Search:call it off

For more than a decade, The Bunker New York has been a nexus point for the transnational techno community.
A chance meeting at The Bunker in 2011 brought together Gunnar Haslam and Johannes Auvinen (also known as Tin Man), who became fast friends and collaborators soon after, conceiving a joint project called Romans. The Bunker New York is proud to present Romans' Ambulare Aude, a collection of atmospheric acid techno tracks following the project's debut on Auvinen's own Global A in 2014."The Roman theme opens a world to explore beyond both of our past endeavours," says Auvinen, explaining
the conceptual genesis of the collaboration. "In the same way Ennio Morricone may have conceived the 'Spaghetti Western' genre by fusing together various contemporary motifs and moods to conjure the spirit of a past era, we're imagining stories and scenes from the Roman era, trying to manifest narratives while celebrating the distortions we see looking through the murky lens of time." And while Morricone may be a conceptual reference point for Romans, their sound is anything but—instead offering up a pair of murky, psychedelic acid-etched cuts (Emona, Delmenium) buffered by a gradually unfolding up-tempo floor-burner
(Coptos).
The record is the result of several extended improvisational jam sessions in Vienna and Brooklyn in which both
artists would play off of each other in the studio. Accordingly, each of the three tracks have a slight aleatory
air about them, as though both artists are being led down an unforeseen musical path, not entirely certain of
where it leads. This culminates in Delmenium, the record's B-side, a true techno journey, featuring an emotional, metallic synthesizer coruscating against a melancholy background.
"I like to think what we make sounds simultaneously like both of us and neither of us. We both push each other
in different ways," Haslam says, recounting their production process. Auvinen adds that "(Collaboration) offers a chance to hear from someone else's perspective. Working with others, I'm often reminded of how radically different the way people hear things, and relate to them in a musical context, can be."

The final part of the SchleiBen series brings the contrast of heavyweights for a special collaborative release featuring Colin Potter (Nurse With Wound), Alessio Natalizia (Walls/Not Waving) and Guido Zen (Brain Machine), backed up on the flp by a rising name, the (another) world ambience of Cass. Emotional Response completes the SchleiBen series, bringing together the legendary Colin Potter with two of Italy's best experimental / drone / industrial producers in Alessio Natalizia and Guido Zen for a one off special recording, plus again highlighting one last Dusseldorf affiiated project, with the Osnabruck based, beautiful ambient touches of producer Niklas Rehme-Schluter aka Cass. When the idea of the split series was born, one of the aims was to get producers who have worked with the label to come together and record special pieces. However, it was not until the fial release that this fially occurred and who better in which to do this. Having seen a number of reissues come out in the last 18 months - one of which on the distant relative label, Sacred Summits, Colin Potter has brought him in to the orbit of two
artists closely associated with Emotional Response in Mr Natalizia and Mr Zen. The assimilated Parts 1 and 2 provide a perfect marriage of methods. Percussion hinting at Industial and Techno is explored, while the constant Drone inflx and disintegration grab your attention, overlapping with rhythmic repetition deeper and deeper. To end is the ambience of Cass. Taken from the limited 'Hiding Place' cassette only album, the pieces here are the perfect completion. Found sounds, loops, piano, synthesis, all intertwine and overlap to bathe you in pause, a one last time call to stop and (un)listen.

The enigmatic Amara Touré from Guinée Conakry finally getting a well deserved compilation showcasing all of the 10 songs ever released between 1973 and 1980. Cuban influenced music of a different kind featuring amazing spaced-out guitar works!! Analog Africa compiles a complete collection of Amara Touré's Afro-Cuban compositions, originally released between 1973 and 1980."Lamento Cubana and Temedy are the two finest Afro-Cuban compositions ever recorded. As if they were played in a smokey, poorly lit ballroom where dark rum was sipped ever so slowly" - Vikram Sohonie - Ostinato Records
Analog Africa to release a compilation by Amara Toure, the enigmatic Afro-Cuban musician from Guinea-Conakry, showcasing all of the 10 songs he ever released between 1973 and 1980.
"Latin music, is it really foreign to us Africans I don't think so. Listen to the drums, to the rhythm. It all seems very close to us - it feels like it's our own culture," declared enigmatic singer Amara Toure. It is the late 50s, and Senegal is going crazy to the groove of Son Montuno and Patchanga. Brought to West Africa by Cuban sailors in the early 40s, these styles were immediately adopted by a flourishing music scene that did not hesitate to embrace the Caribbean sound, mixed it with their own Folklore, and, in the process, created something new. Through the unique cultural fusion of West African and Caribbean influences, Latin music took on a new and unique sound - the format was reinvented. Producer Ibra Kasseì and his Miami nightclub acted as the spearheads of this movement. They brought a breath of fresh air into Dakar's nightlife, further energising one of West Africa's most exciting cities. The demand for ballroom parties and live acts exploded, attracting numerous musicians from surrounding countries. One of the musicians who answered this call was percussionist and singer Amara Toureì, from Guinea-Conakry. Spotted by Kasseì while performing with Dexter Johnson, Toureì was asked if he would like to be part of a new project. Little did he know that this project would become a phenomenon.Immensely important for the development of Senegalese modern music, Le Star Band de Dakar, led by Mady Konate, became a sort of musical incubator and workshop, where many musicians learned and practiced their trade before moving on to become stars in their own right. Toureì's talent on percussion was undeniable, but it was his powerful and raw voice that captivated the producer. The fascinating way Toure interpreted Cuban music was unparalleled, and it was this feature that encouraged Kasse to recruit the unknown artist.
Although already brimming with incredible talent, Amara Toure's joining of Le Star Band de Dakar in 1958 began the band's meteoric rise to the top. The band quickly became Dakar's number one orchestra, and it cemented the reputation of the Miami nightclub as the hottest spot in the country. The place was packed nightly, and Dakar was boiling.
Amara Toure's Senegalese adventure lasted for ten years when he received an irrefutable offer and in 1968, joined by a few talented Senegalese musicians, headed to Cameroon and immediately formed the Black and White ensemble. Many live gigs later and it was time for the first songs to be recorded. A total of three singles were produced between 1973 and 1976. These singles, representing the first six songs on this compilation, fully epitomise and distill the essence of what Toureì had learned during his career. His Mandingue roots fused with the Senegalese sound that he had mastered - the perfect foundation for the Toureì's Cuban interpretations.
If Toure's intention was to create the most sensual music ever recorded in Africa, he might very well have reached this goal. The musicians on the recording sound like they are playing in a smokey, poorly lit juke joint, where dark rum was sipped ever so slowly, and the pulse of the music took up a life of its own. How many couples have danced, swayed, and melted together to the distinct sound of Amara Toure Nobody can say for sure ...
Amara Toureì's success poured across the borders of Cameroon, and in 1980 he went to Libreville, Gabon, to team up with the powerful Orchestre Massako. Toureì recorded an LP at that time which is hailed by many music aficionados as one of the very best African albums. The songs from that LP are the last four on this compilation. It took only ten songs for Amara Toureì to become a legend. These ten treasures, representing Toure ìs complete discography, have been carefully re-mastered from original session tapes and vinyl records, and will be released by Analog Africa on 22 June 2015. After the release of his LP in 1980, Toureì seems to have disappeared. Apparently he was last seen in Cameroon but it is unknown if he is still alive today. His music though is definitely alive.

* Hospital Records present their latest compilation 'Fast Soul Music' - a welcomed lesson in the art of soul-inspired drum & bass of the high-speed variety. After nineteen years spent building upon it's lounge-core esthetic their extensive library of smooth-rolling sounds is at the ready, now it's time to get retrospective.

* From the work of thirty artists, a carefully selected forty-six tracks highlight the quintessential sounds of soul music in the Hospital Records back catalogue. Not only effortlessly blending classics from Hospital mainstays London Elektricity, High Contrast, Danny Byrd, Nu:Tone, S.P.Y and Logistics but also showcasing the fresh wave of talent that's reached our ears in recent years. The work of Fred V & Grafix, Hugh Hardie, Keeno, Etherwood, Anile, Tokyo Prose and Technimatic showcasing just how prominent soul music is in drum & bass today.

* Accompanying this two-CD collectors item is a perfectly polished mix by longstanding practitioner and newest member of the Hospital A+R team, Nu:Tone. With over two hours of soul-inspired sounds that effortlessly create the ideal soundtrack for any daydream-filled afternoon.

* With a nod back to London Elektricity's '03 classic 'Fast Soul Music' and a look forward to the fresh influx of talent passing through, Hospital Record's latest compilation provides any drum & bass fan with a chance to rediscover those once forgotten gems and dust off the cobwebs from their favourite nostalgia-fuelling drum & bass anthems.

* Digital Marketing: Youtube upload schedule for music and video content on Hospital Records YouTube channel - (260k subscribers), cross promotion exclusive mix upload with UKF Youtube channel.

* Press / Promotion: Comprehensive campaign in-house serving all UK music and dance titles as well as national, regional and student press - Mixmag, DJ, Trap, Notion, Music Week, Future Music, Time Out, Metro, London Evening Standard, The Guardian, The Independent, Dazed + Confused, Vice, The Wire, The Fly, Vice Magazine, Clash. Kmag (interview), D&BA (interview). UKF Website and Youtube Channel. Reddit AMA, FACT Mag TV interview.

* Radio / Internet: Comprehensive in house campain from Hospital Records. BBC Radio1 & 1Xtra support from Mistajam, Friction, B Traits, Annie Mac, Andi Durrant (Kiss), Eddy Temple-Morris (X-FM), DJ Hype (Kiss), D&BA TV Takeover, Rinse FM Hospital Records Show, Hospital Podcast Hospital Records Podcast USA series, Kmag Podcast, Ministry of Sound Podcast. D&BA Podcast, Hospital records Website, Hospital Facebook (262K Likes), Twitter (64K Followers), Soundcloud (48k followers), YouTube (238k subscribers), Hospital Records Mailing List (53k Subscribers)






aG CD 1-7 | Logistics feat. Nightshade and Sarah Callander 'Crystal Skies'
















DISC 2

Dear reader,

since Ramona presented all her disciples work throughout the first Lifesaver compilation in 2013, it's now time for another episode of togetherness. Summoning all of her artists around Frankfurt and those who live around the world, Ramona is now ready to present the Lifesaver Compilation 2. 

Kicked off by one of the Frankfurt young guns, the compilation leans into a melody-driven warm-up with a slight hint of analogue soul - "Digital Revolution" by Orson Wells. Next up is the Italian-born and now Berlin-based Massimiliano Pagliara. His contribution "Phasing Down The Sea" enriches the second Lifesaver installment with some of his signature synth-lines paired with a classic chicago-driven beat. The secret weapon from Kilianstädten also known as Mr. Melody, who goes by the name of Lauer, delivers a dark-italo and wave-ish piece topped off with the famous Lauer-craziness called "Language". Roman Flügel, the man of the hour, reinvents classic UK bleep-techno with Tender Hooligan". Another member of the young-guns-club, Chinaski, brings his certain level of synthesizer-love to the table with a track called Futuresex". Portable, one of Ramona's most delicate flowers, teamed up with Lcio again - together they created a hieroglyphic and deep-driven piece of music: "Dive In". TCB, also known as the only member of The Citizen's Band, delivers "Byrdmap", a solid piece of spheric deep and broken music. "Brainwashed" by Benedikt Frey marks the end of the compilation and simultaneously shows his dimension of futuristic dark-disco acid-madness. 

The Lifesaver compilation will be released as a double 12"-vinyl. Additionally Live At Robert Johnson will release an Extension-10"-vinyl containing two brand new tracks by the infamous Hotel Lauer and Tuff City Kids end of March 2015.

Be prepared,
Ramona

The latest chapter in the unfolding story of Chronicle finds the New York techno label reaching out to Japan once again, calling upon the considerable talents of Hironori Takahashi to deliver a nerve -shredding manifest on cinematic scope and malicious intent in the darker corners of contemporary techno. Takahashi has previously shared his vision for malevolent dancefloor crushers on such highly regarded labels as Semantica and Stroboscopic Artefacts, not to mention holding down a job at the world-renowned Disk Union record shop in Tokyo.

Proceedings start somewhat inviting on EVENT0009, as the warm, dub-inflected chords of 'Ariast' drift through the stout rhythmic throwdown with orchestral grace. There is of course plenty of space left for brooding, uncertain elements underneath this melodic calm, but it's still a positively mellow offering compared to the jackhammer drum damage of 'Dazre' with its monstrous industrial intent and soaring sound design.

'Cecilleatis' is a more patient beast that simmers its tough ingredients into a predatory whole, using atmospheric pressure instead of sheer volume to create the required intensity. It's not all steel furnace fury though, as the track comes equipped with an epilogue that cools the fires of the EP with some glacial tones and distant machine bleeps that continue Chronicle's commitment to showcasing different sides of their chosen artists.

New York City, USA, 2014. A community filled with amazing shit and amazingly fucked up shit. This Yin Yang is an ever-present part of life, and it is this contradiction that Isaac Basker seeks to take on with Swishin' & Dishin,' his sophomore release on Play It Say What Records.

On A1, 'Swishin' & Dishin',' Isaac references NYC basketball legend, Walt 'Clyde' Frazier to define the city's Yin. Starting off like a certified banger; a simple 'bleep' blasts the track over a thumping kick and rhythmic percussion, as if attacked by a penetrating crossover dribble. Yet Isaac then drops his trademark melodic chords to turn the track into an authentic deep house groove.


With A2 Plan B Recordings boss DJ Spider provides his latest remix for Isaac, helming 'Swishin' & Dishin' (DJ Spider Mix).' The original is then obliterated into his classic raw, deep sound. Hard kicks, obscure female vocals, hats and snares form the basis of the track as we then get slowed chords to tease us until deeper sounds and syncopated percussion elevate the listeners mood before bringing the track back to the remix's original rawness.


B1, 'Slumlord Billionaires (5Pointz Of Light Mix),' Swishin' & Dishin's most dance floor friendly track, takes on the Yang of the city, using the to be demolished graffiti mecca 5Pointz as a point of reference. Yet, this is an uplifting build up banger of a track emphasizing human resilience in the face of doom. Booming drums start the song off until a single fluttering melodic chord drops. Then syncopated claps, and vocal hits arrive challenging 'the powers that be' to further enhance the song's call for dance floor resistance.



Then there is 'American't.' With B2 Isaac, takes dark analog keys and syncopated techno sensibilities over a simple eerie baseline to further emphasize the Yang. A manipulated vocal later emphasizes this further and another layer of angry, reflective keys drive the operatic finale of this definite New York release.

Pink marble vinyl / Sleeve artwork by ' The 'Warm'
Friendly Feeling Embodied in a Red-Pink One 1961 by Mcdermott & McGough.

ISNISNT offers it's second release of forward leaning electronics with a diverse group of modern techno from label head Jesse Siminski. Acting under his Heartthrob guise, Jesse initiates the release with 'Someone Called Again' a tough, but funky, bass driven tune that marries detailed production with his signature ominous melodies to great effect. Subtle modulating percussion work against harder, swung snare and synthetic drums workouts, as surprising analog synth bursts glue things together. Building smoothly into a headfirst groove, the track pressurizes and never loses it's drive as heady synth riffs keep things musical and emotionally interesting. In an even funkier tangent the two mixes of 'Cougar Juice' draw together an irresistible bass line with pushing breakbeats and precise synth stabs. These horn like synthesizer bursts mark surprising turns and recall similar moments in classic Hip-Hop jams or even tracks from Detroit's Anthony Shakir or Robert Hood- two of Jesse's production heroes. The 'Driving Past the Jail Mix' incorporates these synth stabs hypnotically within the melodic structure, while the 'Reduced Dub Mix' dials things back and focuses on the bass line, drums and dubbed out flourishes. With their funk driven momentum constantly moving forward, either mix will bring something unique to either a house or techno set. And finally 'Let Them Go' rounds out the group in a deep, yet still driving fashion. It splices sub bass pulses, a melancholic synth atmosphere, absurd bleeps and submerged voices amongst stripped down drums into a steadily building hybrid cut- not quite house and not really techno.

For the second instalment from Quantum Entanglement we delve into the misty past, a time when moving parts ruled the dance, when the power of the night rested on a needle and a bassline, and before CDJs calculated the bpm for you...you had to touch things, buy things, and the bassline ruled over all. Acid Thunder, a classic by Fast Eddie, was the first dance record i ever bought. It was important. The guy who sold it to me, at the time a spotty school kid in his school uniform, was called John Stapleton, and the shop was Sidetrax in Bristol. Mentrix totally gets the kinda NY sluttiness of the original, and brings it right up to date....less of a cover, more of a homage, the entanglement of then and now. Need You is an entanglement of two very unlikely BFFs... John Lee Hooker and Joey Beltram. This isn't really a cover, it's more like the offspring of many things, times, and moments - it's like the grandchild of John Lee Hooker's track dated the nephew of Joey Beltram's track and lived in Neukölln. Again, Direct - 'Techno Gone Mad' on R&S was another of my earliest techno purchases - at the time it was considered 'Dutch Hardcore' but now, it's almost cute.... Quantum Entanglement....recycling other people's good ideas since January 2014

Label boss Daniel Solar returns with a new EP and some helping hands from Stee Downes on the mic, Florian Kruse & Nils Nuernberg with the mixer and Berlin homie Mario Aureo on the composition.

The tracks are ranging from disco to house, from mild to wild and should keep the audience from start to finish.

A1 - Daniel Solar - Someday

Someday... somehow... it feels good! Does it point the direction to the promised land Or is it just the hope for a better sexual experience Send a mail to Doctor Solar. Meanwhile have fun on the floor with this peak time piano driver.

A2 - Daniel Solar - Someday (Kruse & Nürnberg Remix)

Pimp my car, pimp my track... More beats, more piano, more more. Try this for hot & spicy or go back to Daniel's version for the original taste.

B1 - Daniel Solar & Mario Aureo - I Do Believe (feat. Stee Downes)

This is the voice of planet... Stee Downes. Dikso couldn't resist and asked him to join them on stage. Together with longtime production partner Mario Aureo he completes a new dream team and with "I Do Believe" they couldn't have started better.

B2 - Daniel Solar - Cookie Dough

And what are we having for dessert A disco-infected mid-tempo groover called cookie dough Thank god you can dance the calories off with it.

Building upon the foundations laid by his stunning debut single for the label, 'Theme Park / Off Topic', Blu Mar Ten Music is proud to
present the second single from prodigiously talented young producer Frederic Robinson's forthcoming album, 'Mixed Signals'. A
natural successor to the aforementioned single, the two tracks on offer here, 'Bloom' featuring Stray and 'Shore', give a further insight
into the depth and diversity of his work and what you can expect from his debut long player when it drops later this year.
On 'Bloom' Robinson teams up with experimental electronic producer and fellow BMTM alumnus Stray, for a characteristically
forward-thinking and unique exploration of 170bpm's outer possibilities. Built around a skittering tribal rhythm, lush synths and
acoustic instrumentation weave in and out of the track's skeleton over a deep b-line punctuated by elegantly cut ethereal vocals. With
the pair fluidly building and deconstructing layers as the track evolves and effortlessly shifts grooves, the track's nuances make it as
compelling for home listening as it is fresh on the dance floor.
This is paired with the delicate percussive timbres and rich ambience of down tempo offering 'Shore'. Here Robinson's off-kilter,
organic rhythms combine with a dense patchwork of piano, strings and natural textures to create a track that is as beautiful as it is
haunting, aided by the distant call of Robinson's own vocals.
Already receiving support from revered taste makers such as Giles Peterson, Mary Anne Hobbs and London Electricity, the depth and
quality of Robinson's music is quickly starting to make people stand up and take notice. Quickly proving himself to be an inimitable
talent, the new single is a worthy addition to his musical canon.

We call them the rat pack of our beat scene. With all diversity in sound, the three producers are unified in their love for dope beats and high-proof drinks, both catered and consumed with style and expertise.

Suff Daddy, the globetrotting gin connoisseur and minimoog player with domiciles in Berlin, Düsseldorf and Sydney. He has released three solo albums and has worked with artists like Miles Bonny, Fleur Earth, Ta-ku and Elzhi. After a one year stint in Sydney, he returned to Berlin this spring.

Brenk Sinatra, the Wien-Kaisermühlen homeboy, Westcoast rap fanatic and producer of the forthcoming MC Eiht album. Last year Brenk released the critically acclaimed S3 album together with US singer Miles Bonny and has laced beats for an armada of MCs from both sides of the Atlantic.

And last but not least Dexter, the Stuttgart based trip maker and platinum producer with a day job as a pediatrician. This June Dexter released his second solo-album 'The Trip' a homage to the psychedelic rock era and one of the most innovative and genre bending hip-hop albums of 2013.

All three first met at the Hi-Hat Club, the producer series that we started a couple of years ago with the goal to push and celebrate the art of beat making. With their respective volumes 'Suff Draft' (Suff Daddy), 'The Jazz Files' (Dexter) and 'Chop Shop' (Brenk Sinatra) each of the guys put the instrumental hip-hop thing on a new and different level. None of their beats need a MC to be complete, they are full songs in their own right.

The official birth date of the Betty Ford Boys was the 2012 Beat BBQ in Cologne where Dexter, Suff and Brenk performed together for the first time. Right after the now legendary gig, that was ended by police forces Suff Daddy left for Sydney so that most the recordings for the Betty Ford Boys debut album took place in the cloud. Right after his return to Berlin, the Boys jumped on the bus and played their first club tour which finished with a gig at the Splash Festival.

On August 30th, the Betty Ford Boys release their first album 'Leaders Of The Brew School' on Melting Pot Music. The record combines the best of three worlds and has a surprisingly chilled Westcoast vibe. It's perfect summer music, it's edgy and relaxed at the same time and keeps you thirsty for more ....

*The product of a move from South Carolina to Berkeley, CA and the subsequent extended separation from loved ones, Toro Y Moi's third full-length, Anything in Return, puts Chaz Bundick right in the middle of the producer/songwriter dichotomy that his first two albums established.
*There's a pervasive sense of peace with his tendency to dabble in both sides of the modern music-making spectrum, and he sounds comfortable engaging in intuitive pop production and putting forth the impression of unmediated id.
*The producer's hand is prominent- not least in the sampled "yeah"s and "uh"s that give the album a hip-hop-indebted confidence- and many of the songs feature the 4/4 beats and deftly employed effects usually associated with house music. Tracks like "High Living" and "Day One" show a considerably Californian influence, their languid funk redolent of a West Coast temperament, and elsewhere- not least on lead single, "So Many Details"- the record plays with darker atmospheres than we're used to hearing from Toro Y Moi. Sounding quite assured in what some may call this songwriter's return to producer-hood, Anything in Return is Bundick uninhibited by issues of genre, an album that feels like the artist's essence.
*Born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina, Chaz Bundick has been toying with various musical projects since early adolescence. Having spent his formative years playing in punk and indie rock acts, his protean Toro Y Moi project has been his vessel for further musical exploration since 2001. During his time spent studying graphic design at the University of South Carolina, Chaz became increasingly focused on his solo work, incorporating electronics and allowing a wider range of influences- French house, Brian Wilson's pop, 80s R&B, and Stones Throw hip-hop- to show up in his music. By the time he graduated in spring 2009, Chaz had refined his sound to something all his own. Music journals across the board touted his hazy recordings as the sound of the summer, and he released his debut album, Causers of This in early 2010.
*Since then, Bundick has proven himself to be not just a prolific musician, but a diverse one as well, letting each successive release broaden the scope of the Toro Y Moi oeuvre. The funky psych-pop of 2011's Underneath the Pine evinced an artist who could create similar atmospheres even without the aid of source material and drum machines. His Freaking Out EP, a handful of singles and remixes, and a retrospective box-set plot points all along the producer/songwriter spectrum in which he's worked since his debut, and Anything In Return is another exciting offering that shows he's still not ready to settle into any one genre.

Character has many forms. Musical interests too.

Mr. Mau shows his deeper side in this very diverse EP, translated in three brilliant tracks.

Inspired by many other artists, he managed combine the hardware and software into a must have EP for people who want to experience the essence of the style of life that's called techno: a broad way of interpretation and translating feelings into music.

For this special EP, Mau invited one of the most underestimated, yet well-known and very respected artists of Portugal: michaelangelo, the man behind Labrynth Records.

What many describe as a Aphex Twin like touch to it, "Black" is a piece of patience, feelings and excitement captured in an instrumental track that is strongly recommended to be played in a laid-back modus, but also can be used as a DJ tool in darker sets.
michaelangelo takes "Black" to a whole other level. Well-known for his very atmospheric dark drones inspired techno, m surprises again with his creative approach with swirling glitches and an in your face off-beat kick. A must have in your collection!

Are you more into the minimal side of techno With a twisted side to it Than "Lion" is the track for you!
The subtile power of the TR-909 machine combined with atmospheric dark touched stabs and leads.

"Walking" is definitely one of the more deeper tracks of this album.
With it's lounge like jazzy feel to it, Mau manages to capture the beauty of electronic music that doesn't leave anyone untouched.

Alex Font is a serious guy who knows that now is his time. A multi-instrumentalist, as well as a producer and DJ, he can sometimes be seen on stage in trademark shirt and bow tie. He declares himself a lover of vinyl and, above all, what he calls real house. I think that says it all.

'NOW IS MY TIME' is the fifth release on the Oblack label and is available in black vinyl and digital. It is undeniable proof that Alex Font has arrived and is now a permanent force on the House scene, mainly in soul and dance, but who also knows how to reinvent his sound using new tech. Always with an eye on the future of sound innovation, he still manages to keep hold of his roots and respect his great influences. Well, nothing less would do. On this EP you can tell that Alex Font (remember, this is one serious guy) knows what he has in his hands and spinning on his turntable. His knowledge of musical composition, harmony and engineering skills jump out at you as soon as the first beat of 'Now is my time' hits the speakers: darkness, sophistication, soul and groove. There's a perfect command of tempo, of where, when and how. You pick up on the instrumental skills which allow him to do what he wants, when he wants. That's what's so great about this: you're struck by the ease of how such perfect technique and astoundingly good taste come together. Digitally analogical (or is it the other way round), this is the deeply profound vs. the dancefloor. It fascinates and liberates, carrying you off through different dimensions before breaking out of itself, with no need for artificial fanfares as it's so perfectly defined by Chicagoan pianos, hi-hats, funkoid vocals, etc. He's simply extraordinary: Alex Font signed by Oblack 005.

The remix by Martinez gives this track a technical edge and club splendor. Leaving out the more classic elements of house that are present in the original, the Swedish producer slows things down so that it doesn't lose any of its elegance, but at the same time the track gains punch on the dancefloor, and there's no doubt that it works. As cool as it is effective at inciting dance and everything else that comes with gyrating your pelvis in the early hours of the morning.

Finally, the Argentinian Shall Ocin plays the scoundrel here by adding diverse electronic elements that take the track into a new dimension. By giving the vocal more prominence, here it takes centre stage, and over a well-layered tech-house base, it makes the tremendous savoir faire of the original literally surf, while at the same time respecting and completing it.

In the end, it's great that you know that this is your time and that you want to share it, through Oblack and on vinyl, with all of us. Thanks comrade.

Special tracks have a special story behind them. And this one certainly does. After Mario & Vidis recorded a couple of tracks with Ernesto for their debut album Changed they invited him to perform in their home country. During his short stay in Lithuania Ernesto performed two times and both times closed his set with a track called Care. It was kind of a mash-up - Swedish singer & songwriter was using lyrics of his old song to sing over Metro Area's classic Caught Up to a big effect - leaving the packed dance floors to a sing along to lyrical hook of 'sisters and brothers, smokers and lovers, care for me' every time. Big fan of Metro Area's sound Vidis offered him to do a reversion of this mash-up using Caught Up as a reference and inspiration. The vocals were re-recorded, new arrangement was done, and the song was tested in the clubs as well as live on stage. So here it is - another big tune from the three to sing and dance along

One can hardly imagine the genre-busting, culture-crossing musical magic of Outkast, Prince, Erykah Badu, Rick James, The Roots, or even the early Red Hot Chili Peppers without the influence of R&B pioneer Betty Davis. Her style of raw and revelatory punk-funk defies any notions that women can’t be visionaries in the worlds of rock and pop. In recent years, rappers from Ice Cube to Talib Kweli to Ludacris have rhymed over her intensely strong but sensual music.



There is one testimonial about Betty Davis that is universal: she was a woman ahead of her time. In our contemporary moment, this may not be as self-evident as it was thirty years ago – we live in an age that’s been profoundly changed by flamboyant flaunting of female sexuality: from Parlet to Madonna, Lil Kim to Kelis. Yet, back in 1973 when Betty Davis first showed up in her silver go-go boots, dazzling smile and towering Afro, who could you possibly have compared her to? Marva Whitney had the voice but not the independence. Labelle wouldn’t get sexy with their “Lady Marmalade” for another year while Millie Jackson wasn’t Feelin’ Bitchy until 1977. Even Tina Turner, the most obvious predecessor to Betty’s fierce style wasn’t completely out of Ike’s shadow until later in the decade.



Ms. Davis’s unique story, still sadly mostly unknown, is unlike any other in popular music. Betty wrote the song “Uptown” for the Chambers Brothers before marrying Miles Davis in the late ’60s, influencing him with psychedelic rock, and introducing him to Jimi Hendrix — personally inspiring the classic album Bitches Brew.



But her songwriting ability was way ahead of its time as well. Betty not only wrote every song she ever recorded and produced every album after her first, but the young woman penned the tunes that got The Commodores signed to Motown. The Detroit label soon came calling, pitching a Motown songwriting deal, which Betty turned down. Motown wanted to own everything. Heading to the UK, Marc Bolan of T. Rex urged the creative dynamo to start writing for herself. A common thread throughout Betty’s career would be her unbending Do-It-Yourself ethic, which made her quickly turn down anyone who didn’t fit with the vision. She would eventually say no to Eric Clapton as her album producer, seeing him as too banal.



Her 1974 sophomore album They Say I’m Different features a worthy-of-framing futuristic cover challenging David Bowie’s science fiction funk with real rocking soul-fire, kicked off with the savagely sexual “Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him” (later sampled by Ice Cube). Her follow up is full of classic cuts like “Don’t Call Her No Tramp” and the hilarious, hard, deep funk of “He Was A Big Freak.”

The new album will be released across a series of 4 limited edition 12" vinyls. This is the 2nd 12 inch From Tronic Jazz The Berlin Sessions. A Guy Called Gerald has spent the last couple of years flitting through shadows, turning up on labels like Perlon, Beatstreet and Sender like a peripatetic prophet of the Berlin underground, seeding the scene with cryptic singles that return to the past to suggest alternate futures. Now he returns to Berlin's Laboratory Instinct label with the follow-up to 2006's Proto Acid: The Berlin Sessions, the album that re-established Gerald as an acid hero and techno auteur. Tronic Jazz: The Berlin Sessions builds upon the foundation established by its predecessor to create an even more powerful statement of intent, one that communicates more persuasively than ever Gerald's vision for techno in its third decade of existence. One immediate difference stands out, this time around. Where Proto Acid offered a seamless mix of 24 cuts, recorded in one epic session, Tronic Jazz collects 13 standalone tracks. That's welcome news to DJs. After so many years of digital anything-goes, you might have forgotten the kind of sounds that are possible with "old" machines: the way a lead stacked against tuned percussion and shrouded in pads can evoke still other sounds, hidden in the mix, or maybe not really there at all. It's a ghostly, suggestive presence, a kind of evocation of infinite possibility within the context of a limited set of inputs. In that sense, Tronic Jazz follows a certain minimalist impulse, but it's far too lush ever to be mistaken for the dread "mnml" of recent years. This stuff is wide-eyed and full of life. When it funks, it funks hard, and when it smoothes out, it can be as intimate as a hand-written note left on a lover's pillow. As "class ic" as Tronic Jazz may be, the album refutes any notion that "class ic" equals "retro," that the ideas have all been expressed before. Tronic Jazz takes the foundations of house and techno as though they were a kind of language, and speaks volumes with them.