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The Tel-aviv Based Label Parallax Brings Yogg And Pharaoh Together For Their 8th Vinyl Release.
It Starts Off With The Epic Title Track, A Laid-back Bassy Groove Surrounded By Crispy Hits And Shifted Electrical Noises, Building Up To A Climatic Second Part Which Fuses A Lot Of The Producers' Unique Soundscapes, All On A Hypnotic Pounding Rhythm Section.
This Is Followed By A Quirky Broken Electronica Short, ompti', Chopped-up Modular Sweeps And Lush Melodic Hints Create This Uniquely Structured A2 Track.
The B-side Starts Of With maurice', A More Direct And Intensive Techno Cut, Which Also Breaks Into An Energetic - Wobbly 2nd Section Which Also Features Many Of Their Unique Sound Explorations In A Dramatic Final Section.
B2, abadei' Has A Deeper Buildup Approach For Most Of It, Starting From A Pure Yet Uneven Rhythm Section, And Growing Into A Mass Of Counterparts And Layers Of Noise And Crackle.
The Ep Ends With An Unlisted Locked-groove, An Intense And Dirty Industrial-techno Groove.

Dutch duo Abstract Division (aka Paul Boex and Dave Miller) present 'Aftermath EP', a four track package due *release date* on the eponymous imprint from Milan based collective Just This. Featured in the release are remixes from Peter Van Hoesen and VRIL. Title track is a subtle dancefloor killer with funky cyclic rhythms and peculiar harmonies, followed by 'Isolated', a subdued yet dizzying dose of syncopated drums and crystalline melodic inflections. For his interpretation of 'Isolated', VRIL mutates the stripped back hypnotism of the original into a maximal, angular workout, whilst Peter Van Hoesen focuses on the dizzying loops of the original, repurposing them into an immersive spiral of funk driven techno. 'Aftermath EP' fuses elements of ambient and soulful techno for an understated but powerful package.

DJ Dex aka Nomadico has written and produced 10 new unreleased tracks for this double LP 'The Code Switcha'. It features a range of tempos and sonic dynamics; from the slow burns of 'RTD 60' and '909 Soto Street' to the full on energy of 'Machine Learning for Homeboy' and 'HustLA'. There are also electro funk tracks like 'Still Cruisin', 'Radio 3031323' and 'Backyard Trippin'. Meanwhile, the moods and textures of 'Introversion', 'Innermission' and 'Staring Problem' are for deep listening. All of these are fused together by atmospheric pads, touches of acid and a veteran DJ's sense of rhythm and timing.

Debut physical release from Scottish newcomer Andrew Greens AKA Ash Is. Hailing from Edinburgh and at the heart of club culture in his city, he is running parties and sharing stages with the likes of Baltra, Bwana, and other forward thinking international artists. This release comes packed with 3 affecting club tracks, each serving a different purpose. Ash Is fuses elements of rave, house, techno, and electronica to serve up moments of euphoria & tenderness. Fluttering arpeggios, dusty breaks, warm pads & feeling laden melodies often feature, capturing a sense of post-club emotion. These are three heavy hitting cuts that truly carve out a lane of his own.

In just a year of existence, Chloé's Lumière Noire has brought emerging artists and promising newcomers together - and this first compilation of 13 brand new tracks expands the roster, exposing the label's eclectic vision in full daylight. When Chloé talks about her label, she puts forward the fundamental values that informed her own musical journey, her trust in her own musical taste - and, of course, the predominance of human relationships: 'I followed
my bliss and only commissioned tracks from artists that I respect and whose music I love. That to me is Lumière Noire's musical palette.' With this 13- track, unmixed compilation, Chloé makes a case for a label aesthetic that is based in open-mindedness. Familiar, elemental Lumière Noire artists are represented, as are new faces, producing a kind of group photo presaging what's next for the fledgling label. Lyon's Markus Gibb leads the track listing with Kuru with a deep chiaroscuro matching the label's ethos, followed by other mainstays Il Est Vilaine's Farenheit 451, which evokes Ray Bradbury's retro-dystopic angst with the
band's usual electro-pop elegance. Sutja Gutierrez, who released in debut EP, The Legend of Time on Lumière Noire in April, pursues his electro Shamanism with the ceremonial Allodoxaphobia, while Iñigo Vontier (whose EP Aluxes came out on the label in late 2017) brings his C O N T R A project
online with track Taurus, a further development in voodoo house. Elsewhere, Suuns lead singer Ben Shemie, who lent his fascinating art-rock croon to Recall, a single from Chloé's Endless Revisions LP, contributes A Million Kinds, a synthy, psych-pop debut that is as brilliant as it is surprising. On to the freshman class: Dutch producer Drvg Cvltvre (who gets personal kudos
from Chloé with each new 12') brings the uncompromising dark electro of his hypnotic and claustrophobic Last Rites. Jonathan Fitoussi's airy, minimalistic Cercles Polaires brings the respite of his recent Versatile Espaces Timbrés LP (a collaboration with Clemens Hourrières): 'I met him at Xavier Veilhan's
Studio Venezia at the Venice Biennale. He's a great guy, and his universe is unique,' says Chloé. Benedikt Frey's deep techno track Iaon, is on par with his smash 2017 album, Artificial, out on ESP Institute. First-timers are also part of the recruits: Bajram Bili with the ten cerebral minutes of Restart, Théo Muller with the ultra-deep Douce Transe, and Lumi, a Basque band that fuses
electronic sounds with acoustic instruments, brings the ompilation to a close with a track commissioned by Chloé. These audacious choices are anchored down with the likes of Permanent Vacation pioneer Lauer's hooky, 80s-infused Pythor ('Just like him, I was a resident of the Robert Johnson, and he was a guest of mine at one of my Lumière Noire nights at the Rex. He is one of these people whose music I highly appreciate'); Aergeworc & Franck Agrario, half of English duo Swayzak David Brown's project, weaves an ethno* mood into Grace's techno. Bringing together different generations, genres, and styles That may not necessarily be Chloé's MO. She invokes a more arbitrary, personal logic: 'I like to mix of-the-moment tracks and more timeless one, but the rule is above all 'do I love this or not'. That was my ethos when I started Lumière Noire.' In that way, the label is definitely in keeping with its time

Smalltown Supersound is proud to present our new signing Bendik Giske from Oslo, Norway.

In addition to original track Adjust this EP also contains remixes from Total Freedom, Lotic, Rezzett and Deathprod.

The performance artist and saxophonist's mesmerizing debut takes listeners on a true journey through the euphoria and wanderlust of nights spent clubbing—using little more than his voice, saxophone, his instrument of choice, and more than a few well-placed microphones.

Giske finds a natural home in Smalltown Supersound as he cites Lindstrom's arpeggio sounds and Evan Parker's circular breathing as references, both of whom have released on the label. By combining the two extreme sides of the scale, he seamlessly fuses freeform jazz and club music.

London duo Damian Daley & Danny Dixon aka OdD return to FUSE sister label Infuse to follow up their breakthrough Cold Fusion EP with a four-track EP titled 'Tones Of The 90s'.

Lead track 'Tones Of The 90's' brings together the core elements of the London underground scene. Snappy hi-hats combine with subtle tones and garage-like vocal samples and plenty of bass. A2 'Phone Home' starts with the famous ET sample. Once again it's the snappy hi-hats that take centre stage, working alongside a well-programmed loop that bubbles throughout underneath the surface.

On the flip, loopy drum patterns dominate B1 'Yes Yes' before the EP comes to an end with the pick of the bunch 'Pressure'. Low-end frequencies combine with a dreamy synth line, signing off the release in typical Infuse style.

Fifteen track completion of deep biguines and Gwo Ka from the '60s French West Indies. The vinyl edition included a 4 page booklet + download code.

Biguine is a rhythmic style of music that originated in Guadeloupe and Martinique in the 19th century, which fuses 19th-century French ballroom

dance steps with African rhythms. Gwo Ka is found among all ethnic and religious groups of Guadeloupean society.

It combines responsorial singing in Guadeloupean Creole, rhythms played on the Ka drums and dancing. Gwo Ka is the musical and cultural product of the

region's African ancestry, forcibly brought to the Caribbean through slavery. Gwo Ka exists only in Guadeloupe, which is a very different island from much of

the Caribbean, in that it remains a 'department' of its original colonial master, France. Here the currency is the Euro and the baker sells croissants and café

au lait. This constant 'European-ising' of the island means that Gwo Ka plays a fundamental and important role in the defining of Guadeloupean identity.

'Antilles' Méchant Bateau', a low-tempo number with a bolero feel, indeed a pure case of the blues, and a terrific saxophone solo. What else would you

expect to set the tone for this selection, in which beguine regains its original colours, in the darkness of the Gwo Ka drums. This 45 by André Mahy, released

under the Aux Ondes sublabel, was recorded in the 1960s at Célini's, one of Guadeloupe's two main houses. Through its drum rolls and harrowing chant, it

recalled how, long before the mid-1960s, the Antilles' history was written in an ocean of teardrops - namely the Black Atlantic.

Leifur James will release his debut album in October through Late Night Tales' artist label Night Time Stories.
A Louder Silence is the London-based producer and multi-instrumentalist's first proper release; his two earlier singles feature on the record, after gaining support from Gilles Peterson's Worldwide FM with a live airing and interview in 2017, plus continued backing from XLR8R, Stamp the Wax, and BBC Radio 6 Music DJ's.
The album is both spacious and thought-provoking, energetic yet restrained, brimming with nuanced electronic instrumentals, dubby synths, and jazz breaks — creating an array of rich textures, complemented occasionally by James' own soulful vocals.
While James' early unreleased work was singularly electronic, A Louder Silence focuses on analog synths and warm acoustic instruments, all played by his own hand. It's the product of a two-year spell in James' home studio, with additional live drums recorded with Jim Macrae at London's Old Paradise Audio.
James' rich musical influences are laced through the release. Encouraged by his mother, a classically trained pianist, he learned to play the cello and developed adeep understanding of rhythm and melody that informs his approach to writing electronic music. James playsthe piano he grew up listening to in 'Mumma Don't Tell' and samples an indefinable percussive element to drive forward 'Suns Of Gold.' 'Night and Day' sees cello plucks and long melodic strokes interlink with a grooving synth line. He also field records the atmospheric Moroccan sea in 'Red Sea.' Inspiration stems from the experimentation of modern day electronic producers, fused with the Jazz, Classical, Blues, and Soul music that soundtracked his youth.
Central to the album is the idea of space. James recalls the early advice of his uncle, a jazz guitarist, who features on 'Uncle Blue': 'I remember him saying to me: "What goes in comes out' James says. 'Every detail should be a worthy detail; sometimes nothing is better than something.' Moments of blissful, structured intensity are juxtaposed with stillness and near silence — dark and light; loud and quiet. This also forms the foundation for the album title: A Louder Silence reflects the dichotomy of finding pockets of stillness in a noisy world.
The result is 10 distinct tracks delivered as one coherent and well-structured long-player debut, set for release on LP, CD, and digital, on 5th October 2018.
Live dates follow a debut live show earlier this year at the Jazz Café with Yazz Ahmed, including an album launch at London's Ghost Notes in October.

Legendary Ghanain album - with one of the music iconic covers ever! - that fuses Highlife, afrobeat, folk and funk. Ambolleys debut solo album originally released in 1975, written and produced with Ebo Taylor.


Ambolley grew up during the peak of Highlife in Ghana and was a key figure in its fusion with soul and funk influences from the USA. He played in many bands including Houghas Extraordinaires, Meridians Of Tema, Ghana Broadcasting Band and the Uhuru Dance Band, for which he was recruited by his friend, Ebo Taylor. The group went to Nigeria in 1973 to play with Fela at his legendary Shrine spot.

'Simigwa' was a chance for Ambolley to release his own productions and to experiment to a certain extent. A main inspiration for this album was the work of the mighty Mr. James Brown, something that is evident from the rhythm section, horns, vocal stabs and percussion breaks throughout the record.

Here at Death & Leisure we are on a continuing mission to surprise and experiment, and so with our new release we present something very special, Blackmoon1348 and The Tibetan Monks of The Tashi Lhunpo Monastary. This project sounds like nothing else, it fuses heavy drone guitar sounds with traditional tibetan throat singing and live instrumentation.

BlackMoon1348 in collaboration with the Tibetan Monks of the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery (Tibet/ India). 2017 BlackMoon1348 embarked on a cultural experimentation of cultural diversity in the arts, forming a collaboration of ancient Tibetan ceremonial practises and instrumentation with sub-harmonic drones and industrial soundscapes. The music amalgamates sacred mantras that date back to the early teachings of Tibetan Buddhism practised in the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, with heavy detuned western instruments, synths, and electronic music for the first time in recorded history. The Tashi Lhunpo monastery was once home to the Panchen Lama who subsequently 'disappeared' under the oppressive Chinese rule of Tibet. A handful of the Tashi Lhunpo monks were fortunate to escape into exile and have since re-built the monastery in Mysore, South India - now flourishing with over 400 monks practising within the monastery. Tibetan Buddhism is an outlawed ancient tradition within Tibet - monks, nuns, and Tibetans cannot openly practise their heritage and traditions, forcing Tibetans to inhabitable plateaus, with such areas are now under 'Chinese Re-development', the land being stripped of natural resources for China's ever growing economy and totalitarian rule. Tibetans face persecution for as little as owning a Tibetan flag, or picture of the Dali Lama, with such actions landing you in jail, tortured, poised, and/or being released just before the point of death. It is important for us to remember and celebrate the traditions of the Himalayas and its sacred, peaceful practises.

The music was recorded live in one take at Flesh and Bone studio in Hackney for NTS Radio's Black Impulse show. Engineered, mixed, and mastered by Oliver and Owen at Flesh and Bone, capturing the raw, ethereal essence of the collaboration and ceremonial sounds buried deep within the Himalayas. This was the first time in history for such collaboration of tradition, ideology from Adeline Rozario and orchestrated by David Kerry of BlackMoon1348 who created this music to diversify and bring together ceremonial instruments, diversifying the metaphysics of transcendence through ceremonial Tibetan practises.

It is important to understand that BlackMoon1348 are not attempting to change the fundamental meaning or belief of the Tashi Lhunpo Monks, or assume to have a deep-rooted understanding of the ancient traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, This is our understanding of Tibetan culture and practices as truly and honestly as we see and feel it, and our attempt to spread this beautiful, sacred, culture, and keep it alive within today's society.

Liberation through hearing.

"The Room", Fenster's fourth album and their first release on Altin Village & Mine marks the beginning of a new chapter for the band. After releasing three albums, a feature length film, and touring extensively throughout Europe and North America since 2012, "The Room" serves as an entry point into their sonic evolution. The essential characteristic of the band is transformation - within and between genres, albums, and songs. Their sound is a window framing psychedelic, groovy, hypnogogic, playful pop.

Fenster is Elias Hock (Germany), Jonathan Jarzyna (Germany), Lucas Ufo (France) and JJ Weihl (USA). Their mission in creating this album was to compose and arrange every song together in a room. It is an experiment in collective creativity that pushed all of them to transcend their individuality and create something together which is greater than the sum of its parts.

The songs were tracked live in a house where the band ate, slept, and played together. Often the songs were recorded without implementing a click track. They were intent on finding and locking into a human groove—one open to imperfection—while still maintaining a tightness between them. They wanted to make the songs feel alive—as if the listener were present in the room with them in the moment of creation.

The album's title track "The Room" opens the record like a rollercoaster ride. There is a tension in the first bars that ties us to earth, a minimal riff that guides us to the first chorus where we feel we are slowly lifting into the air—and by the time we reach the second chorus it has exploded into a space far away from the planet's gravitational pull.

The band's use of juxtaposition is not just a way of channeling a vast library of musical genres and concepts, it is a means of expression. Combining tender pop melodies with kraut-beats, disco grooves and psychedelia frees the band from any one sound and creates a genre all its own.

This playfulness is especially vibrant in songs like "Rhythm A" and "HAHA lol" which deconstruct and fuse together disparate moments of explosive rock, tender harmonies, percussion made of splashing water, voices from a radio, and electric piano. Even "Feel Better", a sparkly pop ballad is cracked wide open by a long trippy interlude that appears unexpectedly within an otherwise classic structure.

The cover art, created by the band's own Lucas Ufo, invites us into a room in the shape of a human skull. If one looks "out" the window in the picture, one finds oneself looking in to an infinite portal of rooms within rooms. The record plays a lot with this idea of perception. In "HBW", the relationship between the bass and the drums creates the feeling of an infinity loop. The lyrics lend an enigmatic tint to the landscape of so called objective reality v. perceived reality: "I was a phase — you were going through — said I was the one but there is no one — there's only the sun — that gives shape to the moon"

The record starts with "The Room" and ends with "Two Doors". Maybe one door is an exit, and one leads to another room... who knows The song has something mysterious and expansive, like a digital ocean flooding the room, carrying everything away. The whole process of making a record is about capturing a moment in time. This is the record they made - in this point in time, all together, in a room. The last words of the record roll out with the waves: "What you leave behind for someone else to find — Two doors inside — neither one is right"

Tracklisting

Planet E are proud to present 'AW18 Collection', a 3 track EP from British producer Tom Flynn due September 14th. Drawing upon a broad and learned musical understanding, 'AW18 Collection' fuses disparate strands from the worlds of fashion, club culture and sound design to forge a highly atmospheric, singular release. 'Packard', the title of which is inspired by parties in the historic Detroit power plant of the same name, establishes an unrelenting energy from the get go. A bouncing kick lays the foundations for rolling synths, unnerving vocal samples and delicate piano refrains to wander. 'Anna' is an indulgent nod to the catwalk, marching with intent amidst immersive chords and subtle melodies. The B side hosts a trippy cut full of interplanetary glitches and melancholic harmonies. Drawing upon hints to the extraterrestrial, 'Marx' creates a dizzying swirl with glistening textures. Carl Craig was sold straight away: 'When Tom sent me his demo of 'Packard' I knew I wanted to release it on Planet E. The mix of looped electronics with soul of the piano brought me back to when I first heard the post-Disco classic 'Beyond the Clouds'. I can imagine the kids on The Scene rockin' hard to this.'

Drum & bass pioneer and Hospital Record's crown jewel Danny Byrd is back! He's set 2018 ablaze with monolith anthems 'Devil's Drop', 'Salute' ft MC GQ and 'Hold Up The Crown' ft Ky Lenz, now he proudly presents his first album in five years.

A 15-track funk-fuelled compendium of rolling dancefloor-fillers that tributes to the jungle foundation moulding his early discography. Collaborations with the likes of I-Kay, Maduk, Ownglow, Times x Two and MC GQ, fuse with powerful
doses of Danny's hip-hop and R&B infused 174BPM productions. 'Atomic Funk' is undoubtedly Mr Byrd's finest work to date and includes one of the biggest future D+B anthems 'Holy Star' that's brought to life with vocal delights from MC Foxy.

'Just A Step Away' (ft. Ownglow) has become a silver bullet for the Byrd, taking a spotlight in his DJ sets as his finishing move. With its gorgeous vocals, volatile rave synths and humming sub-bass, it's not hard to see why. However, that's
far from the only weapon in this legend's locker. 'Roll The Drums' is a certified sub shaker bringing a fierce bassline and thundering percussion, plus there's raw jungle madness with 'In The Meantime' (ft. Hannah Symons). With fifteen incredible tracks from Hospital Records' longest standing signing, 'Atomic Funk'
is Danny Byrd at his best. Crafted for the dancefloor and Feel-good from start to finish, a must-have for a true Hospital fan.

Fort Romeau & Ali Tillet's Cin Cin imprint return with another impeccable release that showcases fresh and forward thinking leftfield house for discerning heads and feet.  X.O.A., the London based multi-instrumentalist also known as Nick Tyson, collaborates with the electronic duo Wayward for two tracks.  'Koto' and 'Wayo Wayo' both fuse smooth percussive afro-house elements with tougher synth lines, each track encompassing energetic rhythms and absorbing melodies and lead lines.  

On the flip, DrumTalk follow up recent releases on Huntleys & Palmers and Permanent Vacation with a pair of machine driven, techno infused cuts par excellence.   'Ariel' mixes disco bleeps, loose drums and waves of vocal pads and arpeggiated leads that ecstatically rise and fall, and on 'Red Haze' we are treated to modulated drums and an infectious bassline that welcome in a myriad of sounds without ever losing the deadly driving groove that is the track's backbone.

UMS Recordings returns with a new split EP including four strong techno cuts.

This time we are pleased to welcome American producer Developer.

On the "A" side, Developer - "Bridge" starts off this EP with fast rhythm patterns, a continuous synth line creating a dark and deep atmosphere, grooving with intensity which grows as the minutes go by. Killer track.

Then, Developer brings "In The Vision", which is a strong tool, full of hypnotic sounds and powerful rythms of high fueled techno.

On the flip, Alex Guerra - "Fused" is a deep driving techno cut, full of funky rhythms, modular synths basses and sequences constantly evolving making an hypnotic and dense trip. Powerfull track.

Finally, Twelve is a raw deep techno track with heavy rhythms, decorated with stripped and repetitive patterns making this track a dark and fast pounding cut.

All the tracks on the ep are dancefloor killers for the club and/or the warehouse.

"With a subject matter of an unsettled consciousness and the schizophrenic tendencies of the Artificial-Intelligence-Era, 'Chris Weeks', aka Kingbastard, has crafted a unique terrain for himself on his new EP, 'Standalone'; a beguiling workout of mind-bending, hardware-based electronic sounds. Weeks fuses Techno sensibilities with an array of Experimental-Electronic techniques, producing an EP which echoes the genius of Aphex Twin & Autechre; making the UK-based Producer one of the most adventurous heirs of the Warp label. The tracks found on 'Standalone' perfectly embody their titles, with glitch infused Techno, IDM innervation and fidgeting-synth flourishes, evoking the electronic-claustrophobia felt from living in our all-encompassing post-Snowden surveillance dystopia.
Championed by the likes of Bleep, Tom Ravenscroft (BBC 6 Music), Rob da Bank (BBC Radio1 & 6Music), CLASH Magazine, Igloo Magazine, IRM (Indie Rock Mag), Future Music Magazine."

Nny Records Is Back With A Compilation That Includes Four Songs Loaded With High Quality, An Ep That Is Like A Swiss Army Knife And That It Will Serve To Animate Any Kind Of Party. On The A Side We Can Listen To Nicson (flumo Recordings) Who Delivers An Excellent "straight To Heaven" In A Deep-house 90's Mood, Full Of Energy And Class; After Him F. Vinuesa (solid Tapes) Approaches Lo-fi And Acid Paths With "highlands", A Tune That Is Is Capable Of Transporting You To Another Dimension. On The B Side Mateis E. Aqir (jungle Gym Records) Presents "natural Sense", A Track That Also Takes You To A Different Dimension, This Time More Oriented To Open Spaces, In A Balearic And New Age Mood Fused With A Leftfield Touch Which Is A Delight; And To Close The Compilation We Have The Great Work Of I See You In The Plants, The New Aka By Pablo Diskko For Productions In An Ambient Techno-dub Wave That Absorbs You And Catches You. A Superb And An Essential Work.

The second of Polytechnic Youth's ace new LPs for July, sees a mighty set from Austria based synth pop duo Mitra Mitra. Following previous releases on Peripheral Minimal and their own Micromort label, not to mention a lathe cut right here on PY that sold out in 20 minutes in Dec. 2015.



The band was formed in Vienna in late 2014 by Violet Candide and Mahk Rumbae. Originally from New Zealand, Violet Candide is a founding member of the Crazy Hospital DJ collective, and one of the organisers of the legendary 'Future Echo' club night in Vienna, and is one half of 'Anesthetic Hairpins'; whilst British musician Mahk Rumbae is known for his work as a member of the industrial/experimental project 'Konstruktivists', 'Oppenheimer MkII' (with Andy Oppenheimer of Oppenheimer Analysis) and his solo techno project 'Codex Empire'.

After working together on one of Violet's solo songs, 'Heat', the pair decided to continue working together and formed Mitra Mitra as a more full time project, with the aim of writing electronic songs not tied to any particular influence or style. However, if there was such a thing as a signature PY sound- arguably this LP (alongside last year's Vorderhaus full length), encapsulates it most. Beautifully icy cold synth pop straight outta' early prime era Mute / Blackwing studios output. Serene yet melodic, edgy, dry icy hooks and delicious grooves aplenty all over this record. Eight wonderful tracks where quality and sheer melodic guile of the song writing never dips and attention truly is held across the whole set, ....no mean feat indeed.

Available as a 300 pressing LP only, destined to sell out rapid style as have all previous releases by both artist and label.

The music on this EP was conceived in China, between 1989 and 1993. The original tracks were mixed to DAT in real time, in a small neighbour-proof studio inside my apartment in Macau, a 19th floor with a view to the hurricanes. There's a small, unexpected or improbable story behind each track, some little magic fused with the local atmosphere, certainly guaranteeing their lasting authenticity 25 years later.

TAIPEI DISCO
Late 80s Guangzhou was an exotic city where the traditional past coexisted in harmony with the present and even already with the future.
I'd rather spend my weekends in Guangzhou than diving into Hong Kong consumerism - as most ex-pats in Macau did. I took a cab at the border and travelled 150 Km through chaotic roads with family and friends until reaching the hot, humid, mega South China metropolis.
We ate on street joints in the evenings, went on to a karaoke bar and ended up at Taipei Disco, the only proper club in town. All the others were inside hotels and played generic music or they were seedy, sleazy, smoky cabarets.
Taipei Disco used to be a cinema and played cantonese pop music and anglo-saxon pop/rock (that was new). The spacious dance floor was generously lighted, the atmosphere was airy and modern. Boys and girls were in the habit of dancing in pairs, one in front of the other, observing a respectful yet sensual distance. When the girl took a few steps back, the boy went along and vice versa. With legs and feet (more than the upper bodies) synchronized with the music, they never exceeded in extroversion. Cool.
I always carried a MicroComposer and a portable DAT recorder in my travels through China and weekends in Canton. Any spontaneous musical idea was imediately recorded and memorized. The MicroComposer allowed multitrack recording, which was very handy on the road. Based on the emphatic choreography of Taipei Disco's dancers, i started to compose a rhythm track while sitting at a table, with headphones, listening to Cantopop in the background. As if by magic - not a rare occasion in music - everything began fitting together. Odd as it may seem, the track ended up sounding more germanic (Kraftwerkian) than Cantonese pop.

The story ends in a circle: the cantonese DJ at Taipei Disco, whom i used to ask to play certain records, wanted to play my music at the disco when it was basically only just a rhythm track and little else. From a cupboard under his set up he took out a battered keyboard (unrecognizable brand) and invited me to play over the track with the available sounds on the keyboard. The circle was complete, with Cantonese clubbers happily dancing forwards and backwards, as if it were another Cantopop hit.
I didn't get payed but the house offered us free ice cream cups in which little Portuguese flags were sticked.
The track would be finished later, in studio, with vocoder strings ensemble and synth solos.

TAIPEI DISCO (LIVE)
The live version of 'Taipei Disco' was recorded during a live set at the China Pop venue, in Macau, 1993. China Pop was a rock club built in the ample space of an old fishing warehouse, located in the labyrinthic Inner Harbour area. It was decorated with large Mao Zedong and Cultural Revolution posters and memorabilia and had a unique atmosphere, fusing Pop Art with film noir. We began our performance at 1AM, pretty early for Macau's nightlife standards. We were lucky. An audience showed up. And in Macau there were always several friends among the audience, which tranformed a musical performance into a relaxed party.
The atmosphere was particularly surreal on that night. The front row was dominated by French Crazy Horse dancers, a sort of Oriental Moulin Rouge. The girls had finished their last performance of the evening at the Crazy Horse and were still energized from their show. During our performance, right in front of us and perfectly synched, we could hear the famous irreverent screams of can-can dancers. You always had to expect the unexpected in Macau.

RED MAMBO (IMPROMPTU)
I was familiar with the Portuguese-speaking African countries well before having lived in China. I found myself returning several times to one in particular, always attracted by its magic and very distinct, identitary culture and music: Cape Verde.
During the early years of DWART a lot of the inspiration for drum machine rhythms (Roland's TR series) came from African music, especially from new musical trends that gained full autonomy with Cape Verde's independence from Portugal, as was the case with funaná.
I had the privilege of having known and befriended some of the greatest Capeverdian composers, musicians and singers during the 70s and 80s, such as Bana, Luís Morais, Cesária Évora, Paulino Vieira, Chico Serra, Tito Paris, and historical bands such as Bulimundo (ambassadors of funaná) and Os Tubarões (great innovators of morna, coladera and funaná, with the sonic impact of an afro-beat big band).
When Luís Filipe de Barros began playing Os Tubarões for the first time on Portuguese radio, that was the turning point for African music in Portugal. The 'Tabanca' album was so widely heard and talked about that it quickly got a Portuguese release through one of the big labels of the time.
The mystic of this band from the Santiago Island would reach the East. Os Tubarões played to a packed room in Macau in 1992, and after the bombastic gig we arranged a dinner and party at my place.
We ate and drank generously and the moment came for a jam session at the small studio on the 19th floor. Because Os Tubarões didn't all fit in the studio, we recorded an impromptu with only three of the musicians: Tótó Silva (electric guitar), Mário Russo Bettencourt (bass) and Zeca Couto (piano). And there we were improvising without barriers, suddenly detached from cultural roots, labels and constraints, a truly unique moment. The track is now being released exactly as it was recorded, imbued with the real communion between the musicians. And it could only be titled 'Red Mambo'. I wish to dedicate it to the memory of Ildo Lobo and Jaime do Rosário, founders of Os Tubarões, sadly and too soon departed from the land of music.