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When Air’s Nicolas Godin released his debut solo album, Contrepoint (2015), he channelled the influence of Bach into a rich, resonant and hugely rewarding spread of musical explorations. One soundtrack (A Very Secret Service) later, Godin builds on equally fertile conceptual foundations for the follow-up. Released through Because Music on 24th January, Concrete and Glass is an exquisitely crafted set of variations on architectural reference points: mounted with minimalist precision and delivered with an abundance of pop warmth, it finds Godin in his element, working seductive wonders with poise and style to spare.

For Godin, the album circles back to his formative work as half of ground-breaking French electronic group Air. Revered modern architect Le Corbusier was an influence on the young architecture graduate’s music, notably on his 1997 debut “Modular Mix”. Twenty-plus years later, Le Corbusier featured on a list of modernist architects Godin was invited to compose tributes for, tributes intended to be heard as the soundtrack to site-specific installations around the world.

In its soft ambient pulse and melting minimalism, lead track “The Border” is a perfect entry-point to Godin’s hymns to buildings, arranged and co-produced with Pierre Rousseau. Its levitating synths, vocoder vocals and scudding bass hove into view with understated elegance, all the better to accommodate the discreet slow-build of delicate details within. As with Air, Godin makes gorgeously light work of every angle: this is music that seems entirely unperturbed by gravity, occupying an elevated atmosphere of its own.

Elsewhere, the title-track’s clean synth lines, crisply apportioned arrangements and tender timpani offer another inviting entry-point, sculpted with architectural clarity. While Godin’s vocoder vocals also hark back to Air’s early work, the album accommodates a diverse spread of guest vocalists elsewhere. Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor guests on the falsetto-soul dream-pop of “Catch Yourself Falling”, one of Godin’s sweetest melodies yet. Oxnard singer/activist Cola Boyy brings soul to the righteously engaged “The Foundation”; the squelchy synths and buoyant grooves burn slow, allowing the stealthy arrangements and message room to resonate. Psychedelic soul singer Kadhja Bonet sings with measured serenity over tremulous synths on “We Forgot Love”, while Russian experi-pop artist Kate NV brings a gracefully aching romanticism to the blissful swoon-pop of “Back to Your Heart”.

Additionally, Australian conceptual provocateur Kirin J Callinan contributes a vocal of restrained drama to “Time on My Hands”, a midnight-drift soft-pop ballad with a silky allure. One of the quickest tracks to record for the album, it emerged in collaborations between Los Angeles (”During some lively sessions in Mac DeMarco’s studio,” notes Godin) and Paris. After he missed his flight home, Callinan stayed in France for a day as the guitar solos were recorded, complementing the song's air of sleek luxuriousness.

Between its title-track and the sultry, smoky jazz stylings of closer “Cité Radieuse”, Concrete and Glass is an album that truly travels, in tune with its global pitch. For Godin, it marks another milestone in a musical journey that began when Air’s 1998 debut album, Moon Safari, became the sublimely weightless soundtrack of its time. For Concrete and Glass, Godin builds on his storied past with tremendous finesse, charm and fluency, opening fresh windows of perspective at every lovingly executed turn.

repress

2LP 140G VINYL + 12 PAGE BOOKLET.

"Space Echo - The mystery behind the "Cosmic Sound" of Cabo Verde finally revealed!" is the 20th release by the fabulous Analog Africa Label.

In the spring of 1968 a cargo ship was preparing to leave the port of Baltimore with an important shipment of musical instruments. Its final destination was Rio De Janeiro, where the EMSE Exhibition (Exposição Mundial Do Son Eletrônico) was going to be held.

It was the first expo of its kind to take place in the Southern Hemisphere and many of the leading companies in were all eager to present their newest synthesisers and other gadgets to a growing and promising South American market, spearheaded by Brazil and Colombia.

The ship with the goods set sail on the 20th of March on a calm morning and mysteriously disappeared from the radar on the very same day.

One can only imagine the surprise of the villagers of Cachaço, on the Sao Nicolau island of Cabo Verde, when a few months later they woke up and found a ship stranded in their fields, in the middle of nowhere, 8 km from any coastline.

After consulting with the village elders, the locals had decided to open the containers to see what was inside - however gossip as scintillating as this travels fast and colonial police had already arrived and secured the area.

Portuguese scientists and physicians were ordered to the scene and after weeks of thorough studies and research, it was concluded that the ship had fallen from the sky. One of the less plausible theories was that it might have fallen from a Russian military air carrier. The locals joked that again the government had wasted their tax money on a useless exercise, as a simple look at the crater generated by the impact could explain the phenomena. "No need for Portuguese rocket scientists to explain this!" they laughed.

What the villagers didn't know, was that traces of cosmic particles were discovered on the boat. The bow of the ship showed traces of extreme heat, very similar to traces found on meteors, suggesting that the ship had penetrated the hemisphere at high speed. That theory also didn't make sense as such an impact would have reduced the ship to dust. Mystery permeated the event.

Finally, a team of welders arrived to open the containers and the whole village waited impatiently.

The atmosphere, which had been filled with joy and excitement, quickly gave way to astonishment. Hundreds of boxes conjured, all containing keyboards and other instruments which they had never seen before: and all useless in an area devoid of electricity. Disappointment was palpable. The goods were temporarily stored in the local church and the women of the village had insisted a solution be found before Sunday mass.

It is said that charismatic anti-colonial leader Amílcar Cabral had ordered for the instruments to be distributed equally in places that had access to electricity, which placed them mainly in schools.

This distribution was best thing that could have happened - keyboards found fertile grounds in the hands of curious children, born with an innate sense of rhythm who picked up the ready-to-use instruments. This in turn facilitated the modernisation of local rhythms such as Mornas, Coladeras and the highly danceable music style called Funaná, which had been banned by the Portuguese colonial rulers until 1975 due to its sensuality!

The observation was made that the children who came into contact with the instruments found on the ship inherited prodigious capabilities to understand music and learn instruments. One of them was the musical genius Paulino Vieira, who by the end of the 70s would become the country´s most important music arranger. 8 out of the 15 songs presented in this compilation had been recorded with the backing of the band Voz de Cabo Verde, lead by Paulino Vieira, the mastermind behind the creation and promulgation of what is known today as "The Cosmic Sound of Cabo Verde".

The field of electronic music were involved. Rhodes, Moog, Farfisa, Hammond and Korg, just to name a few.

The On Board Music imprint returns with its third release this October, a five- track various artist package featuring material from Lanoche, Yugen, Serena Butler, Estrato Aurora and Vera Logdanidi.

Laura BCR’s On Board Music delivers its third release here, following two mini LP projects from Healing Force Project and Mesak. The ‘Point A’ project marks the beginning of a series of VA’s coming on the imprint focusing on both established and up and coming talents from different origins, stylistically ranging from ambient to techno and all meeting together on the dance floor. French painter Natacha Mankowski provided the artwork once again, and mastering was taken care of by Carsten Dämbkes.

Taking the lead is Lanoche’s ‘Love Fall’, an ethereal opener fuelled by hypnotic pads, wandering bass tones and heavily reverberated, shuffled percussion before Yugen’s ‘Phantom’ lays focus on pulsating arpeggios, choppy bass stabs and swirling atmospherics. Serena Butler’s ‘Fertile Fancy’ follows next, a cinematic four minute ambient cut employing subtly nuanced pads and bright voice like tones throughout.

Estrato Aurora’s ‘Icnita’ opens the flips side with murky, oscillating bass tones, gritty, off-kilter drums and an ever-present underlying tension before Vera Logdanini’s ‘VPlanet’ rounds out the package perfectly, delivering a reduced Techno cut fuelled by cavernous atmospherics, arpeggio bleeps and swirling low-end pulses.

red & black marbled vinyl

Navigating between time and space, label head Foreign Material continues his historical journey with The Quest , a piece inspired by medieval legends.

Of Faith and Glory leads the way, an epic track which carries the knights' fervor and devotion through strong rhythmics and mystical eerie pads. American maestro Eric Cloutier provides a deep reverberating rework which brings us far underwater.

Of Flesh and Duty dives deeper into medieval madness with fierce rolling toms and hypnotic acid line. The track takes us along knights venturing deep into mysterious woods, accompanied by devastating celestial choirs into a glorious and deadly final. Deep techno craftsman A Sacred Geometry shares his vision with a strong remix that goes into battle frenzy with a powerful and mesmerizing reinterpretation.

At last, Of Fire and Fate (Digital Only Track) releases the rising tension and gives a relief after the storm with broken beats and shamanic vibes. This heroic conclusion underlines the impossibility of a far yet necessary goal leading only to death.

A bloody never-ending Quest...

Gyedu-Blay Ambolley was born on the 11th Street in Sekondi, Ghana 72 years ago. On the cover photo you can see on the right side the house of his birth which was also his parental home. The Ghanian legend’s latest release shows off a pride of heritage, and his honed talent for mixing highlife with other genres like rap, Afro-funk and Disco Ghanaian highlife. Gyedu-Blay Ambolley returns with 11th Street, Sekondi, his 31st album since his debut in 1973. The charismatic stage personality, no stranger to mixing humour into his music and who has performed alongside Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti and highlife bandleader Ebo Taylor, has been a record collector’s staple since his appearance on the seminal Ghana Soundz compilation on Soundway in 2002, which re-introduced the world to his trademark ‘Simigwa’ style. Highlife, which started in Sierra Leone and Liberia, took hold in Ghana in the 1940s as a coming together of the musicians fed up with the foxtrot and quickstep parties originally hosted by English colonists. It began with big band horns and happy lyrics, popularised by artists such as E.T Mensah, before opening up in the ‘50s and ‘60s with a wave of guitardriven, socially conscious and more danceable Afro-funk hits -- a product of the easy movement of people between Nigeria and Ghana. It was then that Ambolley’s trademark baritone vocals burst onto the scene, under the tutelage of close personal friend Ebo Taylor.

Ambolley’s latest album, 11th Street, Sekondi, named after the area of West Ghana in which he grew up, is a look back at the area and musical styles that shaped the musician’s life. Black Woman is a funky number that opens the album with Ambolley on a tenor sax solo, while tracks like Little Small Girl showcase his renowned James Brown-influenced vocal flourishes. Soul, jazz, blues and comedy are present -- in keeping with his fervent belief that music must always be entertaining for the listener. The album is the second of his to be released on German label Agogo records, after acclaimed 2017 hit, Ketan. It also stays true to highlife's social ambitions, with reflections on the misguided pursuit of European ideals ahead of African values. Ambolley's career has been filled with accolades, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Charles R Drew University in Los Angeles, and formal recognition from the Ghana Embassy in Washington DC for producing the first ever commercially recorded rap album.

12" + 7"

In 2009 Mocky made a radical decision: after having become one of the cult figures of the leftfield Berlin electronic music scene of the early 2000s, Mocky retired his sampler and travelled to Paris to embark on an all acoustic journey with the producer Renaud Letang in the vintage Studio Ferber, previously inhabited by the likes of Nina Simone and Serge Gainsbourg.

Named after a song he made up when he was 7, using imaginary words, "Saskamodie" was an instant new future/retro classic: a return to pure musical expression by a cutting edge artist who was no longer bound by the electronic music scene. "Saskamodie" was a brave step into unchartered waters, the sound of a musician exploring where his talent can take him with rare confidence and authority. At different points you could hear a vintage soundtrack suite, a debonair jazz record (minus the solos) or a golden era '60s soul ballad recording ... yet, as if all these charming stylistic sorties weren't loveable enough, cut "Saskamodie" through the middle and you'll find that sweet, inescapably infectious melody is the lifeblood trickling through its core.

Mocky is listed as playing drums, bass, rhodes, piano, guitar, percussion, bells, recorder, vocals, whistle, organ and toys as well as writing string arrangements. Taylor Savvy, Gonzales, Jamie Lidell and Feist contribute additional instrumental and backing vocal performances that make this record sound more like a live performance than a studio creation.

"Saskamodie" has definitely stood the test of time and Mocky still successfully follows the path he started with this recording - be it on his series of digital Moxtapes, his album "Key Change", his recent "recorded-in-one-day" jazz album "A Day At United", his score for the japanese Netflix anime "Carole & Tuesday" or his writing and production work for the likes of Feist or Kelela.

Originally only released as CD/Digital Download, this 10 years anniversary limited vinyl edition brings us "Saskamodie" in it's original form, re-mastered for deluxe 180g vinyl and accompanied by an exclusive bonus 7" with a new single edit of the album's hit "Birds Of A Feather", a solo piano version of "Guiding Light" by Chilly Gonzales, the recent coverversion of "Birds Of A Feather" by LA's underground funk sensation Vulfpeck and a remix featuring a collaboration with noone less than the Wu Tang's GZA.

"An exceptionally musical album – there’s no other word for it – that could fail to seduce only the hardest of hearing, or the hardest of hearts" (Pitchfork, 8.0 review)

"An amazing record…a big hit for me" (Gilles Peterson)

"If Saskamodie was a film, it would undoubtedly be The Science of Sleep by Michel Gondry. Please take that as a wholehearted endorsement" (BBC)

It might sound far fetched but here goes: Circadian Rhythms aka Dj Deg brought techno to Belgium before anyone was ready for it. The 1990s collective “Bad Woofers Posse” formed with lifelong friend Mike DMA and their “PK” warehouse parties served as fertile ground for the young producer.
Steeped in this new atmosphere, Deg locked himself up in his bedroom studio at his parents’ place and started developing his interpretation of the freshly imported techno/house sound. In the Belgian way. Combining emotional synth play with neck-breaking drum patterns, sequenced like dreams forever chasing the climax.

BM11 collects six unreleased takes from this almost forgotten period (1989 – 1994).

In the 1960s and ‘70s, unbeknownst to most, Saigon (today named “Ho Chi Minh City”) had become a fertile environment for a flourishing music industry which produced countless recordings of beautifully crafted songs.

Ho Chi Minh City based band, Saigon Soul Revival has been bringing alternative pre 1975 music from Saigon back to the stage since 2016 with their live performances. Honoring the original composers, singers and the golden era from which this music (Nhạc Vàng) came, while applying new arrangements and interpretations of old Vietnamese songs. With tight grooves, psychedelic textures and a powerful unique sound, SSR has performed countless shows at a variety of venues across Vietnam, and accompanied live the two release tours to the Saigon Supersound Compilation releases.

While spending the last three years studying and playing this music, Saigon Soul Revival teamed up with producer Jan Hagenkötter (Saigon Supersound / INFRACom!) and finally in January 2019, they started to create own compositions in the same vein for their debut album Họa Âm Xưa. The album was recorded in Vietnam with additional guests during one week in May this year.

The album focuses on compositions that fuse Vietnamese lyrics and sounds with influences of western rock, soul, bolero, tango and other popular genres of this time period, most of which was banned after the war. This project strives to revive this beautiful musical heritage of Vietnam which represents an important cultural bridge between east and west.

Ross Ferraro is a seasoned producer from Australia that has been making waves as 1/2th of The Posse, - after a Posse remix on the Pulp side of things, Ross Ferraro now presents his first outing as Rosario on the Saft mothership. "Keep On EP" contains three originals and a remix by Adam Feingold's under his Ex-T moniker.

The title track is a breezy affair that combines crazed synth swirls with oddball disco FX and a tight section of drums which serves as the perfect opening track for this overall outgoing record.

"Ex-T's Phunqy Mix" starts off in a more timid way, but as the name suggests - quickly gets more extrovert and freakish. Vocals and experimental sounding blips and blops take over and cleverly come together in an original fashion.

"Lo" revolves around an tribal sounding chant, chord hits and an array of fx, and quickly becomes - while remaining quite stripped down - the most euphoric track in this collection. The chords sit beautifully with the bouncy drums and evolving arpeggiator that floats on top.

"Follow Me" is a silky smooth work with a soothing vocal and piano sample that work as the main sounds. Rosario is constantly altering the bass sound throughout this cut and creating a modern boogie ambience. The trance inducing synths suggest a relaxing evening atmosphere and cause for "Follow Me" to be the perfect farewell cut.

Neurot Recordings are proud to reissue the landmark collaboration Neurosis & Jarboe, which was originally released in 2003. This latest version is fully remastered and with entirely new artwork from Aaron Turner.

Very limited silver metallic and black swirl 2LP - Non-Returnable

Steve Von Till explains the idea behind the remastering; "Bob Weston (Chicago Mastering Service, and member of Shellac) worked closely with Noah on making these new versions sound as good as the possibly can. Noah has the most trained critical ear for fidelity out of all of us being an engineer himself. We recorded this ourselves with consumer level Pro Tools back then, in order to be able to experiment at home in getting different sounds and writing spontaneously.  The technology has come a long way since then and we thought we could run it through better digital to analog conversion and trusted Bob Weston to be able to bring out the best in it....This new mastered version is a bit more open, with a better stereo image, and better final eq treatment."

He continues about the original artwork..."Aaron felt he could create something that would unify the energy of both Jarboe and Neurosis in an elegant manner.  We let him do his thing and I think it definitely adds to mystery of the album and sets it apart from the rest of our catalog."

When two independent and distinct spheres overlap, the resulting ellipse tends to emphasise the most striking and powerful characteristics of each body. Such is the case with this particular collaboration between heavy music pioneers Neurosis and the multi-faceted performer Jarboe (who performed in Swans and who has collaborated with an array of people from Blixa Bargeld, J.G. Thirlwell, Attila Csihar, Bill Laswell, Merzbow, Justin K. Broadrick, Helen Money, Father Murphy, the list goes on...) The musicians pull from one another some of the most harrowing and unusual sounds ever heard from either artist at the time - a sentiment which also rings true to some 15 years later.

Neurosis & Jarboe opens with a high-pitched whirring sound winding up as Jason Roeder's ominous tom-drum beat and Noah Landis' slinking synth line writhe in unison until Jarboe drops in, drawling in her characteristic, corrupted Southern belle voice, "I tell ya, if God wants to take me, He will." From there on in, the album is a series of abrupt shifts and cleverly juxtaposed themes that flows in a rhythm of its own. The sinister and ethereal sounds, vocal coos and electro-pulses of "His Last Words" seem like the perfect soundtrack to a David Lynch film. On "Erase," song parts are dissected and grafted one atop the other, continually building tension as Jarboe wails and yelps with Banshee fervor.

The project began with the artists working in seclusion, recording the elements that would best highlight their own characteristic integrity and personality, rather than either attempting to mimic one another's familiar elements. As recorded ideas were passed back and forth, the collaboration proved to bring out the most unhinged and urgent talents of all those involved.

Throughout the album, that signature "Neurosis note" - the sound of something simultaneously recoiling and erupting, the apocalyptic tone announcing the birth of a new world - reaches its apex and becomes evermore icy and eviscerating. Guitarists Steve Von Till and Scott Kelly trim their tones for cleaner, chorus-drenched effects layered between the thunderous distortion blasts of bassist Dave Edwardson. Likewise, Jarboe's operatic wail and other vocal contortions sound perfectly suited to the eruptive emotional fray of the music.

The collaboration is a deeply textured mosaic that is a culmination of merged aesthetics from two major influences on free-thinking sounds. It unlocked the hidden potential of electronic music as a new force in heavy rock. At a time when groups like Oneida, Wolf Eyes and Black Dice were beginning to experiment with technology in making mind-numbing leaden electro-drone freed from any essence of "dance music," Neurosis & Jarboe redefined all notions of their past - and outlined the course of heavy music to come. It's interesting to look back through the lens of this release, and think about these ideas and concepts in the present.

Neurosis & Jarboe remains the meeting point of all art that takes us beyond ourselves.

Captivity is the next highly anticipated extended EP by Kush Arora aka Only Now, following a triptych of self-released output in 2019. Continuing the project’s ever evolving engagement with themes of time and existence, Captivity encompasses versatile synthesis, mutant kuduro, widescreen sound design, turbulent cold fronts of power ambient and melodic undertones of black metal.

The product of a two-year period in which Arora was contending with transitional shifts in his personal life, Captivity is a culmination of what the project has explored both in a prolific run of recent material and as a whole, across several years of time dilating, mind altering music.
 
Although shaped by adversity and corresponding sentiments of angst and insignificance, Captivity is pitched at total transcendence. Adopting a meticulous approach to production, a methodology which opens up almost every element to transformation and deconstruction, Arora generates forms which possess a sense of pointillist precision, as well as a keen psychedelic potency.
 
Despite consistency with his earlier output as Only Now, Captivity is nevertheless an indication of Arora’s ability to challenge internal and external assumptions. The introduction of new hardware – namely, the Nord Drum 3P synthesizer – as well as the incorporation of far-flung atmospherics – closing track ‘Clock Lust’ features field recordings from a trip to Kyoto – delivers fresh enterprise and experimentation, contributing to the expansion of a sound signature which remains as unpredictable and compelling as ever.
 
With the eponymous opener, Arora combines fathomless underworlds and riotous breakbeats. On ‘Mutants’ a hyper-kinetic onslaught of percussion, low-end and stray cut-ups of noise break out, building to a panorama of thunderous industrial firmaments. ‘Perpetual Slaughter’ maintains momentum with icy, ricocheting FX and concussive, tribal drums, and then unexpectedly shifts into a poignant outro which brings to the fore the enduring influence of black metal on the project. ‘Bound 2’ is cut with relentless sub-bass and rapid syncopation, resembling an abstracted form of juke music, something that could feasibly have been masterminded by Autechre. With the LP’s finale, ‘Clock Lust’, Arora presents a finale of transfixing 3D ritualism, the lone toll of a bell ringing out into a mesmeric emptiness.
 
Together these form a complete statement from Arora, illustrating the fertile and open-ended territories the Only Now project has arrived at after promising outings on Infinite Machine and Discrepant imprint Sucata Tapes. With Captivity Arora delivers a substantial highpoint and a profound voyage into the world of Only Now.

Lanark Artefax releases a new EP titled ‘Corra Linn’ on 24th October via Numbers, l-a-n-a-r-k. net .

It is the Scottish producer’s first solo output since his breakout record on Whities in 2017, which included the ethereal ‘Touch Absence’. The three-track EP arrives after last year’s remix of Björk and an extensive period touring his internationally acclaimed live A/V show.

Recorded sometime in the last year and a half, the three tracks across ‘Corra Linn’ materialise like a cascading data flow; combining lazer sharp digital synths and hyperspatial sound design with scaled up, spine-tingling choral melodies, time-refracted field recordings and ethereal childlike vocal arrangements.

The EP’s title track, ‘Corra Linn’, takes its name from a waterfall in the Lanark area of Scotland, the water of which flows into one of the oldest hydro-electric power stations in the UK. The artwork accompanying the EP is a photomicrographic image of Lanarkite; a rare and precious mineral form. Almost all significant occurrences of Lanarkite were discovered deep within the Leadhills in South Lanarkshire, but it is said that an unknown, but large, quantity of it was once unearthed at the base of Corra Linn waterfall.

Visit the Lanark Artefax web portal l-a-n-a-r-k . net to explore the digital archive accompanying the release.

Southern Lord is proud to present reissues of the first two albums from iconic Portland-by-way-of-Nashville-based hardcore punk icons, From Ashes Rise.

Alongside related acts His Hero Is Gone and Tragedy, From Ashes Rise are one of the most iconic pioneer acts of the gloom-heavy American crust/hardcore sound born of the late 1990s.

Following their EPs on Clean Plate Records and Partners In Crime Records, the debut full-length Concrete & Steel was initially released through Feral Ward Records in 2000, followed by the release of their second album, Silence, through the same label later that same year.

Staples of the band’s catalogue, these two seminal LPs have not only stood the test of time, but lie as markers at the beginning of a now well-trodden path, making From Ashes Rise one of the founding acts of the sound so many modern acts continue to draw influence from.

The reissues of Concrete & Steel and Silence have been fully remastered by the band’s Brad Boatright at his revered Audiosiege in Portland, Oregon, the LP’s original covers formatted to tip-on jackets.

Southern Lord is proud to present reissues of the first two albums from iconic Portland-by-way-of-Nashville-based hardcore punk icons, From Ashes Rise.

Alongside related acts His Hero Is Gone and Tragedy, From Ashes Rise are one of the most iconic pioneer acts of the gloom-heavy American crust/hardcore sound born of the late 1990s.

Following their EPs on Clean Plate Records and Partners In Crime Records, the debut full-length Concrete & Steel was initially released through Feral Ward Records in 2000, followed by the release of their second album, Silence, through the same label later that same year.

Staples of the band’s catalogue, these two seminal LPs have not only stood the test of time, but lie as markers at the beginning of a now well-trodden path, making From Ashes Rise one of the founding acts of the sound so many modern acts continue to draw influence from.

The reissues of Concrete & Steel and Silence have been fully remastered by the band’s Brad Boatright at his revered Audiosiege in Portland, Oregon, the LP’s original covers formatted to tip-on jackets.

It's a strange new post-everything musical landscape we occupy.
The machines - you could argue - have been playing the humans for some time, and the conversation became pretty one-sided.
But you know, not everyone is singing from that hymn sheet. That Man Monkz enjoyed the apprenticeship at House PLC more than the opportunity to progress to middle management. Itchy musical feet meant extended exploration of fertile avenues of interest like the Madison Washington & Pan Amsterdam Hip Hop projects, meanwhile the pull of the 4/4 was never far from the studio door, and all accomplished with an assured versatility that shines.
Musical alliances formed in the disparate but related playgrounds of Detroit, Sheffield, Berkeley and Atlanta, all underpinned by an emphasis on seeking out collaborations and gigs, which represented a real exchange of energies, rather than a bank raid.
Letting things percolate in this more measured way means we've arrived here, a follow up of sorts to 2016's 'Columbusing'
This is Monkz allowing the ear ringing of gigs to feedback organically into bright dance floor flashes, which by virtue of their careful crafting are destined to last much longer.
On Zero Sum, we get a much greater economy of elements on the pared down dance floor ammo like 'Freaks N Prophets' & 'Chai Tea', a perfect counterpoint to beautifully realised pieces like 'Them Thangs feat Ms Fae' & 'After Dark with Nikki O' interspersed with funk-heavy workouts and sample jams like 'Easy Still', 'LvnLmtd' & the unashamedly KDJ influenced shamanism of 'WhatUthinkIDo'
It's a pick 'em and stick 'em ride of individual gems and a cohesive whole too. The opposite of thrown together, this has been worked and weathered, naturally. The House always wins, but sometimes...just sometimes.

Casino Times? aka Nicholas Church and Joseph Spencer
from London have been betting against the house for
close to 10 years already, winning big with releases on
Wolf Music, Needwant, Omena and their own Casino
Edits label. The pair also hosts the radio Show “What’s
My Derivative?” on Bloop Radio.
Since Mireia Record’s big cheeses RSS Disco have been keen to gamble with the Time’s
music, routinely lighting up dancefloors with it, a loose connection and mutual admiration
formed over the years and eventually lead to this fine record here.
RUSH & KAWAI
Casino Times demonstrate their cunning yet natural and flowing sound with two originals:
“Rush” and “Kawai”. Both tracks are a proper trip of its own, psychedelic pinball machines
that’ll catapult you to the further edges of the known sphere.
An arpeggiated melody line leads the “Rush”, while a rock solid foundation of hard hitting
drums keep you steady. The melody filters into acidic fringes and a strange voice guides the
traveler to the core of this outer-body experience.
By intertwining a pulsating E-Bass with sharp percussions and a brazen guitar chords,
“Kawai” steers the travels even further out of world’s reach. A whole ensemble of sirens and
vocal fragments warn of imminent rapture. After this, it’ll be hard to return to the mundane.New Release Information
KAWAI (Conga Fever’s Belgian Fries Remix)
Leading the string of three remixes is Mireia’s Conga Fever. Known by now for impeccable
and inspired productions he might just have outdone himself again with this interpretation
of “Kawai”.
Taking cues from Belgian New Beat while sounding unconditionally modern at the same
time, Conga Fever has crafted a bona fide festival anthem. After confidently building up
tension and taking his time in the breakdown, the remix manages to release an incredible
amount of energy. We’ve seen people out of their minds and literally stage dive to this one.
KAWAI (Rigopolar Remix)
A new face and dream cast to the label: Rigopolar aka Menio Brown. The Brooklyn-based
producer and DJ has been on our radar for some years with a string of captivating releases
for Tom Tom Disco, Nazca Records and an upcoming EP on Duro. Especially “Sun Of
Lemuria’s” hypnotic brittleness turned our heads.
Adding a new high point to his repertoire, Rigopolar’s take on “Kawai” is an expansive, dark
journey into the void. Powerful lasers and strobe lights appear to lead the way, emergency
broadcast voices beckon the dancers to the floor. The clobbering bassline and twitching
melody help to reach previously unseen heights.
RUSH (Filburt Remix)
Working his signature slow-burn magic on his remix of “Rush” is Filburt. More than happy to
welcome him back to the label. The O*RS label head, DJ and producer is responsible for
some of our favorite material in the past and does not disappoint with this remix either.
Lush pad sounds oppose salient drumming, slowly tightening the atmosphere while a robotic
voice evokes a melancholic mood. The whole night’s rooted on this fervid bassline and it’ll
carry you into next Monday

DJ Richard's first release of 2019 sees him drop four invigorating electro tracks on Flexxseal titled "Eraser".

Emerging from the Providence noise scene, DJ Richard forges a path of disciplined selectiveness as a producer and DJ with his idiosyncratic style allowing him to make impressive, self-assured connections between 80s EBM, new beat and Italo disco, electro, techno and "post-minimalist" house. DJ Richard's feral approach evolved from the roots of his White Material imprint which quickly achieved cult status after early releases from himself and co-founders Galcher Lustwerk and Young Male.

As a solo artist, DJ Richard continues to push the boundaries of his talent and influences reflected in his two utterly distinctive and bewitching albums released in alliance with influential German electronic label, Dial. "Eraser" sees him join up with fellow American Christopher Joseph and his Flexxseal imprint as DJ Richard masterfully maintains his skill in propagating ephemeral and raw sounds with his aptitude for electronic body control.

"Critical Damage" kicks things off with resilient oscillations fused beautifully with angelic leads and thudding percussion reflecting a post-punk aesthetic while "Eraser" delivers tough, acidic swirls undulating beneath sharp, broken grooves and growling undertones.

On the flip, a slow, chugging drum sequence balanced with haunting modulations and machine-like vibrations that echo throughout take the focus in "His Threshing Floor" before "Casca's Theme" concludes the EP with meandering, robotic synth flutters and distorted bass resonations driven by hypnotic rhythms and world-ending atmospheres in this powerful electro cut.

Die besten musikalischen Außenseiter sitzen nie lange still. Sie mutieren stetig, verwandeln sich in neue Formen und weigern sich, in Schubladen gesteckt zu werden. Floating Points hat so viele Gestalten, dass es ohnehin nicht einfach ist, ihn irgendwie einzuordnen. Da ist zum einen der Komponist, dessen Debütalbum „Elaenia“ im Jahr 2015 begeisterte Kritiken erhielt, darunter als Pitchforks „Best New Music“ und Resident Advisor's „Album of the Year“ - und ihn von den Tanzflächen auf die Festivalbühnen weltweit brachte. Dann ist da wiederum der Kurator, dessen Plattenlabels gefühlvolle neue Klänge in den Club gebracht haben, und der auf seinem geschätzten Imprint Melodies International alte Klänge wieder zum Vorschein gebracht hat. Ferner ist da der Traditionalist, der Disco-Typ, der Maschinenmusik macht, der Digger, der stets auf der Suche nach unentdeckten Edelsteinen zwecks Wiederveröffentlichung ist. Und dann ist da noch der DJ, dessen offener und zugleich mutiger Umgang mit dem Genre ihn einst ein 20-minütiges Instrumental des Spiritual-Jazz-Saxophonisten Pharoah Sanders im Berghain spielen ließ.

Nach der Veröffentlichung seiner Zusammenstellung von funkelnder, analoger Ambient- und Atmosphärenmusik für die geschätzte „Late Night Tales“-Reihe, stellt Floating Points' erstes Album seit vier Jahren, „Crush“, alles, was man über ihn zu wissen meint, wieder auf den Kopf. Nicht minder als ein knallender Donnerschlag elektronischen Experimentalismus’, dessen Titel auf den langsam überkochenden Schnellkochtopf anspielt, den die aktuelle politische Gemengelage in der Welt suggeriert, in der wir uns derzeit befinden. So hat Shepherd einige seiner bisher härtesten und treibendsten Tracks produziert, mit Blick auf die britische Bass-Szene (aus der er in den späten 2000er Jahren selbst hervorgegangen ist), wie beispielsweise die zuvor veröffentlichte markante Lead-Single „LesAlpx“ (Pitchforks „Best New Track“). Auf „Crush“ sind allerdings auch einige seiner ausdrucksstärksten Songs zu finden: seine charakteristische Melancholie ist in den erhabeneren, sanfteren Momenten des Albums oder im Buchla-Synthesizer zu finden, dessen unheimliche Modulation das Album prägt.

Sein neues Album fühlt sich augenblicklich an - und lebendig. Es ist der Klang der vielen Seiten von Floating Points, die schließlich miteinander verschmelzen. Es bezieht sich auf die „explosiven“ Momente während seiner Sets, die normalerweise auftreten, wenn er unerwartete Genres zusammenwirft, aus dem ganz einfachen Grund, weil er sich darüber freut, diese Platte „jetzt wirklich laut hören zu können“ und dann die Nadel aufsetzt. Es ist „genau wie das, was passiert, wenn man zu Hause mit seinen Freunden Musik spielt und diese sich überall im Raum ausbreitet.“, erklärt er.

The latest Furanum release, "Black Leash" by label regular Rafal Furst, arrives packaged with four unique compositions of brooding industrial ferocity.

Mastered by Kassian Troyer at Berlin's D&M,

Die Martinez-Brüder Chris & Steven aus der New Yorker Bronx sind seit über 10 Jahren in der House-Szene aktiv. Seit 2011 haben sie eine feste DJ-Residenz auf Ibiza, legen auf renommierten Festivals wie Ultra, Time Warp oder Tomorrowland auf und kollaborieren für ihre eigenen Tracks mit Grössen wie Chic(!), Miss Kittin und Tiga. Sie betreiben mit Cuttin' Headz ein Label und gleichnamige Partynächte und legten 2014 dem Mixmag UK-Magazin einen exklusiven CD-Sampler bei. Grund genug für Fabric, sich das berüchtigte DJ-Duo zu packen und ihr erstes offizielles Mixalbum zu veröffentlichen. Dieses bestreiten die Brüder mit 23 erstklassigen Tracks, die von Chicago-Innovator Paul Johnson bis Detroit-Multiinstrumentalist Amp Fiddler reichen. Dazwischen steuern The Martinez Brothers mit "Jam Joint", "Mistakes" und ihrer Top-Kollabo mit NY-House-Legende Louis Vega ("Let It Go (TMB Alternate Version)") drei exklusive eigene Produktionen bei. Die DJ-freundliche Doppel-LP enthält 12 ausgesuchte Perlen, darunter von Mahony & Flogg, Roots Orchestra und zwei Exclusives der Martinez-Brüder.