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State001 is a musical adventure through the hometowns of our Artists - A mix of Mannheim, Frankfurt & Berlin.

Dear Vinyl Enthusiast / DJ,

The tracks on this 2 X 12" received some special individual treatment which I hope you'll enjoy listening to or playing in your local disco as much as I did making the. Box Saga has been a firm favourite of mine for a good 20 years already and although it's baggy pants and loose groove is exactly why I love it so much I thought it would be fun to do a slightly different take on it.

Ü is a recent fave of mine but as the record is super long and has a very DJ-unfriendly ambient intro, I gave it a couple of chops and hope you're brave enough to bring it to the dancefloor where it belongs. The tracks by Joachim Holm & Alejandro Mosso, Actress, Hieroglyphic Being and Blacknecks are all quite sparse to begin with and with the approval of all involved you can now smile or cringe at these "Versions" where I "join the band" on some of my recent favourite records. Thanks to the artists and labels involved for letting me use their music.

When commissioning remixes, the best labels think outside the box. That's exactly what Firecracker's Lindsay Todd did when seeking out producers to rework tracks from Linkwood's excellent Expressions album. On this second 12" in an ongoing series, that faith has paid dividends. Whereas the original version of "Ignorance Is Bliss" was a warm, woozy, sun-kissed deep house affair, Healing Force Project has reinvented it as a stargazing chunk of 21st century space jazz, complete with twinkling chords, low-slung double bass and reverb-laden drum solos. The Musephased interpretation of "Love Lost" by Kimochi label head Area sticks closer to the ultra-deep, melancholic vibe of Linkwood's original, but adds a frisson of excitement via bubbling, Detroit-influenced electronics and hypnotic rhythms.

Vinyl Only!
We've been meaning to put out some music by our friend Harald ever since we started this wee operation five years ago. Imagine our joy now that we're ready to release not one, but two masterful records signed Mr. Björk! Solemn chord improvisations recorded in the secret gardens of Nacka pair up with a shameless yet humble cover version of a techno evergreen on this perfect little vinyl exclusive record, beautifully designed by Malin Gabriella Nordin. This 7'' single is released synchronously with the 12''/digital Fritids EP

CRFSPLIT is a new series, a collaboration between CRF and a guest label with two different artists.
For the first release, we choose CLFT, the French label based in Lyon.On the A side we ask Birth of Frequency to do two tracks, The Scar and The Fink, two hypnotic and abstract tunes, with a dry and claustrophobic atmosphere.
CLFT choose 2030 on the B side with Life's Lake and Fallen-in, very Detroit influenced with light pads and melodies.

Norman Jay MBE presents his latest compilation, titled 'Good Times Skank & Boogie', set for release 9th October 2015 on Sunday Best Recordings. This is his first compilation since 2011's Good Times 30th Anniversary Addition and follows on from his hotly anticipated Good Times Goes East party at St John Church at Hackney on 29th August.
Norman Jay is undoubtedly one of the finest and highly respected DJs in the world today and yet again pulls from his impressive collection to provide the ultimate eclectic selection.
For this 12th compilation, for those of you counting, Norman kicks off with St Germain's version of Henry Mancini's Pink Panther Theme. A cult favourite from 2004s Pink Panther Penthouse Party album, it of course immediately brings Peter Sellers to mind and a smile to your face. Next up former Uniques front man Slim Smith's Everybody Needs Love is a classic from 1968, cut at the legendary Duke Reid's Treasure Isle studio. Penned originally by Motown heroes Norman Whitfield and Eddie Holland and covered by household names including The Temptations and Glady's Knight & The Pips, Slim's version became something of a signature tune until his mysterious death in 1971. Sticking with Motown, Stevie Wonder's Living For The City is up next but it's the Michael McDonald rendition from his 2008 album Soul Speak, which proves the man who gave us the sublime Sweet Freedom had lost none of his class 20 plus years on.
D-Influence's Good Lover takes things up and brings them closer to home, to the streets of London infact. After a couple of independent releases the band, who had strong connections to the London Jazz and Soul scenes, served up this contemporary boogie tune as part of their 1992 debut long player for East West. They would subsequently score hits as a production team for a number of British R&B acts. Homegrown soul continues with Paul Johnson's Better Than This, released here via longstanding UK soul imprint Expansion to deserved acclaim last year. It's quality and appeal are simply timeless, whilst master Dego and Kaidi's mix adds a classic 80s soul dimension to proceedings.
The Chi-Lites I Keep Comin' Back To You and The Real Thing's Love Takes Tears continue and expand the 80s theme, bringing in 2-step and boogie, as does Deodato's Never Knew Love from the same period.
We switch again with Delroy Wilson's Better Must Come, a massively popular sufferers lament from 1971 by this former Jamaican child star, it would go on to be used in election campaigns by various Jamaican political parties. Kent People by Laurel Aitken & The Gruvy Beat is the next one out the box and was the flip to the 1969 anthem Skinhead Train. It features the UK's top reggae band of the era The Rudies, who along with Aitken, the widely-proclaimed Godfather of Ska, comprised of Earl Dunn (lead guitar), Trevor White (bass), Sonny Binns (keyboards) and Danny Smith (drums). They would go on to enjoy UK chart success backing singer Freddie Notes before they evolved into Greyhound. From the same year Splash Down by The Crystalites is another slate that ignited dance floors in both Jamaica and the UK upon release. Some of you will have noticed the rhythm track is the same as that of the earlier Kingstonians' best-seller, Sufferer, which came courtesy of legendary producer Derrick Harriott.
As the end draws close The Stone City Band featuring Rick James serve up some hard edged boogie, hotly followed by a classic Tom Moulton slice of late 70s disco courtesy of The Fantastic Four and their I Got To Have Your Love. If that doesn't have you dancing then Chanson's superb Don't Hold Back featuring James Jamerson Jr. on bass will leave you no choice. Classic Good Times indeed.

After starting up the infamous Invites Choice podcast series in 2011 and launching his Invites Choice Records with a debut EP by himself, Tim van Paradijs (A.K.A. Invite) continues with a banging follow-up-EP. The EP starts with a percussion driven, repetitive track by the likes of Spanish producer Tadeo, dubbed Deeyiam. This track lends itself perfectly for those deep yet powerful sets. Zadig is put on duty for A2 and deliverd a straight forward yet funky track named Dr. Fastolfe in which the low, bassy synth stands out and just draws you straight into the track. Invite, like in his podcast series, likes his fair mix of established artists and newcomers to the releasing scene. New to the vinyl releasing game are Dutch duo Moving Thoughts; they provide the EP with the oldschool oriented track Lost in which both the heavy-hitting kick and bass and the evolving and repeating synth stand out. Invite closes the EP with his track Micro which shows that Steve Rachmad influenced both his DJ-sets and productions for a great deal. 4 different artists, 4 different tracks but a very strong and coherent EP indeed!

Coming out of Amsterdam via London, Breach's Naked Naked imprint has been a platform from the globally lauded producer can launch club-ready material both from himself and his peers. Having previously released records from Maison Sky, J.Tijn and Viers - the next in an ever-reliable series welcomes back Church and 2020 Midnight Visions affiliate Lorca for his third outing on the label. Hailing from Brighton, Lorca has garnered a following behind several extolled 12s showcasing his intricate and spectral brand of UK Electronic music. His latest offering expands on this with three moody cuts that meld eyesdown melodies with sharp, lively drum structures. 'Creta Kano' kicks things off with ticking percussion scurrying over a rubbery, tape driven thud. Deft dynamics build depth in the mix as detuned and delayed synth lines interweave to stunning effect. 'Malta Kano' then sets more textures bubbling behind bright drums and powerful, melodic synth leads. The Alt version of 'Creta Kano' then brings things to a dark and purposeful close. Field recordings gently bleed in and out of focus while more glowing synthesis occupies the foreground. A warped sequence circles in towards the close bringing another insight into the chops of one of the UK's most dynamic and exciting young producers to a close".

180 gr vinyl - vinyl only release

Apes Go Bananas is the new imprint from Steve Bug and Clé, and also the moniker for his new project with long time friend and collaborator Clé. The vinyl only debut release sets out the stall in fine style - this is straight up dance floor rocking house music with a sense of fun and plenty of influence from the golden age of the art form. First up, Kerri On pays homage to one of the greatest, with Mr Chandler's signature crisp drums and deep, jazzy chords present throughout. Bug and Clé relive some classic New York deep house vibes yet retain a strongly contemporary take. Bananas is more late night in approach - the driving 909 and dirty descending synth line evokes a sweaty warehouse, complete with smoke machine and lazers. Yeah You Know fits perfectly into this three track EP - a tightly programmed rhythm track replete with a shuffling breakbeat is the foundation for a simple yet highly effective synth line and a classic cut-up house vocal. Yeah, Apes Go Bananas know house.

Here comes the heavy remix package to Lake People's much praised debut album "Purposely Uncertain Field". With Redshape, Lawrence and Map.Ache three remixes were carefully chosen who would be able to bring their own distinctive sound to the table, but also treat the original tracks respectfully.

Ever since the debut, 'Communication EP' which also marked our 50th release, Alexander Lay-Far has a special place in the Local Talk family.Since then things have been going well with plenty more releases, tours, the launch of his label In-Beat-Ween Music plus a new full length album done.
With so many things on the go we're of course very happy to welcome Lay-Far back and with him this time, two UK house legends that need little introduction, Ashley Beedle and Darren Morris. Together the trio produced an EP that embraces the charms of both disco and house and we think it hits on every level. The A-side is dedicated to 'Doctor Feelgood', which is just as the name suggests, a delicious disco house cut that will make you feel good.Extra bonus points for the wonky bassline.
On the flip, you'll find two versions of Slope. The first one is an easy / breezy number built around jazzy drums, warm chords to catch your breath for a minute or two, lovers of rhodes should lend the track an extra ear, it's pure bliss. After those 5 minutes and 14 seconds has ended Lay-Far steps into the remix arena, turns up the tempo and sends the track straight to the dance floor. No need to fiddle around too much, he just sprinkles some extra touches of Lay-Far magic to the original and voila, it's done.

Adam Beyer's Drumcode imprint welcomes wAFF to its roster with two thudding techno tracks. British producer wAFF has been making waves in recent years, reflecting on a diligent 2015 spent playing across the likes of Europe, Africa, Asia and the States, when not making routine appearances at Paradise, Ibiza.
As a producer he's dropped several lauded releases on Jamie Jones' Hot Creations imprint, not to mention Matthias Tanzmann's Moon Harbour and Sven Väth's Cocoon, with his next outing landing on renowned Swedish label Drumcode run by techno titan Adam Beyer. Laying down hard hitting kicks from the off, Holographic churns out an undulating synth combined with shuffling hats and a cavernous low-end, before Vibrationz employs a low-slung groove fashioned from a sultry bassline, floating chords and a sinister vocal..

(en) French duo THE SILENT ONES aka Aalik and Fred Traverso have specialized in their own brand of indie-infused electronic pop, putting a modern spin on vintage cold wave and minimal synth influences. MAGICAL PARTY is a prime example for their distinct melange of swirling melodies and catchy songwriting, an iridescent piece of dreamy musical drama with lots of charm. Known as incurable romanticist, fellow countryman JONAS BERING was the obvious choice for a remix, finally returning to Kompakt after his 2008 release CAN'T STOP LOVING YOU (KOMPAKT 172) - his immersive rework successfully trims the vocals and transplants the original's delicacy into a deep, but buoyant mover geared up for the distinguished floor. Pushing for a trance-inducing throb, the BEN WATTS mix is a fitting companion cut, promoting a slightly bouncier approach and seasoning its propulsive beats with tension-building synths for that special whiff of epic broadness.
(de) Das französische Duo THE SILENT ONES alias Aalik und Fred Traverso hat sich auf eine eigene Variante von Indie-geprägtem, elektronischem Pop spezialisiert, eine zeitgemäße Übersetzung von klassischen Cold-Wave- und Minimal-Synth-Einflüssen. MAGICAL PARTY ist ein herausragendes Beispiel für ihre individuelle Melange aus wirbelnden Melodien und mitreissendem Songwriting, ein irisierendes Stück verträumtes musikalisches Drama mit viel Charme. Bekannt als unverbesserlicher Romantiker, ist ihr Landsmann JONAS BERING eine offensichtliche Wahl für einen Remix - eine langerwartete Rückkehr zu Kompakt nach seinem 2008er Release CAN'T STOP LOVING YOU (KOMPAKT 172). Seine einnehmende Neubearbeitung stutzt die Vocals zurecht und verpflanzt die Zartheit des Originals erfolgreich in einen deepen, aber lebhaften Schieber, bestens gerüstet für anspruchsvolle Tanzflure. Dank eines grossen Interesses an Trance-induzierendem Pulsschlag entpuppt sich der BEN WATTS Mix als ein äusserst passender Begleiter der eine eher federnde Gangart einschlägt und seine treibenden Beats mit spannungsgeladenen Synthies abschmeckt - für das gewisse Extra an epischer Breite.

Poker Flat's Forward To The Past anthology returns in its 3rd iteration, as lean and mean as it ever was and precision-engineered to make you jack, dream and all things in between. The winning formula remains the same: task a selection of hotshot veteran and up-and-coming producers with recapturing the style and mood of early club music, paying homage to the golden years between 1985 and 1992 when Chicago House and Acid, New York House and Detroit Techno took the world and its dancefloors by storm. The result is a collection of new and exclusive tracks as addictive as the stone cold classics that influenced them - a tribute and, at the same time, the cutting edge of contemporary music production. Quell casts clouds of vocals and a repeated snippet of soul over a sinuous, undulating bassline. Anaxander gives us classic acid with Gallic attitude, fine-tuned for the dancefloor. Hard-touring DJ and Back to Basics resident Denny goes back to the old school, plunging you into the midst of a heaving dancefloor with a wobbling, fluttering acid track. Glasgow's Debukas provides another Detroit-influenced highlight, letting his imagination run riot with a heartstring-pulling chord progression and contrapuntal synth lines.

Essen's own Glenn Astro has called his first album Throwback, and the name is at once a perfect fit and not nearly the extent of the story. On the one hand, Astro has filled the double-LP with a wealth of old-school gestures and textures—the warm whoosh of analog synths, the rattle of Rhodes tines and the sizzle of jazzy drums,all held together by the comforting glue of tape hiss and vinyl crackle. If you're used to the clean sonic lines and stylistic streamlining of so much contemporary house music, then Throwback is sure to feel less like a record you just pulled out of plastic wrap than a well-seasoned one salvaged from a flea market or unfinished basement. And yet like so many Tartelet releases—particularly the label's last two full-lengths,
Max Graef's Rivers of the Red Planet and Uffe's Radio Days—it feels fresh and keenly contemporary no matter how vintage the fabric. Rather than throw back to any one moment, he's given us a collage of styles that's quite literally timeless. Astro makes brilliant work of his influences, drawing on hip-hop, house, funk and soul in such equal measure that it's hard to argue that one impulse dominates the other. The sound certainly flirts with the dance floor, with Astro applying highpressure
deep house pads on the title cut, gliding on shimmering keys for "One For Viktor," and taking us on a vibraphone-fueled workout with "Kilometer Disco," one of a pair of cuts featuring Max Graef. But Astro obviously relishes the time he spends on the sidelines absorbing the atmosphere, or at home head-nodding to the dustiest corners of his record collection. For every house beat you hear, you'll also dip into juicy, 90's-style beat science, toasty ambience and buttery chord progressions.
Expertly paced but never hustling you along, Throwback begs to be heard as a whole but explored at your own easy pace—a record for hazy mornings-after, vibey
nights in and endless summer afternoons.

Welcoming the fourth vinyl only instalment from FarFromNormal Features an excellent 3 track EP from the up and coming Julian. After a long process Julian has come up with 3 great original tracks which FarFromNormal where happily to take on board and put together Julian's very first vinyl release. This record grabs your attention from the start with track 1 Resorave. Resorave is a very psychedelic track with dark drums and beautiful slow atmospheres and a tripping vocal. Track 2 Grunge is much more on the groovy side to with fantastic production and pads that take you on a great journey. Track 3 Chorale is the title track and the one track to leave you on a high, with the heavy kicks and bass lines mixing between a tripping vocal and beautifully placed instruments, this is perfect for the peak hours.

After impressing with his debut album, 'Buy The Ticket, Take the Ride', on Tsuba last year, Magic Feet label boss Craig Bratley is back with a hot new EP on his own label that features tracks by Unisexl Audio Club, Beato Cozzi and the man himself.

Since 2014's LP release, Bratley has been remixed to great effect by Ewan Pearson and has continued to take his machine made, darkened disco sounds to clubs and festivals around Europe.

His sound is robust and analogue, has come out on labels like Andrew Weatherall's Bird Scarer and Is It Balearic and now for the first time arrives on his own Magic Feet, a label that has showcased sounds by Timothy J Fairplay, Antoni Maiovvi and Tommy Awards amongst others.

Up first here is Unisex Audio Club with 'Event Duality,' an elastic, low swinging, mid tempo track with frazzled synth lines, pixelated melodies and lots of dark energy. Flabby bass adds serious weight to this most arresting affair.

Beato Cozzi offers up 'Killer ', which comes on like a long forgotten Italo B-side, a chugging rework of a solitary 1990 chart hit that sounds all the more resplendent for its rainy alien melodies, extra visible and twinkling chords and invitingly laboured drums.

Then comes Bratley with the first of two cuts. 'Photons' is seven minutes of loose and lush house music with arcing pads, feel good chords and emotionally swollen melodies. It's the sort of breezy, al fresco tune that would sound great at a boat party and shows a more tender, vulnerable side to Bratley's work.

His second, 'Analogue Voodoo', is a slow and sparse affair where futuristic synth lines, apocalyptic drums and darkened spoken word snippets all conjure an unsettling, industrial mood. It's a fresh sounding cut that is destined to stand out on any dancefloor.

This is another fine offering from Magic Feet that offers disco lovers of all shapes and sizes something to explore and enjoy.

Flanger is back! After 10 years, Atom™ and Burnt Friedman have composed and produced their fifth long player:

Poker Flat's Forward To The Past anthology returns in its 3rd iteration, as lean and mean as it ever was and precision-engineered to make you jack, dream and all things in between. The winning formula remains the same: task a selection of hotshot veteran and up-and-coming producers with recapturing the style and mood of early club music, paying homage to the golden years between 1985 and 1992 when Chicago House and Acid, New York House and Detroit Techno took the world and its dancefloors by storm. The result is a collection of new and exclusive tracks as addictive as the stone cold classics that influenced them - a tribute and, at the same time, the cutting edge of contemporary music production. LA-based compatriot MANIK contributes a rolling, no-frills jam that sticks to the tried and tested production values of early acid as if to say, Why mess with perfection' From his small Amsterdam studio crammed with classic drum machines and synths, Wouter de Moor serves up 'Bon Voyage', a simmering analogue acid jam bedecked with snickering percussive flourishes and long, sustained chords for that blue-tinged Detroit vibe. Pavel Iudin, meanwhile, adds jazzy Rhodes inflections and whistling birdsong to a similarly bubbling groove. Veteran DJ Aakmael adopts the classic Juno bass sound to pay homage to the godfather of deep, Larry Heard, for an exercise in immersive repetition.

Tackling the challenge of a second album head-on, COMA
return to the fore with THIS SIDE OF PARADISE, a comprehensive and meticulously arranged collection that
never strays far from the duo's well-established modus operandi: rich in melodic and rhythmic content, these tracks appeal to fans who love their music at home and in the club. Featuring artist contributions from DILLON (vocals on THE WIND) and MIT's EDI WINARNI (cover artwork), THIS SIDE OF PARADISE is truly refined pop music taking its cues from both sides of the musical fence. A further exploration and expansion of the territory initially marked with the first fulllength "In Technicolor" (KOMPAKT 279 CD 106), the new outing shows the artists commanding their craft with confidence and style - a sonic treat for seasoned connoisseurs and recent scholars alike.

Rating 4/5 "Independent UK"
This solo debut by Air’s Nicolas Godin explores various elements of Bach, but without slavishly transposing his music to modern instruments in the manner of Wendy Carlos.

Instead, Godin uses themes and fragments from Bach as the jumping-off point for diverse musical explorations. In “Club Nine”, he borrows the “Take Five” rhythm, brushed out behind a cyclical piano figure, stained with resonant Bach chords on vibes and keyboard; and for “Clara”, the husky Latin croon of Brazilian singer Marcelo Camelo swoons over a stately dub arrangement of strings and woodwind.

The seven-minute “Bach Off” is the most dramatic piece, a suite shifting between interlocking Latin percussion, African highlife sax, stalking piano and harpsichord/woodwind interplay; while the blend of music-box, cellos, French horn, pizzicato and vocal pad makes “Elfe Man” sound like an outtake from Pet Sounds. A rich, rewarding indulgence.

Something is looming on the horizon, a flickering presence, a sparkle in the twilight, hardly visible at first, then slowly taking shape and finally coming into view: "I will depart/I see, I will, I won't go far," Stefanie Boehm (Couch) sings on "Sirens", one of 10 tracks Ms. John Soda have recorded for "Loom", their first album in eight years – and it's true: It's a return that often feels like yet another departure, like it's time to say farewell once again, one last hug and off it goes into the valley, where life is already waiting.

A lot has changed since Ms. John Soda released the first 7" back in 1998, since Micha Acher (The Notwist, Tied & Tickled Trio, Alien Ensemble) joined Stefanie Boehm and completed the creative nucleus of this band around the turn of the millennium; day-to-day life indeed feels different some 16 years later (and half as many since the release of their sophomore album, "Notes and the Like"), but the basic chemistry, the intricate balance of electronic and analog molecules that orbit this nucleus – and thus, the resulting mood and vibe -, they're still recognizable, still undeniably Ms. John Soda: Whether it's the dense, intensely rushing soundscapes of "Hero Whales", numerous layers pushing and taking off into the same direction, the propelled clatter of "Sirens", a track like "Millions" that blows off more and more steam, a glistening, wheezing sort of madness even (though there is a tender side to it as well), the perpetual, magic lantern-like motions of "Name It" (think Trish Keenan and Broadcast) or the gradually descending melodies of opening track "In My Arms" – they're all lined with a certain tension, underpinned by a certain atmosphere, a unique brand of melancholy that never quite gives in, keeps searching for new outlets and answers.

The album title Ms. John Soda have chosen for their third full-length, "Loom", obviously hints at this feeling of re-emergence, gathering and looming, but according to the singer, it also refers to a weaving loom: It's about "weaving and combining a vast number of influences, ideas, instruments, melodies, rhythms, and layers to create a whole," says Boehm, whose vocals span these new tracks like thick, reliable ropes that glow with marine luminescence. "It's about weaving individuals into a group ('Millions'), weaving and merging former ideals and hopes with reality ('The Light'), combining 'hi' and 'bye', beginning and end ('Hi Fool'), interweaving opposite or contradicting concepts, such as pushing forward vs. being pushed ('In My Arms')." And while the weaving, just like life itself, can easily get out of hands, "because you lose track, and yet life goes on ('Name It')," a lot of these songs – e.g. "Hero Whales", the billowing "Sodawaltz", "Fall Away" – revolve around a shimmering sense of something we can't quite grasp or put a finger on just yet: "Intuitions, hopes, dreams, wishes, affinities, distances, temptations…"

Whereas Cico Beck aka Joasihno (drums, electronics), also part of Aloa Input and the latest addition to Ms. John Soda's live band, and drummer Thomas Geltinger helped out on various tracks they recorded with Oliver Zülch in Weilheim, Boehm and Acher were also joined by Karl-Ivar Refseth (percussions) and Matthias Götz (trombone). Together, they keep feeding the loom with countless spools of yarn, until epic piano closer "Fall Away" seems to offer a temporary respite: "find your way/take the dry suit off/for a night". Time to rest, to take a deep breath. Or is it already the first rays of dawn looming on the horizon?

Volf's second EP for Dolly and it's on! Two fierce but club friendly rolling techno tracks featuring an epic Luke Hess remix. With their warm and euphoric chords 'Hydro Funk' and 'Shadow Section' will take you right back to the golden days of techno, reminding a bit of Aril Brikha and the likes. Detroit's Luke Hess on remix duties takes 'Hydro Funk' into even deeper territories. An hypnotic and melancholic, yet very driving detroit techno tool. Pure bliss on Dolly number 23.

Russian imprint GOST ZVUK announces a new 10'' sublabel INSTRUMENT with a release by Ukranian techno veteran Stanislav Tolkachev. A-side comes with an amazing ambient trip, while classic Tolkachev sound is represented on the B-side with a 9-minute techno banger. The aim of the label is to provide professionals with everlasting soundscapes thus transforming records into real instruments. This metaphor is further expressed through artwork with stamps of real working tools, chosen by the artists themselves. Limited coloured 10'', hand stamped.

* Jon Gurd's Birth Right EP is the first material from the Portsmouth based Techno producer in more than 2
years since his ventures on Octopus recordings, 8 Sided Dice and Quartz. The EP therefore indicates an
audible step change not just in the approach to production but also in the mindset and emotive feeling
behind each texture and layer. Having emerged unscathed from a traumatic family related drama Jon
communicates a tortuous and re-evaluated life message across all 3 tracks, and is dedicated to his brother
with a hidden meaning conveying, Tomorrow Is - Promised - To No One'.

* Dissecting the EP further the educated are blessed with field recordings, analogue rumbling and modular
synthesis exiting from almost 24 months of lab driven experimentation. No real process has been applied or
extant formulae followed and the EP's resounding success is that this now exudes what Jon feels' innately
rather than what the industry wants, therefore the journey, endless noise making and experimentation gives
a balanced and exciting offering. Jon comments seriously my process for producing this has been all over
the place, literally stumbling on shit, slipping over my own creative vomit, workflow went out the studio
window on day one'.

* Having spent two years asking himself why he makes music, I think on first listen of Birth Right EP we will all begin to empathise why. Remixes kindly provided by Messrs Dave Clarke and Ancestral Voices (new project from Liam Blackburn formerly Indigo / Akkord).

* A long time-friend and recording partner of Alan Fitzpatrick, as well as one third of Mister Woo with Dave from Reset Robot, Jon Gurd is best known for his work on the likes of Octopus Recordings, 8 Sided Dice and Quartz. Abundant with field recordings, analogue rumbling and modular synthesis, his latest signing to Derelicht is a result of almost 24 months of lab driven experimentation, and marks an auspicious return from a musical hiatus that stemmed from a personal tragedy. From the off, 'Tomorrow Is' is a driving piece of techno complete with sinister undertones and menacing atmospherics, meanwhile 'Promised' focuses on a low-slung groove as tantalising synths operate on top. The last original, 'To No One', then exhibits a deeper vibe with ebbing pads and spectral chords. Dave Clarke's decadent rendition of 'Promised' ups the tempo whilst demonstrating commanding kicks, until Ancestral Voices, the new project from Liam Blackburn (Indigo / Akkord), strips back the beats of 'To No One' for a subdued subterranean workout.

* Press / Promotion: 3 x Co-ordinated PR Campaigns (In House campaign by Derelicht, Dispersion PR and EPM Music, 100 vinyl hand-distributed to leading editors, artists and tastemakers. Key editorials through Resident Advisor, Inverted Audio, Ran$om Note, Beat Vision, Slate The Disco, Magnetic Magazine, DJ Mag, Noise Porn, Mind Grub Audio, Portals, Elevated Culture. 1 x videos produced to support Dave Clarke remix
Tiefschwarz - 'Just Beautiful!'
Alan Fitzpatrick - Yeah massively into this, will play a lot. Thanks for sending.
Dustin Zahn - Feeling the original of "To No One." the chord/pads are hitting the right spot for me this morning! The remix is also a nice take on the original
Baikal - to no one and Derelicht are dope
Kirk Degiorgio - Dave's mix for me!
Bas Mooy - yep! A1 for me mate!
Ben Sims - a1 is the cut for me, heavy and heady but still has the groove
Benjamin Damage - Thanks for sending this, top work!
Bryan Chapman - really feeling this EP, fav is the Ancestral Voices remix, that downbeat vibe
Bryan Zentz - Wonderful, moody, and emotive...LOVE it
Carlo Lio - Actually feeling all of them. Something for every time of the night. Can see myself playing a few of these for sure
Lo Shea - Tomorrow is sick! Dave Clarke's remix is dope too.

Don't be mislead from the name, the enigmatic M. Zalla, is one of the numerous alter ego of the italian maestro Piero Umiliani. Umiliani, during his period of fascination for psychedelic and electronic atmospheres, starts to compose a good number of musical portraits dedicated, as the title reveals, to the problems of his time. We are at the beginning of '70 and italians are worried by mafia, terrorism and social conflicts: so it has sense that the music choosen to represent this anxious problems has a sperimental nature, dark and disturbing a sort of unicum in the long and extremly productive Umiliani career.And if, in 2015, titles as Mondo in Crisi', Problemi Sociali', Azione Sindacale' and Mafia Oggi' sounds still sadly actual, it's even more surprising find that the music of Problemi d'Oggi' (Today Problems) is projected on the future, sounding still alien and uniques.
The record presents various styles: from Pink Floyd atmospheres (or Braen's Machine if you prefer...) to compositions characterized by a great use of drum machines and synthetizer (MOOG and Sinthy). We just have to listen the begginning of the opening track Produzione' to give sense to the words of Sean Canty (Demdike Stare) that defines the music the first techno/trance track of the history, but between the grooves of this vinyl it's easy to find intuitions that many other artist and musicians - from Residents to Aphex Twin and Four Tet - will be able to catch during their carrers.

Finale Sessions is really pleased to launch new series Finale Sessions Limited with Berlin up and coming act Arcarsenal. Duo comprised of Alan Mathias and Etienne Dauta, both founders of Bass Cadet Records and its dedicated vinyl store located in the heart of the german capital, they are also active members of the large Underground Quality family. Arcarsenal have already started to establish themselves as proponent of a crossover sound, mixing many influences from jazz, house, ambient to dub and techno. They are always giving a prominence to jam, improvisation and textures work in their studio routine. This EP called « Dark Skies & Wetlands », even if slightly grittier than usual, is no stranger to the rules of the duo. The opening track « Different Planet » is an epic dark deep house cut which develops itself over a course of 8:40. Starting with a stamping ground bassline and hazy atmosphere, the track opens up with synth attacks, dub echoes and slowly brings in a blissful melody that ends up linking all the elements. « Substance Of Arjuna », the following track on the A-side, is a-contrario a short but intense ambient work. Shot in one take, this subtle cut showcases the kind experimentations that Mathias and Dauta can end up doing late at night in front of their machines. The b-side of the EP leaves all the space to « Racoons », one of the weirdest and yet most powerful work of the duo to date. Tribal techno could be a short try to define what they achieved here, but the track goes far more than this. Built on a gritty mental acidic bass and a huge drum kick, the frenchmen bring over aggressive synth work that could sound like an orchestra on rehearsal, pachydermic screams or an overdriven guitar larsen. Underlined by a complex percussion pattern recorded live in their nest and chopped up to the best effect, the track ends up in a looping transe from which the listener might not leave in a normal state.

Introverted Dancefloor is Bevan Smith, a New Zealander who has released music under names like Signer and Aspen, and who has played in the Ruby Suns and Skallander throughout the last decade. His prior output has been spread over many international labels and has touched on sundry genres (like techno, IDM, folk, ambient) while featuring restraint and sophistication as compositional hallmarks.

As Introverted Dancefloor, Smith has kept those features as guiding principles while allowing a more propulsive low end to dominate the construction of this music, winding up with understated but energetic dance tracks. Gestation, too, is a prominent attribute of this music, though not necessarily an obvious one. Smith started these songs with hundreds of layers, which he then pared down to a few core elements before rebuilding again.

For Introverted Dancefloor, Smith limited himself to the use of two synthesizers, one mic, one filter, and one effects processer. This constraint is not obvious upon listening as the album works across the idioms of electro, Detroit techno, pop house, and leftfield disco, playing with the line between fluid melody and drum machine programming. Each track has a playlist as its scaffolding, Smith's goal being to filter a certain set of varied influences through just a couple of instruments. Metro Area's Miura' (Original Mix) turned into Introverted Dancefloor's Happiness is such a mess/Pipedream.' If there can be such a thing as a subtle banger, then Smith may have earned that distinction here. Take it high' seems to be a constant ascent with its climbing bass and layers of chords, relying on no hackneyed drops or releases for its crescendo. Smith's layering practices show their precision on tracks like Even if you try' and Tiger bones,' in which disparate elements contribute to pointed melodies, an unidentifiable percussive part entering the same expressive plane as a sung line.

One of the record's most striking features is Smith's inclusion of certain elements of a song in a neighboring one (vocals from Pipedream' in Happiness is such a mess,' a synth line from Even if you try' in Always turn your head') to lend a phantasmagorical effect to the procession, blurring the distinction between a track and its reprise. The result is a song cycle wrought from painstaking labor, while nonetheless retaining core values of amorphousness and motion.

Following almost two years of driving bass music promotion, in the form of compilation albums, free download round-ups, reviews, guest mixes & mix series CDs, the time has come to transcend from what first began as an online blog into our very own music label. After working with renowned artists such as El-B, Quest, BunZer0 and Phaeleh, as well as fellow promotional platforms FatKidOnFire & Deeper Vibrations - the Albion community has developed and grown to become recognised across the board of the bass music spectrum. This extension of our brand will help in pushing this music even more, enabling us to curate a fundamentally diverse sound beside the culture that we so passionately enjoy.The launch of Albion Collective Recordings is to be set in motion with In Pieces, a collaborative down-tempo effort conceived between Vaun and Jafu which is radiant in textural soundscapes. This particular piece has been doing the rounds as a clip on Deeper Vibrations' YouTube channel since 2013, inducing longing excitement for the song to finally surface.
Bristol based Daniel Brown, aka Vaun, has prospered into one of the scene's most prolific producers, covering multiple styles and turning out numerous releases for MindStep Music, Redshift-One and Soulstep Records. After recently hinting at the imminent release of an album, Brown can also reap in the keepsake of ALBION001 alongside Canadian artist James Fuller, aka Jafu, who likewise has blossomed astutely alongside his soulful Chord Marauders collective.In Pieces falls somewhere amongst immersive trip-hop and jazzy 2-step, an affectional arrangement that makes wonderful use of Marvin Gaye's a cappella in his classic Sexual Healing. The composition will certainly induce healing of the cerebral kind, with its stripped and delicate percussion work, dubbed out horns and soothing string sections. Encapsulated within Vaun & Jafu's musical offering is our label's statement of intent. That is, to champion unique music that emanates elegance such as this collaboration - and such as J.Sparrow's remix treatment. Ryan Wild aka Jack Sparrow, a Deep Medi Musik signee and one half of dubstep extraordinaire duo Author, has granted the scene with his tenacity to build profoundly stunning electronic music. Wild has the tempo notched up for his In Pieces edit but remains true to Vaun and Jafu's approach in the sense of its lavish spatial touch. The atmospherics breeze over with a soft vibrancy, as the electronic guitar solo recording from the original plays over the initial main section charmingly. This is all resulting in a simply sumptuous mix which goes right up there with his top drawer remix work for Annie Drury and De Niro & Y. To compliment J.Sparrow's sublime contribution and to also complete the package, the Black Butter Records assosciated and Bristol-based outfit Sly-One have whipped up an outright banger of a remix. Joe Cannon, Dave Constant and Oliver Read can already boast an admirable set of releases in the four years since they've joined forces, featuring on Shifting Peaks, Lost In Translation and 877 Records. Add that to a rude collaboration with fellow Bristol head & rasta emcee Buggsy and a remix for Bad Mojo on Meanbucket, Sly-One had clearly meant business from the offset - and have shown absolutely no let up for us at Albion Collective. Served with a side order of the trio's classic subtle cowbell hits, their 2-step/bassline fusion works wonders with the vamped-up vocal sample and is ready and waiting to rumble clubs & festivals for this summer and beyond. Early DJ support for the release has been noted from artists including Phaeleh, Quantum Soul, Thelem, J. Robinson, Walsh, K-Man, Nanobyte, Syte, Trashbat, Majora and D-Operation Drop & Foster. Radio airings to date stand at Sub FM on the BunZer0's legendary FOB Show, BBC Introducing showcased the release and Monki played the Sly One Remix on BBC Radio 1 Extra. The almighty
Dubstep duo Truth added the J.Sparrow Remix to their recent 'Chronicles' mixtape on Soundcloud, which was posted to their 75,000 plus following, Biscuit Factory Records owner and dubstep legend Walsh opened the edit on his latest podcast and J.Sparrow is set to showcase the version in a mix for the iconic Deep Medi label. Support is confirmed from digital publications such as FatKidOnFire,
GetDarker, Trusik and MTV Wrap up, which will involve a number of featuresm reviews, track premieres and artist spotlights. A review will also be printed in November's edition of Mixmag on Tomas Fraser's Grime/Dubstep page

We were very excited indeed to see the third release from the quite promising Love Notes from Brooklyn imprint! Marco Zenin was a featured artist on the last release under his DJ Octopus guise, and this time he's featured again with his other project, the more techy/ more minimal Die Roh, who recently had an underground athem with their release on Black Venison. The duo here seemingly lean their sounds in the direction of the label's and offer two-cut EP which is their deepest effort yet to date. Surely more DJs will play the dancier A side, Behind 6000, but for us, the groovier B side and title track Genghis Kahn is the choice cut. Label owner, Nathaniel Jay, continues in the precendent he's set with each release having its own unique "Love Note", authored by him, making every one of these records collectable.

Finale Sessions is excited about this reease and we are greatfull to bring you Natan H hailing fro the "City Of Angels" Natan has this energy that we at Finale Sessions as of late have not been able to find so as you know we are estatic to get this out to the masses and give you a little taste of what is going on out on the Left Coast and we start with the track "Lignes" with its melodic pads and its wavering synths make for a latenight beauty for sure then we move to track 2 which is " 0 (Phase)"This track is another latnight stomper with moving chords and melodic drum patterns that keep it a smooth sounding pieace, Then last but not least we have the song "Invariant" (Feat.Jordan) This dub techno track is floor filler for sure with its heavy laden pads and synths and its monsterous sounds one of my favorite tracks at the moment . We want to thank you at Finale Sessions for giving us the opportunity to share this music with you and we hope you enjoy it

Composer, musician and producer Nils Frahm steers the new edition of Late Night Tales, set for release on 11th September. A hypnotic voyage through modern and classical composition, experimental electronics, jazz, dub techno, soundtracks and soul; Frahm's Late Night Tales haunts and beguiles. It's not mixing, so much as gently layering, like a particularly fluffy goose-down duvet folding in on itself, the folds part of the attraction, the layers part of the overall picture being painted. Many of the tracks have been edited, effected and re-made. The subtly overdubbed parts on Rhythm & Sound's 'Mango Drive' adding to the haunting hypnosis, while choral interruptions aid Miles Davis' 'Générique' on its journey towards the light. Meanwhile, on Boards Of Canada's 'In A Beautiful Place Out In The Country', the tempo is somewhat sluggish, the organs slurred, as Frahm slows it down to a funereal 33rpm that nevertheless fits perfectly. The purring of his girlfriend's cat Cleo transitions playfully between Nina Simone's definitive version of 'Who Knows Where the Time Goes' and unearthing the gentle electronics of Dub Tractor. Eddy Arnold's 'You're The Only Star', a country tune that sounds like its transmitting from a mid-west diner wireless circa 1947, is straight from the soundtrack to an imaginary David Lynch movie, comforting and dismaying all at once. This crackly reality abounds, as on Finnish band Gentleman Losers' 'Honey Bunch', that adds an unsettling texture, with a sound that is modern but as nostalgic. Frahm's own tracks bookend the mix, opening with an inspired "rework" of the infamous silent John Cage piece '4:33' ("I sat at the piano in silence and worked from


there. I listened and took in the atmosphere and this is what came out of it") and ending with a solo piano version of 'Them', taken from his recently released score of the film 'Victoria'. The traditional Late Night Tales spoken word epilogue is voiced by actor Cillian Murphy (Inception, Batman, 28 Days Later), reading a short story by Edna Walsh (Hunger, Disco Pigs).

Vanguard Sound! returns with it's first full EP by a Vanguard Crew Member other than Chris or Amir. G. Marcell's Model Music EP is a
special tribute to the Legendary Chicago Artist named Paul Johnson who has been both a friend and mentor to G. for quite some time.
4 tracks of Modern Chicago house music with that classic vibe, G flips beats, chops samples, and flexes synths to keep dance floors moving from opening to peak-time, as well as late late night/after hours closing sets.


Special Words from artist himself.....
"It was an honor to create a project for such a musically creative pioneer in the house industry. I thank him for his seal of approval to create this release and it's great that he enjoys this release". - G.Marcell

Tensnake's standard In The End (I Want You To Cry) release gets not one, but seven remixes. A nod to the good old remix double pack craze of the nineties, you will find them spread out over two plates. Ranging from a classic Tiger & Woods treatment to Prins Thomas quirkiness via Lone's happiness, two versions by Shan, the timid DJ Oyster as well as Pete Herbert's & Dicky Trisco's respectful re-arrangement, this one has it all: disco, techno, jungle (alomost!), house, cheese & chocolate!

After starting up the infamous Invite's Choice podcast series in 2011, Tim van Paradijs (a.k.a. Invite) notes that the time feels right to contribute to the techno scene in a totally different way. The long cherished wish of starting up a recordlabel under the Invite moniker and thus propagating his view on electonic music is now to be fulfilled.

Phonology is a deep and droning track which lends itself perfectly for building tension. Plenary is a more repetitive track with less of a deep vibe than the A-side track, but nonetheless is a track that manages to form a bridge between deep tracks and more straight forward ones. The EP is concluded by a short, funky and frivolous track dubbed Bisonspoor. All together the first Invite's Choice Records EP is a very versatile and thought through record with three tracks that stand alone and somehow still manage to form one entity.

The Hypnus clergy is delighted to finally reveal our 10th sacrament. This time we've gathered yet again in choir to howl in unison as the midnight sun soar through the night.

Support from Antonio Ruscito, Arnaud le Texier, Artefakt, Brando Lupi, Echologist, Cio D'Or, David Att, Deepbass, Eric Cloutier, Etapp Kyle, Exium, Felix Lorusso, Gianluca Meloni, Iori, Kwartz, Mattias Fridell, Ness, Nihad Tule, Nika Khak, Oscar Mulero, Rasmus Hedlund, Reggy van Oers, Samuli Kemppi, Setfan Vincent, Stephanie Sykes, Svreca, Takaaki Itoh, Unam Zetineb, Victor Martinez (Error Etica), Vilix, VSK, Warmth and still counting.

Tapper Zuki's debut album 'Man Ah Warrior' was originally released in 1973.It's classic Dee Jay style has been copied by many but bettered by few. An album that more than most shows that raw talent with little resources can still be a great, great thing.
Tapper Zukie (b.1956,David Sinclair , Kingston, Jamaica) was raised in the rough and tough West Kingston area of Jamaica between the districts of Trench Town and Greenwich Farm.
Living pretty much on the streets from an early age the youth including the young Tapper had no choice but to fall into the hands of the political parties that controlled the various ghetto areas of the town.
Fear of landing in even more trouble, a plan was devised by Tapper's Mother ,Brother ,Reggae producer 'Blackbeard' and family friend Bunny 'Striker' Lee .The plan was to send the wayward Tapper to England to cool his ways.
A UK tour with the number 1 Reggae Dee Jay U-Roy was already arranged on his arrival, Bunny Lee got the young Tapper to toast over a Slim Smith rhythm, the London crowd loved it
He also caught the eye of producer Larry Lawrence who took Tapper on and cut his first single 'Jump and Twist'
Nine further tracks were recorded for producer Clement Bushey that would result in this album 'man ah Warrior.
We hope this introduction to Tapper Zukie's music inspires you to look further into his catalogue of great music.
An artist ahead of his time, whose music has influenced many........
as Patti Smith stated 'Music of the Most High'............

MISS KITTIN & THE HACKER are the Electro duo of CAROLINE HERVE and MICHEL AMATO from Grenoble, France. The pair met during the early '90s at a rave and soon after bought turntables and began DJing. In 1996, they began writing music heavily influenced by '80s synth and post-punk bands like Fad Gadget, DAF, Liaisons Dangeuresues, and Yazoo, as well as Italo Disco. Bored by the techno scene at the time, they set out out to lighten the serious tone and bring a campy sexiness to the dour musical landscape. Upon hearing their demos DJ Hell signed them to his Munich-based International DJ Gigolo label and released their first 2 EPs in 1998 and 1999. Their debut album First Album was released in 2001. Lost Tracks Vol. 1 contains 4 previously unreleased demos recorded between 1997 and 1999. The duo fused '80s European New Wave/Italo Disco with '90s Detroit Electro acts like Le Car and Dopplereffekt. By utilizing verse-chorus structures, they playfully shook up the loop based hard techno and electro that was popular at the time. Their studio set up at the time was a Korg MS-20, Roland SH-101, TR-606, TR-808, Siel DK80, and Boss DR-660 drum machine. The songs are direct, spontaneous, seemingly improvised in places. Miss Kittin sings about falling in love with an alien, sexy nightlife in Berlin, and explicit S&M leather play, all in her cheekily derisive French accent All songs have been transferred from the original DAT tapes by the band and mastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios. The vinyl comes housed in a glossy jacket featuring a black and white photo of the duo taken in 1996. Each LP includes a postcard with liner notes from Miss Kittin and The Hacker designed by Eloise Leigh. As Miss Kittin says of these demos, 'We were naive, innocent, adventurous and we didn't expect anything in return."

As Björk continues to make waves in the electronic scene One Little Indian present exclusive remixes by boundary-pushing artists and DJs personally selected by the Icelandic artist

There used to be a time when ring tones were important. You were easily recognizable as one of the few people actually owning one of these new gadgets called ›mobile phone‹ (or ›handy‹ as the Germans say). Later you could make an important distinction by choosing a ›cool‹ ring tone...

In May 2014 the Festival »Doofe Musik« (»Stupid Music - Songs for Dreaming, Sedation and Forgetting«) took place at Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW) in Berlin. As part of the »Anthropocene Project« the festival focussed on escapism and the special function of music when retreating from reality. Detlef Diederichsen, curator at HKW, and Holger Schulze, Head of Sound-Studies-Lab Berlin, decided to not only focus on music which music lovers usually hate, e.g. ›Schlager‹, German folk music, Light Jazz, but also on ring tones.

The audio logo of Deutsche Telekom has been part of Germany's mobile phone culture from the very beginning so it acted as a starting point to question the usual concepts for ring tones. Using Christian Kellersmann's idea of the »Pocket Symphony« ten artists were invited to come up with adaptations of Telekom's audio logo. The results were performed for the first time during »Stupid Music« and once again in October of the same year when most of the recordings you can find on the album were made.

As you will hear: The short motif, as simple and unforgettable as it is, is ideal musical material.Everyone knows it, everyone has some sort of connection to it and these ten different versions, these ten different positions, open up the most varied possibilities for associations.

It is time that we take the ring tone seriously again. As the most reduced musical form that is the most-widely available in the whole world it contains enormous and unrealised potential!

Prolific electronica polymath Emika found acclaim once again this year with new studio album 'DREI', an opus that picked up Ibiza Spotlight's 'Album Of The Week' accolade and was called a fascinating album' by Rolling Stone. With six new remixes on this EP, further life has been breathed into her latest LP - with stunning results.
UK techno legends The Black Dog provide a foreboding rework of Battles, all brooding pads, electro glitchery and stomping breakbeats.
Kamikaze Space Programme's version is more dramatic still, returning the favour after Emika appeared on his own 'Choke' recently.
CNCPT (Brenda, Natch Records) kicks off the remixes of What's The Cure with an industrious slab of dubbed-out, reverb-heavy techno, doing away with Emika's vocals entirely and instead making use of her sound design expertise with subtle finesse.
Mysterious German Clone and Bunker affiliates The Exaltics tap into their electro roots on their rework with a thick, rubbery bassline working its way under a simple, atmospheric arrangement that allows Emika's honeyed delivery to take centre stage.
Borai (Tasteful Nudes) teams up with Emika herself to provide a stripped-back, heavily-swung, stomping take on the track, boiling it down to its melodic and textural essence.
Eomac rounds off the package with his stunning string-laden instrumental interpretation.

Etruria Beat welcome again the berlinian Dj Oliver Deutschmann! He was already featured on the label with his remix of Dast's 'Architect'. Now he offers two original tracks with a defined and aggressive sound, backed by two huge remixes from Etruria label boss Luca Agnelli and from french Techno stalwart Electric Rescue. Get ready to blow up some dance floors with those 4 hard hitting monsters. The EP opens with Agnelli's remix of Resist", this track is a muscular and stomping. He catches the originals mood and transforms it into a spectacular version that will leave the dance floor in ashes. BIG! The original version of 'Resist' it's a funky and driving technostomper with house chords that creates an obsessive and powerful rhythm, accompanied with a hypnotic vocal saying 'Resist' in132bpm! The B side continues with the original version of 'Hope' which got a melody in the best Detroit tradition and powerful 808 drums. A stripped dark atmosphere ensure a breathless pace, to the final second. Finally, Electric Rescue morphs this one into a powerful loopy journey, A synth hellfire as it's best. All of them are already Berghain approved and rocked countless other floors. Don't be stupid, buy that shit!!! Additional mix downs have been made at Caduceus Lab Geneva

Vor eineinhalb Jahren war er noch Tellerwäscher in einem Restaurant in Fort Worth, vor drei Monaten jagten vierzig Plattenfirmen nach seiner Unterschrift. Nun, im Frühling 2015, steht Leon Bridges vor der Veröffentlichung eines DER Alben, die mit Spannung erwartet werden. So musste zuletzt beim diesjährigen SXSW Festival in Austin beim seinem Konzert hunderten Besuchern wegen Überfüllung der St. David's Episcopal Church der Eintritt verwehrt werden. Doch wie war dem extrem schüchternen, 25-jährigen Texaner, der mit seinem Look und Sound den Soul der Prä-Beatles-Ära aufleben lässt, in der kurzen Zeit dieses Kunststück nur geglückt Leons große Liebe war eigentlich das Tanzen und so absolvierte er zunächst eine Ausbildung als Choreograph. Auf die Idee, irgendwann einmal selbst Musik zu machen, wäre er damals nie gekommen. Seine eigene Musikerkarriere begann Leon Bridges mit dem Schreiben einfacher Songs und trat bei "Open Mic"-Abenden im Großraum seiner Heimatstadt auf. Im Laufe der Zeit entwickelte der junge Texaner dann ein Faible für perfekt nuancierten Retro-Soul und -Gospel, der ihm Vergleiche mit seinen Helden Sam Cooke, Percy Sledge und Otis Redding bescherte.

Collecting Eddie Ruscha's cassette recordings over two compilation albums has been one of the highlights of the
label, so it seemed right to hand over the choice tracks to a set of his contemporaries from the City of Angels.First up is rising star Suzanne Kraft. The alias of Diego Herrara, very much a young man to watch. With releases for Running Back, Young Adults and Noise In My Head, as well as possibly EP of the year already as Dude Energy, while holding down being a member of The Pharoahs (ESP Institute / Not Not Fun) and not forgetting, one half of Blase with Mr Ruscha himself, he's a busy man so getting this remix took some effort! However, it was all worth
it, as Diego takes the crazy afro-stylings of Afrobotics and pulls it towards the danceflor, adding percussion and sirens, forging the originals vibes in to a ethno-beat club jam that is all about that heads down moment. Next up is the quirksum individuality of The Samps. The project of one of LAs fiest, but hidden musicians,
Cole M.G.N. Working with Nite Jewel, Ariel Pink and Puro Instinct is cool enough, but his solo Samps project is another level, with a mind-altering exploration of funk warped electronics. Sure enough then, his take on Shockers is just that, a mash of beats, bass and sample cut ups. This is pyschedelic dance music for the mind.
Flipping things completely is LA's Mr Funk himself, Tom Noble. Taking the laid back grooves of Underdogs, Tom does his trademark good time, party vibes with a killer boogie style remix. Letting the groove do the work, keys and a good deal of wiggle just led it all ride home. Finally then is something Emotional Response is all about, highlighting producers the label is fans of, but letting them explore alternate spheres. While Cameron Stallones' Sun Araw project has become one of the names in
modern psychedelic experimentation, little is known of the alter-ego Aristrocrat P. Child. With just one cassette of warped disco edits to his name, here he closes the EP with exactly that, a re-edit of cut up irreverance, twisted and looped to distraction - an ethereal experimental and modern musical genius...just like Mr
Ruscha.

a1. Celestial Encounter (Original Mix) 6:08 - 4×4 driven groover laced with choppy hi-hats, complexed rhythms, and orchestration only fit for mental travels. An uplifting tune of spirit and electronic sorcery.
a2. Ominous 4:58 - Steely industrial percussion, creepy atmospheres, dance floor know-how....The honest depiction of the title lurking within the corners of your psyche.
a3. Celestial Encounters (Interlude) 1:22 - A fine example of the latest in signature interludes from the 'Optic Nerve' project. Movement & Imagination.
b1. Jazzy Circuitry 4:49- Moody, computer-ridden textures walking along side a odd-time signature until the introduction of the bassline and trippy piano keys seal the deal on craft & creation. Niceness, Indeed.
b2. Jazzy Circuitry ( Blaktony's Step Glide Remix ) 4:18 Traditional 'Optic Nerve' ambience is chopped & rehashed into a 1/2 step groover; Then.... blasted into a full jam session by 'Blaktony'. Madness/A complete new trip on the original structure & tune.

For his first release on Common Dreams, Reedale Rise (Simon Keat) brings us two thoughtful tracks, both well-layered and very well produced. The A side "Pressure Box" is the more funkier, 'deep house' leaning tune, giving us juicy chords, a starry pad, and some very nice atmospheres in between. All the while, drums are pushing you forward, and in some parts just reach out and slap you in the face. The B side "Azikiwe" fuses sporadic arpeggiations with some very thoughtful chord melodies. Maybe it could be described as having a more psychedelic twist. But just when you get too far out, you're brought right back to the rhythm tracks wich are nothing short of solid, making for a good all around dance track.

Back in 2013, Futureboogie released The Fade EP by Outboxx, a record that received critical acclaim from the who's who of music press, helping to propel Outboxx on the upward trajectory they've managed to maintain since those early releases. Unsurprisingly, Futureboogie are delighted to get the pair back for more.
Having developed their sound in the two years since, the pair has refined the raw ingredients of those records to show a combined maturity beyond their collective years. Previously the pair of producers (Matthew Lambert and Jake 'Hodge' Martin) have released music on respected independent imprints such as BRSTL, Idle Hands, Well Rounded Records and Local Talk; honing their analogue rich sound that touches on the hard edge of drum machine rhythms crafted by Hodge and the harmonic, jazz soaked embellishments from Lambert on Keys.
'Day One' opens with the sound of a string sample drifting behind warm drums to beautifully open up proceedings. As the track develops with an explosion of shuffling hi hats, the main hook enters with more than a nod to the classic Acid basslines of a 303, built to hypnotize dancers into the early hours with subtle simplicity.
The EP's title track 'Under The Lights' shows the pairs appreciation of Disco, with overdriven drums and a dotting bassline setting the feel. As the track develops, elements of Detroit enter the picture, with more string samples setting the key, and further allowing Lambert to contribute more of his signature Jazz licks as the track winds down to an unwanted close.
'Gift of Life' features the always-beautiful vocal contributions from long-term collaborator, Naomi Jeremy. Having featured on some of their most memorable releases to date, Jeremy's vocals again add a complexity often found in Jazz, but with the drum machine funk of 90's House; creating a sound that blurs the lines between sampling and original composition, uniquely, as only Outboxx can.
The record ends on the appropriately named 'Closing Titles', a track seemingly built to allow Lambert the opportunity to show his prowess and mastery of melody and harmony. Creeping basslines and warm chords mix with looped drum machine rhythms to wind down the release elegantly, showing the pairs versatility and understanding of each other's strengths.

Finally repressed

Deathchants own Hellfish returns on the XTRM output from PRSPCT. Expect his trademark chopping, cutting and powerfull kicks. Mayhem guaranteed!

Leisure System presents rising talent Will Ward's Interval One EP, the second in our 2015 GRIDLOCK series of dance floor 12"s and the British producer and DJ's most exuberant record to date. In addition to two prior solo releases, Will Ward is a member of the esteemed electronic trio Circle Traps along with Jack Wyllie and Duncan Bellamy of Portico. He has previously collaborated with the likes of My Panda Shall Fly and gained support from tastemakers such as Rob Da Bank and Gilles Peterson for dazzling productions that blur the lines between pumping house and windswept techno. The Interval One EP is a strong representation of that sleek sound, with tracks that are bursting with emotion and memorable detail. "Digital Design" is an aural kaleidoscope, with a shimmering melody line refracted in squiggly arcs next to murmured female vocals and resonant chords. It's a fittingly varied introduction, drifting between hot and cold poles. "Portion" features Circle Traps member Jack Wyllie, and subtle additions accrue to create waves of unease, while the melody line bounces energetically through a maze of ossified handclaps and buoyant chord stabs. Closing things out, the EP's title track builds from a woozy introduction to an ebullient peak, as if rolling out of bed and stepping immediately onto a throbbing dance floor. It's a cleansing and exhilarating feeling, the type of rare emotional response that Will Ward has proven himself thoroughly capable of creating with Interval One.

For the first reference, Sounds of The City is happy to welcome the mysterious Spirit Of The Black 808, responsible of one of the hottest wax in 2013 for Eargasmic Recordings in Chicago. Invasion Of The Black Bass is also following the Eargasmic record in terms of style. It's warm in every way and infectious. Let's get invaded with Invasion of the Black Bass and Invasion of the Black House. Both tracks share the same chords grid, one could be a re interpretation of the other. Both are very warm and melodic. Frenzy In Firenze on the other side demonstrates SB8's skills for groovy tools and more DJ oriented tunes.

Kevin Saunderson's Detroit-based imprint celebrated its 25th Anniversary back in 2012, and the label's continued to cement its legacy with key vinyl reissues over the past couple of years. The recent campaign included Saunderson's Just Want Another Chance, the track which contains the "Reese" bassline—rivaled only by the Amen break as a formative element of drum & bass—as well as '90s releases from MK, Kreem (Saunderson's duo with Juan Atkins) and Chez (Damier) N (Ron) Trent.

The two remix compilations dwell on Chez N Trent versions produced during the 1993 through 1995 period, when they released enduring originals like "Morning Factory" and "The Choice." Volume One contains remixes of Sonya Blade and Miller/Scott Project while the second EP includes Damier and Trent's versions of Kreem as well as Saunderson's seminal vocal house group, Inner City. Chez N Trent's takes on Naomi Daniel's "Feel The Fire" and Essar'ay's "Forces" are also included.

Wah Wah 45s are very proud to present the first full-length album in almost a decade from vocalist, keyboard player, Fela Kuti collaborator and afrobeat legend, Dele Sosimi!

You No Fit Touch Am represents where Dele is today - something of an untouchable force in the music scene that he has always been such a vital part of. The title is an uncompromising message that this man means business, and with his mammoth afrobeat orchestra on board that is definitely the case. Recorded at the Fish Market Studios in North-West London by Benedic Lamdin (AKA Nostalgia 77) the album provides a musical representation of Dele's strong socio-political opinions, as well as delivering classic song-writing that could have come straight out of 1970s Lagos!

Born in Hackney, East London, but soon to return to his parents' native Nigeria at the age of four, Dele Sosimi was schooled and raised in Fela Anikulapo Kuti's shadow at the height of early 70s afrobeat. Having been chosen by Fela to join his band at somewhat of a tender age, he was still a young man when sharing Fela's Glastonbury stage in 1984, and became both Musical Director for both Fela's Egypt 80 and Femi Kuti's Positive Force.

After Fela's passing in 1997, Dele went on to concentrate on his own solo career and, with diligent patience, carved out his own afrobeat crown. In London, where he now resides, his Afrobeat Vibration all-nighters are charged with his passion, labours and his unrelenting spirit.

Following on from his first two studio albums, Turbulent Times and Identity, this third long-player is sure to cement Dele Sosimi's position as a major player within afrobeat and beyond!

Young East London producer Sam 'Palace' Walker has been part of DJ Haus's trusted inner circle for some time, having released on both Unknown 2 The Unknown and Hot Haus Records. Here he unreleased two more retro-futurist house gems - the kind of kaleidoscopic, rave-inspired tracks that evoke memories of early '90s pirate radio stations and illegal parties full of smiling dancers in bad long sleeve t-shirts. Choose between the bouncy stabs, hazy vocal cuts, bleep-era bass and snappy, cheap-sounding beats of "Codex", and "NRG", a piano-laden banger that makes great use of some familiar samples that were once a staple of breakbeat hardcore and bouncy house records. Oh, and the unmistakable rhythmic swing of UK garage.

Focusing on deep and raw vibes, strictly wax and classic beats, The "Montee Louis EP" has been directly imported from bellevue II, libreville gabon, africa & it has been produced by the great Bernard da smoove. MPC-filtered deep house with some darker & menacing rhythms, A1 "Hudson Budd" kicks off the A1 with a meaty 4/4 kick drum which slowly finds itself surrounded by ghostly pads and even more haunting synths. A2 'Thrawbock' mutates into a more light hearted house jam for the heads, with its vocal infectious sample. B1 "Strctly move" goes back into familiar, smooth deep house territories but still retains his magic touch, able to transform even the deepest of basslines into something both unusual and musical at the same time. B2 & B3 'Thrawbock 88' & 'Strctly move 88' are the 90's hip-hop (!!!) versions of the same tracks above : INSANE !!First time we heard it we thought, 'hell yeah, the production is just TERRIFIC' & indeed there's a timeless quality to the intricately programmed drum machine rhythms, the drifting chords, warm

This is the story of C POWERS. To understand OYSTERS, you must understand the man behind it all...
THE UNITED STATES TERRITORY OF GUAM, ca. 1989
Abandoned at the island nation's only beachfront techno club as an infant, young Christoph (C POWERS) was adopted by the club's owner, Geraldo Powers. During Geraldo's time as a naval officer, he traveled the world throughout rave's formative years, secretly going to the underground parties when arriving to European ports after having originally fallen in love with early house music as a teenager in his native Chicago via roller-rink parties and the legendary Music Box headed by Ron Hardy. Rear Admiral Geraldo, outed as a gay homosexual during the discriminatory days of Ronald Reagan's U.S. military, was forced to retire, but spared a dishonorable discharge thanks to his roster of medals earning during his exemplary leadership for the invasion of Grenada in 1983.
Throughout his three year stay at the local naval base, the now 30-something Gerry Powers had been struck by the natural beauty and unsettling mysticism of Guam and its peoples and made the choice to permanently set up shop on the island after his unexpected retirement. Taking his partner and newly-crowned Supreme Butch Queen of the New York vogue circuit--Amadeus Lector--with him and financed with $6669.69 in prize money, the new era of DAS POUNDHAUS LTD. was to begin.
In 1990, Gerry founded the notorious Guamanian club DAS POUNDHAUS (the name of which was strongly influenced by a two-week long ecstasy and Polish speed-fueled bender during 1989's inaugural Love Parade in West Berlin). Located inside a decrepit lighthouse originally built during Spain's reign over the island, the club played host to a steady stream of closeted, Pacific-touring U.S. military personnel and later, the party-craving barons of the dot com bubble. Outed in private usenet circles for its off-the-charts hedonism, the club's infamous parties would inevitably lead to its perilous demise, and the eventual deportation of Gerry Powers and his family to the mainland.
But there was one thing that could never be taken away from them...
...synesthesia...
You see, young Christoph was diagnosed with the "disorder" as a pre-teen after having been exposed to nearly a decade of DAS POUNDHAUS first-hand and at such a young age. The youngster was like a fish in water during his childhood in Guam, but when the family was deported in 1999, he began to show signs of anxiety and depression. His ability to hear colors and see sounds had simply turned into a stream of incomprehensible, uncontrolled static. He was now a pariah among his peers. Shunned and admonished. Assigned to sit by himself during school lunch. One of "those" kids.
By this time, his two dads' relationship was on the rocks and would quickly unravel. Amadeus, frustrated with Gerry's incessant ramblings about bunkering in Montana because of the Clinton-Illuminati conspiracy to enslave the middle-class, decided to leave Gerry in an attempt to become a backup dancer for Madonna during her "Drowned World Tour" in 2001 (which would have provided a significant sum of financial security to the family, considering their life savings had been destroyed thanks to the toppling of the NASDAQ from its peak of 5048 in March of 2000--and thanks to those dot com baron stock tips, the Powers were all-in). However, Amadeus' unflinchingly "authentic" vogue style was considered obsolete, and he would go to die in a Reno Motel 6, a victim of drug abuse and that kind of thing apparently.
>>>>Fast-forward to the year2012ish>>>>

JoeFarr inaugurates Leisure System's new GRIDLOCK 12' series with the Longanimity EP, an invigorating exploration of broken techno released April 20th, 2015. Farr has a diverse history, with three well-received releases on Turbo as well as records with DSNT and Power Vacuum. Few producers can claim to have both remixed Tiga and been remixed by Truss, and the Longanimity EP continues Farr's recent drift towards streamlined brutality, leavening intense drum programming with crystalline bursts of color. The clinical and kinetic Oleum' kicks things off and hurdles towards a shatteringly powerful peak, while Mormon Shuffle' boasts twisted functionality without sacrificing roughness in the brittle loops. The monolithic Standard Issue' has an aggressive edge enhanced by whiplash percussion, and the broken piano melody of FS3+4' inverts the joy typically found in that rave standby, preferring to drop the instrument from the fifth floor and let the chords scatter and shatter as they please. The first release in Leisure System's 2015 GRIDLOCK series representing our ongoing interest in melding the freaky and the functional on the dance floor, JoeFarr's Longanimity EP is stocked with tested and tenacious late-night weapons.

2015 Vinyl reissue incl CD - LIMIÑANAS 4 existing albums re released - FIRST TIME ON LP+CD package!

Serious heat alert! Ridiculously rare sun drenched funky Soul from the mythical Raw Soul Express....

"The Way We Live" is as flawless as it gets, a superior piece of sweet Soul music from all the way down there in Miami, ultra sought after in it's original 45 issue & featuring some absolutely stellar production from the underrated George "Chocolate" Perry this record is an instant party starter! Featured on the mix-tapes & in the play-lists of some of the most discerning crate digging DJ's out there & an OG 45 will literally cost you an arm & a leg ($600 plus) this total gem of a record gets an overdue repress in it's original form. Essential!

Backed here with it's original b-side slow jam "This Thing Called Music" this ultra-rare 45 has been re-mastered, re-pressed & brought back for 2015's dance-floors in conjunction & with the permission of T.K. Disco / Henry Stone Music, Miami USA.

We are very happy to start this new edition of Deeply Rooted releases with Insolate 'Mood Module E.P', produced by the very talented Miss Sunshine.
All artists on the new series will work under a new name,new projects and new collaborations. Going back to the roots of techno and house and let the music do the speaking and not the (hyped) names of the producers. Listen with an open mind to these releases approved by the Deeply Rooted (House) label. And as we all know... Dj Deep is a legend with his work as resident dj of the Rex since the very first days, a record collector and music lover extraordinaire, someone who is just like Laurent Garnier on of the key figures in the french house and techno scene for many years. Big up for him daring to choose a different path with his label, always trying to find new inspirations!

The ep goes through different mood and feelings, Epic is a straight up Techno journey, Werk is a great rhythm track that keeps building all the way through!, Parch is a dark and heavy uncompromising track, the record ends with Tuga a deeper and more mysterious jam. We hope you'll like it as much as we do!
Enjoy.
Dj Deep.

He is not so easy to find. You have to follow the kilometres of pipes down and along a labyrinth of corridors, to enter in the basement den of Romain Turzi. This once cavernous space has been metamorphosised into a recording studio for the purpose of creating and completing the A & B albums trilogy with the latest LP release: C. Closed off from the world, without natural light and water supply, but full of consoles, synthesizers and old guitars, Romain cocooned himself here for several months to perfect his music and sonically construct the soundtrack that is C, with tracks entitled by nine types of birds, to glide you through this treasure hunt through the complexities of his musical mind.
After Turzi's sophomore album: B, recorded under the Corsican sun, the change of conditions is quite radical. Closing off from the world in a place where you can only do one thing, make music, Turzi was able to gain the greatest luxury within this process: time.

SAES' debuts on Deep Freaks with a collection of three originals that blur the genre lines between deep house and minimal. Inspired by late nights in Brooklyn, NY the Menahan EP delivers a soundscape of evolving chords, chugging drums and just a little bit of acid.

FINA Records presents 'Tyranny of Fun', the debut EP from Slow Learner. The coining of the new alias 'Slow Learner', marks a new chapter and musical direction for an already established artist who is by no means new to the game. Preferring to start afresh and steer clear from associations, the somewhat reclusive figure from the South Coast is now focused instead on allowing his new output to speak solely for itself. And his debut release under his new pseudonym achieves just that. 'Tyranny of Fun' is an accomplished sonic offering that reveals a versatile sound characterized by original combinations of samples, depth and range. The EPs opener, 'The Skin Horse' is surely one for the after afters - a dark and off kilter growler of a track whose prevailing bassline and waltz time beat provide a brooding backdrop and relentless rolling nod to its intricate fusion of dissident chords, dusty synths and jazz stabs. On the flip side, an unpredictable 'Cupboard Love' starts muted and deep but soon surprises, opening out into a warm and progressive feel-good groove. Mixing things up again, Slow Learner impulsively cuts up the flow 4 minutes in with a funk-filled refrain, leaving the track dancing in and around dirtier disco territories. Last up, a made for vinyl 'Honey' goes deeper still; a delectably crafted down tempo offering whose syrupy vocals stir and evocative cross-rhythm synths, coupled with the vintage analogue percussion, ooze an unmistakable old 90's deep house sound.

Given its short gestation, it is striking how far removed the new album is from its predecessor . After the dark complexity of recent output, Same As You is startlingly fresh, as inclusive and accessible as the title suggests, while still maintaining the playful experimentation on which the band has made its name.

Originally conceived as a single longform piece, the tempo remains constant but does not prevent the band from producing swells of raw, joyous, life-affirming energy within these self-imposed limits

The vocal performances and the heartfelt, spiritual lyrics are an inspired addition to the rich instrumental mix: Pete Wareham and Mark Lockheart (tenor sax), Tom Herbert (double bass) and Leafcutter John (guitar, electronics), with Shabaka Hutchings (Sons Of Kemet, Melt Yourself Down) making a guest appearance.

The album's lead single 'Dont Let The Feeling Go' sees Rochford take on vocal duties alongside a choir of friends and collaborators: it's Polar Bear at their most direct.

The use of vocals may catch the ear but that should come as no surprise given that Rochford has enjoyed working with singers as diverse as Beck, Spoek Mathambo, Paolo Nutini and Rokia Traoré over a 15 year career that has seen the drummer, composer and producer emerge as a pivotal figure in contemporary British music

Recorded by Rochford in London, and mixed in the Mojave Desert with Ken Barrientos late last year

Polar Bear will tour Europe from February (see confirmed dates below)

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.

Inspired by the success of last summer's retrospective on Poker Flat, Steve Bug takes up his Traffic Signs moniker once more for a fabulous jam that more than merits the 10-year wait. The uncredited tunes that first came out under this name were classic jack tracks that devastated dancefloors - and 'Cookie Jar' is a more than worthy successor. This is stripped-down house, Chicago-esque, direct and determined to make you move. Berlin legend Jake The Rapper adds downright dirty humour with a spoken vocal fit for an age of internet sextapes and celebrity photo hacking. 'I like what you're cookin. Those cookies smell goooood,' he rascalously declares. Three mixes sprinkle the musical equivalent of chocolate chips, pecans and Brazilian stardust over the original. Steve Bug makes fine adjustments for the club, bouncing around the kick drums and doubling the synth riff with strings, while Joyce Muniz's dark, strobing treatment adds a dirty bass line for sexy, sweat-drenched dancefloors everywhere. Stripping away the vocal on the dub, Muniz's production talents are all the more scintillating, irresistibly kinetic from beginning to end. The brilliant video for 'Cookie Jar' has been created by swiss-french duo Ben & Julia, who let us take part in their playful, colorful and surreal world that suits the song so well.

This EP was made during a period where my whole outlook on everything was transforming. The Voidloss project started as an investigation, I was conducting a lot of research and study on the mind, the occult, on different thought modes, and the Voidloss project represented this. The idea was about a leap in to the void. A leap of abandonment into the dark, with total acceptance, total commitment. The idea was to lose myself to the void. This was mainly a spiritual journey for me, and could be best explained by 3 things, the void of Miyamoto Musashi from Go Rin No Sho, The concept of the Tao from the writings of Lao Tzu, and the concept of the abyss from the works of Aleister Crowley. Part of this journey deep inside the self was frightening and horrific, the total loss of self, of all identity and ego, and part of it was beautiful and enlightening. I wanted the music to reflect this, and I wanted the music to change as I changed, as I went to and through all these interesting places. In essence this was about freedom. So fast forward some years and I felt I had sharpened my mind quite effectively, the music had twisted and changed and flowed with me. At the point I began making the music for this EP, I had grown quite angry with the amount of conformity I was perceiving in life. Politically, socially, musically, there was this drive of conformity in the world. I think part of it, and only a part, comes from the prevalence of social media, the need to belong and to be liked, the idea of judging yourself and your works through the perception of others. Musically I felt that within techno there was a tendency for the music to fit within a set of confines dictated by fashion and hype, and this was reducing the diversity of the music, it seemed also that the practices of commercial music were seeping in to techno as the music became more popular. Hype and business driven decisions, brand building and so on. I always felt techno was more about art, and I began to get frustrated. Equally I felt that politically there was less and less choice, as all decisions seemed to lead to the same outcomes. I became more interested in the concept of anarchism, of the idea that government was no longer needed. I have always in my life had a drive to question everything. I've always been 'naughty' and rebellious and done things my way, to my advantage or my disadvantage, I could never accept being anything other than myself all the way. If everyone walks in one direction, I will walk the other way, even if it takes me over the edge of a precipice, just to see what is there. All this stuff influences my music, and during the period of making this EP I was angry, kicking against the things I no longer liked or wanted, screaming dissent. There is a lot of anger and rage, and of course rebellion. I wanted the music to capture that unbridled fury you have when you are in your late teens, when you just start learning about yourself and you start rebelling and questioning things around the time the world is really pushing you to conform. I was soundtracking my own philosophical riot. Previous to this my Voidloss stuff had been more introverted, more pensive and melancholy, more self destructive, more cerebral. For this new music I wanted something more immediate but without being too obvious. In terms of the choices I made I still leaned more towards broken rhythms for beat structure. I find it very difficult to do anything interesting with 4x4 kicks any more, it's too rigid for me, it limits my freedom. I like the looseness you get from more 'drummer' like beats, I guess probably because I have been playing drums all my life. The challenge is to get the same rolling power from broken rhythms as you get from 4 to the floor. It's not easy, there is a ridiculous amount of trial and error and the rejection percentage is high. I also was trying to use less 'synthy' sounds. I wanted to try to take a more acousmatic approach to sound design. With the current modular synth revival in techno I was hearing a lot of 'old' synth sounds re-emerging, and this didn't seem like a progression to me. I wanted to make sounds that were hard to source for the listener, where they weren't sure if it was synth or real world sample, digital or analogue. This involved a lot of experimentation. My process involved a lot of field recording, especially with contact microphones, which open up a whole new world of interesting sounds. You are effectively recording sounds through objects in the environment, 'hearing' the world as these objects hear them, I was using guitars, feedback loops, handmade instruments as well. So I was combining this with different synthesis, granular synthesis, sample synthesis, physical modelling, FM synthesis and of course analogue. Everything was reprocessed and re-synthesised, I tried hard to obscure the source and make something new as much as possible. The stuff on this EP was part of my live PA for some time, so as I learned how the music worked live I could go back and make changes, sometimes the environment I was playing in transformed the sound as well, and so I would try to go back an incorporate this in to the music. For remixes I wanted to choose artists that I respected for their vision as well as for their output, so my list of people I wanted was extremely short. Inigo Kennedy has always been an artist I have respected greatly. His music has always been unique to himself, he remains outside of fashions and trends even though his name has become very big recently. He takes risks with his work, experimenting and exploring, yet remaining relevant to the club, and just tirelessly forging ahead, seemingly for the sake of art above all else. And he's just a really nice guy to deal with. His remix is everything I expected it to be in that it is the unexpected. Regis is another artist who forges his own path in music, you cant really even begin to discuss the avantgarde in techno without including his name, he is one of the foundation stones for artistry and the outsider mentality in techno. His music is always unique to his own vision, and along with it comes an interesting artistic philosophy taking in situationism, post punk and industrial ideology and a good dose of tricksterism ala PT Barnum, all of which comes out in his music and the way it is presented. The man is a truly singular force and it is an honour to have him on this record. Overall the concept here is that of rebellion and dissent. Of asking questions, following your own path, of maintaining some place in yourself that burns like a forest fire.

Whether or not I have succeeded I guess is down to the listener, I'm never happy with my music, I keep wanting to move forwards, or somewhere else, and am constantly trying and failing to capture some essence of perfection. But like Bukowski said
'It's the only good fight there is'

Requiem for a dreamstate. It's possibly somewhere between heaven, hell and high water, down the Thames Delta towards Eden. It may involve techno and a distorted state or simply mates sat listening to music together, drifting on the open sea of their minds. This is Jon Hopkins' world, not so much joining the dots as colouring the whole damn picture in.

After releasing his debut album 'Opalescent' at the rookie age of 21 in 1999, he's gone on to work with Brian Eno and David Holmes, produced King Creosote and via Eno, worked on three Coldplay albums. He released the breakthrough album 'Immunity' in 2013, which was nominated for the Mercury Prize.

The story arc with which Hopkins succeeded on 'Immunity' makes its appearance on Late Night Tales too with a perfectly sculpted excursion on this widescreen mix. . Opening with the unreleased 'Sleepers Beat Theme' by composer Ben Lukas Boysen, ghostly pianos skip elegantly hither and thither, among rising strings, as on Darkstar's 'Hold Me Down'. Nils Frahm is here, his sonic palette perfect for the job, while labelmate A Winged Victory For The Sullen contribute 'Requiem For The Static King Part I'. Sigur Ros offshoot Jónsi & Alex's heroic 'Daniell In The Sea' sends us forth towards the Baltic with tears streaming.

Beats occasionally appear, as on the Grace Jones-sampling 'Yr Love' by Holy Other or the pair of Black Country acts Bibio and Letherette, whose 'After Dawn' is almost spry in comparison to the minor key symphonies on display here. The perfect contrast to this comes from Alela Diane's wistful 'Lady Divine' or even Four Tet's mesmerising 'Gillie Amma I Love You', with its enchanting kids' choir. Exclusive to this release, Jon Hopkins provides a startlingly vulnerable new piano version of Yeasayer's 'I Remember'.

Poet and fellow Brian Eno collaborator (their joint album 'Drums Between The Bells' was released by Warp in 2011) Rick Holland narrates the exclusive spoken word closer 'I Remember', underpinned with additional sound design by Hopkins.

"Putting this album together was a unique opportunity for me to present music that I have been listening to for years, free from the constraints of a club setting or from trying to stick to one genre. I chose tracks not just because they have been important to me but because of how they sit together, putting as much thought into the transitions and overall narrative as I did into the track choices. I mixed by key and by texture more than anything else, using original sound design, pivot notes, and often recording new synth or piano parts to link things together in a way that flows as naturally as possible." - Jon Hopkins, December 2014

Imagined as a sharp contrast and complement to Funn City's trashy vintage vibes, Darshan Jesrani's new Cylinder moniker sets out to explore the more streamlined, forward-facing side of Startree's vision, while sacrificing none of the warmth or funk of its classic influences. 'Disco Engine' is a futuristic joyride which draws upon late 80s and early 90s techno vibes as much as it does disco and R&B to produce a groove which is warmly insistent, buoyant, sexy and a little menacing. Ruthless, detuned 808 toms and a punchy, round analog bass synth provide a floor you can push the gas pedal to. A greasy, giddy synth rhythm holds the middle down like a session guitarist when rent is due, and ecstatic choral synth pads and vocals by Chelsea Adewunmi soar just above the horizon. Underground dance music with the top way down. Side B's '4-Stroke Dub' works a more DJ-oriented angle around that 808 and juxtaposes parts which do not play together in the original, creating a track which is subtly driving and every bit as engaging. The gorgeous, understated vocal refrain in the middle is a destination you will have been happy to go the extra distance to reach. Startree is happy to present its second release as a continuing statement of its musical intentions and its simple desire for all to have a really good time.

Circle 3 is the 9th vinyl release on Blank Code Records and is the 3rd release in the Circle series produced by Detroit native Mutate (Len Bartush), with remixes by Luis Flores, Mike Parker, and Project 313.

Circle 3 exemplifies the spirit of Detroit Techno. A deep, rich kick with a nice snappiness keeps the beat driving as heavily filtered synths reverberate through time, reminiscent of Detroit's classic M­Series records. Tight, delicate percussion plays with some aggressive claps creating the dynamic of a true modern classic.

Luis Flores delivers a solid remix that completely deconstructs the original track while keeping it's most bold elements. The kick is booming, the bass is tight, and there's a mean hook that loops it's way around the percussion, really drawing you inside the track's world.

Mike Parker dispatches an up­front rework, shrinking the original elements of the track into a veracious hook, supported by clock­like kicks and hats..

Project 313 deliver a stand­out remix that really highlights the atmosphere of the original track. The echo of the crunchy stabs dissolve into an endless feedback loop, as clicky hats and a solid downbeat pull everything together.

Exclusive to the digital version is another Mutate original, Recursive. This down­tempo track dives deep into dub, with sparse chord stabs that let their echoes form the dominant rhythm. A wicked groove is formed by the broken kick and finely chopped percussion that glitches on beat.

Vasumitra is built around static drum-kicks and a pulsating bassline countered by atmospheric and murky synth progressions; its repetitive and body-thumping structure rolls deep.
Nublando o Ar rips it from the get-go, with a hyper-funked groove that manages to sustain its rugged-pace and entrancing impact all the way. In the title track Feitiço, Seixlack succeeds in artfully juxtaposing banging riddims with jazzed-out, infectious chords leading nicely to the fourth cut, re-crafted by the mighty Miltiades, with a deep-rooted and slow-burner of a meditation.

House Of Black Lanterns is the latest musical project from Dylan Richards, the man behind the King Cannibal and Zilla monikers (on the Ninja Tine and Warp Records labels respectively). With an album and two singles out in 2013 on the highly respected Houndstooth label, Richards returns with a deadly EP for Hypercolour, backed with a very fine Mosca remix.

In its Original Mix, 'The Smack' is a dense and atmospheric production, the slow pace and chugging bassline evoking shades of early Chicago house but with a thoroughly modern UK twist. Filled with tension and drama, 'The Smack' is a big sounding record that cuts through so many genre sounds from dub techno to dubstep but sounds entirely individual and unique.

Mosca steps up to the remix, following on from the launch of his new label Not So Much, and remixes for Alland Byallo and Sweatshop Boys. Taking 'The Smack' up to an altogether skanking tempo, Mosca plummets the Basic Channel school of sound for the aptly titled 'Dread At The Controls' version. Spring reverb all over the joint as Mosca works the droning synths and fire & brimstone vibes over a watertight, dub heavy workout. 'Grey Leather Glass' takes things up a notch, continuing the HOBL theme of dark & shadowy techno sounds with heaps of drama and sinister twists and turns, like some cinematic score to a Wes Craven slasher epic, and '8 Million Stories' cuts up vocal chops, finger snaps and piano stabs over a brooding house production. Deliciously dark music from HOBL here....

Continuing the label's fast-paced release schedule, Raíz cooperate with social observer Permanent Hearbreak on the label's 4th vinyl release. The collaboration delves deep into human emotion over three movements, developing around the concept of personal absence. Side A1, With Out You, stretches a somber beat over 6 minutes with graceful overtones and powerful rhythm. Permanent Heartbreak speaks the message of With Out You over wet/dry percussion and heartsick chords. The energy and attitude turn up considerably on the flip side. With Me is a quick jaunt through semi-distorted clap and kick combinations of the jacking variety. Evolving analog style synth work builds the song until its climactic end. Wont Change Me takes cues from the darker Detroit / Kalamazoo sounds with Permanent Heartbreak's cold premonitions laid out over a driving sequence.

Concept e25 is back! Wax Classic 15 sees Concept e25's third release on the label in the space of just a year! The demand has been overwhelming for more garage house hits with that added subtle, French flourish. We heard those cries, so here we have another slammin' four track record from the man himself! The opening track of the EP, 'Sing!', is destined for greatness this summer on dance floors everywhere. For me, this will be the go-to track of the record for most DJs out there. On this track, Concept e25 combines a pumping Kerri style bassline with beautiful sustained chords, feel good vox cuts and the occasional sax line. Proper hands-in-the-air vibes here! 'Giving It' takes the EP into a deeper realm, one that evokes images of late evening summer sunsets. However, the garage swing and signature Concept e25 bass sound is still present. 'Lies' leads with moody chords before introducing a vocal that will be stuck in your head for a long time! Again, we have a smooth sax line to accompany the vocal up to the track's climax. Rounding out this solid release is 'Feel This Way'. Here, the punchy bass hits are united with an acid line that bubbles underneath, before being unleashed halfway through the track in a warehouse-reminiscent burst of resonance.

THE company focused on realeasing original obscure dance classic and everything's that sounds fine to their ears !What a special one we have here on Skylax Classic! Damien Zala, the man who put out the superb album 'Lonely Happiness' on Rowtag Records in late 2012, who gets heavy support from the great Theo Parrish, dishes up six special tracks for our next release. Before diving in, it is well worth noting that a selection of Damien's album tracks had remixes by the likes of house icons such as DJ Jus-Ed, Rick Wade and Boo Williams! If those names register even the slightest blip on your radar, which they should, then this record might be the treasure you've been searching for. Damien's sampling technique has a certain air of grandeur to it. 'Shake Vibration' makes this apparent right from the start with intricate layers of vocals, guitar licks and keys. 'All My Respect' and 'Come Around' both follow suit whilst 'Dizzie' picks up the B side with a bit more energy and frenzy compared to what has come before it. The record rounds out with two tracks taking things a bit deeper. 'Stay Where You Are' drives forward with filtered pad chords that accompany jazzy sax and vocal cuts while conversely, 'Z To The Jz' brings in a moodier vibe with its jazz samples and smoky drums.
Do not miss the chance to get such a gem of a record from Damien Zala!, C L A S S I C ! A must to have in every djs collection. Essential Item No Digital .

Following the digital premiere of the track 'Nobody knows' at the beginning of September, myr. is an artist who remains shrouded in mystery. His debut EP 'Nobody knows Avalon' is set to be released through recognised Cologne label PNN on January the 19st, yet as the title suggests, still very little is known about the man behind the music.

myr.'s wish to withhold information is made obvious through the choice of track names on the EP: 'Nobody Knows', 'Avalon' and 'Homii' are all titles clearly designed to provoke the listener's curiosity, whilst upholding a sense of the enigmatic.

Although some might argue that such conscious obscurity is little more than a publicity stunt, surely at a time when the cult of DJ and celebrity are often intertwined there is something refreshing about myr.s decision to step-back. You only have to look at the homemade, monochrome videoclip that accompanies 'Nobody knows' to realise that myr. is about as removed from the glitz of DJ culture as it is possible to be.

It is this determined distancing from the norm that comes through is his music. The minimal sound is carried through by an underlying warmth, a grittiness that sets it apart from the often near-perfect production of popular techno. The first two tracks 'Nobody knows' and 'Avalon' create a sense of anticipation, with minimal, ambient beats that build, the listener is left with itchy-feet and a hankering for more. In the final track on the EP 'Homii' there is a change in tempo, the monotone beats make way for some slowed-down, trippy vocals that open the listener up to myr.'s versatility as an artist.

'Nobody knows Avalon' is an EP that represents a return to something raw and removed from popular music. As for the mystery surrounding myr. Well if you can't put a face to a sound then the only option is to listen.

Versatile Parisian Jay Ka, offers a slow dripping slice of deepness to the SAFT following. With the help of Paula King on vocals, title track Only Grace is a reminiscent anthem with strong vocals supported by lush chords and smokey rhode hits. As a real single should, this package also offers 3 interpretations of the original. With remixes by Briton NY*AK and Atlanta situated Kai Alce, this SAFT output should grab your full attention easily.
Where NY*AK's rework maintains a more repetitive vibe with nicely timed vocal cuts, Kai Alce's 'Late Night' interpretation recalls classic vocal-house reworks from the glory days of extended 12inch mixes.
As usual for a complete single like this, an instrumental version of Kai Alce's rework is included.

Federsen returns to Fifth Interval for another sublime instalment of dance floor friendly dub-techno. Dewpoint is an altogether tighter affair when compared to the label's first release, Point Reyes.

The drums are taut and razor-sharp, propelling the listener effortlessly through a dense fog of ferric clouds, swelling to fill the outer-reaches of the echo chamber. A highly polished metallic production style that can be compared to some of Andy Stott's early and classic works.

Tomas Rubek remixes Dewpoint for the B-side, remaining faithful to the original track's structure but viewing it through a tinted lens. Dewpoint's chords become iridescent, kick drums fall into a straighter pattern and are backed by further dusty percussion, shifting the original into spheres inhabited by the likes of Rod Modell and Fluxion.

12" 180g vinyl with printed sleeve.

Mastered by Lewis at Stardelta.

"Original mix is dope." - Brendon Moeller (Beat Pharmacy)

"Really digging this remix. It's been on repeat this morning." - Silent Season

"Full support, I will play it, love Federsen's work!" - Fingers in the Noise

"Played on BBC Radio" - Steve Barker (The Wire)