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Shelter is one Alan Briand, a young Parisian producer with a strong melodic centre producing a sound that pulls on the Zouk, the Afro, the Balearic and the Ambient palette. Zon Zon Zon is only his fifth release and his first mini album, following the series on International Feel that has brought us material from Len Leise, Wolf Muller and CFCF.

International Feel first met Shelter on a trip to Paris a few years back. It sounds like a story from a Nick Hornby novel, but there's a record shop in Paris called L'International Records, run by a guy called Dave who has a group of young French DJs, producers and promoters that visit the store, hang out and buy and listen to music - a story no doubt currently being repeated throughout the world as new generations immerse themselves in the culture. Shelter is a producer who has sucked up all that he has been hearing around him for a number of years and is now producing a quality sound, pulling on the exotic.

The seven tracks on this mini-album are taken from an extensive pool of Shelter's melodic magic. Some people lead on the beats, some on the production, but Alan focuses on the melody, with the beat closely tied in as support. Señor Zalla starts the album with an afro vibe, closely followed by the Zouk-style of Zon Zon Zon and Port-au-Cœur's mellow Balearic tones, as Shelter twists nature's sounds into his own sonic world. Bucolica, an upbeat wonder of a track, turns to the ambient mantra of Courant Rouge and it's distant cousin Courant Bleu, a classic rhythmic balearic piece with syncopated melody and delayed drums. La Volière (the French can make even bird cage sound beautiful) brings the album to a close with a smile in the mind's eye.


Zon Zon Zon is universal. It could easily have been created in Ibiza or Canada, Australia or Africa. It was in fact recorded at Paris 11, where Shelter forged beauty through the sounds of nature and uncovers a wisdom in its simplicity. We can expect good things from Alan. Here's the first chapter.

Making his Tortured debut is Liverpool based Techno DJ and producer, Binny with his 'Devil's Orchestra EP'.

Binny's journey as a solo artist started with a release on Orbis Records in 2012. Since then he's gone on to release a further three EPs for Orbis as well as additional releases for Monnom Black, Symbolism, CLFT, Suburban Avenue, Forte Techno, Scenery, Demarcation and Flatlife Deep plus remixes for Endlec and Fundamental Interaction. Drawn to the music of Jeff Mills, Robert Hood, Surgeon, Regis, Steve Rachmad and many others, his DJ sets and production sound is tough, hypnotic, old school and most of all, uncompromising. As a founding member of the Phantom Planet Outlaws with John Heckle and Mark Forshaw, they have produced EPs on Tabernacle and Apartment Records as well as starting the Boss Tracks label exclusively dedicated to releasing Phantom Planet Outlaws material.

Taking another solo turn, this time for Billy Nasty's Tortured label, Binny delivers a refined EP from the striking and demonic strings of the aptly titled opener, 'Devil's Orchestra' via the multihued tough groove of 'Alternative Methods', before the Tech-funk of 'Roll With It' and on to the Sci-Fi tones of 'Untitled' which closes the vinyl 12"

Cosmic Club 17's in the house, and for this one Skylax have delved deep into the mystic universe of the ultra prolific photonz with a four track EP quite simply out of this dimension ! Photonz is the artist name of Marco Rodrigues, a London-based DJ and producer who's been championing the new sound of Portuguese house and techno worldwide since the early 2000s. He has done tracks for various labels such as crème organization, unknown to the unknown, hot haus, the "cult" dissident and many more. His first cut "memories of burma" that gave the title to the ep is an infinite groove that builds and builds with arabic synths, a perfect crossover between balearic & old school jackin house. "Baronrevxp" & "agape" moves into the same territories with some sharp clap, hi hats and some big retro vintage sounds. While "stealth predator" catches him at his most experimental, upping the tempo and unleashing an ambitious techno juke roller, think about drexcya, 1990s techno, Plink Plonk and you're not even close ! Photonz music sounds extremely big for the big rooms, and still very large indeed for the smaller ones.His music is praised by The Chemical Brothers, Jackmaster, Optimo, Ivan Smagghe, Daniel Avery, James Holden, Ewan Pearson, Auntie Flo, Tim Sweeney, just to name a few. 'Memories of Burma' EP is not just a cosmic experience, but a voyage into the realms of a producer in a world of his own. Must have. Essential item. SKYLAX RECORDS 4 EVER !

For their next release, Freeride Millenium once again link up with Pauls Musique for a perfectly formed new EP from Raphael Danilo feat. George Pappos. Both Danilo and Pappos reside in the rough edges of the greek mountain Parnassos, their musical approach takes cues from their proximity to the ancient sanctuary of Delphi and sees them cook up one fine cut which then gets remixed by Innellea and Nikkname. That lead single is 'Strangers', eight spiritual and spooky minutes of spine tingling and eerie synth music that really takes you on a trip. It operates on another dimension, with pixelated lines and undulating pads all suspending you in space. Perfect for an epic set opening or to really reset the dancefloor with an attention grabbing and emotive piece, it is a truly classy track full of musicality and suspense and atmosphere. German pair Innellea then step up to remix and brilliantly flip the cut into something just as epic and enchanting but with a mid tempo, rubbery house beat down low helping you slip into the deep and colourful groove. Last of all, Nikkname then re-works the whole thing into something minimal and absorbing. The whole thing is riddled with intricate sound design, tender piano keys and the sound of static. It is a real symphony of the organic and the electronic and as such cannot fail to make its mark. This is an artful package that demands close listening with suitably eye catching visuals supplied once again by artist Daniel Rajcsanyi. Thanks for purchasing a real copy!

'Soul Jazz Records' new journey into the mighty vaults of Clement Dodd's Studio One steps once more into the fertile musical environment of Jamaican music in the late 1960's and early 1970's, from the sweet harmony vocals of seminal 1960s Rocksteady right up to the nascent birth of Reggae and Roots music at the start of the 1970's. Sleevenotes to this album are by Steve Barrow, author of 'Rough Guide to Reggae' as well as Soul Jazz Records' own 'Reggae Soundsystem Cover Art' books.

While Ska at the start of the 1960's had taken American Rhythm and Blues as its main influence, Rocksteady focused on the emergence of American Soul music - with Jamaican vocal harmony groups such as The Gaylads, John Holt & The Paragons, Carlton & The Shoes showing a particular fascination with the close harmonies of Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions and other US Soul acts. Here The Heptones even feature with a cover of Bob Dylan's 'I Shall Be Released'.

The influence of Soul music on Jamaican Rocksteady and Reggae is almost palpable, so much so that one wonders how much more successful singers like Delroy Wilson, Alton Ellis, Slim Smith and John Holt would have been had they been born in Chicago, Detroit or Memphis. Artists such as Alton Ellis, Delroy Wilson and Owen Gray defined the era - a slowed down beat as Jamaican political and social heat slowly increased when the 1960's progressed into the start of the 1970's - and the music evolved further from Rocksteady into Roots Reggae. This album is released on heavyweight gatefold sleeve double vinyl (plus download code), CD with slipcase and digital album (ex-North America).

Tresor's newest release features BNJMN on Body Reflections Pt. 1.

The four track EP captures a uniquely subdued mood that resides at the nexus of ambient dance music, and that integrates seamlessly with Tresor's penchant for restrained and dub-inflected techno.

Each track on the EP introduces symmetry and rhythm in the form of organic percussion. "Overskies" and "Enceladus" are more lethargic and ethereal, each blanketed with discordant melodies and arcing synth lines. "Hadal Zone" is more dance-oriented - here, a sophisticated interplay of percussive elements loop over plaintive vocals and soft harmonies. "Syzygy" then brings the EP to a techno-focused close with driving kicks, oscillating synths, and repeating minor chords.

Body Reflections Pt. 1 is deeply illustrative of BNJMN's affinity for creating nuanced and delicately balanced layers, and a culmination of his vast experience.

DJ, musician, former saxophonist - there's a combination of skills you don't get to see too often. Get acquainted with DEMIAN, then, aka Damien Pontonnier, a French artist who relocated to Paris after an influential career as

electronic music pioneer and party organizer in Northern Spain. Now an accomplished producer with releases on labels such as Correspondant or Clouded Vision, he presents the MILESTARS EP for Kompakt - a quirky and vibrant track trio with an obvious knack for catchy melodic details in a kinetic techno corsage.

Having amassed quite the experience portfolio when it comes to grassroots club culture, DEMIAN knows a thing or two about inspiring a dance floor - but that doesn't necessarily account for the artistic versatility or genuine lust for sonic adventures and happy accidents that these cuts exhibit: opener DÉCLICA boots with deliciously stoic cowbell-isms that leave the doors of perception wide open for some iconoclastic, yet surprisingly effective synth action.

Meanwhile, the title cut invests in texture-rich atmosphere without forgetting about the precise amount of momentum you need to tip the floor over the edge. Closer NO HYPE FOR THE FISH takes things in a more hypnotic direction, intertwining freeform arpeggios and tape delay with smart beatmanship. Simultaneously lush and lean in its overall aesthetic, the MILESTARS EP will feed both the nerd and the dancer in you - a swiss army knife with all the right tools for masterful crowd control.

Besides being a close buddy for soon 20 years and one of the best dj's on the planet, Herr Janson is also a safe bet for your "floorfriendly"rework. He just knows what your track will need to work those feet. He handed over his "Prinspersonation" together with a drum-tool version that will be useful for any adventureous dj out there. I also made 2 tracks specifically for this 12" that fills the b-side and wraps up the story of "Principe Del Norte"for now. - Prins Thomas

Returning to Hypercolour with a second volume of his Sugar Cane Chronicles, Gary Gritness lays down more devastating funk and classy riffing over his trusty Roland 606. After the first volume, released last April, sold out its vinyl run, Gritness delivers more explorations and adventures into his unique and soulful world. Having elusively built his reputation as an outstanding session player, live producer and fantastically dressed Funkateer, Gritness has delivered a handful of releases on labels like Clone Crown Ltd, Nyami Nyami and his own DIY and cassette-only Slikk Tapes. "Steady Choosin" gets downright fusion-jazz and Gritness fires out seductive melodies and latin piano playing of the highest order whilst "Countin Up With Starr" delves into a darker well of synth mania, with a sexual groove reminiscing of Rick James, all the while retaining Gary's signature licks and riffs. "Runner Joe's Revenge" on the flip ramps up the hysteria for a gritty and colossal production that typifies his love of cyberpunk soundtracks and the drama and narrative to be found in this style. "The Sugar Cane Chronicles Vol. 2 closes with the low-slung "Pool Shark Loot", wrapping up on a mysterious and captivating tone; its wandering bassline and melodic touches carrying all the signature Gritness sounds, with the P-Funk sleaziness on top.

Translated from Spanish as 'The Shade', Chip Wickham's debut album La Sombra drops after a 25-year career touring, recording and experimenting across three decades of jazz, funk, soul, hip-hop, Latin and electronica. La Sombra is a monumental record for Chip as it symbolises the moment he stepped out into the light as a director of his creations with freedom to explore his roots, express and tell his version of jazz and pay testament to his heroes Roland Kirk, Yuseef Lateef & Harold McNair.

Now living in Dubai after an intense and productive six years in Madrid, it was Manchester where Chip studied in the late '80s and became enmeshed in the chaotic and thrilling music scenes emanating from one of the world's most culturally prominent cities of the time. Recording and generally 'keeping things real' with Manchester's hip-hop collective Grand Central Records, Rae & Christian, The Pharcyde, Fingathing, Nightmares on Wax, Graham Massey (808 State), Chip was in a city that was undergoing a music revolution with the Haçienda as its temple. Yet it was the headlights of the M62 motorway and not the strobe lights that were lighting Chip's path during his student years ('88-'92). The lure of the jazz and funk clubs of Leeds, where The New Mastersounds were breaking out and building the blocks that would lead them to UK funk royalty status, proved too strong.

In the 1990s Chip continued to refine his craft in the rainy city and the gigs booked were growing in stature. It wasn't long before he was on the road with Roy Ayers and Badly Drawn Boy. Around that time Chip met up with trumpeter Matthew Halsall that was the beginning of a friendship that lasts to this day. Chip was a recording artist on Matthew Halsall's breakout album Sending My Love and continues to work with him, with live dates confirmed in spring 2017. This close connection with Halsall gave rise to other collaborations, such as with Nat Birchall and Go Go Penguin's Rob Turner.

Three decades after his late night excursions to Leeds, Chip found himself recording with Eddie Roberts from The New Mastersounds in Madrid, as part of their new band, The Fire Eaters, which he'd formed soon after he moved to sunny Spain in 2007 - the same year he released the Fried Samba album under his moniker Malena, his electronic Latin band that became a hit at the turn of the century for Freestyle Records. During his time in Spain he connected with the local scene and brought together many of his musicians colleagues from the UK to Spain and it was for a local and well established label, Lovemonk, that he released two 45s blending raw funk and Latin. These new roads and musical leanings led to an invitation to play for the prestigious Craig Charles Fantasy Funk Band. Based on a poll from Craig Charles' top rated BBC6 radio show, Chip was chosen to play alongside the cream of the UK funk & soul scene: James Taylor (JTQ), Snowboy, The Haggis Horns (Mark Ronson), John Turrell (Smooth & Turrell), and Mick Talbot (The Style Council).

La Sombra takes an altogether more rooted direction than Chip's recent collaborative work, with the jazz of the late '60s and early '70s a dominating influence to the recordings. Comprising of seven tracks recorded in Madrid with musicians assembled by Chip from Madrid's jazz scene, it combines contemplative explorations akin to Yusef Lateef's early work on tracks like 'La Sombra' and 'Pushed Too Far'. There's a fiery cover of Camarón de la Isla's classic 'La Leyenda Del Tiempo' and tracks like 'Sling Shot' and 'Red Planet' are locked in a groove harking back to Freddie Hubbard's Blue Note era and Luv N Haight's Nathan Davis.

Keep on keeping on, that's what they say. We are here at Hizou. So we are delighted to be back with this the ninth release on our main label, another exciting various artists affair and a follow-up to the well-received limited edition EP, Keepin' The Legacy.
 
First up is the house music equivalent of a heavyweight tag-team in the shape of respected veterans Chez Damier and Abacus, producers with credentials so impressive and lengthy it's eye-watering, alongside the rising talent that is Jorge Caiado (Balance/Groovement). The trio's dub mix of their cut Closer is proper deep-down-and-dirty bumpin' house of the old-school kind.
 
Another man with an impeccable pedigree, in-demand musician and producer James Duncan (Le Systeme/Real Soon), makes a welcome return to the label with the hypnotic 416 Zone Dub, an irresistible groover aimed squarely at the more discerning dance floor.
 
Making his debut here at Hizou is yet another seasoned artist, Jacksonville, owner of Doppler Records and gun-for-hire with the likes of Atmospheric Existence and Inner Shift. Having eyed his chugging and infectious Twilight Industries from afar, we are delighted to finally nail it onto our vinyl.
 
Keeping the fire burning and more than holding his own in such fine company is label head Satore, who unleashes his inner disco diva with the groovy, soul-drenched Keep On.

Barcelona based YAKAZI imprint proudly reaches its fifth installment in the form of a synergic collaborative release signed by chilean artists Alexi Delano and Marcelo Rosselot, counting also with canadian Buchla wizard Marc Houle in the role of never-failing remixer. Presented as a two sided release, and splitted in two original tracks plus Marc Houle's remix, YAKAZI maintains its unwavering commitment to their core values, to move people through good music, prevailing fads and trends and strengthening the label's very own sonic identity. On this occasion, Alexi Delano, a close relative to the label that was also featured on label's previous compilation, joins forces with his studio fellow Marcelo Rosselot building up "Take Me / It's On me", two finely-crafted excursions of heavy bass minimalism and dark vivacious techno based on subtle vocal samples, trippy synth-chords, and layered drum patterns constantly evolving throughout both progressions sounding uniformly fantastic, without falling into the obviousness of a long steady beat narrative and keeping in mind how to charm the dancefloor in style.

S3A Records is delighted to welcome Sam Irl in the family. Samples, classy Rhodes solos for this great S3A REC Artist EP: Similarity on each side: One banger track, one hip hop interlude and one personal (or deep) track. Have a nice trip in the creativity of this mucial note blooded artist ! He is very close from the forward thinking electronic music producers from Vienna like Dorian Concept, The Clonious, Roman Rauch. He manages with a lot of class, minimalism and harmony to the samples he uses. As we love Jazz&Milk records, it was natural to propose to him to work with us on his first S3A REC Artist EP. Let us introducing Sam Irl!! We are so happy to present you this beautiful EP. One banger track, One hiphop interlude and One personal (or deep) track on each side. Have a nice trip!

Alek S offers up another dose of pensive techno vibes in his "Paradise Lost" EP. Side A opens up with "Bold", a slice of laid back while still pounding techno, boasting zippy synths with an unmistakable analog flavour. It's closely followed by Andres Zacco's rework of "Honey Wheat", an apt reconstruction of the original that's aimed squarely at the dancefloor. The Argentinian producer and recent Ilian Tape alumni dives in with a powerful groove, cutting its way through a suspended atmosphere full of spaced out sounds.
Over on the B-side we're greeted with "Paradise Lost", a slow-paced melody that gradually shifts into a dreamy groove filled with spaced out drums and abstract delays.
Last but not least, the original version of "Honey Wheat" is a somewhat atmospheric, yet functional floor warmer that fits a resigned groove.

After a considerable career releasing on numerous labels, as well as being co-founder of Essen based label Mild Pitch, Langenberg finally drops his first album under this alias. Max Heesen, (who is also one half of Ribn with Manuel Tur) delivers the smartly titled 'Central Heated House' for Steve Bug's Dessous Recordings. The LP format suits Langenberg's hypnotic house classicism well, allowing time and space to stretch out the grooves and moods over four sides of vinyl - working both for the DJs and perfect as a soundtrack for the autumn. The LP kicks off with 'Jade', a melancholic, tape saturated introduction to Langenberg's deep tastes. 'Room 210' maintains this atmosphere, with fizzing percussion and warm Detroit-esque melodies. 'Groove 26' is perfectly timed for the hot summer, as lush Rhodes chords and KDJ style vocal snippets provide the heat for the openair vibes. The single from earlier this year 'Shadows' features the talents of vocalist Blakkat, and caused some serious response when it hit airwaves and dancefloors alike. 'Never Worry' is a heads down roller, built around a simple but perfectly executed bassline, while 'Dreamliner' is trippy laidback sunshine house all the way. 'I'll Be Late' and 'Planitz Proposal' step back into the club, with Langenberg's signature crisp percussion, crunchy hits and analog synth wizardry on full display. 'Rain & Roses' closes out the album in a similar way to how it started wistful, thoughtful house music with soul.

Bnjmn's exceptional back catalogue, straddling gorgeous synth-laden house, experimental techno and textural ambient diversions, spans 2 LPs on key Dutch labels Rush Hour, and numerous Eps for Delsin, alongside 12''s on his own Brack imprint.
The prolific British producer now follows up his recent 'Droid' single on Delsin, which featured remixes from close colleagues Cassegrain and Ed Davenport's Inland alter-ego.

Tipping his cap to 90s industrial techno, the A side delivers two uncompromising cuts. 'MDCCLXXII' is pacy and tough - brash drums merging with metallic, tonal signals and searing hats. 'Tor' is similarly

up-tempo however more stripped in comparison, Bnjmn continuing his inventive and challenging sound design in this Beltram-esque bassline killer.
The B side makes quite a contrast - 'T.E.N.S' being a short collage of buzzing,

cerebral electronics, leading into 'Where The Wild Berries Grow'. It's a fuzzy, hypnotic trip stretching out over 8 minutes - a glistening blend of lo-fi ambience and post-club psychedelia, all the while keeping us locked into a padded 4/4 throb.

Amongst the first bunch of this new label releases, we couldn't miss a tribute to one of the greatest masters of libraries recordings, Alessandro Alessandroni, born in 1925. In his long career Alessandroni has published lots of soundtracks - and we mean lots of - and for this he's considered a real star of Italian music. As a friend, and close collaborator of Ennio Morricone, he's remembered as "the whistle man" for his fundamental contribution to the immortal scores of Sergio Leone's movies. His class allowed him to range between genres and atmospheres, from beat to avant-garde, from funky to abstract compositions, always reaching and keeping the highest quality. This is immediately clear in "Il Tempo Dello Spirito", originally published in 1971 for the meritorious Flirt label. It's an album full of sacred music, gospel and spiritual, yet capable of personal flashes that make it interesting, particular and unique. Simple church songs In some cases it may seems so - titles as Ave Maria, Gloria In Excelsis Deo, Pellegrinaggio or Messa Solenne do not leave much room for doubt and interpretations - but Alessandroni is able to astonish even in extreme cases like this.

The Martinez Brothers Cuttin' Headz returns with a new EP from The Butcha, entitled '10001' and backed with two remixes from Matrixxman.Phil Moffa aka The Butcha is a New York City based musician, producer and engineer most notably known for his works alongside DJ Spider and Anthony Parasole for Sublevel Sounds / Plan B Recordings and alongside Seth Troxler for Hypercolour. Here we see him return to the fledgling Cuttin' Headz imprint with his idiosyncratic take on raw, emotive house music following his Destination Void release alongside DJ Spider and Brendon Moeller last year.Up first are two originals from The Butcha, the first of which '99 Prince St.' lays focus on echoing atmospherics, snaking Rhodes and shuffling dubbed out percussion while the latter, '6 Hubert St.' pivots towards an amalgamation an upfront organic rhythm alongside a weighty low end drive and wandering synth swells.
To complete the package San Francisco's Matrixxman delivers two interpretations, firstly the 'Acidized Mix' which as the name would suggest draws on squelching 303 lines layered over processed snippets from the original before the digital bonus 'Transhuman Mix' closes on an arpeggio fuelled Techno tip.
The Butcha's '10001' is out on Cuttin' Headz 23rd September 2016.

Ben Sun returns to Delusions for his 4th release on the label including three more tracks which show the Australian via London on his best form yet. Full Moon kicks off the Tides EP at full throttle with a muscular conga-led disco house roller. Slurping 909 hats and the most twisted of synth solos courtesy of regular collaborator Fantastic Man (and his beloved Juno 60) provide the icing on this simple bass-cake which never fails to energize the dancefloor in the most special of ways.
Star Ritual drops next, going heavy on the percussion once again for a minimal stripped back drum tool which packs a mighty punch. Dubbed out vocal hits punctuate the beautifully loose groove with subtle hints of afrobeat implied by the bassline making for a warm summer track dripping with tropical vibes.
Finally we have Glass Waves bringing the EP to a glorious close, all chiming synths, bouncing moog bass and waves of chords layering on top of a heavy drum track. Ben repping an early 90's blissed out Nu Groove mood on this one and managing to sound as fresh as ever in the process.