Search:breaks n things

In Cornish slang it is said that things get done ‘dreckly’; that is, not now, not necessarily tomorrow, but, at some indefinite point...in the future...soon...

Fitting then that when Bristol’s Langkamer decamped to their de facto home-from-home in the picturesque south-west seaside town of Falmouth to record their third album in as many years (with an EP thrown in there too) - there was no particular need to rush things: “The process was much slower and more considered for Langzamer.”, drummer/vocalist Josh Jarman explains: “The first two albums felt pretty urgent, and each was finished in about 6 months, but this one feels a lot more deliberate. It’s taken us two years to get this done.”

Equally fitting too that Langzamer kicks off proceedings with ‘Heart of Tin’: the first bars are languidly lugubrious, so deliciously plucked-out and scuzzed-up that they linger in the air like passing smoke, magically, slowing time down to their own assured and steady will. And in so much time, that also feels like no time at all, comes an opening line of such stark, disarming confessionalism as might be found in the David Berman/Silver Jews songbook: “Do you want the good news or the bad news first? // They’re both bad news, but the bad is worse” It’s Langkamer in a nutshell: embattled, heart-on-sleeve Slacker Rock slaked with twinges of fret-sliding Americana, yet deeply embedded in the folk mythologies, colloquialisms and experiences of the band’s West Country roots.

Throughout Langzamer, confronting the listener again and again is this conflict between the band’s breezy, melodic charm, and the threat of something more sinister lurking in the undergrowth. While those more familiar with Langkamer’s oeuvre to date will have already come to know and love their often self-deprecating yet witty lyricism, the songs on Langzamer take this trademark ebullient gloominess to more challenging plains: “Principally this is an album about grief, and everything that entails...” explains Jarman. “in a sense death brought these songs to life.”

This thread is felt no more so than on ‘Salvation XL’. Inspired by a “particularly bad batch of food poisoning I had in Morocco”, Jarman explains, and beginning with the memorable opening line, “Jesus came to me a Burger King in Marrakech”, the band wind their way through the ‘big topics’: death and God.

“This trip was shortly after a few of my friends had passed away, and I think a lot of my thoughts and actions at that time were being influenced by my grief without me realising it.”, he explains, “Whenever I dwell on grief, and how death has given my life a new context, I come back to that. The ongoing battle between agnosticism and atheism. I wasn’t raised in a very strict religious home, but I come from a long line of methodists, and it’s interesting to think about the way theism and religion have shaped my life without me knowing it. I think that’s being channelled on this album a lot. The uncertainty that comes with disbelief.”

Our collective mortal frailties are also felt on lead single ‘Richard E Grant’. With a trademark bittersweetness, a track that begins as an appreciation of the actor’s humorous social media presence unfolds as a study on “finding healthy coping strategies to deal with loss.”. Elsewhere, ‘At The Lake’ - to the tune of mournful, folk-like balladry - explores binge-drinking culture and the troubled association between unhealthy behaviour and creativity. The listener is left in no mind as to the meaning behind the references to James Joyce and Janis Jopin as “souvenirs stolen from the dark”.

With themes as weighty as these strewn across the album’s 10 tracks, It seemed like a particularly astute move then for the band to personally approach Ben Woods, founder of the Golden Dregs, to assist on production duties. Not only would the delicate intimacies of Woods’ main project - see 2023’s On Grace & Dignity for reference - add an appropriate moodiness, but Woods was also born and raised in Cornwall, where the album was recorded; amidst “eating pasties” and breaks by the sea, Woods and the band transformed the vaults underneath iconic Falmouth venue The Cornish Bank into a makeshift studio for a weeks’ worth of recording. Occasionally friends would drop by to lighten the load; Zander Sharp tracking violin on ’Double Island’ and ‘Flight’; Josh Law and Ben Sadler of Breakfast Records labelmates Getdown Services, both of whom contribute to the soul-stirring ‘mountain’ chorus on ‘Aberfan’.

When compared to the brightness of 2023’s The Noon and Midnight Manual, Woods’ influence on the record seems indisputable. On the aforementioned ‘At The Lake’, for instance, which features backing vocals from Woods. Or, most acutely, on the piano strains of harrowing closer ‘Bluff’, a track with such chilling, spectral severity as to effect the band’s most heartbreaking effort to date. While it’s particularly sombre note on which end proceedings, it's also an appropriate one: Langzamer bravely stands tall as their most restrained, matured, and sincere collection to date. And almost by virtue of its impeccable honesty, those moments of sunshine-joy that creep through the cracks feel that much more golden.

Here comes No Obligation, the second full-length release from THE LINDA LINDAS further advances their unironic, joyful, and exciting trajectory of mashing up L.A. punk with alt-rock, garage rock, power pop, new wave, rock en español. No Obligation was written and recorded by the band during spring breaks, winter breaks, and long weekends (Lucia and Eloise are still in high school, Mila just finished middle school, and Bela is patiently waiting for them to get done with it already) and was produced by Carlos de la Garza (Paramore, Best Coast, Bleached). Known for their incredible musicianship and live performances, the band who has shared stages with and opened for Paramore, Japanese Breakfast, Jawbreaker, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, are about to embark on a massive two-month tour across America with Green Day. Look for headlining shows at small clubs in between-including a sold-out gig at the famously DIY Gilman Street in Berkeley. The new album, No Obligation, is out on October 11 . No Obligations. No expectations. No limits for THE LINDA LINDAS.

Here comes No Obligation, the second full-length release from THE LINDA LINDAS further advances their unironic, joyful, and exciting trajectory of mashing up L.A. punk with alt-rock, garage rock, power pop, new wave, rock en español. No Obligation was written and recorded by the band during spring breaks, winter breaks, and long weekends (Lucia and Eloise are still in high school, Mila just finished middle school, and Bela is patiently waiting for them to get done with it already) and was produced by Carlos de la Garza (Paramore, Best Coast, Bleached). Known for their incredible musicianship and live performances, the band who has shared stages with and opened for Paramore, Japanese Breakfast, Jawbreaker, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, are about to embark on a massive two-month tour across America with Green Day. Look for headlining shows at small clubs in between-including a sold-out gig at the famously DIY Gilman Street in Berkeley. The new album, No Obligation, is out on October 11 . No Obligations. No expectations. No limits for THE LINDA LINDAS.

For Dutch artist Stefan Vincent, the feeling of melancholy also offers the opportunity for beauty to be found. “Decay and loneliness can serve a purpose. Depression can teach you things. To feel deep sadness also means the ability to feel profound
emotions.” he says. With this in mind, his debut album on MUSAR Recordings, “Post- Melancholy”, unpacks the twists and turns of grappling with this emotion, drawing from breaks, electro and IDM to make his most intricate work to date, after previous releases on Token, Dynamic Reflection, Symbolism, and Non-Series. Throughout “Post-Melancholy” Vincent traces the wave of melancholy and how it moves through the body, which allows for lighter moments alongside darker moods. Perhaps the lightest track on the album is its acidic-breaks opener, “Eyes Unclouded”, with its soaring acid lines and dazzling synths, which acts as a false pretense for the rest of the album. Tracks like “Poise”, “Arpeggino” and the meditative “Yonghegong Lama Temple Exit F” also break up the intensity. However, nestled between the more pacey, bass-weighted tracks on the album, these lighter openings still feel like tear-jerkers.

The more common associations of melancholy show up on tracks like “Another Skin To Wear” and “You Know This Isn’t Going To End Well”, which all create a more ominous feel via IDM and the polyrhythmic structures of drum’n’bass. Particularly on “Another Skin To Wear”, which borrows its name from a Radiohead lyric, the track's swooping motion feels realistic to melancholy’s chaotic and often unpredictable path. But, like all great storytellers, Vincent leaves the most poignant moment of the album for last with the rolling “8AM on the Train… (For Maarten)” devoted to his dear friend, Maarten, who sadly passed away at the young age of 36. This LP is dedicated to Maarten de Vries (1986-2022)

To launch Mr Bongo’s new Cuban Classic Series, we are thrilled to present this sought-after, psychedelic-funk masterpiece. A fusion of traditional Latin and Afro-Cuban rhythms meets disco, jazz, and funk, with hints of 70s soundtrack productions, this much-loved cult album featuring nine predominantly instrumental tracks is a real treasure that deserves a much wider appreciation. One look at the trippy artwork and you know it is going to be special.

Originally released in 1977 on Areito Records, a sub-label of the state-owned label Egrem, it has become one of the rarest (even in Cuba) and most in-demand albums to come from the label. It is the sole album from Grupo Los Yoyi and was composed, orchestrated, and produced by the mysterious, Jorge Soler Leó.

After Castro ring-fenced Cuba with an embargo on, among other things, Western music, the ‘Yoyi’ album had a sound more left of centre than what was normally allowed to be recorded there at the time. It subtly and covertly flirts with disco, jazz-funk, and electronic sounds coming from the US and Europe. It is probably best known for the space funk, bubbly club cut 'Paco La Calle’. A track that was edited in 2008 by the fantastic DJ / producer, Nick the Record, and one that is guaranteed to set a discerning dancefloor alight. However, ‘Yoyi’ is far from a one-track album. Other highlights include, 'Banana’, with its call and response trombone and horn section, squelchy keys, pulsating breaks and percussion, and a loose, floating vocal arrangement. 'Tu No Me Puedes Conquistar' is a beautiful, bouncing plodder with a variety of instruments interchanging as the track progresses. 'Ruta 30' takes things in a straighter Latin direction, which we are accustomed to from Cuba at that time, yet it is still full of personality, treats and vigour. Take our word for it, this album is strong throughout.

This is one of our favourites and most beloved albums to come out of Cuba and is the perfect flagship for our Cuban Classics Series. Look out for plenty more to come real soon.

From Quinteros’ early rockabilly singles to his San Fran folk rock with the Au-Go Go’s, this collection highlights his Brent singles along with unissued material, acetates, demos & outtakes! Includes a booklet with liner notes & an interview with Eddie!

Eddie Quinteros was one precocious kid. Before he was old enough to drive, he was singing on live TV and flying to Hawai’i to rock out at stadium gigs. When his contemporaries were still in high school, he was hitting the charts with a tune he wrote himself, playing on an Alan Freed package tour, and making multiple appearances on American Bandstand. And before the San Francisco singer/guitarist was out of his teens, he’d already been screwed over by a shifty manager and sworn off the music business.

Along the way, Quinteros cut a handful of jumping singles showing that if he’d had the right breaks, he could have altered history. Ritchie Valens wouldn’t have been the era’s only Chicano rock ‘n’ roll hero. Quinteros’ Southern rockabilly influences are audible in his early singles, but they’re filtered through the more citified point of view of a San Francisco teen. And in the mid ‘60s, he reinvented himself as the frontman for the Au Go-Go’s, turning out a chiming, folk-rock flavored sound more in line with labelmates and fellow S.F.’ers the Beau Brummels.

All of Ed’s recorded output only amounted to a handful of 45s, but this collection sets things straight for posterity, featuring demos, unreleased tracks, live recordings, and acetates.

After releasing my album 'ÖÐRUVÍSI,' which was a very personal and emotionally challenging project, I felt the need to make something weird and energetic for the club. I’m really into tunes that feel both slow and fast simultaneously.

The first track on the EP, 'Let’s be Havin u,' was initially hard to place genre-wise, i ended up sending it to Darren, who loved it and wanted to sign it. Releasing on Exit kinda feels like earning a black belt as a producer hah. I never imagined that a decade after buying Exit 12”s in 2014, I’d be releasing my own music on the label.

When I started making the EP, I had just begun performing again. I often saw people on the dance floor, too out of it to enjoy the music and often some of them having to be carried by their friends to backstage. This made me wanna make tunes for the dance floor as a bit of a statement on this. I first tested 'Let’s be Havin u' at Prikið in Reykjavik, sounded mad on the little old funktion one. The moment I knew that I was onto something with the EP was when I was Performing in Bristol at Thekla for my friend Boofy. It was wild, the ceiling started leaking during the show. I Love Bristol, feels like home to me.

Most of the percussion and hats on the EP are made with an Elektron Model Cycles, and the synths and pads are from a 80s Yamaha hybrid FM/sample synth I found at a thrift store. It doesn’t have MIDI, so I have to record perfect takes for chords and melodies. I often use pedals afterwards or resample the sounds for more tonal control.

I enjoy digging for records with unique breaks to sample, as I feel this is lacking nowadays. I usually make all my drums from scratch but when I use breaks I like it to be something I haven’t heard before. The alien percussion sound in the last track is actually me biting my teeth together, resampled repeatedly and ran through pedals and interfaces. I also recorded myself chewing gum for the second track to give it that hand on the hip feel. Most of the EP is made with hardware, outboard gear, or real-life recordings.

I’m not concerned about the EP fitting a specific genre or playlist. Too many artists play it safe by focusing on their Spotify stats and abandoning projects that don’t work instantly. I think also Obsessive nostalgia stifles innovation, keeping things stuck in a loop by replicating to the tee, tunes from 2 decades ago. I get it, but there has to be a middle ground sometimes.

2024 Reissue

EQ is a legend in the game of hardcore and rave. The former in-house engineer for Formation Records and DJ SS and the head honcho at F-Project Records, this guy has been involved in so much of the scene’s history. But around 1994 he stopped producing under the name EQ and moved onto other things. That is until now. He is back once again and reinvigorated by the popularity of the rave repress culture and has started to write new material… but in the style of the early 90’s, using lots of old skool hardware to produce his music to keep that authentic UK sound.

His first EP for nearly 30 years takes us right back to the raves of the Midlands, the music of an era. Creative sample usage, rolling breaks, kick drums… melodies and rave stabs! This EP has something for all. Not only that, he has completed his follow up EP already which is due out in 2023 and is as equally impressive.

Back again, the renegade master!

Seoul native DJ Sina Hill debuts with “Digital Soul” EP full of drum breaks and dusty beats. The record is made with the spirit of D.I.Y. from the record’s design and its production. The record takes you on a journey through a variety of styles such as Detroit house, Trip-hop and Breakdancing vibes. The beats on “Digital Soul” are straight from analogue hardware such as the MPC. “Digital Soul” is Sina Hill’s debut EP on the Korean Independent label Sambo Records..

Finnish drummer/Producer Teppo "Teddy Rok" Mäkynen returns with his alias The Stance Brothers with "Sao Paolo / Timmy", a new 7"/digital single release on July 26th on We Jazz Records. Lauded by the likes of DJ Koco aka Shimokita, Kenny Dope and Gilles Peterson, Mäkynen's studio creation released the new album Duktus in November 2023, the project's first full length in more than 10 years. Back a new version of album cut "Sao Paolo" polus an unreleased new track, "Timmy", the project a treasure-trove for everyone into crunchy jazz funk à la Bob James & CTI, but this is no retro exercise. Teddy Rok moves forward in all directions, constantly bringing new elements into his sound, which is more layered and deep than ever before. At the same time, the crunch & the breaks are there when you need them.

The Stance 7" sides are often dominated by crunchy drums and crystal clear vibraphone melodies, and that's the overall vibe here, too. That being said, Mäkynen keeps things moving forward at all times, achieving moments of pure bliss with tracks that sound compact but expand far and wide both emotionally and musically.

The Stance Brothers are active live as a four-piece band, appearing live over the summer in Finland at Odysseus Festival and Flow Festival in Helsinki, plus G Livelab Tampere.

2024 White Vinyl Repress

Next up for Time Is Now's white label series is Prozak - a Dublin-based producer who has garnered a growing following over the past year. Prozak, aka Zac Curtis, follows up an EP of remixes for Kiwi Rekords with Make Me Feel. The EP is 100% club gear dabbling in classic rave sounds and jungle before masterfully returning to his garage roots.

The title track "Make Me Feel" is equal parts euphoric rave vocalisations and growling bassy ruffage, with stuttering stop-and-start breaks thrown in for good measure that tear through the track - an instant classic that knocks you breathless.

"Missing You" builds from a gentle ebb into wobbling bass-heavy garage, Curtis chopping and changing the vocal samples into unrecognisable snatches with expert production. He then dishes up a glitching speed garage
tool with "Negative", still seasoned with a ravey edge that makes the record as a whole feel festival ready.

On the B-side, "Sunshine" is sweet buoyant UKG constructed from neatly cut up vocals that clamour against each other and a skipping irresistible rhythm.

Equally upbeat, "Falling" stands out as the most playful track, with mass appeal and large drops that shakes off some of the dark bassiness of the A-side.

The record closes with "Leave You", contrasting frenetic junglist breaks with blissed out vocals.

It's a dynamic offering from the up-and-comer that shows signs of great things to come.

You know it's a guarantee when we welcome back the legendary Breakbeat Junkie to represent the 14th installment of the Toxic Funk series that things will be all about the Party rocking Breaks!

The Breakbeat Junkie has been around since the early nu funk days as a solo producer and as part of the dynamic duo Second Hand Audio, who has dropped various classic releases on both BBP and the Ghetto Funk label.

Toxic Funk Vol. 14 features 2 golden funky cuts from the beat master, which will be sure to get the party rocking anywhere its dropped.

Lately The Breakbeat Junkie has been stable with his bootleg jams on Craig Charles Funk and Soul show on BBCand we know these cuts will go down perfect with the big jams played on this show.

Another timeless 7- inch donut that will be going quick so get it while you can and look out for more Toxic Funk coming very soon…

Nancy June navigates through all things bass, touring across genres of Uk funky, breaks, garage and dubstep. Her mix intertwines sounds of the old and the new as she welcomes resonant rumbles of the underground.

A1 - Polaris
Going all in to open the EP with a truly stand out 2-step roller, ASC crafts a distinctly energetic vibe with Polaris, featuring an intricate old school break seldom heard in drum & bass - packed with high-end detail and a glorious raw energy. With long radiant pad work, a classic jumpy 808 bassline and a stunning, reverberating female vocal sample whooshing and panning across the mix, Polaris will instantly become a favourite in your setlist.
A2 - Things Left Unsaid
Opening with an intriguing fusion of suspenseful keys and deliciously crisp bongos that each play a key role throughout, Things Left Unsaid asks the listener questions of yesteryear in a varied odyssey filled with a myriad of echoed vocal samples, horns and effects, set to a break-laden beat pattern that hops along with kicks and snares each snatching the attention. A calmer vibe from ASC that still packs a punch.
AA1 - Temple Bell
A thumping, spirited beat pattern with rapid kicks and metallic snares provide a visceral aural onslaught as the aptly-named Temple Bell blends our imperious breaks with darkly, epic tolls radiating through a vast ornate hall of resonance -suitably reverberating alongside a backdrop of synchronic atmospherics. Heavily EQ'd vocal samples colour the mix to complete a weighty musical collage.
AA2 - Contrast
Beginning with a flurry of cow bells in a vibrant, expertly edited take on the classic Circles break, ASC serves up a delightfully laid back yet danceable piece with Contrast. Space FX, swirling pads and a mellow, memorable key melody overlay a beautiful mosaic of calm as the continued thrust of the break drives a constant energy to the track, perfectly capturing the ethos of Spatial and closing another immense EP

Words by Chris Hayes Spatial/Red Mist

A bit more than half a decade on from his widely acclaimed debut Vanishing Points from 2018, Swiss guitarist, composer, and improv musician Manuel Troller releases his new record Halcyon Future. A rhythmically dense and ambiguous, yet joyful ride for unstable times, a plea for warmth and hopeful resistance.

Troller’s mode of incorporating, zooming in, and expanding on small elements from improvised sessions creates a multilayered work of driving rhythms and abstract, vibrating textures. Opening with Halcyon Future I’s distinctive open pulse, this first piece guides us through subtle harmonic shifts that are almost unrecognizable as they take place over extended time, overlapping and creating a sense of ambiguity until the piece reaches an almost optimistic level with Mario Hänni’s unexpected introduction of driving acoustic drums. Relentlessly and with increasing excitement, heavy electronic 80s bass drums and an armada of layered hi-hats push them on, leading to the all-incorporating melodic finale.

The two long pieces Halcyon Future I and Halcyon Future II focus on forward momentum. In between them stands DNA, a purposely directionless contemplation on emotion as such. It is raw, naked, and confrontational, with a tender and subtly changing chord progression creating intimacy and proximity, abstraction and warmth, like a beautifully vibrant hologram for the listener to walk around in.

The B-side with its 20-minute Halcyon Future II features playful futuristic guitars, enhancing and challenging the stereo image that Troller is already well-known for. As it’s given time to develop and take root, the ever-varying guitar interactions densify and the staccato patterns jump out of the speakers with joy, creating excitement and building momentum. Compared to Side A, things turn to a slightly more complex rhythmical, melodic, and harmonic feel here. There are easy references, such as Manuel Göttsching’s E2-E4 or Pat Metheny performing Steve Reich’s Electric Counterpoint, but Troller goes a different and very much more concrete way. Although the piece has been recorded in various places and through a long process of overdubbing, there is an astonishingly strong live feel to it, from beginning to the end, from the slow rise to the full spectrum and the almost krautrock-like finale. Improvisers Hans Koch on soprano saxophone and Michael Flury on heavily fuzzed trombone join in, while Troller and Mario Hänni on many guitars, bass, drum machines, and acoustic drums provide a joyous driving entity, not giving up until it all breaks down again. There is overkill and brute force, though never without depth and a vision of future.

In the musical scope of Halcyon Future, there is no need for an absolute definition of things. A continuously changing interpretation of repetitive and variable elements fading in and out of focus tells a story of an excited sense of acceptance. Feelings of transcendence stem from Troller’s layering of constantly shifting rhythmic structures with unforeseen improvised harmonic changes. Drum machine parts overlayed with acoustic drums shift between musical modes, anchoring the album on the verge of a jazz-influenced, motorik, post-ECM balearic plateau. Abstract textural elements gently swirl around and behind all that is rhythm, providing a submissive counterpoint. As with much of Troller’s work, Halcyon Future is an album that unfolds slowly, revealing more of its richness, detail, and subtle beauty at each listen.

Halcyon Future is a joint release by three:four records and meakusma.

It's the one all the massive have been waiting for! Part 2 of the Salford sage - DJ Absolutely Shit's 'Memoirs Of A Crust Monster'. More hyped up tear outs, soundsystem ruffage, and bass 'n breaks love songs from our Hell's Angel-dodging beat freak.

Kicking things off with glowing neons and super-charged subs is 'Higher', a modern jungle monster decorated with classic hip-hop samples and a well known diva vox squealing through the melee.
A serious 'watch your bassbins' track - RL HQ have safety tested this on the most robust car stereo systems and so far have yet to avoid any cabinet damage - proceed with caution!

'Lost In Space' rolls outta the speaker stacks with a b-boy swagger and loose breaks. A tribute to classic breakdance electro galvanized with Ab Shit's intricate trademark production chops. You'll want to crack out your finest red Puma classics and a slick tracksuit for this one.

Onto 'Out On Love' and between you and me, someone needs to call the social service for samples - as it's unlikely you'll ever witness a more blatant case of sample molestation. Squeezing every last drop out of a catchy piano lick, TV snippet and drum break; the track really does highlight the unrivaled programming prowess of our Irlam renegade who's taken SP1000 trickery to its absolute zenith.

'Money Talks' sees our cheeky ragamuffin dictate a life affirming sunrise over Pomona - pre-gentrification of course; a thousand smiles and memories of old Mancunia shimmering in the early morning industrial haze. And an abject slight at those who put profits above people - another poignant ode to our changing cityscape driven by the most addictive boogie-based groove and clattering Linn drums.

Spine-tingles and fanny flutters guaranteed ALL DAY on this one cru!
Look out for the full 16 track album due on C90 cassette and digi download coming very soon...

RL x

Born in 1977, in Malang, East Java, Wukir Suryadi began playing music for theatre at the age of 12 with the Idiot The-ater Studio, and later with the Rendra Theater Workshop. In his solo work, and as a member of Senyawa, Error Scream, Bendera Hitam Setengah, Potro Joyo and other groups, Wukir breaks the boundaries of traditional music, death metal and avant-garde performance. On this new release, “Cycle and Prayer,” recorded in 2023, he expands the edges of his unique artistic world further, by digging in to meditative improvisation, art, and community building in his home workshop in the mountains of central Java. These recordings vibrate inwards, toward the microcosmic ecologies of forests and rivers; they distort outwards, resonating with global waves of apocalyptic change that are forcing all living beings to the edges of existence on earth. The result is a meditative poem that moves, as its titles an-nounce, from phenomena to phenomena, praying that humans find a way out from the depths of the depths to the light that illuminates the soul.
An essential mode of creative work for Wukir is the creation of unique instruments, using these sound sources as “bullets of expression.” In addition to the spear-like tube zither Bambu Wukir, he has created the Solet, Enthong, Garu, Luku, Arrows, and Industrial Mutant instruments, which in addition to being used in live performance, have been exhibited in the Instrument Builders Project and the 2017 Jakarta Biennale. In the past few years, Wukir has begun to collaborate with local guitar makers, carpenters, and suppliers of native endemic wood in the mountain region of Salatiga. Using earthen bricks along with local woods (suren, coconut, mindi, and waru lengis) as building materials, he constructed a new studio and workshop space in Tingkir, where this album was made. The trees, water and air of the local environment have exerted a powerful influence in Wukir’s documentations of instrumental sound. On this recording, he uses the simple Cetta guitar, an instrument designed in Bali and made for Indonesian children and local communities of folk and popular musicians, in order to explore the different sonic characteristics of a more “normal” instrument built from local wood.
The themes of the album -- cycle and prayer -- arise from a foreboding series of meta-events that shook Indonesia and the world over the past years, following one after the other: the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukrainian-Russian war, the Kanjuruhan Stadium tragedy in which football supporters were gassed and killed by police, revelations of govern-ment failures and corruption, the rise of personal vehicles, the increasing disturbance of natural patterns of the rainy season and other ecological cycles. “In these waves of technology and narratives of truth made for certain interests, playing a sound at a certain frequency and repeating can try to bring images and feelings to a certain point of con-sciousness,” Wukir told me. “Sound is a prayer that creates a change, whether gradual or rapid, in the behaviour of living things, to face the demands of the time, as humans struggle to live according to what they believe.” The draw-ings and sketches used for the cover spontaneously emerged alongside the recordings, as an instinctive depiction of “time and sound, nature that is outside of oneself, and nature that is within.”

As we continue the five part journey to say goodbye to the Telomere Plastic series we have Telomere 020.3 now available for preorder!
This five tracker VA, features producers, Hiroyuki Kato, Six Dreams, Ty Senrna Sherman C & Konerytmi!

We begin off the record with ‘Black from Hiroyuki Kato. This long play is over 9 minutes and is a beautifully structured deep & house tune. Perfect for your summer day time sets!

Next on the A2 we have ‘Static Es’ by Six Dreams, This moody minimal breakbeat tune is filled with heavy bass & lush chords, the perfect track to slow things down for a few minutes during your sets!

On the B1 we have Ty Senrna who delivers a whacky groover! This acidic tech tune will work wonders and bring the spooky & trippy energy to the dance floor!

B2 is a tripped out phat acidic break beat tune from the mighty Sherman C. With some tripped out vocals & classic Sherman breaks & bass, this one will get the dance floor rockin’ full speed!

Lastly, we close out the release with a classic tune from Konerytmi. As expected we are gifted with his signature electro & bass beats!

Very limited black copies with a few colored copies available via the Wex bandcamp, be quick!

Two talents with careers spanning varying eras, yet artists positioned at the heart of Italy’s current house landscape, Alex Neri and Mennie are adding to their rich solo discographies with a series of selected works in partnership with one another. Tuscany’s Neri, co-owner of the iconic nightlife institution Tenax and label boss at Wildflower Records, stands as one of the legendary Italian names from the past 30 years, holding residencies at the likes of Pikes in Ibiza while releasing a long list of classic records since the early 90s under numerous aliases, including Kamasutra alongside Marco Baroni. A familiar name to FUSE fans, having released material via sister imprints LOCUS and INFUSE, Mennie has seen his career flourish of late, regularly touring Europe’s key venues while also holding a residency at the legendary Tenax. Here, the two build on their recent joint studio projects with a debut on FUSE for the third edition of the label’s collaborative X Series, unveiling a quartet of impactful house cuts in heavy rotation for label head honcho Siragusa.

Taking a deep dive amongst swirling synths and cosmic interludes, ‘Reality’ opens proceedings with a trippy and punchy lead cut as the duo introduce slick groove-laden drum arrangements to get things moving, while ‘Find Me’ keeps the pressure on with bumping low-ends, shuffling hats and a menacing yet captivating bass groove sure to keep dancers moving in lockstep. On the b-side, ‘Rockets’ brings luminous melodies amongst breaks-influenced percussion for a playful and dynamic production, before ‘Watch Me’ rounds things out with another all-action affair as acid-dipped and kinetically charged closer made for big moments.

On Rotation returns with the second instalment of its Genetic Memories V/A series, showcasing the diversity of the label’s sound through 4 floor-focused cuts from a spectrum of global talent.

Fresh from dropping an EP with our good friends space:lab, Rambal Cochet delivers a mind-melting A1 to start things off. Deep, tasteful and making full use of his trademark sound design, “Meteora” is one for the witching hour!

Bolam steps up next with the party-starting “Dream Machine”. Colourful synths sit atop driving breaks, with the peak-time energy dialled up to 11.

Flipping the record reveals a darker, hazier sound. Moisk’s “GooSE Attack” is reminiscent of long nights (and mornings, and afternoons) in the smoky clubs of Berlin and Amsterdam, while the dark, rolling tech house of “X-Stream” by Aussie heroes Primitive Needs is pure afters’ fodder - a real B2 killer for those who know.

On Rotation is a Leeds-based event & mix series turned label, with 6 genre-defining releases featuring scene stalwarts such as Adam Pits, Solar Suite, Anderson, Roza Terenzi and Hybrid Man, Jamie Leather & more.