CODEWISE ...the secret inner knowledge of unlocking pure underground DNA DRIVETRAIN - Rachel A dark and aggressive odyssey morphs into undeniable Detroit abstraction BLAKTONY - Alternative Homework Mind expanding deep-tech, erogenous to audio consciousness BJIKA - House On The Hill An alluring atmosphere with a sizzling mood of insatiable sound JESUS GONSEV - Cosmic Sand Galactic acid showers delicately pad a luxuriant sonic landscape
Celebrated DJ, producer, and sonic explorer Auntie Flo (aka Brian d’Souza) — described by The Guardian as “one of global club culture’s most vital voices” — returns this autumn with ‘Birds of Paradise’: a rhythmically rich, emotionally resonant, and ecologically grounded new album, out 23 October via his A State of Flo imprint. The album will be launched with a special live show at London’s Jazz Caféon the same day.
‘Birds of Paradise’ draws on d’Souza’s global club experience while deepening his connection with the natural world. Built around classic Roland drum machines and iconic vintage synths, the record is a joyful, body-driven celebration of rhythm and movement, but one grounded in ecology and place. The album’s spiritual centre lies in Saligao, Goa, near d’Souza’s maternal homeland where his Auntie Florie (where the name is derived from) is buried. Where he found his ‘paradise’ nearby, staying in a converted fisherman’s hut and recorded dawn choruses from a riverside studio overlooking mangrove-lined waters. Environmental textures from Japan also make their way into the music, creating a sonic map rooted in lived experience.
“Birds of Paradise is about finding beauty and rhythm in a chaotic world. It’s about listening, to nature, to our bodies, to what’s real. It’s a reminder that dance music can be both joyful and grounded.” The album blends Afro-Latin polyrhythms with Western 4/4 patterns, fusing instinctive, dancefloor energy with field recordings that anchor the music in the earth. Described by d’Souza as “tropical with a few deeper edges, a balance of light and dark.”
The new record follows the acclaimed ‘In My Dreams, I’m A Bird and I’m Free’, which earned 4 stars and Global Album of the Month from The Guardian, featured in Disco Pogo’s Albums of the Year, and received support from Luke Una, Resident Advisor, Juno, Bandcamp, Mixmag, DJ Mag, Electronic Sound, The Skinny, Beatport, Ban Ban Ton Ton, and more. The album’s launch show at Omeara London sold out. Other recent projects include the ‘Outernational Dance’ EP on cult label Multi Culti, event series ‘Plants Can Dance (and Mushroom’s Sing)’ which explore plant and fungi bioelectricity as a means of live composition, and ‘Black Beacon’, a haunting cassette release and soundwalk series recorded on the abandoned military island of Orford Ness. There, d’Souza explored the eerie intersection of nature, decay, and deep time, gaining special access to restricted buildings to capture long-form soundscape compositions.
Alongside his production work, d’Souza has emerged as a leading voice at the intersection of sound and science. He curated music for Imperial College’s groundbreaking psychedelic therapy trials, developing six-phase playlists to guide participants through psilocybin-assisted sessions treating conditions such as fibromyalgia and gambling addiction. His five-hour ambient set at Watching Trees Festival, selected as Resident Advisor’s Mix of the Day, continued this exploration into the therapeutic potential of sound in altered states. He also spent six months collaborating with BBC producer Tom Raine on a documentary for BBC World Service, centred on a two-week journey through Kenya and Goa. There, he performed live, led plant music workshops, and joined a deep listening retreat rooted in field recording. “I realised my studio isn’t just four soundproofed walls filled with instruments — it’s the journey itself. It’s the people I meet, the natural world I listen to, and the connections I feel.”
This same commitment to deep listening fuels his live concept Plants Can Dance, a project that combines the biosonification of plants and fungi with modular synthesis. The next event, on 14 September at Hideout Hackney Wick, will feature performances by Stella Z and Lapalace, with d’Souza and resident Lamine playing live alongside responsive plants in collaboration with Repot Hackney Wick and the label Music To Watch Seeds Grow By. “I’ve spent years exploring how electronic music can connect us, not just to each other, but to the natural world. Whether it’s translating mushroom data into melody or capturing birdsong at dawn, it’s about finding resonance across bodies, ecosystems, and machines.”
Rooted in his Goan and Kenyan heritage and shaped by years of travel and collaboration, d’Souza’s creative mission is simple: to reconnect the electronic world with the natural one. Through A State of Flo, he continues to blur the boundaries between club culture, sound art, and ecological awareness.
Repress
the journey continues...
The third part in the Drexciya re-issue series! Another part of the exciting journey of Drexciya with mind blowing tracks such as You Don't know, Intensified Magnetron, Aqua Worm Hole etc.
One of the finest moments in electronic music history and Detroit techno available in remastered versions including unreleased material. Essential in every serious electronic music collection
"Pretty Close", Ethel Lindsey's debut LP, marks the beginning of a new musical journey, showcasing the talent and heartfelt nostalgia of this gifted singer-songwriter. Deeply rooted in the sound and spirit of the 1970s, her work draws from the golden age of Soul, Funk, Disco, and AOR, blending these genres with elegance and authenticity. Her songwriting and vocal delivery are so true to the era that one could easily imagine this album emerging straight from a California studio in 1976.
Entirely composed, written, and performed by Ethel Lindsey, Pretty Close is a deeply personal and cohesive body of work. From lush harmonies to groove-driven arrangements, the album captures the warmth and depth of vintage recordings while offering a fresh and intimate take on these timeless sounds.
Once again, Favorite Recordings brings its signature dedication to the project, ensuring every step of the process—from production to final mix—remains faithful to the sonic and aesthetic codes of the era. The album was produced using a maximum of vintage analog equipment, staying true to the texture and character of original 70s productions.
This is not merely a nostalgic tribute—it’s a sincere continuation of a musical tradition. With a deep respect for the past and a forward-thinking spirit, Ethel Lindsey breathes new life into classic genres, reaffirming their relevance in today’s musical landscape.
As Ethel herself puts it:
"The songs on this album offer but a fleeting glimpse into the whimsical, melodic reveries that may have danced through the mind of a young girl growing up in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France during the early to mid-1980s. They are, perhaps, the earliest echoes of a fraternal musical upbringing—an inheritance both consciously absorbed and unconsciously imprinted—shaped by shared moments, half-remembered sounds, and the mysterious alchemy of childhood imagination. This collection is, in essence, a first distillation of that early inner world: playful, imperfect, sincere."
Detroit, MI – – Blank Code Records, a cornerstone of the underground electronic music scene, is proud to announce the launch of its highly anticipated sublabel, Modern Relics @modernrelicsrecords. This new venture is set to redefine the future of electronic music by merging a diverse range of genres, including techno, drum & bass, atmospheric, polyrhythms, ambient, and dub.
Conceived in the heart of Detroit, Michigan—an internationally renowned hub for electronic music innovation—Modern Relics is dedicated to exploring the freshest, most experimental soundscapes. The label aims to introduce listeners to groundbreaking productions that push the boundaries of genre and convention, reflecting the cutting-edge spirit of the underground scene.
Modern Relics will serve as a platform for both emerging and established artists who are unafraid to break free from traditional constraints, weaving together intricate rhythms and atmospheric textures that captivate and challenge the listener’s perception of sound. Drawing from a wide array of global influences, the label will focus on music that’s as dynamic as it is genre-defying, from hypnotic techno to the pulse of drum and bass, with hints of ambient sound design and the intricate complexity of polyrhythms.
"We wanted to create a space where experimentalism meets accessibility, where the boundaries of different genres can be blurred and redefined," says Co-Founder Chad Parraghi. "Detroit’s legacy in electronic music made it the perfect place to launch a new chapter that honors the city’s rich history while also pushing into the future with new and innovative sounds."
Modern Relics will launch with a series of forward-thinking releases. Expect immersive soundscapes that transport you into uncharted auditory territories—one where techno meets the experimental, drum and bass merges with ambient sound design, and dub echoes resonate within polyrhythmic structures. The label will feature a diverse roster of talented artists whose work reflects the international underground, bringing together voices from every corner of the globe.
Bio: Echoføn is the project of Detroit producers and Blank Code co-founders Chad Parraghi and Corbin Davis. Their music pulls from the roots of Detroit techno while folding in the energy of drum & bass and the complexity of polyrhythms, giving their tracks a sound that feels both raw and forward-looking.
Through their work with Blank Code, Parraghi and Davis have long been part of Detroit’s underground, building spaces for artists and pushing new ideas into the scene. Echoføn is a natural extension of that—two voices combining into something new, but still grounded in the city that shaped them.
Their first release, the Empty Space EP on Modern Relics Records, has already picked up support from artists like Polygonia, Kangding Ray, and Forest on Stasys, marking an exciting start for what’s ahead.
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.
Modi: Three Days on the Wing of Madness is a 2024 biographical drama based on the life of renowned Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani.
Directed by Johnny Depp, the film stars Riccardo Scamarcio in the title role, with supporting performances by Stephen Graham,
Al Pacino, and Antonia Desplat. The film’s original soundtrack plays a pivotal role, blending evocative original compositions by The Tiger Lillies
with classic tracks from artists such as Charles Trenet, Augie March, Tom Waits, and The Velvet Underground & Nico.
The soundtrack is available as a deluxe 2LP vinyl set in a gatefold sleeve with imagery from the film
And as a 2CD Box Set with lift-off lid, featuring a 24-page booklet including exclusive notes from Johnny Depp and behind-the-scenes images
HAAi kehrt mit ihrem kühnen und brillanten zweiten Album 'HUMANiSE' zurück und erkundet den Sweet Spot zwischen maschinengesteuerter Dystopie und emotionsgeladener Utopie.
Mit all ihren Veröffentlichungen hat HAAi (bürgerlich Teneil Throssell) immer versucht, neue Grenzen in der elektronischen Musik zu erkunden, und auf dem neuen Album bohrt sie noch mal tiefer in diese Richtung. 'HUMANiSE' setzt sich mit der Frage auseinander, was es bedeutet, in einer zunehmend digitalen Welt ein Mensch zu sein, in der KI alles in den Schatten zu stellen droht und unsere Bildschirme uns voneinander trennen. Das Ergebnis ist ein ehrgeiziges und aufregendes Epos: ein klanglicher Sprung nach oben und eine deutliche Weiterentwicklung ihres 2022er Debüts 'Baby, We're Ascending'.
Stimmen - sowohl reale als auch digitalisierte - spielen auf 'HUMANiSE' eine große Rolle, ebenso wie Ideen von Gemeinschaft und Zugehörigkeitsgefühl. Sie ist zurückgekehrt, um mit Freunden wie Jon Hopkins, Alexis Taylor von Hot Chip, dem Sänger Obi Franky, dem Rapper KAM-BU, dem Künstler Kaiden Ford und dem Dichter James Massiah sowie mit zwei Chören zu arbeiten: Trans Voices mit Chorleiter ILA und ein Gospelchor unter der Leitung von Wendi Rose. Nachdem sie jahrelang hinter den Decks verbracht hat, bringt HAAi nun auch ihre eigene Stimme in den Vordergrund, mit der sie sich verletzlich und selbstbewusst ausdrückt. Ihre Stimme ist umwerfend zart und verleiht ihren kinetischen Produktionen eine neue Dimension.
Das Konzept des Albums wurde klar, als HAAi mit Jon Hopkins im Studio war. Die beiden spielten mit einem Vocal-Harmonizer-Plug-in mit einer Funktion namens 'Humanize'. Für HAAi ging ein Licht auf: „Die Vorstellung, dass etwas völlig Synthetisches versucht, eine echte Person menschlicher klingen zu lassen, ist verrückt“, sagt sie. HAAi lässt diese Extreme im Laufe des Albums verschwimmen: Sie digitalisiert Stimmen, überlagert sie zu einem verschwommenen Effekt und verwendet sogar eine KI-Text-to-Speech, um ihre Stimme zu erzeugen. Letztendlich kommt sie jedoch zu dem Schluss, dass Erfahrung und Erinnerung - das, was uns wirklich menschlich macht - nicht ersetzt werden können.
Vom euphorischen Opener 'Satellite' über UK-Radiohit 'Can't Stand To Lose' bis hin zu genreübergreifenden Stücken wie 'Shapeshift' ist das Album voll von aufregenden klanglichen Wendungen und zutiefst persönlichen Texten. 'HUMANiSE' ist ein kraftvoller, emotionsgeladener Sprung nach vorn: eine Feier der Gemeinschaft, des Selbstausdrucks und der Menschlichkeit.
- Ltd. Col. 2LP: (Crystal Clear Vinyl)
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.
Biometric-Audio presents its second release: Serial Experiments Lain, a five track musical project characterized by an artistic virus in which stories unfold through minimalistic music, science fiction and industrial sounds, with very dark atmospheres at times. The album relates with a wide range of listeners. The idea was born from the inspiration of two mangas, Serial Experiments Lain and Ghost in the Shell, merging their elements into a single creative vision. A connection between mind and technology.
Since opening the shop, we’ve become good friends with the Club Glow gang, so much so - it seemed silly not to ask for some demos to form a collective EP. This record is the result, you can thank us later!
If you’ve not checked out any of this lot’s music yet, you need your head examined...
Four tasty bangers, exploring the realms of UK Breakbeat, Dub, Jungle and beyond..bel and bought the wax, we’ve got plenty more in the works.
"Hayden James is an LA-based Australian producer and DJ who makes electronic music that speaks to a wide range of audiences. From late night clubs to festival main stages, from sunrise to sunset, Hayden's music has soundtracked moments with friends around the world for the past decade.
It took award-winning music producer Hayden James one song to become a sound of the Australian summer. ‘Something About You’, released in the heat of December 2014 by Future Classic, lit up the pop music scene and gained Gold Certification in Australia. Today the artist’s electronic pop music has hooked a global audience on his sound, with a collection that has amassed over half a billion streams."
Since the 1940s, Library Music has lurked in the shadows, peripherally touching our lives through TV and film. Among the stalwarts of the industry was UK's Studio G, with cues heard on Doctor Who, and sampled by the likes of The Chemical Brothers, and Tyler, the Creator. Jazz Dispensary's Dream a Dream with Studio G: Cratedigger's Archive (1970–2009) culls some of their most sought-after cuts, with liner note commentary from Saint Etienne’s Bob Stanley, and illustrations by Ivan Minsloff.
Two years after a debut EP that left a strong mark and defined his raw, distinctive sound, DJ Physical returns with Guess Who's Back, a powerful new chapter in his sonic journey on Molekul. This second EP is a bold and hybrid project, blending high impact influences from Techno, Rave, Breakbeat, UK Garage and Brazilian Phonk into a style that's both unapologetically wild and deeply authentic.
Comprising five explosive tracks, including a standout collaboration with rising artist Thelma, Guess Who's Back is as much a statement of intent as it is a natural evolution of DJ Physical's artistic identity. It's built for the club, full of energy, attitude, and unmistakable character.
Best known for his cinematic jungle excursions, Seb Uncles returns to Livity Sound for a second extended release of introspective electronics with a strong influence from mystical sources.
As Eusebeia, Uncles has developed a strong, independent presence in modern electronic music defined by a prolific run of deep-diving, breakbeat-driven albums and EPs. In 2022 he released Cosmos on Livity Sound, a mini-album that zoomed out to a more reflective strain of electronica shaped by atmospheric synth lines in the hauntological vein of Ghost Box, Pye Corner Audio et al.
The Wyrding Way finds Uncles delving even deeper into this area of his output, keeping drums to a bare minimum and focusing instead on powerful melodic lines. There are still considered soundsystem moments that connect with Livity's long-standing sonic focus, not least the subtle dub inflection of EP centrepiece 'By The Light Of The Moon'. Elsewhere Uncles leaves the melodic parts unaccompanied, letting the phrasing and emotional pull of the title track tell its own story.
Balancing light and dark elements and drawing inspiration from personal experiences and perspectives, combined with spiritual and existential observations, Uncles capitalises on the evocative streak in his studio practice to deliver a timeless, immersive experience unlike anything else in his considerable back catalogue.
Livity Sound is a label set up by Peverelist in 2011 as a vehicle for a raw and exploratory strain of UK techno, rooted in the heritage of UK dance music and sound system culture. It has since become one of the UK's foremost protagonists for cutting edge underground electronic music.
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.
Wir sehen uns wieder im nächsten Jahr!
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.
Wrong Filament embodies Robert Piotrowicz's creation of fictional traditional music - not studied but invented, a utopian and oniric construct that becomes tangible in sound. These imagined traditions act as communal forces of music-making, resisting dominant structures of power.
The album unfolds in six dense compositions built on rhythm, repetition and minimal melodic gestures that draw on archetypal patterns of Eastern European traditions. Entirely synthetic yet strikingly instrumental in character, they develop as autonomous sound events, expanding into multi-part forms that evoke the physicality of ensemble performance - as if played by an imagined community of musicians.
Rather than reconstruction, Piotrowicz invents forged dances - a pre-techno of sorts, where complex meters and dense textures point to a parallel history of collective sound beyond industrial uniformity. They imagine a utopian and fictional genealogy of collective sound: one where industrial modernity yields to more unstable, communal energies.
This is celebratory music with invocatory charge: calls to dance, echoes of ceremony, microtonal melodies shaped by emotional weight, and traces of Eastern ornamentation stretched through synthetic means. Wrong Filament sacralises performance through sound alone, spinning a world where spectres of collective experience vibrate against the limits of rupture and resistance.
These pieces confront the traces of violence inscribed in body and memory, yet also affirm freedom, emancipation and integration. They manifest celebration, identity and resistance while opening a path toward liberation and shared needs that exceed social, private and intimate categories.
Swedish underground maestro Jo Bubbles (a.k.a. Jonas Dahlström) boasts an impressive streak of hot dance 12’’ releases in recent years, for illustrous labels like Parkway Records, The Transient Nature of The Disco Business and Västkransen. Ever intent on lifting homegrown talent and presenting it to its
worldwide audience, Studio Barnhus proudly unveils Mr. Bubble’s first outing on the label: a compilation of four distinct, yet equally striking dance tracks, each showcasing meticulously curated sound palettes paired with undeniably rock solid grooves.
From the electroid stomp of Compass Point to the Balearic-leaning grandeur of closing track Tu Cariño, these are cuts that would have gone down a storm during the early morning hours at Hägring, the infamous, now-defunct disco rave Jonas helped steer for over a decade. We’re thrilled to release these babies into the wild, for all to enjoy. Tu Cariño is out on vinyl and digital formats on October 10.
