Buscar:be

Hailed as the “Godfather of electronic music,” Paul Oakenfold is one of the most successful electronic artists of all time, counting more than 110M streams, 5M albums sold worldwide and three GRAMMY nominations.
Oakenfold’s discography includes three full-length studio albums, countless live/compilation albums, singles and remixes, and over 20 DJ mix albums. He has written and produced for major stars like Cher, The Happy Mondays, U2 and Madonna and also counts more than 100 remixes, including ones for The Rolling Stones, Justin Timberlake, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears and Elvis Presley.

He continues to push the envelope via his game-changing projects, including a once-in-a-lifetime DJ set in April 2017 at the top of the base camp of Mt. Everest, commemorating the set with the release ‘Mount Everest: The Base Camp Mix.’ In September 2018, he became the first-ever artist to perform at Stonehenge, a UNESCO World Heritage site, followed by his ‘Sunset at Stonehenge’ mix album (February 2019) capturing the historic DJ set. In March 2019, he performed at the 2019 Special Olympics World Games opening ceremony in Abu Dhabi, in addition to remixing the Games’ official theme song.

This release is a reissue of his classic soundtrack album for the 2001 Joel Silver produced Swordfish starring Hugh Jackman, John Travolta, Halle Berry & Don Chedle. It contains tracks specially commissioned for the film written by Paul & film composer Christopher Young, plus his remix versions of N*E*R*D – Lapdance, Afrika Bambaataa - Planet Rock, Muse - New Born, plus tracks from Lemon Jelly + Dope Smugglerz, Jan Johnston.

The original release has sold over 100k units to date & the vinyl is now selling upwards of £300 on Discogs. This 2025 triple vinyl reissue has been remastered at Metropolis Studios + will be pressed on green coloured vinyl & coincides with the 4k UHD limited edition 25th anniversary Blu Ray release.

Tape to Tape Disco Edits made between 1989-1999 by Chicago DJ Mark Grusane

A VERY SMALL RUN of VINYL ONLY 2x12", NO DIGITAL CONTENT

The Second Installment of “Versions” PART TWO by NYC’s Multi-Talented GE-OLOGY.
A VERY SMALL RUN of VINYL ONLY 2x12", NO DIGITAL CONTENT

DJ Support: DJ Harvey, Hunee

SIRS returns with Volume 7 of his beloved SIRS Cut series—a four-track EP of deep-digging edits spanning disco, beatdown, and soul. Already supported by DJ Harvey, Hunee, and more, each track has been reworked with SIRS’ signature touch—tasteful, floor-ready, and full of character.

Explosive UK producer Bullet Tooth — one of the most talked-about names in bass music for 2025 — crashes onto Time Is Now, the cutting-edge sister label of Shall Not Fade, with a thunderous three-track EP that delivers nothing short of pure, sub-heavy chaos. Known for his genre-warping blend of UKG, breaks, jungle, and grime-inflected basslines, Bullet Tooth has been making serious waves in the underground with his uncompromising sound and high-octane DJ sets.

Drawing influence from the raw energy of early dubstep and the precision of modern UK club sounds, Bullet Tooth’s productions are built to devastate dancefloors — and this latest release is no exception. Packed with seismic low-end pressure, razor-sharp percussion, and twisted vocal chops, each track is a statement of intent from a producer firmly in his stride.

This marks Bullet Tooth’s debut on Time Is Now, a label that has rapidly become a cornerstone of the UK’s contemporary bass scene. Since its launch, Time Is Now has earned a reputation for championing the next generation of bass-heavy innovators — from UKG and breaks to jungle and speed garage — offering a platform for artists who push the boundaries of sound system culture with forward-thinking flair.

With this release, Bullet Tooth not only cements his place among the UK’s most exciting producers but also adds another essential entry to Time Is Now’s ever-growing catalogue of future classics.

At A Glance Records is thrilled to unveil its second release, AAG002 by the incomparable UC Beatz. Known for seamlessly weaving lush, emotive textures with irresistibly groovy disco-house rhythms, UC Beatz once again delivers an enthralling journey into the essence of house music.

Following the success of AAG001, this release showcases UC Beatz's masterful ability to shape deep, soulful soundscapes and intricate beats, striking the perfect balance between immersive storytelling and dancefloor energy.

As the younger sibling of Small Great Things., At A Glance continues to champion innovative, boundary-pushing sounds. With a keen ear for blending timeless influences with modern flair, this release promises to resonate with dedicated listeners and discerning DJs alike.

Two years ago he released ‘The Peak Season EP’ under his alias Flo 87, hitting all the right buttons, and now his back with ‘The Full Moon EP’ under his own name Jan Rezelman. The EP consist of three brand new tracks, all recorded in 2024. ‘Nobody’ is basically me cutting up a beautiful soul song on my MPC, and re-play it and having fun with it. I’ve put some banging drums under it, Maspaventi did the mastering, so you know it’s ready for club use! ‘Full Moon’ is an up-tempo track where I’m filtering a guitar loop and having fun with it. Anton Pieete mixed it and Sam Irl mastered it to tape, so you already know it’ sounds super phat! ‘Soul Music’ has a more experimental vibe to it, where I was messing with my new synthesizer and came up with this infectious bass-loop and those heavy hitting 808 drums. I added some strings and drum-breaks and kept the track really minimalistic. ‘The Full Moon EP’ is pressed to a limited amount so be quick! The vinyl will be in stores around spring ‘25.

The Aachen Jazz Files

A collection of essential jazz from the NABEL record label (1980-1994), compiled by miche & Rainer Truby.

The Aachen Jazz Files celebrates the pioneering spirit of NABEL Records—one of Germany’s most underrated yet influential independent jazz labels. Founded in 1980 by Rainer Wiedensohler, NABEL became a home for innovative musicians blending classic acoustic jazz with fusion, Brazilian rhythms, and avant-garde flourishes.

This compilation collects some of the label’s finest moments, including the soulful and Latin-tinged brilliance of Monika Linges Quartet (whose album *Floating* was reissued last year by PANORAMA Records for RSD Black Friday), the cosmic jazz explorations of John Thomas & Lifeforce, the deep jazz-funk grooves of Hipsters In The Zone, and the stunning, expressive vocals of Maria João’s quintet.

Nestled in the far west of Germany, near the Dutch and Belgian borders, Aachen has long been a hidden gem for jazz lovers. Its vibrant scene, fueled by music schools and the legendary Malteserkeller jazz club, cultivated a unique sound that resonated far beyond its city limits. In fact, the city didn’t just birth a jazz movement—it also lays claim to opening Germany’s first discotheque in 1959.

From London to Tokyo, NABEL’s releases became secret weapons for jazz DJs seeking deep, danceable cuts. The label’s trademark blend of acoustic jazz, fusion, and Brazilian influences made its way onto turntables in underground clubs and festival stages worldwide.

Expect elegant samba jazz, spiritual grooves, and modal masterpieces that capture the essence of NABEL’s golden years. Monika Linges’ contributions shine with her rich harmonies and heartfelt compositions, while John Thomas & Lifeforce deliver a perfect storm of fiery instrumentation and deep soul. Maria João’s early recordings showcase her extraordinary vocal range, and Hipsters In The Zone bring a forward-thinking, acid jazz-infused perspective to the NABEL sound.

As co-compiler Rainer Truby puts it:

'NABEL Records always had this special ‘Aachen sound’—a jazz flavor that carried its own energy, somewhere between the cool sophistication of fusion and the warmth of Brazilian music. It’s a pleasure to finally bring together some of these classics in one essential collection.'

Compiled by miche & Rainer Truby.

PANORAMA Records is a London-based label dedicated to unearthing and reintroducing rare and essential music to new generations. With a focus on jazz, funk, and global grooves, the label has built a reputation for high-quality reissues that capture the spirit of the originals while providing fresh context for today’s listeners. Their past releases have garnered support from tastemakers like Gilles Peterson, Patrick Forge, and Mr Bongo DJs.

Terror/Cactus returns to Names You Can Trust for the first time since his debut on the label's Split Single series from 2020. Since then, the Seattle-based Martin Selasco has been steadily cultivating his individual brand of futuristic electronic cumbia, playing a multitude of shows and festivals, as well as releasing a handful of singles and a self-produced long-player, Forastero. The Buenos Aires-born Selasco embodies the new wave of cumbia that has always been championed by his home country: machine-forward audio/visual performances combined with a mixture of bugged out digital folklore and live instrumentation, and in the case of this latest recording with NYCT, baritone and clarinet from Seattle-collaborator Kate Olson.

Tauchen Sie ein in die faszinierende Welt des Italo Disco mit unserer exklusiven 4 LP Box „The Italo Disco Collection“.

Diese einzigartige Sammlung bietet Ihnen eine Auswahl der größten Hits aus den 1980er Jahren, präsentiert von einigen der bekanntesten Künstlern dieser Ära. Diese limitierte Auflage umfasst vier hochwertige Vinylplatten, die mit den zeitlosen Klassikern von Gazebo, Sabrina, Scotch, Koto und Valerie Dore gefüllt sind. Jeder Titel wurde sorgfältig ausgewählt, um die Essenz des Italo Disco einzufangen und Ihnen ein unvergessliches Hörerlebnis zu bieten.

Die Box enthält speziell ausgewählte Versionen der Songs, die speziell für diese Edition remastered wurden. Die Klangqualität wurde optimiert, um den authentischen Sound des Italo Disco zu bewahren und gleichzeitig das bestmögliche Hörerlebnis auf Vinyl zu bieten.
Das hochwertige Box-Set wurde mit großer Sorgfalt und Liebe
zum Detail gestaltet.

Holen Sie sich jetzt Ihre Kopie dieser exklusiven 4 LP Box „The Italo Disco Collection“ und erleben Sie den unverwechselbaren Charme des Italo Disco auf eine ganz besondere Weise. Tauchen Sie ein in die Welt der pulsierenden Beats und mitreißenden Melodien, die diese Ära geprägt haben.

Warehouse Find!

Guaranteed floor filler alert!

Released in 2003 on the illusive Excursions label, this promo release has steadily gained notoriety in the last 12 months, getting played everywhere from big festival stages to sweaty basements.

With original copies now regularly changing hands for over £200 on the second-hand market, Excursions are blessing us with a fully remastered reissue for 2025 with a previously unreleased Sade edit included as an extra bonus.

In case of emergencies, reach for this release.

These won’t hang around for long. You’ve been warned.

System Error proudly welcomes Alejo to FLOW. Co-founder and resident of the beloved Emile Club, Alejo has been a tireless advocate for Uruguay’s underground for decades. His 1984 EP arrives steeped in instinct and a deep connection to the floor.

Four tracks that follow a development in his sound, converging to tell a singular story. From snarling basslines to electro-leaning shuffles with razor-edged drive. Deep moods pierced by jacking, dancefloor-ready grooves – just how we like them.

Silver Tears is the new joint venture by Berlin-based gent Luca Venezia and Damian Shilman, respectively of Curses and Skelesys’ fame.

The duo first debuted in 2023 on Next Wave Acid Punx Deux (Chapter 2) compilation delivering one track rich with deep bass lines, crystal clear guitars and captivating mechanical drums. One somehow classic formula enriched by an universal allure that left you hoping for more. And here we are: these charming men have been working hard for the past two years and their first, self-titled full-length album is now ready.

Eight new cuts of elegant electronic beat-driven coldwave with baritone vocals, sharp arpeggios and no lack of slow passages, recalling 90’s shoegaze or moody grunge. A subtle play of juxtaposition of dancing moments and introspective retreats, dancefloor-oriented grooves and caustic precipices, sometimes crowned by the two dueting at vocals. One wide musical cape to cloak all the angles of the Goth subculture and prove how this can still be relevant some many years after it first bursted out.

limited to 500 copies

For his second solo album, Officium offers us a free and unrestrained journey through inner worlds, hazy stories, and ghostly traces. Throughout its eight tracks, Light Trap oscillates between immersive textures, impulsive basslines, and rough guitar chords, creating a subtle tension between softness and intensity.

Interlaced with the haunted voice of Lou (1/2 of Reymour) and the precise arrangements of Yolek, this album is the result of meticulous sound work, fueling a constantly moving introspective odyssey.

Light Trap paints a moving chiaroscuro image, like the last rays of light passing through the teeth of a trap, just before it snaps shut on the moment.

Exact replica picture sleeve seven-inch reissue of this hidden super-catchy punk/power pop 45 from the very short-lived punk group Trash. The music is raw, naive three-chord genius!
The group Trash were from Weybridge, Surrey and found little success at the time. They released just two singles to absolutely no fanfare at all in 1977 and 78 despite being signed to Polydor Records.
Trash's 'Priorities', the group's debut single is now available once again for the first time in nearly 50 years on Soul Jazz Records in a very limited edition one-off pressing of 300 copies.

4 track EP from Pain Struck Stanley Dumb, feat remixes from Radioactive Man & Paul Blackford.

The genesis of Pain Struck Stanley Dumb is as dignified as their sound. Picture this: 7am at an afterparty, and Doctor Luke Dumbstruck, commanding the decks. Neuro-dnb at its most raw, trousers around his ankle, and a single eyepatch completing the enigmatic tableau.

Amid this sonic debris, Christopher D Ashley found a kindred spirit - PSSD was born with a manifesto: to forge timeless electronics, drawing inspiration from Drexciya, Underground Resistance, Two Lone Swordsmen, and Juan Atkins.

Their latest release, "Breakfast At Brian's", marks a significant milestone: their debut on Radioactive Man's esteemed Asking For Trouble imprint. This record is a masterclass in stripped-back electro/techno production - a testament to the power of simplicity.

Dystopian Context: Episode 3

In a futuristic society where science has advanced to the point of creating bio-synthetic hybrids, a groundbreaking discovery emerges: the ability to imprint memory onto energy.

Initially developed to enhance machine control, this breakthrough was soon applied to living beings. Its consequences mirrored genetic determinism, shaping behavioral patterns and influencing individual will.

This technology enables certain elites to manage and condition the population, restricting autonomy through the manipulation of energetic memory.

However, a group of resistance fighters has uncovered an advanced data-erasure technique called Vibracid, capable of deleting imposed memories and restoring self-determination.

The struggle is not between different species, but between those who monopolize scientific power and those who seek to reclaim their freedom and forge their own destiny.

Vibracid (Corrosive Vibration)
A technique for data erasure and elimination, designed for the eradication of records and the neutralization of control mechanisms.

Limited to 150 copies.

DJ Support: Bad Boombox, Mija, Trym, Bambounou.

Florian Picasso returns with When I Saw U, a playful, feel-good track that sparks the thrill of young love, excitement, and electrifying anticipation. With pulsating beats, shimmering synths, and irresistibly catchy vocals, it’s an anthem designed to make everyone move. 'I wanted something fresh and fast-paced—built for dancing but with depth,' Picasso shares. 'It’s not just about making tracks; it’s about pushing sound and arrangement to new heights.'

With When I Saw U, Florian Picasso cements his place at the forefront of electronic music’s evolution, proving that his legacy is one of reinvention, innovation, and fearless artistry

There is so much that we at Dirter could say about the legend that is Chris Connelly performing his takes on the music of the equally legendary TG, but this time we’re going to leave it in the words of the man himself. This record goes ahead with the blessing of the surviving members of Throbbing Gristle, Chris Carter & Cosey Fanni Tutti. “Having carved a twisted career with behemoths MINISTRY & REVOLTING COCKS over the past 40 years, starting life with the formidable FINI TRIBE and collaborating with disparate characters such as KILLING JOKE, CABARET VOLTAIRE, JIM O’ ROURKE, and too many others, I have returned to my first love, THROBBING GRISTLE, armed with a cassette recorder, a reel to reel, a razor blade and some tape, I want to invoke the spirit of mid to late 70’s live TG , random, tense, scary & compulsively fascinating…….WHITE PHOSPHORUS is for the TG connoisseur, for the morbidly curious, and the tragically dysfunctional amongst us”. This record is packaged in the spirit of the earliest Throbbing Gristle releases and is very much coming from a ‘70s Xerox angle. It’s pressed on 180gram heavy black vinyl.

Two Drumcode mainstays, Layton Giordani & Bart Skils, join forces on rapturous but dark-edged techno thriller ‘Deadly Valentine’. Skils is globally renowned for his chart-invading take-no-prisoners techno. The Dutch producer’s last release on Beyer’s imprint was the 2024 ‘Sakura’ EP comprising collaborations with SUDO and Drunken Kong. Giordani, also a chart topper, at the forefront of an exciting new genre-bending sound, combines influences of melodic house, progressive, and indie dance with techno. His last DC outing was a recent rework of the seminal ‘Let’s Go Dancing’ from Tiga and Audion, and the otherworldly but peak time ‘Freaks At Night’ single last June.

The duo have a history of playing B2B at massive events like Drumcode, Loveland and Awakenings. This is their first collaborative standalone single (their ‘Midnight Magic’ was on Layton’s 2020 Drumcode LP). 'I was listening to Spotify and going through an indie dance rabbit hole’ Layton says. ‘I stumbled upon this track, was instantly hooked, and knew Bart was the right guy to collaborate with on this record.’ ‘Layton sent me the vocal idea and I turned it into an arrangement with a rolling groove’ Bart says. ‘After that the track was updated several times and mixed with a new vocalist for release.’ ‘Deadly Valentine’: complex, steady percussion with insistent techno beat gives a dark questioning edge to the high, sweet vocal, fast, echoing, often layered or harmonising with itself, singing the apparently romantic wedding ceremony lyrics in French & English.

Prepare to transcend the boundaries of sonic perception and embark on an interstellar voyage unlike any other. DHMZ001 emerges from the depths of the cosmos/the cosmox, offering a tantalising glimpse into a future where music, humanity and technology converge in perfect harmony. Behold, the first release from Dehumanize -- a sonic odyssey so profound, it defies conventional description. With each pulsating beat and ethereal melody, listeners are transported to realms beyond imagination, where the fabric of reality itself seems to ripple and shift in time with the music.

Gladio Operations launches its twelfth release, where the Spanish label returns to the various artists format.
Opening the pack is producer and Distrito 91 label owner Fabio Vinuesa. Under his newly created alias Protocolo Sysex, he gives us “NottheFuture,” a powerful track with raw bass lines — a benchmark for the dancefloor.

On the same side, we encounter Sinitsin. The Russian artist, who debuts on the label, leaves his mark with “Thinking Machine”. A track that reveals his enthusiasm for charismatic and effective melodies, very well sequenced throughout the track.
The B-side opens up by an acquaintance of the label, Jauzas the Shining. This time he is accompanied by Foreign Sequence, and together they have created “Enter the Body”. A track of dark aesthetics, served with dramatic vocals, very characteristic of the Frenchman who, of course, never disappoints. Another artist making his debut is Italian producer Teslasonic.
This fast-paced track titled “Chubby Bee” reveals a minimalist bass line, with subtle and delicate touches of the 303.
The EP is brought to a close by another Gladio acquaintance. Igors Vorobjovs returns with this track titled “For One”.

Orientated towards IDM sounds, the Latvian producer once again envelops us with a passage of deep and mysterious harmonies, which undoubtedly makes it a timeless piece.

BRIAN ELLIS may be best known as the instrumentalist producer behind STAR CREATURE's BIRDBONE UNLIMITED. Here, he returns to the Chicago label with a heavy dosage of west coast italo slap reimagining BOBBY O's RONI GRIFFITH's 1982 classic hit. On clear orange vinyl.

2025 Black Vinyl Repress

Originally released in 2001 on the Muller offshoot Lifetime Music and has been under the radar ever since, we are happy to offer the last remnants right now. Three perfectly executed Deep and Dub Techno influenced tracks by Pink Freud that stood the test of time if you ask us. This is your chance to get some copies at an affordable rate again! In memory of the beloved and recently deceased Brazilian artist Renato Garga.

Under the radar release on the Muller offshoot Tanjobi! One of Ulrich Schnauss' most early works. We received some backstock from a bankrupt Japanese distributor who kept these records since the 90ies! For the open minded DJ, this can be played at various tempos and speeds. Handy and playful but classy tracks that suit multiple bags.

Die ikonische Trance-Hymne „Lizard“ von Mauro Picotto jetzt wieder als farbige Vinyl erhältlich. Der Klassiker aus den späten 90ern begeistert mit seinen treibenden Beats, hypnotischen Synths und dem unverwechselbaren „Komodo“- Sound, der die Clubkultur einer ganzen Generation geprägt hat. Neben den Originalversionen gibt es zahlreiche Remixe, die den Sound noch klarer und intensiver zur Geltung bringen. Ideal für alle, die den Spirit der Trance-Ära neu entdecken oder bewahren möchten.

The Rhythm Section – raves first super group - consisting of Ellis Dee, Rennie Pilgrim, Newton and Ritchie T. The group disbanded in 1993 after the rise of jungle as the guys didn’t want to go in that direction and felt their job was done in building the rave scene to what it was. But then in 1995 they had a request to reform and tour America as the rave culture was growing out there. So, they did reform, minus Ritchie T, and embark on a rather rave induced tour of the US with all the antics that you would expect from those guys!

They also wanted to make some new music for the tour and The Sequel album was born. Though written in 1995, they guys purposely kept the sound retro, calling upon their knowledge of the late 80s and early 90’s London warehouse scene.

Released originally as a limited edition double album which commands a high price on Discogs, this is the second part of the album – part one being the 180g blue vinyl release on Vinyl Fanatiks last year.

»White Noise« is a cooperation project between raster-media and the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics. Artistic sound projects generated in the context of the scientific research institute will appear at irregular intervals. The themes and questions of empirical aesthetics research are taken up, questioned or challenged in very different ways. »White Noise« is conceived as an audio archive of the MPIEA artists in residence which records the artistic works on vinyl and documents the respective concepts and working methods in text form.

Victioria Keddie’s »Pshal P’shaw« (white noise #002) is a multimedia exploration delving into phonetic expression’s auditory and rhythmic nuances of phonetic expressions through an amalgamation of text, sound, video, data, and customized learning software. Drawing inspiration from the painter and architectural theorist Hermann Finsterlin who made speculative architectural renderings, the project originated during a residency at the Max Planck Institute of Empirical Aesthetics in Frankfurt in 2023.

The project’s engagement with the sonic landscape of the eight diphthongs in US English, documented through recorded sessions at EEG labs with participants of diverse international backgrounds, is not just a technical analyses. The applied script for the recording session, infused with a contemporary Western US dialect, ventures beyond, exploring the primal essence of phonetic expression and its impact on the oral landscape of mouth, throat, and tongue.

This work focuses on the spoken aspect of language: the art of oration, conversation, and mimicry. It reflects the beauty of our perpetual change, speaking directly to our humanity and the raw, tender moments of existence. It embraces the awkward, beautiful and vulnerable essence of our shared human experience.

Victoria Keddie is a multidisciplinary artist delving into sound, video, installation, and performance. Her work uncovers hidden narratives within ordinary artifacts and spaces, emphasizing their role in shaping our collective story. The examination of acoustic phenomena and language is a recurring theme in her artistic work. Keddie’s current projects navigate the acoustic complexity of language and dialects.

For over a decade, Keddie was co-director of E.S.P. TV, exploring the televisual medium for performance and sound. Keddie has performed and exhibited internationally. Recent fellowships include the NYSCA/NYFA for Music/Sound (2022), the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics (2023), and the Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, Sound Art and Experimental Music Fellowship (2024).

»White Noise«, 40 p. magazine English/German, vinyl LP, cardboard box

2024"s retrospective box We Have Dozens of Titles brought the revelatory 1993-"98 output of Gastr del Sol back into the world of physical objects, following a decade in which most of their music was mostly available online. The ruckus that the box generated in the so-called real world was intense enough to warrant some more fun excursions; thus, we begin our vinyl reissue series of the Gastrlog at the end of the line, with their "art-pop masterpiece" somebody"s words, not ours - but we"ll take "em): Camoufleur. Gastr del Sol released Camoufleur in February of 1998. It was a ringing down of the curtain on an extraordinary five years of music making (and unmaking) with one of the best albums of that era - or any other. Once out in the world, Camoufleur went over like gangbusters. Listening in today, it still does - time has only burnished its unique superpowers. Upon release, of course, and with the same sense of enigma in which they"d issued their music, Gastr del Sol abruptly vanished, leaving all that stuff to time. And by golly, in time we"ve found it again, and huzzah almighty, have recommitted it to ol" reliable, the singular magic of the vinyl platter, for the enjoyment and edification of a new nation.

Liquid Memory returns with Stephan Bazbaz – Lithium EP, a collection of three dancefloor-certified heavy hitters.


Packed with deep grooves and undeniable energy, this record is destined for the record bags of the most discerning DJs and clubbers—a must-have for those who appreciate expertly crafted club weapons.

A long-time praised producer, Stephan Bazbaz makes a true comeback with this release, marking his first in four years after over a decade of delivering top-tier music. With extensive experience behind the decks and in the studio, he has honed a sound that seamlessly blends minimal dub and crisp house. From his celebrated residencies to his own vinyl-only label, No Waves, his deep understanding of club culture shines through in every groove.

Simon Herody put together a live solo performance sequencing electronic devices on stage for him to jam over with acoustic instruments. He played a lot in hotels and lobbies. The music had to be present but not too intrusive. Subtle electronics to guide his saxophone and flute playing. The setup proved successful and inspired him to compose the works that would become 'Hard Lounge'.

'At the same time, I was working at a bar/record store in Neukölln called Motif. Everything changed when I discovered the album "Heisei No Oto - Japanese Left-field Pop From The CD Age." I remember this guy, Jamie, who would sometimes bring new releases to the shop. This album really changed things for me; I was constantly playing it and it inspired the creation of these works tremendously.

The composition process for "Hard Lounge" was pretty unclear. I never really made conscious choices; I wanted to escape the conflicts that come with picking the right chords. I aimed to create music that transports your imagination to a sort of retro 80s jazz lounge, where people feel comfortable and at ease just sitting and listening. I wanted to act like a music designer, giving people a chance to listen without demanding too much of their attention.'

On June 6th, Death In Vegas return with new album ‘Death Mask’, where disintegration, overload and total sonic immersion tell a personal tale. With dirty circuitry and rough-hewn textures at the fore, this is gritty, unpolished techno; an audio outlier that’s full of personality, and a bold artistic statement. It’s closer in DNA to the grainy growl of sunn O))), or the searing intensity of Underground Resistance at their fiercest, and as far from generic influencer business as you could possibly get.

“I’ve been soaking in Ramleh’s ‘Hole In the Heart’, the machine funk of Terrence Dixon’s Population One, Jamal Moss’ psychedelic techno jams, the stunning minimalism of Mika Vanio’s Ø and Panasonic, the layered drones of LOOP, and drowning in the acid of TM 404”

Broader inspirations are weaved into the album’s fabric too; from his Thameside Metal Box studio and evocations of nautical ghosts, to lamentations for a broken world, to memories of a youthful Detroit pilgrimage, and the innocent fraternity of rave euphoria, there’s a lot going on, acting as a chronicle of moments, and locations.

Azzurro 80's new album—his first ever on LP—is a beautifully faded Polaroid that, like a true flashback, plunges listeners into the heart of the 1980s. It's a sonic journey that captures the essence of a decade, distant yet vividly etched in our collective memory.

The Roman producer unleashes his sonic vision with even greater intensity than before, weaving through dreamy italo-disco, electric atmospheres, soundtrack-worthy synth-pop, and boogie-funk grooves.

Each track opens a window onto an era the artist experienced only fleetingly as a child, yet he evokes it with a powerful and refreshingly original touch. Much like a classic library music record, these tracks conjure a wealth of images, scenes, and visual sequences—perfect soundtracks for imagined films or evocative advertising campaigns: as seductive as a perfume ad, as desirable as a car commercial, and brimming with the bright future the 80s promised.

It's no surprise that cinematic references spring to mind even before musical ones. The album echoes the dreamy atmospheres of early 80s Italian cinema, particularly films like Carlo Verdone's "Acqua e Sapone" (1983) and Carlo Vanzina's "Amarsi Un Po'" (1984). Meanwhile, flashes of New Romantic aesthetics and hints of electro-funk transport you to a neon-lit dance floor where a DJ is spinning the vinyl copy of Flashback.

Azzurro 80's new album is a vibrant, energetic work, balancing groove and emotion in equal measure and infused with a sense of nostalgia that feels remarkably contemporary.

Available May 9th on LP and Digital from Four Flies Records!

Erstmals veröffentlicht in 2002 - 'Oblivion with Bells' (Reissue).

Underworld sind ein echtes Unikat, das auf den größten Festivals und Veranstaltungen der Welt als Headliner auftritt, in Underground-Techno-Clubs und Lagerhäusern spielt, Theaterproduktionen vertont oder Kunstgalerien, stillgelegte Schuhläden und japanische Kaufhäuser bespielt.

- Ltd. 2LP: (180g schweres schwarzes Doppelvinyl. Auf halber Geschwindigkeit geschnitten und sorgfältig auf höchste Audioqualität getestet. Double-Gatefold mit dem klassischen Design der Originalpressung und neuem LP-Cover-Rücken-Artwork, das neben den anderen 2025er LP-Reissues der Band ein einheitliches Bild ergibt.)

oop of Life is presenting the diverse palette of analog synthesizers and drum machines of Kuiper Belt. A wide range of tracks kicking off with a harsh and heavy 808 slow burner filled with 303 acid. 'Prg Select' and 'Two Voice' both drawing inspiration from the underground techno scene with pulsating beats and bleeps that truly resonates. An melancholic analog machine soul electro track with vocoder vocals closing off the EP in style.

Hand stamped black label release with an urge to break out of the algorithm and to be released on vinyl available at your specialised record store.

You've heard it in many of Bukkha's, Mysticwood's and King Original's sessions, and it made you dance and prance.
The moment you have all been waiting for is here!
BUKKHA003 features grime king, Footsie, pon the mic over a nice rockers style riddim built by the original US dub/steppas king, Bukkha.
Footsie come through and provides a deep meditative vocal flow.
Joining us on the vocal mix and horn cut is trumpet badman, Aba Ariginal.
You already know these are guaranteed ANTHEM vibes!
To close the A side, Bukkha dubs the riddim in his unique style and fashion.
On the flip, man like Charlie Mystic steps up to the plate, and brings new life to the vocals by putting them on a heavy steppas riddim.
Mysticwood takes you on a journey with this one by showing you his versatile style.
All of Mysticwood's cuts are certified bangers to take your session/set to the next level.

Hikari to Kage is the next chapter in the story of Wabi Sabi Audio Imprint, diving into the experimental and ambient realms of electronic music.

This beautiful album comes from the hands of Sarah Wreath, a German artist whose unique approach to sound exploration captured our hearts the moment we saw her live at Monument.

The album It's a narrative, an introspective journey that doesn't tell you what to feel but gently guides you toward your own perspective.

Three incredible remixes by DJ Hi-C, Pianeti Sintetici, and Jorge Fons bring their own vision of Sarah's music, each artist weaving their own story within Sarah's framework. Like Yin and Yang, light and shadow exist in balance, defining the beauty of the other-this is Hikari to Kage.

CS003, our next offering on wax, is home-grown. The Instruction EP features three original productions by label co-founder Niall Kelly complimented by a remix from the inimitable Carl Finlow. Niall’s debut EP showcases his prowess as producer harking to a pool of influences found in the sonic DNA of our hometown of Leeds, with added firepower provided by a legendary artist with close ties to the city.

Echoes of the rowdy bygone Mint Club ooze through the slappy tech house roller ’Section 1’ which opens the record. The chunky basslines retro synths and robotic vocoder connect the dots from Niall’s palette to the unmistakeable sound of Yorkshire Bleep on ‘Seven Wolves’. Carl’s treatment of ‘Section 1’ pivots into a darker, dystopian soundscape full of fizzing hi hats and dizzying synths that amalgamate into a dancefloor shaker that is unmistakably Finlow. The EP is rounded off by Groove Key, a track which serves up a special disorientating euphoria designed to be heard on large soundsystems and felt deep within your bones.

A noughties classic, an earworming anthem, an eventual schoolyard ringtone favourite; Roman Flügel’s once inescapable ‘Geht’s Noch?’ celebrates turning 21 on Running Back, refreshed and remixed by a scene-spanning set of artists paying keen tribute to its absurdist energy.
Casually released as part of a Cocoon Records compilation in 2004, ‘Geht’s Noch?’ rose from the depths with the support of Sven Väth, becoming an international phenomenon, conquering and uniting the dominant scenes of minimal and electroclash alike. Some have said it laid the foundations for the ‘Dirty Dutch’
house scene, albeit from over the border in Germany.
Well known for injecting much-needed levity into the contemporary club landscape via her Live From Earth parties, DJ Gigola adds additional firepower to ‘Geht’s Noch?’, inducing a planet-shaking kick drum, before sending the track’s signature bleeps into nonsensical Morse code for even greater pleasure. Another rave
culture connoisseur, Luca Lozano, offers two alternate takes; his ‘Technocs’ mix rolls deep with additional cowbells, robotic voice commands and stadium-sized claps. Meanwhile, the ‘Gehts Garage Remix’ draws a savvy connection with the original’s as-yet-untapped UK funky potential.
Peder Mannerfelt, who straddles the line between innovation, functionality, humor and seriousness quite like its original author, takes ‘Geht’s Noch?’ to truly wuthering heights. His remix builds unexpected drama and catharsis around the enduring riff, before a collaboration with studio partner Par Grindvik as Aasthma
spins the club out with a glossy, anime-tinted take, full of whimsy and colour.
And while the digital release of Geht’s Noch? also spans interpretations from Audion, Domnik Eulberg & Moguai, this vinyl release presses Steve Angello vs Who’s Who remix to wax, that which helped take ‘Geht’s Noch?’ out of the underground and into the stratosphere. Twenty years on, and Flügel’s offbeat hit is always ascending. Love it or hate it, ‘Geht’s Noch?' will still get you good.
Words by John Loveless

Cool Up Records presents the new 7-inch vinyl single by Spanish singer Sailor Smile. The record includes the tracks "Small Baby" and "Let Me Shine", both from her recent EP Desire.

Following the warm reception of the 7-inch single “I Put a Spell on You” in 2024, also featuring Sailor Smile, the Spanish label reaffirms its commitment to the artist. This new release moves beyond the reggae sound of previous productions, while preserving the signature style that defines Cool Up’s work.

On A-side, “Small Baby” is a Soul tune with a solid groove and plenty of character. On B-side, “Let Me Shine” is a Ska track featuring a vocal collaboration with Tenor Mario, who also co-produced both tracks. Together, they deliver a vibrant duet full of energy and party vibes.

Both tracks stand out for their horns arrangements by Sherlock Horns, which add richness and cohesion to the production, solidifying a distinctive sound within the label's catalog.

The vinyl design, created by Mr. John Vanilla, maintains the aesthetic line of Cool Up Records' 7"collection.

The first new Electro Clash tracks from Break 3000 since 2003! After a string of re-issues of old gems on Italy's "Mondo Phase", the Argentinian label "Calypso's Dream" and his own "Electron Feel" last year, Break 3000 is finally back with some new original cuts!

The A-side "Electronique" has all the ingredients you would want from a hard-hitting Electro Clash track. EBM style drums and a powerful raw bass line topped with soaring rave leads and pads and added original (Vocoder) vocals by Break 3000 himself. This one is road tested already on dance floors and big systems and a guaranteed crowd pleaser! Second up is the driving "Continua", leaning more towards Break 3000 Techno classics like "Flash" and "Fix" this filtered rave lead will make a wild crowd go even wilder. Dark and twisted Electro Techno at its best.

The B-side opens with another aspect of the Break 3000 sound spectrum. We look back to the early years here and to songs like "The Wait" and "Spacemaschinenreise" that were produced in 1999. In a Detroit meets Rotterdam styled Electro setting this song uses a lot of the old sounds from 26 years ago, mostly coming from his original EMU sampler used at the time and a great 80s vocal sample gives this track it's title. We are transported back to the golden era of Cold Wave here. Closing out this new EP is the wonderful Marcello Giordani from Parma, Italy who build a strong reputation with his "Italo Deviance" label over the years. He gives the original "Electronique" a great funky "Proto House" bass line in best "Bobby Orlando" manner, what a brilliant crossover track this one is! With the Vermona drum sounds his - Dark Disco meets Early House - jam will certainly be on many DJ's want list.

We hope you enjoy these new tracks! There is more to come… stay tuned!


All tracks are mastered by Salz Mastering in Cologne. Music, Photography & Art by Break 3000.

Back in 1995 Section 47 released their final EP on their own Terra Records. Three jungle/drum & bass tracks that became highly sought after (which is obviously why we approached them!). This is probably the rarest record we have released as only 50 white labels came out back in 1995.

There were two EPs prior to this one if you collectors want to dig those out plus the chaps have recently put out a new album, a collection of released and unreleased tracks from 30 years ago which you can find on their Bandcamp page.

This is an awesome under the radar hardcore release to get you buzzing! The guys behind Dub Base and 2 Slices Of Jam create 4 tracks of absolute joy. And as is always the case when it comes to a Vinyl Fanatiks repress, the original 1993 release is highly sought after.

BOOOoo! is back with a new VA gathering Ildec, Pagenty, Phase O'Matic, Gogo Gadgeto & label-head BOOH!

The fourth installment has been carefully curated to showcase five distinct facets of the darker side of the electro scene, while maintaining a softer, more accessible edge. Each track is suitable for both daytime and nighttime play.

Change, founded in 1980 by Mauro Malavasi, Jacques Fred Petrus, Davide Romani, and
Paolo Gianolio, is a legendary band on the interna#onal soul/disco scene, renowned for
launching iconic voices such as Luther Vandross and Jocelyn Brown.
Their debut album, The Glow of Love, was produced in 1979 between Bologna and New
York. Widely regarded as one of the greatest disco/soul/funk LPs of all #me, it achieved
enormous interna#onal success. It was the first Italian produc#on in this genre to enter the
Billboard 200 chart, peaking at #29 and earning a Gold Record. The singles “A Lover’s
Holiday” (Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100), “Searching,” and the #tle track “The Glow of
Love” (which reached #2 in Italy) solidified the album’s global impact.
So influen#al was the record that in 2001, Janet Jackson sampled the #tle track for her hit
“All for You,” which went on to win the Grammy Award for Best R&B Recording.
Throughout the 1980s, Change released five addi#onal albums:
• Miracles (1981)
• Sharing
Your Love (1982)
• This Is Your Time (1983)
• Change of Heart (1984, produced by Jimmy
Jam & Terry Lewis)
• Turn on Your Radio (1985)
In 2010, the previously unreleased album Change Your Mind—recorded in the 1990s and
produced by Davide Romani—was finally released.
In 2018, aEer a 33-year hiatus, Love 4
Love marked the band’s comeback. Produced by Romani and Stefano Colombo, the album
introduced vocalist Tanya Michelle Smith and featured eight original tracks wriGen by
Romani, Malavasi, Colombo, and Elio Baldi Cantù. The singles included:
• “Hit or Miss” (remixed by Soulpersona)
• “Love 4 Love” (also remixed by Joey Negro)
• “Make Me (Go
Crazy)” (remixed by Opolopo)
Embrace (2025), credited to Change feat. Tanya Michelle Smith, represents the natural
musical evolu#on of Love 4 Love. Originally conceived in 2019 as Tanya Michelle Smith’s solo
album, it was later reviewed by producer Stefano Colombo together with Mauro Malavasi,
who approved the material and authorized the use of the name “Change.” Malavasi also
contributed to the cover design and selected the album #tle: Embrace.
The first single, “Sunrise Forever,” was released on January 10. The remix by Michael Gray
reached #1 on Traxsource and ranked high on the UK Soul Chart.
The album’s release was postponed when Davide Romani and Stefano Colombo decided to
complete an unfinished demo from the Love 4 Love sessions. Some original parts were lost
due to a corrupted backup, but in 2025 the track was completely rearranged with a newly
recorded bassline by Romani and fresh backing vocals.
On April 4, the single “Got 2 Get Up” was released across all digital plaOorms, receiving
strong radio airplay across Europe and entering the UK Soul Chart. On May 16, a remix by
renowned Italian duo Micky More & Andy Tee will be released in an#cipa#on of the album.
Embrace includes ten original tracks and one cover.
The album will be available on CD and vinyl, distributed by Self Distribuzione Srl. The first
500 vinyl copies will be issued as a limited “Expanded Edi&on”, including the full album plus
a bonus 12” single with Michael Gray’s remixes of “Sunrise Forever.”

"Trésor Magnétique" ist eine Zusammenstellung unveröffentlichter Tracks und vernachlässigter Schätze aus dem Vermächtnis des legendären, kamerunisch-französischen Musikers/Schriftstellers Francis Bebey. Sorgfältig digitalisiert in den Abbey Road Studios, strahlen sie eine Klarheit und Dringlichkeit aus, die den Jahrzehnten seit ihrer Entstehung bis zur Jetztzeit trotzt. "Trésor Magnétique" ist keine verstaubte Retrospektive, sondern ein lebendiger, atmender Dialog mit der Gegenwart und der perfekte Einstieg in eine umfangreiche Diskografie, die sich fliessend zwischen tanzbarem Afro-Funk, folkloristischen Gesängen, politisch aufgeladenen Kommentaren und schimmernden elektronischen Erkundungen bewegt. Francis Bebey war seiner Zeit nicht nur voraus – er prägte seine eigene Zeit. Wir entdecken hier nicht nur verlorene Artefakte, sondern werden mit Ideen konfrontiert, die heute noch radikal und relevant sind.

YIA, the emerging DJ duo, returns with a release that blends house, deep tech, and minimal influences, creating a refined yet impactful groove, designed to light up the most selective dancefloors.


The vinyl includes two exclusive remixes from two prominent international names:
• Argentine producer Guile, known for his organic and hypnotic sound, delivers a deep and immersive rework.
• From the UK, Duncan Thomas presents an elegant version, full of tension and groove, perfect for the more sophisticated nighttime sets.


Released by Yes I Am Recordings, a label active in both digital and vinyl formats, this EP is made for diggers and those seeking authentic, underground sounds.

here may still be electronic music artists in this age of overflow and convenience who follow their own artistic vision regardless of what attention it might bring, if any. With an output that shows individualism, ideas and a signature sound. An ongoing creative process, uncompromising and adventurous, even eccentric, with results of consistent quality and determination. Dennis Busch aka James Din A4 is an archetypical example for this type of artist. He flooded the scene with releases in the 00s with numerous monikers, mostly on his own Esel imprint, and they were all great. On the outside you had his singular artworks (he is also a very accomplished collage artist) and quirkily humorous titles, and on the inside you had his music, also seemingly informed by a collage approach (only with samples), managing to sound focussed and out of focus, often at the same time. If you listen to a James Din A4 track it probably is simultaneously playful and disciplined. Anything can happen, and a lot if it actually does.

For quite some years, music releases by James Din A 4 were scarce. Jan Jelinek, an ardent fan, re-interpreted some of his favourites from the vast back catalogue as an album in 2014, then ten years later the album „Ins Licht“ appeared, and it quite nonchalantly continued what seemed to have stopped, right on the same level of greatness. And now we know that it still continues, as the label Live At Robert Johnson releases the new album „Never Look Back“. Its title should not be taken too literally, as all the trademarks of his musical legacy are perfectly intact. You will find the light and air that seems to seep through the sounds, the frisky structural details, the jolly melodies, the subtle deepness, the minimalistic yet not too strict grooves.

But do not be mistaken, this album is not looking back too much, of course. After all, this is music that is still evolving. Let’s hope for more glimpses of James Din A4‘s special and spacious world, they are ever
needed.

Kiria Records proudly presents "Vintage A EP", a collection by Direkt that embodies the essence of modern groove with timeless and elegant influences. This EP explores different sonic shades, perfect for enriching any moment of a DJ set.

On side A, we have "Vintage A", a track that stands out for its sophisticated groove and immersive structure. The blend of delicate synths and sharp percussion creates an atmosphere perfect for lighting up the dancefloor and taking listeners on a hypnotic journey. Following that, Cally’s remix delivers an innovative and minimal reinterpretation of the original track. With tight rhythms and subtle nuances, this version captivates the audience and adds depth to transitional moments.

On side B, "Best Kick Forward" opens with a powerful rhythmic drive, characterized by strong basslines and an engaging progression, making it perfect for the most dynamic moments of a set. Closing the EP is "Fragments", a track that plays with atmospheric elements and refined grooves. Intricate percussion and ethereal melodies intertwine to create a finale that leaves a lasting impression.

With "Vintage A EP", Direkt and Kiria Records deliver a must-have musical chapter, crafted for DJs and collectors seeking unique and uncompromising sounds.

Human Engineering LP started with a performance photograph, taken during the first stages of the global Coronavirus lockdown in a disused municipal building in Easthampton, Massachusetts. Taking the form of a proficient and emphatic high-jump, with a recording of its sound, and a spoken text, amplified through the strings of an abandoned piano occupying the same space. The resulting photographic and sound documents formed the basis of an audio correspondence between Rick Myers, Andy Votel and Sean Canty which was recorded and arranged between Easthampton Mass. and Manchester from 2018 to 2024.

The latest transmission on Samurai tunes into half-time intensity with a psychedelic edge courtesy of leading French practitioner Vardae. Applying techno hypnotism and cinematic atmospheres to his snaking beat constructions, the Lyon-based artist delivers a pitch-perfect exercise in mystical meditation that follows a natural path from the Ancestral Voices LP.

Since first emerging around 2017, Vardae has been determined to establish a sound unbound by genre restrictions. To date he's successfully moved between cult labels such as Non Series and Ooda while pivoting from linear 4/4 to crooked broken beat without disrupting his immersive, finely sculpted production style.
Alongside his releases, Vardae is also responsible for the ouroboros festival that takes place every year in central France. Last summer, after the dancefloor closed on the final night of the the event, fabled Dutch transcendental ambient group Son Of Chi made an acoustic concert around the campfire that cast a spell over everyone present. This experience formed the inspirational basis for Vardae's new EP, drawing on the instinctive power of insistent rhythm and the spiritual intrigue that lies behind subtly dissonant tones - shadows cast by refined, restrained synthesis flickering in the imagined light of the flames.

From the rattle of timbale on 'The Light Motion' to the laser-focused ripples that charge through 'Voices Of Dispossession', Vardae bends and shapes his drum work with exacting intention across this EP. Treading the line between 85 and 170BPM, he approaches fierce peaks in his tracks with an exacting patience, building to the arp-soaked climax of 'Flaming As A Cloud' and its ecstatic, melodic crescendo.
Proudly individual and drawing from the deepest of musical experiences, Vardae's latest statement promises similarly profound moments when these pieces come into contact with the right souls and the right sound in the right setting.

Repress.


An incredibly important but left behind album from 1994 originally on the Concrete label and now fully remastered & reissued. Three piece Opik, which consisted of Murray Clark, Chris Deverell and Robert Ellerby delivered some of the most bustling, pulsating, instrumental electronic music of the 90’s. Driven along by forceful emotional basslines coupled with melodic synths and the occasional epic vocal sample. Think LFO, think Orbital, think Leftfield, think Underworld and you are nearly there. Music truly ahead of its time.

Selekt Sounds proudly launches its vinyl-only imprint Selekt Wax with an evocative EP from Dragomir, one of Bucharest’s most prominent voices in minimal. Deeply introspective yet effortlessly hypnotic, this record is a meditation on space, tension, and the emotional resonance of stripped down groove. Each track pulses with a quiet intensity—crafted with care, driven by instinct, and tuned to the inner ear.

Etched on the sleeve, a poem sets the tone:

the space between the sounds
expansion and contraction
allow what comes up to flow
ebb like the ocean waves
keeping in time with the synchrony
manipulating sound waves
helps navigate the now
can you hear yourself between the sound?
in the space between.

Much like the words that frame it, this release invites listeners to tune in—not just to the music, but to the stillness it surrounds.

A1 Trust - A hypnotic minimal roller built around a looping vocal mantra, jazzy percussive details, and swirling psychedelic textures. Subtle yet immersive, it invites deep focus and surrender.

A2 Mirroring - Moody, meditative, and rich in detail, Mirroring unfolds through broken rhythms and shadowy textures—perfect for reflective moments on or off the dancefloor.

B1 Irresolute - With a steady 4x4 pulse and airy, emotional pads, Irresolute balances tension and release in a way that feels both uplifting and unresolved. A track for when the night blurs into morning.

Tornado Wallace arrives at Test Pressing with the main mix being a beautiful long track that develops over ten minutes, starting with keyboard melodies before the tracks goes into the club zone. The ‘Symphony Mix’ takes the train on an ambient mix with the Bitter Beats bringing fin for the DJ squad.

Right on time once again, the fifth outing on Punctuality welcomes Irish producer Drua to the fore. In typical Punctuality fashion the release draws influence from the canon of golden era late 90s and early 2000s dance music with an entirely modern production aesthetic, engineered for big rigs and sweaty dancefloors alike.

Nightfire is a fully realised vision of Drua’s sound that could best be described as contemporary hard house. All four tracks are laden with punchy, rolling basslines, detailed low end, vibrant stabs, sultry vocals, undulating rhythms and sprinklings of quintessential club sparks.

The nouveau handbag styling of UP kicks off the EP. Stuttered vocals, M1 organs and solid grooves are fused together with clever sampling that is sure to make this one a hit for the festival season of s/s ‘25, as early support from the likes of Roza Terenzi, Confidence Man, Spray, Sally C and Maara would indicate.

Job 2.3 has all the elements of a Punctuality anthem and maintains the big tune mood of the EP: skippy bass notes, low end wubs, subtle breaks, catchy vocal hooks and precise drums nail the brief in executing this prog-hard-house hybrid heater.

On the flip, Nightfire nods to classic leaning deep house through a peak time lens. Introspective pads make way for pulsing subs, sensuous vocal chops and hip catching basslines. This is one of those tracks that can shift the arc of a DJ set to the next level. Big tip here.

The EP concludes with Arch In Ur Back which has all the elements to work a dancefloor: multiple grooves, rolling breakbeats, party starting vocals and the modern sound design that punctuality has gained worldwide notoriety for. An all killer no filler EP in the form of four well rounded club tools from Drua that are sure to be mainstays for discerning DJs and Punctualists

Crowns by The Rebel feat. Corey James Gray is out now on 7’’ via Little Beat More!
The Rebel, aka Tommaso Taroni, producer from Rome and Founder of DJ’s Choice label, delivers a raw, soulful track that opens the door to his debut album. Crowns features the sharp lyrics and smooth, magnetic delivery by Corey James Gray (FKA Ill Spookin), riding over a sturdy groove with crisp drums and deep guitar loops.
On Side B a further explosion comes: Clap! Clap! signs a Power Trio remix of the track that flips everything on its head. With thunderous syncopated riddim and wild brass stabs, this version hits like a futuristic brass band from New Orleans: unrelenting, joyful, and rhythmically overpowering. A bold reimagining by one of Italy’s most visionary electronic producers.
Packaged in a stunning disco bag illustrated by El Moro, this 7” is both a record to play and a piece to keep. A snapshot of a fresh project in the pipeline, ready to go!

2025 Repress!

hereandthere releases their first EP compilation with tracks from IGLO, Ecilo, Arthur Robert, and Anna Kost, with a digital bonus from Pink Concrete. A solid unit of rhythmic techno sounds, brought forward by driving basslines, dub chords, and repetitive synth lines with melancholic undertones.

Bold yet restrained, each track moves forward at an energetic pace that is both assertive and gracefully structured. After plenty of testing, they have become staples of the hereandthere dance floor, guiding the way through numerous early mornings and defining the current sound of the collective.

As most of us now live in a world saturated with information, this album feels like a reflection of how the modern world might sound if it were to process its own chaos through a unified scream. Hailing from the highlands of Bandung, West Java, a city where tradition and modernization intertwine in the rhythm of daily life, Xin Lie unpretentiously translates this cultural fusion into a sonically rich and rhythmically bold debut LP.

The artist’s roots in the hardcore and punk scenes reverberate throughout the album, though they’ve been reshaped and refined for the club. There’s an undeniable pleasure in experiencing the chaos Xin Lie channels—irregular beats, dynamic frequencies, and disjointed grooves collide and expand, each track laced with a sense of unpredictable energy. Yet even in its most chaotic moments, the music feels deliberate, its edges softened by a sense of compositional care.

The album reveals a strange duality: tracks that seem to beckon you to the dance floor but never quite let you settle there. Frequencies flicker and fluctuate in patterns that feel just slightly off-grid, as though resisting traditional structures. Yet, amidst the digital textures, Xin Lie weaves in organic sounds—snippets of native conversations or environmental noise—creating layers that feel both intimate and expansive.It’s fair to say this album extends far beyond the boundaries of today’s club music.

Picture this: you’re moving through your daily routines—mundane, repetitive—and suddenly, the music shifts your perspective. It reframes the ordinary as something surreal, as though it’s deconstructing itself in real-time, breaking into fragments or conjuring entirely new forms. Perhaps it’s best imagined as the soundtrack to a multi-sensory art installation or a performance staged not in a gallery but in an unassuming house down your street. Who’s to say where it might take you?

"Bassland Prophecy" was a collection of Southern California musicians, including Alex Xenophon (Deep Squared), Stuart Breidenstein (formerly of Skylab 2000), Alissa Kueker (vocals), and Maxx Vaxx (Euterpre, Butterfly Garden).

The act nourished and grew the emerging LA scene and was a renegade force in live electronic improvisation. Rather than composing full tracks, Breidenstein stated over email that they built musical "ingredients" on the fly, syncing DOS and hardware sequencers mid-performance. Their unpredictable sets, from illegal raves to makeshift desert parties, resulted in electrifying, unforgettable sonic trips.

Recalling 90s LA, Breidenstein said: “Before the internet, finding a rave was an adventure. You’d get a flyer with a phone number, call it the night of the event, then drive—sometimes 100 miles or more from a map point to the actual party. The scene was raw and underground, built by music obsessives hunting for the freshest sounds.”

Two standout tracks from 1996—“Nine / Deeper” and “Blue and Purple Starship of Trust”—perfectly represent their unique genre-bending concoctions. Against all odds, the recordings survived and have been given new life, remastered and reissued on Bristol-based *Sex Tapes From Mars*. To produce the wizardry, their setup included a Juno 106, Yamaha FB-01, a Roland S330 sampler, and a Sequential Circuits Pro-One mono synth with external MIDI, and some guitar effects pedals.

“Nine / Deeper,” born from one of their many spontaneous studio sessions, became eerily intertwined with recurring appearances of the number 9 and black cats. So much was the frequency of apophenia episodes that paranoia began to take over the artists. Recorded in a makeshift living room studio, the 14-minute excursion traverses genres and tempos, beginning quick and hypnotic, and climaxing chuggy and drenched in adlibbed acid lines, culminating in a surreal and legendary live performance in Hollywood. The piece captures the raw spontaneity of their sets, crafted with vintage gear, cassette tape recordings, and, as always, a DIY ethos. Breidenstein states, “While improvised sessions often failed, when it succeeded, it was definitely a kind of infectious magic the listener would recognize.”

“The Blue and Purple Starship of Trust” is a deeply personal piece, named after when Breidenstein saw a heavenly blue morning glory on a walk around his neighborhood, and emerged from heartbreak and the following deep depression entrenching his life at the time. Recorded in a single take onto cassette tape, blending piano, guitar, and heart-rending vocals into an emotional, dreamlike journey. The track starts with a lush, cascading synth sound, bolstered up by rolling, reverbing downtempo drums. Using Sequential Circuits Pro-One throughout, the rippling synths and off-key piano licks act like pipetted droplets of water, all elements bleeding into each other in some kind of hallucinogenic swelling, reflecting Breidenstein’s fading relationship. The guitar part is a nod to Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine,” and Breidenstein recalls just “bawling as the guitar line was recorded.”

Created in a time of artistic struggle, living in an old school bus, surviving on instant noodles while hauling their gear from venue to venue, and scraping by on gig money, these recordings act as rare artifacts of a movement that thrived on passion and perseverance, standing as a poignant testament to resilience. Though they released a handful of tracks, ranging from deep house to ambient to techno, their true legacy lay in their high-energy, genre-blurring live shows, which are powerfully encapsulated within these recordings and leave a lasting impact on underground electronic music today.

To survive the AI’s purge, humanity encoded its memories into sound and launched them to the farthest corners of the galaxy. Planet Boom is one such archive. A world made of dreams, memories, and fractured timelines, reassembled through sonic fragments.

Planet Boom is the arena. The Serpent has issued a challenge: four warriors, one chance to shift the balance of power through sound alone. Each codebreaker brings their weapon. Sweater with his nimble footwork and striking rhythm combos. Reyer with a crushing, tactical onslaught. Poten with cerebral unpredictability. Lukey with a flowing, adaptive style that reads the room like an open circuit. Only one will decode the final key. The rest will be echoes. Planet Boom is the battleground. Let the soundclash begin.

"Throughout all my time as a musician and producer, ever since Jack the Tab, I've been focused on developing a single idea: Blending psychedelic sounds and effects with rhythm." Richard Norris, Strange Things Are Happening White Rabbit 2024

Over the past few years Eskimo Recordings have invited some of thebest crate diggers around to curate compilations that don't just reveal the hidden contents of their record bags but something about themselves too. Now, following in the footsteps of the likes of Bill Brewster and Psychemagik, producer, musician, DJ, writer and more, Richard Norris, takes us on a globetrotting psychedelic journey with the epic 42 track collection, Mr Norris Changes Brains.

For over forty years Richard has played a part in many of the UK's most important music subcultures. Whether sharing stages with the likes of Tracey Thorn as a pubescent punk in St. Albans, or running freakbeat nights in Liverpool and working at the pioneering psychedelic label Bam Caruso, co-producing the UK's first acid house inspired LP with Throbbing Gristle's Genesis P. Orridge or riding the wave of creativity that the second summer of love unleashed all the way to the Top of the Pop studios as The Grid, Richard's career has continually seen him work to expand both his own and the public's musical horizons.

With Mr Norris Changes Brains it's the most recent part of his mercurial career that he's focused on. Drawing inspiration from his post 2006 adventures as one half of Beyond the Wizard's Sleeve, alongside Trash's Erol Alkan, this compilation shows how a more connected world has blown the dust off a paradoxically sometimes straightjacketed scene. The result is a dizzyingly wide-ranging collection that explores the further out there reaches of worldwide psychedelia and dancefloor mayhem.

"A lot of these tracks are fairly recent discoveries, things that I've discovered from around the time I started working with Erol and going right up to today," Richard explains. "Whether that's from going out to play and finding new records in places like Istanbul or just connecting with people online from all around the world. Psych can sometimes be a sort of narrow-minded field, with everything having to sit in its specific niche, but more and more people are open to new sounds and that's allowed for a much broader selection."

Despite their disparate origins what does unite these tracks is that they aren't just there to zone out to on a bean bag as projections of swirling coloured oils and psychedelic patterns wash over you. Mr Norris may change brains but his DJ sets also move feet, and whether it's their killer guitar riffs, oscillating synths floor shaking drums or soulful Hammond organs these are all cuts that from festival tents to underground clubs have proven time and time again to get people dancing.

"With a lot of these tracks there's a kind of fun element in them," says Richard. "It's still psychedelia, but they've also got these solid, funky grooves. They sound phenomenal on the dancefloor and as much as these records might excite old psych heads, this compilation is also for a new generation out there who might have never heard anything like this before and, just like when I was 18 and heard The 13th Floor Elevators for the first time, think 'Oh, my God, what on earth is this and more importantly what else is out there?'"

"Throughout all my time as a musician and producer, ever since Jack the Tab, I've been focused on developing a single idea: Blending psychedelic sounds and effects with rhythm." Richard Norris, Strange Things Are Happening White Rabbit 2024

Over the past few years Eskimo Recordings have invited some of the best crate diggers aroundto curate compilations that don't just reveal the hidden contents of their record bags but something about themselves too. Now, following in the footsteps of the likes of Bill Brewster and Psychemagik, producer, musician, DJ, writer and more, Richard Norris, takes us on a globetrotting psychedelic journey with the epic 42 track collection, Mr Norris Changes Brains.

For over forty years Richard has played a part in many of the UK's most important music subcultures. Whether sharing stages with the likes of Tracey Thorn as a pubescent punk in St. Albans, or running freakbeat nights in Liverpool and working at the pioneering psychedelic label Bam Caruso, co-producing the UK's first acid house inspired LP with Throbbing Gristle's Genesis P. Orridge or riding the wave of creativity that the second summer of love unleashed all the way to the Top of the Pop studios as The Grid, Richard's career has continually seen him work to expand both hisown and the public's musical horizons.

With Mr Norris Changes Brains it's the most recent part of his mercurial career that he's focused on. Drawing inspiration from his post 2006 adventures as one half of Beyond the Wizard's Sleeve, alongside Trash's Erol Alkan, this compilation shows how a more connected world has blown the dust off a paradoxically sometimes straightjacketed scene. The result is a dizzyingly wide-ranging collection that explores the further out there reaches of worldwide psychedelia and dancefloor mayhem.

"A lot of these tracks are fairly recent discoveries, things that I've discovered from around the time I started working with Erol and going right up to today," Richard explains. "Whether that's from going out to play and finding new records in places like Istanbul or just connecting with people online from all around the world. Psych can sometimes be a sort of narrow-minded field, with everything havingto sit in its specific niche, but more and more people are open to new sounds and that's allowed for a much broader selection."

Despite their disparate origins what does unite these tracks is that they aren't just there to zone out to on a bean bag as projections of swirling coloured oils and psychedelic patterns wash over you. Mr Norris may change brains but his DJ sets also move feet, and whether it's their killer guitar riffs, oscillating synths floor shaking drums or soulful Hammond organs these are all cuts that from festival tents to underground clubs have proven time and time again to get people dancing.

"With a lot of these tracks there's a kind of fun element in them," says Richard. "It's still psychedelia, but they've also got these solid, funky grooves. They sound phenomenal on the dancefloor and as much as these records might excite old psych heads, this compilation is also for a new generation out there who might have never heard anything like this before and, just like when I was 18 and heard The 13th Floor Elevators for the first time, think 'Oh, my God, what on earth is this and more importantly what else is out there?'"

It’s a follow-up long in the making as Ukrainian artist Volodymyr Gnatenko re-enters Kalahari orbit.

Somewhere between submerged video game OST and ritual incantation, Mershiy LP recalls the finest psychoacoustic ambient dub the ‘90s had to offer. Less direct than the previous album, allowing space for IDM introspection and some proper contemplation. A mind-melt but keeping it widescreen and pretty meticulous throughout.

Imagined vistas shot in pristine 4K, impeccably crafted with close listening in mind. Repeated listens reveal more insectoid detail and a knack for detailed sonic immersion.

A 6-track zone-out where diaphanous texture makes way for ominous dread as the narrative unfurls. Balancing urges and inclinations with a fathomless churn of acid, trance, dub and pointelist electronics.

Written and Produced by Volodymyr Gnatenko
Design by Susanne Janssen.
Mastered and cut by Anne Taegert at Dubplates And Mastering.
Distributed by One Eye Witness.
2025

Repress!

After months of careful preparation, we're thrilled to introduce Hydrostatic Equilibrium HNT002--a full EP by our dear friend and inspiration, Arthur Robert. This release captures the essence of our sonic journey: the A side offers more energetic, driving tracks, while the B side dives into a more mellow and deeper end.

HNT002 features a unique collaboration between Arthur Robert and Aya on the track "Le Sense De La Vie." The artwork cover for this release was also created by Aya.

RAWAX proudly welcomes Mystic Bill to the artist Family.
As big fans, we are more than happy to present you this great producer on CHIWAX.
„Chicago School Of Jazz Vol. 1“ is beautiful Hommage to the artists and music of the Windy City.

LP vinyl only release + 4 page liner notes (comes with hype sticker)

The percussive new age soundtracks of '80s and early '90s Japanese TV, anime and manga built alternative worlds and pushed boundaries in the process.

When Japanese composer Yas-Kaz left Tokyo for Bali in the mid 1970s he had little idea of how influential his trip would become. In studying the storied art of gamelan, the jazz and avant-garde percussionist opened a door to a world of sound and rhythm left behind by the West. The music he and his contemporaries made would become known as new age. It also happened to soundtrack the golden era of anime.

Awash with money and with the prerogative to entertain the burgeoning middle classes, anime in the 1980s experienced a creative and commercial boom. Not constricted by generic expectations, production houses such as the now renowned Studio Ghibli were able to experiment liberally with both form and content. And with it came the space for composers to be similarly adventurous.

TV, Anime & Manga New Age Soundtracks 1984-1993 charts this moment across eight tracks spanning classics of the genre and previously unknown rarities. The collection brings together music that found kinship in electronic and acoustic instrumentation, often combining spiritual or environmental themes with percussive, varied and highly refined syncopations of non-Western musical traditions.

Among them is ‘Kaneda’ by Geinoh Yamashirogumi, the shape-shifting group of self-styled musicians, anthropologists and computer scientists that masterminded the soundtrack to game-changing dystopian anime Akira - and with whom the sound, tuning and breakneck speed of Balinese gamelan has become indelibly entwined.

Reflecting the desires of the era to reach beyond Japan’s borders, many of the soundtracks featured were commissioned for narratives set in distant lands or alternative worlds. There’s violinist and composer Norihiro Tsuru’s ‘Farsighted Person’, written for The Heroic Legend of Arslān, set in ancient Persia; Yas-Kaz’s own ‘Hei (Theme of Shikioni)’, for period sci-fi manga & anime series Peacock King - Spirit Warrior; and two tracks - Tassili N’Ajjer and Fiesta Del Fuego - from Yoichiro Yoshikawa’s soundtrack to NHK’s proto-Planet Earth series The Miracle Planet.

Such was the variety and quality of the music produced, if there is a guiding principle to the tracks collected here it is a sense of escapism and adventure that came with the confluence of modern electronic instruments and a fascination with percussive traditions.

Elsewhere, pioneering children’s TV composer Chumei Watanabe’s ‘Fushigi Song’ (performed by a vocal group Korogi ‘72) offers a trippy and infectious groove with sonic similarities to Don Cherry’s ‘Brown Rice’; little-known jazz-funk library group Columbia Orchestra showcase the best of Tokyo’s session musicians on ‘Hearts Beats - Theme for Andrew Glasgow’; before lawyer-turned-composer Kan Ogasawara closes out the compilation with a dramatic flourish on ‘Gishin Anki’.

Following on from Time Capsule’s acclaimed deep-dive into the world of manga & anime synth-pop in 2022, this vinyl only collection is set to broaden and diversify an understanding of how soundtracks shaped the sound of new age music in Japan for a generation.

Curators: Kay Suzuki, Rintaro Sekizuka (Vinyl Delivery Service)
Artwork: Tu-yang

Good things take time, and this time they bring us a true gift: Brett Johnson, a living house legend. From his base in Austin, he delivers a special mix of two classic tracks and two new ones, all with his unmistakable sound that has moved dance floors worldwide. His timeless beats return in the most beautiful format: vinyl. A unique release to enjoy!

Space Dimension Controller (Ninja Tune, R&S, Dekmantel, Royal Oak) returns with a six-track EP that pays homage to the early 90s Artificial Intelligence era—think Warp Records, ambient techno, and the roots of IDM—but with his signature futuristic twist. While the foundation is unmistakably retrofuturist, SDC propels the sound into new dimensions, blending slow-motion acid lines, ethereal textures, and subtly propulsive rhythms for daydreamers and dancefloors alike.

*all original recordings from mid 90s Estonian released cassettes. Fascinating interpretations of the UK breakbeat and Jungle sounds recorded when the world felt like a much bigger place.

Since hearing the first breakbeats via the Finnish radio nightly shows introducing the burgeoning UK scene, Virko Veskoja, later head figure of Lu:k, was completely swept away by this new technological language that sounded like machines trying to initiate contact with people. The fluttering rhythm patterns, strings and vocal lines haunting the pathways of the infinite network. Like hip hop taken over by Skynet.

Reimagining it all in mid-90’s Estonia, a fresh and dirt-poor republic newly welcomed to the family of sovereign states on the outskirts of Eastern Europe, was challenging, to say the least. Finally, with the help of entry level music programs, custom-made soundcards and self-built computers by the other Lu:k-head Tõnis Valk, Lu:k took the first tentative steps in the history of Estonian jungle.

Eight Lu:k cuts have been compiled into a handy selection, a true sign of the times when uncertainty came with certain hope and optimism – new territories to chart, new frontiers to conquer. A time of innocence captured so sublimely in Lu:k’s music.

The compilation starts with menacing orchestration that sounds like the birth of a civilization, like in „2001: A Space Odyssey“, or the arrival of Godzilla, only to give way to sweeeet strings and the inimitable Minnie Riperton in “Lovin U”, combining all the essential elements of Lu:k in a track that has remained uncorroded by time since its inception in 1994.

The following “Demo 3” is its antithesis – fast and nervous, a harbinger of the darker days of neurofunk and techstep ahead. More in line with the social realities of the time, when something (or someone) could materialise out of thin air and attack you just as violently as those beats here.

“La:v” was Lu:k’s signature track throughout their brief career that went on only for a few years, 1994-1997. Lifted to heaven’s by Petula Clarks’s wonderful vocals, it perfectly captures the pure essence of creation. “I made it in my bedroom. Something like that just came out. Sorry”, says Virko apologetically.

From the themes of love we are led towards darker scenarios again with “Drunk-Drive”, a more vengeful cut reminiscent of early Ram Records’ nocturnal dangers, skylines shaped by basslines. Previously only available on the uber-rare “Raadiomaja valvelauas” CD compilation from 2005.

“In the Limelight” is lifted from their second album “Dreams in Drums” from 1996 (only released on cassette), and if it’s meant to address their new-found underground celebrity status in Estonia, there is surprisingly little elation here – the track rather consists of introspective strings and beats that sound almost melancholic.

Out of the remaining three tracks, “Proov2mix” and “Kadunud leitud” are the result of a treasure hunt amongst the old, obsolete harddrives – little nuggets that were condemned to obscurity until now. Between them, another vocal-led cut “010”, a non-album track only featured on two comps until now, is a strong reminder of Lu:k’s prodigious ability to handle vocal lines and morph them together with their own weaving synthetic melodies, strong pads and commanding beats.

Lu:k’s music has been largely unavailable for the better part of this century, with original tapes and CD’s changing hands for a small fortune. This vinyl release couldn’t come at a better time, bringing a seminal chapter of Estonian dance music’s mythical history to light again, both for the old-school acolytes and new converts.

All music by Virko Veskoja

Apnea welcomes VC118A to the label for the first time with Back To Life, his next album following the 2024 collaboration Flow Zone with CRC. Across nine tracks on two 12''s, he delivers a potent mix of deep electronics, acid bleeps, mechanically crafted rhythms, and atmospheric dub infusions--pulling the listener into a hypnotic, meditative space. Driven by futuristic machine grooves and evolving textures, Back To Life moves between fluid, weightless passages and tightly constructed sequences, balancing structure with deep immersion. Each track unfolds with intention, guiding through shifting sonic landscapes that blur the line between motion and stillness. Landing April 2025 on Apnea.

In an ever-expanding musical universe, Azymuth have long existed as a celestial giant, drawing countless artists, musicians and followers into their orbit. Marking fifty years since their 1975 debut album Azimuth, their new album Marca Passo proves that the band’s alchemic brew of Brazilian jazz-funk and cosmic samba soul remains as vital as ever, as the group honours the profound legacy of their departed founders.

Recorded in Rio de Janeiro, Marca Passo is the first full-length release since the passing of founding drummer Ivan "Mamão" Conti in 2023, following the earlier loss of keyboardist José Roberto Bertrami in 2012. Alex Malheiros, the sole remaining original member, sees his stewardship of the band’s musical legacy as his spiritual duty. He is joined by the equally devoted Kiko Continentino (Milton Nascimento, Djavan) on keyboards, who has been with the group since 2016, and new recruit Renato Massa (Marcos Valle, Ed Motta) on drums.

Yet since their earliest recorded music, Azymuth have always been far greater than the sum of their parts. The "three-man orchestra’s" unmistakable sound is rooted in Brazil's MPB studio scene of the 1970s and early 1980s—a time when artists blended traditional Brazilian rhythms with global jazz, rock, and emerging psychedelic and progressive elements. Marca Passo continues this legacy, seamlessly fusing Brazilian musical traditions with global influences while showcasing the exceptional musicianship that powers Azymuth's distinctive, multi-dimensional sound.

The album is produced by studio mastermind Daniel Maunick, responsible for Azymuth’s two previous studio albums, Fênix in 2016 and Aurora in 2011. Daniel’s credits also include albums by Marcos Valle, Sabrina Malheiros and Terry Callier. Azymuth also invited Daniel’s father, British jazz-funk royalty Jean Paul “Bluey” Maunick, of Incognito, to play guitar on a new version of Azymuth’s eighties classic “Last Summer In Rio”, in tribute to the song’s composer, José Roberto Bertrami. Equally, “Samba Pro Mamao” is a new composition dedicated to Azymuth’s beloved original drummer, Ivan “Mamão” Conti.

Credits:

Alex Malheiros - Bass, Acoustic Guitar & Vocals: 1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Kiko Continentino - Keyboards, Organ, Vocoder & Vocals: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Renato Massa - Drums & Vocals: : 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10
Ian Moreira - Percussion: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10
Sidinho Moreira - Percussion: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10
Dudu Viana - Keyboards & Vocals: 1
Victor Bertrami - Drums: 1
Mangueirinha - Repinique: 3
Jean Paul ‘Bluey’ Maunick - Electric Guitar: 5
Jose Carlos Bigorna - Soprano Sax: 9
Daniel Maunick: Additional Percussion, Synths & EFX: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Produced, Engineered, Mixed & Arranged by Daniel Maunick
Co-Produced & Arranged by Alex Malheiros
Executive Producer: Joe Davis


Recorded by:
Daniel Maunick & Leonardo Vieira @ Estúdio Nos Trilhos, Santa Teresa, Rio, Brazil
Daniel Maunick & Amadeu Signorelli @ Sigstudio, Niterói, Rio, Brazil
Daniel Maunick & Alex Malheiros @ Estúdio Basslab, Piratininga, Rio, Brazil
Mixed by Daniel Maunick @ The Sugar Shack, Carluke, Scotland


Artwork & Design: Tyler Askew

When you’re running a label, a demo occasionally comes across your desk that makes you reconsider everything you thought your label was all about. For Balmat, such was the case with this stunning album from Stephen Vitiello, Brendan Canty, and Hahn Rowe. It sounds like nothing we’ve released so far—and that very otherness opened up a whole new world of possibilities for us.

Fans of ambient, experimental electronic music, and sound art will be familiar with Vitiello, a New York native, long based in Virginia, who has collaborated with a cross-generational list of greats: Taylor Deupree, Steve Roden, Lawrence English, Tetsu Inoue, Nam June Paik, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Pauline Oliveros, and many more. On labels like 12k, Room40, and Sub Rosa, he has explored a wide range of minimalism, microsound, lowercase, ambient, improv, and other styles. But this album is something different. It may begin in ambient-adjacent territory, but it quickly veers off, and it just keeps zigzagging, taking on elements of krautrock, post-punk, dub, and the groove-heavy interplay of groups like Natural Information Society and 75 Dollar Bill.

This stylistic turn is thanks in large part to Vitiello’s choice of collaborators. “We’re coming from three different schools,” Vitiello says: “sound art, art rock, and punk rock.”

Active since the early 1980s, Rowe—a violinist, guitarist, and producer/engineer—has played with, or manned the boards for, a frankly jaw-dropping list of musicians: Herbie Hancock, Gil Scott-Heron, the Last Poets, Roy Ayers, John Zorn, Glenn Branca, Swans, Live Skull, Brian Eno, David Byrne, Anohni, R.E.M., Yoko Ono, and many more. But he might be most closely associated with Hugo Largo, a one-of-a-kind New York quartet—two basses, vocals, and Rowe’s violin—that in the late 1980s helped lay the groundwork for what would eventually become known as post-rock.

Canty, of course, is the legendary drummer of Fugazi, the visionary DC post-hardcore group, as well as Rites of Spring before them, and, currently, the Messthetics, a Dischord-signed instrumental trio with guitarist Anthony Pirog and Fugazi bassist Joe Lally.

Vitiello’s trio first collaborated on First, a 17-minute piece released on the Longform Editions label in 2023. Second picks up where the freeform drift of First left off, channeling the trio’s exploratory energies into more intentionally structured tracks and—in a real first for Balmat—some almost shockingly muscular grooves. “Sometimes my projects are more conceptually driven,” Vitiello says, “but I think this was more musically geared. I just wanted to open up the references and bring in an incredible drummer, bring in some melodies, and I’m sort of the center.” But his collaborators, he stresses, are “vastly creative in making anything I might suggest better.”

Like its predecessor, Second took shape in phases, shifting between improvisation and collage. Vitiello laid down the skeleton of the music at home, sketching out initial ideas on Rhodes keyboard and acoustic and electric guitar; he then fed the parts through samplers and his modular system, recording 10- or 20-minute jams. Once he had edited them into more structured forms, he hit the studio with Canty, who added not just drums but also bass and piano; finally, Vitiello took the results of those sessions to Rowe, who played violin, viola, electric bass, and 12-string acoustic and bowed electric guitar, and assisted in some of the final structuring and mixdown.

A few more surprises along the way: Reanimator’s Don Godwin, the studio engineer where Vitiello recorded with Canty, contributed what he calls “resonant dustpan”; and none other than Animal Collective’s Geologist, who just happened to be in the studio that day, sits in on hurdy gurdy on “Mrphgtrs1,” the album’s gorgeous, stunningly atmospheric drone closer. “I love these chance encounters,” Vitiello says. “Somebody I admire, a group I admire—that was an unexpected gift.”

An unexpected gift is a great way of describing Second as a whole: three veteran musicians venturing outside their usual zones and finding a new collaborative language together. The results can’t be neatly slotted into any given genre; they belong not to any given category, but to the spirit of conversation itself.

AN ATLAS OF LOSS

Do minerals dream of becoming semiconductors? Do they yearn to carry charges, amplify, switch, and convert energy into emotions comprehensible to humans? And what if, from the darkness of the underground, they had been listening to us sing in caves before the emergence of the first flute? Could they have guided us, through the course of history, to find them, extract them, and create new sounds through sinusoidal waves, to form valves and bend circuits?

If so, minerals would transition from what philosopher Eugene Thacker defines as the ‘planet’—that virginal and unreachable realm for humans that we study through geology, paleontology, and environmental sciences—to the ‘world,’ the space we inhabit, interpret, and synthesise in our daily lives. Sadly, we only remember the world when it erupts violently, through climate catastrophes or when a new virus emerges. Sometimes a tsunami collides with a nuclear plant, or viruses are cultivated as biological weapons in high-security laboratories, provoking a deep biological anxiety, hard to quell, which we all feel beneath our skin.

There exists a third realm, disconnected from both the world and the planet: the ‘earth’, an immense, dense rock floating in space alongside other planets, situated in the cosmological dimension. Relating to the earth is so complex that we only do so through theoretical speculations of a scientific nature or through science fiction, interweaving until one becomes the prophecy of the other, in an infinite, pendular dance. Beyond the darkness of space and Lovecraft’s cosmic horror, the fantasy of human extinction is the most recurrent: to reach a collapse so devastating that we do not survive it, even though the earth does, without us.

In a world where we quantify everything through body sensors, financial algorithms, nanometre-scale robots, and surveillance drones—a world in which everything that can be domesticated and controlled can also be commodified—a superior artificial intelligence would survive the collapse of the species (some speculate it might even cause it) and learn from our mistakes, thanks to our obsessive gathering of data.

Long after our voices fade, minerals will persist in the darkness of screens, in the silicon of chips, and in their pure form, still unexploited underground. Over the millennia, this intelligence might piece together fragments of our reasoning, as if an alien civilization finally connected with one of our spacecrafts loaded with messages cast into the void. It would sort through endless streams of data, unable to grasp the depths of emotion behind what it quantified, recreating simulations of our past, stripped of the nuance that once defined us and conducting experiments in sandboxes.

Some remnants of our existence—faint echoes of forgotten beauty—would be pieced together in an atlas of loss, buried beneath layers of numbers, decayed bots, and corroded hard drives. What will follow? Perhaps bison will once again roam—trotting to the strange pulse of techno, their ancient forms framed by the ruins of our cities.

Buildings will crumble, slowly dissolving under the soft touch of ambient music, and a thousand flowers will bloom with that ancient music created through electrical signals and computation. 7 songs for a future both improbable and inevitable—a final message from a world lost to itself, from planet Earth to planet Earth.

Alfons Pich, 2025