Rising multi-media artist Shaboozey intends to build his own world.
Determined to carve his own lane in the Alt-Country / Hip-Hop space; he crafts a sound that pays homage to a cast of traditional Western influences, such as Bob Dylan, Lead Belly, Johnny Cash, and Leonard Cohen, while looking into the future of what the two genres have yet to introduce.
Remaining true to his Virginia roots, Shaboozey hopes to continue the region’s long-standing tradition of producing some of the most prolific creatives of the new millennium. This time through elevating the scope of contemporary hip-hop and introducing a modern Americana culture to a global audience.
Fresh off of his inclusion in the groundbreaking Beyonce album, Cowboy Carter, of which he was the only featured artist to appear twice, Shaboozey is set to release his own album, Where I've Been, isn't Where I'm Going. An album that has been years in the making, it includes standout singles “Let It Burn,” “Vegas,” “Anabelle,” & the infectiously fun singalong anthem “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” Millions of streams later, and appearances on esteemed programs such as COLORS and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Shaboozey is set to become the new face of modern American country music.
Somehow it feels fitting that 1+1 equals not only 11, but also the two slabs of vinyl carrying Henry Hodson’s music here. A small inside joke, perhaps, but also a sign of how naturally this record came together: instinctive and shaped with intention. Hodson — who first appeared on Limousine Dream and later with a subtle and beautifully controlled EP via Silky Beats — continues his trajectory between deep house warmth and minimal clarity. These six tracks are drawn with the sort of fine-grained rhythmic detail that rewards attention without ever demanding it. Light-footed percussion, elegant restraint, grooves that breathe. The double 12’’ format isn’t a gimmick; it’s a commitment. Each track gets the physical space and sonic depth it needs.
Next up on Bruno Schmidt’s Assemblies Of God; The eagerly anticipated follow up to one of the most impactful leftfield records of 2023, Bauzer Vep’s The Gurner. Alexander Folonari brings us Gut Und Günstig under his brand new Sabber Mund Alias. Previously appearing under Shampoo Douglas and La Decima Vittima on Quest’s La Nota Del Diablo imprint, Sabber Mund takes a very different form. This music could be described as “Post-everything”, combining elements of dance music, with a punk-meets-folklore education.. Everything from straight Bach-informed dancefloor killers, to medieval lullabies. Across the board, custom no-wave themes from the get go. Hot tip!
Another DINTE tape curated by cult WFMU show and blogger Bodega Pop; Gary Sullivan's long-running project rooted in a passion for digging for music in bodegas and cell-phone stores across NYC's boroughs. This edition focuses in on late 1990s and early 00s hip-hop & rnb from across Southeastern Asia.
"While on a work trip to Chicago in the mid-2000s, I was craving a bowl of pho. A bit of sleuthing led me to hop on the red line "L" up to Argyle Street, ground zero of Chicago's Little Saigon. In the 1960s, Chicago restaurateur Jimmy Wong invested in property on Argyle Street with a vision to build the city's new Chinatown, a kind of mall with pagodas, trees, and reflecting pools. In 1971, the Hip Sing Association, a labor/criminal organization, established itself in the area, and along with Wong, they bought up 80% of the buildings on a three-block stretch of the street. Wong reportedly broke both hips in an accident, leaving his dream to wither; in 1979, Charlie Soo of the Asian American Small Business Association brought it back to life.
Soo expanded the area into a vibrant mix of Chinese, Vietnamese, and other Southeast Asian businesses, pushing for renovations, including an Argyle station facelift and the Taste of Argyle festival. At the time I exited the station and crossed the street to get a better look at a shop with a poster for A Vertical Ray of the Sun in the window, the area was home to some 37,000 Vietnamese residents.
Opening the door, I was gobsmacked by a cavernous Southeast Asian media store, bigger than any I'd been to in Dallas, Montreal, New York, or Seattle. I spent some time at the bins, pulling out collections by some of my then-favorite singers — Giao Linh, Khánh Ly, Phương Dung — before approaching the register to ask the young woman behind the counter if the they carried any Vietnamese rap. It was a longshot, I knew, but if such a thing existed on physical media and anyone carried it, it would be this place.
'Have you heard Vietnamese rap?' she replied, her tone of voice and facial expression betraying a comically exaggerated level of distaste. I admitted my ignorance but assured her that I had long cultivated a high threshold for cheesy pop music of all kinds and genuinely tended to like hip hop from around the world.
She rolled her eyes and pointed to an area I had missed. I walked toward a far corner of the store and knelt over a small box on the floor sparsely populated with CDs, VCDs, and cassettes. I pulled out half a dozen Vietnamese hip hop compilations and a strange-looking CD with a cavalcade of odd typefaces in a queasy multitude of colors: THAILAND RAP HIT, it boasted, with 泰國 "燒香" 勁歌金曲 below it. The information on the back provided an address in Kuala Lumpur and the titles in Thai and English translation. The first track included three simplified Chinese characters after the English-language version of the title, "The Chinese Association": 自己人.
WTF was going on here? Walking back to the register, I waved the CD, asking "What's up with this one?" She gave me a look. I placed it on the counter so she could bask in the cover's full glory. She shrugged. "I'm guessing it's Thai rap?" She looked disappointed in me when I said I'd take it.
It turned out to be a Malaysian pressing of half-Chinese Thai hip hop artist Joey Boy's third album, Fun Fun Fun from 1996, and it completely changed my sense what the genre could sound like. The rapper's self-assured, effortless, silly-but-cool rapid-fire delivery weaved in and out of the most bizarre, antic beats I'd ever heard. The six Vietnamese hip hop CDs were a mixed bag, mostly "serious" sounding mimicry of US rapping over predictable production, but the highs were very high. When I got home and listened to it all, I made a point to find as much hip hop from this part of the world as I could.
The tracks collected here provide a limited but potent reflection of the two-decade ascendency
and ultimate world-takeover of hip hop, as it displaced rock and its endless variants for millions of listeners. This not a fair and balanced overview of regional production: I've only included tracks from Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Nor is this a biggest or most important artists collection; instead, I've tried to recapture the pure visceral thrill of that first time I heard Joey Boy, choosing bangers that sound like nothing else, from nowhere else."
Don Cherry, armed with a voracious musical appetite and boundless imagination, first made a name for himself - though not always fully understood - alongside Ornette Coleman, playing trumpet or cornet. In Los Angeles and then New York, he stood at the heart of a revolutionary approach to improvisation based on melody rather than harmony, later baptized "Free Jazz," the final structural development of American jazz. Over time, he became a champion of improbable fusions - gradually integrating into his style a whole array of "exotic" instruments, and more importantly, the cultures from which they originated. Among them: India, Brazil, Africa, Indonesia, and even China. The time had come for the emergence of "world music": in hindsight, a patchwork rich in imagination and seduction, but once the novelty wore off, often lacking in substance.
In Don Cherry's case, however, the commitment ran deep - tied to his personal engagement with a global vision of art and the human condition. Ustad Ahmed Latif Khan, from the Delhi gharana (a musical lineage), was part of a new generation of accompanists - percussionists, sarangi players, flutists, etc. - who had extended both the technical and conceptual possibilities of their predecessors to gain recognition as soloists and soon to venture onto the international scene. Among them, Latif stood out for his taste for irregular, highly syncopated rhythmic patterns - rich in variety and originality. Don and Latif had never met before the recording session, but the two quickly recognised one another as kindred spirits - calm, focused... and full of laughter. Don clearly knew what he wanted to create, and nothing seemed to pose a challenge for Latif, who grasped the American's intentions immediately, warmed up his fingers at astonishing speed, and with his perfect pitch, naturally took on the role of tuning Don's diverse instrument collection to match whatever was found in the studio - from concert piano and Hammond B3 organ to chromatic orchestral timpani.
PROMISE is the latest album from Brooklyn-based producer Ibe Soliman, aka Bad Colours. Known for his blend of house, proto-techno, rap, and soul, Bad Colours delivers a dynamic, emotionally resonant record. Driven by hypnotic rhythms and personal storytelling, PROMISE explores themes of vulnerability, desire, and transformation. It's a versatile album designed for both dancefloors and introspective listening.
PROMISE is the fourth LP from Bad Colours on Bastard Jazz, following 2024's collaborative album with Cor.ece, Been Here Before. Soliman's career spans over a decade—DJing alongside artists like James Murphy, Mark Ronson, and Q-Tip, and producing for Kendrick Lamar, Faith Evans, Keyshia Cole, and Rick Ross. His work has received support from KCRW, KEXP (including multiple Midnight in a Perfect World mixes), and CBC Radio 3, and has charted on both the NACC Top Electronic and Top 200 charts. Bad Colours has been featured in press outlets like NYLON, Nonderland, Resident Advisor, Electronic Groove, and Fusicology. His music has appeared in Netflix's Escape from Spiderhead, Hulu's Woke, Disney's Chang Can Dunk, Showtime's American Gigolo, Valorant's Rising Stars, and more.
From the heart of Tamanrasset in South Algeria, Imarhan transcend Tuareg tradition, weaving hypnotic synths into desert blues. The result is a timeless work—deeply respectful of their roots, yet alive with a stirring sense of modernity.
ESSAM is the band’s fourth album, recorded with the same core lineup, but marks a significant shift in their sound and approach. Musically, it marks a departure from the rocky, bluesy, psychedelic Tuareg guitar-driven sound influenced by Tinariwen’s heritage — moving toward something more open, modern, and exploratory.
For the first time, their long-time sound engineer Maxime Kosinetz stepped in as producer. He travelled to Tamanrasset with Emile Papandreou (of the French duo UTO), a multi-instrumentalist who introduced electronic elements by sampling live instruments and reprocessing them in real time with a modular synthesizer — subtly reshaping the band's sonic identity.
The album was recorded mostly live, in one big room at Aboogi Studio — the band’s own rehearsal and recording space in Tamanrasset. The studio, a converted concert hall, has become a kind of cultural hub for the local youth. Friends dropped by during the sessions to contribute handclaps, vocals, and just be part of the energy. It’s a space where people gather, hang out, play dominoes, smoke chicha — a rare communal spot in a city that doesn’t offer many for young people, somewhat like a youth and community center.
This context — the creative shift, the live recording process, the atmosphere around Aboogi — might be interesting threads to explore in the conversation.
Everyone knows the story of American disco. But few are aware that, between the late 1960s and the late 1980s, Italy wrote a parallel one — spontaneous, surprising, and incredibly creative.
It is a story that spans two distinct seasons: the Italian disco of the 1970s — melodic, handmade, sometimes naïve yet always original — and the emerging Italo Disco of the 1980s, electronic, futuristic, and lightheartedly projected toward the future. Two different languages, yet both driven by the same desire for freedom and modernity. Discoteca Sound — Italian Discoteca Underground 1975–1986 brings together 18 rare tracks — including two previously unreleased — that tell this story of transition: from the orchestral and sentimental disco of Italian dance halls to the synthetic and visionary sound of the first drum machines. A journey through private archives, local labels, regional studios, and forgotten voices — the sonic map of a country that has always danced, but to its own rhythm. From Mediterranean disco to the first Italo Disco, from the dim lights of provincial dance halls to the early home synthesizers, each track opens a window onto an Italy that dreamed of the dance floor as a universal language of connection during the brief season of revolutionary utopias.
This compilation celebrates ten years of work by Disco Segreta — a decade dedicated to the research, recovery, and appreciation of Italian disco and electronic culture. An act of justice owed to all those artists who had their moment yet were never remembered by history — bringing back to light an essential, still too little known part of our musical heritage. Because dancing today remains, more than ever, a living act of memory.
Limited edition 2LP, features 2 previously unreleased tracks and a new 2025 version of Coscarella & Polimeno – Station to Station.
f Grazia Vitale – Poi (1975) Previously Unreleased
q Daniel Sentacruz Ensemble – Vivo Solo Con Te (1982) Previously Unreleased
f Grazia Vitale – Poi (1975) Previously Unreleased
q Daniel Sentacruz Ensemble – Vivo Solo Con Te (1982) Previously Unreleased
f B2. Grazia Vitale – Poi (1975) Previously Unreleased
q D4. Daniel Sentacruz Ensemble – Vivo Solo Con Te (1982) [Previously Unreleased]
[f] B2. Grazia Vitale – Poi (1975) [Previously Unreleased]
[q] D4. Daniel Sentacruz Ensemble – Vivo Solo Con Te (1982) [Previously Unreleased]
[f] B2. Grazia Vitale – Poi (1975) [Previously Unreleased]
[q] D4. Daniel Sentacruz Ensemble – Vivo Solo Con Te (1982) [Previously Unreleased]
This holiday season, global hip-hop icon Ice Cube makes a powerful return with Man Up — a brand-new album from a cultural trailblazer whose influence spans music, film, and activism. With over 10 million albums sold and six Platinum plaques, Cube’s legacy is undisputed, from his revolutionary work with N.W.A. to timeless solo anthems like “It Was a Good Day.” Now, sharper and more unapologetic than ever, he’s back to deliver a project that fuses his raw lyrical power with a message rooted in resilience and authenticity.
To mark the release, Man Up will be available exclusively as an ultra-limited vinyl drop this holiday season. Each record features a one-of-a-kind hand-crafted cover — a unique blend of artisanal design and proprietary technology (created without A.I.) — alongside city- and country-specific sleeves that pay homage to Cube’s global impact in places like LA, Tokyo, London, and France. The campaign will be amplified through a global social media rollout, city-focused influencer activations, and Ice Cube’s upcoming North American tour. Major press coverage and podcast appearances will further elevate the conversation, making Man Up not just an album, but a collector’s piece and cultural moment fans won’t want to miss.
Blue Lake reveals his most ambitious album yet, which finds its visionary creator Jason Dungan harnessing the collective alchemy of his band, with ten spirited tracks that resonate with a powerful directness, evoking an ecological connection to the wider world.
The solo project (Blue Lake), now on its fifth album, found its name and inspiration via Don Cherry's 1974 live album, sparking a creative epiphany in Dungan, who set off on a path into his own untapped sonic world, guided by what he cited as the emotional potential found within non-lyrical composition. With a newly inspired ethos aimed toward creating direct and simple instrumental music imbued with a deep sense of feeling, Jason began combining an array of musical elements that gave rise to his highly revered album 'Sun Arcs' (2023), with its "ornate, zither-led lattices" (Pitchfork, Best New Music). Conceived in the blissful isolation of a Swedish cabin set in the woods, this was music that soundtracked spring in full bloom. Then, in contrast to the solitary approach of 'Sun Arcs', the highly lauded mini-album 'Weft' (2025) began to set the tone for a more band-oriented approach to delivering the Blue Lake sound. Jason had by this time experienced a special collective energy with his band during a swathe of live performances, which he then sought to harness and distill on 'The Animal', leading him to take the project into a traditional recording studio (The Village) and its limitless potential along with his gifted cohorts.
'The Animal' at its core vividly celebrates human collaboration and is deeply rooted in a sense of community and non-hierarchical connectivity. The group's creative alchemy transcends outwards and beyond the musicians performing together, to summon an inclusive, existential and ecological connection to the wider world and its inhabited spaces. The album contemplates the idea of the human as an animal as Dungan explains: "I'm quite fascinated in thinking about humans more as part of the animal environment and not as something that's so separated into a "human" realm, or sitting on top of a hierarchical pyramid. So the Animal is also me, or us - that we are just living, existing, in the same way as a piece of moss or a sparrow or a cow.
'The Animal' is a form of musical metamorphosis, still acoustic, yet more amplified, elevating it to new dimensions. The Blue Lake project takes on a new lease of life to encompass collaboration with Jason Dungan bound in a universal connectivity, resulting in his most ambitious album to date. A harmonious rejoicing that cements his reputation as a transformative presence in contemporary music.
Flanked by a team of collaborators - including Nick León, more eaze, Ultrafog and Kissen - Ben Bondy captures the Kwia-pop zeitgeist on 'XO Salt Lif3', sluicing down dappled emo and downtempo grooves with log drum thwacks, tempered field recordings and sandblasted shoegaze guitars.
Forget what you think you know about Ben Bondy; like Naemi's fuzzy 'Breathless Shorn', ‘XO Salt Lif3’ is a decisive shift away from the ambient world and towards contemporary underground pop. Last year's amapiano-tinted loosie 'Bend' serves as the album's opener and is the best taster, its slick DSP squelches, granulated drones and sub rumbles immediately swapped out for breezy acoustic guitar riffs, tuned log drum hits and Bondy's own Autotuned vocals. When Bondy turns down the temperature a little, letting the orchestral synth arrangements slip into fuller view on 'Halfmoon', a collaboration with Nick León and Aussie producer Lovefear, it's tempered by low slung emo riffs and mumbled sweet nothings.
By the time we hit 'Dreamseed', Bondy's in full swing, offsetting slow breaks and multi-tracked vocal harmonies with full-spectrum shoegaze power chords that cut into the mix like a chainsaw, with crunchy amp crackle foreshadowing the Bark Psychosis-like drop. Bondy hits a cruise when More Eaze helps out on 'There Is A Place'. Maurice's unmistakable pedal steel draws us in, used by Bondy to add an Americana accent to his euphoric fusion of amapiano and indie pop. It's music that'll make perfect sense if you've caught one of Bondy's notorious DJ sets, where you might hear anything from American Football and Jessica Pratt next to Gwen Stefani, Skinny Puppy or Sneaker Pimps. It’s this chaotic, open-hearted approach - which also plays a part in the Shineteac material - that makes 'XO Salt Lif3' so effortlessly enjoyable.
Seeking out the inspirational intersection between free improvisation, rave and ancient mysticism, Plants Heal deliver an album of kaleidoscopic, organic beatdowns to Quindi.
Plants Heal is a collaborative project between Dan Nicholls on synths, Dave De Rose on drums and Lou Zon (aka Louise Boer) on visuals. The roots of the project are entwined with Dan and Lou's London-based event Free Movements, which began in 2018 to explore how instrumental music could merge with live electronics and DJ sets. Dave and Dan found themselves playing together frequently at the event and as part of Dave's free improv project Agile Experiments, with their accomplished track records as multi-instrumentalists reaching across many layers of music culture. The particular synergy of their partnership taps into the subliminal, surreal and transcendental soundscapes, but they're reliably anchored by instinctive rhythms and driven by a natural flow-state.
From the tentative steps of their first collaborations, Dan and Dave coalesced Plants Heal as a more pronounced project with Lou's live visuals, culminating in a first self-released album in 2021 and since organically fed and watered through continued performances across adventurous festivals and intimate club spaces. Every incremental step along the path of the project yielded new surprises and the deepening sense of a unique, powerful energy. The trio opted to pour this energy into two days of studio sessions at Sonic Playground Studios in Athens, maintaining their unplanned approach and letting the music and visuals unfold in the moment. The end result is Forest Dwellers, a sincere document of truly free music that uses the rhythmic structure of dance and trance music as a springboard into heightened consciousness.
Throughout the album you can hear hints of the familiar - dub techno shimmers, trip hop boom-bap, kosmische momentum, snarling bass modulation, new age ambience and even the odd sizzle of disco. But none of these references are explicit, and they weave in and out of less placeable expressions deeply bedded into Dan and Dave's sonic practices. The end result is a swirling tapestry of unspooling groove, wide open and agile enough to shift gears mid-flow - just as comfortable letting the propulsion melt away as locking into a four-to-the-floor throwdown. From the slippery syncopation of 'Avena Moon' to the angular bait-and-switch of 'Alien Hardware', 'Yarrow's starry-eyed reverie and the rolling, warm-hearted funk of 'Space Ballad', the Plants Heal sound world is expansive and equally enthusiastic for immediate musical motifs as much as wild abstraction.
Lou's visual practice is an intrinsic part of the project. During performances she improvises with analogue footage from her library run through video mixers and synthesisers, focused on medicinal plants such as yarrow, hawthorn, nettle and thistle. All those plants feature in processed form on the cover of the record, which was designed in collaboration with Lou's brother Arthur Boer. Meanwhile, Lou recorded additional footage in Athens during the recording sessions to feed into the continued cycle of the project's live evolution.
Forest Dwellers' meaning honours this cycle and its reflection of the eternal undulations of the natural world. It's also a sincere tribute to the spiritual importance and radical potential of the dancefloor, drawn from the freedom taught by jazz and dedicated to reclaiming lost ideas about community, agency, bodies and the enduring allure of the unknown.
The Éthiopiques series returns! Essential archive recordings from an extremely fruitful period in Ethiopian music.
Before “Swinging Addis” took over the world, there was Moussié Nerses Nalbandian — the Armenian-born composer who shaped modern Ethiopian music. Mentor, arranger, and pioneer, he laid the foundations of Ethio-jazz.
This Éthiopiques volume revives his forgotten legacy, recorded live by Either/ Orchestra First issue ever with new exclusive photos and in depth liner 8-page insert.
“Ethiopian jazzmen are the best musicians that we have seen so far in Africa.
They really are promising handlers of jazz instruments.”
Wilbur De Paris
(1959, after a concert in Addis Ababa)
አዲስ፡ዘመን። *Addis zèmèn* **A new era.**
The time is the mid-1950s and early 1960s, just before "Swinging Addis" bloomed – or rather boomed – onto the scene. Brass instruments are still dominant, but the advent of the electric guitar, and the very first electronic organs, are just around the corner. Rock’n'Roll, R’n’B, Soul and the Twist have not yet barged their way in. Addis Ababa is steeped in the big band atmosphere of the post-war era, with Glenn Miller's *In the* *Mood* as its world-wide theme song, neck and neck with the Latin craze that was in vogue at the same period. Life has become enjoyable once again, with the return of peace after the terrible Italian Fascist invasion of Ethiopia (1935-1941). The redeployment of modern music is part and parcel of the postwar reconstruction. *Addis zèmèn* – a new era – is the watchword of the postwar period, just as it was all across war-torn Europe.
The generation who were the young parents of baby boomers** were the first to enjoy this musical renaissance, before the baby boomers themselves took over and forever super-charged the soundtrack of the final days of imperial reign. Music is Ethiopia's most popular art form, and very often serves as the best barometer for the upsurge of energy that is critical for reconstruction. Whether it be jazz in Saint-Germain-des-Prés or the *zazous* who revolutionised both jazz and French *chanson* after the *Libération*, be it Madrid's post-Franco Movida, or Dada, the Surrealists and *les années folles* that followed World War I, the periods just after mourning and hardship always give rise to brighter and more tuneful tomorrows. Addis Ababa, as the country's capital, and the epicentre of change, was no exception to this vital rule.
**Two generations of Nalbandian musicians**
Nersès Nalbandian belonged to a family of Armenian exiles, who had moved to Ethiopia in the mid-1920s. The uncle Kevork arrived along with the fabled "*Arba Lidjotch*", the** "*40 Kids*", young Armenian orphans and musicians that the Ras Tafari had recruited when he visited Jerusalem in 1924, intending to turn their brass band into the official imperial band. If Kevork Nalbandian was the one who first opened the way of modernism, pushing innovation so far as to invent musical theatre, it was his nephew Nersès who would go on to become, from the 1940s and until his death in 1977, a pivotal figure of modern Ethiopian music and of the heights it. Going all the way back to the 1950s. Nothing less. And it is Nersès who is largely to thank for the brassy colours that so greatly contributed to the international renown of Ethiopian groove. While the younger generations today venture timidly into the genealogy of their country's modern music, often losing their way amidst a distinctly xenophobic historiographical complacency, many survivors of the imperial period are still around to bear witness and pay tribute to the essential role that "Moussié Nersès" played in the rise of Abyssinia's musical modernity.
Given the year of his birth (15 March 1915), no one knows for sure if Nersès Nalbandian was born in Aintab, today Gaziantep (Turkiye/former Ottoman Empire) or on the other side of the border in Alep, Syria... What is certain is that his family, like the entire Armenian community, was amongst the victims of the genocide perpetrated by the Turks. Alep, the place of safety – today in ruins.
Before Nersès then, there was uncle Kevork (1887-1963). For a quarter of a century, he was a whirlwind of activity in music teaching and theatrical innovation. *Guèbrè Mariam le Gondaré* (የጎንደሬ ገብረ ማርያም አጥቶ ማግኘት, 1926 EC=1934) is his most famous creation. This play included "ten Ethiopian songs" — a totally innovative approach. According to his autobiographical notes, preserved by the Nalbandian family, Kevork indicates that he composed some 50 such pieces over the course of his career. This shows just how much he understood, very early on, the critical importance of song as Ethiopia's crowning artistic form. Indeed, for Ethiopian listeners, the most important thing is the lyrics, with all their multifarious mischief, far more than a strong melody, sophisticated arrangements or even an exceptional voice. (This is also why Ethiopians by and large, and beginning with the artists and producers themselves, believed for a long time — and wrongly — that their music could not possibly be exported, and could never win over audiences abroad, who did not speak the country's languages).
Last but not least, one of Kevork's major contributions remains composing Ethiopia's first national anthem – with lyrics by Yoftahé Negussié.
Nersès Nalbandian moved to Ethiopia at the end of the 1930s, at the behest of his ground-breaking uncle. Proficient in many instruments (pretty much everything but the drums), conductor, choir director, composer, arranger, adapter, creator, piano tuner, purveyor of rented pianos,... he was above all an energetic and influential teacher. From 1946 onwards, thanks to Kevork's connexion, Nersès was appointed musical director of the Addis Ababa Municipality Band. In just a few years, Nersès transformed it into the first truly modern ensemble, thanks to the quality of his teaching, his choice of repertoire, and the sophistication of his arrangements. It was this group that would go on to become the orchestra of the Haile Selassie Theatre shortly after its inauguration in 1955, which was a major celebration of the Emperor's jubilee, marking the 25th anniversary of his on-again-off-again reign.
At some point or other in his long career, Nersès Nalbandian had a hand in the creation of just about every institutional band (Municipality Band, Police Orchestra, Imperial Bodyguard Band, Army Band, Yared Music School…), but it was with the Haile Selassie Theatre – today the National Theatre – that his abilities were most on display, up until his death in 1977. To this must be added the development of choral singing in Ethiopia, hitherto unknown, and a sort of secret garden dedicated to the memory of Armenian sacred music, and brought together in two thick, unpublished volumes. Shortly before his death (November 13, 1977), he was appointed to lead the impressive Ethiopian delegation at Festac in Lagos, Nigeria (January-February 1977).
His status as a stateless foreigner regularly excluded him from the most senior positions, in spite of the respect he commanded (and commands to this day) from the musicians of his era. Naturally gifted and largely self-taught, Nerses was tirelessly curious about new musical developments, drawing inspiration from the very first imported records, and especially from listening intensely to the musical programmes broadcast over short-wave radio – BBC *First*. A prolific composer and arranger, he was constantly mindful of formalising and integrating Ethiopian parameters (specific “musical modes”, pentatonic scale, and the dominance of ternary rhythms) into his “modernisation” of the musical culture, rather than trying to over-westernise it. It even seems very probable that *Moussié* Nerses made a decisive contribution to the development of tighter music-teaching methods, in order to revitalise musical education during this period of prodigious cultural ferment. Flying in the face of all the historiographical and musicological evidence, it is taken as sacrosanct dogma that the four musical modes or chords officially recognised today, the *qǝñǝt* or *qiñit* (ቅኝት), are every bit as millennial as Ethiopia itself. It would appear however that some streamlining of these chords actually took place in around 1960. It was only from this time onward that music teaching was structured around these four fundamental musical modes and chords: *Ambassel*, *Bati*, *Tezeta* and *Antchi Hoyé*. A historical and musical “details” that is, apparently, difficult to swallow, especially if that should honour a *foreigner*. Modern Ethiopian music has Nersès to thank for many of its standards and, to this day, it is not unusual for the National Radio to broadcast thunderous oldies that bear unmistakable traces of his outrageously groovy touch.
Hanagasumi, or "flowering haze," is a Japanese term that poetically describes the smoky, blurred appearance of numerous cherry blossoms visible from a distance. This image is often compared to a floral mist or fog. Through this word, the Japanese convey the visual effect created by a large number of flowers forming a soft, diffused, and ethereal picture. Such a description beautifully resonates with the musical palette of the new release. Introducing the long-awaited album Agera by the mysterious musician Jon'Smu. The record combines elements of classic deep house and ambient music, creating a unique atmosphere and the author's distinctive signature. The album features 8 stunning tracks, carefully selected and compiled into a cohesive story. A few words from the author: "This album, spanning a vast timeline of creativity, is about how important and interesting it is to be in motion and in constant search of something new. The recordings presented cover a significant interval of my musical journey through the diversity of genres and sound experimentation. At the core of the music lies Nature - it is the primary source of inspiration for me, and Action is a key moment of life for everything in nature. A wide range of instruments was used in the recording process, whether fully digital compositions or those featuring vintage analog instruments. I hope my love for an immense variety of genres is reflected in this album and brings joy to the listeners."
(Grey & Black Splatter effect 12’’ vinyl) Supported by leading artists such as Charlotte de Witte, Mha Iri, Amelie Lens, Klaudia Gawlas, Thomas Schumacher and more. Vibes Addikt, the label of N.O.B.A proudly unveils its latest vinyl release: a full-power EP from French producer Sta’an.
After previously appearing on the imprint, Sta’an returns with his first complete EP on Vibes Addikt, this time delivering a fully immersive project pressed on a grey splattered vinyl, echoing the aesthetic of the label’s previous collectors’ editions.
With five striking tracks oscillating between techno and hard trance, Sta’an showcases his signature intensity: driving kicks, razor-sharp synths, hypnotic atmospheres and high-voltage energy built for peak-time moments. Each track channels a raw yet modern rave spirit, perfectly aligned with the identity of Vibes Addikt.
With this explosive release, the label continues to push its techno-trance hybrid forward, cementing its place among the most impactful underground platforms for DJs seeking pure, cutting-edge dancefloor power.
FAFO Records proudly presents its 36th release: Bahe Lumon EP, a long-awaited work by Giorgio Robles, founder of the label and a key figure in the underground scene. Originally produced over two years ago, this EP finally sees the light-delivering a deep, hypnotic, and groove-heavy journey rooted in minimal techno. The release features two original tracks, Bahe and Lumon, reflecting Giorgio's signature approach: elegant, rhythmic, and crafted for intimate dancefloors. The EP is further enriched by two outstanding remixes: one from Herman Saiz, a seasoned producer and founder of the acclaimed label Sound of Sirius (which previously featured a joint release with Giorgio), and another from Venda, a well-known name in the global minimal scene. Based in Australia, Venda has built a solid reputation through a series of quality vinyl releases, and his remix here is no exception. As always, this is a vinyl-only release, distributed by Memoria Records, and aimed at selectors, collectors, and true lovers of underground sounds.
Manizeh Rimer, founder of London’s Love Supreme Projects, announces her debut album Mahku, releasing on vinyl and all digital platforms on December 5, 2025 via LEITER.
A bold contribution to contemporary spiritual jazz, the album was co-produced by LEITER labelmate ganavya – who recently released the celebrated Daughter of a Temple and Nilam. Recorded in early 2025 at LEITER’s Funkhaus Studio in Berlin, Mahku features eight chants, including a reimagined version of Fleetwood Mac’s Landslide, with ganavya appearing on three tracks.
The album brings together a stellar cast: Grammy-nominated Jai Uttal; bassists Ben Hazleton and Doug Weiss; harpist Miriam Adefris; pianist Jay Verma; and Manizeh‘s teenage daughter, Mahku Rimer, on vocals and guitar. Tracks range from a 3,000-year-old Zoroastrian prayer (‘Ashem Vohu’) to Sanskrit and Buddhist mantras (‘Asato Ma’, ‘Gate Gate Paragate’) to the devotional ‘Avan’s Sita Ram’, dedicated to Manizeh‘s late mother.
Mahku means “eclipse” and is also the name of Manizeh’s grandmother. Developed from her long-standing chanting practice and deep creative partnership with ganavya, the album opens and closes with three generations of women’s voices, exploring music as a timeless, intergenerational loop. Recorded in a space Manizeh describes as “suspending you in an infinite river of time,” Mahku is both personal ritual and universal offering, flowing through lineage, loss, and love.
A year after her rebirth on the 2.0 EP, Maedon returns to her Rant & Rave imprint with the intentions of her previous release now distilled and focused into bold new forms. Whereas before the artist was transitioning from her earlier work towards new directions, Matter & Form arrives as an extended concept piece featuring four variations on a bracing, developed sound, an equally impressive remix from Lady Starlight, and a contrasting mix of the opening track. Where 2.0 charted emergence, 'Entelechy I-IV' unites to actualize this potential into a single-minded purpose behind fundamental principles.
Immediately launching into territory her last release only hinted at, 'Entelechy I' is a showcase for her now-mature approach. Her rhythmic dexterity and groove focus remains, with drum programs subtly evolving phrase by phrase, but they now form the basis for layered, complex compositions in a decidedly contemporary vein. 'Entelechy II' shifts focus towards the arrangement while keeping its drums steadily driving, drawing attention to details in its densely designed sounds through deliberate, gradual processing. Relaxing the tempo slightly, 'Entelechy III' fills in the extra space with more dark atmospherics and finely detailed soundscapes, finding a heavy medium between dark ambience and hammering techno. Another deeper effort, 'Entelechy IV' counterbalances insistent, finely-tooled percussive bleeps and equally persistent bass figures against another sweeping bass pulse, at times breaking down into carefully-controlled atonal aggression. Lady Starlight's remix is skeletal in comparison, deploying its parts sequentially over ticker hi hats and a massive kick while using small shifts to incrementally build tension. 'Entelechy I (Bent Mix)' is more accurately described as hellbent, stripping out the original's harmonic elements to grind the heavy rhythmic workout against an unrelenting acid line.
Arguably one of the most memorable house music moments, born out of the black LGBT scene in Chicago at the legendary Warehouse and known as one of Frankie Knuckles earliest productions; ‘Your Love’ is a stone cold classic. A record that is up there with the greats, instantly recognisable and a song that only get better with time.
Written by Jamie Principle and originally released in 1986, ‘Your Love’ has become a seminal recording over the past 34 years. Originally an underground club anthem, famously borrowed on the crossover hit ‘You’ve Got The Love’ (The Source feat. Candi Staton), and most recently re-produced by as part of the Director’s Cut project which aimed to update a number of classic cuts for the modern dancefloor, this is a record that endures the test of time. Working alongside The Frankie Knuckles Foundation and Eric Kupper, SoSure Music now releases two new remixes for 2020 from Darrius Syrossian and Alan Dixon.
First up, House music aficionado and legendary Sankey’s resident Darius Syrossian offers his unique blend of beats to the remix package. With releases on the likes of Get Physical, Viva Music and Hot Creations, Darius’ production is heavily influenced by some of the greats – think of the finest spinners from Detroit, New York and Chicago – and is well placed to approach this huge task. Darius introduces a rolling house beat and some old skool breakbeats into his mix, keeping the energy high throughout; bringing a feeling of a euphoria and hitting the peak time moment.
Charting a rapid rise through the ranks in a relatively short time Alan Dixon is already building a name for himself in House and Nu Disco scene and has recently released on labels including Glitterbox, Permanent Vacation, Running Back and True Romance. Alan’s remix aims directly at the centre of the disco dancefloor. A strong beat dominates a unique energy through the mix along with a slightly nostalgic vibe. With a beautiful floaty interlude and a raw emotion this remix updates a classic with respect while also giving a fresh new twist.
Even before the launch of the Concorde MkII, we have always studied the feedback of our customers and how they utilize our products.
Skilled DJs demand specialized tools that can help them push their creativity to the edge – consistently testing the boundaries in the realm of performance.
Understanding this and reflecting our extensive experience in industrial design and technological know-how, we present the Ortofon VNL cartridge – a model tailored uniquely to the unrelenting demands of modern turntablists and portablists.
The VNL features and improvements
? Extra resistance to hardcore scratching and back spinning
? High tracking performance for both DVS usage and real vinyl
? Optimal balance of output and of sound quality
Technological improvements have been applied for the benefits of all users:
- Ultrasonic welding of the components ensures high rigidity and freedom from resonances.
- Robotic assembly of stylus assembly offers high precision and uniformity of industrial production.
VNL Premounted
Expertly paired and premounted on our popular black SH-4 Headshell, the VNL Single cartridge is compatible with any standard DJ turntable and tonearm.
The quality of the SH-4 headshell is sturdy and rigid, with high quality tonearm terminal connections. One of the standout features of the VNL Premounted cartridge is its versatility. The universal mount fitting allows it to be used with a wide range of S-shaped tonearms, making it a great option for DJs who use multiple setups. The ergonomic design of the headshell includes a long finger lift that is easy to pick up and use, making it ideal for busy DJ sessions. And with its plug and play design, the VNL Premounted cartridge is ready to go right out of the box!
Features:
?Premounted on Ortofon SH-4 Black headshell
?Universal mount fitting a wide range of S-shaped tonearms
?Correct Baerwald alignment with the major part of tonearms with universal mount
The VNL Premounted is supplied with the stylus VNL II premounted on the VNL cartridge body.
3 different feels to fine-tune your performance
To match the multiple applications of modern DJs, the VNL is interchangeable with 3 different styli with suspension types of varying feel and rigidity:
- Stylus VNL I compliance, dynamic lateral 16 μm/m N - Flexible
- Stylus VNL II compliance, dynamic lateral 15 μm/m N - Rigid
- Stylus VNL III compliance, dynamic lateral 14 μm/m N - Firm
DJs can easily identify which stylus type best suits their individual DJ style and enables their absolute best performance capability.
All three VNL styli variants are available separately.
The VNL SINGLE PACK is supplied with the stylus VNL II premounted on the VNL cartridge body.
Output voltage at 1000Hz, 5cm/sec. - 6 mV
Channel separation at 1kHz - 20 dB
Frequency response 20 Hz - 20 kHz -2/+4 dB
Tracking ability at 315 Hz at recommended tracking force:
VNL I 100 μm
VNL II 90 μm
VNL III 90 μm
Compliance, dynamic lateral:
VNL I 16 μm/m N
VNL II 15 μm/m N
VNL III 14 μm/m N
Tracking force range - 3 - 5 g
Tracking force recommended - 4 g
Internal impedance, DC resistance - 750 Ohm
Internal inductance - 450 mH
Recommended load resistance - 47 kOhm
Recommended load capacitance - 200-600 pF
Cartridge weight - 6,5 g
Replacement stylus units: VNL I, VNL II, VNL III
Antiskating: for best backcueing performance use “0”
After following Luke Blair's work for approaching two decades from his 2007 debut as Lukid on Actress' Werk Discs, we're humbled to present a new album on Death Is Not The End. Following relatively hot on the heels of 2023's Tilt (his first in 11 years, not counting his work with Jackson Bailey under the Rezzett guise) Underloop brings Blair's innate knack for building loops and sound structures further to the surface, while allowing his ear for emotional expression to be dialled up a notch. Those fortunate enough to be familiar with Lukid's work as a DJ will be aware of how distinct his ability is to seamlessly disappear into loop-based abstraction and back again seemingly without blinking, and often Underloop feels much like a collection of the sludgey interludes and foggy sketches that underpin his sets. Blending apparently ramshackle melodies and textures and pulling them together into an undeniable whole, Blair's tendency for pairing the simple and the indescribable with an understated vigour is fully on show here.
Written and produced by Luke Blair. Mastered by Giuseppe Ielasi.
This holiday season, global hip-hop icon Ice Cube makes a powerful return with Man Up — a brand-new album from a cultural trailblazer whose influence spans music, film, and activism. With over 10 million albums sold and six Platinum plaques, Cube’s legacy is undisputed, from his revolutionary work with N.W.A. to timeless solo anthems like “It Was a Good Day.” Now, sharper and more unapologetic than ever, he’s back to deliver a project that fuses his raw lyrical power with a message rooted in resilience and authenticity.
To mark the release, Man Up will be available exclusively as an ultra-limited vinyl drop this holiday season. Each record features a one-of-a-kind hand-crafted cover — a unique blend of artisanal design and proprietary technology (created without A.I.) — alongside city- and country-specific sleeves that pay homage to Cube’s global impact in places like LA, Tokyo, London, and France. The campaign will be amplified through a global social media rollout, city-focused influencer activations, and Ice Cube’s upcoming North American tour. Major press coverage and podcast appearances will further elevate the conversation, making Man Up not just an album, but a collector’s piece and cultural moment fans won’t want to miss.
DJ Minx, Boogie Vice & N-You-Up, The People in Fog, and Jabes remix Radio Slave & Kameelah Waheed’s ‘All Rize’ on Rekids
Radio Slave presents the second remix EP for ‘All Rize’, releasing 19th December 2025, a follow-up to his May collaboration with Kameelah Waheed, enlisting DJ Minx, Boogie Vice & N-You-Up, DJ Sodeyama’s The People in Fog alias, and Jabes to reimagine the track. It follows the first remix package, featuring Harry Romero and Samaran in October, which won support from Laurent Garnier, Chloé Caillet, Saoirse, Honey Dijon, and many more.
Detroit’s First Lady of Wax, DJ Minx, follows her appearance at Rekids’ Panorama Bar takeover in August and steps up first. Her remix is a raw, club-ready workout built around a relentless groove and Kameelah Waheed’s commanding vocal mantra, as bleeps and whistles dance across the mix. Linking Cape Town and Southern France, Boogie Vice & N-You-Up follow their 2025 EP on REK’D and deliver a deep cut that slowly builds tension, its organic percussion and warm bassline leading toward a strobe-lit, tripped-out drop.
On the flip of the second ‘All Rize’ remix EP, Japan’s DJ Sodeyama, under his The People in Fog alias, drifts into more hypnotic territory. Lush pads wash over a low-slung beat and bassline, trading the club for the walk to the after-hours by carrying Waheed’s vocal into something surreal and dreamlike. Completing this left-of-centre B-side, Timedance and Kindergarten’s Jabes twists the original into a warped, textural trip with scratching layers and distorted vocal fragments that pierce through a dense atmosphere. If Sodeyama’s version is the dream, Jabes’ is the chaotic counterpart that follows.
The interstellar electronics are once more pushed to the fore on closer '80 Axes', where jaunty synth lines combine with soft bongo hits to create an instinctive rhythm, and intergalactic melodies sprint between the speakers. You can dance if you want to, but lying down is very much encouraged.
As part of the label's mission to champion Dutch talent, Voyage Direct has always promoted new, up and coming, and little-known producers. Boss Tom Trago's master plan includes building a family of artists, in part through helping unheralded local producers to fulfill their potential.
On the label's latest release, he continues that approach, serving up a debut 12' from a mysterious young producer known only as Darling. Those paying close attention to the wider Dutch house and techno scene may have spotted his recent rework of Awanto3's 'Star Butchers' on Dekmantel, in which the man or woman of mystery added some killer keys to the Amsterdam legend's woozy, deep house original.
While that rework was undoubtedly superb, Jacob's Lead offers a truer reflection of the shadowy producer's previously hidden talents. As debut EPs go, it's a bit of a cracker.
The title track, in particular, is a beauty. Its' restless, hypnotic rhythm tips a wink to classic Dutch techno of old, while the undulating, analogue electronics and swirling pads recall the far-sighted retro-futurism of vintage Motor City material. Throw in some of Darling's trademark spine-tingling keys and a deliciously loved-up breakdown, and you have a choice chunk of life-affirming techno.
On the flip, Darling heads towards deeper territory with the bubbling melodies, starburst electronics and saucer-eyed chords of 'Video'. Unashamedly positive in sound and intent, it sounds like the kind of track that will be cited as a classic in two decades time. Melodious and infectious, it casts Darling as the Netherlands' answer to Larry Heard.
Yamaha's DX series of synthesizers has long been a source of inspiration for Tom Trago. The DX7, in particular, appeals to the Dutch producer thanks to a unique sound that he describes as glassy but classic and icy'. 34 years after it went on sale - the same year as Trago was born, interestingly - the synthesizer's sound still bristles with futurist appeal.
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Trago, who was partially trained in how to use the DX7 by studio friends Bok Bok, Sterac Electronics and Juju and Jordash, has decided to pay tribute to this most distinctive of synthesizers by using it as inspiration for Serene Waters, his first EP for Voyage Direct since 2014 epic Hidden Heart of Gold.
Across the course of five sparkling, spacey and melodious tracks, the Voyage Direct chief showcases the variety of sounds that can be teased from the DX7. Compare, for example, the delicate and rush-inducing melodies of dreamy, deep electro opener Harvest' and the two contrasting mixes of Opulent'', variations on a throbbing, futurist techno theme rich in glacial melody lines, bustling synth-bass and spacey chords. The dancefloor possibilities of the synthesizer's sound palette comes to the fore on the stripped-back Within Mix', where Trago's rolling stabs and cascading melodies are wrapped in tougher, denser drums.
The sparkling nature of the DX7's trademark sounds also come to the fore on XYZ', a crunchier and snappier electro outing that recall the effervescent brilliance of Trago's sometime label mate, Sterac Electronics. The track's combination of darting bass and mind-altering, alien electronics is as kaleidoscopic as they come.
Nestled slap bang in the centre of the EP is Red Room', where Trago manipulates his machines to get a far more psychedelic sound. While there's vibrant warmth thanks to some seductive background pads and stretched-out chords, it's the bubbling electronincs and futurist tunefulness that catches the ear. Like much of the rest of the EP, it tiptoes the fine line between poignancy and rush-inducing colourfulness.
‘Açid Blüüs Räägs Vol.2’ is the latest evolution of the sound of last year’s Volume 1. The debut album was described by Joe Banks for Shindig! Magazine as; “Shivering slabs of drone blues transcendentalism…a burning junkyard of sheet metal blues… Hot stuff.” Volume 2 builds on the skronk blues guitar, sax and electronic drones of it’s predecessor, to explore cosmic free jazz, concrete exotica and dub, channelling influences of Moondog, Terry Riley, 75 Dollar Bill and Wolf Eyes. Playing like the imagined film soundtracks to a dystopian, re-wilded, post eco crash world in the style of Tarkovsky's ‘Stalker’ and ’Solaris’, Jodorowsky's surreal desert western ‘El Topo’, or the early novels of JG Ballard. This new collection sees the addition of minimal analogue drum machine loops as well as live instrumental contributions from the new players of the ever evolving Invocation band, plus some superstar guest contributors.
Featuring five brand new tracks, including the forthcoming single; ‘Cosmic Fanfare’, has already picked up BBC 6 Music support from Gideon Coe. The new album was mixed by Alex McGowan (aka Captain Future) of Space Eko Studios and features Invocation band regulars Rick Jensen of Apocalypse Jazz Unit, Skronk and Oneirologist on sax and bass clarinet, Will Emms aka Tiki Eerie on melodica, horns and claviola, plus special guest appearances from Duke Garwood on clarinet and Mikey 'Moondog' Chestnut of Snapped Ankles on bass synth. “….Acid fried kosmiche blues meets drone raag transcendentalism”. Jonny Halifax is a primitivist free blues outsider, sonic shaman of the acid fuzzed lap steel guitar, demented blower of the howling harmonica of doom. His new band project now combines avant swamp blues heaviosity with kosmic free jazz experimentalism in a fluid collective of godless raag brut improvisations - sonic visions of an hallucinatory apocalyptic near future. Inspired by Henry Flynt’s avant bluegrass experiments fusing country blues with eastern acoustic musical stylings, Spacemen 3’s contemporary sitar music, and the monolithic drone doom immersion of Sunn 0))), THE JONNY HALIFAX INVOCATION build hypnotic instrumental soundscapes using lap steel and homemade slide guitars, harmonica and alto sax. Underpinned by layers of acoustic and electronic drone instruments and fed through an arsenal of pedalboard electronics that would make Kevin Shields weep, the blues are transmogrified, unhinged, reduced and re-imagined as intoxicating, trance-inducing, feedback-drenched noise paintings. THE JONNY HALIFAX INVOCATION follows Jonny’s junkshop skronk blues one man band Honkeyfinger, and the Julian Cope endorsed gospel fuzz psychedelia of Jonny Halifax & The Howling Truth, whilst not forgetting his ambient drone metal side project; Deathenteredinerror. His musical CV also includes studio contributions to tracks by Andrew Weatherall’s Two Lone Swordsmen, UK metal behemoths Orange Goblin, Heck and Melting Hand.
Two years after he first appeared on Balmat with 1977, Mike Paradinas returns with 1979. The sense of continuity between the two records is clear, and not just from their titles. Both capture the Planet Mu head venturing into the wilderness, seeking something—half-formed memories, thoughts caught in midair—in some of the most abstract, searching music he has released.
Just like 1977, 1979 surveys a synth-heavy array of ethereal soundscapes, ominous crevasses, and strange, psychedelic fugues. Like its predecessor, the new album’s atmospheric cast sets it apart from much of the work Paradinas has released as μ-Ziq on Planet Mu. It’s not strictly an ambient record, but it’s close, as close as this famously mutable artist ever comes to inhabiting a particular genre.
Paradinas’ inspiration for the record began on visits to the Spanish cities of Ávila and Majadahona, where his family hails from. That might account for the sense that there are spirits flitting through this music, presences you can intuit if not quite grasp. But 1979 is also a record to meet on your own terms, and to find your own meanings in.
It’s a stunning record, every track a world unto itself: the mysterious contours of “Majadahonda at Dawn”; the playful melodic fillips of “Clari”; the airy melancholy of “Galletas”; the full-scale breakbeat abandon (yes, you read that right) of “Houzz 14,” the rarest of dancefloor detours for Balmat. There are echoes of classic braindance and isolationist ambient and golden-age IDM; there are easter eggs and recurring themes and hidden symmetries. Every time we listen, we discover something new. Despite what the title might suggest, it’s less a trip back in time than a portal to another universe, a destination for(to?) which only Mike Paradinas knows the exact coordinates. – Philip Sherburne, Balmat
SOULMEEX record label marks its first anniversary in November 2025 with a milestone release: the label’s debut 7-inch. This special edition offers a new opportunity to expand its catalogue of forward-thinking sounds while honoring the timeless spirit of vinyl.
For the occasion, SOULMEEX presents signature tracks from NYC-based artist Evan Michael, whose productions balance depth and groove with finesse. On Side A, “Drifted Past” flows with hypnotic textures and steady momentum, creating a journey that bridges nostalgia and modern club energy. Side B, “Total Fiction” reveals a darker, more intricate narrative, weaving subtle rhythms and immersive layers that highlight Michael’s skill in uniting experimentation with dancefloor appeal.
As in the label’s very first release a year ago, the artwork is once again crafted by watercolor artist Celia Egea, whose visual language perfectly captures the spirit and emotion behind SOULMEEX sound.
More than a record, this release acts as a bridge between tradition and innovation, embodying the SOULMEEX vision: connecting timeless electronica aesthetics with fresh artistic voices. One year of music, community, and creative exploration.
Amotik recruits Norway's Kameliia and Dallas-based Decoder for the third split EP on his increasingly essential AMTK+ label.
Kameliia's hypnotic and atmospheric music has appeared on the likes of Overbalance and Unterwegs, where she has previously flexed her sophisticated take on sound design and heady soundscapes with driving and physical grooves. Decoder recently started his new Toca label with Jay York and has previously appeared on labels like Subsist, Float and Jeff Mills' legendary Axis.
Kameliia kicks off with the heavy and thumping 'Beyond', combining forceful drums and a slow, mystical synth lead that encourages you to follow it deep into the night. '8-12' is another perfect fusion of the head and body with supple percussion smeared with balmy and cosmic chords for a classy and immersive cut.
Decoder opens the B-side with 'Kalpavriksha', a twitchy and paranoid cut laced with bleeps and pulses, crafting a futuristic soundscape that grows ever more intense. 'Swayambhu' brings experimental shades with its tightly interlaced drums and synths beneath an unsettling synth line that whistles like a storm. Closing the release is the excellent 'Velinattu,' a buoyant track that's warm and full of delicate percussive layers.
Uruguayan-based Diego Infanzon makes his debut on Partout with a powerful EP that bridges the energy of classic House and the raw pulse of Techno. Known for his groove-driven productions and hypnotic rhythmic language, Infanzon delivers a collection of tracks built for heavy rotation, blending sharp drum work, deep atmospheres and his unmistakable sense of movement on the dancefloor. Carrying the spirit of openness to genres and freedom in sound, the EP reflects the forward-thinking approach that has defined Infanzon’s rise across labels like Cod3QR, Turbo Recordings and Sous Music, now landing naturally within Partout’s vision.
On “Cold Sweat,” James Brown famously called to “give the drummer some.” In 1974, Philadelphia vibraphonist Khan Jamal called to Give the Vibes Some, with superb results. Pianist and composer Jef Gilson’s PALM label gave Jamal the platform he needed to deliver a thorough exploration of contemporary vibraphone. After launching PALM in 1973, Gilson quickly demonstrated that he would only produce records not found anywhere else. Give the Vibes Some, PALM number 10, was another confirmation of this guiding principle.
Raised and based in Philadelphia, Khan Jamal took up the vibes in 1968, after two years in the army during which he was stationed in France and Germany. Decisively drawn to the instrument by the work of the Modern Jazz Quartet’s Milt Jackson, Jamal studied under Philadelphia vibraphone legend Bill Lewis and soon made his debuts in the local underground.
Early in 1972, Jamal made his first recording, with the Sounds of Liberation. The band attempted an original fusion of conga-heavy grooves with avant-garde jazz soloing. Saxophonist Byard Lancaster, an important figure in Jamal’s development, contributed much of the solo work. Later in 1972, Jamal made his leader debut with Drum Dance to the Motherland, a reverb-drenched, never-to-be-replicated experiment with live sound processing. Both albums appeared on the tiny musician-run Dogtown label.
“We couldn’t get no play from nowhere. No gigs or recording sessions or anything. So I took off for Paris,” Jamal recalled in a Cadence interview with Ken Weiss. “Within a few weeks, I had a few articles and I did a record date. It didn’t make me feel good about America.” That was in 1974, while Byard Lancaster was recording the music gathered on Souffle Continu’s recent The Complete PALM Recordings, 1973-1974.
Jamal’s record date delivered Give the Vibes Some. At its core, it was an exploratory solo vibraphone album, even if two tracks added (through technological resourcefulness?) a très célèbre French drummer very much into Elvin Jones appearing under pseudonym for contractual reasons. Another track, for which Jamal switched to the vibes’s wooden ancestor, the marimba, added young Texan trumpeter Clint Jackson III. The most notable article published on Jamal during this stay in France was a Jazz Magazine interview. Jamal’s last word there were “The Creator has a master plan/drum dance to the motherland.” “Give the vibes some” could be added to this programmatic statement.
The White Chief project has been defined by her creator as the background character for self_sabotage deconstruction. Deeply inspired in early Industrial, Noise and Power Electronics taking, musically and conceptually some development model acts like Throbbing Gristle or Whitehouse, and certain complex lyrical compositions like could be some Fad Gadget tracks, Maria Barros, a colombian dj and producer known as Gatasanta delivers 5 dense, raw, noisey and dark cuts with the aesthetical connotation of the violent modern times, created among other analogical sounds with multiple Moog bass lines. This record includes also, two tracks from AMAS, Gatasanta's first live project with artist performer Ivana Ray Singh, both artists based in Barcelona. These two tracks appears on the EP as a tribute to the duo's early years of electronic production and performance tours around. All tracks has been produced 100% hardware.
French producer stuckinwaveforms makes his casa voyager debut with a cohesive album that threads together a fresh take across multiple genres. Each track is crafted with precision, bridging heavy-beat energy and deep listening moments. Tested and approved!
Finally out is this eagerly-awaited release of SUNANDBASS Recordings, Hits Me In Waves EP by Mark System. Friends and close members of the SAB family know it's been brewing for the last decade, appearing in bits in aftermovies and we are beyond excited to now share it with the world.
'Hits Me In Waves' unveils three currents at once, the surging pull of inspiration, the sweep of new love, and the beautiful embrace of La Cinta's waters, all washing over in unison. Thus, each track of the EP explores a wide range of emotions and moods, expressed in multiple styles within drum & bass; the lead single 'On An Island', sets the tone with unmatched sound design, rich musical elements, and raw, uncompromising production. Next comes 'Point Of Reference', built for the dancefloor and eternally young in its refined appeal. 'Celebration' follows, a powerful track that ties the listening journey together, pairing heavy low-end weight with slick musicality to keep it both melodic and full of energy. 'Where's The Dog' stands out for its playability and tough bass synthesis, making it the hardest-hitting cut on the record. Closing the EP is the beautiful and introspective 'Started At The End', a deep dive into Mark's musical mind, offering a classic, emotive finale.
Hits Me In Waves is more than just a collection of tracks, it's a reflection of Mark's long-standing relationship with SUNANDBASS and our shared vision for music that speaks to the soul and stands the test of time. Spanning from Ibiza, this release embodies the SAB spirit: pushing the boundaries of drum & bass while fostering connection through rhythm, movement, and community.
The 12-track record is the first album on SHDW's influential label and explores the past, present, and future of techno.
Planet X label head and 20-year scene veteran Exos, hailing from Iceland, draws on his native country's influences in his work, which explores the interplay between light and dark, warmth and cold. His high-octane sounds over the last 20 years have appeared on vital imprints like Tresor, X/OZ, and, of course, Mutual Rytm, with his releases for
the label having been extremely well received, garnering support from the scene's key DJs. Whether dubby or hard, his techno is always authentic and channels the purity of the 90s style. This new album follows Exos's inaugural X-Release, the Infrared 10", the Icebreaker 12" from last year, and his track on the latest Federation of Rytm IV compilation. It's a real journey through all facets of his sound, including a trip back to his dub techno roots, ambient
explorations, and emotional vocal pieces with lifelong memories fused into sounds that reflect the artist's decades spent in Iceland.
'Sweet Dreams' opens with an atmospheric intro in the form of a 28-year-old collaboration with his father. This full-bodied analogue ambient piece is rich with the mysterious tones of the Nord Modular and was recorded during their shared studio days at D17 in Reykjavik. The title track is a hypnotic, linear groove with icy synth modulations and glistening melodies. 'Hinn Vioforli' then brings dub warmth while 'State of Mind' recalls the spirit of the legendary Reykjavik club 'Thomsen', a cornerstone of Iceland's late 90s underground scene. 'Glaour Og Reifur' and
'Fogur Er Hlioin'pay homage to the echoes of ancient Viking heritage, 'North of January' conveys the cold of Exos's homeland, and 'Hvarvetna' brings textured percussion and darker undertones before '101 After Dark' slows to a bass-heavy broken beat exploration of texture and post-dubstep pressure.
After the heady and atmospheric sound of 'The Dolphin Oracle', another key collaboration comes with 'Freefall', an emotional breakbeat piece featuring vocalist Amelia Rodriguez,' who also lends her voice to 'Shock', a magnificent track that channels Exos's modern techno energy. The album closes with a haunting paradox, 'Paradise Lost,' questioning whether our sweet dreams are truly moments of bliss or simply reflections of what we've already left behind. The three bonus digital cuts offer sleek minimalism, punchy deep techno, and suspenseful ambient.
With this new album, s8jfou resolutely turns toward the club scene and dancefloors, while preserving his unique signature: sharp technique, a subtle and playful approach combined with formidable efficiency. He also infuses a touch of nostalgia, giving the whole work a certain depth.
This is yet another demonstration of his ability to evolve while staying true to what makes him a singular and essential figure in the electronic music scene. Drawing inspiration from memory, s8jfou uses it as the guiding thread of this album, aiming to create a pictorial and visual atmosphere, punctuated by shifts in mood, as if the listener could 'zap' through their memories and make this soundtrack their own.
Through this approach, the artist seeks to evoke an intimate connection, allowing each listener to explore their own memories.
The album will be available in a limited edition, accompanied by a MIDI controller designed and crafted by s8jfou.
First album of French band La Femme released in 2013 with which they won Best New Band of the year at the French Music Awards and god certified gold. It marked also the beginning of their international recognition, confirmed since with their 2nd album Mystère in 2016 and their brand new album Paradigmes today. Includes the hits Sur La Planche, It's Time to Wake Up and Antitaxi! La Femmes's debut LP, is a mix of surf revival, updated cold wave (in a similar vein to countryman Lescop), 1960s yéyé and psychedelia. "Psycho Tropical Berlin: is apparently also their self-penned genre, they have also said "strange wave, new Motown, witch wave, silly mental wave"... whatever, aach term makes for a pillar to describe their music. Psycho Tropical Berlin is the story of a couple who slipped into chaos and survives by watching each other. Le Danger est partout - Peril is all around - as written in the booklet. Rock and pop, rococo bauhaus, fed from multiples influences (Krafwerk, Elli & Jacno). La Femme just want to please you. Generous and welcoming, she stretches you her white hand in the dark, if you grasp it, it could be the shiver of your life.
A time capsule of Long Island boogie-funk history – officially reissued for the first time!
Founded in 1978 in Amityville, Long Island, VAP Records (Virgin Archer Production) became a cult independent label known for its infectious dance grooves, soulful vocals, and DJ-friendly 12” singles that lit up clubs from New York to beyond. Now, for the very first time, the label’s most iconic tracks are compiled on vinyl in one explosive package.
What’s inside?
This “final edition” includes the best of VAP’s rare 1979–1983 output, with tracks from the label’s flagship act Final Edition (“No Limit”, “Betcha Can’t Love Just One”, “We’re Moving On Straight Ahead”), alongside club favorite Broadway – “Let’s Make It”, plus deep gems from Kevin Keys, Jazzee, and Olivia McClurkin.
Why is this essential?
• “Betcha Can’t Love Just One” gained legendary status after appearing on General Hospital and HBO’s How to Make It in America.
• Armand Van Helden’s old-school remake of Final Edition’s B-side “I Can Do It Anyway You Want” went viral, surpassing 10+ million views on YouTube, proving these grooves still ignite dancefloors.
• Original VAP 12” singles are impossible to find and often sell for hundreds of dollars. This reissue brings those classics back, mastered from the original tapes.
Collectors, DJs, and boogie enthusiasts – this one is for you. With its blend of raw disco energy, soul-drenched vocals, and timeless funk, Best of VAP Records – Final Edition is not just a compilation, but a celebration of a family-run label whose legacy shaped the underground dance scene.
Venice, Italy – 2025 Paolo Mosca, the Italian producer, composer, and DJ acclaimed for his soulful approach to electronic music, unveils his new alias I.O.N with the forthcoming debut EP Signals, set to be released on Ritmotherapy. Known for releases on Slow Life, Altered Circuits, and a recent collaboration with Alex Neri, Mosca now steps into uncharted territory fusing experimental electronics with rock-inspired textures and raw energy for the dancefloor.
Signals is a daring reimagining of 90s sonic aesthetics, drawing inspiration from the breakbeat and hip-hop influences of cult films like Blade & The Matrix. Each track on the EP blurs the line between nostalgia and innovation, layering hypnotic riffs, rolling basslines, and gripping vocal samples with futuristic precision.
The EP kicks off with “Camouflage” , where breakbeat rhythms and hip-hop flavors meet futuristic atmospheres. A grabbing vocal, heavy low-end, and hypnotic riff drive the track into a world of cinematic tension and release.
“Escape” follows with a slower tempo, but its restrained pulse only builds anticipation. Classical violin lines cut through break-driven drums, leading to a long-awaited drop that delivers an overwhelming yet deeply satisfying release.
Next, “Neo” builds momentum with a gritty 303 bassline and sharp synths, locked into a relentless 4x4 rhythm. The track feels like an expedition through acid-soaked landscapes, equal parts raw and refined.
“They Are Looking at You” closes the EP with explosive energy, bursting with hip-hop vocals that command “don’t stop. ” Propelled by a nasty bassline and oriental-inspired synth melodies, it’s a track built to ignite dancefloors and spark spontaneous breakdance energy.
With Signals, I.O.N presents more than just an EP; It's a manifesto for a new era of club music. It’s heavy yet soulful, experimental yet deeply physical, and above all, a fresh signal to the global electronic scene that something new has arrived. Reserved for their official release on Ritmotherapy, the anticipation around this project signals a bold new chapter for both artist and label.
SPHERART Records continues to shape its distinctive imprint on the underground with a new chapter in the KUNST series, introducing CUBA. a fast rising artist from Porto, Portugal.
Known for his sharp and hypnotic approach to acid driven club music, CUBA delivers his debut release, INVICTA EP, a six track journey built around twisted basslines, Progressive percussion, and futuristic tension. Each piece unfolds with precision and atmosphere, capturing the essence of long nights, heavy grooves, and pure vinyl energy.
A timeless exploration of sound and motion, INVICTA stands as both a nod to classic rave aesthetics and a step forward in SPHERART evolving sonic vision.
"H." is the band's new album, conceived as a tribute to the Beat poet Harold Norse, from whom the band already takes its name. The record develops an uninterrupted musical flow across eight tracks where post-punk, noise-rock, and shoegaze merge with an hardcore approach.
Ambroos De Schepper and Pepijn Gyssels became roommates when PiP moved to Brussels in 2021. Both paid close attention to each other’s musical approach and interests. One year later, Ambroos moved out. When he swung by to pick up some boxes, they decided to record something for the fun of it. Between May '23 and November '24 they continued experimenting with textures and improvisations. This collaboration has become the deepening of a friendship and a way to maintain it at the same time.
PiP: “We would have coffee or the occasional beer and everything we recorded came very organically. Ambroos would just bring his saxophone, a clarinet, some FX pedals or a weird flute. Whatever he felt like on that particular day. A few hours later he would usually be on his way again, leaving me with the recordings. I could treat them as I pleased.”
Ambroos: “I liked the idea of working with someone focussing on the physical side of music. Not so much on chords and tonality, but on texture and atmosphere. This gave me a framework with less concrete references, using words like “dark” or “busy”. I could improvise freely and we would try and catch a particular moment."
“l’Esprit de l’Escalier” is meant to be a musical meditation, opening up a continuous and detailed sound palette, aimed for the right mental state to listen with. Ambroos came up with the melody in COVID times and later in PiP’s studio, they recorded it on clarinet.
“Sans Loup” is the first jam the duo did together, after Ambroos and Lou moved out of the apartment they shared. Lou Wéry eventually found her way back to the album, as she can be heard playing the wing piano in this track.
PiP: “We recorded in the apartment we used to rent together. Since the title track and the entire album are named after Lou being absent in this dynamic, it seemed only natural to invite her in a later stage.”
“Spring Whistle” was an attempt to embed Ambroos’ musicality in dreamy textures and “Bring Back Bones” was built around an endlessly evolving krakeb recording that PiP took home from on a trip to Morocco. Both tracks are not aimed to end or evolve drastically, they just make the clock tick slower.
To conclude this release, “Velours de Tendre” is built out of a deconstructed groove and a field recording of the “Ronde van Vlaanderen”, a small reference to the countryside where PiP grew up. The reverberating chords you hear are the echoes Tijn Driessen squeezed out of an old harmonium, in a staircase of De Grote Post in Ostend.
PiP: “During a residency in De Grote Post we recorded in a staircase with a spaced pair of omni microphones. And you can take ‘spaced’ quite serious; one was positioned 5 stories higher and the other 3 stories lower.”
Sans Loup is the first vinyl to release on PiP’s label. They look alike, but none will be identical. The cover is screen printed in various combinations + a risograph insert. A highly personalized object.
credits
Released on Zitstill Records
Recorded in Brussels, Horebeke, Morocco and elsewhere, between September 2021 - November 2024
Music, mixing and production by Pepijn Gyssels
Saxophone, flute and clarinet by Ambroos De Schepper
Grand piano on “Sans Loup” by Lou Wéry
Harmonium on “Velours de Tendre” by Tijn Driessen
Mastering and lacquer cut by Anne Taegert at Dubplates & Mastering
Pressing by Objects Manufacturing
Layout and graphic design by Liselotte Van Daele & Otis Verhoeve
Photography by Willem Mevis
Special thanks to: Stijn Cools, Victor De Greef, De Grote Post
Meltdown Deejays Recordings, a long-standing pillar of Finland’s underground scene, continues its beautiful streak with Kitkatone. Known for his stripped yet soulful productions, the Helsinki-based artist delivers four timeless cuts that capture the label’s spirit, honest, functional, and deeply musical.
Four tracks that balance tight drum programming with a dry sense of funk, shaping a sound that’s both stripped and full of motion.
No tricks, no drama, just proper dancefloor tools from start to finish.
Mixners and Slidey Thingys flows effortlessly between house and techno, balancing raw rhythm and subtle groove. A record full of character, made for DJs who appreciate precision, warmth, and that unmistakable Meltdown touch.
MOb return this November with their second album on Veego Records, continuing the adventurous journey they began with their 2023 debut MOb 1. Hailed by the press as one of the boldest and freshest statements in the Greek scene, their first record moved seamlessly between jazz, punk, and electronic forms, creating a sound often described as “an entire orchestra played by just three musicians.”
On their new release, Marios Valinakis (saxophone, effects, synthesizers), Alexandros Delis (bass, double bass), and Panagiotis Kostopoulos (drums) construct an even more intricate and ambitious sonic universe. The compositions range from the explosive energy of “Tipping Point” and the dark atmospheres of “Utu and Sin”, to the radical reimagining of Wayne Shorter’s “Fall” and the polyphonic outburst of “The Listener”, featuring the Kos Choir.
Guest appearances further expand the palette: Phillip “Felipe MC” Manev lends his voice to “Tipping Point” and “Encounters”, while Angelos Polychronou enriches “Encounters” and “The Listener” with his percussions.
The album was produced and recorded by MOb themselves, with Bruno Ellingham handling mixing and mastering for most tracks, while “Utu and Sin” was mixed by Malcolm Catto at the Quatermass Sound Lab. The cover artwork is designed by Apostolos Mitrelis, and the back cover features a photograph by Maciej Moskwa.
If MOb 1 revealed a band capable of fusing free improvisation with rhythm-driven “bangers” that reached audiences beyond Greece, the new album confirms their evolution: more intense, more diverse, and more imaginative. With one foot rooted in tradition and the other firmly in the present, MOb deliver a work that breaks boundaries and builds bridges across genres and audiences, solidifying their reputation as one of the most exciting groups in today’s Greek music scene.
Rooted in Tbilisi’s ever-evolving electronic scene, Levan Grdzelidze continues to shape his distinctive sound as a producer, DJ, and co-founder of Glispy Records. After a first appearance on our sister label Chat Noir Tools, he returns to the family with a new release on Griffé, a record that reflects both his precision and emotional depth as an artist.
Across four tracks, Levan explores the tension between movement and stillness, blending tech-house grooves, hypnotic techno pulses, and subtle downtempo moods. The result is a collection that feels timeless rather than trend-driven, equally suited for the dance floor or more introspective listening moments.
This release holds a special significance for Levan as it is dedicated to someone very dear to him, adding an intimate layer to its sound and spirit.
D.D. Mirage return with new single “Echoes”, a lovers meditation featuring North Carolina’s Teddy Bryant, who delivers a velvet vocal performance steeped in yearning and late night reverie. The chorus “the things you do for love echo in my mind all night” hits the melancholy sweet spot, wrapped in the rich and authentically 80s sounding production we’ve come to expect from D.D. Mirage.
The Sydney based duo, now expanded into a full four piece live band, continue to stretch their sound beyond the Balearic and Dub tinted palette of their debut Exotic Illusions released earlier this year. With production assistance from Jono Ma, they capture a lush, cinematic space where street soul sentiment meets modern dream pop psychedelia, the kind of record that slips perfectly between Sade, Tom Tom Club and a lost Compass Point B-side. Flip the record for the Introspective Dub: a drifting, dubbed out companion that strips back the vocal to its echoes and lets the rhythm bloom.
Following live appearances at Dark Mofo and SXSW Sydney in 2025, D.D. Mirage round off the year with a live performance at Victoria’s Strawberry Fields festival mid November.
It's time for the next instalment from our gracious Spiritual Vibes label to bring some joyous musical upliftment and what better way than to introduce an inspirational piece we entitled 'Hands of Moses'; a revamp from the vaults of Bushman's works from the 80s and known to many as a one-away dubplate called 'Moses' in which we have now brought up to speed inna 2025 style with some exceptional musicianship involvement from the Spiritual Players of Instruments bringing emphasis to the majestic soundscapes on this project! ????
As it's the 2nd edition on Spiritual Vibes and to keep the theme of the release - we have decided have the main run in a special luminous red colour disc pressing and if that wasn't enough we are also giving away an EXTRA DUB CUT as a digital download to the first 100 copies sold via Bandcamp as a token of appreciation for all the support for both Ashanti Selah & Bushman's works over the years!
This vinyl comes complete with 4 stomping cuts mixed down in the Selah Dub studio with precision and quality ensuring to bring the right energy to the sessions through the sound-system style selection!
Originally Written by S. Richardson (Bushman) & Re-worked by both Bushman and Ashanti Selah for Spiritual Vibes recordings!
Six years after Nazamba’s first offering, he delivers his final gift: A Message From Zion.
The journey begins with George ’Nazamba’ and Rico ‘O.B.F’, two kindred spirits connected by sound. Countless cross-ocean visits between Kingston and the French Alps, from enjoying hot beers on the beach to reasonings in snowy mountains. Moments that forged a pure brotherhood.
Out of this friendship grew his first album, the self-titled Nazamba in 2019. Now comes his second, a collaboration between Thompson Sound and Dubquake Records. Together, they unite two generations of reggae powerhouses. Produced by Rico O.B.F, the record reimagines classic Thompson Sound gems. Nazamba’s musical storytelling is accompanied by the Roots Radics, with guest appearances from Linval Thompson & Barrington Levy.
Then came silence. In 2022, Nazamba passed on to Zion. The album project was unfinished, yet full of life. What remains is raw, unpolished and painfully beautiful.
A Message From Zion, a celebration of Nazamba’s universe. His voice, wisdom, poetry, heart and spirit. Forward we ah go. Ah true.
British-Brazilian jungle artist Janaway announces his brand new EP International Luv via Up Ya Archives Records.
‘50/50 Vision’ is the defining statement of Janaway’s upcoming EP, a single that captures the project’s full essence in one. Blending pulsing jungle rhythms with the rich textures of Brazilian vocals, together, with his UK-centric underground lens, he creates this rolling, dancefloor-ready track that bridges continents and culture.
The title, a play on “20/20 vision,” reflects Janaway’s experience as a dual-heritage artist who views each of his cultures from a balanced perspective. This sense of duality runs throughout his work, expressed through a distinctive fusion of sounds, stories, and collaborations that mirror his own world. The accompanying visuals deepen this connection, featuring Janaway alongside his collaborators and friends, not only adding a personal and authentic layer but providing a snapshot of the community that shapes his music.
‘50/50 Vision’ is a collaboration with two incredible artists that represent each side of his heritage. MC Tchelinho’s (Rio’s Heavy Baile collective), dynamic flow injects raw Brazilian energy and is enhanced by Arinola’s signature mix of UK funk and Ragga vocals which layer in an infectious groove. Together, they create a dynamic intersection of contrasting sound that feels both global and grounded - full of rhythm, movement and connection.
Growing up between cultures, Janaway has always gravitated toward sounds without borders. Now based in Bristol, he’s part of the new wave pushing jungle forward while keeping its essence alive. His signature blend of heavyweight basslines and sharp breakbeats has earned support from Nia Archives, Tim Reaper, Sherelle and Fracture. His acclaimed high-octane DJ sets packed with unreleased tracks, move effortlessly through jungle, footwork, and jungle funk, keeping crowds locked in and dancefloors moving. After a European tour and standout appearances at Boomtown, Glastonbury, and Outlook Festival, Janaway is fast becoming one of the most exciting names shaping the next gen of jungle.
DJ Support: Raresh, Marco Corola, Jamie Jones, Joseph Capriati, Chris Stussy, DJ Seinfeld, D'Julz, Djebali, Voigtmann, Arapu
For Amsterdam’s Julian Anthony, club culture has always been about movement - between sounds, between scenes, and increasingly, across continents. Rooted in the Dutch underground, his path has taken him from intimate local spaces to international stages, with appearances at institutions such as Berlin’s Hoppetosse, Ibiza’s DC10, and London’s fabric. Along the way, he’s formed close ties with crews such as Slapfunk, VBX, Half Baked, and S.A.S.H, while recent tours across South America and Australia have further widened his reach. His connection with Enzo Siragusa and the FUSE family is longstanding, having previously dropped his track ‘It’s Showtime’ on sister label LOCUS while making appearances at both FUSE and LOCUS events across Europe, including this year at FUSE Malta, during ADE, and November’s fabric takeover. Now, his ‘Missing Pieces’ EP extends that relationship further, marking his fi rst release on FUSE and off ering a natural progression while showcasing his versatility as a producer.
In his productions and his sets, Julian threads together house, techno, and electro infl uences with a playful touch, resulting in a style that feels fl uid yet sharply defi ned. Title track, ‘Missing Pieces’, sets the tone with a heavyweight bassline at its core, coupled with a hypnotic groove and percussive drive, while ‘Endless Echoes’ stretches into more atmospheric territory, weaving rolling rhythms with cosmic textures. On the fl ip, ‘No Sleep’ ups the intensity with zipping synths and sharp drum programming built for peak-time play, before ‘TTS’ closes the record on a captivating note, fusing deeper house nuances and playful rhythms into a late-night trip.
With a growing catalogue across respected imprints such as Dungeon Meat, X-Kalay, and Bee You, and a touring schedule that continues to expand globally, Julian’s first outing for the London favourites highlights his talent for crafting tracks that are simultaneously precise, playful, and built for the club.
With his new offering"The Stone Tablet", New Jersey native Brainorchestra solidifies his legacy in underground hip-hop, carving out a raw and unfiltered masterpiece that feels as timeless as it is bold. Produced entirely by Brainorchestra himself, the album is a testament to his relentless pursuit of authenticity and artistry, drawing listeners into a world where intricate beats meet introspective bars, and sticking to his proudly independent operation.
Featuring guest appearances from UK’s SonnyJim and Toronto's Raz Fresco, "The Stone Tablet" brings together diverse voices that seamlessly blend with Brainorchestra’s visionary beats. Each track adds to the album’s mystique, with moments of reflection, hustle, and sharp wit, all contributing to Brainorchestra’s mark on the modern hip-hop landscape.
The album cover, crafted by Italian artist Claudio Scialabba, embodies the album’s theme with its raw, textured feel — reflecting Brainorchestra’s relentless, chiseled approach to his craft. "The Stone Tablet" is a statement, a monument that etches Brainorchestra's name alongside the genre’s most revered creatives.
In 1995 The Roots burst onto the scene with their seminal debut album, Do You Want More?!!!??! that garnered critical acclaim and cemented them as a powerhouse group fusing elements of various genres with their signature live instrumentation. Thirty years later in March of 2025, The Roots played a three day, six show residency at the legendary Blue Note Jazz club in New York City where they celebrated their debut by playing it in full – performing many tracks that hadn’t been performed live in decades. The performance also brought out special guest appearances from long-time collaborators, Ursula Rucker, Dice Raw and Rahzel, Godfather of Noise.
To cap off the 30 Year Anniversary, The Roots will release the full performance on vinyl. The 2xLP, gatefold package is pressed Black vinyl, and features 21 tracks. ?uestlove spent tireless hours perfecting the mixing and mastering with Glen Forrest and Colin Mohnacs to ensure all elements of the performance were represented on the vinyl.
Synaptic Cliffs is barely able to contain the excitement for the release of the 4-track EP "Maximalism" where pdqb collaborates with DJ Sotofett in the most effective way. pdqb's sleek and melancholic electro originals carry a sexy 1980s reminiscing vibe, not too unknown from classic US electro disco-styled pop music. They meet warehouse remixes from DJ Sotofett, known for his top-notch electro productions on Clone and Tresor, as well as funky breakbeat, afro-dub and all-things-house on his own labels Wania and Sex Tags Mania. The remix of pdqb's electrocognition-beauty 'Giallactrus' has heavier, almost p-funk styled electro beats, live scratching complementing the block party approach while retaining the vibe of the original. Elysiaamore, pdqb's sonic love letter to Tangerine Dream, gets a bit of melodic menace treatment by DJ Sotofett, turning it into an intensified breakbeat juxtaposition with Junglized B-Boy elements... again without taking away the energy from the original. The vinyl version was cut by DJ Sotofett with optimal club sonics at Manmade Mastering, Berlin.
Taking a deep dive into the vaults of early ‘90’s Progressive House, we unearth the debut outing from The Young Braves. The A side is a hands in the air stomper with a memorable vocal hook.
The B side takes a more euphoric, trancey approach for those eyes shut, heads down moments. This was championed heavily by Sasha back in the day and with Discogs ticketing at between £50- £100, its long overdue this timely re-issue.
After the resounding success of its first edition, the legendary Lagoa club, temple of techno and hard techno in Menin, strikes back with LAGOA TRAX Vol. 2, a second vinyl release that promises to shake dancefloors with four explosive tracks crafted by the club’s emblematic resident DJs: DJ HS, Manu Kenton, Jamie Dill, and Max Walder.
Faithful to the spirit of Lagoa, these four pillars of the club deliver a new collection of powerful productions, raw, energetic, and forged for peak-time moments. Each track embodies the unmistakable sound that has made Lagoa’s nights legendary: relentless rhythms, hypnotic synths, and an intensity that ignites the crowd from the first beat.
Already tested and approved on Lagoa’s iconic dancefloor, these tracks have quickly become essential weapons in the sets of the club’s residents. LAGOA TRAX Vol. 2 is much more than a collector’s item, it’s a pure concentrate of the club’s energy, a sonic tribute to its unique atmosphere, and a must-have for all lovers of techno.
Français
Après le succès retentissant du premier volume, le légendaire club Lagoa, temple de la techno et hard techno à Menin, revient en force avec LAGOA TRAX Vol. 2, un second vinyle explosif qui réunit quatre morceaux inédits signés par les résidents emblématiques du club : DJ HS, Manu Kenton, Jamie Dill et Max Walder.
Fidèles à l’esprit Lagoa, ces quatre figures incontournables livrent ici une série de productions puissantes, taillées pour le dancefloor. Des rythmiques percutantes, des montées hypnotiques et une intensité sans concession : chaque titre capture l’énergie brute et la signature sonore unique qui font la réputation des nuits Lagoa depuis plus de trois décennies.
Déjà testés et approuvés sur le système légendaire du club, ces quatre tracks sont de véritables bombes, prêtes à retourner n’importe quel dancefloor. LAGOA TRAX Vol. 2 s’impose ainsi comme bien plus qu’un simple vinyle : c’est une immersion totale dans l’âme du club, une déclaration d’amour à la techno, et un objet de collection pour tous les passionnés.
We are excited to welcome Rill for the fourth installment on our label!
Rill's sound is rooted in a deep appreciation for early-2010s techno aesthetics: atmospheric yet driving, detailed but never overstated.
His tracks merge spatial textures, rolling percussion, and carefully sculpted synth work - creating an immersive flow that balances hypnotic rhythm with creative, futuristic sound design.
Welcome to the first release on Acid Lamour
A sub label for Lamour Records started in 2018 with a focus on techno and acid dedicated DJs. Releases are limited to 303 vinyls, no re-press.
Anders Ilar and John H are no newcomers to the electronic music scene.
Born in 1973, Anders Ilar began his explorations of electronic music in the mid 80s. Growing up in the small town of Ludvika in Sweden, Ilar spent all of his spare time playing with synthesizers, drum machines, keyboards and sequencers, learning the ins and outs of analogue and digital sound and music creation. Inspired by the early industrial and EBM wave he formed several bands with friends, started playing live shows
at smaller local parties, and released several demo tapes in very limited quantities. In the 90's he gradually shifted his creative influences towards ambient techno and acid and also started to DJ. He started using computer software to produce his music around 1999 and his first vinyl EP was released in 2001 on the german label Plong!, soon to be followed by
many more releases on labels such as Shitkatapult, Audio.nl and Echocord.
Developing his own flavor of deep minimal dub techno and ambient he gained critical acclaim with his album Nightwidth (2006) for Narita Records in the USA. Followed by highly appraised album Sworn on the german label Level Records in 2008. Ilar has also made remixes for celebrated artists such as Apparat, Mikkel Metal and Ripperton and has
appeared on numerous compilations and DJ-mixes. He's performed live on stage through-out most European countries and Japan, as well as doing a small tour with Notch Festival in China in 2008.
Up to 2018 Anders Ilar has produced 13 albums and 25 vinyl EP's and performed in over 15 countries.
Born in 1984 and based in Gothenburg. John H has been DJing, as well as producing tracks, since the late 90s, with Anders as his mentor and teacher, giving John early musical influences spanning across a wide range of genres, from Swedish techno to IDM, Cologne acid craziness and
the sound of Chicago house tracks. The musical output of his DJ-sets usually varies between techno, house, acid, electro and everything in between, depending on the time and location. John has performed on several locations all around Sweden, but also done appreciated gigs in other European countries at clubs like Tresor and Culture Box, and his music has been featured in sets by DJs such as Sven Väth, Adam Beyer,
Joris Voorn, Dense & Pika, Cari Lekebusch, Alan Fitzpatrick, Karotte,
Gregor Tresher, The Hacker and many more.
Coming For Your Tongue EP is Anders and John's 4th collab release, after
acclaimed releases on Flight Recorder and New York Haunted, recorded
during a jam session at John's studio in Bergsjön outside of Gothenburg,
Sweden, using a small setup of analogue synths and drum machines such as
the Roland TR-606, TR-808, a Devil Fish modified TB-303, Minimoog Voyager
and the Arturia Microbrute. After recording Anders spiced things up by
cutting and puzzling loops as well as adding extra effects and drums.
Limited edition of 303, no repress. Vinyl exklusive for 3 months
With "Cosmic Trance EP" Pedro Zopelar makes his first appearance on Frequencies Rhythm Life, channeling his signature sound through hypnotic synth work and gritty drum programming.
Deep vibes and raw beats for this superb release from the Brazilian artists!
Underground mainstay and long-time melodic and progressive champion Guy Gerber is back on his own Rumors label with Every Time We Say Goodbye, a new EP that shows he continues to evolve his style without forgetting his signature.
Gerber has been a core part of the underground for years, heading the world's most revered clubs and festivals, bringing all new party concepts to Ibiza and serving up serene and synth heavy soundscape that move people physically and emotionally on labels like Cocoon, Italians Do It Better and of course Rumors.
Every Time We Say Goodbye (feat. Blanca) is light and melodic with shimmering pads and ethereal textures. Blanca’s treated vocals float effortlessly above rolling percussion and delicate synth melodies, delivering a warm, emotional energy that feels both modern and timeless.
The 18th Floor is a hypnotic journey built on dubby low-end grooves and fluid, meandering leads. Angelic, reverb-soaked vocal fragments drift through the mix, giving the track a dreamlike atmosphere that’s equally suited for peak-time or deeper, introspective moments.
On the flip is Under the same Moon, an introspective journey through deep emotion and atmospheric house. Under the same Moon is a sonic meditation, melancholic yet hopeful, with textures that evoke twilight memories and introspective dancefloor, lastly The Bigger Person takes a more laid-back approach, driven by warm guitar lines that showcase Guy’s instrumental finesse.
No stranger to the music world, but making his first appearance on Riotvan and what a debut it is. We talking about Man Power. Deep, Detroit-tinged, and playfully intricate, this EP delivers anything but a repetition of his previous work Iteration. Adding even more dimension, two outstanding artists also make their Riotvan debut, elevating the release with their remixes. Jordan Nocturne shows what true club music can be — no bigroom theatrics, but perfectly tuned for the warehouse. Meanwhile, Inigo Vontier takes things into a trippy orbit of his own, sending dancers spinning off to another planet.
From start to finish: serious entertainment with that touch of playfulness we love!
Three decades on from its original 1995 release, Todd Terry’s 'Devil’s Dance' still burns with the kind of manic, floor-filling energy that defined the early years of Hard Times. Now, Todd and the label return to the track, inviting a trio of today’s most vital club architects to rework one of Todd's most incendiary productions for a new generation of dancers.
Following a year that saw Chris Stussy and Dan Shake breathe new life into 'Bounce to the Beat,' Hard Times closes out 2025 with 'Devil’s Dance (Remixes),’ a collection that bridges old-school grit and new-school heat. Rossi., Demi Riquísimo, and Cinthie each bring their own distinct combustion to Todd’s iconic organ riffs and bulbous bassline, reframing the track through London, Berlin, and Balearic prisms.
Rossi. leans into the city that raised him: “It’s been a real pleasure to remix such an iconic inspiration for me as an artist. Todd is a legend and part of the reason why we have the culture of music we have today. I wanted to bring my remix back to my London roots - a UKG skippy, warpy approach that still carries those iconic chord riffs.”
Barcelona-based label Raru Cultural Movement continues its mission of curating forward-thinking underground sounds with its fourth vinyl release, Mad Riz, by Ukrainian producer Silat Beksi. Known for his refined minimalism and deep rhythmic sense, Beksi delivers an EP that moves between precision and warmth, layered grooves, subtle textures, and hypnotic energy that unfold naturally across each track.
Rooted in Raru’s philosophy of craftsmanship and cultural connection, Mad Riz reflects both the label’s dedication to high-quality vinyl culture and Beksi’s unique approach to sound design. A pure expression of the contemporary underground — timeless, detailed, and built for lasting resonance.
393 Records is a small independent vinyl/digital record label based in Dublin, Ireland
for its 5th release it welcomes Irish producer, Collie with his Static EP
The young producer showcases the versatility of his productions with 4 club driven tracks which represents the energy very similar to his peak time DJ sets weather as a warm up or headline act
On the A1 "Static " The track is built around soft, hazy pads and airy ambient layers that create a wide, enveloping atmosphere, Dreamy, floating, hypnotic, warm, and spacious.
"Into the West" brings a much different approach, with real Dub influenced warming bassline heavy delay & washed stabs
On the flip the journey continues with well crafted progressive 90s era track "soft progress". This one will definitely set the club or festival a light with the breakdown sending chills down your spine
Lastly the maturity of "Electron" keeping that consistency of the B side with its Shuffling hi-hats & deep atmospheric elements & driving low end
The 393 Label has a history of quality over quantity, with no doubts another gem of an EP been released here & another fantastic Artist in Collie been unearthed with a magical collaboration here
Vibe Ride is the sixth release of Adam Rudolph's Hu Vibrational project and marks his 60th release as a leader or co-leader. Comes with insert and download code.
“With every record, the goal is to explore new creative territory,” explains Rudolph. Vibe Ride continues a deeper exploration of a trance-like groove and a conceptual framework known as Sonic Mandala. This album marks the most complete realization of that idea, partly due to the group's experience touring beforehand. That time on the road helped to refine ideas and strengthen musical chemistry. The recording process unfolded organically—likely due to the long-standing collaboration within ensembles like Go: Organic Orchestra and Moving Pictures, where the musicians have developed a deep familiarity with the shared musical language.
Sonic Mandala refers to a musical approach distinct from traditional linear structures of theme and development. Found in cultures across the globe, it may represent one of the oldest forms of musical expression—predating written history by tens of thousands of years. Today, it is most vividly preserved in the music of the Ituri Forest peoples (Aka, Baka, Ba Benzele, Mbuti), whose sound traditions revolve in cyclical, orbit-like patterns. Vibe Ride seeks to bring that ancient sense of circularity into a contemporary—and perhaps even futuristic—context.
The ensemble of Vibe Ride—Alexis Marcelo, Jerome Harris, Harris Eisenstadt, Neel Murgai, Tim Kieper, and Tripp Dudley—brings exceptional creativity and skill to the project. While grounded in the sonic languages of today, their performance channels an ancient vibrational lineage, connecting with ancestral sound makers who were attuned to the rhythms of the sun, moon, stars, and seasons. Human beings have always been deeply responsive to natural cycles.
Like a mandala, where the circle reveals itself as a spiral—always returning, but never to the exact same point—the Sonic Mandala musical experience spirals through motion. Refined signal patterns emerge through overtone-rich instrumentation. The groove becomes a threshold, shifting the listener from passive observation into active, even transcendent, participation. With open ears and an open mind, the sound spirals inward—toward a primal center—and outward into the cosmos. When this elevated state is shared among participants, it creates what mystics describe as resonance.
Vibe Ride thrives on the distinctive sonic voices of its players, interwoven with care and nuance into the compositions. Hu Vibrational merges elements of world music, electronica, and improvised jazz into something both funky and spiritual, intense and soothing.
Using signature techniques of organic orchestration, layered arrangement, and electronic processing, the compositions are sculpted from percussion, electronics, and ethereal textures. Rhythmic foundations drawn from diverse traditions serve not as endpoints, but as building blocks. As the saying goes, “Orchestration is the key.” In shaping the sound, the aim was to discover fresh ways of balancing structure and sonic color. As Don Cherry once said: “The swing is in the sound.”
The audiophile LP was carefully recorded, mixed, and mastered by James Dellatacoma—longtime engineer for both Bill Laswell and Rudolph—at Laswell’s Orange Studio.
“This crew artfully blends together to create a seamless tapestry of rhythm… the end results are mesmerizing. Hu Vibrational is all about communing with the groove spirits and creating worlds where earthy rhythms and other-worldly sounds are one.”
— Dan Bilawsky, All Music Guide
“You can be sure that when Adam Rudolph and an ensemble of breathtaking drummers get together mystical and wonderful things will happen.”
— Raul da Gama,
“A stunning effort, enjoyable and grows with repeated listening.”
— Stefan Wood, Freejazzcollective
After appearing on the in-house series The Secret Sun under the moniker Sensefinite, Dan Piu once again graces OCD with pure aural bliss.
This EP took a long time to come to life—not for lack of material, but because the sheer volume of brilliantly composed, unique, and exciting productions to choose from turned the process into a literal “lost in music” experience: a psychedelic journey that at times seemed to have no end in sight.
Talk about first-world record label problems…
It’s techno, it’s trance, it’s house, it’s bleep—it’s all of that and more, seamlessly blended with the gentle finesse Dan brings to all his productions.
‘Before the Odysee, there was the Iliad; a tale of the golden age of heroes and warriors.'
The idea behind the Iliads series was to return to the sound of the golden age of Jungle/Drum & Bass, and more specifically the original ‘heroes’ of the Odysee label.
This fourth and final instalment concludes the series; bringing all the different styles of the original Odysee sound together in a grand finale. From deep atmospheric beauty to sinister dystopian breakbeat fury; Iliads IV has it all.
Oubliette immediately creates a feeling of unease and paranoia. The rapid injection of different breakbeats gives the track an unsettled feel; with nervy piano jangles and moaning samples adding to this atmosphere. The track drops with punching subs and razor-sharp curling breaks from amidst the desolation of the atmosphere of the intro. The call and response style is used to cut from break to break maintaining the unease of the intro. The drums & bass break down into a
dystopian landscape of sound, before dropping once more to take the track towards its conclusion.
A Point In Time with its obvious reference to a compilation series on a certain well-loved atmospheric Jungle label is all about conjuring nostalgia. There are notable references to bygone days; the infamous bulb bass and bleeps of the Warehouse days of glory, and the tearing mentasms that enter in the approach to the breakdown. The breaks are crisp and complex, the sub-lines deep and dark; a track truly built for a dark sweaty basement club where the bass bins
are pushed to their limits!
Love & Desire is a sultry deep atmospheric roller full of subtle references to the early UK Garage sound of the mid 90’s or even Deep dub Tech-House. The elegant curls of the Apache break that takes centre stage in this track are complimented by sweeping pads and a set of deep synth stabs that form the rhythmic backbone. The subs drop deep amidst a palette of avant-garde electronica, as the spoken word vocals call out “my love....my desire.”
We really hope you’ve enjoyed the Iliads series as much as we have; they represent a very special sound that is close to the very heart of what we at Odysee are about. As much as they focus the lens on the past, we truly believe they have had a profound effect on our future....in as much as they have brought us back to the raw essence of our sound.
Andy & Tilla
Syncretic marks the debut full-length from Australian duo Bhairavi Raman, a Western and Carnatic violinist, and Nanthesh Sivarajah, a mridangam player and versatile percussionist. Both artists share a Tamil heritage, a current that hums across the album. Raman, from South India, and Sivarajah, from Sri Lanka, draw lines that connect Western practice and Carnatic tradition. This hybrid is central to Raman’s approach as a violinist, an instrument itself caught between East and West since the late 18th century. Her playing folds history, lineage and experimentation into music that acknowledges inheritance while gently rewiring its circuitry.
Expanding on traditional music can be a precarious practice, but Syncretic never feels heavy-handed. Raman and Sivarajah exercise measured restraint, letting the Carnatic framework breathe even as it is refracted through contemporary tools. Delays, looping, subtle layering and synthesized harmonies tilt tradition into a new light without disguising it.
Even within a contemporary framework, Raman’s rigorous Carnatic training under gurus Sri S. Varadarajan (India), Sri Murali Kumar (Australia) and Sri Gopinath Iyer (Australia) is unmistakable. She captures the spiritual and emotional essence of each raga: on Seven, the playful raga Bahudari becomes both centrepiece and conduit, while on the traditional piece Thunbam Nergayil, drawn from a Tamil poem, we hear a deeply personal iteration, a weeping euphony of mixed emotions hitting all at once. Tradition here is absorbed, expanded and reframed.
Sivarajah’s command of the mridangam, honed by his gurus Sri Jambunathan (Sri Lanka), Sri Balasri Rasiah (Australia) and Sri T. R. Sundaresan (India), is central to his original composition Guardian. He sustains tradition while extending it through layering and sound-spatialisation. The mridangam here functions as both a structural and ornamental force, mapping continuity between inherited form and contemporary sonic architecture.
Syncretic resonates as a space where Tamil heritage, diasporic memory and contemporary practice coalesce. Culture, like sound, circulates, transforms and persists. Tradition is not an archive but living material, a soundworld that lingers in the ears and the imagination.
When Leng Records founders Paul ‘Mudd’ Murphy and Simon Purnell marked the imprint’s 10th birthday, they did so via a celebratory compilation that mixed classic catalogue cuts, remixes and exclusives. Five years on, and with the label’s 15th birthday upon us, they’ve decided to look to the future via a compilation made up entirely of fresh productions from Leng’s roster of current and new artists. Presented on limited-edition gatefold double vinyl with a bonus 10” single, the collection offers an updated showcase of Leng’s much-loved trademark sound, a distinctive fusion of mid-tempo sleazy-disco, Balearica and chugging house interspersed with elements of electronic psychedelia and synth-powered space disco. Fittingly for a compilation that wholeheartedly looks to the future, you’ll find first contributions from a handful of label newcomers.
Fast-rising duo Flying Mojito Bros give their spin on ‘Smoke Signals’ by label debutants Joe HarveyWhyte and Bobby Lee, turning in a heady and inspired revision that sits somewhere between dusk-ready cosmic disco and flash-fried desert blues. There’s also an appearance from Swedish producer Bo Wosticz with the dreamy and ultra-deep nu-jazz of ‘Bs As’. Naturally, you’ll also find plenty of heat from those who have already proved their mettle through prior releases on Leng. Danish duo Liminal, who made their debut earlier this year with the much-played ‘Keep Coming Back To Me’, open proceedings with the tactile, slow-disco flex of ‘Tzatziki Bay’ where sweet synth melodies and a heady electric piano riff ride a warming groove.
Roberto Intrallazzi and Dario Piana from Italy’s original Afro-cosmic movement return with ‘Plutos’, a typically deep dubbed-out cosmic chugger. Then there’s Rose Robinson AKA Tigerbalm, whose ‘Mexicana’ featuring singer Joi N’Juno is presented across the package in two different forms. Pete Herbert, who contributed to some of the earliest Leng releases, drops a driving dub disco take on the main compilation, while Robinson’s original mix – a more organic, percussive and horn-heavy affair blessed with plenty of hallucinatory intent – opens the bonus 10”.
There’s a welcome return to Leng for the brilliant Payfone, whose ‘Dime Algo’ is a typically classy, analogue-rich affair in which attractive Rhodes riffs, atmospheric female vocals and pitched-down house pianos rise above shuffling drum machine beats and a slow-motion bassline. Long-serving label contributor Lex (Athens) delivers the loose-limbed nu-disco breeze of ‘Stolen Dance’, while the imprint’s San Francisco connection – the ever-brilliant 40 Thieves collective – drop the dubbed-out Bay Area brilliance of ‘Such A Great Trip’.
Then there are the contributions of the label’s most storied artist, Andrew Meecham AKA Emperor Machine with ‘Eumig’, a deliciously slow, synth-rich chugger full of colourful chords, bubbly electronic melodies and jaunty electronic bass. Then, to round off the bonus 10” single, Meecham joins forces with Paul Murphy (as Mudd) on ‘Road To Nikko’, an extended, Japanese musical culture-influenced slab of pitched-down alien-funk packed to the rafters with squelchy synth sounds, effects-laden percussion, chiming melodies and rubbery bass guitar.
“Everything flows – nothing remains, there is only an eternal becoming and changing” is a well-known formulation of the river theory of the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, also known as panta rhei (ancient Greek: πάντα ῥεῖ, “everything flows”). This teaching states that everything in the universe is subject to constant change and that nothing stays the same forever. The metaphor of the river illustrates this: You can't step into the same river twice because both the river and you are constantly changing. The water is constantly flowing, but the river stays in one place. Thus, reality is constantly changing, even if sometimes perceived as constant.”
„Same Same but Different.“ Always different – always the same. Chill-Out DJ Heraklit
For the 26th time, the most consistent of all ambient compilations, in a constant flux of static change, is released on Kompakt. Joining good friends from the early days and reliable confidants are some new additions to the non-hierarchical charts of contemplative rapture culture.
Leading the way is Micå, a Japanese electronic musician whose finely chiseled, graceful musical style has made it onto the new collection with two pieces. Also making his debut is Richard Ojijo, a seasoned sound engineer known, among other things, for his long-standing collaboration with the artist Marcel Odenbach and the Cologne-based label Magazine. Oskø aka Max Hytrek, a multi-talented newcomer to Kompakt and the music scene, debuts with his rapturously ecstatic piece "Ar Vag." He's followed by Sebastian Mullaert, appearing for the second time—this time teamed up with Sebastian Lilja aka Hush Forever. After his surprise return last year after a 20 year hiatus, we are delighted that Tetsuo Sakae aka Pass Into Silence is back again this year with one of his distinctive sound gems. As are Dirk Leyers (Closer Musik) and Mikkel Metal. 18 tracks are featured on this CD. "Erlösung" (Redemption) is the title of Segensklang's closing track. A kind of ambient bolero into infinity. Or at least until next year...
And what would Pop Ambient be without the iconic, artistic cover design of Veronika Unland, who once again, in her unmistakable way, says through the digital flower: The eye always listens...
Swiss-born, Berlin-based artist Stallo makes his anticipated vinyl debut on Casanova Bar Records with Mifepan EP.
After first appearing on the label in 2020 with a contribution to CBB007 a digital VA, he now returns as the main artist on CBR008, delivering two original tracks that define his signature sound.
The EP opens with Bleenthal, a hypnotic journey built on rolling drums and immersive textures. On the flip, "Wavoom" pulsates with a constantly evolving synth, pushing forward with relentless energy.
Elevating the release, Japanese techno legend Takaaki Itoh delivers a raw and powerful remix of Wavoom, while Italian innovator Fabio Florido reinvents Bleenthal with his cutting-edge sound design.
Mifepan EP is a bold statement from Stallo, an immersive exploration of deep grooves and evolving driving textures.
Various Small Whistles and a Song, the new album by Chicago-based artist Lia Kohl, incorporates notions of space, social relations, and humor. As the title suggests, the album responds to Ed Ruscha’s 1964 photographic artist book Various Small Fires and Milk, which Kohl sees as a wondrous celebration of ordinariness, one that reveals Ruscha’s trademark deadpan humor and depth. In the spirit of that publication, Kohl created her own series of sonic vignettes, with guest appearances from her close community of collaborators including claire rousay, Macie Stewart, Patrick Shiroishi, and others, reflecting the same sense of humor and mundanity.
The structure of the album—16 one-minute tracks—directly mirrors Ruscha’s book, which comprises 15 photographs of fire and one of a glass of milk. Ruscha’s “small fires” are represented here by recordings of whistles—mostly human whistling, with occasional appearances by train whistles, emergency whistles, and a woman selling penny whistles on the street in Guangzhou, China. About this choice of material, Kohl writes: “I’ve always been captivated by whistling—it’s musical but often a bit unconscious; usually solo but often done in public places. There’s something tender and human about hearing someone whistle, a socially acceptable version of hearing their mind wander.” As with Ruscha’s photographs, the whistles are not random snapshots but windows into social situations, narratives, or spaces.
The “milk” of the title — the 16th photograph in Ruscha’s book — is interpreted here as a single recording: a group of people singing together in Barcelona around 6 a.m. on New Year’s morning, captured through the floor of an Airbnb. Kohl describes this as a social, collective sound that contrasts with the solitary nature of whistling. The song functions as a counterbalance—a quiet celebration of shared experience.
Lia Kohl is a composer and sound artist based in Chicago. Her wide-ranging practice includes composition and performance, installation, improvisation, and collaboration. She tours nationally and internationally, working in theater, jazz, rock, and experimental contexts. Her work centers curiosity and patience, an exploration of the mundane and profound possibilities of sound.
Magnificent Fall, The Notwist's new rarities compilation, compiles some special and wild moments from this unique German indie group's rich history. They've always snuck gorgeous songs and thrilling remixes onto split singles, extended plays, and other formats, across their career, and pieced together here – compiled thoughtfully, with sensitivity to flow and the listening experience – these thirteen selections work as a kind of ‘shadow narrative’ of The Notwist, an alternative index of the possibilities this shape-shifting group uncovered during their time together.
They've been smart to let go of chronology when sequencing Magnificent Fall, so the songs here move across phases and stages of The Notwist's career, helmed by brothers Markus and Micha Acher. This approach makes plenty of sense, as this music compiled here abstracts from two impulses – to push forward and not repeat what has come before, while building from the group's very specific musical language. Just one example: the loveliness of the instrumental “Avalanche”, from 2020's Ship, follows elegantly from the happy-sad glitch-pop of “Blank Air”, from a 2010 split with former member Martin Gretschmann's project Console. Different phases, different memberships, shared concerns.
The Notwist have always been interested in and open to community, and one of the many ways they reach out to others is through the remix. There are three here, sent back to The Notwist from different corners of the world, both aesthetically and geographically: Grizzly Bear take on “Boneless”, Ada tackles “Run Run Run”, and Odd Nosdam submerges “Sleep” in noise and clatter. Another connection, of course: Odd Nosdam is part of The Notwist's extended family, through Markus and Micha Acher's 13 & God project with fellow Anticon artists Themselves and Subtle.
So, the music on Magnificent Fall traverses varying terrain – abstract hip-hop, chamber pop, sweet and simple folk song, indietronica, free-floating improvisation. There are several unreleased songs, as well, drawn from across the group's history. Core to it all, though, the thing that makes The Notwist so singular, is the thumbprint of the Acher brothers, their gently poetic way of moving through the world and welcoming other musicians and artists into the fold, expressively and with generosity.
Historically aware without being nostalgic, Magnificent Fall is the perfect way to introduce The Notwist's reissue programme with Morr Music, too, including a box set, and the group's eight albums, documenting their three-and-a-half decades of music and community-making. Looking back to move forward? It's a very good idea.
12th Isle founding member Stewart Brown and London-based percussionist Pike present six tracks born out of preparations for live shows at Cafe Oto and The Three Wheel Drive festival, the culmination of collaborating on ‘No Direction’ from the first Material Things album (with DJ support from Donato Dozzy, Orpheu The Wizard, Not Waving, I-Sha, Donna Leake, Optimo and Huntley & Palmers).
Inspired by various traditions of experimentalism, the pair touch upon reference points such as Eliane Radigue and Nurse With Wound’s “Soliloquy for Lilith” (on “Coastal Town”), as well as the wider canon of motorik, dub and drone practitioners over the past 60 years. Concerned with the interplay between early exports of free jazz and more modern electronics, Rain & Cymbals builds on the project's first outing with a more refined approach to production and a clearer modus operandi, combining ambient pads with additional synth work by Dan Macintyre, multifaceted percussion work and heads-down, emotive minimalism.
Samuel Kerridge, with his signature sonic arsenal, stands alone in the worlds of rhythm and noise. A singular artist, his music is to be appreciated on its own terms. Here, he returns to James Ruskin's Blueprint Records with the eleven track album, "Memoir Of Disintegration".
The British producer has been carefully turning techno inside-out for over a decade. Taking a distinctly post-punk approach to the genre, he has become an integral part of Regis' legendary imprint Downwards. Kerridge has helped to define the label's contemporary sound: broken techno and snarling punk, informed by industrial music and metal.
Samuel Kerridge has released seven EPs and five albums (including a collaboration with Dva Damas' Taylor Burch) and his recent, "Kick To Kill", has become something of a statement of intent, blossoming into a new label and event series with a focus that broadens beyond techno tracks into full-blown song writing. Aside from his solo work, he collaborates with OAKE in what he describes as the "power metal techno" duo UF, and has recently started his own guitar band, Death Disco.
Kerridge ran the Berlin-based Contort label and party series and curated the legendary Berlin Atonal festival for three years, underlining his credentials as a stalwart figure in the world of experimental, boundary-pushing techno. He's also an accomplished live performer, most recently developing a hybrid live-DJ set that dismantles hundreds of tracks into a sampler to make new music in real time. It's an inventive process that places him in the lineage of iconic and ground-breaking techno acts, while still carrying the flag for the darkest corners of underground electronic music.
SOPHIE’s ‘OOH’ and ‘GET HIGHER’ are now available as a double A-side 12" vinyl. This release follows the single-series packaging format used for the other singles from PRODUCT: one track and slide image per side, black vinyl in a black inner sleeve, screen-printed with a white SOPHIE logo housed in a clear archive bag.
Earlier in 2025, Numbers marked 10 years since SOPHIE’s game-changing singles collection PRODUCT, with a special edition featuring 11 songs across Deluxe Vinyl and Compact Disc.
SOPHIE classics ‘BIPP’, ‘LEMONADE’ and ‘VYZEE’ were joined by two immaculate PRODUCT-era songs ‘OOH’ and ‘GET HIGHER’ recorded and produced at the time, each with colourful single artwork completing the set.
‘OOH’ is one of SOPHIE's earliest productions that has been through several revisions since 2011. It was one of three original tracks that Numbers had signed when SOPHIE uploaded the song alongside 'BIPP' and 'ELLE' to her Soundcloud, and while it had been through several iterations and speed changes, this finalised version was completed by SOPHIE in 2019.
SOPHIE once described ‘OOH’ as “hi tech club dance pop”. Musically speaking, the earworm hook is carved out by her signature portamento-infused synths and candy-coated lyrics, a firm cult classic approved by AG Cook and Charli XCX. Initially titled 'MAKE RESPECT', the track was first performed live by SOPHIE in 2011 to a handful of lucky people at a beach afterparty surrounding Sonar Festival, Barcelona and later that year at Manhattan's New Museum. The vocal was recorded as the first track in the same one-day recording session as SOPHIE's debut single 'NOTHING MORE TO SAY', released on the Huntley & Palmers label, where Sophie's songwriting was performed by the London vocalist Jaide Green.
The genesis of the ‘OOH’ and ‘NOTHING MORE TO SAY’ recording session is lore-worthy in its own right: after watching Jaide Green perform live with Olly Murs during the sixth series of The X Factor in 2009, SOPHIE reached out and invited Jaide to record in her home bedroom studio.
‘GET HIGHER’ was born during joyous sessions in 2013, when SOPHIE’s beat was introduced to the vocalists Cassie Davis and Sean Mullins. The track feels like a visionary precursor to ‘Vroom Vroom’, and doesn't sound out of place next to the sub-clang intensity of SOPHIE’s ‘HARD’ and ‘MSMSMSM’. Striking a playful balance between blissed-out hyperpop and club-ready Atlanta trap, it showcases SOPHIE’s signature, laser sharp sound design. Originally released as a bonus track on the Japanese CD edition of PRODUCT, ‘GET HIGHER’ has remained a hidden gem.
In the late summer of 1994, Upadhmanyia (John Mackaay & Michel Rehatta) invited Leo Verhoef (LFU) to collaborate on a track. They met a few more times afterward at a power station converted into a studio in IJsselstein, The Netherlands. "Hasiya" was quickly born and was already in stores by early November 1994. John & Leo drove to house club iT in Amsterdam, where they gave the track to DJ Marcello, resulting in an iT hit! The track was quickly picked up by DJs worldwide, and Richie Hawtin used it in a live set in Denver on November 19th of that year, which can be heard on SoundCloud (Hasiya is mixed around 43:00). The track was also a huge hit on dance floors in England and Spain.
In late 1994, Hasiya appeared on a CNR Music EP titled "Welcome To The Club," along with four other hits from producers like Pete Lazonby, The Shaker, and Drum Club. A double CD of the same name followed in early 1995, released in Belgium, featuring Hasiya alongside artists like Robert Miles, Digital Express, Aura, Natural Born Grooves, and other hits of the era. In early 1995, Arcade released "House Party '95 the Kinky Klubmixx," mixed by Koen Groeneveld & Addy van der Zwan. The same CD was released in Scandinavia as "House Party '95 (5)." Hasiya flourished among the most popular house tracks of the time. The record spent three weeks in the Dance Music Mega Top 30 and peaked at number 22 around the holidays of late 1994.
For 31 years, Hasiya was only available on record, CD, tape, or YouTube. Starting November 21, 2025, it will be resurrected from the underground into the world of digital downloads and streaming. The 2025 Remaster, along with five new mixes, will be widely available, including a limited vinyl release of 350 copies. The 30 test pressings have already been received with open arms by various DJs and received immediate support from Eris Drew and Octa Octa during ADE.
Because Hasiya was created in 1994, the only available remix material is the original DAT tape, which, thankfully, was still stored in an old box in a dusty attic. Most of the sounds for the new versions have been recreated and re-recorded.
Rehatta's Reanimated Mix:
This remix - created by one of the two founders of Upadhmaniya - combines driving, percussive beats with a thrilling, progressive break featuring ascending, dizzying strings. This trick returns shortly afterward to rev things up again. An accessible remix for dance floors worldwide.
LFU 2025 Version:
This straightforward, raw techno version with a touch of acid is ready to rock dance floors. LFU's updated version of the 1994 original, which he created with Michel & John, will undoubtedly remain a head shaker from here on out.
John Consemulder Metaphysical Mix:
With a pumping groove and a funky bassline as an intro, John Consemulder's remix immediately strikes a chord. A refined and elegant approach to the original, with sounds as mysterious and exciting as the flowing lava in the 'Gruta das Torres' - a cave in the Azores - the setting where this tech-trance remix was created.
Davje Remix:
Davje's version begins with the typical club and hard-trance bassline of the late '90s. You're drawn into a trance journey where beat changes sometimes try to throw you off track. Davje's creative Hammond organ interpretation of the Hasiya theme surprises and transports you back to the hippie era by the end of his remix.
Bojcot Remix:
Junglist Bojcot creates an exciting, nuanced, and mathematical remix with a beat that feels like jungle and half-tempo. He conjures up the sounds of LFU's 2025 Version, creates a bassline that sounds like a disturbed bumblebee, and adds a surprising string section. Massive!
When Chuck D proclaimed "Bass, how low can you go?" on Public Enemy's anthemic 'Bring the Noise,' maybe he was pre-empting or inciting the 10,000 fathoms-deep, spine-bending basslines and sub-quake tremors of 'Implosion.'
Implosion is a crushing split album, appropriately released on The Bug's own PRESSURE label. Mapping out a new form of spectral dub, the sound is deliberately immersive, introverted, and yes, definitely implosive. In pursuit of heavy lids, blurred vision, and merciless bass bin punishment, it’s one part meditation, two parts low-end theory, and essentially a confession of devoted sound system addiction.
As expected from a tag team featuring British soundlab explorer and 'London Zoo' composer Kevin Martin, aka The Bug, and Michael Fiedler, aka Jah Schulz—a long-time graduate of Germany's new school of sound system reggae culture—the duo approaches their target differently yet share the goal of keeping their sound "raw" (Fiedler) and "brutally minimal" (Martin). This proves that opposites can attract, even if their tools are different and their methods sometimes diverge.
From such a disparate combo, hailing from different geographical and aesthetic backgrounds, contrasts are certainly on display, even within each artist's own contributions. From the melancholia and transcendence of 'Alien Virus (West Indian Centre, Leeds),' to the duality of ascension and descension on 'Hope,' or the Sunn 0))) in dub, visceral drone of 'Dread (The End, London),' to the tripped-out repetitions of 'Midnight,' which reinvents Chain Reaction for post-millennials, the result is both sacred and narcotic. Each track illuminates the emotional impact and atmospheric pressure being explored across this deceptively sparse album—a mastery of tone and texture.
This collection might be as reduced, minimal, and deep as The Bug has ever gone, perhaps echoing the solemnity of his recent Kevin Richard Martin Black release and invoking the futurist steppas self-pioneered on his previous Pressure album. Alternatively, Fiedler‘s Ghost Dubs project ventures into his most heavyweight direction yet, which is no mean feat considering his previous, the critically acclaimed album Damaged, was a monstrously massive triumph of analogue weight and enviable sound design.
Implosion is ice-cool, a stark contrast to the warmth and sociability of traditional Jamaican roots and the current trends in digi-dub. Instead, the mood is soaked in tension and intense dread, finding an unexpected melting point where classic dub's stark rhythm attack, isolationist ambience's eerie drift, dub techno's floatation strategies, and even the relentless riffs of doom metal collide. As the bass-obsessed pair drop what is arguably the heaviest ambient dub album to emerge from any electronic sector—a moody counterpoint to The Orb's fluffy clouds, etc, Martin has cited The Roots Radics, Black Jade, and On U Sound's Pounding System as heavily influencing his approach to the album, while Fiedler has expressed his admiration for Adrian Sherwood's productions and Rhythm & Sound's enchanting soundscape. Yet, the super heavyweight pulsations, emotive resonances, and bone-rattling vibrations detonated here effortlessly go far beyond these influences.
Shadowy and elusive, there’s a mysteriousness at this record's core. A haunting moodiness oscillating between nostalgia and future shock. Despite the deadly fixation with SLOW and HEAVY, the album maintains a totally hypnotic swing throughout. Implosion and its lead single 'Imploded Versions' are testaments to being enveloped in bass, seduced by bass, submerged in bass, and utterly crushed by bass, as The Bug and Ghost Dubs seek to craft a new form of dub for zonal headz and Babylon seekers.
Mastered by Stefan Betke (a.k.a. POLE) at Scape Mastering studio, this record is heavy as f-ck without resorting to continuous distortion. It’s low-end worship taken to an absolute extreme, yet remains highly listenable and definitely danceable, albeit at the slowest of paces. Sacred and narcotic, this is low-end worship amplified to the max. Dive in if you dare.
R.F.I. is the first collaboration between London-based drummer Andy Baxter (Robohands) and LA-based multi-instrumentalist Jack Barone. The EP focuses on Middle Eastern scales and features 100% analog instrumentation, including guitar, bass, synth, and drums. It was recorded using fully analog gear to achieve a warm, saturated sound. Trumpeter Cesar Apolinar Hernandez and vocalist Alya Olcan appear on tracks A1 and A2. The record's title references Radio Frequency Interference, and the B-side includes an etching of radio towers as a visual nod to that concept. R.F.I. was designed with a clear structure across its tracks and highlights the artists' shared interest in analog production and global musical influences.
With over 81,000 Spotify followers and nearly 10,000 vinyl records sold worldwide, Robohands has earned widespread acclaim, including support from BBC Radio 2's Jamie Cullum (Best in Jazz), Huey Morgan (Album and Beat of the Week), KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic, Soho Radio, and Paste Magazine. His music—an evolving blend of jazz, krautrock, and ambient—has landed on top editorial playlists such as Jazz Vibes, State of Jazz, and Mellow Morning. A prolific artist, Robohands has released five albums since 2018, beginning with his debut LP Green on Village Live Records. He has performed at leading international festivals including London Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Fest, and Waking Life in Portugal. Robohands' latest project sees him collaborating with LA-based composer and producer Jack Barone, known for his film scores and commercial work.
Esteemed soul man of Panama Mr. Ralph Weeks has in recent years been enjoying a much overdue retrospective of his remarkable six decades-long musical journey with the help of Names You Can Trust. Now onto their fifth record release together since 2019, the label has covered both Weeks' original holy grail material as well as re-cuts and reimagining of some of his rarefied and unreleased songs.
One of Mr. Weeks' two iconic 45 releases on Panamanian label Sally Ruth was a funky soul side called "Let Me Do My Thing," originally recorded in 1971 as Weeks' answer to Charles Wright's big tune "Express Yourself," which had just hit the airwaves in 1970. Weeks' musical response would help define his legacy. He was gonna express himself, he was gonna Do His Thing. This golden age ultimatum recorded with the Dynamic Exciters of Panama as the backing band was a simple, straight ahead number with a defining message that would be carried on throughout Weeks' independent career. The funkified air and creative freedom of the original tune is a prime example of the crossover Combos Nationales sound that flourished in the prolific Panama recording industry of the era, and in the ensuing decades Weeks' tune would live on as a cherished rare groove for souleros, funk fans, and bootleggers alike.
Fast forward to 2023, when Ralph Weeks and Names You Can Trust prepared for a Bay Area appearance at the wonderful Latinos Con Soul weekender put on by San Francisco's Discodelic record shop, the groundwork was laid in the studio for a revival, a reawakening of Weeks' funky fan favorite. A spectacular ensemble of NYCT's All-Star artists and alumni was convened in the studio, including Caito Sánchez on drums, Victor Axelrod (Daptone Records) on clavinet and Sam Day Harmet (La Banda Chuska) on guitar. Anant Pradhan (The Skatalites), Eric Biondo (The Budos Band) and Alex Asher (Los Cumpleaños) occupied the brass section, and Ralph Weeks even lent his still formidable chops on electric bass and keyboards, a little OG flare to back up his silky voice with a deft musical touch. What came out of the sessions was a chance for NYCT to pay homage to Weeks' iconic original, without replacing it, and build a brand new version from the ground up with the maestro and composer himself!
Brat pack crossover stars Charlie XCX loved Altern 8 rave generation anthem FREQUENCY so much they not only sampled it for the remix of their smash 365 but started their live shows with the remix.
The resulting renewed interest in FREQUENCY has led to four 2025 remixes of the gem which was originally released as a 10,001 numbered limited edition in 1991. That sold out instantly and is now acclaimed as one of the Rave scene’s most enduring classics.
Altern 8’s Mark Archer links up with long time collaborator Shadow Child for the A1 M.A.S.C Extended Remix which delves into the tougher strata of House. A2 comes from Tenerife’s DJ Jonay who delivers a stunning old skool influenced breakbeat mix. A3 is the Aires remix. This was done especially for Altern 8’s appearance at Glastonbury and various other summer festivals where IT WENT OFF! A4 Kin’s Back To 91 Remix is full on drum & bass.
Label artwork is a “tribute” to Charlie XCC graphics - the samplers got sampled and repaid the compliment. Limited edition vinyl.
The time has come for hip-hop’s favourite superheroes to unleash their highly anticipated album. The industry’s most recognisable voice, Chali 2na, and turntable wizard Krafty Kuts have been not-so-secretly preparing this project since 2017 through over 150 live shows and countless studio sessions. The time has finally come to grab your capes, don a pair of tights and load up the turntable ready for the show to begin. This is ‘Adventures Of A Reluctant Super Hero’ – prepare for the Purple Assassin and the Scratchman as they come and save your city, the scene and hip-hop as we know it.
Featuring a who’s-who of collabs and guest appearances from hip-hop royalty, this 14-track record takes you to just about every corner of the genre, leaving no stone unturned. With Lyrics Born and Gift Of Gab joining on ‘Guard The Fort’ to deliver a serious statement of intent to open the LP, the rest of the record is an adventure through funk, breaks, rolling basslines, buckets of groove and everything in-between. Throw in a generous portion of expertly delivered bars and vocals from genre sidekicks like Harry Shotta, Skye (Morcheeba), Omar, Dynamite MC and more, and you’re left with a hip-hop record that not even the comic books could have conceived.
LP version comes with an exclusive 8-page comic-book by official Star Wars illustrator JAKe + full album download.
“I like him very much. He’s very special. He’s singing with a voice I never heard before” - Townes Van Zandt
“A conscious, soulful brother” - Horace Andy
“He’s a brother to me - one of the best singer/songwriters I’ve ever met” - Adrian Sherwood
“Unearthed mine of gems from inner Wales - a songbook of ideas - that's Jeb!” - Gilles Peterson
Jeb Loy Nichols is a bonafide Country (Got) Soul legend. The Music Maker presents 21 incredibly deep, grooving and soulful songs from the cream of Jeb's catalogue; from its earliest days to his latest unreleased gems via countless rare and unbelievably good lost-classics. This 2LP set is presented in a gatefold sleeve complete with freshly commissioned artwork courtesy of Jeb himself.
In collecting these uncut, under-heard gems, we hope to do justice to Jeb's jaw-dropping artistic brilliance. A man who, in working with Adrian Sherwood, Dennis Bovell, Dan Penn, Larry Jon Wilson and countless other legendary characters, has crafted some of the most deeply affecting folk, country, soul, funk, blues, dub, reggae, gospel, rap and electronic music, ever heard.
The first music Jeb really felt a connection with was southern soul: "I used to listen to the radio at night and fell in love with Bobby Womack and Al Green, The Staple Singers and Joe Simon – that whole Nashville/Memphis/Muscle Shoals thing.” But Jeb was so much more than a soul boy, Indeed, he "went to bluegrass festivals with my dad and come home and listened to jazz records with my mother.” And, when he was fifteen, he heard his first punk record: "God Save The Queen" by The Sex Pistols. “That and The Ramones completely changed me.” In 1979 he got a scholarship to go to art school in New York: “A great time. Punk was over but hip-hop was starting and I got into that in an obsessive way.”
His first recording, in 1980, was an unreleased rap song called "I’m A Country Boy". If that isn't an insight enough into Jeb's kaleidoscopic path through music, in 1981 he visited friends in London and found himself living in a squat with Adrian Sherwood, Ari Up (from the Slits), and Neneh Cherry. “Adrian put me to work immediately, moving boxes of records all across London. It was Adrian that was and is my biggest influence – in his complete disregard for genre purity.” So, presumably you're getting the picture? A veritable musical magpie with a voracious appetite and unimpeachable taste.
"Mine has always been a meandering career. I've done what I've done, and made the music I've made, due to chance meetings. I'm not particularly ambitious; it's more important to me that I work with friends and like-minded people. I've been a big fan of Be With for years. Everything they release is essential. When they asked about rereleasing "Countrymusicdisco45" I was both pleased and flattered. We began talking about how we'd do it; two years and twenty-one tracks later, here we are. I've always thought of the music I make as Country Music. Music conceived in the country, written in the country, recorded in the country. I left London and moved back to the country so I could live among the trees, the grasses, the animals, those things that don't go to war and get greedy. This compilation is the story of that life. Hand made, lo-fi, ramshackle, stripped down, real deal music. Heartworn and funky. Music made in the kitchen, not in the studio. As the great Skip Mcdonald said, Perfect ain't perfect. It's great to see all these tracks gathered together. It feels like a family reunion. Some older members of the tribe, some newer arrivals."
Opener "countrymusicdisco45" is a song Jeb wrote about how his crew lives, tucked up blissfully in the hills: "House parties full of country folk dancing to disco, reggae, soul, country, hip-hop. All night. I recorded it at home under the influence of Stevie Wonder." It's one of the funkiest records you'll ever hear. "Sometimes Shooting Stars" was recorded in Nashville and mixed by the legendary Dennis Bovell. It's deep, dubby, majestic. A thing of fragile, melodic beauty. The party ramps back up again with the undeniable groove of "Short Cut Home" before the profoundly moving "Disappointment" arrives. One of many songs he's recorded with good buddy Benedic Lamdin (aka Nostalgia 77): "We were going for a Leon Thomas meets Richard Brautigan meets Alice Coltrane kind of thing". We think they nailed it. "Days Are Mighty", like a lot of the tracks on this collection, "started life as a demo, an attempt to get something down while it was fresh. No frills, nothing fancy, just feel." And what feels!
The irrepressibly funky "Don't Dance With Me Tonight" is a deeply moving, slow-mo organ-drenched head-nod-funky country-ballad. Next up, the breezy "You Got It Wrong" was recorded in Wales with some of Jeb's good friends and neighbours, The Westwood All Stars, featuring Clovis Phillips and Will Barnes. Skanking fiddle-flecked gem "Ring The Bells" was the first thing Jeb recorded when he moved to Wales. A combination of all his loves; country, reggae, soul. It's followed by "Let's Make It Up", a truly sumptuous string-drenched emotional groover. "When Did You Stop Loving Me" is another Nashville track, written and recorded during a time Jeb was spending a lot of time with the Muscle Shoals crew, Donnie Fritts, Spooner Oldham, George Soule and Dan Penn: "It shows, I'm sure, their influence." Oh, you bet it does!
The swaggering country-funk of "Just Beginning" should grace many groove-focused DJs' sets whilst "Wintering Of The Year", again made with Clovis, is pastoral, campfire soul. The glacial, gorgeous "Let It Rain" is from an unreleased record Jeb made with the great British jazz bass player Andy Hamill and "We Tell Each Other Who We Are" is freaky country-soul made by a man with a love for strutting, wonky hip-hop stylings. Rounding out the side, "Trip To You" is pure, uncut amphetamine-propelled drum-machine soul.
The spare, beautiful "Dirt" is from an EP Jeb made with Julian Moore in his house in South London: "All first takes, straight to tape." Swoon! "Heaven Right Here" was a very minor league hit in America: "It was produced by the brilliant and much missed Wayne Nunes. It was started in the countryside of Missouri, finished in the countryside of Wales, and recorded in the countryside of Sussex." Double swoon! "If Later Ever Comes" is electronica meets J.J. Cale business whilst "Remember The Season" is truly wonderful and breezy guitar soul. "A Little Love" was made with Wayne Nunes as well, after a night of listening to Studio One and Northern Soul. Bouncy dub closer "Weary Traveller" was written by Bill Monroe, the hero of Jeb's youth: "Monroe's music was heavily influenced by black southern churches; I've tried to keep some of that feral feel." This was the final recording by Jeb's 1990s Country-Dub band, Fellow Travellers.
The name of this compilation comes from a time when Jeb lived in Peckham, south London and he used to DJ and sometimes perform at a local bar: "The owner of the bar, a Jamaican named Count Percy, once asked me what I called my music. I told him I wasn't sure, I guess just pop music. He thought about it for a minute and then said, 'no, more like mom and pop music'. Rather than call me a country singer or a folk singer he always referred to me as The Music Maker."
With the long overdue deluxe overview of his beloved music, we hope to finally shine a light on the unheralded genius of Jeb Loy Nichols. RIYL Larry Jon Wilson, Townes Van Zandt, Bobby Charles, country got soul artists, dub, deep soul, disco, dancing, heartbreak. This deluxe collection, spellbinding from beginning to end, should hopefully go some way to ensuring Jeb reaches an ever bigger, ever more appreciative crowd of followers. Mastering for this special double vinyl edition was overseen by Be With regular Simon Francis and it was cut by the esteemed Cicely Balston at Abbey Road Studios to be pressed in the Netherlands by Record Industry. The artwork has been lovingly put together by The Music Maker, himself, Jeb Loy Nichols. "Be With is the perfect home for this mongrel music. I am forever in their debt." The pleasure is all ours, Jeb.
T.R.U. REALigion is the seventh mixtape by Atlanta rapper and legend, 2 Chainz and first release under his current artist name (formerly known as Tity Boi). The mixtape served as a major launching point for 2 Chainz as it was his first release to chart on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and led to numerous major guest appearances ("Mercy" & "Beez In The Trap"). It achieved viral status in the mixtape era, having amassed over 1 million downloads on popular mixtape hosting site, Datpiff. Rereleased on streaming platforms for its 10th anniversary with 2 new songs featuring Wiz Khalifa & Big Sean, & now for Black Friday, the project finally sees the vinyl treatment during its original anniversary month (November 2011). Pressed on double Red, White & Blue Marbled Vinyl & housed in a denim-coated jacket, this album is a must have commemorative release for any Dirty South rap fan aficionado and serves as one of the great mixtapes of the early 2010s
2xLP, Pressed on Red, White & Blue Marbled Vinyl & Housed in a widespine jacket inside an embroidered denim outer slipcase.
We started the label in 2015 as a home for our own productions and for tracks from artists and friends we appreciate. From the beginning, the goal was simple: to release music we'd want to hear ourselves on the dancefloor - the kind that makes us pull off strange, unrhythmic dance moves. In the same spirit, the fifth Sammelwerk compilation brings together familiar label artists and new contributors, all delivering tracks we'd be excited to rave to ourselves.
Scuba channels timeless, euphoric energy on his Crosstown Rebels debut, ‘GetUppp’. The Hotflush boss delivers two tracks crafted for the later hours, set for release on 21st November 2025.
Damian Lazarus’ Crosstown Rebels welcomes electronic pioneer Scuba for his first appearance on the label with ‘GetUppp’, a two-track release that fuses the UK artist’s trademark low-end pressure with the euphoric pulse of house. The title track glides on slinking percussion, interwoven with subtle soulful vocal nuances, building an irresistible groove that climbs steadily toward full dance-floor release. On the flip, ‘406 Dub’ dives deeper, a stripped, head-down workout that channels the tension and space of dub techno into something hypnotic, trippy, and captivating.
A producer who has continually defied convention, Paul Rose, aka Scuba, has shaped the direction of underground music for over two decades. From his formative role in the UK’s dubstep movement to his era-defining SUB:STANCE residency at Berghain, he’s evolved through techno, house, and beyond while steering his influential Hotflush Recordings imprint - the launchpad for artists like Mount Kimbie and Joy Orbison. He has also delivered critically acclaimed mixes for DJ Kicks, Fabric, and Ostgut Ton, cementing his reputation as one of electronic music’s most astute tastemakers.
Following his acclaimed Digital Underground live tour across 2024, and his latest headline run across Asia with shows in Kyoto, Nagoya, Tokyo, Koh Phangan, Singapore, Danang, Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Beijing, Scuba returns with fresh energy on ‘GetUppp’ - a record that captures the forward-thinking sound that has made him one of underground electronic music’s most influential figures.
In 2018, Rian Treanor left his home in Rotherham, UK, and headed to Kampala for a residency at Nyege Nyege's villa studio. The mind-expanding experience inspired his critically acclaimed 2020 full-length "File Under UK Metaplasm", but that wasn't the end of the story. Treanor also spent time working alongside Acholi fiddle player Ocen James, developing an improvisation-heavy collaboration that would push both musicians' idiosyncrasies into completely new places. Treanor wanted this collaboration to be as tactile and reactive as a live performance with traditional instruments, so he set about working on a digital process that would synchronize with James' approach. Using physical modeling techniques, Treanor created an instrument that explored the tunings and sounds of the a'dungu, an arched harp, and the nah or nag. With Ocen playing his rigi rigi, a single string violin, they intuitively experimented with the spectral properties of sound, using texture and acoustic contours as their structural framework. They were able to develop a sound together that was unconventionally rooted in traditional Ugandan culture, but shuttled into different dimensions of noise, computer music and radical UK rave. "Saccades" is the buffer between two vastly different sonic universes, united in respect and sprightly curiosity. Treanor's hyperactive computer-controlled rhythms are immediately identifiable on opening track 'Bunga Bule', but the sound palette is distinct: it's more flexible and less digital. James' expressionistic fiddle strokes are a revelation, contorted into hoarse squeals and rough vibrations that rub and flex off Treanor's tin can shuffle.
We’re glad to welcome Enrico Dragoni, part of a generation of artists in which the UK sound is evident and someone who has quietly but steadily built a presence over the years. Alongside his work with Stabs Mechanics, we had long intended to bring him onto the label making this first appearance feel both natural and long awaited.
Anchored to his early foundations this release looks back to origins rather than attempting to cover the full breadth of his work. The A side is club oriented, leaning towards a deep bumpy and tribal yet remaining in the soulful lineage. The B side softens into easy listening reminding us of the finesse of early House and Italian dream house.
Though often described as a chameleon Dragoni’s foundation remains clear and aligned with the sound of Cosmic Breeze Records.
Matching brooding, tense undercurrents of drone with strained soulfulness, Malcolm Pardon makes a notable shift in his creative approach on his third album.
Leaving his piano behind, the Stockholm-based artist explores the richly varied tones lingering in the background of his past compositions.
Born from his extended live improvisation for Gustaf Broms’ Köttinspektionen exhibition in Uppsala, Flesh & Bonesbecomes a haunting suite of compositions focused on texture and spatial processing, mixed by longtime collaborators Aasthma (Peder Mannerfelt & Pär Grindvik). From Hidden Path’s cavernous wells of low-frequency tone to Under Over’s sustained synth blooms, and the woozy two-chord refrain of Speaking In Tongues, Pardon's seasoned approach to dramatic scene-setting leads his music into its own captivating, compelling sphere, where emotions entwine and conjure strange new plains of expression.
Hip-Hop-Legende Ghostface Killah liefert mit seinem neuen Album "Set The Tone" eine Mischung aus Tracks, die sowohl das männliche als auch das
weibliche Publikum ansprechen: Eine Mischung aus knallhartem New Yorker Rap und melodischen, entspannten Tracks.
Ghostface hat außerdem mit Hip-Hop-Schwergewichten wie Nas, Kanye West, Ja Rule und vielen anderen zusammengearbeitet.
This is the story of how a tiny label from New Jersey changed the course of music history not once but twice.
Cheri Records was established in 1974 in New Jersey and run by one Boo Frazier. Cheri's output was limited, producing a catalogue of just eleven releases between the years 1974 and 1982. On the face of it, this appears to be insubstantial output. However, if you dig a little deeper, the quality released on Cheri Records reveals an exceptional legacy of groundbreaking music.
A dark horse in the world of record labels, a true unsung legend that would go on to alter the course of musical history and intersect with a remarkable array of talented artists, bands and DJs. From Rare Pleasure; Sandy Barber; Julius Brockington; Boo Frazier; Patrick Adams; Tom Moulton; Larry Levan and MF Doom: Cheri Records has directly impacted their artistry in significant ways. Cheri's influence even extends into the present, with DJ icons like David Morales, Dave Lee, Danny Krivit, and Colin Curtis continuing to champion its contributions.
This compilation brings together the most compelling tracks from the Cheri Records catalogue, shedding light on the label's extraordinary story and underscoring the idea that music, no matter how unassuming its origins, can transcend boundaries and reshape, influence and inform music to come for future generations.
This collection also represents the start of a new series here on Miles Away, a series that will delve into the labels and studios that were responsible for leaving a lasting imprint on the musical world. We've named this seriesEchoes From,and this compilation will be the first of many.
The vinyl package comes in a gatefold sleeve with in-depth liner notes and features interviews with Colin Curtis and David Morales. Also available on CD and digitally.
Dot / Stephan Bazbaz - Split EP Vol. 2 (Depthful002)
Depthful returns with its second release, following the success of the first release by label owner and artist Dotan Bibi aka Dot.
In the second release, Dot returns to collaborate with his close friend and artist Stephan Bazbaz for their second split EP, following the great success of the first one released back in 2017 on Stephan's label, "No waves"
A1. opening With Dot's track 'Hoag’s Object'. is an intriguing fusion of house and dub influences, balancing the pulsating energy of house with the relaxed, spatial vibes of dub. From the start, listeners are greeted with a deep, groovy bassline and lovely acid line, that immediately establishes a rich foundation for the track.The rhythm section and congas is tight and persistent, with the signature rolling beats of Dot's sound laying the perfect backdrop for the track's sonic landscape.
A2. 'Fading Fast' isn't just a track; it's an experience. If Hoag’s Object laid down the groove with subtlety, 'Fading Fast' fully submerges you in its rich, atmospheric depths. From the very beginning, there’s a sense of movement - like something slowly emerging from the mist, with deep, resonating bass frequencies that pull you into the track.The rhythm section feels almost submerged, like you’re hearing it from underwater. The inclusion of short, scattered vocal samples in 'Fading Fast' adds an extra layer of intrigue and emotional depth, without pulling focus from the track's atmospheric core. Rather than traditional, lyrical verses, these vocals appear like fleeting whispers - fragments of a larger story, almost like half remembered phrases.
B1. opening with Stephan's track 'Overload' and it feels like an immediate shift in energy, where the vibe ramps up with pure house power. This track is all about the rhythm, the groove, and, most importantly, that bassline that keeps you locked in.
From the first beat, it’s clear 'Overload' isn’t messing around. The drums hit with a sharp, punchy attack, but it’s the bassline that truly makes this track shine. Deep, low, and relentless, the bassline pulses in a way that feels almost like it’s driving the entire track forward. There’s something about the way the low end sits in this track that makes it feel alive especially with the warmth of the lovely deep pad Holding the whole track underneath.
B2.'Better in Space' is the closing track of the record, it feels like a natural continuation of the vibe that’s been built, but also a final statement that allows the listener to fully sink into the deep, spacious world Stephan is known for. With this track, we’re stepping into a place where dub and deep house collide seamlessly, creating an atmosphere that's both expansive and intimate - taking us out there but also pulling us inward. From the very first moment, 'Better in Space' sets the stage with a warm, enveloping bassline that instantly grounds you.
The 10th release on ALIM Music, a stone-cold classic, has been reborn. Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson’s The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, the iconic song of protest and Black Consciousness, has been reimagined and revitalised for a new generation. With new lyrics and vocal performance from Black Thought, a reworked and bassline-heavy production by Masters at Work, Brian Jackson has recreated an absolute masterpiece.
Originally taken from Gil’s poem as performed on his Small Talk at 125th & Lenox and then released as a proto Hip-Hop song featuring Bernard Purdie’s drumming on the 1974 Pieces of a Man album, this new version updates the track’s original powerful lyrics to include references to the propaganda of Fox News, social media tropes, live streaming, taking the knee and modern day consumerism. Delivered by Black Thought in his imitable style and accompanied by Brian Jackson’s incisive jazz flute, these new lyrics represent a Black Liberation call to action for today’s world.
Louie Vega and Kenny Dope’s production gives The Revolution Will Not Be Televised a dancefloor edge that embraces a Jazz Hip-Hop flow with the absolute clarity of the message. Taken from Brian Jackson’s forthcoming and aptly titled BBE Music album, Now More Than Ever, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised will unite Boomers, Millenials and Gen-Z in its multi-generational cross-over appeal bringing the original Gorillas together with Neo-Soul and Hip-Hop heads of today.
Nuno Costa AKA VIL is blessing the label with a powerful four tracker titled 'Reviver EP'. The release showcases VIL's forward-thinking approach and signature originality, well aligned with the label's aesthetic. Across four cuts, he crafts an immersive journey through driving rhythms, deep atmospheres, intricate break samples, and sharp leads. This release is clearly built for the dance floor's many characteristics.
Continuing the trajectory set by last year's EPs and experimental long-player, Reeko returns to Samurai Music to deliver an expansive album that goes further into his experimental practice at the intersection of deep techno, drum & bass and electronica.
Since the early 00s Juan Rico has been applying his exacting vision to the deeper end of dance music culture. As Reeko, he's carved out an imposing presence in the modern techno scene by building up the steely, hard-hitting sound of Mental Disorder while also contributing to scene-leading labels like Modularz, Semantica and Delsin. With a trio of releases through 2024 for Samurai Music, the Spanish producer demonstrated the wider scope of his craft as he opened up to broken rhythms, spacious arrangements and a wholly diferent dimension to his music-making.
Continuing the trajectory set by last year's EPs and experimental long-player, Reeko returns to Samurai Music to deliver an expansive album that goes further into his experimental practice at the intersection of deep techno, drum & bass and electronica.
Since the early 00s Juan Rico has been applying his exacting vision to the deeper end of dance music culture. As Reeko, he's carved out an imposing presence in the modern techno scene by building up the steely, hard-hitting sound of Mental Disorder while also contributing to scene-leading labels like Modularz, Semantica and Delsin. With a trio of releases through 2024 for Samurai Music, the Spanish producer demonstrated the wider scope of his craft as he opened up to broken rhythms, spacious arrangements and a wholly diferent dimension to his music-making.
Polar Park – Three Producers, One Unique Sound ! Stefan Müller, Andreas Thoma, and Ralph Grieco - united by a deep passion for electronic sound. Drawing from decades of experience, their music blends Minimal and House, driven by rich textures and hypnotic grooves. Each track is created
with analog synthesizers in their private Studio in Switzerland, capturing an unmistakably warm and organic tone. With all future releases coming out on vinyl, Polar Park stands for authenticity, quality, and the timeless appeal of handcrafted music in a digital world.
Immersive Patterns has quickly established itself as a label of rare quality, with the first three releases already proving its strong artistic vision and timeless approach. Each record blends hypnotic depth with precision and a clear sense of identity, making the catalog highly sought after among DJs and collectors alike.
For the fourth chapter, Jonas Orbiting returns with a striking four-tracker that adds a raw, Detroit-tinged energy to the label’s repertoire. Mastered by Thomas P. Heckmann at Schnittstelle, the sound is powerful, warm, and exact, while the new full-colour Pantone sleeve designed by Steve O Connell expands the visual language of the series.
Immersive Patterns continues to set its mark: refined, uncompromising, and built for both the floor and the shelf.
Thama Series returns with its fourth release, Ikigai, the new EP by Vladw. Four tracks that balance power and clarity within a deep narrative, where LFO-driven synthesizers and intense breakdowns shape a functional and atmospheric journey.
Each piece stands out for its clean structure and a contained energy that unfolds with precision throughout the sonic progression.
The EP is completed by a remix from Orbe, who reinterprets one of the cuts with his distinctive approach, delivering a strong and impactful result.
Alkaline is sound forged in FM — metallic surfaces, syncopated pulses, and cinematic structures. An alternative path that doesn’t reject acid, but moves into a realm less warm, more mineral, more futuristic.
With CT012, Cosmic Tribe takes the Alkaline Sound into the uncharted: music as a tool for deep-space and hidden-dimension exploration. Each track is a fragment of an expedition beyond known frontiers — charting invisible territories, intercepting signals from other worlds, and navigating encounters that alter the course of the mission.
From EC13 and Calagad 13 comes a radical, visionary approach: not just tracks to hear, but cinematic sonic devices designed to remodel the listener’s inner architecture, ignite their imagination, and expand the very map of perception.
A work of meticulous sound and mastering, paired with exceptional artwork, presented in a strictly limited edition of 150 copies on crystal-clear transparent vinyl.
Building on the foundations of his Braindance Records label (2017–2020), Korean musician Go Dam now presents the second release on Stellar Systems. The Digifuga Series: Stellar EP finds him in interplanetary hyperdrive, charting trails blazed by pioneers from Hashim to Mad Mike to Gerard Hanson.
The four tracks were written in the studio Go Dam built with his own hands in Eulji-ro — once Seoul’s printing district, now a hive of small businesses. That same meticulous, artisanal approach runs through all of his work, whether composing film scores, producing K-Pop for online personalities, or fine-tuning sound systems around the city. The EP opens with the irrepressible electro funk of 'Fevernova', its slapping beat driving growling bass and wide-eyed synths. 'Dream Powder' is a stormy banger, surfing waves of filtered acid and noise before breaking into light. 'Chrono Flux' sustains the high energy, like the soundtrack to an anime motorbike chase at sunset, while 'Quasiverve' drifts into deepest night, its sinuous leads creeping over a stalking bassline.
Blending heavyweight vintage hardware with sharp digital tools, Go Dam conjures an epic widescreen sound that nods both to the sci-fi optimism of early electro and techno and to today’s fractured, machine-mediated music economy.
Bringing together the elder statesman of the Zulu guitar Madala Kunene and internationally acclaimed Sibusile Xaba, kwaNTU pulls two generations of South African guitar mastery into a single point of focus. Under-represented on recordings outside of South Africa, Madala Kunene (b. 1951), the ‘King of the Zulu Guitar’, is revered as the greatest living master of the Zulu guitar tradition. Sibusile Xaba, whose collaboration with Mushroom Hour Half Hour reaches back to his first recording in 2017 (Open Letter To Adoniah/Unlearning), has garnered international acclaim for his unique voice and virtuoso guitar stylings, which bring together multiple South African guitar lineages in an original, spiritualised fusion. Collaborating with Mushroom Hour and New Soil for kwaNTU, the two players come together to weave a filigree sonic fabric which reaches down to the heartwood of Zulu guitar music but moves resolutely outward, building on the past to create a deeply rooted statement about present conditions and future travels. kwaNTU – which can be roughly translated ‘the place of the life-spirit’ – is also conclave of teacher and student, as Xaba has been taught by Kunene for the last decade. Meditative, rich and sonically sui generis, kwaNTU finds these two musicians linking up within the inimitable space of sound and spirit that they share through Kunene’s teaching.
The great masters of South African music have not all had equal exposure. For many years the generation of musicians who were exiled during apartheid took centre stage, as the regime made it very difficult for those at home to be heard. More recently, a new cohort of important voices, especially in jazz, has broken through to international consciousness. But for the generation of musicians in between – those who shone like beacons in the most difficult final years of apartheid and immediately afterward – international recognition has been slow in coming.
Madala Kunene, ‘the King of the Zulu Guitar’, is among this number. A revered figure for current generations of South African musicians, Kunene began his recording career in 1990, at the bitter end of apartheid, with a now classic self-titled LP for David Marks’ storied Third Ear imprint. Born in 1951 in Cato Manor, near Durban, he had determined to be a musician from early childhood, and by the time he first entered a recording studio he had already had a long career as a popular performer. His virtuoso absorption and transformation of the venerable Zulu maskanda guitar tradition and his richly spiritualised approach to music immediately marked him out as someone special, and in the years that followed, Kunene cemented his position as one of South Africa’s musical elders. He is without doubt the grand master of the Zulu guitar tradition, but his sound and sensibility ranges far beyond it into varied sonic terrain, and he has collaborated with a wide range of musicians both at home and abroad. Now in his mid-seventies, he remains a shining light for those that are making music in contemporary South Africa.
‘He is really an amazing person,’ says the guitarist Sibusile Xaba, who has been mentored by Kunene for over a decade, and now invites a collaboration with him on kwaNTU. ‘As a mentor, he's really powerful in showing us the way. For us to have this opportunity to make music together and have a project together is really a blessing to me.’
Xaba himself grew up in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, where his mother had been in a band and his father sang in a church choir, and from early childhood Xaba played homemade tin guitars. He only later realised that music was his calling. ‘I just loved music. I was fortunate. My parents loved music. And when it was time for me to leave home and go to study outside Newcastle, I knew that music was what I wanted to do. There was no second option. It was just music.’ Moving to Pretoria to study music formally, Xaba committed himself to his craft, developing a unique style that draws on both US jazz masters such as Wes Montgomery and Jim Hall, and the rich and varied heritage of the South African guitar, from inspirational jazz players such as Allen Kwela and Enoch Mthalane, to the music of the Malombo groups and Dr. Philip Tabane (Xaba has previously collaborated with Dr. Tabane’s late son, Thabang), and the Zulu guitar tradition embodied by Kunene.
‘I was really in love with the jazz guitar, I really admired it, and I was digging a lot in that direction,’ says Xaba, recalling his first encounter with Kunene’s music, over a decade ago. ‘And then one day on my timeline, Kunene popped up, and I was like – “What's this sound?” I was so connected to it. It really touched me deep. I started checking out his records, and then I found out he's from the same region as I am, which is Zululand.’ After Kunene played a show at the Afrikan Freedom Station in Johannesburg, Xaba make contact with him, and visited him at home in Durban. They struck up a friendship, and Xaba became the elder’s student, as Kunene began to pass on his knowledge and his inimitable way of playing.
kwaNTU is a tribute to this relationship and the deep learning that has defined it. The album was recorded in Zululand in the town of Utrecht, at a cultural centre called Kwantu Village, which gives its name to the album. ‘It's such a broad word,’ Xaba says, ‘but the elders teach us that Ntu is basically an energy, almost chi, an energy, a force that all living beings have within them. It's a living energy, so kwaNTU is like, almost the place of this energy.’ The two men sequestered themselves for five days of jamming, improvising and planning, and then the session was recorded in one take over a single night, with Gontse Makhene joining on percussion and backing vocals and Fakazile on vocals. Other voices and overdubs were later added in the studio in Johannesburg.
The result is a rich and meditative recording that finds two generations in a deeply engaged dialogue. Teaching and passing on his knowledge, the elder Kunene has brought Xaba into a space of sound and knowledge that they now share; Xaba’s own practice of deep communion with nature and his dedication to his musical craft make him the perfect interlocutor for Kunene. The result is an album that foregrounds the two musicians engaged at the highest levels of responsive listening, sympathetic unity, and collaborative concentration. Bringing an elder statesman of South African music to an international listening audience for the first time in decades by pairing him with one of South Africa’s most important new voices, kwaNTU is a meeting of generations and a powerful demonstration of musical lineage and continuity.
‘Before music, there is sound,’ Xaba observes, speaking of Kunene’s unique approach to music. ‘And sound is like a common compartment…it's not restricted to particular people or particular geographic places, you know what I mean? It's sound. Everybody can hear it. So when he constructs that sound into music, I think everybody resonates with the energy behind his construction of sound into song. Here at home, we really love him for preserving our history through the guitar, through his stories as well the music, the songs that he writes. We really, really admire him.’
The latest release in the Party Tricks reissue series bridges rediscovery with new horizons.
Sebastian Barrymore plays a role in each project, appearing alongside friends throughout the record with unreleased gems and long-lost favorites.
On the A-side, Spilt Coffee (Barrymore & Steven D Wakeling) present two Electro/Tech-House explorations. One cut (A1) previously appeared on vinyl (SPC 001), while the other (A2) resurfaces after disappearing from their website and the realm years ago.
The B-side reveals two unreleased works from the past, which showcase different shades of Barrymore’s collaborations.
M3 Project - Editors (Barrymore & Dan Braine) blends deep house with strong synthpop influences, echoing the peak era of those sounds that once defined dancefloors.
Closing the journey on a life-affirming moment of calm, Droppenkiken - Take Life (Barrymore) delivers a heartfelt downtempo finale.
Great Vacation! are just that: a momentary escape from a crazy world. Sunshine permeates every note, with good times abound when the band throws down. Both “Yellow Gold Diamond Fire” and “You Make It Look Easy” were recorded old school style with the whole band live in the studio to capture that special magic.
Artist Bio:
Great Vacation! was formed by Riley Geare in 2023. The lineup has rotated a bit but always includes Riley and guitarist Topher Mohr. Currently the group includes drummer Sheldon Reed (who appears on Yellow Gold Diamond Fire). Dedicated to an old school aesthetic, the band performs together live in the studio and has only ever done 2 takes of a song. Every track is recorded to tape for maximum stank. We thrive in the Southern California climate- lots of sunshine, classic cars, palm trees and love vibrations pervade the vibe.
Utter presents Marshall Jefferson's previously unreleased meditation opus 'Yellow Meditation For The Dance Generation' alongside two remixes from French production maestro Joakim.
Marshall Jefferson: Chicago House music pioneer, creator of the anthemic ‘Move My Body’, an original collaborator of Adonis, Ce Ce Rogers and Roy Davis Jr., production mastermind of countless dancefloor classics such as Phuture’s ‘Acid Tracks’, Sterling Void’s ’It’s All Right’, Hercules’ ‘7 Ways’… and the soothing voice behind a 36 minute healing meditation guide. Yes, really.
But let’s rewind, slightly.
In 2017, Marshall was approached and encouraged by Ian ‘Snowy’ Snowball to write his autobiography and the pair set about putting Marshall’s account of the history of House music together. The book, ‘Marshall Jefferson: Diary of a DJ’ was published in 2019.
Following the book’s release, Ian and Marshall's collaboration continued and during the pandemic an outlandish idea arose to create a piece of music combining Ian's interest in meditation (he runs Club Chi specialising in Shibashi Qigong - a form of Tai Chi Qigong - which is a gentle form of movement therapy/exercise) and Marshall's willingness to experiment musically to see what might be possible.
The result is ‘Yellow Meditation For The Dance Generation’, where Marshall vocalises Ian’s lyrics in his instantly recognisable voice. The keen-eared out there may also recognise aspects of the music itself as a stripped back, lengthened and far mellower version of Marshall’s 1985 obscurity ‘Vibe’:
“I would take tapes to the Music Box and Ron Hardy would play my music. ‘Vibe’ was one of those tracks. I recorded ‘Vibe’ in 1985, but it became one of my tracks that I just forgot about until some guy on Facebook sent me a recording of it that was taken from a club. The only person who I ever gave a recording of ‘Vibe’ to was Ron Hardy. The other people I know who had copies of the track were Gene Hunt and Emanuel Pippin (DJ Spookie).
"The original version of ‘Vibe’ was made using a Roland 707, Roland JX-8P keyboard and a Roland 727 drum machine. I was still working at the Post Office at the time, and this was pre-‘Move Your Body (The House Music Anthem)’. ‘Vibe’ has the building blocks for ‘Move Your Body’ because it was using the instruments on the track that I discovered what I could do with the bass sound, to make a track like ‘Move Your Body’.”
Still, Ian’s initial intention for ‘Yellow Meditation’ was function and it was designed to be a ‘Sequential Relaxation Exercise’ focusing on the Solar Plexus. Bearing this in mind, Marshall took a bare-bones and hypnotic approach to this particular re-recording of ‘Vibe’ so that the voice takes centre stage and listeners (hopefully) find themselves on a meditative journey. In fact, this long-form track was always intended as a private tool purely for meditation at Club Chi rather than released to the public - after all, Marshall had also created and released a more drum heavy, ’traditional’ club-focused 'Vibe Three' instrumental version for that very purpose - but a chance airing of the full 36 minute version changed its path.
Much like those 1985 ‘Vibe’ cassettes, Marshall had sent the track to a few close contacts, one of whom was Kieran at Phonica Records who aired it over the shop’s basement soundsystem. Its unorthodox nature caught the ear of colleague Alex (of Utter) and the seeds of a physical release were planted.
Eventually, with the full-version carefully whittled down to a vinyl friendly length of 24 minutes, full track parts in hand and a b-side to fill, Alex sought out one of his favourite producers to take up the remix reigns: Joakim. The Tigersushi co-founder and Crowdspacer boss has a long history of boundary-pushing remixes that straddle both dancefloor functionality and experimentation. This time the original material resulted in Joakim coming up with a number of ideas and he finally delivered two versions - one club focused (‘Vertical’), the other more introspective and meditative (‘Horizontal’), both of which appear on the final 12”.
The limited edition 12” also includes a download code giving buyers access to all of the vinyl tracks plus an 18 minute extended version of Joakim’s ‘Horizontal’ remix, its instrumental counterpart (for those who can live without Marshall's voice) and full 12 minute acapella (for those who can't!)
Alex
a A1. Yellow Meditation For The Dance Generation (Edit) 24:00
b B1. Yellow Meditation For The Dance Generation (Joakim's Vertical Remix) 9:09
9:05
Indo Warehouse presents ‘Bombay Acid’ on Crosstown Rebels, featuring Kunal Merchant and Raja Kumari. The hypnotic new single, fusing heritage and future-focused touches, lands with a remix from SYREETA
Making their debut on Crosstown Rebels, New York collective Indo Warehouse unveils ‘Bombay Acid’. The release is a collaboration between co-founder Kunal Merchant and acclaimed vocalist Raja Kumari, capturing the Indo Warehouse ethos: hypnotic grooves, ancestral textures,and underground energy fused into one expansive, ritualistic journey.‘Bombay Acid’ pairs Merchant’s meticulously layered production, melding deep, hypnotic grooves with textures drawn from South Asian musical traditions, with Kumari’s commanding vocals. The track unfolds as both a club-ready cut and an immersive ritual, bridging cultural heritage and contemporary electronic sounds. A Grammy-nominated rapper, singer, and classically trained dancer, Raja Kumari bridges Indian tradition with contemporary global music. She has collaborated with Timbaland, Dr. Dre, Gwen Stefani, John Legend, and Iggy Azalea, and has performed at Coachella, Wireless, and India’s NH7 Festival. Her imprint, Godmother Records, and projects such as ‘The Bridge’ (2023) and ‘Kashi to Kailash’ (2025) explore resilience and spiritual depth, making her one of the most distinctive voices in modern music.
On the flip, SYREETA delivers a striking rework. Authentic and fearless, the UK favourite has shattered glass ceilings while drawing on chunky basslines and energetic grooves from house and techno to craft her own sound and style. Her remix injects ‘Bombay Acid’ with that signature low-end punch, while driving and harnessing the track’s cosmic energy for late-night dancefloors.Kunal Merchant has spent years building a sound that is simultaneously drawn from his South Asian lineage and futuristic. From appearances at Coachella, Hï Ibiza, Fabric London, and Brooklyn Mirage, to releases across the Indo House spectrum, he has become a central figure in shaping the genre and bringing South Asian voices to the global electronic stage. Indo Warehouse, co-founded by Merchant and Kahani in 2022, has evolved from its underground origins in New York into an international movement. Their live shows are immersive experiences, rituals where identity, tradition, and club culture collide, and their releases continue to push the boundaries of house and techno while remaining deeply grounded in their origins. With ‘Bombay Acid’, Merchant and Kumari deliver a production that is both hypnotic and expansive, inviting listeners
into a universe where rhythm, culture, and underground energy meet in unison.
Influenced by many different styles, it's hard to describe the tracks to any specific genre. Maybe they sound familiar to some of you - we thought now it's the right time to release them on wax.
4 tracks, each of them well dancefloor approved and with a unique touch for every hour of the night. Have fun.
Solo Jøns' new work for Musex Industries, scheduled for release on vinyl on 8 October, comes with eight tracks that explore the pulse of contemporary electronic music with a unique perspective and solid production. Between the raw rhythms, urban textures and a direct approach to the dance floor, the producer unfurls a repertoire that connects influences from the past with a fresh and forceful vision of the present. This LP moves between raw techno roots, industrial nods and moments of melodic exploration, consolidating Solo Jøns as a unique voice on the national scene.
Introducing Beautiful, a 4-track, club-focused EP by Copenhagen’s Hekt on Numbers. It hints at his mass appeal while featuring club-ready vocal collaborations from close friends Henriette (on ‘Beautiful’ and ‘You Won’t Believe’) and Catharina (on ‘Anytime Anywhere’), who together record as Smerz.
Working entirely without samples, Hekt is a sculptor wielding digital synthesis and sticky hooks, with each element carefully constructed from the ground up and the process just as important as the finished result. “It’s about trying to be honest with what I like at every level,” he says. “To maximise the points where I'm forced to check in with my feelings on each aspect of the songwriting, sound design, mixing, and any other aesthetic choice. Creating digital approximations tilts towards an uncanny space where everything is crystal-clear but also kind of warped.”
On opening track “Beautiful”, the descending bass and acid lines are inspired by tracks Hekt and friends used to test subwoofers in the cars they rode around during their teenage years. “You Won’t Believe” started off as a MIDI piano sketch that accelerated towards the epic emotional impact of EDM stadium-fillers like Avicii and Eric Prydz. In a playful nod to internet culture, Hekt recalls that “I had this idea for adding a vocal that played on YouTube thumbnails and self-promotion. I called Henriette when she was in France and asked her to phrase it as epic as possible, and she sent two ideas over for ‘Beautiful’ and ‘You Won’t Believe’.”
On ‘Anytime Anywhere’, Hekt reimagines his sound at 110 BPM. What began as studio experiments morphed from Neptunes or Timbaland-style productions into a crunchy pressure overload closer to Gescom via Lazer Dim 700, with Hekt also adding his own vocals.
Music From Memory are thrilled to announce the forthcoming release of ‘Pastoral Blend,’ a new album from the duo of N Kramer and Magnus Bang Olsen (The Zenmenn).
Recorded in Berlin between August 2023 and March 2024, ‘Pastoral Blend’ combines Kramer's improvisational process and mastery of contemporary production techniques with Bang Olsen’s emotive pedal steel guitar playing. The creative process was anchored in capturing various phrases and patterns from the instrument, which were then reshaped, reversed, and layered intricately. This meticulous approach allowed a foundational track to emerge, upon which further arrangements and developments were sculpted. This process, which builds on Kramer's earlier work as Habitat (with J. Foerster, released on Leaving Records), gives the music a gentle asynchronous flow that feels uniquely live and organic.
Merging the warmth and intimacy of instrumental Americana with the glitchy, textural processing reminiscent of early 2000s Max/MSP and influential artists such as Fennesz and Alva Noto, ‘Pastoral Blend’ is a textured drift between analog warmth and digital fragmentation, a delicate equilibrium that duo navigate with remarkable finesse and an air of effortless charm. With titles like ‘Harvest', ‘Agrarian Dawn’, ‘Grasslands’, and ‘Weathered’, Kramer and Bang Olsen evoke a musical vocabulary steeped in themes of landscape, memory, and tradition; a vocabulary that gently alludes to the more familiar and traditional musical structures lying beneath the rich layers of sound. Herein lies the essence of the 'Pastoral Blend’.
Marco Bon steps onto wax for the first time with a debut 12" that unfolds as a four-part manifesto in sound - at once euphoric and minimalistic, meticulously sculpted through a fiercely independent, DIY approach.
This record is the culmination of more than three decades spent on the fringes and in the heart of club culture — nights of listening, learning, and absorbing the unspoken codes of the dance floor. Each track distills those years into something lived-in yet forward-looking, timeless yet unmistakably personal.
Terence Fixmer Reissues Two Cult Techno Anthems on Red 10 inch Vinyl
Techno pioneer Terence Fixmer re-releases two of his most iconic tracks - Electrostatic and Electric Vision - now remastered for a more contemporary and powerful sound, and pressed on a limited edition 10 inch red vinyl.
Originally released on Gigolo Records in the late 90s and early 2000s, both tracks quickly became underground anthems. Played by legendary DJs such as Dave Clarke, Sven Vath, and many others, they were also named Tracks of the Year by renowned techno publications like Groove magazine.
With these two groundbreaking cuts, Terence Fixmer helped open a bold new chapter in the history of techno - giving birth to Techno Body Music (TBM), a genre blending the raw, industrial force of EBM with the driving energy of techno. Electrostatic, in particular, is considered a foundational track of this hybrid style.
Now regarded as true techno classics, Electrostatic and Electric Vision have stood the test of time and are still played regularly by DJs worldwide, continuing to energize dancefloors decades after their release.
This is the first official repress in over 20 years, and the first time these two cult tracks appear together on one record - sharper, louder, and more essential than ever.
Steve Moore reprises his beloved Lovelock guise by presenting his unique riff on the library breaks genre. Business And Pleasure contains grimy groove and sleazy, funk-laden lounge music.
This vinyl release is hyper-limited, with just 500 pressed for the world.
The LP is ushered in by the spacey synth-funk of the sleazy, woozy title track. This is that serious slo-mo cosmic-balearic head-nod shit. Laidback bass, heavy funk with dreamy synth and electric guitars. An outstanding opener. Up next, the dynamic, swaggering "Last Call" is a sophisticated, elegant stroll - sweeping, mellow strings, a smooth bassline and gorgeous percussion with urgent keys and swelling synths.
"Slinky Strut" is another spaced-out, sleazy funk groove with jazz rock by way of a heavy, heavy guitar riff, mellotron and bass breakdowns which build to brass crescendos. Gigantic. "First Class" closes out the side, and, like classic Hawkshaw / Bennett noir, it's got that mysterious and murky stretched out sleuth / detective soul with a great bassline and percussive elements, with swelling strings, ace synths and smooth Rhodes piano melodies entering the mix halfway through. Dramatic guitars and groovy percussion add extra intrigue. It's 7 minutes of funk!
Side B opens with the stretched-out psychedelic funk and jazz groove of "Stank 49". It takes its sweet time to unfurl, creating enormous - almost sensual - anticipation for the ensuing beauty but, as it does, we're left beguiled and straight-up hypnotised. Heaven-sent synth flourishes and a laidback bassline over smooth drums cement its simple, vivacious grace. "Dangerous Man" is that creeping crime funk we all love; heavy bass and fuzzy guitar riffs, mellow strings and sumptuous piano/synths. It's irresistible, it's ominous and it's pretty gargantuan. It's basically like an El-P hip-hop instrumental. We need to get some rappers over this stuff, stat!
"Stinkbug" is a dazzling and funky groove-fuelled jazz-rock workout with fizzing synth riffs joined by full percussion and drum breaks, building with strings to a strong swagger. Vigour! To close out this remarkable set, the breezy "Win Or Lose" is laidback soul-inflected funk, utilising urgent, skipping drums and galloping basslines. Just stunning.
This collection was written and recorded in Spring and Summer of ’24. Everything was tracked at Steve's home studio in Albany, NY except the drums and percussion, which were recorded by Jeff Gretz at his space in NYC. The whole collection is basically a rhythm section feature, so Steve's Rickenbacker 4003 and Fender Jazz Bass play very prominently. The bass guitar serves as lead instrument in a lot of these tracks. Also, lots of Rhodes and stringers (Solina, Logan etc) and guitar (Strat and Les Paul). He even dusted off my sax for this one, which he doesn’t do as often as he’d like!
This type of groove-oriented library music has been a steady part of Steve's diet since the late 90’s. In heavy rotation while writing this collection were the following classics: “Time Signals” by Klaus Weiss, “Tilsley Orchestral No. 10” by Reg Tilsley, and “Heavy Truckin’” by Simon Haseley. “Voyage” by Brian Bennett was also a big one.
Lovelock started as a dedicated Italo-disco project, but over the years Steve expanded it to include anything directly informed by the commercial/pop side of the music of his childhood (70s/80s). Writing and recording this album was, like a lot of Steve's music these days, basically a test to see whether or not he could do it.
The song titles, like the music, are meant to be evocative yet vague. But there is a bit of a travel theme. Steve imagined this record being the soundtrack to a sleazy salesman’s business trip. The kind of guy who, when asked if he’s traveling for business or pleasure, responds “both.” Beyond the traveling salesman comparison, the title directly relates to the creation of this album. This was something he wanted to do just for his own enjoyment. Yet, like our sleazy salesman, he still found a way to get paid.
The album’s cover was designed by Chris Stevenson, with no little direction from Steve. He knew that he wanted to go with something photography-based for this cover so, in true DIY/cheapskate spirit, Steve started by looking through his own photos. He found the cover image on his phone, taken through an almost empty bottle of beer, and it clicked. The whole album has a very boozy vibe (especially with titles like “Last Call”) so this shot seemed appropriate. We, hic, agree.
Mastering for this vinyl edition was overseen by Be With regular Simon Francis, and it was cut by the esteemed Cicely Balston at Abbey Road Studios to be pressed in the Netherlands by Record Industry.
Berlin’s Limited White Label presents the vinyl debut of New York City-based composer, producer, and drummer Zachary Berns. A fixture of NYC’s jazz and underground scenes, Berns has built a reputation through boundary-crossing projects (notably “zbeeez” and jazz/hip-hop collective “poetic thrust”), collaborations with rising artists across R&B, jazz, and electronic music, and acclaimed appearances at parties such as “Soul in the Horn”. With LTDWLBL011, he steps forward under his full name for the first time, delivering a statement that bridges his dual lineage in jazz and house/electronic/club music.
“Where Animals Play” is the second General Dynamics album, arriving two years after their successful debut LP “Weaponize Your Dreams”. This second manifestation is the logical and brutal continuation of their distinct sound; menacing vocals splayed across an array of precision sampling, destructive percussion and finessed synth work. The duo (consisting of members SARIN + QUAL) embodies, assimilates and re-interprets the ethos & defiance of industrial & cyberpunk culture, taking their approach to new, harsh extremes. Their most recent hallucinatory output is a broad rejection of the current & dominant global trajectory; one that seeks to enslave and destroy humankind via an unhinged amalgamation of fascism, deregulated capitalism & the exploitative use of emerging technology.
Uncertainty about and confidence in the future, melancholia and euphoria, tears and hope: The 5th Mollono.Bass album resonates with a zeitgeist that is a complex, highly divergent, sometimes even opposing state of thoughts and emotions. Deep and heady groove structures create compelling drive, emotive human voices add introspective fragility, free flowing harmonies unfurl as intense collective ecstasy. Vocals reflect pensively on issues like falling apart, yet the tracks themselves are magnificent examples of what happens when creative minds come together. MAZ’N contributed to several titles on Tear & Hope, in one of them we also hear the voice of Margret. The song-oriented approach of these tunes is another very contemporary aspect – one that will find expression in a special live show this year. Andy’s Echo adds to the signature vibe of friendship and co-creation on this Mollono.Bass album with a mutual production, as well. With many different expressions of its main theme, Tears & Hope has everything it takes to make a powerful, electrifying impact - on major dancefloors and in intimate listening settings alike.
Carefully arranged jazzy cuts circle the first appearance of the enigmatic Edrift. For sure a future classic to fill your colorful afternoons, or to serve as a tapestry for late night conversations, will most likely end up on your forever loved records. Lovely melodies drift in perfect balance on top of some of the coolest beats. Unpack, throw it on the turntable, and enjoy it in the most relaxed way, as it was intended.
Picnic return after a summer hiatus with a dance floor ready 4 tracker from UK artist HenryG. The debut EP from the Manchester based producer delicately transitions between house and electro, while touching on some progressive elements in between.
A1 comes in heavy with tastefully written synths and glitchy electro sounds drawing the listener into a dance floor trance. The A2 of the record, aptly named Serpent, slithers through progressive arpeggiators and a has a particularly distinctive, raw bassline, giving the immersive synths the power to carry the track.
On the flip side, B1 explores a deeper approach to HenryG’s studio output and resonates strongly with early dub techno cuts. The vocal really personifies the track and brings it to life. B2 does it exactly what it says on tin, it’s tough. Although the structure somewhat resembles a more electro tip, it finds the perfect balance in between the electro realm and underground house.
Edition of 200 hand-numbered records, each housed in a custom Rosy womb French paper jacket with letterpress + a unique hand-cut found photo memory fragment on each cover with newsprint insert. Every copy has a different cover.
An archival release by short-lived post-punk, Brooklyn duo Möthersky. Xander Hing, with South African origins, vocals and guitar on Side A, bass + vocals on Side B. Richard Vergez, visual artist and Noir Age label owner, fuzz bass + drums on Side A and guitar + synths + drums on Side B. Played the Nothing Changes party in 2013. Shared bills with acts such as Cindytalk, Black Rain, Eric Random, Das Ding, and Drew McDowall.
Reviewed in The Wire magazine:
First single by this Brooklyn based duo named after the classic track on Can's Soundtracks LP. Their basic approach remains bottom-heavy in the vein of early Factory and 4AD units, but the guitar angles up top have gotten more slithery. Far less doom-ridden than their earlier work, this still stirs up dark waters aplenty. And it has a lovely package of which I think Peter Saville would approve."
By the time of their second album, 1989’s ‘Unfinished Business’, EPMD were firmly cemented in the rap stratosphere. With one certified classic album under their belts, they proved they were no one-hit wonders, with the sequel possibly even better. A concise 12 tracker once again produced by the artists themselves, it saw them adhering to the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ maxim, while going somewhat ‘bigger’.
In other words, guests started to appear – not just on the records, but in the videos – and marketing budgets were higher. None of which watered down their sound. In fact, this is the ultimate EPMD record: a beat that’s simple but perfect, and two top-of-their-game MC’s going back and forth. But the appearance of NWA in the video for ‘The Big Payback’ hints at their reputation at the time – and at the cordial relations between coasts before the deadly beef that was to come.
‘Payback’ takes both its title and core sample from James Brown’s ‘The Payback’ from 1973, and then weaves two more JB elements with it, including the addictive stabs from ‘Baby, Here I Come’. It’s a golden track from the golden age.
The B-side is another gem from the same album, and only released before on 7” in a very rare, limited pressing. ‘So Wat Cha Sayin’ was the album’s lead single, and shows EPMD’s wide sampling palette. There’s bits of BT Express, a whole lot of Funkadelic and, brilliantly, some drums lifted from Soul II Soul’s gem from just the year before, ‘Fairplay’. Lyrically, it’s just all about threats to sucker’s MC’s – what else do you want from EPMD?
WEorUS has long been synonymous with forward-thinking electronic music, and their upcoming vinyl release further cements their reputation for sonic innovation. Featuring four distinct tracks from Anushka, Dragosh, Fabrizio Siano and Kaitaro, this record presents a nuanced exploration of groove, minimalism, and jazz-infused experimentation.
The release opens with Anushka’s “LVOE” a track that radiates warmth and rhythmic fluidity. Built upon a foundation of deep grooves and hypnotic layers, it embraces organic textures that evolve subtly throughout the arrangement. Expect an inviting bassline, shimmering synth work, and a rhythmic interplay that beckons dance floors into motion.
Dragosh delivers “Lampone” a groovy minimal cut that balances intricate percussive elements with a refined sense of space. There’s an air of elegance in the way this track unfolds—tight drum programming meets delicate sound design, resulting in an immersive experience that feels both intimate and expansive. A staple for selectors who appreciate understated yet compelling compositions.
Fabrizio Siano’s “What is Jazz” a contemporary minimal jazz experiment that defies conventional genre boundaries. Jazz-inflected chords weave through delicate electronic structures, resulting in a fusion that feels both nostalgic and futurist. A celebration of improvisation and groove, this track adds a sophisticated touch to the vinyl.
Dark, introspective, yet strangely hypnotic, Kaitaro’s “Nightmare” introduces a deep minimal aesthetic that veers toward atmospheric intensity. Layers build with eerie precision, each element strategically placed to create an evolving soundscape that feels cinematic yet firmly rooted in club dynamics. This is minimal at its finest—moody, unpredictable, and meticulously crafted.
There are certain albums which shake the world immediately upon release, and others which come from far underground and whose shocks and aftershocks rise to the surface gradually over the years, gaining momentum and power. "Ten Dubs That Shook The World" is of the latter type. Since its original vinyl release in 1988, the prescient impact of this Australian homemade dubwise solo massive byAnthony Maher aka Sheriff Lindoh as become ever-more apparent and influential. With its dual island combination of Jamaican dub and UK industrial and post-punk, and the twinning of spaced electronic drums and effects with some very fine, superbly rooted bass lines, the tectonic "Ten Dubs" has proven to be a durable, doubly-solid shaker. This 2025 repress is dedicated to the original producer John Blades, founder of the Endless Recordings label, who along with Maher and Richard Fielding constituted The Loop Orchestra. Available on LP vinyl or CD; the CD version features bonus tracks. EM Records is also pleased to announce that we are preparing Lindo's first release since "Ten Dubs" was launched 37 years ago. From deep underground in Australia, rising, reverberating and resonating across the globe, "Ten Dubs That Shook The World" vibrates on.
After countless hours in the studio, we are proud to present EZ PC, a sonic journey infused with elements of funk, jazz and abstract soundscapes.
The record features the legendary Samuel Appapoulay, whose versatile musicianship adds depth and character throughout the project. This release also marks one of the first projects to showcase the collaboration between David and the Mauritian-born pianist.
To complete the experience, Tripmastaz delivers a remix that holds its own alongside the original, an absolute masterpiece that lifts the EP to an entirely new level.
Eden Burns releasing his debut Album titled „Eden Burns & The Makebelievers“. The dance musics prophet, notorious for his ingenious string of club tracks (if you don’t follow —> check the „Big Beat Manifesto“), is gifting the world with yet another, cult creating musical
adventure. Ecstatic beats, melodies that cast a spell on you, if there ever was something to truly, blindly believe in: it’s the power of music? Be Free, set foot into the garden of Eden. All apples are to be bitten, the snakes venom is mildly hallucinogenic. Get your eyes opened for everything that is true enough and beyond. Bless.
Celestial Echo is here with one of the all time holy grail soul double siders. When we tell you a record will never leave your bag after buying it, this is exactly the record it applies to.
Originally released in 1970 and written, produced and arranged by the great Van McCoy, Washington D.C.’s Bobby Reed stepped up and delivered “The Time Is Right For Love” an incredible loved up stepper, and then “If I Don’t Love You”, a perfect compliment, another… loved up stepper.
This one isn’t a fresh find, or a new discovery - Just an essential, officially licensed reissue of an incredible slice of soul.
Stepping forward with 'Owebimataeto', the new four-track EP by Colombian producer Zemog. Drawing influences from the Sikuani language and the traditions of the Guahibo people, the EP channels a raw, propulsive energy anchored in its ancestral references.
'Alai' sets the tone with a driving bassline and metallic overtones, punctuated by fluid, organic sounds that twist through shifting layers of rhythm and resonance. 'Biaba' follows with a tribal current of dense, interlocking patterns within a steadily unfolding pulse. The momentum bends sideways with 'Beaxayo', a half- time whirlwind of swirling patterns and psychedelic pull, before 'Wako' sinks into a slow, sludgy finale.
'Owebimataeto' stands as a statement of Zemog's approach to techno- immersive, bold, and steeped in Colombia's indigenous world, transforming ancient cadence into something unmistakably alive.
Back on wax for the first time since its original 2018 release, Stay Cool returns as a limited edition green vinyl repress. This collector's cut includes the extended mix of Stay Cool, plus three versions of You're So Special - the original extended, a peak-time remix from Gerd Janson, and a rave-ready rework by Eats Everything, both appearing on vinyl for the very first time. A favourite among crate-diggers and DJs alike, this rare slice of modern electro-pop and club finesse is back for a limited time only.
With their musical roots deeply immersed in the fertile soil of Afro-American music, the Buttshakers have found a new direction for their nostalgia-heavy soul music. With Lessons In Love, their third album on Underdog Records, their early heartaches and furies have faded in favor of a more composed harmony – a sound enveloped in love and soaked in the blues. Guided by their singer Ciara Thompson, the Buttshakers have taken a more intimate path, whose compass, in the chaos of emotions and the modern world, points only in one direction: the light.
Seen from the sky, the view appears limitless. Accentuated by the sun, the ochre and sandy hues of the open road only reinforce this feeling of immensity. The sky stretches and the green stands out in striking contrast. In lighter tones, a road is drawn -- without bends or contours. This is the worn and weary road of soul music, which The Buttshakers explore on each album in new and unique ways. Soul music – a rare place to find a French band.
Vast, the musical direction could have taken them to lighter pastures. Yet the Buttshakers chose to evolve in a different way; to take a heavier load. Two paths – one sparked by social unrest, the other purely sentimental, Lessons In Love explores the deep roots of soul music, in the steps of Curtis Mayfield or Al Green. It is here that the heart and mind cross paths, merge, and become one. A weary road -- that brings together the agitation of a world where good intentions never rise above the level of digital outrage, and a faith in love which, however it manifests and expresses itself, remains the only truth that never loses its power.
Less rage and more compassion, it is through the haunting words and now tempered inflection of Ciara Thompson's voice, which opens to distinct emotions and perspectives, that the listener is guided. With its gaze fixed on the horizon, the acoustic guitar of Gotta Believe invites us on an intimate stroll through the open plains, while Dream On carries us away with a clavinet riff and a possessed saxophone; reconnecting the electric heat and neurosis of a city full of dreams. The senses are moved by the conjuring potion of the guitar which distills throughout Troubled Waters; the body is brought back into a visceral dance by the keys and brass section that are put to the test by Sure As Sin and its irrepressible rhythm. Passing through clouds of dust and sand has left a bluesy imprint on their groove: the miles travelled became hundreds, then thousands.
All of this leaves the listener bewitched by the halo of resilience that now surrounds Ciara's performance, as the ten tracks let the light fade. But certainly not hope in a better day. Like the sunflower that always lifts its head towards the sun’s rays, the Buttshakers continue to resource their sounds in the deep roots of soul music. Into the rich layers of African-American music of the 60s and 70s, The Buttshakers capture the spirit as much as the musical aesthetics of the epoch. A sound that reaches into the meanderings of the soul, bringing light to dark places and hope for all. A sound for the most parched of hearts, living in a damaged world, Lessons In Love confirms that even the tiniest beam of light can illuminate one’s path.
Modularz 93: UHFVHF – A Sonic Exploration of Analog and Digital Frequencies
Modularz is proud to present Modularz 93, a groundbreaking collaborative project between two heavyweights in the techno scene: Developer, the visionary producer and label head, and Stanislav Tolkachev, the Ukrainian techno ambassador known for his raw and experimental approach to sound. Their new release, UHFVHF, is a deep and immersive journey into the sonic interplay of analog and digital frequencies, a love letter to the mystique of over-the-air signals and the grey areas where the known meets the unknown. This project marks the culmination of countless hours spent in the studio in Berlin, where Developer and Stanislav have fused their unique creative processes. By blending analog hardware with cutting-edge digital techniques, the duo has crafted a sound that is both timeless and forward-thinking. The result is a series of tracks that explore rhythm and texture in their rawest form, pushing the boundaries of techno’s narrative and embracing the unfiltered power of sound. Through UHFVHF, Developer and Stanislav continue to redefine the parameters of contemporary techno, offering an uncompromising experience that speaks to both the mind and the body. This release is a testament to their dedication to the art of sound, offering a sonic landscape that pushes the boundaries of what techno can be. Modularz 93 – UHFVHF is a must-listen for anyone who seeks the raw energy and unapologetic power that defines the heart of true techno.
DUSTY DONUTS ISN’T JUST A LABEL — IT’S A TURNTABLE MANIFESTO.
Since its inception, the collective of vinyl scientists behind Dusty Donuts has been applying their signature "Dusty Formula" to every cut – a potent blend of deep crate knowledge, razor-sharp edits and roots firmly planted in the Hip-Hop culture. Each 45 is crafted with the instincts of seasoned DJs and the ears of lifelong diggers, spinning like a secret weapon on the decks: restructured classics and forgotten gems, reimagined with just the right bounce for today’s dance floors.
Now, with their new imprint DUSTY DONUTS CLASSICS, the crew levels up – kicking things off with a standout collaboration featuring the incredibly talented Emma Noble, who they first crossed paths with at the legendary Mojo Club. Emma’s soulful style and versatility made her the perfect fit for the launch of this new venture.
The rare and resonating auras of CCO arrive on Analog Concept Records with the EP Cosmic String, designed to take the listener on an electro journey of melody and mystery.
Side A opens with confident missions captivating the soul and body through building layers of acidic 808 funk, ghostly ethereal chords, and the deep vision of Breaking Phase Transition; while the analog chords, tropical electro design and warm bass taste of Topological Defect are sure bets and your soundtrack to explore lands not seen yet.
The B side manifests the acidic imagination with the lysergic proliferation, late nite synth auras and kick driven electro rhythms of Zero-Width Approximation.
Simply Connected Space arrives next characterized by golden era Chicago House design, sunny ambience, and 707 percussive chase concluding the ep in classic taste.
We are delighted at Analog Concept for you to Experience the class production quality of CCO - Cosmic String.
"I want to hear more of Ryo Fukui's performances." The dream of listeners around the world has now become a reality. A spectacular live performance full of the charm of the mature Fukui who has been with .This is what an unexpected joy is all about. The appearance of Ryo Fukui's "new work". Recorded on June 26, 2004. This is a live recording of a live performance commemorating the 9th anniversary of , the jazz live house that Fukui presided over and used as the base of his activities.
The members of the trio were Fukui, Kosuke Sakai (bass), and Yoshito Eto (drums). Fukui was 56 years old at the time. His performance was powerful and large-scale, yet delicate and sharp. In terms of the balance of energy, stamina, and technique, he was just approaching his prime. He spins heavy yet elegant renditions of his beloved Phineas Newborn Jr. and Tommy Flanagan, and thrillingly plays Wayne Shorter, who he was a huge fan of in his youth. It is a spectacular performance that reflects the fulfillment of Fukui's time. , which opened in June 1995, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
Text by Yusuke Ogawa (UNIVERSOUNDS / DEEP JAZZ REALITY)
A successful debut - MAXIMILIAN EP 6 on his imprint.
The classic house EP that reminds of early Detroit and Chicago tracks with a modern touch!
An extrardionary EP, a string of mysterious releases appeared on the UK based EVIDEON Studio Records, specialising in Deep-House and Electronic music from the early 90’s.
Quality deep-house as usual from Maximilian's archives is being treated to some epic sounds of this two songs, now available on vinyl.
The Danish/Norwegian duo of Ida Urd and Ingri Høyland believe that music is an extension of one’s immediate sensory environment. Duvet, their collaborative full-length debut, explores the way that creating sounds together is intertwined with various quotidian actions: establishing surroundings, rearranging furniture, moving towards the light, collecting flowers or other objects for aesthetic and sensuous impulses. Through a quiet and attentive process, music becomes a way of nurturing space: a soft architecture for play, writing, care, or simply rest.
Sonically, Duvet feels like an extension of Høyland’s last album, 2023’s Ode to Stone, which also featured Urd along with ambient musician Sofie Birch and visual artist Lea Guldditte Hestelund. But where that album, created in response to an open call for work themed around Denmark’s national parks, suggested rolling landscapes and endless horizons, Duvet turns inward, countering chill winds with glowing warmth. Its eight tracks seek a balance between abstraction and melody, intention and happenstance.
“We had a truly inspiring and rewarding process working with Birk Gjerlufsen Nielsen from Vanessa Amara, who co-produced and mixed the album with us,” Ingri adds. “He approached the material with great care and sensitivity, while also bringing his own distinct presence and creativity into the sound.”
Høyland and Urd both studied at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen, which has turned out many acclaimed artists over the past few years, including Erica de Casier, Astrid Sonne, and Smerz. Over many years, the two composers have developed a collaborative method based on connection and trust. A practice, they write, “where composing, or rather suggesting, sounds and melodies for one another is a way of carefully talking, mending emotions and obstacles. Saying yes to one another. The compositional space becomes a nest for entangling whatever emotions, thoughts, or barriers one of the composers brings to the given day or moment.”
Quiet and contemplative, Duvet is simple on the surface but rich in timbral, textural, and emotional complexity. Høyland and Urd sourced their sounds from an array of instruments and techniques—electronic devices, modules, pedals, and also electroacoustic treatments of various wind instruments.
Mixing primarily through analog tape units added further mystery and depth, weaving together wordless voices and unknown sounds—breathing, rustling, perhaps the coppery gleam of Urd’s electric bass—into a dynamic matrix. Like a nest, pull one twig and the whole thing unravels.
In the winter of 2023, Ingri Høyland and Ida Urd retreated to a summer house along the coast to create the album. Picture the scene: an abiding quiet all around. Gardens carpeted by snow; beach grass silvery against the silvery sky; a tendril of smoke rising from the chimney. Not another soul in earshot. This sanctuary was the perfect setting to yield this meditation on shelter, trust, and communication. The two composers hope the album can be a similar space for others—a temporary space of residence, it can represent a summerhouse, a cabin in the woods, your favorite bench or wherever you need to go. “The album also works really well when picking out apples in the supermarket” Urd laughs.
Parallax explores the shifting boundary between human intuition and algorithmic logic, a space where two perspectives converge and blur until the center is lost. Composed through a hybrid system of voltage-controlled hardware and digital manipulation, the five tracks apply FM synthesis, granular processing, and bit-level degradation to rigid electro structures. Sequences are shaped by modulation instability and clock drift, gradually disrupting pattern integrity and simulating a loss of systemic control. Precise yet disrupted grooves hint at a deeper malfunction, as if something is corrupting the system from within. Parallax is the gap between the human who creates and the algorithm that imitates.
The always hard working Emotional Rescue now unveils the electronic disco project Exo Fender, helmed by esteemed New York producer Eric Calvi and featuring the legendary Steve D'Acquisto. The remastered songs 'Big Mood' and 'Music In My Mind' span two new EPs, with updated edited versions by NYC producer Justin Van Der Volgen. Calvi's journey from Paris to New York's music scene in the 1980s when he engineered hits for artists like Cameo and Africa Bambaataa, and laid the groundwork for Exo Fenders. Inspired by clubbing friendships, the project's infectious grooves and tongue-in-cheek nature gained club play and collector's acclaim, with Van Der Volgen's remix enhancing their timeless appeal for today's dancefloors.
DJ support: Michael Bibi, Solomun, ANOTR and more
Rising duo Moontalk step into the spotlight on Planet X with ‘Hot Line 84’, a track that channels tightly wound grooves, warped guitar licks and infectious vocal touches into a rolling dancefloor cut. Built with a sharp focus on rhythm and texture, the single captures the duo’s forward-thinking approach and delivers a fresh statement of intent on one of the underground’s most closely watched labels.
Planet X head Ben Sterling completes the release with his own reinterpretation, steering ‘Hot Line 84’ into darker, hypnotic territory. Crafted live using various guitars and analogue synths, Sterling’s remix brims with raw energy, tunnelling its way through Indie Dance textures while retaining the future-facing edge of the original. A track already championed by the likes of Michael Bibi, Solomun, ANOTR and more, it’s another bold showcase of Sterling’s versatility as both a producer and label curator — and a reminder of Planet X’s commitment to cutting-edge, cross-genre sound.
Together, the original and remix strike a balance between groove-driven immediacy and late-night depth, capturing two distinct yet complementary sides of the Planet X universe. ‘Hot Line 84’ stands as a compelling snapshot of where the label is heading next: innovative, immersive and firmly in tune with the dancefloor.
The latest boy band in town, POP VAMPIRES COLOGNE, opens the party with the enigmatic ‘Karianne’. SUPERPITCHER knows how to make a grand appearance, accompanied by high-calibre guests. His electro-pop treat ‘Pandora’s Box’ features Hot Chip’s ALEXIS TAYLOR on vocals. JÜRGEN PAAPE isn’t coming alone either, but with newcomer HELLA in tow. ‘Grace (A Tale)‘ once again shows our resident hit maker at his best. JÖRG BURGER also has a table companion, the extremely talented Irene Kalisvaart, and remixes himself on top of that. REINHARD VOIGT points out that money never sleeps and proceeds according to the motto: ’Zahl an einem anderen Tag (Pay another day)’. Our Brazilian whirlwind GUI BORATTO returns after a long absence with the banger ‘Panorama X-Press’. After careful consideration, ROBAG WRUHME has named his new track ‘Total’ and sings in the chorus with his family for the first time. WASSERMANN contributes an ultra-fat remix of Mayer’s ‘Brainwave Technology’, while MICHAEL MAYER himself marvels at the rare ‘Erdbeermond’. HARDT ANTOINE’s ‘Let Me Go’ really gets the party going again before WASSERMANN orders a large taxi and skips out on the bill.
See you again next year!
TOTAL 25… Schon wieder ein Jubiläum in einem an Jubiläen ohnehin nicht armen Jahr. Zum 25. mal versammelt sich die Kompakt Familie zum alljährlichen Stelldichein. Ohren angelegt, los geht’s! Die neueste Boygroup in town, POP VAMPIRES COLOGNE eröffnet die Party mit dem enigmatischen ‘Karianne’. SUPERPITCHER weiss, wie man einen großen Auftritt hinlegt, und zwar in hochkarätiger Begleitung. Sein Elektropop-Leckerbissen ’Pandora’s Box’ featured Hot Chip’s ALEXIS TAYLOR an den Vocals. Auch JÜRGEN PAAPE kommt nicht allein, sondern mit der Neukommerin HELLA im Schlepptau. ‘Grace (A Tale)’ zeigt unseren Haus- und Hitlieferanten mal wieder in Bestform. JÖRG BURGER hat ebenfalls eine Tischdame im Gepäck, die überaus talentierte Irene Kalisvaart, und remixed sich obendrein selbst. REINHARD VOIGT gibt zu Bedenken, dass Geld niemals schläft und verfährt nach dem Motto: ‘Zahl an einem anderen Tag’. Unser brasilianischer Wirbelwind GUI BORATTO meldet sich nach längerer Abstinenz mit dem Banger ‘Panorama X-Press’ zurück. ROBAG WRUHME hat seinen neuen Track nach reiflicher Überlegung ‘Total’ genannt und singt darauf erstmals selbst im Chor mit seiner Familie. Der WASSERMANN steuert einen ultrafetten Remix von Mayers ‘Brainwave Technology’ bei, während MICHAEL MAYER selbst den seltenen ‘Erdbeermond’ bestaunt. HARDT ANTOINE’s ‘Let Me Go’ bringt die Party nochmal so richtig in Schwung, bevor der WASSERMANN ein Großraumtaxi bestellt und die Zeche prellt.
KinAhau returns to Crosstown Rebels with expansive new single ‘Under the Flowerpot’, featuring Luke Cusato. Backed by a cosmic, synth-driven remix from Perel, the release lands on the label. After debuting on the label with his remix of Airrica’s ‘Hi Speed Lover’ last year, surging wonderkid KinAhau steps forward with his first full solo release for Crosstown Rebels. ‘Under the Flowerpot’ captures a moment of raw honesty and transition for the young Mexican artist, revealing a more expansive, song-led direction in collaboration with UK vocalist Luke Cusato.
The single was born during a turbulent period, written in the wake of a panic attack shortly after relocating to Rome. That sense of fragility and release runs through the record, pairing Cusato’s stirring topline with KinAhau’s widescreen production to create a cut that blurs the lines between club energy and confessional songwriting. For the remix, Damian Lazarus welcomes Perel to Crosstown Rebels. A unique voice within the electronic landscape, crafting her own lane with a genre-blurring approach, her remix is chugging, synth-led, and infused with a signature retro-futurist touch, channeling cosmic energy and slow-burning tension for dancefloors that like things deep and driving.Now 22, KinAhau’s journey has already taken him from handing Solid Grooves founder Michael Bibi a USB disguised as a trash collector to playing at DC10, Fabric, Space Miami and Mayan Warrior. His breakthrough collaboration ‘Different Side’ with Bibi and Audio Bullys carried his name onto global stages, while his 2024 mixtape comprised of old demos, drafts and edits revealed a more confessional, unfiltered edge to his sound. Yet ‘Under the Flowerpot’ feels like a deeper statement, one rooted not in hype but in self-exploration.
Nu Groove spotlights the artists that made the legendary NYC label a firm favourite of crate diggers then and now with this special vinyl release of their vital tracks revisited by leading selectors of today. The label, born in 1988 by Frank and Karen Mendez as an outlet for the experimental works of the Burrell Brothers, quickly became a home for up-and-coming genre pioneers. Nu Groove Edits, Vol. 7 opens with the NiCe7 Edit of ‘Feel It’ by NYC favourites The Sound Vandals. More monikers of Rheji Burrell appear in the collection too, as the seminal ‘APT. 2B’ by N.Y. House’n Authority is reworked by Steve Bug, followed by Darius Syrossian’s edit of ‘C’Mon’ by Rheji’s Avant Garde moniker. Make A Dance’s edit of the Rhano Burrell classic ‘I’ve Fallen And I Can’t Get Up’, under his You Know Who! alias, closes out this vinyl collection of future record box staples.
For our double-O-seven release we went deep into the forest and dug up some real nice gems. On the A-side we find Simon Hinter a very talented and prolific producer from Germany who keeps on delivering refined masterpieces. And Ale Castro with some South-American salsa and heat, a classic House banger ready to bring some spice to the dancefloor.
On the B-side yours truly, Rawdio, appears with a smoother deep house vibe and to finish the VA we invited Moodtrax from the UK because we are big fans of his classic House touch. A varied but delicious platter of pure House Cookin' music!
Cosmic Tribe continues its commitment to contemporary electro with the release of XTRICTLY ELEKTRO Vol. 3, a fresh selection of tracks that blend classic roots with an innovative, dancefloor-ready sound.
Six artists bring their unique vision to the genre, creating a seamless journey: X-Truder, EC13, 5ZYL, Calagad 13, Mokotron, and Spectrums Data Forces make up this sonic capsule where intensity, rhythmic exploration, and uncompromising aesthetics coexist.
Careful track selection, visual design, and mastering ensure a refined experience for both listeners and collectors.
Limited to just 150 copies, this vinyl reinforces the label’s commitment to physical releases with personality and timeless appeal.
Electro looking forward without forgetting its foundations.
File under house, breakbeat, techno and warehouse rave music. The Mental Groove Classic series returns with a treasure trove of rare and hard to find tracks plucked from the personal collection of label founder Olivier Ducret, a pivotal figure in Switzerland's acid house and rave-era party scene.
The compilation is inspired by a moment in time when musical boundaries were being redrawn in a wave of carefree optimism and the freedom that fueled new rave scenes across Europe and beyond.
The Mental Groove Classics series returns with a treasure trove of rare and hard-to-find tracks plucked from the personal collection of label founder Olivier Ducret, a pivotal figure in Switzerland's acid house and rave-era party scene.
On Volumes Two and Three of the series released last year, Olivier Ducret (founder of Mental Groove and Musique Pour La Danse, half of WRWTFWW) takes us back to the turn of the '90s. It was a time when he was promoting parties in fields, squats, forests, warehouses and former factoriesin and around Geneva, all while working behind the counter of a record shop called Mental Groove. While others in Switzerland's emerging dance music scene gravitated towards trance and garage, Olivier and his crew opted for a sound focused on bass, breaks, and techno. This unique approach was inspired by their regular trips to clubs, raves, and record shops in the UK. Drawing directly from his own record box and a memory bank full of euphoric dancefloor moments, this fourth installment sees Olivier reaching for more cuts of near-mythical rarity, genuinely overlooked gems, and undeniably brilliant classics - each selection has left a long-lasting impression on the local raving landscape. It's an autobiographical audio document, a historical archive, and a personal musical statement all rolled into one. The compilation is inspired by a moment in time when musical boundaries were being redrawn, if not exploded, in a wave of carefree optimism and thefreedom that fueled new rave scenes across Europe and far beyond.
Original artwork by Mark Wigan, co-owner of Soho's Brain Club and an artist of early British club culture.
Madrid-based label proper balance launches first EP under Valencian producer Pepe.
4-tracker focused on the dancefloor with a wide range of sounds. A1 - Fen´d out is a track in the house techno spectrum, A2 - Count is a heater bass-heavy track, B1 - Meow meow focuses on a more percussive approach of bassy sounds and, lastly, B2 - Nag wraps up the EP with a heavy downtempo. All this together to showcase Pépe versatility as a producer and artist.
WVLT is the newest sonic addition from WNDFRM (Portland-based, Tim Westcott), an album of eight distinct explorations exploring the many facets of experimental IDM.
Tim Westcott’s practice is rooted in an acute, nearly forensic attention to sound. Subtle tones, sculpted drones, and lean percussive gestures, always pursued with a patient ear and obsession with sound design.
With previous releases on Prologue, Home Normal, and Dragon’s Eye Recordings, and several live performances at Mutek, a new album from Tim is a rare yet welcome occurrence. The conceptual approach for WVLT began in 2021, mixing synths with drum machines and granular processing. Lightly arced structures slip between gates of rhythm, shifting pulses, translucent washes, and disquieting residue. There’s a precision to the hesitation and an insistence in the space between notes, a deft balance of raw improvisation and sculpted quietude.
An exercise in immediacy and response, each track builds and unspools, like form in fleeting motion, driven by the moment’s tonal contrasts, micro‑rhythmic interplay, and slight gestures that alter entire planes of listening. It’s minimal without sparsity, intense without density.
Continuing the release series on our town of multicultural multimedia hub called Sakskøbing, which has been named after a lovely place in Denmark. This time a true veteran of electronic music DJ Honesty steps up under his moniker Honeydrop. Delivering four cuts of honest house music infused with elements of dub and break this release is guaranteed to cause the turntables feeling good and appreciated, they will be asking you for more. Hans has been producing music fanatically for long time with first official releases dating back to 1995 so it is a true honour to welcome him to the label 30 years later, now in 2025. The release is an intergalactic warm blanket with music on it that is completely ready for different moods and settings of the events/parties/listening sessions one might find itself in. Starting with “Penha de Franca” right until the last track named after the release’s title “Free at Last” a smooth ride can be felt which hopefully by the end of it will set the listener free, if it needs to do so. Free at last dear listener, free at last.
Emotional Response is delighted to present the debut EP of Aaron Coyes (Peaking Lights / Leisure Connection) new project, as Exotic Gardens. An additional music universe as his love of dub expands to include new wave, goth and acid psychedelics across 5 catchy, bass heavy songs.
While the continuing journey of his duo band, Peaking Lights, with his wife Indra, earns plaudits and fans alike, his early years as a one-man lysergic music polymath that saw his youth in punk and hardcore bands, expanded during a mid-90s burst of “living in San Francisco” creative expansion, devouring music, genres, and influences for life.
Started as a sub-project to Peaking Lights and his personal dub excursions, Exotic Gardens pollinates a rich tapestry. Recording through the pandemic in their then home in Amsterdam, before being archived, assembled, and completed following the move back ‘home’ to the West Coast, California.
Re-embracing that love of his inner goth, the analogue warmth is all there, now featuring Coyes’ dub-languidity of stripped drum machines, widescreen bass, haunting guitar lines and an almost idle voice to peddle true, raw songs.
Combined, the pop layer of hooks and tight grooves instantly catch you. Opener and EP title, Drugs & TV is the perfect anthem for the Exotic Gardens sound, before the “dubwave” of Last Of The Light and Tonite shimmer that yearning melancholy of youth.
In the almost 10 minute dub house opus Organize Your Movement an appreciation and understanding of the psychoactive properties of the Roland 303 and 909, they also hark to a love of Industrial / Noise bands, a lineage from the death pulse of his cult project Rahdunes through to Sound Design and Sound System culture to the pop-dub psychedelics with Indra, now melded here to include a dark assault, whispering invocations and pulsing pads.
To close, Turn It On is a roaming multi-genre evocation, an exotic end from this constant troubadour, cassette junkie, record dealer, sound system builder, always looking to get back on the road, to live to roam.
When it first appeared in 1986, the 'Desert Equations: Azax Attra' album
was greeted with enthusiasm, awe and disbelief: nobody had done
anything quite like that before, and this dizzying, inspired blend of
Persian tradition, New York avantgarde and electronic music remains
incomparable, powerful and mesmerising to this day
A haunting and futuristic album, it combines the sublime voice of Iranian vocalist
Sussan Deyhim and the electronic wizardry of US composer Richard Horowitz.
'Desert Equations' wonderfully blends the duo's multiple sources, including their
experiences at the epicentre of New York's early 1980s avantgarde music and
theatre scene, Sussan Deyhim's knowledge of traditional Persian music and its
reverberation in modern Iranian arts, and Richard Horowitz's background in jazz,
electronics and Moroccan folk music. This 2021 remastered reissue includes
three previously- unreleased bonus tracks, one included on the LP and two only
available on the CD and digitally, and a rich booklet with photographs and notes
recounting the duo's fascinating life stories.
Sussan Deyhim went on to work with the likes of Peter Gabriel, Jah Wobble,
Bobby McFerrin, Adrian Sherwood, Ornette Coleman, and renowned visual artist
Shirin Neshat. Richard Horowitz has collaborated with David Byrne, was the
original artistic director of the Gnaoua Festival in Essaouira, and has written and
recorded film soundtracks for the likes of Oliver Stone. In April 2021, Deyhim and
Horowitz were invited to perform at the first Nobel Prize Summit.
Paradise Lost’s sixth studio album (1997), which charted well across Europe, marked something of a change of direction for the West Yorkshire group: a transition from gothic metal to a more electronic approach, epitomised by the lead single ‘Say Just Words’, which remains a fan favourite and one of their biggest streaming tracks. This re-tooled aesthetic proved slightly controversial at the time but by the time of its acclaimed 20th anniversary reissue (mirrored here), for which it was remastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano, the general consensus was that the riffs, lyrics, and compositions on One Second are all vintage Paradise Lost. As noted by Decibel magazine, “There is a natural flow on display throughout the 12 songs that is akin to watching a favourite actor take on a somewhat different role than he or she is known for— and killing the performance.”
Spiritual World's first archival 12" vinyl release from the UK’s free festival dub pioneers.
The Ullulators, an experimental dub and world music ensemble from Bath, UK, have long been associated with the UK’s free festival movement, tracing their creative lineage back to the mid-1980s. For the first time ever, two pivotal tracks from their early cassette-only discography—“Simply Conscious Dub” and “Eternal
Now”—are being issued on 12” vinyl, marking the first archival release on Spiritual World.
The A-side, “Simply Conscious Dub”, originally featured on the 1986 cassette Beyond the Gates of Ull, exemplifies the band’s signature fusion of weighty dub rhythms with expansive and euphoric electronics.
In contrast, the B-side, “Eternal Now”, drawn from the 1985 cassette Share a Calm with the Ullulators, ventures into more introspective sonic territory. Built on minimalist structures and ambient textures, it evokes the kosmische tradition and aligns with the spatial sensibilities of Manuel Göttsching’s E2-E4.
Together, these tracks not only showcase the group’s wide stylistic range but also underscore their forward-thinking approach to genre hybridity. This release stands as a unique document of a formative era in the
evolution of UK underground, dub, and ambient music.
After years of exploration and experimentation, a new wave of artists from the Andes is now gaining some deserved global recognition. One such artist is Guillermo aka Existencia Pasajera, whose work has been shaped in southern Chile and so smartly reflects the region's newly emerging creative depth. This new release captures his fluid, expressive keyboard style and opens with the trippy and psychedelic loops of 'Haunted House' before 'The Brujo' gets more dark and menacing. The EP also features a remix by Minus legend Magda. Her label debut blends acid, stripped back rhythm and heady grooves, while closing the release is Map.ache of the Giegling collective, whose minimalist approach offers a meditative counterpoint.
The Block E.P. by A.J. Sound is the alias of two heavyweights in the scene, Arthur Smith (Artwork) and John Kennedy (Big Apple Records). First released in 1995 this blend of Techno and Acid is getting a much-deserved reissue and remaster for its 30 year anniversary. This widely desired release is a masterpiece of minimal techno. Basemental a track thrashed by Laurent Garnier for years, so much that it featured on his "Laboratoire Mix". This feature brought even more attention to this rare release. Copies on the second hand market are being sold at £40 and even more. Now Decoy Records are treating us to this much needed reissue for collectors and DJ’s alike who weren’t favoured enough the first time round to grab a copy for themselves.
Odessey One is probably one of the hottest, most appreciated and sought-after bands when it comes to caribbean funky Disco and Boogie music from Trinidad and Tobago.
These super talented musicians recorded a few incredibly good grooves in the Caribbean Sound Studio in the early 80s, which were long considered lost or very hard to find.
It was a bunch of friends around the composer, guitarist and singer Arnold Shuffler, like Nicholas Rostant, Carla Fauche and Colleen Grant, who came together in Port of Spain for a few jam sessions as a studioband.
Only a handful of vinyl copies were pressed from the tapes at KH studios pressing plant, which did not have much airplay at the time.
Sound Essence is more than happy about a renewed collaboration with mastermind Arnold Shuffler and to present this soulful island, disco, boogie synth funk to the music-lovers
community worldwide!
Drummer-composer Tom Skinner announces Kaleidoscopic Visions, his second solo album, out 26th September 2025 via Brownswood Recordings and International Anthem
Kaleidoscopic Visions unfolds across two distinct sonic landscapes. Side A presents entirely instrumental compositions performed by Skinner's live Bishara band—bassist Tom Herbert, cellist Kareem Dayes, and Robert Stillman and Chelsea Carmichael on various woodwinds and reeds—with electric guitar on two tracks courtesy of Portishead's Adrian Utley. A drummer-composer bringing his wealth of experience to bear on the role of bandleader, Skinner composed primarily on guitar, embracing the freedom that came with writing on his secondary instrument.
These compositions include "Auster," dedicated to late novelist Paul Auster, and "Margaret Anne," which honours Skinner's mother Anne Shasby, a former classical concert pianist prodigy who abandoned her own promising career in the face of systemic misogyny, only to impart on her son what Skinner calls "the gift of music."
Skinner’s musical world opens further on Side B, where a collection of poised vocal collaborations stretch out from jazz and improvisation towards a more dream-like, soulful sound. The centerpiece is "The Maxim," a ten-minute collaboration with Grammy Award-winning Meshell Ndegeocello, a dubby, spacious meditation on life and death, delivered with a free-spirited grace. For Skinner, working with Ndegeocello—whom he first saw at Glastonbury as a teenager in 1994—represents a full-circle moment, indicative of the indirect paths and inspirational detours that have shaped his life.
The album goes on to feature South Carolina-based singer Contour (Khari Lucas) who appears on the low-lit soul ballad ‘Logue’, and closes with ‘See How They Run’, featuring London keyboardist-vocalist Yaffra (Jonathan Geyevu). It is the album’s most overtly lyrical track, an articulate exposition of jazz-inflected spoken word that speaks not only to the genre-fluid nature of the music but the breadth of Skinner’s palette.
This should come as no surprise. On Kaleidoscopic Visions, one of London’s most vital musical figures gives us a sparkling glimpse of the multi-coloured lens through which his unique sound is now refracting.
Scannoir. After their previous releases as ½GOTT and GOTT on Uncanny Valley and some remixes, the duo returns with a third solo EP, marking their first appearance on the Berlin-Basel-based label Reach Another System. Their passion for EBM, Synth Pop, and New Beat comes to life with a fine array of classic drum machines and FM-synths, topped with Teutonic lyrics and archival samples. The A-side opens with a bang: "Magnet" critiques social expectations and pressures, backed by hard-hitting snares and tom fill-ins in Front 242 fashion. Next up, "Tschernobyl" warps the listener back to 1986 – a musical report of the Soviet nuclear disaster. Equally dystopian, the B-side hymn "Matrix Leben" depicts life inside a structured system that continually shapes and restricts us. The final track "7 Minuten" pushes the limits of restless staccato EBM madness. Mission accomplished!
Avenue 66 opens Series 33 with a Düsseldorf–Lyon connection.
Jonquera first encountered Tolouse Low Trax a decade ago in a small Lyon club. That night, his hypnotic slow-motion set was cut short, yet it left a lasting imprint. The Düsseldorf artist’s mechanical psychedelia, and the influence of the Salon collective have been a constant touchstone for
Jonquera, even inspiring playful “Düsselcore” edits in his Tera Octe days.
After several LPs, Jonquera returns to the EP format with Cause & Utility / Tales of Decay. Built from improvised drum, bass, and vocal recordings, the tracks are reworked through heavy looping and acoustic treatment, a method inspired by his recent live shows. Cause & Utility revolves around the
abstract idea of two dogs as concepts, enriched by the earthy drone of a hurdy-gurdy. Tales of Decay paints a surreal image of a house losing its rooms like a body shedding parts.
The MPC sorcerer Tolouse Low Trax, aka Detlef Weinrich, brings his Düsseldorf circuitry and autobahn funk with two tracks of pure rhythm apparition. Amp is a quintessential Tolouse Low Trax cut, built on concealed rhythmic structures, swampy bass lines, and fragments of radio and voice
samples. The piece extends his exploration of how art can mirror the flow of inner-city traffic; drifting without a clear climax. Solid Rock echoes this idea, first conceived as a variation on Amp where particles repeat themselves. The result is distinct yet conceptually linked, evoking the
density of a crowded neighboring city: beginning in apparent disarray before locking into an abstract, hypnotic funk.
Series 33 begins with the convergence of Jonquera’s looping experiments and Tolouse Low Trax’s mechanical psychedelia, a dialogue between Lyon and Düsseldorf.
Day 1. The planet is dead. An anomaly is detected — the time flow is slightly distorted.
Day 2. Landed in the central crater. The clocks of our suits show different times from the clocks on the ship. The gap is increasing.
Day 4. Logs contain records of events that never happened. A report of tomorrow’s evacuation appeared in the system. No one wrote it.
Day 5. We found footprints leading from the landing site to the crater, identical to ours. The ship log was discovered nearby. Final entry: “Do not enter the crater.”
Log transmission terminated. The crew did not reestablish contact.