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We eroded pre-existent structures constructing an open heterotopic space, a horizontal and vertical thinking found its way through physical- and cyberspace, Here, nothing manifested instantly - flippancy left space for any kind of interaction and appropriation. Within (or well beyond) economic pressure points which diluted production, this was our opportunity to try out different potentials with no restrictions to the public, while simultaneously scrutinising the general framework of institutions and human behaviours.

* Includes a DIN A2long poster inside the 12" sleeve with edition number and music download code

* Rogue Style 1 EP is an international homage to b-boy culture, where the worlds of breakbeat music and breakdance collide. Sinistarr (USA), Kiat (Singapore), Kabuki (Germany) and HomeSick (Canada) are connected in many ways, now they lay bare their hip-hop roots and give something back with a fresh take through the eyes of drum & bass and juke/footwork. Here is what they have to say:

Sinistarr: "As a teenager I grew up as a b-boy, dancing anywhere I could: schools, parks, festivals, you name it, my crew was there with cardboard and a speaker. I eventually got deeper into DJing and making music and learned to bring a sound that's not just for the crowds and the purists, but also for all the dancers!"

Kiat: "Hip Hop has taught me to keep evolving, to explore new forms in all my art. Progression is the key to evolution. -- I met Sinistarr online thru myspace and we had a musical connection which led to our first collaboration 'Black Diamonds' which is still one of my personal favourite tunes I've been fortunate to be part of it's creation. With Kabuki, i've always been a fan of his work since his 'Makai' alias on No U-Turn, despite meeting him only recently thru the label.I've always known him to be constantly progressing his ideas in his music which I respect alot."

Kabuki: "B-boy culture has always been a strong influence on how I pursued my art, mainly because of its DIY ethos and attitude of perfecting your craft. Incidentally these were also the aspects that drew me to Jungle when I first discovered it in the nineties. -- I'm happy to rub shoulders with Kiat, Sinistarr and HomeSick on this release, as I'm a fan of their music foremost, but also because we became friends through the music."

HomeSick: "I was only a child in the 90s and as a result I feel like my understanding of b-boy culture was experienced second hand thanks to 90s/early 2000s hip hop music. I appreciate the parallels I can see with footwork culture, particularly the similarities to the community mentality of break dancing. -- I know Sinistarr through booking him for our local party night in Alberta, Canada called Percolate. Our city must have left an impression on him because a year later he made the move here from Detroit. Had the pleasure of hosting him as a room mate for a little over half a year, the home was a very potent creative space during this time. Kabuki hit me up a few years ago and we very quickly got to sharing tracks and collaborating together. Mans a master of production and a super important part of the global scene."

The idea for a reminiscence of b-boy culture stem from label owner Booga:

"Why am I interested in this so much I grew up in East Germany and as the movie "Beat Street" premiered in 1985 over here I was age 13 and blown away by the energy, the music, the wit, the style - everything in this movie was better than everyday life in Leipzig. So I started saving for a cassette recorder and taped music shows from West German radio and prepared tapes for school disco gigs to the hope somebody would do the "robot" to Arthur Baker "Breaker's Revenge". Unfortunately that never worked out hahaha. But I was hooked since then and as the wall came down in 1989 I travelled to West Berlin just to buy the Beats, Breaks and Scratches 1-4 vinyl box by Simon Harris. The fascination for breakbeats never stopped and before I discovered Jungle around '94 I was down with the British cut up house thing from the likes of Marrs, Krush and Coldcut as another form of breakbeat music. The "do it yourself" spirit from hip hop culture inspired me to start a local website called breaks.org in 2000 to locally promote the drum and bass scene with emerging producers, djs and mcs for a wider audience and I threw in some interviews with Storm, Kabuki, Rob Playford, Klute and John B. That turnt into a multi author blog called itsyours.info in 2004 which still exists - that is where I had the pleasure to introduce Kiat and Ash in 2007. All these years I was listening and playing drum and bass tunes when the occasional "bboy tune" came up, some were obvious like Alex Reece "B-Boy Flavour", Lemon D "B Boyz", Commix "Change" and some were not so much self-explanatory like Digital & Spirits "Phantom Force" and the remixes by T-Power & Codeine or Fracture's Astrophonica Edit - but I felt the hidden force of breakdancing nevertheless. With the Rogue Style series I have the first class opportunity to ask established and new Defrostatica artists to present a current interpretation of b-boy culture. This is a dream coming true."

The thrid an final installment of archive material, selected by Antinote. A killer suite if you ask us. TIP!
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You can trail away with it. It is easy to enter, but hard to drop out. Tolouse Low Trax just needs an MPC, a small Synthesizer set up and some effects to create subliminal hypnotic music trips, driven by dark synthlines and drunken shuffled patterns. The primitiveness in my music is linked to something simple, and that don't have to be obligatory minimal. For me it is enough to dance rough around the core. Music you don't shape till the end contains of a moment of beauty. A veil of secrecy. I work very simply. I rather reduce my possibilities in ompass. Limitations offer lots of liberties.' He reveals about his work ethic. Even if his music sounds darker then any ever experienced night, he mostly produces it in the morning in his highly inspirational studio home. During the dark times of the day Tolouse Low Trax mostly performs live around the globe. Or hangs out in his second home: the Salon Des Amateurs club bar in Dusseldorf, which he once founded and where he held until today two weekly DJ residencies. The moments and atmospheres he inhales during these lightless moments are mirrored in his shadowy music, about which he also confesses: My art is more a cinematic, literally idea of a large to explore Megacity. This is one of the pictures I would link to my music.' On ' part one he now offers five sounding visions about that Megacity'. They listen to mysterious names like Hidden Flat' or Studies in Drama'. They are nervous. They have ephemeral pieces of dub, Industrial, wave or Italian library music. And at times strangealienated voice samples dance within his highly addictive arrangements. Words can't express their magic. But one thing is fore sure: his hypnotic dance-not-dance tracks do not only illuminate so-called freaks!

DJ Haus (the hardest working man in show business!) teams up with Mak & Pasteman for our landmark quarter century release!!! How the hell did that happen we only expected to manage about 4 releases tops We are really proud to welcome these guys to the ever expanding DABJ family, and they have not let us down with this first release... The title track and "Bang It" are room shaking heavy bass numbers, which we have been rinsing for almost a year now... Drive MF sounds like Paul Johnson and Daniel Bell "stuck in an elevator" (or some other bullshit analogy like that...). All 3 tracks = essential. period. "Buy on sight" etc etc...
Carefully hand stamped by the two slackest men in show business (or at least one of them anyway...)
Shout out once again to Lindsay Todd of Firecracker for the sick stamp designs!

Four Thirty Two, the new record label directed and curated by Richy Ahmed, reveals its second release this Spring with a fantastic new single from Luca Cazal. Out on vinyl & digital in April, 'Be Alone' is backed with collaboration with Italian producer, Andrea Fiorito.
Cazal has previously released music on Crosstown Rebels, Classic Music Company and his own See Double label, and once again displays his house music credentials on this Four Thirty Two release.
His understanding of club music runs deep; knowing what makes a dancefloor tick is an essential skill for any producer, and Cazal's DJ residency at the Paradise DC10 club nights and regular gigs at Circoloco keep him firmly in tune and adept at carving out modern and fresh party moments.
'Be Alone' is an inspiriting, rolling house track that builds steadily over its tenure. A filtered vocal hook unfurls over tension building strings and nimble keys, the hi-hats assuredly rattling over rolling snare fills and with the energy levels never dropping, Cazal serves up a cracking club cut with all the hallmarks of a filtered house classic in the making.
The infectious house grooves keep coming with 'Manali', with Cazal partnering up with Andrea Fiorito (Cynosure) for a no-nonsense, heads down, acidic basement moment. An urgent bassline bounces around the locked groove whilst choppy vocals, haunting synths and energetic percussion all hustle for prime position in this lively and effective track.

Lagartijeando is the name of producer, musician and DJ Mati Zundel. Born, raised and currently living in a small town on the outskirts of Buenos Aires called Dolores. From a very early age, he was musically curious- experimenting with percussion, charango, guitar, bass, voice, and beyond.

Strongly influenced by his travels through Latin America, Mati's signature psychedelic dance tracks latch onto everything from traditional folk sounds from the Bolivian altiplano to the jungle beats of Brazil. Mati hypnotically fuses his traditional influences (with an emphasis on shaman chant and charango loops) with contemporary electronic beats, creating a sound that once left NPR speechless.

Lagartigeando was signed to the infamous ZZK Records in 2009 (Chancha Via Circuito, Nicola Cruz, etc.) on which he released his first EP Neobailongo- a mix of cumbias with electro and dubstep elements. After releasing the EP, Mati soon took to the road and dove deeper into the music of the Andes, studying charango and various traditional folk styles. In 2012, under the name Mati Zundel, he released his first full length album Amazonico Gravitante, via ZZK as well as Waxploitation (Gnarls Barkley, Danger Mouse) in the U.S.

Some more miles later, Mati released his second LP Cardos Redondo also on Waxploitation, which featured 8 songs recorded across Latin America- an album he calls an 'imaginary sound map of Latin America,'

Freshly into 2017, Mati brings us El Gran Poder via Wonderwheel (Novalima, Alsarah & The Nubatones)- named after an important Aymara festival that takes place in Bolivia and Peru, purely to celebrate family. At these festivals, the community also celebrates their culture and the importance of the collective identity. Like these festivals, the album is a celebratory one, and will tempt any listener out of their seat. The album was recorded in Mati's town, Dolores, outside of Buenos Aires. Once again taking a huge variety of sounds- this time influenced by Brazilian house,afro-brazilian rhythms, and folkloric Andean music. All songs are written and produced by Mati, apart from Lunita, a danceable track written in collaboration with Barrio Lindo.

Orbis X is a sublabel of Orbis Records and will be mainly focusing on softer yet often usable as DJ material for the broader mass interested in Electronic music. This sublabel is an extension of Orbis Records softer, more melodical and experimental side. Music will be ranging from house, dub, chicago over melodic acid and even breaks. Not any track makes it to this sublabel if it can't stand on its own and stand the test of time!

Aleksander Zekovski might not ring a bell but it should ring a bell within a few months.
We warmly welcome Moda on OrbisX with his very special and pure analog feel to sound.
Unique, funky, very good arrangements and multi-talented. Nothing more, nothing less.
Someone who deserves to be discovered or at least get a bigger audience.

We re taking the leap of faith with Moda, serving him a full EP to experiment.
The Roots EP was born.
The full EP is a mixture of funky beats with some housy touches with, in some phases, gentle and experimental dirty glitches.
Something to add to your collection. This EP can be played in quirky eclectic DJ sets, lounge bars or just at home with a nice glass of red wine.
Background music while having dinner with friends and you want to serve something special This is one of those special EP s!


Something To Talk About is funky, dreamy and sparks that twitchy leg movement when you doubt if you should be dancing or be slightly head banging to that tune.
That kinda track. Serves well with candles, wine and late night talks.

Under Her Skin might take off on a weird bit quirky dirty start, but when that lead kicks in, ... we were sold.
Extremely funky. Be aware: you can t hold yourself from clapping to this song.

On the B-side, "Winter Tale" counts as the second A track on the EP. Deep! Gentle and yet so snappy in it's own dirty way.
We fell in love from the first note, or should we say that filthy deep baseline, those dirty well mixed-in toms and snappy rude claps!

"Running Man". Well... if you like dreamy catchy house. This is for you.
A nice extra track, making this EP a brilliant pressing.

We can't emphasize the talent Alexander has.
We hope he gets more attention with this EP.
Full support for you Alex.

- mau

Danilo Braca (danyb) arrived in Brooklyn from his native Rome in 2012. Playing around town, running sound at local venues and slowly allowing these edits--informed by many years working the floors across Europe--to evolve on and off the dancefloors of New York City. Check his web radio TSoNYC - The Sound of New York City.
Busted Vol. 1 kicks off with something very special - a lovingly reworked, top secret, late 70's jam favoured recently by none other than DJ demi-god Harvey
Anyone who's heard him play in the last couple of years will be familiar with the original version of this truly magical 13 minute slo-mo Disco jam - it's a genuine holy grail moment !
Having established that quality is of the upmost importance, Busted continues with a beautiful duo of amended cuts on the flip. The uptempo, playful 'Play Me Hard' works the groove, hard !
while 'Have A Cake' is a gloriously sleazy mid-tempo workout
One hell of a 12" ladies & gentlemen !

Favorite Recordings proudly presents this new official single reissue of I Believe! by Calvin B. Rhone: A very rare Gospel/Disco masterpiece, originally released at only 1000 private-press copies, and surprisingly unknown and underrated until today.

Calvin Bernard Rhone, a native of Los Angeles, has been ministering in word and song for more than 40 years throughout the US and abroad. He acknowledges that he is passionate about music, yet purposed for ministry. Beginning his professional singing career at age eight, he has shared the stage with possibly every major Gospel artist from the 60's to present.

In 1983, he released the album Intimate Friends on his own label, C.B.R. Records. Recently discovered by DJ and collector Charles Maurice, the LP has never received the attention and fame it deserves. It was anyway obvious for the DJ and Favorite Recordings, that some of the tracks it includes would for sure become real classics for all Disco and Funk music lovers and deejays.

Officially licensed to Calvin B. Rhone himself, it's today reissued for the first time, as a 3 tracks vinyl single.

Repress

After last years slick selection for the series from MCDE, Young Marco steps up with a great set of obscurities. Top Tip!
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Born Marco Sterk, he certainly doesn't come from a standard DJ background. A former skate rat who grew up loving American post-hardcore and '90s hip-hop as much as early Warp Records, he's been affiliated over the years with Amsterdam institutions such as Rush Hour, Red Light Records (where you'll find him most weekdays!) and, of course, Dekmantel itself. Still, there's no question that he's always followed his own path, even during the years that playing his favorite records meant that he was occasionally clearing dancefloors.

Things are different these days, of course, as Sterk now regularly plays around the globe and has been widely hailed not just for his DJ talents, but also for his digging prowess and uncanny ability to pluck jams out of genres, eras and geographies that even veteran DJs will often ignore.

Still, Marco's entry in the Selectors series isn't some soulless collection of 'Holy Grail' rarities. 'Where's the fun in that' he explains. 'Anybody with an internet connection can check what flavor-of-the-month records are in demand.'

Just like the first Selectors compilation, this is not a mix CD, but a collection of hand-picked, unmixed tracks that Sterk has personally chosen from his own vinyl archives. Moreover, Marco has put together a collection of tracks that represent not only how he plays music, but also how he makes music himself. The songs here are melodic, electronic and bound together by a refreshing sense of naiveté. Nothing sounds overly calculated; the tunes here span several decades and include dollar-bin records, avant-garde records, club records and yes, a few things that collector types have likely been looking to get their hands on. It's not meant to be a grand statement, as Marco would rather provide an honest snapshot of his musical tastes and share a few of his favorite tracks and artists in the proc

Simbad (aka SMBD) is a stalwart of the underground music scene in UK and because of his vast arrays of releases it's very hard to put him into any box or music category. Since his 2007 album Supersonic Revelation & his worldwide acclaimed dancefloor hit Soul Fever, the London based frenchy has been constantly travelling the five continents entertaining delighted clubbers with his super energetic dj skills or producing and recording various artists from many different genres including deeper Dubstep don Mala (DMZ), UK Hip Hop star Roots Manuva, Cuban songstress Dayme Arocena, Detroit House producer Kai Alce, Berlin based deep Techno artist Fred P, Seun Kuti from Afrobeat's most famous family, Brazilian superstar artist/actor Seu Jorge and being production mentor for the king of cool, radio DJ Gilles Peterson (who made him one of the resident at his Worldwide Festivals). With the Moon Theory EP Simbad demonstrates his talent on some deep analog frequencies for the very solid & ever growing label that is Apron Records. As the music wizard puts it himself : 'im just trying to make some timeless shhhhh man, soul in all forms really, trying anyway ! And I guess that the best is yet to come.

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

Ekambi Brillant was born in the village of Dibombari in Cameroon in 1948. In 1962 he attended school in Yaounde and learned his musical craft. In 1971 he heads off to the big city lights of Douala. Here he finds himself in a French TV, music competition hosted at "Le Domino" nightclub. It is here where he brushes shoulders with other Cameroonian music legends such Manu Dibango and Francis Bebey.

The music contest win gives him the break he needs and in 1972 and with the support of fellow troubadour JK Mandengue he finds himself with a record deal with Phonogram and his first hits in France.

Its in 1975 where we pick up this merry tale. Because it is in 1975 when things start to get a bit funky. Which is just how we like it here at Africa Seven. In partnership with French producer, guitarist and all around hero, Slim Pezin he creates the "Africa Oumba" album. He goes on in the two subsequent years to record the Soul Castle and Djambo's Djambo's albums also with Slim.

Our compilation focuses on the funkier end of Ekambi's music drawn mainly from the 1975 to 1978 period. Things open up with our theme tune "Africa Africa" (of course). It's tribal twisted psych funk is the perfect start to any album. We then move to "Aboki" possibly Ekambi's finest dance floor filler. Next it's the choppy disco strings and slap bass of "Nyambe" and the swirling African swing of "N'Kondo" and the pulsing chop-funk "Ekila".

The flip side starts off with "Soul Castle" an ordinary day tale for our hero. "Massoma" and its funk boogie get things bopping next up before "Machine Ma Bwindea" gives us some punchy brass and low slung funk grooves. "Mother Africa" shows us the songwriting power of Ekambi while also managing to have one of the funkiest flange basslines we have heard in a good while. Things close off with swing-time of "Lambo Lena".

Ekambi Brillant would go on to become one of the big name legends of Cameroonian music with nearly 20 albums to his name. He has contributed to the emergence of several Cameroonian artists such as Marthe Zambo, Valery Lobe, Aladji Toure and Africans. He now spends his time in Cameroon and Washington DC. Ekambi, we salute you sir.

Up first is Get Enough, seven minutes of seductive techno that has an almost machine-gun like disco synth firing across the groove. It is a rumbling peak time track with real force and energy that will bring any floor to life. The title track, Toleranz, is a gritty and stripped back basement cut with dry hits and burrowing acid bass that takes you deep into the night.
Cobra then proves this pair have real breadth in the studio and is a barrel chested house cut with more big hits, rib rattling bass and incendiary techno hi hats that really get you on your toes.
Remixing are the tech duo of Pleasurekraft, whose releases on Octopus and Mood Records have won them plenty of DJ and dancing fans. They layer in some dark melodies to SQ80 and build it steadily before allowing the militant drums and crisp snares to explode and drive you and the whole club forwards.

Green Vinyl

Back in the days at the west-Saxon highlands there was a missile, which marked the starting point. When Credit 00 saw the legendary rocket rise on Tetris' final screen, it was the first time he became aware of electronic music at all. Since then it actually hasn't changed that much. He keeps pushing that buttons that belong to the impressive pool of music machines towered up next to his bed.

After moving to Dresden in 2000 to study fine arts, his passion for synthesizers and drum machines got nurtured through visits of Dresden's club-canalisation. He quickly made himself a name as a DJ, who is just doing his own thing and got popular for that reason. As a part of the Idealfun-crew he started hosting parties always in the twilight zone between legal and illegal. This led to Robo Dance', Dresden's only and (also for some other reasons) best Electro club night featuring guests like DMX Krew, Luke Eargoogle or Imatran Voima. The track Credit made with Randy Barracuda of Imatran Voima has probably been created some time after the show. Apparently, Randy was not in good shape anymore and so Lebensraum' unmistakably bears Credit's hallmarks.

For his own music he's inspired by cannibal movies, number theory and birds. Still, his music is not easy to pigeonhole. After all, he loves Synth Wave, Electro, Afro, Kraut, Kosmische, Disco, Italo, Miami Bass and other Proto stuff - a lot of machine music.

Bristol based Afro-beat band, Matuki are releasing their debut 7 single on December 2nd via Stutter & Twitch, featuring an exclusive remix by Shunya. As each side of the record paints a juxtaposing image, Matuki drives forward as they make a name for themselves as Bristol's most engaging afro-funk band. Side A 'Sanimenteren' showcases fiery horn melodies and liquid guitar riffs, whereas Side B 'INJO' changes direction completely, as Manchester producer Shunya takes the reins. By morphing Matuki's steadfast rhythm into a lucid downtempo glitch, Shunya creates a unique and mesmerizing new perspective towards the urban band's signature style. Likened to the legends Fela Kuti and Afro Manding the authentic Afro band punctured Bristol's music scene after an exceptional debut performance at Glastonbury's Glade Stage, blending jazz & psychedelic influences with urban-funk. The result Mesmerizing tracks and heavyweight horn lines that reflect on how the 12-piece collective are never afraid to venture out of their comfort zone, to create something special.Turbo-boosted grooves and fusing Afro Manding with intoxicating Fela Kuti horn lines, Matuki creates a rhythm so deep and hypnotic, it takes you on a journey' - Rhythm Passport'Matuki mix the classic ingredients - brass, beats, vocals and electricity - into something suitably hot'n'spicy..., If Bristol's Afrobeat scene gets any hotter we might as well move to Lagos' - Canteen Bristol. Fronted by master drummer and vocalist, Abraham Ebou Sanyang (Savanna, Magoma), Matuki mixes traditional afro-beat sounds with heavy doses of contemporary urban funk, into an exciting concoction of world music. The ensemble recently expanded after merging their sound with the Bristol Jazz Student ensemble Jamba Horns, and has previously collaborated with an array of versatile musicians including the Bristol Samba community. After the success of their debut performance, Matuki saw airplay from Bristol based DJ Hiphoppapotamus, and Miles Chambers of Lyrical Minded as well as BCFM, Bristol City Radio, Radio Ujima and Radio Helsinki, as an energizing sound bled into the airwaves. Touring the UK festival circuit, performing at Secret Garden Party, Green Man, Farmfest, Kendal Calling, Glastonbury to name a few, saw Matuki turn unassuming audiences into dancing frenzies, wherever they play.

Madrid's Downbeat have a good name around these parts - now Jose Rico steps up for Off Minor with the deep correctness. TIP!
Label Owner, GCZ, says "These three cuts will lead you deep into Jose Rico's dreams. On first listen you can immediately tell these were made by someone super sensitive and experienced in this thing some call deep house. If you are a dj, you'll appreciate this selection, cause it makes your job easy and gets the floor busy in a sec. If you're a human, you'll appreciate it cause it'll make you feel stuff you haven't felt in a while.

Anyway, I'm very proud to release this record on Off Minor. Jose Rico and I go way back. This is a special record for me. Orpheu de Jong designed this wonderful sleeve. He has a gift. Enjoy!"

The first instalment in our new 'Mr Bongo Record Club' compilation series - a selection of favourites, recent discoveries and sought after obscurities, which form the basis of our DJ sets and our radio show of the same name. Including cuts by Claudia, Cortex, Dave Pike Set, Fruko, Neno Exporta Som, Connie Laverne, Barbosa and more. The original concept for 'Mr Bongo Record Club' was a radio show that allowed us to air our treasured record collections, recorded and broadcast once a
month. We wanted to create an outlet free from any genre or BPM restrictions, not constrained by the need to beat-mix every record, a space where we could play latest finds alongside favourites. The only self-imposed rule being that
it had to be played from vinyl. We have always DJ'd across-the-board, but playing in an eclectic way hasn't
always been easy. Recently DJ's such as MCDE, Floating Points, Nick The Record, Leon Vynehall, Four Tet, Jeremy Underground, Antal (Rush Hour), Sassy J and Young Marco - to name a few - have opened things up with very diverse sets to
younger audiences; Brazilian samba-rock, next to modern soul, highlife, disco, boogie, jazz, house, techno and beyond.  
We're seeing a rare groove like sensibility. A shift towards the attitude of legendary club nights hosted by the likes of Mr Scruff and Gilles Peterson, where you could hear house, hip hop, Turkish funk, boogie, jazz, dub and Latin
back to back. At the same time it isn't a nostalgic or retro movement, people have a progressive attitude and a thirst for new-old music. It is a vibrant and exciting time - we are proud to be a part of it.

finally repressed

Back in February 2013, shortly after their impressive first release as a label, Music Is Love launched a double VA entitled Lovebox: an 8 track double-vinyl release that included tracks from 8 talented up-and-coming producers on their roster. By innovatively previewing the producers in this way, the label laid the foundations for what listeners could expect for each artists' subsequent EPs. The artists who released on it were not hyped up flavours of the month, but rather emerging talents who sat perfectly with the label's musical ethos - quality and original underground house with a contemporary, dynamic feel. Since the VA, the label have gone from strength to strength and have firmly established themselves as one of the most brightest house labels around in the UK.

Just over a year later and following in the success of its predecessor, MIL return with their second VA and with that, a chance for listeners to hear the new additions they've acquired, in addition to some already known faces. Liam Geddes opens proceedings with Untitled. A deep sense of soul permeates the whole track as a rumbling baseline imbues the beat with an ever-present sense of groove that never lets the head stop nodding. Geddes has really fine tuned and matured his sound over the past year, and this track is further evidence of his quality as a producer. The subtle percussive rhythms, electronic bleeps and synth nuances give this track a natural flow, as Geddes conjures something altogether more hypnotic, dark and purposeful.
Mr.KS, one of the newcomers to the label, outlines his coolly crafted style with track (Music) Makes Me Stronger. Brittle drums and deep warped synths suck you in and out and shape the structure of the beat, while afflicted chord patterns combine with the hypnotic repetition of a vocal sample to give the track a gesture towards techno but with a flow that pulls in house elements. Cassio Kohl introducers himself with a warm, melodic house number; rumbling synths circulate in the background of the track while ticking hi-hats and snares play off against the sumptuous vocal sample, which builds and falls back nicely into its original path until electronic glitches sporadically ease in and move the beat forward.

Jamie Trench has been making some serious headway of late and his track I Want You with Rebel serves a timely reminder of a producer on top form. A heavy, rolling baseline resonates intently, building against murky vocal samples, shuffling snares and off-beat key stabs that grow in presence and intensity - a track that will no doubt prove a high point in any DJ set. Label boss Oli Furness has a raw knack for creating crisp, heavy sounds and Take Monday Off remains on a similar path, albeit the beauty lies in the subtlety of arrangements rather than bigger hitting sounds. Chopped shimmying keys tease, filter and build fluently with urgent hi-hats and swinging drums that flourish harmoniously together, while an understated baseline adds weight and rhythmic groove typically inherent in Furness' work.

Italian heavyweight Tuccillo has released on some of the most reputable labels on the circuit - releases for 20:20 Vision and Freerange is evidence enough of his provenance - and this time he brings his baleric house sound with the impeccable sounds of DubFlanged Gru. Shimmering percussion shakes meander against the bumping bassline while the endearing, muffled vocals that threaten to break out are superseded by breeze-block keys that filter and descend into a chattering groove. Dutch producer U Know The Drill brings things back into heavier house territory with a no-nonsense, stripped-back stomper, the type of track we've been used to hearing on Dutch affiliates New Jack City's material. Heavy snares kick with a punch, and the deep drone-like vocal swings against the wobbling baseline and tapestry of electronic bleeps. Other sampled vocals and glitches weave in with the juxtaposing elements playing off one another to huge effect, ensuring that sheer energy pervades the track.

Jackson Ryland rounds off the heavy 8 track VA - scattering hi-hats and swirling pads build, while the shuffling drums roll on until fleeting chord flourishes and a musky vocal hook bring the track into wistful nostalgia. The elements of track balance superbly and are propelled forward by the intricate drum arrangements and well-crafted hi-hat/vocal combo.
The difference in approach and outcome from each artist results in yet another highly impressive outcome, with 8 high grade tracks that show another side to Music Is Love. The sounds are tougher and the mood is darker, but the premise of the whole MIL concept remains more apparent than ever with this release: sourcing fresh underground talent, curating original electronic music and evolving artists already on the roster.

RAWAX proudly welcomes Mr. Lamont Norwood aka Dj Di'jital to the family! A true pioneer from Detroit!

Truly an old school Techno Bass jewel, DJ Di'jital has been a key player in the development of what some call the "Second Generation" of Detroit Techno. Having released on classic Detroit labels like Metroplex, Direct Beat, and Twilight 76, there is plenty of good reason why his name and his work have become so legendary over the years.

Influenced by early groups like Kraftwerk and Parliament, it was no surprise that the 80's fusion of Electronic Music, Funk and Hip Hop that brought about the Electro Funk sounds, would have such an impact on him. As a kid, Lamont Norwood aka DJ Di'jital became acquainted with the idea of mixing two songs together using tape decks, which while being limited, still gave him the drive and passion to pursue a career as a professional DJ. Over the years he played many different house parties and underground clubs, even spending some time as a Cabaret DJ.

Throughout this time, Di'jital became an incredibly skilled turntablist, quickly gaining the reputation of being a formidable force behind the wheels of steel. The year 1996 would prove to be quite a momentous one for Norwood, not only signing to the already well established label Direct Beat, but also becoming the official DJ for one of the label's finest and most important artists, Aux 88. Having already released his first EP, "Prototype", on Direct Beat, this would become a great opportunity that would help seal him as an icon of what was now known as the Detroit Techno Bass scene. Over the next few years,

Di'jital continued recording for Direct Beat, releasing some of the greatest and most unique Techno Bass classics to date, even doing a few remixes for some of Aux 88's most well known releases like "Electro/Techno", "I Need To Freak", and "Break It Down". Hit EPs like "From The Mind Of The Master", and "360 Degrees" became instant classics, still very sought after to this day. He also had some of his songs appear on some of the various Direct Beat compilations that were released between the years 1996 and 1999 like "Xperience De Bass II", which released "Radar2Bass", one of his most notable works, as well as the all time collector's album, "Techno Bass: The Mission".
Perhaps what may have been one of the biggest signs that his career was becoming exactly what he had hoped for, was the opportunity presented to him to remix Aaron Carl's classic "Down", which was released on the iconic Metroplex Records in 1998; Something that to any Detroit native would have been an honor and a milestone, given the reputation and level of success and influence that Juan Atkin's imprint had on the Detroit Electronic Music scene, as well as the global Electro/Techno movement.

Between the years 2000 and 2002, there was a small hiatus in complete EPs or albums being released by DJ Di'jital, although there were 2 different tracks released on the labels Bipolar and Studio iK7. In 2002, he went on to sign to another of Detroit's legendary imprints, Twilight 76, where he released 2 EPs, "Bass Programmers", and Di'jital's Revenge". In 2005, already a veteran and having amassed the necessary skill and knowledge needed to be a true beat warrior, Di'jital was now ready to join the resistance...Underground Resistance that is! Featured on the Interstellar Fugitives Vol. 2 compilation ( also later released as a 2xCD/DVD set ), Di'jital also released on the Electrocuter EP, which featured the previously released "Bang", as well as "Track 19".

In 2006, already well into the digital age ( no pun intended ), Norwood would release his first set of downloadable works, starting with an album called "The Prototype", on Twilight 76, which was completely unrelated to his first EP which was also called "Prototype". Recently, Twilight 76 has also released what is so far a 2 volume set of battle cuts dubbed "Electro Battle Tools".

The only known material that is known to be in the future for DJ Di'jital at the moment is a remix of Morphogenetic's "Techno Bass Is Back!", which was originally released as a free download to members of Technobass, but will soon be released on a 12"/Digital release that will launch the site's own label "Techno Bass Music". There will also be a follow EP by Di'jital, so stay tuned! Over the years, DJ Di'jital has proven to be an unstoppable force in the Techno Bass scene, tirelessly working to push the boundaries of Electro forward with his futuristic and visionary beats that have unleashed mayhem across the globe, not just in his published works, but also in his incredible DJ acts, where one can truly witness one of the few actual turntablists in this style of music. Expect more in the future as Di'jital's revenge continues to spread across the globe with his out of the ordinary approach towards Techno Bass music.