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The stage is set from minute one on Clay Wilson's new 4-track EP, "Skandha," his second release for The Bunker New York.
The eponymous first track begins with a familiar techno throb, but is quickly overcome by a blooming swirl of coruscating synthesizer pulses that seem to gather inside the listener's head, a phenomenon Wilson seems particularly interested in: "I've never been into really straightforward club techno that works in neat 8- and 16-bar sequences," he says. "I'm always looking for things that have forward momentum, ways to escape that 'block-y,' downbeat-centric feeling that you find in so much contemporary techno. For me, it's the drone—what's going on in the background—that serves to hold my interest."

Nowhere is this more apparent than on the record's second track, "Cataleptic." The meat of the track is its tightly-wound techno core built from insistent, hypnotic percussion, but it's what's happening in the background that keeps you coming back for more: The sound of a babbling brook and a plaintive, meandering bird call ("the only actual recorded animal sounds on the record," notes Wilson) gently give way to the tintinnabulation of a distant bell, whose meditative timbre brings to mind a Tibetan singing bowl. It turns out that the naturalistic, organic sounds in many of Wilson's tracks are often just that: "I make field recordings all the time, actually—on my phone," he says. "I've found field recordings have been a great way to pull things along, never repeating themselves, but also never being so upfront as to draw your attention away from the synths and drums."

That's a key point, and make no mistake—for all the flora and fauna lurking in the background of Wilson's productions, they're designed for the dancefloor through and through. "Feres," the EP's third track, slows down the pace a little bit, keeping time with a static kick-hat pattern while chunky, stepped percussion laid on top makes the track feel remarkably dynamic. The final cut, "Pict," seems to slowly unfurl like flowers at dawn, while a ghostly vocal sample (or merely something approaching it) repeats itself underneath it all.

While at times the drawn-out shimmering tones in Wilson's work may recall modern minimalism, "getting into techno, and more specifically techno production, was kind of a way for me to get away from (formal, classical musical) training," he recalls. "I had been headed down an open-minded, anything-goes path with a compositionally-geared approach, and ... all those paths led to techno." And for that, we're glad.

Tough, to the point, no-nonsense machine music is a longstanding Midwestern tradition.
Drawing a line all the way back to the old guard, The Bunker New York's latest EP is Walk The Distance, courtesy of Mark Verbos, a techno veteran and New Yorker by way of Milwaukee who put together four pieces of heavyweight dancefloor artillery, informed by an intimate, inside-out knowledge of the machinery used in the production of these tracks.

"I've been doing this for a long time. In the beginning, there was only hardware, and it feels better to make music with physical objects. Plus, I make hardware, too," says Verbos, recounting his production processes. Verbos not only produces music, he also produces the hardware he uses to make music—his company, Verbos Electronics, manufactures Eurorack synthesizer modules with a vintage sensibility. When he's making music, Verbos says, "I try to get to know the devices I use well enough that whatever I imagine can come from them. Techno is machine music. When I'm recording, it's just me and the machines."

The music, however, speaks for itself. No punches are pulled here—the record starts in top gear with "Start Up Drive," a devastating techno bomb centered around a throbbing, repeating bassline and a meaty kick drum that builds to a massive climax in the span of five minutes. "In The Back Room" kicks the tempo up a notch, featuring spaced-out atmospheric synth leads floating atop syncopated percussion. "Just A Little Late" is funkier than the other two, built around a rubbery, insistent synthesizer groove that worms its way deep into your head and doesn't let go.

The aforementioned three tracks alone would comprise a solid techno EP suitable for any number of dancefloors. But the last track on the record—its namesake—shifts gears entirely. "Walk The Distance" is a moody, pulsing slow burner, introspective and emotional. It's a haunting listen that adds remarkable depth and complexity to the record. "Walk The Distance, the track, is a reference to the fact that music is not a career. Any advice you could offer someone on how to have a successful career doesn't really apply to a career in music. By that I mean to say, process is everything, and the results don't really matter."

Sage advice indeed, but judging by Walk The Distance, Mark Verbos has figured out how to produce results that matter.

Hardy and Stephan began their musical careers separately in the early 2000's. They randomly met in the clubs in Berlin and started the Survey project back in 2013. Sharing one common direction to produce DNB with a deep, refined and hypnotic edge. Their minimal sounds, paired with systematic DJ skills have seen them perform in some of the top dance venues in Germany and across Europe.

Fast forward to 2015 and we are presented with a 4 track EP on DSCI4. Manufactured on crystal clear vinyl for a crafted, futuristic look. A release that stimulates the mind, body and soul with their signature trademark vision.

//Time EP//
A.Twisting, rolling bass flows with pure techno adrenalin in 'Move in Time'
B. Deep future-sub pairs rolling warehouse vibes in 'Warp Resistant'
C.Warming party atmosphere and dance floor perfection in 'As You Want'
D.Final thoughts with the creeping, haunting electronic precision of 'Both Sides'

This is classic DSCI4....with momentum geared to the future of drum and bass. Pushing and showcasing the finest producers of the moment. Survey leads us into the ever evolving blueprint of Drum & Bass.
There are no rules.

Incredible collaboration by Israel Vines and Kit Geary on this banging EP for Horizontal Ground. Manipulated breakbeats mixed with straight techno. Includes a killer remix by Talker.

Objektivity is starting the year with launching the long-awaited vinyl-only sub-label called OBJ Analogue. As the name says, the concept behind this is that in order to make the record, it has to be totally hardware based: No plug-ins! Objektivity head-honcho Dennis Ferrer says: "The OBJ Analogue is a special project for me and is dear to my heart because I love analogue gear, vinyl, and hardware, so I keep that side of me happy."
The first OBJ Analogue release is coming by VIVa Music's Steve Lawler, who delivered a very rough two-track EP called - Inna State / Recuperate", produced with the Roland 808, 909 and 606 drum machines. The bass lines are recorded and played from Moog Voyager and the piano on - Recuperate" is coming from Emu Orchestra Rack Mount. Completely analogue!
Make sure you get your hands on the vinyl as there will be only a few limited copies out.

Boston based production duo and room-mates John Barera & Will Martin continue their journey into sculptural, storytelling House music, with their debut album on Dolly - ' Graceless'. The pair's work has found a wider audience since the success of 'Reality', which found its way into the hands of Berlin's Steffi, and acted as a central gear and in her 2013 Panorama 05 Mix. John Barera has been a firm disciple of the House and Techno world for the past 10 years, and after launching Supply Records in 2011 has brought an elegant, resoundingly universal mixture of underground club tracks to the fore. A fresh and fruitful partnership with close friend Will Martin grew out of the pair's rapidly growing studio, and the latest results can be found here over the 8 cool, classy and refined contemporary House tracks.

Poker Flat is gearing up to celebrate fifteen years strong, with a series of releases that will assure their standing as one of electronic music's best known and most loved imprints. Poker Flat's unwavering dedication to the finest underground house music has unearthed new talent, developed rising stars and welcomed veterans into the fold, and the first of the label's 15th anniversary compilations brings together four of the brightest leading lights of the scene. With four seminal labels - Raw Elements, Dessous, Traffic Signs and Poker Flat - to his credit, Steve Bug has little to prove, but the tireless artist has never been a slouch on the DJ and production front, as he's proven time and again. Tracks like 'A Shot In The Dark' showcased his musical chops, and tied together elements of classic warehouse sounds, deep and sophisticated production and an uncompromising techy edge. The anniversary reworking of the tracks made for 4 Jacks boasts the remix talents of Taylor, whose sleek approach chops up the old school piano chords of the original for a bumping, more streamlined result. Another smashing new remix features in the form of Boris Dlugosch's 2012 acid-disco-house hit 'Sweet Talk". Here The Organ Grinder crafts a bass-heavy monster with a walloping kick drum and syncopated handclaps that enhance Boris' acid melodies and make it rough and ready for underground tastes. Two brand new productions round out the Jacks package.

This is the record of the year for us. GoldFfinch are mindblowing on this one, it's their very first move in this direction and the reusult is just brilliant. This is DJ material that cannot be overlooked, all three gorgeous tracks out on vinyl in September as part of our Clubwerks series.

Within the infinite flow of quality emotional techno, GoldFinch have geared up to follow the fine sonic trail lead by the likes of Life and Death, Innervisions, Ten Walls and many others bringing together the massive appeal that only impeccably crafted techno can draw.

We just want this music played where it can be heard by everyone. Endless love.

My Panda Shall Fly AKA musician and visual artist Suren Seneviratne, is set to release 'Tropical' It's a brand new 6 track vinyl release.

A kaleidoscope of rainbow textures and rhythms disperse into the exotic soundscape of 'Tropical'. Electronics, real folk instruments and noise-making objects feature here generously on this six-track concept album, blending together a sonic palette influenced by a rich variety of music, people and places.

The material was initially written over the course of a few months during what Seneviratne called "a beautiful burst of inspiration". Working with veteran producer Asier Leatxe Ibanez d'Opakoa (Electric Lady Studios, NYC), Seneviratne then set about disassembling all the songs and re-working them meticulously, enriching the sounds by adding a huge range of live instrumentation, before processing the audio through vintage analogue studio gear.

Suren Seneviratne, born in Sri Lanka before settling in London in 1996, first caught the attention of the music world with a remix that featured on Pitchfork back in 2010. Since then he has released a plethora of diverse records, gaining support from the likes of Clash Magazine, The Fader, Mixmag and Dazed Digital, as well as regularly touring internationally. He has also remixed the likes of The Weeknd, Stay Positive & Little Boots as well as appearing at festivals like BBC Hackney Weekender, Outlook Croatia & Glade as well as performing at prestigious venues such as The Design Museum, Tate Modern & Barbican.

With the release of 'Tropical', My Panda Shall Fly has yet again set himself apart as one of the most unique contemporary electronic musicians around today.

Great music extends father than your ears can hear. Listening to resent recordings of Peder Mannerfelts music is listening to recordings of a complete creative flow. Superb tracks created inside of Peder Mannerfelts Villa Nellcôte.
Opener "Rhythm Inflection" is similar to a heartbeat but rebuilt using a parade of machines and biting ice-cold sounds that implies a climax that never comes.
Repetitive thuds are the wrecking ball of "Technology As Apathy" while saw waves continuously crunch until your ear are obliterated on "Failed Grammar". "Titled" is the centerpiece, however. Its sonic gears grind into hollowed-out spheres. A voice from the heavens echoes "Reset, reduce, turn up, repeat" until the words lose all meaning and are battered into the metal walls by distilled rhythms.
EP2 is the last ashes of a manuscript that's been waiting for ages to be turned into dust. It is the final nail in the coffin of his past that began with EP1 and Lines Describing Circles. Peder Mannerfelts music is gradual and always on the move, the process spans over the whole production.

Recording artists Jimi Tenor & Nicole Willis, husband and wife team whom together brought you Call of the Wild on Tenor's Out Of Nowhere, (Warp, 2000), Feeling Free on Willis' Keep Reachin' Up, (Timmion Records, 2005), release their follow up album of project COLA&JIMMU, to album Enigmatic, (Herakles Records, 2013). The album is featuring their production as well as compositions. With instrumentations by Tenor and beats procured from the vintage gear of Jori Hulkkonen in his Turku studio, Alppihouz by Willis, the album has a warm feeling and yet sufficiently exciting for the electronic house heads. There are plenty of string pads, flutes and flute pads, etc to prick up your ears. COLA&JIMMU once again capture the genuine, old school sound.

Planet Rhythm is gearing up for the second effort in their PRRUKBLK series. Both Moerbeck and Fanon Flowers have come up with 2 gritty peak-time anthems made out of heavy drum-action, distortion and hazardous percussion. Moerbeck's A-Side is a ferm combination of granular synthesis and vigorous drums. Where "Black Hand" recalls memories of graveyard shifts in soviet coal mines, the A2 track Mode evokes up a more tripped out state of mind.
Fanon Flowers lays down a more ominous ambiance for his B1 track that has the more than suitable title "Vultures Circling Part 3". Closing down the B side we find "Vultures Circling Part 1" which carries that same threatening vibe but with even more energy due to the use of abundant percussion.

The label Bond is the brainchild of Swedish techno DJ and producer Petter B. The concept of the label is 'music by DJs for DJs'. The label focuses on releasing tracks that enable the DJ, rather than the producer, to be creative. It is based on that special bond which is created every time a DJ combines tracks, loops and sounds live into something new and unique.
This third release is a special collab release. The first track Petter B has joined forces with two producers from his hometown Gothenburg. John H and M.E.E.O have been part of the Swedish underground scene since they learned how to spell 303 and are both addicted to hardware gear. With their skillful crafting of the melodic parts and Petters feel for drums and arrangement this track was born. It is a melodic monster with a simple yet
effective arrangement.On the flip side there are two tracks made by Stockholm based producer Kimono. A familiar name to those fond of that Stockholm sound. He has done releases on famous labels such as H-Productions, ISL and BEK Audio. These two tracks are best described as tooly and effective weapons to be used and abused by any DJ wanting to spice up the mix. The two tracks made it in to Petter Bs crate immediately as demos. From that point they went through the same refinement process as his own tracks usually experience. Tweaking the sound and doing some fine tuning after testing it in his sets, something that has become known as 'that bond treatment'.

Gear appreciating Italian 'Giorgio Luceri' enters the SAFT dome with the machine driven 'Liger EP'. On the opening track 'Liger' Giorgio cleverly paints an elusive ambiance using jumbled drums and an appealing bassline together with a continual synthline that nicely sits on top of the serene pads that give rise to an intense atmosphere.
The B1 side opens with similar soothing pads that gradually change when the immense bassline and full bodied kick drum come in. Giorgio again creates a somewhat adverse vibe which helps to give it a hint of lushness.
For the B2, Chicago legend 'Gene Hunt' contributes with a massive percy remix for 'Liger'. A lot of drum action is present in this club oriented (yet deep) roller. As far as remixes go, Gene Hunt proves to be a craftsman of high stature.

Max Herre hat ein MTV Unplugged aufgenommen. Das rückt ihn in eine Tradition mit Udo Lindenberg, Eric Clapton, Lauryn Hill, Jay Z. Mehr noch als ein konsequenter Karriereschritt und popkultureller Ritterschlag aber ist das Konzert eine Rückkehr zu seinen Wurzeln. Denn lange bevor er als Texter und MC einer ganzen Generation eine neue Stimme geben sollte, war er vor allem der Junge mit der Gitarre, der einfach nur spielen wollte. Das Gefühl, das er als 15-Jähriger im Proberaum suchte, hat er nun im 'Großen Saal'des altehrwürdigen Funkhaus Berlin Nalepastraße wiedergefunden.

Die Geschichte dieses besonderen Abends beginnt vor knapp 25 Jahren in einem Keller in Stuttgart-West. Dort jammte er mit Freunden zu dem Funk, Soul und Reggae, den er liebte - und legte, ohne es zu wissen, den Grundstein für das, was da kommen sollte. Zwei klassische Alben mit Don Philippe und DJ Friction als Freundeskreis zum Beispiel, die sich nicht nur weit über 500.000 mal verkauften, sondern eine ungehörte Musikalität in die deutsche Rap-Landschaft einführten. Drei Soloplatten, die den Bogen spannten von der '1sten Liebe' HipHop zu fragilem Folk im Stile eines Singer-Songwriters (und zurück). Eine Zweitkarriere als Labelbetreiber und Produzent. Und dazwischen immer wieder Auftritte, bei denen all diese Erfahrungen und Einflüsse auf fast magische Weise zusammenliefen.

Max Herre hat Rap immer in einem Bandkontext gedacht, HipHop stets in einem Kollektivgedanken gelebt. Das war Anfang der Neunziger so, als er als Kind der Kolchose seine ersten Live-Auftritte in süddeutschen Jazzclubs hatte. Das war später so, als er aus Freundeskreis die FK Allstars erwachsen ließ und mit ihnen über die größten Festivalbühnen des Landes tourte. Und das ist heute nicht anders, wenn er wie 2012 auf seinem fulminanten Gold-Album Hallo Welt! alte wie neue Inspirationen zu seelenvoller Rapmusik mit Ewigkeitsanspruch bündelt.

So ist es nur konsequent, dass für MTV Unplugged / KAHEDI Radio Show zahlreiche Featuregäste und Freunde nach Berlin gekommen sind: wichtige Weggefährten wie Joy Denalane, Afrob, Sékou, Gentleman, Samy Deluxe, Patrice, Sophie Hunger, Philipp Poisel oder US-Ausnahmesänger Gregory Porter, aber auch das 26-köpfige, eigens für den Abend zusammengestellte KAHEDI RADIO ORCHESTRA. Unter der Führung des musikalischen Leiters Lillo Scrimali kommen so mehr als 40 Musiker aus drei Generationen zusammen. Produzent Samon Kawamura und Host Fab 5 Freddy, einst erster Moderator der wegweisenden HipHop-Sendung Yo! MTV Raps, ziehen im Regieraum zusätzlich dramaturgische Fäden.

'Ich bin sehr dankbar und glücklich, dass ich für dieses Projekt mit einigen der besten arbeiten durfte: viele davon langjährige Freunde und Wegbegleiter', so Max über das mehr als zweistündige, komplett akustische Konzert. 'Sie alle haben nicht nur ihr Spiel und ihre Fähigkeiten eingebracht, sondern ihr Herz und ihre musikalische Vision.'

Den passenden Rahmen bietet das Funkhaus Berlin Nalepastraße am Köpenicker Spreeufer. In dem ehemaligen Hauptsitz des DDR-Hörfunks, in dem schon Barenboim und die Bartoli, aber auch Portishead und Sting gearbeitet haben, vereinen sich Feierlichkeit und funktionelle Strenge auf ganz erstaunliche Weise. Max Herre hat diesen geschichtsträchtigen Ort für MTV Unplugged / KAHEDI Radio Show neu erdacht, indem er seine ursprüngliche Funktion als Aufnahmeraum unterstrichen hat. Vom Publikum umgeben spielen die Musiker in einer 360°-Konstellation zueinander und empfinden gemeinsam nach, wie in den siebziger Jahren Soulmusik gemacht wurde.

MTV Unplugged / KAHEDI Radio Show ist ein erlebtes Experiment mit offenem Ausgang und maximaler künstlerischer Freiheit. Eine kollektive Verneigung vor Soul, Jazz, Funk, Reggae und Rap. Und die in Musik gefasste Botschaft, dass Zukunft stets auch ein Stück Vergangenheit in sich trägt.

Zumindest, wenn sie so klingt wie die Musik von Max Herre.

Here comes the first release lf the outstanding super disco stars HARD TON on our label! With A-side track RISE UP we have the first track with chart potential on our label we'd say. We love it anyway! : )
B1 track WORK THAT BODY shows off the heavier jacking side of HARD TON and B2 MONOTONE rounds up the EP with its uplifting house chords.
Not our average cup of tea, but we fckng love it.
Instead of boring you to death with just another info text, we copy these words from I-D Magazine about HARD TON:
HARD TON are the Italian duo with the larger than life disco sound and a surprising love of met- al. Fused together in 2008 from the musical loins of DJ Wawashi and heavy metal singer Max. Sylvester-styled falsettos conjure up memories of smoky dancefloors during the heady days of HI-NRG, which combined with a contemporary sound of accelerated beats and screaming acid basslines, shows a nod to the past can result in a slap across the face for the present. Using analogue and vintage gear, from the 303, 606, 707, Oberheim DMX, Korg Monopoly, MS20, Prophet V5, the music is as organic as synthetic music can be, their equipment living and dying by its own unpredictable rules. (i-D Magazine)

Hudson Mohawke steps things up a gear with this hyped and ridiculously anticipated collaboration with fellow beats alchemist, Lunice - both representing their respective corners, Warp and LuckyMe. Their live shows and snippets of their tracks that have been found online have fuelled the excitement around this release

Nicht einmal der kühnste Optimist hätte Gossip vor drei Jahren einen solchen Karriereverlauf zugetraut: Im Sommer 2009 startete die Band einen beispiellosen Triumphzug. Ihr Album "Music For Men" erreichte die Top Ten der Media Control Charts und verkaufte sich alleine in Deutschland bis dato mehr als 400.000 (!) Mal. Neue Maßstäbe setzten die Drei außerdem mit der Single "Heavy Cross": fast 100 Wochen, also über zwei Jahre lang, wurde der Song in den deutschen Single-Charts gelistet, peakte auf Position zwei und fand in dieser Zeit weit mehr als eine 1/2 Million Käufer. Bei Award- und TV-Shows wie "Bambi", "Echo", "Schlag den Raab!" + "Wetten Dass..?" stahlen sie allen Anwesenden die Show. Beth Ditto und Co. vollzogen innerhalb kürzester Zeit den Sprung von gefeierten Indie-Darlings zu Multiplatin-Superstars. Im Mai 2012 ist es nun endlich soweit: mit "A Joyful Noise" erscheint fast 3 Jahre nach "Music For Men" das mit Hochspannung erwartete Follow-Up-Album. Produziert wurde es von Pop-Genie Brian Higgins, der in der Vergangenheit u.a. mit Kylie Minogue u.v.m. gearbeitet hat. Schon die 1. Single "Perfect World" überzeugt als fantastische Uptempo-Pop-Hymne mit allem Drum + Dran!

*Repress*

PPU's first long-play LP highlights some of the early beginnings of one of the label's favorite producers, UKku Kuut. Written and recorded at Uku's home studio in Los Angeles and Stockholm between 1982 & 1989.
Some tracks co-written with Maryn E. Coote, famous jazz vocalist who had her beginnings in 1960s Soviet Union. "That's my MOM" recalls UKU, "I remember when I was little, sitting under the mixing board at her sessions". Growing up in studios, Uku's love of music production began early, and over the years he has amassed a vast collection of domestic and soviet electronic gear. In true PPU style this LP is a mix of Uku Kuut's raw cassette demos, forgotten masters and unreleased magic.

Eklo 010, new artist combo on the label. The labelhead Seuil and his parisian fellow Tolga Fidan (already known for his amazing work on Vakant and Cocoon) decided after spending months talking and sharing a common passion for hardware gear and modular sounds to step in the studio together and try to perform and record some complex orgainc grooves

Adam, on his continuing mission to cross the parallels of Techno, EBM, Electro & Industrial, has gone on to create his most conceptual & best produced album to date. Recorded for Rustblade Recordings from Italy. The album is entitled "State Of Limbo" To fulfill the wants and desires of Adam's vinyl based fans. He has chosen four tracks off the CD to create this his latest 12"