STRIKER TRAXX proudly presents its very first release — STX101: BALLAN “Chantal Grooves EP”.
Born as the new sub-label of SUPREME STRIKER, itself a direct emanation of the Skylax Records universe, STRIKER TRAXX sets the tone for a new era: raw, uncompromising, and forward-thinking. As always, the visual identity is entrusted to the legendary H5’s exclusive artwork (Daft Punk, Air, Logorama), delivering a striking design that transforms each copy into a true collector’s object.
For this inaugural strike, we welcome Asaf Ballan, aka BALLAN, an artist emerging with force from the vibrant beatscape of contemporary electronic music. With Chantal Grooves EP, he delivers a 12-inch packed with five club-weapons that dive deep into the essence of house and tech house, reshaping them with his own relentless, pumpy twist.
The trip opens with “How Should I Start”, a perfect ignition, teasing anticipation while locking you instantly on the groove. “Goddamnit (Club Tool)” follows as a pure machine workout, echoing Kerri Chandler’s house foundations while pushing them into today’s territory. “Members Only Club” exudes exclusive sophistication, a secret-weapon built for late-night dancefloors. On the flip, “Keep the Frequency Clear” hypnotizes with razor-sharp frequencies, proof of BALLAN’s sonic craftsmanship, before “Futuro” launches us headfirst into tomorrow—where innovation collides with the Romanian sunrise aesthetic, infused with a heavier, raw energy.
Influenced by the minimal masters (Zip, Ricardo Villalobos, Raresh) yet unwilling to compromise on drive and power, BALLAN delivers here a record where every track stands as a killer. Chantal Grooves EP is both a homage to the roots of house and tech house, and a manifesto propelling the genre into its next evolution.
STRIKER TRAXX launches with a statement: this imprint is made for DJs and dancers who still believe in vinyl as a sacred object and in the dancefloor as a transformative space. With H5’s exclusive artwork (Daft Punk, Air, Logorama)and Skylax’s uncompromising vision, each release is conceived as a weapon for the underground, and a jewel for the true collectors.
Vinyl only. For devoted believers.
Поиск:dj tool
Все
As the so-called “Latin boom” becomes a new anchor for hard-swung club sounds, it is crucial to recognize that the region’s musical culture extends far beyond dembow edits and the pop-trap hybrids that have edged into the mainstream. Monterrey-born, New York City-based producer and DJ Delia Beatriz, aka Debit, returns to NAAFI with Potpourri, a generous and kinetic collection of dancefloor-oriented tracks filled with percussive flourishes, squelching 303 basslines, and rhythmic mutations that actively challenge the status quo. Rather than rebuilding “Latin sounds” as a fixed category, the album rethinks their internal logic, tracing the evolution of techno and house in cities like Detroit, Chicago, and New York alongside parallel innovations emerging in Mexico, Colombia, and across the wider Latin world. Positioned on the bridge between Mexico and the US, Potpourri does not seek synthesis as a gesture of smooth fusion, but as a site of disruption.
The album can be heard as a loose follow-up to System (2018), Debit’s NAAFI-released EP that expanded the sonic potential of tribal guarachero through triplet-driven rhythms, industrial pressure, and noisy reconstruction. Potpourri retains guaracha as a structural backbone while drawing further influence from veteran DJ and producer Javier Estrada—who also appeared on System—and particularly from his fast-paced, nonlinear style of mixing. That approach becomes a formal principle here: canonical structures are dismantled, repetition is avoided, and tracks evolve without sacrificing propulsion. Coming after the introspective temporal inquiry of Desaceleradas and the speculative historical acoustics of The Long Count, Potpourri arrives as a deliberate surge of energy. As Beatriz explains: “It’s a manifesto for rethinking form and sound in dance music. By stepping outside traditional structures and embracing the potpourri approach, I’m creating new meaning with familiar rhythms. I’ve also been applying this to my DJ sets, using it as a tool to break free from established norms and explore new narrative possibilities.”
Years in the making, Potpourri imagines an alternate timeline in which the psychedelic squelch of acid—echoing pioneers such as DJ Pierre and Mr. Fingers—and the dub-inflected atmospheres of Basic Channel entered into direct and sustained contact with Latin American club mutations. Those references are legible, but never merely quoted. Instead, they are folded into syncopated hi-hats, overdriven kicks, and unstable arrangements that absorb both the intensity of the parties Beatriz remembers from Monterrey and the abrasive edge she sharpened at DIY noise shows in New England. The result is unmistakably a dancefloor record—heard in tracks as forceful as “Pero like” and the peak-time pressure of “tuvesuerte”—but one saturated with grotesque, psychedelic atmospheres, where sounds dissolve into hoarse croaks, acidic smears, and anxiety-inducing growls. Here, the rave becomes not simply a site of release, but a platform for navigating identity, hybridity, and artistic formation across borders. Moving through peaks and ruptures, Potpourri reveals a party narrative that is not linear but multidimensional.
By folding together the fluidity of DJ culture, the experimental charge of acid, and the rhythmic vitality of guaracha, Potpourri proposes a space of formal and political innovation within Latin America’s rapidly expanding electronic music landscape. It is a record that refuses containment, pushing against the templates through which Latin electronic music is often consumed, and insisting instead on friction, instability, and transformation as generative conditions for the dancefloor.
Mark Flash returns on DTFA with two late-night transmissions built for the floor and the mind. "Interstellar Dreams" opens the space. Warm textures, deep chords, uplifting strings, and floating atmospheres drift into Detroit's futurist side, combining Hi-Tech Jazz with a funky bassline by Jon Dixon.
"Midnight Scanner" moves with purpose—pulsing synth lines and restless energy cutting through the dark, like signal traffic across the city after hours. Direct, mechanical, and locked-in, it's a peak-time tool designed to drive the room forward.
Together, the two tracks capture both ends of the spectrum: street-level grit and cosmic lift-off—classic Mark Flash territory where funk, techno, and movement meet. Functional. Emotional. Built for DJs.
In early 2025 Oakland-based Jerod S. Rivera released his second full length Dot-Dash, featuring a collaboration with CST co-founder Cat Lauigan and Jonathan James Carr. From the beginning we were mesmerized with the result, a perfect melding of Cat's processed spoken-word and Jerod's Buchla experimentations.
The thought of remixes presented immediately, the material extra ripe for interpolation. Enlisting friends from geographically and sonically disparate locations to present an ideal remix 12". Something for everyone, something for every setting, a tool with multiple functions...
The mysterious dub/techno/leftfield mastermind behind False Aralia dives further into territory explored on iri.gram, uptempo and dancefloor-ready in a more maximal Perlon-ish way while still embracing a half-time dub feel. Philipp Otterbach (Music from Memory, Offen, RIO) goes deeper into the guitar zone he’s been exploring, channeling Earth 2, Boris, and the like for some heavy drone. Oakland duo DJ ML and Wonja adopt their Motoko & Myers moniker (Future Times, Soda Gong), zeroing in on some choice vocal snippets that mesh perfectly with a live drum break and bassline for a Seefeel-esque version that could have come from a 90’s UK studio. Finally, Slowfoam embraces the more experimental elements of the original with a remix that starts sparse and minimal but builds into a glitchy rhythmic climax.
The 12” includes a 2-sided riso insert and a download code with access to an additional remix by close collaborator Jon Carr that twists the vocals into a throbbing industrial caucaphony.
VNL - "In ViNyL we trust"
Even before the launch of the Concorde MkII, we have always studied the feedback of our customers and how they utilize our products.
Skilled DJs demand specialized tools that can help them push their creativity to the edge – consistently testing the boundaries in the realm of performance.
Understanding this and reflecting our extensive experience in industrial design and technological know-how, we present the Ortofon VNL cartridge – a model tailored uniquely to the unrelenting demands of modern turntablists and portablists.
The VNL features and improvements
? Extra resistance to hardcore scratching and back spinning
? High tracking performance for both DVS usage and real vinyl
? Optimal balance of output and of sound quality
Technological improvements have been applied for the benefits of all users:
- Ultrasonic welding of the components ensures high rigidity and freedom from resonances.
- Robotic assembly of stylus assembly offers high precision and uniformity of industrial production.
VNL Premounted
Expertly paired and premounted on our popular black SH-4 Headshell, the VNL Single cartridge is compatible with any standard DJ turntable and tonearm.
The quality of the SH-4 headshell is sturdy and rigid, with high quality tonearm terminal connections. One of the standout features of the VNL Premounted cartridge is its versatility. The universal mount fitting allows it to be used with a wide range of S-shaped tonearms, making it a great option for DJs who use multiple setups. The ergonomic design of the headshell includes a long finger lift that is easy to pick up and use, making it ideal for busy DJ sessions. And with its plug and play design, the VNL Premounted cartridge is ready to go right out of the box!
Features:
?Premounted on Ortofon SH-4 Black headshell
?Universal mount fitting a wide range of S-shaped tonearms
?Correct Baerwald alignment with the major part of tonearms with universal mount
The VNL Premounted is supplied with the stylus VNL II premounted on the VNL cartridge body.
3 different feels to fine-tune your performance
To match the multiple applications of modern DJs, the VNL is interchangeable with 3 different styli with suspension types of varying feel and rigidity:
- Stylus VNL I compliance, dynamic lateral 16 μm/m N - Flexible
- Stylus VNL II compliance, dynamic lateral 15 μm/m N - Rigid
- Stylus VNL III compliance, dynamic lateral 14 μm/m N - Firm
DJs can easily identify which stylus type best suits their individual DJ style and enables their absolute best performance capability.
All three VNL styli variants are available separately.
The VNL SINGLE PACK is supplied with the stylus VNL II premounted on the VNL cartridge body.
Output voltage at 1000Hz, 5cm/sec. - 6 mV
Channel separation at 1kHz - 20 dB
Frequency response 20 Hz - 20 kHz -2/+4 dB
Tracking ability at 315 Hz at recommended tracking force:
VNL I 100 μm
VNL II 90 μm
VNL III 90 μm
Compliance, dynamic lateral:
VNL I 16 μm/m N
VNL II 15 μm/m N
VNL III 14 μm/m N
Tracking force range - 3 - 5 g
Tracking force recommended - 4 g
Internal impedance, DC resistance - 750 Ohm
Internal inductance - 450 mH
Recommended load resistance - 47 kOhm
Recommended load capacitance - 200-600 pF
Cartridge weight - 6,5 g
Replacement stylus units: VNL I, VNL II, VNL III
Antiskating: for best backcueing performance use “0”
No Static Automatic is proud to cap off the year with the electrifying *Cabin Pressure EP* from seasoned producer and sound designer **Luke Sanger**.
Set for release on limited edition vinyl, this four-track weapon is a potent fusion of classic electro rhythms and Sanger’s signature world of bleeps, wobbles, and modulated
chaos.
With a career spanning two decades at the nexus of music and technology, Luke Sanger is a relentless innovator. While his roots are often linked to techno, his artistic output defies easy categorization, constantly exploring the full spectrum of electronic music. On the
*Cabin Pressure EP*, he turns his focus to electro, injecting the genre with his uniquely off- kilter and captivating sound.
The EP is a masterful display of analog synthesis. Sanger crafts simple, infectious basslines and leads, then sets them in motion, allowing them to converse, modulate, and evolve into a complex tapestry of sound. The result is a listening experience that is as intellectually fascinating as it is physically compelling. Over a bedrock of sturdy electro beats, Sanger layers acid basslines with wild envelope modulation, distorted humanoid samples, and an array of wobbly, techy textures designed to bring dancefloors to a state of ecstatic, unstable bliss.
This is a record built for impact. The *Cabin Pressure EP* is not just a collection of tracks; it's a dynamic tool for DJs, guaranteed to become a secret weapon in sets that demand character and forward-thinking energy.
Meltdown Deejays Recordings, a long-standing pillar of Finland’s underground scene, continues its beautiful streak with Kitkatone. Known for his stripped yet soulful productions, the Helsinki-based artist delivers four timeless cuts that capture the label’s spirit, honest, functional, and deeply musical.
Four tracks that balance tight drum programming with a dry sense of funk, shaping a sound that’s both stripped and full of motion.
No tricks, no drama, just proper dancefloor tools from start to finish.
Mixners and Slidey Thingys flows effortlessly between house and techno, balancing raw rhythm and subtle groove. A record full of character, made for DJs who appreciate precision, warmth, and that unmistakable Meltdown touch.
To celebrate two decades of passion, innovation, and dedication to underground music, Playbeatz Labels Network proudly launches "Tribe", a new compilation project that pays tribute to the artists and sounds that have shaped its journey.
For over 20 years, Playbeatz has been a platform for creative freedom and genre-crossing experimentation—championing independent voices and uncovering unique talents from across the electronic music spectrum. "Tribe Vol. 1" is the first chapter in a special series of releases that reflect the label family’s diversity and forward-thinking spirit.
Kicking off with a limited edition vinyl, Vol. 1 features four carefully curated tracks by long-time Playbeatz affiliates —each bringing their unique sonic identity, from house to melodic textures, tech tools to soulful grooves.
A1. Erly Tepshi – Dreamer Emotionally charged and atmospheric, a deep dive into the melodic house realm, “Dreamer” wraps a haunting male vocal around lush synth lines and hypnotic rhythms.
A2. DJ Simi & Antonio Grassia – Nuestro Fuego With its driving groove and minimal yet powerful arrangement “Nuestro Fuego” is crafted as a peak-time tech and house tool. The track is all about raw energy and club efficiency.
B1. Mind The Gap DJs – Eclipse Of The Soul This old-school house jam delivers uplifting piano riffs, classic drum programming, and a timeless sense of groove. A heartfelt homage to the golden era of house, reimagined for today’s floors.
B2. Giomini & Marcus Raute – Tape Sweat A fresh and summery house cut with shimmering grooves and playful percussion. The track recalls the clean, infectious style of Deetron, blending crisp drums with melodic finesse. A pure dancefloor delight for the warmer seasons.
Kucera & Delayed Sentence Present the Analog Rhythms EP
Scrap & Delete continues its trajectory as a home for uncompromising techno with the Analog Rhythms EP. A collaborative release from Kucera and Delayed Sentence that merges their respective strengths into a tightly honed four-tracker of futuristic machine music.
Opening cut "Analog Rhythms" sets the tone with raw propulsion and hypnotic focus. Anchored by a driving low end and jagged synth pulses, it balances grit with surgical control. A track built for long blends and warehouse immersion.
"Between Networks" dials into a more kinetic space. Its interlaced groove patterns, off-axis drum programming and haunting vocal grooves create a feeling of constant shift, evoking unstable connections and digital interference while maintaining absolute floor impact.
On "Synthax," the duo lean into sci-fi atmospheres. Bleeding-edge textures swirl through a thickly percussive dancefloor orientated framework, creating a dark yet spacious momentum that's equal parts cerebral and physical.
Closing cut "Twisted Ankl3" is the EP's most unhinged moment. A wonky workout full of broken signal bursts and twitchy rhythmic grooves. It's a subtly evolving sequenced post-industrial DJ tool, leaving dancers disoriented and locked in.
With Analog Rhythms EP, Kucera and Delayed Sentence showcase a shared vision rooted in sonic discipline, hardware fluency, and unrelenting energy. This is high-functioning techno at its most distilled. A perfect fit for Scrap & Delete's refined catalogue.
Bread&Butter Records celebrates its 10th EP with a powerful statement from Romanian duo NTFO, a name synonymous with precision minimalism and timeless groove. The release unfolds across four masterfully produced tracks, each one engineered for those moments when the dancefloor turns into something deeper, heavier, and unforgettable.
Calibre sets the tone in classic NTFO fashion. Its stripped-bacb bassline rolls with hypnotic intent, carrying just enough weight to lock the floor in. By the three-minute mark, subtle shifts into a trance-like state, gently elevating the room into waves of euphoric release. It’s understated yet devastatingly effective, the type of cut that DJs treasure for its power to transform the atmosphere without ever shouting too loud.
Electr pares things back even further, pushing into pure minimal territory. Built on a sleek harmonic groove, it’s a masterclass in restraint, every sound feels perfectly placed, every movement precise. This is a track that thrives in the early hours, where tension, patience and subtle shifts in rhythm rule the floor.
Forap flips the script, injecting an upbeat energy that hits with instant impact. Around the three-to-four minute mark, a vocal element cuts through, commanding attention before the groove locks back in with unstoppable momentum. Hypnotic yet uplifting, it’s the perfect peak-time tool a track that lifts the room into a collective high, as though flying on pure feeling.
Nanomos closes the EP with finesse. A deeper, darker exploration, it glides through murky textures and intricate percussive details, carrying an otherworldly atmosphere that keeps the listener suspended in motion. It’s a slow-burner that lingers long after the last note fades, a testament to NTFO’s ability to balance groove and emotion in equal measure.
With this release, Bread&Butter not only cements its reputation as one of London’s most exciting underground imprints but also showcases NTFO at their most refined. Four cuts, four moods, all bound by that unmistakable Romanian touch that continues to set standards worldwide.
A Bristol x Paris link-up between SSSLIP and Bamao Yendé delivers with BP028. A label debut for both artists on the BPR original series. All killer no filler ear worms from across the spectrum. “On The Dial” and vinyl only cut “Don Plz” offer something for those sillier hours, while “Brek Stance” and “Kalypso” host the artists' deeper servings. A balanced collection of functional low end tools for the dance.
Bristol-based producer SSSLIP, known for their experimental club hybrid productions and a growing back catalogue of strong outings on No dice, ec2a and their own imprint SSS Audio. Sharing the EP with Parisian DJ and producer, Bamao Yendé, head of Boukan Records, blending inspirations through garage, broken beat, and Kuduro.
PD002 takes flight in the form of a lost, deadeye jungle bird scavenging for his next trinket. It captures the raw energy and playful, feral sound that defines the Pelican Dub aesthetic: a blend of primal rhythms, hypnotic textures, and experimental intensity.
Pelican Dub 002 features three original tracks by DJ Merlín, alongside one co-production with Adam Pits:
Obsession
Obsessed once again… Nearly lost my head rocking it like a madman.
These drums weren’t simply made. They were forged by a blacksmith with a big blade and a bad temper. It boasts a peculiar flow and a three verse arrangement. Not a mix tool, or is it?
Down the Wrong Road
A futuristic techno-dub track featuring pinched, glassy drumwork wrapped around a pseudo-acid riff. Born during the aftermath of a questionable decision of two friends meeting early in the morning after separate all-night adventures, hence the title: Down the Wrong Road…..
Dirt Bubble
Dirty, unpredictable, and uncompromising. The original version of Dirt Bubble is a raw and visceral workout, chaotic in just the right way.
Dirt Bubble (DnB Mix)
The younger sibling that has outgrown its original prototype. This DnB rework has rightfully become a flagship for the Pelican Dub sound. Expect primal rhythms, wild experimental drum design, and a savage, stretched-out analog bassline that dominates the low end.
Our next Toolroom vinyl instalment comes from Sara Parker and Eats Everything with his reebeef on an absolute classic! Originally released in 1995 on the Sharp Boys own ‘Sharp Recordings’, ‘My Love Is Deep’ went on to achieve national chart success on ‘Manifesto’. Championed by the late, great Tony De Vit on the legendary dancefloor of ‘Trade’, Tony was the first DJ to play the ‘Sharp Dub’, after being handed an acetate by the boys. Eats Everything, off the back of his debut album ‘We Lost Ourselves and Found A Family’, delivers a blistering new ‘Reebeef’. Listing the ‘Sharp Dub’ in his ‘10 Best Hardbag Tracks of All Time’, Eat’s admiration of the original, Tony De Vit and the nuances and essence of Dance Music culture is evident with this essential rework, guaranteed to be a genuine highlight of the year. The package features both this great new rework and the timeless original!
Updated remixes of two big Balearic classics on Best Record! "Describing Linda Di Franco is no easy task: a reserved, sometimes elusive artist with a career that is difficult to define. From an early age she was interested in various artistic fields. Working as a DJ in clubs, then on the radio, she took the opportunity to record her first musical demo, Stage, obtaining international recognition which quickly took her to England and to the States, where she recorded her first compositions, My Boss and T.V. Scene. The songs are of great value and achieve unexpected success, also included in The Rise Of The Heart, a milestone in the nascent revolution of club culture, a Balearic classic supported by DJs in love with the indefinable sound of Ibiza. But Linda is extraordinarily ahead of her time and despite the enormous fame has gained with her songs she is already oriented towards a career as a music video director. For this reason the Turin singer-songwriter turns out to be one of the least fruitful artists of her time, while her CV in Hollywood is impressive in various roles which she holds, in addition to that of actress and director, that of impeccable sound technique. Intelligent artist, full of good and positive feelings and certainly also ambitious, but extremely scrupulous by subjecting sounds in cinema to careful review. Yes! The "sound" is an investigative tool for her, a way of understanding art. Linda Di Franco is - willy-nilly - still the undisputed queen of the Balearic sound today. So, she decided to produce Redux, a limited edition album published by Best Record, in which her most intrepid and famous songs are re-proposed in the jazz versions edited by her friends from Turin and Los Angeles. Then she had to give in to the boundless passion of Danilo Braca, the Italian DJ based in New York, who deserves credit for the successful combination of refined and ethereal songs with the disco genre. TV. Scene - Epic Remix, TV. Scene - Costa del Sol Mix and My Boss - Remix are Danilo's pearls, created with the help of excellent international musicians who with more defined and current sounds have added their art to that of Linda."
Dutch record label, shop and club platform One Eye Witness presents a lively new entry in their V/A series with WITNESS08. Honing in on more fresh talent from across the globe, Amsterdam’s wandering eye gathers producers Sinqmin, Salomee, Kate08 and elusive duo The Evil B-Side Twins (DJ Tool & Yazzus) for another trip into tech house — and beyond!
Kate08’s “Sticky Toffee” is suitably viscous, burbling and oozing its way across shifting sections. The London artist delicately balances percussion atop warbling bass tones and synth lines that pop in and out. Salomee gets moody on “Night Behaviour”; lurking in the shadows, the track’s acid squelch and interlocking melodies point to the psychedelic, with a purring bassline that keeps things grounded.
The Evil B-Side Twins lay in wait on the flip, springing into action with the tightly-wound “Spindrift”. Propelled by a spiky break and cascading delays, its 303 lines sound like rubber, bouncing between the other synths deployed by the duo. All manner of FX trickery is woven into the production: the Twins layer up and load the track with intricate details. Supplying an unexpected respite from the club action, final cut “Aesthetics For Destination” marks the debut foray into hip-hop for OEW. Produced by Seoul-based Sinqmin and featuring the sultry vocals of 문선 (MOONSUN), the track’s sparse beat and ghostly samples make for a mellow, head-nodding end to another hit from the label.
WITNESS08 — More talent, more trax!
From the shores of Lake Erie to the heart of the dancefloor, DJ Romain opens a brand new chapter with The Cleveland EP, his latest release on legendary UK house imprint Hard Times.
Having relocated from his beloved New Jersey to Cleveland, Ohio, Romain dismantled and rebuilt his studio piece by piece, laying the foundations for a new wave of creativity. Following his acclaimed Lost D.A.T.S. series and The New Jersey EP, this marks the first body of music born entirely from his new northern base.
The EP kicks off with the haunting vocal and ghostly chords of 'Change Your Mind', before diving into the rattling hats, crisp snares, and plucked bassline of ‘Crysis’ - a pure Romain floor-tool. 'Cuz You Like' rolls deep with warm, shuffling UK vocal energy, while closer 'Deep Reaktor' lands with preaching tones and heavyweight bump, sealing the collection in signature style.
With The Cleveland EP, Romain bridges past and present - new city, same uncompromising house spirit.
Seoul-based DJ and producer DJ Botermelk launches his new vinyl label Venn with a solid four-tracker of club-ready tools.
Kicking off the EP, ‘Rubber Glover’ is a wonky stomper layered with hypnotic vocals and percolating FX.
A2 settles into a deeper, minimal groove with dubbed out synths perfect for a cheeky jaunt down the streets of ‘Milwaukee’.
On the flip, ‘Rearview’ takes on a more sinister tilt, with a rumbling bass line, menacing vocals, and a punchy drum workout to keep things driving forward.
Fresh off a run of standout releases on Mindhelmet, Limousine Dream and Sex Tapes From Mars, Bristol-based producer Boulderhead closes out the EP on a more optimistic note with his bouncy remix of ‘Rubber Glover’, driven by razor-sharp drum programming and pulsing drones.




















