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12th Isle ready the first of many new releases after a break over the first half of 2025. Radx is a new collaborative endeavour between label artists X.Y.R. and Vlad Dobrovolski (½ of S A D) exploring a shared appreciation of vintage 80s & 90s synthesisers, ambient-adjacent furniture music and, er, dragons. Referencing the electronica of artists such as Kim Cascone/Hydrosphere as well as the sci-fi literature of Michael Swanwick where dragons act as living machines, the pair combine various synthesis models, pedals and samplers for an album that sits somewhere firmly between each of their solo works. From the cathedralic ascension of ‘Heavenly Shepherd of Silence’ to the back-room bean bag swirls of ‘Ovgo’s Etheric Mind’ and dense, jungle-like humidity of ‘Liminal Space’, the more ambient-leaning end of the catalogue is built upon further.

NOW Music proudly presents the next release in our “NOW That’s What I Call An Era” series - Such A Good Feeling: 1988-1995 – a euphoric celebration of a truly transformative time in music.

This stunning 3LP set pressed on blue, white and yellow vinyl showcases 46 essential tracks that soundtracked the dancefloors, charts, and airwaves from the late ’80s through the ’90s — an era when dance culture reshaped the mainstream, soundtracked a generation, and lit up the charts across the UK and beyond

LP1 – Side A opens in style with ‘Such A Good Feeling’ from Brothers In Rhythm, this collection’s inspiring title…followed by Black Box with ‘Ride On Time’ — the best-selling UK single of ’89, and one of dance music’s defining tracks. Massive club classics continue with C+C Music Factory’s ‘Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)’, house anthems from Inner City with ‘Good Life’, and ‘Dirty Cash (Money Talks)’ from Adventures Of Stevie V, plus dance-pop gems ‘Not Over Yet’ from Grace, and Billie Ray Martin with ‘Your Loving Arms’…Flip the LP over for the pioneering ‘Theme From S-Express’, a chart-topper from 1988, before dancefloor earworms from Kenny “Dope” Presents The Bucketheads with ‘The Bomb! (These Sounds Fall Into My Mind)’, Nightcrawlers with ‘Push The Feeling On’ and ‘People Hold On’ from Coldcut and Lisa Stansfield. The influential ‘Beat Dis’ from Bomb The Bass is up next ahead of Tony Di Bart’s #1 ‘The Real Thing’, Saint Etienne’s sophisticated dance-pop nugget ‘He’s On The Phone’, and LP1’s closer from D:Ream with the Perfecto radio remix of ‘U R The Best Thing’.

LP2 – kicks off with a run of electrifying Eurodance – all massive club anthems. ‘Rhythm Is A Dancer’ from SNAP! leads off; a UK No. 1 and another defining track of the decade – followed by smashes from Corona, Real McCoy, Dr. Alban, Haddaway, KWS and Cappella, before the side closes with the techno-pop of Opus III with ‘It’s A Fine Day’… The party continues on Side B with an irresistible lineup led by Deee-Lite with ‘Groove Is In The Heart’, their brilliant fusion of funk, house and pop that continues to be a massive floor-filler… as is ‘Dreamer’ from Livin’ Joy, a 1995 No. 1 smash, and vocal house classic ‘Finally’ from CeCe Peniston. Urban Cookie Collective scored a huge hit with ‘The Key, The Secret’, which is followed by the rave energy of Oceanic, N-Trance, Felix – and Utah Saints who sign-off LP2 with the epic ‘Something Good’.

Kicking off the final LP, Side A explodes into life with massive feel-good tunes:- Yazz & The Plastic Population’s ‘The Only Way Is Up’ – a 1988 No. 1 and landmark UK house hit ahead of 49ers with ‘Touch Me’ and Baby D with their #1 ‘Let Me Be Your Fantasy’. Another run of floor-fillers from Rozalla with ‘Everybody’s Free (To Feel Good)’, JX with ‘Son Of A Gun’, Blue Pearl’s ‘Naked In The Rain’ and ‘U Sure Do’ from Strike follows and the side closes with the electronic acid house of ‘Killer’ from Adamski that hit the top of the charts and introduced Seal… and over on the final side, the collection moves toward it's close with stunning and enduring tracks of the era – opening with Soul II Soul & Caron Wheeler’s #1 ‘Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)’ blending soul, R&B and club rhythms to perfection, while Beats International’s fusion of dub reggae and house: ‘Dub Be Good To Me’ (another chart-topper) follows with its iconic bassline and leads us into the stylish and smooth ‘Turn On, Tune In, Cop Out’ from Freak Power. The journey through this incredible era is completed with genre pioneers The Prodigy with ‘Charly’, ‘Infinity’ from Guru Josh, and closing with ambient house, ‘Pacific - 707’ from 808 State, and the timeless ‘The Sun Rising’ from The Beloved.

An unforgettable journey through the sounds that defined an era:- NOW That’s What I Call An Era - Such A Good Feeling: 1988-1995 — the definitive celebration of a golden age of dance music.

After a much acclaimed series opener, the creators of The Hidden Beauty Of Dutch House ’94-’98 are back! They’re bringing us this second batch of eight carefully selected masterpieces from The Netherlands’ blossoming scene of the day.

Just like volume I, its sequel is filled with thought-to-be-lost tracks from Dutch producers whose names you rarely come across. It took another deep and long dive into the "Atlantis" of Dutch House to gather this collection. Most of the original master tapes literally had to be dusted off before playing…

Suitable for any true House afficionado, you’ll find a panoramic range of styles and flavours on this second selection, as there was on the first. A truly representative flashback has to show the versatility and broadness of both the music and culture of the nineties. The days of open minds and dancing-like-nobody’s-watching. When we went to the club to discover new sounds and dimensions. The time when this attractively fresh music was the hero of every successful night.

Lovingly compiled for your listening pleasure. So, sit back, open up, and surrender to the beauty of Dutch House!

Sticking a dirty thumb in the eye of fate, our third collaboration sees this marrow deep family malarky turn official as Pace Yourself teams up with YS’s own imprint ERF REC for a split release. As if our status as minor celebrities and footnotes of the underground could level off no further: the unification no one asked for is here. Sticking it to the man, handing your arse to ya on plate; cauterising infected suburban minds world over.

Burn is the second YS album and written as a direct follow-up album to Brutal Flowers. If their first album was an exercise in the incremental, a construction of poise and patience, Burn, should be taken way the fuck at it’s word: it quite literally finds catharsis in twisted reverse. Birthed out the malignant kick found in deconstruction and chaos. Evil twin, psychotic younger sibling, call it what the hell you like. It might take you a moment to get the lay of the land in this darkly mutated world. Like a bug eye’d native first confronted with a zippo, the hit is radical and instant: a new way for the world to go up in smoke.

Splice the Seattle slacker scene with the spliffhead soundsystem culture of the 90s Bristol trip-hop scene, then cross-breed that with the DIY optimism and glee in creation found in the cut-and-paste worlds of skate, graffiti and hiphop, now run that through the skitzo basement mind of John.T. Gast and you’re close to the kind of scorched earth and spiked suburbia that birthed Burn.

Dunno quite what YS have been ingesting of late but this massively twisted LP touches on a host of gloriously fucked totemic underground sources while not sounding much like any of them. It has the ballsy swagger and hard flipping of the script as Massive Attack’s seminal Blue Lines. Indeed, the eponymous album tracks sound similar - the opener ‘Burn’ is like a hard nosed jammed out redux of ‘Blue Lines’. Getting into a kind of slow-spinning overdubbed maximal euphoria ending with mumbled downer vocals, struggling to conceal their tongues in their cheeks there’s an air of paranoia and proto-conspiracy theory. It’ll leave you scratching your head, feeling like you’ve stepped into a New World Order governed by a cacophony of drop outs, dope fiends and apocalyptic stoners. A cracked out world somewhere between Richard Linklater’s movie Slacker (1990) and Marc Singer’s Dark Days (2001).

The rest of the album parts like a tongue on a wine glass: Smith and Mighty, Bandulu, ambient Luke Slater records, Wah Wah Wino, Nurse with Wound, Land of the Loops, Placid Angels, Adrian Sherwood, Urban Tribe and DJ Shadow can all be heard in momentary splatters - but Burn like other works by YS, is its own ritual beast. ‘Moth’, a track which has been knocking about the underground deejai circuit for many moons, is a real raw chopped and screwed slice of stoner erotica that reeks of obsession and unrequited desire. Elsewhere, on tracks like ‘Switch’, ‘Trying’ and ‘Drift’ the throughline from Brutal Flowers can be heard. Underneath the driving heavy gravity the trademark emotional intimacies of YS linger: eternal recurrence, ghosts of static and shortwave, worn memories of the playful and painful sort. The brief moments where flashes of orchestral ambience get out from underneath the swagger are so pure, personal and unguarded that for a moment they leave you completely lonesome. In the album’s closer ‘End’, you can hear the fleeting promise and DIY possibilities of an analogue world and embers of ash that flutter in its wake: where it seemed, for a brief moment, that collective of DJs, engineers, rappers, graffiti artists and skate crews were emerging from the streets, giving the middle fingers to the system, before just as quickly disappearing back to the doldrums of obscurity. ‘End’ is a bittersweet ode to early soundsystem culture, MCs and pirate radio - an out of step time where for a moment the underdogs and weirdos seemed to be kicking on the door of something bigger.

A veritable teenage doof suite dosed with desire, claustrophobia and deviance. Burn is a good old howl at the moon: lonely, raw, and out for blood; basement style exegesis at its best. A thump to the gut, a stud through your blood. A dubbed-to-death classic straight out of the annals of nowhere. A perfect post card from oblivion. A bleak, bold and personally ferocious vision of tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow.

This is everything that record collectors skip dates for. Fuck the scene and keep that shit underground. That’s what it is all about. Know what I mean, if you do? You’re in…

Cleaning Out The Empty Administration Building ist Ross Farrars neuestes Werk aus rohem, gesprochenem Wort und experimentellem Sounddesign, hier präsentiert unter dem Namen R.J.F.. Der Frontmann der amerikanischen Bands Ceremony und SPICE begann dieses Soloprojekt zunächst als persönliche Herausforderung: Songs von Grund auf selbst zu schreiben, sich mit Instrumenten vertraut zu machen und dabei zugleich sein Unterbewusstsein freizulegen. Dabei ging es weniger um musikalische Virtuosität als um Verletzlichkeit - darum, etwas Ehrliches aus einem ungeschützten, unbearbeiteten, unpolierten Moment zu ziehen, kompromisslos amateurhaft und rein.Diese Sammlung zeigt Farrar im offenen, poetischen Dialog: mit Drumloops und gefundenen Klängen, durchbrochen von Gitarren, Bass und Tasteninstrumenten. Nach über zwanzig Jahren in der vertrauten wie chaotischen Welt von Band-Kollaborationen, legt Farrar all das ab - als Experiment. Das Ergebnis ist unverwechselbar und bewegend.Farrars Punk-Pathos ist in Spuren vorhanden, doch seine deutlichsten Einflüsse stammen von repetitiven Musikformen: Drone, No-Wave, Avant-Jazz und darüber hinaus. Seine nüchternen Texte erinnern an Lou Reed, Rowland S. Howard und andere große Exzentriker. Farrars Texte kreisen um Liebe, Sucht, Vaterschaft und das Leben in der heutigen Welt. ,Ich wollte Bilder schaffen, die die Menschen klar vor sich sehen können", sagt er. Farrar unterrichtete früher Schreiben und Literatur - und wendet hier ein einfaches Prinzip an, das er auch seinen Schülern mitgab: Nicht zu viel nachdenken. ,Ich habe mir einfach gesagt: Diese Songs sollen Spaß machen. Sie sollen nicht stressig sein. Zwei, drei Takes aufnehmen und dann gut ist. Nicht über jedes Geräusch den Kopf zerbrechen. Mach einfach das, was natürlich aus dir herauskommt - und wenn es sich gut anfühlt, dann nimm es."Aus hunderten freier Songs, die Farrar in den letzten Jahren mit geliehenem Equipment aufgenommen hat, kristallisierte sich dieses Album langsam heraus. ,Es kam einfach immer wieder."Der Ton von Cleaning scheint die Zeit zu verbiegen, versetzt die Hörer in eine Art Gang voller Songs, bei denen jede Tür in einen neuen Raum führt - Räume, die oft auf unheimliche Weise vertraut wirken. Der gurgelnde Bass des Openers ,Advance" taucht auch in anderen Stücken wieder auf, etwa im gespenstischen ,Ovidian", benannt nach Ovids Metamorphosen, in dem Farrar über das Wunder der Veränderung sinniert - begleitet von fernen Glockenklängen. Instrumentalstücke wie ,Gravity Hill" - ein Flattern aus Synth-Brummen und statischem Rauschen - oder ,Frogs", mit Saiteninstrumenten und perkussivem Topfschlagen, wirken wie tranceartige Zwischenspiele und verstärken die Wirkung der Texte drumherum.,Exile" blickt zurück auf Verluste, die sich nicht mehr reparieren lassen: ,So much of your heart caught in my exile", singt Farrar mit sanfter Resignation - über einer einsamen Klaviermelodie und schlingernden Gitarrenakkorden. Es ist das strukturierteste Stück der Sammlung und erinnert daran, dass Farrar ein Gespür für melodische Linien besitzt.Das Album endet mit ,Traveling Light From Afar", deutlich schneller als alle vorherigen Songs. Hier, über einem stoischen Motorik-Beat, spricht Farrar das zentrale Thema des Projekts direkt an:,I've been so young in my old age / Selfish & self-pitying / But that's just narcissism - man."Genau dieser Balanceakt - zwischen schonungsloser Selbstbefragung und der Klarheit, die mit dem Älterwerden kommt - schafft Raum für Entwicklung. Farrar leert das Gebäude - Zeile für Zeile.

A little background info….



Miss Aranivah was previously released (in 2021) on the Ska Fever vol.1 EP (OGR806). It’s had a slight re-mix / re-master and it’s proved very popular in the live set that I’ve been playing with Junior Dell at Ska and Reggae festivals in Europe.



Likewise, the B-Side has gone down very well live and we re-recorded it with Junior Dell on vocals (he did not appear on the original version which appeared on Reggae Dynamite vol.1 back in 2020).

»Reise der Schatten« (»Journey of Shadows«) is the soundtrack to the eponymous debut feature-length animation film by Swiss artist Yves Netzhammer. Composed by Anthony Pateras and released as a stand- alone album through Hallow Ground, the 29 pieces are based on »weird folk melodies ornamented with electro-acoustics to give the film a more fantastical, fairy-tale feeling,« as the composer puts it. His extensive international recording sessions with a slew of guest musicians results in a record imbued with a sense of mystical surrealism, otherworldly and haunting.

»Reise der Schatten« tells the abstracted story of a genderless being coming to terms with its identity and place in a world full of conflicts and systems of control. »The film was made with old animation software that only works on Mac OS 9. So already, we are in a very hermetic, unique space,« says Pateras. Having tried (and failed) to compose something »typically experimental,« he went for long walks in the Australian bushlands and came home with something else: the idea to create a soundtrack that would create »a kind of distance, or perceptual shift, but also a narrative drive and emotional context which is not always clear.«

While recording the album, the tētēma co-founder did not use digitally generated sound, instead workingwith live instrumentation whose sound palette was enriched by the use of feedback, tape delay, analogue synthesizers, and samples from vinyl records. Wanting to work primarily with acoustic instruments suchas the clarinet made Pateras embark on a complicated journey of his own. The initial recording sessions took place in Basel on metallophones that were designed by Domenico Melchiorre’s Lunason company and laid the foundation for everything that came after.

Pateras recorded with musicians such as guitarist Alexander Garsden, viola player Erkki Veltheim, clarinetist Aviva Endean, multi-instrumentalist Justin Marshall and Lizzy Welsh on the viola d’amore among other instruments. He recorded percussion and recorders with Rohan Rebeiro and Natasha Anderson in his hometown of Castlemaine, double bass with Benjamin Ward in Sydney, bass and flutes with Jon Heilbron and Rebecca Lane in Berlin, and electronics in Zürich with Netzhammer. »Reise der Schatten« was thus a literal journey, made with a »big, international electro-acoustic ensemble.«

As a stand-alone album, »Reise der Schatten« opens up a space of its own. Its stylistic diversity makes it atmospherically and emotionally multi-faceted. As its composer notes, »music for screen can be very virtuosic, sophisticated, and variegated!« His own work is a testament to that claim.

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Two decades in the vault - now finally on wax: Ray Kajioka opens the archives and unveils a selection of tracks originally recorded as demos around 20 years ago, now fully produced and released for the first time. Deeply rooted in the tradition of Detroit Techno, the tracks offer warm chords, emotional depth, and the artist's signature groove.

French talent Framboisier lands on the eighth Duality Trax release this August with his debut EP Planetary Vision, backed by a remix from breakbeat queen Angel D’lite.

Landing just in time for the height of summer, the release has already garnered support from scene heavyweights Spray, Job Jobse and James Zabiela. The Grenoble-based artist known as Framboisier has seen his prole steadily rise in the last two years, with his 90s-inspired house sound
lighting up labels like Shue Valley, Backspin and Gestalt. It was through the latter and a back-to-back set at Edinburgh’s legendary Sneaky Pete’s with Gestalt founder Steffan Todorović that label boss Holly Lester rst encountered Framboisier’s music - instantly recognising its place on Duality Trax.

The title track Planetary Vision kicks off the EP with a rush of prog-house nostalgia. Contemplative pads and shimmering synths verge with driving percussion and a bouncing Juno bassline, creating brief moments of euphoria before slamming back in for a powerful peak-time reprise.

Memory Access follows with sun-drenched textures and a rolling groove - locking into a deep, introspective danceoor moment led by an infectious bassline. The B-side shifts gears with Neuro System, a deep house excursion driven by sweeping pads, subtle melodies and a hypnotic low-end.

Rounding off the EP, Angel D’lite brings her signature rave energy to a remix of Memory Access, ipping it into a breakbeat-heavy workout packed with amen breaks, playful spinbacks, and cheeky vocal chops

Back in 1999, nestled in a cramped box room in his parents’ house in Cambridge, George Aretakis, one half of the newly-formed “I Like It” label (ili records) was on a sonic mission. Fresh from releasing their debut 12" All Alone by Hal, he dove headfirst into the world of self-engineering — no acoustic treatment, a sketchy Yamaha sound card, and a PC with a mind of its own.

What came out of that chaos is a collection of raw, imaginative tracks that blend hardware glitches with human quirks. Computer Rage was born from a technical meltdown — literal computer voices, warped vocals, coughing, and all. Its sibling, the Silicon Circus Mix, takes that same glitchy DNA and pushes it even further into bizarro territory.

Then there's Space You Know — a groovy slow-burner driven by a sticky bassline and the haunting vocal of Katie Jeans (courtesy of friends at Tummy Touch), chopped and recontextualized into something beautifully strange.

Rounding it out is Environ Mental, a moment of playful spontaneity made in a single night. Early morning birdsong, passing cars, and absurd vocalizations collide in a whimsical microcosm of lo-fi joy.

This release is a love letter to the unfiltered creativity of early bedroom production — messy, noisy, and bursting with heart. A must-have artifact for fans of DIY electronica and late '90s experimental house.

Selekt Wax returns with its second vinyl offering, shifting the lens from introspection toward motion. Where its predecessor explored stillness and space, Varginha 96 leans into rhythm with a more fluid, tactile energy.

Loopedeville works within a minimal framework but pushes it toward something more animated. Groove takes the lead, while detail reveals itself gradually. The result is playful but controlled, built for movement while still carrying depth beneath the surface.

Inspired by the 1996 Varginha incident in Brazil, the record carries a subtle sense of the otherworldly. Not in a literal sense, but in texture. Unfamiliar tones, slightly off center moments, and elements that feel just outside of reach.

Etched on the sleeve, a poem sets the tone:

the analog moment is now
but, how? release
free form feelings finding
new places in yourself
a sort of synthesis
of interpretations
crash & collide
into the infinite groove of reality
but, is anything really real?

A1 – Varginha 96
A breakbeat driven opener centered on a looping vocal from the Varginha ‘96 incident. Off kilter synth textures circle the groove, giving it a subtle, otherworldly feel. Simple on the surface, with depth that reveals itself over time.

A2 – Varginha 96 (Ohm Hourani Remix)
Ohm takes it into a more stripped back, hypnotic space. Centered around the same vocal, the track locks into repetition and feel. Hazy, controlled, and built for late hours.

B1 – Thunders in Paradise
A driving groove built on dusty drums and a tightly controlled rhythm. It holds a steady pulse, with understated details and shifting textures giving it quiet depth.

B2 – Never Enough
A fluid, late night groove shaped by Loopedeville’s signature swing. Less driving than the previous cut, but still locked in, with warm tones and an easy bounce that carries through.

Armand is the debut of a sound collage project called PVNCTVM, which refers to Roland Barthes' term "Punctum". A handful of field recordings, taken during extensive walks through nature and landscapes of certain places, evoke memories in a similar way as sometimes photographs do. Based on this material, personal impressions, literature, photographs, sketches and more a process of various sound experiments begins to create soundscapes which reflect the deterioration of memories between various states of mind. Instruments and other sound sources are used symbolically, as are elements of musique concrete, ambient, glitch and drone.

The album "THE ENTITY" is an esoteric-horror concept composed of 12 tracks (plus one bonus track) dedicated to The
Entity, the central figure of the DEATH SS project. Its literary inspirations range from Aleister Crowley—who sought to
free mankind by awakening its artistic genius—to characters by Hogg and Stevenson, who delve into the dark side of
human nature. It features figures such as Jack the Ripper, Walter Sickert, Cimiteria, and others, all deeply connected to
the band’s mythology. Produced by Tom Dalgety, renowned for his work with Ghost, The Cult, Rammstein, and more.

here may still be electronic music artists in this age of overflow and convenience who follow their own artistic vision regardless of what attention it might bring, if any. With an output that shows individualism, ideas and a signature sound. An ongoing creative process, uncompromising and adventurous, even eccentric, with results of consistent quality and determination. Dennis Busch aka James Din A4 is an archetypical example for this type of artist. He flooded the scene with releases in the 00s with numerous monikers, mostly on his own Esel imprint, and they were all great. On the outside you had his singular artworks (he is also a very accomplished collage artist) and quirkily humorous titles, and on the inside you had his music, also seemingly informed by a collage approach (only with samples), managing to sound focussed and out of focus, often at the same time. If you listen to a James Din A4 track it probably is simultaneously playful and disciplined. Anything can happen, and a lot if it actually does.

For quite some years, music releases by James Din A 4 were scarce. Jan Jelinek, an ardent fan, re-interpreted some of his favourites from the vast back catalogue as an album in 2014, then ten years later the album „Ins Licht“ appeared, and it quite nonchalantly continued what seemed to have stopped, right on the same level of greatness. And now we know that it still continues, as the label Live At Robert Johnson releases the new album „Never Look Back“. Its title should not be taken too literally, as all the trademarks of his musical legacy are perfectly intact. You will find the light and air that seems to seep through the sounds, the frisky structural details, the jolly melodies, the subtle deepness, the minimalistic yet not too strict grooves.

But do not be mistaken, this album is not looking back too much, of course. After all, this is music that is still evolving. Let’s hope for more glimpses of James Din A4‘s special and spacious world, they are ever
needed.

After a stunning set of releases for labels including Acid Artists In Action(Triple A), Stay Up Forever, Hydraulix and Interruption in the past few months, ACERBIC goes for broke delivering a massive triple vinyl limited edition LP on the SUF/Hydraulix collaboration label. Every track is literally a slamming floor- filler beginning with the anthem 'Acid Way Of Life', and moving through some solid techno and acid techno masterpieces that re-define the sound of both these genres. All killer, no filler, this is an LP that is crammed with peak time tracks that won't disappoint. Already road tested by label owners D.A.V.E. The Drummer and Chris Liberator we know that this LP is going to go down as a classic.

"Are You in Heaven?" was famously shouted by Roxy DJ Eddy de Clercq to the crowd at one of the very first legendary house parties in Amsterdam. This phrase not only symbolizes an iconic moment that captured the spirit of the era—it’s also the title of one of the three tracks featured here.

In 1991, inspired by the dance music craze that swept across Europe at the time, Arnoud Winkler and Jochem Peteri (who would later become the one-man supergroup Newworldaquarium) produced music that is equal parts euphoric, emotive, vital, and vibrant—youthful in spirit, naive yet clever. A European translation of a US-American art form, born from pure enthusiasm and concentrated passion for a culture that, to this day, continues to resonate universally.
Originally released on Lower East Side Records, the story told here is full of rave symbolism, after-party joy, and literal can-you-feel-it moments: rattling sub-bass, blissful pads, whispering voices, dub techniques, and subconscious peak-time signals.
Complemented by a new edit of Ulysses Horizon by Gerd Janson (alongside a revised version of the original), alongside Flowerdale Beach, and Are You in Heaven?, the music here hasn’t lost a single inch of its charm or allure. A taste of Dutch house deluxe.

BEATALISTICS, the soulful South-German Drum & Bass label, run by Enea and MC Fava, is celebrating its 100th release. ONEHUNDRED reflects on almost one and a half decades of label back catalogue with a 29 tunes strong 'best of' various artists digital compilation. Included are also 6 brand new tunes which are packed on a vinyl sampler In addition. Featured is orchestral DnB pioneer KEENO who puts his magic hands of 'Sarah', taken off FAVA's Destiny EP with Smote & Becca Jane Grey and rounds up the meaningful song with his cinematic trademark sound . FAVA also adds some decent chants to COMMAND STRANGE'S 'Kindness Flow, a positive and uplifting liquid roller that is going to make your soul smile for sure. Long time label friend PAUL SG, head honcho of the brilliant soul driven Austrian imprint Jazzsticks delivers one of his signature amen break soul-rollers with 'Pale White Boy'. Label boss ENEA can't be missed on here and literally delivers the 'Heat' with his contribution. Beatalistics sticks to the label philosophy and supports local talents and important label representatives DAVA and MOJOMAN.'Pictures' delivers dancefloor vibes with a deep bassline and strong vocal arrangement and proves that Dava is one to watch out for in the near future. MOJOMAN maintains a desire to dance with the hypnotizing 'Pillers of Nah', following his unmistakably melodic and hymnal style.

South Londons’ indomitable Medlar delivers an ambitious new album

The long-time underground favourite has collaborated with the likes of Dele Sosimi, Rebekah Reid, Deevoenay, Finn Peters, Sam Virdie, Afla Sackey and Arnau Obiols on an album that finds him taking his production to new levels.
From roots playing illegal raves in the South West to building up a cultured catalogue that bounces between house and garage, Medlar has long been part of the underground conversation. He has dropped a previous album and many innovative remixes and edits for the likes of Billy Cobham and Shirley Lites, worked in the studio and on stage with Afro legend Dele Sosimi and most recently released an album under his own name that collected myriad different sonic sketches from the past 15 years.

Islands is an altogether different proposition that comes after establishing himself as a mix engineer and producer of other people's music. In that time, Medlar has honed his skills, learnt new tricks and grown more able to express himself in sound. The result is an album that explores a more electronic palette inspired by '80s fusion sounds whilst maintaining a loose, organic flow through his use of live instrumentation. “The idea for the LP was for a collection of music which could sit alone as club tracks, but would work equally well as part of a whole. The name Islands came from this, as there's some connecting ideas but the tracks sit independently in their own little sonic worlds. I took a lot of inspiration from early 80’s electronic music produced during early years of MIDI technology… proto house, jazz fusion, electronic disco and experimental ambient. I wanted to juxtapose some of these methods with more contemporary production and make something that's ultimately quite fun!” says Medlar of the record which could easily soundtrack a summer road trip.

Across 11 tracks, he blends old-school techniques like a fusion of live instruments, FM synthesis and MIDI triggered vocal samples with more contemporary touches such as punchy, club-friendly drums and dub inspired, speaker-wobbling low end. The result is less reliant on samples than his previous works and makes for a perfect blend of retro authenticity and future freshness.

Erudite, the upcoming album by Thomas Decock, is a powerful exploration of modern jazz fusion that uniquely intertwines literature and music. Inspired by iconic literary characters and novels, the album aims to bring the profound emotions and complex themes of these stories to life through music. This project reflects the collective creativity of Thomas Decock and his band, pushing the boundaries of jazz and redefining them with an innovative approach.
Compositions such as the exhilarating and dynamic Rodya, inspired by Dostoevsky's renowned novel Crime and Punishment, and the refined interpretation of Joni Mitchell's Cherokee Louise, showcase both technical virtuosity and profound emotional engagement. From the sharp, angular theme of Rodya to the lyrical melody of Emma-inspired by the character from Flaubert's Madame Bovary-which also highlights the acoustic qualities of the ensemble, Erudite offers a wide palette
of musical colors, ranging from intense improvisation to expressive, lyrical moments.
The music on the album is characterized by the remarkable interaction between the musicians, who are equally at home in jazz and electronic music. Both individual and collective improvisation form the core of the band's musical expression. The sound is crafted through a blend of electronic and acoustic instruments. Erudite is not only an album for jazz enthusiasts but also for listeners intrigued by how music can complement and deepen literary narratives.
Released under the W.E.R.F. label, the album promises an engaging listening experience for a broad audience, from jazz purists to fans of innovative music. Erudite is a work that brings the spirit of both music and literature to life, taking the listener on a journey through the musical translation of classic stories.