Multi Culti return with an expansive 8-track mini-LP showcase timed for summer solstice celebrations.
The a-side kicks off with the musically-gifted Mytron’s genre-defining title ‘Shisha House’, Italian Ayala teams up with Abrao on ‘Magia,’ Jamie Paton slices up the low-slung, serpentine ‘Sub Ritual,’ and Xanga & Zebulon deliver a literal love letter to the ‘Coca Leaf’.
B-side action begins with Ecuadorian newcomer Kunturi, whose ‘Eclosión’ portends a new wave of Nicola Cruz inspired, folkloric techno, Italian duo Future Island (Oltrefuturo teamed up with treasure island) rock an impressive slow-mo trance dub on ‘Wide Music II,’ Aiku debut out of Germany’s Harz mountains with ‘Fried Acid,’ while Argentine wizard Balam finishes the journey off with the incense and sitar laden ‘Caravana.’
While they may dabble in orientalist tropes, these are not mere Tulum-chasers out for shamanic DJ duty. This is avant-garde folk-Tronica that tows the limbo line and once again asserts cult supremacy in the great Psychonautical odyssey.
Last summer saw youANDmedelivered his “Diva 2022” mix of "PPPPP" a track that would ignite dancefloors across Ibiza and become one of the smashes of the summer in the process. The label was always certain the record was a hit and the response that followed justified their faith.
The track went on to be championed across the globe by the likes of Ame, Dixon, Matthias Tanzman and Pete Tong (Radio 1) leaving a succession of dancefloors demolished in its wake. Fast forward to 2023 and the Cult brings in a smorgasbord of house music’sfinest to breathe fresh verve into what is rapidly becoming a future house classic.First, comes the unmistakable dancefloor call of the “Diva” mix, with its fierce retro vocal and contagiously looping house sound. Its raw undeniable groove shook dancefloors for a reason the first time around and here it is to do the damage all over again. Next, house music legend Ian Pooley hops on board to serve up a delicious slab of fat analogue deepness.
A rework for the real house heads, it drenches the original vocals in reverb and creates a tough sub-laden groove bound to work deeper floors. House music’s producer of the moment Cinthie delivers a red-hot reinterpretation that ups the bpm count and zones in on the drums. The Berlin-based producer creates a colossal house-breaks crossover that is bound to tear apart dancefloors. Reese subs fill out the lows while organs deliver the original rave flavour and take the track into orbit.
Finally, Tel Aviv’s Yotam Avni turns out a remix that delivers shades of the pure old-school house with piano stabs sitting alongside deep chords before he puts his tougher-edged modern techno stamp onto it. Rhythm Cult is on a roll now returning with one of the most hyped tracks of 2022. This package delivers the goods with fresh remixes for 2023 from some of the best in the industry who are now added to the label's impressive roster.
For over twenty years on the turntables, I.G.N.A has imposed his sound in the best clubs in Europe. Born in Sicily and raised in Emilia, I.G.N.A’s music is appreciated by many important artists with whom he shares the main stages. As a producer he has released successful EPs on labels such as Deeperfect, Moan and Greatstuff.
This new single is inspired by old school sounds and synths combined with house in a future perspective.
The remix was entrusted to two masters of house music: Ricky L and MarcoRadi. With the intention of spreading new emotions everywhere, looking where no one else lingers, surprising oneself as the music moves in new directions.
As it celebrates its 50th anniversary, Bill Withers' Still Bill remains true to its title – and stands as the greatest male-fronted soul album not made by a singer named Marvin, Al, Sam, James, or Ray. Though the saying "keeping it real" did not exist in popular parlance when Withers released his sophomore effort on Sussex Records, no words better capture the music's approach, mindset, and value. Every facet of Still Bill radiates honesty, truth, and emotion.
These characteristics – along with Withers' strong singing, hybrid arrangements, and deceptively simple songwriting – have allowed the album to endure to the point where it sounds as fresh today as in 1972.
After rising into the Top 5 of the Billboard Album charts and attaining gold status within a year of release, Still Bill has long been evaluated not by sales – but according to its merit, spirit, and agelessness. Included by The Guardian on its "1,000 Albums to Hear Before You Die" list (2007) as well as in Tom Moon's 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die book (2008), its contemporary standing as one of history's most venerated soul efforts eclipses the positive reception it enjoyed in the early ‘70s.
Still Bill walks the same hallowed ground as What's Going On, Call Me, Night Beat, and Genius + Soul = Jazz. Like those landmarks, Still Bill plays with a mix of consistency, effortlessness, and complexity that rewards repeat listening and transcends categorization.
In combining four of the era's predominant styles – Philly soul, sweaty funk, Southern-reared blues, acoustic-based folk – and melding them with standout production borrowed from both minimalist affairs and sophisticated singer-songwriter albums, Still Bill occupies a distinct universe.
Its rhythmic fare is equally laidback and invigorating; relaxing and rollicking; eloquent and muscular; soft and tough. Withers' calm, self-assured voice hovers above it all, doubling as a warm blanket that adds comfort and grace to lyrics steeped in maturity, perspective, and compassion.
Withers' balanced outlook on human desires, needs, and situations stem from his own existence as a former blue-collar employee who believed his time as a musician would soon end. That grounding forever separates Withers from other contemporary soul greats – and stamps Still Bill with a conversational nature and egoless approachability.
"I mean look, I'm really a factory worker," said Withers in 1972. "That's a real job." There's that word again: real. The songs on Still Bill are tethered to modesty and actuality, wedded to a belief in simplicity, and connected to universal truths that link us all – independent of our economic or social standing. No track better exemplifies those principles than "Lean on Me," a feel-good paean to brotherhood and community that hit No. 1 on the pop and R&B charts en route to becoming a mainstream staple.
Withers approaches the plainspoken insight on "Lonely Town, Lonely Street" and heartbreaking vulnerability of "I Don't Want You on My Mind" with similar sincerity and straightforwardness. His proclivity for authenticity extends to the record's other big hit: the sexual, funk-laden "Use Me," which reached No. 2 and reflects the singer's everyman persona. It's an identity couched in keeping it real, the very inclination that ultimately led Withers to retire in the mid-'80s rather than bend to industry pressures or risk credibility.
That commitment to truthfulness and realism helps make Still Bill feel as unaffected as the air we breathe. Looking back on "Lean on Me" years later, Withers said it seemed like "something that was there before I got here" – the kind of song that could be 100 or 10 years old, or one we encounter anew 10 years into the future. The same can be said for every note on Still Bill.
'Seven Years Of Love' is our second label compilation with nine original tracks by resident artists and friends from around the world. The versatile vibe spreads across two parts, each dedicated to a certain dancefloor mood: System 108 and RadugaDiscoClub. Outstanding artwork has been created by Uno Moralez.
Part 2 is an ode to the colorful and diverse world of RadugaDiscoClub. Freaks, artists, dancers, bears, ladies and all the sexy people! On Side A it is 'Heavenly Grace' by Lipelis that seduces us first, followed by 'Angelic', a big summer track by the stalwarts from Cream Soda. With side B it goes down down down down! Simple Symmetry brothers appear for the first time on the label with 'Elephant On Speed', a fantastic story about an elephant who is feeling great. Closing the compilation is '2061' by Matias Aguayo, Comeme founder and legendary music-maker. The laid back rhythm euphoria reminds us of his earlier productions, somewhere around the era of 'Are You Really Lost' LP on KOMPAKT, but '2061' is the future.
Eli Escobar returns for his 9th full length LP. While his last few projects found him exploring downtempo beats, EBM and ambient in§uences, this latest offering of Eli's studio craftsmanship marks a return to the sound of his early releases like Up All Night and Happiness. Warm samples expertly woven into classic drum machine rhythms and searing synth lines, The Beach Album takes listeners on a journey through golden era hip hop beats, feel-good NYstyled house grooves into sweaty techno bangers. Similar to Eli's DJ sets, the 16 track long player has something for everyone. Created during the uncertainty of the pandemic when as Eli put it, "It didn't feel like the right time to release dance music," The Beach album celebrates the return of NY nightlife and optimism for the future.
Drumcode is set to release ‘Elevate’ a 10-track compilation showcasing cuts from a fresh array of label family and friends, including BEC, Juliet Fox and rising talent Chelina Manuhutu, Tini Gessler and DJ Dee. The project is also testament to techno’s global appeal with artists coming from Japan, China and Australia, as well as across the UK and Europe.
Always with an eye on the future, ‘Elevate’ sees a total of seven artists make their Drumcode debut split across three vinyl EPs. The third and final part sees Tini Gessler, Marie Vaunt and BEC let loose three future Drumcode classics.
Mind Maze is, amazingly, Trees Speak’s fifth album to be released on Soul Jazz Records in the space of little over two years– an output matched only by the intensity of their music created during this short time.
The first pressing only of the album comes with a bonus seven-inch single containing two tracks that are not available on vinyl anywhere else.
As with all their previous releases, ‘Mind Maze’ is a mind-boggling tightrope walk across an array of musical influences that seamlessly create the unique present-day world of Trees Speak.
The band’s sound is characterized by a combination of German krautrock motoric-beat rhythms, angular New York post-punk attitude, 60s spy soundtracks, psych, rock, jazz, and 70s synthesizers and vocoders. There is also a cosmic spatial awareness to their sound; both personal inner space and galactic outer space, as well as a wilful pushing of sonic boundaries.
Trees Speak are a musical duo based in Tucson, Arizona, composed of Daniel Martin Diaz and Damian Diaz. Their music is heavily influenced by the cosmic magic of the natural desert landscapes of Arizona, creating a unique and captivating sound that is both experimental and innovative.
Here you will find the myriad sounds of 1970s German electronic music (everything from Can to Cluster, Popul Vuh to Tangerine Dream); 1980s New York post-punk and synthcore (from No Wave to Suicide); John Barry’s 1960s movies, John Carpenter’s 1970s horror. You will also hear the influences of French and Italian progressive rock (Magma, Goblin) as well as cosmic, new age and experimental space soundscapes …. an almost endless list of diverse influences that ebb and flow like an ocean of sound, in the process creating a truly unique soundscape that Trees Speak have made wholly their own.
The name Trees Speak reflects their interest in the concept of using future technologies to store information and data in trees and plants, with the idea that trees communicate collectively. This interest in nature and technology, combined with their passion for experimentation, has led Trees Speak to create a truly one-of-a-kind listening experience that is both unique and engaging.
If you ever wanted to hear Can, Neu!, Destroy All Monsters, Pere Ubu, electric eels, John Cage, Liquid Liquid, Tangerine Dream, Suicide, Laurie Spiegel, Art Ensemble of Chicago, John Barry, Mother Mallard’s Portable Masterpiece Company, Sun Ra, Stockhausen, John Carpenter, Electro-Acoustic and Musique Concrete and Mars in one band - then this is it! Trees Speak are a band that defies categorization and offer an eclectic listening experience, both exciting and memorable.
The two bonus tracks (‘Seraphim’ and ‘Orpheus’) included with the album give us a further window into the complex mind maze of the group - two stunning acoustic tracks that explore a distinct early 70s sound of Yes, Argent and other progressive rock accolytes.
Montreal duo Bas Relief present a collection of rough-cut IDM and pitch-corrected emo on Insulary, a five-song EP out June 2023 on Brooklyn imprint Quiet Time. Written and compiled long distance from threads of bass music-inspired alt pop and guitar recorded in isolation, Insulary is the duo’s first substantial release since 2018. Granulated microglitches fill out the digital drum arrangements, calling on influences Baths and Loraine James, overlaid with warm piano progressions, melancholic guitar loops, and collaged vocal production.
These self-reckoning, forlorn vocals form a patchwork narrative, hazed like a shapeshifted memory, long reconfigured with each conjuring, coherence inconsistent but still there. Recurring dreams find home among recursive passages, self-referencing lyrically and with samples churned through plugins, recorded on loop until you fall upon the most satisfying aha! moment and lock it to the grid. At certain moments all the pieces combine to reminisce in sentimental shards of Porter Robinson or The Postal Service, while never straying from Bas Relief’s own vernacular.
Visiting the past in person simply by walking the routes you took in a life long past, that reenactment of memory, that attempt to capture that which you can’t – it might even be a future – is a central bolt of Insulary’s lyrical content. It’s sentimental, it longs for some past which might not even have existed, and it’s hopeful too, never capitulating to traditional structures in its embrace of unusual stylistic combinations. Insulary – brim-packed with fragments of drum and bass, uptempo electronica, and emo – is but a preview of Bas Relief’s exciting near future
Groundbreaking release from the early 80's produced with rather primitive synthesizers with as result "A Dog in the Night" a track with a thick sound, unusual for its time. Credited as "the sound of the future" in those days and sounding reevant today. The piece produced by Stefano Zito and arranged by Stefano Galante is after 40 years among the favorites of collectors and followers of Italo-Disco, being noted among the songs to be re-edited by Danilo Braca, the New York based Italian Dj known for his creativity! He manages to create wonderful reconstructions, often considered "works of art". Such as the version he remixed and revisited, with the strings played and recorded by Layer Bows, but above all with the additional lyrics written and performed by the superlative SuperJaimie (aka Charlotte Balibar); with her voice she gives a completely different air to this Italo-Disco jewel, now worthy of being brought to the attention of the new generations. Such a gem, made available again on high quality vinyl!
Born under August sun,
in year of the dog,
brings luck for great times,
like a pup in summer.
D.Dan launches his own label, summerpup, as a home for his unique blend of deep, groovy, rolling sounds steeped in psychedelia. The label's playful name and mantra derives from heritage knowledge from his Korean roots passed down by his mother, based on his time of birth.
Returning to Lisbon’s Light Channel Recordings, DJ Silver mines the rich seam of techno’s late-century flourishing into diverse forms – from stern 4/4 to reflective electro to gorgeous, cinematic ambient. ‘P World’ takes (and merits) the whole A-side: what starts as an unadorned piano solo unfurls into a mélange of sunburnt synth washes and hazy arpeggios, as if Detroit Escalator Co. went to the beach for a day. On the B, ‘Cell’ takes us on a nostalgic flight through Incunabula-era electro, here with a remarkable melodic lead line, while ‘Future Domination’ sheds the introspection and drops us straight into the ritual pressure of a packed techno floor. It’s a timely reminder that, even during a time of confinement, music can transport us to far-flung places.
The Blood of Heroes is a amalgamation of artists re-envisioning worlds first created in the Rutger Hauer film by the same name. In “Nine Cities”, the trilogy is completed. The first self-titled album depicted the PRESENT post-apocalypse as depicted in the film. The second album,The Waking Nightmare, showed the world during the actual apocalypse in the PAST that led to the times in the film. This third album is the FUTURE – further past even post-apocalypse – “Nine Cities buried deep underground” – what had survived, and how did these cities evolve beyond the world-ending criteria of their creation and burial? Past the film inspired storyline, we have for the first time in many years, 2 members of the original Napalm Death collaborating with each other: guitarist Justin K. Broadrick is joined by Scorn beat master Mick Harris. With Submeged on bass, and Enduser on keyboards, the frame is set. Joined by all the artists depicted below, including returning vocalist Dr. Israel, and Fear Factory’s Burton C. Bell, this cast is full of surprising interactions, all masterfully mixed by Dadub’s Daniele Antezza. Original artwork is an extended booklet by Khomatech; these Nine Cities are a world of their own, illustrated by one of the masters of fantasial art.
Drumcode is set to release ‘Elevate’ a 10-track compilation showcasing cuts from a fresh array of label family and friends, including BEC, Juliet Fox and rising talent Chelina Manuhutu, Tini Gessler and DJ Dee. The project is also testament to techno’s global appeal with artists coming from Japan, China and Australia, as well as across the UK and Europe.
Always with an eye on the future, ‘Elevate’ sees a total of seven artists make their Drumcode debut split across three vinyl EPs. The third and final part sees Tini Gessler, Marie Vaunt and BEC let loose three future Drumcode classics.
Wytch Hazel melden sich fulminant mit einem neuen Album zurück!
Ihre musikalische Ausrichtung wird meistens als Hard Rock mit mittelalterlichen Anklängen beschrieben. Als wichtige Einflüsse werden häufig Thin Lizzy, Wishbone Ash und Jethro Tull genannt. Die drei Vorgänger-Alben erreichten auch bei deutschen Musikkritikern aus der Hardrock- und Metal-Szene gute bis sehr gute Bewertungen, u.a. war das 2020er Album 'III: Pentecost' im renommierten Deaf Forever-Magazin 'Album des Monats'. Mit fieberhafter Kreativität, progressiver Dynamik und beflügelt von charakteristischem Twin Guitar-Salven sucht die englische Band nach dem perfekten Sound - und ihrer ganz eigenen Interpretation von klassischem Hardrock. Und diese glitzernde Schatzkiste von 'IV: Sacrament' erweist sich als überaus würdiger Nachfolger des gefeierten Vorgängers. Ist es nicht nur die beste Produktion des Quartetts aus Lancashire, sondern auch ihre durchgehend stärkste Sammlung von ergreifenden Hooks und zeitlosen Melodien.
After the first Freedom Dance release “Earth on Faya/Is This The Future” already sold-out, we are glad to present the new Gigi Testa tracks taken from his unreleased materials and produced during this pandemic period.
Atlantis on A side is a raw house track created with only two elements: one drum machine and one synthesizer, this composition will take you deep exploring the underwater world;
Agua Fluida on B side is a bouncing gem including myriad of melodic
elements drums and sound efx creating a fluid percussive flow.
Kraak & Smaak, eine treibende Kraft der elektronischen Musikszene der letzten zwei Jahrzehnte, Meister des Nu-Disco, Funk und allem, was mit Electronic zu tun hat, feiern 2023 ihr 20-jähriges Bestehen - mit einer handverlesenen Auswahl ihres herausragenden Katalogs auf Jalapeno Records und dem eigenen Label Boogie Angst. Das Doppelabum mit dem schlichten Namen TWENTY bringt 20 Band- und Fanfavoriten und viele der unglaublichen Gäste, mit denen das niederländische Duo im Laufe der Jahre zusammengearbeitet hat: von Lee Fields bis Parcels, Romanthony bis Mayer Hawthorne, Ben Westbeech bis Durand Jones. TWENTY ist von Anfang bis Ende ein abgefahrener Hörgenuss, der nie enttäuscht.
Foundation is set in the future when the world is barely remembered and humans have colonized the galaxy. The record introduces Donnie Ozone, a brilliant visionary rapper and psychohistorian whose job is to use lyrics and rhymes to predict the future. It is divided into six chapters, each showing a part of the bigger picture portrayed on the outstanding cover by Infidel.
Teslasonic gathers together the galaxy's top scientists and artists on a bleak outer planet and sets out to preserve the accumulated knowledge of humankind and begin a new human galactic empire based on Art, Science and Technology. He calls his sanctuary the Foundation and designs it to withstand a dark age of ignorance, barbarism, and warfare that he predicts will last for a long time.
Let the celebrations begin, 10 Years of a vision Anané created and called Nulu, her independent label letting the world know about a genre we now know as Afro House, today after many years of dedicated work you'll find it as main stream.
Nulu means 'Nothing Ultimately Leaves Us' and just in time for Winter Music Conference in Miami Nulu presents a special vinyl sampler including 4 tracks representing 'Past, Present & Future' of the labels sound.
Side A includes an elegant and melodic remix of 'Ubatuba (Roots Mix)' by Grammy Award winner Louie Vega & Agev Mungsen feat. Anane, originally produced by Brazilian Soul Crew, where the fusion of Afro House and Soul help to soothe the spirit, followed by the African duo AMRoots aka Filipe Narciso and Fresh Nunas who deliver a fantastic combination of melodies and sounds ready to make dreamers dream with a fresh remix of their original release back in 2009 'Old Times At Barracuda (Cielo Roots 09 Remix)' and was also the first release for Nulu.
Side B includes a superb beat and unmistakable touch of Dj Angelo, bringing you straight to dance floor on a journey you'll wish to never leave and finish this 4 track sampler is the incredible talent of Manoo always setting the contemporary route of Afro House music with his modern style, creativity and authentic sound. The special vinyl sampler will be available exclusively at Winter Music Conference 2019 in Miami, and later for all Nulu followers. Take your time to know the Past, experience the Present and understand the Future of Nulu, a pioneering label of Afro House Music.tti
A famous anthem once begged: “Don’t Make Me Wait.” Sometimes, though, it’s good to make ‘em wait—even just a little bit. Case in point: The production duo of Fabrizio Mammarella and Phillip Lauer, known to clubbers, DJs and music heads as Black Spuma.
Three years after their last EP—and nearly a decade into their production existence—the duo have finally given us a full-length manifesto. Sure, there have been a smattering of remixes and EPs over the years on labels like Futureboogie, International Feel and Live At Robert Johnson. But on their new LP “No No No,” the Spumas at last get to stretch out and give us their full-meal-deal.
The pair birthed the tracks at Lauer’s famed Pyramide III studio, with 10 tunes finalised and selected remotely, thanks to the wonders of high-speed Internet. While the Spumas are well-known (both together and as solo acts) for their melodic, 80s-tinged club workouts, the album format has allowed the guys to push their sound into parts unknown. The album drops at the end of May on Permanent Vacation, and it distils all the things we love about the duo: The melody, the playfulness and the musicianship of two veterans in full command of their powers.
Take the tune “Obereggen,” which expands a punchy, staccato bassline into that sweet spot where trance and italo can play next to each other. Or the cut “Fracture,” which is built on a Detroit-like chassis but makes room for gorgeous pads, subby bass and a nimble breakbeat.
For the established fans, there’ll be plenty to latch onto, including the title cut (and first single), which sounds like something Robocop may have produced if he’d taught a violence diversion program.
Meanwhile, cuts like “Dillingen” remind us of one of those lost Eurythmics B-sides that show up in the dark corners of MixesDB. The album was mixed and mastered by Lopazz, and boasts a colourful cover from Berlin-based artist Ilja Karilampi.
So, 17 years after initially meeting, we finally have a full album from these Spuma Men. And in the end, it was worth the wait.
Active in the mid-80’s and heavily influenced by the British post-punk dissonant style and the Belgian cold-wave melancholic atmosphere, The Ultimate Dreamers resurrected during the COVID lock-down, releasing a selection of good old demo songs on their “Live Happily While Waiting For Death” release. A dynamic impulse that brought them not only back on stage but also into the studio to work on new material. The magic is back!
The Ultimate Dreamers feel stronger than ever and enjoy uniting past, present and future on this exciting “Echoing Reverie” album, on which they reach a subtle balance between light and darkness: a poignant cold wave fusion of futuristic danceable dream pop with a retro noisy post-punk attitude with surrealistic introspective cynical lyrics dealing with fleeting life, melancholic solitude and other inner demons..
The new songs intelligently merge nostalgic cold wave chills and alluring poignant vocals with carrying basslines and irresistible danceable beats to become “less is more” addictive tunes that capture you in no time. If you like bands such as New Order, The Cure, Minimal Compact, Trisomie 21 or yet Section 25, “Echoing Reverie” comes highly recommended for a timeless dusk sonic experience at the crossroads of darkness and brightness.
See the magic operate and let The Ultimate Dreamers carry you in their echoing reverie…
The ever-evolving Bruise, purveyor of that top shelf house business drops The Skyline mini LP via Foundations Music Productions showcasing some of his finest work to date. Eight cuts that range from deep, introspective delights to hard-hitting club weapons, jazz-infused 2 step to UK bass flavours including a signature remix from esteemed stalwart of the scene, Future Beat Alliance.
Kicking off with ‘Cascade’, Bruise opens the record with a driving, emotive 4/4 vision of swirling strings and glittering pianos while a choir builds to create a club track of haunting beauty. ‘Brass Tacks’ and ‘Thunder’ follow, the former packed with driving horn riffs, euphoric chords and that classic Bruise breakdown, set to ignite dance floors across the world, with the latter a dramatic dance floor heater that mixes intensity and sensitivity to stunning effect.
Maintaining that balance of delicacy with power, elsewhere Bruise offers up both an instrumental and vocal mix of ‘Driftin’’ the atmospheric yet equally effective house stunner.
On the B side ‘The Dassy Slide’ dives deep into the basement. A rolling syncopated vocal lead dances around a nagging horn refrain all underpinned with a bass heavy 2-step inspired groove. Closing out the package Future Beat Alliance twists and turns with techno leaning trademark remix of ‘Themes’ that tips its hat to the ‘90s yet with a firm foot in the future before the UK Bass, breakbeat blending ‘Tears’ takes the final spot.
"Drums from heaven, keys from Mars, a bass made from mother earth's soil and guitars from a guy who's time-traveling from German Kraut in the last 60ies into the next 60ies and who happens to gift us today with this funky, dirty, pulsating, delicious music that's everything which music is supposed to be: ALIVE! (Note to self: Always keep a copy of this record in your suitcase!)." (Malakoff Kowalski)
"Afrokraut" is a stylistic expression of Krautrock, primarily associated with Can, and their creative use of time and space in music. "A Guide To Afrokraut III" is David Nesselhauf´s third and last contribution to the dusty shrine of this long forgotten style.
Next to "Afrokraut" (2016) and "Afrokraut II: The Lowbrow Manifesto" (2018), this album completes a humble sonic Trypticon in honour of David Nesselhauf's musical heroes. Experimentation was key in the immersive process of producing this album, which encompasses elements of Funk, Afrobeat and Krautrock as well as otherworldly Drones, early Elektronische Musik and even field recordings.
Inspired by the unfinished manuscript 'History Deletes Itself' by the late science fiction author Joseph Sabiers, Nesselhauf decided to produce a b-movie soundtrack to the original plot, ignoring the fact that there will likely never be a movie to this music.
In the original script, a virus has infected history, the resulting changes of historical facts leading to an unpredictable present and future for mankind. Every attempt to solve the problem – including time travelling – only worsens the situation. But three planets at the end of the known universe seem to be unaffected by the phenomenon, they become a sanctuary known as 'Afrokraut III'. Three brothers arrive there to start new lives. They are introduced to The Guide, their mysterious advisor...
The striking parallels to today's uncertainties, a strong feeling of hope and the idea to never stop exploring (come what may) certainly have encouraged the making of this album, which sees a belated release due to the obstacles everyone faces right now.
David Nesselhauf lives in Hamburg/Germany and appears as a bass player/songwriter in bands like Hamburg Spinners, The Drawbars, Diazpora, and Angels Of Libra.
In anticipation of Kerri Chandler’s forthcoming album Spaces and Places, his first in 14 years, that sees the New Jersey legend celebrating club and soundsystem culture by recording, writing and performing a track in twenty-two of the worlds most distinguished nightclubs, Kaoz Theory drop the second in a series of vinyl album samplers.
Sampler 2, a sublime gatefold, double 12 inch package sees Kerri soak up and channel the atmosphere of Dublin’s District 8, Glasgow holy grail Sub Club, NYC’s Output and Lisbon’s crowning jewel Lux into four trademark Kerri cuts, doubled up with a further mix of each track for good measure too. Piano-laden deep house, heads-down groovers, vocal-tinged soulful gems, recorded directly from each space, it’s brimming with future classics from start to finish.
JIMMY EDGAR's latest release for Innovative Leisure, LIQUIDS HEAVEN, is a psychedelic canvas of future R&B, euphoric bass, mutant tear-theclub-up rap, foundation-splintering noise, and gossamer soul.
On a surface level, it is a starburst of avant-garde fusion, collecting a diverse cast of eccentric geniuses and re- configured into an anthology of n - musique concrete.
As with all of his work, there is a deeper and subversive intent.
Do not mistakenly believe that LIQUIDS HEAVEN is merely a technicolor dream of ethereal abstractions. It bangs as hard as anything to ever bump from a subwoofer.
Over a polychromatic blast of crunk, bounce on Everybody like a rap
rave inside a 31st century space station. Bite That 2 finds Trinidad James spitting flames over booty- shaking, wall- crumbling bass. On Ya, 645AR chirps over a metallic chassis of booming industrial funk.For all the high energy propulsion, there is a counter-balance of melancholic beauty.
The album's opener, Euphoria features a Liz Y2K vocal that levitates with plaintive longing. The Milk- aided Dreams 1000000 sounds like the chimerical soundtrack to a manga utopia that needs to be imagined. Milk also appears on the finale, Never Leave, which
captures a bittersweet sadness, the wistful emotion of the tide slipping away.
Jimmy's career has been a series of fascinating left- turns. Signed to Warp Records as a teenage electronic music prodigy, his work needs a scholarly bibliography to properly assess. He's recorded for the world's most respected imprints (Warp, K7, Hotflush, Innovative Leisure and his own New Reality Now).
Raised in Detroit, there have been stints soaking up inspiration in Berlin, Atlanta, LA, and New York. His list of close collaborators includes the most innovative musicians of the millennium, including Hudson Mohawke, Danny Brown, SOPHIE, DAWN, Mykki Blanco, Vince Staples, and several full projects with Machinedrum
as J-E-T-S.
Freude am Tanzen is back for a very special occasion. In 2022, three Various Artists EPs will be released, celebrating the 24th anniversary of the label from Thuringia. Whilst occasions like this would normally be celebrated on the quarter century, this release makes sense not only on the mathematical level. 3 compilations with 4 tracks provide the half of 24.
The release however also makes sense in terms of history. Freude am Tanzen is showcasing a broad range of electronic music, never neglecting their history but also looking into the future.
The last installment of the anniversary-compilation starts with the upcoming effgee reminiscing about something that’s most likely happened to everyone once or twice, packed into a classic yet fresh house track. Beautiful chords combined with a proper baseline. Sharing the A-Side with him is d.m.s., who’s production is settled somewhere between the urban and the jungle, incorporating elements of both worlds. Some groove to it, with vocals that stimulate to think!
The B-Side on this release focusses on variation. Lauer combines lush deep house vibes with some acid elements into his track ‚Janitors‘, while LoYoTo have opened their whole toolbox for their contribution. A wide array of samples and a meticious drum arrangement.
Mind Maze is, amazingly, Trees Speak’s fifth album to be released on Soul Jazz Records in the space of little over two years– an output matched only by the intensity of their music created during this short time.
The first pressing only of the album comes with a bonus seven-inch single containing two tracks that are not available on vinyl anywhere else.
As with all their previous releases, ‘Mind Maze’ is a mind-boggling tightrope walk across an array of musical influences that seamlessly create the unique present-day world of Trees Speak.
The band’s sound is characterized by a combination of German krautrock motoric-beat rhythms, angular New York post-punk attitude, 60s spy soundtracks, psych, rock, jazz, and 70s synthesizers and vocoders. There is also a cosmic spatial awareness to their sound; both personal inner space and galactic outer space, as well as a wilful pushing of sonic boundaries.
Trees Speak are a musical duo based in Tucson, Arizona, composed of Daniel Martin Diaz and Damian Diaz. Their music is heavily influenced by the cosmic magic of the natural desert landscapes of Arizona, creating a unique and captivating sound that is both experimental and innovative.
Here you will find the myriad sounds of 1970s German electronic music (everything from Can to Cluster, Popul Vuh to Tangerine Dream); 1980s New York post-punk and synthcore (from No Wave to Suicide); John Barry’s 1960s movies, John Carpenter’s 1970s horror. You will also hear the influences of French and Italian progressive rock (Magma, Goblin) as well as cosmic, new age and experimental space soundscapes …. an almost endless list of diverse influences that ebb and flow like an ocean of sound, in the process creating a truly unique soundscape that Trees Speak have made wholly their own.
The name Trees Speak reflects their interest in the concept of using future technologies to store information and data in trees and plants, with the idea that trees communicate collectively. This interest in nature and technology, combined with their passion for experimentation, has led Trees Speak to create a truly one-of-a-kind listening experience that is both unique and engaging.
If you ever wanted to hear Can, Neu!, Destroy All Monsters, Pere Ubu, electric eels, John Cage, Liquid Liquid, Tangerine Dream, Suicide, Laurie Spiegel, Art Ensemble of Chicago, John Barry, Mother Mallard’s Portable Masterpiece Company, Sun Ra, Stockhausen, John Carpenter, Electro-Acoustic and Musique Concrete and Mars in one band - then this is it! Trees Speak are a band that defies categorization and offer an eclectic listening experience, both exciting and memorable.
The two bonus tracks (‘Seraphim’ and ‘Orpheus’) included with the album give us a further window into the complex mind maze of the group - two stunning acoustic tracks that explore a distinct early 70s sound of Yes, Argent and other progressive rock accolytes.
Global pointing Brazilian jazz trio releases their new album Agôra, that sparkles with electric funk and Herbie-esque eclecticism. It features a myriad of guest vocalists and musicians including Brazilians Xênia França and Zé Leônidas, Jembaa Groove's Ghanaian singer Eric Owusu and South African artists Bongani Givethanks & Mpho Nkuzo
Re-wiring the concept of 'fusion' for 2023, Agôra is Brazilian trio Caixa Cubo's resurgent new record with the title referring to 'now', based upon the intuitive and fluid nature of the trio's method, and this inspired recording. With shoots to black music culture, from Brazil to Brooklyn, Ghana and South Africa, Agôra is the group's ninth album yet is their first where they've invited guests, mainly singers, onto each track and follows their last, Angela from 2020, released on Heavenly Records, which won a BBC 6 Music Album of the Year (Huey Morgan's selection) granting them much deserved international recognition.
The core musical elements of Caixa Cubo are Henrique Gomide (keys), João Fideles (drums) and Noa Stroeter (bass), all from São Paulo, Brazil and where they met as teenagers and would continue their friendship and musical bond at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, Netherlands. Now all in their mid thirties, João and Noa live back in the city where it all started but Henrique has settled in Cologne, Germany where the recording of Agôra took place, over the course of 3 days, at the home cum studio of Chris 'Dusty' Doepke, their friend and owner of the label they signed to, Jazz & Milk.
In line with all their creations where flow and energy provide the magic, allowing what the moment provides, the album shines not only for its virtuosity but for its minimalism, the depth of space, and for the first time, the ability to figure in and outside of the jazz fold, as the trio decided, for the first time, to bring in singers and add a new aesthetic to their sound.
"Agôra is a wake-up call to reality, a reminder that the infinite possibilities of technological progress should not disconnect us from the earth, from eye-to-eye relationships, and from moments lived in person" the band are keen to point out. "And that we must not be consumed by greed, for all we truly possess.... is the NOW."
Turning hope and metaphor into music, the debut single Sábado, an electrified future- jazz-fizz reflects perfectly the spontaneity that permeated the entire recording of the album. "When we got to the studio, we had no idea what we were going to record. We started playing a groove, kind of inspired by Gilberto Gil's 80s albums, and our drummer João started singing this funny song 'Sábado Barrigudão' (Big Belly Saturday) alongside the bass groove and that was that". Inspired by their city of birth, São Paulo, it features long time collaborator and vocalist Zé Leônidas, with cuicas, tamborim, agogo and shakers providing the most obvious Brazilian affect from the album.
Dreams is the band's first foray into R'n'B melding the group's simple and sporadic instrumentation of drums, keys and bass into a Jill Scott inspired song that could have been born in Brooklyn yet sung by Brazilian singer and Grammy nominated Xênia França and Zé Leônidas in both English and Portuguese. Xênia recently performed online for hip-to-it website Colors and it's her latest collaboration with Caixa Cubo, having first met in 2009 for a series of live performances.
South African artists Bongani Givethanks & Mpho Nkuzo come to the record with a wholly different approach on Ndiyakhangela, providing spoken word and vocal refrains on top of an Afro-Brazilian percussion jam with a delivery and verse in Xhosa, Zula and Ndebele. Asase is the album opener and features vocals of Eric Owusu who is part of highlife pioneer Pat Thomas's live band and most recently, co-leader of Jembaa Groove, an Afro-soul band from Berlin. It's a synth wig out with djembe grooves and offers a brand new take on Afro-soul-jazz.
Other contributions come from Cologne based jazz singer Rebekka Ziegler (Oblique Sunshine), São Paulo based guitarist Eduardo Camargo (Caio & Eric) and trumpet player Matthias Schriefl on Kismeti, a gorgeous and rolling number that ebbs and flows, exemplifying the group's effortless ability to craft a sound energised by a belief in one-self and the idea of having faith without the need to look at each other for verification.
As drummer and percussionist João Fideles perfectly surmised upon arriving for the recording session, "What drums do you have? Whatever you have, I'll use it". Agôra is testament to nearly 20 years of camaraderie, friendship and most importantly, trust.
One of techno's most joyous experimentators delivers two intriguing uptempo tracks. Instead of hitting hard and heavy 'In Aggregate' and 'Carob' float delicately, with explosive detail blooming freely and high above what feels rather like a bass-ladden undercurrent than a persistent kick drum foundation.
Both tracks expand on Stefan Goldmann's extensive polyrhythmic research and integrate tonal and metric functions within the same units of sound. Somewhat radically, the central sound of 'Carob' is all
in one: beat, bassline and single-note melody. By contrast, 'In Aggregate' unfolds lush layers of exuberant percussion, countered by rounded drops of bass and an occasional vocal snippet ricocheting off of claustrophobia-inducing walls of glass.
As future-forward as they are organic, these offerings come with appropriately idiosyncratic artwork by Jorinde Voigt.
After a rather long hiatus due to well known circumstances, Stützpunkt returns with its third release. Berlin based French producer and DJ Casual Treatment makes his debut on the imprint with the „Devotion EP”. Uncompromising while staying true to the genre’s roots, the record embodies the soul of the German capital’s sound.
„Tourmente” recognizes the itch under your skin, feeling it out and giving in to the demand.
Taking a „Trip to Alderaan” feels like going on a journey to a blooming past that hypnotizes its passengers in an unforeseeable future and into a magical past.
„Abrasion” breathes life into the tired soul, never losing its prey, putting you in consequential trance and ecstasy.
The fourth track „Devotion” not only gives the record its title but also caps a voyage down memory lane into the most perceptible realms.
Forming a wide spectrum of sounds, Comics Trip Records always manage to include a plenty of influences into their releases but with a uniquely future retro slant. Next up to instil this musical identity is VTL One and the third story of Comics Trip Records.
We've been writing new material as a trio since the first lockdown in the spring of 2020. An organic and electro-acoustic impulse that translates both mine and Eliete's need of self-archiving, re-inventing and auto-cannibalising Tetine's past, present and
future in order to explore other aural landscapes and modes of composing intuitively, while at the same time, re-experiencing moments of our trajectory as a hybrid organism.
Music For Breathing was born as a respiratory, meditative, and improvisatory piece of DIY tropical-mutant-punk "chamber music" written for cello, voice, piano, organ and electronics. The work responds to the suspended acts of breathing and vertigos experienced in contemporary polluted environments in political, social and philosophical transitions, whilst investigating the secret ontologies of inanimate objects and architectures, as well as the echoes and ethics of modes of operating things.
Recorded during the intense period of heatwaves that hit London between July and August 2022, in a small studio set up in our flat's kitchen - so that we could capture the acoustic instrumentation (in particular, for the recording of cellos) without much
noise interference from the street - this vinyl version of the album comprises of 5 distinct yet complementary reflective movements.
Musically and lyrically, it explores the atmospherics and syntaxes of time and space, voice, rhythm, as well as themes such as hearing loss, menopause, pollution and respiration. It builds an expanded suite of unexpected electro-acoustic textures through repetition, minimalistic motives, simple melodies, chromatic developments, free counterpoint and atonalism. Conceived as an ode to the poetics of slowness, the sounds you hear give continuity to the music we composed for the performance-film The Ether - Prelude No.1 over the first lockdown in 2020 as it simultaneously explores the warmth, melodiousness and power of the cello in conjunction with electronics. Music For Breathing evokes this transitory moment: a place and time where language runs out, communication and information lose their functions, sound and meaning do not correspond. Facts do not correspond to contexts. Spaced Out in Paradise. The last degree of the structure, the loss of memory. The lost voice.
The album also features our 12-year-old daughter Yoko Afi on cello and vocals. It reflects a period of free sound experimentation influenced both by romantic composers of the late 19th / early 20th centuries and contemporary electronic music. The pieces you hear were composed, arranged, and recorded with the joy and melancholy of "those who do not know". In other words, "with the arrogance of a second childhood" as Derek Jarman once put it. 'Agile and candid as a child'(1).
1) Manifesto da Poesia Pau-Brasil, Oswald de Andrade, Correio da Manhã, 18 de Março de 1924.
Gated kick off 2023 with a corker of a remix package, featuring an epic electro workout from Radioactive Man and lo-fi deep house from Max Wheeler of Anushka fame.
Marcela Dias Sindaco’s breathy Portuguese vocals always lent themselves to remixes and these five cuts use them to great effect.
Keith Tenniswood’s storming version of Missao Controle kicks off the EP, with a near-8-minute bass-heavy acid monster that retains the original’s funky elements but pushes them way into the future.
German upstarts not even noticed take Extincao nice and deep for those loved-up dancefloor moments, again bringing in melodic elements from the original, but twisting them just enough to flow into a dreamy acidic breakdown.
Flip to the B and Anushka’s Max Wheeler goes it alone, with a deep and crackly analogue house version of Dois Lados. Injected with just a smidgeon of jazz, this is definitely one for the heads.
Next up, longtime Gated collaborator Dip Shim, whose debut album only just dropped, brings a straight-up electro jam version of Pro Meu Bem, with haunting pads and insistent arpeggios.
Rounding off the EP is Perseus Traxx’s deeper than deep take on Missao Controle, a tripped out reverby journey laden with his signature hardware sound.
The title track "Ghost In The Shell" has a light and a dark side that fight with each other somewhere in 2077, and it's up to you to decide which one wins. “Ramayana” is an interpretation of the ancient Indian epic in the form of a meditative dub-techno-trance. "Wow!" dedication that occurred on August 15, 1977. A strong narrowband radio signal was detected by Dr. Jerry Eiman while working on the Big Ear radio telescope at Ohio State University. "Wow!" was the only signal in the history of mankind intercepted from the depths of space, which could not be deciphered, but the musicians tried. The EP closes with a slow track with an unearthly atmosphere, shimmering with contrasting electronic sound. "After Glow" - a neutrino of a thermonuclear sun, making its way through thunderclouds and bringing hope to the bright future of the present time. So Komponente & Kurilo made mystical EP with an unpredictable plot, which is a symbiosis of dub-techno and trance melodies.
Holly Lester’s Duality Trax Label has quickly become synonymous for its blend of future facing sonics and mind-warping melodies, served together with a healthy dose of nostalgia. A label just as focused on making dancefloor destroyers as it is exploring left-leaning, personal projects, it’s within this duality where the label has found its success, never afraid to shy away from b side oddities or tracks edging more towards good-old-fashioned-fun.
DUALITY5 steers towards the latter, with Manchester based DJ & producer Aiden Francis providing the serotonin on tap with three lively dancefloor cuts, including a huge remix from Italy’s Matisa. Aiden had a big 2022, releasing music on Magic Carpet, Gestalt and beloved music platform and label Houseum, solidifying himself as one to watch in the euphoric unity of house, trance and techno.
Title track ‘Plastic Fantasy’ is the star of the show, a suitably sassy roller that places everyone's favorite blonde icon front left of the speakers. Subtle old school strings contrast with alien electronics, providing familiarity in an otherwise unfamiliar world. A bubble-gum vocal then rolls in cheekily over a driving bassline and dynamic percussion - used in a way I’m not sure the original creators had in mind. ‘Future Proof’ meanwhile demonstrates Aidens’ knack for contemporary progressive house music. With warm pads, swirling sonic textures and moments of blissful euphoria, it’s energetic enough to move a dancefloor, but gentle enough for home listening too.
The record comes to a close with ‘Aquamarine’, with Aiden opting in favour of free flowing breakbeats and mind expanding synths, together radiating a feeling of warmth and hope for days to come. Italian DJ and producer Matisa is on hand to round the EP off with a bass-heavy rendition of ‘Plastic Fantasy’ a no-holds-barred speed garage licked stomper, with the power to lure smokers back inside the club with their feet firmly planted on the dancefloor.
Franky Wah is now striking out on his own by starting his own label, SHÈN Recordings, which first surfaced at the beginning of 2022 and has since been used as an outlet for his productions. After a string of singles, he quietly put out the label's first album, aptly named This Is SHÈN.
Philipp Matalla lives and works in the triangle of Halle, Leipzig and Berlin, in Germany. He has previously released music on labels such as Optimo Music, KANN and Kashual Plastik. His new album on Meakusma delves into some of the themes that have so far defined his work, this time increasing the tension between moments of musical harshness and flickers of introspection, ease and downright beauty. Matalla aims not for perfection, instead deploying the listener's sense of imagination. His work toys with the notion of abstraction in electronic music, often going as far cutting short melodic and other ideas, making for a confrontational stance unafraid of leaving his material in a state of difficult to define rawness, based on versatile ingredients equally rooted in rural and urban territory. Stakes is a gorgeous and gorgeously far out album, integrating elements of psychedelic rock and dub, blending in melodic ideas that are at times abstracted, at times soothing. It is pastoral music for the digital age, where raw bursts of noise and energy dislocate and set the record straight. There is even a croonerish feel to some of its tracks, croonerish from a distorted future that is. Stakes is an experience in eclecticism and musical logic. It dissolves structures and ideas and turns musically recognisable elements on their head.
After the first EP released in 2019 with Mother Tongue label, the French band never stopped reinventing itself. Oscillating between future jazz, house, the alchemy found within the band proves to be quite unstoppable. Whether it’s live or in the studio, the Gin Tonic Orchestra reinvents, innovates and experiments constantly. The idea is to create a live experience that resembles a DJ set, strongly influenced by club culture and jazz. For the first album « Shyance », the collective starts with a cataclysmic intro that introduce « No I Can’t Be Free » which connects Stefania EP to the new album. The other tracks cross Fusion (Shyance), Hisaishi harmonies (Yubaba), DnB (Rage Jaune), Deep House (La Couenne Rance), Cosmic Disco (Crush) and Thrash R&B (Can U Plug My SM58 Tonight).
Almost 2 years after the success of the album The Tony Allen Experiments and a few months after the release of the 7inch Amore, Nu Guinea returns to the scene with a new LP published by their newborn label NG RECORDS.
After touring the world looking for sounds suitable for their vibrations, NU GUINEA decided to go back to square one, Napoli, where Massimo Di Lena and Lucio Aquilina were born and raised. They watched their city from a distance reconstructing its energy from their studio in
Berlin, calibrating the synths on the meridian of Vesuvius, the volcano that has always protected and threatened Napoli.
Nuova Napoli is the result of a long musical research that has become a historical investigation on the sound that shaped Napoli during the ‘70s and ‘80s, starting from the contamination of genres (disco, jazz-funk, African rhythms) which ended up in Nu Guinea’s DNA.
In this album the synthesizers fill the spaces between the past and the future, tightening in a single body acoustic instruments, electronics and voices in Neapolitan dialect. It is the first time that the duo has worked with such a large group of musicians, some of whom are exponents of the contemporary Neapolitan scene.
WARNING: We recommend listening to Nuova Napoli while walking in the alleys of Napoli’s
historic center, around wet clothes hanging and street vendors on tiny three-wheelers.
