Playedby021-1 is the starting point of Andrei Ciubuc’s Back 2 Back to the Future, unfolding over three vinyl chapters. Released as a double 12”, this first part lays the foundation of the journey: hypnotic rhythms, sharp grooves, and intricate sound design that highlight Andrei’s ability to balance dancefloor functionality with deeper narrative elements. Each track stands strong on its own, while also acting as a fragment of the larger story that continues in the next two volumes.
Making a welcome return nine years on from his last outing on Dekmantel, Makam offers up a generous helping of wayward grooves that take his curious spirit even further into unmarked territory. With a strong dub sensibility grounding his rich tapestry of percussion and instrumentation, Guy Blanken follows his own path to arrive at an album that embodies house music as a launchpad for experimentation.
Blanken says himself he was determined to approach his first Makam productions in years from a place of total freedom — "It's not a single direction, but rather a landscape of sounds, moments, and textures. TARP feels like a new beginning, a free project that just had to happen naturally." The steady pulse of the club remains a guiding principle boldly manifested on heads down roller 'Static Shade', but even in the lilting organic loops and tumbling percussion of 'Forgive' there is a funkiness that's beholden to continuous movement.
At times the direct thump of 4/4 disco juts out as a call to dance, not least on 'Flying Birds' and 'La Tuna', but elsewhere the rhythms are more slippery. 'Dub In Loen' plots a delicate path through dub techno and 'Lummel Spirit' casts off into pattering Balearic bliss. The pervasive dub mood of the record comes to the fore on expertly crafted stepper 'Diagonal Rain' and crooked album opener 'Clear Skies'. 'Jackie B' lands as a love letter to quintessential deep house, and yet still there's a left-of-centre charm that gives the track a personality that is pure Makam.
Exuding warmth and imagination at every turn, TARP is the perfect example of how to make a groove-oriented album a rich home listening experience. There are ample moments primed for the spectacle of the dancefloor, but the mellow hue and broad sweep of approaches make Makam's welcome return utterly compelling from end to end.
For their fourth release, Slush turns back the clock to a cult classic - Phonogen, the groundbreaking debut album from German DJ and producer, Alegria. First issued in 2002, Phonogen captures the raw emotion of dancefloors around the turn of the millennium, fusing driving basslines with infectious grooves to evoke the era’s radiant energy. Now, over two decades later, it’s reborn for a new generation, newly remastered and complete with a refreshed sleeve design and insert.
In an engrossing lattice of polyrhythmic beat science and deep atmospheric meditation, Samurai Music is thrilled to welcome Marco Shuttle to the fold for the Sumud EP.
Since his early years locked into the 00s London techno scene, Marco Sartorelli has developed as an artist entirely on his own terms. Through the rush of new ideas and cross-pollination that has characterised cutting-edge techno over the past 20-odd years, Sartorelli has travelled as Marco Shuttle from one considered stylistic concept to the next. On his own Eerie label and across expansive releases for respected outposts such as Spazio Disponibile, Incensio and Astral Industries, he's taken an exploratory approach to rhythm and spatial design while always drawing on intentional thematic frameworks, creating distinctive and immersive dance music in the process.
As Samurai Music continues to celebrate the rich seams of inspiration where deep techno and drum & bass intersect, Sartorelli's malleable, mysterious strain of drum work fits right in and sets a captivating tone for the label's operations in 2026. 'Sumud' is a steely drum mantra dealing in fractured patterns with the primal patina of the early Artificial Intelligence era, while 'Las Dunas de Taroa' leans on gently pulsing melancholia undulating at a half-time pace. 'Iso 50' taps into raw, analogue minimalism once more, evoking the sound of Roman Flugel's Ro70 records in their icy, alien formation. Completing the set, we're guided towards the tense electronica of 'Polylayering What I've Got', where uneasy melodic chimes interlock with intricately programmed drum machines.
There's a distinct sense of golden-era, mid-90s electronica coursing through Sumud EP, but Sartorelli shrouds the classic tools at his disposal in his subtle signature atmospherics, pushing towards a plain of expression that transcends time.
SAM GOKU (Permanent Vacation / Dekmantel / Atomnation)
Paryìa marks its eighth release with Sam Goku, whose contribution showcases not only the creative depth of his dreamy side but also just how club-ready his tracks can be. Rooted in shimmering house and techno yet fluid across a wider spectrum, both Sam Goku’s sets and productions strike a balance between effortless buoyancy
and intricate depth. A distinctive sound that seamlessly blends elements of his roots with everything dance music lovers cherish: richly textured layers, hypnotic repetition, and a subtle sense of unpredictability. This balance is also reflected in his EP on Dekmantel (2024) and Permanent Vacation (2025), shaping a sound that is instantly recognisable and quietly enduring.
Composed by vibes legend Roy Ayers for the soundtrack of the 1973 film starring Pam Grier, Coffy was a jazz chart hit. The music, an inventive mix of heavy funk and soul-jazz, with vocal highlights from Dee Dee Bridgewater, perfectly encapsulated Grier's vigilante character.
"deathcrash’s third album, Somersaults, glimmers with an everyday euphoria. The London-based slowcore/ post-rock quartet has always had an affinity for building worlds only to crush them. From their breakout EP, People thought my windows were stars (2021), through two critically acclaimed studio albums, Return (2022) and Less (2023), they have been both the architects and the destroyers, the creationists and the ones manning the flood barrier. But, recorded between Black Box Studio in the Loire Valley and Haggerston’s Holy Mountain, Somersaults is almost joyful.
Its ten tracks are more vocal heavy than any of the band’s catalogue – think Mark Linkous via The Kinks – but lyrically, Somersaults resists revelation. For all its abrasion, phrases appear half-swallowed, broken off at the edge of meaning, consumed by the smaller textures of living. “Thirty, no career, it fucking worries me / And doing the band doesn’t help,” Banks sings in ‘NYC’. But, “This life is the best life,” he finishes in ‘CMC’ on top of the ambient white noise of an office printer, thankful that the band is still there, “still making noise in the doorway.”
Their role as caretakers of Duster, Low and Codeine’s slowcore lineage is all across Somersaults – songs scud to a narcotic crawl, sound monolithic and inwards before spotlighting a crystalline nothing. Cathartic builds are muddied with tenderness, the bass a heavy grounding, the drums an exhausted heartbeat grasping for air. But more so than ever, even the silence feels collaborative – a gesture of communal trust – friends celebrating the room they’ve made for each other’s ghosts, and some of the biggest, brightest songs they’ve made to date."
Opening its second growing season with a new work from Scottish producer Brian d'Souza, also known as Auntie Flo and his ‘Plants Can Dance’ project, the new Seeds release is an ambient composition that draws on botanical research into how sunflowers interact, cooperate, and compete beneath the soil.
‘Plants Can Dance’ considers the underground world of sunflowers, where root systems engage in complex social behaviours. Recent studies have shown that sunflowers exhibit spatial awareness and a form of etiquette: avoiding competition when resources are plentiful, sharing nutrient patches when necessary, and positioning themselves strategically when they have better access to resources. This balance between cooperation and competition underpins d'Souza's composition.
d’Souza’s work translates these interactions into sound, creating a landscape that reflects the quieter aspects of plant communication. Through minimalist production and field recordings, d'Souza captures both the patience of root foraging and the underground negotiations for resources.
The second release from Irish label IL Corpo Records comes from Dublin native Dave Hughes. The Fastplay E.P. sees the accomplished audio engineer and Dj return to production duties with 4 carefully crafted excursions into mid tempo deep house with elements of dub and techno. Having had multiple releases on John Tejada’s legendary Palette label and iRecords amongst others, the production values are top notch and well executed making this an interesting listen indeed.
Fastplay chugs along building gradually before sultry vocals from Svelte weave their way into the mix and beckon the listener to the dance floor for the night ahead.
Feel Better is a downtempo dubby experiment inflected with a dose of rave nostalgia.
Walk Alone sees more atmospheric chord work and well chosen percussion that cements the sentimental feel of the E.P.
Tabouli rounds out the release with broken beats wrapped up in mid eastern rhythms. Moody chords and a G Funk lead line keep the groove evolving to the end.
Repress !
Way back in 1981, two musicians got together to make a record. Mike Collins played guitar and had just bought a Roland CR78 - the first programmable drum machine. Keith O'Connell played Fender Rhodes piano and Prophet 5 synthesizer. Excited about the quirky and unusual instrumental track they'd composed, when the duo entered London's Utopia Studios to finish off their creation, neither could have predicted what was to follow... Now viewed by many as one of the most influential early electronic dance records, 'Rude Movements' was swiftly picked up on by David Mancuso, who used it to devastating effect at his infamous 'Loft Parties', in turn introducing it to Larry Levan, Frankie Knuckles, David Morales and Kenny Dope, a group of young DJs who would go on to write the blueprint for dance music as we know it.
In the more than 35 years since its release, 'Rude Movements' has continued to inspire and excite, sampled by The Bucketheads' classic House track 'Whew!' (featured on recent BBE compilation '20 years of Henry Street Records') and listed by a veritable 'who's who' of dance music's elite as an all-time favourite. Rare and much sought-after on vinyl, BBE are happy to announce the release of a fully remastered version of 'Rude Movements' presented alongside the original demo version 'Raw Movements', plus three other versions of the iconic track. Also included on the vinyl package are the Afrika Bambaata inspired 'Street Beat' and 808/MiniMoog workout 'Palace Strut', as well as three other 80s SunPalace compositions. CD and digital versions expand the catalogue still further, with more experimental SunPalace magic. Timeless original, quirky and unique, these recordings are set to inspire yet another generation of DJs,
producers and music fans.
This launch contains some danceable material by Walrus that until now has been gathering dust in his digital archives.
That’s a shame, we thought. Your heart is your passport is decidedly lighthearted and minimal in approach, giving us a few elements and a lot of space to daydream in. On Weekend, the mood is a bit gloomier, even though it still has the same open and playful demeanour. Both these tracks were part of what was once going to be an album. Instead, music has been released over a range of different labels in the last 5 years.
Originally released in 1988 on the compilation Acid Tracks Vol. 3 via Needle Records, "The Other Side" has long been recognised as a potent example of early Chicago acid house. Now, more than three decades later, the track receives its first official 12" release - and, crucially, its first release with the original artists correctly credited. While historically attributed to Maurice Joshua, "The Other Side" was in fact produced by Da Posse (Hula Mahone), with vocals by Martell. This forthcoming release marks the first time that the original production has been properly acknowledged and presented in its intended standalone 12" format, restoring authorship to the artists responsible for the record's creation. The release is issued by Island Life Records, a Bali-based label with a growing reputation for carefully curated projects that bridge foundational dance music history and contemporary club culture. By formally reintroducing "The Other Side" with accurate credits, Island Life Records contributes an important corrective to the historical record of Chicago house and acid house music. Musically, "The Other Side" remains a striking artefact of its era: minimal, hypnotic, and emotionally charged, balancing raw machine-driven groove with an atmospheric vocal presence. It exemplifies the experimental, DJ-led ethos of late-1980s Chicago, where tracks were built for function, feeling, and longevity on the dancefloor rather than commercial visibility. The release is accompanied by a set of new remixes that respectfully extend the track's legacy into the present day. Remix duties come from Island Life Records founder Garry Todd under his Clouds Of Kouros alias, Johnny Aux (one half of Paranoid London), and Age Of Hyperion, with the digital including a remix from Garry Todd, each offering a distinct contemporary interpretation while retaining the spirit and tension of the original recording. This release stands not only as a long-overdue physical edition, but as a historically significant moment: the first time the original production has been released on 12", and the first time the correct creative contributors have been formally recognised.
(Early support by Ben Klock, DVS1 & Rene Wise) DHÆÜR makes his debut on Dustin Zahn's Enemy Records with 4 stripped down Techno tools ranging from "relentless and heavy" to "grooving and introspective." Each track offers a different approach to minimalistic Techno, all rich in moody atmospherics.
In classic A1 fashion, "Bayes Theorem" is the heaviest track on the record. Throbbing sub bass meshes together with pedaling hi hats while vocal chops and modulating synth work cover the top end. It's sinister and pounding, yet retains a sense of groove without becoming too aggressive. "Perception" closes the A side with a deeper and more introspective approach. The bass fills in only where necessary,leaving the pads and bleepy synths to do all the heavy lifting.
"Scanning" kicks off the B-side, defined by a rolling bass line and moody chord stabs. It gives the dance floor exactly what it needs and nothing more. The record comes to a close with "5th Avenue." It's deep, steady, rolling, and dripping in polymeter synth pulses. Brief glimpses of vocal phrases offset the darkness, giving it a bit of funk and playfulness...making it essential for deeper late night sets.
Stripped bare and driven hard - this is Jack at its most physical. Filthy, saturated drum work meets crunchy, uncompromising samples as Bohm channels the genre's raw core across four relentless tracks. Each cut is engineered to whip crowds into a frenzy and lock the dancefloor in. Pure warehouse ammunition. Essential addition to any serious recordbox.
Yamila presents her second album on Umor Rex, Noor. Following Visions, Yamila returns with a work that merges nature-experience listening with expansive musicality. Noor was born from her time in an ecologist community, where she sought refuge in stillness, learned from animals, and tried to forget the human. In this communion with nature, she discovered a new compositional approach: reducing acoustic noise to allow unheard voices to emerge, transforming music into a possibility for interspecies dialogue.
Since ancient times, sound has been used to care for herds, to call across distances, to communicate with the non-human. Noor reimagines that ancestral role in a contemporary language, where epic harmonies collide with delicate micro-tonalities, and where rhythm unfolds not only as pulse but as movement for the body, a natural extension of Yamila’s work with dance companies and choreographers.
Her voice is interwoven with electronics and the resonant strings of Echo Collective, creating sonic landscapes that radiate intensity and fragility. At times monumental, at others almost whispered, Noor oscillates between composition and spontaneity, structure and suspension.
The album unfurls as a dialogue between the organic and the artificial, where sound grows like a sprout breaking through hard soil. Yamila’s music here is not only to be heard, but to be inhabited: a choreography of air, vibration, and resonance. Noor is both shelter and revelation, a reminder that music can still be epic, luminous, and deeply human, while listening beyond the human.
All music and voices by Yamila Ríos. Recorded at Destelheide by Christophe Albertijn. Strings by Trio Echo Collective (Violin: Margaret Hermant, Viola: Neil Leiter), (Cello: Stijn Kuppens), (Arrangements: Pierre Slinckx). Mastered by Rafael Anton Irisarri at Black Knoll Studio, NY. Photos by Assiah Alcázar. Design & layout by Daniel Castrejón.
For the next SlapFunk outing, the Amsterdam stronghold welcomes fellow Dutchmen Malin Genie and Frits Wentink for a joint adventure down synth-lane.
A 4-tracker crafted in the depths of the underworld: gritty, wall shaking frequencies stay true to the SlapFunk style whilst pushing their best foot forward. On all 4 tracks, techno influences run deep, relying on hypnotic builds for a no-thrills experience powered by two of the most revered producers of the modern era. The duo went all out, flexing their knowledge for a release built for any dancefloor ready to blend both the past and the future.
Trademark sounds-- a Blood Meal for anyone looking to get the function jumping.
TrioRox is a project born from the encounter between three leading figures on the Italian music scene (and beyond):
pianist Giovanni Guidi, bassist Joe Rehmer, and electronic musician DJ Rocca (Luca Roccatagliati).
Three individuals boast eclectic and impressive resumes. Guidi, a child prodigy of jazz piano, has released several
albums for the prestigious ECM label and has collaborated with top jazz and electronic musicians, from Enrico Rava
to Matthew Herbert, Joe Lovano, and Ricardo Villalobos. Joe Rehmer, an American living in Italy, is one of the most
sought-after bassists, sharing stages and recording studios with such luminaries as Bob Mintzer, James Moody, and
Danny Gottlieb. DJ Rocca has been a DJ and musician since the 1990s, boasting numerous albums, singles, and
remixes with and for key figures in the alternative dance scene (Andrew Weatherall, Dimitri From Paris, and Howie
B), as well as a stint in the jazz scene, releasing several albums with Franco D’Andrea.
The trio's music is a blend of electronic, dance, jazz, and pop, with hints of groove in house and techno, as well as
blends of electro, classical, and minimalism. A melting pot of styles between Keith Jarrett and Carl Craig. The album
will be released on IRMA Records in September 2024, featuring guests Luigi Di Nunzio, Gianluca Petrella, Dan
Kinzelman, and Jacopo Fagioli.
This EP of remixes is by:
Zed Bias: Manchester-based electronic musician, producer, and DJ in the Garage/2-step, Broken, and Funky
Breakbeat genres.
Alexander Robotnick: Italian record producer, DJ, and composer considered a cult figure in the New Wave and Italo
Disco scene.
Daniele Bladelli: One of the first and most important Italian DJs, famous for pioneering Afro and Cosmic music.
Bjorn Torske: Norwegian house and breakbeat producer. He has collaborated extensively with Röyksopp.
Stateside Swing is a UK Garage focused vinyl only dance record label that showcases the genre's production and manufacturing exclusively from the USA.
