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Turnend Tapes is back with some superb cuts from Swiss duo Le Lab Registered. These have only previously been available on CD having dropped back in 2006 and are indicative of their experimental, rule-breaking techno sound which is full of life and imagination. 'The Pitch' kicks off with rugged drums and haunting synth notes, 'Radio Tirana' then layers spoken words into eerie synth modulations and moody drones and 'CB Music' is a slithering and minimal sound with retro-future chords. 'Broadcast All Electronic' shuts down with another wiry arrangement, bleeps, squeaks and the sound of muffled vocals and radio interference all adding an occult edge.

An ever-present name in underground house, Alex Celler is back once again on Baby Ford's cult Trelik label. This is his third and maybe best outing yet with 'Twilight Firedancer' being a long and extended dub tech workout with wobbly bass and off-balance drums topped with glowing chords that bring occasional relief to the pressure of the groove. 'Mescaline' is much more busy with abstract pops and squeaks, synth modulations and an urgent, tightly programmed minimal tech groove that you would expect of this label. It's high-class music for mind and body.

We know nothing about the newly emerging Fefe other than the fact that they hail from Down Under and, on this evidence, make classy club tackle. 'Trudd' is a supple, shapeshifting deep techno opener with sub-aquatic pads and churning rhythms. 'Bogged Under' gets more dark and heavy with drum pressure never letting up as spangled synths occupy the mind. 'Diddy's Rug' brings a lighter melodic touch with trippy patterns and hallucinogenic qualities for the afters then 'Fire Warden' is a double-time stepper with dub weight and urgent energy to make for another sophisticated offering from Danza Nativa.

French producer Saint Paul was raised in Lyon with Ivorian and French heritage and is now based in Reunion Island. He was a founding member of Moonrise Hill Material and continues to refine his style, which is infused with jazz, funk, hip hop and African rhythms. Though built for the dancefloor, it comes rich in introspection that marries energy and soul. This six-track EP on GLBDOM takes in the horn-laced New York house vibes of 'I'm Ur DJ', swinging MAW-esque kicks of 'We Can All Groove With It' and jazz-laced depths of 'Extreme Vibration'. It's an EP full of class and character with the late-night lounge sophistication of 'Elixir De Bons Souvenirs', another highlight.

Past Inside The Present is back with another of its quietly powerful ambient records, this time from Almost An Island, which is a collaboration between Kenneth James Gibson and husband and wife duo James and Cynthia Bernard. This black version of the self-titled oeuvre drifts through ambient, Americana and experimental soundscapes with musical elegance and tasteful restraint. Muted textures, swirling guitar, pedal steel and subtle vocals create a mood that draws you in close but is also grand in scale. Tracks like 'Quadrivium' and 'What Got Us To Our Feet' blur the line between memory and melody, while 'Palo Verde' and 'Promise to Fade' linger like a half-remembered dream. This isn't ambient as background-it's a fully formed emotional landscape that is both meditative and melancholic.

New on Sublease is label boss Steve Bug teaming up with Herve Solar, an emerging talent from Geneva whose debut was featured on Poker Flats Under One Roof series previously. The two artists first crossed paths at the Mixmasters retreat in Ibiza, where Herve participated as a student under the guidance of Steve Bug. Impressed by Herves material, Steve Bug saw potential for collaboration. Upon returning to Geneva, Herve sent Steve a few unfinished tracks, sparking the idea for a joint EP. The creative process involved each artist sending a track for the other to complete, with Steve Bug adding the final touches in his Berlin studio.

No Faith, No Dreams highlights a slinky, sexy sound that will instanty win over other DJs and crowds, and is also shared here via a remix courtesy of Jürgen Kirsch. His rework is a little tougher, stripping the sound down to ist essentials before bringing up the energy with a dubby bassline and intricate percussion. Swamp Frog is the 3rd track of the release, a grooving bassline providing the anchor for the rhythm and detuned chords that lend the whole thing a wonky, loose feel for the heads.

Interspecies is a label that does house and disco music a little differently, with influences from ambient and jazz adding plenty of cosmic edge. This latest drop is another odyssey to the stars from three different artists. Starblazerss' 'Race Babblin' brings Roy Ayres style vibes and dubs of melody to loose double bass and splashes of soulful colour. DJ Norizm's 'Wikendi' then plods along on a nice and weighty dub with meandering synth leads and curious and whimsical melodies taking your mind away. Hapa's 'Coming Down' then serves up a cosmic house trip with synths taking off like spacecraft, chugging beats and live jazz drums. Classy tackle.

Hugely prolific American ambient artist and analogue drone don zake is back once again with some new re-imaginings of works from a wide range of artists from glitch-pop to post-rock. His singular sound is imprinted on all of the source material which becomes defined by dusty texture and frayed edges as he layers up immersive, meditative soundscapes such as highlights like a haunting take on Beno�t Pioulard's 'Xaipe,' the luminous 'Nicotiana Suite' with Pausal and a poignant reshaping of Inquiri's 'They Come Around.' Each remix reflects zake's deep respect for the originals while also adding something wholly his own.

Subjekt mints a new limited edition series with a first vinyl pressing of some Biz (Transmat, Acquit Records) tunes that have previously been available only digitally via his Bandcamp. The Aussie is a real pioneer of techno in his homeland and has also made a mark around Europe with outings on top labels like Further Electronix and Tronic. He always delivers deep, hard-hitting cuts that draw on experiences picked up in the scene since the late '80s. This one opens with 'Tears,' which is a deep and atmospheric sound with fuzzy chords and melancholic moods over a mid-tempo rhythm. 'Worlds Collide' brings some Detroit mysticism, then 'Dark Mofo' taps into electro for a deft, kinetic rhythm and icy melodies that come back from the future. 'Fallen Apache' is a deep and dubby roller with an introspective edge, and 'Teach Em A Lesson' shuts down with an astral odyssey and more fluid synth work over analogue drums. Tasteful stuff from this vital veteran.

36 and Past Inside The Present label head Zake return to their Stasis Sounds For Long Distance Space Travel project which is music designed not for the distracted world we inhabit, but for the still moments we so often neglect. Crafted with intention and restraint, it is a universe that suspends the listener in time across glacial soundscapes in which the duo conjures a sense of cosmic awe. Soft, slow-moving drones and textural washes drift like solar winds through the vacuum, suggesting the boundless calm of deep space. The production is rich, gentle with tonal shifts and barely-there harmonics that evoke both distance and intimacy, wonder and melancholy. It feels like music beamed in from the edges of the known universe. If you fancy a contemplative journey from the edge of Earth's thermosphere into the unknowable beyond, tune into Stasis Sounds on your best headphones.

Available on 7" for the first time, Webby Jay's 1979 version of The Dramatics soul hit, 'In The Rain'. Produced and sung by the late Webster Johnson aka Webby Jay, renowned session player and keyboardist for reggae band Matumbi. Sought after for the vocal and dub versions in equal measure, both tracks have been cut from the Arawak master tapes for this long overdue 45 issue.

Featuring waves of neon synths, pristine machine funk, scorched ambient drones, gnarled bass lines, playful radiophonics & industrial percussion, this thrilling selection of obscure 1980's electronica is compiled by Zyklus (Alan Gubby / Revbjelde) and presented on 10" white vinyl. "On a teaching placement during the pandemic, I found a dusty cupboard above our college theatre holding 200+ library music CDs. Most of the discs were from the Arcadia Cosmos library, a prolific production house active during the late 1980s and early 1990s. I spent the next few weeks working through the discs and found several interesting electronic pieces although, pseudonym or not, I didn't recognise any of the composers involved. Further research kept leading to dead ends with Arcadia's owners having long vacated their last known address and web links either broken or abandoned. So more questions than answers remain about the library's provenance. For instance, who was / is the brilliantly named David Beast? Did Kraftwerk engage trans-european lawyers after hearing Endurance Test? Was Sylvia Sommer deliberately channelling vintage 1960's radiophonics by John Baker? What studio gear was used to create the distinctive Arcadia sound? And, for what appears to have been a UK-based company, why are so many of the album titles, tracks and composer names distinctly Germanic? If anyone has the answers please get in touch." Zyklus / Winter 2024

Slikback releases "Attrition" – a densely detailed, cinematic exploration of sound packed with intricate rhythms and gleaming textures.

Slikback’s "Attrition" marks his first full-length album for Planet Mu, delivering an immersive melding of cinema and game sound design with tough dance music. It's like a sci-fi film for the ears, exploring a chain of events with dark atmospheres and dramatic pacing; trapdoors and jump scares for your ears. These contrasts and the dense painterly colour of his sounds give it a beastly beauty.

The album came to life during a period of transition, while waiting for a visa after recently moving to Poland from Kenya, where he grew up. With this unexpected pause in travel, Slikback found himself working at a slower, more deliberate pace. Writing for a label instead of self-releasing also introduced new dynamics, like feedback and structured release schedules. Rather than feeling restricted, he saw this process as a blessing. In a happy and reflective headspace—newly married and welcoming a newborn child—he was able to fully develop his compositions. “I was finally able to explore ideas to a point where I didn’t feel the need to change anything,” he shares. "Attrition" is the result of that creative freedom. While "Attrition" nods to familiar genres, drawing on elements of Gqom, Dubstep, Tech-Step, and Hardcore Techno, it pushes them into new territory, shaping high-tech, intricate compositions. “I worked on the tracks back and forth, drastically transforming some from their original sketches,” Slikback explains. “I wanted to create a journey within each track, like something alien emerging from emptiness—beauty from chaos.” The album opens gently before diving into fast-paced 140bpm sounds, reminiscent of earlier Planet Mu releases. Midway through, "Taped" shifts the energy with a shimmering, 160bpm rolling bassline. As the album progresses, its intensity builds. The music grows darker, faster, and more unpredictable, culminating in a final track that bursts apart in a thrilling, chaotic climax. A standout moment in Slikback’s career, "Attrition" is a masterclass in sound design and vision. Strange yet beautiful, intense yet rewarding—it’s the most strikingly unique album you’ll hear all year.

**Self-released by Reducer on their RUSS imprint in a continued spiritual association with Bokeh Versions**

REDUCER'S LAST AUTONOMOUS RELEASE • LTD ED 250 WHITE VINYL • RECORDED 1986 & 1987 • PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED, UNHEARD & UNREMASTERED • ORIGINAL 12" 45 REGGAE DISCOMIX • THESE ARE THE LAST ARCHIVE QUALITY RECORDINGS WE HAVE- BOTH WERE RECORDED AS "LIVE" AS POSSIBLE SO TO RETAIN THE POWER, ENERGY & SPONTANEITY WHICH IS THE ESSENCE OF REDUCER.

SLENG TING: This discomix version of Sleng Teng was recorded before Rich joined the band & thus has a Snake only vocal, and features a keyboard bass & vocal over dubs - which is the only time overdubs were ever used on a Reducer track.

SENSAROUND: Was recorded during a "break" in recording of other material & was written spontaneously & played just once, as it features only Rich on vocal, it makes a good balance to the Snake only track. It was never performed live.
credits

With the 7th Grade of the Riddim Dub School series, Prince Istari enters
Junior High School. Prince Istari returns with his Riddim Dub School
series now on 12inch, pushing deeper into the intersection of dub, drum
and bass, and sound system culture. This 6-track EP, titled "lessons
into drum and bass wise", explores raw rhythms, analog feedbacks, and
heavy low-end pressure.

The EP starts with a Drum and Bass cut with a One Drop of the DUB ME
LOOPY tune from Riddim Dub School 5th Grade. INTIMACY COORDINATOR
follows with a heavy Disco Dub. The last track on Side A is LABOUR’S
DUB, with deep bass polished through spring reverb. The shakers come in
late and push the whole thing forward. Side B begins with GONE TOO SOON
from Riddim Dub School 4th Grade, in an alternative version. It’s
followed by the most upfront track on the release CONQUERING DUB – brass
fanfares and a deep disco rocker beat with minimalistic arrangement. NO
DUB INNA DI WRONG ends the 7th Grade with a roots way style. It suggests
that dub music doesn't belong to or support negative, corrupt, or unjust
actions or spaces. Dub music stays righteous, true, or positive, and
doesn’t associate with bad vibes or wrongdoing.

This studio collaboration between the French Dub pioneers and the famous Dub kids from Lyon seems to have been really prolific in terms of quality and quantity. All along these tracks, you can hear a successful hybridization between two major dub bands. The steppa rythms are mixing themselves with the ethnic ambiances of scratches, synths and drum rolls so precious for High Tone. Try to recognise which sound comes from which band on this album made of improvisations with electronic breaks and floating atmosphere.. To make it short, an awesome meeting displaying its devastating effects.

Smalltowndubz are back on the BCSM label.

After their big ''My Garden'' EP and the great ''Way Of Dub'' tape, the austrian producer duo returns with a extra heavy 12“ vinyl release.

The A Side comes with a deep and meditative cut featuring the unmistakable voice of Fikir Amlak. ''Never Get Burned'' is a roots-infused anthem built for sound systems, followed by a thundering dub version.

Flip the record and things get mystical. ''Sitar Dub'' brings in Lance Hume on sitar, weaving hypnotic eastern melodies into a deep bass meditation – again paired with a powerful dubwise version.

This one’s for the selectors and the steppers. Dub with pressure. Don’t sleep!

GAUPA, deren Name im Deutschen "Luchs" bedeutet, kehren mit abgespeckter Besetzung auf dem neuen Mini-Album "Fyr" zurück, wobei die Schweden damit zugleich auch ihr bislang fettestes und stärkstes Material servieren. Der Titel ist ein vielschichtiges Rätsel und Wortspiel in schwedischer Sprache: "Fyr" kann die Zahl "4" meinen und sich somit auf das Mini-Album als ihre vierte Veröffentlichung beziehen. Andere mögliche Bedeutungen sind "Leuchtturm", "Lichtzeichen" und "Feuer", die ihrerseits ebenfalls zur Musik und zur Lyrik passen würden. Der neue und von GAUPA bewusst dafür ausgewählte Tontechniker Karl Daniel Lidén hat den Tracks auf "Fyr" einen rauen, aggressiven Sound verpasst. Gleichzeitig bleiben auch die Kernelemente des musikalischen Ansatzes der Schweden präsent. Dazu zählen eine fesselnde Komplexität, spacige und trippige Strophen, die auf einem stetigen Strom von Psychedelik reiten, sowie Kaskaden harter Stoner-Riffs. Sängerin Emma Näslund hat sich zur Lyrik von "Fyr" durch Ursula K. Le Guins preisgekrönten Science Fiction Roman "Das Wort für Welt ist Welt" inspirieren lassen. Ihre Texte beschäftigen sich mit dem Konzept der Zeit und der Frage nach der Wirklichkeit, die sich in verschiedenen Variationen in allen Songs des Mini-Albums finden. Seit der Veröffentlichung ihrer selbstbetitelten EP im Jahr 2018 haben GAUPA der Stoner und Psychedelic Rock Szene neue Wege gebahnt und einen einzigartigen Kosmos geschaffen, der durch bezaubernden lyrischen Surrealismus und bewusstseinsverändernde Sounds definiert ist. Mit ihrem Debütalbum "Feberdröm" rückte die Band im Jahr 2020 durch ihre herausragende Mischung aus Progressive, Doom, Stoner Metal und Folk-Elementen, über welcher der mitreißende Gesang von Frontfrau Emma Näslund thront, ins internationale Rampenlicht. Der zweite Langspieler "Myriad" (2022) erreichte mit dem Track 'Exoskeleton' über eine Million Streams auf Spotify (der EP-Song 'Febersvan' steht mittlerweile bei über 4 Millionen). Obwohl GAUPA "Fyr" als "Patchwork" beschreiben, woran jedes Mitglied einen gleichwertigen Anteil hat, wirkt das Mini-Album insgesamt wie aus einem Guss, womit die Schweden die Messlatte für ihre zukünftigen Werke sehr hoch legen. Die physische Version von "Fyr" enthält einen zusätzlichen Bonustrack.