Playedby021-1 is the starting point of Andrei Ciubuc’s Back 2 Back to the Future, unfolding over three vinyl chapters. Released as a double 12”, this first part lays the foundation of the journey: hypnotic rhythms, sharp grooves, and intricate sound design that highlight Andrei’s ability to balance dancefloor functionality with deeper narrative elements. Each track stands strong on its own, while also acting as a fragment of the larger story that continues in the next two volumes.
David August's most expansive, ambitious album to date, the Italian – German composer and producer lets his vast sonic universe collapse, rediscovering in its wake an instrument that's been a constant presence in his life. 'Hymns' is a deeply personal set of candid piano – led reflections that tell a simpler but far more distinctive story; rather than concentrate on the life cycle of humanity and civilization, August narrows his field of vision, tracing his own background and re - asserting his relationship with a musical language he'd tried hard to unlearn. An intimate, instinctual album that emerged from isolation and contemplation, 'Hymns' is also a surprisingly hopeful suite of soft hued, evocative improvisations that well up from the depths of the soul. In August's own words, "it should recall light, not darkness."
Stepping up for Punctuality number 8 is the dynamic duo of Ciel and Matthis Ruffing. Needing little introduction, both artists are prolific producers and collaborators across tempos and genres. Toronto-based Ciel has released music on labels like NAFF, Peach Discs, and !K7, while Berliner Matthis Ruffing’s work can be found on International Chrome, Infinite Drift, and Strictly Strictly, to name just a few.
Bonding over a shared love for the techno stylings of Claude Young and early 2000s tech/prog house from labels like Future Groove and Slide, the duo’s collaboration began with a spontaneous jam in Ruffing’s Berlin studio during the summer of 2022. With an organic studio chemistry, the pair continued to jam over the following years. Hot Squid is the result of these studio experiments: five tracks of sleek, muscular, contemporary tech house that fluidly distill the creative visions of both artists—slick, shimmering grooves, heavily weighted for the dancefloor.
The title track, Hot Squid, weaves dubbed-out waves of FX and low-end sonics around metallic, staccato drum bursts, sci-fi pads, stuttered vocals, and syncopated snares that flit and flicker around a rolling bassline reminiscent of golden-era UK tech house from the late ’90s. Roza Terenzi’s remix flips the original into a modern, low-stepping tek roller—a mind-bending re-fix that puts more focus on the snaking vocal groove and a sparser percussion arrangement, filled out with lustrous textures and razor-precise sound design.
On Little Voice, glossy synths and spiraling atmospherics cascade around a mesmeric vocal line, while tightly wound, minimal drum loops give way to a swaggering bassline that barely relents throughout the track. The result is a satisfyingly boshy, groove-driven roller, fit for the dancefloor at any time of day.
Late Summer maintains the EP’s high-grade production standard in the form of a dreamy, electro-leaning tech house number, resplendent with deep, pummeling kick drums, woozy low-end, and organic sonics. Its plucked melody and introspective pads nod to halcyon-era IDM and the Detroit techno that inspired the duo in creating Hot Squid.
The release culminates in Bong Bong—a meditative dancefloor tool suffused with ASMR-like nature documentary samples that lend the track a psychedelic intimacy. Careening percussion lines and swooning chord stabs anchor the rhythm, while the title’s “Bong Bong” mantra hums beneath the surface, carried along by barely perceptible sub fills and ultra-processed percussion. A cohesive, unique, and enduring take on seminal tech house and Detroit techno from Ciel and Matthis Ruffing.
Winding through cavernous and dark meanders, amid gurgling water, rustling sounds, low and deep pulsations, incisive and impactful sound masses, floating waves, crystalline drips, sudden rays of light, electronic spirals, and unexpected openings onto almost soothing soundscapes and quiet environmental stasis, Rod Modell paints musical textures that are apparently abstract and contemplative, but in reality charged with pathos and drama, taking advantage of a spectacular, enveloping and surprising sound quality, in which every nuance and every small detail makes the listening experience even more intense and engaging. A new exciting masterpiece by Maestro Rod Modell.
Saxophonist and producer Ben Vince announces the release of his sixth album, Street Druid, the first in almost six years via AD 93.
Street Druid merges acoustic, manipulated and electronic sound and it has saxophone, synth, voice, guitars and drum machine, and features drum kit from Moses Boyd. It features artwork by Byzantia Harlow. It is at once tender, psychedelic and fierce. It is not interested in genre or category. It lasts just under 45 minutes.
A prelude for the future, hands join to cast a peace spell. Consciousness is vast water seeking divine essence and meaning where colours merge and refract. The street druid walks through the night, a benevolence in the darkness, guiding you home. Immersed in noise, life can feel empty, like hollow vessels, a sentient interlude. At times we are found in Gaia’s rhythm, kinetic and rebuilt, transcending through the impact of sound on the body. Every moment is a new change, a new challenge, a new life, we must ride the wave if we are not to be caught adrift or drown. Trying to keep hope intact, we must not retreat into fear, recognise we all live here in Longville and stop the fire before it engulfs us all.
Making a welcome return nine years on from his last outing on Dekmantel, Makam offers up a generous helping of wayward grooves that take his curious spirit even further into unmarked territory. With a strong dub sensibility grounding his rich tapestry of percussion and instrumentation, Guy Blanken follows his own path to arrive at an album that embodies house music as a launchpad for experimentation.
Blanken says himself he was determined to approach his first Makam productions in years from a place of total freedom — "It's not a single direction, but rather a landscape of sounds, moments, and textures. TARP feels like a new beginning, a free project that just had to happen naturally." The steady pulse of the club remains a guiding principle boldly manifested on heads down roller 'Static Shade', but even in the lilting organic loops and tumbling percussion of 'Forgive' there is a funkiness that's beholden to continuous movement.
At times the direct thump of 4/4 disco juts out as a call to dance, not least on 'Flying Birds' and 'La Tuna', but elsewhere the rhythms are more slippery. 'Dub In Loen' plots a delicate path through dub techno and 'Lummel Spirit' casts off into pattering Balearic bliss. The pervasive dub mood of the record comes to the fore on expertly crafted stepper 'Diagonal Rain' and crooked album opener 'Clear Skies'. 'Jackie B' lands as a love letter to quintessential deep house, and yet still there's a left-of-centre charm that gives the track a personality that is pure Makam.
Exuding warmth and imagination at every turn, TARP is the perfect example of how to make a groove-oriented album a rich home listening experience. There are ample moments primed for the spectacle of the dancefloor, but the mellow hue and broad sweep of approaches make Makam's welcome return utterly compelling from end to end.
Unearthed from forgotten DAT tapes recorded in ’93–’94, Olivier Abbeloos’ archives capture the pulse of Belgium’s vibrant club years — a scene built on instinct, groove, and pure experimentation.
Melodic, playful, and full of heart, these rediscovered moments reveal a timeless energy that still moves today.
Lovingly restored and brought back to life on HOOT004.
With Severance, IGLO returns to Figure with a focused yet exploratory EP that reflects his open-ended approach to contemporary techno. The release moves fluidly between restraint and expression, combining functional structures with subtle, unconventional elements that give the tracks a distinct sense of character. Rather than settling into a fixed formula, Severance highlights IGLO's curiosity and willingness to push his sound forward while remaining grounded in precision and control.
Connection opens the release with a restrained, heads-down groove. A firm low-end foundation and sparse percussion lock into a steady momentum, while understated melodic elements add depth without breaking the track's linear drive.
On Kauriraris, the energy tightens. Nervous synth motifs and crisp rhythmic details create a sense of urgency, pushing the track forward through constant micro-variation. It's a lean and effective tool built for sustained pressure.
Flipping the record, Blink Twice moves into darker, denser territory. Murky textures and a weighty groove unfold gradually, building tension through repetition and space. The track thrives on its slow burn, making it well-suited for late-night transitions.
Alive introduces a more open and flowing feel. Warmer tonal elements and a subtle swing soften the edges, while the groove remains firmly anchored and forward-moving.
Digital-only track Forlornly closes the EP with a spacious and introspective mood. Reduced rhythms and airy melodic layers create a calm, drifting atmosphere that rounds off the release with control and restraint.
With Severance, IGLO delivers a tightly structured EP that emphasizes clarity, tension and functionality - a confident addition to the Figure catalogue.
Chris Liebing and Charlotte de Witte announce their second-ever collaborative release, 'Symphonie des Seins' (Symphony of Existence). The release, taking in an original alongside a Dub mix from Liebing, follows 2019's 'Liquid Slow' from the pair and marks the second release ahead of Chris Liebing's 'Evolver EP' releasing in late-March.
A surging acid-beast channelling mid-90s techno energy, 'Symphonie des Seins' sees de Witte delivering a tweaky, spoken
vocal comprising the hallucinogen-fuelled diaries of ayahuasca and DMT trip reports that Liebing stumbled upon online. Crisp
but heady, old school but utterly contemporary with its delivery, 'Symphonie des Seins' sees two techno artists with very
di?erent formative eras converge perfectly with a razor-sharp piece of dancefloor mayhem.
Following January's 'Roy Batty' EP, Chris Liebing and Charlotte de Witte's 'Symphonie des Seins' is the last single before Liebing's thirteen-track 'Evolver' LP lands on March 27th. The 'Evolver LP' features additional collaborations with Luke Slater, Speedy J, The Advent, The Alte Stuben Modular Ensemble aka Daniel Miller, Terence Fixmer, and Pascal Gabriel and is Liebing's first solo Techno LP, having focused on long-form electronica output alongside co-writer Ralf Hildenbeutel for 2018's 'Burn Slow' and 2023's 'Another Day' for Mute Records, and the André Walter co-produced 'Evolution' in 2002.
WRWTFWW Records is ecstatic to announce a limited edition vinyl release of the remarkable PONYBOI (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Chilean-born composer, arranger, music producer, and multi-instrumentalist Cristobal "Cristo" Tapia de Veer (The White Lotus, Utopia, Smile, Black Mirror, and many more).
This collector's edition presents Tapia de Veer's complete original score for the critically acclaimed feature film PONYBOI - a bold, genre-defying neo-noir tale directed by Esteban Arango and and starring filmmaker, actor, screenwriter, model, and intersex rights activist River Gallo who also wrote the movie. The soundtrack arrives as a deluxe audiophile vinyl LP, housed in a luxurious 350gsm gold cardboard sleeve, cut with utmost precision by Sidney Claire Meyer at the legendary Emil Berliner Studios, home to Deutsche Grammophon's world-renowned legacy.
Vivid, seductive, gritty, dreamy, tender, and sometimes heart-pounding in its tension, the PONYBOI soundtrack is a sinuous creature of its own - an emotional, atmospheric, and deeply textural listening experience. Tapia de Veer fuses shimmering electronics with haunting melodies, raw rhythms, shadowy ambience, and surges of romantic intensity, perfectly embodying the film's world of danger, desire, identity, and survival on a single wild New Jersey night. It's daring, intimate, stylishly noir, and unmistakably Cristo: music that refuses boundaries and speaks directly to the pulse.
The LP showcases Cristobal Tapia de Veer's uncanny ability to blend experimental sound design with narrative emotion - a talent that has earned him global acclaim and numerous awards, including four Primetime Emmy Awards for The White Lotus.
This new WRWTFWW edition celebrates his artistry in its purest form: warm, rich, analog, and physically stunning. A must for soundtrack fanatics, ambient and experimental music lovers, and rare memorabilia collectors.
Back To Life EP marks the rebirth of a seasoned artist stepping into a fresh chapter as
Just Marco. This first record in the Bending Body series comes after a long run of
exploration and self-reset, chasing raw honesty and identity built for vinyl-only cuts.
The record links past and present: rough drum work, evocative pads, bright acid lines, all
pressed on wax to echo the moments and people that shaped Marco along the way.
Musically, Back To Life it’s a blend where nothing is forced, where unusual choices and
imperfections are embraced as part of a renewed creative philosophy. It’s a return to the
music life where intuition leads and authenticity sets the tone.
Enjoy.
Dutch DJ/producer Boss Priester has built a name as a producer who operates with a ‘let the music speak’ ethos. Now based in The Hague, he has spent years crafting a distinctive sound that blends elements from minimal, house, and techno, releasing across respected labels including Ba Dum Tish, X-Kalay, Dungeon Meat, and his own BPDUBS imprint. His 2023 ‘Hotel Dijon’ EP on LOCUS marked a notable moment in his journey, having long drawn support from label boss Enzo Siragusa, establishing a connection that now comes full circle with an impressive debut outing on FUSE. Building on the backing of other notable figures such as Fumiya Tanaka and Samuel Deep, reinforcing his meticulous attention to rhythm, texture, and groove, his ‘Respect Yourself’ EP extends his sound further as he delivers four tracks that are impactful, precise, and built to command the dancefloor.
Title track ‘Respect Yourself’ leads the EP with its synth-led, hypnotic groove, as intricate percussion and low-end weight immediately establish a commanding presence shaped for the floor. ‘BP On The Master’ follows with a deep, rolling energy, blending minimal textures and squelchy bass licks with understated melodic flourishes. On the B-side, ‘Future Is Electric’ channels a forward-thinking spirit, layering bright textures over weighty, skippy UKG-influenced driving rhythms, before ‘Flava’ closes things with a hazy yet heavy kinetic groove that perfectly encapsulates Boss’s growing sound.
James Curd and Osunlade. After years of playing back to back DJ sets and collaborating in the studio, they decided it was time to create something that could represent both the music they make together and the shows they play. Their sound is a natural meeting point between deep house grooves and soulful roots, reflecting both artists’ histories and shared love fortimeless dance music.
The first single from Nomadic’s is “Better Man”. The track was originally signed to Defected Records,but after creative differences about how the release should be presented, the contract was voided. That decision gave James and Osunlade the chance to put the music out exactly as they envisioned, and the song now finds its proper home on Pronto Records. The package includes the original alongside a set of remixes from some of the most exciting names in underground house.
Dutch producer Frits Wentink delivers a remix in his unmistakable style – raw drum programming, warm analogue textures, and the kind of off kilter groove that has made him one of the most respected names in Europe’s house scene. Mr Ho, co-founder of the cult label Klasse Wrecks, adds his own twist with a version that nods to classic rave and electro energy, while keeping things firmly locked for the dancefloor. Finally, LA based duo Too Easy bring a mysterious touch, layering live instrumentation with electronic drive, showing why they’re quickly becoming ones to watch.
With its story of creative independence, heavyweight remixers, and the credibility of two deeplyrespected artists at the helm, “Better Man” is both a club record and a statement of intent for what Nomadic’s represents.
French producer Yse Saint Laur'ant is exactly the sort of artist you want to hear from as the sun begins to shine more often. He's a master of escapist, beauty, classy grooves that marry disco and Balearic into pure magic. 'Space Ride' does that on a bubbly groove with a cosmic edge and 'Saint Tropez' brings loose-limbed funk and boho percussion to a Provencal sound. 'Monaco' is bathed in sunlight and made all the more classy with some gorgeous stings and mellifluous chord work then 'Esplanade' shuts down with a dubby, flute-led sound with a whimsical charm. Twenty First release on the much sought after Vinyl Only label.
American DJ Homicide aka Craig Anthony Bullock is best known as the former DJ for Sugar Ray but also does a fine line in club-ready hip-hop jams and remixes. 'Likwit Swordz' kicks off his latest on the small but well-formed CA label out of the USA. It's got nimble drums that have a clipped bounce and vamping chords, vocal grit that echoes Cypress Hill and an infectious roll. On the flip, 'Day Coastin'' is more deep and smooth - the bars as silky as BIG and the drums rolling with crisp boom-bap style. Both have been made on an MPC and that sampler's famous textures elevate the final jams no end.
