Hailing from London, Bipolar head up the latest vinyl installment on Fokuz Recordings!
Two contrasting individuals with a common interest in taking drum & bass to unexplored places. Drawing on a wide variety of musical interests the boys are continually striving to incorporate live instruments and unique samples into their productions.
On the A side we find 'Sublime', a jazzy stepper loaded with a gritty bassline dipping into the tasty sounds of more
Alexander Kowalski is someone you should know. Not only is he a resident artist at our club, but with uncountable EPs and several albums on Heiko Laux' label Kanzleramt and others, he has contributed more to electronic music than many others. To have a separate platform for the darker and harder productions of his, he created the alias D_FUNC. a while ago. When he approached us with the tracks that are now on the record in hand, we immediately fell in love with the Mills-like energy of them. Perfect drum programming, driving synth lines two perfect tools for any proper techno set. The Dirt Mix of Revalism which is included in the digital release package puts the original in a more modern jacket with its stompy beat - another proof of how well Alexander knows what the djs need to please their crowd.
Let the dancefloors burn!
The second half of the Truncheon Cadence pairing kicks off with frazzled drum patterns on the A-side, while on the flip Smouldering Wilderness rolls out huge, over-driven kicks over a faltering melody. Rigid Pathetic Heaps closes the EP with a reduced tempo and minimalistic construction over a lurching beat
When James Donadio's Prostitutes project first emerged in 2011 he already had a history in Cleveland's underground noise rock scene. Having played in several bands, he developed his new moniker to explore the fusion of noise and techno. Shortly after debuting on his own imprint StabUdown, he released his outstanding Psychedelic Black album, followed by the Crushed Interior LP for Digitalis and releases on Opal Tapes and Diagonal.
It seems to be natural that he chose Mira, an outlet for more esoteric & experimental techno, drone, noise and industrial, for his next enterprise. Truncheon Cadence comes as a split EP with part one released mid-January and part two following shortly after. Both of these 10 inches feature four sizzling, propulsive workouts with a dry, precise minimalism, characteristic of Donadio's previous productions.
As per previous Mira releases, the artwork is done by Juan Mendez aka Silent Servant but this time comes with a whole new four colour jacket design to house the next five titles in this superb series...
The productions of producer Bunny 'Striker' Lee were so extensive in the early to mid 1970's that labels were created just to handle his ever expanding output.
Three labels that came about during this time when dub was king were Jackpot. Justice and Attack.
Here we look at the Jackpot label and have compiled a collection of some of its finest dub cuts.
Jackpot Records was formed in the early 1970's as a subsidiary of Trojan Records to handle the output from the hitmaker from Jamaica..Bunny 'Striker 'Lee
Bunny was at the birth of dub and worked closely with Dubmaster King Tubby,having his masters stored at Tubbys allowed his rhythms to be worked on by Tubby, whether it was to remix or add vocals to an existing tape,the new interest in the dubbed version would see the next single being worked on for its version side.
We have gathered here what we think are some of the best dubcuts from this label and era..
Hope uou enjoy the set
Following on from his contribution to the various artists Multi-Dimensional World EP (ASG/DE002) Stanny Franssen returns to the De:tuned stable for a solo release with 4 tracks of floor friendly yet versatile techno.
Stanny has been one of the key players in the Belgian techno scene. Starting out as a DJ in the infamous Montini club, he soon ventured into production; first as part of Propionic and later on solo. Stanny used the moniker 'G-Force' or simply 'GF' for most of his earlier productions. Under this name he released two albums which were very well received at the time: Electronic Lesson Part 1 and 2.
The tracks on offer here are very much in the same vein as the Electronic Lesson albums. Multi-Vintages 2 and 3 have that distinct psychedelic and otherworldly groove that is typical of Stanny's tracks from the 90s. Multi-Vintages 4 reminds us of Umek's old output and features a pounding kick accompanied by a twisted synth stab. Stanny goes wild on the effects in the breakdowns making this a track for the peak-time hours. On the last track Stanny goes into 303 mode. Multi-Vintages 5 is a bubbling, funky acid cut that has all the qualities of a well-produced Hardfloor track.
This release will be available on sturdy 180 gr black vinyl and is limited to 250 copies, stay tuned!
Andrade is a truely new talent coming straight from the Parisian underground. Having made a name for himself thanks to several well received gigs in his hometown and a few releases from good people like Steve Bug, D'julz, Delano smith, Ralph Lawson, Labels are already begging for more. After releases on Steve Bug's Poker Flat and Dessous imprits as well as D'julz Bass Culture, Andrade is poised for the future! Andrade is currently putting the finishing touches on his future productions and just started his own label Street Knowledge Recordings.
With a self-proclaimed goal to showcase newcomers as well as established artists, Melodymathics hands out their 'second punch' with a killer track by Detroit veteran Gari Romalis. Gari is at the forefront of the Detroit techno scene, working close with Terrence
Parker, Mike Banks, Cliff Thomas and labels such as Tresor, Transmat, Soma and many more. His productions clearly show that his 30 years experience Dj'ing made him realize what works on the dancefloor. 'The Web' on Melodymathics Ltd.002 is a sublime example of soulful keys combined with funky rhythm, resulting in the ultimate Dj tool.
Our new talent 'Barce' was discovered in Spain and sets the tone with his 'SP' track for a possible lifetime relationship with Melodymathics. Barce's music speaks parts of his life and relfects a musical image of his soul. 'SP' brings deepness to another level in this release, with a manipulated organ chord - hypnotizing you throughout the whole chord -
and a story being told on top with various snares, dope basslines and sample work.
The traditional endless grooves, provided byThe Melodymann, are a nice addition for any Dj who wants that little extra..
Dj Feedback
SEAN DEASON (Matrix records)
Very nice! Smooth deep and funky as hell! Great work!
ROBERT OWENS
Great EP, would be nice to play.
SAMUEL JAMES (Elektrosouls Recordings)
One of the deepest releases of the year. Melodymathics is definitely a label to keep an eye on !
JULES WELLS ( KMS, Submerge records)
Great, I love it !!
RENNIE FOSTER (Transmat / Rebirth )
Sick
BEN SOLAR
Great Stuff
FABRICE LIG
Great EP, so deep !
TITONTON DUVANTE
All tracks are solid! Really like the way the Gari Romalis track builds. The Barce track is
cool in the second half. Expect some deck time for this one..
DONNA BLACK
This is DOPE!
SEBASTIAN SAN
Good stuff, Deep as i like it !
DIMITRI ANDREAS
Nice smooth and deep, Like it !
LA WILLIAMS (Peacefrog, DJAX)
PUREEEEEEE DETROITTTTTT ! Richard Pryor sample classic
PAT LEZIZMO
Vraiment Bien !
SATORE (Hizou Deeply Rooted House)
Really nice Ep!
AUBREY
really good .. like it.. deep moody stuff !!
PETE HOWL
Deep & smooth, great package! love it
ANAXANDER
'wow, strong EP, proper dancefloor killers'
BERNY GARDIN
Interesting, can feel lot of infuences, style!
ANDREW DUKE
Veteran artist Gari Romalis brings the heat as expected; both Barce's original and the
remix from The Melodymann hit the spot. With these 3 tracks all in my bag, Melodymathics
Ltd keeps bringing the goods.
DEEP MOVEMENTS LABEL
Instant support, will play for sure !
OLIVER KAPP (Indulge, Raygun Records)
Very nice old school vibe..... love it
Traversing with an understated technical assuredness, the ambitious shapes of Steely Dan, the popping lounge funk of McDonald era Doobie Brothers, the sweet mourning of the Stylistics and Delfonics, and the exquisite song-craft and flawless harmonising of CSNY, Daniel Collas (The Phenomenal Handclap Band), Bart Davenport and Quinn Luke aka Bing Ji Ling have recorded an absolute darling of an album under the name Incarnations. They are three friends with enough musical guises, side-projects, collaborations and production jobs to fill the annual itinerary of your average musician twice over. When three CVs like these get together on a regular basis, it's only logical they speculate and hypothecate on the possibility of an album together. But, how to make those congested diaries synchronise? Bart lives in Oakland and Quinn and Daniel are in New York, all three of them are on tour for the better part of the year. One sunny day in Madrid, Spain, a plan was hatched and a proposal was made. Lovemonk, a small, eclectic and affable Spanish label, dangled the carrot that clinched the deal; 'find two weeks between gigs/productions/recordings and head down to this little place we know in Tarifa, Southern Spain'. A family-run studio, in a house 5 minutes from a wild beach and a short ferry ride from the coast of Africa; the perfect ambience for the fleeting melody and sultry grooves of the Incarnations debut album, "With All Due Respect". Arriving with bits and bobs of half-songs, grooves and melodies, Daniel, Quinn and Bart, sketched and improvised their way to the most intensely evocative songs you'll hear this year. Punctuated by a day trip across the water to Tangiers, all 9 songs were written and recorded inside a fortnight in October 2009 and laid to rest while our protagonists jetted off to their respective diary appointments. Whether it was the beach, the soft weather, the fact that you can smell Africa from the studio, the home cooked Spanish food or the relaxed environment of the recording room, when the band returned to the songs at a New York studio earlier this year, they found an album as fresh and resonant as the moment it came into being. Quickly mixed down with no over-dubs or re-records, "With All Due Respect" captures the combined gifts of Tarifa and the three very talented friends that paid a visit. Incarnations are: Daniel Collas: DJ, drummer, organist, and one half of production team Embassy Sound Productions, the minds behind The Phenomenal Handclap Band. Plays - drums, percussion, organ and synthesizers. Bart Davenport: Collaborator with Greyboy, General Elektriks and The Phenomenal Handclap Band; Singer-songwriter with The Loved Ones, The Kinetics and Honeycut, and most recently a touring member of the Kings Of Convenience. Plays - guitar, bass and vocals. Quinn Luke a.ka. Bing Ji Ling: Part of The Phenomenal Handclap Band, one half of DFA recording artists Q&A and long time member of Tommy Guerrero's band; Solo artist on labels Ubiquity and Lovemonk among others. Plays - guitars, keyboards, vocals The band are named after Encarnacion "Nini" Sagrista, owner of the recording studio in Tarifa, who housed and fed them during their stay.
When James Donadio's Prostitutes project first emerged in 2011 he already had a history in Cleveland's underground noise rock scene. Having played in several bands, he developed his new moniker to explore the fusion of noise and techno. Shortly after debuting on his own imprint StabUdown, he released his outstanding Psychedelic Black album, followed by the Crushed Interior LP for Digitalis and releases on Opal Tapes and Diagonal.
It seems to be natural that he chose Mira, an outlet for more esoteric & experimental techno, drone, noise and industrial, for his next enterprise. Truncheon Cadence comes as a split EP with part one released mid-January and part two following shortly after. Both of these 10 inches feature four sizzling, propulsive workouts with a dry, precise minimalism, characteristic of Donadio's previous productions.
From the stuttering kicks on Unanswered to the whirring sounds of This Whole Affair Is So Fucking Unfair, part one serves as the deeper share of the release.
As per previous Mira releases, the artwork is done by Juan Mendez aka Silent Servant but this time comes with a whole new four colour jacket design to house the next five titles in this superb series...
Two pioneering heavyweights unite for this stellar 4 track EP forthcoming on Eglo Records.It's fair to say that the legacy of Dego's musical output can be heard in just about every genre in the contemporary dance music spectrum, from hardcore and drum n bass, to house and of course Broken Beat.Kaidi is of the highly skilled keys player that lent his hand to many of those legendary productions.. recording with Bugz In The Attic, Domu, IG Culture etc not to mention his own releases.
Eglo fulfil a life long goal of bringing the pair together to release a brand new EP of broken beat bullets!
clear vinyl pressing!
Soundtravels Recordings proudly presents "Point Of View Part 1". We have compiled six contemporary, electronic bombs from artists all around Europe.
For some we didn't have to travel that far though...
The Hagues Baz Reznik provided us with "Nightdrive To Stuttgart", a moody, sinister track with that typical raw Reznik sound and a melody that will stick in your head for days after you first heard it.
Amsterdam based Arctic Boogie boss Endfest came up with another killer, "Von Heijden En Verre". Almost ten minutes filled with frosty synths and arctic melodies, accompanied by an ever present, very sophisticated 303 which peaks halfway the track, shivers!
Our last, but not least, Dutch contributor is Rotterdam based Louis Guilliaume who you might know from several straight forward techno releases on various quality underground labels. "Promiscues" is a rough edged, energetic track which fits somewhere between Detroit techno and Dutch Westcoast elektronica. At the end of 2013 he will release the "Unknown Forces EP" on Soundtravels.
Okay, now we fly all the way over to Croatia for Le Chocolate Noir with "Futu.e Is B.ight". A short but powerful EBM track with vocals from the man himself. Dark industrial mechanics accompanied by a threathening bassline, but no need to worry... cause Futu.e is B.ight! In 2014 he will release his first EP on Soundtravels.
Next stop... Düsseldorf. After discovering Dircsen's tracks we definitely had to have him on board. The first result of that can be heard on his astonishing "Aspiration EP" (Soundtravels 003). This guy keeps on producing his solid, high quality electronics and shows us his love for the TB 303 machine in a brilliant way. "Exist" is actually a downtempo dubtechno track but off course it has a fierce 303 all over it. Timeless again. Early 2014 his second EP named "Acid Wheel EP" will be a fact.
New to our family is the Russian Neotnas. He makes his first appearance with "Rewind". Typical for his sound is that warm, organic feel all over his house and dubtechno productions. Very often accompanied by female vocals and it's almost like you hear somebody play a live instrument if you listen carefully. At the end of 2013 he will release his "Slow & Steady EP".
SKYLAX RECORDS, THE company focused on realeasing original obscure dance classic and everything's that sounds fine to their ears !For this new release, we decided to create another sub - label as this seems to us so special ! SKYLAX RECORDS EXTRA SERIES #1 will present the wonderful work from house maestro Jason Grove with some of the most timeless artists from both Chicago & Detroit.Indeed, we get the chance to get on vocals & productions the great MERWYN SANDERS (Formerly known as Virgo 4) & legendary undeground resistance member NIKO MARKS. We felt that those tracks had something we could qualify as Timeless, it is simply the best music we've heard in ages. THE MASTER IS BACK. VYNIL ONLY.
JUSTUS KÖHNCKE & THE WONDERFUL FREQUENCY BAND - his first major release in five years after SAFE AND SOUND
JUSTUS KÖHNCKE & THE WONDERFUL FREQUENCY BAND - his first major release in five years after SAFE AND SOUND (Kompakt CD 63) - is JUSTUS KÖHNCKE's long-awaited return to the full-length format: neatly coinciding with Kompakt's exuberant 20th anniversary activities, the leftfield house virtuoso, former Whirlpool Productions member (see "From: Disco To: Disco") and producer of seminal cuts such as "Was Ist Musik", "2 After 909" or "Timecode" hits the floors with an entirely new set of future classics, remedying desolate crowds in dire need of a party to remember.
The German producer Team Shuko & F. (of Audiotreats) are back with their third part of the Cookies & Cream series. After releasing the second part producer Shuko had multiple productions to catch the audience's attention.
He was by producing beats for well known rappers like Talib Kweli & Ra the Rugged Man. He also participated in production for platinum-albums of french rap crew 1995 & also Sexion D'assault, which both became No.1 in the French Charts this Summer.
He also worked on german rap-phenomenon Cro's #1 Album in Germany & co-produced a track for the newcomers of GENETIKK, who stepped on the scene of german HipHop quite recently with a #1 chart entrance. The JBG2 album of Farid Bang & Kollegah sold 80.000 units via Selfmade Records in first week in Germany, containing eight productions by Shuko on the album.
Shuko did also please his backpacker-fans by releasing his collabo with westcoast-MC Blu via JAKARTA RECORDS as a strictly limited 10inch LP. F, who is also part of the Audiotreats producer-team created beats for acts like Chima, Joy Denalane & Dendemann.
The third part of Cookies & Cream series is soulfull & eclectic as his preceding LPs & shows instrumental HipHop music as it's best & lifts german productions into the company of the worldwide beat-scene.
Vinyl only! Limited edition of 600 copies! Comes in clear plasticsleeve!
tenth release of the promising imprint focussing
on warm and soulful vibes between indie,
house, soul and downbeat.
Some well known producers showing their soft
skills with own productions or edits / re-works
they ever wanted to do.
Poker Flat Recordings has long held a talismanic role within the house and techno underground -responsible for countless classic moments and pursuing a vision that propels the scene ever forward.
Here, Dutch DJ and producer Wouter de Moor continues this rich tradition, dropping an essential release for Steve Bug's ever-important imprint. The Lectures E.P features the words and wisdom of the ultimate DJ's DJ and king of the underground - Theo Parrish. Wouter de Moor's original mix intertwines a driving house groove and insistent synth riff around Mr Parrish waxing lyrical about the art of DJing, producing and life in general. The vocal track is also provided as an accapella for DJ's looking to spice up their own sets or productions, while a pair of remixes come courtesy of scene stalwart Kirk Degiorgio. The Brit delivers a vocal and dub that hit hard- toughening up the groove and taking the track further in the realm of late night main room vibes. The EP is rounded off with 8 Voice- a knowing nod to the old school with firing percussion, tight snares and a filthy warehouse-ready bassline.
[C] B1 | Lectures feat. Theo Parrish Words (Kirk Degiorgio Remix)
- Turn Me On' by Jay W. McGee is the third release in a series of sought after boogie, disco and modern soul re-issues on Légère Recordings. The original 12inch vinyl single appeared on the tiny Canadian Indie label Love Productions in 1980 and is immensely hard to find these days.
- Turn Me On' is an unusual production for its time, grooving along unbelievably deep in a spartanic arrangement, and fuelled by vocals which are not too far away from Sylvester's iconic style of mixing soul, disco, funk and jazz.
Jay W. McGee has a strong opinion about disco music: - When disco came out, it had its own way of reaching people's hearts too. Being in a club, you know, it's escapism, like with soul music. Soul is addressing everyday life problems, disco is about how to forget and enjoy yourself. They each have their own unique place. I saw people railing on doing disco because they didn't understand the seriousness of it,' Jay W. McGee explains about - Turn Me On' when he officially commissioned this re-release: - The discrimination of disco was in reality a discrimination against black music.'
- Your Love', the flipside of this 12inch single, is an exciting ballad on the B-side and a surprise in itself. Both tracks feature a great combination of talents. Wayne Jackson, the trumpet player on - Turn Me On', played on Rick James' album 'Bustin' Out On L Seven', in the late Seventies. Glenn Johanson was the engineer on - Your Love'. He became Eddy Grant's house engineer at his studio in Barbados right after he mixed this tune. But there is also a little drama in the story. When Jay W. McGee returned to the studio where he recorded, "Turn Me On" he found out that the original version of - Turn Me On' was erased by another technician: - Everybody said it could have been a hit, and maybe the guy did it on purpose.' Nevertheless he recorded the song again with a now different arrangement and instrumentation. Maybe that is the reason why the production is so unique and also so different to - Your Love'.
Jay W. McGee could have been a solo artist on Philadelphia International Records, back in 1969, when he met Leon Huff of Gamble & Huff, in Philly for an audition, just before they recorded - Me And Mrs. Jones', - Bad Luck' and - Backstabbers' with Billy Paul, Harold Melvin and The O'Jays. They offered him a contract, but he refused, because he came with his whole group from Flint, Michigan and they wanted to be signed collectively.
Jay W. McGee kept just one of the original 12inches in his home: - Both songs were a profession of love to my wife. We are now married for 34 years.' Now if this ain't love, we don't know....'
SVS Records was set up by Beni Brachtel and Daniel Hermann-Collini as an imprint of Brachtel's sister project Selbstversorgersound (SVS). A compilation titled "SVS 1" was released in Oct 2012. This was the first official collection made up of songs from the last three years by various artists whose backgrounds could hardly be more diverse. Next up is a three vinyl series named "Polyrhythmic Series 1-3". Volume 2 contains exclusive productions from Gnther Lause (Karlsruhe/ Berlin, Crosstown Rebels, Paradise Now!, Laut und Luise, SVS), Larkin & the Sky (London/Munich, Paradise Now!, Goldsmith, SVS), Bartellow (Munich, Pollyester, Tambien, Columbus, GTA Hoffmann, SVS) and Konrad Wehrmeister. Five techno tracks of the highest calibre ranging from from dubbed out to tripped out and way beyond!
DJ support by Norman Nodge, Extrawelt, Ripperton, Trus'me, Ben Westbeech, Alland Byallo, Archiepelago, Brett Johnson, Eric Duncan, Agoria, Jonas Kopp
Alignment is back with its fist vinyl outing of the year for the main label. This time introducing 'Quartz' a production due hailing from
Cardiff. The pair have been making some heavy waves in the scene of late with their heavy gritty productions. A release lately on IM:
LTD has made the scene take note of what their about, now they present the 3 track EP on Alignment. Bone Marrow, Cut Deep and
the digital exclusive 'If Ever' will be available in early June 2013.
Support for the tracks already comes in the form of Doc Scott, Skeptical and Dub Phizix.
Also watch out for their remix of Traces 'Sonar' coming soon on 117.
repressed ! Memoria has the pleasure to collaborate with one of the most established artists in Europe for her 15th release. The Parisian - Berliner DJ /producer Okain, after his very successful releases on various acclaimed labels such as Tsuba Records, Quartz Rec and Bpitch Control, joins Memoria with an EP entitled Welcome to the Hood.
Okain's music was incarnated in legendary Parisian clubs, home of some of France's finest inspirations. However, his fervent fascination with hip-hop, soul and jazz has highly contributed to his fresh dance floor creations.
The Frenchman has really received great admiration from the crowd all over the world with his intensive touring in Europe, USA, South America, Japan and China. Until this very moment, Okain has played at the biggest clubs like Cocorico, Fabric, the Rex Club and Watergate to name a few.
For this EP, his groovy upbeat music, diced with bits of old school flavor, stayed once again true to house and techno based roots. Samuel's productions explore the deeper side of tech house, with classic grooves and modern sound design that stands out due to its originality.
Welcome to the Hood (A Side) and Hot Garonne (B Side) really do speak for themselves, both of which flow well throughout the night, the second, slightly faster and darker than the first. The strings in B1 are unexpected; and bring a completely different feel to the track giving it real character and charm.
support:
anja schneider, gel abril, karotte, guti, luca agnelli, gary beck, valentino kanzyani, dubfire, bleed, florian meindl, yousef, jimpster, sandy huner, franco cinelli, hermanez, gel abril, mr. statik, nino santos, richie hawtin, claude vonstroke, joseph capriati, fil sonik, luca bacchetti, tania volcano, stacey pullen, arado, butch, wally lopez, danny howells, scuba, whebba, kaiserdisco, marko nastic, kiki, riva starr...
