Search:back in time

Phantasy transports back to 1982 for a faithful reissue of the highly sought after ‘Fools Are Friendly’ from Xclusiv, carefully re-mastered from the original tapes.

The alias of sisters Karen and Maxine Berlinski, Xclusiv emerged inconspicuously from the London borough of Croydon with a sophisticated vision of cosmic disco pop, linking the suburbs with Soho’s neon-tinted nightlife. Decades later, and in close collaboration with the sisters, this highly sought-after record arrives lovingly reissued by Phantasy in its original, sensuous form.

Originally self-released on Le Maitre Music, a record label spun-off from their family-run fireworks and pyrotechnics company, ‘Fools Are Friendly’ has the irresistible sense of a radio hit that never was. A brilliant DIY reflection of the disco and soul that dominated the charts of the time, its glossy, primitive electronics echo the synth experiments of Giorgio Moroder or Didier Marouani, pioneers that were transforming pop music.

The extended mix provides an overture to the sisters’ twinned vocals, unfolding with delectable disco drama. In contrast, the Instrumental Mix lets the record’s blend of elements truly breathe, a synthesised version of Xclusiv’s irresistible vocal hook holding court between timeless arpeggios and subtle modulation.

After some time, we are back with a new release. This one moves slightly away from our usual sound to make room for a brand-new project by two outstanding artists. Please welcome to the crew the legendary San Proper together with the excellent Angelo D’Onorio. Joining forces under the name SANGELO DIPROPRIO, they deliver three vibrant house tracks designed with the dancefloor in mind. Fresh grooves, playful energy, and unmistakable personality make this EP a strong addition to the catalogue. A meeting of two distinctive styles that results in a dynamic and highly effective club release.

Jorge Gamarra and D’Marc Cantu - two true hardware heavyweights - come together for a split EP, marking the sixth release on Zonate.

Jorge Gamarra takes the A-side with two emotion fuelled productions. Eleven Minute Shrink opens - an instantly memorable, ear-worm melody underpinned by driving electro. A standout production with real versatility. This is followed by Prolonged Grief Disorder, a more textured and immersive piece, with tension conveying a real sense of raw emotion. D’Marc Cantu handles the B-side. Based on the outskirts of Detroit, and with over two decades of stellar releases behind him, he delivers two tracks written between 2019–2020.

Haystack explores the proverbial needle-in-a-haystack - a peak-time weapon that toys with chaos through rising energy and chopped vocals, before pulling itself back into tightly controlled club pressure. Closing the record is Madripoor, a deeper cut built around floating synth lines, capturing the essence of electro’s golden era.

Introducing The Hard Line is available on translucent green vinyl
Neither Fish, Nor Flesh is available on red coloured vinyl
Symphony Or Damn is available on gold coloured vinyl
Vibrator is available on blue coloured vinyl
JUST 400 AVAILABLE IN UK!!

180 gram audiophile vinyl, Newly remastered audio, processed at Artone Studio, approved by Sananda Maitreya
Anti-static black poly lined inner sleeves, Deluxe heavyweight sleeves on uncoated paper
All 4 albums include separate inserts with brand new introduction liner notes written by Sananda Maitreya
Box set is a limited edition, Hype sticker
Sananda Maitreya proudly announces “JUVENILIA : The Columbia Years”, a meticulously curated 4-LP box set bringing together
his first four groundbreaking albums, originally released between 1987 and 1995 Introducing the Hardline, Neither Fish Nor Flesh, Symphony or Damn, and Vibrator.
Set for release on February 6th, 2026, JUVENILIA mark the first time these iconic works have been remastered and presented together on
premium 180-gram vinyl, complete with restored artwork and new liner notes by Sananda.

Produced in collaboration with Sony Music UK, Music On Vinyl and Treehouse Publishing, “Sananda Maitreya’s JUVENILIA : The Columbia Years”,

pays tribute to a pivotal creative era that helped redefine the sound and spirit of modern soul, pop, and rock in the late 1980s and 1990s.

On a remote gravel-covered spit of land on the east coast lie the abandoned buildings of a government facility for weapons testing and experiments with radar.
In the mid 1960s this site witnessed the construction of an over-the-horizon radar, a technological marvel bouncing signals off the ionosphere, built to covertly monitor the activities of other nations.
The reflectivity of the ionosphere is a function of frequency, time of day, time of year and of the solar cycle. In essence, a sympathy for the celestial was required to fully exploit this man made construction.
Plagued by noise that created false returns on the monitors, the intended performance was never achieved, and despite several investigations the system was shut down and eventually dismantled in the early 1970s.
The long dormant Cobra is now a nature reserve.

2026 Repress

Houseworx is back with VOL.9 of the"Lost Housetracks" mini compilation series.
This time we present tracks from long time fellows Amaury Trevino on A1 with a peaktime summer house anthem and Franco Strato feat. Ale Castro on A2 with a perfect matching house tool for club entertainment.
On B side we welcome 2 new faces to the Label: Lucia Scholtus originally from Argentina now based in Hamburg / Berlin with a funky oldskool flavoured tune and Sebastian Habben from the cologne collective and Label I'm in Love with a deep house mover called "Neighbors" that perfectly rounds up the ep.
House music all night long!

The Deku Trio's cozy Legend of Zelda coffeehouse jazz album

Jazz band The Deku Trio is back for an encore in Zelda & Jazz II, an 18-track smooth jazz Legend of Zelda tribute album. Featuring intimate piano, upright bass, and mellow drums, The Deku Trio reimagines the music of The Legend of Zelda with influences ranging from lounging bossa nova to coffeehouse jazz. Zelda & Jazz II features music from across The Legend of Zelda series. Highlights include Nintendo 64 classics Majora's Mask and Ocarina of Time, GameCube releases Twilight Princess and The Wind Waker, hand-held titles Link's Awakening and Spirit Tracks, Skyward Sword for the Wii, and the Super Nintendo's A Link to the Past. This wide-ranging tribute is topped off with artwork and character designs by comic and environmental artist Christian Benavides (League of Legends). The brainchild of Rob Araujo (Chillhop) and Chris Davidson (GameChops), The Deku Trio features rich reharmonizations on piano, gentle drums, and lush upright basslines, with mixes by Curran Sinha in Los Angeles.
The Deku Trio crafts an intimate smooth jazz tribute to the timeless Legend of Zelda series.

Music never exists in a vacuum — every scene and sound evolves from the non-stop exchange of ideas between different groups and cultures. Traditions get passed down from one generation to the next, and then individual heads take influence from their own unique perspective. Sometimes, certain people strike upon fusions that spark massive new movements, but even those rarest innovations came from somewhere.

Jon E Cash knows this more than most — the legendary beats he started putting out at the turn of the millennium had their own disparate roots and influences which he had the motivation to put together into a sound he called sublow. There wasn't any other reference point for this music — when he took the first white labels of 'Drop Top Bimmer Kid' into Blackmarket Records in Soho, London, he had to describe it to a puzzled Nicky Blackmarket and J Da Flex as being, "between garage and hip-hop."

Playing catch-up in 2004, Rephlex Records nodded to sublow when trying to introduce a wider audience to the sounds which had been tearing up the London underground. "Grime. Sublow. Dubstep... It's Music. Different people call it different things depending on when they discovered it." But Jon E Cash's sound was rooted in more than the UK garage that had dominated the clubs through the late 90s, reaching way back to his pre-teen days when the first waves of hip-hop culture crossed the Atlantic and broke in the UK.

25 years on, it's a fine time to reflect on the impact of the music Cash made at the turn of the millennium. History looks back favourably on what he and the Black Ops crew were doing with sublow in the early 00s. The timing meant it ran in parallel with what was happening over East with Pay As U Go, Roll Deep et al, and of course there was crossover. Every DJ and every MC was on the hunt for the best beats they could find. But there's a whole different swagger to sublow — a different web of influences, a different intention and so a different outcome. It's still there in the beats Cash is making more than 20 years later — his 3dom Music label is carrying upfront productions with that sublow DNA coursing through their veins. Whatever the beat or the tempo, the drums are still hard as nails, and the bass is tuned for maximum rave damage.

Guests is the home recording project of Jessica Higgins and Matthew Walkerdine. Vaguely named as such to avoid any problems with the poster if they pull out of a gig (which has only happened once, about a year and half before any songs were actually written to be fair) but also to capture a sense of reverse hospitality. That is, arriving at your door with a bottle of good wine (can’t turn up empty handed) or a fist full of savoury or sweet snacks (time of day dependant); oversharing at the afters (and then passing out on your couch); reading to your toddler while you make their lunch or put everything back where it was meant to go (only to get torn apart again). So, something about what happens when private worlds meet each other, making or having been made a space for. But at times, it’s a different kind of intimacy, a temporal or material one, like the feeling of crisp fresh sheets, and abundant and soft, body-part appropriate towels in a hotel in a city you’ve been to before and love to go back to.

Their debut record, “I wish I was special”, was variously described as “a collage of concrète experiments and outerzone pop gestures, music that sounds as if it’s been written from the depths of a dream”; “music for people who love music but also hate it too”; “something like chasing ghosts or befriending a wild animal”; “pulling apart nervous sensations with haphazard ease and requisite humour”; and “a melody of refusal, of being all-in (…) finding the exact right WRONG sound to express the discontent”. Common Domestic Bird continues in this vein, layering synthesiser, keyboards and samples over rudimentary drum rhythms and field recordings, which are in turn sung or spoken with to create nine new songs.

Written and recorded between autumn 2024 and summer 2025 in Reading, Berkshire, the music has matured since its last outing, in a way, leaning less into collage and more toward structured composition and melodic depth, yet retains a healthy dose of indeterminacy and off-kilter rhythms for the forever-amateur. The songs on Common Domestic Bird hint at some “about”-ness through a series of discrete vignettes which sound a bit like architecture or end of year lists, gossip or over-thinking subjectivity, like disappearances and impressions, the support structure of the spine, letters and signs offs, things you could really do without and where they should go, hoping you’ll see something that isn’t there, pretences and performance. At times they feel kind of funny, others kind of sad or a bit angry and annoyed, a bit like you really.

Back in 2022, Is It Balearic? Recordings founders Coyote (AKA long-serving producers Richard Hampson aka Ampo and Timm Sure) took time out from releasing music on their own labels to deliver a near perfect mini-album on Phil Cooper’s similarly mind-ed NuNorthern Soul imprint, Everything Moves, Nothing Rests.

A superb exploration of their trademark sound, where gentle downtempo rhythms and nods to dub came cloaked in colourful ambient chords, sun-bright melodic motifs, organic instrumenta-tion and quirky spoken word samples, Everything Moves, Nothing Rests deserved a sequel. So, three and a half years on, the duo has delivered just that: a fine six-track EP that offers an even deeper and more atmospheric exploration of their signature sound.

It is a sonic approach that should now be familiar to Balearic en-thusiasts the world over. Aside from delivering a steady stream of singles, albums and remixes on their own imprint, Hampson and Sure have also showcased their skills and loved-up musical mis-sives on International Feel, Music For Dreams, Needwant, MM Discos and Citizens of Vice.

The Higher The Sky, The Deeper The Ocean, their hotly anticipated NuNorthern Soul return, is named in honour of a quote from Ped-ro Alonso’s documentary series On the Ship of Enchantment, an extended voyage in which the Money Heist movie star meets healers and masters of ancestral medicine across his native Mexi-co.

There’s naturally a meditative and slightly psychedelic sound to much of The Higher The Sky, The Deeper The Ocean, which offers a subtly varied exploration of Coyote’s style and influence. Yearning, soft-focus opener ‘Muted Beauty’ – the kind of immersive, effects-laden and sample-sporting ambient bliss found nestling on Fila Brazillia albums of the mid 1990s – is followed by the similarly gentle ‘Go All The Way’, where delay-laden acoustic guitars, spo-ken word snippets and gaseous chords stretch out atop a languid, slow-motion groove.

‘A Drop in the Ocean’ picks up the pace a little via a glorious hat-tip to turn of the 90s ambient house – all dub-wise bass, heady deep house sonics, spaced-out chords and half-buried references to sunrise-ready Balearic synth-pop records of the late 1980s. Late psychedelic guru Terrence McKenna appears in sampled form on ‘Dolce Far Niente’, a tabla-driven drift and musical hallucination which conjures mental images of lying in the Mexican desert, gazing intently at a starry sky.

In contrast, ‘Riviera Sound’ is a chunkier, brighter and more sun-splashed affair – all deep, dubby bass, sustained piano parts, punchy downtempo breaks and the duo’s trademark ambient pads – while superb closing cut ‘No Coincidences’ fixes jazzy double bass samples, twinkling keyboard motifs, subtle acid lines and Latin-laced percussion to a street soul-adjacent beat.

Heady, impeccably crafted and thoroughly enveloping, The Higher The Sky, The Deeper The Ocean is Coyote at their dazzling best. It marks another significant chapter in their ever-evolving musical journey.

Fresh Hold Releases presents Helen Ripley-Marshall's mysterious Australian ambient electronic album "Green Chaos", reissued for the first time on vinyl LP. Originally released in 1988 on Sydney based private press label Freefall, "Green Chaos" marks the sole release from Ripley-Marshall.

In the late 80's Ripley-Marshall lived a Bohemian lifestyle in inner city Sydney; "surrounded by musicians, actors and artists, there was an amazing creative experimental vibe going on". While playing in new wave/art rock band "D Face" she began Green Chaos as a personal project to counteract the creative friction sometimes experienced within a group dynamic, heavily inspired by Arnold Frolows' "Ambience" radio show on Australia's Triple J and particularly the music of Tangerine Dream, Harold Budd and Brian Eno.

Initially a solitary endeavour, once she decided to record in a studio Green Chaos morphed into a somewhat collaborative, improvisational project with other musicians invited into the studio to improvise and add their own interpretations and ideas, additional layers and dimensions, resulting in a work that combines a clear influence from the electronic repetition of the Berlin school with a meandering, futuristic lyricism. Although influenced by the long form sonic journeys of artists like Tangerine Dream, Ripley-Marshall's background in art rock and new wave brings a more concise approach, each song a self-contained universe that says only what is necessary in the arrangement.

After completing a sound engineering course Ripley-Marshall recorded the album at Sydney's Exeter House Studio over several months alongside studio engineer Andrew Knight, met through a fellow member of D Face. Knight ran Freefall, a private press recording label releasing folk and bluegrass music, which had Green Chaos as its sole ambient release. Ripley-Marshall self distributed the album to local inner city record stores and dropped a copy to Triple J, where it became a regular staple of Arnold Frolows' show.

These days Ripley-Marshall has moved away from music and is predominantly focused on visual art. "Green Chaos" stands as the only released product of her musical years, both a personal window into the vibrant experimental art scene of late 1980s Sydney and a deep, timeless anomaly of Australian electronic music.

PAPER ROUTE iLLUMINATi is the compilation album from Paper Route EMPIRE, the label founded by late Memphis legend, Young Dolph, and home to the equally iconic Key Glock and an impressive roster of additional artists including Snupe Bandz & Big Moochie Grape. Including the hit songs, "Talking To My Scale," "I Do This," & "Mister Glock 2," as well as deep cuts like "Broccoli & Cheese," this album is a must have for Southern rap fans and encapsulates a time when PRE was at the height of their game, shortly before Young Dolph's untimely passing. 2xLP pressed on Red Snake Eyes Galaxy vinyl, and housed in a gatefold jacket. Long Live Young Dolph.

Suicide AFTR 7 moves deeper into the shadows on this release, stripping things back while letting the groove hit harder. Built on pumping 808s, restless synth lines, and a subtle acid pulse, the project blends electro, cold wave, and leftfield instincts into something leaner and more focused than earlier records. There’s a proto-80s spirit running through it: raw, tactile, and slightly unpolished, where tension lives in the negative space and repetition becomes hypnotic rather than obvious.

For the first time, real bass guitar and drums enter the picture, adding human weight beneath the electronics without diluting Suicide AFTR 7’s core identity. The result feels rawer, more intimate, and quietly confrontational. Music for late nights, dim rooms, and inward motion. Still unmistakably SA7, but closer to the bone.

Tripmode made a superb start to life with its first EP and is now back with more goodness, this time from family member Daniele Temperilli. We're told he is inspired by 'love, freedom and matured childishness' and he brings some big bass and bouncy minimal house to this 12". 'Beatback Haze' is tight and clipped in its tech funk, then 'Peace What?!' Brings more low-swinging drums and a prying bassline topped with big hits and warped pads. 'BeesTreb' taps into a darker vibe with gritty drum textures and more rapping, farting bass that's perfect for a darkened room. Last of all is 'Pachyderm', which bounces and swings, with macho drums but a sense of lithe energy that keeps you on your toes.

7 Inch Vinyl in Label Generic Sleeve

A powerful two-sider from the incomparable Rhetta Hughes, whose rich vocal work includes singing backing vocals on Roberta Flack’s “Feel Like Makin’ Love.” Her version of “Light My Fire” — a rare, fiery soul cover of The Doors classic — brings raw emotion, driving rhythm, and Hughes’ unmistakable vocal authority to the forefront. Paired with the deep, dramatic “You’re Doing It With Her,” this beautifully remastered reissue returns two tracks from her album "Re-Light My Fire" and brings them to 7-inch for the first time. An essential RSD 2026 pick that highlights a remarkable voice too often overlooked and celebrates the soulful reinterpretation of a rock classic. Remastered, Redesigned Artwork.

LP Red Vinyl in Picture Sleeve

A criminally overlooked P-Funk treasure from 1981, Tighten It Up captures Chicago’s funk underground at its raw, electric best — with none other than Frankie Knuckles contributing as mixing consultant, giving the record an unmistakable dance-floor edge ahead of the house era. Long out of print and increasingly hard to find, this beautifully remastered RSD edition brings the Gold Coast classic back into circulation, this time on a Transparent red vinyl with restored artwork. An essential 2026 pick that shines a light on a missing link between P-Funk, disco, and early Chicago club culture — exactly the kind of deep, collector-grade rediscovery Record Store Day was made for. 1xLP, Picture Sleeve, Remastered, Transparent Red Vinyl.

Kashpitzky returns with an era marking new EP on Be As One Imprint, channeling the classic Detroit techno into a modern sonic journey.

Blending driving rhythms with lush orchestration, the release is rich in sweeping strings and cinematic textures, Each track unfolds with emotional depth, balancing raw machine energy and elegant musicality.

The EP pays homage to the golden era of Detroit while pushing its sound into new territory, A timeless yet forward-thinking release, it captures both nostalgia and innovation in equal measure.

Cititrax release Sand Clock, the new full-length album by Men With Secrets, the Italian trio of Donato Dozzy, Lino Monaco, and Nicola Buono (Retina.it). Originally emerging from a shared background in experimental techno under the name Le Officine Di Efesto, the three musicians turned toward classic post-punk, minimal wave, and synth-driven pop with the formation of Men With Secrets. Their debut album Psycho Romance (2020), released on Bunker Records, introduced a meticulously produced body of work that felt like a rediscovered European darkwave recording from the early 1980s—yet was entirely contemporary in its construction.

With Sand Clock, the trio deepen this language. The album leans more directly into the melodic clarity and romantic tension of late-80s and early-90s darkwave and synthpop while maintaining the stark restraint that defines the project. Icy synthesizers, shuddering basslines, and precise drum machine programming frame baritone vocals that are intimate, emotionally exposed, and quietly apocalyptic.

Balancing pop structure with gothic atmosphere, Sand Clock moves between shadowed dance floor momentum and solitary headphone introspection. It is not an exercise in revivalism, but a continuation—an acknowledgment that the emotional architecture of that era remains unresolved and still relevant. Written and produced by Donato Dozzy, Lino Monaco, and Nicola Buono and recorded in Rome and Pompeii.

The vinyl edition is pressed on clear 160-gram vinyl, limited to 500 copies worldwide. Each record is housed in a heavy printed jacket with a printed inner sleeve.

It’s True What They Say is the debut EP from Edinburgh-based, husband-and-wife duo Sarah/Shaun (pronounced simply Sarah Shaun), aka Sarah and Shaun McLachlan (pronounced “McLochlin”).

“Sarah and I both have a love for nostalgia,” explains Shaun. “We watched that amazing old 80’s Sci-Fi, (John) Carpenter movie, Starman, a few months back. Myself and my brother David used to watch it all the time. We must have been, roughly, 5-7 at the time. I remember loving the movie but the end, you know, with the beautiful, atmospheric, synth ending, I love that particular moment the most - best part of the movie, you know, when he goes home… It’s heartbreaking but stunning, all the same. It’s the music that moves you most… It did when I was 5 and it still does to this day. It must have had some form of a (much deeper) impact on me.”

The duo narrates stories across themes of love, hope, family, friends, dreams and sadness - the good that comes with the bad in everyday life, not just on a personal scale but within a community as well.

“Starbed is the first song I have ever written and just came out of the blue really, with Shaun playing a melody and me singing along,” says Sarah. “It’s simple and just about two people in love. Love songs are always the best songs, after all… Music has been a big part of my life from a young age. I was unwillingly dragged to piano and violin lessons, which I’m thankful for now! I’d say the first band I really became obsessed with growing up were the Beatles, and on the back of that a lot of 60s music and fashion. From then on, I had a love for music.”

“Shaun definitely opened my ears to a lot of sounds and got me thinking about soundtracks and all the noises that can be made,” she goes on. “We love just spending time experimenting in the house with instruments, pedals etc and Ali is a real magician to work with, too…”

The recordings took place over the summers of 2022 and 2023, with fellow Delta Mainline member Ali Chisholm (aka Jaguar Eyes) plus long-term friend and collaborator Gavin King. Further collaboration then came via the ‘net from the (international) likes of Chris Dixie Darley (Father John Misty), Darren Coghill (Neon Waltz) and Daniel Land (The Modern Painters), among others (see a full list of credits below).

Both Sarah and Shaun have a love for uber-soundtrack producers such as Hanz Zimmer, Max Richter, Cliff Martinez plus live acts such as Beach House, Spiritualized, M83, Suicide, Moby and OMD (to name a few). Shaun also credits the work of Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein (from Survive) on the Stranger Things score… “Even a moment in a movie, whether it be just 30 seconds during a particular scene, it grips you,” he says. But there’s something much deeper at play as well. “Music is a healer,” he goes on, “and I write from my own perspective but more so for others. Once I've done my bit, it doesn't belong to me any longer. It belongs to whoever wants it or needs it.”

The result is a cinematic, synth-wavey, dream poppy and downright beguilingly beautiful body of work. And they’re just getting started…

REVIEWS/RADIO/FEEDBACK:

“Starbed is folky, flavoured by pedal steel, cello, and brass. Dust Tears, in stark contrast, is a mini synth-pop rave epic. Part Bicep. Part Human League. Keep Your Eyes Closed summons a mood that’s romantic, but also dark and potentially doomed – like David Lynch’s Twin Peaks meets Cliff Martinez’s Drive score. My pick though is It’s True What They Say, whose interwoven jangle and picking recalls New Order’s more introspective moments (Love Vigilantes, Love Less… ). Drums crashing, cathartic. Guitar raising dramatic arcs. Its chorus a rush, like a reprise of Pains Of Being Pure Of Heart’s ‘Higher Than The Stars’.” BAN BAN TON TON
"Dust Tears sees them sharing vocal duties over a synth foundation reminiscent of Moby’s Go - Artist Of The Week” THE SCOTSMAN
"Woozy pop" NEMONE (Mary Anne Hobbs Morning Show, BBC 6Music)
"Nice one, very David Lynch meets Euro dream pop" YOUTH (Killing Joke, Paul McCartney, U2, The Orb, Spiritualized etc)
"Music sounds killer! Real emotion” DAVID HOLMES
"I’m enjoying it” TIM BRINKHURST aka LONDON (IKLAN, Young Fathers, Callum Easter)
“Oh, this is lovely!” SEAN JOHNSTON (A Love From Outer Space)
"It’s totally my cup of tea with milk and biscuit" BRENT RADEMAKER (Beachwood Sparks/GospelBeach)
"Beautiful, ecstatic electronica! Short and to the point" KEVIN BALES (Spiritualized, Julian Cope, Soulsavers, BE)
"Makes me wanna sit in the sun and sip an Arnold Palmer" CHRIS DIXIE DARLEY (Father John Misty)
“Really beautiful - Cocteau Twins / Spiritualized vibes but has its own thing going on, too - worth checking out!” JULIAN CORRIE (Franz Ferdinand, Miaoux Miaoux)
‘Sounded nice on a sunny day, makes me think of Twin Peaks, nice moods’ EAMON HAMILTON (Sea Power)
"Dealing in nostalgia, no bad thing at all, great to play that (Dust Tears) for you” RODDY HART (BBC Radio Scotland)
“I'll give the vocal tracks a spin before the release." VIC GALLOWAY (BBC Radio Scotland)
"Rather good!" IAIN ANDERSON (BBC Radio Scotland)

CREDITS:

Lyrics, Guitars, Keys, Synths, Drums, Drum Programming, Percussion, Mandolin, Glockenspiel: Shaun McLachlan
Lyrics, Vocals, Keys by Sarah McLachlan
Guitars, Synths, String Arrangements, Drum Programming, Engineering: Jaguar Eyes Percussion/Drums/Effects, Fire Extinguisher: Darren Coghill (Neon Waltz)
Guitars by Daniel Land
Slide Guitar by Chris Dixie Darley (Father John Misty)
Brass by Bruce Michie
Keys, pre-production & engineering on “It’s true what they say”: Gavin King
All produced by Jaguar Eyes and Shaun McLachlan and then mixed at Glasgow’s Chem19 Studios by David McCaulay (From Scotland With Love, Rick Redbeard, BBC TV’s Attenborough and The Mammoth Graveyard score).
Artwork: Jamie Walman (Fourteen Admirals)

MORE INFO:

Although Shaun released a pair of solo singles (When We Dance and Give Your Love To Me) during Lockdown, he will be better known to many via his work as the multi-instrumentalist in Edinburgh band Delta Mainline. With two albums released to date, Oh! Enlightened and Bel Avenir, both rapturously received by fans and critics alike, Delta Mainline have developed an international, cult following. Oh Enlightened (2013) achieved widespread critical acclaim on release, earning the band comparisons to Arcade Fire and Echo & The Bunnymen, while 2019’s Bel Avenir pulled in references to The Flaming Lips, Pink Floyd, David Bowie and krautrock. A third DM album is currently being mixed and due for release later this year…

In the spring of 1977, Millie Jackson was in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, laying down tracks for what became “Feelin’ Bitchy” with co-producer Brad Shapiro. Released in August 1977, the album reached #4 and #34 in America’s Billboard’s R&B and Hot 100, going gold with over 500,000 copies sold. Jackson’s cover of ‘If You’re Not Back In Love By Monday’ – already a hit for Merle Haggard in March 1977 – also reached #5 R&B and #43 in the Hot 100 in August. Although the album did not chart in the UK, “Feelin’ Bitchy” sold strongly to a dedicated fanbase who had voted her the #1 female singer in the Blues & Soul magazine annual poll. Jackson also performed much of the material on her sold-out UK dates in early 1978.

“Feelin’ Bitchy” was not only a commercial success, cementing Jackson’s no-nonsense reputation, but is now considered an all-time classic. Her rap on Benny Latimore’s ‘All The Way Lover’ stretched the original out like chewing gum to 10 minutes. “’Back In Love By Monday’ is a great song an’ that,” she told Black Echoes, “but it didn’t sell the album. ‘All The Way Lover’ sold the album.” Indeed it did, but other tracks like ‘A Little Taste Of Outside Love’ ‘Lovin’ Your Good Thing Away’, ‘Cheatin’ Is’ and ‘Feelin’ Like A Woman’ show that while Jackson’s tongue – front and centre on the LP cover – was always ready to hand out a lashing, it also helped her sing beautifully.

Ace are delighted to reissue “Feelin’ Bitchy’ on vinyl and Millie Jackson spoke to Ian Shirley about the recording of the album. This interview runs on an inner sleeve along with classic photographs of Jackson from this period.

Following Parnell March’s Back Bar Grooves EP in February and November’s release of the Dust Tears (lead song from Sarah/Shaun’s debut) remixes, Edinburgh’s Hobbes Music label returns with a second EP of dream pop from husband-and-wife duo Sarah/Shaun (pronounced simply Sarah Shaun), alias Sarah and Shaun McLachlan (pronounced McLochlun), who wooed hearts and wowed critics with debut EP ‘It’s True What They Say?’ last year.

‘It’s True What They Say?’ attracted fans across the board: Artist Of The Week in The Scotsman, rapturous reviews from The Skinny and Tokyo's Ban Ban Ton Ton blog, BBC 6Music airplay courtesy of Nemone (Mary Anne Hobbs' Morning Show), more radio play from Radio Scotland's Roddy Hart & Vic Galloway, plus Simone Butler (Primal Scream) and Jim Sclavunos (Bad Seeds) via their respective Soho Radio shows, not forgetting ringing endorsements from the likes of David Holmes, Youth, Kevin Bales (Spiritualized), Brent Rademaker (Beachwood Sparks) and Julian Corrie (Franz Ferdinand).

They played gigs supporting Glasgow's huge Glasvegas, at festivals (Kendall Calling, Dunbar Music, Hidden Door), plus a slew of venues across the Scottish capital, ending the year with a trio of shows supporting Glaswegian 80s pop legends The Bluebells at Aberdeen’s Tunnels, Dunfermline’s PJ Molloys and Edinburgh’s Liquid Rooms, while The List magazine tipped them among their Ones To Watch For 2025, with journalist Fiona Shepherd suggesting they were “blending the starry-eyed pop of Sonny & Cher with the electronic experimentation of Chris & Cosey.”

Very much the companion piece to the debut EP but arriving a full twelve months later, Someone’s Ghost is emblematic of the duo’s desire not to rush things or release anything half-baked.

“I’ve always wanted to create the perfect pop record and I do really feel that we’ve achieved that with this one,” says Shaun. And he’s clearly not the only person who thinks so.

REVIEWS, FEEDBACK ETC:

"I LOVE that! Dreamy dreamy pop." ROY MOLLOY (Marvellous Crane/Alex Cameron) on BLAST RADIO, Sydney
“the Scottish music scene’s cream of the cool... buzzy drum beats, high, distant chimes, and heavenly electronics…. very ethereal.” THE SKINNY

"Listening to Sarah/Shaun is like eavesdropping on a noir dreampop, long-distance phone call between them both, across two separate sonic locations. On this stunning 4-song EP, Sarah’s voice, effortlessly mesmerising, draws you into these big beautiful and haunting passages of perfect dream-pop. All beautifully produced in a multi-layered-scape of low-fi analogue textures, epic cinematic crescendos, intense electro-pulse grooves and warped psycho-pop guitar riffs. Within the songs lurk a sense of unresolved emotions, longing and pathos. There are shades of classic Lee Hazelwood & Nancy Sinatra but also Post-Punk Electronica and Beach House. But what a unique sound they’ve created of their own. I love it" DAVID MCCLUSKEY (The Bluebells)
"Absolutely beautiful" SEAN JOHNSTON (A Love From Outer Space)
"Lovely stuff here! Total quality." MARTYN 'MASH' HENDERSON
"Ooooh. Everything the last record promised is here. Well done" GEORGE T aka George Demure (Accident Machine)
"Vince clark Era Depeche Mode in places" KEVIN BALES (Spiritualized)
"Sounds cool. Well done" PETE KEMBER (Sonic Boom, Spacemen 3)
"Glorious, it (Debbie Harry) grabs hold of you and doesn't let go." IAIN DAWSON aka RAVECHILD (Everyone Wants To Play The Hits Podcast)

SOMEONE’S GHOST

Born out of an incredibly anxious, stressful time, the songwriting process for these recordings has been something of a personal tonic for Shaun…

“There was a period when I was having nightmares,” he reveals. “Apparently I was saying there was someone in the room, I was talking to that person and Sarah was seeing all this while I was still asleep.

So, I was thinking that this was my ghost. I started writing songs because I was going through something and I was dealing with something and writing songs was a comfort. My ghost was a comfort, whether it was real or not. The idea of it was a comfort.”

“I firmly believe that everyone has someone who watches over them but all of the songs are essentially about being there for someone,” he says. “Everybody needs someone but also everyone needs to stay real and keep what you have, keep it close, never let it go. If you don’t have it, continue to tell people you’re there for them. It’s about loving and hoping people will be good to you in return.”

While Shaun took the songwriting lead on Filter Of Love and EP closer The Sound Which Stresses The Sound Of My Ears, Debbie Harry was originally instrumentally conceived by producer Jaguar Eyes, alias Ali Chisholm, later lyrically completed by Shaun, and the EP’s lead track, Anhedonia, and one of its stand-outs (much like Starbed on the debut) was conceived by Sarah, as a result of experiencing a bit of a spiritual epiphany of her own.

“When I first heard the word Anhedonia, I didn't know what it meant but when I found out I thought about it quite a bit. How sad it would be to have no enjoyment in anything,” she explains. “This song is really about my own personal beliefs. When I have been down, that's one of the things that helps me the most. It talks about trying to make amends but realising, for some things, you can't. But I think with any kind of faith comes hope… which is always a good thing.”

A record about hope, truth, honesty, a belief in something bigger than oneself… and all set to a soundtrack that wouldn’t feel out of place in a David Lynch or Eighties feature film. What more could anyone ask for, really?

There’s equally a desire to offer something universal and positive to anyone who tunes in. The labels for the 12” edition reveal the dual mantras “Who just wants to survive?” and “It’s about time to live a little”, with both messages also engraved in each record’s run-out grooves. T-shirts accompanying debut EP It’s True What They Say? bore the slogan “Kill Them With Kindness” - leading caps intentional. Shaun carries the acronym KTWK everywhere he plays, as a reminder: it’s stitched into his guitar strap. And this particular wee pebble has already caused a few ripples: people have been approaching him at gigs to acknowledge their appreciation and respect for it.

"We feel we have made an honest, open, colourful, body of work,” say the duo. “We hope to go out and play the songs with the guys (our band) and then potentially make more records. We are taking things as they come. Everything has been organic so far, after all. We are looking forward to whatever this brings."

Laputa, a title taken from the fantastical floating island of Gulliver's Travels is aptly named as 'The album that never landed' for, apart from a limited touchdown in Japan, Laputa was never released. This mystical world is a summation of Yokota's journey so far, a complex and at times challenging work but immeasurably rewarding. Beguiling and bewitching in equal measure.

Over fifteen undulating sonic fugue states, he guides listeners round a liminal world, made up of familiar materials but formed in a way defying all laws of perspective and physics. Background murmurings give way to almost uncomfortably foregrounded chattering, and one perceived soundstage segues into another impossible tableau of sonic apparitions, some recognisable in form, but all boldly decontextualised and arranged in expertly cluttered amalgams.

Laputa's obscurity was a prime reason Lo Recordings decided on the Skintone retrospective. Falling as it did between The Boy and the Tree on The Leaf Label and our own debut of Symbol. It was something of an audio crime that the album had never been properly explored and discovered. Lo Recordings hope Laputa can now ascend to its rightful place... hovering above us.

This is the third of the Mad Dog releases – and is often cited as the best release they did back in the day. Pure hardcore jungle flavours written in 1994 in sunny Bournemouth by Dave ‘Aquasky’ Wallace and Shaun ‘Aurora’ O’Hara.

Originally released by Olly on Underdog Recordings, who shared a house with Dave and also Brent from Aquasky. A hub of hardcore – the studio was on the ground floor, the bedrooms on the second floor and the top floor was the record label and pirate radio that ran for a while!

Around the same time this record was made, Dave was also producing as Fugitive and engineering for Kieron Aquasky’s various drum and bass tracks. On top of that he was making happy hardcore as Rebel Alliance and engineering hip hop for Brent Aquasky. A very busy guy who is still producing in 2024!

Pressed by the mighty Phil ‘The Vinylman’ East on 180g heavyweight vinyl. This release is a bespoke product as no one record is the same. Designed to look like the planet Neptune and part of a 4 vinyl Cosmik series.

OMG!

Costas Music returns with its third release after a period of silence, delivering a timeless club-oriented EP from label head Costas, with remixes by Baldo and Youandewan.

It's Me Again sets the tone with rolling 90s-influenced drums, groovy basslines and subtle acid touches, driven by a raw dancefloor energy and atmospheric pads in the breakdowns. Barcelona’s Baldo steps in with a powerful remix, reshaping the track into a peak-time club weapon.

On the flip, Waterphone dives into hypnotic territory with evolving textures and stripped-back grooves built for late-night floors. UK underground favourite Youandewan delivers a distinctive reinterpretation, injecting his signature trippy swing and deep rhythmic flow.

Closing the EP, Drako drifts into cinematic soundscapes and immersive atmospheres, offering a deep and reflective ending to the record.

Deep, acid-tinged underground house with strong 90s influences — crafted for modern dancefloors.

7 Inch Purple Vinyl in Picture Sleeve

‘Red Moon’ is Alannah’s second solo single and marks her first ever physical vinyl release. The song reflects on growth, misdirection and self-reconnection, told through a woman looking back at her younger self. Written on a quiet beach in the Algarve, under a striking red moon, the moment became the catalyst for the lyrics, carrying a deep, spiritual stillness into the music. Alannah is a 23-year-old singer-songwriter whose sound blends RnB, jazz and hip-hop with soulful, storytelling vocals. Influenced by artists such as Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday, she views songwriting as a form of emotional release and shared healing. With performances at iconic venues including Ronnie Scott’s and Pizza Express Jazz Club, her voice carries a timeless energy, full of heart, vulnerability, and quiet power. Stanley Hood’s remix reimagines ‘Red Moon’ into a moody Deep House cut. Alannah’s layered vocals float over warm keys, late-night percussion, and thick, club-ready production, shifting the emotional core towards the dancefloor while preserving the intimacy of the lyrics. Supported across specialist radio and tastemaker sets. Released as a Record Store Day exclusive on coloured 7" vinyl with full picture artwork. Strictly limited run. When it’s gone, it’s gone.

Pearl River Sound emerges on Elektorni with a four-tracker of break-beats, bleepy emotion and downtempo acid.

Loud Ambient 2 picks up directly from where Loud Ambient left off. After picking the drum machines back up, we returned to the colourfield ideas that shaped the first record. Rothko remained a key reference, along- side a strong recommendation to spend time with the work of Josef Albers. We did exactly that, and it paid off.

Alongside the music, we created 50 new pieces of artwork for Loud Ambient 2. These became tools rather than decorations. Working this way felt open and rewarding, and brought a real sense of play back into the process. We already understood what a Loud Ambient track could be, so slipping back into that headspace felt natural. The tracks came together quickly, full of energy, movement and that familiar noodle quality.

The creative side landed easily this time. There is some- thing about working with colourfields that frees you up and pushes you further into abstraction. It removes hesitation and keeps the focus on instinct and response.

With the drum machines and synths loaded, we kept our heads down and made the kind of music we want to hear on a dance floor. Loud Ambient 2 is the result.

2025 Reissue.



Münchenbuchsee, a suburb of Bern, Switzerland. Stephan Eicher is the youngest of three children. His father, a radio and TV repairman, is also a jazz violinist and a sound tinkerer in his spare time. In the family home's converted fallout shelter turned studio, Mr. Eicher experiments with homemade sequencers, tortures handcrafted drum machines, and abuses reel-to-reel tape recorders—all under the fascinated gaze of young Stephan.

The boy quickly develops a musical curiosity, exploring sound through various experiments and wanderings. Alongside his younger brother Martin, Stephan crafts audio plays on a homemade multi-track recorder (essentially several cassette decks hooked together!), which they write, record, add sound effects to, and perform for family and friends. Just a couple of nice kids, really...

Then comes 1972, and Lou Reed's Transformer album changes everything for the Eicher kids. For 13-year-old Stephan, it's a revelation—especially "Vicious", the opening track, which he plays on repeat for months. He convinces his father to buy him an electric guitar. Not stopping there, his father also builds him a tube amp using an old radio.

Then comes adolescence. A rough one. Stephan leaves home at 16 and moves to Zurich. With obvious artistic talent, he persuades his art teacher to help him get into F+F, a radical, alternative art school—despite his young age. Accepted, he starts learning video techniques, determined to become a filmmaker.

At F+F, Stephan organizes Dada-style happenings and concerts with a group of friends known as the Noise Boys. Among them: one of his teachers on bass, Veit Stauffer on drums (who would later found ReR/Recommended Records), his girlfriend Sacha on vocals, and Stephan on guitar. In one of their early performances, they release a remote-controlled mouse covered in dull razor blades into the audience to create panic and chaos. Keeping with this aggressive, confrontational spirit, they once played a concert while wearing headphones blasting Tristan and Isolde, trying to perform their own songs simultaneously—to maximize the cacophony. The goal was always the same: clear the room.

Their “songs,” if you can call them that, followed suit. Take "Hungeriges Afrika", for instance—performed entirely with power drills and some drum feedback.

To make ends meet, Stephan returns to Bern on weekends to work as a waiter at the Spex Club, the city’s main punk venue. On September 16, 1980, during a show by proto-electro group Starter, the police raid the club and arrest everyone. Stephan, who manages to avoid arrest, seizes the opportunity to “borrow” Starter’s gear left behind. He suddenly finds himself in possession of a Roland Promars synth, a Korg MS20, and a gorgeous CR78 drum machine, which he runs through a Big Muff distortion pedal to get that perfect gritty sound.

He then sets out to reinterpret some Noise Boys tracks, reworking them during impromptu sessions recorded on a dictaphone (yes, a dictaphone—now the lo-fi sound makes more sense, doesn’t it?). He ironically titles the resulting cassette "Stephan Eicher spielt Noise Boys" ("Stephan Eicher plays Noise Boys"). This gem features seven tracks, which are the ones reissued here.

Back in Zurich, he visits his friends Andrew Moore and Robert Vogel, who have a DIY cassette duplication setup. They make 25 copies of Stephan Eicher spielt Noise Boys for Stephan and his friends. Robert encourages him to visit Urs Steiger of Off Course Records and play him the tape.

Without much hope, Stephan shows up at Urs’s office. But Urs is instantly hooked and suggests releasing a 7” single. Due to space constraints, they reluctantly drop two of the seven tracks ("Hungeriges Afrika" and "One Second"). As for the musical score featured on the cover—it was randomly chosen and remains a mystery to this day. Calling all music theory nerds!

The 7-inch is pressed in 750 copies and released in the first week of December 1980—a date Stephan remembers well, as it’s the same week John Lennon was killed. Smartly, Urs sends a promo copy to François Murner, Switzerland’s answer to John Peel, who hosts a show on alternative station Sounds. Murner falls in love with the record and starts giving it airtime. To Stephan’s surprise, sales follow—and people actually seem interested in his music.

Even this modest underground success scares Stephan a bit. He stops making music for a year and moves to Bologna, where he works as a programmer at Radio Città, a feminist radio station.

Meanwhile, Stephan’s younger brother Martin, who’s also involved in the punk scene, joins the band Glueams as a singer and guitarist. Glueams, named after the fanzine run by two of its members (drummer Marco Repetto and bassist GT), eventually rebrands as Grauzone. Stephan is invited to their shows to project hacked Super 8 visuals live on stage.

Urs Steiger, now working on a compilation titled Swiss Wave – The Album, asks Grauzone to contribute alongside bands like Liliput, Jack and the Rippers, The Sick, and Ladyshave (Fall 1980).

For the album, Martin tasks Stephan with producing their recording sessions. Under Stephan's artistic direction, two tracks emerge: "Raum" and "Eisbär". During "Eisbär", Martin plays a minimalist bass line borrowed from post-punk band The Feelies (just an open string). Drummer Marco Repetto struggles to keep time. Later that evening, unhappy with the takes, Stephan builds a four-bar drum loop from a ¼-inch tape and uses it instead of the flawed original. He then adds bleepy synths and wind sounds to complete the track’s icy vibe before handing it over to Urs.

The Swiss Wave – The Album compilation is released quietly at first, but things snowball thanks to "Eisbär", which eventually becomes a smash hit—selling over 600,000 singles.

Meanwhile, Stephan plays in a rockabilly band called SMUV (named after Switzerland’s social security agency) and begins producing artists, including the debut album of Starter (1981), which includes a more pop-oriented version of "Minijupe".

By early 1982, Stephan starts spending time with the post-punk girl band Liliput (formerly Kleenex). They’re older than him, and he happily drives them around in his Renault Major, acting as their roadie.

By 1983, Grauzone—signed to the major label EMI, which turned out to be a misstep—is falling apart. Stephan begins to pivot toward a more mainstream pop sound with his debut solo album Les Chansons Bleues.

But that... is already another story.

To mark the 25th anniversary of its release, Doubts and Convictions by Troublemakers is officially reissued, more than twenty years after its original release in 2001.


Never reissued until now, this emblematic French Touch album—originally signed in Chicago, USA—captures a moment when French electronic music opened up to jazz, soul and transatlantic grooves.


A cult record whose sound remains timeless.

Multi Culti seasonal balance returns with Equinox III Kicking things off Guadalajara-based Bofo Dab (known for their blog 'Drops a Banger') does what their name suggests. This one has been getting caned by the Keinemusik crew, legions of phone-holders' shazam-prayers will only now be answered. It's a restrained big-room horn-loaded banger. Mehmet Aslan slides in to the proceedings with an awesome FM-sounding heads-down slice of clubby introspection. Long-time cult-hero Gilb'R of Versatile records fame spaces out the side with a deep, sparkly, live synth jam. On the flip, Mytron brings a fun stripped-back cover of a stone-cold classic with Higher (state of consciousness, that is). Brazillian hotboy Niev sounds right at home on the label with the aptly titled 'Professor Banjo.' Yuki Miyauchi lends an ethereal 90s bleep-inflected chunk of vibe with 'Donkey Conga.' Finally, fellow Japanese but London-based DJ Himitsu drops the deep, rollicking 'Waterfall.'

To celebrate over ten years of groove and sonic elegance, Roche Musique presents its “BEST OF” compilation, available exclusively on vinyl. A handpicked selection of 20 essential tracks tracing the label’s DNA — a refined blend of modern soul, nuanced electronics, and timeless groove.



Featuring the label’s cornerstone artists — FKJ, Darius, Kartell, Zimmer, Cezaire, Crayon, Dabeull, Lossapardo — alongside acclaimed collaborators such as Reva De Vito, Darianna Everett, Ayelle, Leven Kali, Panama, Chester Watson, Sølv, and more. From “Vibin’ Out” to “Espoir”, through “Wildflowers” and “I Can’t Stop”, this compilation captures the very essence of Roche’s sound: warm, heartfelt, and endlessly groovy. A pure analog listening experience designed for true music lovers and vinyl collectors — every groove telling the story of a decade of passion and sound.

AE Productions in association with Sure Shot Recordings and In Effect Recordings are pleased to announce a 10 Year Anniversary Edition of the critically acclaimed Phill Most Chill and Paul Nice album as the Fabreeze Brothers.

The hugely successful first edition which was pressed on colour vinyl and supplied in double fold out sleeve sold out in only 2 weeks from release date and then the 2nd pressing black vinyl edition sold out a little while later but has for years been out of print but is increasingly requested by shops, via email, social media, AE Productions website back in stock requests, etc…

As it has been 10 years since original release back in 2015 at the time of proceeding with manufacturing, it was the perfect opportunity to do a 3rd pressing to mark the anniversary but we had to pull out all the stops for a 3rd run of this incredible album and also make it subtly different again in packaging design from the 1st and 2nd pressings so that each has it’s own particular feel and quality.

With help from the original designer and all-round vinyl artwork supremo Mr Krum we have found some nice adjustments for the gatefold sleeve where the detail from the insert sheet found in the original issues is incorporated into the inside panels of the sleeve. We have also tweaked the hype sticker to mark the 10th Anniversary Edition and updated the vinyl labels so as to work better with the new Splatter vinyl which follows the original red and yellow vinyl but each splattered with the opposite colour.

For something a little extra we have compiled a Limited Expanded Edition Double Cassette Box Set that includes the original album and also a ‘Bonus Tape’ which features all of the remixes, alternate versions, Original Versions of album cuts and bonus tracks found on B-sides of the array of singles and we included for good measure 2 tracks that only appeared on the promotional only LP sampler that ended up being different on the final release. This is limited to cassette just for the non-vinyl heads as all of these tracks already appear on vinyl. The outer box is A5 card in black with gold foil Fabreeze Brothers logo and comes with discography booklet.

‘The Bonus Tape’ from the box set is also available as a standalone cassette release with alternate j-card art work so that it has it’s own flavour and so that anyone that purchased one of the original run of cassettes that sold out before we could even ship any copies, did not need to purchase the main album again unnecessarily and to make it noticeable from the Expanded Edition Box Set version.

This version also has an alternate shell design in keeping with the clear shell with dark liner that was commonplace back in the 90’s and the cassette geeks may note the red text on the spine as was also a common design back then – giving this a pseudonym of ‘the 90’s tape’ during the design process.

We couldn’t stop there so we also have an extremely low quantity Limited Edition Mini Disc version which is the main album plus 8 of the bonus tracks from The Bonus Tape – only missing the 2 least significant alternate versions but clocking in at just a few seconds under 80 minutes – the absolute maximum for the format! Mini Disc???!!! You’re probably asking – yes!

While looking into the cassette duplication options we realised that the duplicator also offers Mini Disc production so we thought that it may be worth doing a very small run just because not only are professionally manufactured Mini Disc’s rare in Hip Hop, they are rare within the entire music industry as they never really took off as a medium to purchase music but ended up as the choice for home recorded Walkman and car use. Indeed, AE boss Mr Fantastic still has his main machine, portable and old discs. Amazingly also, the sleeve artwork transferred brilliantly to the Mini Disc template. They are manufactured using high quality Sony discs using ATRAC 4.5 codec.

All releases are supplied with unique free download codes on cards that are included inside the packaging but also with the Expanded Edition cassette and Mini Disc having 2 cards – 1 for the main album and a 2nd card for ‘The Bonus Tape’. The free downloads are supplied direct from Phill Most Chill’s Bandcamp page keeping it independent.

Two of the most iconic Dexter Wansel recordings are being issue for the first time in the UK back-to-back on 7” single. “The Sweetest Pain” features singer Terri Wells who will be in the UK to perform it live for Dexter with his 33 piece MFSB tribute orchestra on Sunday 12th April at the Eventim Apollo. “Theme from The Planets” opens with a drum break that became one of the most sampled beats in hip-hop history—heard in tracks by Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Drake, Rick Ross, J. Cole, Ice-T, and many more.

We are excited to continue our work with Art P / Art Programming by finally offering the first full-length work from this Bremen-based electronic group. Originally released only on cassette in 1983, the self-titled album has now been fully restored and remastered, complete with bonus tracks and unreleased mixes unearthed from a rare demo.

The LP opens with "Wesen vom anderen Stern" ("Beings from Another Planet"), a downtempo, 808-driven electro synth wave track with German lyrics telling a story of aliens capturing earth, becoming the new "Herren" (lords), while humans are reduced to mere "objects." Art Programming founding member Jens-Markus Wegener notes that this track has always been a favorite during live performances, and it's easy to imagine how the futuristic sounds would have blown people away at the time.

Next is the electro/proto-techno title track "Art Programming," which we previously issued on a limited 12" in its full-length form. With its straightforward Roland 808 rhythms, catchy synth lines, and vocoder vocals, it's a classic example of German electro, and one of the earliest proto-techno tracks - long before Cybotron claimed the techno mantle. Its extensive break and electronic twist make it an early precursor to the genre. Wegener recalls that this track was created exclusively by him and Grotelüschen, with Grotelüschen contributing most of the melodic elements, while Wegener focused on drum machine programming and vocoder vocals.

On "That's Me," the album welcomes back singer Claudia Roebke. Although it's an electronic composition, Roebke adds a rock-infused, almost psychedelic vibe to the song. The lyrics, written by Wegener, depict a person obsessed with their appearance, using irony to critique societal beauty norms, questioning the obsession with perfection and attraction.

The album continues with a series of uptempo electro tracks: "Videoscreen," "La Gare," and "Genscher Pull 'N' Push." The first two feature slightly different mixes from an earlier demo that we personally prefered over the versions that were available on the final cassette release. "Videoscreen" expands on the theme of social isolation, with lyrics reflecting on a world obsessed with watching video all day - a topic that resonates strongly with today's culture of doom scrolling and social media addiction.

Next up, "Genscher Pull 'N' Push" is an incredible electro/wave/proto-techno track recorded in October 1982 with a political edge. Originally omitted from the album, it was only available on the demo cassette we mentioned earlier. The song takes aim at German politics, with lyrics that shout "bitte geh nach links / bitte geh nach rechts" ("please go to the left" and "please go to the right"), referencing the shifting political allegiances during the 1982 coalition change, when Genscher's party, the FDP, left the Helmut Schmidt cabinet to join the CDU/CSU opposition. The track was never released as the political topic had become outdated just a few months later.

The album closes with "Light and Fire," which originally served as the album's opening track. Its quirky, upbeat vibe now makes for a fitting outro.

The gear used on this album reads like a dream list for early 80s electronic music production: Roland Jupiter 4, TR 808, TB 303, System 100, SVC 350, Korg Mono/Poly, Moog Prodigy, FRICKE-Sequenzer, Roland CSQ-100 Sequenzer, Coron DS-8, MM 12/2, Sony TC 399, TEAC-244 Portastudio, Ibanez DM 1000, EH-Electric Mistress, EV-Micro. This unique lineup of equipment sets the album apart from NDW releases of the era, lending it a distinct sound with heavy proto-techno leanings and that straightforward electro vibe we all love.

The album is being released as a very limited edition of 300 copies on transparent red vinyl, complete with a full picture sleeve and lyrics inlay. This is yet another rediscovered and restored 80s gem on our label that you definitely don't want to miss!

That time of the year has arrived! The next Various Artists is the prefect blend between old and new generations, including 2 new addition to the label and 2 familiar faces.

Opening the EP is MikeroBenics with “Julika (Original Mix)”. This track was officially released in 1994 on Harthouse and through the years on other labels in different versions. The version we are publishing has never seen the light before today. A deep melancholy trance journey characterised by driving acid lines and club-oriented rhythms. Followed by the return of Noboot with “Drive Control”. Made in 2022, this track bring us back to the sound of his first release. An immersive electro-acid track with a 303 melody that moves with punchy rhythms, letting our bodies move and our brains fly.

On the B side, Periferico is back with a new production made in 2021. “2804 A DEF12MIX” is an engaging journey into Livio progressive house world. Closing the VA, we welcome our dear friend CRL with “Breathe”. Composed in 2024 while trying new techniques and samples, characterised by its ethereal pads and a slow unfolding vortex of acid bassline, brings the minds into a deeper conscious state.

Tone Dropout Records kick off the new year in emphatic style with a brand-new 6-track vinyl EP that stays true to the label’s unmistakable dancefloor-driven sound.

Packed with heavyweight grooves, acid lines, breaks, and bleeps, this release delivers six high-impact tracks designed for late-night systems and packed floors. The EP also marks an exciting moment for the label, welcoming two new artists into the Tone Dropout family while celebrating the return of long-standing contributors.

Joining the roster for the first time are KWAKE and Harry Light, both making a powerful debut on the label. They sit alongside Tone Dropout regulars SkyWave Transmissions and XOTR, while label co-owners DAWL and SWEEN reunite once again, delivering an acid-fuelled opener and a special bonus breaks track on Side B.

As always, the EP is overflowing with breaks, bleeps, acid, and raw rave energy.

Side A – The Head Side

Side A opens strong with DAWL and SWEEN at the helm, laying down a driving four-to-the-floor acid groover that would warm up any dancefloor with ease. It’s a statement opener — and a sign of much more to come from the duo throughout the year.

Next up, SkyWave Transmissions brings his trademark experience and finesse, delivering a tightly produced acid-bleep track that showcases depth, quality, and character. Following seamlessly is long-time collaborator XOTR, who rounds out the side with a pure slice of northern bleep excellence — unmistakably Sheffield in style and sound.

Side B

Side B introduces the first of the new Tone Dropout members, KWAKE. A long-time friend of the label, this marks his first official appearance, and he doesn’t disappoint. His track is a full-force breaks banger, capturing authentic rave energy and guaranteed to ignite the floor.

Next comes Harry Light, making an immediate impact with a pounding house-and-breaks hybrid. Impeccably produced and relentless in energy, the track lives up to its name perfectly — “POWER HOUSE.” Both newcomers arrive firing on all cylinders, delivering two massive dancefloor weapons back-to-back.

Closing out the EP, DAWL and SWEEN return with Tones Breaks 5, a three-minute breaks workout and the latest installment in the label’s breaks series. This track also serves as a respectful nod to one of their musical heroes, Frankie Bones, rounding off the release on a high.

Six tracks. All killers. No fillers.
In challenging times, this EP delivers exceptional value — a complete package of club-ready music pressed to vinyl and built for real dancefloors.

Another quality release from Tone Dropout Records.

It's the end of the liberal democratic order. We regress. Back in time. To an era of authoritarian strongmen. Fascists. Morons. Humanity in reverse. History in reverse. Time in reverse. In reverse.

Rising star Storm Mollison lands her debut on Heist with an ep blending House & R 'n B and we're completely hooked.

The future is looking bright for Storm Mollison - Heist's newest. Marked as artist to look out for by Shazam on their fast forward 2026 list, Storm's got a bright and busy year ahead, after an already big 2025. Last year alone, she featured on Kiki's hit 'Getting ready for the party', featured on a Mixmag London event and a Raw Cuts X Heist ADE party, had her first cover feature on Spotify, multiple radio 1 appearances, released several singles, a full EP on Noir Fever and a Luuk van Dijk remix.

If that's not enough to get you excited, we suggest you just listen to her 'Act like that' EP on Heist. In Storm's own words: "it's the most exciting music I've made so far" and we couldn't agree more. Her EP is a perfect blend of her love for house music and soulful R 'n B with its 4 tracks smothered in deep chords, smooth vocals and crunchy textures.

EP opener 'Doing Sumthin'' has been a staple in Dam Swindle's sets ever since receiving Storm's first demo and has never failed to make the crowd bounce from left to right with its quirky and equally cool vocal courtesy of Aaron Pfeiffer. Sometimes, you just need someone to tell you which way to move and before you know it, the whole club is doing it. The beat is chunky, and the sax lick is a nice wink to the old school house that has influences Storm's sound so much.

Act Like That - the EP's title track -, is a modern R' n B song that could have easily been on Rochelle Jordan's latest album. The lyrics are perfectly delivered by Storm herself and celebrate women who stand up to unreliable men. It could well be the badass soundtrack of womanhood for 2026 delivered in a silky-smooth package that'll live rent-free in your head for the foreseeable future.

On the flipside is "Gotta Go', an undercover dancefloor burner with lush keys and a lean-back groove. The track relies on crisp textures and little frizzles all throughout the track, with a big breakdown for ultimate release.

Ep closer 'Workin' takes us back into R 'n B territory, this time in a very danceable form. Storm's soft vocals lie on top of a steady beat with deep chords and a bassline so sexy It'll make you get down no matter where you're hearing this.

It's hard to speak about a breakthrough for an artist that has already seen such a rise in the scene, but if we're talking about her music, this will be the record that people come back to after years and say, "remember when she releases ALT!?"

As always, enjoy the music and play it loud!

Yours, Maarten & Lars

Daybreakers keep it rolling in 2026 after two essential Vick Lavender samplers, this time back east with some DATs from the Jersey boys “Raw Tunes” Little to nothing is known about those two. We will keep it that way and let the music do the talking.

Medlar sends us a less anonymous remix straight from the Cayman Islands too... Hard hitting deep house perfect for the peak time, What more do you expect from us at DAYBREAKERS?

Buy or cry.