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A new sublabel of the longstanding Canadian electro imprint Suction Records, Ice Machine — focusing on old-school wave/post-punk sounds — launches on Valentines Day 2020 with two fresh Canadian synth-pop LPs on vinyl. Along side a reissue of Ceramic Hello’s cult 1981 minimal synth classic “The Absence Of A Canary,” comes this, the self-titled debut LP from a new Toronto-based duo, Analytica.

Analytica is comprised of David Lush, who’s released several killer solo tapes under the name Memorex, and Gabe Knox, who made a big splash last year with his awesome instrumental synth/kraut solo LP “ABC” on acclaimed UK label Polytechnic Youth.

Analytica make synth-pop the old-fashioned way: driving, verse/chorus pop songs utilizing hardware synthesizers and drum machines, vocals and bass guitar, and recorded to tape. The comparisons to early-Depeche Mode (there’s even a cover of “Reason Man” — an unreleased, Vince Clarke-penned, Depeche song that was part of their earliest live sets), and prime-era New Order (right down to the Oberheim DMX percussion and Peter Hook-style bass guitar) are inevitable, but rarely are these sounds executed with such style and conviction. According to the band, lyrically Analytica “explore facets of the dark age ahead — the propaganda, the nationalism, the environmental disaster in front of our faces - while attempting to offer something of a defence against a nihilistic response to these fears. It's at once a call to arms and a recognition that we're entirely fucked.”

The LP contains 11 songs, and is housed in a stunning reverse-board jacket, and is limited to 500 copies.

Fully remastered from the original tapes and available on vinyl for the first time in 42 years, and CD for the first time in 30 years.
Sleevenotes by Jon Hassell and Brian Eno. Back in record shops on the day of the 2020 vernal equinox, the second release on Hassell’s own Ndeya label.

Hailed as one of the 50 best ambient albums of all time by Pitchfork, Vernal Equinox was the first commercially released work by Jon Hassell, originally put out by Lovely Music in 1977.
It's also the debut of a pioneering new form of music that would become known as “fourth world”: a subtle blend of field recordings, electric jazz, ambience and global music influences.
Hassell’s trademark FX-soaked trumpet is carefully embellished by a studio ensemble including the master Brazilian percussionist Naná Vasconcelos and David Rosenboom on synth.

The result is a quiet, meditative and highly original work of outstanding beauty. Vinyl version is housed in a reverse board outer sleeve with printed inner sleeve. Includes download code.

Back in 2018, Lumière Noire celebrated its first anniversary with a compilation featuring thirteen exclusive tracks by an eclectic group of electronic musicians – a family portrait of sorts. A few months later, a second volume of From Above, compiled by the label's artistic director (and DJ) Chloé, once more brings thirteen established acts together with promising upstarts. The first compilation was the embodiment of the label policy advocating for both artistic excellence and a widening of electronic aesthetics – bopping from deviant house music to adventurous IDM and to the rigor of dancefloor techno, among other electronic explorations. Some of the artists featured are now closely associated with Lumière Noire, while others were more established performers such as Benedikt Frey, Lauer, Jonathan Fitoussi, Il Est Vilaine, Dave e Brun (half of Swayzak) and Frank Agrario, as well as upcoming artists such as C O N T R A (a side project by none other than Iñigo Vontier), Sutja Gutierrez, Théo Muller, Markus Gibb, Bajram Bili, and a sprinkling of UFOs circling the genre (Suuns' Ben Shemie, Drvg Cvltvre, and electro-acoustic combo Lumi). This group photo laid down a number of paths for a label in perpetual evolution.

Since then, the Parisian entity has continued to grow within the international electronic scene, releasing Local Suicide's Leopard Gum EP, Iñigo Vontier's first LP, and planning another slew of releases for 2020. The lineup for this second volume of From Above is once again equally intriguing, offering a crescendo-like track listing over a double LP format, which is a feat of sorts for a "Various Artists" compilation.

Marc Mélias' fascinating, unsettling Permanent Waves gets the proceedings going with a contemplative track that provides a serene opening to the odyssey on which From Above will be taking the listener. Pletnev continues on with the playful, hooky Marco O’Polo, a fundamentally techno track built over a seductive 90s-inspired breakbeat. Douglas Greed (whom Chloé remixed on BPitch a few years back, and had himself remixed track from her album Endless Revisions featuring Ben Shemie’s vocals), supplies Vancouver, a slice of ambiance à la Boards of Canada, supported by a gripping breakbeat. The rhythmic arpeggio of Israeli producer's Middle Sky Bloom makes his contribution a hypnotic, disconcerting slice of dark disco. Thomass Jackson, a safe bet in the new wave of the Latin-American electronic music blowing its sometimes hot, sometimes cold wind, proposes Mithra, a dancefloor incantation to the Antiquity's bull god. With Bells, Goldmoon delivers a track that is both melodic and nostalgic, tinged with rhythmic samples, Moog basses and solar backgrounds. Longtime friend of Chloé, Krikor, who has released two albums on L.I.E.S. Records (Pacific Alley and Saudi), offers a moment of respite with Sally Hardesty (a nod to fans of horror movies), a heavenly and bewitching track that, paradoxically, hints at the highly energetic second half of the compilation. Discovered with Confidences EP released on Lumière Noire, the young French producer Morgan Blanc asserts himself here with Werde Der Du Bist ("Become who you are"), a song with luminous chords and midtempo rhythms to start the second half of the compilation by raising the tension. Galician producer, DJ and designer Cora Novoa continues the rollercoaster's ascent with her Virtual Aesthetics, which once again brings those acid tones – this time without the vertigo. Equally corrosive, but tenser and more percussive, the uncategorizable NSDOS' AL-G attempts to give order to a chaotic electronic world full of violence and danger. Rebeka Warrior (half of the duo Kompromat alongside compatriot Vitalic), takes on a more nostalgic vibe with Ich Komme Zurück, a French/German techno chant evoking a secret dream of a track from a bygone era. Three years after the release by Lumière Noire of Moderna and Theus Mago's stroboscopic Dog Is Calling You, Theus Mago makes a solo comeback with Idealistic Stone, a most acid of club tracks, rattled by the modulations of the inevitable TB 303. French electro-rock saltwarth Yan Wagner's dancefloor alter ego The Populists' Prehistoric Lemurs gives an almost Orientalizing twist to Kraftwerk's techno-pop. To close things off, the collection's last track, the appropriately-named Instant Track by impromptu encounter between Hervé Carvalho (Acid Arab), Jacques Bon (Smallville) and Demian (Kompakt) Acid Love Triangle, releases the pressure with a long, bittersweet reverie that leaves the listener, at the end of these thirteen musical adventures, to rest languorously on an artificial and welcoming shore.

Max Graef and Julius Conrad are Ratgrave. ‘Rock’ is their
second album - ongoing transmissions of Electronic PFusion from Earth. It follows a stellar debut on Funkineven’s imprint Apron. The duo’s sound palette draws inspiration from 80's funk, soul, rock and electronic but through a contemporary lens from two versatile multiinstrumentalists.

 In their own words: “Rock is the essence of energy and
vibration we felt in different styles of music, almost like a
parallel component connecting all things we like. In the
process of recording the new album we kept coming back
to this essence no matter what style the original idea was.
There was the raw and brutal energy of Jazz-Rock, a lot of
video game influences that somehow adhered this essence
just as well as quieter Pop and Psychedelic passages that
we recorded. Among other things we absorbed a lot of
heavy music during the time of the recording like Blue
Cheer, Black Sabbath, Frank Zappa or Jimi Hendrix and
realized while writing our own music how much impact
they had even on quieter songs. This is why ‘Rock’ felt like
the perfect title although the music ranges from P-Funk
and Spiritual Jazz to various styles of Pop and beyond.”

 Max Graef has previously collaborated with Glenn Astro on
records for Ninja Tune and both artists have previously
released on Tartelet.

 This marks the fourth official album on Black Focus, a
London label founded by Kamaal Williams.

 4pp digipack. 180g vinyl LP in reverse board printed sleeve
with 3mm spine and digital download card.

Smooth Swede Sune’s follow-up to the beloved Butter Love EP is equal parts bright and bittersweet. Elevator Connoisseur boasts the producer’s knack for sampling and crafty layering in unison with his trademark dusty drums.

in the labels 15th year history there only been a few reissues in the widely ramified discogra-phy. lydia lynch in 2006, hans-joachim roedelius in 2013, fumio itabashi ‎in 2018 and soon skymark ‎with his jazz album “primeiras impressões”.

the italian producer, composer, record collector and modern sun records label co-runner, that listens to the name marc friedli when he hands his tax report to the government, is no stranger to fans of modern brazil, disco, fusion, house, latin, jazz, funk, soul and all other organically swinging music that grooves classical and deep.

since 2007 he released a string of albums and ep’s on his own label as well as on imprints like neroli, mukatsuku records or rush hour, showing his impressive electric piano keyboard skills and unique communication on and with an array of vintage synthesizers like arp, proph-et, moog, roland or korg.

on his privately pressed, strictly limited to 150 copies album “primeiras impressões” he de-livered in 2013 nine gently jazzing tunes that process his experiences in the heat of the city of rio de janeiro.

they are intensely spiritual. they avoid ornamentation. and they bow before jazz history with a gentle respect, while adding an elegantly searching, thrillingly uplifting freshness to the genre with deep discreet minimal funk and light as a feather piano-melodies, as if the key-board were a saxophone.

You'd be forgiven for not realising this is " Nymfo's " first EP for 'Metalheadz' considering he's one of the Netherlands' finest drum-
and bass exports boasting releases on some of the genre's most revered labels.

Opening with the title track 'Sting Blade', the EP hits hard in true Nymfo fashion, but as he's shown over the last decade & more he's perfectly capable of executing several styles, something exemplified as you journey deeper into the release. Fellow Dutchman & Berghain staple Martyn also features for a vigorous work out on 'What's Happening'.

Salsoul opens the vaults once more to today's top editors and remixers. This incredible 12" sees those PBR Streetgang dudes take the reigns to great effect.

Digging in the vaults for those lesser spotted gems, the PBR crew have tweaked up 2 absolute Tom Moulton related killers here for our enjoyment. Side A is a finely tuned, lovingly fondled version of David Christie's LP cut 'Back Fire' from 1978. A sleazy, almost Euro feeling good timer that does the biz. On the flip, is the Destroyers mammoth 'Lectric Love', another lowdown cruiser of a track, nice cosmic FX and leather vibes for the late night prowl! Both edits are brilliantly done, and with a knowing and respectful nod too, one for the heads right here.

Fully licensed, sanctioned and released by Above Board distribution and Salsoul Records, 2020. Accept no imitations!

After a global trek we're back at base camp with a pair of thrillers from the chiller for your next rumble in the jungle...

Prepare to take a cosmic cruise on the A side with 'Dromedary', a masterclass in daft drum-breaks, Saharan strings and syrupy synth-lines perfect for Arabian nights and disco daze.
This one's been a TD sure shot since our first parties, so it's high time we shared the love boat.

Move to the flip for an interdimensional trip, as TD Transport welcomes you aboard the 'Super Express', a lysergic locomotive burning up the mainline from Mos Eisley to Mumbai.
Linn drum lasers lock into a lurching groove, fuelling the furnace as we blast past Bollywood, take a detour into the Metro Area and arrive right on schedule to save your party.

100% Drum fun guaranteed.

Limited pressing inc. hand numbered insert...

Behold, we've got a new modular freak on board: Dhyan Moller. The Californian original of "Megadon" is here remixed by Heiko Laux for our 25th Anniversary. Followed by the massive production of "French Quiz" of Joel Mull & Heiko Laux. And to conclude our pack of productions which otherwise would have fallen into the cracks: Ray Kajioka & Heiko Laux show how happy mild cases of autism can turn out.

‘Thema’ was recorded in 2018 by Alexi Baris from Vancouver, BC Canada. This LP features depictions of micro organisms squirming under the lens as well as the interior (travelling?) world of the person looking into it, so like “lives in relief”.

Beyond the mechanically lurching, magnified phytoplankton – glimpses of satisfaction, natural harbour echo, a creaking research boat bow cutting waves, transitory sounds.

"The two Portuguese-speaking African islands of Sao Tomé & Principe, located in the Gulf of Guinea, created an unique music called Puxa : a refined mixture of various musical components from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. A blend of Semba, Merengue, Kompas, Soukouss, Coladeira patterns, often pushing forward with a voodoo-like energy, solid bass lines, delicate melodies and backing harmonies of the rich Sao Tomean melodic traditions. Very first compilation focusing on the golden age of these island’s sounds, the 16 tracks selected will surely set fire on all dance floors !

Léve-Léve is the first ever compilation devoted to music from São Tome and Principe, two small islands situated off the coast of Gabon in central Africa. The album unravels a story of liberation where the music of Africa, Europe and the Americas unify with a carefree spirit personified by a phrase the islanders use all the time: “léve, léve” (“take it easy”). With echoes of Angolan semba and merengue, of Brazilian afoxê, of coladeira from Cape Verde and dance music from the Caribbean, it is a sound fiercely proud of its island heritage, sung in local dialects and using distinctive local rhythms.

On this record you can hear the cultural and social history of São Tome and Principe, and how live music represented its beating heart. Once known as the “Chocolate Islands” (remarkably, these two tiny islands were the largest cocoa producers in the world, though now this title acts as a reminder of its colonial past), through the years leading up to independence from Portugal, music would be a fundamental voice of liberation and conviviality. Os Úntués were one of the first groups to make an impression, releasing a couple of 7 inches in Angola – the litmus test of success for any of the islands’ groups. They united unique rhythms and dances like socopé, puita and dança-congo – borne from the islands’ largely slave-descendant population – with the sound of pop music beamed in on the radio from Europe, even adding in a little bit of soukous and Brazilian instrumentation. Their main rivals were Conjunto Mindelo, who fused São Toméan rhythms with rebita, an Angolan style, to create high energy puxa, a truly original island rhythm.

From the mid-1970s, coinciding with independence from Portugal in 1975, the islands’ groups featured an even stronger African influence and nowhere was that more apparent than with Africa Negra. They would listen to the latest records from Gabon, Zaire and Cameroon, taking inspiration and trying out phrasing from the greats of Central African guitar playing, developing a devoted fan base off the islands, as well as on. A score of other bands would follow a similar musical path, with a few getting their dues overseas in Angola, Cape Verde, Portugal and across Africa.

Os Leonenses (led by the iconic Pedro Lima), Conjunto Sangazuza, Sum Alvarinho and Conjunto Ecuador were just some of the other bands that formed a lively home-grown music scene that lit up the islands’ bars and open-air shows from the 1950s through to the mid-90s. Regardless of class or age, they were responsible for keeping the population entertained come the weekend, with Sunday matinee shows the highlight of the week, the music not stopping from midday until midnight.

As a Portuguese island colony that was for many years populated with slaves brought from Africa, São Tome and Principe has much in common with other Lusophone countries and boasts a richly complex and idiosyncratic musical DNA. Whilst the musical tapestries of Angola and Cape Verde are well known, São Tome and Principe’s secrets were assigned to the islanders themselves. Until now."

Tim Digby-Bell, Peter Kriek and Ariaan Olieroock are Cubicolor. In 2016 they released their debut album ‘Brainsugar’ via acclaimed independent label Anjunadeep. Accumulating over 40 million streams, the album won praise from Mixmag, Resident Advisor, Consequence of Sound and DJ Mag, who described it as “a startlingly accomplished debut” in their 9/10 review.

Originally an electronic duo comprised of Dutch producers Ariaan and Peter, Cubicolor became a three-piece band with the arrival of British singer-songwriter Tim in 2015, after collaborating on breakthrough single ‘Falling’.

A published poet and playwright, Tim’s musical upbringing was rooted in playing guitar and listening to Nick Drake. Combined with Ariaan’s encyclopedic knowledge of electronic music and Peter’s love of late romantic classical, created what Clash described as “a beautiful, haunting fusion of ideas.” In 2018 the band delivered, and then shelved, their second album…

“It had twelve tracks, a different name, all the artwork was done and a date was set for it to be released. We got home and listened to it, then called each other and decided to drop the whole thing. The next week we went back into the studio and started again.

We loved the record we made but for some reason, it didn't feel right, so we didn't keep anything, we shut ourselves on the boat in Amsterdam where we work and didn't stop until we'd written a new album.” A year after going back to the drawing board, the trio now presents ‘Hardly A Day, Hardly A Night’.

Inspired by the cycles of time, and the cyclical movements of the planets, the new 12 track record weaves together themes of loss, hope, and acceptance. “There were a lot of moments when we weren't sure we'd ever find what it was we were looking for. On the way, we lost friends, lost loves, battled health issues, lost an album, lost each other and came back together again.

It feels like a lifetime has passed but the world keeps spinning and I guess we knew we would eventually find our strength and make the album we wanted to make.” Showcasing their remarkable production techniques and textured sound design throughout the album, Cubicolor continues their unconventional rise to the upper ranks of the electronic music world.

The band will celebrate the album release with a listening event in London in February 2020, before taking their live show to festivals around the world in the summer.

Their 2016 debut album ‘Brainsugar’ picked up wide spread support including backing from BBC Radio 1's Annie Mac, Pete Tong and Phil Taggart, BBC 6 Music's Nemone and Tom Ravenscroft, Joris Voorn, and Kölsch and accumulated over 40M streams. 'Brainsugar' - Press pickup included Mixmag, RA, Thump, Consequence of Sound and the album was given a 9/10 review in DJ Mag.

Cubicolor are Amsterdam based producers Ariaan Olieroock and Peter Kriek, and British singer-songwriter Tim Digby-Bell. They made the album on Peter’s studio boat in Amsterdam. Ariaan built the custom modular synths, mixing desks and speakers that the band use in their studio - every Cubicolor sound is created from scratch.
They also DJ and release music as 16BL on Anjunadeep. one of the labels most loved and legendary acts, responsible for some of the biggest releases in the label's back catalogue.

Harrison Kennedy was raised in Ontario, Canada before moving to Detroit and enjoying success as the lead singer of Chairmen of the Board with the classic ‘I’m The Chairmen Of The Board’, . He left the group in the 1970s to start on a solo career. Hypnotic Music’ is Kennedy’s 1972 debut album released on Invictus Records. It’s an in- demand folk funk album. Kennedy is still celebrated as a singer, songwriter and performer. He was awarded in 2016 at the Canadian Juno Awards with the Blues Album of the Year. This classic is reissued on 180g heavyweight black vinyl with original artwork and printed inner sleeve. Album features rock orientated songs like the Beatles cover, social commentary with 'You Hurt Your Mother Again’ and psychedelic sounds like ‘Night Comes Day Goes’ – showcasing Harrison’s musical talents.

Presenting another fully legit, remastered and repackaged reissue from the WD vaults! Brand new style for 2020.

Londons "Warriors Dance" Label was a unique operation + pioneering London label during the late 80's acid house phenomena. Home to an assortment of DJs, MCs and soundmen, they went on to make their own original and indelible mark on the rave scene from the infamous 'Addis Ababa' studio on Harrow Road on the North-West side of the city.

A former reggae and soul studio that was instrumental to the output of influential artists like Soul II Soul and more, a steady diet of reggae, bass, hip-hop, house and techno kept their edgy, and diehard UK sound and style right at the cutting edge of the dance music underground across the globe with the top DJs and producers of the day celebrating the label. The studio, helmed by label owner Tony ‘Addis’, acted as an incubator for artists whose names would go down in the history books.

No Smoke was one of the main and best known outfits on this cult label. Their mammoth worldwide, cult club smash 'Koro Koro' is still in DJ bags across the galaxy today! 'Righteous Rule' is another tuffy from this crew, some heavyweight bassline madness for the dance.

All the elements of the WD sound are here, a perfect mix-up of Reggae vibes, jacking house and tribal badness rolled into one. A proper record, to be played on a proper system! This one's become a rare catch out in the wild, and is fetching some P's on the web among the collectors. Here's a nice 2020 repress for you, done the right way!

No Smoke 'Righteous Rule' is the pure unadulterated WD vibe, featuring original label artwork tweaked by Atelier Superplus and lovingly remastered by Curvepusher, UK. Special thanks to Nicky Trax & Tony Addis. Proudly distributed by Above Board distribution. 2020.

White Vinyl 10"

A new release this winter marks a landmark moment in an important musical story. Way back in little 2009, the label hfn music was born in Hamburg, and made its introduction to the world with the release of the Trentemøller compilation Harbour Boat Trips: 01 Copenhagen.
Founder Tobias Lampe wanted to start a label that was more broad in scope than his previous, more electronic-focused projects, and the compilation provided the perfect opportunity to launch one. In the 10 years since then, the label has survived the whirlpool waters of the early 21st century’s constantly changing music industry, and released everything from pop to art-punk, with artists ranging from New York to the Faroe Islands.
Now, they’re about to put out their 100th release. Fittingly, given the label’s focus on new and innovative music, and the historic aspect of the release, hfn100 sees one of hfn’s best songs of 2019 put into the hands of the man it all started with, Anders Trentemøller. His Danish compatriots Blaue Blume’s new album Bell Of Wool is one of hfn’s standout releases this year, and so hfn100 sees Trentemøller remix one of that record’s standout tracks, the fragile, but soaring “Lovable”.
In Blaue Blume’s original, “Lovable” is an airy, tormented song, a gossamer-delicate composition that carefully stitches together layers and layers of shining synths that gradually build up and up into a peak, before crashing into a subtle beat, a musical journey that mirrors vocalist Jonas Smith’s trip from anguish to numbness. Whereas the original’s music sounds woven together from light, Trentemøller takes it into darker territory. He hooks the song to a harsh, sparse beat leaving Smith’s vocals bare and isolated in the burnt-out, dystopic musical landscape he creates.
Trentemøller mirrors the original’s careful building up, adding new elements to fill in the song’s sound, before it collapses into a tough, noir disco groove. It’s a perfectly realised remix – Trentemøller keeps the original song’s skeleton and soul, but fills in the space with sonic touches that could be no one else’s but his.Ultimately, it’s a fitting song for hfn’s hundredth release. For a label that’s always been a platform for its boundary-pushing artists, a collaboration between two of them, that sees an already innovative song pushed into a bold new shape is the perfect way for hfn to step into the next 100 releases..

Die Cut Sleeve with download. It’s a strange betweenworld, bookended by sleep and the jolt of being wide awake in a place where you wonder how you got there. You know the feeling… It seems familiar but the colours are, well, unreal. In a high-ceilinged room, a grand piano plays lush melodies as, meanwhile, somewhere, an Alice In Wonderland clock ticks, cellos are bowed, a swarm of something vibrates and the hallucinatory crowd around Rosemary’s Baby babble. An echoey electronic hum builds and falls like a 50s refrigerator passed through and effects board, things run backwards, staccato strings are plucked… and that’s not the half of it. “I’ve never been happy staying in one particular school of musical thought. The fun has been turning things on their heads, to try something you were not supposed to do.” We’re on an immersive and adventurous travelogue with the former member of the legendary Tangerine Dream, Paul Haslinger - this is a man who knows how to build tension, hold moods, illustrate contempt, lies, passion and pleasure; He can create fear, loathing and love - he’s been unlocking the nuances of such emotions in a hugely successful career as a TV and film soundtrack composer (Halt And Catch Fire, Underworld and the Golden Globe-nominated Sleeper Cell). ‘Exit Ghost’ is his long thought out opus, a moment caught in time, flicking through reference points, taking an ethereal excursion that permeates musical genres as it becomes awash with intricate sounds and cross-pollinating rhythms. Built originally from the warmth of his grand piano ‘Exit Ghost’ resonates with purity and power, from an eerie and evocative betweenworld, that’s at once expansive and rolling, then intoxicating and suffocating in equal measures; modern composition at its most uplifting; cerebral, celebratory, intense and beautiful. “The soul searching in connection with this record was extensive. Finding places of resonance, giving a colour to your memories. It was more challenging because it’s not somebody else’s narrative. Finding the core of your own story can be the most difficult task of all.” Created over the span of eight years and filled with literal and personal references, the album itself is a testament to the search - a quest filled with hints, particles and suggestions.

When Elena Colombi launched the Osàre! Editions label in the autumn of 2019, she explained that the label would become home to bold, daring, future-facing music rooted in experimentation and free-spirited musical abandon. These are all descriptions that could apply to the label’s latest release, a retrospective album of little-known works by Greek musician and producer Thanasis Zlatanos.

Many will not have heard of Zlatanos, or Nekropolis, the band he fronted alongside dear friend and regular collaborator Trygve Mathiesen, yet the music he made during the 1980s was otherworldly, intergalactic and undoubtedly alluring. These songs and instrumentals made extensive use of analogue synthesizers and lo-fi drum machines, as well as Zlatanos’s trusted Gibson Les Paul guitar and his own distinctive voice.

Stylistically, the musician and producer refused to settle on a specific sound, preferring instead to create inspired, often mind-altering pieces that join the dots between wave music, skewed leftfield pop, ambient, prototype electronic and Madedonian folk music. Operating for much of the period from a crumbling house earmarked for demolition, Zlatanos kept up a daily music-making vigil that resulted in a vast vault of music, most of which has remained unissued since the 1980s.

The breadth of and width of Zlatanos’s distinctive approach is laid bare on Retrospective, a compilation album prepared by Colombi and the artist himself that draws on tracks from his numerous albums, those by Nekropolis – whose sophomore set “The New Europeans” was banned in Norway – and his epic archive of previously unheard material.

The artist’s singular but wide-ranging musical vision is free for all to see across the 13 tracks stretched across the vinyl version of the album (digital buyers also get a further four superb cuts). It veers attractively from the ghostly, traditional-meets-futuristic new age electronica of “The Crystal Sight (Excerpt)” and the doom-laden coldwave throb of “Master Chameleon”, to the undulating, soft-touch creepiness of “Surreal Moment”, the Vocoder-laden operatic poignancy of “The New Barbarians” and the squally guitar solos and effects-laden electronics of “The Light”.

Words from the artist___:
"I live in the Internet. Visits from outer space make me compose. I breathe here. I am the master chameleon, the psychedelic clown. I am not here anymore, neither in the picture, nor the reflection. Our bed is a boat that takes us tomorrow without us.

Here is an album of dreams and digital emotions. Analogue recordings made with a Prophet, a Moog Rogue, a tape recorder and a Gibson Les Paul guitar.

As far as I can remember I have always been in a recording studio. I listen to, understand and live my life through songs and music. I have worked alone and with friends such as Trygve Mathiesen. Although I am a guitarist, I continue to work with synthesizers on music that blends elements of Macedonian folk music, recordings from the streets and embryonic electronic sounds.

Some of my albums have been critically acclaimed, others banned by radio stations. For years I worked on endless recording sessions in a crumbling house that should have been torn down. The music on this retrospective compilation was recorded at various points between 1982 and the present day. Some of the compositions first appeared on previous albums, while others have never been released before. They were sat on tapes waiting for a saviour. Now that saviour has arrived and they can be free.

For further proof of Zlatanos’s unique sonic approach, check the startling contrast between the bass-laden slacker pop headiness of “No Expectations” and the spacey ambience of “The Dead Don’t Remember”. Considered together, the selected pieces and those elsewhere on Retrospective forms a snapshot of a genuinely unique and visionary musician, composer and producer. It’s a celebration of someone whose work has previously been overlooked."

'WRWTFWW Records' is insanely excited to announce the first ever vinyl release of Tom Raybould’s award-winning movie soundtrack for excellent AI-themed sci-fi thriller The Machine (2013). The limited edition LP boasts 16 superb tracks and is housed in a special glow in the dark sleeve.

"Tom Raybould’s Music For The Machine Is Amazing" - Bloody Disgusting.

Undoubtedly one of the greatest (and most overlooked) movie scores of the 2010's, The Machine finds its influences in the works of John Carpenter, Vangelis, Brad Fiedel, and Tangerine Dream, but presents its own unique twist, one that cleverly evokes the thin line between man and machine that haunts the whole film.

Cold and tenacious rhythms suggest mechanical killer instincts, brooding synths crystallize the fear of an AI-controlled future, but the warm and gentle sounds of guitar and piano ease the tension and bring hope of humanity. From its menacing introduction to it's tender ending, Tom Raybould’s masterwork ingenuously blends ambient, electronic, neoclassical, and synthwave to recontextualize and upgrade the classic 80's sci-fi movie score template, holding it's own against mammoth soundtracks like Blade Runner or The Terminator. Truly.

Cold with a touch of humanity like the perfect machine, Tom Raybould’s movie score won the BAFTA Cymru award for Best Original Music in 2013.

Die Gruppe Automat - Jochen Arbeit (u.a. Einstürzende Neubauten, Die Haut), Achim Färber (Phillip Boa & The Voodooclub, Skip McDonald) und Georg Zeitblom (wittmann/zeitblom) - funktioniert wie eine gut geölte Maschine: Sie surrt, sie schnurrt, sie geht unbeirrt ihres Weges. Gemeinsam mit dem Modular-Magier Max Loderbauer sowie Paul St. Hilaire alias Tikiman, Lydia Lunch und Mika Bajinski am Mikrofon präsentieren sie nun mit »Modul« auf Compost Records ihr abwechslungsreichstes und konzeptionell stimmigstes Album.

Die Gruppe Automat funktioniert wie eine gut geölte Maschine: Sie surrt, sie schnurrt, sie geht unbeirrt ihres Weges. Auf seinem vierten Album allerdings schaltet das Trio einen Gang herunter, differenziert seinen musikalischen Ansatz weiter aus und geht fruchtbare Kollaborationen mit anderen Figuren aus der Musikwelt ein. Neben Max Loderbauer, dem Bandnachbarn aus den Candy-Bomber-Studios in Berlin-Tempelhof, mit dem Jochen Arbeit, Achim Färber und Georg Zeitblom bereits im Jahr 2015 für eine gemeinsame EP zusammenarbeiteten, sind das am Mikrofon die Dub-Legende Paul St. Hilaire alias Tikiman, die Königin der Gossenpoesie Lydia Lunch und die Newcomerin Mika Bajinski. Sie alle tragen ihren Teil nach dem Leitprinzip bei, welches »Modul« seinen Namen verleiht: Die acht Stücke entstanden gemeinschaftlich nach einem Baukastensystem, das den Kompositionsprozess dynamisch in Bewegung setzte und gleichmäßig auf alle Beteiligten verteilte. Das Resultat ist ein musikalisches Perpetuum Mobile - ein Album mit dem gemäßigten Ruhepuls einer Dub-Produktion, das unablässig in Bewegung bleiben.
»Modul« bildet als Album einen ständigen Veränderungsprozess ab, der erstmals im Jahr 2018 im Rahmen eines Auftragswerks für das Berliner Festival Pop-Kultur live erfahrbar gemacht wurde. Auf Einladung des kuratorischen Teams erarbeiteten Zeitblom, Färber und Arbeit gemeinsam mit ihren musikalischen Gästen St. Hilaire, Lunch und Gemma Ray ein Live-Set, das konsequent aus dem Studio auf Grundlage einzelner Passagen entstand, die nach dem Prinzip eines Resonanzmoduls miteinander (re-)kombiniert wurden: es geht zwischen den einzelnen Mitgliedern hin und her, die Strukturen morphen und der Sound nimmt immer andere Formen an. Eben dieser Ansatz bedingt auch die ständige Weiterentwicklung der Stücke, die gemeinsam mit dem Produzenten Ingo Krauss zu einem Album geschliffen wurden, das seinen nahbaren improvisatorischen Charakter keinesfalls verloren hat. Im Vergleich zu den drei thematisch ausgerichteten Vorgängeralben »Automat«, »Plusminus« und »Ostwest«, die sich jeweils explizit mit Berliner Flughäfen, dem Genre Dub und der europäischen Flüchtlingskrise befassten, setzt »Modul« auf eine inhaltliche Durchlässigkeit, welche die musikalische Offenheit der Platte widerspiegelt.
Nachdem »Modul 15« das Album mit satten Dub-Sounds und einer rollenden Bassline eröffnet, hebt »Easy Riding« passend zu St. Hilaires vor Fernweh triefenden Lyrics das Tempo mit dezenten Riddims an. Schon im nächsten Song, »Ghost«, debütiert Bajinski mit distanziertem Stimmeinsatz über einem melancholischen Stück, dessen Klangbild von den modularen Beigaben Loderbauers geprägt ist. So geht es weiter über die verzahnten Rhythmen von »Ankaten«, die von den verhallten Stimmen Lydia Lunchs und St. Hilaires begleitet werden, hin zum balladesken »Nothing Strange« mit St. Hilaire über das fiebrige Vocoder-Stück »Who For Eyes« schließlich zu den beiden abschließenden Stücken, »Pavo« und »Modul 11«, welche eine tiefenentspannte Coda zu den vorigen Tracks bilden. »Modul« durchläuft so eine Reihe von Stimmungen, ständig wechselnden Klangfarben und musikalischen Ideen, die sich in immer neuen Konstellationen zusammenfinden. Der erweiterte künstlerische Ansatz ebenso wie das vergrößerte Personal machen das Album nicht allein deshalb zur abwechslungsreichsten, sondern auch konzeptionell stimmigsten Platte Automats, die sich darauf in bester Form präsentieren: Als gut geölte Maschine, die surrt, schnurrt und unbeirrt auf dem Weg ist -
immer in Richtung neuer, unerhörter Sounds.