Suche:dr m bee

Prolific electronica polymath Emika found acclaim once again this year with new studio album 'DREI', an opus that picked up Ibiza Spotlight's 'Album Of The Week' accolade and was called a fascinating album' by Rolling Stone. With six new remixes on this EP, further life has been breathed into her latest LP - with stunning results.
UK techno legends The Black Dog provide a foreboding rework of Battles, all brooding pads, electro glitchery and stomping breakbeats.
Kamikaze Space Programme's version is more dramatic still, returning the favour after Emika appeared on his own 'Choke' recently.
CNCPT (Brenda, Natch Records) kicks off the remixes of What's The Cure with an industrious slab of dubbed-out, reverb-heavy techno, doing away with Emika's vocals entirely and instead making use of her sound design expertise with subtle finesse.
Mysterious German Clone and Bunker affiliates The Exaltics tap into their electro roots on their rework with a thick, rubbery bassline working its way under a simple, atmospheric arrangement that allows Emika's honeyed delivery to take centre stage.
Borai (Tasteful Nudes) teams up with Emika herself to provide a stripped-back, heavily-swung, stomping take on the track, boiling it down to its melodic and textural essence.
Eomac rounds off the package with his stunning string-laden instrumental interpretation.

180gr! This 12" features remixes from Henry Wu and Ben Hauke, two rising South London natives whose dusty house sounds are reminiscent of the jazz-wise swing of the West London broken beat sound, a movement Sean Khan himself was heavily involved in.
London based jazz appassionato Sean Khan, will release his second album 'Muriel' later in 2015. Dedicated to the driving force behind his musical career, his mother Muriel McGinley, the album is virtuosic free, Latin and nu-jazz experimentation, drenched in soul with the help of the vocal talents of Omar, Sabrina Malheiros and Heidi Vogel (Cinematic Orchestra).

This 12' features remixes from Henry Wu and Ben Hauke, two rising South London natives whose dusty house sounds are reminiscent of the jazz-wise swing of the West London broken beat sound, a movement Sean Khan himself was heavily involved in.

On the A side, Henry Wu, a key member of the tight-knit label/ loose collective 22a Records (also home to the likes of Mo Kolours and Al Dobson Jr.), imbues the original track with a distinctly organic and off-kilter groove: a loose and earthy quality which is hallmark of the Wu sound and makes for a perfect complement to Khan's delicious melting pot of jazz, soul and broken beat flavours. Sturdy yet swinging with strong jazzy synth stabs and topped with a child-like, wordless, sing-along vocal, it's sure to be an underground summer club hit.

The B Side sees the mysterious Ben Hauke, whose previous releases have been courtesy of Melodica Recordings, steep Khan's 'Things to Say' in his own murky yet soul-drenched sound, one that falls somewhere between hip-hop and broken house. Not much is known about this young producer, but what we can glean from his work on this remix is a sound drenched in syrupy, slightly sinister keys and a plodding, unpredictable thump not entirely dissimilar from previous Far Out remix contributor Theo Parrish. Like the work of that Detroit innovation, these two young Londoner's contributions both look set to lend a funkily idiosyncratic and offbeat edge to all the right dance floors.

Tough, to the point, no-nonsense machine music is a longstanding Midwestern tradition.
Drawing a line all the way back to the old guard, The Bunker New York's latest EP is Walk The Distance, courtesy of Mark Verbos, a techno veteran and New Yorker by way of Milwaukee who put together four pieces of heavyweight dancefloor artillery, informed by an intimate, inside-out knowledge of the machinery used in the production of these tracks.

"I've been doing this for a long time. In the beginning, there was only hardware, and it feels better to make music with physical objects. Plus, I make hardware, too," says Verbos, recounting his production processes. Verbos not only produces music, he also produces the hardware he uses to make music—his company, Verbos Electronics, manufactures Eurorack synthesizer modules with a vintage sensibility. When he's making music, Verbos says, "I try to get to know the devices I use well enough that whatever I imagine can come from them. Techno is machine music. When I'm recording, it's just me and the machines."

The music, however, speaks for itself. No punches are pulled here—the record starts in top gear with "Start Up Drive," a devastating techno bomb centered around a throbbing, repeating bassline and a meaty kick drum that builds to a massive climax in the span of five minutes. "In The Back Room" kicks the tempo up a notch, featuring spaced-out atmospheric synth leads floating atop syncopated percussion. "Just A Little Late" is funkier than the other two, built around a rubbery, insistent synthesizer groove that worms its way deep into your head and doesn't let go.

The aforementioned three tracks alone would comprise a solid techno EP suitable for any number of dancefloors. But the last track on the record—its namesake—shifts gears entirely. "Walk The Distance" is a moody, pulsing slow burner, introspective and emotional. It's a haunting listen that adds remarkable depth and complexity to the record. "Walk The Distance, the track, is a reference to the fact that music is not a career. Any advice you could offer someone on how to have a successful career doesn't really apply to a career in music. By that I mean to say, process is everything, and the results don't really matter."

Sage advice indeed, but judging by Walk The Distance, Mark Verbos has figured out how to produce results that matter.

Until December last year music was simply a hobby for Alex Crossan, aka Mura Masa. He may have had 7 million plays and 30,000 followers on Soundcloud but the 18 year old Channel Islander had never played his music live, DJ'd or even been to a gig himself. He had just started an English degree at Sussex University and was happy playing guitar and bass in function bands.
It was an email from Jakarta Records that changed everything. The Cologne-based label (previously home to Kaytranada, Iamnobodi and Sango) felt Mura Masa's mixtape 'Soundtrack To A Death' was too good to sit on Soundcloud and persuaded him to release it with them.
The following 3 months were a whirlwind, with 30 spins on Radio 1, a sold out debut show & a top 5 position on the itunes electronic chart in the UK and US. At one point Mura Masa had 4 tracks in the HypeMachine top 50 and remix requests from Ed Sheeran, Ellie Goulding, RL Grime and iLoveMakonnen in his inbox, whilst still juggling his degree.
So as Mura Masa prepares for his first official EP release the stakes are very different and he has upped his game accordingly. As well as the sampling for which he known, Mura Masa plays live piano, guitar, drums and even sings on Someday Somewhere. He is keen to show that he is a musician and songwriter as well as a beat-maker and has called on new friends Nao, Denai Moore and Jay Prince to feature on tracks.
Paul Epworth (Producer for Bloc Party, Adele, Santogold): 'That 18 year old is taking over the world right now and he's just delivering the most deeply textured music around, we have got such a talent on our hands in the form of Mura Masa and i think the UK has finally got our very own Kaytranada and it's not beyond him to overtake that, so good, ridiculous....

Releasing under the moniker Misanthrop since 2002, Michael Brauninger's music reflects a foreboding sense of darkness, something that has been prevalent in his previous releases with the likes of Critical Recordings, Neosignal and Subtitles. Misanthrop has utilised unfamiliar ways to push the envelope of his twisted, sinister sound for new EP 'I Need More'

The automated refrain on 'Capitalism' reflects the stark coldness of Misanthrop's work, before unleashing an onslaught of off-beat breaks to display Brauninger's deft, often unpredictable production style.

'Rock'n'Roll', a more familiar tear-out drum & bass track, bolstered by pummelling percussive flourishes and flashes of distortion throughout.

Gaining support from the likes of Skrillex, Goldie, Skream, Alix Perez and more, Misanthrop has spent his 13 year career carving a sound that is wholly realised in this latest release. Brutal, uncompromising and inherently forward thinking.

German-born and raised product & our personal friend Steffen Baldo (aka Ugly Drums) has been doing quietly doing his thing for many years now. Not one for fluff, trends, or anything of the sort - he teams up with his mate Chesney for session of straight up deep, underground house business & the result is The Alec Holland EP.

Over the past few decades, there has been a seismic shift in Brazil's musical landscape. A plethora of varying musical undergrounds has developed across the nation. While Rio and São Paulo have been overwhelmed with networks of talented musicians for a long time, creative life is now bursting all over the country. Amplificador exists to document and propagate the wonderfully diverse music currently blossoming from Brazil's vivacious and geographically varied musical undergrounds. Presenting an up-to date insight into Brazilian music, this compilation draws together some of the components of 'Novíssima Música Brasileira' (brand new Brazilian music), ranging from afro-grooves to rock, to modern samba and MPB. The music reaches back across Brazil's incredibly rich musical and cultural traditions, while also taking in influence from other movements around the globe.



Having begun life in 2012 as a Brazilian music blog run by Marcelo Monteiro, Eduardo Rodrigues, Mateus Campos, and Ricardo Calazans, the aim of Amplificador is to document and propel to wider audiences, Brazilian music of the '00s and '10s generation. This is a task made more significant by obvious changes in the way music is consumed. 'People are no longer obliged to listen to what the radio and TV are presenting. There is a whole new generation that wants to listen to new bands and new sounds and we try to connect those bands with other bands, producers, fans and even the mainstream.' These changes in technology and the way music is discovered and shared have developed parallel to the proliferation of these emerging scenes. The ostensible decentralization of the music industry means the promoting and filtering work of journalists and blogs, like Amplificador, have become increasingly important, as people try to keep up with the tsunami of new music and media flooding the country on a daily basis.



Marcelo uses the example of the Mangue Beat movement to explain a trend in contemporary Brazilian music that looks both inwards, to Brazil's own musical traditions and outwards, to movements around the world to create a novel, localised identity: 'The 90's Pernambuco art-social movement was inspired by Coco, Maracatu and Forró all mixed with modern riffs and grooves. The mythical

revolutionary Chico Science, his Nação Zumbi, Mundo Livre, Siba, and many others do this blend perfectly. There are also the references to the older generations and masters - Gil, Caetano, Luiz Gonzaga, João Gilberto, Tim Maia, Jorge Benjor - as a constant inspiration for all bands.' This is very much the case for the Brazilian artists of today.



Music is unquestionably informed by place. Brazil has always been famed for its regional differences in this sense. Indeed there are still pronounced variations between the scenes of Rio, Sao Paulo, Natal, Goiânia, Belo Horizonte and Belém for example, there are also great divergences within cities and while technology has brought changes to the way musical influences are shared, there are cultural differences, rooted in folkloric traditions, that aren't going away. Expressing his appreciation for this fact, while highlighting the potential of Brazil's spread of musical flavours, Marcelo explains that 'what we have now is new ingredients to make an even better mixture.'

This compilation heavily features music from a scene in Brazil's current musical make-up, which draws inspiration from African music, particularly Afro-beat music. Abayomy Afrobeat Orchestra from Rio formed because of their shared love of the music of Fela Kuti, uniting initially in 2009 for a jam session in his honour. But what sets Abayomy apart from other groups of a similar nature, is the fact that their sound also brings with it the songs and rhythms of candomblé. In this sense, Abayomy was the first band of its kind. The thirteen members of the orchestra have a palpable current of Rio's musical heritage - its rhythms and culture - running through them. So while their sound is distinctly African, it is also inherently Brazilian. Similarly, Zebrabeat Afro-Amazônia Orquestra draw upon traditional guitarradas and carimbos from the state of Pará and fuse these with the poly-rhythms of Afrobeat to create another regional hybrid, which stays true to both its Amazonian and African roots, yet which results in a very fresh, Brazilian sound. From Belo Horizonte (capital of Minas Gerais), Iconilli are another key band on Brazil's Afro-groove scene. With influences as varied as funk, jazz and psychedelic rock, congado, mining harmonies, maracatu, coco, ijexá, carimbó, Iconilli somehow manage to balance all of these sounds in such a way that makes it impossible to pin them down. From the Northeastern city of Joao Pessao, Parayba, Burro Morto's pshychadelic afro sound leans more towards rock and funk influences, with hint of regional Brazilian rhythms such as frevo and forro. They add another flavour to the Brazilian afro-groove scene: just one of the many exciting facets of Novíssima Música Brasileira.



While African-inspired music features heavily on the compilation, it is just one of the many styles within. Ive Seixas has a fresh approach to MPB, based on traditional rhythms and instrumentation, punctuated by a pop sensibility, coupled with a powerful female vocal. As an artist she is a product of a 'Do It Yourself' outlook to creativity, taken from her love of rock growing up. In 2013 she embarked on a project of street performance: wandering, like a lonely troubadour with just her guitar. Ive and her project began to gain notoriety and shortly after, her first EP was recorded, featuring some important names of South Rio's underground scene. 'Cervejas Populares' taken from the EP, is a beautiful, sombre piece of modern Brazilian pop, with a traditional samba rhythm. Another artist of the new MPB scene is Fabricio, from the city of Vitoria, who's 'Feito Tamborim' melds rock and funk and is also clearly reminiscent of the old Brazilian masters. It's an appreciation for the national musical heritage, alongside a keen ear for melody and an acceptance of foreign influences that results in these promising new sounds of Brazilian MPB.

Sao Paulo's super group of the underground 'Passo Torto' have been at the helm of an emerging scene in the city: an innovative approach to samba which draws in and experiments with afro grooves, jazz melodies and rock structures. Their sound is naturally very Brazilian, but the nylon twang of Faira Lima Pra Ca, interspersed with ominous strings and light rolling percussion, seems reminiscent of Captain Beefheart or Tom Waits, as the band lament their frustrations with their native city through their music.



The Future of Novíssima Música Brasileira looks very bright. The main challenge (and purpose of this album) is to get the music beyond Brazil's underground and into view of international audiences. In the last 10 years this goal has become somewhat more attainable, as the Brazilian government has begun to see the internationalisation of the nation's culture as a strategic objective, with public projects gaining increased investment and backing. The continuing project of Amplificador is to reinforce this international bridge by writing, filtering and promoting the scene as a whole. There is a wealth of great music currently blooming in Brazil and using new media tools, Marcelo and the team, alongside many others, will passionately continue to get the voices of Brazil's underground heard.

Macro has released albums by two of techno's greatest live acts, KiNK and Elektro Guzzi. It would have been a shame if the two didn't exchange their special skills on each other's killer material. And that's just what they did: KiNK remixed "Atlas" into a tranced-out, peaktime world-domination slammer of pure euphoria. Elektro Guzzi let the snares smack and the pads build up on "Vodolaz" into nirvana. Dream team double pack: nothing better to let the sun shine through the summer of 2015. Even at night.

Hot on the heels of killer releases by label heads Ryan Crosson and Shaun Reeves, the latest Visionquest release sees the label turn its head to Deadbeat aka Scott Monteith. The Berlin based Montrealeler has been putting his own spin on house and techno for some time now, putting his stamp on esteemed labels such as Cynosure, Echocord and Wagon Repair. The Jacks EP continues his fine tradition of putting out discerning fare, as he conjures up a new EP package that remixes his classic track, Mecca Drum Track (originally released on Wagon Repair), from 2008. Striking in its many intricate and delicate production wares, it's a polished effort from the outset.

The Jacks EP gets going with the suitably titled ''Berghain Drum Jack'', a suitably raucous and out-there slice of tribal tech that pays homage to the Berlin club and is notable for its banking percussive elements and its propensity for surprises. Starting off on an unrelenting tip, it gets even more off-kilter the longer it stretches out, as the drums become even more pronounced and the baseline finally enters the fray. Dark but dexterous, it's a thrilling track that's sure to more even the most ardent and discerning of dancefloors.

Middle track ''Mecca Drum Jack'' sees the producer opt for a similarlly-inclined vibe, as the drums play a similarly pertinent role. A fitting tool with which to light up your set, it's more dextrous in nature than what's arrived before but another altogether engrossing effort. Rounding off the weighty three-tracker is ''Acid Dub Jack'', which sees Deadbeat really go off on a frankly mental course that's littered with atmosphere from the get-go. Once again, Visionquest and Deadbeat have reminded us why they're both so cherished in the techno world.

After releases for Discos Capablanca and Moon Glyth, Food Pyramid join Especial for a remix EP of their album-only track Oh Mercy. Updated by the inhouse team Apophenia, before being given the full italo treatment by SF's Inhalt and a true Especial twisted FX double mix by the man, the myth, Jamie Paton.

Minneapolis collective, Food Pyramid are welcomed to the label with the twisted psychedelic electronics of Oh Mercy. Taken from their Mango Sunrise album of 2012, its warped breakbeat jam-fusion has long been a secret favourite of the label, so it seemed right to present it on a unique EP.

Starting with a 2015 rework at the hands of the label's in-house production team of Apophenia, the original is extended with respect, keeping much and taking out little (the horns) so that the originals groove can ride and ride.

This is followed by a superb remix from Inhalt. After themselves appearing in the form a remix EP (EES009) it seemed now was the right time to get on board with their own take and in the process creating a pumping Italoesque classic. In the same way Timmy Regisford turned NOIA's Rules To Survive in to a mid-80s Chicago all time top 10, this remix harks to all that was good of that time, notably replaying much of the
instrumentation, while keeping it aimed squarely at today's floor. Who said Razormaid

On the flip are killer remixes from the label's main man Jamie Paton. Locked in an increasingly modular headspace, he digs deep and expansive. Premiered on the recent Beats In Space showcase, the Remix kicks far and wide, pushing club systems to the max, this yearns to be played at 7am Panorama. Sliding straight (and you'll miss it) in to the Dub, stripping it wayyy back, let the drums do the talking. Oh baby, have mercy on me.

The enigmatic Amara Touré from Guinée Conakry finally getting a well deserved compilation showcasing all of the 10 songs ever released between 1973 and 1980. Cuban influenced music of a different kind featuring amazing spaced-out guitar works!! Analog Africa compiles a complete collection of Amara Touré's Afro-Cuban compositions, originally released between 1973 and 1980."Lamento Cubana and Temedy are the two finest Afro-Cuban compositions ever recorded. As if they were played in a smokey, poorly lit ballroom where dark rum was sipped ever so slowly" - Vikram Sohonie - Ostinato Records
Analog Africa to release a compilation by Amara Toure, the enigmatic Afro-Cuban musician from Guinea-Conakry, showcasing all of the 10 songs he ever released between 1973 and 1980.
"Latin music, is it really foreign to us Africans I don't think so. Listen to the drums, to the rhythm. It all seems very close to us - it feels like it's our own culture," declared enigmatic singer Amara Toure. It is the late 50s, and Senegal is going crazy to the groove of Son Montuno and Patchanga. Brought to West Africa by Cuban sailors in the early 40s, these styles were immediately adopted by a flourishing music scene that did not hesitate to embrace the Caribbean sound, mixed it with their own Folklore, and, in the process, created something new. Through the unique cultural fusion of West African and Caribbean influences, Latin music took on a new and unique sound - the format was reinvented. Producer Ibra Kasseì and his Miami nightclub acted as the spearheads of this movement. They brought a breath of fresh air into Dakar's nightlife, further energising one of West Africa's most exciting cities. The demand for ballroom parties and live acts exploded, attracting numerous musicians from surrounding countries. One of the musicians who answered this call was percussionist and singer Amara Toureì, from Guinea-Conakry. Spotted by Kasseì while performing with Dexter Johnson, Toureì was asked if he would like to be part of a new project. Little did he know that this project would become a phenomenon.Immensely important for the development of Senegalese modern music, Le Star Band de Dakar, led by Mady Konate, became a sort of musical incubator and workshop, where many musicians learned and practiced their trade before moving on to become stars in their own right. Toureì's talent on percussion was undeniable, but it was his powerful and raw voice that captivated the producer. The fascinating way Toure interpreted Cuban music was unparalleled, and it was this feature that encouraged Kasse to recruit the unknown artist.
Although already brimming with incredible talent, Amara Toure's joining of Le Star Band de Dakar in 1958 began the band's meteoric rise to the top. The band quickly became Dakar's number one orchestra, and it cemented the reputation of the Miami nightclub as the hottest spot in the country. The place was packed nightly, and Dakar was boiling.
Amara Toure's Senegalese adventure lasted for ten years when he received an irrefutable offer and in 1968, joined by a few talented Senegalese musicians, headed to Cameroon and immediately formed the Black and White ensemble. Many live gigs later and it was time for the first songs to be recorded. A total of three singles were produced between 1973 and 1976. These singles, representing the first six songs on this compilation, fully epitomise and distill the essence of what Toureì had learned during his career. His Mandingue roots fused with the Senegalese sound that he had mastered - the perfect foundation for the Toureì's Cuban interpretations.
If Toure's intention was to create the most sensual music ever recorded in Africa, he might very well have reached this goal. The musicians on the recording sound like they are playing in a smokey, poorly lit juke joint, where dark rum was sipped ever so slowly, and the pulse of the music took up a life of its own. How many couples have danced, swayed, and melted together to the distinct sound of Amara Toure Nobody can say for sure ...
Amara Toureì's success poured across the borders of Cameroon, and in 1980 he went to Libreville, Gabon, to team up with the powerful Orchestre Massako. Toureì recorded an LP at that time which is hailed by many music aficionados as one of the very best African albums. The songs from that LP are the last four on this compilation. It took only ten songs for Amara Toureì to become a legend. These ten treasures, representing Toure ìs complete discography, have been carefully re-mastered from original session tapes and vinyl records, and will be released by Analog Africa on 22 June 2015. After the release of his LP in 1980, Toureì seems to have disappeared. Apparently he was last seen in Cameroon but it is unknown if he is still alive today. His music though is definitely alive.

Etruria Beat welcome again the berlinian Dj Oliver Deutschmann! He was already featured on the label with his remix of Dast's 'Architect'. Now he offers two original tracks with a defined and aggressive sound, backed by two huge remixes from Etruria label boss Luca Agnelli and from french Techno stalwart Electric Rescue. Get ready to blow up some dance floors with those 4 hard hitting monsters. The EP opens with Agnelli's remix of Resist", this track is a muscular and stomping. He catches the originals mood and transforms it into a spectacular version that will leave the dance floor in ashes. BIG! The original version of 'Resist' it's a funky and driving technostomper with house chords that creates an obsessive and powerful rhythm, accompanied with a hypnotic vocal saying 'Resist' in132bpm! The B side continues with the original version of 'Hope' which got a melody in the best Detroit tradition and powerful 808 drums. A stripped dark atmosphere ensure a breathless pace, to the final second. Finally, Electric Rescue morphs this one into a powerful loopy journey, A synth hellfire as it's best. All of them are already Berghain approved and rocked countless other floors. Don't be stupid, buy that shit!!! Additional mix downs have been made at Caduceus Lab Geneva

Following up his appearance on Part 4 of our Strength In Numbers compilation, we are ecstatic to present some fresh material from no other than DJ Slip. A name that has been on the tongue of anyone entrenched in the US techno scene since the early 90's, DJ Slip has entranced audiences for years with his brilliantly bizarre take on sonics. Remix duties this time around come from Berghain resident DJ and all around musical powerhouse, Answer Code Request.

Planting the listener on some foreign stratospheres has always been DJ Slip's expertise, and 'Highland' comes as no exception. Echoed synth stabs detune into the dark while a barrage of claps and clangs provide an onslaught of percussive cleverness that is a signature of the Slip sound. 'Aerial' comes at you like a plane colliding with the earth, a kamikaze of dissonance spiraling downwards and then
in reverse. It's driving tempo, surreal drones, and thudding toms cascade into an intense peak time experience. Answer Code Request provides the perfect counter as a remix, smoothing out the edges into a refined, psychedelic expedition that breathes and shifts as it tunnels deeper. All three tracks together create a diverse and gripping package with something suitable for all times of the night.

'We Start Over' arrived on the desks at International Feel and it felt perfect for us. Deep electronics, a lovely mood, forward thinking and a gorgeous vocal from Trudie Dawn Smith. Lots to play with from a remix perspective and a great original track in itself. Steve Cobby is a British producer, musician, composer, and DJ, based in Kingston-upon-Hull, Yorkshire. He co-founded Fila Brazillia in 1990 and released 10 critically acclaimed LP's and produced over 70 remixes for artists as diverse as Radiohead, Busta Rhymes, Black Uhuru and A Certain Ratio. Cobby now releases music via his own label Déclassé label. His latest and third solo LP 'Saudade' was released in March 2014 and received considerable critical acclaim.

The first 12" consists of the original version and on the flip a remix by Apiento & Lx (their first track together since the underground classic 'The Orange Place' ). The remix is slow trance in its purest sense, made for lasers and dark nightclubs. It's already receiving club play and has been named by Andrew Weatherall and Sean Johnston's ALFOS as "one of the records of the summer". High praise.

On the second 12" the reins have been handed to Gerd Janson & Phillip Lauer a.k.a Tuff City Kids - two people making some of the finest house at their at the moment with Janson also getting massively known globally for his DJing. Their remixes are made for the clubs. The 'Garage Dub' is classic New York house that is as deep as you like and one of those hooky ones that does everything perfectly. The other, 'Private Acid Mix ' goes heavy on the beats and drops the 303 in a fine style with the vocal looped and twisted.

As you would expect from International Feel this is classy and classic club music covered from all angles from a balearic original, a deep chug remix from Apiento & Lx and the Tuff City Kids bringing the house vibe. Deep deep deep.

It takes time for a series of seperate ideas to evolve into a fully concepteptualized album if it wants to have a place in history for Ali and Basti Schwarz, better known as Tiefschwarz. Since 1998 the duo, as both DJ's and producers, have perfected the art of dominating the moments only experienced on a dance floor, deeply immersed in sound. Their music is unique as it is creative. Among the countless extended players and remixes, the three landmark Tiefschwarz albums: 'RAL 9005, 'Eat Books' and 'Chocolate' all have a common thread weaving them together; a historic vision uniting the musical crossroads of past and future. As with the previous albums, Tiefschwarz pause briefly on the subjective localization of artists in the (music) world to create an album which unfolds like a story told by master story tellers. Igniting the dance floor while at the same time giving the listener the opportunity to look beyond themselves and into the journey that is 'Left". With 'Left", Tiefschwarz were able to radicalize the album-specific approach and focus more intently on combining grooves with an introspective perspective. They refrained to bring in an outside co-producer for the album and made sure to forego the cliche variety of guest musicians, concentrating instead on one congenial companion: Khan, who both Ali and Basti have been close friends with since the 90's. Khan, a Frankfurt native of Turkish and Finnish decent, is one of the most prominent and exhilarating German Techno pioneers.

Benedikt Frey heads this latest offering from the Batti Batti label, teaming up with jonas.san for "Girl From Venus", which pair the former's signature raw drums with the latter's outtakes of muted trumpet. Complementing this, Batti Batti's own Owen Jay & Melchior Sultana lay down a typically deep atmospheric houser with a few twists and hidden melodies in the shape of title track "Tribal Roots" and the 12" is further embellished by productions from debutant Lars Behrenroth and Mexican duo Romeo C & Alhan G who have previously been featured on a digital Batti Batti release.

secretsundaze 017 comes from London based producer Endian. Releasing just 2 EPs in a few years on Nonplus and Electric Minds, Endian has nevertheless managed to turn the heads of the likes of Steffi who used one of his tracks for her Panorama Bar compilation and Boddika who also licensed a track for a various artists EP. Sounding like a producer far more experienced than the two releases would indicate, it came as no surprise that this is far from the output of a novice but the seasoned veteran George Levings aka Commix (Metalheadz).
Endian has been a regular at secretsundaze events over the years and a friendship developed with Giles and James. The project is an outlet for him to release the more technoey and house sound that he is increasingly inspired by.
Lead and title track 'Finish Me' is a stone cold killer. Ballsy, raw and over driven in the mix, a tribal breakbeat groove builds before brassy stabs sneak in. The peak of the track sees dramatic pads cut through for a moment of serenity before the drums drop back in. Joy Orbison used 'Finish Me' in his Essential mix late last year and its also been a highlight of secretsundaze's sets over last 6 months. 'Dusty' goes deeper with a layer of fuzzy warmth enveloping the track. Driving but definitely one for the later hours or early on with its hypnotising flow and subtle musical flourishes. Last up 'Sub Tropic' is a heads down, growling, low slung techno track with its deep sub bass. This is definitely a track you can imagine hearing in the bowels of Berghain well into Sunday daytime. 'Finish Me' is arguably Endian's best work to date and it's another fine addition to the secretsundaze catalogue.

Focusing on deep and raw vibes, strictly wax and classic beats, The "Montee Louis EP" has been directly imported from bellevue II, libreville gabon, africa & it has been produced by the great Bernard da smoove. MPC-filtered deep house with some darker & menacing rhythms, A1 "Hudson Budd" kicks off the A1 with a meaty 4/4 kick drum which slowly finds itself surrounded by ghostly pads and even more haunting synths. A2 'Thrawbock' mutates into a more light hearted house jam for the heads, with its vocal infectious sample. B1 "Strctly move" goes back into familiar, smooth deep house territories but still retains his magic touch, able to transform even the deepest of basslines into something both unusual and musical at the same time. B2 & B3 'Thrawbock 88' & 'Strctly move 88' are the 90's hip-hop (!!!) versions of the same tracks above : INSANE !!First time we heard it we thought, 'hell yeah, the production is just TERRIFIC' & indeed there's a timeless quality to the intricately programmed drum machine rhythms, the drifting chords, warm

This is the story of C POWERS. To understand OYSTERS, you must understand the man behind it all...
THE UNITED STATES TERRITORY OF GUAM, ca. 1989
Abandoned at the island nation's only beachfront techno club as an infant, young Christoph (C POWERS) was adopted by the club's owner, Geraldo Powers. During Geraldo's time as a naval officer, he traveled the world throughout rave's formative years, secretly going to the underground parties when arriving to European ports after having originally fallen in love with early house music as a teenager in his native Chicago via roller-rink parties and the legendary Music Box headed by Ron Hardy. Rear Admiral Geraldo, outed as a gay homosexual during the discriminatory days of Ronald Reagan's U.S. military, was forced to retire, but spared a dishonorable discharge thanks to his roster of medals earning during his exemplary leadership for the invasion of Grenada in 1983.
Throughout his three year stay at the local naval base, the now 30-something Gerry Powers had been struck by the natural beauty and unsettling mysticism of Guam and its peoples and made the choice to permanently set up shop on the island after his unexpected retirement. Taking his partner and newly-crowned Supreme Butch Queen of the New York vogue circuit--Amadeus Lector--with him and financed with $6669.69 in prize money, the new era of DAS POUNDHAUS LTD. was to begin.
In 1990, Gerry founded the notorious Guamanian club DAS POUNDHAUS (the name of which was strongly influenced by a two-week long ecstasy and Polish speed-fueled bender during 1989's inaugural Love Parade in West Berlin). Located inside a decrepit lighthouse originally built during Spain's reign over the island, the club played host to a steady stream of closeted, Pacific-touring U.S. military personnel and later, the party-craving barons of the dot com bubble. Outed in private usenet circles for its off-the-charts hedonism, the club's infamous parties would inevitably lead to its perilous demise, and the eventual deportation of Gerry Powers and his family to the mainland.
But there was one thing that could never be taken away from them...
...synesthesia...
You see, young Christoph was diagnosed with the "disorder" as a pre-teen after having been exposed to nearly a decade of DAS POUNDHAUS first-hand and at such a young age. The youngster was like a fish in water during his childhood in Guam, but when the family was deported in 1999, he began to show signs of anxiety and depression. His ability to hear colors and see sounds had simply turned into a stream of incomprehensible, uncontrolled static. He was now a pariah among his peers. Shunned and admonished. Assigned to sit by himself during school lunch. One of "those" kids.
By this time, his two dads' relationship was on the rocks and would quickly unravel. Amadeus, frustrated with Gerry's incessant ramblings about bunkering in Montana because of the Clinton-Illuminati conspiracy to enslave the middle-class, decided to leave Gerry in an attempt to become a backup dancer for Madonna during her "Drowned World Tour" in 2001 (which would have provided a significant sum of financial security to the family, considering their life savings had been destroyed thanks to the toppling of the NASDAQ from its peak of 5048 in March of 2000--and thanks to those dot com baron stock tips, the Powers were all-in). However, Amadeus' unflinchingly "authentic" vogue style was considered obsolete, and he would go to die in a Reno Motel 6, a victim of drug abuse and that kind of thing apparently.
>>>>Fast-forward to the year2012ish>>>>

Record Store Day 2015 will see a special release from Gene Hunt directed and selected by label boss I-Robots.

The two track vinyl EP features unreleased material produced in the early years of the famed Chicago artist's career in the 80s and is dedicated to musical legend Frankie Knuckles who appears on the artwork in a rare picture with Gene Hunt from back in the day.

Gene has regularly produced and remixed for the label before now (including remixing Klein & M.B.O. 'Last Call' and on forthcoming I-Robots project 'Dirty Talk' ft. Donna McGhee) and has already assured his place in house history as a DJ headlining clubs like Warehouse and the Music Box as well as playing with the likes of Ron Hardy and Larry Heard.

As a producer he has been on top of his game for three decades and has released on legendary imprints such Rush Hour, Svek, Djax and many more, so is a true house icon.

His first cut here, 'Drive Yourself Nuts' is a classic bit of Chicago jack with prickly percussive patterns staying busy on top of punchy drums. Wonky bass, physical grooves and coarse claps all make this one a standout banger for the peak of the night.

On the flip of this special package, 'Wildside D Dubb' is a slow building, mania inducing tune with a lead synth line slithering about over dusty metallic drums. Eventually some acid bleeds into the mix and pans all around, adding a sense of scale to this heady, freaky, dance floor smasher. As ever, Opilec Music show others how it is done with this real and rare bit of true Chicago house history.

Four years since they released Dring, Nôze are making a very welcome return to Circus Company with their fifth album Come With Us, and once again the pairing of Nicolas Sfintescu and Ezechiel Pailhes has yielded a collection of captivating and curious songs that could only come from the unique sound world they inhabit. As has been evident throughout their career from their early experimental house days through to the more recent song-based material for Get Physical, the Parisian duo have always moved on from album to album, maturing their sound to deliver a new experience for themselves and their listeners every time. On this occasion, Come With Us finds Nicolas and Ezechiel in a particularly introspective mood. Even as their work has naturally turned more to home-listening craft over the years, here they revel even more in personal reflection both musically and lyrically. Tracks such as Saint' conjure up the romanticism of dustbowl blues with its vagabond guitar tones (played by long time collaborator Thibault Frisoni), while Nicolas's voice reaches new distinctive heights in spellbinding tales like Apache". Emiliano Turi also lends a new sense of natural groove to the Nôze sound with his live drumming, and as ever, Nicolas and Ezechiel are keen to bring their friends into the fold for guest vocal spots. Dani Siciliano spars beautifully with Nicolas on the disco-inflected album opener I Need To Know". dOP vocalist JAW, fresh from his Midtown project, joins in for the bittersweet balladry of Come With Me".

JoeFarr inaugurates Leisure System's new GRIDLOCK 12' series with the Longanimity EP, an invigorating exploration of broken techno released April 20th, 2015. Farr has a diverse history, with three well-received releases on Turbo as well as records with DSNT and Power Vacuum. Few producers can claim to have both remixed Tiga and been remixed by Truss, and the Longanimity EP continues Farr's recent drift towards streamlined brutality, leavening intense drum programming with crystalline bursts of color. The clinical and kinetic Oleum' kicks things off and hurdles towards a shatteringly powerful peak, while Mormon Shuffle' boasts twisted functionality without sacrificing roughness in the brittle loops. The monolithic Standard Issue' has an aggressive edge enhanced by whiplash percussion, and the broken piano melody of FS3+4' inverts the joy typically found in that rave standby, preferring to drop the instrument from the fifth floor and let the chords scatter and shatter as they please. The first release in Leisure System's 2015 GRIDLOCK series representing our ongoing interest in melding the freaky and the functional on the dance floor, JoeFarr's Longanimity EP is stocked with tested and tenacious late-night weapons.

One year has passed since the last release in this series and, as always, the Tramp Records crew have been working hard during the last 12 months to come up with an equally fine selection of tunes for this brand new volume. Our aim is to keep up with the quality of each release, a task which certainly does not get any easier as we step forward into the twenty first century.

There is no need to praise this selection of tracks. It is larger-than-life. And those who do not recognize the distinctiveness of it should better seek medical advice. The most astounding fact is certainly that 99% of the record buying public have never heard any of these tunes, most likely not even the artists. And we are not talking of people who solely listen to mainstream music. No. Even music lovers who believe that they have a good portion of knowledge when it comes to jazz and soul music will be left speechless.

You can skip to any song on this album and you won't be disappointed. The only premise is that you are a fan of raw, earthy soul and jazz music. If this is the case then you can't go wrong. Rene Bailey, Matilda Haywood, Lee Mitchell, Nu Art Quartet, to name a few. It is high time to introduce all these names to a broad audience and to prevent that they vanish into thin air. The Movements series was coined to introduce music lovers to so far unheard musical treasures. Tunes which only hardcore record collectors have had the privilege to enjoy it...until now.

Six years on from his debut album on Cadenza, Swiss DJ/producer Mirko Loko comes with the follow up to 2009's 'Seventynine' as he catapults us into the techno and electronica galaxy with 'Comet Plan'. 'Un voyage entre toute mes influences,' Mirko Loko shares, breaking into his mother tongue to describe the essence of his sophomore longplayer that was conceived in Berlin and later birthed in his hometown of Lausanne after a two-year gestation period. Literally translated as 'to travel between my influences', it's a fitting summation of an artist whose work has respectfully mined early inspiration from Detroit and Chicago that laid the foundations of the emotion-filled productions that we know of him from today. In addition to this, Mirko sees his connection with Luciano's Cadenza Music, a relationship that's been in existence since dot one and saw the likes of Ricardo Villalobos, Melchoir, Pedro and Rahdoo make up one of the most innovative crews in dance music, as leaving an indelible imprint on his musical DNA to this day. It's Mirko's strong sense of musical identity that is at the core of 'Comet Plan', a work that's equally informed by the artist's spiritual connection with the Motor City as his halcyon Cadenza roots. And one thing's for sure; he knows how to captivate: take 'Venus' whose trickles of melody and syncopated drum rhythms increases in intensity with each bar towards an eerie crescendo. Then there's 'U Special' that builds the kind of subtle party vibes you could imagine Luciano dropping to create one of those moments to a heaving blissed out dancefloor. 'Kolor' - the album's early single (also remixed by Carl Craig as part of an excellent EP package) is sprinkled with a dusting of xylophones, chimes and other bells as the melody is driven forward for a heady trip across the electronic galaxy.

Two dubbed techno wonders on a 7' platter.


Lars Fenin,born and raised in Hamburg has been around the music scene
in berlin since the mid 90ties as reggae guitarist/songwriter/live-act/artist/producer/dj.
His first experiments in electronic music started in 1998 with some friends in Hamburg, followed two years later by his
first Ep release called 'Herr Pitzelberger dreht auf" for the Berlin based label Shitkatapult.
Since then Fenin has released several Eps and albums for his homies Shitkatapult as well as 12" s and remixes for
labels like Echocord, Revolver, Eintakt and Mitek among others. Along the years he could boast collaborations with artists
such as Deadbeat, Mikael Stavöstrand, D-meteo, k.j.gibbs,Horace Andy, der dritte raum, Eraldo Bernocchi and Jeff Milligan. Since 2008 he runs also his own label called "Dock-records"..

Soundwise, Fenin's productions range from roots reggae/dub pieces
to cordish/melodic techno sets and electronic alike soundscapes.

The future is unwritten.

Serious heat alert! Ridiculously rare sun drenched funky Soul from the mythical Raw Soul Express....

"The Way We Live" is as flawless as it gets, a superior piece of sweet Soul music from all the way down there in Miami, ultra sought after in it's original 45 issue & featuring some absolutely stellar production from the underrated George "Chocolate" Perry this record is an instant party starter! Featured on the mix-tapes & in the play-lists of some of the most discerning crate digging DJ's out there & an OG 45 will literally cost you an arm & a leg ($600 plus) this total gem of a record gets an overdue repress in it's original form. Essential!

Backed here with it's original b-side slow jam "This Thing Called Music" this ultra-rare 45 has been re-mastered, re-pressed & brought back for 2015's dance-floors in conjunction & with the permission of T.K. Disco / Henry Stone Music, Miami USA.

Juan Sanchez delivers his first single on the raw sounding Drumcode Limited with two monster sounding tracks.

Both tracks represent the gritty, tough side of the Drumcode spectrum and deliver two peak time tracks that will finish a dancefloor off. Using filtering hats, low end rumbles and outlandish beeps, Juan Sanchez encapsulates the sound of Drumcode Limited.

Dream Weapons' »Moonland« from his »Pathways EP« (Holger 3, 2014) has been a favorite of many. Accordingly, remix duties were given into the trustworthy hands of Barnt and Jens-Uwe Beyer - two of the co-founders of much acclaimed Cologne label Magazine. An expert in mixing and structuring, Barnt carves out the hidden capabilities of the original while Jens-Uwe Beyer takes a slightly more humorous but no less feet-moving approach to things. Weirdo techno in typical Magazine/Holger style.

Garofano Rosso is the latest project by Italian producer Giorgio Luceri, perhaps better known for his work on Jamal Mossí Mathematics label. This new work eschews the house stylings of previous releases in favour of a more classic Cosmic approach. Echoes of Tangerine Dreamís Thief OST mixed with what could perhaps be the imaginary soundtrack to Miami Vice if it had infact been set in Rimini and starred Maurizio Merli as Sonny Crockett. These are not however just mere mood pieces, but take the sun, the sea and the body-count straight to the dancefloor. Not to be missed. Including download code.

Hot off the back of the their successful inaugural release from Quenum & Cesare vs Disorder, the young Barcelona label continues to drive forward with their mission to move people by drawing from an expansive and expressive universe of melodic and rhythmic sounds. The result of this is a carefully curated, limited edition of vinyl and digital releases, and next in line is a brand new EP from Russian producer and DJ, Tripmastaz. Andrew Guyvoronsky (aka Tripmastaz) is the one of a few underground producers from Russia to make serious tidal waves in the dance community gaining world-wide recognition and respect from fans, media and DJs alike. On top of his tracks being featured in a variety of famous compilations such as Fabric and DJ-Kicks, Tripmastaz has been focused on a busy touring schedule and on making Russia decidedly more funky for the past 10 years. This new EP melds the stripped back with the downright, dirty bass bombs synonymous with Tripmastaz's style. Title track 'Ain't Made 4 U' is a swirling house-funk journey that is built to move bodies across floors. 'Live from the Basement' takes things back a little with a more minimal approach to percussive techno then Christian Burkhardt & Andre Buljat's remix of EP opener slams us back to the heady, peak-time dance floor, before HITCH closes out the EP with his rolling and hypnotic take on the A-side. Good taste will always prevail.



[C] B1 | Ain't Made 4 U (Christian Burkhardt & Andre Buljat remix)

hile it may seem as though it's been a quiet year in the studio for Brooklyn-based DJ/Producer Greg Schappert (aka Donor), his first full-length album entitled Against All on Chicago-based Prosthetic Pressings, will prove otherwise.

This 10-track release is a tour de force of formidable intensity and suspense and Donor wastes no time creating an ethereal realm right from the start. By taking a deep dive into a dystopian world full of distant transmission like voices, expressed through field recordings taken in and around New York City, Donor successfully paints a picture of what could be his unsettling vision of the future. While it may be difficult to explain how this album progresses throughout, there is something below the surface tying everything together, leaving us with a feeling of despair in that the world does not end how it is likely to be perceived through this beautiful or haunting, yet sophisticated, soundtrack. Alien invasions, civil war, post apocalyptic mayhem, call it what you will, Donor sets the stage for an unsettling vision of the not so distant future that can be heard in his thought provoking debut LP.

Donor's time spent overseas living in countries like Spain and Japan, his love for Birmingham Industrial Techno and early Dutch and Detroit Electro, combined with his upbringing on John Carpenter films, have all contributed to Donor creating his unique, yet recognizable sound.
Feedback:
Audio Injection / Droid Recordings
Yeah my boy Greg getting down! Great album!!
Leonard Posso / Thema
Hands down one of the best bodies of work to date from Greg aka Donor! SOLID PACKAGE! Many of these will get played throughout the night! Big Ups Donor and PP!
Vidal / Droid Recordings
nice sounds
Ergin Karabulut / FAZE Magazin
ok
DJ Nori / Posivision
cool dark essence.
Paul Clarke / Dj Mag
Not exactly heartwarming but lots of good stuff if you like it bleak.....
Mark EG / Core Magazine, Tilllate Magazine
IP Test
Nerk / V-Records / De:Bug
dark & minimal (in a good way)
Exberliner
!
Frank Hilpert / Freshguide (5x Regional A5 Mag) , Freshguide BLN, Freshguide MDL, erwischt.org/
Big - Review to follow.
Berlin Mitte Institut / Berlin Mitte Institut
More IDM than techno. Some interesting tracks on this album.
David Marcia / Phuturelabs, Phuturelabs
Good stuff. Considering for review and radio play.
Bleed / De:Bug
considering for review
Benoît Carretier / Tsugi
solid one tx
Pawel Gzyl / Nowamuzyk
killer1
Laurent Diouf / MCD magazine / WTM radio show
another wtm's playlist is coming soon...;)
Alland Byallo / Nightlight Music, Bad Animal, Pokerflat
Fantastic album. Deep, dark, nasty. Pure mood (and some seriously heavy BOOM).
Solomun
Hello, i am downloading and pre checking all promos for Solomun. I will give you a personal feedback if he plays and supports this release. Thanks a lot and have a great day.
Solenoid / Graphene / Belief System
wikked album of deep ritualistic techno ...
Electric Indigo
cool tracks here. station a14, ip test and own exile are my favorites after first listen. thank you!
Corin Arnold / BLN FM
sounding good, support!
RADIO CAMPUS BESANCON / THE VINYL GUERILLA
not really for me ... DJ Gaogao
Riyaz Khan / Diversions on chry105.5fm
like the shifting tensions and brooding atmospheres throughout!
Fabian Birke / WOMR College Radio / BLN.FM
For radio play, thanks
Andrew Grant (Circo Loco)
Own Excile is very good
Slam / Soma Records
cool album thanx
Sebastian Roya (Connaisseur)
Bomb! nice job!
Matthias Springer / Diametral / Chillkyway
great release, brainsqueezing!
DJ Hyperactive
good tune on here man
Patrick Bateman (Tic Tac Toe / Connect Four)
Hands On, Calling, Menace Is Mine & In Your Place are the ones for me. As always full quality from Donor!
Jonas Kopp / Curle, Deeply Rooted House
Will check properly , thanks.
HalfStereo
Dark moods is what i like...
Angel Molina ( Sonar / Tresor )
LOVE this dark & hypnotic release. Tracks like 'Menace Is Mine', 'Station A14', 'Counter' or 'Fault Is Found' are absolutely fantastic. thanks!!!
Scuba (Hotflush)
thanks. downloading for scuba!
Bryan Zentz / Minus / Thoughtless / Portlandia
I am miserably late on this—but really like it on quick listen. In Your Place and Us For Them are awesome. Looking forward to listening all the way through. Thanks!
Pär Grindvik / Little White Earbuds
thanks
Dr Hoffmann / Blind Spot
Great release, digging most of the tunes. thanks
Philip Downey / Swoon / pastlessonfuturetheories blog
Like Calling, IP Test, Us for Thenm, Fault, could try some on radio.
Tim Thaler / Bln.fm
downloading
Lukasz (Nermal) Napora / Audioriver Festival, Radio 4 Poland
great stuff. eager to listen to it from wavs
Vito Camaretta / Chain D.L.K
Interesting sonorities
Noah Pred / Thoughtless Music
Stark business worthy of a deeper listen.
2000 And One (100% Pure, Intacto) / 100% Pure
Oh yes perfect intermezzo stuff :)
Alexi Delano / AD ltd, Plus 8
Will have a proper listen.
Echologist (Steadfast) / Third Ear, Echocord
really liking this. fresh beats and trippy hypnotic vibes. look forward to spending time with this.
john1 / Bedrock
downloading
James Zabiela / Renaissance
In Your Place is nice in a bleak way.
Marcel Dettmann / MDR, Ostgut Ton
thx
Richie Hawtin / Minus, Richie Hawtin
downloaded for r hawtin
The Advent / Tresor
fantastic.. pure techno here.. Donor - Station A14 Donor - IP Test
Andrew Weatherhall / Rotters Golf Club
Downloading obo Andrew Weatherall
Noice Podcast Series
very nice Techno...
Samuli Kemppi / Prologue
Great album. Donor in top shape. Full support!
Lee Holman
Good album of deep dark sounds. Especially like Station A14. Thank you!
Benna Schneider / Harry Klein
some nice tunes here ,that I´ll play out surely
Douglas Fugazi / Medellinstyle
Yeah! Sounds really good. Thanks!
Plastic Lounge @ Freies Radio Freudenstadt
good tecno,playing
Kyle Geiger / Drumcode
Really like Space Station!
Paul Ritch
thx a lot for the promo
Dave Angel / Apollo, Rotation Records, Polydor/Love, OuterRythum, React Records, Island
Thanks! Will let you know if supporting.
Luciano Esse / Safari Electronique, Out-Er, Leftroom, Material Series
Great sounds, but I couldn't use them in set! Thanks anyway!
Arnaud Le Texier / Affin, Bass Culture, Cocoon, Children Of Tomorrow, Syncrophone.
Some inspiring tracks on this album! Thx
Henning Lösch / Radio Dreyeckland Freiburg
last exit Brooklyn...:-)
Roko (Sub.fm/B.O.M.B.)
OH shit this is good!!
Sigha / Immerse / Hotflush / Avian
loving this, many thanks
Jerzy Przezdziecki / Recognition Records, Boshke Beats Records
raw and mental. i like.
Alex Tolstey / Triangle Eyes/Boshke Beats Records
ho ho! review to follow
Alan Fitzpatrick
epic! love this.!

Revered Belgian DJ and producer Mugwump proudly presents his longawaited debut album on his Subfield imprint. An impeccable nine track LP, informed by two decades as a globe-trotting DJ, producing tracks that have inspired everyone from Andrew Weatherall to Mr. Scruff. A mainstay from the Belgian club scene, on the ground in Ibiza in the early 90's, behind the cult Food Club in the late 90's, now running his own Leftorium clubnight in Brussels, with releases on the highly influential Kompakt label but also on R&S, Gigolo, Cocoon, Gigolo, Eskimo, Permanent Vacation or Throne of Blood... Mugwump has the CV to deliver one of the year's most eclectic and inventive studio albums, a timeless excursion into modern-day, leftfield dance-pop and mutant disco with heavy New-Beat influences. Produced with his partner Olivier Grégoire, it also gathers a solid list of collaborators : Circlesquare's Jeremy Shaw (!K7/Output), Brussels guitar wizard Raphael Lee (aka Spookhuisje), Luke Jenner (ex-The Rapture), Norway 's cosmic disco lords Päl Nyhus of Mungolian Jet Set and Tore Gjedrem from Ost & Kjex, Belgian multi-instrumentalist Stephan Fedele, Philip Janzen (frontman of Cologne's Krautrock-Disco band Von Spar) and Sami « Morpheus » Birnbach from 80's cult punkfunk/new-wave band Minimal Compact.

KEY POINTS
-Mugwump's SF001 and SF002 releases have been supported by Pachanga Boys, Ivan Smagghe, Horse Meat Disco, A Love from Outer Space, Huxley, Jack Savidge (Friendly Fires), Sasha, Ben Pearce, Groove Armada, Andrew Weatherall, Erol Alkan and featured in Mixmag, Clash, Ransom Note, Resident Advisor, DJ Mag, Phuturelabs, Insomniac and repeatedly in France's prime-time news show Le Petit Journal (Canal +)

-This album will be supported by a 4/5 piece live band, with SF002 collaborator DC Salas plus Raphael Lee (Spookhuisje), Stephan Fedele and Mugwump, plus a live drummer when possible. Early tryout dates already scheduled in Brussels (23.01 Maison du Peuple/20.02 Central)

-Freeman PR will be handling the full album UK campaign targeting all the major blogs, webzines, specialist and mainstream print medias with also tba UK plugger targeting radios. Two original videos are being finished right now.

-Mugwump co-runs and resides at the highly-rated Leftorium clubnight in Brussels and has a weekly radio show on FM Brussel, running for 10 years now.

Uncto's seminal 2013 release Pain was an uncompromising exercise in rhythmical brutality amidst a conflux of themes of suffering, industry, man, and machine.
The record now sees itself reinterpreted and reimagined under the auspices of some of the scene's most eminent and accomplished forerunners in what is perhaps, as it arrives on an opulent red double-vinyl format, the label's most ambitious addition to its catalog to date.

Long-time trailblazers Exium first take on 'Dirty Minds' as they apply their unequalled peak-time treatment. While retaining the driving force of the original, the Spanish duo transmute its somber sense of narrative into a singular and infective pattern that unrelentingly maintains its intensity throughout. In contrast, Frenchman Mondkopf's reconstruction is a radical departure from its progenitor, almost as if the merciless titular oppressor ('Schinder') has been injected with an empathogenic truth serum and made to face the toll of his deeds. Serving as his final penance, the resultant insuppressible melodic radiance gushes to the fore as powerfully as his remorse and tears.
Continuing on the second record, Canadians Orphx draw upon the immense and unwieldy cyclicality of 'Judas Cradle' as they deconstruct the torture device into a prolonged yet unfaltering dirge. Harnessing the raw power of the original, they adroitly fuel and layer the modular solemn synths of the drawn-out nine minute epic. Finally, the unequivocal master of industrial cannonry, Ancient Methods (DE), takes on and reins in the unyielding beast of 'It,' leaving the monster not only tamed but fully subjugated to his will. Now capable of executing the most inscrutable order, itsees itself violently degenerated to the barest of elements and recombined anew, with the cadence of its frame shifted and staggered to the striding rhythm of a being more machine than flesh. Providing solace and closure are Uncto themselves, as they complement the compositions with two droning interludes.

Mastered by CGB at Berlin's Dubplates & Mastering, Pain Remixes will be available at fine vinyl retailers

Paradise Valley's debut 'Deep Probe' EP could well be a case study on how to make an unforgettable electronic music record. Take an incredible, psychedelic collection of ideas that have been drenched in emotional content and heart ache and then infused with optimism and inspirational, healing emotions, shake it with visions of outer space, and the production level 99, put that into a track that will be the defining moment of any dj set: you just got 'Deep Probe'.

Inspired by the success of last summer's retrospective on Poker Flat, Steve Bug takes up his Traffic Signs moniker once more for a fabulous jam that more than merits the 10-year wait. The uncredited tunes that first came out under this name were classic jack tracks that devastated dancefloors - and 'Cookie Jar' is a more than worthy successor. This is stripped-down house, Chicago-esque, direct and determined to make you move. Berlin legend Jake The Rapper adds downright dirty humour with a spoken vocal fit for an age of internet sextapes and celebrity photo hacking. 'I like what you're cookin. Those cookies smell goooood,' he rascalously declares. Three mixes sprinkle the musical equivalent of chocolate chips, pecans and Brazilian stardust over the original. Steve Bug makes fine adjustments for the club, bouncing around the kick drums and doubling the synth riff with strings, while Joyce Muniz's dark, strobing treatment adds a dirty bass line for sexy, sweat-drenched dancefloors everywhere. Stripping away the vocal on the dub, Muniz's production talents are all the more scintillating, irresistibly kinetic from beginning to end. The brilliant video for 'Cookie Jar' has been created by swiss-french duo Ben & Julia, who let us take part in their playful, colorful and surreal world that suits the song so well.

This EP was made during a period where my whole outlook on everything was transforming. The Voidloss project started as an investigation, I was conducting a lot of research and study on the mind, the occult, on different thought modes, and the Voidloss project represented this. The idea was about a leap in to the void. A leap of abandonment into the dark, with total acceptance, total commitment. The idea was to lose myself to the void. This was mainly a spiritual journey for me, and could be best explained by 3 things, the void of Miyamoto Musashi from Go Rin No Sho, The concept of the Tao from the writings of Lao Tzu, and the concept of the abyss from the works of Aleister Crowley. Part of this journey deep inside the self was frightening and horrific, the total loss of self, of all identity and ego, and part of it was beautiful and enlightening. I wanted the music to reflect this, and I wanted the music to change as I changed, as I went to and through all these interesting places. In essence this was about freedom. So fast forward some years and I felt I had sharpened my mind quite effectively, the music had twisted and changed and flowed with me. At the point I began making the music for this EP, I had grown quite angry with the amount of conformity I was perceiving in life. Politically, socially, musically, there was this drive of conformity in the world. I think part of it, and only a part, comes from the prevalence of social media, the need to belong and to be liked, the idea of judging yourself and your works through the perception of others. Musically I felt that within techno there was a tendency for the music to fit within a set of confines dictated by fashion and hype, and this was reducing the diversity of the music, it seemed also that the practices of commercial music were seeping in to techno as the music became more popular. Hype and business driven decisions, brand building and so on. I always felt techno was more about art, and I began to get frustrated. Equally I felt that politically there was less and less choice, as all decisions seemed to lead to the same outcomes. I became more interested in the concept of anarchism, of the idea that government was no longer needed. I have always in my life had a drive to question everything. I've always been 'naughty' and rebellious and done things my way, to my advantage or my disadvantage, I could never accept being anything other than myself all the way. If everyone walks in one direction, I will walk the other way, even if it takes me over the edge of a precipice, just to see what is there. All this stuff influences my music, and during the period of making this EP I was angry, kicking against the things I no longer liked or wanted, screaming dissent. There is a lot of anger and rage, and of course rebellion. I wanted the music to capture that unbridled fury you have when you are in your late teens, when you just start learning about yourself and you start rebelling and questioning things around the time the world is really pushing you to conform. I was soundtracking my own philosophical riot. Previous to this my Voidloss stuff had been more introverted, more pensive and melancholy, more self destructive, more cerebral. For this new music I wanted something more immediate but without being too obvious. In terms of the choices I made I still leaned more towards broken rhythms for beat structure. I find it very difficult to do anything interesting with 4x4 kicks any more, it's too rigid for me, it limits my freedom. I like the looseness you get from more 'drummer' like beats, I guess probably because I have been playing drums all my life. The challenge is to get the same rolling power from broken rhythms as you get from 4 to the floor. It's not easy, there is a ridiculous amount of trial and error and the rejection percentage is high. I also was trying to use less 'synthy' sounds. I wanted to try to take a more acousmatic approach to sound design. With the current modular synth revival in techno I was hearing a lot of 'old' synth sounds re-emerging, and this didn't seem like a progression to me. I wanted to make sounds that were hard to source for the listener, where they weren't sure if it was synth or real world sample, digital or analogue. This involved a lot of experimentation. My process involved a lot of field recording, especially with contact microphones, which open up a whole new world of interesting sounds. You are effectively recording sounds through objects in the environment, 'hearing' the world as these objects hear them, I was using guitars, feedback loops, handmade instruments as well. So I was combining this with different synthesis, granular synthesis, sample synthesis, physical modelling, FM synthesis and of course analogue. Everything was reprocessed and re-synthesised, I tried hard to obscure the source and make something new as much as possible. The stuff on this EP was part of my live PA for some time, so as I learned how the music worked live I could go back and make changes, sometimes the environment I was playing in transformed the sound as well, and so I would try to go back an incorporate this in to the music. For remixes I wanted to choose artists that I respected for their vision as well as for their output, so my list of people I wanted was extremely short. Inigo Kennedy has always been an artist I have respected greatly. His music has always been unique to himself, he remains outside of fashions and trends even though his name has become very big recently. He takes risks with his work, experimenting and exploring, yet remaining relevant to the club, and just tirelessly forging ahead, seemingly for the sake of art above all else. And he's just a really nice guy to deal with. His remix is everything I expected it to be in that it is the unexpected. Regis is another artist who forges his own path in music, you cant really even begin to discuss the avantgarde in techno without including his name, he is one of the foundation stones for artistry and the outsider mentality in techno. His music is always unique to his own vision, and along with it comes an interesting artistic philosophy taking in situationism, post punk and industrial ideology and a good dose of tricksterism ala PT Barnum, all of which comes out in his music and the way it is presented. The man is a truly singular force and it is an honour to have him on this record. Overall the concept here is that of rebellion and dissent. Of asking questions, following your own path, of maintaining some place in yourself that burns like a forest fire.

Whether or not I have succeeded I guess is down to the listener, I'm never happy with my music, I keep wanting to move forwards, or somewhere else, and am constantly trying and failing to capture some essence of perfection. But like Bukowski said
'It's the only good fight there is'

Working on opposite sides of the landmass we call Canada, Vancouver/Montreal duo Potatohead People (producers Nick Wisdom & AstroLogical) have been making waves for quite some time with their signature jazzy boom-bap meets boogie inside the bassbin vibes. Called a "formidable tandem" by OkayPlayer, their sounds have been championed early on by the likes of Kaytranada, Soulection, Nightmares on Wax, Pomo, Exmag, Big Boi, and Phife Dawg. After a few early releases on Vancouver based netlabel Jellyfish Recordings, Brooklyn's Bastard Jazz reissued their 2012 landmark Kosmichemusik EP and pressed a 7" released on Valentine's Day 2013. The association landed their song "Back To My Sh*t" (featuring Frank Nitty of Frank'n'Dank) on a Powerade produced LeBron James documentary and Nick and Astro began working on a debut LP for Bastard Jazz, presented here.

Big Luxury draws from influences disparate as classic jazz, prog rock, disco 90's hop, DJ Shadow-Era downtempo beats, alongside modern influences like the Brainfeeder crew and new electronic sounds coming out of Nick Wisdom's adopted hometown of Montreal. What's resulted is a finely honed, extra buttery album that effortly glides between tempos, but never loses the mood. The album also features a whole host of guest vocalists - J Dilla's younger brother Illa J, legendary Canadian MC Moka Only, New Zealand's Sorceress, and Amalia all provide contributions to the sounds within. Big Luxury is a velvety ride through vibes and a magnificent debut for these talented young Canadians.

Requiem for a dreamstate. It's possibly somewhere between heaven, hell and high water, down the Thames Delta towards Eden. It may involve techno and a distorted state or simply mates sat listening to music together, drifting on the open sea of their minds. This is Jon Hopkins' world, not so much joining the dots as colouring the whole damn picture in.

After releasing his debut album 'Opalescent' at the rookie age of 21 in 1999, he's gone on to work with Brian Eno and David Holmes, produced King Creosote and via Eno, worked on three Coldplay albums. He released the breakthrough album 'Immunity' in 2013, which was nominated for the Mercury Prize.

The story arc with which Hopkins succeeded on 'Immunity' makes its appearance on Late Night Tales too with a perfectly sculpted excursion on this widescreen mix. . Opening with the unreleased 'Sleepers Beat Theme' by composer Ben Lukas Boysen, ghostly pianos skip elegantly hither and thither, among rising strings, as on Darkstar's 'Hold Me Down'. Nils Frahm is here, his sonic palette perfect for the job, while labelmate A Winged Victory For The Sullen contribute 'Requiem For The Static King Part I'. Sigur Ros offshoot Jónsi & Alex's heroic 'Daniell In The Sea' sends us forth towards the Baltic with tears streaming.

Beats occasionally appear, as on the Grace Jones-sampling 'Yr Love' by Holy Other or the pair of Black Country acts Bibio and Letherette, whose 'After Dawn' is almost spry in comparison to the minor key symphonies on display here. The perfect contrast to this comes from Alela Diane's wistful 'Lady Divine' or even Four Tet's mesmerising 'Gillie Amma I Love You', with its enchanting kids' choir. Exclusive to this release, Jon Hopkins provides a startlingly vulnerable new piano version of Yeasayer's 'I Remember'.

Poet and fellow Brian Eno collaborator (their joint album 'Drums Between The Bells' was released by Warp in 2011) Rick Holland narrates the exclusive spoken word closer 'I Remember', underpinned with additional sound design by Hopkins.

"Putting this album together was a unique opportunity for me to present music that I have been listening to for years, free from the constraints of a club setting or from trying to stick to one genre. I chose tracks not just because they have been important to me but because of how they sit together, putting as much thought into the transitions and overall narrative as I did into the track choices. I mixed by key and by texture more than anything else, using original sound design, pivot notes, and often recording new synth or piano parts to link things together in a way that flows as naturally as possible." - Jon Hopkins, December 2014

Imagined as a sharp contrast and complement to Funn City's trashy vintage vibes, Darshan Jesrani's new Cylinder moniker sets out to explore the more streamlined, forward-facing side of Startree's vision, while sacrificing none of the warmth or funk of its classic influences. 'Disco Engine' is a futuristic joyride which draws upon late 80s and early 90s techno vibes as much as it does disco and R&B to produce a groove which is warmly insistent, buoyant, sexy and a little menacing. Ruthless, detuned 808 toms and a punchy, round analog bass synth provide a floor you can push the gas pedal to. A greasy, giddy synth rhythm holds the middle down like a session guitarist when rent is due, and ecstatic choral synth pads and vocals by Chelsea Adewunmi soar just above the horizon. Underground dance music with the top way down. Side B's '4-Stroke Dub' works a more DJ-oriented angle around that 808 and juxtaposes parts which do not play together in the original, creating a track which is subtly driving and every bit as engaging. The gorgeous, understated vocal refrain in the middle is a destination you will have been happy to go the extra distance to reach. Startree is happy to present its second release as a continuing statement of its musical intentions and its simple desire for all to have a really good time.

To all our respected critics, reviewers, and wisenheimer: be prepared to listen to this album in tranquility. If you do not do so you will most likely rate this release one out of five stars. And this is something which it certainly does not deserve. This album needs time and patience to be fully understood. And if you do so you will be enlightened by the true beauty of this selection.

Not only for Don McCaslin's project Warmth the time has come for representation and appreciation. All the songs on this disc are well worth to be discovered. No matter if you skip to Jorge Darden's jazzy-soulful "Alone Again" or to Seeds of Fulfillment's stunning "Solemn Solitude". Each and every song is a masterpiece in its own right. Funky soul music fans will be pleased to get a chance to listen to Cookie Thomas and Bold Breed, two cuts which are hard to find in its original format. Rarity is one thing, quality is another. The songs to be found here are both rare and good. Better yet, until now, all of these tracks had not yet been compiled.

After Movements and Feeling Nice, two already well-established compilation series on Tramp, Praise Poems could be the start of a new successful one. It was solely the title track which lead us to release this album. Don't ask if there will be a Volume 2. We don't know yet. What we do know is that if we ever come across a similar tour de force as Don McCaslin's compostion, then there will certainly be one.

THE company focused on realeasing original obscure dance classic and everything's that sounds fine to their ears !What a special one we have here on Skylax Classic! Damien Zala, the man who put out the superb album 'Lonely Happiness' on Rowtag Records in late 2012, who gets heavy support from the great Theo Parrish, dishes up six special tracks for our next release. Before diving in, it is well worth noting that a selection of Damien's album tracks had remixes by the likes of house icons such as DJ Jus-Ed, Rick Wade and Boo Williams! If those names register even the slightest blip on your radar, which they should, then this record might be the treasure you've been searching for. Damien's sampling technique has a certain air of grandeur to it. 'Shake Vibration' makes this apparent right from the start with intricate layers of vocals, guitar licks and keys. 'All My Respect' and 'Come Around' both follow suit whilst 'Dizzie' picks up the B side with a bit more energy and frenzy compared to what has come before it. The record rounds out with two tracks taking things a bit deeper. 'Stay Where You Are' drives forward with filtered pad chords that accompany jazzy sax and vocal cuts while conversely, 'Z To The Jz' brings in a moodier vibe with its jazz samples and smoky drums.
Do not miss the chance to get such a gem of a record from Damien Zala!, C L A S S I C ! A must to have in every djs collection. Essential Item No Digital .

In our series of related incidents we were out searching for a suitable incident to occur after our well received Black Merlin (George Thompson) voyage in early 2014 (it's been a long time, yes).
The following happened.
We approached "Will Flisk'' somewhere in the digital Jungle. Totally unaware that Will and George are actually long time friends.
ALL OF THESE INCIDENTS ARE RELATED.
Havamal inspired Briton 'Will Flisk' takes his filmic approach to music to the streets with his first output on our curious little imprint.
With the help of good friend Black Merlin (George Thompson) on synths and drum machines and Natasya Hodges on Cello, this amazingly orchestrated title track (Red Planet) takes us to different planets and back, even though our money is too short for commercial space travel.
Nashville, Tennessee's very own Grey People (Alex J Michalski) works his distortion on a sinister remix (B1) that's leaning towards the more techno side of things. for the B2, Will bestowed an amazing bit of roughness upon us.
With the blessing of Zoroaster the vinyl release will take place in January.

Celebrated ambient artist John Beltran jointly release not one but two vinyl compilations on Delsin Records in association with his own Dado label. The compilations, named Music For Machines Part 1 and Part 2, will take the form of two vinyl LPs released apart, with both releases complied together onto one CD available at a later date. Michigan born producer Beltran, of course, has released countless legendary EPs and LPs on labels like Peacefrog, Carl Craig's Retroactive and Belgium's R&S. His music has been licensed to high profile HBO TV series and a number of films, and pulls together elements of jazz, world music, organic soundscapes and electronic textures into compelling listening experiences. Most recently this came in the form of his Amazing Things album in 2013, whilst his career spanning Ambient Selections from 2011 is still a vital listen. Part 1 of the compilation pulls together new and exclusive tracks from the likes of Winter Flags, Blair French, David Elpezs and John himself, whilst part two focuses on the likes of Natalie Beridze, Kirk Degiorgio and Vincent Volt. Part 1 opens up with the found sound lushness of 'Winterfall Winds' before naturally unfolding through Reinehr's wintry harmonics and the crowning glory of Beltran's own titular track, which is a moving bit of textured modern classical music that sooths your mind, body and soul. As for Part 2, it is riddled with sumptuous sonic delights like Greg Chin's icy and alpine 'Dashboard Angels' and Mick Chillage's beautifully suspended 'Only In My Dreams'. Vincent Volt keeps things beautifully beachy with his 'Subway Arp' and A2B2C2's 'Stereometry' is a suitably sombre affair that closes the compilation down in style.

Our first release is by Jay Clarke, a London based producer and resident of the renowned monthly party. The first release will showcase killer cuts from Jay himself, each showcasing a brand of Techno narrative that's become now synonymous with his contradistinctive sound.

Jay's production methods are by no means homogeneous to one strain of dancefloor Techno, his DJ sets regularly encompass tracks, tools or elements from the broader spectrum of electronic music, and you're sure to find an array of influences in abundance throughout his own productions. So it's not just First Flight by name, it's also First Flight by nature here for Jay.

First Flight features three original tracks from Jay himself and UK producer JoeFarr has been drafted in to take care of remix duties here, and brings his trademark rough- edged Techno sound along for the ride. This really isn't one for the faint-hearted; a great addition to what is a supremely versatile and well-rounded release.

Support from:

Dave Clarke, AnD, Phase, DVS1, Kriz!, Inigo Kenedy, Ben Sims, Shifted, Marcel Dettmann, Kwartz, Answer Code Request, Adam X, Surgeon, Norman Nodge, Henning Baer, Luke Slater, Nihad Tule, Francois X, Len Faki, Abstract Division, Slam, Pfirter, Happa, Rivet, Thomas Schumacher, Brendon Moeller, Ame, CTRLS, Joseph Capriati, Richie Hawtin, Steve Lawler, Sasha, Hernan Cattaneo, John Selway, Dave Angel, Dave Tarrida, Juho Kusti, Bas Mooy, Psyk, 2000 and One, Dax J, Espen Lauritzen, Arnaud Le Texier Fundamental Interaction, Vincent Neumann, Lee Holman, Gareth Wild, UZB, Mr Jones, Submerge, Sandrien, Setaoc Mas, Annie Hall, Matthias Woot

Sao Paulo born Toni Tornado was considered the Brazilian James Brown by many.

His career began as 'Tony Checker', lip syncing to rock 'n' roll hits and touring extensively outside of Brazil. Whilst in New York he met Tim Maia and became involved in the 'Black Rio' movement. Toni also worked with Ed Lincoln and Antonio Adolfo amongst many others. He had a successful acting career and starred in many soap opera's.

'O Journaleiro' is a tearing funk track with tough drums and big vocals. Taken from his hard to find and expensive to acquire debut LP, 'BR-3', released by Odeon Brazil in 1971.

This track has never been released on 7".

Som Tres was a jazz ensemble formed by legendary Brazilian musician César Camargo Mariano, who also formed Sambalanço Trio.

Cesar's collaborations with many of Brazil's most important singers, notably Wilson Simonal and Elis Regina, have brought him worldwide acclaim; the historic 1973 album Elis and Tom, made with Antonio Carlos Jobim, features Cesar as arranger, pianist and musical director.

Som Tres recorded eight albums between 1966 and 1971. 'Homenagem a Mongo' is taken from the sought after 'Som 3' LP from 1969 on Odeon Brazil. It has never been released on a 7".

There is something singularly unique and peculiar in the degree to which seemingly unsettling themes and extreme taboos have been explored, most notably in the medium of film, in the land of Nippon. Free from the constraints of reality, notions of grotesque brutality, torture, fetishism, and sadomasochism, to name a few, have oftentimes served as driving motifs in the examination of the true nature of violence latent in the most repressed reaches of the human mind. Concurrently, in the realm of electronic music, many Japanese producers have often been able to cultivate and harness a daring yet distinctly refined and inimitable form of organized sonic chaos, one almost instantly recognizable to the occidental ear. The music of Tomohiko Sagae, and in particular his latest contribution to Furanum's catalogue, The Spurt of Blood, is perhaps a quintessential example of the confluence of the former themes and latter medium.
At the outset of the record, the beholder is faced with the 'Vacant Eyes' of a staggering monstrosity, a subdued and subjugated automata in the midst of a bleak dystopia, nearly lifeless but for the grudgingly conceded advance of its death march. As a battery of gratuitous aural violence led by a dominant synth is rapidly unleashed in the subsequent composition, a growing malaise transforms into fractured bone and psyche alike, with no distinction made anymore between the tearing of metal, flesh, or the fabric of the mind. Culminating in 'Severe Pain', with limits of endurance breached and descent into madness the only seeming form of respite, relentlessly rolling drums and hauntingly sublime howls provide the context for the dawning realization of pain as a virtue in and of itself, when a demented pleasure and the exhilarative liberation that lies therein begins to emerge. In the final act, reinterpreted by Furanum stalwarts Uncto, roles are tellingly reversed as the vacant eyes of the victim become that of the oppressor. With cold-blooded precision, the original is reengineered into a force of merciless domination, its elements machined and recalibrated for pure power.Words: PSD

Federsen returns to Fifth Interval for another sublime instalment of dance floor friendly dub-techno. Dewpoint is an altogether tighter affair when compared to the label's first release, Point Reyes.

The drums are taut and razor-sharp, propelling the listener effortlessly through a dense fog of ferric clouds, swelling to fill the outer-reaches of the echo chamber. A highly polished metallic production style that can be compared to some of Andy Stott's early and classic works.

Tomas Rubek remixes Dewpoint for the B-side, remaining faithful to the original track's structure but viewing it through a tinted lens. Dewpoint's chords become iridescent, kick drums fall into a straighter pattern and are backed by further dusty percussion, shifting the original into spheres inhabited by the likes of Rod Modell and Fluxion.

12" 180g vinyl with printed sleeve.

Mastered by Lewis at Stardelta.

"Original mix is dope." - Brendon Moeller (Beat Pharmacy)

"Really digging this remix. It's been on repeat this morning." - Silent Season

"Full support, I will play it, love Federsen's work!" - Fingers in the Noise

"Played on BBC Radio" - Steve Barker (The Wire)

Hubie Davison returns to Leisure System December 1st, 2014 with the Khayyam Grey EP, his second release for the Berlin-based label and one that marks both his and Leisure System's funkiest output to date.Following on his 2013 debut of pastoral electronics and muffled house, Khayyam Grey highlights Davison's vivid production skills, drawing from a deep well of influences varying from Werkdiscs and Sound Signature to Bill Withers and Otis Redding. The three tracks here are also the strongest representative document yet of the 26-year-old Davison's DJing, which incorporates all manner of memorable house and assorted wonkiness and has seen him play in Panorama Bar, Corsica Studios, and Gaité Lyrique in Paris amongst numerous others.The title track takes cues from Daphni's stand-up-and-shout, sample-heavy house, while "Get On" is a comparatively restrained yet incredibly funky mid-tempo number. "Vowels", which first appeared as the opening track on the LSR-LSD1 compilation, appears here in extended and altered form, breaking down vocals on a syllabic level from smooth to percussive.These three tracks of addictive house have been on constant rotation at Leisure System for the past few months - it's high time everyone else joined the party

Inner City Records returns with their fourth release, continuing with the ethos of providing first class, dance floor-driven house music with groove and attitude.
InnerCity welcomes the return of an artist who has been there from the very first release and one that fits the InnerCity sound perfectly. Leigh D Oliver, hailing from Yorkshire (UK) has firmly established himself as an artist synonymous with top-notch house music. Leigh's passion for 'proper house' coupled with his raw talent has resulted in him gaining numerous chart positions and releases on prestigious labels such as Large Music, Underground Source and Freche Fruchte.
With its heavy kick, rumbling bass, smooth chords and sweet vocal hooks, '(Sic)' kicks off the release in absolute style, highlighting why Leigh is one of our absolute favourite producers here at InnerCity.
For the second track, Leigh returns, this time combining forces with Lost Records owner Andy Lee. With two producers of this caliber, the results were always going to be excellent. Andy, from the North East (UK) has seen releases and remixes on labels such as Love Not Money, Spinnin' Records, Nervous Records and his DJ career has taken him worldwide, playing gigs in Moscow, Switzerland, Ibiza and beyond. 'Moves Ya' is a first class slab of deep & moody house that does exactly what it says on the tin. A track teaming with deep chord hooks, clever vocal samples and low bass, Moves Ya is perfect for the darker, sweatier clubs.
Next up, InnerCity's very own Roland Nights brings us 'Let It Rain', a dance-floor driven slab of straight-up house with jacking percussion, warm chords and soulful vocal cuts. 'Let It Rain' showcases Roland's passion for classic-sounding house music which has seen previous releases on labels such as Lost My Dog, Large Music and Amenti Music.
Last but by no means least, we head over to the Ukraine, gladly welcoming Mystep who lays down an absolute beast of a house track that is filled with energy, classic sounding chords and rolling bass, guaranteed to work on any floor.

DJ Support:

Golf Clap
Miami Ice
Kinky Movement
Ian Straker
Joan Ribas
Jordan O'Regan
Luke Gibson
Jeff Craven
Cahul House Mafia
This Is Why We Dance
Manooz Manuel
Greg Fenton
Raw Culture
Horsey
Marc Cotterell
Pete Gelderblom
Carlo Gambino
Leigh D Oliver

REPRESSED !!
Tim Xavier's newest imprint looks to cross the boundaries between House and Techno, this time featuring Jamaica Suk with her Spektrum EP. Stepping into harder Techno territory the up and coming artist brings a solid 4-track EP with style and flair like none other.
Born and raised in California, Jamaica Suk has always been surrounded by music playing many instruments as a child. In her teenage years she began to play bass guitar in many Math Rock and Shoegaze bands. After becoming frustrated with the conflicting ideas of band members she would eventually find a new love in electronic music.
After enrolling in audio engineering school in San Francisco, she quickly became a known force within San Francisco's electronic music scene. Once she completed her audio engineering studies she decided she wanted more. Traveling around the world following her Techno dreams, she would eventually find her new home in Berlin where she has built her own fully functioning production studio at Salon Wilde Renate.
Jamaica makes her vinyl debut on Face To Face, following her Embers EP on Coal Recordings. Her sound can be described as sexy and sophisticated contemporary Techno but still packing a punch that puts it perfectly in line for prime time sets. The 4-track EP with a bonus digital only track explores all her ideas as a musician and artist including taking inspiration from her rock roots with gritty raw elements.
Already highly respected amongst her professional peers as a tour de force of creative energy and drive. There is nothing this woman can't do, as all her work is produced and mixed solely by herself. She continues to push the boundaries of Techno music while staying true to herself as an artist and it's through this determination we're sure to see more from Jamaica as she continues to evolve.

18+ - Trust
Out 10th Nov (shipping next week) - Pre order Now
'Trust' is the debut album from 18+. The band, Boy and Sis, have been operating since 2011 and have evolved through several media formats of music, performance and visuals which graphically explore identity, gender, sex and morality.

The sound of 18+ has bewitched its audience; sonics which are at once over-bearing and subtle, the delicate voice of Sis spitting sweet nothings over fucked-up beats and hooks which hack their way into your subconscious and never leave. Their mixtapes to date have existed in the dark underbelly of the world wide web, and their debut single 'Crow' sold-out of physical copies in unbelievable time.
Available on 2XLP or CD

New York City-based DJ, producer and The Corner label owner Anthony Parasole makes his debut on Ostgut Ton with three new percussive-heavy Techno tracks on the My Block EP.

"Percussive music, that's my ground, my foundation but I am missing the feeling of tribalism in Techno today. I've been using a lot of different drum techniques over the past years, implementing them to Techno. The record 'Quickstrike', that I've released on my own label The Corner, was an edit record of an old sample-based house release. To me this was a test if people would gravitate to this sound and it was the biggest record on The Corner so far. From there I knew I could do this and two tracks off my new EP on Ostgut Ton work like this: 'Typhoon' features bongos, congas and all kinds of skin percussion, 'My Block' uses a different kind of percussive color.

HipHop in general and the Cut-up technique in particular have also heavily inspired me as a producer. During the 1990s music seemed really profound - a little bit tougher too. I listened to a lot of HipHop when I was writing the music for this new release and applied its methods to my own music. Many producers at that time were very forward-thinking. Wu-Tang Clan's RZA uses a sixteenth note technique that made me realize that I wanted this kind of hypnotizing sound to work in a Techno format. Another big influence were late 1970s Horror movie trailers. I was watching them while I was working on 'Bizarre' in the studio, I was inspired to capture the eerie tones and textures of those short clips in 'Bizarre'.

At the end of the day I work within certain parameters. Everytime I make a sample, I drop it into my personal folder - so all my music has a similarity of up to 50 or 60%. Maybe I'll use the same drumkit or kickdrum. I apply limitations to myself, but doing this also gives me my own voice. When I was learning how to produce, Levon Vincent taught me to make my own drum kit, to make my own synth kit and to work within this. Sample-based music is inspiring, and creating something out of found sound is very interesting to me. I think a sound signature is something that will always refine ones sonic pallet and skill set."

- Anthony Parasole, Berlin, September 2014 -

Zeitgeber and L.B Dub Corp split the second in Stroboscopic Artefacts' series of fifth anniversary records. Zeitgeber is the collaborative project of SA label boss Lucy and Dutch techno royalty Speedy J. Their joint alias birthed an exceptional long-player last year and has since been presented as a b2b act at festivals and clubs around the world. 'Totemism' is their first officially released output since that album, and is every bit as compelling. 'Totemism' opens with distant, reverberating bells and a thin film of hiss and crackle. But, one minute in, heavy and incessant drums cut through the ambience, hitting you straight in the chest. The surrounding atmosphere evolves and filters in-and-out of the mix until, halfway through, the track takes an unexpected turn with an elastic bassline and acid squelches. Then, the drums hit you again. This is an 11 minute masterclass in widescreen, narrative techno from two of the scene's most experienced and inventive producers. Luke Slater, a man of many aliases, slips into L.B Dub Corp mode for the B-side of this record. This particular moniker of Slater's generally trades in raw, culturally-inspired house music, though has also appeared on Stroboscopic's Stellate series with two deep and beatless dubs. For his contribution to SA's 5 Year anniversary, Slater re-visits a classic club cut of his own, delivering 'Take It Down Again (In Dub)'. 'Take It Down Again' is a brilliantly-realised exercise in tension, dub delay and mixing board creativity, all made to shine by a dose of oddball musicality and sampling. This version of 2010's 'Take It Down' is more restrained and tonally varied, equipped to instil a brooding and tribal darkness on the floor.

The iconic and seminal Amebix album remastered and with sensational brand new design
CD features bonus unreleased live CD
Album has been out of print for some time and has been a constant seller even 30 years after its recording oAmebix reformed briefly in 2009 and recorded the highly acclaimed comeback album sonic mass to global praise
New liner notes by The Baron oUnseen photos

Audiojack's Gruuv label returns this October with a four-track package from French producer Okain, featuring a remix from Tuccillo. Parisian artist Samuel Thalman aka Okain has quite the standing in contemporary electronic music having been a prominent name as a DJ and producer for the past fifteen years. Playing at some of the leading nightclubs across the globe such as Fabric, Watergate, Space Ibiza, Rex Club and Electric Pickle to name but a few. Thalman's also built quite the respectable back-catalogue in his time, releasing material via the likes of Tsuba, BPitch, Memento and Cadenza, and here we see him add Gruuv to his affiliations.

Kicking off the release is 'Down the Block', seeing Okain offer up a rugged percussion and bass led house cut, fuelled by swinging rhythms, rumbling sub tones, sporadic sax licks and processed vocal lines, opening up the EP on an energetic tip.

'RZ One' follows this, retaining a similar aesthetic with an insistent drive and penetrative low-end, though Okain opts for a grittier production feel here, distorting the drum sounds, instilling expansive, atmospheric reverb tails and drawn out delays alongside hip-hop imbued vocal lines.

On the latter half of the release we have two versions of 'By Your Side', the first of which is the original mix from Okain, which takes on a more stripped-back approach in comparison to the preceding composition's, laying its focus on fluttering synth sounds, a stab-led bass hook and warm motown style vocal chops. 2020Vision artist Tuccillo then rounds off the package with his mix of 'By Your Side', turning in his signature percussive-led style on the mix with intricately programmed drums and a subtle underlying tension that softly bubbles away in the depths over the cuts seven minute duration.

Bell Gardens combines the musical visions of Kenneth James Gibson (formerly of Furry Things, now recording as
*Bell Gardens' origins began arguably as more of an experiment than the duo's current 'experimental' projects - McBride's drone- and string-laden ambient symphonies, and Gibson's ventures in dub and minimalist techno - as they sought to manifest their mutual reverence for folk, psychedelia and chamber pop in a traditional band structure without cannibalising any particular past genre. Bell Gardens' sound is less reliant on effects and studio trickery than the pairs' independent guises, laying bare as it does vocals and live instruments with emotional sincerity, and presenting songs imbued with an almost pastoral or gospel simplicity and timelessness.
Slow Dawns for Lost Conclusions was again recorded mostly at home studios, but additionally the band made use of a friend's desert cabin in Wonder Valley, California, and it seems this willingness to retreat from the city has lent an expansiveness to the tracks, in particular the spacious, ceremonial 'Silent Prayer' (written in a snowbound mountain cabin in Idyllwild, C.A.) and the crepuscular 'She's Stuck in an Endless Loop of Her Decline' (mapped out under the stars in the desert).
While the addition of strings (contributed by Lauren Chipman of The Rentals and The Section Quartet) and trumpet (Stewart Cole of Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros) provides a double rainbow of tonal textures throughout, the nine tracks of Slow Dawns for Lost Conclusions are united by an understated elegance belying the newly expanded, communal effort in the studio: each instrument earns its place, nothing is overwrought or conspicuous. Moreover, it is McBride and Gibson's artistry in building stirring soundscapes from the barest of materials in their other guises that lends such assurance and sophistication to these arrangements.
The band is a result of the complimentary cross-pollination of Gibson and McBride's musical tastes - borne from a late-night conversation between the two that grew wings - and it is the universality of the sentiments and their restrained, reflective approach to writing and recording that allows the music to simultaneously straddle the past and the present. The music avoids pastiche, its pedal steel, sleigh bells and harmonies giving a nod to the ghosts of musical genres past, but never overriding or distracting from the emotional content of the sum of its parts.
The album ends with the glorious 'Take Us Away' - one of the first demos Gibson gave McBride when he was on tour with Stars of the Lid - neatly bringing their work to date full circle and exemplifying the band's mindfulness of their own serendipitous beginnings: the dawning of an auspicious, unique musical force.

Bell Gardens - Take Us Away -
Harmonies alert!! Actually, this is rather lovely. Slow-tempo, just the right side of 'twee' and packed full of strings, as if Air and Midlake had been taking balloon trips over the mid-West and sprinkling good-vibes dust across the land. From L.A. and subconsciously plugged into the '60s dream-pop scene, taking in a little bit of Mercury Rev and Brendan Perry en route, stopping off at Pearls Before Swine and Big Star's house for inspiration, before getting stoned with '70s era Brian Eno and Harold Budd.

Poker Flat is gearing up to celebrate fifteen years strong, with a series of releases that will assure their standing as one of electronic music's best known and most loved imprints. Poker Flat's unwavering dedication to the finest underground house music has unearthed new talent, developed rising stars and welcomed veterans into the fold, and the first of the label's 15th anniversary compilations brings together four of the brightest leading lights of the scene. With four seminal labels - Raw Elements, Dessous, Traffic Signs and Poker Flat - to his credit, Steve Bug has little to prove, but the tireless artist has never been a slouch on the DJ and production front, as he's proven time and again. Tracks like 'A Shot In The Dark' showcased his musical chops, and tied together elements of classic warehouse sounds, deep and sophisticated production and an uncompromising techy edge. The anniversary reworking of the tracks made for 4 Jacks boasts the remix talents of Taylor, whose sleek approach chops up the old school piano chords of the original for a bumping, more streamlined result. Another smashing new remix features in the form of Boris Dlugosch's 2012 acid-disco-house hit 'Sweet Talk". Here The Organ Grinder crafts a bass-heavy monster with a walloping kick drum and syncopated handclaps that enhance Boris' acid melodies and make it rough and ready for underground tastes. Two brand new productions round out the Jacks package.

Since 2009, Vincent Koreman a.k.a. Drvg Cvltvre has been working on his own blend of dystopian acid, no wave and dooms day deephouse , which he proved impressively on his release on Crème Organization or Porn Wax. For his Permanent Vacation release he is perfecting his methods and style , which is equally influenced by Suicide, Sun Ra and Terrence Dixon. On remix duties for 'Night Time Is the Right Time' is original chief rocker and Omar S protégé OB Ignitt who puts some extra swing on top and makes sure that it is always the right time for this one.

With his new album "What's Fruit", Schlammpeitziger touches the dancefloor more than ever before in his 22-year long career. Yet his dancefloor is a playful one. The Cologne based composer's sounds electrify with their multi-layered melodic structures. He weaves countless details in perfection, to a high density of musical activity, always focusing on the slow, driving beats which hold everything together. Each of the eight tracks represents shades of the unique humour we love about Schlammpeitziger: The tricky question about what's those things we call fruit, or his mantric German lyrics on "Schneid ein Stück aus der Zeit" are charming messages which never fail to be heard in the guise of those lovely synth hooks. This new Schlammpeitziger disco has its source in a situation which does not quite promise relaxed creativity: In the past year Schlammpeitziger's studio in Cologne has been surrounded by construction works. Locked up in his private space between massive hums, squealing saws and pulsating jackhammers, he delivers this indeed relaxed album with eight tracks. It comes across with the freshness of a debut work. Contrary to his previous records which had been mostly made with analogue synths, this album has been produced with iPad synths at 90% of the time, before taking the mixes to Stefan Mohr's (ex- member of the band "Workshop") mixing console.

Erlend Øye is a skinny nerd, but maybe that's what makes him a pop star. His huge thick spectacle-lenses act as an interface between his inner life and his numerous collaborators and fans. Erlend Øye is a travelling singer-songwriter, who has been making music in various constellations since the late nineties. He sang for Röyksopp, while his own bands are Kings of Convenience and The Whitest Boy Alive, who recently split up. A laid back, everyday vibe runs through Erlend Øye's music. Erlend is not larger than life, at the most his songs may be. The pop star from next-door doesn't make any drama, but leaves that to life itself. His relaxed, laid back sound opens your eyes and ears for places, situations and encounters. A certain mournfulness runs through the songs, although they deal with a longing for self-fulfilment. Erlend sings of loneliness, and in doing so, he creates a 'we'. Until now Erlend's projects have often been based on simple concepts - two guitars and two vocals with Kings of Convenience, and four instruments with The Whitest Boy Alive. With his new solo album he frees himself of these parameters; for the first time everything is possible, for the first time Erlend Øye stands alone. The songs on 'Legao' were arranged and recorded with the Icelandic reggae band Hjálmar.

The magic of 'Legao' lies in the fact that Erlend's vulnerable vocals and his sincere lyrics are supported by the elegance and consistency of the band. Today roughness is often used to counterbalance roughness, whereas on Legao a equilibrium is sought - and found. A simplicity, clarity and minimalism is created that is rarely found in pop music. Erlend Øye has grown up. He accomplishes nothing less than the step towards an independent, free-standing solo musician, who can perform in any constellation - with a band, orchestra or alone with a guitar.

After a 12 year break the UK Techno label Solid Groove is back.
Kicking off with a collaboration with New York artist and Metroplex label manager Kimyon Huggins.


A1: Track one Sandy is a Detroit influenced track with noises recorded live by the man himself from hurricane sandy.
A2: Aubreys windy city remix is a more peacetime mix of the original with twists and turns and a dark groove throughout.
B1: Aubrey-Dust storm salsa, is a atmospheric journey with a hypnotic groove and has been tested at Panorama bar at peak time by various DJ's to great success.
B2: Kimyon's remix, taking a more dance floor feel with harder beats and driving metallic sounds.

Took a bit of a break from demos and releases after extending the family with a cute little boy, but now we're back with some of the best deep techno and house lined up for you! But first, something completely different.
Michele Mininni hails from the south of Italy and counts everything from post- and krautrock over new wave, house and disco amongst his influences. He's been a DJ for years, but only recently released his debut EP on Optimo Trax in Glasgow. He immediately found himself on the playlists of Beats In Space and Rinse FM. We were literally blown away when he sent us his music and didn't hesitate to release it although it's not what you're used to hear from us. It's hard to describe 'Endless Ceremony'. Epic, but not as you know it. Cosmic, definitely.
For the remix we thought of Rocketnumbernine. Two brothers with releases on Soul Jazz, Four Tet's Text label and more recently an album on Smalltown Supersound. Currently touring with James Holden and Neneh Cherry. Their remix could be described as almost dreamy electronica/idm.
We think this is a really special release. The following people already agree: Gavin Russom, Âme, Ripperton, A Made Up Sound, James Holden, Optimo, Deadbeat... First pressing on coloured vinyl!

Driving weirdo techno, warm melodic acid and daring sound experiments - Killekill welcomes a new duo on board: SKEW & SATIRIST are Max Cooper and Gareth Williams who met in the Not- tingham, UK club scene in the early 00s, living together for a number of years, leading to an effec- tive collaboration.
Max learnt production from sitting and watching Gareth in the studio, Max helped show Gareth the way with his DJing. Both became successful in their solo projects, Max as a regular guest
on stages all over the world, Gareth starting a music technology business with partners such as Richie Hawtin, John Acquaviva or Daniel Miller.
Over the years the musical collaboration between the two friends has continued in the background and they've finally found the time to bring it to fruition and start this project for their darker, more extreme and twisted techno which has been lying dormant over the years.

After the success of the first A-sides compilation in 2012, Adam Beyer has decided its time to release another. With Adam's stature steadily growing as one of the leading talents in the Techno scene and the rise of Drumcode, the standard of demo's that have been sent to Adam have been top notch. Adam has now decided to release two compilations with 10 tracks each, consisting of tracks that Adam has tried and tested.

There are also new artists that have been invited to release on Drumcode for this compilation and others who are a staple in Drumcode's core family. Combining both old and new talents Drumcode have come up with something unique and distinctive to make this two-part compilation something extra special.

The world of roots reggae & dancehall has been fully awoken to the fantastic analogue sounds of Kalbata & Mixmonsters' music - and even Rob Da Bank, Robert Elms, & Toddla T and The Wire magazine have supported and enthusiastically raved about their brand new yet wonderfully old school music.

And now - in time for summer festivals and carnivals, the floor shaking, speaker rattling track Congo Beat The Drum featuring Major Mackerel gets the 12 inch single treatment. The pounding drums and the larynx busting vocal performance from the Jamaican veteran is an unstoppable, unforgettable and frankly mesmerising experience!

Released alongside the original (and an instrumental version of stand out album track Out Of Road) is an amazing remix by Kahn - the Bristol based producer, renowned dubstepper, remixer, member of the Sureskank Collective - who with this remix displays his mastery of blending all kinds of styles, and injects his remix with some of his favourite influences - including Middle Eastern music scales - which ensures his reworking of Congo Beat The Drum is fresh, original and inspiring.

This single will be one of the sound system hits of summer 2014!

Sitting down and writing about our latest EP was a fun but challenging exercise, we scratched our heads and this may sound bad but we couldn't think of deep, dark interesting stories on how we made these tracks or what they represent. These jams are simply a combination of previous and random happy accidents that have come together and saying anything else would be a lie. This however does not mean that the thinking behind them is completely random, the three cuts that we selected for this EP we feel are a journey of experimentation and a culmination of unexpected sounds and feelings. A word that we found best described the EP was 'Irony'. The most ironic thing we feel is that the main basis of these tracks were born on the stage during our live performances and they have now been reworked and moulded into a record. We however feel that this brings an interesting element to the EP that yes it is recorded and set, but you are not quite sure where the next sound or feeling will come from. A hi hat A kick It is pure 'organised randomness'... I suppose we should talk about some of the music and try and explain what we mean! We start with 'Pe dos', which in plain English means inside out and it was a track that we had started back in 2011. We were flicking through our 'curiosity closets' one day and found it, we played around with it and heard a kick drum that was not arranged correctly in the sequence due to a random manipulation of the sequencer. Our first thought was to just change it, but then we decided to wait..... when all the other sounds of the tracks came together we threw the kick back in and BAM, Even the acapella voice of the track was screaming. Therefore it was a simple for us to name this track as we worked on it in a completely back to front and 'Inside Out' way!

Fokuz Recordings, founded early 1999 by Dreazz and Drum Origins, has been through a lot over a long, winding road. Thanks to the boundless dedication of our talented artists and the loving fans, we can now celebrate our 15th anniversary! Expect six 12'' records and a double CD packed with tracks by some of the most upfront names in present day drum & bass. This is 15 Years Of Fokuz - Episode 2.3.

In this last part of the 15 Year vinyl series we find drum & bass all star Lynx remixing 'Midnight Runaway' by Intelligent Manners & Enei. Fresh sounds all over, we're very happy to have him as a part of this project. On the flip Amaning and Dramatic deliver the goodness with Moods! Superb rolling sounds that are perfect for sunny, chilled days. Better get both tunes for the full effect!

Fokuz Recordings, founded early 1999 by Dreazz and Drum Origins, has been through a lot over a long, winding road. Thanks to the boundless dedication of our talented artists and the loving fans, we can now celebrate our 15th anniversary! Expect six 12'' records and a double CD packed with tracks by some of the most upfront names in present day drum & bass. This is 15 Yearz Of Fokuz - Episode 2.1.

We're proud to have the mighty Bcee featured on this milestone album. Once again he delivers effortlessly with 'Praying Man' and 'Magic Mirror'. Watch out for these deep, soulful emotional rollers dropping soon on Fokuz! Perfect material for those who like their beats with soul.

During the '70s, work days at Umiliani's Sound Workshop Studios were hectic; thousands of sessions were held in order to keep up with a very busy Italian movie industry: Hundreds of soundtracks alongside with music library were recorded and released on vinyl in very limited quantities for TV and film production use only. Those LPs are now proper collectors' items, extremely hard to find.

Filled with hypnotic bass lines, heavy drums and screaming fuzz guitars "Underground", the first LP of the fictitious group known as Braen's Machine, is one of the rarest and the most expensive of them all, always "reaching" sky high prices throughout the second hand vinyl market. A fast-beat jam with hammond scales and a twin lead guitar theme ("Flying") opens the A Side soon followed by "Imphormal", a classicfunk-beat-meetsfender- rhodes-and-psychedelic-guitar number. The music then switch to "thriller territories" with "Murder" which is based on prepared piano swells and a deeply hypnotic walking bass, reminiscent of the best Morricone's soundtracks for Dario Argento's movies. Two highly percussive songs complete the A Side: "Gap" is an improvised song with guitar and keyboards dwelling over an infectious drum rhythm while a marching snare and a vibraslap effect are the special features on "Militar Police".

The mood relaxes slightly on the opening of the B Side with a lazy jazz groove on "New Experience" but the rock influences are soon brought back on the following track "Fall Out". "Obstinacy" is all about keyboards with syncopated rhodes themes and distorted hammond sustained notes whilst the fuzz guitar is back again screaming through the left channel on the last song of the album, "Description". We could happly say that that was the golden age of the Italian music library. But who's behind the name "Braen's Machine" On the original cover the songs are credited to the composers Braen and Gisteri. Braen was a pseudonym often used by Alessandro Alessandroni, an extremely skilled and versatile musician, and one of Umiliani's closestcollaborators. He could write, conduct and arrange, he could sing (ever heard "Mah Na Mah Na"), he could whistle (ever heard Morricone's "For a fistful of dollars") and he could play almost anything: guitar, bass tuba, accordion, sitar and the list grows..... His first album "Alessandro Alessandroni e il suo complesso" (Sermi, 1969), had transformed the Italian library music from orchestral sound beds into the psychedelia we all love; the extremely fuzzy guitars are very "present" on "Underground" too. For a long time Gisteri's real identity was rather mysterious; often wrongly attributed to Umiliani. Gisteri was the pseudonym of Oronzo De Filippi, art name of Rino De Filippi, music supervisor to the Italian public broadcast company (RAI) between the '60s and the '70s. De Filippi composed other notable pieces such as "Riflessi" (Edipan, 1975) and "Nel mondo del lavoro" (Sermi, 1972).

De Filippi passed away few years ago but we were able to contact Alessandroni to talk about this LP. Remembering "Underground" recording session as one of the thousands he took part of, Alessandroni told us that this record was produced very quickly, in two days maximum. This was made possible by a team of wonderfully capable session musicians and the creative genius behind the mixing desk; this incredible combination helped to focus on the mood of each track even more. Unfortunately there are no liner notes but Alessandroni's memories and speculations, based on other music tracked in the same period at Soundworkshop by resident engineer Claudio Batussi, led us to identify this as the most probable lineup: Munari on drums, Majorana on bass, Vannucchi on keyboards and Alessandroni himself on guitar. For this reissue the sound has been restored and the cover art reproduced exactly as it was.

Breakbeat Paradise Recordings is proud to present Tom Showtime with his brand new 4-track vinyl release, The Butter Zone EP. As it has done so many times before BBP is bringing Ghetto Funk and Funky Breaks back to its roots by putting the funk in focus and letting the rest speak for itself. Never before has it been done as well as this with Tom Showtime getting on board and tailor-making this 4-track EP of banging feel good jams around our genres beloved 105 BPM, aka The Butter Zone.

Tom Showtime is no newbie to the field having dropped laid-back funk bombs on lables like Groove Penguin, Booty Fruit, Riddim Fruit, Tru-Funk as well as an artist EP on the Ghetto Funk label.

This time he really means business as he takes us on a deep dive into his crates of samples and treats us with some flawless ghetto boogie jams. The EP even comes with a scratchapella cut - so DJs don't forget to pick up your doubles...

Fokuz Recordings, founded early 1999 by Dreazz and Drum Origins, has been through a lot over a long, winding road. Thanks to the boundless dedication of our talented artists and the loving fans, we can now celebrate our 15th anniversary! Expect six 12'' records and a double CD packed with tracks by some of the most upfront names in present day drum & bass. This is 15 Yearz Of Fokuz - Episode 1.2.

On the A-side Malaky brings the sweetness with 'Connected'. Heavy delayed chords, spacious strings and vocals in combination with a warm bass make this an abolute beauty! Great sounds coming from a producer you need to watch.

On the flip 'With U' by Moscow based Impish turns up the heat. Don't let the groovy intro fool you because the drop comes in unexpected! Rolling amens with soaring bass sounds make this a proper dancefloor banger, with a bit of class ofcourse. Not to be missed!

Among a thousand projects, Para One is back on the dance floor with 'Club", a new album which was not meant to be one, but believe it or not: it's serious stuff! 'The 'Passion' album is the background for this, as I decided to reshape it for my live act, explains Para One. I've rebuilt the tracks entirely, making live versions for festivals and bigger clubs. Then I found myself with a totally different album. It's not a live album. The tracks have been modified and reinterpreted. It's my tribute to Soulwax's 'Night Versions". Subtlety was not really an option, it had to hit kind of hard. The tracks had to sound real in a club situation and people are now meant to dance to them! It's also a 'treasure hunt' kind of record with many references. It sounds like my DJ sets, when I mix many things and styles, old and new, because that's how a club should sound. It's a place where memories belong.' The pop, melancholic and highly danceable 'Passion", was meant to be listened to at home or on quiet dance floors, but 'Club' only retains the melodies and vocal hooks. It smells like sweat, joy and abandoned bodies. Packed with English acid house piano, huge beats, elegiac vocals, references to UK Garage, EDM filtered french touch and house, 'Club' dives into the heart of dance music. It's a 3.0 rave emblem, a daring record to make people dance without selling out.

In the wake of Blocks & Escher's recent outings on Metalheadz, Critical, and Zomby's Cult Music, Narratives present the first solo
excursions on the label from one of its founders, Blocks. Varied, emotive and beautiful, the Séance EP is innately Narratives Music in sound and yet unlike anything the label has delivered previously. The Séance EP fleets between ethereal vocals, forlorn strings and analogue bursts of glassy synths, while drum machines dance with live kits that would be fitting of 90s Mowax records. Bass lines loom heavy throughout, simple and driving rhythms that bed the delicate keys and story telling harmonics above. As immersive as it is succinct, Blocks has created an extended player awash with feeling and juxtaposition; again displaying why Narratives Music has been lauded across electronic music from the likes of Goldie and
Com Truise to Zomby and Rob da Bank. Forming the veritable gem of the collection, is the vocal laden 'Haven', a collaborative piece between Blocks and the hugely talented Jennifer Hall. Live instrumentation of bowed strings and bass provide canvas for the heart wrenching tones of Hall. Doc Scott describes the track as 'Deep, deep blues'. More akin to a personal reflection of the artist than the frenetic speed of a club, more Twin Peaks meets Portishead than dance floor energy; this is music at a Drum & Bass tempo by a producer that doesn't want to be caught in a debate on style or subgenre. In essence it seems to emphasise a recent quote by Blocks, 'Drum and Bass is anything you can get away with'. Label support from Goldie, Kuedo, Doc Scott, Rockwell, Benji B, Paul Woolford, Zomby, Friction, ASC, Jubei, Teebee, Pedestrian,
Rob Da Bank, Midland, Kasra.

Phiorio's Animals release has been a labour of love. After co-running Metroline Limited for the past 6 years and after a series of digital releases and remixes for both Metroline and Retrometro (as well as Letroom Limited and MBF amongst others), Phiorio's vinyl debut on ML finally sees the light of day. The choice of remixers has also been laborious but over at Metroline HQ we are really happy that in the end we managed to secure two stunning reworks by the likes of the more and more in demand French producer Doubtingthomas (with releases on labels such as Hummingbird, Organic and of course, Metroline Limited) and the super-hot up and coming Russian producers Adjustment Bureau. The EP opening track Ninja Cat is a deep and quirky number. The groove is tight with heavy drums and crisp percussions. An acid b-line leads the way while atmospherics pop in and out until an off key synth appears and adds a level of spookiness to the proceedings. Doubtinthomas remix take things into even deeper territory. His landmark reduced drum programming is very noticeable here with shuffled up percussions, lush pads and a very heavy bass to guarantee maximum impact on the dancefloor. Superpupider is a no-nonsense straight up dark and dirty techno tool. It's all about the groove with this track, the drums lead the way with clever use of filtered hats and percussions. That said, Phiorio's ability with abstract sound is still in evidence with plenty of spooky voices, pads and noises firing off in all directions. Adjustment Bureau remix of Ninja Cat completes our tasty package. The Russian duo's (soon to release a stunning debut EP on Hypertone) approach is in line with modern trippy and experimental techno and has a distinctive 'Romanian' vibe. They used the original elements of the track and added extra percussive and vocal samples to create an epic, intricate and groovy paranoid funk number.

Fokuz Recordings, founded early 1999 by Dreazz and Drum Origins, has been through a lot over a long, winding road. Thanks to the boundless dedication of our talented artists and the loving fans, we can now celebrate our 15th anniversary! Expect six 12'' records and a double CD packed with tracks by some of the most upfront names in present day drum & bass. This is 15 Yearz Of Fokuz - Episode 1.1.

On the A-side we find the mighty Lenzman on remix duties! With an album forthcoming on Metalheadz he's one of the major players in drum & bass today. Exactly the reason why he delivers effortlesy with this fresh, smooth take on 'Rock Steady' by Command Strange.

On the flip London based outfit Reds come correct with 'Meraki'. Their diverse production makes them stand out from the pack although this particular track leans more towards a more classic liquid funk sound. It contains gentle piano keys and tight drums that roll along nicely for the duration. Add a warm sub bass that shines through from below, little edits adding interest and you've got something exciting!

Hi5 is the latest prank from A Different Jimi, aka Jimi Siebels. It's is a bitchy chicago house smasher in a surprisingly refreshing kinship to New York's hard bop of the 1960s, without ever being in danger of becoming acid jazz. Because in order to create his own definition of jazz-infected-house, Jimi makes no use of already overstrained rare groove samples, but a classic range of instruments and musical friends who he invites to recording sessions in his studio. So we hear RVDS (It's / smallville) at the piano, Hayo Doin (Die Boys / Deichkind) on drums and last but not least DJ Björnski (dérive) on guitar. And yet everything comes together to be pushing electronic music. Hi5 is like the joy of a child over a bucket of water on a hot summer day. And after the refreshment the B side reveals a deep disco pearl in brilliance, plain beauty and a warm, vespertine elegance, that has been created due to the cooperation between a different Jimi and Björnski, the dérive label tycoon himself. 'Hi 5 & Sweet Fancy Moses' is a vinyl-become-south-sea-island in an ocean of tears of joy.

Chewed up and spat out the other side of the UK's Acid House scene, Neville Watson was bitten hard by the house music bug and has not looked back since. His brand of deep, raw and jacking house has been released on labels like Clone, Dissident, Rush Hour and Creme Organisation.
Neville says 'I kind of like music that sounds like it's all about to start falling apart at any given moment. There's plenty of clean music that I do like but as a rule I like it rough'
Music by Neville Watson / Drawings by Craig Richards / Mastered by Keith Tenniswood / Vinyl 180 Gram

Cute Heels is the solo project of Bogota´ born, experimental producer Victor Lenis. Since the early 2000's Lenis has been working on a myriad of electronic projects, including the management of the labels Black Leather Records and Romance Moderne, in his current home of Brussels. Drawing on the influences of the radical punk scene that surrounded him growing up in Columbia while nurturing his passion for synthesizers and drum machines, Lenis developed the broody, gloomy brand of electro-techno that is Cute Heels. Deemed by Juan Atkins as ''the new blood and spirit for the next step in techno music'' Cute Heels has released various digital only releases over the years, as well as his first vinyl release, an EP on Gooiland Elektro. His debut album Spiritual, rides the line between cold electro-techno and left field electronic body music. Inspired by equal parts Liaisons Dangereuses and Drexciya, Spiritual takes the listener on a journey over 8 tracks and 40 minutes of music. Listening to "Spiritual" you can see why. The songs on this full length reveal a sublime influence from Detroit techno, early Chicago house and new wave; advanced electronics for the dance floor, pumping and sophisticated. The album was recorded and mixed by Victor at Sensorium Studio in Zagreb, Croatia in November 2013. Each song has been mastered for vinyl at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley by George Horn. Each LP is packaged in a custom-made jacket by our in-house designer Eloise Leigh and incorporates the geometry of analog synthesizers and celestial rose patterns. 

Dutch DJ, producer and Wolfskuil label boss Darko Esser is to self-release his sophomore album, Anipintiros, in April 2014. The eight track album comes four years after his debut and is his first as Tripeo, the techno leaning alias he has been working under most often in recent times.

Working as Tripeo has reinvigorated Esser, who under his own name has been producing his unique take on electronic music for a decade now. 'It was liberating to have another persona take over,' says the man himself. 'I have been so inspired and productive ever since that I woke up one day with the thought 'I'm ready to do another album' and started straight away that day.'

Tripeo music is aimed squarely at the dancefloor, and there sure are some full blooded cuts on the album, but so to are there concessions to the listening experience, meaning deep, dark passages and more leftfield experiments help tie the whole thing together into one cohesive and coherent whole. 'Like all albums, this is a very personal statement,' explains Esser. 'It's just me trying to translate the overwhelming inspiration I feel right now into sound. That, and making the record as diverse as possible without losing the purist identity of Tripeo.'

That identity shines through right from the off on the album, which has been made using a knowing blend of both soft and hardware. 'Anipintiros #1' is a firmly rooted, rubbery bit of deep techno that works you into hypnosis and comes detailed with plenty of otherworldly ambiances. From there, Tripeo explores gallivanting techno run through with celestial pads on 'Anipintiros #2' and tripped out, ever shape shifting and dusty minimal sounds on 'Anipintiros #3'.

'Anipintiros #4' channels the widescreen and pumping techno of Detroit's finest whilst 'Anipintiros #5' is a more industrial and muscular track of the sorts that would sound perfect in the bowels of Berghain. 'Anipintiros #6' is one of the busier and more kinked techno rhythms with punchy drums and fax machine like melodies, before 'Anipintiros #7' thumps with real menace and 'Anipintiros #8' hums and hisses, spits and stutters like the suitably epic and melodic comedown you need after such a captivating ride.Everything, though is backed with serene synth work and an otherworldly sense of alien spirit that runs through all great techno.

There is plenty to get lost in throughout Anipintiros and it proves once again that Esser is someone able to coax far more feeling out of his machines than most.

DJ FEEDBACK

Early support from Blawan, Rødhåd, James Ruskin, Reeko, Exium, Mike Parker, Ben Sims, Rolando, Pfirter, Craig McWhinney, Cadans, Sandrien, Nuno Dos Santos