The hyper talneted Stellar Om Source (NOT NOT FUN, RVNG, NO 'LABEL) blowing up new styles on this one!
"If there is one thing that leaps out from Stellar OM Source’s music, it is the sense of a highly active mind at work. There is an indivisible feeling that a real person is behind this dynamic flurry of tones, waves, vibrations and modulations. On I See Through You, the first full Stellar OM Source release in over four years, the spark that first LP piqued the interest of so many listeners is glowing stronger than ever.
In the 2010's, Christelle Gualdi carved a name as one of the most essential live electronic musicians around, dazzling dancers and home listeners in kind with her bombastic, acidic hardware jams. Circumstances outside her control forced a stop for the Stellar OM Source project. It was touring, including two shows in the summer of 2019 at Dekmantel Festival and Listen! that Gualdi credits as year highlights, which proved to be the integral jump-start to the engine.
Inspiration came rushing back thanks to the human connection of performing. Seeing a younger generation connect with her put fresh charge into the circuitry of her gear. All this accrued into new material on the road, and thus I See Through You was born.
The spirit of 2013’s cult favourite Joy One Mile is alive and well on I See Through You. There is once again immediacy, urgency and lust. But Stellar OM Source stepping into a comparatively more poppy and playful mode on these four tracks could also throw some. Fundamentally she says, it comes from a similar place, and ends with an enmeshed and positive outcome. Gualdi credits both “1995 rave” and “the clarity, bass and breath” of hi-def hip-hop productions as being twin northern stars for her to follow.
The artwork comes from friend and highly respected photographer & director Pierre Debusschere, whose work similarly flits between arresting close-ups and, well, the widescreen luxe of Beyoncé videos. “I’m definitely not a purist anymore,” Gualdi laughs – and with club-ready impact meeting human warmth, this shows in abundance.
“Night Alone” wastes no time in getting the listener up to speed. Is that an LFO sample running through “Night Alone”? Is this a lost Metro Area classic? Is that Stellar OM Source taking a diversion into searching Ibiza-rousing vocal for a moment, or did we imagine that in a heat haze? Where are the kicks? Oh there they are. How many elements are buried and revived within just over five minutes?
It’s hard to tell. Before we know it, “Lost Codes” is up and away, keeping pulses racing. A pitter-patter of baby kicks feel like a pre-tremor before a welting electro-Italo lead crashes into play. With fizzing energy, rasping synths and a frisson of danger, fans of Unit Moebius and The Hacker will be doing somersaults of joy.
“White Echoes” wastes kicks off the flip side with low gurgles descending briefly like a UFO reverse parking into the spot SOS had vacated. Soon, 303s are twisting like Chinese burns while warm chords offer a salve. The mood maintains on “Wild Palms”, the only song on this record not to feature additional mixing work from Peaking Lights’ dub-wise sensei Aaron Coyes.
True to form, the B2 is all Stellar: elements switching up and out, with all the fun and frenzy of capital-L Live action. Kick drums and bassline darting back and forth like a synchronised swimming routine, all elements in concert. The momentum of a runaway mine cart that you can’t help but strap yourself to. I See Through You is one for the dancers who have given Stellar OM Source the motive to move forward once again."
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Cork native Colm K has been making waves on both the Irish and international scene since his selection for the Red Bull Music Academy in 2003. With releases on Bastard Jazz, r2, and his recent efforts on All City Records, First Word Records and Tiff's Joints, Colm K has earned his place on both critics' and fans' radars.
KFU(RN) sees Colm return to Tiff's Joints after 2018's Beginnings/Six Four Hundred with four of his heaviest dancefloor offerings yet, which have already picked up support and plays from the likes of Alexander Nut, Laurent Garnier, Detroit Swindle, Red Rack 'Em and more. One the A-side, Lady is a heavily swung uptempo house jam, built around a masterfully flipped vocal and piano line while "Apart" sees an ominous arpeggio dart between warping sub bass and gritty drums. On the B-Side, "KFU(RN)" delivers a riotously fun synth line backed up by a rock solid groove and "Diffraction" bounces from start to finish with a Mr. Fingers-esque bassline, driving the track forward and a celestial pad drifting in and out of the mix, bringing the EP to a close.
In late 1997, unsigned Melbourne producer Castel won a competition at a local club. The prize was certainly sought-after: a CD single release on leading local label DanceNet. That EP, “Estrel”, subsequently appeared in stores in 1998, but within two years Castel had packed away his Atari-ST, sold off his hardware and quit music for good.
Thanks to Echovolt Records, Castel’s story now has a happier ending. 22 years after it was recorded, the unfeasibly gorgeous “Estrel” is finally appearing on vinyl alongside original bonus cut “Me & You” and a trio of similarly impressive unreleased productions from the period.
“Estrel” is positivity personified – a melodious, morning-fresh blast of deep electro bliss rich in bustling drums, tuneful IDM style lead lines and darting, psychedelic electronics. It’s joined on side A by “Me & You”, a pitched-down chunk of hazy ‘90s electronica that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on one of Warp Records’ legendary Artificial Intelligence compilations.
On side B, Castel opens up his archive of unreleased recordings for the very first time. The rush-inducing, bass-heavy swirl of “Safer Somewhere” – one of the last tracks he ever recorded and reminiscent of some B12 recordings from the period – is followed by the intergalactic ambient brilliance of “Latch” and the lilting, sun-bright bliss of breakbeat-driven shuffler “16/11/1998”, whose combination of weighty bottom-end and layered electronics neatly sums up the unheralded qualities of Castel’s previously forgotten work.
- A1: Frequency Guide
- A2: Just Like A Melody
- A3: In Every Way
- A4: A Brand New Day (Feat Asm & Balkan Bump)
- A5: Can\'T Love You More
- A6: Walking Through A Sunlit Forest
- A7: Solace
- B1: Lessons About Life
- B2: Ghetto Child (Feat Awon & Eme)
- B3: Darts Is Not A Sport
- B4: When It\'S Gone
- B5: No Need To Worry
- B6: Melatonin
With more than 220 million cumulated streams in 2013, Poldoore is far to be unknown from international future-beat and hip-hop scenes. His new record, Mosaïc, comes back confirming to be the spearhead of a booming music genre, where beatmakers emerge from the shadows to the light, to assert themselves as artists in their own rights. Coming from Belgium, more precisely Louvain near Bruxelles, Thomas Schillebeeckx began to explore his parents record collection at age 5, when the family moved to the US. Since, the will to combine this musical heritage to his more modern surrounding sounds never left. Because Poldoore music has a credo: assembly the era with sampling, mixing the genres to create a new musical touch.
Since his beginning in 2013, with the album The Days Off, the young musician talents gave him the opportunity to perform for an international tour with famous venues such as Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Festival, Dour Festival, or the giant Tomorrowland. Everything you need to create a huge fanbase, one that never let you down through your musical evolutions. At this stage, Poldoore is already ahead of his time, playing a music focused on the future, making his place among lasting artists by getting to the top sales on Beatport. Six years after, he's still here, more than ever.
The following of his career brings him to Bulgaria, Spain, Turkey, Germany, Greece, and developing remixes for international artists such as Selah Sue, Wax Tailor, Declaime or Talib Kweli.
He is also nominated at the Red Bull Elektropedia Awards in Belgium, for both Album of the Year and Best Newcomer of the year, mostly thanks to the hit: the remix of the classic Fugees song, Fu-Gee-La. Everything to set the stage for his second album, The Days Off in 2016. The natural identity of Poldoore music rings out more than ever, and allows him to sign several projects and EPs on prestigious labels: Chinese Man Records, Nowadays, Cold Busted or Darker Than Wax.
His forthcoming album Mosaïc is a pure exploration of genres. The offbeat hip-hop, beautifully embodied by the track Lessons About Life, the electro-funk with Darts Is Not A Sport, his beloved jamaïcan sounds on A Brand New Day (featuring ASM and Balkan Bump), or the break-electronic on Solace. But it's mainly his unusual ability to give a second groove to 70s soul samples and epic strings, that makes this record truly essential. The whole tracklist is haunted, whether on the excellent Walking Through A Sunlit Forest or on Melatonin, last of the 13 tracks. Always seeking to marry different musical periods, always linking the past and the future. With Mosaïc, Poldoore is not only showing us his talent, but takes the listener through out Time. And isn't it what the music is supposed to do
The HARP EP is to be released on PRAH Recordings and offers a balance of movement and feeling. ‘Banshee’ and ‘Feeler’ are both dance tracks intended for the dancefloor, whereas ‘Why Can’t I Remember Your Name’ and ‘Heart’ are two tracks meant for times of contemplation.
Inspired by the time when hardware was the only real option for making dance music, applying the same limitation and tactile approach lead to the creation of these tunes from a technical perspective. The equipment used was primarily analog and outboard, with the utilisation of tape for recording ‘Banshee’.
London via Margate composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Raven has collaborated with many well-respected artists including Kate Tempest, Paul Weller, Mica Levi, Kwes and Bullion. His music upholds a balance between the orchestral and electronic, abstract and conventional. Parallels can be drawn to the artist Arthur Russell,
in terms of their diversity, creating tracks you can dance to, but also songs and music for reflection.
All tracks are taken from the results of the second week of Raven’s PRAH residency in Margate which has seen the likes of Kelsey Lu, Adult Jazz, Ben Vince, Lone Taxidermist, James Greenwood, Deep Throat Choir, Flamingods Lung Dart & London Contemporary Orchestra. Each have spent time writing and recording in the studios
as part of a free artist residency program offered by PRAH Recordings’ arts wing the PRAH Foundation.
Recorded Between The Release Of Sand (1977) And Lost Secrets(1981), Symphonic Songs Is A Formerly Unreleased Work That Chronicles The Dynamic Shift And Development In Experimental Swedish Composer Ragnar Grippe's Canon.
Following His Seminal Release Sandin 1977, Swedish Experimental Composer Ragnar Grippe Worked On Various Art And Performance Commissions, Often Returning To Stockholm During The Summer Months To Focus His Efforts On His Compositional Practice. It Was There At The Famed Ems Studioswhere He Began Employing The Buchla Synthesizer And The Facilities Multi-tracking Capabilities As New Instruments To Map His Mining Of Sound And Movement.
During The Late 1970's, Grippe Formed A Creative Collaboration With Choreographer Susan Buirge, Specifically Writing Compositions For Her Works restes And tamis, Thus Pushing Grippe To Start Working In A More Intricate Studio Environment. These Passages Inspired Grippe Into A More Complex Layering Process That Focused More On Placement And Structure, Rather Than The Aural Floods And Flourishes Of His Previous Sand Album, Eventually Germinating In His First Full 24-track Composition Entitled orchestra.
After Debuting orchestra In 1980 At The Electronic Music Festival In Stockholm, Grippe Holed Up At Ems Studios With Those Lessons And The Fussy Buchla Synthesizer, In Which Grippe Affectionately Recalls needed To Be Tuned And Calibrated Every 20-30 Minutes. He Emerged With A New Commission For Susan Buirge Later Formally Titled Symphonic Songs And Used In Her Avant-garde Theater Piece ci-déla Which Debuted In Paris In 1981.symphonic Songsshowcased Grippe's Sound Au Courant, Pushing Dense Against Sparse, Calm Into Cacophonous, Using Each Track As Its Own Intersecting Plane. Using The Machinations Of Studio And Structure To Drive Symphonic Songs' Voice, Grippe Culled A Haunting, Often Cinematic Electronic Work That Dots And Darts Into Unexpected Corners With Curious Aplomb.
Listen To The Words, Both Terms Have Their Root In Classical Music, But Not In Its Form But Because Now I Had So Many More Stems Or Voices That Could Be Played Simultaneously Compared To My Earlier Pieces. Coming From A Classical Background, But With Big Nostrils For Pop And Jazz Music, I Can Now See A Thread In Which Classical Got A New Costume, Dressed Up In Buchla Synthesizer And Real Bass Sounds Grippe Says. Since Its Live Theater Debut Over 37 Years Ago, Dais Records Releases For The First Time Symphonic Songs, One Of Grippe's Most Ambitious Compositions, As A Deluxe Double Vinyl Lp (with Limited Edition Color Variants) And On Digital Formats. Artwork Packaging By Artist J.s. Aurelius (ascetic House) With Reflective Linear Notes By Ragnar Grippe.
Following well-received releases from Annie Hall, J. Wiltshire, MANASYt and Ricardo Tobar, MUSAR continues with another distinct slice of hugely satisfying, leftfield dance music, this time courtesy of legendary Norwegian producer Mental Overdrive.Limited to 150 copies!
In the cracks that sprawl between electronic and analog music, visual art, and craft creation, Yamila dances on the edge of sound and conceptual heights. The Spanish composer, cellist, singer and producer is based between Belgium, Holland and Spain. In recent years Yamila has created music for contemporary dance productions in places such as The Gothenburg Opera, Netherlands Dans Theater, and Dance Forum Taipei, among others. Her projects have been presented at festivals such as Sonic Acts Festival (Amsterdam), Arts Electronica (Linz), Seoul International Computer Music Festival, STRP Festival (Eindhoven), and Today's Art festival (The Hague) to name a few.
With 'Iras Fajro' (Forbidden Colours), her debut album, Yamila, summons in 11 songs with the strength of electronic sounds in front of a fragile voice that at times unfolds in small coral clusters. The brilliant electronic arpeggios and rhythms dissolve in the velvety voices of the cello, which are sometimes intertwined with the creations of two collaborators, the British producer and composer Clark (Warp) and the multifaceted ex- flamenco Nin~o de Elche (Sony).
My love wears forbidden colours My life believes My love wears forbidden colours My life believes in you once again
Body Music (Bosq and The Rapture's Vito Roccoforte) return with another dose of 21st century mutant-disco and nocturnal New York swagger. Following up on their lauded Just One EP (Razor 'n Tape), the new two-track 12" delivers on the epic stomp and punch of that debut with two instant classics.
A-side 'Don't Think Twice' is a tightly modern and muscular re-imagining of some long-lost Paradise Garage-era gem, replete with head-snapping claps, an expansive sonic palette and full strut groove.
While, low-slung flip-side 'Give My Love a Try' rolls on a flirtatious arpeggiated bass-line and gasps of steamy synths that make it the perfect vibe to open or close a party. Lending soulful and sultry vocals across both cuts is Christian Holiday.
Holiday darts in an off the slick synth stabs and bouncy live-drums of Don't Think Twice and reaches a yearning falsetto that draws out the romantic swoon of Give My Love a Try, helping elevate the scope and craft of both tracks.
Hooky and virulent, it's a venerated sound that fits seamlessly into sets of Arthur Russell, ESG and Liquid Liquid classics with a crisp and deep production that remains infectiously of the moment.
At parties from Brooklyn to Ibiza, this 12" will no doubt be a go-to slice of wax coaxing dancers to move a little closer all summer long.
Hot On The Heels Of The Well Received Dirty Channels Vs Danny Russell 'watchin Out/ Frazelle 'today Is The Day' (linkwood Edit), We Bring You More Twelve Inch Heat. This Time In The Shape Of An Unreleased Nugget From Funk And Soul Legend, Bobby Boyd, The Founding Member And Lead Singer Of Bobby Boyd's Congress - Who Metamorphosed Into The Lafayette Afro Rock Band, After Bobby's Departure In 1971.
On The A-side, Producer And Engineer Extraordinaire Bob Blank - Who's Worked Closely With The Likes Of Arthur Russell, Taana Gardner,sun Ra, Larry Levan And Kid Creole - Turns Out A Mix That Hits The Sweet Spot Between Boogie And Proto-house With A Hint Of Latin Freestyle.
Whilst The Flip Sees Darting Synths And Swirling Pads Layered Over A Tight Machine Groove, As Bobby Reminds Us Of The Simply Joy That Dancing Can Bring.
Bulkhead present their debut album - Aft Pressure - due June 1st on 2MR Records. In 2015, during the coldest Toronto winter on record, two old friends - Pop District and Patrik Benjamin - locked themselves away in the studio to experiment with a medley of hardware. Both solo artists in their own right, they had overseen their own projects prior, but had never considered how a collaboration might sound. Exploring the polarity of extreme cold and immersive warmth with a distinctly analogue feel, the duo carved themselves an aesthetic. And so Bulkhead was born. Using a raw, organic palette they repudiate formal structure and polish, opting instead for a freeform blend of unhindered mechanical techno and fuzzy ambience - slambient, if you will. Debuting in 2016, their 'Worker's Kampf' cassette album on LA imprint Far Away Tapes sold out quickly, warranting another release on 2MR featuring highlights of the cassette on 12' and digital. Continuing with the purveyance of abstract arrangements and machine wizardry, their forthcoming album - Aft Pressure - is a striking exploration of the intersection between frenzied techno and harmonic warmth.Fragments of techno and EBM mutate without strict guidance, rebuilding themselves into new forms with stunning physical qualities. Whilst many of the tracks might file under dance music, the DIY spirit of the album transcends a nightclub, occupying a peculiar space between the uncensored grit of the post-punk scene and some melancholic form of ambient minimalism. Angular percussion slices its way through dizzying synth leads whilst serene harmonies wander on their own accord. Darting melodies are made all the more powerful by their harsh timbre as drum-less excursions provide a cinematic backdrop. Aft Pressure is a statement of intent, blurring the parameters of dance music culture with equal doses of insanity and serenity. At the same time, it's also a hell of a lot of fun...
Two of Russian electronic music's rising stars, Phil Gerus and Alexander Lay-Far, invite you to join them at the Solitary High Social Club. While table service is provided, they'd much rather you throw caution to the wind and head to the dancefoor.
Before joining forces in the studio, both Moscow-based musicians have delivered a string of memorable solo productions. Lay-Far has previously released a wealth of material on such labels as Local Talk, City Fly, Lazy Days and 4Lux Black, while synthesizer fetishist Gerus has showcased his electrofunk and disco-fred cuts on Futureboogie Recordings, Sonar Kollektiv, Public Release
and Superior Elevation Records.
The fve tracks that make up Solitary High Social Club deliver a perfect marriage of the two producers' distinctive solo styles, combining the rich musicality of Lay-Far's house productions with the spacey, intergalactic electronics of Gerus's discoid adventures. In many ways, it's a marriage made in heaven - or in Lay-Far's celebrated In-Beat-Ween Studio, at least.
The duo's spacey and melodious musical fusion is arguably best exemplifed by lead cut City 2 City, Star 2 Star', a widescreen, mid-tempo disco epic rich in tactile Rhodes riffs, supernova synth solos, delay-laden drum beats, tumbling melody lines and heavy analogue bass. Fittingly, the track returns in Reprise' form - think sweeping, weightless ambient bliss - to round off the EP.
Elsewhere, the duo provides further proof of their combined musical talents.
Check, for example, the gentle drum machine electro beats, cascading new age melodies and sparkling, stretched-out synthesizer chords of the impeccably beautiful Am I Tripping', or the devilishly percussive, mind-altering brilliance of Love Life', where mutant electro bass, wide-eyed chords and alien melodies rise above a heavy, Afro-infuenced groove. As for Snowfakes On Her Lips', you'll struggle to fnd a more confdent and positive dancefoor workout all year. Blessed with killer piano parts, darting analogue synth-bass and a range of disco-tinged musical fourishes, it's by far and away the most celebratory moment on an already happy-go-lucky EP. It confrms, too, our initial hunch: at the Solitary High Social Club, life is always good.
Ilija Rudman presents Andre Espeut 'Tears To Sound'
featuring Ron Trent Mix
Over the last decade and a half, Ilija Rudman has been responsible for many high quality releases, delivering distinctly warm, sun-kissed, analogue-rich material on labels including Bearfunk, Instruments Of Rapture, Compost , 20/20 Vision, Electric Minds, Is It Balearic Recordings, Rong Music , Classic Music Company and of course, his own Red Music imprint.
Even so, the Croatian has rarely made anything quite as deep and sensual as the material showcased on this first full EP for NuNorthern Soul. Top billing must go to the "Aquapella" version of "Tears To Sound", a spellbinding acapella cut that puts the enchanting vocals of storied soul man Andre Espeut front and centre.When Rudman sent the track to old friend Phil Cooper, the NuNorthern Soul boss thought it sounded like something he'd hear from US deep house legend Ron Trent. So, he approached the Prescription co-founder to see if he fancied remixing it. As you might expect, the results are astonishingly good.
Rich in rising and falling new age melodies, darting synthesizer motifs, languid piano flourishes and heavy analogue bass, Trent's wonderfully ultra-deep interpretation naturally gives pride of place to Espeut's seductive vocal. Even by the Chicagoan's infamously high standards, his epic Vocal Mix is incredibly special.
All versions of the single also feature two other original Rudman productions, both of which are wonderfully deep and dreamy. "Distant Feelings" is fluid, deep and yearning, with twinkling electric piano motifs and dreamy chords reclining over sizzling drum machine cymbals, no-nonsense beats and a gently pulsing analogue bassline. Those who enjoy the Balearic side of Rudman's work should also check out "Deep Sensation", a jazzy and breezy fusion of tumbling, vibraphone style melodies, rolling electric piano riffs and rubbery boogie bass. Both tracks are every bit as magical in their own way as the producer's thrilling Andre Espeut collaboration.
Into the mystic. Crank up the amp and drop the needle on the record. Exclusively on vinyl only, it's the cross-genre collaboration everybody's talking about - between the don of drum'n'bass and one of the godfather's of grime. Goldie and Skepta share a birthday, an elemental connection and an impeccable taste in beats. Upstart is the blistering outcome of their studio sessions together - a fierce, futuristic alchemy of tense horrorshow melodics, street-level rhymes and bangin' breaks. Minted somewhere between Blade Runner and A Clockwork Orange, it's for the kind of kids who want to ram-raid tomorrow, become a ghost in the machine, a contagion that cannot be stopped.
- A1: Una Vita Violenta 3:42
- A2: Theme Song 2:42
- A3: Irene 1:46
- A4: Vita Violenta 1:51
- A5: Tu Sarai Così 2:42
- A6: Preparazione E Ultimo Sogno 2:20
- A7: Valzer Chic 1:51
- A8: Autoradio 2:49
- B1: Esterno Notte 1:31
- B2: Jazz Theme Song 1:59
- B3: Serenata Cha Cha Cha 2:47
- B4: Serenata Milonga 1:52
- B5: String Of Pearl Twist 3:05
- B6: Valzer Chic Reverie 2:11
- B7: Easy Calypso 1:44
- B8: Theme Song 2:08
- B9: Vita Violenta Titoli 3:42
The dark jazz masterpiece by Piero Piccioni written for the film directed by Paolo Heusch in 1962, played by Franco Citti and taken from the novel under the same title written by Pier Paolo Pasolini. Produced and made by CAM on a rare and sophisticated LP, the music of Piero Piccioni for this film embraces the jazz big band's frantic pulsations, directed by the Master - who sits on the piano - with symphonism and the best popular Italian melodic tradition brass, dart, bows and rhythm.
Available for the first time since it's original release, this limited edition vinyl reissue is limited to 500 hand-numbered copies.
It's been a while since Red Laser's last release which left a void in the UK output of Manctalo synth jams but now a planned schedule of three releases in quick succession means plenty more analogue chug for you to rattle your bones to.
First of the 3 is this unique double gatefold LP from Red Laser original Kid Machine.Kid Machine delivers a 5 star upgrade to the signature sound that people worldwide have fallen in love with. 808 kicks and DX 7 licks bubble under the atmospheric chord changes creating a soundtrack which is just as comfortable on the dance floor as it is on a midnight drive.Alien Dance darts around to irregular delight. The dramatic score of Asteroids builds until it soars high above the grid. The bassline on Beast drills a blackened dance floor in preparation to be replaced with 80's discotheque neon squares.Beyond Cygnus takes flight and drifts across a Martian plane. The 808 kicks and orchestral synth stabs of Conquest crush all known reality into a space the size of a photon and the weight of its gravity is unbeatable. Standing out amongst the pack is the apply titled 'Forever Machine'.
A proper Manctalo synth anthem guaranteed to deliver speaker destruction.The LP closes with classic Machine style bangers 'Flight Manoeuvres' and 'Seconds From Oblivion'.
They bring this galactic odyssey to a confident end. This is a cracking journey through the outer rim and back.
It is summer time in Nang land which means the dials are being set to Balearic. Step forward our all-around good chap, friend and producer buddy Pete Herbert. He has teamed up with Bali based musician and keyboard player Martin Denev to deliver an album of the finest Bali-inspired Balearic House. Hot and balmy evenings here we come.
Recorded on the tropical island of Bali, the album swings from Balearic grooves, to sun-filled terrace house, seaside electronic and swimming-pool funk. We open up with "Batu Karang", summery key stabs, lazy drum machine set the album tone hot, low-slung and swimming in positivity. Things take a more electronic turn with "Time" with its twisting synth-lines and locked on sun-drenched groove.
House music royalty Robert Owens swings by the cabana for a very special guest vocal appearance on "Pass Me By" next. His smooth and powerful soulful vocal compliment the pool terrace house grooves and sneaky thumb piano. As ever, Robert does not disappoint. To close off Side A the title track "Made In The Shade" gives us a slice of Nu Disco summer swing with funky strat and more cowbell of course in for good measure.
The flip side of the album opens up with a hands in the air terrace anthem. House pianos, punchy synth hits and beach disco groove all the way. "Sun Fish" takes things again in an electronic direction. Meandering lead synth lines, walking synth bass giving the perfect back drop to this island hopping anthem. Recent single "Night Boat" is next. Darting firefly arpeggios and lush keyboard layers prevail here. We end on a high with the up-tempo Gamalan inspired "Ruby Star" sending us out on a ocean deep wave..
Welcome to Nang Balearic airlines. Your pilots Pete and Martin hope you enjoy your flight.
'Next up on Aus Music is the return of label boss Will Saul working alongside long term label favourite Komon. Together the duo line up 'Harmonise' - a smouldering single that comes backed up with an almighty pair of remixes from Osgut Ton mainstay Nick Höppner and analogue aficionados Juju & Jordash. The title track kicks things off with glowing, interweaved synths and a pattering tom line. Vocal snippets and trippy delays suffuse a purposeful bass tone before the 101 Dub Version rolls out with punchy drums and a sharp, darting acid line. Berghain regular Nick Höppner then does what he does best with his remix in building a rich, hypnotic groove that steadily develops with intricacy and depth. Dekmantel and Golf Channel regulars Juju & Jordash then drive a warped, rumbling synth line through spacey atmospherics rounding off another fine addition to the catalogue'.
Aficionado enjoyed a storming start to 2017, serving up a pair of sell out EPs from either end of the Balearic shoreline - now they're back with one more for Good Measure.
Teaming up with the Mancunian fashion house for a second season, this sonic selection pack is softer than velvet, smoother than silk and more durable than Moonboots' P.E. kit.
Pour yourself a spritz, slip into something stylish and bask in the brilliance of 'Good MeasurePt.2' Bird song blends into synth swell as 'Ottimismo' shakes our hand, pulling back a deckchair and inviting us to relax and recline with its simmering percussion, swaying bassline and delicate fretwork.
London's Simon Peter is the man behind the music, following a gorgeous 12" on Claremont 56 with another sun kissed soother perfect for a coastal drive, morning swim or lazy siesta.
We take a small step towards the fiesta on the A2, rolling our shoulders and nodding our heads to the infectious rhythms of Simon Cotter's 'Pianta Road'.Though the claves, woodblocks and guiro may dart like dragonflies over a midsummer drum pattern, the Australian conjures a calming breeze via Casiotone keys, spheric bass and sublime strings.
If that weren't enough to make your ice cube melt, the exquisite cascade of well-tinkled ivories could bring a tear to a glass eye and a smile to a cliff-face.The sultry sounds continue on the B1 as France's Murena charters a yacht from Saint Tropez to Es Canar, cutting through the dazzling azure with 'Un Prueba De Amor'. DX7 chimes and digital pan pipes glisten in the spray while a lilting groove rises from the deep, picking up snatches of distant conversations and the rise of tidal sine waves as it goes.
Drifting, dreamy and more debonair than Boardman's cravat, this is as Balearic as it gets. From here we go sublime, waltzing beyond the sunset to the baroque soul of B&B's 'Read Me'.
Waves crash and strings screech, a roaring storm kept at bay by warm double bass, pizzicato melody and spirit lifting poetry. Hints of hip hop and dub colour the immersive groove, while those neo-classical flourishes favour the cinematic diversions of PCO or Monsieur Tellier. Officially Aficionado.
Fresh off the back of his debut as Cucumb45, Bjarki presents another outstanding release. 'Slysó EP5 Cyclops í poka' is a 5-track, vinyl only EP on bbbbbb records, the label he runs alongside Johnny Chrome Silver.
Whilst the recent 'Something Weirdcore' challenged our understanding of genre, the latest release takes things further, playing with our perception of acousticspace.
Immersive textures are introduced without warning, just as quickly as they are withdrawn, never to be heard again. From the nostalgic harmonies of 'Cyxlobblobs5' to the unnerving glitches of the title track, high velocity drums of 'Aqua Elba' and mangled juke patterns of 'CATpitchd5', the EP darts its way through a range of new territories without hesitation.
Never one to conform, Cucumb45 rejects familiar structures, rapidly jumping between ideas whilst manipulating the physical properties of his sound.
Gerd Janson and Phillip Lauer are creatures of habit. Every week, the two club veterans meet up at Phillip's studio and spend an entire day making tunes. And while Gerd often likes to joke that his role in the arrangement is limited to making coffee and looking at his cell phone, it's clear that the two men have forged a potent partnership, one that's been responsible for an astonishing amount of dancefloor heat over the past few years.
Incredibly, this German pair has managed to maintain a relatively low profile, despite the steady stream of music they've released via well-respected labels like Unterton, Delsin, Internasjonal, Permanent Vacation and Live at Robert Johnson. And then there are the remixes—Azari & III, Scuba, The Juan Maclean, Fort Romeau, Avalon Emerson, Massimiliano Pagliara and Sinkane are just a small sampling of the artists who've enlisted Tuff City Kids to work their studio magic.
Throughout it all, there have been whispers of a proper Tuff City Kids album, and now that Adoldesscent has arrived, it will be all but impossible for the duo to linger in the background. After all, the LP is anything but shy—thanks in part to hooky vocal turns from the likes of Annie, Joe Goddard, Kelley Polar and Jasnau—and even the album's instrumental cuts feature some clear nods to various eras of dance-pop, from the boogie-inflected funk of 'Wake People' to the breakbeat techno of 'Boilered' and the tweaky rave nostalgia of 'Nordo.' Elsewhere, first single 'Labyrinth' is an infectious bit of new wave, while the guitar-driven 'Scared' recalls the gloomier side of '80s pop and 'Tell Me' is perhaps the record's most playfully soulful moment.
DJs will likely gravitate toward the darting strings of 'Aska' and breezy vibes of 'Farewell House,' yet Adoldesscent isn't entirely focused on the dancefloor. Dreamy opener 'Ophmar' evokes the legacy of John Carpenter, while the crunchy 'R-Mancer' offers up a sort of psychedelic synth freakout.
Much like the Tuff City Kids themselves, Adoldesscent isn't about any one style or sound in particular. It is, however, a cohesive effort, along with proof that the different corners of the electronic spectrum have a lot more in common than we'd all like to admit. More importantly, it's a whole lot of fun, and isn't that what dance music is supposed to be about anyways
SAPIENSLP001[17,52 €]
Poker Flat Recordings offers up another mouthwatering collaboration in the form of this EP by Mennie and Julien Sandre.
Mennie hails from Italy, and had fast been gaining a serious reputation on the underground, both as a resident at Club 999 in his home country and as a talented up and coming producer. Teaming up here with the Frenchman Julien Sandre, this is an international project that will hit home with DJs and house lovers globally.
The Night Riots EP kicks off with 'Partitions', which sees the boys in sparkling form - twisting and teasing a sick groove out of fairly simple sources.
'Darth J' follows a similar path - the devil is in the detail, and Mennie and Sandre get down to some serious beat science, punctuated with some subtle chords and vocal stabs in the process.
'In A Pixel World' reveals the pair's love of classic Chicago vibes distilled though French Touch, bringing in a super funky groove
filtered though various effects and processes, and paying homage to the timeless sounds of early Daft Punk.
'No More' closes out the EP with a yet another weapon - a ray of house sunshine that skips along on a fidgety beat offset by filtered strings and chopped up vocal stabs. It's got summer written all over it.
Following a summer of fifth birthday celebrations, Tom Trago's Voyage Direct label returns to action with a brand new 12' from Amsterdam scene stalwart Simon Weiss.
Although a new member of the Voyage Direct family, Weiss is no newcomer to the scene. He's previously delivered high grade EPs for Rush Hour, Deepermotions and Home Taping Is Killing Music, and his contribution to First Mission, Voyage Direct's fifth anniversary compilation, was one of the undoubted highlights of that set.
It's that track - the gloriously positive 'Tele-Vision', and it's cyber-house fusion of darting synthesizer arpeggios, Detroit-influenced percussion, and thrusting acid bass - that heads up Weiss' first EP for Voyage Direct.
Dutch veteran and longtime friend of the family Dexter turns in a stunning remix, putting a well-placed boot up the backside of 'Tele-Vision' via speaker-shaking sub bass, kaleidoscopic electrofunk motifs and thumping techno rhythms. It's a stunning re-make, and one that takes Weiss' fine original to even greater heights.
Flip the record for two previously unheard Weiss productions. First up is 'Ghost', a supernatural house shuffler full of alien synths, wayward melodies, intergalactic electronics and crunchy drum machine hits. Weiss flips the script slightly on 'Super Sub', pairing his now trademark vintage synthesizer refrains and tumbling electronics with a heavyweight, bassline-driven groove. It's a sweet and evocative track, but critically also packs a punch.
The III Rivers juggernaut sets forth once again, release number 4 The Charivari EP, putting Voiceless in the cockpit and leading the charge.
Second Nature sets a dark, sultry and ominous tone as Voiceless deploys a plethora of sounds and moods that resonate with all the tense drama of the label's affiliated club night, Bohemian Grove.
Big laser beam synths dart through a thick pitch black haze while a factory line percussion section hammers on.
Always keeping a foot in the sonic warfare division, we get three locked grooves loaded and ready for battle, funky, electrified technoid wobblers that should fight off most opposition with ease.
Flip the disc and Opt-out opens with a controlled urgency as a barrage of kick drums sets the train in motion. Voiceless layers up rich, untreated piano chords against the backdrop of dark industrial chaos, percussion artefacts career around the mix and various elements are put through an aural meat grinder before the familiar and welcoming piano motif returns like a long lost friend, guiding us through the smoke hand-in-hand. A beautiful juxtaposition of soulful melancholy and cold, glacial machines.
Final track Charivari really hits the accelerator as a tough and mechanical rhythm jolts against blurred, radioactive pads and searing string lines before collapsing into a fractal breakdown introducing mystical, weaving high end leads. An eyes-down fist pumper of the highest order and one that commands excessive smoke & strobe light abuse late, late into the session.
One to close off one of their infamous soirees in style, hoards of mutant dancers leaving the industrial backdrop of the club's venue and crossing paths with the early morning dog walkers and Sunday strollers. Four releases in and we've lost none of the quality control, unique drive and free minded 'true spirit' (to quote Tresor's legendary catchphrase). The label goes from the strength to strength and with it, brings a whole new generation of techno shamans under their wing.
Once again Danse Club Records have unearthed a forgotten and sorely overlooked house track here, then they have enlisted a fine pair of contemporary producers - Sqim and Deepchild - to remix it and bring it right up to date. The original, 'Who's Dick Is This' is a 1994 kicking house bomb by the mysterious Princess Di, who released but three EPs during the 90s on Music Station with this track being the pick of the bunch. German producer Sqim is associated with labels like Exploited and Play It Down and firstly offers up a Ghetto Mix of the track. The result is a big and physical house track with sleazy samples, heavyweight drums and a kinetic energy throughout The warm up mix by the same man is a much deeper affair, as you'd expect from the name. This one resides in a much warmer and more inviting groove and is coloured with deft synths as it slowly builds in phases. The elastic vocals dart about above the drums, bringing with them a lively sense of soul and funk before Deepchild offers his own two unique versions.From quirky, stripped-back techno injected with soul to deep, dub-inflected excursions, Berlin based Australian Deepchild can do it all. Here he offers his 'Cockumentary Retug' a ragged and raging techno version riddled with spoken word samples culled from a documentary about penis size. Its dark and involving and sure will get great reactions on the floor. The final version is a straight dub that journeys in a heavy groove, has some weird spoken word snippets melted into it and is lit up with some celestial synth patterns in the latter half.
Limited promo stock !
Containing 4 highly refined techno transmissions, da003 is possibly the finest release yet from Dark Darts. No mean feat considering the first two have received widespread support from heavyweights such as DVS1, nd_baumecker (Ostgut Ton), Mr C and Nick Dunton (Surface).
'North from here' is a startling mission statement - jacking drum manipulation slowly becoming engulfed by a hypnotic, reverb-soaked lead line and razor-sharp percussion - killer techno for underground spaces.
'From The Sky' is a deadly space-house jacker. The metallic, rolling groove is dense, but make no mistake, there is a real lightness of touch here provided by galactic sweeps and shards of melody. This will spread the message to the darkest recesses of the warehouse.
From the farthest corner of the stratosphere comes 'Fragile' - weightless dub pressure is under-pinned by a huge, intricate technoid stepper. Droplets of digitized melody complete a unique, widescreen track - driving but as deep as you like.
'String Theory' is a gripping tracky burner. The strings grab you immediately before the rugged sub-bass-led groove takes over, completing an EP that simply demands your attention. A label going from strength to strength. All tracks by S Crosbie.
BNJMN pops up with another splendid and relevant EP.. featuring a remix from Legowelt/Xosar combo, Xamiga. TIP!
Artistic inspiration can come in many forms. On his latest 12' for Rush Hour - his third for the label since 2012 - BNJMN was inspired by one of the wonders of nature, namely the curious combination of speed and grace that is the humble hummingbird.
'I was really interested in how hummingbirds have much faster wing speeds to other birds, so they can hover and fly slowly,' he explains. 'This seemed to tie in with some ideas I'd been playing around with, to create tracks that are fast and accelerated, but could also sound slow.'
'Hummingbird', the title track of an impressive four-track EP that's noticeably cleaner, crisper and sharper than his most recent outing for Rush Hour, 2012's Unknown 2, captures this idea perfectly. Propelled forwards by a lone, 140 BPM kick drum, its waves of crystalline synthesizers and picturesque melodies seem to gracefully hover above the stripped-back rhythm. It's intoxicating, exciting and calming in equal measure, whilst retaining BNJMN's usual dancefloor punch.
'At a club recently someone came up to me after I'd played 'Hummingbird' and said he didn't realise how fast he was dancing till afterwards,' BNJMN says. 'I was really pleased with that, because I'm fascinated with how the energy and tempo of a track can feel different depending on the environment you're in, and how you're feeling.'
He took the same approach with the EP's other original tracks. 'Slow Wave', with its relentless sequenced arpeggio, tumbling melodies and sludgy groove, performs the same trick of the ear, thanks in no small part to clever combinations of fast and slow elements. The melancholic 'CRVD', with its mournful chords and darting, techno-influenced grooves, is similarly schizophrenic.
The EP concludes with its most straightforward dancefloor moment, an inspired remix from Xamiga (AKA Xosar and Legowelt). Decidedly cosmic - like layered, melody-driven analogue techno beamed down from a distant galaxy - it delivers a deeper, hazier alternative to BNJMN's pin-sharp original.
Over the past fifteen years, Florida-based multi-instrumentalist Eric Lanham has quietly generated a diverse and remarkable body of work both as a solo artist and in group settings. From the disorienting drone/collage ecstasies of Caboladies, his trio with Christopher Bush (Flanger Magazine) and Ben Zoeller, to wildly divergent solo flights under both his own name and as Carl Calm, Lanham’s carefully meted out recordings display the talents of a chameleonic composer who is as capable a sound designer as he is unconcerned with trend in experimental electronic music or notions of prolificness. “Objet Dirt” arrives ten years after “The Sincere Interruption,” his excellent longplayer for the now defunct Spectrum Spools imprint. Captured live, these compositions are brimming with kinetic, elastic, off-grid rhythms, an articulate and enigmatic language that restlessly darts around the stereo field. Of the collection, Lanham says "I haven't made a single piece of music that sounds like this since and it is hard to imagine doing so again.” If this is the case, the 20+ minute closer is a formidable final document. At once chaotic and tightly controlled, it is a torrent of coiling low-end, submerged and stretched rhythms, and seething high-end filigree that is as indebted to the hungry ghosts of free improvisation as it is anything resembling techno.




























