Dope Purple's new album 'Children In The Darkness’ was recorded when the band hosted a live midnight recording session at Revolver, Taipei City, Taiwan on Friday 3rd March 2023.
Amidst the tense silence of the middle of the night, the five members of Dope Purple, two guest musicians: saxophonist Yong Yandsen from Malaysia, British drummer Darren Moore from Singapore, and a familiar audience, came together to produce the album 'Children In The Darkness’.
The album is a ferocious space psychedelic rock, no starlight, no glamourous psychedelic paradise, just a meditative journey of infinite darkness and ear-splitting tinnitus. Unlike our last album, I didn't have a specific theme or idea for this album, however I named it 'Children In The Darkness’ because all the songs on this album share the same lonely, disorientating chaos that reminds me of children forgotten in the darkness, and Dope Purple has always been a messenger for those children, playing sedative music for their ghosts.
At the end of each performance, I can clearly feel my furious brain melting away and only the calming spirit remains in my body.
Danou P Serves Up Deep, Funky Heat with his 'In The Brine EP' on Definitive Recordings.
Rotterdam-based producer and DJ Danou P delivers a standout four-tracker with 'In The Brine EP,' released on Definitive Recordings. Known for his warm, soulful and funk-infused take on house music, Danou channels raw rhythm and musical flair into a collection that feels both classic and freshly personal.
Opening track 'The Flex' sets the tone with stomping deep house drums, playful chord stabs, and clever vocal sample play that gives it a raw, jacking feel. It's got attitude and groove in equal measure. 'On My Own' keeps things rolling with a classic deep house bassline, gradually introducing a soulful vocal loop that blossoms with the arrival of shimmering synth layers. Danou brings emotion without ever losing grip of the dancefloor.
Next comes 'Spirit', flipping the rhythm into broken beat territory. Another catchy vocal sample rides alongside vibey, jazzy stabs, offering a breezy, uplifting moment that's both heady and driving. It's the kind of track that sneaks into your set and ends up stealing the show. Rounding out the release is 'Bronstige Bakvissen', a deep and moody closer built on a heavy, rolling groove and rich classic house chords. It's stripped back but full of warmth, closing the EP with a nod to soulful late-night sessions.
Best known for his work alongside Jamie 3:26, and with releases on Glitterbox, Tru Thoughts, and Soulfuric Trax, Danou P is steadily building a solo catalogue that's as musical as it is danceable. His 'InThe Brine EP' is a bold step forward, out on Definitive on July 25th 2025.
Night falls, the lights dim, and the Extrasensorial Catalog presents its third chapter—an eclectic VA built for late hour mind-bending moments on the dancefloor.
On the A side, we open with Dani Labb and his explosive contribution "Rin Raje", a raw, hypnotic roller designed to twist minds and bodies alike. Saturated grooves, razor-sharp percussion and just the right amount of darkness make this an undeniable peak-time must.
A2 features the Italian craftsman Niki IL B with "Monte Moggio", a mystical excursion into deep, textured terrain. This track feels like wandering through fog-covered hills at dawn—delicate, groovy, and haunting in the best possible way.
Flip to the B side, and Ludovic wastes no time with "Vitesse, Argent, Sexe (5am Mix)", a late-night anthem soaked in tension and sweat. Pulsating basslines and seductive rhythms carry you into a euphoric state where the rules no longer apply.
Closing things off is Kebab Traume with "Mindlock", a cerebral journey that merges dreamy pads, off-kilter drumwork and warped melodies—like stepping into a lucid dream you never want to wake up from. An ideal closer for those deep after-hours rituals.
On Explorations 03, Sam Goku continues his journey into deep, left-field club music, delivering four tracks that drift between dubby house and finely tuned electronica. Warm basslines, spacious rhythms and subtle melodic details form the foundation, while his unmistakable Sam Goku twist adds an emotional, exploratory edge throughout. Designed for late-night floors as well as introspective listening, Explorations 03 captures a fluid, forward-thinking sound that feels both grounded and otherworldly—another refined chapter in Sam Goku’s evolving sonic universe on Permanent Vacation.
Looking back on her career in the early 90s, Stevie Nicks described the first track of Rock a Little as “the most exciting song that I had ever heard.” This coming from a superstar who was already closely affiliated with several bajillion-selling Fleetwood Mac albums — to say nothing of her own benchmark solo debut. Her remarks attest to the enthusiasm and effort she invested in her third record, a 1985 work that quickly furthered Nicks’ profile and cemented itself as a piece of 80s pop lore.
Mastered at MoFi’s California studio, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, strictly limited to 4,000 numbered copies, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 45RPM 2LP set presents Rock a Little in audiophile sound for its 40th anniversary. Helmed by a cadre of producers and engineers, and recorded for a reported one million dollars, the platinum-certified album teems with a head-spinning array of colors, tones, dreamscapes, and accents. This reference-grade reissue marks the first time they are all brought to light and conveyed with proper balance, dimensionality, and positioning.
Though Rock a Little doubtlessly has period characteristics of a mid-80s LP, Nicks and company spare no expense when it comes to distinguishing the music with expansive sonics distinguished with lush melodies, high-tech percussion, echoing vocals, sampled keyboards, and layers of sophisticated accents. The degrees of spaciousness, headroom, and dynamics are nothing less than inspiring, while the newly enhanced detail, texture, and clarity make the songs sing like never before. As for Nicks’ voice? Wait ’til you experience the transparency and depth.
Those advantages extend, of course, to the aforementioned “I Can’t Wait,” a statement-making opener shot through with modulating synthesizers, splashy drums, metallic guitars, and serious drama. Holed up in a massive studio, Nicks required just one take to nail her part, which she called “magic and simply not able to beat.” The singer-songwriter also distilled the reverberating emotional essence of the Top 20 tune, stating “when I hear it on the radio, this incredible feeling comes over me, like something really incredible is about to happen.”
The same can be said for nearly all of Rock a Little. Crafted by the likes of Songwriters Hall of Fame multi-instrumentalist/producer Rick Nowels, Heartbreakers organist Benmont Tench, bassist Bob Glaub, jack-of-all-trades Greg Phillinganes, and session-pro guitarists Waddy Watchel, Les Dudek, and Danny Kortchmar — along with another two dozen or so participants — the record spills with diverse ideas, shapes, and moods. Everything is in the right place, as evidenced by the swirling glide and sensual undertow of the slightly funky title track to the snapping rhythmic pace and big hooks of “Imperial Hotel,” one of Nicks’ standout moments.
“What was it she wanted?” Nicks queries on “No Spoken Word,” continuing a theme of contemplation that runs through the narratives. Nicks never lands on a definite answer, but hearing her explore loneliness, love, and the secrets we keep to ourselves proves continuously rewarding. Take her passionate performance on a cover of Chas Sanford’s “Talk to Me,” a Top 5 smash furthered by tasteful saxophone lines and understated folk elements. Immersive yourself in the grand sonic corridors of “If I Were You,” laden with Nicks’ signature mysticism.
Moreover, surrender to the gravitas of the closing “Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You,” a piano ballad composed about the death of Joe Walsh’s three-year-old daughter. As Nicks asserts earlier on the album, she sings for things money can’t buy.
So, rock a little, yes, but dare to feel even more.
‘An Undying Love For A Burning World follows Converge’s Love Is Not Enough this year as a pivotal metal album about acknowledging the darkness for what it is and trying to accept it.’ - the QUIETUS
‘Neurosis Know You’re Hurting. Their Stunning New Album Is a Life Preserver.
An Undying Love for a Burning World, the band’s first album with new member Aaron Turner, is a reminder of how even the darkest music can be a guiding light’ - 9/10 ROLLING STONE
Evolution can be ugly and beautiful, painful and euphoric. An Undying Love For A Burning World is the first new release from Neurosis in a decade, and a potent statement of intent and rebirth - one that marks the first new steps of resolve and resilience.
An Undying Love For A Burning World is an epic album of colossal hypnotism - beautiful, fearsome and utterly compelling in a way that only Neurosis can be. Aaron Turner (Sumac, Isis) joins the band on vocals and guitar, a name whose legacy is intertwined with the band’s own and a true kindred spirit.
“From the moment I first heard Neurosis over 30 years ago, I felt this was the music my heart and mind had been seeking but not yet heard. Now after many years travelling along various musical paths of my own, the singular sound and spirit embodied by Neurosis continues to speak to the depths of my being. It is an honor and a true pleasure to have been welcomed so warmly into a band that not only shaped my perspective on the limitless possibilities of music - but has lived and exemplified the necessity of upholding creative integrity and camaraderie above all else.” - AARON TURNER
Neurosis have never been afraid of change, and here they embrace endless regeneration, surrendering to the emotional exorcism through heaviness and distortion that their music incites. Just as the universe tends towards balance, Neurosis’cacophony of noise, rhythm and dissonance always resolves towards moments of beauty. The addition of Turner's powerful vocals and wildly creative and unhinged approach to guitar proves to be a vital force as Neurosis find themselves again at the mercy of evolution and expression.
On every song in the band’s history, Neurosis shifts restlessly between tension and relief, invoking a feeling both feral and transcendent in listeners. The band describe their songwriting process as an inescapable impulse to create with each other - a need rather than a choice. Indeed, the band insist that their return is “not a reunion - we never broke up.”
The album was recorded by Scott Evans (Kowloon Walled City, Sumac, and Great Falls) at Studio Litho in Seattle during three weekends this winter, and mixed in three days just six weeks before release at Evan's Antisleep Audio in Oakland.
Neurosis will play their first show in seven years on the traditional lands of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana as part of Fire in the Mountains festival by special invitation of Firekeeper Alliance, a non-profit dedicated to reducing youth suicide in Indian Country.
FITM, is a unique festival known for bringing epic music to epic landscapes with the intent of reconnecting and immersing oneself with the natural world, and strengthening our ancestral roots as human beings - an aim which aligns directly with Neurosis’ deep-rooted power.
Stay tuned for further news over the coming months.
PREVIOUS PRESS:
‘In less skilful hands, this relentless sonic oppression would be gruelling, but by expressing human frailty with such visceral abandon, Neurosis have once again turned darkness into euphoria.’ - 4/5 THE GUARDIAN
‘The Oakland band has evolved from gritty metallic punk to harrowing post-hardcore prog to the majestic doom of their current phase’ - 7.9 PITCHFORK
‘It’s not often an album of such stature exceeds one’s anticipations, but Honor is too astounding to not be revered.’ - The QUIETUS
“Fires Within Fires is the summation of thirty years of experimentation in tonality and texture. Yes, NEUROSIS are firmly positioned within the extreme metal underground yet their music, with its ability to generate images of beauty akin to those many of us have experienced in our own lives – not to mention the loss that accompanies them – challenges this categorization. ‘’ - WIRE MAGAZINE - FULL PAGE REVIEW.
"Their intensity remains undimmed on Fires Within Fires...The already converted will take heart from the evidence that age is unable to wither the fury of this heaviest of bands." - KERRANG! 4K REVIEW
"Every monstrous sludge riff gnashes menacingly for the right amount of time and every delicate moment of folk-inspired drift is emotionally exacting. Neurosis continue to create art without equal, and Fires Within Fires is another worthy addition to an awe-inspiring canon containing a number of truly pioneering and timeless albums." - METAL HAMMER - 8/10 LEAD REVIEW
In the rapidly shifting tectonic plates of the global Afrobeats scene, few arrivals have been as seismic as that of Ahmed Ololade—better known to the world as Asake. With his breakout project Mr. Money With The Vibe, the artist didn’t merely debut; he effectively recalibrated the tempo of the Nigerian pop soundscape. The EP functions as a masterclass in synthesis, pulling from the ornate, percussive history of Fuji music and grafting it onto the driving, bass-heavy architectures of contemporary Amapiano. It is a calculated, deeply rhythmic hybridization that manages to feel both nostalgic and jarringly modern.
From a critical vantage point, Mr. Money With The Vibe is defined by its brevity and density. Asake treats each track as a focused vignette, utilizing a vocal delivery that oscillates between a melodic, almost liturgical chant and the staccato urgency of a Lagos street orator. The production—characterized by sharp, frenetic percussion and deceptively simple melodic loops—creates a high-intensity atmosphere that mirrors the relentless pace of urban life. He avoids the pitfall of bloated experimentation; instead, he doubles down on a "street-pop" ethos, prioritizing accessibility without sacrificing the complex rhythmic interplay that gives the genre its distinctive texture.
Ultimately, Mr. Money With The Vibe stands as a pivotal document of the current era, capturing the transition of Afrobeats from a regional powerhouse to a dominant global force. By blending the aspirational "hustle culture" narrative with an increasingly sophisticated sonic palette, Asake established a blueprint that has since influenced a new wave of artists. The project is a testament to the idea that authenticity, when paired with relentless precision, remains the most effective currency in contemporary music.
Polished and forward-looking even 40-odd years on from its initial release, Bourbon Suite captures Japanese female keyboard trio Cosmos at a time when fusion leaned into pop accessibility without losing technical finesse. Built around layered keys and crisp studio musicianship, the album moves with a sleek, late-night feel. 'Midnight Shuffle' stands out for reworking earlier material into a smoother, instrumental-led groove, while 'Cosmic Cosmos' drifts into more spacey territory and is driven by elastic bass and shimmering synth lines. There's a clarity to the arrangements that keeps things light on their feet and means this remains a refined example of early 80s crossover fusion.
Armenian house, jazz and broken beat fusionist Henna Onna lands on wax for the first time here courtesy of Deeppa Records. Opener 'Shibuya Oiran' uses syncopated drum patterns and modal synth lines that pull from Eastern tonal references within a club framework. Kuniyuki Takahashi's fine remix extends the track with live-feel percussion and sustained chord progressions. 'Enoshima' then focuses on a steady groove with filtered melodic elements while Satoshi Fumi's remix increases rhythmic density with smartly layered drums and bass sequencing. These are sophisticated sounds for serious heads.
There was nothing in contemporary music like Chris Isaak’s Heart Shaped World when it hit shelves in June 1989. More than three decades later, the singer-songwriter’s third album still sounds unique — and claims a backstory nearly as fascinating as the retro-leaning material and standout performances that propelled it to sales of more than 2.5 million copies. Home to the Top 10 smash “Wicked Game,” the set remains a masterful mood piece that invites you to pour a late-night drink, sit in a dimmed room, and relish Isaak’s elegant albeit raw ruminations on love, relationships, and questionable decisions.
Sourced from the original master tapes, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, and featuring the bonus track “Diddley Daddy,” Mobile Fidelity's UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP box set of Heart Shaped World unearths the staggering inner details, saturated tones, and brilliant atmospherics of the crisp production. It brings you up close and personal with Isaak’s spectacular singing — impeccably controlled, tense, brooding, steamy, smoldering, haunted — situated amidst stripped-down backdrops that allow every note to fully bloom and decay.
While Isaak’s ever-steady baritone remains the anchor, the contributions of his trusty backing band, the aptly named Silvertone, come across with just as much cool, command, and realism. The indispensable playing of guitarist James Calvin Wilsey particularly emerges with superb clarity and dimensionality. The character of his 1965 Fender Stratocaster, shivering twang of his spring-coiled fills, and his signature use of reverb, delay, and vibrato seamlessly match Isaak's patient deliveries and the band’s unhurried rhythms. Experienced on UD1S with ultra-black backgrounds and a nearly invisible noise floor, Heart Shaped World is in every regard a demonstration disc.
The premium packaging of this UD1S pressing befits its elevated status. Housed in a deluxe slipcase, it features foil-stamped jackets and faithful-to-the-original graphics. Aurally and visually, this reissue is for discerning listeners who desire to immerse themselves in everything involved with the album, not the least of which is the cover art depicting a lost-in-thought Isaak staring ahead and sitting in what appears to be an efficiency apartment. The image epitomizes the record’s lonesome temperaments and pensive themes.
Of course, if not for director David Lynch hand-picking two cuts from Heart Shaped World for his 1990 film Wild at Heart, the record would’ve probably suffered the same fate as Isaak’s prior efforts and gone unnoticed by the mainstream. Despite receiving raves from outlets such as NME, Chicago Tribune, and Rolling Stone upon its original release, the album stalled in the lower quadrants of the Billboard charts and, after a few weeks, dropped off.
Cue the ear of Lee Chesnut. Then the music director for a large Atlanta radio station, Chesnut heard the instrumental version of “Wicked Game” on Lynch’s soundtrack and started airing the album rendition at all hours of the day. Aided by a sensual video featuring Isaak and supermodel Helena Christensen, the song found its way into the public consciousness by early ‘91 and helped make Isaak a most unlikely mainstream star in an era where his techniques had little to nothing in common with popular tastes.
Despite its vintage vibes and shared DNA with legends such as Roy Orbison, Chet Baker, and Glen Campbell, Heart Shaped World transcends nostalgia, rockabilly, and throwback tropes. For all the melodrama and sadness at hand, Isaak’s gorgeously transparent singing dives deep underneath emotional surfaces. He mines subtleties that indicate his feelings go beyond heartbreak and anguish, and occasionally suggest frustration, menace, and anger. You can hear it in his quivering falsetto, and the slow and methodical ways he allows delicate whispers to break into shadowy phrasing that crosses over to the darker sides of romance and desire.
That approach bolsters the title track, which suggests calm yet moves on ominous currents — its simmering pace and snare-drum snappiness foreshadowing Isaak raising the volume and urgency during the coda. The southwestern-tinged “Wrong to Love You” plays with similar concepts of hesitation, unease, and discord, Isaak careful never to fully erupt and give anything away. His poised deliveries offer a master class in the art of insinuation and hurt on “Nothing’s Changed,” sent up with a wordless backing chorus and crackling guitar lines straight out of a Memphis blues joint.
Heart Shaped World further boosts its merit via its abundant stylistic variations, from the upbeat country-and-western trot of “I’m Not Waiting” and Spanish acoustic shimmer of the jazz-based ballad “Blue Spanish Sky” to the swinging horn-accompanied grooves of “Don’t Make Me Love You” and desert smokiness of the understated “Kings of the Highway.” On the latter, Isaak comes across as resigned and absolute. His singing and pain worm their way into your soul, and echo akin to the way the music prepares to strike when you least expect.
“Trouble going 'round,” Isaak croons right as the album begins. “Trouble going down.” Damn straight.
Another standout chapter in the Sacred Medicine catalogue, this latest release sees Ron Trent at the helm once again. This time featuring master percussionist Angel Figueroa (Herbie Hancock “This is the Drum” ) and multi versed guitarist Pablo Color.
The track unfolds through layered rhythms and melodies that feel light yet deeply pulsating, carrying both elegance and intensity. Its rich, evolving arrangement balances a strong percussive drive with a sense of space and musicality, revealing new details with every listen.
On the flipside, a more acoustic “Suite” version offers an alternate perspective, highlighting the composition’s organic textures and depth. A record that speaks to both dancers and attentive listeners alike, and another meaningful addition to the ever-consistent Sacred Medicine catalogue.
LIMITED 300 ONLY CRYSTAL CLEAR VINYL WITH PURPLE BLOB AND BLACK SPLATTER. HOUSED IN FULL COLOUR MATT SLEEVE WITH POLYLINED INNER BAG AND DOWNLOAD CODE. NON-RETURNABLE.
Following his two sold out releases ‘Vertigo’ & ‘Water Music’ on Riot Season last year, the ever prolific Ivan The Tolerable returns with ‘An Orphan Form’
A beautifully strange and immersive suite that feels both otherworldly and rooted in something organic. Drawing on kosmische drift, loose-limbed jazz, and warped psychedelic textures, the record moves like a half-remembered dream.
Field recordings and nature sounds weave in and out, grounding the swirling synths and off-kilter rhythms in real earth and air. It's a record that doesn’t follow a straight line, but instead wanders, curious, alive, and quietly spellbinding.
Recorded in winter 2024 in Middlesbrough, UK and Utrecht, Netherlands
Oli Heffernan: bass/guitars/synths/drones/field recordings/electric piano
Mees Siderius: drums/percussion/vibraphone
Elsa Van Der Linden: saxophones/flutes
The highly anticipated collaborative album, GOLDFISH, sees two of contemporary hip-hop's most revered and distinct production minds, Hit-Boy and The Alchemist, finally join forces for a full-length statement. Far from a simple beat-swap, this project is a masterclass in sonic cohesion, blurring the lines between their signature sounds to forge a new, golden-hued identity. Beyond production, the duo step from behind the boards to behind the mic to trade verses throughout the project, adding a personal layer to their creative vision.
GOLDFISH is a deeply immersive listen, perfectly balancing the West Coast muscle and polished, anthemic quality of Hit-Boy's work with the dusty, abstract texture and cinematic suspense that defines The Alchemist's aesthetic.
The result is a sound that feels both street-tested and museum-worthy. A collaborative manifesto, showcasing the infinite possibilities when two generational talents decide to link up, creating an instant classic in the canon of producer/MC albums.
Younger Brother Live, with Shpongle and The Orb at Troxy, London 9th May
Twisted Records is thrilled to announce the release of the long-awaited fourth album by Younger Brother: Mutually Assured Distraction.
The first full-length release by the fabled electronica project in a decade features nine sumptuous tracks that each embody the project’s intoxicating fusion of profoundly human sonorities and etheric electronic soundscapes.
The title is a subversive reframing of the Cold War doctrine “Mutually Assured Destruction,” pointing to a world currently frozen not by the geopolitical threat of a Nuclear Winter but by a Digital Summer of mindless overstimulation. Mutually Assured Distraction is a sonic salve for the pervasive numbness induced by an emotionally disconnective artificiality that seeks to pacify with counterfeit happiness; the album offers an antidote to mundane superficiality with nine musical masterpieces that convey the depth of human experience and authentic creative expression.
The progression of track titles symbolically represents the arc of this soulful journey through an evocative auditory landscape of moods, harmonies, and textures, progressing from the haunting opening “I Belong to Nowhere” to the penultimate “Home In This World” before arriving at the concluding “Endless Drift.”
The synthesised musical mastery of renegade musicians Simon Posford and Benji Vaughan is complemented by the contributions of some supremely skilful musicians, with beguiling vocals by MiraBelle Rose and Jay Marsh and the rich cello of Rena Jones. With poignant lyrics that speak to the universal human condition in a world where voices are amplified yet so many feel unheard,
Mutually Assured Distraction provides, through its fusion of electronic and real-world music- making, an example of how technology can pair harmoniously with our humanity - an energetic homecoming as the music draws us away from the unconscious scroll into an open field where we can embody our essential nature.
The album stands as both a reflection of our times and a timeless reminder that beneath the noise, a deeper presence continually exists, waiting to be felt, heard, and expressed.
Following years of quietly refining her craft, Dilemma now returns with her debut album A River Without Banks, landing this August on Spearhead Records.
Known for her effortlessly deep and soulful approach to drum & bass, Dilemma has become a respected name among listeners who favour atmosphere, musicality and understated emotion over quick trends. A River Without Banks feels like the culmination of that journey, a rich and carefully crafted body of work that moves between warm liquid rollers, deeper late-night textures and moments of genuine introspection.
The album showcases Dilemma’s versatility without ever losing the unmistakable character that has made her music so recognisable. Tracks like “You Do It To Me” capture her signature laid-back soul, while collaborations including “Watch” with BCee and “Days To Come” featuring In:Most & Lauren Archer bring a cinematic and emotional depth to the project. Elsewhere, cuts like “Usurper” and “Vibe Check” reveal a heavier, more stripped-back edge while still remaining rooted firmly in groove and feeling.
Rather than chasing peak-time moments, A River Without Banks unfolds patiently and naturally, rewarding repeat listens and drawing inspiration from across the spectrum of soulful drum & bass culture. There’s a timeless quality to the album, music designed to stay with you long after the final track fades, whether heard in solitary moments or shared across packed rooms and late-night systems.
Released via BCee’s Spearhead Records, A River Without Banks continues the label’s long-standing tradition of championing thoughtful, emotionally rich drum & bass while further cementing Dilemma’s place as one of the scene’s most quietly consistent producers.
Mexico's Rubinskee mixes up slapping house and techno on some of Europe's finest labels and has done so since 2011. His latest is an understated outing that veers into deep, melodic realms where warm textures meet precise machine-driven grooves, and it is inspired by solitary weekends in Sao Paulo. Opener 'Half Meal' rolls effortlessly, while 'Sigueme' brings a playful Brazilian swing and 'Too Many Days' adds a touch of melancholy. Don Alex Albert's hypnotic remix deepens the drive for the club while 'So Tight' is soulful low-end pressure, and the live version of 'Us Less' closes things with an intimate, organic feel.
OLC003 brings another slice of late-90s South London tech house back into circulation, with a repress of Swag Records SWAG003 now brought home to the Online Collective catalogue.
“Takedown” from Dave Ivy opens with a distinctly 90s feel, built around analogue synths, punchy drums and processed movie vocals. Raw, driving and full of character, it’s a proper snapshot of the era.
“Diversion” sees Rob Pearson and Lee Humphreys developing their early collaborative sound, with lush Detroit-tinged chords, analogue drum rhythms and plenty of subtle detail. Even the slightly wonky vinyl noise was recorded by Rob and Lee themselves while miking up a wobbling record — a small touch that sums up the hands-on approach behind the track.
On “Checkout” Rob & Lee head into deeper and slightly cheekier territory, with a few familiar voices from a particularly strange night south of the border weaving through analogue hardware textures, resonant sounds and deep bass. A stripped-back late-night groove with plenty of attitude.
Three tracks from a very particular moment in UK tech house history now back with the original artists on Online Collective.
For its third release, Tremendo Recordings brings together long-sought-after tracks by Corrie, one of UK tech house’s pioneers, drawn from his early releases on Wiggle and Bosh. Increasingly hard to find in their original form, these records return as a tribute.
Taken from releases between 2003 and 2005, this selection captures a side of Corrie that feels immediately recognisable: bold, playful and unmistakably his own.
Professor Roth's debut EP, self-released on his newly formed label Maestro, is music that feels half remembered. Familiar enough to settle into, strange enough to keep shifting beneath your feet, it lives in that sweet spot where groove and abstraction lean into one another. Dusty textures, hazy melodies and understated rhythms never demand attention, yet quietly refuse to let go. Every track feels like another realm of the same dream: warm, weightless and just slightly out of focus.
‘Daydreaming’ is an inviting first step into the haze, opening the door without ever fully revealing what's on the other side. Gentle movement carries drifting melodies that seem to appear and disappear with every listen. An ethereal vocal breakdown creates the feeling of being quietly carried away from its hypnotic groove before pulling you back under its spell. Patient and understated, ‘The Way It Is’ lets the groove do the talking while subtle details gradually come into focus. Dubby percussive chaos is softened by warm, lifelike pads, encouraging your body to move while your mind wanders elsewhere.
As the name suggests, ‘Swells’ arrives in waves. Layers fold over one another, building and dissolving without urgency. There's a beautiful tension between motion and stillness, leaving the track suspended somewhere between the dancefloor and a reverie. ‘Shades’ is a fitting close that blurs the edges even further. Soft, hypnotic and quietly psychedelic, it feels less like an ending and more like waking up slowly. Content to linger in that in-between a little longer, glitchy samples drift through swirling soundscapes, keeping the dancefloor gently spun until the very end.
Running Hot welcomes Bliss Inc. for RHR05 with the Monday EP, four cuts of warm, groove-led house music built for intimate spaces and long nights.
The EP arrives during a busy year for Bliss Inc., following a recent release on Punctuality and the start of a new residency at Tokonoma in Frankfurt, where he’s been regularly playing the Holo and Sakuru floors. Those smaller rooms have had a clear influence on the EP, with subtle shifts, detailed percussion and hypnotic grooves given room to unfold.
Across the four tracks, rolling low-end sits alongside understated melodies and intricate percussion. The EP draws from the deeper end of house and minimal without ever sounding overly referential, and feels just as at home in a low-lit warm-up as it does deep into the night.
Corrie is back with 3 fresh tracks, all made this year, and they're exactly what you'd want from him: fun, catchy, and built for the dancefloor. Driving percussion, basslines that stick in your head, and mischievous vocal samples weave together across all three, built to work instantly in any set.
No unnecessary frills, no gimmicks, just club house made with craft, steady groove, and that cheeky edge Corrie has kept intact throughout the years.
Formed in 1969, Soul Media set out with a clear mission to fuse jazz and rock. That approach took a decisive next step with In The Groove, recorded in 1973. Here, the sharpness of jazz is brought to the forefront, rock elements are dissolved and refined to give a cutting edge, and funk is injected to add drive, elasticity, and physical force. The result is a body of music that transcends existing genre labels—jazz-rock, jazz-funk, or fusion—and stands instead as something simply, undeniably cool: strong yet sophisticated.
This album is often described as Soul Media’s response to The Crusaders, a band that saxophonist Jiro Inagaki was paying close attention to at the time. The aim hit its mark. With In The Groove, Soul Media acquired a “refined black feeling”, setting them firmly on the path toward their ultimate destination: Funky Stuff.
For our second release, not only do we have a true artist with an extensive catalog of big releases and support. He is also our close friend. From first connecting with Joolmad as he walked through our villa in Croatia, we instantly had a bond and from that moment, we both knew sooner or later we will be bumping heads. The label was still a developing idea but Joolmad was one of the first to hear about it and see the vision. And for that we couldn’t be more thankful to have him on the second release, shaping the early chapters of Human Behaviour.
A1 taking a stripped back approach with a fast pace tempo, complimented by hypnotic sounds. A2, as soon as we heard this track we knew we had to sign it. A track that blends sub genres for a truly unique listening experience. An old war sample, techno bass line with a touch of techy drums is almost guaranteed to get hands in the air. B1 a swung feel good rhythm that fits nicely in any part of a set. Floor filling drums and light melodies is sometimes all you need! B2, taking you behind the wheel of driving you through the sun set.
Devo Marries Gritty Guitars with Expansive Keyboard Canvasses on Duty Now for the Future:
Transitional Album Furthers the Band’s Satirical Stance, Includes Cover of “Secret Agent Man”
Hear the 1979 Record in Audiophile-Grade Sound and at 45RPM for the First Time:
Mobile Fidelity’s Numbered-Edition 180g 45RPM 2LP Set
Benefits from Enhanced Definition and Presence
1/4” / 15 IPS Dolby A analogue master to DSD 256 to analogue console to lathe
“Pop music needs a big enema.” Devo created Duty Now for the Future with that mission statement, relayed to the press by co-founding bassist/vocalist Gerald Casale, in mind. Though unfairly pegged by some as an example of the common sophomore slump, the record spurred the group’s interest in electronic instrumentation, extended its penchant for biting social satire, and contained another transformative cover song in the form of “Secret Agent Man.” Above all, the 1979 work proved the Ohio pranksters were anything but a joke even if they would have to wait one more year until for their mainstream breakthrough.
Sourced from the original master tapes, mastered by engineer Krieg Wunderlich, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, Mobile Fidelity's numbered-edition 180g 45RPM 2LP set presents Duty Now for the Future in audiophile-grade sound. Benefitting from the extra groove space on this first-ever 45RPM version, it plays with enhanced definition, deep-black backgrounds, and ultra-quiet surfaces.
Though certain band members later expressed regret with some of his decisions, the merits of Ken Scott’s production emerge like never before. A lurking edginess serves as a signpost in Devo’s progression before it fully embraced keyboards as a primary tool. Guitars possess punch and grit and, along with the crisp arrangements, are sharpened with an ear toward accuracy and vibrancy. It all helps give Duty Now for the Future a direct immediacy that answers the complaints of listeners who felt the affair too processed or sterilized.
Notably, a majority of the material here stems from the same grab bag of songs Devo banked before Warner Bros. signed it to a deal. The album marks a capstone to Phase One of a career that for all intents and purposes began in 1973. And just like many of the group’s performances of that era, Duty Now for the Future remains just as famous for the critical disdain it inspired as the music itself. A vicious review in Rolling Stone — the very publication that a few decades later would trumpet the band as one of the most important of its age — ended with the writer offering to send readers shards of the LP he planned on smashing to bits.
Perhaps he just needed to experience this new-wave effort with the restored sound that makes everything now feel so explosive and urgent. Whatever the case, the songs hold up and, amid a contemporary period which gives increasing license to artificial intelligence and behemoth conglomerates, seem more apt than ever before.
Consider “Blockhead,” which skewers the predictable appearances and numb-to-the-world actions of a rule follower. Or the similarly themed “Clockout,” an uptempo ditty whose thumbing-its-nose bravado and sardonic lyrics send up corporate culture with an irresistible smirk. As for the wiry, hard-hitting urgency of “Wiggly World” and Mark Mothersbaugh’s loud declaration that “They say the fittest shall survive/Yet the unfit may live”: Evidence these art-school rabble-rousers still had some punk fury to flush out of their system. And the sincere allure of the charged power pop and wishful circumstances of “The Day My Baby Gave Me a Surprize” cannot be denied.
To point to an interesting bit of history that makes Duty Now for the Future all the more intriguing, particularly for the most committed Spuds, more than half its tracks were selected for Greatest Misses — a 1990 anthology that celebrates lesser-known cuts and functions as a rejoinder to a hits compilation from the same year. (The only track from the 1979 album to make the “hits” disc: “Smart Patrol/Mr. DNA.”)
Indeed, tunes like the riff-driven albeit controversial “Pink Pussycat,” atmospherically twitching “S.I.B. (Swelling Itching Brain),” and ceremonial instrumental “Devo Corporate Anthem” may lack the catchy appeal and all-together coherence of what follows on the group’s third and most commercially successful effort, Freedom of Choice. Yet in order to get there, to de-evolve if you will, the band needed the smorgasbord that is Duty Now for the Future.
Dan Piu and Grant's Theory of Movement project is rather sporadic - we last heard from it more than a year ago - but that only makes fresh drops all the more essential. This return to When The Morning Comes opens with the swirling ambience and deft house depths of 'The Geometry Of Leaving', which is a heady scene-setter before 'Suspended Motion' floats you amongst more airy pads. 'The Distance Between Things' has a joyful feeling of hope and optimism in the luminous keys, and the Acid version beefs it up for extra club impact. Artful sounds from two seasoned heads.
Polygonia & MTRL - Division / Taris EP incl. Remixes by Claudio PRC and Mary Yuzovskaya
A1. Polygonia - Division
Right from the start the listener is cast into orbit with driving percussion and abstract sound effects. Soon they are followed with a morphing bass sound and cymbals which lock the groove into place, cranking the drive to the max. As the track progresses the landscape of sound reveals its nature with metallic quality, like schrapnel from a barren city. Truly a Deep Techno banger which will without a doubt fill a dance floor.
A2. MTRL - Taris
The listener is slowly submerged into the waves of percussive bass sounds and menacing sweeps of noise which remind of a storm in a desert, the horizon only slightly glimmering behind the veil of sand. Soon the listener is introduced with a pounding kick drum, almost making the landscape seem even more ruthless as the track progresses.
Quality, heady Deep Techno.
B1. Polygonia - Division Claudio PRC Remix
The hypnotic Techno maestro Claudio PRC twists the idea of the original track into a mind explorative voyage with a triplet feel. The remix is shrouded in melancholy with distant pad sounds, which add a nice tension to the track. As usual, a brilliant remix from Claudio PRC.
B2. MTRL - Taris Mary Yuzovskaya Remix
On the remix the Berlin based producer is molding the source material into a driving and psychedelic track, functional yet synapse tingling. Now the bass has a bit more liquid-like quality and the overall soundscape is more abstract. Hallucinatory effects of noise are filling the spaces between the sounds, almost like being surrounded with faint whispers. Driving and psychedelic Deep Techno done with finesse.
After a year in the making, Laolu completes his Mascara EP with the release of its final single, ‘Mental'. A beautifully instinctive collaboration with Benni Ola that captures the magic of spontaneity and creative connection.
The foundations of the track were first laid in Bali, where Laolu began experimenting with a guitar recording from another project. Drawn to Benni Ola’s unmistakable vocal energy after repeatedly playing his music, the producer immediately felt a connection between the unfinished instrumental and Benni’s voice. Months later, the pair met during a writing camp in Portugal, instantly establishing a creative chemistry that would eventually lead them to Los Angeles, where Mental was recorded in a single, fluid session.
Built around intuition and emotion rather than overthinking, the collaboration unfolded almost effortlessly. What began as a loose idea quickly transformed into a record overflowing with memorable hooks, as both artists leaned fully into the moment and trusted the energy in the room. Benni Ola described the experience as feeling “electrified” from the instant the track played, recalling the session as something almost channelled rather than consciously written. One of those rare creative moments where everything simply falls into place.
That sense of immediacy and freedom runs throughout Mental. Warm, soulful, and emotionally charged, the track balances hypnotic grooves with expressive vocal delivery, creating a record that feels both intimate and euphoric.
Together with previous singles Mascara and Velvet Blooms featuring Paul Brenning, Mental completes the ‘Mascara' EP. A rich and deeply expressive body of work that highlights Laolu’s ability to fuse emotion, groove, and collaboration into something truly timeless.
As with all releases on Siembra, the single is tied to artwork inspired by Magic Carpet - a painting by Laolu’s late father, created in Nigeria in the early 1980s. It’s a personal and cultural thread running through each release, defining the visual identity of Siembra as the label evolves.
There is a kinetic energy that binds drummer and producer Karriem Riggins and singer-songwriter, rapper, and producer Liv.e, the spark that happens when instinct meets flow and spirit finds rhythm.
Their collaborative debut as GENA (short for “God Energy, Naturally Amazing,” and loosely inspired by Gina from Martin), The Pleasure Is Yours feels like a playful, soulful conversation between two kindred improvisers: Liv.e’s smoky, unpolished vocals glide through Riggins’ warm, percussive universe. Rooted in jazz, soul, and hip-hop, Liv.e brings a raw, experimental approach to R&B, while Riggins known for his work with Common, Erykah Badu, The Roots, Madlib, and his close kinship with J Dilla, extends his lifelong dialogue between jazz improvisation and beat science.
Together they create a world that’s analog and ethereal, percussive and poetic, bridging eras without settling in one, the sound of two artists finding a new shared language rooted in rhythm, vulnerability, and exuberance.
Pressed on 180g vinyl, the album comes in an embossed sleeve and is avaible in red and black splatter.
Anyone lucky enough to have lived through the 90s will know that Coco Steel & Lovebomb were a key acid house duo who dropped early tunes on Warp and penned a number of underground anthems including 'Feel It'. Now they are back with new tunes on Coco's Disappear label and the remit, stylise, is wide. This EP opens with gentle breaks and dubby undercurrents on 'El Acido,' which has already become a favourite after its digital release. DJ Rocca remixes with a blissed-out energy and 'Our Thing' (named after Coco's new party in Hastings) then taps into a more expressive sound world with new age pads, affirmation vocals and dusty broken beats plus lashings of bass. A dub version of the same tune, named Dub Thing, closes down with aplomb.
Presenting the eighth edition of the Bizarre Trax wax series and the second solo outing from bare-knuckle beatmaker B.Love. A Shape You Can Feel EP marks a subtle but deliberate evolution in the producer's sound. While the groove-led, funk-infused records that first put his name on the map are still woven into his DNA, this latest four-tracker strips things back in favour of a more understated, headsdown approach. Leaner drums, weightier low-end and hypnotic arrangements take centre stage, with each cut built for long blends and late-night dancefloors. Across four rolling club weapons, B.Love explores a deeper, more refined sonic palette without losing the character that's become synonymous with his productions. Chopped vocal fragments, unmistakable sample work and crisp, polished percussion remain at the core, but are now delivered with greater restraint, allowing space, tension and groove to do the heavy lifting. Designed for selectors who favour subtlety over spectacle, A Shape You Can Feel EP is a confident statement from an artist continuing to carve out his own lane; proof that sometimes the smallest shifts leave the biggest impression
Key To World Peace is the third release by Prophetic Justice Ministry - aka Australian musician Sam Perry. An atmospheric, cinematic album that belies a striking pop songwriting nous at its core, its conductor Prophetic Justice Ministry is at the centre of a new wave of creative, rule-bending Melbourne artists. Romantic, smudged and hazy, Perry emerges from behind a wall of
half-light with a clutch of earworms and affecting emotions.
Recorded in home studios in Belgrade (Serbia), Christchurch (New Zealand) and Melbourne (Australia) over the course of three years, Key To World Peace offers a dichotomy in approach. Shifting on a dime between ambient, filmic washes of sound and more traditional song structures, the approach feels natural, casually acid-tipped and emotionally revealing. While Perry’s
distinctive keys and production melding with melody is evidenced in Melbourne group Who Cares?, as Prophetic Justice Ministry there’s a heightened sense of mystery and space being used.
Swirling in a psychedelic fog with dry iced chords falling down like melting stars, the album pulses with an ominous, distorted intro that sculpts air into blocks of sound before Psyop offers a glimpse through the gloom at the artist navigating through crushed, shoe-gazing chords, singing a consolation into an abandoned building. Side A’s more abstract tone veers from industrial tracks (T-A) to pastoral, impressionistic pieces (Trance) before album highlight Life’s A Party showcases the effortless, classic songwriting lurking in Prophetic Justice Ministry. Built on the tension between the upbeat lyrics and suppressed, rich delivery, the song lopes on an alluring loop with acoustic guitars and Perry’s voice walking a tightrope between irony and sincerity. The song blooms into a bright burst of light, almost inducing synesthesia in the listener and reminding a little of The Beta Band’s most outre and catchy moments.
Opening Side B, Naked Shine’s scintillating guitar is punctuated by a sub bass swell that offsets the yearning vocal performance. With palpable sensitivity the song is shepherded into short, atmospheric passages before Love Drum’s direct delivery: Perry’s vocal and guitar, dancing over a hint of distortion feels like Syd Barrett at his most casually brilliant. Carrying on the tradition of a single cover on every Prophetic Justice Ministry release, here Lana Del Rey’s Mariner’s Apartment Complex is given a stripped back but faithful treatment. With a sound that feels like a hushed, Chris Isaak classic it’s testament to Perry’s own compositions that the cover doesn’t outshine the rest of the album. Album closer and single Spirit House Party combines a classic chord progression with Perry’s double-tracked vocal into a murky but brilliantly catchy chorus. While nowhere near as lush in its production, there’s something in the atmosphere of Prophetic Justice Ministry’s vocal sitting in the mix just so that reminds us of The Electric Prunes’ Holy Are You-era work with David Axelrod.
Key To World Peace flits between displaying a spectrum of blurred emotional resonance in its instrumental passages and vulnerability in the shape of raw, melodic songwriting. With his first release outside of Australia and vinyl debut, Sam Perry’s Prophetic Justice Ministry is a beguiling dance in and out shadows.
Brighter Discs opens with its first release from label founders Kamma & Masalo. Born out of Brighter Days, the duo’s long running party series since 2014. A colourful get together where generations mix freely, DJ legends share space with new voices, and the dancefloor is treated as common ground. Brighter Discs carries this same spirit into recorded form, a natural continuation following the Brighter Days compilation previously released on Rush Hour.
Brighter Discs starts things off with ‘Can’t Fake The Feeling’, built around the original vocal by Renee Mohannon, taken from the 1989 release produced by house music pioneer Joe Smooth. The vocal is fully cleared and officially licensed, with everything surrounding it newly written and produced, resulting in a club track that honours the emotional core of the original vocal while giving it new space to shine.
The ‘Club Mix’ unfolds with immediate lift, a classic yet upfront house energy carried by Kamma & Masalo’s elevating instrumentation moving in lockstep with Renee Mohannon’s vocal. A pure club track celebrating dance music to the fullest.
On the flip you will find K&M’s ‘Unity Dub’, a darker, percussion driven workout that strips things back and presents the track in a different light. A twilight version that highlights the duo’s versatility and deep dancefloor understanding.
Kamma & Masalo have tested both cuts extensively while touring, from sun soaked festival stages to esoteric club spaces. Each version has been shaped in real rooms and refined on the road, ensuring the tracks are heard in their best possible form.
All produced with care and free-spirited party energy, Brighter Discs 001 marks the beginning!
Marking a refreshed 2026 visual identity for Contemplate Recordings and a return to vinyl, Go Deeper EP draws from the atmosphere and musicality of classic Detroit and 90s deep house.
Built around warm synth textures, hypnotic grooves, sampled elements, and jazz-influenced harmonies, the release delivers a stripped-back yet immersive late-night sound. Classic 90s-style synthesis and sampler-based techniques underpin a record that balances subtle emotional depth with strong dancefloor focus.
Melodic, groove-led, and atmospheric deep house with a timeless, understated feel.
Do You Want Me Baby sees Cloud 9 deliver a timeless garage house cut from New York legend Victor Simonelli, returning on fresh 12” vinyl.
Built around uplifting piano lines, soulful vocal hooks and groove-driven rhythms, the track captures the feel-good energy of classic US garage house and remains a staple for DJs across house and garage sets.
Featuring a full suite of mixes including Club Mix, Deep Dub, Bonus Beats and Instrumental, the release offers strong versatility for DJs looking for both peak-time energy and stripped-back club tools.
With a sound rooted firmly in the New York house tradition, this release sits comfortably alongside artists such as Masters At Work, Todd Terry and Kenny Dope, making it a natural fit for stores supporting classic US house and garage.
Back on fresh 12" vinyl, this iconic track continues to resonate with both long-time collectors and a new generation of DJs.
A reliable and highly playable catalogue piece for stores supporting classic house and garage.
Music From Memory presents 'Mood Programs – Extended Play', a two-track release by LA MARR, a new project conceived by Ron Trent. Representing the first in an ongoing series of releases on Music From Memory, ‘Mood Programs - Extended Play’ opens a new chapter within Trent’s deep and continually evolving body of work, rooted in mood-driven composition, spatial depth and the emotional resonance of sound within physical space.
Influenced by ambient and environmental music, New Age, dub traditions, New Wave, Krautrock and HiFi sound system culture, LA MARR reflects many of the formative ideas that informed Trent’s evolving approach to sound and sonic architecture from the early 1980s onward. Rather than revisiting these influences nostalgically, the project recontextualises them through a contemporary production language, balancing analog warmth with precision and spatial depth.
Developed through years of sonic experimentation and research into the physical and psychological qualities of sound, LA MARR extends Ron Trent’s long-standing interest in the relationship between rhythm, acoustics and human connection. Built through a combination of analog processes and contemporary computer-assisted production, the project explores warmth, resonance, depth and sonic clarity through carefully sculpted environments of tone and texture.
Gently unfolding within a spacious, ambient-leaning framework, 'Mood Programs – Extended Play' moves beyond passive background listening toward something more intentional and immersive. Across both tracks, ‘Good Magic’ and ‘Clear’, layers of hypnotic synthesizer arpeggios and gently floating pads gradually unfold alongside organic percussion and subtle low-end movement, creating compositions that feel simultaneously meditative, physical and emotionally responsive. Sound is treated not simply as musical information, but as an environmental force capable of shaping perception, mood and awareness within a room.
'Mood Programs – Extended Play' will be released digitally and on vinyl through Music From Memory on July 15th. Sleeve art and design by Michael Willis.
"Some of my earliest musical memories were listening to my local pirate stations in the early 90's. The signal was quite weak in my area, and the sound was doused in FM static, creating this interesting amalgam of rhythm and noise. I found a strange sort of comfort in this, often falling asleep while listening to the radio, in bed, with my headphones on. The stations were run by young people, no older than kids really, relayed from non-descript flats, scattered around Bradford, Leeds, and the surrounding towns of West Yorkshire. The setups were primitive, and the production quality (and often the mixing) were dubious at best. But there was an endless supply of passion, and listeners tuned in because they were thirsty for something the legal stations could never supply. These voices on the other side of the transmission were, for many of us, a bridge into the future. One, which sadly, never really came to be. Hardcore, Static: Pirate Transmissions From The North of England 1990-1994 is a celebration of this unique period in UK history. The North of England feels overlooked during this time, with history's focus firmly gazed on London. But the signal was everywhere. These pirate stations were crucial for many young people, who were trying to find their place and identity in the UK. Many of these transmissions, even the ones which were recorded onto tape, have since become lost media, effectively erased from history. Radio, at least in the analogue domain, isn't something most young people have any experience with. Pirate radio was this unique flashpoint in time, and for me at least, it was important enough for me to want pay my respects to it" Dennis/36
Knowsum is set to release his new album, Cherry Stone Pillow on his label Sugar Brain.
A record that keeps swinging - blurred at the edges, and gently surreal. Psychedelic rock pulses at it's core, softened by the sweet touch of soul, the sway of bossanova, and the sun-faded glow of 60s easy-listening. Each track feels like an afternoon stretched into midnight – This is music for children of the moon, where drums riot like subway prophets and guitars drip human gasoline
Sindh presents the Vagali EP, a striking continuation of his tunnelling, futuristic take on techno. Growling synths, driving basslines, alien atmospherics and finely tuned percussion define a sound that feels unmistakably his own.
Following his Komudo series — which has built a devoted following since its debut in 2024 — this latest release leans further into his signature sound design, pairing hypnotic sequences and menacing synth lines which feel right
