quête:dd sound

'Transplant Rejection’ is the second in a trilogy of cassette albums released via Muscut in the latter half of 2022. The work of Estonian artist and IDA Radio co-founder Robert Nikolajev, this collection of seven ‘almost’ dark ambient tracks embody the melancholy of autumn whilst hinting at the forthcoming eternal winter. A man with many hats, Nikolajev operates on the fringes of the leftfield house underground for labels such as Incienso, Collect-Call and Sad Fun as well as being one half of the sporadic DIMA DISK act with Ragnar Rahouja. Eschewing the more rhythmic side of his productions for this Muscut tape, Nikolajev taps into the fictional soundtrack atmospheres the label is known for and brings his own brand of wistful, introspective world-building by way of machine harmony to the now Tallinn based imprint.



There’s a lo-fi, grainy quality running throughout the collection, a kind of sepia-toned nostalgia that envelops the listener and disorientates any perception of time or place. Buried vocal fragments sit in the mix on ‘Stifled’ alongside decaying synthesiser drones whilst ‘DDM’ channels an edgy post-rock dirge with its use of sagged bass guitar. Overall, an inspired look into the more ‘at home’ side of this increasingly prolific Estonian artist.

Unlearn is the long awaited fourth album of DJ and producer 2econd Class Citizen. It marks the artist's return back to the newly relaunched label Equinox Records. Their previous collaborations achieved high acclaim for their genre bending fusion of hip hop, electronica and folk music.

The new album is an exploration of an artist journeying beyond their conventional confines. It is a musical adventure peppered with vintage samples concerning the perception of reality and our struggles with conforming to a broken society.

Unlearn is the most musically accomplished work of 2econd Class Citizen to date. As one would expect the drum programming, scratching and production is on point. Several tracks feature soothingly melodic and energetic passages of jazz saxophone from Leroy Horns and electric guitar riffs provided by long term collaborator Paul Drury.

2econd Class Citizen, real name Aaron Thomason, resides in Brighton, UK. He is also a painter and visual artist fascinated with abstraction and the chaos of mixing colours. His musical approach on the new LP draws many parallels to this creative process. An original painting from the artist forms the albums striking cover.

Equinox Records is run by DJ Scientist in Germany. The Unlearn project marks the 51st release and provides the perfect launch vehicle for the dormant label to rise again. The vinyl release of Unlearn as well as the single Be Together signify the first stops in a release plan which will please fans of the label.

FEEDBACK:

"Woah! It's sounds rad! Really heavy and cinematic!"
Kid Koala

"A dark and deep dive into a world of dense and diced samples and moody muted melodies. Would sit well next to Shadow's freakier forays into fractured funk. Or Format's last psychy LP, for sure."
DJ Moneyshot of The Allergies

"I love it. The new treatments with the additional instruments sound great, especially the horns. Glad to see that Equinox is back in action. Dope cover art."
Dday One

"It sounds like 2econd Class Citizen has been at a mountaintop retreat studying and meditating and came back with some superpowers."
Buddy Peace

Pressed on blue clear coloured vinyl. Limited edition of 2000 copies worlswide. Originally released in 1968 as an LA studio concept album, this instrumental album is a remarkable fusion of the psychedelic sounds of sitar and mellotron with angular guitar riffs and hard drum breaks. Featuring a lineup of Ry Cooder, Jim Gordon (Joe Cocker, Derek and the Dominos, George Harrison, Traffic, Frank Zappa, Alice Cooper and many more), Mike Deasy (Eddie Cochran, Phil Spector, Everly Brothers, Elvis Presley, The Monkees, The Beach Boys and many more), and The Wrecking Crew (Los Angeles' top studio session musicians). The band recorded only this one album and most of the personnel went on to greater achievements. The quintessence of psychedelic rock in its full-blooming 1968ness. Features original cover artwork by Rick Griffin (Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young). Tracks : Leyshem, Zendan, Ceyladd Beyta, Becal, Ddom, Toadda Bb, Dyl, Ralin, Tygstl, Pendyl, Jacayl, Menyatt Dyl Com.

It has been a long time coming as they say and now the second full length album from UK producer 2econd Class Citizen is ready for release. Having spent the past year collaborating with and remixing DJ Food, touring Europe with US artist cars&trains and remixing artists such as Loka and Dday One, 2econd Class Citizen also managed to fit in some studio time and is back with his signature sound on "The Small Minority", his follow-up to 2009's lauded "A World Without".

The master of all things creepy, Widow slithers back with his sophomore DDD release. 'Spooky Stories' will take you down the dark rabbit hole into a world of scares, spirits and suspense.

Widow's sound is characterised by a brilliant use of negative space, it's often what's not there as much as what is. Haunting atmospherics, deep bass, minimal drums and cheeky samples complete the picture.

Any fan of Deep, Dark & Dangerous will know many of these tracks from livestreams and shows. We see you hiding under the bed covers.

Demian Sky is a meticulous beatmaker, experienced musician, committed record store
manager, passionate DJ as well as excessive record collector and music enthusiast. His instrumental hip-hop debut »A Kraut Tale« is a narrative sound journey on 18 tracks. The song structures, the musical concept and the overall atmosphere of the record show very clearly that his influences are not only in hip-hop, but also in psychedelic and prog rock of the 60s and 70s. There are also some references to works of DJ Shadow, Dan The Automator, Cut Chemist, Gaslamp Killer and such. It is all the more astonishing that, contrary to possible expectations, all samples come from old German Schlager and Folk music records. The result is not a loose collection of individual pieces of music, but rather a coherent album with its own dramaturgy in two chapters.

New Zealand-based, award-winning duo TRUTH are champions of contemporary dubstep. Back with their first studio album in over 4 years, TRUTH unveil the second and final single taken from Acceptance. The mystical title track from the LP “Acceptance” is due for release Friday, July 2 via Deep Dark & Dangerous.

Following a long, quarantined year and a string of heavily-trafficked Twitch streams, TRUTH is now back in full effect with ‘Acceptance’ - their 5th album. Combining their razor sharp synchronization and innovative flair, this 13-track opus is a dreamlike journey through lush basslines, eerie rhythms, and vintage synths. At the heels of “Pages,” the widely-celebrated lead single from the album, TRUTH unveils the album’s namesake and title track “Acceptance.” A brilliant follow up to its predecessor, “Acceptance” is at once technical, ethereal, and deeply affecting. A psychedelic musing that encompasses the kaleidoscope fractals of sound that make up the album, “Acceptance” is a cornerstone of the project it belongs to.

Like meeting an old friend again, Dalmata Daniel welcomes DJ Overdose back to their catalog. Six years ago the infamous Dutchman's '05 Poly 800 Loop' EP was released, which served as a powerful launch to Dalmata Daniel, opening the first chapter in their story. Later in 2019, a split release with Sematic4 was also a highlight in the life of the label; and now, 3 years later, DJ Overdose checks in with the 'Powers of Ten EP' with a J. Mono remix, available both in digital and vinyl format, the latter having 2 bonus tracks.

The distinct, crunchy sound of DJ Overdose, bearing aspects of old school hip-hop-infused sampling and contemporary analog vibes creates the perfect blend of both worlds. 'Garden of Lust' opens up the adventure with a combo of warm basslines and solid drum-programming. This initial track feeds us these cardinal elements as the bread and butter they are: subtle variations and fine spices do appear here and there as the track goes along, but the key, beating pulse in 'Garden of Lust' brings massive hits stable as a sledgehammer in the hands of a blacksmith.

'Feed The Beats' elevates the game to cinematic territories: its majestic string-like central melody makes me alert and ablaze, making me feel like I'm in a late 80s L.A. setting facing malevolent zombie-aliens in my Wayfarer shades. Blasting beats and Carpenterian coolness all over the place, while the spooky bassline just keeps sneaking up on me endlessly.

If you are wondering when's the best time of the year to bring out your boombox at last, then this is your lucky day: with 'BOB', the first bonus track on the vinyl, we can experience some roarin' bassdrums, snappy snares, MCs with the speed of light and all that jazz. The low-bit sampling and vinyl scratching come and kick you right in the face so hard that it becomes pretty obvious you'll can't help but start some serious beatbox battles in your bathtub with your rubber duck.

A feverish groove in the prime time of a funky bash, in the haze of a sensual rave-up: that's all one really wants when going for a Saturday night out. We definitely get this and much more from 'Room 714', another vinyl-only bonus track. A berserk voice and ethereal chords guide us through this mysterious track, but while we are busy trying to impress our crushes on the dance floor, things around us are slowly getting very, very freaky, maybe a bit way too freaky.

As wobbly and jolly as it gets, our Dutch friend ends his session with 'Ðr ¡v€ M€ ¢r@z¥', a vocoder-heavy disco banger, full of merry vocal FX and smart rhythmic glitches as he completes his flight. To close the EP, our local hero, J. Mono delivers an insane remix of 'Ðr ¡v€ M€ ¢r@z¥': one can clearly imagine how he grabs and turns the BPM knob all the way up, fires up some arpeggios on his mighty synths and casts a complete reimagination of the original track.

Entspannte Grooves, zurückgelehnte Rhythmen von um und bei 80 bis 90 BPM sowie atmosphärische Klangflächen. Mit anderen Worten: der perfekte Chillout-Sound für jeden Tag.

Jon K & Elle Andrews' MAL imprint returns with its second release - a long rumoured excursion from Equiknoxx skippers Gavin “Gavsborg” Blair and Jordan “Time Cow” Chung operating under the Gav & Jord masthead for the first time. It’s their most probing x tight set of productions thus far - showcasing that naturally wild rhythmic mutability that’s earned them followers in every corner of the experimental paradigm over the last few years.

‘Writings Ov Tomato’ ties off a loop between Equiknoxx and their early supporter Jon K, who was pivotal in bringing their productions to the attention of Sean Canty at DDS, who went on to release their by-now seminal ‘Bird Sound Power’ album a good half-decade ago. This new set of tracks came about after MAL urged to the duo to explore any under-excavated musical territory they’d been thinking about since they began to tour the world, and the result is this incredible, purely instrumental LP that romps between Autechrian mutations, avant R&B swangers, Jersey-style sluggers and proper, wig-flipping club missiles.

Who else would boot off a new LP with a track titled ‘Childish House Mafia’? The fact it sounds like Actress formulating an industrial noise tape using ritual chants just makes it all the more screwy. The title track returns the duo to more familiar ground, with prickly “Bird Sound Power” drums notched up a few BPM and spliced with whirring trap hats and disorienting synths. ‘A Yow Jon K’ is a Kingston-fried take on sun-bleached Miami electro, with a rolling beat filled out by Gav & Jord’s hard boiled soundboard x foley crunches, before ‘Pig Pilot’, the record’s most substantial cut, loops JBC Radiophonic Workshop convulsions around a booming 4/4 that wouldn’t sound completely out of place at Berghain’s Klubnacht. Saturating the hook and allowing ferric hats to fill in the gaps, the pair manage to fabricate a sound closer to 1970s library music than Villalobos, and we’d wager you ain’t ever heard owt like it.

Combine all this with lower-key slithering industrial-ambient moments like the plughole-wonked outro ‘Brent Bird’ (named after Gav’s producer brother), the tuned tinkle of ‘No Sweat in my Sweatpants’ and the airborne elegance of ‘Appinness’, and you’ve got another Equiknoxx joint that draws from the syncretic mosaic of Afro-Latin-Sino-US influences and re-contextualises them into remarkably odd and effective structures that dance in the integers of a myriad styles.

Last EP out, Gemil released a well-received record that found a landing spot on the legendary Vibraphone Records from his home country of Italy. Gemil has a lot to share that he has been working on. He has recently become the A&R and owner of the classic house label Deep Down & Slam. Not only that but he now has started a sublabel called Deep Down & Space. This 'Reaction EP' begins the story of this new direction which focuses more on the various sounds of 90's inspired electronic music but with modern sounds which Gemil is becoming well known for.

'Don't be Negative' begins the release in fine club fashion with an addictive bassline and well-placed melodics blurring the lines of techno and house music. 'Bad Robot' goes a bit deeper with a great juxtaposition. A low-slung bassline opposes some lovely brushes of pure late-night dreaminess. This is the definition of deep! On the 2nd side you have 'Flying' with its instant classic sound. A track that is sure to get everyone to the dancefloor for this sure-winner. 'Morph' closes it out with a trip into a more ambient house that doesn't lose the potency of being dancefloor-friendly thanks to a killer bassline.

Gemil clearly excels at making great dance music. Day or night. Club, lounge, or at home, the 'Reaction EP' is sure to get a great one from all who listen.

Luzifer wurden im Jahre 2009 von L. Steeler (Bass) und S. Castevet (Gesang, Gitarre, Schlagzeug) in Hamm/Westfalen als Nebenprojekt der im Underground gefeierten Vulture gegründet. 2015 erschien die "Rise"-EP, 2018 gefolgt von der "Black Knight" 7" Single auf High Roller Records.

Mittlerweile ergänzt Vulture-Drummer Gereon Deceiver die Besetzung von Luzifer, der auch auf den sieben Songs des ersten vollständigen Albums "Iron Shackles" zu hören ist. Stefan Castevet erklärt: "Mit Gereons Einstieg bei Vulture hat sich das im Laufe der Jahre so ergeben. Gereon übernimmt so auch bei Luzifer die Drums, macht bei den Background-Chören mit und hat sich am Songwriting beteiligt. In die finale Phase der Vorbereitung hat er viel Energie mit reingebracht, und da ich eh seit vielen Jahren nicht mehr richtig hinterm Schlagzeug gesessen habe, ist er ein echter Segen für die Band (lacht)."

"Soundmäßig wollten wir auf dem Album so klingen wie Quartz bei 'Satan's Serenade' und da zusätzlich so 'ne Sommer-Note reinkriegen wie in Rockers 'Mighty Thor'", umreißt Stefan das stilistische Koordinatensystem von "Iron Shackles". "Ob uns das gelungen ist, weiß ich gar nicht unbedingt. Vieles hat sich im Aufnahme- und Mixing-Prozess dann verselbständigt. Große gezielte musikalische Einflüsse besitzen wir in dieser Form gar nicht. Zumindest nicht bewusst. Viel 70er-Kram und dazu dann sowas in Richtung Heavy Load trifft's vielleicht am ehesten."

Neben "Der goldene Reiter", eine in Eisen gegossene Coverversion des NDW-Hits von Joachim Witt, ist auf dem Album noch eine weitere Nummer mit deutschen Texten zu finden, nämlich "Hexer (In drei Teufels Namen)", von dem Stefan Castevet zu berichten weiß: "Wir hatten auch schon auf unserem ersten Release einen Track auf Deutsch. Wir finden das einfach sehr charmant. Damals war's DDR-Heavy-Metal, den wir abgefeiert haben, diesmal hatten wir schlicht Lust drauf. Machen halt nicht so viele. Der Text stammt übrigens von unserem Freund Ela von Iron Kobra. Der kann sowas einfach besser als wir!"

Luzifer wurden im Jahre 2009 von L. Steeler (Bass) und S. Castevet (Gesang, Gitarre, Schlagzeug) in Hamm/Westfalen als Nebenprojekt der im Underground gefeierten Vulture gegründet. 2015 erschien die "Rise"-EP, 2018 gefolgt von der "Black Knight" 7" Single auf High Roller Records.

Mittlerweile ergänzt Vulture-Drummer Gereon Deceiver die Besetzung von Luzifer, der auch auf den sieben Songs des ersten vollständigen Albums "Iron Shackles" zu hören ist. Stefan Castevet erklärt: "Mit Gereons Einstieg bei Vulture hat sich das im Laufe der Jahre so ergeben. Gereon übernimmt so auch bei Luzifer die Drums, macht bei den Background-Chören mit und hat sich am Songwriting beteiligt. In die finale Phase der Vorbereitung hat er viel Energie mit reingebracht, und da ich eh seit vielen Jahren nicht mehr richtig hinterm Schlagzeug gesessen habe, ist er ein echter Segen für die Band (lacht)."

"Soundmäßig wollten wir auf dem Album so klingen wie Quartz bei 'Satan's Serenade' und da zusätzlich so 'ne Sommer-Note reinkriegen wie in Rockers 'Mighty Thor'", umreißt Stefan das stilistische Koordinatensystem von "Iron Shackles". "Ob uns das gelungen ist, weiß ich gar nicht unbedingt. Vieles hat sich im Aufnahme- und Mixing-Prozess dann verselbständigt. Große gezielte musikalische Einflüsse besitzen wir in dieser Form gar nicht. Zumindest nicht bewusst. Viel 70er-Kram und dazu dann sowas in Richtung Heavy Load trifft's vielleicht am ehesten."

Neben "Der goldene Reiter", eine in Eisen gegossene Coverversion des NDW-Hits von Joachim Witt, ist auf dem Album noch eine weitere Nummer mit deutschen Texten zu finden, nämlich "Hexer (In drei Teufels Namen)", von dem Stefan Castevet zu berichten weiß: "Wir hatten auch schon auf unserem ersten Release einen Track auf Deutsch. Wir finden das einfach sehr charmant. Damals war's DDR-Heavy-Metal, den wir abgefeiert haben, diesmal hatten wir schlicht Lust drauf. Machen halt nicht so viele. Der Text stammt übrigens von unserem Freund Ela von Iron Kobra. Der kann sowas einfach besser als wir!"

No stranger to making sick beats in their own right, Lampa and Senncoria have teamed up to deliver 5 slices of absolute sublime music for Deep, Dark & Dangerous.

We simply had to give this release the vinyl treatment! The EP traverses the landscape of sound design from middle eastern inspired melodics, crunchy gnarly basses, triplet rollers to chill vibes, it's a diverse yet cohesive release full of high notes.

Doodle's first V.A. compiles a Hodgepodge of spicy tunes with bangers on the A and trippy sounds on the B.

Legendary Brazilian group Orquestra Afro-Brasileira are reborn for first new album in over fifty years, produced by Beastie Boys collaborator Mario Caldato Jr.

Led by maverick composer Abigail Moura, Orquestra Afro-Brasileira were one of the most influential yet overlooked groups in Brazilian music history. Operating for almost thirty years until 1970, they released just two albums - the first of which, Obaluayê, has recently been reissued by Day Dreamer Records - and left behind a legacy of Afro-Brazilian consciousness that continues to resonate today.

Combining Yoruba spirituality, folk tales, Candomblé chants and West African percussion with the instrumentation of the big band jazz tradition in the United States, the Orquestra placed Afro-Brazilian heritage in a new and vital context. Weaving emancipatory narratives into complex poly-rhythms and powerful, syncopated horn lines, the group educated and enlightened all those who saw them perform.

For Abigail’s protégé and percussionist on the group’s 1968 album Carlos Negreiros, the message of the group’s music had a profound impact: “I became aware of what it is to be black,” he says, “discovering the extraordinary potential of the Afro-Brazilian culture in the making of the national ethos.” Now the last remaining member of the original Orquestra, Carlos was tracked down by producer Mario Caldato Jr. - whose credits include Beastie Boys, Marcelo D2 and Seu Jorge among others - to oversee the first new album of Orquestra Afro-Brasileira material since 1968.

“I was overwhelmed with the percussive rhythms, beautiful deep vocals and combined energy,” Caldato Jr. explains. “It felt like the most authentic Brazilian roots music I had ever heard. It was raw and dynamic, a pure organic sound and energy. It was a spiritual experience.”

Alongside arranger Caio Cezar, Carlos assembled his Orquestra to record five tracks at Berna Ceppas’ Estudio Maravilha 8 studio in Rio De Janeiro. With percussion, horns and vocals cut in single takes over three days, the session captured the intuitive, pure and natural spirit of the group in full flow.

Following the success of the initial session, five additional tracks were recorded at the iconic Estudio CIA dos Tecnicos in Copacabana to complete the album. Mixed by Caldato Jr., 80 Anos is a contemporary incarnation of Abigail Moura’s vision, bristling with the flair of the original recordings.

By way of some cosmic miracle, only one Total Hell pops up
when the band moniker is searched on Discogs. And that would
be the band responsible for the five-song blast of heavy metal
sounds at hand. Now active for about two years plus change
and exported from the very metal and punk fertile New Orleans,
Total Hell is DD Deth (aka Drew Owen—Sick Thoughts
wheelman, Trampoline Team etc) on drums / vocals, Henry
Hell (John Henry of Static Static, Heavy Lids) on bass / vocals,
and guitarists Jason “Panzer” Craft (Persuaders, Tirefire) and
Michael Maniac (Michael He-man of Trampoline Team).
If self-deprecation is beyond the listener’s processing skills,
then please know that as self-described purveyors of the “New
Wave of Shitty Heavy Metal”, Total Hell’s big-boy debut is
not “shitty” in any manner whatsoever. These four recordings
(“Desecrate”, “Clones From Hell”, “Violator”, and “Disfigured”)
are melodic monstrosities that hit with a wall-to-wall, floorto-
ceiling hugeness, while doing so in an economical manner.
There will be no mistaking this for Broken Bones screeching out
of an iPhone inside the vegan squat. On the flip, this is no Bob
Rock joint. DD Deth elaborates: “Recorded on a Tascam 8-track
cassette live at home (aka “The Parkway”) by Michael He-Man
and the process was a nightmare. Original tape crapped out on us
back in early 2020 so we had to redo the whole thing. Intros and
interludes were done last minute by me with the cheapest midi
keyboard on the net.” Well, color Goner Records impressed.
One might get momentarily lost in the cavernous drums that
introduce opener “Desecrate”, but soon the buzzsaw-riff-wall
will crush one into a smudge on the bathroom floor. Without
rocking some safety goggles and diving headfirst down a
terminology rabbithole, this is punk jumping into the sack
with metal and leaving black boots on the bedroom floor rather
than white hightops. Xmas came early for fans of Anti-Cimex,
Celtic Frost, pre-shit Discharge, Motörhead, Blitz, Midnight,
Venom, Broken Bones and...one gets the picture.

Described by Swiss press as an “inventive genius marked by total unpredictability,” Roger Baudet’s music has preserved its freshness and spontaneity. Provoking feelings of surprise, anxiety and subjugation, he ends up bewitching you completely through his bizarre non-conformity. The oddity of the sounds is a choice of heterogeneity: the works gathered, although coming from one person, have little to do with each other. Forming a mosaic that provides a fragmented vision of atmospheres without apparent links, his music multiplies diverse rhythms and combinations, rejecting any principle of hierarchy in the musicality of the moment. The decorative music was composed as the soundtrack for theatre and ballet performances, documentaries, short films and exhibitions of paintings – a context that inevitably shines through the twenty-two pieces. Despite these classical settings, the music had a forward-facing, futuristic cadence – a precursor to the electronic genres that would later become techno or trance. This compilation from the past century is a collage of ornaments made out of sounds; stripped down, yet undoubtedly imbued with sensitivity, with hints of classical training, all suitable for contemplation.

The internationally renowned alternative Bluesman, famous for his outrageous one-man live show and songs featured in Breaking Bad (plus many other soundtracks), has now brought his blues growl and rough sound up to peak industry production and style...of around 1974.
This album sits style-wise alongside the greats of the genre: Tom Waits, Randy Newman, Dr John. It also has the unmistakable blues harmonica, voice and wit all his own.
Fans also purchase Seasick Steve, Jon Spencer , and other alt-Blues recordings.
Son Of Dave is a unique genre bending 21st century Blues innovator who has been bringing his 9+ albums and shows to modern generations internationally over two decades and selling over 20,000 hard copies, 50,000 DD, and streaming 3 million annually.
UK PR has secured radio plays at BBC6Music, BBCRadio2, Jazz FM, RadioX Canadian PR has secured charting college station support and national CBC plays.
UK autumn tours include dates supporting Sleaford Mods (not your average blues circuit) 2020 and 2021 singles were playlisted at Spotify curated Nu-Blue, Bluestronica and other alt-Blues type playlists.
Former member of multi-million selling Crash Test Dummies all through their heyday
Has been chosen support for Iggy & The Stooges, Supergrass, Rag&Bone Man,
John Spencer, UB40 and many more. Not the same old Blues in other words.
A very long list of achievements.