quête:chai

The cult series returns with the brand new
“The Mood Mosaic Vol. 22 - Funk IT.”
. A sonic journey through rened grooves
and timeless atmospheres, crafted with
unmistakable taste.

When Chuck D proclaimed "Bass, how low can you go?" on Public Enemy's anthemic 'Bring the Noise,' maybe he was pre-empting or inciting the 10,000 fathoms-deep, spine-bending basslines and sub-quake tremors of 'Implosion.'

Implosion is a crushing split album, appropriately released on The Bug's own PRESSURE label. Mapping out a new form of spectral dub, the sound is deliberately immersive, introverted, and yes, definitely implosive. In pursuit of heavy lids, blurred vision, and merciless bass bin punishment, it’s one part meditation, two parts low-end theory, and essentially a confession of devoted sound system addiction.

As expected from a tag team featuring British soundlab explorer and 'London Zoo' composer Kevin Martin, aka The Bug, and Michael Fiedler, aka Jah Schulz—a long-time graduate of Germany's new school of sound system reggae culture—the duo approaches their target differently yet share the goal of keeping their sound "raw" (Fiedler) and "brutally minimal" (Martin). This proves that opposites can attract, even if their tools are different and their methods sometimes diverge.

From such a disparate combo, hailing from different geographical and aesthetic backgrounds, contrasts are certainly on display, even within each artist's own contributions. From the melancholia and transcendence of 'Alien Virus (West Indian Centre, Leeds),' to the duality of ascension and descension on 'Hope,' or the Sunn 0))) in dub, visceral drone of 'Dread (The End, London),' to the tripped-out repetitions of 'Midnight,' which reinvents Chain Reaction for post-millennials, the result is both sacred and narcotic. Each track illuminates the emotional impact and atmospheric pressure being explored across this deceptively sparse album—a mastery of tone and texture.

This collection might be as reduced, minimal, and deep as The Bug has ever gone, perhaps echoing the solemnity of his recent Kevin Richard Martin Black release and invoking the futurist steppas self-pioneered on his previous Pressure album. Alternatively, Fiedler‘s Ghost Dubs project ventures into his most heavyweight direction yet, which is no mean feat considering his previous, the critically acclaimed album Damaged, was a monstrously massive triumph of analogue weight and enviable sound design.

Implosion is ice-cool, a stark contrast to the warmth and sociability of traditional Jamaican roots and the current trends in digi-dub. Instead, the mood is soaked in tension and intense dread, finding an unexpected melting point where classic dub's stark rhythm attack, isolationist ambience's eerie drift, dub techno's floatation strategies, and even the relentless riffs of doom metal collide. As the bass-obsessed pair drop what is arguably the heaviest ambient dub album to emerge from any electronic sector—a moody counterpoint to The Orb's fluffy clouds, etc, Martin has cited The Roots Radics, Black Jade, and On U Sound's Pounding System as heavily influencing his approach to the album, while Fiedler has expressed his admiration for Adrian Sherwood's productions and Rhythm & Sound's enchanting soundscape. Yet, the super heavyweight pulsations, emotive resonances, and bone-rattling vibrations detonated here effortlessly go far beyond these influences.

Shadowy and elusive, there’s a mysteriousness at this record's core. A haunting moodiness oscillating between nostalgia and future shock. Despite the deadly fixation with SLOW and HEAVY, the album maintains a totally hypnotic swing throughout. Implosion and its lead single 'Imploded Versions' are testaments to being enveloped in bass, seduced by bass, submerged in bass, and utterly crushed by bass, as The Bug and Ghost Dubs seek to craft a new form of dub for zonal headz and Babylon seekers.

Mastered by Stefan Betke (a.k.a. POLE) at Scape Mastering studio, this record is heavy as f-ck without resorting to continuous distortion. It’s low-end worship taken to an absolute extreme, yet remains highly listenable and definitely danceable, albeit at the slowest of paces. Sacred and narcotic, this is low-end worship amplified to the max. Dive in if you dare.

T.R.U. REALigion is the seventh mixtape by Atlanta rapper and legend, 2 Chainz and first release under his current artist name (formerly known as Tity Boi). The mixtape served as a major launching point for 2 Chainz as it was his first release to chart on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and led to numerous major guest appearances ("Mercy" & "Beez In The Trap"). It achieved viral status in the mixtape era, having amassed over 1 million downloads on popular mixtape hosting site, Datpiff. Rereleased on streaming platforms for its 10th anniversary with 2 new songs featuring Wiz Khalifa & Big Sean, & now for Black Friday, the project finally sees the vinyl treatment during its original anniversary month (November 2011). Pressed on double Red, White & Blue Marbled Vinyl & housed in a denim-coated jacket, this album is a must have commemorative release for any Dirty South rap fan aficionado and serves as one of the great mixtapes of the early 2010s



2xLP, Pressed on Red, White & Blue Marbled Vinyl & Housed in a widespine jacket inside an embroidered denim outer slipcase.

One of contemporary ambient’s preeminent figures lands on its leading label, enacting a transition into a new phase of rhythmic noise and tonal shadowplay laced with peculiar sensitivities, wrangling Dilloway-influenced tape noise thru ASMR ambience, fritzed dub techno, layered vocal drone and ritualistic mantras.

Perila steps up solo with a heavily satisfying debut for West Mineral, investigating negative space and states of subconsciousness. The shift in tone feeds forward into arcane realms of resonant dark ambient and dream-pop, harnessed in amorphous structures using dub-as-method. It’s wholly immersive stuff in a way that’s long been Perlia’s calling card, but here more careful in its command of personalised, atmospheric physics from the Coil-esque ‘cheerleader’, thru the deeply smudged and sexy trip hop of ‘lava’, and the oozing, sloshing OOBE-like spectres of ‘give it all’.

The title of the album is a reference to Carl Jung’s phrase "all haste is of the devil” which informs Perila’s writing process here; she slows down in an attempt to feel more and tap into her shadow self. Album opener 'cheerbleeder' is a doomed, tremolo-heavy mass of ghost notes, while the rattling chains and strangulated voices on ‘metal snax' sounds like they belong on a Wolf Eyes tape. 'grain levy tep dusk' strikes closer to recently unearthed industrial plates from Tolerance and Mentocome, with rusted clangs threaded into deflated, half-speed pulses. The album keeps growing from there, shifting and expanding as Perila exhales and absorbs her cognitive blind spots. She credits "trance states" for helping her let go, and we broadly get to experience that on the mantra-like 'thunder me' and the blurry all-vocal highlight 'hold my leg', which sounds like it could have been snatched from Grouper's 'Way Their Crept' sessions.

As with all of Alexandra Zakharenko’s work under various aliases - Aseptic Stir, Baby Bong, Wedontneedwords, Perila - her allure is self-evident to lovers of textured, diffuse electronics, and never more so than on this lip-bitingly potent suite of delicacies and primordial urges, perfectly balancing ancient and techngnostic aspects with an x-amount of seductive strangeness left in the margins.

Aftersome refers to that suspended moment of wonder, when you realize you’ve been led here by a chain of unexpected events and small decisions — so improbable they almost feel preordained. Between chance and destiny, it is a fragile state where emotion and reflection intertwine.
This album by You Man embodies precisely that idea: each track is a step along this path, a resonance born of accidents and coincidences, ultimately shaping a coherent trajectory despite its improbability.
The work moves between techno, house and post-wave, infused with science-fiction and fantastical influences, constantly blurring the line between reality and imagination.
The experience is enriched by remarkable collaborations: Marc Almond (Soft Cell), Local Suicide, Jérôme Voisin, each bringing their own brilliance to this odyssey.

Detroit's MotorCity Wine offers a uniquely histaminergic POV on dance music, doubling as a one-stop wine shop, record label and vinyl store, and in so doing highlighting a real economic reality: music often really does sound best when paired with powerful, sense-boggling beverages. Here they welcome local Eddie Logix for a thematic chuggers' chaiiwala, from the laggard and slap-happy homebrew 'Moonshine Mandala' to the background noisy, bustling B-side blear, 'Brooklyn Street Sunrise', which works street sounds and knowing urban chant-murmurs into a serious post-Afro stew.

Meet Dr. Brown, a world-renowned astrophysicist who arrives with a ten-pound bag of gummy bears and a DVD box set of a reality show about competitive dog grooming. Before she loses herself in the flamboyant world of puffed poodles and outrageous hairdos, she organizes the gummies by color...

Judge White, on the other hand, unboxes a newly released LEGO set. But he isn't building a replica of the Supreme Court; he is constructing a bright pink, glitter-covered unicorn palace.

Opera singer Miss Black... growls along at the top of her lungs to Chesney Hawkes' "The One and Only", standing on a chair in a red-and-white striped bikini, using nunchucks as a microphone.

And finally, Mister Red, the MIT professor, known for his ironclad logic and severe demeanor, brings a collection of classic comic books. He isn't interested in modern, gritty superhero stories. His joy comes from the simplistic, colorful tales of superheroes with outlandish names like bqdp and ridiculous powers like the ability to selectively negate gravity for objects weighing exactly 13.37 kilograms (but only when standing in moonlight).

They are all members of a club where the rules are simple: no judgment, no professionalism, and no apologies. They understand that the most infamous guilty pleasures aren't those that are truly bad, but those that remind us that we are all, at our core, just human - finding joy in the simplest, most wonderful things, no matter how silly they may seem.

pdqb and DMX Krew gift you with six minutes of pure, unadulterated pleasure. You'll feel like you're locked inside an 80s mall with your best friend, free to do whatever you want. And you'll never want to leave.

Followed by the first release last year Chinese label Motivation, curated by B.ai, comes back with its second V.A. featuring Ilkay Yeler, J6, SMEV and NAE. The vinyl attributes in progressive house, electro house and electro.

Opening track “Destiny” ‘s morphing main motif gets kept in check by a steady pulse of snappy bass. Enigmatical vocal samples add to the ambiguous atmosphere, so the sets of twinkling mallets J6 sleekly includes, bring a touch of subtle lightness.

A-2 Ilkay Yeler’s sound is fueled by endless nights of groove, and on “Frontliner” this translates to a hypnotic trip into the deep end. Underneath its dreamlike current of silky chords a steady bass riff propels everything forward, allowing a restless arp to zone in and out.

Flipping to the side B, Sev’s Miami-inspired 808 patterns have “Clearing The Fog” come out of the gates swinging. Bright flutes and big basslines provide this slab of machine funk with a tapestry of melody, and fluorescent synth solos top it off.

Nay ends affairs on a melancholic note with “Silent River”. The leads sound like they ran through an eighties wave pedal chain, and as pondering chords and choirs work their way in, a Juno 6 bass adds extra depth. Still firmly directed at the club, the track escapes easy classification - and suitably closes a diverse yet coherent EP.

Continuing the percussive-driven and emotive themes from his previous EPs, CAIN reaches beyond the boundaries of experimental electronic and Celtic music from the Scottish Highlands. "Lineage" is the result of a life-long goal to combine his passion and experience in these respective worlds. The album includes Brighde Chaimbeul on Scottish small pipes, James Mackenzie on flute and vocals by Katie Mackenzie.

The common thread that connects his discography is the intense rhythmic and melodic elements that convey his love of ‘infectious rhythm, ethereal beauty, or an otherworldly strangeness’. His productions have garnered support from DJs like Ben UFO, Gilles Peterson, Peggy Gou, Hunee, Haai, Erol Alkan, Ame, Oneman, and Midland, amongst others. Balancing rhythmic precision with profound harmonic depth, CAIN weaves evocative builders that ignite dancefloors at peak time and reveal intricate sonic tapestries in the intimate confines of headphones.

CAIN's musical background is rooted in traditional Scottish bagpipe music, which evolved through his competitive performances on an international level. His experience and knowledge enhanced CAIN’s understanding of how regional folk music reflects specific environments and cultures. Through the competition circuit he met Brìghde Chaimbeul, out on the scenic games fields of Uist, Glenfinnan and many others. He also competed against James Mackenzie, an amazing piper and flautist. James is a former member of the band Breabach. His wife, Katie Mackenzie is a superb Gaelic singer.

The recordings with James and Katie were done on the island of Bernera, off the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides and recordings with Brìghde were made in Edinburgh.

Mastered by Sam at Precise, Design by Alexander Horne, Pressed and printed at Record Industry

Butterfly Records is proud to release a vinyl reissue of Radio Babilonia, the fourth electrifying studio album by Uruguayan alternative band Traidores. The album was originally released on CD and cassette in 1995 and it stands as one of the most representative works of their career. In Radio Babilonia voices of Juan Casanova and Víctor Nattero converge into a symphony of intense emotions and profound reflections. Each note resonates with their musical legacy, rising as a testament to the reality that surrounded them, where pain and beauty intertwine in a powerful auditory experience. With a style that defies convention, their lyrics transport us to a world of poetic chronicles, inviting us to explore the catastrophes of the present and future through their vibrant and critical lens. This album from 1995 is a masterpiece for those who seek an authentic and moving sound - a sonic journey that reflects its time and makes a bold statement. Released in August 1995, Radio Babilonia opens with its title track- a sonic storm that sets the tone with poetic urgency and avant-garde defiance. Songs like "Máquina" and "Crónica del Sur" explore inner turmoil and fracture realities, wrapped in melodic brilliance and sharp arrangements. Nattero's guitar work shines, especially in tracks like "Ella sabe bien" and "Pasajero de un tren," where a sense of déjà vu echoes through the lyrics. Side A closes with the haunting waltz "Como una plegaria," evoking blood-stained devotion. Side B deepens the album's mystique, offering lucid hope through punk anthems like "Enemigo del mundo" and "Fragmentos de mí." It culminates in the defiant "Canción rebelde": "There is no worse evil than chaining oneself to pain." Traidores channel poetic rage into a powerful, redemptive soundtrack for a disenchanted era.

Demon Music group in conjunction with the Hughes family are proud to present the first official compilation of music
from the movies of legendary filmmaker John Hughes, covering the classic eighties period 1983 – 1989.
For anyone growing up in the 1980s, the films of John Hughes are some of the most iconic of the decade and have
created a lasting cultural impact still felt and referenced across TV, film and music. As well as the characters and
stories created in these iconic movies, what made John Hughes’ movies different from the rest was the symbiotic
relationship between scene and music. Whether Cameron Frye staring at the painting in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off set to
The Dream Academy’s “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want (Instrumental)”, Duckie and Andie from Pretty
In Pink at prom set to Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark’s “If You Leave”, or even Neal and Del’s classic “Those aren’t
pillows” scene from Planes, Trains and Automobiles set to Emmylou Harris’ “Back In Baby’s Arms”.
“Music was a huge part of filmmaking for him, it was a thing he seemed to like the most.” Matthew Broderick
Curated by John Hughes’ music supervisor Tarquin Gotch, this 6LP vinyl boxset includes 73 tracks from the movies
National Lampoon’s Vacation, Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, Pretty In Pink, Ferris Bueller’s Day
Off, Some Kind Of Wonderful, Planes, Trains And Automobiles, She’s Having A Baby, The Great Outdoors and Uncle
Buck.
“Back when we were working on these movie soundtracks, the best way to send music around the world was the
cassette, by Fedex. We sent John cassettes of newly released music, of demos, of just finished mixes (and in return he
would send VHS videos of the scenes that needed music).” Tarquin Gotch
The films of John Hughes spawned many classic tracks, some licensed for the films, some commission specifically, and
many going on to become huge international hits from acts such as Simple Minds, Kate Bush, Furniture, Yello, and
The Psychedelic Furs.
“It serves as a reminder not just to the musicians he championed in the 1980s, but to how intensely his search for
music expanded beyond this era. Until his final days, he was still collecting outrageous amounts of music from around
the world, galaxies removed from the New Romantic and new wave sounds that, to many, still define him.” James
Hughes
Also includes an extensive 24-page booklet including memories from Matthew Broderick, James Hughes, Tarquin
Gotch, Ron Payne, plus track-by-track sleeve notes.
“John said he only made movies so he could choose what music to put in them, so as his success at the Box Office
grew, and thus his power with the studios, the number of tracks in his films, by up and coming UK bands, steadily
grew.” Tarquin Gotch


Billy Idol - "Catch My Fall" (From The 1987 Movie 'Some Kind Of Wonderful')
The Association - "Cherish" (From The 1986 Movie 'Pretty In Pink')
Penguin Cafe Orchestra - "Music For A Found Harmonium" (From The 1988 Movie 'She's Having A Baby')
Zapp - "Radio People" (From The 1986 Movie 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off')
Blue Room - "Cry Like This" (From The 1987 Movie 'Some Kind Of Wonderful')
Ray Charles - "Mess Around" (From The 1987 Movie 'Planes, Trains & Automobiles')
Joe Turner - "Lipstick, Powder & Paint" (From The 1989 Movie 'Uncle Buck')
Darlene Love - " (Today I Met) The Boy I'm Gonna Marry" (From The 1984 Movie 'Sixteen Candles')
Marvin Gaye - "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" (From The 1988 Movie 'She's Having A Baby')
Perry Como/Mitchell Ayres & His Orchestra/The Ray Charles Singers - "Juke Box Baby" (From The 1989 Movie 'Uncle Buck')
The Chordettes - "Mr Sandman" (From The 1989 Movie 'Uncle Buck')
Ray Anthony & His Orchestra - "The Peter Gunn Theme" (From The 1984 Movie 'Sixteen Candles')
Lindsey Buckingham - "Holiday Road" (From The 1983 Movie 'National Lampoon's Vacation')
Emmylou Harris - "Back In Baby's Arms" (From The 1987 Movie 'Planes, Trains & Automobiles')
Hugh Harris - "Rhythm Of Life" (From The 1989 Movie 'Uncle Buck')
Spandau Ballet - "True" (From The 1984 Movie 'Sixteen Candles')
Propaganda - "Abuse" (From The 1987 Movie 'Some Kind Of Wonderful')
The Dream Academy - "The Edge Of Forever" (From The 1986 Movie 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off')
Yello - "Lost Again" (From The 1987 Movie 'Planes, Trains & Automobiles')
Bryan Ferry - "Crazy Love" (From The 1988 Movie 'She's Having A Baby')
The Rave-Ups - "Positively Lost Me" (From The 1986 Movie 'Pretty In Pink')
Los Lobos - "Don't Worry Baby" (From The 1985 Movie 'Weird Science')
Steve Earle - "Continental Trailways Blues" (From The 1987 Movie 'Planes, Trains & Automobiles')
The Revillos - "Rev Up" (From The 1984 Movie 'Sixteen Candles')
Boston - "More Than A Feeling" (From The 1988 Movie 'She's Having A Baby')
Balaam & The Angel - "I'll Show You Something Special" (From The 1987 Movie 'Planes, Trains & Automobiles')
The Rave-Ups - "Rave Up/Shut Up" (From The 1986 Movie 'Pretty In Pink')
Pop Will Eat Itself - "Beaver Patrol" (From The 1988 Movie 'The Great Outdoors')
The Vapors - "Turning Japanese" (From The 1984 Movie 'Sixteen Candles')
Silicon Teens - "Red River Rock" (From The 1987 Movie 'Planes, Trains & Automobiles')
out

Grisline is a fresh-born label exploring the balance between light and shadow — a sonic playground where genres blend, bend, and collide. Rooted in the pulse of electro, techno, and house, we’re drawn to contrasts, emotions, and movement, always in search of unexpected harmony.

Our first release comes from Fabrega & Christian, delivering four original tracks that chart a dynamic journey across the dancefloor. The title track, Dark Chai Bowl, opens with a groovy electro cut full of harmonic twists and crisp synth work, setting the tone for the ride ahead. Onda Vampiresca dives into darker territory, layering driving rhythms with flickers of brightness — a hypnotic blend for losing yourself in the moment. On the flip, Lilac Lebal ramps up the intensity with a percussive, floor-focused tool built for peak-time energy. Finally, Lampin’ (featuring Ku$h) winds things down with a smooth, atmospheric break — perfect for the after-hours or sunrise sets.

A true royal rebel without a cause joins the Step Ball Chain chosen family. Berlin psy-con Yazzus presents a sexy sweatfest; a four track original EP featuring DJ Fuckoff of tech-trodden club stompers that will shake and break you. Operating in a lane of her own, she draws on her UK roots with bass laden bounce and never forgets to add that sapphic touch crucial to SBC. “Rebel Royale” is keeping techno freaky, cheeky and ahead of the curve.

Quintessentially out of control, elements of tension and release are toyed with throughout all the tracks, the building and driving addictive synth work in Venom & Vision; Serpent’s Rising sending even the most sane into a spiral. Basslines come thick and heavy, chunky by nature and particularly prevalent in Delicately Mad and My Lipgloss My Rules, they are the backbone of the record. Don’t get it twisted, this isn’t some run of the mill techno; the modular bleeps and freakouts, FX and vocals are wired and inspired; the glue showcasing Yazzus’s fully sick technical abilities. Last but not least, she entails the help of friend DJ Fuckoff; haunted slippery vocals are a match made in heaven for the percussive psy workout Erotica.

Demon Music group in conjunction with the Hughes family are proud to present the first official compilation of music
from the movies of legendary filmmaker John Hughes, covering the classic eighties period 1983 – 1989.
For anyone growing up in the 1980s, the films of John Hughes are some of the most iconic of the decade and have
created a lasting cultural impact still felt and referenced across TV, film and music. As well as the characters and
stories created in these iconic movies, what made John Hughes’ movies different from the rest was the symbiotic
relationship between scene and music. Whether Cameron Frye staring at the painting in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off set to
The Dream Academy’s “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want (Instrumental)”, Duckie and Andie from Pretty
In Pink at prom set to Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark’s “If You Leave”, or even Neal and Del’s classic “Those aren’t
pillows” scene from Planes, Trains and Automobiles set to Emmylou Harris’ “Back In Baby’s Arms”.
“Music was a huge part of filmmaking for him, it was a thing he seemed to like the most.” Matthew Broderick
Curated by John Hughes’ music supervisor Tarquin Gotch, this 6LP vinyl boxset includes 73 tracks from the movies
National Lampoon’s Vacation, Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, Pretty In Pink, Ferris Bueller’s Day
Off, Some Kind Of Wonderful, Planes, Trains And Automobiles, She’s Having A Baby, The Great Outdoors and Uncle
Buck.
“Back when we were working on these movie soundtracks, the best way to send music around the world was the
cassette, by Fedex. We sent John cassettes of newly released music, of demos, of just finished mixes (and in return he
would send VHS videos of the scenes that needed music).” Tarquin Gotch
The films of John Hughes spawned many classic tracks, some licensed for the films, some commission specifically, and
many going on to become huge international hits from acts such as Simple Minds, Kate Bush, Furniture, Yello, and
The Psychedelic Furs.
“It serves as a reminder not just to the musicians he championed in the 1980s, but to how intensely his search for
music expanded beyond this era. Until his final days, he was still collecting outrageous amounts of music from around
the world, galaxies removed from the New Romantic and new wave sounds that, to many, still define him.” James
Hughes
Also includes an extensive 24-page booklet including memories from Matthew Broderick, James Hughes, Tarquin
Gotch, Ron Payne, plus track-by-track sleeve notes.
“John said he only made movies so he could choose what music to put in them, so as his success at the Box Office
grew, and thus his power with the studios, the number of tracks in his films, by up and coming UK bands, steadily
grew.” Tarquin Gotch

The Mekanik label, led by the tireless Manu Kenton, returns strongly with a new, strikingly effective EP: "Metronome." Available as a colored vinyl limited edition and in digital format, this project brings together four finely crafted techno productions for clubs and thrill-seekers.



Between explosive buildups, hypnotic grooves, and acidic textures, the "Metronome EP" delivers a concentrated dose of raw energy and sonic mastery. True to his identity, Manu Kenton once again demonstrates his ability to combine power, tension, and efficiency, always with a signature recognizable among thousands.



A key figure of the legendary Lagoa club in Menin, Manu Kenton continues his path here, chaining projects with a consistently strong artistic coherence.

On the visual side, this collector's vinyl stands out with its revamped "Yolk effect" in luminous green tones, adding an original and modern touch to this new chapter of the Mekanik label.



Français



Le label Mekanik, piloté par l’infatigable Manu Kenton, revient en force avec un nouvel EP redoutablement efficace : "Metronome". Disponible en vinyle coloré en édition limitée et en version digitale, ce projet rassemble quatre productions techno ciselées pour les clubs et les amateurs de sensations fortes.



Entre montées explosives, grooves hypnotiques et textures acides, "Metronome EP" offre un concentré d’énergie brute et de maîtrise sonore. Fidèle à son identité, Manu Kenton y affirme une fois de plus sa capacité à allier puissance, tension et efficacité, toujours avec une signature reconnaissable entre mille.

Limited Super Sound 12" Single out in June 2025

The Chairman of Acid Norwich debuts on Offen with The Caustic Wymondham EP.
Four much beloved tunes to impress your friends.

AI for the Zoomers:

MOY, the groundbreaking artist/band/group, has set a new milestone in the music/entertainment industry with their latest record-breaking achievement. His/Her/Their newest [album/single/track], titled [Album/Single Name], has officially become the [fastest-selling/highest-streamed/most-awarded/etc.] [album/single] in [genre/category], cementing MOY’s status as a global phenomenon.

A1 Phaseacid
A2 Outburst
B1 Strange Geometry
B2 Platonic Solid

All tracks written and produced by Jonny Moy

BLIS701 by Chain Selector is a carefully honed two-track release from BLACKINSTOCK Records, a division of MixCult Records, showcasing Chain Selector’s mastery in blending emotional depth with atmospheric finesse. Designed for those who appreciate subtlety and sonic craft, this release moves between introspective melodies and immersive dub textures with remarkable control.

On Side A, School Days is a tender and timeless composition—melodic, cinematic, and evocative. It gently stirs memory and emotion, creating a world where every sound breathes with intent. On the flip, Autumn Guide opens a more shadowed dimension. Built on layered tension and low-end pulses, it introduces a restrained, dub-heavy soundscape ideal for setting the tone of a deeper set.
With BLIS701, Chain Selector delivers a refined double-sided vinyl, one to reflect, one to explore. Both tracks stand as elegant tools for shaping atmosphere with poise and intention.

Limited 7" Edition

2025 Repress

SKYLAX RECORDS proudly unveils the fourth and final chapter in its epic, conceptual 4-part saga — SKYLAX BLACK 4 – Vision Quest. This secretive series brings together two pillars of French electronic music, ARNAUD REBOTINI and ACID WASHED, in a bold tribute to the essence of rave, electro, and techno. Following the critically acclaimed Winter Sequences and Musical Component, this last installment pushes even deeper into the roots and futures of the underground. On the A-side, Vision Quest opens the EP with a pulsating journey of progressive electronics — cinematic and sleek, evoking the robotic spirituality of Kraftwerk and the expansive textures of early kosmische music. Next, TOI 700-d channels the golden age of acid house with infectious 303 lines and jacking grooves. Think DJ Pierre, Phuture, and Ron Hardy at their most transcendental — raw, euphoric, and timeless. Flip to the B-side and dive into Black Star Liners — a dub techno masterclass in the lineage of Maurizio, Basic Channel, and Chain Reaction. Deep, minimal, and full of ghostly delay, it’s a meditative immersion in pure sound system hypnosis. Closing the EP, Trojan Asteroids fires into classic Metroplex territory — icy, futuristic, and funk-laced. A perfect nod to Cybotron and Model 500, this is hi-tech soul with a razor’s edge. Once again, SKYLAX RECORDS delivers a visionary release — timeless, intelligent, and essential. The final piece of the puzzle is here. The journey ends… or just begins.

Finetune — Impulse LP

Singeley Wax presents the third installment of the Russian Series — Finetune's "Impulse" album by electronic musician and media artist Mikhail Komisarov (Michael Dop), co-founder of Slowdance Records.

__About the Music

Finetune is a project through which Mikhail explores and experiments with a sonic palette encompassing ambient, electronic music with elements of jazz and neoclassical. His medium combines modular synthesis, acoustic instruments, field recordings, and deliberately crafted effect chains. He creates distinctive compositions that guide listeners through various emotional states.

The "Impulse" album brings together ten tracks of experimental electronica: hypnotic synthesizer sequences, polyrhythmic structures, cinematic textures, and subtly shifting modulations blend into sonic landscapes where time becomes relative.

__Art Concept

The album's visual identity is based on the multidisciplinary neuro-performance "Impulse," created at the intersection of art and neurotechnology in collaboration with neurovisualization pioneers NeuroLab, digital art studio STAIN (working with algorithmic abstraction since 2009), and physical theatre project "Dancing in the Dark" — Russia's only company featuring visually impaired artists.

During the performance, the brain activity of visually impaired dancers was captured in real-time via neurointerface and transformed into generative graphics. This visual content, born from electrical impulses of consciousness in moments of musical perception, became the foundation for the album's artwork — both static and motion graphics.

For the latest Klasse Wrecks release, the label combine with Japan's finest festival and events crew Rainbow Disco Club to collaboratively present WRECKSRDC. Overrocket were an electro-pop band from Tokyo that enjoyed a grip of great releases in the early 2000s while signed to Neon Discs and its parent label Aten. During a digging session Luca Lozano discovered the forgotten tracks 'Duralumin' and 'Shadow of the Sun' and immediately set out trying to contact the band's members to arrange a re-release and remix. A few months of patient trying, the connection was finally made and wheels were set in motion. Musically the EP conjures up perfectly the sonics of that time, a grey area between analog convention and the unexplored territories of new digital freedom. Shadow Of The Sun is electro-pop perfection, with breezy vocals and a bouncing beat that sounds like nothing else around...past, present or future. Duralumin is a more dancey collection of blips and beats, one that will make sense in the current return to early 2000s aesthetics. To round out the release and propel it into 2025, KW label bosses take a track each and interpret in their own way. Lozano revisits his electro roots with two remixes of Shadow of the Sun, distorted 808s and growling 101 basslines provide a simple backdrop for the perfect vocals. Mr. Ho takes Duralumin into a more driving and pacey direction, upping the energy and excitement with fast percussion and a huge side chained breakdown that recalls the unbridled rawness of the early 2000s, when everything was just a little bit more fun. Keeping within the confines of Japan and in an effort to bring everything full circle, the label enlisted Japanese artist Gonno to master the tracks for an updated modern sound. The tracks themselves being mastered a few miles from where they were originally penned over 20 years ago.

“To Model Phenomena” is a scientific concept that describes a computer’s ability to emulate, regardless of whether the emulated phenomenon exists outside its circuits or is purely imaginary.

Modeling communication platforms enables us to interact with each other or with computers. Modeling behavior patterns, nuclear fusion, or, as in the case of scientists from the Human Brain Project, a virtual human brain, allows us to simulate cognitive processes such as perception, memory, and decision-making, providing insight into the nature of human thought.

In this record, the phenomena modeled are those moments when the mind leaps into the void, confronting new paradigms. For instance, when science, art, or mass media introduces new information, propelling us into a transformed reality.

From this starting point, European musician Shifting Heigo maps a path between realities, evolving his narrative as his music unfolds. This work draws inspiration from Curtis Roads (vice chair of Media Arts and Technology at the UCSB) and his studies on granular synthesis and time scales, where each track on To Model Phenomena evokes a sense of movement, where nothing begins or ends in quite the same way.

A musician with strong ties to new technologies, Shifting Heigo has collaborated with the University of Málaga (Spain) in its PH Degree Program in video game design, composing interactive music, while also singing as part of the tenor section in the Qatar Concert Choir, affiliated with the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra.

Currently based in Abu Dhabi, he is now part of a circle of electronic musicians surrounding the New York University Abu Dhabi, an institution that supports electronic and experimental music across the Middle East.

To Model Phenomena is the result of his search for a unique voice as a musician, where ternary rhythms, noise, and silence shape the narrative. This is a discourse from a musician’s perspective on the changes that science, technology, art, and the rapid flow of information demand of us. A direct gaze into the fear of change.

Private View is distinctly Blancmange while also expanding into new sonic terrain. There’s a deft marriage of futuristic electronic sounds, Neil Arthur’s unmistakable vocal hooks, and songs veer from buoyant and joyful to dark and brooding. Private View will be released on London Records almost exactly 40 years to the day since the label released Blancmange’s debut album Happy Families. This neat full circle of Blancmange re-signing to the same label that ignited things all those years ago is also reflected in the album itself, being the perfect crystallisation of four decades of creativity.

On Private View Neil returns with key collaborator Benge (Wrangler, John Foxx, John Grant), and David Rhodes (Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, Scott Walker) also returns as the guitarist, having previously performed with the band as early as 1982’s Happy Families (as well as several other Blancmange albums).

Private View is a record that manages to capture an artist who is potently in the moment when it comes to creating new work, while also being able to draw on 40 years’ worth of knowledge, experience, and built-in intuition. “I'm really lucky to be able make the music completely on my own terms,” Arthur says. “Being able to just continue being creative...that's when I'm happiest.” As he said before: “within myself there are no limits.”

Blancmange is also reflected in the ongoing influence the music has on younger generations of artists and fans over the years. Contemporary electronic producers like Honey Dijon and Roman Flügel have paid tribute with remixes, Moby once called Blancmange “probably the most underrated electronic act of all time.”; while John Grant continues to profess his love for Arthur’s music, old and new, and has invited Blancmange to perform as part of Grace Jones’ Meltdown festival.

Bomj Diego had one simple dream – to spend a lazy summer weekend at his friend’s dacha, kicking back in a plastic lawn chair, sipping on Ovip Lokos, and letting the world spin as slowly as the rusty ceiling fan in the old guest house.

One Friday, he finally got his chance. He loaded up a plastic bag with a few cans of Ovip Lokos, an ancient Bluetooth speaker, and a single flip-flop (he’d lost the other one in a heated game of dominoes the week before). But as soon as he got off the train at the dacha station, Diego realized he had no idea where the actual dacha was. No address, no signal, just the distant sound of a chainsaw and the smell of freshly cut grass.

Undeterred, he followed the smoke of a barbecue like a hungry wolf. After an hour of wandering, he stumbled into a random backyard where a group of old timers were playing cards around a makeshift table. “Ah, Diego! You made it!” one of them shouted, raising a can of Ovip Lokos. Diego had no idea who the guy was, but he immediately sat down, cracked open his own can, and joined the game.

Hours later, as the sun dipped behind the trees and the mosquitoes started their evening shift, Diego realized – this wasn’t his friend’s dacha. In fact, it wasn’t even the right village. But the old men insisted he stay for shashlik, and as the Ovip Lokos flowed, Diego figured, “Eh, close enough.”

He never did make it to the right dacha, but sometimes, it’s the wrong turn that makes the best story.

5 Borough Breaks return with another classic 90s banger - this one lit up the airwaves of Hot 97 when it dropped back in 95. On the flip as always is the original sample source, this time from a recently departed soul icon

In 2020, when I had just started Future Retro London & was messaging producers I wanted to work with on tracks for the Meeting Of The Minds releases, I reached out to Worldwide Epidemic and we made "Losing Control" on Vol. 2 of Meeting Of The Minds, one of my favourites of the series.

I was quite keen on getting him back on the label at some point in the future & I can't remember exactly the chain of events that transpired during then and now (I'm sure I told him at some point to work on some music for me but I honestly can't remember how or when I did this, sorry Dan!) but around the start of 2023, he sent me Bells Of Arptazia & I knew it was perfect for the label.

Without a doubt, it's my favourite tune of his and to be honest, I'm actually a bit jealous of how lush and intricate that intro is and when I was in New Zealand on tour in March this year, he showed me the project file for it and the amount of detail that went into this tune, I'm really glad that he was willing to let me release this tune on Future Retro London.

To accompany his tune, there's remixes from Kloke, me & Dust-e-1, all taking the original into different directions to make for hopefully a well rounded release, representing a variety of styles & flavours.

Thanks to Liquid Silk for his fantastic track, to Kloke & Dust-e-1 for their remix work & to James Lacey (aka Pointless Illustrations) for the artwork.

First-ever vinyl pressing on Smash Burger Trill Burger Picture Disc! RSD25

Get ready to savor the flavor of Southern hip-hop with the first-ever vinyl pressing of Bun B’s iconic Return of the Trill! This exclusive release comes alive on a Smash Burger trill burger picture disc vinyl, making it a deliciously unique addition to any record collection.

This innovative collaboration with Trill Burger captures the essence of Bun B’s legendary career while celebrating the culture that inspired it. The vibrant artwork features a mouthwatering design that showcases the perfect blend of music and culinary artistry, making it a must-have for fans and collectors alike.

Bun B has always been a pioneer in the rap game, and this special edition vinyl offers a fresh way to experience his storytelling and lyrical mastery.

Founded by Robbie Redway and psychedelic researchers Mathieu Seynaeve and WaiFung Tsang, UK-based 'United Freedom Collective' has grown into a network of artists including Jordan Stephens, Falle Nioke, Eliza Shaddad, Labdi, William Rees and Facesoul. Originally conceived around psychedelic therapy sessions, online yoga and breathwork channels, the musical scope has expanded on each of the four EPs released on Maribou State's 'Dama Dama' label, and here continues with their debut on Multi Culti. This time Robbie takes the lead on production and sole vocal duties on all five tracks, presenting a range of influences and style. Lead single 'Between Memories' blends tropes of ecstatic dance with uplifting vocal piano house, somehow making flutes fit in with Detroit strings to epic, hands-in-the-air effect.' Title track ‘Bright Patterns’ bridges the gap between Jungle, Jai Paul, and Jamiroquai, a fusion of funky filtered disco-house and electroclash with side-chained pop vocal hooks. ’El Yo’ smooths things out, a dope, laid back groove with a measured reflection on psychedelic healing and the perils of spiritual bypassing. ‘Higher Drums’ warms things back up for the dancefloor with trumpet, afro-latin percussion, and flute flourishes. Finally, ‘Moonshine’ is a soaring, Amapiano-inflected post-desert-house ballad. Influenced, in their words, 'by birds, trees, Buddhism, yoga, headless way meditations, Jungian analysis, Zen Taoism, Chinese plant medicines, indigeneity, Amazonian and psychedelic cultures, icaros and world healing traditions,' the music is eclectic, ranging from afro-inspired jazz to Chinese folk, psych-rock to dub and dance music, an ambitious and inclusive range, collabs that extend well beyond the borders of western musical traditions. Their sound was described by Clash Magazine as an 'aural mosaic that glitters with colour and potential,' and while the sheen of the production and precision of the arrangements might seem a departure from Multi Culti's left-field endeavours, the psychedelic idealism and global connectivity make it a natural fit with the open-ended ethos of the label. Having already had radio support from KEXP, BBC6 Music (Laverne, Ravenscroft, Charles, Nemone, Letts), Jazz FM and Worldwide FM (Gilles Peterson), with a live show that sold out Dalston Curve Garde and The Waiting Room as well as supporting Maribou State for their recent comeback show at Islington Assembly Hall in London the collective's future is looking exceptionally bright.

Crush of Souls is the musical endeavour of Charles Rowell (Crocodiles, Flowers of Evil, Issue). One foot in early Industrial and the other in 80’s Synth-Pop, Crush Of Souls hold the whip and demand that you submit your soul.

Returning once again to Catacomb Soul studios where he had recently finished recording “(A)Void Love”, Charles Rowell mapped out the next chapter for Crush of Souls, limitations were set in place while new faces appeared to lend a fresh coat of black magic to the album.

The album is a love letter to Paris; all of its beauty and decay. “Lézire” which is a slang mixture of the French words for Lizard and Desire provides a sinister title to an album full of hard hitting, romantic songs.

Harry Howard (These Immortal Souls) provides his signature snarl and profound lyrics to the haunting ballad “You Rose Up”. Long time sax player Stanislas de Miscault colors the dark corners of the record with his unhinged personality and one half of new look COS, Stevan Dinet bangs both the martial beats and the Fairlight sample pads.
An album cover full of chains and S&M can provide enough of an explanation as to the new direction of Crush of Souls. Cronenberg’s “Crash”, David Lynch’s “Lost Highway”, Psychic TV and Sisters Of Mercy are constantly mentioned.

Since his early days at Chain Reaction, K. Soublis (Fluxion) has carved his own unique style, combining elements of dub, ambient, techno, score, textural, and even jazz elements, all glued together with his distinct production aesthetic.

Haze is a broad selection of pieces that was recorded between 2023- 2024. The music is moving from more slow cyclic compositional pieces on Life Motif, Nexus, Desiderium, to ambient dub pieces, on Magenta and Touch, on to more euphoric and uplifting ones on Footsteps, Berlin and What Tommorow Brings, reflecting on artist's need to tell stories. As a whole Haze showcases the artist's versatility on moving and combining different genders with his own distinct crafted sound, bringing a bold always fresh unique view, making the album an indulging and intriguing listening experience as a whole.

Fluxion has managed to constantly adding to his sound through the years always evolving and Haze is a testament of his restless nature and the artist's need to move towards more uncharted territories without alienating the listener.

The B is back! Roza Terenzi puts the B in SBC; bounce, bass and.. Boss. Returning with a four track all original EP “Ministry of Wish” the label head is calling on corners of her ever expanding distinctive sound with a sliding scale (etherial to filth) sound bath. Something for every occasion, whether you’re looking to get down and dirty, leave the dancefloor in dust or stargaze via subbass, we got you covered. Recorded between Berlin and Perth, the tracks all signify moments in time that feels like it’s going too fast, an archival stamp on the year 2024; sometimes after a party that lingers with mythical adrenaline, sometimes a personal moment to express reflection.

With the only predictability being Roza’s penchant for Genre Bending, STEP14 sets the tone for the freaky, fabulous year to come of Step Ball Chain in 2025.

Tominori Hosoya has been producing music under his name sake and Tomi Chair for a number of years now. Known for his uplifting and inspiring house tracks. Tomi makes his Stasis Recordings label debut with this sweet 7” single. Two luscious, atmospheric, downtempo selections for easy poolside chilling.

Throughout the 1980s, Michael Antener, born and raised in Bern, Switzerland, initiated an array of sonic endeavours in the realm of industrial, dark, aggressive music. Of his times as a post-apocalyptic hunter, he says today: I found a musical niche where I could express myself, along with other people who were not afraid of dark themes. It would have been hard to sing about love in my music, so I included sounds and cries of pain taken from horror movies.

It was a fortunate coincidence to come across one of his self released records, the 1986 EP Strangler of the Swamp, which marked the beginning of our quest to find this all but forgotten musician whose work seemed nowhere to be found. Eventually, we got in touch with Michael, who is still living in Bern, and began the process of searching through all his surviving musical and visual material.

The triple vinyl release is all about documenting Michael Anteners adventures during that intense 1980s period. We tried our best to select the most interesting material from his two earliest projects, The Strangler of the Swamp and Bande Berne Crematoire, comprising materials from vinyl records, cassettes, and live recordings, some of it unreleased. The release also includes a deep dive into Michaels visual archive of posters, photos, and sleeve artworks.

The disjointed, tumultuous body of work presented here marks the testament of a fringe musician who was disruptive and confrontational, keen to shock and alarm people (much to our liking), and who could easily have been lost in oblivion.

Still sniffing out the gnarliest bassweight swerves on his rounds in the underground, Dogpatrol makes his way back to Sneaker Social Club for another four cuts of irreverent, misfit rave damage.

Hailing from Offenbach (DE) but with a sound more indebted to UK styles like breakbeat hardcore, dubstep and garage, DogPatrol has been a natural fit on Sneaker. The slanted approach he takes to his influences results in a mutant style that shuffles and slams in all the right places without sounding like anything else out there.

‘1200kcal’ rides jagged, dusty drums that come on like drunken UKG, offset by rubbery bass arps that add a cosmic lick to proceedings. ‘Baby Flame’ has a nastier outlook hinging on a bludgeoning synth splat that calls back to the Control Tower brand of warehouse electro from the early 00s. Making sure no-one is second guessing the scent Dogpatrol is tracking, ‘Ya Playin Yaself’ dips into a dubstep-minded half-step roller with naive keys run through a giddy signal chain. ‘Offgenbach HBF Riddim’ completes the set with a breakbeat cut n’ paste job which tracks back to the source with strong echoes of The Blapps Posse’s raw and funky approach.

The reference points are just slight hints of familiarity, but Dogpatrol comes across as inspired as ever digging up the bones of cult rave signifiers and chewing them into his own unique shapes.

1021 is the third studio album from Toronto singer/songwriter, Rochelle Jordan. Originally released in 2014, 1021 is the album that forever changed Rochelle’s trajectory as an artist. Filled with moments of honest and pure self expression yet still showing signs of who she has eventually become, the album showcases Rochelle’s resilience as an indie artist, her unapologetic risk taking, and her drive and uncompromising belief in herself. The album’s production is filled with lush, airy, evocative beats, with her vocals drawing comparison to the iconic R&B superstar, Aaliyah - in fact, “Ease Your Mind,” was co-produced with Eric Seats, who produced the iconic Aaliyah track, “Rock the Boat.” Since then, Rochelle has gone on to become a major player in the R&B and dance spaces, most recently working with Kaytranada on his new album. To celebrate the 10 year anniversary since it’s release, 1021 will be making its debut on vinyl for the very first time. 2xLP, pressed on Baby Blue Galaxy vinyl and includes a 24x36 double-sided poster, as well as three additional songs not originally included on the album - this is strictly for the Day Ones.

Here it is, the sixth chapter in the sonic journey of Mr. Mangiadischi.

Continuing the dance-floor assault, MD006 delivers four tracks, each with a unique story but all with the same aim: to make you move to the rhythm.

• A1 - Mamma
A Balearic groovy deep house nostalgic tribute to the most important person we have in our life. This track blends warm melodies with heartfelt emotions, making it the perfect homage.

• A2 - Genug Vans
Intergalactic soul/post-disco space-tech. A cosmic voyage through pulsating rhythms and celestial sounds, designed to take you on a dancefloor odyssey.

• B1 - Fenel
A very modern interpretation of this '76 Algerian artist's funk/pop/world/country mesmerizing masterpiece. This track merges elements of funk, pop, world, and country in a blend that transcends genres and eras.

• B2
A disco/funk/pop-rap in its most modern and groovy version. Infectious beats and catchy hooks make this track a surefire hit for any set.

Neuauflage zum 30-jährigen Jubiläum!

Zum ersten Mal seit seiner ursprünglichen Veröffentlichung im Jahr 1994 auf Vinyl erhältlich und jetzt auf über 2 LPs verteilt, um ein besseres Klangerlebnis zu bieten.

Das Doppelvinyl wurde von Frank Arkwright in den Abbey Road Studios geschnitten und von Robin Proper-Sheppard aus der Band betreut.

The God Machine waren eine alternative Rockband, die 1990 in San Diego gegründet wurde und in ihrer kurzen Lebensspanne zwei sehr einflussreiche Alben auf Fiction Records veröffentlichte, 'Scenes From The Second Storey' (1992) und 'One Last Laugh In A Place of Dying' (1994).

Jim Chancellor, Chef von Fiction, schreibt: "The God Machine sind einer der unbekanntesten Influencer dessen, was heute als Post Rock / Metal bekannt ist." Er zitiert Lobeshymnen von so unterschiedlichen Künstlern wie Tool, Rage Against the Machine, Mogwai, Converge und vielen mehr.

Arun Starkey von Far Out – The Independent Voice of Culture trifft den Nagel auf den Kopf, wenn er sagt: "The God Machine klingen wie nichts, was vor ihnen kam. Sie klingen wie The God Machine, was auch immer das ist, und der Name hätte nicht passender sein können."

Obwohl sie begeisterte Kritiken für ihre zwei bahnbrechenden Alben und Live-Auftritte als Support von Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The Cramps, The Fall, My Bloody Valentine und The Jesus and Mary Chain erhielten, litt die Band darunter, zwischen zwei Stühle zu fallen, weil sie "zu Indie für das amerikanische Publikum und zu rockig für das britische Publikum" war.

- Channel Tres releases his debut album Head Rush via RCA Records.

The album, which features the previously-released singles "Berghain" featuring Barney Bones and "Cactus Water" is the culmination of Channel's steady ascent since he first broke through to public consciousness with his cult-classic debut single "Controller." Head Rush features all of the sounds that have come to be hallmarks of Channel Tres songs, but finds him incorporating musical influences not heard in his prior catalog, as evidenced by "Berghain" and other songs from the album including the Ty Dolla $ign-featuring “Holy Moly,” a visualizer for which is out now. The album arrives on the heels of two recent head-turning Channel Tres collaborations as well -- his contribution to KAYTRANADA's "Drip Sweat" and Jay Worthy, DāM FunK & ATrak's "105 West" alongside fellow LA legends Ty Dolla $ignand DJ Quik exemplify his versatility. Head Rush is a richly layered record, but one that feels totally intuitive, without a trace of doubt or self-consciousness.

The way “I’m Him” shimmers is balanced by the Estelle-featuring “We Hungry,” which nearly growls; the spare, percussion-forward Ravyn Lenaeduet “Need U 2 Know” (the stylization of its title a nod to Prince, one of Tres’s major influences) at delightful odds with the easy ride of “Gold Daytonas.” Head Rush shows the staggering array of styles Channel Tres can evoke. But that versatility is not the point in and of itself—the point is that all these component parts can be reassembled into something that feels uniquely personal, and honest. Through his career, Tres has blended recognizable genres, textures, and points of view into a truly singular form all his own. Longtime listeners will recognize in Head Rush the hallmarks of a Channel Tres record: a mastery of rhythm, the rare ability to make songs sinister and fluorescent at once.

But this LP also opens a new sonic world, one rife with unexpected terrain and hairpin turns—see the way “Type” takes what sounds at first to be a simple romantic boundary and stretches it out into an alien landscape. Or take “Berghain,” a song that nods to the kinetic live shows that became must-see events—a crescendo of interest that included his momentous Coachella 2022 performance and culminated, at least symbolically, with his early 2023 set at Berghain, the legendary Berlin club that has long been a musical hub of the Western world. “Berghain” is delirious but thumps almost impossibly hard, in line with the album as a whole—always molting, always ready to turn from the claustrophobic to the communal, as the pivot on “Joyful Noise” accomplishes so seamlessly. Head Rush also features some of Tres’s most deeply felt vocals to date, like the veritable bloodletting on “Two Ways.” And so the record, which also features Ty Dolla $ign, Thundercat, Teezo Touchdown, Watr, Barney Bones and Toro y Moi, marks a new era for Channel Tres, personally as well as artistically. “I’m older now, and the things that I’ve accomplished tell me I’m ready to do this,” he says. “You’ve worked your whole life for this, you’ve been able to do these shows and walk into these rooms and make these songs. There’s no reason you have to live by the same insecurity that you had to use in years past.” Shedding that baggage accomplished exactly what it was meant to—lightening the load so we’re free to get heavier than ever