It's rare to come across a debut album that delights and surprises in equal measure, but that's exactly what you can expect from Human Call, the first full-length excursion from daydreaming dancefloor fusionists Earthboogie.The East London-based duo of Izak Gray and Nicola Robinson has previous form when it comes to creating beautiful, funk-fuelled fusions of soundsystem-ready rhythms, humid instrumentation and intergalactic audio explorations. To date, they've released a pair of fine EPs on Leng, both of which did a splendid job in showcasing their unique musical vision.Even so, this vision has never been clearer than it is on Human Call, a vibrant eight-track missive that fixes the sticky tropical cheeriness of African and South American dance music - be it Afro-disco, Afro-funk or samba - with a wide range of complimentary sounds, styles and influences, from spacey analogue electronics, sun-kissed Balearica and hazy West Coast jazz-rock, to chunky dub disco, snappy retro-futurist house and bouncy, dub-fuelled club workouts.Throughout, Gray and Robinson showcase an impressive level of musicianship, variously combining crunchy drum machine hits and dusty old synthesizers with razor-sharp electric and acoustic guitars, rich bass, cascading saxophone solos and hazy, life-affirming vocal harmonies.The result is a string of memorable highlights, from the sticky tropical-house-meets-dub disco futurism of 'Human Call' and fuzzy disco-funk righteousness of opener 'Overground', to the post-punk disco jauntiness of 'Stargazing' and samba-infused dancefloor bliss of Nina Miranda collaboration 'Silken Moon'. Cheery, absorbing, imaginative and hugely entertaining, Human Call offers a perfect snapshot of Earthboogie's distinctive musical world.
Suche:drum club
The "Perfect Illusion EP" opens up with "Never Can get Away", a steamy & dreamy cut that sucks you right in to it's lair of thick pads and trancy sequences, which are contrasted by a carefully programmed synth bassline and a stomping house beat.
Next the title track immediately evokes early Chicago warehouse jam feelings, with bass sequence, detuned chords and classic drum patterns all oozing of old analogue Roland machines.
"Running Number" starts as a no-nonsense house track, yet it transcends into 80s territory with the help of a deeply emotional chord progression that might just make you forget you're in a club.
Berlin Duo Longhair give "Running Number" the Luv-Remix treatment, really digging deep into that chord progression and building a melody and synth-bell infused Italo-house track around it that should make this year's festival crowd weep and rejoice alike.
DJ, producer and Rex Club resident Molly presents the third EP for her RDV Music imprint, drawing on talent from across her native France, featuring fellow Parisian Aleqs Notal (Clek Clek Boom, Sistrum) and 1977, as featured on Syncrophone's For Those Who Know imprint. While each side and artist offer their own distinctive flavour, percussive, classy late-night house music is the main course; ideal for late nights under dim red lights.Aleqs Notal pays tribute to the timeless appeal of spinning analogue wax throughout opening track, 'Sweet Rotation'; a simple hymn to the essence of house music, bubbling gently on bright keys and woozy basslines. 'Hands On' follows, offering a more nocturnal angle on this enduring aesthetic, reducing the energy but enhancing the atmosphere even further, both on-record and across any packed dancefloor.The more Southern sensibility of 1977 brings drumwork to the fore, weaving an exotic, patient tapestry of bubbling, alluring synths and analogue feedback across two confident, percussive jams. While 'Vodoom' indulges in tension and intrigue, EP closer 'Jdlf' is pure, unwinding pleasure, across which each of 1977's influences and instruments are offered freedom to breathe and evolve.With this installment of emminently classy and supremely confident house, RDV Music continues to prove itself as one of the most worthy musical institutions on the contemporary Parisian scene.
Limited edition of 300 copies. Comes with printed sleeve and black innersleeve.
Stepart presents "The Curve": a dark and intense EP which blends influences of UK Bass Music with the assertive sounds of Techno. The Parisian producer demonstrates his skill and versatility, as this EP takes a sharp turn away from his previous style of music production. Featuring his signature combination of lugubrious bass and unpredictable drums, Stepart reveals a late night sound palette which places his music at the heart of the club.
It's a pleasure to get behind your friends from around world, in fact that's the motive behind the breadth of the ESP Institute catalogue, but its truly a special feeling to represent your friends and your neighborhood at the same time. Producers Sonns (Alexandre Mouracade) and the mysterious Venice Beach native Tavish Graham are both long time friends of the ESP Institute family, we break bread, we take care of each other, and we cherish our collaborations more than anything, but we're also neighbors. That said, ESP is proud to announce a homegrown endeavor, the debut of Sonns & Tavish. The two have long been stewards of the Los Angeles underground, but after loads of early morning banter and the camaraderie that comes with this smoke'n'strobe life, they've now committed their singular vision to print—two epic cuts that make us proud. Side A's title track Trycksaker is a thumper, a mid-tempo big-drum-laden beast that chugs the whole way through carrying an array of eerie bleeps and fleeting sighs. Side B's Roguish Days pulls together influences from various corners of the pair's DJ repertoire, gelling a wicked breakbeat with a wormy acid bassline and even more exotic sighs, something that might possibly grow into a signature of sorts. This release is ready just in time for the Spring/Summer exploits, and we couldn't be more proud to finally enjoy hearing these heavy-hitters in the club. Tip!
The next instalment in the My Rules catalog sees label owner Justin Van Der Volgen take on Japanese house legend Yukihiro Fukutomi aka Foog's techy club jam 'Flying'.
Originally available as a digital-only release, it's twisted into two exclusive new versions.
On the A-side edit, Justin travels down the less walked path of splicing and shortens the track, which along with his subtle drum additions tastefully amplify and sharpen the feeling of tension and release.
The B-side dub is a heavy bass and drum mix complete with flanged hissing hi-hats, alien claps and cavernous echoes.
- A1: Love Me Do (Single Version, With Ringo Starr, 4Sep62)
- A2: How Do You Do It (4Sep62)
- A3: Please Please Me (Without Harmonica, 11Sep62)
- A4: Love Me Do (With Andy White, 11Sep62)
- A5: Ps I Love You (Single Version, Nov62)
- A6: Ask Me Why (Nov62)
- A7: Please Please Me (Nov62)
- A8: I Saw Her Standing There (Hamburg, 31Dec62)
- A9: Lend Me Your Comb (Hamburg, 31Dec62)
- B1: That\'Ll Be The Day (With John Lowe & Colin Hanton, Liverpool, 1958)
- B2: In Spite Of All The Danger (With John Lowe & Colin Hanton, Liverpool, 1958)
- B3: Cayenne (With Stuart Sutcliffe, Liverpool, Jun60)
- B4: Ain\'T She Sweet (Hamburg, 22Jun61)
- B5: The One After 909 (Liverpool, 1962)
- B6: I Saw Her Standing There (Liverpool, 1962)
- B7: Catswalk (Liverpool, 1962)
- B8: Besame Mucho (With Pete Best, 6Jun62)
- B9: Love Me Do (With Pete Best, 6Jun62)
18 tracks of rare early Beatles material, including In Spite Of All The Danger' (the only song ever co-written by Paul McCartney & George Harrison) recorded in Liverpool in 1958 when the Beatles (along with John Lowe on piano & Colin Hanton on drums) were still known as the Quarrymen, a 1960 home recording of McCartney's Cayenne' (with Stuart Sutcliffe), Ain't She Sweet' recorded in Hamburg in 1961, Besame Mucho' featuring Pete Best on drums, The One After 909', and I Saw Her Standing There' recorded live at the Cavern Club in 1962, and much, much more!!
* To celebrate 15 years of the Intrigue club night, Ben Soundscape's Intrigue Music label will release 'Intrigue 15'. The album is a truly versatile selection covering a wide spectrum of deep drum & bass. It contains 15 exclusive tracks and from the likes of Calibre, Break, Randall, Random Movement, Ill Truth, Ben Soundscape, RoyGreen & Protone, Joakuim, Raw Q and more. It follows the previous four in the series, which began at the start of 2014. It has received huge support from across the scene including plays by ReneLaVice on BBC Radio 1, DJ Marky, Fabio, LTJ Bukem and more.
Haiku's Raw Waxes label is delighted to welcome the famously unconventional Stanislav Tolkachev with a new track EP of experimental techno and IDM sounds. Entitled Champions' Breakfast and with brilliant artwork from German Benedikt Rugar, the releases features six cuts, one of which is a previously digital-only track landing here on vinyl for the very first time.
Haiku has long been a fan of Ukrainian Tolkachev having previously collaborated on a remix for the label, while Tolkachev has also released on Haiku's other label Inkblots. This new EP is one that not only shows off the label's willingness to take risks and put out diverse and interesting electronic music, but also one that proves Tolkachev is a truly unique artist with his own musical voice. He has been that way for more than a decade now, and has put out three long players as well as countless EPs that get heavy support from the tastemakers of the day. This latest offering contains his take on the essentialness of groove, enriched by his use of atonality, dissonance and acid-not-acid textures, all in a minimal style.
The deep 'Shady' kicks things off with spangled synth lines and eerie pads off in the distance. It's a lonely and insular piece with kinked rhythms that keep you locked. The excellent 'The Main Thing Is To Survive' is then less constrained, with kicks that rock back and forth as off kilter synth lines warp and wrap around each other in mind melting and tripped out fashion. Switching up the mood with ease, 'Fuck This Guy' is a dark and musty passage of humid ambient techno with static electricity buzzing about over smeared pads that are filled with menace, then the curious 'Hair In My Mouth' is about blurting, busted frequencies, loose and scattered drums and glassy melodies. It's a mangled and mashed up track that sounds like little else. 'Negative Space' is horror soundtrack techno with urgent, driving drums and nervy sound design that keeps you on edge, and closer 'Self Destruction' is built on broken, bristling beats. A rhythm slowly emerges from the haze and it is one that is physical and restless and sure to make a big impact in the club.
This is a varied and vital EP that oozes essential electronic invention.
Dapayk Solo, Berlin based producer and veteran of the minimal techno scene, announces the release of his 10th studio album 'The Calling'. This latest project will be the producer's first solo album since
2015. The 8-track double 12inch LP will be available via Dapayk Solo's label Mo's Ferry Productions and comes with a free download voucher for the extended 12-track digital album.
The first track on this LP 'The Calling' shares its name with the album and starts off with a pang of energetic, chopped beats before exploding into a brassy melody, continuously gaining momentum.
'Blackout' immediately announces itself as a next generation Detroit House anthem. The rolling synths, hi hats, and vocals make this one of the most outstanding tracks on the album. 'Aurora' stays true to its name with a buildup composed of throbbing ethereal synths that give the track an otherworldly vibe. 'Flood' transports listeners to the dancefloor with its pulsating bassline combined with Komplement's quaint vocals.
The second part of the album begins with 'After All', one of the most enticing tracks on the album. It combines the groovy rhythm of four to the floor percussion with tantalizing vocals by VARS before New Release Information 'Low Tinnitus' reverts to Dapayk's signature minimalist sound. The transition into 'Wanderer' continues the momentum built up by the previous tracks. The closing 'Walk With Me' is a deep-house jam that features a rhythmic shaker layered under Mental Bend's powerful vocals.
Dapayk Solo, alias Niklas Worgt, isn't afraid to try new things. With 5 aliases under his belt, he continuously strives to experiment with different styles and production techniques to create innovative sounds. Throughout the span of two decades he went from producing drum'n'bass to house to ultimately crafting the groovy, edgy techno sound that he's now known for.
With more than ten LP releases and over 70 single releases on his record, he is one of the main protagonists in the world of underground electronic music. In 2017, he released an LP titled 'Harbour' with his wife Eva Padberg under one of his many projects, Dapayk & Padberg. While that album aimed to steer away from traditional club beats, 'The Calling' sees Dapayk reassume his deep, dark, and infectious sound. While Dapayk is often categorized as a minimal producer, the LP proves that he is capable of extending beyond the scope of a single genre. 'The Calling' is just another example of why Dapayk has managed to stay in the scene for so long: he loves electronic music and he's great at
making it, too.
- A1: Tizita (10:00)
- A2: Addis Nat (04:34)
- A3: Gum Gum (06:47)
- B1: Anchihoye Lene (07:06)
- B2: Lala Belu (04:42)
- B3: Yefikir Engurguro (06:15)
First new LP in over 15 years. Builds on 3 successful ATFA reissues of Mergia's music. Legendary artist still active after decades of historic work. Modern Ethiopian jazz built on ancient scales and standards. Capping several successful years traveling the world performing to audiences big and small, Hailu Mergia's Lala Belu has been a long time coming. It builds on Mergia's remarkable career resurgence over the past few years. Beginning in 2013 with the reissue of his dreamy Hailu Mergia and His Classical Instrument followed by the enormous success of his seminal Ethio-jazz masterpiece Tche Belew and continuing with last year's widely acclaimed Wede Harer Guzo, Mergia has received considerable accolades from listeners and press globally, including The New York Times, Pitchfork and The Wire. His old recordings are cherished revelations for Ethiopian music fans; however, Mergia's return to the stage has been just as inspiring and electrifying. Mergia's vintage recordings are known for an inherently mysterious and worn-in quality, while his new recordings echo his band's 21st century live show with modern instrumental interpretations of crucial Ethiopian standards and Mergia's own original compositions. Tony Buck (drums) and Mike Majkowski (bass), who have backed Mergia on tour throughout Europe and Australia, form the bass-drums trio on the recording. Having played venues from Radio City Music Hall and the Kennedy Center to jazz festivals, rock clubs and DIY spaces all over North America, Europe and Australia, Mergia and Awesome Tapes From Africa want to document this moment in his landmark career with a snapshot of Mergia's current sound. Since he emigrated from Ethiopia and built a life in Washington, D.C. around 1981—where he remains working as an airport taxi driver when he is not on tour—Mergia's career has followed a humble trajectory. He made a few recordings in America but they didn't easily reach fans back home. He kept making music on his own and with friends but after the early 80's his gigs in the U.S. mostly dried up. It wasn't until he began working with Awesome Tapes From Africa and putting together bands with the help of booking agents and musicians in Europe and the U.S., that he was able to chart a new path. With a broad audience of young listeners in diverse venues and distant locales, at age 71, Mergia is enjoying his comeback and is not slowing down.
On 30thMarch, Wah Wah 45s will release ORANGE WHIP, the new album by their latest signing, Honeyfeet. The outfit, who have received praise from the likes of The Guardian, have also set festivals alight up and down the country with their unique melange of sounds.
For the last couple of years the Honeyfeet (who name from a line in the Blues Brothers film) have been a conduit for the ideas and expressions of an exotic mixture of Manchester based musicians. This genre-defying band incorporate styles including jazz, folk and hip hop into their music. Someone once called it Folk-Hop and Barrelhouse-pop, and that's just vague enough to make sense.
The band are fronted by Ríoghnach Connolly - also known for her work with Real World artists Afro Celt Sound System and The Breath - "a remarkable singer and flautist who...can ease from Irish traditional influences to soul" (The Guardian). The line up is completed by Rik Warren (vocals/harmonica), Gus Fairbairn (tenor sax), Biff Roxby (trombone/vocals), Ellis Davies (guitar), Lorien Edwards (bass guitar), John Ellis (keyboards) and David Schlechtriemen (drums).
ORANGE WHIP finds the band at their most incredibly diverse. Opening with recent single Sinner (received radio play from the likes of 6 Music and BBC Manchester), which showcases Ríoghnach's extraordinary agile and emotive voice, the album moves with dizzying swagger on songs covering a wide range of subjects. Quickball tells the story of being so infatuated with someone you want to eat them, while Whatever You Do addresses the fear-mongering of the press over folk-hop and oom-pah, and Demons deals with love and redemption on a blast of harmonica-driven country, sung by Rik Warren.
Rik also takes lead vocal on a re-working of Robert Johnson's Love in Vain, a song showing Honeyfeet's more reflective side, his Skip James-esque drawl bringing an eerie quality to the lyrics about a doomed relationship. The band reshape the progression too, swinging the tune slowly and creating a little underground blues club in the midst of the recording.
Elsewhere the band go all New Orleanian on Colonel Hathi's Trunk Juice, a sinister tale inspired by trombonist Biff Roxby's horn riff recalling one of the elephants of The Jungle Book. Further showcasing their virtuosity, on one of the album's best moments - especially the nuanced vocal performance by Ríoghnach, who was raised on Irish folk - on Hunt and Gather the band do their own take on prog-folk, with a flute and cello melody running alongside a brass counterpoint.
Ríoghnach turns in another incredible vocal on the album's final track - future single Meet Me On The Corner. With a pounding beat, it is one of the album's main highlights. Guitar and brass propels Ríoghnach to sing lyrics that could be straight out of the playground, but suggest something deeper, possibly mystical even, in it's demands for a dalliance on the street. It closes the album on a high note, for a band who have that rare ability to distil all their disparate influences, while always sounding like their unique selves.
ORANGE WHIP heralds the sound of a remarkable band going overground.
Solar Phenomena keeps up a busy schedule with the third EP of 2018. This one comes from cult UK artist Duckett who's past collaborations include Tom Demac, Grimes Adhesif and Leif. Recently he has served up solo EPs for labels like Galdoors, UntilMyHeartStops and Wisdom Teeth. Mixing up elements of IDM, techno and ambient, he is a sculptor of timeless tracks that come from another world.
'Could I Pulverise A Leg' opens up the EP with trippy synths falling down the face of the track, with minimal drums and corrugated bass racing below. It's the sound of space travel in turbulent times. 'Cycling Is Crushed Inside A Moment He Forgot' is more sparse, with watery keys and curious melodies drifting about above another barely there groove. It's heavenly, celestial stuff that places you in a microbial world of neon colours and beautifully alien sounds. 'Flex' is more for the club, with broken mechanical drums and fractured vocal sounds all grinding together to make for something truly new and original sounding. 'Risks' then rounds out the EP with edgy ambience and coarse hits, swirling pads and an ominous suspense that keeps you engaged throughout. It rounds out a hugely inventive EP.
This EP shows the musical development of the past 2 years in which KAUW has translated their live sound to studio recordings. It's made with the intention to work well for the club, while all of the live elements such as acoustic drums and bass guitar are on the foreground of the tracks. It's important for the band to show the energy of their live shows in the record. In this way, this EP is a switch from the more funky, live first record (which suggests the electronic side) to this EP which is on the crossroads of live music and produced House music.
The A side featuring 'PITCH' is a bit darker and a real dancefloor killer. Hard synths, deep bass, clear drums and an intense dynamic in which you're taken on a Kauwjourney to which it's unable to stand still. The B side featuring 'Nergens' is more funky, light and sweeter with beautiful synths, funky basslines and groovy drums, inspired by the mix of '90's Disco and House. San Proper's remix takes this funky track to a real Proper-world with beautiful guitar melodies, deeper basses and extravagant vocals.
2025 Repress
On 7th August the godfather Mike Dunn presents an EP fuelled by a pumping heart of pure house, entitled 'DJ Beat That Shhh' / 'Move It Work It'. Taken from his forthcoming album due for release in October 2017.
Both tracks capture Mike's essence, placing his trademark hip house booty style vocals and stripped-back, jacking drums centre stage.
'DJ Beat That Shit' is classic, bumping 90s Chi goodness updated with modern technology, whilst 'Move It, Work It' is a no-nonsence smoke and strobe throbber, that recalls the best of Trax and DJ International.
For anyone who knows their shit, Mike should need no introduction, but for those that don't, he was highly influential in birthing the modern day dance music phenomenon, especially with tracks like 'Face The Nation', 'God Made Me Phunky', 'Let It Be House' and 'Personal Problem'.
Mike created hip house, DJ'd with fellow legends Ron Hardy, Larry Heard and Armando Gallop, produced for house heroes Armando, Fast Eddie and K-Alexi Shelby, and worked with the iconic voices of Byron Stingley and Kym English.
After a long absence from DJing in Europe, Mike returned in 2015 to rock crowds at Panorama Bar, Fabric, Concrete, Sub Club and Glastonbury, demonstrating why the Chicago OG is still very much in demand.
GILA steps out of the shadows with a huge release.
Two massive,cold metallic techno drillers from the trench, with acidic nuances and big room bravado attached.
106 Slipper is the A-Side, a weighty, slow tempo,morphing banger. Driven by punishing percussion,this is a polyrhythmic take on techno from the trenches. Receiving love from Mary Anne Hobbs, OPTIMO & Hudson Mohawke. Trench Cadence, the B-Side, is a drum line procession sent through a meat grinder, picking up erratic IDM aesthetics, and a Villalobos' who gives a fuck'mentality.
Hard and built for the club.
Mr Bongo brings another Brazilian rarity to the masses with this sublime reissue of Tim Maia's Disco Club. Recorded in 1978, it's a latter-period gem from the larger than life legend, combining the glitz and glamour of disco's heyday with Maia's raw funk and soul roots.
When Maia first heard Little Richard as a teenager, he knew what kind of singer and artist he wanted to be. Five formative years spent in the US, where he ran wild in NYC and joined a
doo-wop group called the Ideals, did little to dampen his enthusiasm for black music.
Stirred by the civil rights movement in the US and driven by a punk spirit, Maia went on to blaze his own trail through the early 70s over the course of four successful albums for Polydor. Moving away from the straight MPB, Tropicalia and international rock dominating the airwaves, his sound represented a new black Brazilian consciousness. When he sang, he could be raspy and defiant one moment ... and then romantic and reflective the next. But always on a groove and with a hook. It was an irresistible combination.
Yet by 1977 he was bankrupt and in limbo having first joined a religious cult called Superior National and then alienated listeners with his first album sung entirely in English. To complicate matters further, Brazil was feeling the Saturday Night Fever. Gloria Gaynor, Chic and Kool & the Gang were dominating the charts and filling hotspots such as New York City Discotheque in Ipanema and Frenetic Dancing Days in the Gávea Mall.
Maia left his usual band and went into the legendary Estudios Level with a mighty ensemble of Rio's finest including Paulinha Braga on drums, Jamil Joanes on bass, Robson Jorge on clarinet, Hyldon De Souza on guitar, Sidinho on percussion, trombonists Edmundo Maciel and Darcy Seixas, and Juarez Assis on tenor sax.
Arranger and keyboardist Lincoln Olivetti was a crucial presence during these sessions. He added that all-important string flourish and brassy joy to the uptempo tracks while giving the
star enough room to express himself. The album kicks off with a trio of floor fillers: the exuberant party starter 'A Fim De Voltar', a sing-a-long anthem in 'Acenda O Farol' and the undeniably funky hit 'Sossego' (file that one next to Fatback).
But then Maia drops it down and gets existential on 'All I Want', questioning the meaning of happiness. He also shows his tender side on slow burners such as 'Murmúrio' (written by the great Cassiano) and 'Pais E Filhos', the latter featuring a supersoft bed of harmonies you can't help but lay down on. But the party ain't over and mid-tempo groover 'Juras' gets the feet moving again before 'Jhony' sends us swaying off into the night.
Maia's appetite for excess would eventually get the better of him. But Disco Club is the sound of an unpredictable genius on top form. Get ready for the time of your life.
Intimate November tour also announced After their 2012 Mercury Prize nominated debut and 2015's Top 20 follow-up 'Born Under Saturn', musical adventurers Django Django are back for 2017, exploring new sounds with their brand new album 'Marble Skies' which will be released on January 26th on Because Music. Today the album launches with first single 'Tic Tac Toe', a rousing, trippy upbeat rock track with an enormous echoing hookline which will excite fans of the band's rockabilly-influenced elements. The accompanying video for 'Tic Tac Toe' was directed by John Maclean, brother of Django Django drummer/producer David Maclean and director of the critically acclaimed modernist western 'Slow West'. It depicts vocalist/guitarist Vincent Neff enjoying a rapid-fire day-trip to Hastings which takes a turn into the surreal and sinister when a ghost train puts him on a collision course with a grim reaper inspired by Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal. As John Maclean explains: The film could be about the fading era of the beach arcades, time moving too fast, love and games, horror and happiness but it is actually about a man who needs to go buy a pint of milk to make a cup of tea.' After the brilliant, rave-shaped grooves and expansive arrangements of its predecessor, 'Marble Skies' is a more concise and focused offering which recalls the dynamic, genre-blurring music of their debut. It's a return to form, an album which finds them returning to the handmade, cut-and-paste approach of the past. Upon finishing the 'Born To Saturn' tour, Dave ventured to LA to work on a production project, whilst the other band members went to India with the British Council. When they returned, the new album process began with a back-to-basics approach which recalled the DIY ethos of the band's early days, Django Django - minus an absent Maclean - assembled at Urchin Studios in Tottenham, London with Metronomy drummer Anna Prior to experiment with the idea of coming up with new tracks through loose jamming sessions. After ten days of recording, there was plenty of raw material to send up to Dave (then back in his hometown of Dundee) for him to edit, refine and evolve. As ever, all four band members (completed by Tommy Grace on synths and bassist Jimmy Dixon) contributed to the band's music, melodies and lyrics as the final album took shape. Parts of 'Marble Skies' find Django Django sailing into uncharted territories, not least the driving title track (propelled by Prior's drumming), with its echoes of Krautrock and Suicide. Meanwhile, the hazy Zombies-like summer pop of 'Champagne', which explores the joys and ills of alcohol, was inspired by the band's over-indulgence during a boat trip on the Seine that was hosted by their label. Those drawn to the more dance-orientated side of Django Django will find much to love in the twisted '80s electro pop of 'In Your Beat' and the dancehall-influenced 'Surface To Air', a dreamy-headed pop song fronted by Rebecca Taylor of Slow Club. The collaboration came as a result of the two bands meeting up at SXSW some years ago, where Rebecca and Dave in particular bonded over shared interests in R&B, hip-hop and dancehall. Another more surprising collaborator is Jan Hammer, the Czech-born, American-based jazz-fusion and electronic artist who shares writing credits with the band on the gorgeously floaty 'Sundials'. If there's a mood running through 'Marble Skies', it's one of reflection on things past and present, and finding some kind of peace with your place in the grand scheme of things.
After last year's stellar EP on L.I.E.S. Records, veteran, Brooklyn-based producer and DJ Jake Reif (Savage Hymn, Upsetting Keys) continues to make waves with his Device Control brand. The first side of the new "EP2" begins with Silhouettes: a robotic, techno-funk work out with a nasty kick drum, swirling modular sounds and a Timothy Leary inspired vocoded vocal. An instrumental version has been included for selectors who prefer tracks to songs.
On the flip, Joystuck continues the aural assault with a slightly more stripped-back approach. Hard-hitting metallic percussion and screaming, alien-esque synth bleeps are all that's necessary here to decimate a dance-floor. Finally, Divisive rounds out the EP with a stomping vengeance, its jacking claps and dissonant harmonics have been carefully designed to deliver a sonic gut-punch, taking no prisoners when played on a club system.
Pablo R. Ruiz was born in Chile and moved to southwest Detroit in 1999. He played drums in various hardcore punk bands throughout high school. DEMF and raves cultivated an interest in dance music that Pablo brought with him when he moved back to Chile in 2006. He began producing and DJing in underground clubs around Santiago. In 2016 Pablo returned to Detroit, purchased more gear and began producing a new body of work, all recorded straight to tape. The "Bad Hombre" EP is our selection of the fruits of his labor.




















