LP,180g, 2027 REISSUE - REMASTERED FROM ORIGINAL TAPES, CAREFULLY REPRODUCED ORIGINAL ART
When Alan Parker recorded the killer library soul-funk LP The Voice of Soul with session vocalist Madeline Bell in 1976, some bright spark at Themes decided to also release all of the backing tracks as a separate, and equally innocuously title LP called The Sound of Soul. Thank goodness for bright sparks.
Released as a collection of unobtrusive musical backings in various rhythmic styles', the LP's original description dryly explains these tracks have been issued without melody and are therefore particularly suitable for use behind commentary. Female vocal versions of these tracks are issued on TIM 1021 The Voice Of Soul and it is possible to edit from vocal version to instrumental version or vica versa where commentary or scene changes occur'.Madeline Bell was backed by The Rhythm Section, who were for all intents and purposes the Themes International Music house band. So what we end up with here is entire album of instrumental work-outs by a band comprised of the formidable talents of Alan Hawkshaw on keyboards, Alan Parker on guitars, Barry Morgan on drums, Les Hurdle on bass guitar and Frank Ricotti on percussion.
Without Bell's vocals these backing tracks are given all the room they need to breathe. Each one more than stands up on its own.
The Sound of Soul is a real diggers' delight and, unsurprisingly, a must-have counterpart to The Voice of Soul.
As with all ten re-issues, the audio for The Sound of Soul comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis. We've taken the same care with the sleeves, handing the reproduction duties over to Richard Robinson, the current custodian of KPM's brand identity.
Czarface opens another portal. On Czarface Meets Frankie Pulitzer, the boundary between comic book canon and hip-hop reality dissolves. Frankie Pulitzer, also known in certain dimensions as FacePuller, is no ordinary collaborator, character, or catalyst. He is a hybrid entity: part human, part alien force, fully embedded in the expanding Czarface universe.
Following landmark team-ups with MF DOOM and Ghostface Killah, Czarface continues its “Meets” saga with a full-scale crossover event that pushes deeper into story and sound. Frankie’s presence is both lyrical and mythological, bringing a chaotic, shape-shifting energy that challenges and complements Czarface’s razor-sharp precision. Dusty drums, cinematic soundscapes, and razor-edged bars bring the classic Czarface sound, yet mutated.
The universe widens with appearances from Busta Rhymes, Method Man, and El-P (of Run the Jewels), each adding their own gravitational pull to the project, thus grounding it in hip-hop legacy while amplifying its larger-than-life scope.
Night Luv is a new label founded by Italy's Simplr that wants to bring people together, whether times are good, bad or sad. Drop the needle on this inaugural 7" though and the times will surely be rad: it's a tweaked, chopped, screwed and filtered take on a stone cold soul classic with a smoky vocal fragment and deployed teasingly through the mix. The drums are rough and raw, the synths swirl, and the whole thing has an excitable energy. The K Lost Acid dub, meanwhile, is a little more club-ready with some chunky low-end drum funk.
Where We Met has always been a platform for new artists on the rise and with WWM013 it’s Sound Dome’s time. Giacomo recently debuted on Kina Music with a superb EP and now doubles down with a powerful 5-tracker.
The Principle of Infinite Happiness opens it up with a psychedelic-infused proggy track and Terraform keeps the same mood with a slightly darker acid touch, perfect for the later hours. The third track is Blue Chamber, a more housy cut with surprising drums and ethno-ish vibes, while the fourth track Hiko goes back to a more straightforward and techy groove. The final track is the Meditation Mix of the opener and title track The Principle of Infinite Happiness, which brings its psychedelic vibes to an incredible hypnotic downtempo track.
Straight from Girona, Roto lands on SPHERART Records with Sardaukar, five cuts of stripped-back electro. Dry drums, heavy basslines and raw machine funk run across the record, from broken grooves to colder, more introspective moments. Direct, restless and full of character, Sardauka carries Roto’s own language from start to finish.
Berlin Sessions II continues the dialogue between Ray Kajioka and Eddie Hale, two producers working across techno, electro and experimental ground. Explorer opens with a rolling low end and clipped hats, built for the peak. Seven, Kajioka alone, strips back to a stark Detroit pulse, drum machine logic laid bare. Home returns the pair to shared ground, warmer pads over a steady kick, built for the room rather than the mainroom. Eleven closes with Hale solo, electro accents and a looser, more experimental swing. Across four tracks the record moves between drive and detour, functional enough for a set, strange enough to stand apart from it.
Mutual Rytm spawns new sub-label ‘Versus’ with debut EP from longtime techno associates Regent and Chontane. Continuing to expand its creative world, SHDW’s Mutual Rytm imprint now introduces ‘Versus’ - a new sub- label crafted for creative symbiosis between two artists across one shared release. Opening the series with authority, Regent and Chontane man the debut offering - two close friends and native Berliners who have been shaping techno for more than 15 years. Both long-standing members of the Mutual Rytm family, having released multiple times here before, the pair have always created music informed by life immersed in their local scene. Having both mutually influenced one another over the years, here they present their shared interpretation of techno with individual artistic DNA, forming a unified sound that represents the best of both worlds. Regent goes first, leaning towards functional, anthemic, dance-floor-focused techno. ‘Ephemera’ is tight, minimal but forceful; ‘Slow Burn’ has synth tension rising through the dark, next to glitchy percussion; and ‘Afterglow’ lets in more light, bringing otherworldly synths that hang above the groove and consume your focus. Chontane then explores a more musical and unconventional approach. ‘Plaxaric’ is supple, warm, and deep techno that tunnels into an abyss. ‘Grounding Factor’ is just as economical in design, but with introverted funk and evolving layers of sound. ‘Mental Lab’ spins out into complex rhythms inspired equally by IDM, jungle, and techno. It’s a mental workout as well as a physical one. Both artists add a pair of digital bonus tracks. Regent’s ‘Control Room’ and ‘Rarely Enough’ deliver elevated, hypnotic tools, before Chontane’s ‘Escore’ and ‘Outside In’ bring extroverted drum patterns along with contrasting melodic unease
Mutual Rytm welcomes new school tastemakers Klint and Hemka to sub-label Versus for imprint’s second drop. SHDW’s Mutual Rytm welcomes back two standout label alumnus for the second edition of Versus, a newly-launched conceptual sub-label focused around two artists whose sound works individually and in unity. Hemka made an impressive and well-received debut with her full solo EP back in 2025, while Klint appeared on ‘Federation of Rytm IV’. Both artists hail from France, and have crafted a well-earned reputation for their own distinctive approaches to sound design - pairing locked in grooves with cosmic synth escapes. Across the EP, each artist delivers three individual takes on techno to make for an essential collection of high-end cuts, exploring the label’s ethos of creative symbiosis between two artists on one shared release. Klint’s tracks lean towards minimal yet highly effective, dance floor-focused DJ tools, starting with the lithe, stripped back menace of ‘Prism’, before the sparse eeriness of ‘Dobermann’ keeps you looking over your shoulder while remaining trapped in the groove. Third cut ‘Romance’ is more bold and muscular, with contoured drums and icy pads ramping up the tension and energy. Hemka then dives deeper into a hypnotic and anthemic direction while introducing her own voice into the mix. ‘Leave It’ is textured, percussive deep techno with shadowy whispers, while ‘Breathe’ has a dark, grinning undercurrent and scintillating snares fluttering over the drums. ‘Mindness’ then pairs spoken word atmospherics with taught drum pressure and an ethereal backlit glow. In addition, Klint's digital only cuts ‘1112’ and ‘Blue’ marry minimal synths with meticulously defined drums that hit hard, while Hemka's ‘Push’ is an anxious percussive trip, contrasting with the introspective emotional core of ‘Live To Tell’.
Club Dream is an exclusive Daydream side project dedicated to pumpy, uplifting house music. For its second volume, the one and only Salomo steps up. The Berlin-based producer delivers four tracks combining punchy drums, driving basslines and playful melodies, somewhere between classic house and a more contemporary club sound.
Weight meets wriggle on DJ Life's five-tracker for Haŵs, and oh boy is it hefty. Gritty basslines get right under the skin, swinging drums sit deep in the pocket, and skippy FX keep things light on their feet. A murky, moody streak runs through the record, with an electric tension giving even the loosest grooves a touch of menace. Fat low end and a restless edge, with enough bite to leave a mark. Serious tackle with a wicked sense of swing, primed for the dancefloor. Use at your own peril, you’ve been warned!
DJ Support: Fantastic Man, Sedef Adassi, Shanti Celeste, Tornado Wallace, OK Williams
F-Man flips an early 00’s RnB classic into a haunting, West Coast–flavoured club edit with stripped drums, deep low end and sweeping strings. Summer festival favourite via Sedef Adasi & Shanti Celeste. Comes with Instrumental + a heads-down acid Bonus Bass Mix. White label, limited run.
It was only in 2018 that New York techno mainstay Joey Beltram revealed that he was the man behind 'SW37', a record which had been an underground classic since it first started doing the rounds in 1998. It remains an evergreen favourite almost 30 years on, which is why Damon Wild's Synewave is reissuing it here. The A-side is gloppy, dubby techno with impish percussion darting about the mix and drunken hits bring an off-kilter edge. On the flip, 'SW37B' is stripped back to pure deep techno serenity with deft ambient pads and a sense of unrelenting meditation that locks you in the here and now.
Milan-based independent label WEorUS Records celebrates its 10th vinyl release with WU010, a four-track Various Artists EP bringing together four distinctive names from the international minimal and deep house underground.
Moving between deep, hypnotic house, micro-minimal grooves and darker after-hours territory, WU010 is a carefully curated selection built for the dancefloor, with each track offering its own take on rhythm, atmosphere and club functionality.
Chicago veteran DJ Jes opens the record with a deep, rolling groove driven by a solid bassline, hypnotic vocal cuts and enveloping synths.
Pressure Point delivers an atmospheric micro-minimal cut, combining crisp percussion, dreamy pads and subtle melodic elements into a versatile and uplifting club track.
Romanian producer Dragosh returns with a tight piece of micro-house, built around precise drum-machine programming, organic glitches and hypnotic delay work.
Renè Audiard closes the record on a darker note, combining deep sub-bass, sparse clicks and a stripped-back nocturnal groove designed for extended after-hours sessions.
WU010 marks a decade of vinyl releases for WEorUS — four artists, four distinct approaches, one focused journey through the deeper side of the underground.
Ja:ck is an artist who moves beyond fast-paced trends, focusing instead on a clear, driving vision. His releases on the renowned label Cocoon Recordings represent an uncompromising sound that balances hypnotic techno and energetic club dynamics. With a keen sense of tension and atmosphere, he has developed a signature style over the years that works as effectively on large floors as it does in intimate sets.
His new track, Dinamo, perfectly encapsulates this energy: pulsating, powerful, and precisely crafted. The track builds with subtle intensity before erupting into a forceful, captivating movement designed for the peak time.
Notably, Ja:ck has been supported for years by techno icon Sven Väth, who consistently integrates Ja:ck's sound into his sets. This ongoing backing underscores not only the quality of his productions but also his relevance within the international scene. With Dinamo, Ja:ck delivers another clear statement: raw, direct, and absolute club material.
The Oliver Keim remix of Ja:ck’s Dinamo translates the original track into a clean, stripped-back club aesthetic with a steadfast focus on groove and energy. From the start, a driving flow emerges: precise, dry drums meet a deep, rolling bassline that constantly pushes forward. The arrangement remains intentionally minimalist, yet leaves enough room for subtle details to unfold and build tension. Finely placed breaks provide dynamics without losing momentum, leading back into powerful, controlled drops.
The remix eschews clutter, relying instead on clarity, punch, and timing. This makes it versatile enough for both intimate club settings and larger floors, fitting seamlessly into Tech House, Melodic Techno, or driving House sets. It is a modern, functional remix—minimalist in sound, powerful in impact, and strictly geared toward the dancefloor.
Ja:ck ist ein Künstler, der sich jenseits schneller Trends bewegt und stattdessen auf eine klare, treibende Vision setzt. Seine Releases auf dem renommierten Label Cocoon Recordings stehen für kompromisslosen Sound zwischen hypnotischem Techno und energetischer Club-Dynamik. Mit einem feinen Gespür für Spannung und Atmosphäre hat er sich über die Jahre eine eigene Handschrift erarbeitet, die sowohl auf großen Floors als auch in intimen Sets funktioniert.
Sein neuer Track Dinamo bringt genau diese Energie auf den Punkt: pulsierend, druckvoll und gleichzeitig präzise ausgearbeitet. Der Track baut sich mit subtiler Intensität auf, bevor er sich in eine kraftvolle, mitreißende Bewegung entlädt, gemacht für die Peak-Time.
Besonders bemerkenswert: Ja:ck wird bereits seit Jahren von Techno Ikone Sven Väth unterstützt, der seinen Sound immer wieder in seine Sets integriert. Diese kontinuierliche Rückendeckung unterstreicht nicht nur die Qualität seiner Produktionen, sondern auch seine Relevanz in der internationalen Szene.
Mit Dinamo setzt Ja:ck ein weiteres klares Statement : roh, direkt und absolut clubtauglich.
German Text:
Der Oliver Keim Remix von „Dinamo“ von Ja:ck übersetzt den Original-Track in eine klare, reduzierte Club-Ästhetik mit konsequentem Fokus auf Groove und Energie.
Von Beginn an entsteht ein treibender Flow: präzise, trockene Drums treffen auf eine tiefe, rollende Bassline, die sich konstant nach vorne bewegt. Der Aufbau bleibt bewusst minimalistisch, lässt aber genug Raum für subtile Details, die sich im Verlauf entfalten und Spannung erzeugen. Fein eingesetzte Breaks sorgen für Dynamik, ohne den Drive zu verlieren, und führen kontrolliert zurück in kraftvolle Drops.
Der Remix verzichtet auf Überladung und setzt stattdessen auf Klarheit, Druck und Timing. Dadurch funktioniert er sowohl in intimen Clubsettings als auch auf größeren Floors und lässt sich vielseitig zwischen Tech House, Melodic Techno und treibenden House-Sets einsetzen.
Ein moderner, funktionaler Remix, reduziert im Sound, stark in der Wirkung und konsequent auf den Dancefloor ausgerichtet.
The “Late Loop” LP by Andy Stott is released on Modern Love and marks the producer’s return after a five-year break from the studio. The album brings Alison Skidmore, Stott’s long-time vocal partner, and for the first time Elaine Howley to the forefront; their voices are used partly as full vocal performances and partly as fragmented, pitch-shifted loops, forming the emotional center of the record. Stott largely avoided established production tricks: no basslines, no reverb, just a delay as the sole effect, giving the arrangements an unusual clarity and fragility.
“Late Loop” sits somewhere between downbeat, electronica, and leftfield, and emerged from an experimental process that ranged from drone passages and brass-like concrète moments to song-oriented structures. Rhythm often emerges indirectly here: a drum machine was played back into the room, re-recorded, and pitched down; a pump organ was recorded with a microphone placed on the floor; valves and an aging mixing console audibly contribute to the atmosphere. Lyrically, themes of separation predominate; the voices were layered multiple times, then pared back until only the essentials remained. Mastering was handled by Rashad Becker, and the cover photo is by Myriam Boulos. With “Late Loop,” Modern Love presents an austere, meticulously crafted album whose details gradually reveal themselves with repeated listening.
Introducing the first reissue project on Rocky Hill with a compilation of Jozeph Sefian's hard to find tracks from the late 1970s into the early 1980s. A culmination of Armenian funk, soul, pop, and jazz. We're calling it "Melodies". Jozeph Sefian emerged as a distinctive voice in Armenian music, blending heritage with the evolving sounds of his generation. Beginning on drums and later embracing his voice, he crafted a versatile style rooted in Armenian, pop, jazz, and soul. Traditional melodies and emotional storytelling met familiar harmonies, expressive phrasing, and the rhythmic energy of funk, creating a sound that was both deeply Armenian and contemporary. During his years in Iran, Jozeph recorded with accomplished musicians and operated a music shop serving the Armenian musical community. Despite restrictions following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, he continued performing for Armenian audiences. His career took him across the Middle East, the United States, the UK, and Armenia, while writing his tracks in Iran and recording in LA. In 1977, Parseghian Records labeled him, "one of the most distinctive voices in Armenian music." We agree with Parseghian, as Jozeph's recordings continue to bridge generations, preserving Armenian culture through a uniquely soulful musical voice.
T. Jacques presents ‘Rowhill Trax’: - four cuts of straight-up house music, drawing on the raw sound of the ’90s and early ’00s. Heavy low-end, swinging rhythms and resonating chords run throughout, keeping things stripped back and firmly focused on the dancefloor.
Opening with ‘Worked Up (House Mix)’, a high-energy groove of filtered chords and analogue drum programming, followed by ‘Rub Down’, built around slamming, hard-hitting drums and a low-slung bassline.
Over on the B-side, ‘Under Cover’ settles into a heavy swing with big drums, low sub and classic house chords, while ‘Do It Right (Deeper)’ closes things out with a deeper sound, warm chords and swinging drums.
UK pals Andy Riley and Laurence Ritchie have been Drop Music mainstays since before the turn of the millennium. They put out a veritable ton of house music and this EP first dropped back in 2004, but has long been ripe for a reissue. 'Already' sits somewhere between tech, new jack swing and deep house and is assembled from chopped-up samples, jazzy stabs and a rigid mix of drums that all get held together with a warm, swinging groove. 'Amber Gambler' on the flip is another collage made from distinctive patches - gun shots, MJ vocals, crashing hits, wiggy synths, minimal percussion and bursts of synth strings. The result is a busy, characterful groove that never stops grabbing your attention.
Abacus, Analog Stories Vol. 9. Three cuts, all heat: deep basslines, swung drums, and that raw machine soul you can only get from analog gear. Built for the floor, pressed for the heads.
Fatboy Slim, Felix Da Housecat and Carola unite on “Funk Drunk” featuring 7KY — a punchy, club-ready collaboration blending big beat energy, electro textures and modern underground house production. Released via Southern Fried Records, the track arrives ahead of a huge summer run for Fatboy Slim, including dates across Ibiza, Brighton, Creamfields and Rock In Rio.
Luca Lozano returns with “Bop (Rad Feeling)”, Released on Southern Fried Records, the track channels Lozano’s love for classic UK club culture through punchy drums, elastic basslines, and infectious vocal hooks that feel equal parts playful and euphoric.
With this release, Luca Lozano once again showcases his ability to blur the lines between retro futurism and contemporary dance music, delivering a track that feels both familiar and fresh.
For WOLFEP088, we’re welcoming an Italian stallion to the WOLF stable. DJ Soch is a renowned DJ, producer, and label owner whose roots in house music run deep. Beginning his journey behind the decks in the mid-1980s, he has spent more than four decades honing a sound shaped by house, techno, disco, funk, hip-hop, and the timeless influence of Detroit and Chicago. As the founder of Black Angus Records and a resident DJ at the renowned Italian club Serendipity, he has shared lineups with some of the best to ever do it, helping to shape Italy’s underground electronic music scene.
When his tracks hit the WOLF inbox, we knew we were onto something special. The first one we heard, ‘Let Me Tell You’, was an instant yes, must sign moment. There’s skippy drums, warm keys, church organ, a heavy bassline and a pleading, soulful male vocal. One of those tracks that should come with a neck-brace. Soulful, but powerful. There’s also a ‘Power Mix’ version that keeps all the elements we loved, but strips back the vocal and ramps up the church organ. Absolute Holy Ghoster! This is the type of track that would have torn up the dance floor at the Shelter, a real Timmy Regisford tops-off jam.
On the flip, there’s a hypnotic deep house groove entitled, ‘Chewing Gum’. This is proper stuff, heads-down, deep house for the dance floor. We’ve paired it with a remix from Prince Palmer, one of the standout remixers of recent years, and a great group of guys. The Prince has delivered a reinterpretation that gives a nod to 90s US Garage, complete with all the trademark production chops you would expect from a regular on the stellar Bobby Donny label. It’s a track that wouldn’t sound out of place on a peak-period Strictly Rhythm 12”, so that’s all you need to know.
Four belters, all on one record, designed for maximum listening pleasure.
DJ Support: Louie Vega, Mousse T, Terry Hunter, Joey Negro, Natasha Diggs, Todd Terry, Fouk, Tedd Patterson, DJ Deep, Moplen, Young Pulse, DJ Meme, Jade Edwards, DJ Disciple, Richard Earnshaw, Nathen Haines, Smokin Jo and Birdee.
A collection of some of the best releases on Big Love’s sister label Soul Love. Chicago’s Emmaculate gives a soulful touch to Haji’s ‘Nitelife’ feat the late Dianne Charlemagne aka D’Empress, Tokyo’s uber-cool couple offer their deeper interpretation of Odyssey’s 80’s classic covered by Belezamusica, the French disco don Art Of Tones creates a sublime version of Tokyo’s DJ Namy & Angela Johnson’s cut whilst Chi-Town legend Maurice Joshua re-works his own track as an ode to the fellow Chicago legend Ron Carroll who features on vocals.
Straddling an intriguing intersection of Drum & Bass, Jazz, Fusion and unidentifiable electronica, ‘You Won't Find Your Way From Here’ is the debut album from Jhauk.
An extremely talented multi-instrumentalist from Sheffield, UK, Jhauk came to Blu Mar Ten’s attention when, in 2017, he created a wild prog-rock inflected remix of BMT’s track ‘Titans’
Further conversations with Jhauk revealed the depth of his unorthodox approach to electronic music and unearthed a treasure trove of production skills, culminating in the album before you.
Oscillating between the late-night, moody calm of late 50s Miles Davis, John Coltrane & Bill Evans, the riotous 70s instrumentation of Weather Report, the modern cool stylings of Matthew Halsall and the gritty edges of modern D&B production, it’s scarcely believable that this collection of tracks came from one person working alone in their studio. With tempos and time signatures skittering all over the place, Jhauk uses genres as catalysts rather than containers, he finds the interesting stuff in the hinterlands of their structural relationships and tensions.
Talking about the album, Jhauk has strong opinions:
“Drum & Bass emerged as club music, and club music comes with its own logic. Specific structures, specific build-ups, a formula that supports that context.
That's fair enough, but almost 40 years later, why is 99% of D&B still made the exact same way when 99% of the time it's never heard in a club? The same structure, the same formula, barely any development beyond the core idea. Tracks where you can hear 10 seconds of the drop and know almost beat-for-beat how the next 5 minutes sound. No real musical depth or exploration. People regurgitating the same material ad-nauseum but never actually saying anything for themselves.
This period of composition for me was about taking what I love about D&B, the rhythmic energy and potential for creative freedom it presents and really stretching it to its limits. Of taking drum & bass as a starting point and seeing where it ends up without an idea of what that destination might be. Most people would probably never call a lot of the results D&B, but that's okay because it was never the point.”
Dripping with melancholy, euphoria, longing and pure urgency ‘You Won't Find Your Way From Here’ is unlike anything else you’ll hear this year. The sound of an artist entirely unconcerned with impressing peers or performing on ‘socials’; you're hearing a true musician at work, expressing ideas through the skill of his hands, mind and ears. The album’s secrets aren’t revealed with a single play-through, but bears (or even requires) multiple listens to expose its layers.
In previous times, they called this ‘art'.
A counterculture movement united by an expansive, experimental and deeply soulful sensibility, Japan’s rebel protest music challenged the status quo and changed the country’s music industry in the process.
The birth of Japan’s nascent acid folk scene was rooted in the messy and invigorating political climate of the late 1960s. It is a story of Dadaists, communists, pharmacists and cult leaders, led by a young generation of upstart students, artists and dreamers hellbent on turning their world upside down.
Born on the campuses of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, and centred around newly formed independent label and left-wing stronghold URC, this uniquely Japanese form of folk expression provided an outlet for musicians who were tired of aping Western sounds and instead found ways to sing in Japanese and integrate traditional forms in new ways.
At the forefront of this movement was Yellow Magic Orchestra’s Haroumi Hosono, a polymath innovator whose band Happy End released the first Japanese language rock album, and whose influence would go on to be felt across Japanese music for decades. Alongside, and informed by the Kansai scene’s Takashi Nishioka and Happy End collaborator Ken Narita, they experimented with cadences and accents of the Japanese language to open the door for others to experiment with their own forms of psychedelic folk too.
Some, like Nishioka, were more inspired by Dadaism than drugs, while others, like Kazuhisa Okubo, would ultimately find work as a chemist, having founded two further folk groups that flirted with varying levels of success. Obstinately uncommercial, relentlessly creative, the music featured on Time Capsule’s Nippon Acid Folk represents a broad church of influences.
Perhaps the wildest addition to this congregation however was Hiroki Tamaki, a classically-trained violinist and committed iconoclast, whose synth-prog odysseys hinted at his obsession with the divine. Subsumed by the teachings of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, he penned an album in praise of the infamous religious leader of which two superbly mind-bending tracks are featured on this compilation.
Charting the decade from 1970 to 1980 as the dreams of political and spiritual liberation seeded in the ‘60s turned to dust, Nippon Acid Folk surveys a little explored corner of Japanese music history, but one which ultimately laid the foundations for an independent music industry, launching the careers of Hosono and others in the process.
Nippon Acid Folk 1970-1980 is pressed on 12” vinyl and represents the start of Time Capsule’s deep dive into Japan’s rich history of folk and psychedelic soul music.
Emotional Response presents Volume 2 of the LNS-ID series. Atmospheric, infectious, at times nostalgic, warm yet ghosty, the tension of Laura Sparrow’s music is her exploration in electronic music.
An introduction to DJing and music production has been a natural progression, applying skills in new and fresh formats. Built on the heritage of Chicago and Detroit house, alongside old IDM and electro, her first productions might have been raw, but the creativity was lit.
While her recent productions have explored club orientated, loud cut records, in collaborations with DJ Sotofett, that represent the sound found in her residency on the Globus floor at the Tresor club, LNS’s interest in the solo productions of the LNS-ID recordings and more organic-style explored in the recent Misiats EP burns bright.
LNS-ID 1 and LNS ID 2 are her latest offering. Two sets of four tracks based on the acid tradition in the more restless corners of 90s and early 00s Braindance. Acid lines drive the melodies, while drums move between sliced break fragments and the familiar sounds of the Roland TR-606 and TR-808.
Pads drift in with a warm glow or at times, quiet ghostly tension. The results are music that leans towards atmosphere and memory, something almost nostalgic that was built for those of us who still chase the more expressive edges of acid.
Easygoing Acid Express, Alive Acid, Blue Acid and Gentle Acid. Get the message. We call it Acid.
Emotional Response presents the first of 2 EPs by Laura Sparrow aka LNS, the Calgary raised, Berlin based producer and DJ with 8 acid-tinged cuts that are equally expansive and inspiring, personal and inventive.
After her debut Malinge Range (cassette) on fellow native Canadian 1080p label in 2016, LNS moved to Berlin and has released a steady stream of 12”s, exploring ambient, dub, electro and techno. Initially appearing on Vancouver émigré’s Jayda G’s (alongside Fett Burger) Freakout Cult label before settling at DJ Sotofett’s cult WANIA label and more recently on the legendary and ‘original’ German techno label, Tresor.
A love of the Roland TR-303, alongside deep diving into breakbeat creation, manipulation, mutation and production, plus some intrepid mixing and post-production assistance, development and support with DJ Sofofett, have led to a collection of some of her favourite music to date.
LNS-ID 1 and LNS ID 2 are the result. Recorded during a burst of creativity through dedication, new studio equipment and learning techniques, as well the necessity of artistic expression in the moment.
Two sets of four tracks based on the acid tradition in the more restless corners of 90s and early 00s Braindance. Acid lines drive the melodies, while drums move between sliced break fragments and the familiar sounds of the Rolant TR-606 and TR-808.
Pads drift in with a warm glow or at times, quiet ghostly tension. The results are music that leans towards atmosphere and memory, something almost nostalgic that was built for those of us who still chase the more expressive edges of acid.
Straddling an intriguing intersection of Drum & Bass, Jazz, Fusion and unidentifiable electronica, ‘You Won't Find Your Way From Here’ is the debut album from Jhauk.
An extremely talented multi-instrumentalist from Sheffield, UK, Jhauk came to Blu Mar Ten’s attention when, in 2017, he created a wild prog-rock inflected remix of BMT’s track ‘Titans’
Further conversations with Jhauk revealed the depth of his unorthodox approach to electronic music and unearthed a treasure trove of production skills, culminating in the album before you.
Oscillating between the late-night, moody calm of late 50s Miles Davis, John Coltrane & Bill Evans, the riotous 70s instrumentation of Weather Report, the modern cool stylings of Matthew Halsall and the gritty edges of modern D&B production, it’s scarcely believable that this collection of tracks came from one person working alone in their studio. With tempos and time signatures skittering all over the place, Jhauk uses genres as catalysts rather than containers, he finds the interesting stuff in the hinterlands of their structural relationships and tensions.
Talking about the album, Jhauk has strong opinions:
“Drum & Bass emerged as club music, and club music comes with its own logic. Specific structures, specific build-ups, a formula that supports that context.
That's fair enough, but almost 40 years later, why is 99% of D&B still made the exact same way when 99% of the time it's never heard in a club? The same structure, the same formula, barely any development beyond the core idea. Tracks where you can hear 10 seconds of the drop and know almost beat-for-beat how the next 5 minutes sound. No real musical depth or exploration. People regurgitating the same material ad-nauseum but never actually saying anything for themselves.
This period of composition for me was about taking what I love about D&B, the rhythmic energy and potential for creative freedom it presents and really stretching it to its limits. Of taking drum & bass as a starting point and seeing where it ends up without an idea of what that destination might be. Most people would probably never call a lot of the results D&B, but that's okay because it was never the point.”
Dripping with melancholy, euphoria, longing and pure urgency ‘You Won't Find Your Way From Here’ is unlike anything else you’ll hear this year. The sound of an artist entirely unconcerned with impressing peers or performing on ‘socials’; you're hearing a true musician at work, expressing ideas through the skill of his hands, mind and ears. The album’s secrets aren’t revealed with a single play-through, but bears (or even requires) multiple listens to expose its layers.
In previous times, they called this ‘art'.
The Rockers Sound (aka Steppas) came from the mid 70's and was created during sessions with The Revolutionaires band at Channel 1.
Drummer Sly Dunbar came up with a new 'Militant' style double drumming on the snare drum that seemed to add some credence to the political /Rasta based lyrics that were so prominent around this time.
So for this compilation we have pulled together some of the best cuts from this period when producer Bunny Lee was on the top of his game and the sound in town to get on board with was 'Rockers'...
So sit back and enjoy another period in Reggae's history that still sounds as good as when it was created way back when...
EVERYTHING ROCKERS....
The arrival of REAL, Vol. 1 marks a seismic shift in the global music landscape, uniting two of Nigeria’s most formidable forces for a project that defines the current zenith of Afrobeats. This collaborative effort sees Wizkid, the smooth-talking pioneer of the genre’s international expansion, and Asake, the "Mr. Money" whose neo-Fuji sound redefined the street-pop aesthetic, finding a middle ground between luxury and grit. The project serves as a sonic bridge between eras, blending the minimalist, high-fashion sensibilities of Wizkid’s recent output with the high-octane, choir-backed energy that has made Asake a household name. It is less of a competition and more of a conversation between two masters of their craft, exploring themes of spiritual gratitude, the weight of superstardom, and the unyielding pulse of Lagos.
With soundscapes both cinematic and deeply rhythmic, the production moves beyond standard club formulas, opting instead for a sophisticated fusion of traditional Yoruba percussion, shimmering synths, and the heavy, resonant log drums of Amapiano. Wizkid provides the effortless, melodic swagger that acts as the project's anchor, while Asake injects a spiritual intensity through his signature layered chanting and rapid-fire flows.
Ultimately, REAL, Vol. 1 is a celebration of authenticity in an era of global crossover. By stripping away the pressure of conforming to Western pop standards, Wizkid and Asake have created a body of work that is unapologetically Nigerian yet universally resonant. It captures the spirit of a city that never sleeps and the ambition of two artists who have conquered the world without losing their souls. This is more than just a collection of hits; it is a blueprint for the future of African music, proving that when Wizkid and Asake occupy the same frequency, the result is nothing short of legendary.
Innate launched out of Bristol in 2018 as an extension of a well-respected blog run by Owain K, and is now one of the more cultured outlets in the realm of advanced techno. This ninth 12" heads across the Irish Sea for a split EP featuring top heads Eddie Reynolds aka TR One and Americhord. The former goes first with the snappy drums and reverberating bass twangs of 'We Lost An Hour' before 'I'm Alone' zones out into more widescreen and far-sighted deep techno laced with malleable acid lines. Americhord then keeps it deep with the interplanetary 'Parallax', a supple, comforting cocoon of synth and bass warmth before flipping into kicking electro territory on 'Sub Level'. Proper classy tackle.
London groover Sam Shelly plays everything from new jack swing to boogie, disco to soul, jazz funk to soulful house, and much of that feeds into his work in the studio. After outings on the likes of Midnight Riot, he now features on Soul Service Sabrosura with a new 7" full of love, life and soul. 'Spirit Love' is a life-enriching funk and jazz fusion with positive messages in the celebratory vocals, drama in the horns and killer groove in the drums and bass. On the flip, 'The Latin Strut' is a much quicker funk workout with shades of 60s styles and the narrative flow of a cop chase. It's a brilliant flip side to complete a gorgeous 45.
Chris Scott, Stuart Baker and Julian Bowron ran their own night in Bishop Auchland, a small town in County Durham, back in the mid-90s, then started producing under the same name. They dropped just three EPs, with this being the last one in 1994, but the one that proved the most enduring. The newly launched LA RIOT label reissues it, and it sounds as good as ever: 'Post Chaise' is a timbales-laced jam with driving tech house drums and plenty of crowd noise adding to the wild vibes. 'The Bishops Groove' is deep, steamy and tribal in its nature and 'This Groove' then gets more expressive with vocal yelps and surging synths that come on like a rush. The Sunday Fantasy mix is the EP highlight - a more cosmic and soft-edged but still propulsive deep house groove.
Rafa Santos continues the Mate label's fine tradition of quality deep house excursions with a well-formed new 12". Just one original features and it's the A-side beauty 'Our Journey', an unhurried groove that is happy to wallow in soft piano chords, with icy hi-hats strewn through the mix and the main focus left on a sax line that rises and falls, sings and cries, all while a nagging vocal loop adds extra pain. Atlanta house hero Kai Alce drops an NDATL remix that brings more bump to the drums but keeps the emotional edge of the original. Class.
Maltese talent Human Safari debuts on Mutual Rytm with jazz-influenced techno EP, 'Culture Shock'.
Human Safari is a key player in his native scene in Malta. He's a resident at Glitch Festival, has played cult spots, and has a dynamic sound that brings jazz improvisation to techno, often featuring live instrumental elements. His music has found its place on top labels like R&S Records, and most of this new EP for SHDW's Mutual Rytm imprint was produced during his Colombian summer tour last year - written and recorded amongst inspiring and unusual settings with just a laptop and headphones.
"This EP represents embracing new beginnings that, though might bring uncertainty and fear, the
light always guides you to where you were always meant to be." - Human Safari.
Opener 'Mouse on Keys' has been a key cut for the label boss across the past year, a unique track that peaks curiosity from dancers to DJs whenever it's played. Its cantering techno rhythm is overlaid with delicate, heartfelt piano keys straight from a smoky jazz bar, making for a great counter to the physical drums. 'Fragments' is a deeply personal track dedicated to the artist's late grandfather. It's a funky, soulful techno roller with blissed-out and sunny chords full of hope.
Next, 'Classique' gets more gritty with loopy drums and bass and glitchy percussion that fizzes with energy, while 'The Labyrinth' features piano motifs recorded in just one take. It brings a dark paranoia in the uneasy, off-grid keys which dart about with nervous energy over the booming low ends. There is just as much intensity and edge to the unresolved keys that loop over the raw drums on 'A Rainy Day in Bogota', before digital bonus cuts 'Dorian' and 'Phantom' bring more jazzed out techno madness with warped keys and expressive elements bringing great invention.
SHDW & Obscure Shape are back with their second EP for 2023, following their debut release on their mothership label From Another Mind. The German duo's latest release, 'Basic Instinct', is a collection of five dancefloor anthems that provide the perfect soundtrack for any moment in a set. The EP features their signature die-cut cover and includes a digital bonus track.
'Basic Instinct' is the 12th installment of their Mutual Rytm label and showcases the pair's exceptional production skills and innovative approach to electronic music, with a mix of old and new school flavors, vivid drum programming, organic percussion and captivating melodic elements. The A-side kicks off with their signature track 'Eraser', which blends crisp drums with warm sub-bass and piercing synth stabs.
"Dancer in the Dark" takes a deeper dive into late-night territory, combining lush dub-influenced synths with a rolling acid bassline. "Disturbing Behaviour" closes the A-side and shows why the 303 has become an iconic tool for producers. Despite the sirens dominating around the breakdowns, the simple two-tone acid stab is the defining element of the track, complemented by amen-break leaning drums that hint at a UK rave direction.
The B-side goes in a different direction, with 'Memories of Nobody' taking a filtered and less aggressive approach, as echoing dub pads gather around a growling bassline and kick drum combination, topped off by brushed hats. The EP concludes with 'The Last Seduction', a track that reveals the full organic breadth of the previously hinted at Amen break. The fusion of said amen break with the warmth and familiarity of waxing and waning pads is reminiscent of the golden days of electronic music. With its expertly crafted soundscapes and diverse range of styles, 'Basic Instinct' is yet another stunning release from SHDW & Obscure Shape.
Chontane returns to Mutual Rytm with a more raw and aggressive sound than before across six powerful new tracks on his latest EP, 'Permanent'.
Berlin-based Ukrainian DJ/producer Chontane has had a busy twelve months. Capped off by recently launching his own new TANE label, the exciting talent has been working hard to reinvent and refresh his sound in the studio. Mastering new techniques to push things to the next level, this EP and return to SHDW & Obscure Shape's Mutual Rytm proves he has succeeded and then some. Where previous works on the likes of ARTS and Rekids were full and more melodic, here he has restricted himself and gone for a more visceral sound. Developed and built in all new ways with an innovative approach to sound design and arrangement, the tracks on the package showcase a more serious and harder-hitting side to his sound as he unveils his impactful 'Permanent' EP.
Opener 'Graze' has a monstrous feel to it, with ghoulish synth loops and industrial textures all coming on strong and heavy. As it bangs along, incendiary hi-hats and lithe pads all bring extra weight and detail. 'Cumaru' is a highpaced techno workout with a frenzy of synths and percussion, all making for dense layers of heavily textured sound. 'Schima' brings some big techno bounce in the drums and more hurried, rusty synth loops that lock you into the darkness. Showing yet another side, 'Lauan' is a little more paired back with pounding tribal grooves and bright synths, bringing relentless yet funk-fuelled intensity. 'Vevis' is the most melodic of the lot - a heavy track but with subtle optimism in the rising background synths that will surely get hands in the air.
Last of all is digital bonus 'Makore', a cauldron of intensity with scraping hits and relentless drums, vastly oversized hi-hats and slamming bass. This high-impact, beautifully brutal yet groove-heavy techno takes Chontane's sound into new realms, and delivers an impressive return on a label continuing to push the genre forward.
Portuguese techno mainstay Dextro drops cultured EP 'Covil Dos Abutres' for his label debut on Mutual Rytm.
Dextro has been immersed in electronic music and DJing since the early 90s. In the decades since, he has become synonymous with a sound deeply rooted in simplicity and authenticity. Fuelled by a passion for his craft, his production process is guided by intuition and spans a diverse range of styles, from tunnelling grooves to more potent techno with deep and hypnotic layers. He has held several key residencies and released on top labels like CLR and Missile Records, and he adds to those with a first outing on SHDW's Mutual Rytm with 'Covil Dos Abutres'.
The five-track 12" and eight-track digital EP has a sleek, stripped-back style, with wide-spanning corners of the techno realm explored. 'Covil Dos Abutres' is a deep space transmission with journeying, frictionless beats and deft sci-fi motifs that recall classic touches synonymous with the genre's pioneers. 'Correct Incorrect' keeps the pressure on with more rubbery, dubbed-out groves beautifully decorated with delicate melodies. 'Vida E Morte' is another sublime and hypotonic minimal techno sound with funk in the kicks and a freaky late-night spirit. 'Element One' again combines perfectly reduced drum groves with atmospheric pads and curious samples that keep you intrigued, and 'Beautiful Day' closes out with sonar-like synth pulses over the most skeletal but captivating rhythms. Digital cuts 'Time Line', 'Savana Urbana', and 'Diferencas' further explore the intersection of minimalism with cosmic synth designs that take you off into distant astral worlds.
ANNE & SERA J return for the second edition of their Symbiosis series on Mutual Rytm.
ANNE, known for potent techno on the likes of Soma and Hardgroove, and Nechto and Life In Patterns associate Sera J, have had standout years that have seen them put out a stream of essential club tracks. They are partners in both life and music, and the first volume of 'Symbiosis' on SHDW's Mutual Rytm imprint was their first release together. Delivering an honest representation of their innermost feelings, having also contributed to the label's 'Federation Of Rytm III' VA in February, this new six-track EP (plus bonus cuts) presents a 'mature and refined connection between their souls'.
The second instalment of 'Symbiosis' reflects not only their deep personal connection, but also their collaborative synergy as musical peers with the same goals. The EP captures the essence of their mutual artistic journey and showcases the strength of their bond both in life and through their shared creative vision - to create a storyline through sounds coming from their souls and convey a narrative that many listeners may find relatable.
SERA J kicks off with the lithe and melodically elegant techno of 'Your Soul Is Art' which will have both heart and heels dancing. 'Illusions' is a more heavy and dubby cut with paired back grooves and pulsing synths, while 'Glacial Pace' is an urgent deep techno roller with turbocharged stabs and huge icy hi hats locking you into a trance.
ANNE steps up on the B-side with 'Floating Waves' exploring physical, chunky drum funk and raw synth textures. 'Planetary Dust' is a dark and moody astral techno journey to the stars, before 'Sweet Seventeen' brings a more melodic cut with a sense of hope and joy in the bright pads that shimmer above the glitchy grooves.
Both artists also offer two digital bonus cuts with SERA J's 'Syncrosonix' and 'Space Velocity' delivering perfectly reduced minimal techno monsters, while ANNE's 'Gentle Loop' and 'Starburst' are interplanetary trips with widescreen cosmic synths.
The free folk/jazz sound of modern Los Angeles. Featuring a heavy bunch of musicians and vocalists including Moor Mother.
"Fearlessly Accessing the Divine Spirit From Here on Out" is the vinyl debut from pianist, composer, and producer Diego Gaeta. He has previously released projects as Club Diego and with the trio Human Error Club (whose members Mekala Session and Jesse Justice helped produce this record). He has quickly become a fixture in a number of Los Angeles musical environments, working with Lionmilk, The Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, Carlos Niño, Black Nile among others. This album is a synthesis of these many LA environments, and carries chamber, jazz, ambient, and folk influences, ultimately giving it an uncategorizable feel similar to works by Arthur Verocai or David Axelrod.
Gaeta recorded the initial ideas for the album by himself after experiencing a burst of creativity during the lockdown of 2020, in the aftermath of a season of protests in Los Angeles, on a piano at his home in El Sereno. "I was constantly not in tune with myself, always awaiting outrage and tragedy in a very unstable world. However, hitting the streets in support of various ongoing pandemic community actions felt necessary and it marked a point in time that ushered in large societal changes. The weight of that era made me feel allergic to making art at the time. All of these ideas came after that period, expressing my reflections subconsciously. I remember that the ideas came in a short amount of time, and then they developed."
Once he had created the tracks as Ableton sessions, he realized the gravity and context of how he was processing his ideas so he, as he puts it, "felt like taking them outside the hands of midi and into the hands of friends." Gaeta was able to assemble his dream band, which ended up being a 9-piece ensemble, or a nonet. "I felt that at some point I was channeling the geometrical balance of that nonet...it's almost as if I had a sextet and then the three of the sextet that's not the rhythm section were doubled. It's a really dense sextet, that's how I see it."
The recording process began the following summer in June 2021 as the musicians were all adjusting to the newfound dynamic of getting tested for COVID, waiting a few days, and then meeting up to record. "We were eating Indian food, some of us were smoking, it was a nice memory, but I felt a little stressed, because I was the bandleader, and I felt the emotional weight of my music."
The title track and single, featuring vocals by Jimetta Rose, begins with a speech by Gaeta delivered when playing with Black Nile in 2019 at the Levitt Amphitheatre in MacArthur park. Gaeta provides the following account: "Even though it was in 2019, socio-political tensions and issues were at the forefront for me at that time. I wrote a speech that was intended to be critical of the US but it ended up becoming a collage inspired by different women that had messages of freedom that spoke to me the most. I quoted Nina Simone and Georgia Anne Muldrow, it wasn't something that I read but something that she said "kicking it with consciousness and style" that phrase stuck with me, so I used it in that speech. Although critical, the speech had a positive feeling to it, and it was hopeful. I gave that speech while fireworks were going off."
Moor Mother & Zeroh are found on their respective tracks, Memory Screen & Eccolo - both delivering a distinct, commanding vocal performance. Low Leaf colors the track Soft Spot with harp, a beautiful ballad nestled in the center of the album. Other players include Gregory Uhlmann on guitar, Jon Kaye on violin, Devin Daniels on alto saxophone, Caleb Buchanan on bass, Dante Luna on vibraphone, Patrick Behnke on viola, Bryan Baker on tenor saxophone/flute, and Mekala Session on drums.
"I’d like for us tonight to embody a freedom oriented life. Freedom isn’t just a dream, it’s a place we must all arrive at together, as one by one the people of the Earth help each other to be Free of power, hate, and insecurities. Let’s kick it with consciousness and style. Can y’all dig that? YEAH. I can too. So now we’d like to present to you a spiritual transmission I like to call: 'Fearlessly Accessing the Divine Spirit of Freedom From Here On Out.' YEAH" - Diego Gaeta
Sextile, das in Los Angeles beheimatete Duo, das für seinen unbeugsamen, elektronischen Punk-Sound gefeiert wird, hat Details zu ihrem kommenden, starken Album „Yes, please.“ bekannt gegeben, das am 2. Mai 2025 auf Sacred Bones erscheint, sowie Pläne für eine umfangreiche Europatournee in diesem Sommer geteilt. Sextile, die sich derzeit mit ihren Labelkollegen Molchat Doma auf einer großen US-Tournee befinden, kündigen ihr neues Album mit der Single „Freak Eyes“ an, die ihren dunklen, pulsierenden Sound in neue Höhen treibt. Der Song beginnt mit einem fiesen Bass-Growl, das abrupt in einen Techno-Beat übergeht, der mit klirrender Kuhglocke und scharfer Hi-Hat gespickt ist. „I feel the pressure / Man the pressure I feel when we're together“, singt Sänger Brady Keehn kühl, aber bestimmt, in den ersten Zeilen. Inspiriert von der Art und Weise, wie Druck sowohl Herausforderungen als auch Verbesserungen hervorrufen kann, beschwört „Freak Eyes“ elektrisierende Bilder von schäbigen Hinterzimmern auf dem Sunset Strip und von in Leder gekleideten Tanzflächen in Lagerhäusern herauf.
Manche Bands finden ihren Groove und bleiben dabei, andere erfinden sich ständig neu. Sextile gehört zu den letzteren, die den Nervenkitzel einer sich ständig verändernden Landkarte genießen. Das Duo Melissa Scaduto und Brady Keehn aus Los Angeles macht Musik mit Lebenslust und lässt sich dabei von No Wave bis Hardstyle inspirieren. Ihr neuestes Album „yes, please.“ stößt in kühnes Neuland vor, indem es anarchisches Elektro-Feuer mit rohen persönlichen Erinnerungen verbindet - und mit genug aufgemotzten Bässen, um ein oder zwei Boxen zum Platzen zu bringen. „yes, please.“ ist ein Album der Kontraste: eine verletzliche Platte, die ihre Seele ebenso entblößt wie sie im Exzess schwelgt und zeigt, wie weit man seinen Sound treiben kann, wenn man seine Hemmungen abschüttelt. Zusammen verraten die beiden ein Selbstvertrauen, das niemals schwankt, und machen einen kühnen Spritzer auf dem schnellen Intro mit einer Rave-Sirene, die aus einer New Yorker Hausparty der `00er oder einem verschwitzten Brooklyn-Lagerhaus stammt. Auch der Geist des Electroclash pirscht sich an das Gebäude heran, zeigt seine Identität bei den mit Kuhglocken gespickten Donnerschlägen von „Freak Eyes“ und „Rearrange“ und sorgt mit „Women Respond to Bass“ für eine schmutzige Dancefloor-Bombe. „Push Ups“ - mit dem Gesang von Jehnny Beth - ist pure Muskelmusik, gestärkt durch einen wummernden Bass und ergänzt durch Synthies, die so hart hämmern wie Hagelkörner auf einem Glasdach. Aber hinter den Slogans, der Frechheit und der monstermäßigen Tanzenergie verbirgt sich eine Intimität, die man nur finden kann, wenn man sich über schmerzhafte, lebensverändernde Ereignisse öffnet. „Hospital“ und ‚Soggy Newports‘ reflektieren Scadutos erschütternde Erfahrungen in einer staatlichen Einrichtung in New York nach einem beinahe tödlichen Unfall. „Resist“ befasst sich mit Abtreibungsrechten, während ‚Penny Rose‘ das amerikanische Bildungswesen, künstliche Intelligenz und zukünftige Generationen thematisiert. Scadutos elastischer Gesang glänzt überall, von den messerscharfen Synthesizern von „S is For“ bis zu den Trance-Pop-Höhen von „Kids“ mit Izzy Glaudini von Automatic. „yes, please.“ ist eine actiongeladene Dance-Platte, vollgestopft mit wilden, berauschenden Gassenhauern, aber im gleichen Atemzug auch ein Zeugnis dafür, zu leben und niemals zurückzuschauen. Indem sie sich für eine neue, „befreiende“ Art des Musikmachens öffnen, haben Sextile ihr bisher kreativstes Werk geschaffen. Bisher, denn man spürt einfach, dass sie noch so viel mehr zu geben haben.
Bruno Berle is a singer, songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and figurehead of a contemporary Brazilian music movement. With a quiet mastery of songwriting and an astonishing voice, his music has won hearts around the world. Since the release of his debut album No Reino Dos Afetos (2022), Berle has performed across the UK, Europe, Japan, South Korea, and China, only leaving his home country for the first time in 2023. Shaped by these journeys, Berle’s third studio album, Sem Fronteiras (Without Borders), reflects a utopian vision of a unified world.
Recorded across London, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Germany, and Maceió, the album–co-produced alongside his longstanding musical partner Batata Boy–is the most expansive canvas Berle has worked on to date. Shot through with the imagery that has always animated his songwriting: open skies, morning light, vivid colours and the magic of human connection, Berle’s carefully crafted poetics and warm, delicate instrumentation drive this vivid body of work.
“I came from nothing”–Berle doesn’t take his rise to global prominence for granted.
Born to a working class family from Brazil’s northeastern Alagoas state, one of Brazil’s most economically deprived, Bruno moved frequently in his youth to follow any job opportunities his parents could find, before eventually settling in the coastal capital of Maceió. “I used to travel to Caruaru, Santa Cruz, Recife, Garanhuns, Arapiraca, which I loved and feel it made me ready to be in this rhythm i’, but at the same time I think not having friends from childhood and being in constant change made me a little numb to the constant upheaval”. On Sem Fronteiras, there is a similar duality at play. The album celebrates the collective joy and human connection that live touring brings, but it also sits with the darker realities of crossing borders. While music moves more freely around the world than ever before, our bodies are not granted the same privilege.
Though he’s never lacked self-belief, Berle recognises that talent alone doesn’t guarantee opportunity. “Before my second album No Reino Dos Afetos 2 everything I had ever recorded was made with the help and kindness of people who believed in my ability”. Determined to pay that kindness forward and help others from the sharp end of Brazil’s desperately unequal society, Berle produced and featured on the recent self-titled albums by his northeast Brazilian compatriots, Nyron Higor and Phylipe Nunes Araújo (both 2025), helping propel both onto the international stage. In turn, following the successes of Nyron & Phylipe’s albums alongside his own, Bruno finds himself at the forefront of a thriving community of artists now based in São Paulo, but primarily originating from northeastern states like Alagoas and Pernambuco.
Much like the famed Clube Da Esquina movement that spawned in 1970’s Minas Gerais, they operate with a free-exchange of ideas, writing songs with and for each other, performing on each other’s albums and on the live circuit together. Lead single ‘Manha’ flows from this ethos. It was written by Berle’s friend and fellow Alagoan João Menezes (writer of ‘Ate Meu Violao’ and ‘Te Amar Eterno’ from Bruno’s previous albums) and Marvin Viera, and originally recorded on their 2018 album Areia e Mar.
Sem Fronteiras opens with ‘Você Já Sabe Que Eu Te Amo’, just six beats of one nylon guitar chord ring out before changing key, paving the way for the gentle strike of fender rhodes and the arresting call & response duet between Berle and Higor. On ‘Amor Inteiro’, the album reaches a celebratory burst of catharsis, with the punch-packing drums of Pedro Lacerda and Nina Maia’s joyous backing vocals encapsulating the live energy that Berle and his band bring to the stage.
With the abundant talents of this musical community at its heart, Sem Fronteiras releases 10th July 2026 via Far Out Recordings, supported by a summer tour across Europe. Bruno Berle will perform in a four-piece band alongside Nyron Higor, Phylipe Nunes, and Batata Boy, culminating in an appearance at Roskilde festival, Berle’s biggest live show to date. He’ll continue to carry a hopeful vision of a world where artists and musicians can move as freely as their music flows.
Tracklist:
A1 “Você Já Sabe Que Eu Te Amo”
(Nyron Higor / Bruno Berle)
Nyron Higor – drums, bass, acoustic guitar, electric piano, synthesizers, vocals
Bruno Berle – piano, vocals
Batata Boy – piano
Jorik Bergman – score preparation and conducting
Klara Gronet – violin
Ségolène de Beaufond – violin
Cristina Ardelean Montelongo – viola
Ilektra Stevi – cello
A2 “Não Posso Viver Sem Você”
(Batata Boy / Bruno Berle)
Batata Boy – electric piano, organ, synthesizer
Bruno Berle – drums, bass, synthesizer, vocals
Jorik Bergman – score preparation and conducting
Klara Gronet – violin
Ségolène de Beaufond – violin
Cristina Ardelean Montelongo – viola
Ilektra Stevi – cello
A3 “A Noite de Estrelas”
(Nyron Higor / Bruno Berle)
Nyron Higor – synthesizers
Bruno Berle – bass, drums, vocals
A4 “Outra Noite”
(Bruno Berle)
Nyron Higor – drums
Bruno Berle – acoustic guitar, bass
Felipe Berle – congas
Lucca Francisco – guitar, vocals
B1 “Amor Inteiro”
(Bruno Berle)
Pedro Lacerda – drums, choir
Nyron Higor – bass, choir
Batata Boy – guitars, organ, electric piano, choir
Nina Maia – choir
Bruno Berle – guitars, acoustic guitar, congas, vocals
B2 “Ideias Mágicas”
(Batata Boy / Bruno Berle)
Heloisa Alvino – trombone
Batata Boy – synthesizers, beats, electric piano, organ, bass
Bruno Berle – synthesizer, vocals
B3 “Vim Dizer”
(Batata Boy / Bruno Berle)
Batata Boy – electric piano, organ, synthesizer
Thomas Stankiewicz – synthesizer
Nyron Higor – synthesizer
Bruno Berle – acoustic guitar, bass, vocals
B4 “Tô Assim”
(Bruno Berle)
Bruno Berle – acoustic guitars
Batata Boy – synthesizer
Nyron Higor – bass, synthesizer
B5 “Manhã”
(João Menezes / Marvin Silva)
Bruno Berle – acoustic guitar, vocals, congas, shaker
Batata Boy – piano, shaker, electric piano, vibraphone, synthesizers
Nyron Higor – drums, bass
B6 “Sem Fronteiras”
(Bruno Berle)
Filipe Mariz – guitar
Bruno Berle – acoustic guitar, vocals, bass
Jennifer Souza – vocals, acoustic guitar
Rudson França – drums
Credits:
Produced by Bruno Berle and Batata Boy
Mixed and mastered by Bruno Berle, Batata Boy and Felipe Berle
Audio engineering:
Nyron Higor (track 1 – production; track 4 with Felipe Berle)
Joe Osborne (tracks 7 and 9)
Victor Gelling (strings on tracks 1 and 2)
Filipe Mariz (track 10)
Photography: Claudio Virgínio
Design: Minchai
Recorded in:
Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil
Tamandaré, Pernambuco, Brazil
Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
London, England
Cologne, Germany
At the age of 72, "Evil" Graham Lee, the legendary pedal steel pioneer and veteran of the iconic Australian band The Triffids, delivers his first ever album under his own name titled ‘I Think I’m Alone Now’. In addition to his work with The Triffids, Graham’s place in ambient history was cemented in 1990 when his evocative pedal steel became the soulful centerpiece of The KLF’s masterpiece, Chill Out (specifically on the highlight “Baltimore to Fair Play”).
I Think I’m Alone Now is a profound exploration of the instrument's emotional range, blending traditional country infused melodies with vast, reverb drenched ambient textures. The album spans six tracks, anchored by the Side B title track, a 15 minute textural piece that leans heavily into the ambient genre. From the delicate melancholy of "Seeking Beauty in Sadness" to the curious abstraction of "Nursery in the Beehive," Lee uses his pedal steel and an array of pedals to sculpt unique, haunting soundscapes that exist between tradition and the avant garde.
The connection is brought full circle with exclusive liner notes written by The KLF’s Bill Drummond. Reflecting on a forty year friendship that began when The Triffids served as the backing band for Drummond’s solo debut, The Man, Drummond provides a personal and poignant context for this long awaited solo bow.
A 180g pressing housed in a full sleeve designed by Bradley Pinkerton with metallic sticker and bespoke inner sleeve featuring liner notes signed by Bill Drummond.
Skinned' ( released digitally in 2020) - the debut album from Danish composer, producer and singer ML Buch.
Comes with lyrics printed the inner sleeve.
After releasing her debut EP Fleshy in 2017 - Skinned that takes her expansive guitar work and catchy melodies to another territory.
With her unique experimental pop and vocals that seem to slide into your ears as fluorescent liquid, ML Buch portrays the reality of intimacy in a digital era. Working primarily with synthetic midi sounds, the general love of songwriting and guitar music is ever present.
As if in search for something real, ML Buch takes the listener on the other side of the skin. Led by tender love songs like I’m A Girl You Can Hold IRL and Can’t Get Over You With You we journey through her throat and into her intestines, discovering a fascinating realm of shiny mucus and bile in flesh and yellowish colors. Panoramic images were captured by a small pill camera travelling through the body of ML Buch and act as extensions of the architecture of the music. This literal way of internalizing modern technology is symbolic of Skinned where eclectic instrumental compositions share the space with strong hooks and ML Buch’s spherical voice.
credits
All songs composed, arranged and produced by ML Buch
All lyrics by ML Buch
‘Touching Screens’, ‘O’ and ‘I Feel Like Giving You Things’ co-written by Oliver Nehammer
Bass on Can You Hear My Heart Leave, Touching Screens and Mw by Johan Polder
Drums on Touching Screens and Mw by Kristof Gasior
Viola on Stone Bridge by Astrid Sonne
Midi drums and keys on Touching Screens by Oliver Nehammer
Mix by ML Buch, Oliver Nehammer & Jacob Brøndlund
Mastered by ET Mastering
Cover photo by David Stjernholm
Artwork by Aske Zidore and ML Buch
Die Musik von Panda Bear und Sonic Boom war schon immer ein Spielplatz: ein Ort, an dem Klangexperimente, Loops und unerwartete Ideen aufeinandertreffen. Während Sonic Boom einst mit Spacemen 3 die Balance zwischen Drone und Pop neu dachte und später mit modularen Synths experimentierte, erschafft Panda Bear, solo oder mit Animal Collective, schillernde Klangwelten zwischen Noise, Folk und Elektronik. Ihr gemeinsames Debüt Reset (2022) wirkte wie ein kreativer Befreiungsschlag im Pandemie-Nebel.
Mit A ? of WHEN setzen sie diese Spielfreude fort, gehen aber noch weiter. Harfen-Loops, Steel Drums, Pedal Steel, sogar Jodeln: Das Duo greift bewusst auf vermeintlich „uncooles“ Material zurück und macht daraus etwas Eigenes. Songs wie „Something Like Dreaming“ oder „Like a Moth to a Flame“ verbinden verspielte Psychedelik mit eingängigen Melodien, als würde man von Station zu Station durch einen musikalischen Abenteuerspielplatz springen.
Gleichzeitig wird der Ton ernster. Die zehn Stücke verhandeln digitale Erschöpfung, politische Verwerfungen und ökologische Fragen, ohne dabei die Leichtigkeit zu verlieren. Inspiriert von einer Welt aus „AI slop“, algorithmischem Dauerrauschen und permanenter Vernetzung, suchen Panda Bear und Sonic Boom bewusst nach anderen Formen der Verbindung: weniger Scrollen, mehr echtes Erleben, mehr Radio, Live-Shows, Listening-Partys und reale Begegnungen. Statt Zynismus setzen sie auf Empathie, Glück und gegenseitige Unterstützung.
Im Kern bleibt das Album jedoch ein Akt der Aneignung: Klänge aus unterschiedlichen Kontexten werden neu zusammengesetzt, getragen von ungewöhnlicher Percussion wie Harfe und Steel Drums. So entsteht Musik, die zugleich verspielt und reflektiert ist. A ? of WHEN blickt auf eine widersprüchliche Welt und verwandelt sie in etwas Verbindendes. Kein großes Heilsversprechen, sondern die Einladung, gemeinsam offline darin aufzugehen.
Konsequenterweise wird das Album nicht auf Streaming-Plattformen verfügbar sein: Panda Bear und Sonic Boom setzen stattdessen auf reale Begegnungen, Listening Sessions und direkten Austausch jenseits algorithmischer Dauerbeschallung.
Freerange welcomes Italian via Berlin producer/DJ/label boss Enzo Elia for his debut on the label entitled The Lost Guitar Tapes. Enzo is someone who has been releasing consistently great music for many years, although
often hidden behind a myriad of pseudonyms and underground imprints. For starters he's responsible for a mysterious yet established and very excellent edits label as well as being a member of Balearic Gabba Sound System alongside Bjorn Torske amongst others. Following the philosophy of this collective, Enzo is also producing lovingly and respectfully created re-edits of long lost techno and house tracks as well as many new tunes
for influential labels including Golf Channel and Compost.
But for now we turn to The Lost Guitar Tapes and specifically the original mix of Drifting which opens up the release with a brilliant tension builder. A rolling bassline, crisp minimal drums and a subtly Middle Eastern-influenced melodic line give just a hint of mysticism to this jewel of a track.
For the remix we have none other than the Tel Aviv via Berlin producer Moscoman, fresh from his brilliant debut LP on ESP Institute and releases on Eskimo and his own Disco Halal label. Moscoman's organic, percussion- heavy sound and Middle Eastern roots make him the perfect choice to take
on Drifting and we couldn't have wished for a better outcome. He manages to inject his own identity to the track with newly recorded live guitar and bass parts and taking in elements of techno, new wave and house, he's created a sublime piece of dancefloor drama. Finally we have an alternate Dub version which lays down a firmer four on the floor, extra percussion and dubby stabs for a more driving atmospheric club tool.
Brand new tracks made from the Havana Sessions, recorded by Brian d'Souza aka Auntie Flo in downtown Havana around 2015.
'Havana City' is a joyous, summer anthem in the making, featuring Andrew Ashong on vocals and a host of Cuban musicians. Think Nuyorican Soul's classic 'I Am the Black Gold Of The Sun' with a Tony Allen-inspired drum beat, luscious string arrangements, triumphant horns and addictive keys - all given the space they deserve and fully justifying the 11.5 minutes run time.
The 2026 version of 'Die Bailando' re-invents the original minimal electro beat to a latin rhumba-influenced groover. Grammy-nominated singer Eric Alejandro aka Cimafunk's vocals are a huge highlight, now fused with new guitars from Ziggy Funk and drums from Ibibio Sound Machine's Jose Joyette.
Completing the package is a remastered version of 'Mother Theresa' - which has close to 2 million plays on Spotify but was never released on vinyl. Drift away to the sounds of the Malecon...
A State of Flo supports Earth Percent. 10% of the revenue generated from this release will be
paid to environmental charities.
Don't Know How To Change: a timeless house music masterpiece.
Since Julian Lindsey slid smoothly into the New York House scene back in 2014, he has become renowned for his sharp musical intuition, slick selections and a symbiotic relationship with the crowd. He takes the groove on the record and transmits it to the groove on the dancefloor.
Don't Know How To Change is Julian Lindsey’s debut EP, released on the Sound of Vast. The title track is smooth beyond belief, funky house keys and a laid back soulful vocal work with the bass to make your hips start to move, before a house backbeat takes you by the hand onto the dancefloor. At 3:15 mins, Julian Lindsey plays his ace card with a TB-303 acid tweak drenched with emotion. Just superb. The Subb-an Dubmix stays true to the original, claps and snares bring a dancefloor immediacy, the vocal line chopped to bring the funk. Ibiza will go wild for this Dubmix.
Miami Air starts with a Funktion-1-lovin’ deep velvet groove. Close your eyes and you can almost smell that dusky, warm Atlantic coast beach at sunset, driving with the roof down as the lights start to twinkle across Vice City and the bass drum beats through your fulcrum. A perfect companion for Don’t Know How To Change. Francesca Lombardo’s remix takes Miami Air from dusk to deep night, A mini Moog 4/4, rimshot claps and a vintage synth line guides you past midnight onto the dark, humid dancefloor where bodies writhe.
Julian Lindsey tells us more: The EP is really the story of my relationship with house music and a snapshot of where I was in my life when I made these tracks. I have an obsession with house music that is borderline unhealthy. The sound is rooted in 2010s house music, which is the era where my love for house music really developed.
東京 / アムステルダムを股にかけるレーベルSound Of Vast から、NYC拠点のアーティスト Julian LindseyによるデビューEPをリリース！
レイドバックしたグルーヴに物憂げなコードとスムースなヴォーカルが踊るレイトナイト・ダンサー"Don't Know How To Change"、現代的でクリスピーなタッチと虚飾を捨てた洗練が宿る"Miami Air”。新鋭と聞いて疑いたくもなる研ぎ澄まされた感覚からは、さながら10年代「Pampa」や「Smallville」作品のメランコリア、Galcher Lustwerkのロウなアウトサイダー・ハウス、あるいはRed Pig FlowerやThe MoleによるSound Of Vast 原典を思い出す。実際Julian Lindsey自身、この年代のディープ・ハウスへの熱狂からキャリアを始めているようだ。
A-2には Sound Of Vast への帰還を果たしたベルリンのベテラン Subb-anの、B-2にはUK拠点のFrancesca Lombardoによるリミックスを収録。ここ数年「X-Kalay」やThomas Melchiorの「My King Is Light」等からプログレッシヴな快作を飛ばすSubb-anがアクアティックに再構築した前者、期待以上のサイケデリックなテクスチャーで時間感覚を狂わせる後者。それぞれの卓越したサウンドメイクで昇華されたDJツールが出揃っており、いずれも現代ダンスフロアからの要請に真正面から応えてくれるはずだ。
本作はJulian Lindseyのバイオグラフィーの第1弾を飾るエヴァーグリーンなディープ・ハウス作品であると同時に、常にダンサーを見つめてきた Sound Of Vast から送り出された、信頼のおけるフロア・フレンドリーなEPでもある。
Peach Discs celebrates peak western-hemisphere summer with the perfectly-timed-and-titled "Soft Serve Summer" EP from I. JORDAN. We were delighted when they sent us these tunes, which represent a brighter, housier and more personal side to their sound than many have seen before. Inspired by their recent tour of Australia, the EP (named after the title track that got the ball rolling on the other side of the planet) bottles a loose, sun-kissed feeling across all five tracks that's keen to be unleashed at festivals, beaches and dancefloors worldwide.
Opener "Your Love" boots things off in style, sitting somewhere between Power House and French Touch as layers of oscillating synths, percolating drums and vocal chops take turns in the spotlight – but when all's said and done it's the bassline that gets the flowers, duh.
Things turn a little more introspective on "Little Tinker", as the titular bells sprinkled throughout summon up something…else? Whatever you think that is, the muscular bassline once again keeps us grounded, as washes of dreamy synths lap at the shore and everything is in its right place, before the urgent organ stabs and diva moans of "Soft Serve Summer" pull us straight back to the middle of the floor.
Sticky Plastik returns with its fourth album. Side A features two peak-time tech-house cuts by Romanian artist Mar.c., while Side B resonates with warm-up and after-hours deep house from South African producer Saunter.
A1 “Errand" is hypnotic and driving tech-house groove built around stripped-back percussion, rolling low-end pressure, and subtle tension. “Errand” delivers a raw late-night energy designed for peak-time dancefloors. A2 “Advised” refines a rhythmic journey with crisp drums, infectious grooves, and atmospheric textures. It balances deep minimal elements with dancefloor momentum, making it equally effective in intimate clubs and larger spaces. Side B opens with “Memories of Venice”, a dark and emotional composition enriched by an unfiltered acid bassline and deep tech-house aesthetics, the kind of track made for dimly lit and intimate environments. The closing track, “Plastik Dreams”, is a deep and airy composition, perfect for warm-up sessions or open-air settings surrounded by nature.
Revisiting Soul Of Hex's absolute banger of a release via Delusions of Grandeur, entitled Disco Permanente EP. This is an EP deeply rooted in the origins of house
music with a diversity, authenticity, and overall quality which makes for a true classic that will stand the test of time. Freshly pressed on Silver vinyl!
RITUAL is a poetic and political gesture by Antonio Marotta: a sonor resurrection where archaic meets electronics. Drawing on Campanian roots and European club culture, the album blends the trance of Ritual with the ecstasy of the dancefloor.
Seven beats and seven loops inspired by the Seven Madonnas of Campania, where the drum remains the visceral beat that connects the earthly to the divine.
An act of resistance that delivers new life to tradition.
The limited edition Vinyl LP contains a special insert with the visionary graphics conceived by Andrea Maddaloni, the lyrics of the 8 songs and Marotta's personal manifesto.
Grab your copy before it's too late.
Written & Created by: Antonio Marotta
Tammorra, Chitarra Battente, Chitarra Elettrica, Voci, Scetavajasse, Castagnette, Tromba degli Zingari & Live Looping by: Antonio Marotta
Lyrics Transcription & Dialect Revision by: Alessandra Ruggiero
Mixed & Mastered by: Antonio Marotta and Peter De Girolamo
Mask Artwork by: Atelier Antise
Photography: Let's Pic Studio
Art Direction & Design by: Andrea Maddaloni
Club Consulting by: Alfredo Maddaloni
Produced by: Antonio Marotta and Maledetta Discoteca
Executive Production by: Maledetta Discoteca
Brand new 7 track album of Ghetto house from Chitown's own DJ SLUGO. Fast paced, bangin' ghetto house with tracks like "BANG THAT HOE" sounding like TOO LIVE CREW if they were from Chicago and were heavily into 303 acid trax.
RAW SOUL returns with its twelfth release, welcoming Hamburg-based producer, multi-instrumentalist, and creative force FRAG MADDIN - also known as BERUS and FMN - to the catalogue.
Across four tracks, Maddin channels the energy of live improvisation straight into hardware, capturing each take in the moment before refining the best parts himself and passing them on to mastering engineer Matthias Heinstein for the final polish. The result is a tightly focused, floor-ready record: deep, cavernous basslines, raw drum programming, and a sound firmly rooted in the spirit of original Chicago house while remaining fully present in today's underground.
Since 2012, FRAG MADDIN has been active internationally, releasing on respected labels such as Kerri Chandler's Madhouse Records, DVS1's Mistress Recordings, Glasgow Underground, and Snatch! Records. As an artist, he moves fluidly between groove, experimentation, and cross-genre expression - something that also shines through in his projects BERUS and FMN.
A standout moment on the EP is "Excuse Me," on which Maddin provides his own vocals - unfiltered, direct, and perfectly placed in the mix.
One of Japan’s most world-renowned female keyboardists, Himiko Kikuchi released "Flying Beagle" in 1987, and this classic album now returns on vinyl. Having collaborated with artists such as Takuro Yoshida and Junko Ohashi, and performed as a member of prestigious bands like Nobuo Hara’s Sharps & Flats and Minoya Central Station, Kikuchi — along with guitarist Masatsugu Matsumoto — became a key figure in Japan’s live fusion scene. From the 1980s onward, she consistently released solo albums, including several recorded overseas, establishing herself as a legend in the crossover and fusion genres.
Featuring Kikuchi (piano, keyboards, synthesizer, organ), Matsumoto (guitar), Akira Okazawa (bass), Naoki Watanabe (bass), Katsuo Okamoto (drums), Yasushi Ichihara (drums), Yuichi Tokashiki (drums), Keiichi Ishibashi (bass), Yoshikazu Kishi (trumpet), Kenji Yoshida (trumpet, flugelhorn), Michio Kaguwada (trombone), Jake H. Concepcion (alto saxophone, flute), Hirofumi Kinjo (tenor saxophone, flute), Masamichi Takano (baritone saxophone), and Yoshinori Nomimi (percussion), the album assembles top-tier musicians — including members from Spectrum, AB’S, Yuji Ohno’s You & The Explosion Band, and Toshiyuki Miyama’s Inner Galaxy Orchestra.
A masterpiece of Japanese fusion, reissued as a 180g heavyweight, limited-edition analog pressing. Originally released on October 21, 1987.
More than sixty years after its original recording, a masterpiece that has captivated audiences around the world is reborn on an analog mono pressing with truly powerful sound.
Few drummers shine as brightly in the history of Japanese jazz as Hideo Shiraki, a musician renowned for his exceptional artistry and commanding presence. One of his defining achievements is In FIESTA, originally recorded in 1961. Leading the album is the extraordinary centerpiece "In FIESTA", a miraculous composition and performance that transforms traditional Japanese melodies into supremely cool modal jazz through distinctive arrangements featuring the koto. The excitement continues with the relentlessly thrilling "Just One Or Eight" and the breathtaking "Cherokee," highlighted by an explosive drum solo from Shiraki himself.
The album is further elevated by the outstanding performances of master musicians such as Hidehiko Matsumoto and Yuzuru Sera, whose inspired playing contributes greatly to its enduring appeal. More than six decades later, the music still sounds remarkably innovative, radiating the same sense of passion and excitement that made it so groundbreaking upon its release.
Now celebrated worldwide as a landmark recording, this timeless masterpiece returns on analog mono vinyl. Experience one of the true monuments of Japanese jazz history, presented with all the impact, depth, and immediacy of its powerful original sound.
Powerful, exhilarating, and refreshing. Whether exploring deep modal jazz or basking in the warmth of calypso-infused jazz, every note is delivered with uncompromising conviction. Here, the essence of Ryojiro Furusawa reaches its fullest expression.
From the 1970s through the 2010s, drummer Ryojiro Furusawa was an active force not only in jazz but across the broader Japanese music scene. His music, marked by unmatched individuality and overwhelming power, is free-spirited yet unwavering, rugged yet inviting, and endlessly captivating.
Among his many achievements, his masterpiece Racco stands as the most complete representation of his artistry. Every composition on the album is an original by Furusawa, yet each piece reveals a distinct musical character. One moment, he delivers a beautifully crafted ballad; the next, he unleashes a dynamic burst of funky jazz. Just as the listener settles into a deep modal jazz groove, he effortlessly shifts gears, wrapping the music in the gentle warmth of calypso rhythms.
The album is eclectic, but never unfocused. Its diverse musical elements are tied together by Furusawa's unwavering vision, with every idea pursued boldly and to the fullest. The result is a listening experience that feels consistently invigorating and rewarding.
Powerful, exhilarating, and refreshing. Few musicians, and few albums, embody such a joyful sense of freedom and vitality. Racco is where the artistry of Ryojiro Furusawa reaches its peak.
Recorded the year after "Spiritual Nature" (1975), one of the defining works by the great Japanese drummer and percussionist Masahiko Togashi. After becoming paralyzed from the waist down, Togashi developed his own unique playing technique and continued his musical career.
A landmark recording that captures Togashi at the height of his creative powers, "Guild for Human Music" has earned exceptionally high acclaim among collectors of Japanese jazz and spiritual jazz. Fifty years after its original release in November 1976, this classic album is now set to be reissued as the 12th installment of "Spin This Now!"
Released in 1971 by drummer George Otsuka, a leading figure in the Japanese jazz scene, "Sea Breeze" incorporates a wide range of styles, from waltzes and bluesy numbers to more pop-oriented sounds. The fiery performances by a quintet featuring some of the era's most exciting musicians, including Hideo Ichikawa, Takao Uematsu, and Shunzo Ohno, are not to be missed.
X-Coast unveils 9-track 2xLP The Riviera Collection on his label Riviera Records.
Hot on the heels from remixing instant dance hits such as Shygirl's '4eva' and DJ Gigola's 'La Batteria' and spotted in the studio with adored vocalists Eartheater and Miss Bashful, Serbian-born, NYC-based DJ/producer X-Coast returns with a collection of signature tracks that feel like the lost treasure chest of his dance island.
X-Coast is your favorite DJ's favorite producer, whose tracks you’ve undoubtedly danced to, whether on a massive festival stage or at an intimate, underground rave. Over the past decade, he has quietly but consistently shaped the pulse of dancefloors worldwide, with a distinctive style that traverses genres like house, techno, electro, drum and bass, and trance. This rare versatility has led X-Coast to release on the likes of Mall Grab’s Steel City Dance Discs, Diplo’s Higher Ground, Anetha’s Mama Told Ya and DJ Haus’s Unknown To The Unknown, to name a few.
What sets X-Coast apart is not just his ability to move fluidly between styles but the unique character embedded in every track. His productions have an undeniable warmth and authenticity, often evoking the raw, euphoric spirit of the 90s and 00s rave era. This nostalgic yet forward-thinking approach makes his music feel timeless, effortlessly blending old-school rave energy with modern production techniques. It's a quality that has made him a go-to for DJs across the board, whether they’re playing peak-time techno sets or deep, groovy house sessions.
On The Riviera Collection, released on his own label, Riviera Records, X-Coast opens the vault to reveal a diverse range of tracks that showcase his deep connection to multiple eras of electronic music. This collection reflects the breadth of his eclectic DJ sets, where various sounds and styles converge into a cohesive journey. Each track feels like a contemporary reimagining of a classic moment in dance music history.
From the early 2000s tribal influences layered with X-Coast’s signature chord work on ‘Neapolis,’ to the soaring, synthetic trance energy of ‘Desert Storm,’ and the infectious, camp vibe of the diva house ‘Hold Me Baby,’ the collection takes us on a nostalgic trip back to the origins of rave culture. It echoes a time when DJs crafted a journey through genres, playing everything from house to trance to techno in one seamless night.
The collection’s first hidden gems and long-awaited singles are “Da Boing Boing Trak” and "Put Your Hands Together". Both staples in his sets at iconic venues and festivals like Pitch Music & Arts, fabric, Circoloco, AVA Festival, Melt!, and Intercell, this track has been in high demand among fans, finally seeing its release. With The Riviera Collection, X-Coast continues to cement his status as a versatile producer capable of bridging the gap between past and present, while delivering music that moves crowds everywhere.
CEPX002 is around the corner and marks the second chapter of the X Series on CEP Records. With this release we welcome vinyl head Eubo from Glasgow to the label. From the first track he sent us it was clear that this is the direction we want to push. A strong old-school influence, shaped by vinyl culture and the energy of the early two thousands. The connection felt natural from the start.
A1 'Iron' is probably the most intense track on the record. A rolling bassline, sharp and slippy drums, and a lead that lays over the track with deep mids. It brings a short moment of calm, while the drive stays constant. A2 'Aluminium' stands out with its clear high hats and a modular synth that recalls sweaty and dark mornings. The sound has a slightly hypnotic and metallic touch. On the B side, 'Steel' moves through the interplay of its synths. The kick and bass stay steady and driving. A timeless track that can underline the peak moments in a DJ set. Closing the release is 'Lead'. It brings a funky bass together with serious, almost contrasting synth stabs.
Enter the debut LP of the now Spatial regular Chronicle - Expect a joyous, varied blend of old school brand new atmospherics from one of the scene’s most talented producers. A1 - 20th Century Man Straight into the beats for the deliciously cheery opening, 20th Century Man encapsulates so much of what Chronicle does best - old school breakbeat sensibilities delivered with an inimitable atmospheric charm, strongly reminiscent of that peak Good Looking era we all adored. Incredible synthwork and analogue drums layered with danceable 2-step breaks and melodies take your mind exactly where you want to be. A2 - Terraformers Seminal synths and birdsong effects prepare us for an impossibly crisp breakbeat and 808 bassline to drive this track along, coloured by a myriad of subtle blips and bleeps, delicately flecked across a detailed and optimistic soundscape. Very DJ-friendly from the first to the final bar, the purity of Chronicle’s approach to atmospheric drum & bass is once again at its best here on Spatial. B1 - Boundless Space Playful twittering birds, gentle hi-hats and panning synths introduce Boundless Space, a blissful, serene treat for the senses which soon kicks into flourishing life with the timeless Circles break. Vocal samples punctuate the soothing breakdown with exquisitely programmed effects dotted here, there and everywhere, completing a stunning composition that both reflects on the past and looks forward in equal measure. B2 - Ephemeral Style A light, delicately calming pad-laden intro with echoing melodies opens Ephemeral style, soon punctuated by a sublime 808 bassline preceding the drop. Chronicle showcases his dancefloor breakbeat prowess with an energetic 2-step break pattern, expertly programmed and riddled with detail and density, creating a wonderful collage of sound and a perfect addition to any era-spanning atmospheric set. C1 - Modular Expansion Eerily reminiscent tones harking back to the golden, ultra-classic Good Looking era introduce us to Modular Expansion, a track which quickly adds layer upon layer of original identity to the vibe with crisp breaks, a wonderful metallic backdrop snare and subtle vocal samples. The joyously retrospective breakdown complements the energy of the track beautifully, capping off another gem for the record box. C2 - Limbic System Chronicle introduces Limbic System with swathes of swirling pads and synths, straddled with a subtle yet enigmatic melody carrying us through the drop, where we are treated to a lusciously constructed old school break pattern with a modern twist. Enter the breakdown and the keen ear will spot sampled quotes from Total Recall, which fit the vibe perfectly. “You went to Recall?” - yes, we sure did. And we enjoyed the trip! D1 - Non-Euclidian Continuing the blissful retrospective atmospheric tone of the album, Chronicle serves up Non-Euclidian which opens with a wonderfully synthy intro flecked with old school break samples and an earworm melody, before the onslaught of layered breaks provides variety as well as a thoroughly danceable pattern to unleash on the discerning dancefloor. Trademark dotted effects punctuate the track throughout. D2 - Deep Thought Capping off the LP we have Deep Thought, setting a calming and quietly brooding vibe before impossibly crisp beats kick in and elevate proceedings nicely. Chronicle effortlessly leads the listener through the drop with an analogue punch, earthy basslines and fluttering effects with the kind of flair we’ve come to love from such a vastly experienced and talented producer - perfectly complementing the vibe here at Spatial. Words by Chris Hayes (Spatial / Red Mist)
A snapshot of UK tech house in its formative years, OLC002 finds Rob Pearson laying down the blueprint for a sound he’d continue to refine through Evasive Records. Released on Online Collective—the label arm of South London’s Online Studios—this EP captures a raw, forward-facing moment in underground dance music.
The title track Slipstream leads with intent: tight tech drums ride alongside a chopped breakbeat groove, underpinned by weighty sub bass and warped melodic textures. A fluid lead synth drives the track forward, locking into a hypnotic, evolving flow built for the dancefloor.
Vortex channels early Detroit techno through a South London lens—crisp edits, filtered drum machine rhythms, and a hypnotic vocal loop combine for a stripped, late-night roller with serious intent.
On Metaphor, Pearson taps into the spirit of early bleep and warehouse house, fusing it with late ‘90s tech house sensibilities—raw, swung, and deeply functional.
The Metaphor (Bonus Beats) rounds things off as a pure DJ tool, primed for layering and extended blends.
A sharp, authentic document of a pivotal era, Slipstream EP showcases Pearson’s early command of groove, texture, and dancefloor dynamics.
Riviera Records is a brand new label that kicks off with ‘Move’ - a statement of intent from founder X-Coast. Continuing to perform across the USA, Canada, Europe and Asia, X-Coast is an unconventional character and little is known about the mysterious Serbian other than the concept for the alias is that it exists “somewhere in the deep blue Caribbean Sea, between your imagination and what’s real.” Having released on labels like Hot Haus, Lost Palms and Steel City Dance Discs, X-Coast now launches Riviera Records with a promise to be an uncompromising clash of sounds” and the label stays true to that from the get-go.
There is no mucking about here as X-Coasts demonstrates his versatility as a producer with three varying mixes of ‘Move’ making up the bulk of the package. First up is the Trans Mix: an arms-in-the-air, throwback trance track with euphoric vocal stabs all primed to inject real energy into any set. House Mix then bounces and bumps with a refracted garage vox and endless old school dynamism, before the twisting and turning Breaks Mix follows with its thumping drums, hits and rattling dub sounds that all explode to life. Finally, ‘Naos’ totally flips the script with a slow, deep, cosmic workout build on a rugged bassline. A breathy voice, warm chords and balmy pads all wash over you like a Balearic breeze and take you to hedonistic dance floor somewhere in 80s Ibiza.
The Signum Recordings label celebrates its 30th-year anniversary with a limited edition 7" single of 200 copies on green vinyl. The title track, "Fire Them Liars", presents a powerful fusion of leftfield ambient electronics, urban beats, orchestral strings and guitarsounds. Vocals and lyrics are provided by label founder Maarten van der Vleuten. The Bside, titled "The Story Of Nuffsy Nuff", is exclusive to this 7" release. Musically quite unexpected with its postpunk/psychedelic rock-influenced sound, on which Maarten plays drums (and some sparse vocals). The release includes a hand-stamped inner sleeve with a download code and sleeve featuring the lyrics.
Baba Stiltz continues to showcase his songwriting capabilities with Relief.
Backed by Ilari Larjosto on drums, Relief sees Stiltz delving deeper into the slacker-country territory explored on his last album, Paid Testimony, though here the sound is more refifined and hi-fifi. The track hints at the indie apathy of decades past while maintaining a distinctly contemporary sensibility.
A dubby yet fractured-sounding bassline and sparse three- chord verse structure intertwine with Theo Stocks’ beautiful lap steel arrangement, while Larjosto’s steady, Moe Tucker- esque drumming keeps the song moving forward.
Lyrically, Stiltz navigates pop songwriting tropes with restraint and precision. The repeated refrain of “congratulations” feels both strung-out and melodic, while fragmented, Garielle Lutz- like imagery — “tick tock, wrist watch, clif bar, trunk car, its cargo” — quietly sets the scene. Somehow, the juxtaposition resolves elegantly.
When asked about the theme of the song, Stiltz simply responded: “There is relief in acceptance.”
With Relief, Stiltz offers another compelling glimpse into his evolving songwriting practice, and perhaps an indication of what is still to come. The release follows a prolifific start
to the year for Stiltz, including Blurb 2 with Okay Kaya, co- production, writing and mixing work on Ana Roxanne’s Poem 1, and co-production and mixing on the SY3 EP for Music From Memory.
The master of ambient soundscapes, intertwining authentic old school breakbeats with his inimitable style returns with a fresh album of choice cuts for the Spatial crew. A1 - Form of Defraction Opening the LP in his gloriously unique style, Aural Imbalance sets the tone with a powerfully ambient intro of padwork and delicately filtered breaks before dense, analogue old school breakbeats roar to life sending the track skyward. The sublime 808 bassline simmers beneath an ever-evolving soundscape of twinkling melodies and strings, the very essence of serenity captured in just under 7 minutes of audio bliss. A2 - Discreet Function Enveloping the listener with a warm blanket of silky ambience, Discreet Function soon jolts to life with a crunchy breakbeat that counteracts yet compliments the pads and myriad of delicious micro melodies so well, you wonder how it’s possible to take such extremes and mix them down so expertly that our ears accept it as one. After a relatively brief breakdown the track rolls out before the breaks are snatched away at the death - capping off a quite unique composition. B1 - Softlight Light cymbals and delicate textures introduce us to Softlight, a track which sees Aural Imbalance guiding the listener through the clouds to a haven of gentle serenity where your troubles simply fade away, punctuated by a stunningly programmed and memorable Hot Pants break pattern, timid classic basslines and an overall plethora of sun-baked energy - perfect for the headphones and the record box - as always. B2 - Airwave Immensely old school vibes are immediately present in Airwave, with analogue breaks and succinct female vocal samples that mingle with echoing melodies and synthwork to create a beautifully flowing and unique slice of atmospheric gold. Additional breaks are fused into the mix as the track progresses, elevating the piece to the heights we have come to expect from Aural Imbalance, yet never cease to amaze. C1 - Speed of Light Gentle cymbals and filtered breaks open Speed of Light, before a crisp barrage of amen goodness descends and dominates proceedings - just as a good amen should! Programmed to perfection with an immensely danceable rolling pattern, the amens lead us through a sea of washing synths and delicate melodies, intertwining and frolicking in the mix, completing a charming and memorable piece. C2 - Fading Star Playful strings and a luscious 808 bassline play with sumptuous padwork in the intro to Fading Star, a track which sees Aural Imbalance capture the essence of 90’s jungle and it’s symbiotic relationship with atmospheric drum & bass perfectly. Developing throughout with an array of unassuming effects and a quietly moving vibe, Fading Star is the perfect addition to sets spanning the entire history of this music. D1 - Drifting Under Bright Skies Aural Imbalance resurrects the excellent break last featured on Spatial in his sublime track Surface Area, this time chopped and sliced to a different vibe, with kickdrums at the forefront and that fantastically crunchy snare deployed more sparingly. Shimmering padwork and light melodies dance across the mix throughout to leave us with a refreshingly unique and memorable track you won’t be able to get enough of. D2 - Violet Completing this fine LP of old school ambient breakbeat mastery, Aural Imbalance deploys Violet to see us out - a climactic-feeling romp that opens with quiet intent before launching the listener through cheery melodic tones and bustling soundscapes, sprinkled liberally with airy pads and fluttering micro melodies that zip and whoosh around thick analogue breakbeats. A fitting end to a thoroughly enjoyable album. Words by Chris Hayes (Spatial / Red Mist) credits
Based out of Brighton, UK, Murmurations have been steadily carving their path as an essential label for distinctive dancefloor moods. The fourth record on the imprint is the launch of a new series titled 'Flock', focusing on bringing different artists together who share similar visions and tastes. Volume one features Evasive frontman Rob Pearson with Paul Donton and label founder Leo Christopher on the A-side. On the flip, you have rising Manchester talent Huw Shipps and Bubble resident The Adventures Of Dogman. This amalgamation of producers has materialised into a record that focuses on nostalgic tech house textures, infused with modern elements and deep, dub tones.
First up is Rob Pearson & Paul Donton's excursion, 'Ideas Abstract'. Slinky drums pave the way, as pensive vocals circulate around the distinct and perky drive of the track. The aptly named 'Underground' from Murmurations boss Leo Christopher teases a more mysterious energy, with pulsating bass in combination with tight drum arrangements. The emerging producer Huw Shipps kicks off the B-side with a playful outing; quirky elements splash in and out throughout the track. Finishing off the release is dancefloor heater 'Cruising Around On A Pair Of Naughty Pennies', chunky and driven as it moves, ready to do the damage, keeping the club locked in.
The Murmurations curation thus far has seen each release shine bright, with timeless music for the club, no-nonsense, heads-down action, and long may that continue.
Logout Record Shop Firenze is happy to present its first official release: LGT 001, signed by Novosti Kulturi. Known for his raw blend of electro, raw synth and underground industrial textures, Novosti Kulturi has been active within the darker electronic circuit through the Waveform community — a cult underground platform and party series connecting artists and dancefloors across Europe and beyond. Alongside connected to legendary German coldwave label Kernkrach, Berlin-based cassette label Detriti Records and London’s Meta Moto. Widely associated with contemporary electro, dark disco, techno and EBM-oriented dancefloors, Novosti Kulturi continues to shape a personal sonic language balancing cold machine-driven rhythms with saturated synth pressure, cinematic atmospheres, tape saturation and distorted nocturnal nostalgia. Built around classic TR drum machines, VCO and DCO synthesizers, 12-bit sampling and tape recordings, Novosti Kulturi operates like a transmission from an unidentified place — where past and future dissolve into raw sonic waves and frequency distortions.
This debut EP delivers five tracks moving across sharp electro rhythms, stripped techno structures and darker EBM-infused territories. Cold machine grooves, industrial tension and late-night melancholia define the release, balancing dancefloor functionality with a distinctly cinematic approach. Influences from electro-industrial, new beat and dark synth-driven club music emerge throughout the record’s sonic palette. With LGT 001, Logout Record Shop introduces a vision centered on artistic identity and storytelling, embracing a broad sonic spectrum rather than a fixed aesthetic direction. The label’s first release reflects this approach through Novosti Kulturi’s personal language — crossing styles, moods and textures while keeping a strong connection to modern underground dancefloors.
Eric Cloutier's career has always been defined by a certain kind of relentless, monastic discipline. With My Friend The Abyss (PALINOIALP01), Cloutier continues to bridge the gap between the selector and the creator. The album title itself suggests a reckoning with the internal-a realization that time is the only distance between an artist and their masterpiece-resulting in a body of work that feels less like a collection of tracks and more like a hard-won transmission from the deep.
Forged in a crucible of stress, chaos, and loss, the LP eschews the easy loops of his earlier output for a far more complex architecture. While Cloutier's signature hypnotic pulse remains the bedrock, the record expands into a startlingly broad lexicon: the dub-wise weight of "Havittaa" and the tribal intensity of "Desassossego" sit alongside moments of fragile ambient beauty. Perhaps most surprising is the inclusion of "Ligrothism," where Cloutier explores the broken rhythms of drum and bass, proving that his obsession with "Palinoia"-the Greek term for perfecting an act through obsessive repetition-has led him to a place of total creative fluidity. This isn't just club music; it's a masterclass in atmospheric tension.
Adeen Records is next to give weight to the rising profile of Paolo Aniello aka New Digital Fidelity, an accomplished house producer who heads up his own Scopic label which this release is in collaboration with. Raised in Bari and now based in London, Aniello shows this love of Midwestern classics with a release that is slow burning and soulful rather than extroverted in its grooves. The A-side cruiser '4 Hours Away From Southside' sets a smooth tone with gentle chords awakening your soul then '9 Hours Landing' has a jumbled percussive element and heavy, almost beatdown kicks. 'Lake Shore Drive' glides into candlelit late-night territory with dusty drums and frayed analogue edges that get reworked by Ge-Ology into something more busy and futuristic.
Jhobei has been on a constant ascent in the last couple of years, and he's worked with some of the most credible labels in the game in that time, from Fuse to Picnic to Semi Delicious. Now he steps up to Burnski's Pilot with four absolute nuggets. 'Pulse Reflex' is amped right up and ready to go - tightly circling synths, buoyant beats, garage shuffle and slick fills that all demand you bust out some moves. 'Believe' dials things back into a more heady, deeper dub tech vibe and 'Cannei Getcha (To Feel)' brings crispy electronic synths and pensive pads to a future groove before 'Synthetic Symphony' closes with buffed neon pads and smooth progressive chords that ride clean, meticulous drums.
Bassmæssage is the oldest and most consistent bass night in Leipzig Germoany, pushing local soundsystem culture and grass roots artivism. We are about to welcome a fresh release "for all who like it low and want it vibrant"!
After two installments of bass-heavy multi-genre various-BPM grooves on Volume One in 2015 and on Second Drop in 2023 here comes the full triplet in this line of bass music vinyl compilations featuring acts who have been mÊssaging our nights. This time on Threenity, one side side is running garagewise 130, flipped by a more dubsteppish 140 area, all drowning in dark sinister midranges, mindful drum programmings and heavy-weight lows for huge speakers, to be released around 9th May 2026 on a 2 floor DIY soundsystem night in Connewitz!
Opening with genre wizzard LUI from Leipzig, showing how dirty and fonkey a garage bit can actually go. Bricks of beats on a fundament of nasty bass concrete, roofed by a vast selection of uplifting samples are vibing for sure.
Trainsient is the deep bass moniker of Leipzig's Plastiks running DDNBC, delivering a heavy tribal statement of a lost place of a deep grime, overgrown with flutey leaves and dreamy synth lianes hiding da moddership.
Psionide from Dresden with estonian roots is celebrating a vinyl debut with a slow-jungle dream-breaks bit between retro and future, braindance and dance, listening and bassline coaster.
Son du Maquis outa Toulouse sneaks in low in a classic dubstep manner, only to drop the lowest wobble possible right throughout the ride.
Miles Won transmitting from Plugwhiz, nails headnodding with his beat writing skills. Where bass meets hip hop, the grass has never been greener.
Finally, veteran like Dub Across Borders cabling from Copenhagen is delivering the contemplating outro: a melancholic 140 halftime not only to send you home but right into the night sky.
These six peaces are found on a heavy cut vinyl, ready to shake your system. As bonus there is another papercraft Basstelbogen cover, which lets you build your own BM logo and a 1:3 ratio record player on top. Mach's mit, mach's nach, mach's b‰sser!
Egyptian-born, Barcelona-based Raxon makes his Lone Romantic debut with a two-tracker that sees him step decisively into breakbeat territory.
A DJ for over 20 years, Raxon's journey through sound took him from the late 90s rock, hip-hop and trance of his early teens through to the Barcelona scene where he began releasing music with some of the most respected labels in dance music — Kompakt, Ellum, Cocoon and Turbo Recordings among them.
Heads will move on 'Vision Mission' - low-slung and deliberate with gated breaks cut sharp into a two-step swing that carries a distinctly UK sensibility, and underpinned by a gritty, warping bassline and a twisted vocal coiling through like a live wire.
'Wrong Song' shifts the weight forward into physical, modern drum and bass terrain. A deep and relentless, undulating bassline drives the momentum while mechanical stabs and a grinding mid-range give the track its industrial edge.
,Mount Zero", das Debütalbum von Swapmeet, ist ein mitreißender, gitarrenlastiger Road Trip, der an den Slowcore und Alternative Rock der 90er und frühen 2000er Jahre erinnert und diesen Stil neu belebt. Es markiert den Moment, in dem das australische Quartett zu seiner eigenen Identität findet. Nach ihrer verträumten Debüt-EP ,Oxalis" aus dem Jahr 2024 erscheint ,Mount Zero" kurz nach der Unterzeichnung des Bandvertrags beim in LA ansässigen Label Winspear, nachdem sie in ganz Australien für Aufsehen gesorgt hatten, bei den South Australian Music Awards Auszeichnungen für die beste Veröffentlichung und den besten Song (,Ceiling Fan") mit nach Hause nahmen und bei SXSW Sydney den Titel ,Bester Newcomer" erhielten. ,Mount Zero" verbindet luftige Sanftheit mit schrägem Surrealismus und verwandelt so viele der Bedauern und Unsicherheiten des jungen Erwachsenenalters in ein aufkeimendes, neu gewonnenes Selbstvertrauen. Obwohl die Mitglieder von Swapmeet ihre Songs oft zunächst einzeln schreiben, drehten sich die Titel auf ,Mount Zero" letztendlich um gemeinsame Themen: erste Lieben, erste Liebeskummer, erste Peinlichkeiten, erste Katastrophen. Wie schon seit ihren Anfängen als Band tauschten Swapmeet auch bei ,Mount Zero" die Instrumente untereinander aus und teilten sich die Produktionsaufgaben als Quartett. Sie entwickelten ihren Sound, indem sie Dutzende (manchmal Hunderte) von Spuren in jedem Song übereinanderlegten und dann sorgfältig Elemente entfernten, bis die Produktion eine klare Form annahm. Das Ergebnis ist ein Album, auf dem Swapmeet die zähneknirschende Intensität einfangen, die man empfindet, wenn man sich unter dem unerbittlichen Druck der Realität auf zellulärer Ebene verändert. Es ist eine Hommage an all die Leben, die niemals gelebt werden können, an all die Wege, die niemals beschritten werden - und zugleich eine Ode an das Leben, das direkt vor uns liegt.
Following a nine-year hiatus, Willie Burns' WT Records imprint is back in business. To kick off a new era, the New York producer has chosen to reissue sometime L.I.E.S man Entro Senestre's hard-to-find 2016 EP 'ES'. It remains one of the producer's greatest moments. For proof, check deep, emotive opener 'Rosegold', where cascading pianos and melancholic chords ride tough house drums and a moody bassline, and the techno-tempo deep acid shuffler 'DOHC'. 'TriState' sees him go deeper still on a hybrid ambient/deep breaks flex, while 'Sb Dauntless' fixes similar ambient sonics to an experimental, oddly swung, lightly UKG-influenced beat.
Constantly pushing his studio craft into unexplored realms, Pugilist returns to Samurai with a fresh clutch of innovative hybridised meditations transmitting from upper tempos. The versatility in Alex Dickson's approach is proven by the broad spectrum of labels he releases on — as comfortable shelling down for Shall Not Fade as he is tearing out on Rupture London. As the Melbourne / Naarm-based producer opens up the Triads EP with 'Rune', he hones in on a dynamic fusion of insistent technoid propulsion and brooding bass snarls with a mysterious portent. 'Pyre' swiftly turns up the percussive intensity with bludgeoning kicks and whipcrack snares that evoke classic electronica as much as D&B. For all the sharp attack of the drums, though, Dickson manages his ingredients with ruthless restraint, creating a fierce kind of meditation in the process. 'Woven' allows a rich variety of snaking synth lines to take centre stage as we tunnel into the second half of the EP, relishing the space for dynamic modulation and slowly evolving, cinematic pads that offer a glacial foil to the twitchy pace of the snappier elements in the mix. 'Machiavellian' plays the consummate closer in its lead in, playing a patient game in ritualistic drums before the herald of rave tropes rear up in some pronounced, choppy snare science. Yet again, Dickson opts for a softer approach where you might be expecting an explosive drop, allowing the skittering drums to roll on until they become a mesmerising texture in the track. In the end, it's an expert flourish demonstrating the energetic possibilities that lie in the spaces beyond more obvious peaks and troughs. Across four brilliantly original, highly advanced rollers, Pugilist nails the balance between subtlety and impact and proves himself a worthy advocate for the path less travelled.
We are delighted to present to you a very special release. Gregor's anthemic „Quiet Distortion“, the titletrack of his album back in 2016, received a very special peaktime remix treatment by Bart Skils. Gregor and Bart have been friends for a long time, so it was a no-brainer to be excited, when Bart told us he is working on a remix. Barts meteoric rise in recent years, kicked off by his fantastic productions and his pivotal role in the Drumcode artist roster, are only the next step in his constant career and the reward for his hard work as he continues to deliver remarkable work as a producer and DJ as well. His version of Quiet Distortion highlights Gregor's songwriting qualities by featuring the original melodies and pushing them to new levels by adding Barts irresistible trademark drumming and also a dramatic arrangement, guaranteed to set every dancefloor on fire!
Joves, the alias of Joseph Tagliabue, arrives on space•lab with Escape — a beautifully constructed four-track journey through deep techno, minimalism and acid.
Escape (Into The Forest Mix) sets the tone with brooding atmospheres, hypnotic rhythms and intricate textures, unfolding into a deeply immersive opener. Morphosis strips things back into leaner territory — a rolling minimal groove built around subtle movement, tension and alien electronics.
On the flip, Escape (Acid Space Mix) pushes forward with driving energy, fusing resonant acid lines with propulsive drums and clinical sound design for a powerful late-night workout. Closing track Aurora Lunare brings the EP to an emotional finish, combining melodic flourishes and euphoric harmonics.
40 years after Dave curated the 'Garage Sound of Deepest New York' series featuring the cream of the crop of American US Garage, the series ran for 4 instalments. Dave re-ignites the torch to bear once more and champion the sound more locally, the leafy area of Crouch End, London, to be precise. This four tracker is a testament to the knowledge and expertise Dave Lee has with this particular soulful sound & genre. First up is 'Everybody Needs Somebody' with its powerhouse gospel vocal performance from Rance backed up with swathing chords, piano & organ work by Matt Cooper and Dave's swinging heavy drums. 'Every Second Every Minute Every Hour' is next from Dave Under, his new Hillman Avenger alias, who takes things in a more jazz funk direction, with masterful piano & brass work and scorching synth solo as the cherry on top. 'Our Love' is an updated rework of a vintage Republic Records track featuring the dynamic vocals of AJ Lewis. Bouncy house drums backbone the syncopated chord stabs before a gear change around the halfway mark signals a big heads down, hands up moment. Before the famous clock tower of Crouch End strikes 12, we have time for one more cut by the name of 'No Excuses' featuring the legend that is Lifford, who does what he does best, soulful yet mighty vocals. This is a peak time, feel-good slab of the Garage house that would have maybe made it onto one of Dave's original comps back in the day.
