Ąnis is a Lithuanian producer and DJ working in the space between broken rhythms and atmospheric weight. His tracks blur the line between club tools and introspective pieces - raw, textured, and unpolished in the best way.
Ąnis’ debut album “I Swear I’m Not Delusional” builds from late-night sketches into fully formed pressure systems. Ambient passages fall into break-driven grooves, each track shifting like a mood swing. It's rooted in tension, repetition, and space - think the grit and movement of early Skee Mask filtered through a more personal, less polished lens. Tracks like “Mountain People” carry warmth without needing to explain themselves, while others feel like they were made at 3am with no lights on. It’s not chasing a scene - just locked into its own pulse. This isn’t background music. It asks you to sit with it - or move to it. Either way, it sticks.
Credits
Original tracks written, produced, arranged and recorded by Jonas Zubavičius in Vilnius. Mastering by Pranas Gudaitis aka audiomastering.lt. Artwork and design by Povilas Baranauskis.
Yuvi Havkin aka Rejoicer returns with an exceptional collaborative album, California Space Craft. On this aptly titled record, he joins forces with seasoned LA bass polymath Sam Wilkes — known for his inspired studio work with Sam Gendel and his dynamic live performances alongside Louis Cole and KNOWER — and drummer Tamir Barzilay, completing the LA-connected trifecta alongside a select handful of key featured guests. The idea for California Space Craft was born out of a series of inspired live sessions in Los Angeles between 2019 and 2022, notably at Listen to Music Outside in the Daylight Under a Tree, where the trio’s natural chemistry first began to bloom. The resulting recordings encompass a wide variety of inspired sound stylings, as one would expect from any of these accomplished artists on their own; however, the sum is truly greater than the parts here, with the fluidity of their freeform improvisations over a dedicated three-day recording session feeling remarkably focused as a cohesive whole. Opening track “Traveling Light” sets the LP’s tone with equal parts Sly & Robbie-style, space echo– drenched rhythms and the cozy kosmische, guitar-led feel of early-2000s genre-fluid explorers like Tortoise. As we continue on to “Ritual in G#,” we are reminded that this is indeed a unique and timeless sonic space the trio has created, as Havkin’s crisp Rhodes chords anchor an ever-evolving psychedelic sound bed. The soaring trumpet of Avishai Cohen adorns the Afrobeat-indebted “Lion Water,” with Barzilay laying down a proper Allen-esque groove, while “Further (with you),” featuring Nitai Hershkovits on keys, offers a defining look at the titular concept of the album — with pure Cali feels coalescing effortlessly into sciNew Release Information fi narrative modes and a proper dose of Rejoicer futurism. Elsewhere, “Her Hair in the Air” shines with fresh polyrhythmic intention, illustrating the balanced bond between the three collaborators at their conversational peak, and the brisk synth strokes of “Early Porpoises,” alongside LP closer “Oceanic Friends” — again ideally named — double as a grand, in-stereo ride into the blissful Pacific sunset horizon. California Space Craft embodies the power of open, collective intention and musical kinship, offering memorable, uplifting moments and an aural glimpse of hope, warmth, and loving melodious calm in an otherwise quite chaotic time for humanity.
johnny's disk record is an independent jazz label run by the owner of jazz cafe kaiunbashi no johnny located in rikuzentakata city in iwate prefecture, japan.
the legendary label released a string of albums of high quality but down-to-earth music, spanning from modern jazz, avant-garde jazz to left-field pop. albums such as 'farewell my johnny / left alone' and 'aya's samba' has reached cult status among fans as some of the best works to come out of the japanese jazz scene.
another japanese jazz classic, aya's samba was a debut effort by bassist eiji nakayama, who played as part of elvin jones' jazz machine and toured with don friedman.
this album is an important release in the johnny's disk catalogue, not only because it is the first ever release, but also because the owner hearing the band play was the reason why the label came to be.
'aya's samba' is a mellow jazz samba in minor key that's considered a japanese jazz classic. slow ballad 'yellow living' is drenched in melancholy with emotive keys and sax notes, while the dreamy 'sea sea town' impresses with a captivating, expressive sax solo. the 4 tracker ends with 'far-away road,' an uptempo tune with rhythmic keys.
On his sixth LP In Another, Toronto-based, Japanese-born, musician and composer Masahiro Takahashi (髙橋 政宏) continues the collaborative expansion of his sonic universe that listeners witness on his 2023 release, Humid Sun. Here he enlists a rotating ensemble of ten guest artists from Toronto’s vibrant music community, including his labelmate Joseph Shabason, who also serves as the album’s co-producer and engineer.
Spurred by his longtime admiration for chamber pop spanning the High Llamas and Free Design to the Beach Boys, Takahashi deviates from the underlying processes of his past two outings, trading Ableton sequences for lead sheets, focusing on creating robust melodic and harmonic foundations first. This difference is audible straight away; the album opens with a dialog between upright piano and plucked double bass that’s so gentle and transparent you can hear the breath of the players.
On his sixth LP In Another, Toronto-based, Japanese-born, musician and composer Masahiro Takahashi (髙橋 政宏) continues the collaborative expansion of his sonic universe that listeners witness on his 2023 release, Humid Sun. Here he enlists a rotating ensemble of ten guest artists from Toronto’s vibrant music community, including his labelmate Joseph Shabason, who also serves as the album’s co-producer and engineer.
Spurred by his longtime admiration for chamber pop spanning the High Llamas and Free Design to the Beach Boys, Takahashi deviates from the underlying processes of his past two outings, trading Ableton sequences for lead sheets, focusing on creating robust melodic and harmonic foundations first. This difference is audible straight away; the album opens with a dialog between upright piano and plucked double bass that’s so gentle and transparent you can hear the breath of the players.
In the spring of 1971, somewhere between Brussels, Paris and a collective pop fever dream, Le Monde Fabuleux Des Yamasuki landed on vinyl. It sounded like nothing else then and it still does not today. More than half a century later, Sdban Records proudly presents a reissue of this singular cult album, available from April 3, 2026 on vinyl.
The album was produced by Jean Kluger and written both by Jean and Daniel Vangarde (aka Bangalter, later the father of Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk), who were alreadywell ahead of their time, long before electronic music rewrote the rules of pop culture.
Released under the name Yamasuki, also referred to as The Yamasuki Singers, or The Yamasuki's, the project was never intended as a conventional band. It was a studio-born fantasy, a concept album disguised as a pop record. What began as a standalone single quickly expanded into a full-blown pan-cultural pop opera that ignored genres and common sense with joyful abandon.
Musically, the album sits at a delirious crossroads. Psychedelic pop collides with funk rhythms, samba and bubblegum melodies, full of chants and choruses in a phonetic pseudo-Japanese, written with the help of a dictionary. Kluger and Vangarde famously recruited a children's choir to perform the vocals, and for added spectacle, they brought in a Japanese judo grandmaster, whose ritualistic shouts and battle cries erupt throughout the record.
Several singles were released. One of them, Yamasuki, with accompanying dance move, appeared in the United Kingdom and France on John Peel's Dandelion label, a fitting home for a record that thrived on the margins of pop culture. Its B-side, Aieaoa, proved even more potent. In 1975, the song was reborn as A.I.E. (A Mwana) by Black Blood, an African group recording in Belgium, this time sung in Swahili. That melody would travel even further. Aie a Mwana became the debut single of English pop group Bananarama, and in 2010 it resurfaced once more as Helele, an official song of the FIFA World Cup, recorded by South African singer Velile Mchunu with Danish percussion duo Safri Duo. That version became the most widely known incarnation of the song. With Jean Kluger directly involved, it was less a cover than a continuation of the original idea.
The album's afterlife did not stop there. Over the years, Yamasuki has been quietly sampled, covered, and featured across media far beyond the realm of novelty pop. Kono Samourai was sampled in The Healer by Erykah Badu (2007), produced by Madlib, while Yama Yama has found its way into recent pop culture as well: appearing in the television series Fargo, on Angus Stone's project Dope Lemon, and on the 2008 Late Night Tales compilation curated by Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders. Proof, if any were needed, that this strange little record carries a deeper musical DNA than its playful exterior might suggest.
This new reissue of Le Monde Fabuleux Des Yamasuki proves the renewed interest and respect for this cult album, faithful to the original spirit while finally giving it back the physical presence it deserves. In an era obsessed with genres and algorithmic neatness, Yamasuki still laughs, dances and karate-kicks its way past definitions. It reminds us that pop music can be playful without being disposable, strange without being cynical and joyfulwithout explanation. The world of Yamasuki was always fabulous, we are just lucky it found its way back to us!
Six years after their last full-length release, Satoshi & Makoto return with Mirage Café, the highly anticipated new album on 8mm Records, in collaboration with Standart Magazine.
A carefully crafted and long-awaited work, Mirage Café is more than an album — it is a fully immersive sensory experience. The Japanese duo expand their signature sound into deeper and more cinematic territory, blending refined electronica, ambient textures, subtle jazz inflections and understated groove with remarkable elegance and control.
The title evokes an imaginary café — a space of contemplation, connection and inspiration. The partnership with Standart Magazine reinforces this conceptual layer, bridging music and coffee culture into a cohesive narrative that feels both intimate and international. The result is an album that unfolds like a slow ritual: warm, enveloping and meticulously detailed.
Throughout the record, Satoshi & Makoto demonstrate a mature and confident songwriting approach. The production is rich yet restrained, atmospheric yet rhythmically engaging — balancing introspection with forward motion. Lush harmonies, delicate arrangements and immersive sound design create a listening experience that rewards both focused attention and late-night drifting.
With Mirage Café , the duo not only meet expectations after a six-year silence — they surpass them. This is a masterwork of nuance and vision, poised to become a defining chapter in their discography and a standout release in the contemporary electronic landscape.
Keroxen presents Spandauer Damm 103, a new album by Dancelwerk.
Bringing together modular systems, worn drum machines and digital synthesis, the record nods directly to the first decade of Warp Records and the early logic of bleep culture.
Dancelwerk is a Tenerife-based electronic pioneer and one of the foundational figures of the Canary Islands underground. Active for over 30 years, Spandauer Damm 103 marks both a personal milestone and a renewed point of focus, reaffirming his role in shaping the region’s electronic lineage. The album draws on 1990s electronic futurism, filtering those references through a contemporary production approach rather than nostalgia.
The music moves between places and periods: from the early rave circuits of southern Tenerife, where Dancelwerk built his reputation through DIY releases and warehouse-level experimentation, to his later relocation to Berlin, famously arriving with a shipping container of vintage synthesizers and modular equipment.
Balancing melody and impact, Spandauer Damm 103 sets custom-programmed percussion against detailed sound design. FM, spectral and wavetable synthesis shape its harmonic and textural focus, resulting in music that remains physical without sacrificing clarity.
A long-standing practitioner reconnecting with his roots while pushing the system forward.
Argentinian artist Juan Hansen presents his debut album 'Ultrasonido'; twelve tracks spanning indie dance, tech house, and soft melodic house, released on his own newly founded label Ultrasonido, with the second single 'Inside My Mind' coming out via belonging by Innellea.
After his breakthrough Boiler Room appearance in 2019, Juan has been on a relentless quest to push the boundaries, playing major stages around the globe, becoming one of the figureheads of the Argentinian electronic music world. As an exceptional live artist, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, Juan brings a real sense of groove to the stage, merging two worlds effortlessly: deeply emotional songwriting and direct, dancefloor-focused club tracks. 'Ultrasonido' brings both sides together. The album is a clear evolution of Juan Hansen, presenting a wider range of his sound, which he also presents in his live performances. A journey through the musical world of Juan Hansen.
Across twelve tracks, with contributions from Clér Letiv, Santi Portillo, Franco BA, Rocio Giorgi, Miko Franconi, Brigado Crew and Marley Waters, Juan shifts between club-focused tracks and more intimate, song-driven moments, moving naturally between Spanish and English. It’s a debut album that captures both his roots and the direction he’s evolving toward.
Juan Hansen's story doesn't start on the dancefloor, it starts with acoustic instruments. He built his foundation in the indie and rock scenes of Argentina before crossing into electronic music, a journey that's still audible in every track he makes. After years of building his profile with live performances, mesmerizing audiences from Cosquín Rock and Ultra in Argentina to Watergate in Berlin, Burning Man in the Nevada desert, and Grand Factory in Beirut.
His search is real and visceral; a search for the different, mixing genres without prejudice, with a seriously playful attitude. Positioned within a new generation of artists dedicated to improvising on stage, Juan fuses electronic sounds with analog instruments and organic soundscapes. There's no genre cage. 'Ultrasonido' is his debut album and the launch of his own label, also named Ultrasonido. A long-form statement after years of singles, EPs, and shows around the globe.
Sublime frequencies from the golden era of ambient electronica.
Plumbing hidden depths beneath a deceptively tranquil surface, MLO's mid-90s masterpiece Io is an overlooked gem from a golden era for ambient electronic music. Originally released in 1994, Jon Tye and Pete Smith's collaborative album responded to the growing chill-out movement by leaning into classical and avant-garde influences from Satie, Debussy and Cage through to Soft Machine, Incredible String Band and Eno. Recorded across various studios stacked with classic and rare synths, Io was patiently composed into slowly unfolding suites punctuated with ripples of arrhythmic interference to arrive at a purist vision of true ambient.
The next instalment in Forever Records' ongoing reissue series shines a light back on this landmark piece of UK electronica with the first official reissue since its original edition on Rising High. As well as the original double LP pressing and a new CD digipak version, there will also be a uniquely numbered, limited edition housed in a gatefold sleeve that comes with a bonus 10" featuring two previously unreleased versions of the album's opening cut, 'Wimborne'.
Press response to Io:
"Not so much ambient, more environmental music, Io lets you bring as much (or as little) of your surroundings in as suits your mood. Every listen can be different. Interactive ambient at last.”
IO is pure ambience. Relying on motif as opposed to melody, MLO have produced a truly evocative album.
Peter McIntyre, Mixmag, UK 1994.
"MLO's influences range from the likes of Eric Satie and the intellectual salon music of his era to the more predictable reference point of dubby, modern techno, though they feel, perhaps rather contentiously, that "ambient music can exist in isolation from the rest of the dance music arena". Can it? Take a trip to Io, and find out."
Generator Magazine, UK 1994.
"If you like your ambient deep and moody with long chords that creep along at approximately the speed of drying paint then check out MLO’s Io."
Mixology, UK 1994.
"MLO set the controls for the heart of headspace for their first full album release. Io is top grade ambient brain… Ace album…"
Select, UK 1994.
Toronto in the spotlight again, as three of the city's finest line up in the shape of Ali Black, Sean Roman and Toronto Hustle. This outing for Selections is sublime deep house with a subtle nod to the smoother end of the garage spectrum. 'Shelter Me' has the sort of vocals that get you curling your lip, such is their emotional pull, while the drums are cuddly and the pads balmy to make for a perfectly immersive and calming sound. The Toronto Hustle Late Night dub beefs up the low end and makes it even more comforting and all-consuming, while the vocals become wispy infusions that are layered carefully into the mix. Timeless sounds.
Sublime frequencies from the golden era of ambient electronica.
Plumbing hidden depths beneath a deceptively tranquil surface, MLO's mid-90s masterpiece Io is an overlooked gem from a golden era for ambient electronic music. Originally released in 1994, Jon Tye and Pete Smith's collaborative album responded to the growing chill-out movement by leaning into classical and avant-garde influences from Satie, Debussy and Cage through to Soft Machine, Incredible String Band and Eno. Recorded across various studios stacked with classic and rare synths, Io was patiently composed into slowly unfolding suites punctuated with ripples of arrhythmic interference to arrive at a purist vision of true ambient.
The next instalment in Forever Records' ongoing reissue series shines a light back on this landmark piece of UK electronica with the first official reissue since its original edition on Rising High. As well as the original double LP pressing and a new CD digipak version, there will also be a uniquely numbered, limited edition housed in a gatefold sleeve that comes with a bonus 10" featuring two previously unreleased versions of the album's opening cut, 'Wimborne'.
Press response to Io:
"Not so much ambient, more environmental music, Io lets you bring as much (or as little) of your surroundings in as suits your mood. Every listen can be different. Interactive ambient at last.”
IO is pure ambience. Relying on motif as opposed to melody, MLO have produced a truly evocative album.
Peter McIntyre, Mixmag, UK 1994.
"MLO's influences range from the likes of Eric Satie and the intellectual salon music of his era to the more predictable reference point of dubby, modern techno, though they feel, perhaps rather contentiously, that "ambient music can exist in isolation from the rest of the dance music arena". Can it? Take a trip to Io, and find out."
Generator Magazine, UK 1994.
"If you like your ambient deep and moody with long chords that creep along at approximately the speed of drying paint then check out MLO’s Io."
Mixology, UK 1994.
"MLO set the controls for the heart of headspace for their first full album release. Io is top grade ambient brain… Ace album…"
Select, UK 1994.
EELS, eine der eigenwilligsten und beständig gefeierten Bands der Rockgeschichte, melden sich mit ihrem 16. Studioalbum zurück. COOKIE HAPPENED findet E (Mark Oliver Everett) dort, wo er am stärksten ist: in den kleinen Siegen des Lebens, den unvermeidlichen Enttäuschungen – und dem stillen Wunder, überhaupt hier gewesen zu sein.
Den Albumtitel erklärt E mit einem Zitat des großen Philosophen unserer Zeit, dem Cookie Monster: „Me no cry because cookie is finished. Me smile because cookie happened." Alles wird vergessen werden – aber war es nicht trotzdem etwas Schönes, dass es geschah?
Die erste Single 'Cap In Hand' gibt einen bittersüßen Vorgeschmack: ein abgeklärt-bewegender Song aus der Perspektive von jemandem, der seine Fehler endlich eingesteht und versucht, die Dinge wieder geradzubiegen.
COOKIE HAPPENED folgt auf das 2024 erschienene und vielgelobte EELS TIME! und beweist einmal mehr, dass kaum ein anderer Künstler so gut darin ist, im Chaos des Lebens Bedeutung zu finden.
EELS, eine der eigenwilligsten und beständig gefeierten Bands der Rockgeschichte, melden sich mit ihrem 16. Studioalbum zurück. COOKIE HAPPENED findet E (Mark Oliver Everett) dort, wo er am stärksten ist: in den kleinen Siegen des Lebens, den unvermeidlichen Enttäuschungen – und dem stillen Wunder, überhaupt hier gewesen zu sein.
Den Albumtitel erklärt E mit einem Zitat des großen Philosophen unserer Zeit, dem Cookie Monster: „Me no cry because cookie is finished. Me smile because cookie happened." Alles wird vergessen werden – aber war es nicht trotzdem etwas Schönes, dass es geschah?
Die erste Single 'Cap In Hand' gibt einen bittersüßen Vorgeschmack: ein abgeklärt-bewegender Song aus der Perspektive von jemandem, der seine Fehler endlich eingesteht und versucht, die Dinge wieder geradzubiegen.
COOKIE HAPPENED folgt auf das 2024 erschienene und vielgelobte EELS TIME! und beweist einmal mehr, dass kaum ein anderer Künstler so gut darin ist, im Chaos des Lebens Bedeutung zu finden.
Deepest Rurals E.P dives beneath the surface to explore the essence of The Rurals' unmistakable sound. Rich in soul, jazz-infused textures, and deep house sensibilities, this release delivers a collection of warm, organic grooves crafted with depth, elegance, and musical integrity.
Flowing effortlessly between atmospheric keys, fluid basslines, live instrumentation, and intricate rhythms, each track captures the timeless spirit of underground house music. The Rurals blend soulful expression with dancefloor functionality, creating moments that are equally suited to intimate listening sessions and late-night club journeys.
Here’s the first instalment of some fine examples, previously only available digitally!
Das 2016 erschienene "Teens of Denial" markiert einen entscheidenden Wendepunkt in der Karriere von Car Seat Headrest und insbesondere von Frontmann Will Toledo. Nach einer Reihe von lo-fi Bedroom-Produktionen, die Toledo größtenteils allein aufgenommen hatte, war es das erste Album, das mit voller Bandbesetzung und größerem Studioaufwand entstand. Veröffentlicht wurde es über das renommierte Indie-Label Matador Records, bei dem Toledo kurz zuvor unter Vertrag genommen wurde. Das Album verbindet introspektive Texte mit energiegeladenem Indie-Rock und greift Themen wie Selbstfindung, Angst, Isolation und Jugendkultur auf. Songs wie "Fill in the Blank", "Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales" und "Destroyed by Hippie Powers" wurden schnell zu Publikumslieblingen und halfen der Band, ein deutlich größeres Publikum zu erreichen. "Teen Of Denial: (Joe"s Story)" ist nun ein komplettes Remake dieses 10 Jahre alten Klassiker. Toledo, der seinen Songbook gerne neuinterpretiert, wechselt hier die Perspektive und erzählt die Geschichte aus der Sicht von Joe. Auf dem Originalalbum verwendete Toledo häufig den Namen "Joe" als Pseudonym - eine subtile Hommage an Daniel Johnston. Als er Teens im Vorfeld seines 10-jährigen Jubiläums erneut aufgriff, verspürte er den Drang, Joe eine eigene Hintergrundgeschichte zu geben, und begann, das Album entsprechend anzupassen, um diese Geschichte zu erzählen. Die Band kehrte gemeinsam mit dem Teens-Produzenten Steve Fisk ins Studio zurück, um das Werk zu überarbeiten - mit angepassten Texten, überarbeiteten Arrangements und neuen Aufnahmen im "Denial-Stil", darunter "Optimistic Son" und die hymnische Single "Joe Drives Again". Das Ergebnis bewahrt die düstere Note und den jugendlichen Zynismus von Teens, lässt aber zugleich eine Spur mühsam errungener Mitmenschlichkeit in den Gesamtklang einfließen.
Das dritte Studioalbum von Holy Motors, ,Heaven's Night", verbindet die für die Band typischen westlichen Traumlandschaften mit eingängigen Pop-Melodien und New-Wave-Klängen, die für die estnische Band Neuland darstellen. Bemerkenswert ist vor allem eine neue Sanftheit in den Songs auf ,Heaven's Night", in denen Figuren vorkommen, die sich von den düsteren Sonnenuntergängen und der Outback-Melancholie des 2020 erschienenen Albums ,Horse" lösen. Wie die Band selbst sagt, ist ihr neuer Sound ,süß wie tropfender Honig, traurig wie Sommerregen". Zweifellos ist ,Heaven's Night" das bisher abwechslungsreichste Album von Holy Motors. Vom rasanten Galopp von ,The Last Ones" bis zum poppigen Herzstück ,Hellishly Hot" verleiht ,Heaven's Night" der Welt der Band eine neue Wendung - eine, die etwas weniger gespenstisch und dafür etwas gefährlicher ist.
Das dritte Studioalbum von Holy Motors, ,Heaven's Night", verbindet die für die Band typischen westlichen Traumlandschaften mit eingängigen Pop-Melodien und New-Wave-Klängen, die für die estnische Band Neuland darstellen. Bemerkenswert ist vor allem eine neue Sanftheit in den Songs auf ,Heaven's Night", in denen Figuren vorkommen, die sich von den düsteren Sonnenuntergängen und der Outback-Melancholie des 2020 erschienenen Albums ,Horse" lösen. Wie die Band selbst sagt, ist ihr neuer Sound ,süß wie tropfender Honig, traurig wie Sommerregen". Zweifellos ist ,Heaven's Night" das bisher abwechslungsreichste Album von Holy Motors. Vom rasanten Galopp von ,The Last Ones" bis zum poppigen Herzstück ,Hellishly Hot" verleiht ,Heaven's Night" der Welt der Band eine neue Wendung - eine, die etwas weniger gespenstisch und dafür etwas gefährlicher ist.
* 2026 REPRESS *
Handed to the legendary Channel One Soundsystem in exclusivity over a year ago, Don Fe's Jericho has been on constant rotation around the globe ever since. Cut to dubplate by Mikey Dread this tune has been securely locked down and spun exclusively as Channel One's last tune at places such as Notting Hill Carnival and many of the soundsystem's international sessions and festival appearances. After a very patient wait Steppas Records are extremely pleased to be able to offer this plate to the world, pressed to 12' vinyl, featuring two new mixes of Jericho and two exclusive cuts of the equally powerful Weep Not.
UK born musician and producer based in Spain for over 20 years, Don Fe's passion since the age of five has been music, classically trained in piano, flute and theory and as from sixteen reggae. From his humble beginnings in the 80s with a 4 track and a TDK D90 his riddims and productions are now being played by the world's most respected sounds - Channel One, Jah Shaka, Aba Shanti, Iration Steppas and many more all over the world.
On Last Night At Marienbad's latest, the imprint brings together three of the brightest souls found within the realms of Jazz, namely Mauricesax, 9ick and Milan93, with their collective talents synergising effortlessly on 'A Garden Between Us', alongside a stellar cast of remixers who add even further delight between the grooves….
As a genre, Jazz has perhaps lent itself the most to other musical universes, in that its curious heart, endlessly experimental nature, and parameter-defying spirit have wrapped itself deep within the core of countless albums, scenes, and music makers. It's a genre that welcomes reinvention, consistently defying its contents and always reaching out to find new methods of expressionism. Electronic music, in its many forms, has truly embraced Jazz perhaps like no other movement of music has, with a truly astonishing array of records surfacing in the past 40 years which have blended Jazz's unique motifs with grooves, chords, and emotive excellence. From 90s Jazz house and UR Techno, through to Future Jazz, downtempo, and Hip Hop, and around many other suns, there remains such an intrinsic and symbiotic relationship between the two musical realms that caters to those who wish to live music both within and out with themselves.
As practitioners of blending electronica and Jazz, few do it like the trio of Mauricesax, 9ick, and Milan93. All three are known for their distinctive soundscapes, yet share commonalities in terms of musical language, feel, and sense of progression. Bringing them together allows for overlaps in their sounds to emerge, and just like Jazz itself, this is where the intrinsicness of sound begins to blossom. 9ick brings his softly evolving vibe to the table, one which was so prevalent and celebrated on his 2025 album 'SMIL'; Milan93 draws from his focal point of exploring fill-laden grooves and a myriad of emotive sensibilities; and Mauricesax draws up his extensive musicality that exists at the corner of jazz, electronic, and experimental music, along with running musical workshops all over the globe.
'A Garden Between Us' represents the trio's core tenets, with this immediately obvious from the record's opener, 'Rhodora'. A gentle solo piano quickly evolves into a series of powerful rhythmic pulses, with brass lines bringing vitality and feel to proceedings. The track shifts gears with purpose, transitioning between musical vignettes of the highest order, with the synth work doing much to bind the transitions together. 'Tulip' emerges slightly differently, with glossy Rhodes tones and an unravelling rhythmic undercurrent setting an enthralling stage. The track flourishes amongst sweeping textures, coming up for air amongst a deeply hypnotic rhythmic section that holds on and never lets up. 'Honeysuckle' lands next, which sees the trio emerge with a boundless, dynamic soundscape. The drums shift within the undertones, as keys, chords, horns and hip-hop vocal samples dance around the pulse, capturing the imagination with their narrative-like placement. Wrapping up the A side comes 'Camellia'. A dazzling array of harmonic sounds converges around the transfixing rhythm section, which emerges from deep below to lavishly roll out over the midsection, with the delicateness of the instrumentation a real highlight here.
The B side features two exquisite remixes, with Pacific Coliseum's version of 'Tulip' landing first. Beginning with a signature four to the floor to get things going, his careful handling of the source material is seen in the tactful introduction of the blissful elements that made the original cut so impactful, with great focus placed on emotive fidelity. The result is a summer-bound house number that reimagines the original in all the right ways, flipping it into a euphoria-driven jazz-laden pacer that reaches for the heavens as much as it drives right into the heart. Teuteu then showcases their take on 'Honeysuckle', and at 9 minutes long, represents the longest cut on the record - and the experience is all the richer for it. Leaning heavily into dance music flavours, Teuteu shifts perspective totally into the realm of the club, with the walls beating hard to the kicks. The sax lines that drift ethereally up top keep eyes closed and souls full, as the dance shifts into the next phase.
An experience that drifts from the daydreaming, to soul-warming through to the club shaking - what else is left to experience, except for 'A Garden Between Us' and how it will brighten up life itself….
