quête:ale x

Tropical psych outfit, Lola’s Dice, return with an exhilarating double AA side 45 on “Cacri 'e Playa” b/w “Señor Cartujo” . Venezuelan strains of Caribbean rhythms blend with South American grit and humour; aided and abetted by studio maverick and renown bandleader Alex Figueira ( Fumaça Preta, Conjunto Papa Upa).

Lola’s Dice, an ensemble born and battle-tested by years of punk and hard rock before fusing into its current form, a consolidated tropical-psych quartet. The band’s evolution has resulted in music that is a pure body-moving delight — a fuzzy blend of guitars, synths and musical sabor that is very much rooted in the percussive sounds of Latin America, where all band members hail from, yet still comfortable in its punk-ethos.

One such fusion of sounds took place at the Barracão Sound studio in Amsterdam where they first asked rhythm sensei Alex Figueira (who currently joins them on stage whenever his agenda allows him) to help them twist their sound and bring it into the incendiary tropical realm his production work was known for.

Together they vandalized all sorts of rhythmic traditions. The resulting 4-track EP, “Viaje al Centro de Ritmo”, was a perfect match of genre-defying psychedelic madness and Caribbean cool and was duly signed and released by on-the-pulse NY based Names You Can Trust label.

After two years and a plethora of stages Lola’s Dice returned to Figueira's Barracão Sound for another dose of experimentation, diving deeper into their Caribbean roots and twisting them even further. The first fruits are now offered for release jointly by Names You Can Trust (later this year) and Figueira’s own Music With Soul.

The African Caribbean vibrations of “Cacri 'e Playa” tell a story of a stray dog whose sole habitat consists of the beach. A common phenomenon all across the Caribbean coastline shared by Venezuela and Colombia. Wonky synths and surf guitars interplay over a stomping extra syncopated drum beat. All things collide towards the end into a 1970’s style Salsa street party, the relentless cowbell driving everyone forward.

On the flip, “Señor Cartujo” contains a humorous tale about the most popular brand of anise liquor in Venezuela ("Cartujo") and a shameless ode to the glory days of "Techno Merengue", when Latino rappers in the US started making Dominican Merengue with hip hop influenced vocals and house production techniques and equipment. Lola’s Dice, however, take a more psychedelic approach to this merengue, oozing with funky guitars and percussion.

AD and Worldline deliver Toy Opulent’s third release - and it’s first vinyl imprint.

Soft Serve Angel projects a clear and present sense of techno drive and a delightful symphony of melodic synths. The beginning is minimal and evolves into a full cacophony of beauty and craftsmanship, layered with the vocals of the mysterious Crisis Luxury. Here, meanderings of childhood tones echo from an East L.A. ice cream truck. From the hailed vehicle emerges the soft serve angel - with a vanilla cake cone prepared, just for you, on a sunny California day. This track is incredibly versatile.


A Soft Serve Angel remix is presented to us by a master of his art, Persuader. He shows us, once again, that minimal drive that we can all count on to provoke thought and movement with modern engineering skills and a familiar old school flair.


Bubble Gum Eyes is minimal perfectly pitched protocol of TR-909 love with a morphing bassline and epic-scale science-synth work. The track addresses both a question and an answer.


Rocket POP! I mean, who don’t love a good rocket pop? This dubby dub dub mix contains fragments of the entire release that sums it up, and finishes it off perfectly - the cherry on top of the soft-serve angel.

Saturday Night is the debut LP by old friends and collaborators Alex Twomey, Matthew Sullivan, and Sean McCann. Recorded over numerous evenings at the artists’ homes, and completed just before the birth of Matthew’s daughter, Flora. The album became an excuse to spend time with one another as well as perform. As the trio ordered take-out, drank scotch, smoked on patios, laughing off the weight of reality–they stumbled into moments of musical focus.

This album has a prism of fidelities. High and low resolutions press together as the environment blows through the instruments. The woozy, side-long titular track of hesitant cello and pianos opens the record. Quiet music with blemishes and inebriated pauses, breathing an alleviated air. Phrases with failing propellers, teetering between melodic and apathetic. The true speed of their Saturday nights.

Side two opens with “London On My Mind.” Reflecting the other pole, manic cassette treatments duel over Twomey’s placid keyboard, ultimately breaking into a little joke on the piano. “Collection” features guitar by Sullivan, remembered for his thick fog of work under the alias Earn. With Sullivan’s return to the instrument, he is joined by Twomey on upright piano and McCann processing the room in real-time. The brief final work, “Bird,” recalls the style of the group's private press cassettes, The Bird and Charlotte’s Office: poorly-played pleasant-hearted music.

Each edition of the record includes a 20-page photo booklet of stills documenting the recording process.

Mono Han are brothers Alessandro and Davide, who collectively have a deep and long understanding of electronic music. Davide is a co-founder of N.O.I.A, one of Italy’s first electronic live acts to perform and record with drum machines and synths as early as 1978. He was also behind seminal Italo outfit Klein + M.B.O and proto-house hit “Dirty Talk”. Alessandro, following in his brother’s footsteps was inevitable and he too became hooked on the incredible new sound palette emanating from the early electronic machines.

Since then they have released under an array of aliases, have clocked up numerous club hits and this project brings them back to their 80’s roots.

Repressed in 2023, limited!


Hull/Leeds based five-piece bdrmm release their much anticipated debut Bedroom on July 3, via Sonic Cathedral. The 10-track album was recorded late last year at The Nave studio in Leeds by Alex Greaves (Working Mens Club, Bo Ningen) and mastered in Brooklyn by Heba Kadry (Slowdive, Beach House). It's a hugely accomplished debut and a real step up both sonically and lyrically from their early singles, which were rounded up on last year's If Not, When? EP. Musically, there are nods to The Cure's Disintegration, Deerhunter and DIIV, while the band reference RIDE and Radiohead. There are also echoes of krautrock and post-punk, from The Chameleons to Protomartyr, plus the proto shoegaze of the Pale Saints' The Comforts Of Madness, not least in the cross fading of some tracks, meaning the album is an almost seamless listen. As a result, Bedroom becomes an unexpected and unintentional concept album, running through the different stages of a break-up set against the backdrop of the ups and downs of your early twenties. "The subject matter spans mental health, alcohol abuse, unplanned pregnancy, drugs_ basically every cliché topic that you could think of," reveals frontman Ryan Smith. "But that doesn't mean they ever stop being relevant. It's a fucker growing up, but I'm lucky enough to have been able to project my feelings in the form of this band, surrounded by four of the best people I've ever met." And that band name, in case it needs explaining, is pronounced the same way as the album title. "I never thought I'd get to the stage where I would have to explain it so much," says Ryan. "We have been pronounced as Boredom, Bdum and my old boss thought we were a ska band called Bad Riddim. We're all sarcastic cunts, so Bedroom spelt correctly seemed like the perfect title." He's right. The perfect title for the perfect debut album.

Our first vinyl will go with a big bang!

Early support from Mano Le Tough, Dave DK, Maceo Plex, John Digweed, Gardens of God, Ame, Silicone Soul, Hunter/Game, Kevin De Vries, Massimiliano Pagliara, Fideles, Paul Ritch, Shall Ocin, Raxon, Mind Against, Ae:ther, Ilija Djokovic, Jeremy Olander, Frank Maurel, Alexi Delano & more

Barcelona based producer Adwer returns to his Bolygo Records imprint in 2020 with five alluring cuts entitled "Our Genome" EP with remixes from Amandra and Marc Pinol. Adwer has left his mark on the overall electronic music scene in the last few years through his melodic leaning productions that've picked up support from the likes of Sasha, John Digweed, Joris Voorn and Laurent Garnier. Adwer aims to capture emotion within his music with his synth focused tracks and euphoric vibrations that continue to solidify his reputation of being a purveyor of innovative sound design and gentle sonics.

"Our Genome" EP sees him deliver the first release of the new decade on his Bolygo label where he invites remixes from the Ahrpe Records label boss and French producer Amandra and Spain's Marc Pinol who is renowned for releases on John Talabot's Hivern Discs imprint.

"Messing with the DNA" begins proceedings with thudding kicks, growling bass rolls and dreamy oscillations fluttering underneath before "Recombinant" deploys undulating euphoria through tranquil tones, deep vibrations and progressing synth notes that unravel escapist intentions.

Amandra's remix of "Recombinant" lays focus on raw, crunchy percussion, lo-fi experiments and murky pads that keep you locked throughout whereas Marc Pinol's remix of "Messing with the DNA" offers up electro-styled grooves, cosmic waves and acid-tinged oscillations that carry outer space feels.

"Our Genome" then rounds things off with meandering, 80s styled synths, ethereal, revolving modulations and rumbling bass frequencies to finish.

After releasing on Correspondant, Traffico Music and Mortordiscs, the new Cantor EP ‘Convergence’ is published by his own label Underground Pacific. Convergence is an emblematic rendering of Cantor’s attitude in sonic form – a sampling from his consciousness.

Pared down to four arresting tracks, influenced by new wave and post punk, including a remix by the legendary Alexander Robotnick, Convergence presents auditory concepts through which to explore the fundamentals of Cantor’s music: distortions, psychedelia, romanticism and sonic cheerfulness.

The vinyl edition is carefully tended featuring a unique contribution of the Italian artist Fabio Baggio (artbajo).

Reemerging from the threshold of the cosmic vortex, Black Lodge returns with another sonic artifact that is charged with vigorous chaotic energy, known as EXPERIMENT_ZERO. Accounts of the radiant object's origin are as mysterious as the raw energy that utters from its core. Following a close study, the guardians of the portal suspect that "Experiment Zero" was a primordial experiment rooted in the slam jack pits and DIY warehouse rituals of ages passed. A sonic dialog constructed of various languages, spanning from roots-house jak to bare-knuckled electro are revealed across the artifact - a revolutionary tale that surpasses the constructs of ephemerality, with a refusal to be ignored. Across the release the listener is confronted with fearless acid lines that are underscored by a tone of revolution, and sets the stage for a human voice that switches between modes of a sharp and mutated presence. The power of such sonic objects are both celebrated and rejected by various tribal societies. It is all dependent on the belief structures and traditional histories of its members. Those that belong to the cult of Ron Hardy, Mad Mike Banks, Traxx, and JTC will welcomingly be drenched in its riotous energies. It is for the dedicated, not the light-hearted. After further research it has been discovered that, Experiment Zero is the product of Dona, aka Dj Plant Texture and Mike Tansella Jr. of Son of Traders, both products of the ancient mercantile city of Bari in Southern Italy. Previous works from these artists have been featured on Creme Organization, Gravitational Waves, Unknown to Unknown, and Illian Tapes. All sonic experimentation was recorded in one take to capture the raw energy of instantaneous collaborative sound craft operating in flux. Black Lodge's 4th release is sure to find a space in the music collections of those seeking to travel within the uncanny portals that unforgivingly defy the status quo. Mastered by: Alex J Michalski Label design: Kosmik Pressing: Deepgrooves (NL)

Ambient and environmental Japanese scene has flourished stronger than ever in the last years. The pioneers of this sound and the creators of an innovative way of making and understanding ambient music, such as Hiroshi Yoshimura, Yoshio Ojima, Toshifumi Hinata or Takashi Kokubo have been championed and their works have been successfully unearthed by reissue labels.

Continuing in this endless path, Glossy Mistakes adds Takashi Kokubo’s brilliant “Volk Von Bauhaus” to its catalogue, with the Japanese masterpiece as the third official release of the Spanish label.

As most of 80’s Japanese ambient and environmental music, “Volk Von Bauhaus” is an audio impression designed to give a multi-sensory experience to the listener. An effort to make things audible, an exercise of understanding and soundtracking objects or situations. The main objective of this sound is to create an iconic musical landscape to accompany a specific place.

Though his name might be unfamiliar to many, Kokubo has crafted music that has impacted virtually all of Japan, from national mobile phone earthquake alerts to contactless card payment jingles. He was one of the first artists to create ambient music strictly through loops. As he mentioned when release this album, "this recording used no keyboard players, no multitrack tape recording techniques, no analog sounds”. A shift on the process of imagining sound.

“Volk Von Haus” is and ode to this ambient, new age and environmental music created in Japan throughout the 80’s. Throughout 9 cuts, Kokubo handcrafts his own sound and immerses the listener in a peaceful yet challenging adventure. The record is the first piece of his Digital Soundology series, and arguably his most interesting work due to the groundbreaking techniques he used.

"A revolutionary musical expression that shatters the old values”, explains Kokubo about this piece. And its just what we can hear when we play “Volk Von Haus”.

The album includes an unheard exclusive track by Takashi Kokubo an insert with an interview made by Takashi Kokubo. A true gem that must land in every ambient head’s musical library.

Remastered from master tapes by Frederic Stader.

Actual Music is a Swiss record label with a focus on Detroit House, Deep House, and Nu Disco. Taking inspiration from the masters of Detroit, the label was started by Alexandre Gazzola & Michel Catanese in 2017.

Alex Mota is a DJ and producer based in Switzerland and as a member of Los Cruzeiros, he released on Crossfontier Audio, Monique Musique and Tenampa Recordings, working with Pier Bucci, Marc Poppcke, Hernan Cattaneo and Nima Gorji.

Here Mota provides us with a diverse four tracker. Opener ‘Senses’ is an uplifting nu disco stomper with nods to New Order with the vocal. ‘Buenos Aires’ fuses Flamenco guitar and Latin flavours a plenty fitting for the most Balearic dancefloor scenes, whilst working itself up into a rhythmic house beat too.

The relentless ‘Chicago’ goes heads down and four to the floor with some well-placed trumpet flourishes. Closing out the EP is ‘Bogota’. Latin flavoured House as the title would suggest, with scattered percussion and cheeky vocal samples.

RAWAX welcomes Aleksandr Tsyrin aka Saktu aka Sascha Kaktus to the label Family! The Heisenberg label boss presents a very strong debut on our S-series. Highly recommended

Apron new signing “Quaid”
From South London to Outer Space.

~ Dreem Static: residual signal from machines in standby mode ~

Having conjured up a virtual paradise in his last release ‘The Technological Afterlife’ Quaid’s third long player ‘Dreem Static’ takes us on a machine-funk odyssey to inner space:

“Every good story has a dream sequence. Where the narrative gets deep & surreal. This is mine. I made all the music through this lens. I wanted the tracks to be connected thematically in mood - so there’s a thread if you listen all the way through. Hope u feel it. Sweet dreems.”

• Quaid 2020

Recorded & Produced by J.Quaid at ‘The Odyssey’ London / Metropolis. Additional synths from Alex M. Mastered by Jason at Transition.

"Lost Ark Music" proudly present to you another labour of passion "Praying for the Angels" by Pura Vida. 'The heart of the Last Ark' is beating on the riddim of the drums" ... Play it loud!

"Crawling" is about Puraman's personal struggle in life (...) trying to blend a stepping, jazzy reggae groove with some psychedelic stuff, Pieter De Naegel & Mathieu Vilain provide some "Last Ark Fyah Horns". "Song to Bob" is Puraman's tribute to Bob Marley, with a haunting Bassline provide by Aston "Familyman" Barrett, Orginal Wailer (...) His son Aston Barrett Junior hits the drums like Lightening!

"When the right time come" was recorded in an oldschool fashion, Recording the riddim in one take (...) Puraman on Vocals and Guitar, Boris Perck on the bass, Xan Albrecht on the drums, Wouter Rosseel on Lead Guitar. Bos Debusscher provides a wicked synthline!
Are you ready?

"Pretty Stranger I wrote this song for you... You shurely look like danger but that's what I like about you". Pura Vida goes Psychedelic Rock (...) "Les Eaux Sauvages" is a Love-Song with the Wonderfull voice of Nina "Vitalia" Schelfthout!

"O sopro de Inae" features the warm voice of Alessandra De Queiroz...Straight from Brazil she came to the Mare Altar forest under the guidance of Maarten Rosa in search for the "Arka Perdida".
This song has Portugese Lyrics, praying for the Spirits of Iemanja and Inae (...) The Spirits of the Ocean! "Find a way Home" is a Soultune features Alessandra De Queiroz!

The Title Track "Praying for the Angels" is another combination of Puraman & Alessandra's voice. In a Sixties Psychedelic Spirit (...) Singing about the Lost Souls dwelling the streets of the Ancient City! It was recorded on Puraman's Birthday (...)

"And the lights of the city, drive them crazy. And there's nowhere to run (...) And they're praying, hear them praying for the Angels...".

"Blessings from the Last Ark" features the amazing voices of Roydel "Ashanti Roy" Johnson, Derrick "Watty" Burnett & Kenroy "Tallash" Fyffe from 'The Congos'. Ashanti Roy provides the Bassline and Percussion. Watty & Tallash provide extra magic percussion. Puraman on Vocals, Melodica & Guitar. Pieter De Naegel & Mathieu Vilain play humble and bright on this Deep Roots Tune. Blessings from the Ark. Beyond Time & Space (...)

"Ancestor Spirit Dance" is an Afrobeat inspired tune features the voice of Puraman's Great-Grand-Mother Mathilde Spruytte, who
was a local folk singer.

Mount Kimbie take the reigns of the DJ-Kicks series with a 23 track mix that includes one of their own new exclusives. Due for release on 28th Septem- ber, it's a snapshot of exactly what the UK duo sound like in the club right now and is accompanied by a DJ-kicks tour that takes the pair to DJ and live dates all round the world.

Hier kommt die dritte EP des britischen DJ/Produzenten Alex "Kiwi" Warren (Optimo, 17 Steps, Disco Halal, Cin Cin, Correspondant, NeedWant, Futureboogie) auf seinem neuen Imprint Crossbreed zu der immer populärer werdenden, sex-positiven Patrtyreihe in London.

Fractura del SueNo is the debut album from the Catalan and Berlin-based artist Ameeva and his first big step into his musical path. With the purpose of creating a conceptual LP which develop the idea of transcendence, power of mind and self-interpretation of the individual, Alex Busse has created an album where different influences share the same environment. From ambient and drones to deep techno, going through broken-beats, distortions, organic percussions, field-recordings and even the human speech, he has created a progresion in the storytelling which ascends in energy nd comes back to the origin point, making it ideal for a calm and deep listening where the listener can focus on each sound.

Our next release on Visions Recordings, is a Swiss Duo of extremely talented musicians producing as KEYS of LYNX and we are happy to release their first ever record on Visions. These two future boogie jazz funk tracks were sent by KOL a few months back and straight away we fell in love with the freshness and the grooves. Influenced by jazz, funk, boogie and soul from the past and the broken beat sounds ok Kaidi Tatham and the likes, KEYS OF LYNX deliver here some well needed grooves for the Soulful music lovers. On the remix duties its an in-house version “Visions Remix” by label partners Alex & Stephane Attias, taking us on an 8 minutes dancefloor journey.

At Visions we like various styles of music’s, soulful and deep. Another great release for us in 2020.

Vinyl Only

Underground Town is back with our 4th release straight from the heart of the Swiss Alps.

For this one we serve 4 great cuts from 4 great producers. On the A-side we have young Italian producer and Underground Town resident artist Alex Zola with a very groovy and positive dreamy track for every situation. Completing this A-side we have label owner and rising talent in the industry Giorgio Maulini with another great cut with a very groovy athmosphere and rolling rhythms demonstrating why this Venezuelan artist is making waves in the industry.

On the B-side we have Cosmjn, who needs no introduction. One of the Romanian talents with more future projection and a bag full of interesting releases under his arm. On his track "Vanilla" you can feel the characteristic Romanian drums and an evolving synth that traps your senses. Last but not least we have a producer coming all the way from Honduras, Loht Vostok. He is doing an amazing job with his productions changing the game in the Central American region with a new futuristic minimal wave of quality music. "Sivar" is a track with a powerful hip breaking baseline and with a perfect combination of elements and a sweet vocal making it suitable for any dancefloor.

From the Underground Town Team we want to thank you for supporting us and showing us all this love this last year. A lot more to come in our Various Artist series soon and in our new label which will be released at the beginning of 2020 with only singular artists EPs.

Stick around with us for more quality releases and spreading the love for the underground music.

Alex Jann returns to Dance Trax after last year’s intense electro workout alongside Assembler Code. Here he fly’s solo showcasing his broad style of electro futurism - inspired by authentic machine funk, Jann re-imagines classic sounds for modern times. Marco Bernadi on flight deck reporting for remix duties - Stay alert!

DJ Support
Nightwave “really digging this and will play in isolation streams lol cant choose a fav tracks, love them all and heavy Bernardi rmx” 5/5
Martyn Bootyspoon “Don't come around is a jam” 5/5
Solid Blake “top!” 5/5
tiga “downloading for tiga, thanks” 4/5
Fear-E “Excellent stuff!” 5/5
Paul Woolford/ Special Request “Y E S Cybernetic Memory bangs, gonna throw it in the mix on my Radio 1 show, can you send me a WAV please? T H A N K Y O U” 5/5
Horse Meat Disco “Love this” 4/5
Extrawelt “Dope!” 5/5
Martelo “this is super wavey.. into it!” 5/5
Len Faki “great vibe - love it!” 5/5
Âme “thanks” 3/5
Mr Beatnick “inward energy is perfect for my NTS show”
Ben UFO “thanks” 4/5
Mosca “Marco always hits that sweet spot of offness” 3/5
anja schneider “THX for the music” 4/5
Barely Legal “Hard” 5/5