In contrast to their previous EP’s, ‘Xenolith’ ups the intensity focusing on rugged breakbeats and destructive low end pressure. Across four tracks the duo experiment at different tempos, unearthing a myriad of themes inspired by forensic analysis and autonomous technological forces. Like alloys mysteriously grown from ore, fragmented artifacts of familiar origin take on new meaning. ‘Xenolith’ is bound together by complex and dystopian atmospheres, forging perhaps Tracing Xircles most intriguing record so far. A1 Xenolith A2 Surface Level B1 Blindspot B2 Closed Circuit All tracks written & produced by Simon Pilkington & Luke Standing Mastered by Helmut Erler | Cut @ Dubplates & Mastering Berlin Artwork by Hayden Martin / Haxan Studio
quête:g tech
« In Praise Of Nothing » is the debut EP of the brand new S.A.C.S 89 imprint created by Stephen & Charlou former founding members of OPAQ Records. S.A.C.S 89 stands for Society Against Conformist System and aims to defend uncompromising music. On this first record founders Charlou & Stephen provide 2 tracks each and 2 collaborations ranging from techno & EBM to synth-pop. An invitation to join their new system.
Single release from the forthcoming album “Catharsis”, produced by Sven Va¨th & Gregor Tresher The second release before the upcoming mighty new Sven Va¨th album “Catharsis” gives you another hint at what´s coming at you! Let us tell you, we couldn´t be more excited for everyone to finally experience Sven´s new masterpiece! But before we unleash the beast, we decided to release a second single. This time containing two absolute highlight tracks. If you have heard Sven playing in the past months, you will recognize both, as they were pivotal moments in almost every set! First up we have “Mystic Voices“, a track that was created during the early stages of the album production with Sven gathering ideas and words to finally record the unmistakable vocals during a hectic tour through India, and Gregor spending days and nights on the other side of the planet in his studio to process the stream of inspiration. When the two finally sat down together in the studio, the track emerged quickly. Some would call the instant vibe that magic that every creative mind is longing to find. “Butoh” is a raw and dark force, influenced by Japanese dance, an art form that deeply touched Sven during his travels on Nippon Island. It´s an otherworldly sounding track, still based in the Techno Realm but heavily twisted by a long break that introduces Japanese percussions that eventually get topped by the haunting vocals of Cana Hatsushiba.
The second installment of Synkroniq meticulously crafted by Vlad Caia, presents us with two distinct cuts. On the A side we find "Linear Movement", a rolling track with a deep bassline and a tech housey vibe. "Source of Certainty" builds nicely on the B side with its calming introduction and flavorful build-up, completing this well rounded release.
repressed !
Some people are just not destined to have enough sleep.When you don't sleep enough the world appears to be a different place, compared to the way it is when the mind is fully rested. In such cases very different scenarios may occur.
Starting with a dreamy melody of Roma Zuckerman's 'Sleep not found', which inspired the entire 008 album, and ending with a thirteen minute live recording by a_000, the side project of Alex Backdrop, the entire record has a dreamy and tripped out flow. 008 continues the tradition of gatefold double EPs as conceptual album.All tracks are selected around a particular story, a trip, and presented as a continuous sonic landscape.All tracks are structured in a way that they can be mixed one with another an endless amount of times making a continuous loop, a trip, that needs only end when the party stops. Kraviz works without release dates or deadlines, enabling her to achieve a certain sound bank to shape the story, unmasking the thoughts and unravelling like a dream. A1. Roma Zuckerman - Sleep Not found (North Edit) Apart form the fact that he leaves in Krasnoyarsk in the middle of Russia, very little is known about Roma (short version of the name Roman). But listening to his music and engaging in random short conversations late at night makes it clear that there are really a lot of things going on Romas mind... Minimalistic yet emotionally complex, his music always stands out with it's murkiness and signature moodiness that Roma creates like nobody else.
A2. Deniro - G Deniro continues the record's journey with his new live cut that like pretty much everything he did so far is a beautiful sparse atmospheric groover. He says he wanted it to be angry and it its done with triggering synths from the tr909 and tr808.
B1. Maayan Nidam - Infinite Rattle
Maayan was born in Tel-Aviv. She does not like computers and prefers to record her music live using hardware only. In order to do so she built her incredible studio in Berlin where she recorded "Infinite Rattle'.There is much more to come from Maayan on
B2. Bbbbbb - Prins Polo Caramel milkshake.
Side project by Bjarki-bbbbbb. Like any other normal Icelander, Bjarki really likes ice cream. In Iceland they are absolutely crazy about it.They walk the streets, ice cream in hand, even when its freezing cold outside. But even more than that Icelanders like Milkshakes with all sorts of added cookies and candies. Bjarki's favourite is called Prince Polo after the name of a chocolate bar. He always believed Prins Polo was an Icelandic brand but a couple of months ago somebody proved him wrong.
C1. Exos- dub jazz
In Iceland Exos is a legend. Everybody knows him there. He's been playing incredibly powerful and technically advanced techno sets since the late 90s and releasing delicious dub techno on Icelandic label Thule. Nina always appreciated his subtler, dubbier side, and this short recording a the continuation of it.
C2. Maaayn Nidam - Justice for some
This second live recording was a perfect fit for this album. Maayan has managed to create a particular mysterious night time dreamer here. Sound wise it's even more unique. It took a few times to get the master right, because we wanted to keep the original breathing of the machine that has captured a seriously freaky vibe. Maayan has always been one of Nina's favourite DJs as they share a similar attitude towards music. But after this tune she has also reserved a place in Nina's collective of favourite producers. D1. A_000
This is a side project of Italian native Alessio Meneghello (Alan Backdrop) & Enrico Voltan. . A beautiful 13-minute sonic journey.
Back In Stock!
The debut collaboration between techno alchemists Ben Klock and Lucy will probably provoke quivers of anticipation before a single note has been heard. After all, both producers have carved out names for themselves as scene innovators at what they do, and both have already proven that they can more than capably work in a duo format without sacrificing an iota of their unique aesthetics: in Lucy's case, there has already been the sublime Zeitgeber pairing with Speedy J., and Klock has joined forces with the likes of Marcel Dettmann to craft some of the more memorable output from the Ostgut Ton label. This new release makes good on each producer's talent for working with epically unfolding tracks, maintaining a strong command of both 'drone' and melodicism, and envisioning sound as a kind of inter-dimensional mass transit. As the record indicates, things can get very interesting when the two working methods superimpose perfectly, but can be just as interesting when the two fall slightly out of phase with one another.
Listeners familiar with the classic kosmische feel will be taken immediately by the opening gambit "Bliss," whose feeling of floating through the coldness of space is accompanied here by nicely warm production values. The bassline that introduces the subsequent track ("War Lullaby") is close to being a continuation of the opener's leitmotif sequence, although with a change in atmosphere that will keep curious ears from turning away too soon: an FX-shrouded voice delivers a monologue at once seductive and foreboding, followed by a confident kick thump with ephemeral trailing clatters in tow. This affective orientation pulses through the whole record well, building up to the second rhythmic track ("Santeria") which is the busiest and most engaging of the bunch. Here a variety of sonic flavorings are ritually thrown into the pot and allowed to simmer - fleeting snatches of conga, phasing zaps and rhythmic ricochets all make for a rich concoction that epitomizes the progress that has been made in techno music within this decade. The closing "A Ghost Love story," like the opener, is a non-'dance' piece, but is no less compelling for that fact: as a foam of white noise pans between the listener's ears, a slurred / pitch-bent refrain conjures the feeling of either entering or exiting from some erotically tinged hypnagogic state.
Speaking of which, the overall impression given off by this record is that of a special kind of reciprocity: that is, of dreams influencing reality and reality feeding back into dreams. The rhythmic intensity of these tracks, at once an indicator of a hard and immediate reality, is regularly complemented by oneiric flourishes that make the partitioning line between these two realms of consciousness less distinct. As the next chapter in the Stroboscopic Artefacts saga, and in the personal journeys of both Ben Klock and Lucy, it will contribute to the ongoing mission of all these parties: giving longtime fans what they want while expanding their consciousness and inquisitiveness.
The Tel-Aviv centered Yotam Avni officially joined forces with Stroboscopic Artefacts last year, turning in a sensual an invigorating entry for the Monad series. Thanks to his personalized fusion of esoteric and worldly sound elements, Avni immediately made a case to deliver more work to the label, and now he has done so with 'Perlude to Dybbuk,' the second in a new series of S.A. releases to feature the Oblique Artefacts visual team's distinct, elegant portrayals of scanned foliage. As with Avni's previous Monad contribution, the new Perlude to Dybbuk makes references - both in title and in sonic content - to the ancient Hebrew folklore of his homeland (a 'dybbuk' being a kind of limbonic spirit attaching itself to the body of a living human until it has successfully reached its final destination). However, the atmospheric, rather than overt, use of these references gives this record a level of dignity and quality as well as a premonitory feeling that hovers over the proceedings.The opening 'Avka (New Life)' opens with the twin stimuli of chthonic, rolling percussion and ambience that has become a modern Stroboscopic tradition, but ever so gradually deviates from the realm of the easily anticipated. Some of the surprises to be found here are sharp, organic drum fills and sighing strings that have an uncanny vocal quality to them. By the time a surgically clipped acid synth sample comes into the mix, the track has reached a simmering level of excitement and the listener's imagination will have license to reside in a virtual world seamlessly combining elements both ancient and futuristic.Dybbuk' temporarily situates listeners back in brutal modernity, with the first sounds heard being something like insistently slicing helicopter blades. Avni merely uses this as the foundation, though, for a genuinely unique construction whose shamanic beats, throttled horn and undertow of frenzied electronics combine to give the feeling of being menaced and eventually overtaken by a spirit entity. This piece shows just what Avni is capable when operating in a more aggressive, 'post-industrial' mode, and the result stands up with some of the best exponents of that genre.The finale 'Modern Matters' is the most readily club-friendly selection from the disc. This potent, floor-shaking and perspiration-inducing number superimposes resonant vocals from traditional Middle Eastern folk song onto this alchemical mixture of machine oil and sweat, and provides a romantic flair without resorting to naïve, touristic 'ethno-techno.' Avni's skillful dedication to counterpoint, and determination to make a finished form is more than the sum of its parts, shines through here and throughout the duration of this record.
For their second release Breidenbach Label once more gathers six artists from their regional circuit. Connected by their floating and sometimes even hypnotic soundscape, pulsating pads and strong grooves, each of the four tracks has its own intimate style.
With Love Entropy Crécy delivers a powerful and emotional ambient introduction to the A-Side. His fellow artist and close friend Ami adds a poetic layer: spoken word which shimmers through the sound, adding to the sentimental vibe. An atmospheric first serve. KliX picks up the love theme and transforms it into a mesmerizing ear catcher called Give Me Love. The somewhat trancy elements accompanied by evolving patterns, vocoder-vocals and classy 909 drums give this track its enticing and unique character.
Spaceloop on the records B-Side marks a debute release for the Mannheim based duo Seeder. They teamed up with Benny Delara to deliver a hip shaking dancefloor weapon that captivates through its strong and pulsating baseline combined with atmospheric elements that carry the records narrative. The EP is accomplished by Tech Report from the promising live-due CVSO. While blending breaky grooves with atmospheric elements the listener may find himself surprised by a jazzy piano melody that is proof of their creative and forward-thinking musical mindset.
The Minneapolis-raised DJ/Producer’s second album following 2014’s ‘Monoliths’ lands on Radio Slave’s Rekids imprint in November.
Although based in Berlin for several years, Dustin Zahn has continued to exert influence over the fertile but steadfastly underground Minneapolis techno scene as part of the Intellephunk collective whilst cultivating a worldwide rep via releases for Blueprint, Token and his own Enemy Records. The ‘Gain of Function’ LP sees Zahn channelling the groove-fuelled techno of the late ’90s and early ’00s and shaping eight powerful but funky contemporary techno tracks that display the decades of experience under his belt.
Forged from a series of live jams with two drum machines and two synths, the album is a refined collection of raw, purist techno brilliance. Across the A-side ‘Tell Me About Paradise’ brings shimmering staccato chops under bright and airy percussion before ‘Tangie Groove’ picks up the pace with floating pads, vocal slices, and a rumbling bassline. On ‘Lucid Dreams’, scattered percussion plays with hypnotic synth licks, while ‘Smoking in Silence’ sees off-kilter leads dancing between emotive vocals and evolving drum loops.
Opening the second disc is the deep and shuffling ‘Crimson Cheeks’, with trance-inducing samples nestled between sharp drum hits and rolling synthesis, and ‘Days Like These’ takes a darker turn as twinkling arps and droning pads carry the track. ‘Shark Rodeo’ featuring Jeremy Black mangles samples into a dense rolling affair, before closing number ‘Next Level Looseness’ drops the 4/4 pattern for a raucous club track, combining oddball sound sources and unruly production techniques for a trippy finish to the album.
Since the late ’90s, Zahn’s hypnotic and driving techno has consistently caught the ears of top DJs and labels worldwide, with anyone catching his marathon sets at the likes of Berghain exposed to expansive sets. In addition to his techno-heavy catalogue and DJing prowess, Zahn has lent production and engineering skills to bands and singers, recently working with Poliça and on Carm’s Pitchfork approved eponymous album. Beyond this, his vital work with Intellephunk includes the nearly two decades long running Communion after-hours events, cementing his invaluable contributions to the scene.
For the eleventh release on their main catalogue Haven are excited to invite French king of spooky crunched-up rollers and Wrongnotes member Draugr to the label for the first time, alongside some half-time madness from Headless Horseman on the remix.
The A1 gets us moving with Gjöll, where creepy atmospheres, disembodied vocal hits and noisey drum rhythms crash together in a concoction of hard techno destruction. The A2 continues this formula in Völva, with rolling synth lines and demonic ambient textures leading in to an infernal animalistic wail breaking in to the mix following the breakdown.
The B1 continues the destruction on the flip with Vigrid - a hectic drum rhythm work out buttressed with spiky metallic patterns and further ghoulish sound design and sampling. Headless Horseman closes out the record with his remix of Gjöll, transforming it into sinister half-time stepper ripe with droning atmospheres and powerful drum hits to finalise another offering of club ready mania from Haven.
We first discovered this when Noir recieved the promo from Ten Ven.Noir then started spreading the word about his love for this new 'Ten Ven' act and shortly after we were generously offered to release it on Noir Music.
We did not hesitate for a second to sign this and we are delighted to be able to present such a great 4-tracker on the label from a new and exciting act. Not only do we believe that Ten Ven could be the next big thing but we also strongly believe that these solid house grooves might lead the way of the changes in the underground this year. Its a throw-back to french and filtered house as it started out more than 20 years ago melted into todays production techniques. It's super refreshing to hear this sound again and we promise there's more to come over the summer period.
- A1: Neal Howard - Indulge (Discomedments Homage Re-Edit)
- A2: Minimalarchiv - Seduced By Theory
- B1: Nexus 21 - Silicon (Don't Need The Bleep Mix)
- B2: Discomendments - Herd Immunity
- C1: Doggy - Neurosilence (Unreleased)
- C2: Mark Archer - The Presence Of Beauty
- D1: Mg - 2 Sensual
- D2: C&M Connection - Bio Rhythms
It’s not normal to take 31 years to release a follow up album. But then Network was never a normal sort of record label, and often opted for the quirky rather than the quick buck. The logo was launched in 1990 and that year, along with a slew of startlingly good singles, created and issued two bio-rhythm compilations, each of which showcased cutting edge USA techno rubbing shoulders alongside its’ sparse UK bleep counterpart.
At the time the words quality and dance music compilations were not phrases shared that much. bio-rhythm 1 and it’s almost instant follow up bio-rhythm 2 bucked the trend with groundbreaking exclusive tracks, iconic minimal artwork and surreal sleeve notes.
Each of the albums have been hailed by many as piece de resistance primers to electronica music.
As well as capturing the zitgeist of a blurry everything of that moment experimental time, they have endured to be acclaimed as all time iconic classics. So why was there no follow up? One reason was that things were moving so bewilderingly fast at the time for Network that the emphasis was always on the next thing, not regurgitating repetitive beat ideas.
Another was that the opportunity arose to direct the acumen gained from the bio-rhythm experience at the release of two (now equally acclaimed) compilations from Frank and Karen Mendez’s cult Nu-Groove label.
The current Network reconstruction meant an opportunity to re-indulge and finally release bio-rhythm 3. Matt Anniss’s splendid sleeve notes are reproduced below and tell you all you need to know about the carefully selected (and mostly exclusive to this collection) tracks on 2 x 12 vinyl for increased sonic joy. Network. We continue.
Succeeding the two first release, Eupasia returns with another work carving the label's distinct sound excursions. Half Techno and half Electro infused, with a hint of Minimal, Tooth and Nail sets the tone of the newest alias Worm Class by André Leiria. A 4-track EP ready to be thrown straight into the darker rooms, padding them with heavy basslines and bright, sleek drums.
‘.dev’ was yet another collaborative piece from Agoria, aka Sebastien Devaud. As well as Blasé and STS, who returned after featuring on ‘Drift’, Devaud worked with Domino’s Ela Minus, flamenco innovator Niño De Elche, and the unique hip hop delivery of Rome Fortune across the LP, with additional collaborators including Sacha Rudy and Oscar winner (The Sound of Metal), Nicolas Becker.
Sonically, the LP saw Agoria presenting a kaleidoscopic haze of cinematic and evolving electronica that touched on house, techno, electro, hip hop, and beyond but beneath the aesthetics, ‘.dev’ was the work of an artist asking himself questions in order to create worlds out of his answers.
Beyond looking to question the very systems of the traditional album format, his holistic approach to AI and NFT’s within the thematic world of his work were laid out front and centre through the visual and conceptual identity surrounding the album.
"Daevas", meaning divinities of chaos and disorder in the Zoroastrian faith, is the combined effort of SARIN x SCARLIT PORT recorded in Berlin during the lockdown of 2020. The six-track, 30-minute EP is a winding journey that dives into both artists' shared Persian heritage by referencing ancient pagan Gods, mysticism and the more recent tragic histories of colonialism, dictatorships, longing and a sense of being uprooted. These unwinding stories and artefacts are imprinted within a dark cascade of sounds, incorporating and combining each artist's influences to create a total work that encompasses elements of techno body music, acid, industrial and the subtle application of more traditional Persian musical forms.
The heat is rising with our 5th instalment coming from the volt of Meister Bert Ashra veteran from Berlin's 90s underground scene and active still in the city with his Mastering & Sound Design Studio and experimental audio production and studies.
The solo project B. Ashra has existed since 1993. B. Ashra is a live act, DJ, composer, sound designer and mastering engineer. The style is pretty cross-genre and ranges from ambient, experimental, soundscapes and trance techno to deep house and electronic jazz.
For his pure techno and house productions he uses the pseudonym Robert Templa and for the extremely experimental music, trash and gabba he calls himself Hackbert.
Furthermore, B. Ashra is active in several music projects and bands, including: Psychotikum, Cosmic Octave Orchestra, 70db, Morphon and Brain Entertainment Laboratory.
The collection is a double LP With a variety of sounds spacing between Ambient and Minimal - Techno vibes with deep bass-lines and layered melodic progressions written with special care to the evolution of the harmonies such to maintain those hypnotic feeling until the structure comes back together and releases a powerful groove.
A rich Album and a landmark in the growing of the label.
Vol. 2[11,56 €]
Dublin producer Lukey has his finger firmly on the pulse of the sounds emanating from Berlin and London’s newly awakening dancefloors, as proven by this stellar debut for Carpet & Snares’ LAB series. Contemporary club music is all about opening up the space between genres and filling it with something at once referential and new, and this EP is no exception.
Other Worlds Vol. 1 effortlessly blends house, techno, electro and breaks into a mature sound world that’s both tight and expansive, funky and tough, contemplative and right down to business. Get moving with Vol. 1, and watch out for Vol. 2 coming soon!
Mischa Blanos - acoustic piano, electric piano, synthesizers.
Khori Ander - bass clarinet, clarinet.
Cezar Lazăr - electronics and sound manipulation on track 7.
"The seven stories unfolded on this album, debugged by a
fabulous clarinet technique and a wonderful piano craft, narrate
about the Universe, about the Chaos and also about the miracle
of the musical sound.
These imaginative stories, made with talent by musicians
Mischa Blanos & Khori Ander, talk about a special attitude
towards a distinguished estate of mind, a unique colour of the
space around us, devoted to a spirit of meditation, introspection
on vast temporal surfaces, each piece representing facets of the
same unique and unrepeatable algorithm of an improvisational
euphonious Universe.
By developing ideas in the process Cezar Lazar engineering
craftsmanship reveals the outcome of a thoughtful recording
and duo's synergy, refining and defying predictable musical
territories."
Dr. Irina Hasnas
Composer, Musicologist , Journalist and Professor
Recorded, engineered, mixed and produced by Cezar Lazăr
Assistant engineer Stefan Mihăilescu
Vinyl & Digital master Cezar Lazăr
Lacquer Cut Mike Grinser @ Manmade Mastering, Berlin
Recorded in 2019 @ Understand Studios, Bucharest
We welcome back our good friend Karotte with his first release on Break New Soil in over a decade! „XTC“ is pure Karotte dancefloor fire - weird, powerful and beautiful! On remix duties, we are psyched to have our good friend Jeroen Verhej aka Secret Cinema, who really needs no introduction to techno heads around the planet, and he delivered exactly what we've been hoping for: A relentless big-room Techno rework - boom! The second original track by Karotte is called „Drive“, and it's on the deeper side of things, yet not less intriguing at all. Welcome back home, Peter!




















