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,Warmer Than Gold", das neue Album von Ben Cooks Projekt GUV, ist ein Dokument eines Lebens in der Musik, ein kritischer und feierlicher Reisebericht, ein Versuch, die homogenen und statusbesessenen Zustände der heutigen Welt durch den Einsatz von großen Beats, großen Refrains und Verzerrung zu überwinden. Es ist ein Album, das unterwegs entstanden ist und überall Sinn ergibt. Vor allem aber leitet es mit seiner erweiterten Klangpalette und der Betonung von Breakbeats eine neue Ära eines Künstlers ein, der nie aufgehört hat, sich weiterzuentwickeln. Cook, der zwischen Toronto und England aufgewachsen ist, verfügt über eine angloamerikanische Authentizität, die ihn von der wachsenden Schar von Hardcore-Kids mit Windjacken und Pilzköpfen unterscheidet. Zwei der ersten Konzerte, die er im Alter von 12 Jahren besuchte, waren Oasis und Neil Young. Nach dem Konzert, erinnert er sich, dachte er: ,Ja, ich werde für immer Musik machen." Kurz nachdem er Hardcore und Punk für sich entdeckt hatte, ging es los, zuerst mit seiner geliebten Hardcore-Band No Warning (mit der er bis heute spielt), dann als Mitglied der Punk-Experimentalisten Fucked Up, die er 2006 gründete. Er war ein Teil der Underground-Szene, die sich in den 90er Jahren in Kanada Kurz darauf entdeckte er Hardcore und Punk, und schon ging es los, zunächst mit seiner geliebten Hardcore-Band No Warning (mit der er bis heute spielt), dann als Mitglied der Punk-Experimentalisten Fucked Up von 2007 bis 2021 - und währenddessen baute er sich ein umfangreiches und beeindruckendes Repertoire an Soloarbeiten auf, zunächst als Young Governor, dann als Young Guv und jetzt einfach als GUV (,Ich bin nicht mehr so jung, Drei-Buchstaben-Bandnamen sind cool, und ich bin es leid, mit einem Rapper verwechselt zu werden", bemerkt Cook). Warmer Than Gold ist die großformatige Krönung all dieser Stränge. Die Musik des Albums behält den eingängigen Geist von Cooks früheren Alben bei, wie den gefeierten Doppelalben GUVI & II und GUV III & IV, fügt jedoch ein ausgeprägtes rhythmisches Element hinzu, das von klassischem Madchester und Britpop geprägt ist. Es verschmiert und schwebt, es fühlt sich an, als würde man um Mitternacht die Autobahn M1 entlangrasen, angetrieben von einer Dringlichkeit, die in Cooks anderen Werken nicht zu finden ist. Was jedoch von diesen früheren Power-Pop-Veröffentlichungen beibehalten wurde, ist das ausgeprägte Gespür des Künstlers für eingängige Melodien. In Kombination mit einer neuen Produktionssensibilität, die von den Beastie Boys über The Field Mice bis hin zu Primal Scream inspiriert ist, gelingt es Cook, die zentralen lyrischen Themen des Projekts musikalisch zu untermalen: die globale Verflachung der Kultur, das Vergehen der Zeit in der materiellen Welt und die Rolle des Künstlers in all dem.

,Warmer Than Gold", das neue Album von Ben Cooks Projekt GUV, ist ein Dokument eines Lebens in der Musik, ein kritischer und feierlicher Reisebericht, ein Versuch, die homogenen und statusbesessenen Zustände der heutigen Welt durch den Einsatz von großen Beats, großen Refrains und Verzerrung zu überwinden. Es ist ein Album, das unterwegs entstanden ist und überall Sinn ergibt. Vor allem aber leitet es mit seiner erweiterten Klangpalette und der Betonung von Breakbeats eine neue Ära eines Künstlers ein, der nie aufgehört hat, sich weiterzuentwickeln. Cook, der zwischen Toronto und England aufgewachsen ist, verfügt über eine angloamerikanische Authentizität, die ihn von der wachsenden Schar von Hardcore-Kids mit Windjacken und Pilzköpfen unterscheidet. Zwei der ersten Konzerte, die er im Alter von 12 Jahren besuchte, waren Oasis und Neil Young. Nach dem Konzert, erinnert er sich, dachte er: ,Ja, ich werde für immer Musik machen." Kurz nachdem er Hardcore und Punk für sich entdeckt hatte, ging es los, zuerst mit seiner geliebten Hardcore-Band No Warning (mit der er bis heute spielt), dann als Mitglied der Punk-Experimentalisten Fucked Up, die er 2006 gründete. Er war ein Teil der Underground-Szene, die sich in den 90er Jahren in Kanada Kurz darauf entdeckte er Hardcore und Punk, und schon ging es los, zunächst mit seiner geliebten Hardcore-Band No Warning (mit der er bis heute spielt), dann als Mitglied der Punk-Experimentalisten Fucked Up von 2007 bis 2021 - und währenddessen baute er sich ein umfangreiches und beeindruckendes Repertoire an Soloarbeiten auf, zunächst als Young Governor, dann als Young Guv und jetzt einfach als GUV (,Ich bin nicht mehr so jung, Drei-Buchstaben-Bandnamen sind cool, und ich bin es leid, mit einem Rapper verwechselt zu werden", bemerkt Cook). Warmer Than Gold ist die großformatige Krönung all dieser Stränge. Die Musik des Albums behält den eingängigen Geist von Cooks früheren Alben bei, wie den gefeierten Doppelalben GUVI & II und GUV III & IV, fügt jedoch ein ausgeprägtes rhythmisches Element hinzu, das von klassischem Madchester und Britpop geprägt ist. Es verschmiert und schwebt, es fühlt sich an, als würde man um Mitternacht die Autobahn M1 entlangrasen, angetrieben von einer Dringlichkeit, die in Cooks anderen Werken nicht zu finden ist. Was jedoch von diesen früheren Power-Pop-Veröffentlichungen beibehalten wurde, ist das ausgeprägte Gespür des Künstlers für eingängige Melodien. In Kombination mit einer neuen Produktionssensibilität, die von den Beastie Boys über The Field Mice bis hin zu Primal Scream inspiriert ist, gelingt es Cook, die zentralen lyrischen Themen des Projekts musikalisch zu untermalen: die globale Verflachung der Kultur, das Vergehen der Zeit in der materiellen Welt und die Rolle des Künstlers in all dem.

Tashi"s latest punk anthems: electric guitar improvisations to brutally impact us with... gentle lyricism and introspective depth! In a time of extraordinary institutional inhumanity, seeing the faces of the many deprived, what is there to feel but exhaustion? What to want but silence? Tashi seeks it all out actively, with intention. Hard truths absorbed, he enjoins power to reconstitute as spirit, to disseminate to everyone outside the walls.

Oxblood Red vinyl, limited to 400 copies. Lord Elephant are back with their second studio album "Ultra Soul", a psyched blend of 70's, 90's and 00's extravaganzas mixed together with the distinctive heavy breath of the band. Blues, doom and sludge are fused again in the strange trademark of the trio, allergic to genre-labels and ready to expand the vision beyond cages! Recorded, mixed and mastered at Studio 73, Ravenna, by Riccardo Pasini (Nero Di Marte, Ephel Duath, Ottone Pesante..) Artwork and Layout by JJ Farfante ArtLab (Melvins, Mudhoney, Ufomammut)

The journey through French-speaking pop archives continues with this fifth volume, packed with fuzz, gimmicks, and dissent. Far from the charts, the selected tracks display a great creative freedom, often backed by corrosive humor. Welcome to the surprising, kaleidoscopic, and colorful world of the late sixties and early seventies, Wizzz!
Born in Montauban, Robert Pico stumbled into music by chance when he met René Vaneste, then artistic director at Pathé-Marconi. René brought him to Paris to record his first 45 RPM EP in 1964. A year later, Pierre Perret introduced him to Vogue, where he recorded his second album with Claude Nougaro’s orchestra. Sylvie Vartan then introduced him to RCA, where he recorded four singles, including the astonishing "Chien Fidèle," a track backed by a hair-rising fuzz guitar. Alongside his solo career, he also composed for other artists like Alain Delon (the song was recorded but remains unreleased), Magali Noël, Bourvil, and Georges Guétary. In the Paris of the sixties, he mingled with Mireille Darc, Elsa Martinelli, Marie Laforêt, France Gall, Françoise Hardy, Petula Clark, Régine, Dani, Serge Gainsbourg, Joe Dassin, Franck Fernandel, Charles Level, and Roland Vincent. Despite his efforts and winning a Grand Prix Sacem for his final record, Robert Pico didn’t achieve the expected success in show business and decided to leave Paris and return to the Southwest, where he devoted himself to writing. He is the author of 23 books (including Delon et Compagnie, Jean-Marc Savary Editions 2025, a memoir about his youth and his many encounters). Today, he is relieved to never have become a celebrity and devotes himself to his work with passion.
In 1969, the Franco-Italian movie Erotissimo was released, directed by Gérard Pirès (who later directed Taxi in 1998, written and produced by Luc Besson). This pop comedy features Annie Girardot, Jean Yanne, Francis Blanche, Serge Gainsbourg, Nicole Croisille, Jacques Martin, and Patrick Topaloff. The soundtrack was written by Michel Polnareff and William Sheller, with lyrics by Jean-Lou Dabadie. "La Femme Faux-cils," performed by Annie Girardot. It recounts the feelings of a rich CEO's wife who seeks to develop her sex appeal under the influence of advertisement and magazines. Groovy, sparkling and light, this track, with ITS lush arrangements humorously critiques consumer society and feminine beauty standards.
“Je suis l’Etat” (1967) is the flagship track of the first EP by singer-songwriter Spauv Georges, aka Georges Larriaga, better known as Jim Larriaga (1941-2022). Born into a family of bakers, the young man was initially planning to become a hairdresser when he discovered English-speaking music through Elvis Presley and the Beatles. After this revelation, he decided he would become a songwriter and gave himself five years to succeed. He recorded his first two EP’s independently for RCA under the pseudonym Spauv Georges; meaning “that poor George”, a nickname given to him by the mother of her friend Jean-Pierre Prévotat (future drummer of the Players, Triangle, or Johnny Hallyday). Portraying a depressed and eccentric young man, Spauv Georges created corrosive and amusing songs that didn’t reach a wide audience, despite a TV appearance with Jean-Christophe Averty.
Supported by his loyal friend and fellow songwriter Jean-Max Rivière, Georges Larriaga met the future singer Carlos in the early '70s, then Sylvie Vartan’s assistant. He wrote songs for Carlos, including the popular "La vie est belle," "Y’a des indiens partout," and "La cantine", which went onto become a huge hit in 1972. He also composed for Claude François (“Anne-Marie”, 1971), Charlotte Julian (“Fleur de province”, 1972), helped launch child singer Roméo (who sold 4 million records), and later wrote the hit "Pas besoin d’éducation sexuelle" (1975) for the young Julie Bataille. In 1971, Jim recorded an album for Disc'Az: “L’univers étrange et fou de Jim Larriaga”, which featured pop gems like “La maison de mon père”.
The story of the song "Zoé" began when Pierre Dorsay, artistic director at Vogue Records, asked Swiss singer and musician Pierre Alain to write a song for a new female singer. The inspiration came when he realized that Zoé (the artist's name) was also the name of France's first atomic battery, created in 1948, which consisted of uranium oxide immersed in heavy water! The lyrics reflect a bubbling energy that must be handled with caution, while the instrumentation echoes this atomic theme, notably with the use of a theremin.
Zoé’s career lasted only as long as a single 45 RPM, but it seems Christine Fontane was the vocalist behind this pseudonym, who is known for several EPs, a good "popcorn" album in 1964, and a handful of children’s singles in the '70s. Regardless, the photograph on the cover is of a different girl entirely.
Later, Pierre Alain continued his career, writing songs for himself, Marie Laforêt, Danièle Licari, Alice Dona, Arlette Zola (3rd place in Eurovision 1982), and achieving multiple gold and platinum records in Canada. Also an inventor with several patents, president of the Romande Academy, and head of the French Alliance in Geneva, he now composes atonal music, books, and poetry. Moreover, he is also the host of "Les Mardis de Pierre Alain" at "Le P'tit Music'Hohl" in Geneva.
Filled with oriental choruses and fuzz guitar, "Fou" is from Jacques Da Sylva's only EP released by Vogue in 1967. Despite the quality of this recording, all traces of this singer disappear after this first effort.
Valentin is a baroque pop singer born in Belgium. He is the songwriter and composer of most of the tracks on his three singles released in the late 60s in Canada. A legend says that he reincarnated himself as Jacky Valentin during the 1970s for a rock'n'roll revival career in Belgium, but his older brother sadly debunked this story. Valentin's first two singles were arranged by Claude Rogen, a Parisian session pianist who had come to Canada to promote the song “Mister A Gogo”, a cover of David Bowie’s “Laughing Gnome”, adapted by singer Delphine, his wife at the time. Far from his usual network, Claude Rogen arranged music for Polydor, including the arrangements for “Je suis un vagabond” in 1969, a jerk tune with string arrangements and a furious optimism.
Jacques Malia wrote, composed, and recorded his only 45 EP for Festival in 1966. “Histoire de gitan” is an incredible beat track with bohemian scat that tells the story of a gypsy musician who came to Paris to make it in the Music-Hall, to no avail. The hero of the song and its author probably shared a similar fate, as Jacques Malia faded into anonymity after this remarkable attempt.
Bernard Jamet recorded two EPs for Barclay in the late sixties and co-wrote several songs with Christine Pilzer, Pascal Danel, and prolific songwriters Michel Delancray and Mya Simile. The track “Raison Légale” (1968), his masterpiece, immerses the listener in a courtroom right when a murderer is being judged, with jerk rhythm and free arrangements. A unique, paranoid, judicial, and psychedelic oddity.
Jean-Pierre Lebrot-Millers started his career in show business in 1967 as a singer and songwriter for the Philips label. After three singles, he wrote several songs of a new kind with his friend Pierre Halioche, in the midst of the sexual liberation movement and the democratization of drugs. With provocative lyrics, “Les filles du hasard” and “Barbara au Chapeau Rose” were released on a Philips singles in 1968. The character of Barbara was inspired by a queen of Parisian nightlife during the psychedelic years: model Charlotte Martin, who dated Eric Clapton from 1965 to 1968, then Jimmy Page from 1970 to 1983. Jean-Claude Petit’s arrangements, with a table-filled intro, soul brass, and Hendrixian guitar, emphasize the flamboyance of a hedonistic and sexy character, whose dog is named Junkie because “Junkie est un nom exquis”! The track was recorded live in three takes with a full orchestra.
Upon its release, the record was censored by Europe 1 and RTL due to its references to drug use. Jean-Pierre Lebrot was then banned from the airwaves and later dismissed by his record label. He changed his artist name to Jean-Pierre Millers, while his companion Pierre Halioche became D. Dolby for a new dreamy composition, “Chilla”, which Jean-Pierre produced himself with arrangements by Jean Musy. Once again, the song was immediately censored everywhere. After this setback, he decided to stop singing and started taking on odd jobs to support his Swedish wife and their son until the day he met Jean-Pierre Martin, then production manager at Decca, who had worked with Manu Dibango. Martin offered Jean-Pierre Lebrot-Millers, then employed at Rank Xerox, the position of artistic director at Decca. He accepted and became, a year later, promotion director (radio, press, TV). He worked on Julio Iglesias’s first album for Decca, which became a massive hit and allowed him to meet Claude Carrère. The latter asked him to write new songs and find their performers, much like a “talent scout.” It’s through him that Jean-Pierre discovered Julie Pietri and Corinne Hermès. He composed “Ma Pompadour” for Ringo, Sheila’s husband, and took the microphone again for the syncope hit “Rendez-Vous” in 1982.
That same year, Jean-Pierre Lebrot-Millers tried to release a track for which he had heavily gone into debt: “Si la vie est un cadeau”. Having recorded it in London, he presented it to numerous professionals, all of whom refused to get involved. The same thing happened with Antenne 2 and the Sacem when he proposed the song as France’s entry for Eurovision. He then met Haïm Saban, who was producing cartoon soundtracks and had just launched the Goldorak theme song. Saban, having listened to the song, declared it had the potential to become a hit. He sent Jean-Pierre and Corinne Hermès to meet the CEO of the Luxembourg radio and television network. The latter received them, asked to hear a verse and chorus a cappella in his office, and immediately hired them to represent Luxembourg at Eurovision 1983. They reworked the arrangements and recorded a new version with Haïm Saban as co-producer. The song ended up winning Eurovision 1983, a great comeback for our hero. He continued producing and hung out with the band Nacash in Belgium when a couple came to introduce their daughter for an impromptu audition in a hotel room. The girl sang “Les démons de minuit” while dancing to a radio cassette. Impressed, he had her take singing lessons for a year and composed a song for her (for which he had the melody and title, but no lyrics). This required him to go on the hunt for a lyricist, who ended up being Guy Carlier. They recorded the song, which was initially a ballad, at Bernard Estardy’s CBE studio, and gave the singer a new name: Melody. They showed the song around their industry network without success. Later, Estardy called Jean-Pierre to suggest changing the rhythm and making it pop-rock. Orlando, Dalida’s brother, liked the result and decided to co-produce the track. “Y’a pas que les grands qui rêvent » became a classic hit. The song has since been covered by Juliette Armanet (as a ballad, like the original) and Valentina.

Born into an aristocratic Breton family, Hervé Mettais-Cartier worked as a DJ at Queen Kiss, a nightclub in Poitiers, where he formed the band Les Concentrés with Michel (an actor) and Christian (a radio technician). Together, they created a repertoire of whimsical songs (“Ma bique est morte”, “J’suis un salaud”, “Fils de dégénéré”...) that they performed on stage dressed in white (in homage to “concentrated milk”). They performed at Bliboquet and Olympia in 1968 for the 10th edition of the “Relais de la chanson Française” organized by L’Humanité-Dimanche and Nous les Garçons et les Filles, sponsored by Pepsi Cola. Winners in the author-composer category, alongside Danish singer Dorte, their visibility allowed them to record a 45, and appear on television in Jean-Christophe Averty’s show. The A-side of the disc features Bruno le ravageur, a casatchok dedicated to Bruno Caquatrix, the director of Olympia, nicknamed in the song “Coq Atroce” or “croque-actrices”. The B-side is dedicated to “Fils de dégénéré”, a quirky tribute to Hervé's aristocratic roots, mixing absurdity with sophisticated vocal harmonies.
After Les Concentrés, Hervé Mettais-Cartier formed the duo La Paire et sa Bêtise with his friend Olivier Robert. They performed in Parisian cabarets and toured with Pierre Vassiliu. In the late 1970s, Hervé began a solo career. He recorded two albums for the Motors label in 1978 and 1979, which did not achieve their anticipated success due to lack of promotion. In 1980, he met Bernadette, with whom he started a family and created a “Chansons à voir” (songs to see) show that he performed until his death at the end of 2024.

Publicité comes from the final EP by the Missiles (Ducretet Thomson, 1966), a disc that also includes “La (nouvelle) guerre de cent ans”, featured on Volume 4 of our Wizzz! series. Please refer to the booklet for the story of the band.

“He’s 1.82 meters tall, 28 years old, weighs 135 kg, is black and Belgian”: this is the description of singer Hegesippe on the back of his sole single (Decca, 1967). He appears on the album cover wearing a Greek toga, like a hippie gag – we are at the end of the year 1967. In “Le crédo d’Hegesippe”, this former bodyguard of Antoine and the Charlots plays the delightful card of the thick brute converted to Flower-Power and non-violence, with arrangements by Jean-Daniel Mercier, aka Paul Mille.
“Ethéro-disco” was released on a promotional record for clients of the Maréchal company (Liège, Belgium) for the New Year 1979. Over a funky rhythm, celebrity impersonations (Brigitte Bardot, Jacques Dutronc, Fernandel…) deliver an enigmatic text about pharmaceutical products like ether, bismuth, and aspartate. The track was composed by Dan Sarravah (responsible for Joanna's “Hold-up inusité” featured on Wizzz! Volume 3) and Tony Talado, who was also a singer (one 45 in 1967), songwriter (with over a dozen credits between 1964 and 1985 in various styles from surf music to disco), author (Devenez Végétarien, Dricot Editions, 1985), ad designer, and psychologist.

Décollez-les is on the A-side of Mamlouk's only single, a pseudonym for Marsel Hurten, who is known for his work on several EPs in the late sixties, as well as composing music for Hervé Vilard’s “Capri, c’est fini”, Claude Channes' “La Haine”, Annie Philippe’s “On m’a toujours dit”, and Nancy Holloway’s “Panne de Cœur”.
This strange song, with Afrobeat horns and absurd dialogues between a chef and his kitchen staff, is the result of a collaboration between Marsel Hurten and one of his neighbors, a photographer from Pavillon-sous-Bois (93), where the musician settled after returning from the Algerian War. A music video was shot to promote the record.
Marsel Hurten was born in Tourcoing (59) into a musical family. At a young age, he joined the brass band founded by his grandfather, playing the piston before studying trumpet at the conservatory, as well as teaching himself how to play the guitar. As an orchestra musician, he toured in France, Belgium, Germany, and England. He released a series of solo 45’s between 1965 and 1968 for the DMF and Az labels before stopping recording to focus on working for other artists (Gilles Olivier, Noëlle Cordier…).
“L’amour nu” (Vogue, 1971) is the work of the short-lived Belgian band Mozaïque. The track, written by singer Jacques Albin, closely resembles another of his compositions, “Carré Blanc”, which he recorded in 1969 for Disc’AZ.
Represented by the Lumi Son micro-label based in Marignane (Côte d'Azur), Jean-Marc Garrigues released two 45 RPMs in the late sixties, defending the French jerk sound. The song “Je dis Non” is a short, joyful ode to youth, pop music, and rebellion.
Songwriter and performer Jacques Penuel released three singles. The first one, “Astronef 328” (Fontana, 1969), features a dizzying series of chords punctuated by sound effects, a sci-fi story, and arrangements by Jean-Claude Vannier.

We would like to sincerely thank Pierre Alain, Moon Blaha, Marsel Hurten, Bastien Larriaga, Jean-Pierre Lebrot-Millers, Bernadette Mettais-Cartier, Robert Pico, Olivier Robert, Claude Rogen, Micky Segura.

Here, Flavien departs from his usual creative process to embrace collaboration—because plouf! (Léviathan) is also the story of a dive, his first collective adventure with musicians he had always dreamed of working with: Michelle Blades (guitar), Kiala Ogawa (keys), Akemi Fujimori (bass), Cédric Laban (drums), and Thibaud Merle (winds).



Reworking these songs is a way of revisiting forgotten musical landscapes, shedding new light on them with a different perspective. It’s about transforming a solitary electronic record into a collective piece by exploring new textures and instrumental approaches.



With this album, Flavien Berger uses his early tracks as raw material—as if the 2015 Léviathan were now a kind of demo from which to extract the essence and create something entirely new. The project, like the music that drives it, is rooted in the idea of reinvention.



The result is a fresh sonic exploration where Léviathan’s tracks take on new forms—some staying true to their original versions, others completely reimagined, blending past and present.

New FLEE publication focused on Arabian Gulf's pearl divers, their culture through their soundscape, traditional songs & rhythms. Including archival recordings and reinterpretations by moderns electronic artists such as Joakim, Tomaga, Ben Bertrand, Conny Frischauf, Hieroglyphic Being .....

Available as 2LP, black vinyls & 2LP+258p book (English & Arabic text) bundle.

The pearls of the Gulf have stoked the imagination and desire of people around the world for centuries, their magnificence matched only by the courage of the divers who found them. This project aims to honor the memory of these valiant free-divers, their culture and their music by the means of a 2XLP compilation with undisclosed original recordings of pearl divers and inspired modern-day compositions by artists like Tomaga, YPY, Ben Betrand, Tarek Yamani or Hieroglyphic Being. Along with that record, a 258 pages long book in Arabic and English is available featuring contributions from regional experts and artists to contextualize the tremendously rich theme that is pearling and its music.

After 8 years, 2 albums on BureauB and different small releases RVDS comes back to his roots and releases these 3 Acid Bangers:“Too much Acid” which has 4 TB303 Basslines in one match, which can remind on some Emanuel Topp tracks, then there is the Acid Electro track “Schluckauf” (Hiccup) which expresses hiccups in sounds, the last track “Acid Busline 242” is very soulful and has recordings of the busline 242 in London.

Whispering Signals unveils Schweres Wasser, a new sub-label guided by Thorsten Hoffmann and Markus Offermann, rooted in Aachen’s influential techno scene. Their devotion to dub-techno’s stripped, elemental aesthetics shapes the first release: three dub-drenched, slow, and deeply absorbing tracks recorded more than a decade ago yet still sounding remarkably current. Reworks by long-time friends .VRIL & Danieli underscore the material’s enduring precision and timeless sound.

Autoprod repress from MemPamal !
12 tunes from various oldschool plates... ENJOY !!

Mastered by Stefan ZMK.

Since their formation, The Hirsch Effekt have carved out a unique niche in the German-speaking music scene. Yet, despite—or perhaps because of—their elusiveness, the band has captivated a devoted audience. Musically, The Hirsch Effekt have always embraced limitless possibilities. Acoustic, introspective moments—where bassist Ilja John Lappin brings out his cello or guitarist Nils Wittrock returns to his classical roots—sit naturally alongside massive progressive metal onslaughts. The band is equally at home on intimate club stages as they are at international festivals, evidenced by repeated appearances at Euroblast and numerous events across the UK. Recently, they toured Germany alongside scene giants like Leprous, Tesseract and traversed Europe with Caligula’s Horse. Yet between these extremes, The Hirsch Effekt continually create songs that flirt with radio accessibility—almost—because the band steadfastly resists any form of standardization. With their seventh album, Der Brauch, they continue this course uncompromisingly. While earlier works, despite their diversity, were still labeled “metal albums,” this new record explores paths first hinted at on the multilayered second album, Holon : Anamnesis—the same album that fans of VISIONS magazine voted the only German-language entry among the 20 best albums of all time. Der Brauch can be seen as a return to that pivotal point—and simultaneously as a bold step forward. Drummer Moritz Schmidt doesn’t entirely forgot blast beats, but the record demands a new heading. In the end, though, there is only one truth: it unmistakably sounds like The Hirsch Effekt.

On his debut album “Scattered Memories”, the composer, musician and true master on the Iranian spike fiddle kamancheh SABA ALIZADEH blends his instrumental virtuosity with spherical electronics, samples of Persian music instruments and field recordings from his hometown Tehran.

Born in Tehran in 1983 as son of the world renowned Tar and Setar virtuoso HOSSEIN ALIZADEH, SABA ALIZADEH studied the Iranian spike fiddle with SAEED FARAJPOURY and KEYHAN KALHOR plus photography and later experimental sound art with MARK TRAYLE at the California Institute of the Arts, Los Angeles. His musical activities that lead him all around the globe for performances (a.o. at Carnegie Hall) branch into 2 different areas: on the one side ALIZADEH is a highly reputated virtuoso on his traditional instrument, on the other he likes to approach music from a more experimental / technological aspect in his electronic / electro-acoustic pieces. This not being enough, he founded Noise Works in 2014, a platform and label for organizing experimental concerts and for the transfer of knowledge of music technologies among young Iranian musicians which makes him a central figure at the forefront of the current, very vivid Persian music scene that gained a lot of attention through artists like SIAVASH AMINI, PORYA HATAMI and of course SOTE who included a track by ALIZADEH on the compilation “Girih: Iranian Sound Artists” that he had curated.

In 2018, ALIZADEH self-released his debut “Scattered Memories” on CD in Iran which now, in a reworked version, sees its deserved world-wide release as LP and DL. Over the course of 10 tracks ALIZADEH melts his 2 musical worlds into 1: tradition meets modernism, eastern sounds meet western production, folklore meets contemporary electronics. An album that will appeal to an open-minded “world music” audience as well as fans of current streams like ambient or drone in its most subtle forms.

2025 Repress

The Duo Okvsho is one of the most promising prospects of upcoming musicians from Zurich, Switzerland. With the release of their „Traphouse Jazz EP“ via Boyoom Connective in 2018, Okvsho gained the attention of a wider audience for the first time through placements in Bandcamp Weekly, NTS Radio and many more. Their music is mostly inspired by the upcoming, young and vibrant UK Jazz Scene and their origins in beatmaking and house/electronic music.

The two brothers started out their musical careers at a very young age in Brazilian percussion groups and, due to their Hungarian roots, they are also familiar with traditional Balkan music. This background came to light on their 2020 released debut album “Kamala’s Danz“, in which they wanted to let their original musical backgrounds flow in and discover new ones at the same time. Especially through Placements of two Singles in the very popular Spotify-Playlist “State of Jazz“, Okvsho became one of the most interesting Names in the modern Jazz-Scene.

Through playing with local jazz-musicians their live-band project emerged, which celebrates improvisation, spontanity and jazz as dance music. Their Live-shows are characterized by driving rhythms and should make the listener feel like moving and immersing into a world without time and beyond their own.

In 2016, a year after the 50th entry in the long-running series, none other but the iconic Detroit artist, DJ and producer Moodymann stepped up to helm the next landmark edition of DJ-Kicks, his first ever multi-artist DJ mix compilation. Following !K7's 40 th anniversary, this classic DJ-Kicks mix is now being repressed on coke bottle clear vinyl.
Born Kenny Dixon Jr., Moodymann is a one-of-a-kind electronic music icon, hailing from, and wholly synonymous with the Motor City. He is an outspoken, impossibly charismatic artist who has been putting a distinctive and soulful stamp on house and techno since the early 90s. Melting together jazz, funk, soul, blues and rock in captivating ways, he is responsible for some of electronic music’s most definitive tracks, EPs and LPs on labels like Planet E, Peacefrog and his own KDJ and Mahogani Music imprints. As able to serve up the sweetest and most sensual sounds as he is the darkest and most depraved grooves, his own unique voice and stream of conscious musings infuse expertly sought-out samples for music that is decisively alive and authentic.

Across 75 minutes and 30 tracks, Moodymann does not disappoint: despite being a notorious vinyl fetishist, Dixon’s aim is to present music of quality, not to one-up fellow collectors. Rather than serving up ridiculously rare or hard- to-find records, he instead focuses on creating a libidinous, blues-drenched mood that takes in heart-breaking soul, gorgeous hip-hop and love-fuelled house.

In addition to cuts from his own creative circle, the mix features 11 exclusive Moodymann edits. Like everything Kenny Dixon Jr. touches, his DJ-Kicks showcases the taste, skill, and soul of a dance music original.

Chicago producer Ellery Cowles lands on Apnea Records with three tracks that draw from the city's foundational rhythms while reaching for something more devotional. Walking by Faith isn't chasing nostalgia--it's after deeper ground. "Fall of Jericho" kicks things off with syncopated Chicago swing colliding with latin percussion and acid basslines that curl and bite in equal measure. "Fly" builds around a looped vocal fragment, letting raw drum patterns stretch and breathe as the track slowly reveals itself. Closer "Crying of Yahweh" is the most patient of the three--seven minutes of hypnotic techno coiling around latin rhythms, carrying a quiet spiritual weight that lingers long after it fades. Cowles moves between reference points with ease--Chicago house, devotional threads, latin heat--but never forces the connection. The music feels like it's been lived in rather than simply constructed, generous with its time and intentional with its space. Out now on Apnea Records.

Belgian techno tastemaker Charlotte de Witte is back with the brand new Sanctum EP containing vocals of Marion Di Napoli. The release arrives the week after this year's Amsterdam Dance Event from October 16th - 20th and just ahead of her return to LA on November 2nd, where she will play a much anticipated all night long set at City Market.

Thanks to her truly distinct sound, de Witte sits at the frontline of the global electronic music scene. She is a DJ, producer and label head who has reshaped the underground with her blend of hard, dark and driving beats and trance tinged synths. Because of this, she is in demand on all the world's biggest stages, has picked up millions of global streams, established her label and its events art as a leading source of cutting edge sounds, and hosted her own KNTXT Turbo Club during Amsterdam Dance Event this year having already played across Europe, the US, UK all summer long.

Her own productions continue to stand out with fresh ideas and spectacular sun designs defining each one. She proves that once more with this new EP which features the alluring vocals of French singer, DJ and producer Marion Di Napoli. "I fell in love with Marion's voice years ago”, Charlotte explains. “She adds a very mystical touch to all her productions that have the power to bring you in a certain trance on the dance floor. I'm beyond excited about this release, on which every track her angelic voice is present.”

Sanctum kicks off with hard and heavy drums that will rattle warehouse walls as the searching synths add a futuristic feel next to twisted acid lines and the spell bound vocals of the angelic Marion. Fourth Dimension is a moody and driving techno roller with the vocals worked into hypnotic, soulful loops that add human warmth to the hypnotic drums and icy hi-hats. It's a warm and mystical world of sound then Fugato is an evocative ambient piece with soothing and exotic vocal coos and great cinematic tension.

This is another innovative EP from the one and only Charlotte de Witte.

"Only a clarinet sings – minimal, quivering, wavering. Breathing mad notes in the cracks between notes, weaving a dazed, fuzzy kind of magic. The latest recordings by Museum of No Art are tripping – floating in suspense, somewhere out in the irrational corners of the world inhabited by the haunted elegance of Ben Bertrand or Bernhard Herrmann. But still, entirely her own – a quiet revolt of classical clichés in search of a new dawn for lunatic woodwinds. She sings through her instrument and it sings to her. It carries her, and she lets it. A distinctive timbre tumbling through tonal fog. Four freely formed compositions for dispari. One petite and tempting. Two mid-length wanderers – teetering, wobbling. And one epic piercer. All drifting in inspiring airs. Ephemeral, nebulous, fragile, like the desolate candy snowman, melting on a warm tongue, threatened with complete dissolution. Fleeting like a stolen glimpse of the intimate curve of an anonymous stranger’s neck."

Abacus - The Relics E.P. - A Deep-House Masterpiece from 1994 Re-Released Somewhere around 1993 or '94, a quietly profound landmark in deep house emerged: The Relics E.P. by Austin Bascom, better known as Abacus, originally released on Chicago's Prescription Records (catalogue #006). With four tracks spanning roughly 26 minutes, this record has since gained cult status among DJs, collectors, and aficionados of the deeper, more soulful yet futuristic side of house music. Abacus crafted a quintessential deep-house journey: warm grooves, lush textures, scorched sub-bass, and a deeply introspective futuristic atmosphere. Bascom produced a record that never chased trends, but instead quietly built a lasting legacy. This record remained rare and highly sought after. In an era when house music was splintering into countless directions - even reaching the pop charts - The Relics E.P. planted its flag firmly in the underground, soulful terrain. Collectors and DJs continue to cite it as essential deep house, often describing it as ''one of the finest deep-house records of all time.'' Its scarcity and enduring emotional pull have only strengthened its legend. Decades on, The Relics E.P. continues to surface in DJ mixes and playlists, and as a touchstone for producers seeking that timeless balance of groove and emotion. Now, three Decades later, Clone Classic Cuts is proud to present a fully remastered edition of The Relics E.P., including previously unreleased material from the same recording sessions. Pressed on 140-gram virgin black vinyl, this edition restores and elevates a true cornerstone of deep-house history.

Where maturity evolves into a signature sound, the personal and musical journey becomes one. Chromadelia by Italian producer and live artist Ness refines two decades of precision and craft. It is techno reduced to its core logic - direct, functional, and self-aware. Ness' process moves from spontaneous jams to detailed sculpting, a continuous sequence where improvisation gradually becomes structure. Randomness plays a role, but only as the foundation for his architecture. The result is music that feels both deliberate and fluid, shaped by intuition and refined through years of practice. Minimalism here isn't merely an aesthetic choice, but an organic conclusion -- drawn from experience and the trust that less can truly reveal more. The four tracks on Chromadelia extend this clarity onto the dance floor: sharp, beepy, metallic, rhythmically charged, yet open enough to let each element breathe. Introspection and club-functionality coexist seamlessly, each amplifying the other. In Chromadelia, Ness demonstrates that every tone, every pulse serves a purpose, offering a clear reflection of an artist who has learned to let precision speak louder than complexity.

Cristi Cons makes his Crosstown Rebels debut with his latest EP, ‘Give Me Love’.

The three-track exploration of rhythm, tension, and hypnotic club craft lands on 16th January 2026.
Damian Lazarus’ Crosstown Rebels imprint opens its 2026 release schedule with a special label debut from Romanian favourite Cristi Cons, as he delivers a magnetic three-tracker in the form of his ‘Give Me Love’ EP. Known for his precise, minimal-infl ected approach and unwavering command of groove, Cristi’s arrival onto the label brings a release that distils his signature tension-and-release architecture into some of its most direct club form yet.

The title track, ‘Give Me Love’, unfolds with subtle vocal refrains, shadowy atmospheres, and a rolling, elastic groove built for late-night momentum. On the B-side, ‘Can You Hear Me’ channels a sleeker, more hypnotic pulse, with dubby textures, restrained bass pressure, hooky vocals, and a snaking groove to keep dancers moving. Closing the EP, ‘You Ain’t Got Nothin’ brings vibrant synths, tight drum programming, and more captivating vocal use into a head-down trip that leans into Cons’s innate ability to craft late-night and early-hours journeys.

A longstanding architect of Romania’s influential underground, Cristi Cons has carved a reputation through his solo work, his collaborative SIT project with Vlad Caia, and their shared imprint, Amphia, which now stands as a true force within the minimal landscape. Alongside regular appearances across Europe’s key institutions and collaborations with revered names, including Raresh as part of their Verico project along with Caia, Cristi continues to evolve with each release - and ‘Give Me Love’ delivers yet another side to his diverse sound as he steps into the Crosstown Rebels fold to open the year.

Hiver completes a trilogy of EPs on Gudu with ‘Blue Hell’, another transmission of space-age machine funk from a duo who are truly shaping their own soundworld.

If you’ve followed Hiver, you should know the deal by now: they’ve spent the last decade honing a sound that draws heavily from dance music history – namely the starry-eyed synthesizer funk of classic techno and electro – that drips in colour and emotion without ever feeling retrograde. ‘Blue Hell’ is their third EP for Gudu, and maybe their most accomplished yet.

In Hiver’s words, “this EP was shaped by a mix of late night club energy and the more introspective, melodic ideas we’ve been exploring in the past years. A big part of it also comes from the tension between how people connect today. This constant, hyper-connected flow of networks, media, and online exchanges and our own way of creating music, which is very physical and personal. We’re always bouncing ideas through messages and files, but the real magic still happens when we meet in the studio, face to face. That contrast between digital connection and human presence became a sort of hidden theme behind the EP.”

“With Blue Hell, our third chapter on Gudu, we wanted to capture a moment of clarity, something direct yet still drifting. In a way, this release completes the excursion we began with the first two records: three points that trace the contours of the sounds we’re drawn to. Each track feels like a fragment of that journey, grounded in rhythm but always leaning toward depth and escape.”

5-track EP of aquatic, dubbed, and acid-infused electro from the Stockholm legend.

After collaborating with Answer Code Request on Delsin early 2024, Amotik now strengthens the relationship with a first solo EP for the Amsterdam based label. Delsin is known for working the sweet spot in between emotive electronica and dancefloor functionality, and it feels like the perfect place for Amotik's new EP 'Raat'. The Berlin based producer has been pushing his highly effective techno tools via his own imprints for over a decade and doesn't make an appearance on external labels often. So for this special occasion he adds new layers of deepness and emotion to his palette. An effortless combo of punchy techno grooves and soothing pads together form a well rounded pack of dancefloor euphoria. The remarkable bleeps and playful rhythms of Amotik's highly effective techno are deftly transformed into four pieces of excellent eyes-closed techno felicity.

Following the reissue of The Pocket of Fever, Ambient Sans presents the second chapter in Masahiro Sugaya’s visionary work for the avant-garde performing arts company Pappa TARAHUMARA.

Founded by Hiroshi Koike in 1982, Pappa TARAHUMARA blended dance, theater, music, and visual art into abstract, immersive stage worlds. Sugaya’s compositions became the sonic counterpart to this radical aesthetic—minimal yet deeply evocative, combining electronics, ambient textures, and delicate melodic gestures into a sound language both intimate and expansive.

Music From Alejo marks his first original stage score for the company: a work where repetition and silence intertwine with shimmering synthesizers and dreamlike motifs, conjuring atmospheres that feel suspended between reality and reverie. More structured than The Pocket of Fever yet equally poetic, the album reveals Sugaya’s gift for translating movement into sound, balancing modern composition with subtle echoes of Japanese tradition.

Reissued for the first time on vinyl, Music From Alejo includes a printed insert featuring an exclusive interview with the artist, alongside photographs from our visit to his home in Japan. Essential listening for anyone drawn to the ambient minimalism of Hiroshi Yoshimura, Midori Takada, or Brian Eno—reimagined here through the lens of Tokyo’s experimental scene of the 1980s.

a1. Straight Line Floating In The Sky
a2. Oldfashioned
b1. An Afternoon When Fish Appeared
b2. Mistral
b3. Alejo's Theme

Repress!

Second Phase (aka Joey Beltram and Mundo Muzique) are 2 legendary producers whose output shaped an entire generation of ravers, DJs and producers minds.
'Mentasm / Mind To Mind' is one such influential release, literally creating new styles, new directions and impacting on dance music for decades to come. Unique programming and fresh sounds made their records stand out head and shoulders above everyone else's output. 'Mentasm' particularly broke ground with it's now infamous 'hoover sound', influencing house, techno and trance music to come and even spilling over into the nascent hardcore, jungle and D&B scenes where it was often imitated or sampled by producers who wanted that ruff, visceral feel for their own tracks, but didn't know how to create it themselves. A new energy was born and it emanated from this milestone 12". 'Mind To Mind' on the flipside is equally as deadly, but in a deeper, more spaced out realm it maneuvers and pulls into a trippy early morning space, the yin to 'Mentasm's yang. This is a quintessential techno record, a glimpse of innovation from back in the day. File under 'classic'.

This special 2021 edition is reissued by R&S Records from original master sources, remastered by Curve Pusher.

Repress!

Undoubtedly one of the most addictive records of 2017, CamelPhat & Elderbrook's 'Cola' has been a defining musical moment of the year. Growing exponentially since its release, the track has captivated tastemakers, DJs and clubbers alike, topping charts and blowing up worldwide to become a true modern anthem. Leading on from the success of the original and some heavyweight remixes, three of which hit the Beatport top ten - for the first time on vinyl, comes a remix package set to continue 'Cola's' dance floor domination.
Rising superstar Franky Rizardo's suitably heavyweight remix comes correct with a club-friendly update that elevates the unmissable vocal hook and bottoms out the breakdown. Dario D'Attis' vinyl exclusive mix continues the club feel with rolling grooves, teasing breakdowns and shuffling hi-hats in a remix which packs a punch, guaranteed to get people moving from the get-go. Mousse T. flips the track completely, bringing those Glitterbox vibes to Defected, taking 'Cola' to the next level and going straight to Traxsource #1 in the process.

A vinyl soundtrack for GQuuuuuuX (Geku Axe) is now available!

"Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX" is a new Gundam series, a collaboration between Studio Khara, the creators of the "Evangelion" series,
and Sunrise, the creators of the Gundam series. The pre-release theatrical version was released in January of this year, becoming a huge hit,
grossing approximately 3.4 billion yen and attracting over 2.06 million viewers.
The TV broadcast began in April, and it became one of the most talked-about anime titles of the spring.
A vinyl record featuring a selection of the soundtrack from "Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX," including the music used in the pre-release theatrical
version, is now available. The music was co-produced by Junsei Terui, known as a member of the bands "Haisui no Nasa" and "siraph" and
Masayuki Hasuo, also a member of "siraph," and composer of the anime "Jujutsu Kaisen" series and the live-action film "Showtime Seven"
The music, which includes pop, electronica, and minimal music that fits the worldview of the work, will allow you to experience a new "Gundam"
sound. The LP label side is colored vinyl (splatter disc) and it is a set of two discs!

Mit Secret Love legt die Londoner Band Dry Cleaning ihr bislang reifstes Werk vor. Das dritte Studioalbum, produziert von Cate Le Bon, ist eine konzentrierte Momentaufnahme der besonderen Chemie zwischen Florence Shaw, Tom Dowse, Nick Buxton und Lewis Maynard. Aus intensiven Sessions in Peckham, Chicago, Dublin und schließlich im Black Box Studio in Frankreich entstand ein Werk, das Vertrauen und Verletzlichkeit ins Zentrum stellt - die Bande zwischen den vier Musiker*innen ebenso wie das fragile Verhältnis zwischen Nähe und Manipulation in der Gesellschaft. Musikalisch schlägt Secret Love eine Brücke zwischen den paranoiden Untertönen des frühen US-Punks, dem coolen Strut der Stones, Stoner-Rock, No-Wave-Experimenten und zarten, fast pastoralen Gitarrenfiguren. Die Stücke atmen gleichermaßen Schärfe und Verspieltheit, immer getragen von Shaws unverwechselbarem Sprechgesang, der präzise auf die dynamischen Soundlandschaften ihrer Band reagiert. Damit knüpft sie an eine Tradition von Spoken-Word-Künstlerinnen wie Laurie Anderson an, erweitert sie aber um eine ganz eigene Mischung aus Absurdität, Empfindsamkeit und lakonischem Humor. Die erste Single "Hit My Head All Day" zeigt exemplarisch, wie Secret Love gesellschaftliche Themen - etwa Desinformation und Einflussnahme - mit persönlicher Unsicherheit und existenzieller Fragilität verknüpft. Doch trotz aller Schwere bleibt das Album von einer spielerischen Offenheit geprägt: Ideen wurden ausprobiert, verworfen, neu zusammengesetzt - bis ein Sound entstand, der gleichzeitig roh, elegant und unerwartet warm klingt. Secret Love ist ein Album über das Vertrauen - in Freundschaften, in Musik, in sich selbst - und über die Risiken, die damit verbunden sind. Es markiert für Dry Cleaning den Schritt zu einer Band, die ihre avantgardistische Energie zu einem unverwechselbaren Ausdruck verdichtet hat.

Was ist Krautrock? Genre, Provokation oder Mythos? Diese Compilation liefert keine endgültige Antwort - aber zwölf ausgewählte Tracks aus fünf Jahrzehnten musikalischer Grenzüberschreitung. In Zusammenarbeit mit Bureau B entstanden, versammelt diese Platte Highlights aus einer größeren, kommentierten Diskografie. Kein Kanon, sondern ein Impuls: zum Wiederhören, Weiterdenken, Diskutieren. Krautrock bleibt Streitfall - und genau das macht ihn lebendig. Jetzt auf transparentem Vinyl - limitiert und unverzichtbar.

Alan Vegas selbstbetiteltes Debüt-Soloalbum kam 1980 raus, zur gleichen Zeit, als Suicide ihr zweites Album "Suicide: Alan Vega and Martin Rev" veröffentlichten. Während Suicides Plattenlabel ZE Records das Duo in Richtung eines synthetischen Disco-Sounds drängen wollte, der von Moroders Produktion von Donna Summers "I Feel Love" inspiriert war, zog es Vega in eine andere Richtung. Er wollte tiefer in die Wurzeln seiner eigenen musikalischen Identität eintauchen, die von Blues, Rockabilly, frühem Rock ,n' Roll und seiner anhaltenden Liebe zu Elvis Presley geprägt war. Vega nutzte die Zeit zwischen den Aufnahmen mit Suicide, um seine selbst geschriebenen Songs auszuarbeiten, begann mit der Produktion seines ersten Albums und trat live auf, um diesen Sound weiterzuentwickeln. Wie auch in seiner bildenden Kunst schichtete Vega Klänge auf minimalistische, dynamische und bewusste Weise. Das Ergebnis war ein einzigartiges Album, das aus rohen Materialien entstand und tief in Vegas künstlerischer Vision verwurzelt war. Tracks wie die klassische Hymne "Jukebox Babe" mit ihrem schwungvollen Rhythmus und ihrer minimalistischen Selbstsicherheit fingen diesen Ansatz perfekt ein und wurden in Frankreich zu einem Hit. "Kung Foo Cowboy" hat einen südstaatlichen Touch und lehnt sich stark an den Blues an, während der goldene Pop-Glanz von "Ice Drummer" mit melodischem, aber klagendem Gesang, marschierenden Trommeln und einem geschmackvollen Mundharmonika-Solo überzeugt. "Bye Bye Bayou" ist ein eindringlicher Mutant-Rockabilly-Song, der den Rock der 50er Jahre mit Vegas exzentrischem Performance-Stil verbindet und später in der Coverversion von LCD Soundsystem aus dem Jahr 2009 neu interpretiert wurde, wodurch Vegas Solowerk einer neuen Generation vorgestellt wurde. In ähnlicher Weise würdigte die Coverversion von "Ice Drummer" durch The Flaming Lips Vegas Außenseitergeist. Jetzt von Josh Bonati anhand der Originalbänder neu gemastert und erstmals auf Streaming-Diensten verfügbar, wurde Alan Vega von Sacred Bones Records originalgetreu neu aufgelegt, wobei die rohe Intensität von Vegas Originalaufnahmen erhalten blieb und sie gleichzeitig für Hörer auf der ganzen Welt neu zugänglich gemacht wurden. "Alan Vega" ist mehr als ein Solo-Debüt, es ist eine Erklärung der künstlerischen Unabhängigkeit und Freiheit eines der einflussreichsten und kompromisslosesten Künstler New Yorks. Ohne die intensive Elektronik von Suicide, aber mit Vegas Außenseiter-Energie und Schärfe, übersetzt das Album den frühen Rock 'n' Roll durch einen Art-Punk-Filter, der sich als eigenständiges Kult-Meisterwerk bewährt hat.

For its 25th anniversary, Cocoon Recordings returns to its roots with an elaborate vinyl LP box set, marking the first part of a two-volume anniversary project. 25 Years Cocoon Recordings – Volume
One brings together exclusive contributions from international artists who have defined the sound and diversity of the label over the past two decades, complemented by fresh talents who are helping to shape its future.
Over the span of 25 years, Cocoon Recordings has created a catalog that now comprises hundreds of releases, 12-inches, albums, mix CDs, and iconic compilation box sets, always bridging past, present, and future. While firmly rooted in techno and house, the label has also provided space for electronica,
ambient, and other evolving genres.
25 Years Cocoon Recordings – Volume One is more than just a compilation. It is both a homage to the label’s history and a glimpse into what lies ahead. With exclusive tracks that embody the Cocoon sound in all its depth and complexity, this release marks a milestone in the legacy of one of electronic
music’s most influential labels, arguably the strongest compilation in Cocoon’s history. To mark this special occasion, Sven Väth’s label presents the first of two carefully curated volumes, uniting 15 exclusive tracks from international artists in celebration of nearly three decades of Cocoon
Recordings. The luxurious 5x12" box set features a spectral-reflective foil finish and includes contributions from renowned names such as Butch, Robag Wruhme, Josh Wink, Guy J, and Dino Lenny, alongside longtime companions of the label including Extrawelt, Harvey McKay, Johannes
Volk, and Raxon. New discoveries of recent years, Jonathan Kaspar and Riccardo De Polo, enrich the release in their own distinctive ways. The compilation is completed by the unmistakable talents of Damiano von Erckert, Fedele, and ja:ck, who provide the perfect conclusion to the first of two parts.
This release sets the stage for what's next: a daring diptych where musical voices emerge, shining with originality and passion, carrying the spirit forward. The story is just beginning. Something special is on the horizon. One can only wonder which artists will shine on the second chapter.

Kaninchenbau label head The Funk District has joined forces with Argentinian keys specialist Sokur for a new four-tracker that collides bluesy samples with sleek electronic grooves. 'Till My Feet Got Numb' kicks off with waves of synth energy run through with sampled vocals that hark back to Robert Johnson. 'Never Satisfied' is another mix of funky drums, jazzy pianos and crackly blues vocals that is unusual but effective. 'Took My Babe Away' repeats this combination, this time with hints of St Germain in the melancholic spoken words and ever more thumping and acid-laced beats. 'Sunshine From The Sky' completes the quartet with more hurried grooves laced with wonky synth work. It's peak time stuff with plenty of deeper meaning.

French house mainstay Franck Roger has been cooking up timeless, deep sounds for decades and right now he is in a superb run of form. Seasons Limited is where he lands next with more of his signature sounds. 'Exodus' opens with a fat, warped bassline and far-sighted chords that hark back to early Detroit. 'Sokette' is much more dusty and minimal, and again has echoes of artists like Omar-S from the Motor City. 'Push It' is a more elastic groove with some aching vocal hooks and diffuse chord work to make this perfect for the late-night sessions.

A chopped-and-screwed love letter to the sounds of rebajada – half-speed cumbia, pioneered by Sonido Dueñez in the 1990s, and born from an overheated turntable motor that didn’t make the crowd stop dancing. With Debit’s treatment, rebajada becomes an ethereal, at times intense ambient tapestry that’s also a history lesson.

Spend any amount of time pacing the streets of Monterrey, the bustling city in the north of Mexico where Delia Beatriz, aka Debit, grew up, and you’ll be sure to catch traces of cumbia echoing from Bluetooth speakers, DIY soundsystems, or car stereos. An Afro-Latin dance form and »practica cultural« originating in Colombia in the early 19th century, cumbia evolved rapidly in the early 1900s, as a localised sound played on drums and flutes quickly modernised to integrate European instrumentation like the accordion. When it reached Mexico in the 1940s, the sound shifted again, fusing with mariachi styles and integrating further vallenato folk elements. Eventually, cumbia spread across the entirety of Latin America, splintering into a spectrum of different musical styles such as chicha in Peru, and cumbia villera in Argentina. And over in Monterrey, cumbia inadvertently found its own idiosyncratic groove.

From the 1950s to the 1970s, waves of immigrants from across Mexico and Latin America headed to Monterrey to find work, making a home in Colonia Independencia. Colombian cumbia records, shipped in from Mexico City, Houston, and Miami, became the soundtrack of the neighbourhood, relaying familiar stories to a rural working class adjusting to their new industrial reality. The sound struck a chord with locals, and huge street parties hosted by ramshackle soundsystems known as sonideros unified the diverse community. So when cumbia rebajada materialised serendipitously in the 1990s, it emphasised and highlighted the memory distortions at the heart of the immigrant experience. Local record collector, selector, and sonidero Gabriel Dueñez had been playing cumbia for hours one night when disaster struck: his turntable’s motor overheated and slowed down, turning the music into a warped groan, with half-speed voices echoing over wobbly accordion drones and splashy drums. But the crowd kept dancing, and Sonido Dueñez realised he’d struck gold – cumbia rebajada was born.

Over the next few years, he dubbed a popular series of mixtapes, hawking them at the flea market on the dried-up Santa Catarina riverbed beneath El Puente del Papa, the bridge that links downtown Monterrey with Independencia. These woozy archives became the stuff of legend, poetically but subconsciously shadowing DJ Screw’s series of epochal cassettes that appeared over the border in Houston. Beatriz uses Sonido Dueñez’s first two tapes as the starting point for »Desaceleradas«, entering into a dialogue with time, culture, and geography as she recalls the sonic ecosystem that surrounded her decades ago, long before she emigrated to the USA. If 2022’s acclaimed »The Long Count« was an attempt to recover concealed pre-Columbian history in the face of colonisation, »Desaceleradas« jumps forward, figuring out how memory and shared celebration can resist a more contemporary form of cultural erasure. As AI systems scrape, blend, and decontextualise culture around us, leaving vapid slop, »Desaceleradas« proposes a slower, more careful, and ultimately more human kind of engagement. It’s an archive with a pulse.

Back when the first white labels started floating through the hands of German, British, American and Canadian DJs in late ’84, nobody was ready for what was coming. The official drop hit in early ’85 and the scene was never the same again. This was the moment Mike Mareen broke through the static. Yeah, he’d been working with Chris Evans-Ironside since the ’70s but nothing hinted that together they’d channel something this futuristic. “Dancing In The Dark” sounded like it had slipped through a wormhole: melancholic, hypnotic vocals wrapped in vocoder haze, riding an arrangement so razor-sharp it made most releases of the era feel prehistoric. It didn’t need the pop charts… It owned the clubs. And the clubs listened.

London. Berlin. Madrid. Rome. Paris. Lisbon. Amsterdam. Athens. Toronto. NYC. Tokyo. Mexico City.

One drop of that electro bassline and DJs were hooked. Crowds were hooked. The whole underground was hooked. Soon Europe’s radio charts caved under its pressure, and the track crossed borders on mixtapes, becoming a cult anthem behind the Iron Curtain. It was everywhere, even where it technically wasn’t allowed to be.

Fast-forward four decades and the spell hasn’t faded. “Dancing In The Dark” still shows up in indie dance, italo wave, house and deep house sets. Producers keep re-editing it like it’s sacred material. It’s one of those tracks that DJs treasure, a timeless weapon, one of the top three defining singles of Mareen’s entire career.

And now for the 40th anniversary of its official release, Vintage Pleasure Boutique and Night’n Day Records drop the vinyl every collector and selector has been waiting for: a special reissue loaded with four brand-new remixes spanning the full spectrum of today’s underground indie/disco/italo/house energy.

Tallac – the American Berlin dweller – dives deep into the hypnotic soul of the original, pulling out its buried deep-house DNA and carving out a spacious, emotional roller.

Luksek, Italian producer & DJ, goes raw and dirty: loop-driven, gritty, underground, hypnotic, the kind of edit that eats dancefloors alive.

Flemming Dalum, the Danish Italo grandmaster, finally gets to remix the track he’d always dreamed of touching and of course it’s pure Flemingish electro-italo magic.

And the Polish sparkle: A.P. Mono delivers a shimmering mix of italo disco, glitterbox groove, disco glamour and synthwave glow, all while keeping the spirit of Mareen’s original heartbeat intact.

The wax also features two historical heavy-hitters: the 1985 Jens Lissat’s team remix and Luis Rodriguez’s original arrangement, essential cuts in the Mareen universe.

This release isn’t nostalgia. It’s a resurrection. A celebration. A reminder. “Dancing In The Dark” didn’t survive 40 years by accident, it survived because it still moves bodies, breaks hearts and lights up floors in ways modern tracks can only wish for.

If you’re an indie, italo, wave, house or disco DJ… This record isn’t just worth owning… It’s mandatory.

Few producers have had the same seismic impact on techno and rave music as Joey Beltram. Hailing from Queens, New York, Beltram was a key architect of the early '90s rave explosion and responsible for some of the most influential electronic records of the era - and it was Belgium’s R&S Records that gave many of these tracks their first home.

Originally compiled and released by R&S in 1996, Classics brings together the core of Beltram’s groundbreaking early output - namely the Beltram Vol. 1 (1990) and Beltram Vol. 2 (1991) EPs, alongside the legendary Second Phase productions ‘Mentasm’ and ‘Mind To Mind’ (1991), plus a selection of aliases and collaborative work from the same period, including tracks under Mental Mayhem, Open Mind, and Disorder.

Now remastered and reissued as a 2LP set for 2025, Classics is available on vinyl for the first time since 2006, offering a long overdue opportunity to own these timeless cuts in their purest form. Across the 13 tracks, you'll hear the sheer force and innovation that made Beltram a household name in underground techno.

Integral to this collection are ‘Jazz 303’ and ‘Psycho Bass,’ co-produced with Norwegian techno innovator Per Martinsen (aka The Alien), which stand out for their experimental, forward-facing sound - highlighting a futuristic edge even within Beltram’s already pioneering catalogue. Elsewhere, his Second Phase project with Mundo Muzique delivers the seminal ‘Mentasm’ and ‘Mind To Mind,’ two foundational tracks that introduced the infamous “hoover” sound to dancefloors worldwide. Rounding out the set are deeper cuts under his aliases Mental Mayhem, Disorder, and Open Mind, capturing the breadth of Beltram’s restless creativity and technical command during his peak R&S years.
Classics’ by Joey Beltram is available on R&S Records from 25th July 2025.

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