Franc Fala & Benja land Crosstown Rebels debut with hypnotic collaboration, ‘Dirty Dancing’.
Out on 31st July 2026, the Dutch pair unite for a dark, groove-led first appearance on Damian Lazarus's label, backed by two distinct reinterpretations from Brazilian artist Malive.
Anchored in a heavy groove that never loosens its grip, Crosstown Rebels’ latest release, ‘Dirty Dancing’, brings together two Dutch artists whose ideas have been shaped by a shared creative language built over time. Amsterdam’s Franc Fala continues to build on what has been a rapid rise onto the global house circuit, with a run of notable releases coupled with a growing touring schedule, ensuring his records and name have been the talk of the town for many. Alongside him, regular collaborator, fellow countryman and close friend Benja has also ensured his approach to music has also landed with impact, leaning on energy and atmosphere to shape records designed to resonate beyond the dancefl oor. Here, the pair reunite for their biggest collaboration to date as they make their debut outing on Damian Lazarus’s revered imprint with a record crafted for the peak hours.
Everything revolves around a vocal hook that doesn’t sit in the background; it emerges to take over the track, keeping listeners locked into the groove beneath. Rather than pushing in obvious directions, it circles and tunnels deeper, drawing listeners in until it becomes the only thing that matters. On remix duties, Brazilian DJ/producer Malive delivers two contrasting interpretations that take command of the B-side. His ‘Noturno Mix’ pushes into shadowy, late-night territory, extending the track’s hypnotic pull through melodic textures and tension, whereas his ‘Goes To Rio’ mix takes a more fluid direction, loosening the groove and introducing bright keys alongside a slick rhythmic swing.
The final chapter of The Third Room's curator-led series is shaped by GiGi FM, an artist whose work moves fluidly between club functionality, emotional storytelling and immersive sound design. Through her productions and performances, she has developed a distinct language where rhythm, atmosphere and movement exist in constant dialogue. For the closing chapter, the focus lies on cohesion. Bringing together artists connected through a shared sensitivity for groove, detail and space, the release unfolds through percussive structures and atmospheric elements that move with clarity, depth and intention. The Half Bearded Man by Fergus Sweetland opens the record. A rough yet detailed rhythmic framework, syncopated percussion and a rolling bassline create forward motion, while softer elements and a subtle vocal layer introduce a contrasting sense of lightness, drawing the listener into the track. On Shark Attak, D-Leria places percussion at the centre, but with a more restrained approach. Polyrhythmic bleeps and high-frequency sweeps weave around the groove, maintaining depth and tension without becoming intrusive, giving the track a quiet but persistent drive. The B-side opens with one of its defining moments: Anukari, a collaboration between Efdemin and GiGi FM. Bringing together two distinct approaches, the track unfolds as a layered and atmospheric piece: detailed percussion, connecting textures and subtle melodic fragments create a sense of depth that feels both modern and slightly otherworldly, while remaining inviting and grounded. Closing the record, Even by Fireground reduces the elements further. Warm chords and a restrained rhythmic core create an open, enveloping space, balancing softness with tension and allowing the track to unfold with a quiet sense of momentum. Across all four tracks, the release remains tightly cohesive: built on groove, space and carefully placed detail. As the final entry in the series, it shifts the focus from structure to flow, offering a closing chapter that feels immersive, connected and complete. A1 Written and Produced by Fergus Sweetland | A2 Written and Produced by Giuseppe Scaccia | B1 Written and Produced by Giulia Fournier & Philip Sollmann | B2 Written and Produced by Angela Dragonetto & Danielle Paduano Mastered by Ahmet Sisman (The Third Room Studios) Artwork by Charlotte Ernst Design by Daniel Bornmann (STUEDIO.XYZ) Distribution by Clone Pressing by Matter Of Fact
Highscore is one of the newest-and quite sensational-discoveries in funk of the 1980s out of Germany. Two tracks Breakin' Out and Girls So Fine, both recorded about 40 years ago and shelved ever since, are finally receiving a long-overdue 12" release.
Label founder DJ Scientist tells the story of how the tracks were uncovered:
"Several years ago, while researching the Crea label-after we had already licensed 'You're Not The One For Me' by Peter Patzer-I also wanted to find out more about another band on the label: Nuages, who had released the stunning jazz-funk/fusion album Cumulus.
Interestingly, a Discogs user had uploaded a hand written promo letter from one of the band members along with the LP. In it, drummer Mike Bach mentioned plans for a second album, as well as a single featuring a 'coloured singer'-which caught my attention. (A note on language: the original letter from 1985 uses the term 'coloured.' We've chosen to quote it directly as a historical document, but want to be clear that this reflects the terminology of the era and not language we would use today.)
Digging deeper, more information was found on Bach's own website, where a project called 'High Score' was mentioned. I immediately got in touch and asked if the recordings from that project still existed. Unfortunately, Bach couldn't locate any of the material at the time.
Years passed before we reconnected, when we featured 'Strange Weekend' by Nuages on our recent yacht rock compilation. I still had the Highscore project in mind and asked again. Once more, Mike had to deny-but he made another effort and reached out to former collaborators. A few weeks later, guitarist and composer Hermann Behrens discovered cassette tapes containing tracks from the Highscore project. I couldn't wait to hear them…"
To go back a bit: Nuages were a jazz-rock band from Bremerhaven, originally formed by guitarist Joachim "Fussy" Fuß in 1982. The lineup included Mike Bach (drums and percussion), Klaus Hinners (bass), and Frank Fischer (keyboards). In 1984, John Dillard, a U.S. GI stationed in Germany, joined Nuages for several live performances as a soul singer.
Around 1985/1986, Dillard and Bach then teamed up with Hermann Behrens with a new focus on electro funk and disco: Highscore was born.
When the three demo recordings were finally sent to us, they immediately blew us away. Breakin' Out stood out as an incredible electro-funk boogie gem-exactly what we had been looking for. What's more, it didn't sound like a rough demo at all, Breakin Out was a well-arranged and almost perfectly recorded track, driven by fresh, vibrant synths, drum machines and guitar. The cassette mix wasn't entirely final, but the remaining details could be refined during mastering.
The B-side, Girl So Fine, impressed just as much-equally strong and just as captivating as the A-side. Our reaction was immediate: this had to be released without delay!
Most importantly, there are a few more recordings from Highscore. However, these only exist as multi-track studio reels, which currently cannot be transferred. In the best case, more material from the band may surface soon-hopefully without another long wait.
The 12" release Breakin' Out / Girl So Fine" comes with a newly designed picture sleeve, featuring an original photo of the band members, including background singer Ruben Hopkins who does not appear on these two recordings.
Macedonian artist Stojche kicks off Mutual Rytm Xs 2025 schedule with his blistering new EP, Stomping Ground.
Stojche is an exciting DJ and producer from Skopje, Macedonia, who is currently based in Madrid. He heads up his Tangible Assets imprint and has been making waves in the electronic underground for over 20 years. His music takes inspiration from the classic sounds of Detroit and dub techno, and in 2024, he impressed with his Metaphor EP on F.U.S.E. Following on from his superb contribution to Mutual Rytms Federation of Rytm II compilation, here, he now serves up his first EP of the year with a first outing on X, the sister label of SHDWs Mutual Rytm, w Stomping Ground.
This EP opens up with the powerful Stomping Ground, a scintillating blend of tightly programmed kicks and reverberating percussive lines. The textured percussion shimmers over the racing beats and cannot fail to sweep dancers off their feet. Oberheim is another high-class, high-impact sound with muted melodies thinking over the twisting and turning drums and bass which never let up and ooze warm machine soul. Consequence keeps the pressure on with tight drums and raw percussive layers softened by smeared dub chords. Digital bonus The Vault shuts down with thumping kicks and rave ready synth stabs that will erupt on peak-time floors.
Tauchen Sie ein in die goldenen 60er Jahre mit der neuen Vinyl-Compilation „Chart Hits der 60er Jahre Vol. 1“! Diese exklusive Zusammenstellung bringt Ihnen die unvergesslichen Hits und Interpreten, die eine ganze Generation geprägt haben – in originaler Aufnahmequalität und mit zeitlosem Charme.
Erleben Sie die größten Erfolge der damaligen Zeit mit legendären Künstlern wie Nana Mouskouri, Connie Francis, Peter Alexander und Peter Kraus. Jede Seite der Schallplatte erzählt die musikalische Geschichte eines Jahrzehnts, das voller Emotionen, Melodien und Lebensfreude steckte. Freuen Sie sich auf eine sorgfältig kuratierte Auswahl von Originaltiteln, die die Hitparaden der 60er Jahre stürmten und bis heute Kultstatus genießen Ein Muss für Nostalgiker und Vinyl-Liebhaber gleichermaßen! „Chart Hits der 60er Jahre Vol. 1“ ist die perfekte Gelegenheit, die Magie der 60er Jahre neu zu entdecken – authentisch, emotional und unvergesslich.
Bling bling akashics, the new EP “Bandido” is here. Five direct shots for the dancefloor by Demian aka Ariel Me Llamo.
Side A hits hard with raw, energetic rocker vibes while Side B drifts deeper into dreamy, hypnotic techno territory.
Two different sides, same late-night spirit — sweaty dances that slowly turn into full trance. Expect raw sounds, heavy basslines, and hypnotic patterns. heavy basslines, and hypnotic patterns.
House and techno's most innovative improviser, KiNK, lands on Mutual Rytm X.
Offering four more thrilling dancefloor weapons, the iconic talent lands on SHDW's new Mutual Rytm X Series to deliver the label's second release.
Legendary Bulgarian artist KiNK is widely regarded as one of the most respected live acts on the global scene. He is a noted tech wizard who creates loops on the fly, crafts killer drums and never fails to hypnotise dancefloors. He has released on almost every influential label of the last 15 years and taken his unrivalled live show to all corners of the world, often drawing on those sets to bring aspects and inimitable qualities from his performances into his tracks. This innovative approach has helped to solidify his reputation as a groundbreaking figure, inspiring a new generation of musicians and producers, and he once again showcases precisely why he's in a league of his own here with a first appearance on SHDW's newly minted Mutual Rytm X.
'Unicord' opens up this new EP in thrilling fashion with sleek, Detroit-style synth loops flashing up top as the heavy, pounding while warm drums drive things down low. 'Quantum Shake' brings 90s energy with new school sound deists - the dubby drums are fast and urgent, the synth craft is deft, and the percussion adds texture to a straight-up but sophisticated techno anthem. 'Pitch Down' then brings fantastically unhinged synth leads that spray and zip about the mix to boggle the brain. Rattling percussive loops and chunky drums keep things moving as those synths get even more wild. To close, the digital bonus 'Highpass Lowpass' is a masterfully muscular cut with rugged bass and taught synths interlinking to mind-melting effect.
Pure Motorised Instinct drives over to Dark Entries with At Last I’m Leaving the Earth, an LP of industrial-tinged ambient and new age. When legendary industrial outfit Nagamatzu went dormant in 1991, band member Stephen Jarvis moved forward with Pure Motorised Instinct, a name he pulled from a line in George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead. Throughout two cassette albums - 1991’s Between Intimacy and Elsewhere, and 1993’s Everything Is True - Jarvis pushed the Nagamatzu spirit in new directions. At Last I’m Leaving the Earth collects 9 tracks from this era, which are appearing on vinyl for the first time, along with 3 additional tracks on a bonus CD. The material here sits between the brooding and the optimistic, the claustrophobic and the soporific. Jarvis’s digital synths are pushed so far into tape-scuffed terrain that they talk and squawk analog-like, scurrying with vibrant curiosity. The late-night vibes peak on pieces like “Vincent V,” with its reverb-drenched digital drum machines, or “Geek,” which taps into a wide-eyed proto-vaporwave zone. At Last I’m Leaving the Earth is Black Lodge ambient for the empty set.
Severed Heads reattach themselves to Dark Entries for an expanded reissue of their 1991 opus Cuisine (With Piscatorial). As originary Aussie industrial legends – although founder Tom Ellard would balk at being branded as such – Severed Heads shaped the continental subcultural sound with their kitchen electronics, chaotic tape loops, and infectious nursery-rhyme-esque melodies. Cuisine (With Piscatorial) was the long-running project’s ninth album, and is a commentary on the state of music. Ellard explains: “The whole food joke is really about what music's about and how disposable it is; people have records like they have cups of coffee.” The album also presents a turn away from the dancefloor formalism of the era, which Ellard dismissed as already sufficiently explored. Cuisine brings us punchy pop kernels of the prime Heads variety, all clocking in around three minutes. Cuts like “Pilot in Hell” and “Ugly Twenties” rank among the band’s best through their deadly skewering of synth pop tropes. But the album also offers us a Piscatorial section, where Ellard felt free to “go fishing for ideas.” Here we get a taste of the project’s demented cut-up sensibilities, like on the “Quest for Oom Pa Pa” suite, where vintage jazz records are collaged into an angular nightmare. This double-LP reissue is the first time that Cuisine (With Piscatorial) will appear on vinyl, with a previously unreleased early version of “Seven of Oceans.” Also included is a 6-page booklet with liner notes, lyrics, and press clippings.
Dark Entries is proud to host Darlynn’s debut album, Dyke Den. Darlynn is an Oakland-based duo composed of Daria Lourd (aka Bored Lord) and her wife, vocalist Jaelynn Walls. Dyke Den is a lesbian love story about two creative individuals finding each other and themselves through effusive and contemplative sonic avenues. Created in their home over the course of two years, this album speaks to the journey of Daria and Jaelynn’s romantic relationship as well as their evolving combined creative impulses.
On Dyke Den, Darlynn display their influences – from Janet Jackson and Sly & the Family Stone, to Frankie Knuckles and Larry Levan – in a sophisticated, fully realized, and overtly queered fashion. Joyous dancefloor moments are abundant. Tracks like “Make Yr Move” and “Like A Summer” celebrate deep house vibes ala Alleviated Records, while sultry R&B moves are flexed on “Girl 2 Girl” and “Alright With Me.” But longing and yearning exist within this joyous arc, and the question arises: “How can I get you to love me?” More than an idealistic narrative of girl meets they/them, Dyke Den paints a portrait of love in all its multifaceted moments: the bids for commitment, the stagnation of years going by, the wormholes of desire. Yet the album maintains its thesis of hope. The sweet, layered harmonies of closing song “Love Letter” display the power of life partnership: “My whole life is a love letter to you.” Dyke Den features artwork by Hailee Va in a sleeve designed by Eloise Shir-Juen Leigh. Darlynn’s final declaration, “We are all creatures of desire, completely built for love.”s
Edgar debuts on Dark Entries with Pavor, an 11 track LP of sleazy disco, warped synthpop, and gothic cumbia. Veteran musician Luis Gutierrez has spent the past two decades touring in bands, running Lalalandia Studio, and building his practice in Oakland and Guadalajara. But now, for his first solo outing, he has become Edgar, a pop star who knows no limits! “Edgar feels mightier than anyone but is always reduced to his vices” says Gutierrez, and Pavor delivers vices in spades. From the opening salvos of “Otra Agua,” it’s clear we’re in for a wild ride: seasick synths slide along slamming disco beats, menacingly chanted vocals sit amid a flurry of careening horror movie samples. The mischief does not abate as we’re guided through a demented funhouse of genre detournements.
Edgar puts his indelible fingerprints over every inch of this vinyl, from uptempo numbers like the spooky chip-tune frenzy of “Nunca Mas” to the twisted cumbia of “Panteon.” We’re even treated to a fairly faithful (and majestic) Spanish-language cover of Amanda Lear’s “Follow Me,” here titled “Sigueme.” EBM, space disco, and horror movie soundtracks all find their way into the mix on Pavor, but the diverse palette comes together perfectly, like a Yello album for the 21st century. Pavor comes housed in a sleeve designed by Eloise Shir-Juen Leigh and features a photograph by Izaak Schlossman. Also included is an insert with lyrics and notes. On Pavor, Edgar brings us a healthy dose of pure excess, reminding us that dread can be a hell of a lot of fun.
Ruf Kutz reaches release twenty-two with something close to heart...
Mike Kee is a face from the early days - red-lit rooms of the Bodega mushroom squat parties in Sydney. This is a second release for Mike Kee on Ruf Kutz since 'Seeing Crystals' on RK2 in 2010.
Recorded in the rainforests of Bundjalung Country (northern NSW, Australia). Making good use of a Fender Rhodes and a JX-8P synthesiser.
WHITE CLOUD PLACE is a destination that doesn't exist. Glimpsed once on a street sign, filed away in the imagination and allowed to bloom into an imagined geography of warmth and weightlessness.
The music is lush dream house that elicits euphoria out of the speakers and into the body. Mike Kee has been chasing this feeling across his music and here it lands cleanly.
Flip the record and the temperature ratchets up. BANANA MOON is one for the dancers - shuffling congas push the pace while Rhodes chords and those big analog synth strings hold the whole thing aloft.
Where the A-side invites you to float, Banana Moon keeps it pitched up and jazzy.
Shak Jackson is a UK female house producer fusing old school foundations with a sharp, tech driven edge. Built on raw piano, rolling basslines, stripped percussion and hypnotic grooves, her sound is raw, functional and unapologetically euphoria focussed. With a growing cult following drawn to her no frills approach and dancefloor instinct, Shak Jackson is steadily carving out her own lane in modern underground house.
A solid 3 track EP for the mighty HOOJ shows off Shak’s talents and helps cement her rise as a future star.
Reboot Record Label presents Atmosphere EP by Juzel The Argentine producer from Mar del Plata brings his refined touch to Reboot with a release that balances warmth and restraint. Musically, Atmosphere EP sits mainly within the house spectrum, weaving Balearic warmth, progressive momentum and minimal precision into a body of work made for both sunrise terraces and late-night floors. The EP also features two contrasting remixes. Anastasia Zems, the Lisbon-based artist celebrated for her instinct-driven mix of trance, progressive house and experimental electronica, delivers a prog-house reinterpretation full of emotional depth and hypnotic energy. On the flip, Manchester's Aiden Francis, a rising force from the city's underground known for fusing tech, progressive and rolling tribal elements, turns in a techhouse remix built for peak-time release.
Jnbo ist der Künstlername von Henry Jenkins, einem Komponisten, Produzenten/Toningenieur und Bassisten aus Melbourne/Naarm. Jenkins ist den meisten als Produzent/Toningenieur hinter Surprise Chef, Karate Boogaloo und der für den Grammy nominierten Frollen Music Library bekannt. Als hauseigener Toningenieur für Aufnahmen und Abmischungen bei College In-House-Aufnahme- und Mix-Ingenieur bei Knowledge Records hat Jenkins die klangliche Grundlage für die instrumentale Cinematic-Soul-Bewegung von Melbourne/Naarm geschaffen. Auf ,& Friends" setzt Jenkins seine Fähigkeiten für seine eigenen brillanten Kompositionen ein. Das Album umfasst 12 introspektive Instrumentalstücke - tiefe, cineastische Odysseen, die von Romantik und Aufrichtigkeit durchdrungen sind und jenen unverkennbaren ,Freak Funk Bump" haben. Jenkins erklärt die Konzeption von ,& Friends": ,Ich wollte ein Album schreiben, auf dessen Aufnahme ich mich mit meinen Freunden freuen würde. Die Musik, die ich schrieb, hatte eine Funk-Sensibilität in Bass und Schlagzeug, kontrastiert durch einen eher cineastischen Ansatz in Bezug auf Harmonie und Melodie, mit Gitarren, die sich dazwischen schlängeln und gleiten. Ich habe versucht, diesen Kontrast zum Charakter des Albums zu machen. Ich fand, dass jeder Song die gleiche Instrumentierung und die gleichen Musiker haben sollte. Das wurde zu einer angenehmen kreativen Herausforderung: Wie viel Variation konnte ich im Laufe des Albums aus denselben acht Instrumenten herausholen? Ich wollte innerhalb dieser engen Grenzen so viel Vielfalt wie möglich finden." Jenkins hat diese Prinzipien bei den Aufnahmen zu ,& Friends" angewendet und langjährige Musikpartner wie Hudson Whitlock, Darvid Thor und Callum Riley (Karate Boogaloo), Lachlan Stuckey und Jethro Curtin (Surprise Chef), Lewis Coleman und Lena Douglas (The Cactus Channel) zusammen, um unkonventionelle Arrangements für drei Gitarren, Klavier, Streichersynthesizer, Hammondorgel, Schlagzeug und Bass zu verwirklichen, wobei Jenkins selbst den Bass und die Produktion übernahm. Das Ergebnis ist ein auffallend einzigartiges Album: Mal gibt's malerische Stimmungen, mal funkige Rhythmen, die zum Mitwippen einladen, wobei die drei Gitarren und drei Keyboards genau im Stereofeld angeordnet sind. Das Album zeigt die Einflüsse des Filmkomponisten Bernard Herrmann, des Lounge-Pioniers Les Baxter und Lamont Dozier von Motown, zusammen mit den exzentrischen Eigenheiten von JNBO. Für Fans von Surprise Chef, El Michels Affair, Menahan Street Band, Les Baxter, Bernard Herrmann.
How many orbits before human becomes machine? How many moons are to be found in space?
From the cockpit of 92moons, a celestial mystery broadcasting from earth, comes 'ALT/ERA : The Cockpit'. Her latest transmission forms OG03, a cosmic journey through the birth, revival and expansion of a different era...
Who better to take the controls for the remix than Human Space Machine, steering these signals deeper into the fringes of the (un)known.
Carly Simon’s quietly intense sophomore album comes across like an assertive notice nailed to a telephone pole for all to see. Bold, personal, and autobiographical, Anticipation announces the arrival of an artist who won’t back down. While Simon stands her ground on her eponymous debut, she elevates her passion and persona to heightened levels throughout this gold-certified record, dealing in private matters related to love, relationships, and desire. At times, Simon is nothing short of primal. She reflects on the difficulties of retaining your own identity while also giving yourself to a partner. Simon’s connection to her folk roots would never be stronger.
Sourced from the original master tapes, strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 45RPM 2LP set of Anticipation lays bare the rich tapestries afforded by the spare blend of soft guitars, mellow orchestration, and dreamy melodies. Audiophiles and record collectors, take note: This is the first time Anticipation has been available on 45RPM. The wider grooves and dead-quiet surfaces prove extremely rewarding.
The rhythmic framework anchored by session pro Andy Newmark’s drumming sounds dynamic and balanced, with songs benefiting from a focused midrange and taut low-end. Simon’s attachment to and investment in each lyric is made evident by way of the intimate, hushed atmospherics and expansive responsiveness. And just as Simon’s vocals feel more transparent and direct, so, too, do the supporting choral arrangements.
Released before the singer-songwriter movement reached full bloom, Anticipation remains remarkable for the high-quality songwriting and Simon’s gutsy stance. The album cover — depicting the vocalist holding the gates at Queen Mary’s Garden in Regent’s Park and seemingly defying anyone to take her on — serves as a metaphor for the content within.
Known for having relationships with high-profile partners, Simon was heavily involved with Cat Stevens leading up to the recording of Anticipation. She draws from her experiences to craft tunes that resonate because of their honesty, realism, and strength. Few of those moments are better known than the Top 20 title track, which Simon composed in just 15 minutes as she waited for Stevens to pick her up for a date. Imbued with the nervousness, tension, and excitement that accompany the moments when a romance could go either way, the Grammy-nominated song presages the feminist-minded vulnerability and burning longing that informs a majority of the record.
On the soulful “Legend in Your Own Time,” also inspired by Stevens, Simon harnesses yearning as a conduit to feel-good paradise. Deemed by Rolling Stone an “absolute clincher, an awesome description of the psychic ravages of gone-nuts, know-nothing love,” her cover of Kris Kristofferson’s “I’ve Got to Have You” moans with no-holds-barred desire and breathtaking sensuality.
For all the wanting Simon pursues on Anticipation, her way of staying in control — vocally and personally — make the record a courageous statement of contemporary femininity. For further evidence, look to the bossa nova of “Summer’s Coming Around Again,” somber “Share the End,” soothing “Three Days,” and sincere “Julie Through the Glass,” a tribute to her young niece.
Simon would achieve international fame with her next album, No Secrets. Yet as this definitive reissue shows, Anticipation suggests the rest of the world was just a little late catching up to her.
Designed for her 5 Hour extended sets and refined on dancefloors worldwide, "Can't Stop Loving You" - out today on slash - captures KI/KI's signature nostalgia-meets-future sound. Self-written and produced, it's an emotive trance burner built for peak time joy, unity and release, a sound that has defined her rise across global rave culture.
"Can't Stop Loving You" has become the closing moment in KI/KI's 2025 sets. From her Radio One Essential Mix, her two 5 Hours at the Woolstore, Melbourne - the only artist to ever do two back-to-back - to her AMF headline set to 40,000 fans at the Johan Cruijff ArenA! "Can't Stop Loving You" has been the emotional closer all year long.
On the track KI/KI says:
I wrote this track during the biggest heartbreak of my life. Back then I was working on music for my liveshow, and needed a track to close the show with. Can't stop loving you was the result.
Every note, every sound, every vocal helped me through how I was feeling and listening back now reminds me that eventually things will be okay again. The song evolves from an emotional track to an optimistic 172bpm banger and this perfectly describes my process - and maybe the story of almost every heartbreak?
This record is living proof to me that music can be healing. I hope it does the same for you
In just a few years, KI/KI has become one of the most exciting and influential voices in electronic music. She's sold out 20,000-capacity shows and graced the cover of DJ Mag. In 2026, she'll headline London, Dublin, Belfast, Paris, LA and NYC - all selling out in minutes.
With new music coming and her fanbase surging, "Can't Stop Loving You" now closes both her sets and her year - the emotional full stop on 2025 before an even bigger 2026.
Looking back on her career in the early 90s, Stevie Nicks described the first track of Rock a Little as “the most exciting song that I had ever heard.” This coming from a superstar who was already closely affiliated with several bajillion-selling Fleetwood Mac albums — to say nothing of her own benchmark solo debut. Her remarks attest to the enthusiasm and effort she invested in her third record, a 1985 work that quickly furthered Nicks’ profile and cemented itself as a piece of 80s pop lore.
Mastered at MoFi’s California studio, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, strictly limited to 4,000 numbered copies, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 45RPM 2LP set presents Rock a Little in audiophile sound for its 40th anniversary. Helmed by a cadre of producers and engineers, and recorded for a reported one million dollars, the platinum-certified album teems with a head-spinning array of colors, tones, dreamscapes, and accents. This reference-grade reissue marks the first time they are all brought to light and conveyed with proper balance, dimensionality, and positioning.
Though Rock a Little doubtlessly has period characteristics of a mid-80s LP, Nicks and company spare no expense when it comes to distinguishing the music with expansive sonics distinguished with lush melodies, high-tech percussion, echoing vocals, sampled keyboards, and layers of sophisticated accents. The degrees of spaciousness, headroom, and dynamics are nothing less than inspiring, while the newly enhanced detail, texture, and clarity make the songs sing like never before. As for Nicks’ voice? Wait ’til you experience the transparency and depth.
Those advantages extend, of course, to the aforementioned “I Can’t Wait,” a statement-making opener shot through with modulating synthesizers, splashy drums, metallic guitars, and serious drama. Holed up in a massive studio, Nicks required just one take to nail her part, which she called “magic and simply not able to beat.” The singer-songwriter also distilled the reverberating emotional essence of the Top 20 tune, stating “when I hear it on the radio, this incredible feeling comes over me, like something really incredible is about to happen.”
The same can be said for nearly all of Rock a Little. Crafted by the likes of Songwriters Hall of Fame multi-instrumentalist/producer Rick Nowels, Heartbreakers organist Benmont Tench, bassist Bob Glaub, jack-of-all-trades Greg Phillinganes, and session-pro guitarists Waddy Watchel, Les Dudek, and Danny Kortchmar — along with another two dozen or so participants — the record spills with diverse ideas, shapes, and moods. Everything is in the right place, as evidenced by the swirling glide and sensual undertow of the slightly funky title track to the snapping rhythmic pace and big hooks of “Imperial Hotel,” one of Nicks’ standout moments.
“What was it she wanted?” Nicks queries on “No Spoken Word,” continuing a theme of contemplation that runs through the narratives. Nicks never lands on a definite answer, but hearing her explore loneliness, love, and the secrets we keep to ourselves proves continuously rewarding. Take her passionate performance on a cover of Chas Sanford’s “Talk to Me,” a Top 5 smash furthered by tasteful saxophone lines and understated folk elements. Immersive yourself in the grand sonic corridors of “If I Were You,” laden with Nicks’ signature mysticism.
Moreover, surrender to the gravitas of the closing “Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You,” a piano ballad composed about the death of Joe Walsh’s three-year-old daughter. As Nicks asserts earlier on the album, she sings for things money can’t buy.
So, rock a little, yes, but dare to feel even more.
Indulge in a delicious audiophile preview with this Appetizer 12" from the upcoming 2024 compilation by Swiss DJ Princess P. This musical amuse-bouche offers a taste of her eclectic sound, in anticipation of her full, richly curated collection.
Swiss DJ Princess P, known for her eclectic sound, has been a dynamic presence in the electronic scene since the 90s. From her early days exploring house music to working at Plattfon Records, she's honed a genre-defying style. Her sets, a blend of savory house with indie and techno, are renowned at clubs and festivals alike, showcasing her deep musical knowledge and innovative spirit.
Half Speed Cutting and mastering by Sidney Meyer @ EBS Berlin Studios (formerly Deutsche Grammophon).
Carly Simon’s No. 1 smash “You’re So Vain” lingers as one of the most clever and famous songs ever recorded. The subject of mass speculation ever since its release, soon after which it occupied the top spot on multiple Billboard charts for weeks, the anthem kept a captive public guessing at the identity of its smug subject for decades. The question surrounding the protagonist’s identity remained perhaps the only mystery on the otherwise sexually open and autobiographically daring No Secrets, Simon’s commercial breakthrough and ‘70s singer-songwriter staple.
Sourced from the original master tapes, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 45RPM 2LP set affords the platinum-certified 1972 effort the finest sonic treatment it’s received on vinyl. Helmed by Richard Perry and recorded at London’s Trident Studios — where Beatles, David Bowie, and Elton John captured landmark LPs — No Secrets touts exceptional production qualities highlighted by this restorative reissue.
Audiophiles and record collectors, take note: This is the first time No Secrets has been available on 45RPM. The wider grooves and dead-quiet surfaces pay instant dividends. Simple, elegant, and disarming, songs seemingly float amid wide, deep soundstages. Simon’s voice takes on a confident, assertive tenor that emerges with accurate imaging, balanced tonality, and palpable presence. String arrangements and backing vocals come through with similar realism.
Enhanced by an all-star cast — Simon’s then-husband James Taylor, Paul and Linda McCartney, Mick Jagger, Lowell George, Klaus Voorman, Bobby Keys, Jim Keltner, Nicky Hopkins, and Bonnie Bramlett are among the renowned musicians who lend a hand — No Secrets advances Simon’s themes of personal introspectiveness, no-holds-barred reflectiveness, and feminist-inspired boldness. She makes every moment of No Secrets worth savoring. Simon invests her all in the songs, handling beautiful ballads, sassy folk-rock numbers, and bluesy fare with calm, composure, and candor.
While acknowledging her own regrets (“You’re So Vain”) and loss (“The Carter Family”), Simon champions the highs (“The Right Thing to Do”) and pains (“His Friends Are More Than Fond of Robin”) of love in a sincere manner indicative of her maturity as both an artist and singer. The New York native distinguishes “When You Close Your Eyes” with deep-rooted spirituality, recalls childhood joys via charming sentimentality on “It Was So Easy,” and and takes ownership of her persona on a cover of Taylor’s “Night Owl.”
“We have no secrets
/We tell each other everything,” Simon sings at the record’s midpoint, encapsulating both the themes and bravura of an effort that was nominated for four Grammy Awards and saw her write or co-write every song but one. Combined with Perry’s savvy instrumental arrangements, her self-assured performances and forthright lyrics grant No Secrets an edginess and relevance immune to the ravages of time.
MYKI enters the Neptune Discs orbit with a limited edition 12″, tracing the outer zones of house and techno through deep, dubwise pressure and a distinctly nineties haze. With previous outings on Kalahari Oyster Cult, Step Ball Chain, and more recently R.A.N.D. Muzik x Echocentric, MYKI also co-runs the Tofistock label alongside Olsvangèr.
A vivid display of his range as a producer, the EP moves with ease between direct techno, propulsive trance variants, dub-loaded house pressure, and atmospheric, chord-heavy cuts full of texture and detail. With this project, MYKI explores hauntological aspects of dance music — the space between memory, atmosphere, and club functionality.
25% of profits will be donated to support Doha, a 27-year-old architect from Gaza whose home was destroyed during the ongoing devastation in Gaza. Doha has been accepted to study architecture at Delft University of Technology, and funds raised will help cover the visa and relocation costs needed for her and her daughter to reach safety and continue her education.
The release comes housed with an outer sleeve sticker designed by theajm.
Paul Guido and Laron McNally, AKA Locomotive & Swan, conjured up ‘Way Out Here…’ in the living room of a tiny apartment in San Francisco in 2003. The duo were part of a bustling West Coast scene inspired by the pioneers that came before them, pushing the music into a more experimental direction. Their sound was a hybrid of looping tech-house with a freshly dubbed-out soul, soft-edged pumpers made with long sessions on the dance floor in mind.
The four versions of ‘Way Out Here…’ contain the same tripped-out samples and driving percussion, but with their own distinct attitude. The ‘Breakbeat Mix’ provides the most bone-rattling bassline of all time, balanced by the more restrained and stripped back ‘Bonus Breaks’. The ‘House Mix’ subtly plays with pressure and release, while ‘Posse Up’ goes full throttle lift-off.
With this four tracker all bases are covered - each track is suited to different moments across a night’s arc from warm up, to peak time, to after hours. This EP is a testament to the grooves and groovers of the time, reflecting an era of music that informed much of what we cherish today. The shimmy is strong with this one, and we are happy to give it another lap.
Genie In A Bottle is back with strong EP from my Italian Hermano - Shkedul.
“Secret Society” is the last track of the record, but definitely far from least. One of the best examples of Shkedul’s dark and confident production. This time also with perfect marching kicks, acidic arpeggios, and kinda familiar story that is being narrated through the track. The name here goes straight from the story, by the way.
“Meditative State” at the B1 also tells us the story, this time with a bit calmer voice. The track is calmer too, the kicks are still marching, don’t assume. “Confidence” lays very hard on the acid part, easily the most acidic track here. Finally, the opener, “Change Is Coming”. With the story again (damn, I like those conversations over the track so much) and the most interesting bassline of all.
Powerfull Support from : Quest , Anthea , Gabbs , Jane Fitz…
Interweaved yields the first volume of a new series curated by Brawther and one that underlines its credentials as an outlet for fresh new underground talent. Three producers here - Frederik Anthony, Mahar, and ICTV - were finalists in the 2023 "Minimal" Producer Challenge judged by Cassy, Losoul and Daniel Paul. Anthony opens with 'Interiddim', a lithe broken beat here through with warm chords. Mahar's 'Relaxed' is a silky and minimal dub tech cut and Omar Fayyad's 'A Mutual Thing' offers trippy late-night charm. Finally, ICTV's 'Oracle Night' is also deep and dubby but a little more menacing.
A portage is the stretch you carry across – the overland pass between two waters, where you shoulder the boat and the paddles and keep moving even after the current runs out. It isn't a break in the journey; it's part of it. TAMIZDAT's fifth release takes that as its shape: four artists carrying a single, measured groove from one shore to the next. Rooted in deep house, techno and minimal, Portage isn't built for the peak – it's an unhurried, warm, buoyant passage that stays light on its feet.
Genning is no stranger to this water — a MixCult regular since his 2018 debut, and his Sunlight EP was TAMIZDAT's second release. He returns from the heart of the family that shaped the label's dub-leaning sound.
Dot (Dotan Bibi) crosses over from Tel Aviv — an Israeli producer with roots in Detroit house. His Intergalactic Ride EP already landed on MixCult in 2024, and he returns here working out of his analogue home studio.
Overt has been a prominent MixCult voice since 2021, known for an ethereal, galactic juno sound that drifts easily into dub chords — records like his Simple Astral 12" mark him as one of the label's steadiest hands.
zekeN, the Romanian producer and one half of zekeniaN, brings more than fifteen years in electronic music: deep, energetic grooves, dreamy pads and percussive basslines that lean minimal rather than strictly rominimal. His zekeniaN project has surfaced on MixCult before; here he steps out on his own.
Move in Stereo: The Cars’ Eponymous Debut Album Functions as a Greatest-Hits Set with Classics Such as "You're All I've Got Tonight," "Good Times Roll," and "Just What I Needed"
Experience the Six-Times-Platinum Record in Definitive Sound on
Mobile Fidelity’s UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP Box Set:
Strictly Limited to 4,000 Numbered Copies,
It Plays with Reference Definition and Presence
1/4” / 15 IPS analogue master to DSD 256 to analogue console to lathe.
Among the most critically and commercially successful debuts in history, the Cars' eponymous album doubles as a greatest-hits collection. Not one song on it is widely unrecognized or unknown. Consider the list: "You're All I've Got Tonight." "Good Times Roll." "Just What I Needed." "Moving in Stereo." "My Best Friend's Girl." "Don't Cha Stop." “Bye Bye Love.” Just call The Cars the best new-wave rock album ever made. And a natural candidate for preservation on a Mobile Fidelity UltraDisc One-Step pressing.
Sourced from the original analog tapes, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, mastered by engineer Krieg Wunderlich, and strictly limited to 4,000 numbered copies, MoFi’s UD1S 180g 45RPM 2LP box set presents the six-time platinum record in the most vivid, wide-spanning, three-dimensional sound it has enjoyed on vinyl. Compared to the label’s outstanding and out-of-print 180g 33RPM version, this collectible edition features richer textures, broader openness, greater presence, and bigger dynamics.
Benefitting from the extra groove space on 45RPM by playing with enhanced definition, deep-black backgrounds, and ultra-quiet surfaces, this reissue portrays the band’s oscillating rhythms, futuristic keyboard passages, and panned images with stunning realism. Songs take on an absolutely surreal quality. The Cars and producer Roy Thomas Baker manipulate arrangements at will to mesmerize listeners' senses. The concept of "moving in stereo” has likely never been truer.
The industry-leading packaging of the UD1S set gives fans another reason to gravitate towards the 1978 album. A deluxe slipcase, two foil-stamped jackets, faithful-to-the-original graphics, and MoFi inner sleeves make for a premium tactile experience. It invites you to immerse yourself in everything about the record, including the now-familiar cover art depicting Nataliya Medvedeva behind the wheel. Enhanced by her glistening ruby-red lips, her face flashes an expression caught between surprise, ecstasy, and disbelief — an apropos way of responding to The Cars whether you’re hearing it for the first or 1,115th time.
Introduced in 2024 into the National Recording Registry for its significance, and ranked the 353rd Greatest Album of All Time by Rolling Stone, The Cars explodes with emotion, energy, and hooks. Its songs unite then-disparate styles: bubblegum melodies, art-rock angularity, progressive structuralism, terse minimalism, and power-pop sheen. The stylish arrangements also benefit from a laidback cool and understated irony that remain uncommon in the world of contemporary mainstream music.
Equally rare is the deep chemistry the members shared before they entered London’s AIR Studios and knocked out the record in less than a month. Benjamin Orr and Ric Ocasek began their first band together in the early ‘70s. A subsequent group with future Cars keyboardist Greg Hawke preceded Orr and Ocasek bonding further by temporarily performing as a duo. One final pre-Cars ensemble, Cap’n Swing, brought guitarist Elliot Easton into the fold. A decision by Ocasek to take the band in a rock direction, a crucial lineup shuffle, and a name change begat the Cars so many listeners know and love.
Already a going concern in Boston, the quintet cut its teeth and woodshopped songs for nearly a year and a half before signing with Elektra and partnering with Baker. The Cars enjoyed success right out of the gate, hitting No. 18 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and netting a pair of Top 40 singles in the form of “Just What I Needed” and deceptively happy “My Best Friend’s Girl.” The sarcastic “Good Times Roll” climbed to No. 41, but soon enough, almost every track on The Cars became a radio staple — an honor far more meaningful than chart positions.
Obsessed with incorporating the latest technologies and sounds into its palette, the band spiced tunes with delightful and quirky accents — country-tinged guitar fills, echoing Syndrums, reggae splashes, hard-rock tones, robotic pulses. Orr's low, nuanced deliveries and Ocasek's cool, detached vocals lend shades of doubt and double meaning to the lyrics, which are further counterbalanced by synthesizer flourishes and electronic beats.
Accessible and eccentric, edgy and catchy: The results comprise a landmark whose characters come to vivid life with nuclear boots, dry-drip gloves, ribbon-festooned coiffures, suede-blue eyes, and rock ‘n’ roll hair. It's practically impossible to avoid humming along to every song, all enhanced by Baker's stellar production. Best known for his work with Queen, he ensured the record packed a punchy midrange, opened up with instrumental and vocal separation, and breathed with airy harmonies.
Indeed, from the timeless music to the sleek production and sonic restoration, The Cars on UD1S is just what you needed.
theBasement Discos is back with another wax instalment, this time diving into the deeper side of house music.
Four carefully selected cuts from our catalog, bringing together some of our favourite deep house rollers from Naux, Heritage Listed, DJ Sandwich & Marc Pané, and Jansen.
Warm grooves, deep atmospheres and plenty of dancefloor soul. A little trip through the deeper shades of theBasement Discos, now pressed on wax for the first time.
Released in 1972 as the follow-up to the previous year's classic CTI album with Stanley Turrentine, Now is Astrud Gilberto's tenth studio album and her only recording on Perception, and wow does she make the most of the musicians available to her on this recording. Produced by Astrud herself and with all songs arranged by fellow Brazilian Eumar Deodato, the all-star line-up on Now includes Deodato on acoustic guitar, more Brazilian flavours from Airto Moreira on percussion, label vice-President and production genius Patrick Adams on Bass duties (along with Bob Cranshaw and Ron Carter), Dizzy Gillespie Quintet and Jazzberry Patch band member Mike Longo on keyboards and the mighty Billy Cobham on drums.
This album is a fiercely political and genre-defying album that blends funk, jazz, soul, and rock with sharp social commentary. McDaniels channels the turbulence of early-’70s America into surreal, poetic lyrics that critique racism, war, capitalism, and hypocrisy. The record’s raw grooves, off-kilter rhythms, and biting wit make it both musically adventurous and lyrically fearless — a cult classic that prefigured conscious soul and hip-hop’s political edge.
Key long-term collaborators and Coil's "secret third member" Danny Hyde located the original Hellraiser studio session tapes, and the bonus material recovered from them is presented here as an "expanded ritual" edition.
For fans of pain & pleasure, Throbbing Gristle, lost horror soundtracks & haunted electronics.
Back in 1987, Clive Barker's supernatural body-horror classic Hellraiser hit cinemas worldwide and introduced audiences to the demonic Cenobites. Barker was a devoted COIL fan (Peter Christopherson and John Balance), and he famously said they were the only band he'd ever heard on record whose music he'd had to take off because, in his words, "theymade his bowels churn.". He initially invited them to compose the film's music, and the group began recording cues. But the producers at New World Pictures ultimately rejected the material in favor of a more traditional approach, bringing in Christopher Young, whose final score remains excellent, if less experimental. What remains from Coil is an unfinished soundtrack with surviving fragments and rough ideas, abruptly left behind mid-process, a glimpse into an alternate Hellraiser movie, one we can only fantasize into existence.
Nearly 40 years later, key long-term collaborators and Coil's "secret third member" Danny Hyde located the original Hellraiser studio session tapes, and the bonus material recovered from them is presented here as an "expanded ritual" edition, reassembled into a standalone, possibly definitive and strangely beautiful nightmare suite. Play it in the dark and experience the consequences of raising hell...
Mutual Rytm spawns new sub-label ‘Versus’ with debut EP from longtime techno associates Regent and Chontane. Continuing to expand its creative world, SHDW’s Mutual Rytm imprint now introduces ‘Versus’ - a new sub- label crafted for creative symbiosis between two artists across one shared release. Opening the series with authority, Regent and Chontane man the debut offering - two close friends and native Berliners who have been shaping techno for more than 15 years. Both long-standing members of the Mutual Rytm family, having released multiple times here before, the pair have always created music informed by life immersed in their local scene. Having both mutually influenced one another over the years, here they present their shared interpretation of techno with individual artistic DNA, forming a unified sound that represents the best of both worlds. Regent goes first, leaning towards functional, anthemic, dance-floor-focused techno. ‘Ephemera’ is tight, minimal but forceful; ‘Slow Burn’ has synth tension rising through the dark, next to glitchy percussion; and ‘Afterglow’ lets in more light, bringing otherworldly synths that hang above the groove and consume your focus. Chontane then explores a more musical and unconventional approach. ‘Plaxaric’ is supple, warm, and deep techno that tunnels into an abyss. ‘Grounding Factor’ is just as economical in design, but with introverted funk and evolving layers of sound. ‘Mental Lab’ spins out into complex rhythms inspired equally by IDM, jungle, and techno. It’s a mental workout as well as a physical one. Both artists add a pair of digital bonus tracks. Regent’s ‘Control Room’ and ‘Rarely Enough’ deliver elevated, hypnotic tools, before Chontane’s ‘Escore’ and ‘Outside In’ bring extroverted drum patterns along with contrasting melodic unease
Mutual Rytm welcomes new school tastemakers Klint and Hemka to sub-label Versus for imprint’s second drop. SHDW’s Mutual Rytm welcomes back two standout label alumnus for the second edition of Versus, a newly-launched conceptual sub-label focused around two artists whose sound works individually and in unity. Hemka made an impressive and well-received debut with her full solo EP back in 2025, while Klint appeared on ‘Federation of Rytm IV’. Both artists hail from France, and have crafted a well-earned reputation for their own distinctive approaches to sound design - pairing locked in grooves with cosmic synth escapes. Across the EP, each artist delivers three individual takes on techno to make for an essential collection of high-end cuts, exploring the label’s ethos of creative symbiosis between two artists on one shared release. Klint’s tracks lean towards minimal yet highly effective, dance floor-focused DJ tools, starting with the lithe, stripped back menace of ‘Prism’, before the sparse eeriness of ‘Dobermann’ keeps you looking over your shoulder while remaining trapped in the groove. Third cut ‘Romance’ is more bold and muscular, with contoured drums and icy pads ramping up the tension and energy. Hemka then dives deeper into a hypnotic and anthemic direction while introducing her own voice into the mix. ‘Leave It’ is textured, percussive deep techno with shadowy whispers, while ‘Breathe’ has a dark, grinning undercurrent and scintillating snares fluttering over the drums. ‘Mindness’ then pairs spoken word atmospherics with taught drum pressure and an ethereal backlit glow. In addition, Klint's digital only cuts ‘1112’ and ‘Blue’ marry minimal synths with meticulously defined drums that hit hard, while Hemka's ‘Push’ is an anxious percussive trip, contrasting with the introspective emotional core of ‘Live To Tell’.
In 2023, Kraków-based composer Martyna Basta and Los Angeles-based sound artist claire rousay were invited to Poland by Unsound for a short residency, where they spent a few days trading ideas and concepts, and brainstorming their first collaboration. Initially motivated to create lengthy, expansive pieces together, they also ended up experimenting with shorter vignettes, and ‘hotel room’ expresses these two extremes, featuring three long-form tracks and three brief, euphoric songs. “It wasn’t something we specifically planned,” explains Basta. “It just unfolded that way.” The most important stage of the process, however, was the period that followed the residency, when rousay and Basta began working on their sketches in isolation, trading drafts and sculpting the sounds independently before rousay handled the final mixdown. In the comfort of their own bedrooms, they were better able to reflect their individual creative routines, organically reaching a junction where their music felt truly unified. Even while they were in Poland, the duo joked that it might have been easier if they’d been holed up in separate rooms emailing each other.
Both artists have had an energetic few years: after steadily building a reputation for her diaristic and candid concrète experiments, rousay signed to Thrill Jockey in 2023, releasing the acclaimed ‘sentiment’, ‘a little death’ and the more eaze collaboration ‘no floor’; Basta, meanwhile, followed up 2023’s hallucinatory ‘Slowly Forgetting, Barely Remembering’ and her debut for Belgium’s Stroom imprint, ‘Diaries Beneath Fragile Glass’ with a studio album on !K7’s 7K sublabel: ‘Winged in Collapse’. The title of their collaboration reflects rousay and Basta’s hectic touring schedules in the wake of these releases, the constant feeling of displacement and the emotions that emerge when the environment is in flux. “I know we aren’t the only musicians traveling and creating work at the same time,” says rousay, “but being able to speak about that experience and all the things that come with it was comforting.” And the music itself, assembled from hypnagogic field recordings, spectral voices, electronics and filtered instrumental improvisations, sounds bewitchingly unmoored, not tied to a specific location but hovering around the uncanny space in-between.
Scratchy ASMR sounds introduce us to the opening track ‘zoom’, initially obscuring the duo’s elegiac harmonies. They are careful to let the various elements evolve at their own pace, with the fictile guitar drones melting into the foreground while Basta’s dissociated whispers and rousay’s illusory synths pick out the subtlest subliminal shades. It all builds to the piece’s dramatic third act, when layered chords ring out like organ blasts, enveloping the negative space. The shorter, more anxiety-provoking ‘denim’ is remarkably divergent, a dismantled folk memory pieced together from skeletal piano notes, vaporous choral echoes, haunting string plucks and pulsating feedback. Where the music aligns is in the mood itself, capturing a feeling that’s neither completely abstract nor fully referential. Not ambient exactly, ‘hotel room’ is a suite of soundscapes that gesture towards structure while repeatedly folding in on themselves.
On ‘Lost and Found’, wordless Autotuned ad-libs spiral around delicate guitar plucks and washing waves, coalescing into a faded Polaroid of opiated Americana, and on ‘Where Are You Now’, operatic squeals and corroded orchestral scrapes are juxtaposed with nauseous low-end tones. Evaporating until only industrial whirrs and music box chimes remain, the latter encapsulates the entire album’s chilling liminality, smudging saturated voices with casual electro-acoustic interjections before it erupts abruptly, transforming into a dense, pitch-skewed hymn. ‘hotel room’ plays like a surreal travelogue, teasing listeners with airy familiarities as it humidifies dry, awkward spaces. More a labyrinth of catacombs than a single, fixed chamber, it’s Escher-like – cryptic and seductive – and decked out with personal asides and intimate details that reward the most patient, curious listeners.
Sounds of Sirius Music presents SOSNZ014 Balouk – Binary Whispers EP
A distant signal moving through the universe. Fragments of consciousness appearing between silence and noise. A transmission crossing the space between stars.
Somewhere between zero and one, something speaks.
Rooted in classical music, Balouk explores the unknown through modular synthesis and intuition. His sound drifts between structure and chaos, where machines breathe, patterns shift, and every transmission takes a different form.
Balouk opens the transmission with the original cut, followed by a deeper interpretation from r.hitect.
On the B-side, Herman Saiz and Daniel Meister reshape the signal, each revealing a different frequency of the same unknown message.
The moment the instantly recognizable intertwined guitar passage on the title track to the Eagles' Hotel California begins, the record's genius becomes obvious all over again. Ranked the 118th Greatest Album of All Time by Rolling Stone, certified by RIAA as the third best-selling LP in history, and considered the foundation on which the Golden State's mid-‘70s music scene was built, the 1976 landmark is a music staple immune to shifts in trends, eras, and styles. Fearlessly addressing the chaos and consequences of American life, its songs remain strikingly prescient and gain creedence with each passing day.
Mastered from the original analogue master tapes, pressed on MoFi SuperVinyl, and limited to 17,500 numbered copies, Mobile Fidelity's UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP vinyl box set ensures you will want to permanently check into and never leave this particular Hotel California. Up to the herculean task of standing head and shoulders above all prior reissues, this collectible edition plays with extreme clarity, organic richness, tube-like warmth, massive dynamics, and microscopic levels of detail. You'll be able to practically smell the colitas and feel the breeze in your hair. Songs come across with an epic sweep and feature immersive, front-to-back soundstages that allow the music unprecedented air, roominess, and separation. As for the noise floor? It's basically as invisible as the spirits that waft in the corridors of the unforgettable title song.
Aesthetically, the premium packaging and presentation of the UD1S Hotel California pressing befit its esteemed status. Housed in a deluxe box, it features gorgeous foil-stamped jackets and faithful-to-the-original graphics that illuminate the splendour of the recording. From every angle, this UD1S reissue exists as a curatorial artefact meant to be preserved, touched, and examined. It is made for discerning listeners that prize sound quality and production, and who desire to fully immerse themselves in the art – and everything involved with the album, from the renowned cover art to the meticulous finishes.
Indeed, the opportunity to zero in on all the particulars of the 26-million-selling Eagles record dubbed "a legitimate rock masterpiece" by vaunted Los Angeles Times scribe Robert Hilburn has never been better. A global phenomenon that marked the band debut of guitarist-singer Joe Walsh, Hotel California continues to resonate and connect with listeners of all generations taken by its narrative depth, stark directness, picturesque melodies, daring majesty, and ardent emotionalism. Adorned with a breathtaking exterior photograph of the Beverly Hills Hotel that serves as the simultaneously haunting and alluring cover art, and rounded out by a rear-cover shot of the Lido Hotel lobby that reinforces a notion that teeters between permanence and transience, Hotel California is brilliantly tied to a specific place that functions as a universally understood metaphor for the American Dream.
Confronting the darker undercurrents and oft-ignored constructs attached to that romantic notion, the record's songs revolve around a host of shared themes: excess, mobility, stability, illusion, fame, destruction, and idealism included. Notably, Hotel California appeared at a crucial junction in American history: During the country's bicentennial and amid escalating controversies related to the Vietnam War, energy crisis, and governmental corruption. That the Eagles manage to channel such cultural, social, and economical matters into a cohesive, stately, big-picture statement is alone a stupendous feat. That the album's reach, boldness, vitality, accessibility, and understated intensity have never waned make it a marvel.
Reflecting on Hotel California 40 years after its original release, and indirectly explaining its enduring appeal and increasing relevance, singer-songwriter Don Henley confirmed the record pertains to the "loss of innocence, the cost of naiveté...the difficulties of balancing loving relationships and work, trying to square the conflicting relationship between business and art; the corruption in politics, the fading away of the Sixties dream of ‘peace, love and understanding.'"
It can be argued that Henley and company squarely hit on and drove home those ideas in the surreal title track, chart-topping "Life in the Fast Lane," and grand "The Last Resort" alone. But that would miss the forest for the trees. Experienced as an unbroken whole, complete with the pristinely shot imagery and physical grooves, Hotel California unfolds like a geography-conscious saga by James Michener and plays like colour-saturated movie shot on 70mm film by Martin Scorsese. It's about our collective and individual decisions – and the shape of our past, present, and future. And, just like that conjured by our imaginations, Hotel California continues to take on a life of its own.
More About Mobile Fidelity UltraDisc One-Step and Why It Is Superior
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab's UltraDisc One-Step (UD1S) technique bypasses generational losses inherent to the traditional three-step plating process by removing two steps: the production of father and mother plates, which are created to yield numerous stampers from each lacquer that is cut. For UD1S plating, stampers (also called "converts") are made directly from the lacquers. Since each lacquer yields only one stamper, multiple lacquers need to be cut. Mobile Fidelity's UD1S process produces a final LP with the lowest-possible noise floor. The removal of two steps of the plating process also reveals musical details and dynamics that would otherwise be lost due to the standard multi-step process. With UD1S, every aspect of vinyl production is optimized to produce the best-sounding vinyl album available today.
MoFi SuperVinyl
Developed by NEOTECH and RTI, MoFi SuperVinyl is the most exacting-to-specification vinyl compound ever devised. Analogue lovers have never seen (or heard) anything like it. Extraordinarily expensive and extremely painstaking to produce, the special proprietary compound addresses two specific areas of improvement: noise floor reduction and enhanced groove definition. The vinyl composition features a new carbonless dye (hold the disc up to the light and see) and produces the world's quietest surfaces. This high-definition formula also allows for the creation of cleaner grooves that are indistinguishable from the original lacquer. MoFi SuperVinyl provides the closest approximation of what the label's engineers hear in the mastering lab.
"Fragments of Light" documents seven years of creative dialogue between Purl (Ludvig Cimbrelius) and Ecovillage (Emil Holmström & Peter Wikström). Their journey began with a spontaneous meeting in Los Angeles during October 2019, evolving into a transcontinental process where Ludvig refined ideas during Sri Lankan train journeys while Emil and Peter furthered their ambient dreaming in northern Sweden. Sonically, the album inhabits a space between pop ambient and new age—combining atmospheric textural depth with accessible melodies, while also carrying forward the contemplative nature central to the artists' work and personal lives. Ecovillage, who has collaborated with many revered artists (such as Laraaji, Carlos Niño, and Fennesz), here pour their own deep sensibilities into the ever widening river of Purl—this initial, ambient-rooted alias of Ludvig Cimbrelius. Featuring original, hand-painted artwork by Steven Jackson and delicate mastering work by Ludvig for a special limited physical edition released via his own LILA लीला imprint, “Fragments of Light” carries the hallmarks of an ambient classic-to-be. The album fits naturally alongside works by artists like Brian Eno, Harold Budd, and Hiroshi Yoshimura, as well as contemporary artists who bridge the ethereal with melodic sensibility.
Packed with three stripped back heavy weight house cuts from the spanglecore man himself, Mella Dee whilst the NorthSouth Records head honcho Harry McCanna takes you on a hypnotic trip with rendition of Hidden Frequencies on the B side.
All tracks have been tried and tested around the world by the industries finiest
Pure class as always from Gal Costa! The record is her first after the immediate Tropicalia years, and it's a stunning blend of styles that seems to draw heavily from changes going on in the American rock scene at the time. The core of the music is still steeped in Brazilian elements – but there's a lot of influences coming into play on the album, like bluesy rock phrasing, showy nostalgia-heavy arrangements, psychedelic production elements, and some of the baroque orchestrations that would show up on Gal's later albums in the 70s.
