally in the Spring.
Amalgamating his array of impressive hardware, he has refined his sound and crafted a selection of tracks that demonstrate intricate knowledge and mastery of his analogue equipment. His aim was to find the right balance between musical depth and sound design while interacting with the hardware.
In anticipation for the LP release in early April, Florian has prepared a unique live set featuring a Modular System, the KORG Minilogue, effect boxes and a 909 drum machine which were used in the creation of the album and which he will be touring throughout 2017.
Electronic Beats visited him in his basement at Riverside Studios Berlin to record an exclusive live session, which you can find on Youtube and his Facebook page.
Après s'être posé au large des côtes de Trinidad, l'ovni Caandides a été de nouveau repéré dans un tout autre endroit, davantage atypique, aux coordonnées 70° 30' N 151° 40' E, précisant ainsi les rives de la mer de Sibérie orientale. Toutefois, trois producteurs et le groupe lui-même ont revisité quelques-uns des meilleurs morceaux de l'album, réunis sur un vinyle spécialement conçu pour le Disquaire Day 2016.
Avec Voiski (Construct Re-form), Renart (Cracki Records / Dawn), Svengalisghost (L.I.E.S / Russian Torrent Versions) et Plato.
As we gradually build toward the release of Rebekah's debut album on Soma, the hard hitting DJ/producer drops her 3rd single in the shape of the Code Black EP. Rebekah is on somewhat of a frenzied run of form at the moment with not only an exhaustive touring schedule but a slew of releases that stand as a testament to her dedication to Techno.
Title track Code Black hits the ground running with ice cold percussion and thunderous kicks running the show before a more jacking vibe is introduced backed by some seriously perilous pads. Disaster looms even more as Relapse Paradigm tears in next with clunking beats and straight percussive workouts as screeching synths and hooks give an overall foreboding atmosphere. X Confessions closes out the EP in no less vicious terms and Rebekah sets out on the warpath utilising pulsing rhythms and calamity inducing sequences to really rip into the dance floor.
The latest offering in the ever so refined Gost Zvuk series is a full length album (2x12) by Russian master of all otherworldly sounds ''Nocow''.
''Ledyanoy Album'' is an ethereal feast containing orchastrated textures and thumping cuts alike. The winter theme of the album is easily recognized through the icey synth sounds and the beautifuly array of bells and fx which blend this LP to a cohesive collection of heart wrenching ambiances.
Ledyanoy Album will be available through all specialized retailers from mid April.
After releasing their debut full length Album on Kompakt last year, Hunter/Game return to Just This with another immersive offering.
On the ‚Dead Soul EP' the duo continue to refine their expressive yet subtly arranged sound. The title track unfolds slowly, sculpting the melody, texture and suspense. Joey Anderson's take on 'Dead Soul' is airy and atmospheric without losing it's pulsing flow. ‚Isolation' covers a broad spectrum and is filled with contrasts in which an intense bass interacts with a delicate and breathy melody.
Balance is key to Hunter/Game's music and this EP is no exception.
Standard LP[23,82 €]
DELUXE BOX SET
Includes bonus 12" + prints + CD + enhanced CD
The xx today announce details of their highly anticipated third album. Titled I See You, the ten song album will be released on 13th January 2017 via Young Turks. I See You is the follow up to The xx's two previous albums - xx and Coexist - which have sold over 3 million copies between them, winning a host of accolades along the way.I See You marks a new era for the London trio of Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim and Jamie Smith, both sonically and in terms of process. For while xx and Coexist were both made in relative isolation in London, I See You was recorded between March 2014 and August 2016 in New York, Marfa TX, Reykjavik, Los Angeles and London, and is characterised by a more outward-looking, open and expansive approach. Produced by Jamie Smith and Rodaidh McDonald, I See You is The xx at their boldest yet, performing with more clarity and ambition than ever before.I See You will be available on CD and LP, with each physical format featuring a debossed mirri board sleeve.
Two vinyl versions of the album, with full product descriptions as follows - Standard Vinyl: 10 tracks, in a debossed mirror board sleeve with a download + CD copy of the album - Deluxe Box Set: Silver mirri board debossed box containing the album on 180g heavyweight vinyl, with an extra 12' including 3 bonus tracks, album CD, enhanced CD featuring a live video of bonus track 'Brave For You (Marfa Demo)' and 3 exclusive prints by Alasdair McLellan.
3x12"
I did not know what achievements, what mockery, even what tortures awaited me. I knew nothing, and I persisted in the faith that the time of cruel miracles was not past .
Stanislaw Lem (Solaris, 1961).
This paragraph from Solaris, the novel written in 1961 by Stanislav Lem, is the starting point for the concept this 30drop album has been built upon. Science fiction masters like Lem are one of the greatest influences for the artist, who devised this album after the mental challenges that humans should overcome in a future: encounter with beings from other civilizations: capable of interacting with us in a totally unthinkable way so far.
Away from what many a sci-fi blockbuster depicts, this work revolves around the idea that such meeting with alien species will be eminently a mental experience that will shock not only our cultural values but also our very own perceptions about what space/time/reality is a mindbending experience where everything we knew before dissolves around us and propels us to uncharted grounds. Terra incognita so far.
Bypassing the random track collection syndrome that plagues many of today s so-called techno albums this LP was conceived and devised from it s very beginning as a full, complete work in itself, best enjoyed in it s totality. A story-telling journey (very much in the tradition of seminal / genre-defining albums as UR s X-102) were tracks lead you to one another. Tracks can be enjoyed on their own, being all suited for dancefloor and dj-sets alike, but take a complete different meaning when put in the right context within the album.
Musically this long-player combines stripped-down rhythms, sweeping pads and hypnotical bleeping sequences woven together in an intrincate but subtle way, a fashion that harks back to the classic minimalist yet complex mid-90 s sound of Hood, Mills and T.Dixon sounds appealing both the mind and the feet.
Classic and futuristic at the same time, this is a compelling journey that opens with the eerie atmospheres of Our Understanding before really taking off with the cadential NGC1277. The hypnotic Captured Rotation sets the pace for the rest of album which oscillates between the exhilarating cosmic groove of Beyond Language and the contemplative stasis of The Mirror. Other highlights include the entrancing Goldene Spirale or the furiously busy Approaching Light.
The whole package is further rounded up by a set of remixes which showcase the different directions taken by techno producers this days: from Substance s solid Berlin-style to Architectural s spaced-out visions via Rivet s hard-hitting club bangers and Zero Mass abrassive experiments.
Text by: Dj Zero.
Parasole's music fits the bill for cutting-edge electronic music. Infrared Vision is a display of his love for polyrhythmic drum patterns, post-club sketches, twisted dance floor gems and classy, big room-ready tunes.
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Few words of the artist:
''When I started to conceptualize my album I had a few end goals'', explains Parasole. ''I wanted to string my own style through Infrared Vision, so it would be familiar to the people who like my music. In tandem, I strived to produce a fresh voice sonically and experimented with a few new production techniques. I also grabbed ideas outside of techno and house, because I didn't want to be influenced by anything new. I was listening to a lot of jazz, hip-hop, Nine Inch Nails and Prince for example.''
Parasole took his time to write, produce and record Infrared Vision, dividing the process into three steps. ''First I wrote the album in words, pinning down ideas and track concepts on a notepad. Subsequently I transferred my ideas to my gear. Due to a heavy tour schedule I sometimes brought gear with me on the road, to continue my sketch process on the hardware. I then recorded it at home and at Phil Moffa's studio in New York. When the music was fully finished the album morphed to its final version. Phil Moffa laid down the final mixdown at Butcha Sound Studios, while Marco Spaventi handled the mastering.''
Superfreq kicks off the New Year with Stand Up, the first single of three from Mr.C's forthcoming album Incidents. How Mr.C has found time to present an acid masterclass while touring the world, throwing events & running a label is testament to his passion. Stand Up is a politically motivated rebellious song that takes issue with the way nightclubs the world over have been closed down due to the financial greed of property developers at the expense of our beloved dance music community. This track is a call for the dance music community to stand up & unite against the continued aggressive affront on electronic dance music culture.
From Mr.C's electro, ska & acid inspired radio mix, to his Club Dub, to Jay Haze's slow acid house, to Tripwire's modern take on acid, to Omid 16B's retro acid house, the single really does show why acid house is back with a vengeance with Superfreq leading the field.
Ambient power duo Anjou's sophomore statement continues in the vein of their 2014 debut, unfurling a full hour of mesmeric synthetic drift and veiled melodic undertow.
Comprised of Mark Nelson (of pioneering post-rock experimentalists Labradford and Pan·American) and Robert Donne (of Labradford, Aix Em Klemm, Cristal) , the group work largely in long-form suites of sound, alternately spacious and dense.
The new LP's six pieces embrace flux and ambiguity: drones swell and shudder, hushed currents of noise glitch and dissolve, atmospheres congeal and liquify. As with the participants' prior projects, Anjou evoke a shadowed, mysterious mood, variously melancholy and transcendent.
The album is an accumulation of craftsmanship and experience, blurred forms traced in light and fog.
Following the recent reissues of Pop Impressions, Super America,
Soul Impressions, and Chorus, Underdog Records label follows
up to the series with another brilliant album by French underrated
composer and producer, JANKO NILOVIC.
JANKO NILOVIC certainly was one of the greatest studio talents of Europe in the 70s!
He is a musician who devotes himself to music, which resulted in a great number of published works, but most of them made for library music labels and also not available for sale. His oeuvre stretches from classical, jazz and funk to pop, psyche
and easy listening. And has been sampled many times by hip-hop
artists such as JAY-Z, DRE, DAFUNIKS or GUTS...
Although this wasn't directed by but Sergio Leone, but by the less known Giulio Petroni, "Tepepa" is one of the best films in the spaghetti western genre, thanks to a perfect synopsis - even if as set in the 'abused' Mexican Revolution of the early '900 - to a trio of exceptional actors and, finally, to Ennio Morricone's soundtrack. The protagonists are in fact the immovable doctor John Steiner, the histrionic revolutionary Tomas Milian and the massive Colonel Orson Welles, a unique and practically unrepeatable combination, however directed in a 'leone-ish' way by Petroni, who often focuses on large panoramas and close-ups on the character's faces. As always, Morricone means quality: for "Tepepa" the Maestro creates a memorable soundtrack, dominated by strings and, curiously, by the acoustic guitar! Reissued several times on CD, this album has awaited for a vinyl reprint for 35 long years! When the film was premiered in the theatres (1969) just a the single 45rpm "Viva la Revolucion / In Mexico I would like" had been released, both songs are of course included here, the second of which is sung by Christy (stage name of Mary Cristina Brancucci) in a very felt and compelling way.
FKA twigs re-issues her debut release, 'EP1'. Originally released in December 2012, the incredibly rare EP was previously only available as a (long sold out) limited edition vinyl release, accompanied by a video for each song created by FKA twigs and Grace Ladoja. 'EP1' was the start of FKA twigs' incredible journey as a musician and performer.
Since its release the London-based singer, songwriter, producer, director and dancer has produced a series of highly-acclaimed works, including the follow up 'EP2', her Mercury Prize-nominated debut album 'LP1', the five song 'M3LL155X' EP and accompanying film and the recently-premiered 'Soundtrack 7' and 'Baltimore Dance Project' films.
In addition, FKA twigs has directed, soundtracked and starred in campaigns for the likes of Google Glass and Calvin Klein.
