Cerca:dr space

Building on their shared exploration of forward-leaning UK club sounds, EM + STAV herald the arrival of their new label JoyLift with the Endless EP. Having entrenched themselves within the free-spirited landscape of Bristol’s music community, the pair home in on a focused sound which draws on the city’s storied bass mutations as a springboard for their own take on modernist dance music.

There’s a tough, brooding quality to Endless EP which speaks to the meditative pressure of soundsystem immersion, but equally EM + STAV build out evocative, shifting narratives within that club-ready framework. From dubwise processing to deft sound design, a broad church of processes are wielded to shape out these pieces, and physicality comes in many forms whether in weightless sub lines or pointed, angular drum programming. Given their long-standing connection to developments within the underground music scene, there’s a keen instinct for the dynamic shifts which can set a dance alight, while the ill- defined shape of the wider genre-not-genre allows plenty of space for movement and experimentation.

Alongside the three original productions from EM + STAV, kindred spirit Forest Drive West steps up for a remix of ‘Odd' which aligns with the aesthetic intentions of JoyLift while demonstrating the idiosyncratic qualities associated with the scene’s most vital artists. The cohesive feel of Endless EP extends to Luke Griffin’s artwork, in which natural source material undergoes heavy processing to wind up in a striking new form, shot through with colour but ultimately shrouded in a moodiness that harks back through the lineage of hardcore-rooted UK dance music.

By its very nature the future is unwritten for JoyLift, but EM + STAV’s new project commits itself to an ever-evolving palette of sound, rendered as music with a strong sense of identity - tracks to shake the dance without resorting to obvious tropes, responding to and feeding into the inspiring tides of ideas emanating from the environment around them.

Talla 2XLC is always at the top of beatport sales trance charts with his inventive originals and mouthwatering reworks. His next release Welcome To The Future on That’s Trance is an excellent update of the Schiller’s side project Nova released in 1999. Get ready for a magnificent uplifting euphoric trancer with infectious main melody to blow your mind and uplift your senses. Welcome To The Future employs psy trance sharp basslines, punchy booming kicks and classic trance percussion to create its intense drive while on top piano chords, gated trancy voices and nice synthy hooks are added to create a starling infectious result.

The breakdown is a magnificent cinematic journey with warm strings, airy pads, spacey sound effects and beautiful spoken female vocals describing a better future without the ugly side of our society. The finest highlight of the track is the incredible euphoric synthy riff that has the darkness and melodramatic tones that we all adore in our trance. When the beat strikes back this unforgettable melody is supported from additional melodic layers, piano chords and energetic acid over tones to toughen the proceedings. It’s one of those tracks that will easily crawl under your skin and become part of your trance DNA recalling the great epic Frankfurt trance sound with its industrial and high tech feel to it.

Welcome To The Future is Talla’s outstanding track out now on his own imprint That’s Trance.

The interstellar cosmonauts of Staatseinde create a theatrical mix of pulsing electro with nostalgic hopeful synthlines, all performed live with synthesizers, a sequencer and tantalizing vocals. From Wave to EBM, from NDW to Punk and everything else in and out of the box. It is like walking into a club meeting Kraftwerk on speed and The Sex Pistols on acid.

Their new release “De Nieuwe Golf” is characterized by dystopian prospects and hopeful sounds, confirming Staatseinde’s name as the founder of the “Neue Niederländische Welle”, in other words the New Dutch Wave.

The uplifting italo rifs in opening track “Grauw” take you on a journey through a gray world in which color cannot be taken for granted. Minimal wave track “Einzelganger” makes you feel like an outsider who can’t keep up with society. “Geef Me De Tijd” sounds like a schizophrenic dreamer swinging casually, but ending as a hard hitting track. Dystopian doom and pessimism is captured in EBM/techno floor filler “Doembeelden”. The raw West Coast Sound of Holland infused “La Haya” is a tribute to the city of The Hague which calls out on everybody to get wasted. The epic ode to space travel “Ruimtevaart Vooruit (2022 Refix)” is back in a rendition inspired by Rude66’s 2010 remix version. “Isla Inutile” is a dark and tropical delirium. In the hopeful “Alles is Weg”, Staatseinde takes you from the downfall on the way to…?

Staatseinde’s “De Nieuwe Golf” holds up a mirror to humanity…progress has not helped us any further. There is hope…but will this new wave be on time? Or is it already too late?

Ever amazed by the external world and its natural surroundings, Belgian producer Dijf Sanders has a habit of turning himself towards the unknown for inspiration. After praised albums based on field trips to Indonesia (Java, 2017) and Nepal (Puja, 2020) he found himself challenged by the traditional chants from Georgia. Diving deep into its sounds, people and heritage with open eyes and ears, he traveled to the Eurasian land in the South Caucasus in 2022. The field recordings and impressions of this journey make the blueprint for new, meticulously crafted compositions that ripened in his studio and transcend its original source material in time and space.

SUPRA offers nine diverse explorations ranging from spaced-out folk, ethereal trance, ambient with a melodic sense of drama and lush electronica channeling 90's IDM energy fields. Bound by dynamic depth in sound design, this is electronic music with a heavy heart - for all tracks share a primal sense of nostalgia in which traditional music from the Georgian motherland baths. From a pastoral love song about a buffalo (Mingrelian Song) or a ceremonial wedding hymn (What You Give Away Is Yours, What You Don't Is Lost) to a lullaby (Bird's Milk)... Georgia is a land of contemplative singing and its music scene today is still dominated by modal vocalists and harmonic choirs with pride.

With the help and recording equipment of the Folklore State Centre (Tbilisi) and in collaboration with Europalia Georgia festival, Dijf Sanders found contemporary choirs willing to lend their voices for this project. Next to these voice samples, the Georgian countryside and nature delivered source material for more samples and textures as well. The name of the record refers to the traditional Georgian feast where a large table filled with food, drinks and singing.

Brazilian Bruno Furlan returns to Hot Creations once again with his ‘La Fiesta’ EP, featuring two scorching house tracks.

One of Brazil’s leading house artists, Bruno Furlan continues to build a dedicated following across the globe, with his current US tour welcoming memorable performances at Club Space in Miami to Club Vinyl in Denver. His return to Hot Creations comes following the success of his ‘Bongoloco’ EP on the label to open 2023, alongside a slew of other releases on the likes of DIRTYBIRD, Club Sweat, Fool’s Gold Records, and his very own Track ID imprint. Delivering two fresh cuts for his fourth outing on Hot Creations Furlan showcases his growing sound once more here with ‘La Fiesta’.

Leading with a spicy fusion of rattling percussions and vibrant bongo drums, the title track ‘La Fiesta’ ignites a Dancefloor frenzy, honouring his roots through rich, pounding beats and impassioned vocals. Next up ‘Give Me That Bass’ is another production built with main stage energy, bringing punchy stabs and alluring calls to get people locked into the groove.

Leading with a spicy fusion of rattling percussions and vibrant bongo drums, the title track ‘La Fiesta’ ignites a Dancefloor frenzy, honouring his roots through rich, pounding beats and impassioned vocals. Next up ‘Give Me That Bass’ is another production built with main stage energy, bringing punchy stabs and alluring calls to get people locked into the groove.

The Stallions compilations have become a benchmark of Bosconi's position as one of the leading house and techno labels operating out of Italy. This third instalment marks a shift in sound which also comes full circle to the music that first inspired founder Fabio Della Torre as a DJ and producer around the turn of the millennium, when punchy electro production was driving European house and techno into new zones.

All the artists featured on Vol. III are Italian, holding true to Bosconi's commitment to supporting local talent from Florence and across the country. Amongst the familiar faces is Della Torre's own Minimono collaboration with Ennio Colaci, which indulges a proudly manic palette of tweaked bleeps and dirty low-end. Elsewhere, recent additions to the Bosconi fold include veritable legends Alexander Robotnick and Marco Passarani, who infuse their unpredictable approaches to electro-techno and italo disco with ear-snagging synth-pop and driving analogue box jams respectively to create vibrant, impassioned dancefloor monsters.

The Mechanical Man is an alias from Nicola Altieri, who leans in on a classic Italo arpeggio to create a seductive club sound which builds on his recent Bosconi EXV EP, while Cixxx J switches from the mood of his own Bosconi appearance for a new alias Queen Of Coins and a pivot towards heads-down electro-techno-trance with a whiff of International Deejay Gigolos. Lapucci builds on the promise of his 2021 Bosconi 12" with a sentimental fusion track which lands somewhere between old school Italo house, the snappy pulse of EBM and crisp 00s-era electro house. Meanwhile modern day Italian techno legend Lucretio of The Analogue Cops makes his first appearance on Bosconi with the playful video game stylings of 'Gradius'.
A great deal of space on Vol. III is given over to emergent talent, ranging from Miguel Herr's twitchy detroitian synth-pop braindance and Twovi's vocoder-charged electro funk to DJ Rou's jacking ghetto house flavour. Giammarco Orsini and Jacopo Latini appear as Data Memory Access and deliver an emotive, punchy strain of machine soul. Feel Fly rounds the compilation off in bombastic style with an epic, cinematic workout which draws on Moroder-inspired drama without losing the forthright peak-time focus which binds the whole collection together.

Even the artwork on Vol. III serves as an opportunity to celebrate Italian creativity, as pioneering crypto artist Niro Perrone builds on his accomplished work in the field of NFTs and a background in music production to respond intuitively to the vibrant, synthetic sound of the compilation. For all the futurism in the music though, there remains a strong sense of human feeling which has marked Bosconi out since the beginning. The label remains as inspired and inspiring as ever, celebrating the fertile crossover when people manipulate technology to express themselves in an honest, playful way. Independent of wider trends or fashions, Bosconi remains true to its own idiosyncratic passions, and so Bosconi Stallions Vol. III stands proud as a compilation like no other.

Drumcode welcomes another debutant to the fold, as one of techno’s most exciting new artists, Space 92, shares his thrilling two-tracker ‘Time’.

Stepping up for his maiden Drumcode release, ‘Time’ is stirring statement of intent. Staying true to its name, the title track was a slow burner, produced over a number of months between touring commitments. Space 92’s talent for crafting tracks that are tailor-made for big dancefloor moments is seen here in full flight, as tight drum programming leads into a stirring pad sequence before a boshing bass-laden breakdown arrives with crushing effect.

Black Rainbows is a musical project inspired by the objects and artworks collected by Theaster Gates at the Stoney Island Arts Bank in Chicago. Situated at the Great Grand Crossing neighborhoods of Chicago's South Side, Stoney Island Arts Bank is a cathedral to Black Art, a curated collection of Black archives comprising books, sculpture, records, furniture and problematic objects from America's past. As well as being a site for archive, the Arts bank is also a place for convening. Bailey Rae attended The Black Artists Retreat there in 2017 and performed in the space. Wide ranging in it's themes, Black Rainbows' subjects are drawn from encounters with objects in the Arts Bank. Taking us from the rock hewn churces of Ethiopia, to the journeys of Black Pioneers Westward, from Miss New York Transit Queen 1957, to how the sunset appears from Harriet Jacobs' loophole. Black Rainbows explores Black femininity, Spell Work, Inner Space/Outer Space, time collapse and ancestors, the erasure Black childhood and music as a vessel for transcendence. The project will be released in various iterations - live performances, books, visuals, lectures, exhibitions, and more. Sonically, the album is a multi-genre mix of the progressive R&B, neo soul sound that will be familiar to fans but it also contains rock, jazz and electronic elements. The album was produced by S.J. Brown and Corinne Bailey Rae.

The latest offering from Astral Black comes in the form of the 'Metropolis N' LP, courtesy of Queens, New York's number premier importer/exporter of Jungle & D&B, NIGELTHREETIMES. Having initially garnered a name for themselves as one of New York City's most versatile club DJ's, with the release of their 'Call Of The Void; project in 2020 Nigel also began to build a reputation as a producer in their own right. Resulting in residencies on Rinse FM & The Lot Radio, radio support from the likes of Tom Ravenscroft & Uniiqu3 and press support from Resident Advisor, OkayPLAYER & Mixmag – amplifying their talents throughout New York City and beyond.

With 'Metropolis N' NIGELTHREETIMES distills their eclectic influences through the lens of rolling 160bpm breaks – taking in Jazz, 8-bit game soundtrakcs, science fiction & jump up D&B. Starting off the LP with the rhodes tinged double header of 'TSQ MELTDOWN' & 'EARLY MORNING FROM 103RD STREET', the latter featuring some of the best double bass work heard on a jungle track since 'Brown Paper Bag'. Elsewhere, on 'ROAD2RAILS' and 'PHANTOM SHORES', the producer ditches the instrumentation in favour of oscillated square waves, dubbed out vocal FX & 8-bit melodies, without ever losing site of the projects underlying sense of optimism. On the album closer 'INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION', 3X manages to bring together the influences heard throughout the project, tying together a muted rhodes chords, squarewave basslines, flutters of alien melodies and finely tuned, slices breakbeats into a 5 minute symphony.

The consistency and exacting production skills heard throughout the offering elevate this project from another drop in the digital ocean to a landmark opus, from a producer carrying the torch for this timeless sound and making the project worthy of a spot alongside some of the classics this genre has produced.

'Metropolis N' is available Oct 13th on digital and limited edition vinyl via Astral Black.

Massimiliano Pagliara pays tribute to Manuel Göttsching in his first solo EP on his very own Funnuvojere Records, ‘All the VCOs You Can Eat’.

As a devoted fan of Göttsching’s groundbreaking work, Pagliara draws inspiration from his musical hero, crafting a mesmerizing EP that encapsulates the spirit and innovation of Göttsching’s influential sound. The release comprises three different interpretations of the same track, each imbued with exceptional artistry and technical knowledge.

The ceaselessly rolling piano chords in A1 Modulator Mix and B1 Traveler Dub are clear reminders of Göttsching’s E2E4 famous hypnotic refrain. The slight tonal variations, the stretched-out acid line and the uplifting drums conspire to create a sense of transcendence and euphoria. The infectious drums have their own space in B2 The Lonely Drums. This mix has an irresistible groove that will make all dance floors bounce.

The artwork captures the essence of Pagliara’s music through a vibrant and emotive visual language, reminiscent of the pioneers of abstract expressionism. The geometrical forms and patterns mirror the intricate melodies and pulsating beats of this future classic EP.

At the helm of a collective immersed in London’s underground house landscape, Bizarre Traxx co-founder Jhobei is keeping things moving in his own unique way, shaping and crafting a sound to call his own. Releasing on labels like Mindhelment, Picnic and Mood Waves while stepping out as 1/3 of trio Felon5, he marries warping and heady territories with loose, spacey spheres, creating immersive trips for all hours of the night. Here he delves deeper once more, landing on Up The Stuss for the first time with his playfully titled ‘Slink ‘N Slide’ EP.

The title cut launches straight into the action and showcases his sound perfectly, harnessing squiggly synths, driving low-end grooves and sweeping astral sonics to unveil a cosmic ride through rich textures. Expect the same depth and unpredictable twists and turns across the EP as he draws for influences spanning those early golden years of tech house through to minimal and hazy late-night electronic realms. As debuts go, this one is stacked with treats and musical goodness from top to bottom - no surprise they’ve been go-to cuts for those deeper moments from the label boss!

Banoffee Pies White Label Series is back with a debut EP on the mother imprint from Bristol based Artist, DJ & Talent, No Nation. A deeply attuned junglist delivers a love sick transmission with four gripping, jazzy and skeletal rave compositions following their recent single “Gad Damn”.

Rooted in the sounds of Jazz, Progressive Rock and Fusion, No Nation quickly cemented themselves within Soul, RnB & Old School Hip Hop scenes early on before finding space to express these inspirations through their passion for high tempo hybrids. Now an established Bristol artist and label main stay with international bookings worldwide.

As a producer their music is something to be savoured. Drawing inspiration from music from output on Inperspective and Scientific Wax labels while combining a dynamic and diverse fusion of soulful sounds. Chopped breaks and samples sure to leave a lasting impression. No Nation has featured on labels Club Paint edit series, Bristol-based outfit Slippery Sounds, London leftfield label Diffrent Music and most recently Sherelle's new imprint BEAUTIFUL music.

Seriously sought after, classic rare groove 2 stepper from Maxi, ‘Lover To Lover’ gets its first ever official reissue on vinyl with this also being the first 7 inch pressing of this oasis of joy, courtesy of South Street Soul.

Previously only ever available on Maxi’s self-titled 1977 LP, released on Blue Note. With originals of the album selling for over £160+, South Street give these glorious grooves space to breathe with a 7 inch reissue of two choice cuts. Soaring vocals, top drawer production, sumptuous instrumentation, with a string section to melt any heart out there – all arranged to perfection. The sort of track that will sweep you off your feet before you even know what’s hit you. Famously sampled by Tom & Jerry aka 4 Hero for their ridiculously rare Jungle anthem ‘Maximum Style’.

To complete the package, another hand-picked hit from Maxi’s one and only LP with a cover of the Van McCoy penned soulful serenity ‘Walk Softly’.

A familiar face in space·lab’s catalogue, Rambal Cochet’s deep-diving new EP, Mixed Reality, marks the occasion of the label’s eighth release with four tracks traversing the darker edges of psy-prog. Opening track, ‘Talpa Lionis’, mines the spiralling depths of a psychedelic abyss, driven by a dark, tunnelling bassline reminiscent of mid-90s psy trance. Titular track, ‘Mixed Reality’, is tonally brighter. Brimming with buoyant, prog energy, its liquefied melody submerges the track’s percussion in a glowing, ambrosial fluid. On the B side, ‘Sequence 2000’ grows from the ground up. A rippling, cosmic-hued melody traces ever wider reaches, circling the track’s drums as they rise from deep below ground-level. Skittering high-ends flutter organically through the track’s length, lulling us into a state of all-enveloping hypnosis. To close, ‘Aura 900’ unfolds onto expansive, new-age atmospheres. Delicately sinking into a delectable, chugging pace, its patient speed creates a sense of spaciousness, leaving room for the track’s melody to breathe. Mixed Reality journeys through vast terrains - an EP for introspective listening and mind-opening dancefloor experiences alike.

GRAILS don’t mince words. Awesomely communicative but entirely instrumental, this dynamic band’s violin, guitars, piano, and drums collide with sober melodies and massive emotion. At alternate moments, Grails can sound vaguely classical, Eastern European, Irish, like the lost tapes of Pauline Oliveros, and, you know, rock. They’re not really like anything else on the Neurot roster, but they’ve got something in common with all the Neurot bands: a commitment to intense music that forges new paths and, yeah, communicates in the most real way possible.
Grails have their fair share of ambient noise - shivery violins, a trickle of a high-hat, the amplified scrape of a guitar string - but their music is based on strong, narrative melodies that resonate in the heart. At times it sounds delicate, but they never cower; Grails ROAR, even when they’re being quiet.
The Burden of Hope is the debut LP, following a pair of self-released, eponymous ep’s in 2000 and 2002. The LP is the culmination of a year’s worth of recordings, including a reinterpretation of Sun City Girls’ classic “Space Prophet Dogon.”
Grails are gathered in Portland, Oregon from Baltimore, Little Rock, Louisville, Chapel Hill, and Reno. As an ensemble, their respective backgrounds in hardcore, classical, folk, and rock blend seamlessly. Formed in late 2000 to execute live the bedroom recordings of guitarist Alex Hall, the once-tentatively-assembled group found unexpected success with both audiences and local press. Originally formed under the moniker Laurel Canyon, the name of the group was changed to Grails to coincide with the release of The Burden

Absolute smasher of a two-sider 45 out of Waycross Georgia licence from original band member Michael George & Tim Gillans with help from DJ MR Big Happy & Daniel Mathes. I flipped the sides for the re-issue with the A side now being the more uptempo 'What About Love' a melodic spaceyfloater (you know I'm a fan already) with a brilliant vocal and top sax break, just killing it for me. On the flip, 'Dream of a lady' is an absolute killer downtempo floater, I can't stress enough not to sleep on this side, it's a textural dreamy wonder.