quête:be with you

As Planka Records continues its relentless pursuit of sonic exploration, delving deeper into the shadows of the underground. PLNK004 showcases a seamless blend of fresh, boundary-pushing talent alongside solid contributions from familiar artists. Together, they craft a soundscape where hypnotic rhythms, ethereal textures, and bold experimentation merge to redefine what we know about the underground.

These tracks transcend the confines of time and place, speaking to the moments where the music wraps around you, drawing you closer into its enigmatic energy. Whether it’s the pulse of the club at midnight or a reflective session in solitude, PLNK004 is a testament to the transformative power of sound.

With this release, Planka reaffirms its commitment to nurturing innovation and pushing the scene forward, always evolving, always underground.

Bomj Diego had one simple dream – to spend a lazy summer weekend at his friend’s dacha, kicking back in a plastic lawn chair, sipping on Ovip Lokos, and letting the world spin as slowly as the rusty ceiling fan in the old guest house.

One Friday, he finally got his chance. He loaded up a plastic bag with a few cans of Ovip Lokos, an ancient Bluetooth speaker, and a single flip-flop (he’d lost the other one in a heated game of dominoes the week before). But as soon as he got off the train at the dacha station, Diego realized he had no idea where the actual dacha was. No address, no signal, just the distant sound of a chainsaw and the smell of freshly cut grass.

Undeterred, he followed the smoke of a barbecue like a hungry wolf. After an hour of wandering, he stumbled into a random backyard where a group of old timers were playing cards around a makeshift table. “Ah, Diego! You made it!” one of them shouted, raising a can of Ovip Lokos. Diego had no idea who the guy was, but he immediately sat down, cracked open his own can, and joined the game.

Hours later, as the sun dipped behind the trees and the mosquitoes started their evening shift, Diego realized – this wasn’t his friend’s dacha. In fact, it wasn’t even the right village. But the old men insisted he stay for shashlik, and as the Ovip Lokos flowed, Diego figured, “Eh, close enough.”

He never did make it to the right dacha, but sometimes, it’s the wrong turn that makes the best story.

Australia's world-renowned cinematic soul outfit Surprise Chef return with new album Superb. A record that represents a change in their creative approach and turns up the heat in their music. Trading in their meticulous writing and recording techniques for a looser and less planned approach with the intentions of bringing more levity to the process, and it comes through in spades. The high caliber musicianship is still front and center, but they push their sound into a more energetic and fun place on this album. Album opener "Sleep Dreams" is the closest thing to a Surprise Chef tune one would come to expect but then lead single "Bully Ball" comes on and you get the picture that they came to kick in the door on this one. The song's gritty drums thunder through the speakers and get covered with percussion, keys, bass, and guitar chanks that stay in the pocket and bring the funk with them. The band pushes the boundaries of arrangement with tunes like "Body Slam" that starts off like a sweet soul track then pulls a 180, turning dark and haunting, centering on a sound they created by tucking a timpani into a bathroom two doors down from the mixing board. That same sense of experimentation comes up again on "Fare Evader" where they pepper another neck breaking rhythm track with synth notes that sound like robot sound effects from a 70s sci-film. The fellas turn up the tempo for the dance with tunes like "Consulate Case" and "Tag Dag"; the former pulling influence from afro-funk and the latter from jazz-funk. They take us deep into the beautiful world of Surprise Chef ballads on "Websites" and double down on their abilities to make beautiful and ethereal tracks with "Dreamer's Disease". With their new album Superb, their new approach, and plans to tour the world, we are about to see Surprise Chef take the step from the underground's most beloved to a household name and we are definitely here for it.

Miles Away Records are proud to introduce a brand-new, never before released piece of music.

In September 2024, Rob J Madin reached out to us with a collection of instrumental covers he had created. Immediately drawn in, we loved both the musical approach to these covers and the fact he tastefully selected these tracks to cover. Following up, we asked Rob, an accomplished musician, if he had any original compositions in a similar style.

The result is "MONSTRO", six instrumental slabs of jazz-funk heat! Produced primarily in Rob's attic studio in Sheffield. Rob showcases his talents on guitar, bass, keys, and percussion, with each track built around iconic drum samples. Listeners can expect spacey synths, silky electric pianos, and irresistible hooks. Think BADBADNOTGOOD meets Mildlife with a side plate of Herbie Hancock.

From the kick-your-door-down energy of "Callisto Disco" to the slow-burning allure of "Heartbreaker" and optimistic sunny day feel of "Cherryade" to the fully grown earworm synth lines of "Bouquet Garni". In addition to four original songs, the collection features two cover versions from that initial SoundCloud link: Michael Miglio's "Never Gonna Let You Go" and Rupa's "Ayee Morshume Be-Reham Duniya." Both are rare early-80s gems, wonderfully reimagined by Rob.

"MONSTRO" will be officially released on May 16th, 2025 on digital and physical formats. The 12" EP comes with printed inner sleeves and is pressed at 45rpm for maximum audio depth.

“Less than a month after one of the most violent fire events in the history of the continent, new shoots had burst through the scorched hardpan, nourished by the still-vital roots of those flayed and blackened trees.” John Vaillant, Fire Weather.

Loscil (aka Scott Morgan) returns to kranky with Lake Fire, a nine-track offering of ash-laden sonics that mine the tension within the cycle of destruction and rejuvenation.

Lake Fire is the result of a disjointed creative process. Originally conceived as a suite for electronics and ensemble, most of the original compositions were deserted, save for Ash Clouds, featuring James Meager on double bass. The remaining tracks were reshaped and remixed, built anew out of the remnants of the abandoned work. The result is a phoenix, an album burnt to the ground only to be reassembled out of its cinders. Fragments of the original lurk beneath a densely overpainted canvas of sound.

Infused into the resulting rearrangements are impressions from a road trip into the mountains marking a personal half-century milestone, surrounded by the ominous proximity of wildfires and dense smoke; celebrating life while the world burns. The album’s title comes from the striking irony that forest fires are often named after regional lakes - perhaps subconsciously referencing ancient lore. The cover photos were taken from this same trip, while sitting in a rowboat staring into the grey abyss of an opposing mountainside outside of Revelstoke, BC, obfuscated by smoke from a nearby lake fire.

Press quotes for previous solo release “Clara”:

"The sound sculptor Scott Morgan continues to astound.” Pop Matters

"A beautifully nuanced work, Clara is both revealing and mysterious -- and loscil fans wouldn't expect anything less.” Allmusic

press quotes for previous collaboration release with Lawrence English “Colours of Air”:

"As you might expect from the steady hands at the tiller, this is a cortex-hugging drone record of beauty and depth.” The Quietus

"One of the thrills of listening to this record is how its initially predictable veneer fades on subsequent listens to reveal layers of mischief underneath.” Resident Advisor

LOCKJAW is up first with a moody yet optimistic progression through the traffic. There are upbeat and urgent tones just on the dry side of squelch, with arpeggiators emerging from the white noise of the hats’ long tails into clean synth work, as elongated tones gently push their way out of the filter, drawing out against the shorter synth loops that shimmer and echo with tight delays.

AROUND comes in punchier and with more pronounced percussion, gives a sense that something is up, and haze has been left behind.It acts as a precursor to more arpeggiated bass tones, gently meandering as they make their way to menacing metallic chords and modulations, allowing the keys which follow to have a sense of place before you’re pushed back into grooves and reprise.

ADAPT builds a slow and steady groove layered with, rather than punctuated by, metallic soaked chords like Basic Channel in bed with a fever. Vocal loops and lead lines creep their way out of the filter and cymbals gently exhale into, then inhale out of existence, blending with the reverberating chords and sedated pads which weave their way among the foggy reflected tails.

CONTACT slows things back down but punches through harder, with expansive sinister tones from the word go, in a Carpenteresque fashion that suggests it’s now time to make that Escape From Los Angeles. A feeling perpetuated by the vocal samples, pulsing synths and slower arpeggiated bass which act as groundwork for clean, moody strings and chords which perfectly round out this dystopian futurescape.

Hitting release number three, Slush Records remaster and reissue Spacer IV aka James Zeiter’s sought-after 1997 EP on Pleasure Records. The man behind a slew of lauded records under a variety of different aliases, his sound is one that is cherished for orbiting the spheres of progressive trance and atmospheric dub techno. This four-track EP, however, saw James venture into unchartered territory, exploring a more melodic, house-tinted spectrum, before flipping back into the progressive techno-trance underbelly.

Having started life in 1995, Spacer IV had already gone from the leagues of limited white labels, to being the name stamped on one of Pleasure’s biggest-selling records by the time this EP came out. With only 195 white labels of his first record ARC 1/ARC 2 pressed, a copy was passed to Pete Robinson at Robs Records. ‘ARC 2’ was plucked from that release, supplemented with a new cut ‘ARC 3’ and given a proper pressing on Robs Records offshoot label Pleasure to notable success.

Fast forward to 1997 and James chose to depart the trance-infused techno sound of those first releases. Absorbing elements by osmosis, this EP sees James dipping his toes into fresh waters. Using what limited hardware he had available, including an Akai S950 sampler, Ensoniq ESQ-1 and Novation Bass Station 1, James laid down four distinctive and versatile club cuts.

‘Sirocco’ opens the EP, a tingling hit of endorphins that only the most timeless of tracks can elicit. Echoing pads feed acid murmurings, that sit atop dusty breakbeats and rattling sub-bass. An aural exploration, that is equal parts ethereal and empowering, taking cues from breaks, ambient, chill out and house. It’s one of those rare tracks that has the power to float you away or fuel your buzz, giving a healthy tug on the heartstrings in the process.

‘Mono’ follows, merging heads-down dancefloors with the embrace of warmer climates. It’s deep and Detroit-infused yet bolstered by a dream house bassline straight out of the Italian riviera. A dose of eyes-closed euphoria that hits just right.

The flipside sees James in more familiar territory with ‘Jetson’ and ‘Dust’. The former is a hit of space-age progressive house. Trippy, hypnotising, driving goodness, showcasing James’ ability to lock your body into a groove, yet send your mind to another world. The latter rounds out the EP, serving up an acid-swirling club stomper, forever building in intensity before dropping you into the vacuum of deep space.

Enter the glittering world of Italo Disco with the exclusive 4LP
box set „The Italo Disco Collection Vol. 2“.
This limited edition box features four vinyl records that capture
the essence of the Italo Disco era. Discover and enjoy musical
treasures from Ken Laszlo, Miko Mission, Baby‘s Gang, and
Laserdance. „The Italo Disco Collection Vol. 2“ is not only a
musical journey through time, but also a collector‘s item for
all vinyl lovers and fans of Italo Disco. This carefully compiled
collection has been designed with great care and attention to
detail and includes a colorful beach ball as a summertime fun
maker. This box brings the best of the 80s straight into your
living room and guarantees unforgettable musical moments.

Tauchen Sie ein in die glitzernde Welt des Italo Disco mit der
exklusiven 4LP Box „The Italo Disco Collection Vol. 2“.
Diese limitierte Box enthält vier Vinyl-Schallplatten, die
die Essenz der Italo Disco Ära einfangen. Musikalische
Schätze von Ken Laszlo, Miko Mission, Baby’s Gang, und
Laserdance werden hier geborgen. „The Italo Disco Collection
Vol. 2“ ist nicht nur eine musikalische Zeitreise, sondern
auch ein Sammlerstück für alle Vinyl-Liebhaber und Fans des
Italo Disco. Diese sorgfältig zusammengestellte Kollektion,
wurde mit großer Sorgfalt und Liebe zum Detail gestaltet und
enthält als sommerlichen Spaßbereiter einen farbenfrohen
Wasserball. Diese Box bringt das Beste der 80er Jahre direkt in
Ihr Wohnzimmer und garantiert unvergessliche musikalische
Momente.

Jump Source is back with their 6th instalment: a collection of 4 tracks fine-tuned for the chaotic club. “Bleach” and “Condenser”cyclically build tension through their sneaky yet brazen tangents – no momentum lost from start to finish. The latter was born from a session with frequent collaborator Sabola, exploring the possibilities of the Roland sh- 05, which would become the backbone of the song. On the b side, the pair enrolled Martyn Bootyspoon and Frankie Teardrop to deliver vocals that break the fourth wall, sending you down an introspective dance-floor experience. “On” takes the foreground approach, while “Get It Done” comfortably hangs back, but the question remains : “What are you on?

12-inchers from Dublin disco messers Fatty Fatty only come along once in a while, but this summer they've got 2 biggies lined up for festival messing, sunset disco joy and eyes-down dirty basement feel...

Pablo and Shoey's 'Raw Human Emotion' EP features 3 tracks never before seen on vinyl and showcases the range of their productions neatly. First up you've got 'Raw Human Emotion Part 2', a track they provided for a Paper Disco compilation many moons ago. Chopping up sections of an old disco-soul stomper and getting deep inside the loops before rising to a joyous hands in the air climax, this is a peak-time winner that brings everyone together.

Flip over for two lost gems from the 'Do It Backwards' EP for Sprechen, which got lost in the chaos of the first Covid lockdown.

'Shoey's Acid Trip' is a peak time, hands aloft, laser reacher - acid preacher style slammer that builds like a bastard, while Pablo's 'Air Raid Dub' of the title track melds a wonky as heck bassline with a wicked boogie breakdown before slamming back in, rave sirens and all. Serious 3am tackle all round...And the likes of Justin Robertson and Severino of Horse Meat Disco agreed at the time, with the latter proclaiming 'Now this is something different...'. The whole EP fits that bill, and should do some serious damage around the place this summer...

Gwenan takes us on an unusual excursion on her new EP, marking the sixth release on Snaretrade Records. Through four windows, we peek into scenes from an unknown script, cleverly disguised as club fare. The A-side starts out bustling and hasty, then takes us out for a melancholy moment in the sun. The B-side has us pause at home in a little skit brewed on a modular rig, before sliding off into the depth of night, where brooding thoughts come out to show their teeth. A remarkable and playful journey, in which Gwenan pays homage to her favourite author, with nods to her youth growing up in Wales.

Isle of Jura teams up with French digger Switch Groove on the next compilation titled ‘Archipelago – Cosmic Fusion Gems from France (1978-1988)’.

Switch Groove explains the concept “When I seriously began to search for and collect records, I was mostly interested in sounds from african-american, afro-latin and UK contemporary scenes. Sounds from distant territories, faraway from my native Massif Central, a highland region in the middle of France. The grass is always greener, I guess however, as I was digging in fleamarkets in the early sunday morning light, as well as spending regular sessions in second hands record shops, I began to discover hidden treasures, underground gems and side-projects of an unknown French musical repertoire.

French music is often reduced to its most famous musical forms, characters and signatures : French songwriting and voices, 60s yéyé, prog rock concept albums and soundtrack explorations, 80’s indie rock scene or more recently electronic French touch. All these sounds have a common feature : a geographical link, forged on mainland French territory, following the contour of the so-called Hexagone, the border that shapes the grounds for an homogeneous cultural expression. But beyond this showcase lie more complex, hybrid and global French productions. From French Caribbean Antilles to Parisian suburbs - especially during the ‘Sono Mondiale’ era -, in French areas outside urban cultural centers, musicians have created fusion and cosmic musical expressions. As the mid-seventies meant a greater freedom to make and record music, a wider use of electronic instruments like synthesizers and drum machines helped to deliver some magical projects you could only find lost in the middle of cheap records during a sunny record digging session. I selected these tracks, in an attempt to shape an ARCHIPELAGO that highlights significative contributions of African diasporas and ultramarine territories into French musical borders. It is the map of a land I have gradually drawn, thanks to deep listening of amazing cosmic and fusion tunes. I hope you enjoy the journey.”

This 4 track EP from Ibiza Records in collaboration with our new artist/producer NASTYRCK brings you this NewGen of the orginal sound of Jungle musik with this long awaited Jungle album that's been 5yrs in the making... These trackz are strictly instrumental showcasing that authentic sound system kulture vibez n pulsating synthz n wicked b lines n amen breaks galore..

Australia's world-renowned cinematic soul outfit Surprise Chef return with new album Superb. A record that represents a change in their creative approach and turns up the heat in their music. Trading in their meticulous writing and recording techniques for a looser and less planned approach with the intentions of bringing more levity to the process, and it comes through in spades. The high caliber musicianship is still front and center, but they push their sound into a more energetic and fun place on this album. Album opener "Sleep Dreams" is the closest thing to a Surprise Chef tune one would come to expect but then lead single "Bully Ball" comes on and you get the picture that they came to kick in the door on this one. The song's gritty drums thunder through the speakers and get covered with percussion, keys, bass, and guitar chanks that stay in the pocket and bring the funk with them. The band pushes the boundaries of arrangement with tunes like "Body Slam" that starts off like a sweet soul track then pulls a 180, turning dark and haunting, centering on a sound they created by tucking a timpani into a bathroom two doors down from the mixing board. That same sense of experimentation comes up again on "Fare Evader" where they pepper another neck breaking rhythm track with synth notes that sound like robot sound effects from a 70s sci-film. The fellas turn up the tempo for the dance with tunes like "Consulate Case" and "Tag Dag"; the former pulling influence from afro-funk and the latter from jazz-funk. They take us deep into the beautiful world of Surprise Chef ballads on "Websites" and double down on their abilities to make beautiful and ethereal tracks with "Dreamer's Disease". With their new album Superb, their new approach, and plans to tour the world, we are about to see Surprise Chef take the step from the underground's most beloved to a household name and we are definitely here for it.

Australia's world-renowned cinematic soul outfit Surprise Chef return with new album Superb. A record that represents a change in their creative approach and turns up the heat in their music. Trading in their meticulous writing and recording techniques for a looser and less planned approach with the intentions of bringing more levity to the process, and it comes through in spades. The high caliber musicianship is still front and center, but they push their sound into a more energetic and fun place on this album. Album opener "Sleep Dreams" is the closest thing to a Surprise Chef tune one would come to expect but then lead single "Bully Ball" comes on and you get the picture that they came to kick in the door on this one. The song's gritty drums thunder through the speakers and get covered with percussion, keys, bass, and guitar chanks that stay in the pocket and bring the funk with them. The band pushes the boundaries of arrangement with tunes like "Body Slam" that starts off like a sweet soul track then pulls a 180, turning dark and haunting, centering on a sound they created by tucking a timpani into a bathroom two doors down from the mixing board. That same sense of experimentation comes up again on "Fare Evader" where they pepper another neck breaking rhythm track with synth notes that sound like robot sound effects from a 70s sci-film. The fellas turn up the tempo for the dance with tunes like "Consulate Case" and "Tag Dag"; the former pulling influence from afro-funk and the latter from jazz-funk. They take us deep into the beautiful world of Surprise Chef ballads on "Websites" and double down on their abilities to make beautiful and ethereal tracks with "Dreamer's Disease". With their new album Superb, their new approach, and plans to tour the world, we are about to see Surprise Chef take the step from the underground's most beloved to a household name and we are definitely here for it.

Headek Records returns with its second release, HDK-2: The Eyes of Goa – Syncrosonix EP.

This time, we dive deep into the hypnotic realms of Goa Trance with a truly special EP. Syncrosonix and Goagoa unfold across two tracks, each presented in two versions, making a total of four sonic explorations. Expect a perfect fusion between the raw essence of classic Goa Trance and the futuristic pulse of bleep-infused techno. Pulsating trance basslines intertwine with resonant synths, acid sequences, and shimmering bleeps, creating a mesmerizing vortex of energy. Let yourself be drawn into the infernal spiral of trance and lose all sense of time.

De:tuned welcomes the Purveyor of Fine Funk, Midwest house and techno originator Dan Curtin, to the label with his first new album in 15 years entitled 'The 4 Lights'. The now Berlin-based DJ and producer channels his inner DC and opens up his soul on this exceptional eight-track LP. Dan showcases his unique take on techno and early 90s influences rise to the surface. The result is an in-depth masterclass of cosmic funk, spaced-out vibes and warm pads that stimulate the mind, while the distinctive groove moves your body. Stay tuned!

De:tuned welcomes the Purveyor of Fine Funk, Midwest house and techno originator Dan Curtin, to the label with his first new album in 15 years entitled 'The 4 Lights'. The now Berlin-based DJ and producer channels his inner DC and opens up his soul on this exceptional eight-track LP. Dan showcases his unique take on techno and early 90s influences rise to the surface. The result is an in-depth masterclass of cosmic funk, spaced-out vibes and warm pads that stimulate the mind, while the distinctive groove moves your body. Stay tuned!

Limbo Tapes boss Titus XII returns with a sample-rich album of feral beats, degraded meditations, and graphic dubwise. Blurring hip-hop and dub techniques with a taste for the melancholy, this is cinematic armchair listening with its own corner of moody nostalgia, macabre humour, and the menace of sound system culture.