quête:def man

Olmec Save Us is the new single by R&B powerhouse Donnie. Donnie's powerful words will take you on a journey that spans from the origins of mankind to modern times. Olmec Save Us was featured on Defected Presents Osunlade In the House in 2012. Now released as a single on vinyl- with mixes from Kai Alce, Osunlade and instrumentals of both versions!

Alex Niggemann's 2012-defining long player 'Paranoid Funk' dropped in June to a rapturous response from DJs, dancers and home listeners alike. Here, Poker Flat Recordings revisits some of the exceptional highlights of that record, and deliver a remix package sure to be as equally sought-after by those in the know. 'Paranoid Funk' saw the Berlin resident explore a variety of grooves and textures, an experiment that won him many new admirers and a great deal of critical acclaim. Here, some of the hottest remix talent in the scene get their hands on the originals and twist them into new shapes. Following on from releases on Cocoon, Kling Klong, Circle and two strong EPs on Poker Flat ("Dinosaurs' and 'This") renowned producers Alex Flatner and LOPAZZ take on 'Don't Wait' and drop a growling, main room monster that will standout in any set. Francys, the young Italian making quiet a name for himself on the underground house and techno circuit, lends his skills to 'Back 2 Basics feat. Benji' - channeling the spirit of the early 90s into seven ecstatic minutes. Next up is Salvatore Freda - the highly respected Swiss DJ and producer who injects Niggemann's 'I Don't Care' with a narcotic groove that sits somewhere between Detroit and Berlin - the dubbed out vocals adding an element of otherworldliness that work in perfect compliment to the track's twisted (paranoid) funk. Berlin's own Andre Lodemann picks out 'Lovers' for his excursion, a deep bomb that grows and grows around an exceptional vocal from John Rydell - this is one for the very late nights or early mornings. What is clear from this release is that Alex Niggemann's star continues to rise - the classical pianist turned producer and DJ extraordinaire is moving on to the next phase of his career - and with the slew of outstanding releases to his name already, who is to say where that could lead. Tracklist:

Ed Banger proudly presents their new signing Boston Bun, AKA ThibaudNoyer.. A 25 year old producer and DJ from Paris, Noyer spent his formative years in a series of rock bands before finally finding his way in the form of House Music. "It's my main influence - especially vocal House, anything between 120 and 125 bpm that talks about pleasure, love and desire..." and of course the all important "big warm bassline"

Noyer's displays a masterful touch on this his debut release - lead track 'Housecall' recalls the classic baseline arpeggio pulse of Mr Fingers, allied to the tough jacking drums of Green Velvet, and a moaning, imploring vocal. 'Closer' manages to up the sleaze quotient with a baseline so filthy it needs a good scrub, insistent grunts and shuffling perc, and 'Urname' rounds things out with blissed out pads, yearning vocals and skittering cowbells.

Everything started with his mixtape project entitled "LEAN HOUSE". The idea was to compile and mix some edits of his favourite house track of some of his favorite producers and DJs, in a chopped & screwed style. A couple of months after, his remix of Maelstrom's "HOUSEMUSIC" was released on Sound Pellegrino, and quickly defined the Boston Bun's aesthetic. "I build my music as I would build the atmosphere in a club. A club where you feel good, where you meet people, where something special happens. I try to recreate both the mood and the acoustic of this ideal place"

* 180 gram audiophile vinyl
* Gatefold sleeve

One of the most eagerly anticipated albums of 1968 by press and public, Cheap Thrills met every expectation and then some.

With the heartrending version of "Piece Of My Heart" and a definitive cover of Gershwin's "Summertime", the album (which consists of studio and live material) shot to the top of the charts and stayed there. The audio has been sourced from the original masters, and Robert Crumb's artwork (also known for creating Fritz the Cat and the iconic Keep On Truckin' comics) is meticulously recreated on this Music On Vinyl issue.

A truly classic album and an important part of Rock history, this album is 'a time capsule for one of rock's most distinguished singers.'

Acid Jazz Silver Jubilee release, in 7" house bag. First ever 45 released on Acid Jazz Records (originally released as a fake US import, which fooled many a reviewer), marking the beginning of a new musical era. Galliano's sound defined the feel of the time, and the band enjoyed a productive relationship with producer Chris Bangs throughout the late 80s and early 90s, establishing themselves as first-class act of global proportions.

Repress

The forthcoming release on Spanish house imprint SAFT is a deep and grooving true house vinyl which will definitely provide you with some inner glow. The man behind this piece of fine wax is called Washerman. This 3-Track release is designed for clubs and outdoor jams where people don't necessarily need a scorching energy span to enjoy the music. With beautiful rhode sounds and touching vocal cuts this record should be in anyone's record collection. Raw but beautiful

With a bunch of releases on various labels Dynamic is now preparing for the release of his second LP on Fokuz. The LP consists of 12 tracks: 8 drum and bass, 4 in various other tempos. The Modal Lounge LP will bring you to a dreamlike state, it's smooth, jazzy drum and bass definetely not for the masses. Like Dynamic said in his KMAG interview ''I dont just write dnb for the club - I'd never feel comfortable being restricted in that way''. The album however is not just for home listeners, already receiving support by the likes of LTJ Bukem and former BBC1 Radio hosts Fabio and Grooverider this LP is already promising to be a Fokuz classic.

freshly repressed!
Leisure System, the collective, label and famed Berghain club night of four years standing, is back with their third release from co-founder and resident, Sam Barker. Known for its genre-defiant lineups, Leisure System's quarterly residency has consistently brought together artists with varying styles. Flying Lotus, Autechre, Afrika Hitech, Jackmaster, Surgeon, Jimmy Edgar, Blawan, 808 State, Dopplereffekt, Clark, Machinedrum, Surgeon, Venetian Snares, Objekt and Egyptian Lover have all graced the decks, showing off the collective's commitment to the exploration of new and experimental sounds in EDM. The development of the label, and now this release from Barker, is no exception. After discovering computers and raves in the late '90s, Barker began making tracks at age 13, building up a sizable collection of vintage analogue synths, paving the way for his future solo work and collaborations with artists like Tim Exile, Clark, Shitmat, Scotch Egg, The Field, Leafcutter John and Jimmy Edgar. Shortly after his 2007 move to Berlin, Barker began collaborating with fellow Berghain resident nd_baumecker, resulting in their ongoing project Barker & Baumecker. Their first EP 'Candyflip', was released on Ostgut Ton in 2010, followed up by a live show tour throughout Europe. The duo is currently readying their second EP and have a long player due out in August 2012. For this new solo EP, mastered by electronic music legend Pole, Barker presents a creative three-track lesson in diversity and highlights Leisure System's ever-evolving aural curiosity. The opener and title track 'Like An Animal' is a number that builds and builds, quickly changing course and mutating into a percussive and texturized melting pot of sounds. Up next the hypnotic 'I Feel', which is filled with moody pads and syncopated breakbeat rhythms, paving the way for the mechanical, yet smooth half-step rhythm of 'Hot Lover'. Siimilar to the collective, this offering pushes boundaries and mirrors the progressive ideals of the collective. Just like Leisure System's first two 12's from Pixelord and Eprom in 2011, Barker's 'Like An Animal' EP is a clear statement of the label's simple and distinct commitment : to be a platform for timeless, thrilling and soulful dance music in the fields of house, techno and electronica, disregarding media hype and genre borders. In keeping with this clear sonic manifesto, Leisure System's design aesthetic is equally individual, with all vinyl releases housed in deluxe die-cut jackets.

On the final part of the Fokuz 050 series we have someone who could be described as a veteran in the Fokuz camp. Brother brings the quality as expected with a beatifull piece of music called 'Manna'. It's all about the subtle jazzy vibes on this one. Although Brother isn't the artist getting the most exposure, he proves again that he is definitely a force to be reckoned with.
'This Morning' is the highly anticipated release by dynamic duo 'Hybrid Minds' who already had support from some of the biggest names in the scene. Rolling drums, sensuous chords and a groovy bassline! The track also features Canadian producer/vocalist 'Grimm' adding his vocal flavour to this piece of topnotch production.

With his sophomore album Ghost People appearing on 2011's end of the year charts for the likes of Mixmag (#6), Clash Magazine (#9), DJ Magazine (#9), Data Transmission (Album of the Year), Martyn returns to Brainfeeder to release a follow-up 12' this March.

The 12' leads with "Hello Darkness", previously unreleased and exclusive to the release, Martyn shuffles through a rhythmic bassline and feeling of, indeed, darkness from the very first beat. In typical Martyn fashion, the track skips its way through genre conventions, landing in a flux between 2-step, driving techno and old rave (the latter specifically heard in his ethereal and scaling upper melodies). "Hello Darkness" could lend itself to the rawest, grittiest warehouse, yet simultaneously breeds a subtle feeling of elation and release, and keeps the listener guessing with a variety of quirky sound collages.
It also features a remix of "Bauplan", Night Slugs bosses L-Vis 1990 and Bok Bok bringing the most sinister corners of London into their remix, with a heavy grime lean and a pervading feeling of tension. Erratic samples (sounds of a tweeting bird one moment, the cocking of a gun the next) appear in-between a snap beat, metallic stabs and an apocalyptic build-up of percussion and synths. Pulsing in and out of a highly volatile atmosphere, almost as if the track is alive and breathing, this "Bauplan" almost feels like an unrelated beast until Martyn's melody lines start to unfold halfway through the track.
To finish there is an exclusive remix of "We Are You In The Future", a favourite from the Ghost People LP amongst critics and DJs across the board. Techno's notorious man in the red mask - Redshape - steps up to create a deep and dark Detroit interpretation of Martyn's freewheeling, sci-fi-enhanced joyride. Laced with ominous vocal samples ('It may be an accidental side effect of the drug'), the future takes on a slightly more dystopian feel with Redshape's melancholic strings, unpredictable percussion builds and a lingering, creeping reinterpretation of the track's original melodies. A definitive nod to the epic work of Derrick May and Carl Craig, with a hint of Kenny Larkin's intricate builds.
"By the time the imitators catch up, he'll be light years ahead." DJ Mag

Quickly making a name for himself both as a producer & a DJ, 'F D' aka Freddie Dixon is establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with! Having already released on labels such as Metalheadz, Critical, CIA & Vision, the future looks bright for the man and we're very excited to have him on board! A. BLUE SKY RESEARCH - A great mix of rough & smooth on this one here! Soft, warm pads build the tune up for the drop. Solid drums and pummeling bass keep the momentum going! Serious stabby dancefloor pressure! AA. STRIPPED - Very stripped down 'back to basics' drum & bass on this one, as the title suggests. A solid 2 step pattern keeps things going while razor sharp stabs keep the nervous vibe in line. Definitely one for the minimal heads who like it dirty!

2024 Repress

Hurray! PROFAN is back from the future to complicate things again. But let's have a look back in the past: in the mid-1990s, Wolfgang Voigt, under his innumerable aliases (M:I:5, Digital, Grungerman, Wasserman …), unsettled the minimal world and its straight grooves with his right-at-the-threshold-of-pain abstract techno. As a DJ, you sometimes even thought that the vinyl was scratched. "Distort the listening habits until they break up" has always been the leitmotiv of this exceptional artist from Cologne. In 2000 however, after having created another promising trademark: WASSERMANN - W.I.R. that - in spite of or because of its unconventional structure (abstract beat, German vocals) - ranked among the number one hits in any important club and DJ charts and which was even remixed by Sven Väth, Wolfgang Voigt decided to discontinue the label for a while. PROFAN produced two sublabels each devoted to the refinement of specific minimal variants: STUDIO 1 and FREILAND. FREILAND in particular was and still is one of Voigt's projects that manifests his artistic and deconstrucivist approach to the aesthetics of techno beats. FREILAND's concept is radical: the only reference to techno is the bass drum and a sound reduced to the utmost that is moving around it. No wonder that now, eight years after the last PROFAN release, Wolfgang Voigt is back under his alias FREILAND. With KLAVIERMUSIK (piano music), Voigt continues his way towards atonality and electronic art music. The straight bass drum still is the only pulsatile instrument and sometimes it is not even that. WOLFGANG VOIGT / FREILAND - KLAVIERMUSIK is radical, puristic, uncompromising, elegiac, difficult, defiant, true and absolutely necessary. The record, including artcover designed by Wolfgang Voigt is strictly limited.. Greed sucks.

Altercat proudly presents the definitive reissue of one of the crown jewels of South American jazz. Essentially the brainchild of Argentinian jazz's leading figure Jorge López Ruiz, the project Viejas Raíces marked López Ruiz's departure from the traditional forms of jazz. The trio that recorded this album, consisting of López Ruiz joined by his life-long friend drummer Pocho Lapouble and gifted Chilean pianist Matías Pizarro, created a thrilling blend of jazz and Uruguayan candombe, surrounded by an undeniable cinematic feel spurred by López Ruiz's long experience in the soundtrack field. When read as one element, the cleverly chosen combination of group name and album title (in English: 'Old Roots of the Colonies of the River Plate') readily hints at the kind of sounds the listener will be challenged with when diving into this LP.

Recorded in 1976 in the wake of the "Proceso de Reorganización Nacional", the bloodiest period of dictatorship in Argentina, the album was initially frowned upon by critics and public alike, both still firmly rooted in jazz traditionalism and obviously not ready for the new ideas that musicians like López Ruiz were experimenting with. Despite being a commercial flop upon its release, the album has been enjoying a growing reputation over the last two decades, acclaimed by jazz enthusiasts who value it from a different historical perspective and embrace its experimentation during this revolutionary period of change.

Forty-five years after its release, the album receives the Altercat treatment with a much deserved deluxe reissue, with sound direct from the master tapes and an accompanying 12-page booklet with previously unpublished pictures and bilingual liner notes telling everything you ever wanted to know about the album and those who made it possible.

The unstoppable Spaziale Recordings set their sights on an absolute Paradise Garage classic from 1982 - the much sought after and instantly recognisable ‘Together Forever’ by Exodus. This fully licensed, remastered reissue comes housed in a full picture sleeve and contains a killer DEF Mix from Stefano Ritteri alongside the original extended vocal and dub versions.

Bursting with passion, ‘Together Forever’ is a record that was destined for greatness. A Larry Levan favourite, and for good reason. Produced by Errol Mattis and featuring one of the most sampled vocals in house music, there’s a triple threat of plucked basslines, clavinet power and joyful horns backed with the kind of percussion that ignites a rarely witnessed tribal energy within. It’s had crowds in fits of frenzies ever since its release and every collection deserves this gem nestled within it.

As well as the original extended vocal and dub versions, Stefano Ritteri steps up to add his own special touch, giving it some proto house power. He echoes and manipulates those fiery vocals, introducing each element gradually from the acid tinged topline to the layers of drum machine heat, gradually building the suspense to pure fever pitch.

With Contemplative Figuration we see Broshuda pushing his amorphous, impossible-to-pin-down music in exciting new directions. Stitched together in various European cities over the last few years, it is the artist’s most dynamic and ambitious release thus far, drawing equally from musique concrete, beat research, ambient, tape collage, and spoken word. Episodic in nature, the collection functions well as a sort of impressionistic travelogue, with romantic, hazy atmospheres coaxed from borrowed equipment, serendipitous recording sessions with old friends, and even a drum sequence programmed with Mario Paint, among other curios and sleights of hand. Broshuda deftly wrings bonafide cohesion and balance from these disparate source materials, tools, and locations, as on opener “Kakigori,” which allows a snaking harmonic drone the space to evolve before exploding it into a sort of seething, dubbed out pointillism. Later, “Lied Für Hase” concocts a potent, humid atmosphere of beautifully evolving acoustic piano loops and elegant narration. Taken as a whole, Contemplative Figuration is a weightless, transportive record, one that is bursting at the seams with ideas, mischief, and a restless spirit.

Mastered by Helmut Erler at D&M, Artwork by Alex McCullough and Niall Wynne Lewis.