Suche:as

Stereogum: »Here’s a cool new musical project that feels both out-there and extremely mundane. In 2022, the great Colorado experimentalist M. Sage teamed up with Lieven Martens (Dolphins into the Future) under the name Sage Martens. Their album, »Riding Fences«, was an ambient classical exercise designed to explore the idea of ›Western‹ music. They’re back this year with another conceptual offering (...)«

»Chamber Music for Lawn Mowers« is the second album by Sage Martens. This time, Matthew Sage (RVNG, Fuubutsushi) and Lieven Martens (Edições CN, Dolphins into the Future) sing the lawn.

Did you know a clean-cut lawn is a desire we inherited from the British?

Yes, the British dumped this pleasure into our collective consciousness. Those humorless Victorians who enjoyed having their black pudding on the lawn. They came to this uninspired impression while mis-looking at Italian paintings. Yes indeed, while gazing at these paintings they mistook green lanes for green lawns. Thus it became hip. Every stuffed truffle commanded his gardener to cut the grass.

As a result, this Victorian lust for sterile gardens with pretty green lawns nudged our world into water spillage and pesticide clouds. This new priority produced exhaust clouds and prudish monocultural landscapes. Just by looking at Italian paintings.

As with most of Western history, the practice was exported to America and then turbocharged. By shearing clear the prolific brush of pastures, prairies, forests and glens, biodiversity becomes an aesthetic casualty with long-suffering ecological ripples. An inherited practice narrows the bandwidth of experience.

And so, the childhood habit of humming along in key to the drone of a gas-powered mower while trimming a suburban lawn extrapolates into something expanded — an unanswered question about the harmonics of landscape practices.

M. Sage: Bb clarinet, alto saxophone, sine wave, lawn mowing, processing L. Martens: computer, analog synthesis, digital processing With W. Van Gils: lawn mowing

This one-off Belgian New Beat project from The Zodiacs at first glance seems like standard fare from this time and place in dance music history - even with call to action, commanding listeners to ‘Move & Dance To The New Beat!’ that could well have earned a place at one of the slogans of the entire movement in an alternative universe where this record was a hit. However, a hit it was not - what we have here is an obscure piece of music shrouded in mystery, previously released only on 7 inch, and its enigmatic nature only adds to eerie quality of the children’s voices throughout the record. This, alongside its higher tempo not usually associated with New Beat as a musical form, come together to bring forth a bizarre oddity of the genre that also has the potency of a modern, peak time weapon. Anatolian Weapons on remix duties takes the material and reduces the speed but increases the malevolence and is a testament to his skills as one of the great producers working today!

The first in a proposed series of transmissions, Surface Detail's mystifying debut introduces an incorporeal body that exists only through sound and sensation, prompting listeners to discern a spiritual realm beyond the physical. Its surging electro-acoustic compositions push past the material world to plunge into deeper sonic dimensions, slowly revealing a philosophy borne of near-death and out-of-body experiences that challenges perception itself.

Overhauling vintage experimental techniques with their bespoke modern methodologies and processes, Surface Detail rearrange the musical timeline, merging vastly different concepts to hint at questions rather than provide solid answers. Their uniquely immersive soundscapes use texture, rhythm and tonality to help brush away the superficial and contemplate the unknown, approaching its delicate, controversial subject matter with sensitivity and sensuality. Not just an auditory experience, 'Surface Detail' tests the potential of sound itself, eliciting visceral physical reactions with its uncanny subtleties.

Those principles are divulged immediately on opening track 'Marée Noire', as breathy saxophone notes loops and swirl over cosmic oscillations and microtonally tuned drones. It's music that cracks open a passage that snakes through various genres, suggesting silhouettes rather than affirming banal musical preconceptions. Skeletal rhythms appear in the ether for only a moment, disappearing into the sonic landscape, and Surface Detail's bespoke instrumentation materializes just to bring out the cellular intricacy of the music, concentrating the gaze on microscopic textures and irregularities that discompose the senses. As the album drifts forward, it bends material reality even further: on 'Southern Breach', warm, lower-register organ tones intermingle with sinewy guitar twangs, evaporating into warped, hypnotic oscillations and eerie echoes; and by 'Superbook of the Dead', the conspicuous details have almost disappeared completely, replaced by subterranean clangs, industrial ambience and other-worldly electrical interference.

It's in this way that Surface Detail softly assert their convictions, insinuating a narrative that subliminally ushers listeners down an hypnagogic River Styx by removing all traces of the familiar. On closing track 'Broken Silicates', distant lullabies, dissociated stutters and ghostly woodwind sounds blot fractal patterns on the wide open space, reincarnating the album in a liminal zone that's not constrained by somatic logic. Whisper quiet and utterly beguiling, it transcends material existence, dissolving barriers between surface and depth.

Today Not Yesterday Records’ fourth vinyl release comes from label founder Jerome T. Music Is The Answer is an exploration of house tracks best described as a personal journey through house music, meant to feel essential, deep, raw, and energetic. The album’s artwork perfectly captures its essence and was created by Jade Jansman.

Fast Castle kicks off 2025 with another five-track heater: Stable Units by Gent1e $oul!
Across five tracks, Gent1e $oul hones his signature blend of bass-driven genres, adding more dancefloor-focused cuts to his ever-expanding sonic universe.
The opener, 4TC Boom, came together in a single restless session, crafted as a late-night special for the label’s most recent dance at Fitzroy. Its thick, drippy bassline—born from Digitakt overdrive manipulation—makes it the perfect stalactite cave anthem.
Next up, Paladin—named after the strongest horseback unit in Gentle $oul’s beloved AOE II—marks Gent1e $oul’s second collaboration with recent Femme Bass Mafia production graduate Rolex3k. This jersey-tinged, wubby roller was first road-tested by MSJY at Reef, where it proved its undeniable dancefloor potential.
Who doesn’t love that classic M1 grime flute? +390 pairs its signature "ring ring" sound with rolling UK techno drums, making for a no-brainer DJ tool.
On the flip, Steppe Lancer is a brooding, venomous mutation—headsy, progressive, and laced with heavy, evil energy. An FCHQ favorite and one for the heads!
Closing things out, Parthian Tactics dives deep with a late-night dubstep cut. Powerful enough to shake the subs, yet swaying in half-time for those introspective moments.
For the artwork, our graphic wizard Jonas went all out, creating a stunning detailed Bronze Age–inspired 3D equestrian design. Snag the full-cover printed vinyl via Bandcamp or at your favorite record store.

Quick Guide
4TC Boom, 154bpm – Drippy stalactite cave, peak-time weapon
Paladin, 142bpm – Wubby jersey roller, groovy DJ tool
+390, 138bpm – Grime-tinged dubstep x techno hybrid
Steppe Lancer, 154bpm – Headsy, progressive rattlesnake venom bomb
Parthian Tactics, 146bpm – Deep dubstep for late-night sessions

Over the decades, the image of Kompakt as a pirate ship has taken root in our minds, braving the dangers of the seven seas of the music market. Sometimes it glides with a tailwind through calm waters, sometimes it has to survive violent storms. When we set sail in 1993, we never would have dreamt that our journey would still be going on after more than three decades and with 500 releases to date.

In our fast-paced business, the 500 mark is rarely reached, so we want to celebrate it with a lavish 5LP box set. In a democratic process, we have selected 50 pearls from the thousands of tracks released over the last 33 1/3 years and pressed them onto 5 brightly coloured vinyls. Alongside many Kompakt evergreens, there are also some real rarities from the early ‘Kompakt Sound of Cologne’, which have been lovingly remastered here to shine in new splendour.

The box also contains a 144-page book that tells the story of Kompakt from 1993 to today with detailed texts and images. In addition to the manifold musical and graphic achievements of Kompakt, the multidisciplinary links to the visual arts are also highlighted here.

The Bonus Picture Disc opens with the symbolic tolling of 500 bass drums, followed by 50 locked grooves from the 5 Kompakt founders, looping into infinity at 133 1/3 BPM, and the ‘33 1/3 Years Loop Opera’ – in which the loops are combined into one track that, in its reduced essence, is more than the sum of its individual parts. The magic of groovy loop minimalism and the ‘art of omission’ are once again brought to the proverbial point.

On 23 May 2025, the big KOMPAKT 500 art exhibition will open at the venerable Kölnischer Kunstverein to coincide with the release. The entire visual cosmos of Kompakt will be shown here in an unprecedented way on three floors, with the participation of many renowned artists. Of course, there will also be dancing and partying at the vernissage party, with DJ sets and live shows by the Kompakt Allstars.

The last one turns off the bass drum.


Im Laufe der Jahrzehnte hat sich in unseren Köpfen das Bild von Kompakt als Piratenschiff festgesetzt, das den Gefahren der sieben Weltmeere des Musikmarktes trotzt. Mal gleitet es mit Rückenwind durch ruhige Gewässer, mal muss es heftige Stürme überstehen. Als wir 1993 die Segel setzten, hätten wir uns nicht träumen lassen, dass unsere Reise nach über drei Jahrzehnten und mittlerweile 500 Veröffentlichungen immer noch andauert.

Die 500 ist in unserem schnelllebigen Geschäft eine selten erreichte Katalognummer und soll daher mit einer üppigen 5LP-Box gebührend gefeiert werden. In einem demokratischen Prozess haben wir aus den tausenden Tracks der letzten 33 1/3 Jahre 50 Perlen ausgewählt und auf 5 knallbunte Vinyls gepresst. Neben vielen Kompakt-Evergreens finden sich auch einige echte Raritäten des frühen “Kompakt Sound of Cologne”, die hier liebevoll remastered in neuem Glanz erstrahlen.

Die Box enthält außerdem ein 144-seitiges Buch, das mit ausführlichen Texten und Bildern die Kompakt-Geschichte von 1993 bis heute erzählt. Neben den mannigfaltigen musikalischen und grafischen Errungenschaften von Kompakt werden hier auch die multidisziplinären Vernetzungen zur bildenden Kunst beleuchtet.

Die Bonus Picture Disc wird mit einem symbolischen Glockenschlag von 500 Bassdrums eröffnet, gefolgt von 50 Endlosrillen der 5 Kompakt-Gründer, die sich bei 133 1/3 BPM in die Unendlichkeit schleifen sowie der “33 1/3 Years Loop Opera”, in der die Loops zu einem Track zusammengefügt werden, der in seiner reduzierten Essenz mehr ist als die Summe seiner Einzelteile. Die Magie des groovenden Loop-Minimalismus und die “Kunst des Weglassens” werden einmal mehr auf den sprichwörtlichen Punkt gebracht.

Am 23. Mai 2025 eröffnet parallel zum Release die große KOMPAKT 500 Kunstausstellung im ehrwürdigen Kölnischen Kunstverein. Der gesamte visuelle Kosmos von Kompakt wird hier unter Beteiligung vieler namhafter Künstler*Innen in nie gesehener Form auf drei Etagen gezeigt. Selbstverständlich darf zur Vernissagenparty auch getanzt und gefeiert werden zu DJ Sets und Liveshows der Kompakt Allstars.

Der Letzte macht die Bassdrum aus.

The debut release of Collective Direction explores the incredibly broad and fascinating variety of work of Tasti Box, operating in San Francisco in the early 90’s.

This previously unreleased album, made in the early 90’s, captures the spirit of the San Francisco free party scene that exploded around that time. DJ Harvey, Doc Martin, the Hardkiss Brothers, the Wicked Crew and a host of international guests played at legendary all-night parties at locations such as under the Golden Gate Bridge, on huge custom-built sound systems. Helping to define not only the West Coast scene but also influencing the rest of the country throughout that decade. The cultural impact of this moment in time continues to inspire today’s dance music landscape.

Opening on the delicate and melodic ambient tracks Mim and Quetzcal, the A side closes on Dr Tripi, a house-infused track preluding the uniqueness and diversity of the emblematic Tasti Box sound, explored more broadly on the B side with the triptych of Desire, U Can Fly and Box, a trippy journey melting influences from breaks, house, experimental and techno, one that can be experimented at home or in a club setting. The C side opens with the killer trancey and psychedelic club track Feel It, one expected to be definitely heard on dancefloors over the Summer. It is complemented by the almost balearic Story of O and bleepy and esoteric Electrons. On the D side, some Daisy Glow tracks, showing strong late Tasti Box influence, close the musical journey with four tracks of joyful and melodic house music, a perfect ending to a night and to the double LP.
It’s a compilation for music collectors and dancers alike and those excited to explore the history of a sound not afraid to experiment. The vinyl includes a limited edition A4 design of the artwork cover, an exclusive conversation with the artists and two vinyl exclusive tracks. One not to miss!

Earthly Measures are proud to present the release of ‘El Búho - Cumbias Imaquinarias’, this time on wax with some added remixes.

'Cumbias Imaquinarias' is an EP that flows full circle with one of El Búho’s earliest inspirations for making electronic music; digital Cumbia. It was a scene that exploded out of Buenos Aires around 2008 and went global. The scene soon saturated and fell out of fashion, but gave birth to artists like Chancha Via Circuito, Frikstailers, El Remolon and was a big inspiration for him as a young producer.

For El Búho there was always something there; the entrancing magic of the Cumbia rhythm reimagined for the electronic dancefloor. Cumbia is a music that is globally connected but also so diverse, evolving and growing into many subshoots of this one simple rhythm. This EP presents three Cumbia’s and one Porro rhythm (a derivation of the Cumbia rhythm from the Colombian Caribbean which evolved into its own style).

Joining El Búho on remix duties for this release are ARN4L2, Lagartijeando, Auntie Flo, La Jungla, Earthly Measures x Dreems, La Forasteria and Sun Sone. Each artist offering a completely unique approach and their own magic touch to this El Búho masterpiece.

Brooklyn’s Broad Channel drops its first-ever collaborative release, “Intercity Relations Guide – Volume 1”. This special 4-track EP bridges vibrant underground scenes from NYC, Chicago, Detroit, and Japan, featuring tracks from Mark Grusane, Deon Jamar, DJ Monchan & Aota, and Derek Russo & Thomas Xu. Born out of a moment of inspiration in the fall of 2024 after returning from Japan, label founder Derek Russo envisioned this release as a bridge – linking the warm relationships built at home & abroad that were nurtured over years of DJing, producing, and hosting underground parties like Xoloft in
Brooklyn. The EP flows across a chugging tempo range, between 113 and 120 BPM, It’s a reflection of the label’s core ethos and catalog to date: genre-blurring and always rooted in the dancefloor.

Oxford band Low Island announce their new album, bird, produced by Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor on label Emotional Interference. Recorded at the legendary La Frette Studios, bird is an album as brash as it is tender, exploring the struggle to find freedom and presence in an increasingly automated world.

The result is an album where Jay’s guitars and synths screech with unhinged anger as much as they wail with anguish; Lively’s bass dances frantically whilst swimming underneath the songs with an effortless beauty; Higginbottom’s drums are as deft as they are punishing; Posada’s voice as frail as it is resilient.

These emotional polarities speak to the heart of bird: a coming to terms with the overwhelming breadth of experience in the modern world, trapped as we are in our own bodies. How do we act in the face of this? Do we try to reach beyond ourselves? Wish to be saved or transformed? Retreat inwards? Or embrace things as they are? These are the questions that haunt bird in its search for freedom and presence.

House Music label Ascension on Wax are proud to present AOW003 - Toronto Hustle & Sean Roman - The Unity EP. This duo have had a real buzz to them of late with strong releases on Wolf, Local Talk and Freerange this past year. Now with AoW, this is another EP which truly delivers for the House heads.
Side A is complimented by vocals from Detroit legend Jovonntte, and a mesmerising remix by 90's Deep House pioneer Abacus. Side B is for those deeper, early morning hours with a hard-hitting dub mix followed by a Deep House roller. This versatile release is for those with a love for that iconic 90's US East Coast sound.
Support from Franck Roger, Dj Deep, Dam Swindle, Philippa, Felipe Gordon amongst may others.

2025 marks the triumphant return of Sitaro, the iconic track that once lit up dancefloors worldwide. Originally released in 2007 and championed by the likes of Carl Cox—earning its place on Carl Cox Ultimate (Universal Music)—Sitaro is back with a fresh 2K25 Edition on Move Recordings.

The Belgian techno duo End-Jy & Dimitri Andreas, known for their heavyweight releases on Lupp, Intec, Terminal M, Music Man, and Systematic, deliver an updated version of this melodic anthem. The remastered original brims with Sitaro's signature sound: hypnotic sitar riffs, emotive atmospheres, and a groove that’s as irresistible as ever—a true dancefloor odyssey packed with intensity and raw emotion.

And for the remix? Who better than Dimitri Andreas himself. With an illustrious career spanning decades and releases on Systematic, Music Man, Kling Klong, and Token, Andreas takes Sitaro to new heights. His remix is a masterclass in contemporary melodic techno, drawing comparisons to the work of Guy J, Sébastien Léger, and Roy Rosenfeld. Expect driving Latin-inspired percussion, lush synths, and dreamy soundscapes that seamlessly blend piano-laden breakdowns with deep, pulsating grooves.
The result is a stunning reinterpretation—eclectic yet cohesive, powerful yet delicate. Dimitri Andreas once again proves why he remains a pivotal figure in the global techno landscape.
Press play, and let the journey begin.

Early support from Lost Desert (All Day I Dream), Timo Maas (Systematic), Adriatique (Afterlife), Nick Varon (Sudbeat), Raw Main (Lost Miracle), Dclviii Ofc (Cod3qr), Alex Neri (Wildflower)…

Français

End-Jy - Sitaro (2K25 Edition) featuring Dimitri Andreas Remix

2025 marque le retour triomphal de Sitaro, le morceau emblématique qui a illuminé les pistes de danse du monde entier. Initialement sorti en 2007 et soutenu par des DJ comme Carl Cox—qui l’a même inclus dans Carl Cox Ultimate (Universal Music)—Sitaro fait son grand retour avec une toute nouvelle édition 2K25 sur Move Recordings.

Le duo techno belge End-Jy & Dimitri Andreas, connu pour leurs sorties majeures sur Lupp, Intec, Terminal M, Music Man et Systematic, propose une version actualisée de cet hymne mélodique. L’original remasterisé regorge de la sonorité signature de Sitaro : des riffs hypnotiques de sitar, des atmosphères émotionnelles, et un groove aussi irrésistible que jamais—une véritable odyssée sur la piste de danse, remplie d’intensité et d’émotion brute.

Et pour le remix ? Qui de mieux que Dimitri Andreas lui-même ? Avec une carrière illustre qui s’étend sur plusieurs décennies et des productions sur Systematic, Music Man, Kling Klong et Token, Andreas emmène Sitaro vers de nouveaux sommets. Son remix est une véritable masterclass de techno mélodique contemporaine, qui rappelle le travail de Guy J, Sébastien Léger et Roy Rosenfeld. Attendez-vous à des percussions latines entraînantes, des synthés luxuriants et des paysages sonores oniriques qui fusionnent parfaitement des breakdowns pianistiques avec des grooves profonds et pulsants.

Le résultat est une réinterprétation impressionnante—éclectique mais cohérente, puissante mais délicate. Dimitri Andreas prouve une fois de plus pourquoi il reste une figure incontournable du paysage techno mondial.
Appuyez sur play et laissez le voyage commencer.

Support de Lost Desert (All Day I Dream), Timo Maas (Systematic), Adriatique (Afterlife), Nick Varon (Sudbeat), Raw Main (Lost Miracle), Dclviii Ofc (Cod3qr), Alex Neri (Wildflower)…

Sophia Kennedy, the Baltimore-born, Hamburg-based artist, returns with her new album in May. Known for her genre-blending innovation and distinct vocal style, she has collaborated with DJ Koze and earned praise from The Guardian, Iggy Pop, and Resident Advisor.

Following her self-titled debut (2017, Pampa Records), a radiant dance between the glamour of the Great American Songbook, electronic textures, and clubland influences, earning her international acclaim, Kennedy released her second album, Monsters (2021, City Slang), and delved deeper into surrealism and transcendence. Now, on Squeeze Me, Kennedy and her long-time musical collaborator and co-writer Mense Reents sketch a more disillusioned commentary on the status quo of the world at large. The complexity of interpersonal relationships, questions of power dynamics, and the quest for self-determination—longstanding themes for Kennedy—run as a cohesive narrative throughout the album.
More minimalist than her previous works, Squeeze Me brims with Kennedy’s gift for catchy melodies with a certain pop appeal and psychedelic hues. The first single, "Rodeo," features hypnotic piano chords, shimmering synth basses, and glimmering choirs. 2025 will see Kennedy back on tour in Europe, supported by an international PR campaign to expand her global presence.

Das selbstbetitelte Debütalbum der kanadisch-amerikanische Singer-Songwriterin Martha Wainwright als 20th Anniversary Edition! Das Album wird bestimmt durch die Intensität und Vielseitigkeit ihrer Stimme und einer Mischung aus introspektiven Texten und emotionaler Instrumentierung. Ihre Songs verbinden poetische Texte mit einer Mischung aus Folk, Rock und Alternative-Einflüssen und erzählen Geschichten von Liebe, Verlust und persönlicher Stärke.

Scruniversal's sub label Tunes Delivery invites Moscow scene veteran Leonid Lipelis to don his Beard In Dust moniker for their third instalment, one which dips into various different eras of dance history for inspiration. There's a distinctly late 80s feel to opening tune 'Music of the U', complete with sampled bell stabs and the kind of beats that wouldn't be out of place on an S'Express or early Coldcut house affair. 'The Armenian Break' and 'City of Love' look back even further, back to the female-fronted disco efforts of the 70s, the latter adding a touch of Balearic flourishes. 'Abstractish P' circles around some serene arpeggios, with rave whistles and, as it progresses, twisting guitar notes, lending it an individual air, while closer 'RoRyaRe' nods to ExCel-era 808 State with some nice bleepery before settling into more progressive headnodding territory and some distinctive synth play.

Minimal groover! Third Stream is generally seen as a vital component of Third Stream. Mastering by Alex Font. 180g Heavy waight.

After a stunning set of releases for labels including Acid Artists In Action(Triple A), Stay Up Forever, Hydraulix and Interruption in the past few months, ACERBIC goes for broke delivering a massive triple vinyl limited edition LP on the SUF/Hydraulix collaboration label. Every track is literally a slamming floor- filler beginning with the anthem 'Acid Way Of Life', and moving through some solid techno and acid techno masterpieces that re-define the sound of both these genres. All killer, no filler, this is an LP that is crammed with peak time tracks that won't disappoint. Already road tested by label owners D.A.V.E. The Drummer and Chris Liberator we know that this LP is going to go down as a classic.

Kommt als LP + Flexi 7" auf limitiertem "Yellow and White Splatter on Crystal Fuchsia" Vinyl. Eine frische, kreative Neuinterpretation des Artworks des klassischen Albums anlässlich des 20-jährigen Jubiläums und einer 2025er Welttournee, die in den USA beginnt und sich über Südamerika, Europa, Asien und Australien ausbreitet. Die limitierte Deluxe-Gatefold-Vinyl-Edition verkörpert den DIY-Geist des Albums mit abziehbaren Gecko-Stickern für die eigene Kreativität, eine Bonus-Flexi 7" mit der Originalaufnahme von "Heavy Metal", und atemberaubende Splatter-Vinylscheiben in einem raffinierten Redesign, als Hommage an eine der einflussreichsten Indie-Rock-Platten aller Zeiten. Alec Ounsworth hat einige der erbaulichsten und feierlichsten Songs dieses Jahrtausends geschrieben und auf einem Album von beständiger Exzellenz versammelt, das bis heute zu Recht dafür gelobt wird, dass es die Regeln dafür, was es bedeutet, ein unabhängiger Künstler zu sein, neu auslotete. Eine berauschende Mischung aus unkonventionellem Pop und melodischem, überschwänglichem Indierock, enthielt das Album eine Reihe klassischer New-Wave-Referenzen für eine neue Generation von Musikfans. Der raue, verwahrloste Sound der Platte war ein wesentlicher Bestandteil ihres Reizes; die Zeit hat diesen Charme nur noch verstärkt.

With seven top 40 singles, six top 40 albums and over a million record sales worldwide, Turin Brakes return with a brand-new record "Spacehopper", out via Cooking Vinyl. Produced by the band alongside Grammy-winning Guy Massey (with credits such as Kylie Minogue, Ed Sheeran and Spiritualized), "Spacehopper" is their first new music in over three years and marks the 10th studio album from Turin Brakes, a big milestone for a band who released their debut album over 24 years ago, the Mercury Prize nominated "The Optimist LP" which catapulted them into the mainstream. They are a band that understands the art of longevity and "Spacehopper" promises to be a worthy edition to a rich and sonically diverse catalogue of albums, finding the South London 4-piece in a reflective mood.