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In Gianfranco Rosi’s portrait of Naples, Sotto le Nuvole, the ground shakes periodically. Between Mount Vesuvius and the Tyrrhenian Sea, the fumaroles of the Phlegraean Fields hiss volcanic gas and steam. Below the sleeping volcano, modern day Naples emerges in black and white and fills with voices, with lives. From the traces of history and the concerns of the present, Rosi documents a city immersed in its continuous past, with Daniel Blumberg’s minimal soundscape hovering in a sonic space between liquid and air.
Tasked with creating a soundscape that would suspend space within Rosi’s film, Blumberg called upon the extended technique of saxophonists Seymour Wright and John Butcher to create a gossamer fabric of traces and sounds abstracted from their instruments. Having transitioned from theoretical physics to the saxophone, John Butcher has always deeply considered space in the context of his playing. His concerns are with flow, density and how the saxophone is situated in the living world. Zeroing in on the core sonic properties of the mechanical and acoustic components of the saxophone, Seymour Wright has integrated its every breath, reed vibration, keypad clatter and hissed microtone of his alto into his own, unique improvisational language. In his work with these two seminal players, Blumberg makes his most concentrated soundtrack to date - reinforcing the film's sense of overlapping time and space, and pushing at the limits of experimentation.

Initially recorded in Daniel’s flat in London, Butcher and Wright centre themselves around long, consistent tones, so soft that it seems breath is being gently pulled from the saxophone's bell by an invisible hand. Blumberg himself adds haunting bass harmonica, and recordings of Wright’s launeddas - a traditional and ancient triple pipe polyphonic reed instrument from Sardinia, Italy. Blumberg then travelled to the volcanic region of Baia, next to Pompeii. Once a flourishing classical Roman city loved by Nero, Baia slowly sank under hydrothermal pressure, leaving the city in a kind of geological purgatory. Using specialised geophones and hydrophones, Blumberg took those initial recordings and amplified them underwater, sending them calling out across the ruins of Baia’s mosaics, Nymphaeum statues and villas.

“It was important to me that the music was whispered in the same landscape that Gianfranco has worked for the past three years, so that you can hear the volcanic air gulping, the lapping of the waves, the steam and bubbles popping against John and Seymour’s saxophone breaths – an echo from a suspended time.”
What emerges is deeply melancholic, tender, subtle and right at the edges of audio technology. Submerged in an aquarian mausoleum, the mysterious vibrations of the saxophone and its bell become an echo of an echo, wading from the future into the past. ‘Sotto le Nuvole’ is less a soundtrack than a process of aeration - a sonic puncture in the material of the film which allows its central message to breathe, and a remarkable experiment at the limits of the saxophone’s possibility.

Hiroshi Sato's masterpiece “Awakening” has been reissued for the fourth time in a new color “Pastel Blue Vinyl”. The album was cut by world-renowned engineer Bernie Grundman based on high-spec sound data digitally converted to 96KHz/24bit from the original master tapes. The pressing was done at Sony Music's factory in Japan. This is Hiroshi Sato's fourth original album released in June 1982 after his career in Los Angeles, and his first album for Alpha Records. Featuring Canadian female vocalist Wendy Matthews and using the most advanced drum machine at the time, “LinnDrum,” this mellow and soulful album is a perfect fusion of Sato's sound sense and the atmosphere of American West Coast, and has transcended generations, continues to influence many musicians. Guest guitarists include Tatsuro Yamashita, Tsunehide Matsuki, and Yuji Toriyama! Limited edition.

The Suicide Handbook is Ryan Adams’ most elusive and mythic recordings. The album is a raw and intimate collection of songs that captures the songwriter at his most unguarded. Recorded at the beginning of his solo career and long circulating only through bootlegs, the album has earned a legendary status among die-hard fans and fans of the americana genre alike for its stark stripped-back beauty.
Acoustic arrangements and hushed, late-night vocals, these songs feel like private confessions set to tape. Adams leans into themes of heartbreak, isolation, and emotional vulnerability, delivering recordings that are as fragile as they are compelling. There’s an immediacy here that sets The Suicide Handbook apart from his studio releases. These are the original recordings in their rawest and un-touched form.
Released officially for the first time, experience the record as a cohesive piece, bringing warmth and depth to its lo-fi origins. The analogue format enhances every subtle nuance, from the quiet creak of strings to the tremble in Adams’ voice.
For longtime fans and collectors alike, The Suicide Handbook stands as a haunting, deeply personal snapshot of an artist laying everything bare—an essential addition to the Ryan Adams collection.

Das wandlungsfähige Trio Vanishing Twin präsentiert sein neues Album ,Archives" - eine Collage aus postmoderner Songkunst, die im gemeinsamen Schaffensprozess Transzendenz findet. Der Albumtitel spielt auf den unverwechselbaren Ansatz von Vanishing Twin an, tägliche Aufnahmesessions anzuhören, zusammenzufügen und neu zu bearbeiten. Gründungsmitglied Cathy Lucas beschreibt den Prozess so: ,Material sammeln, damit herumspielen, es auf den Kopf stellen, versuchen, die Teile zusammenzufügen und daraus eine Geschichte zu erschaffen". Da Lucas mittlerweile ins ländliche Frankreich gezogen ist und Valentina Magaletti sowie Susumu Mukai in London leben, verbinden sich die drei, indem sie Songs und Instrumentalfragmente in einem virtuellen Studio austauschen. Die geografische Distanz wird durch ihre kollektive Kreativität überbrückt, wobei jedes Mitglied als Multi-Instrumentalist seinen Beitrag leistet. Jeder Musiker bringt umfangreiche Erfahrung in Zusammenarbeit und Improvisation mit, wobei das Anhören und Bearbeiten von Studio-Sessions ein wesentlicher Bestandteil des kreativen Prozesses ist. Konzepte von Urheberschaft und Eigentumsrechten lösen sich in der Musik von Vanishing Twin auf, während die Mitglieder Instrumente tauschen und sich ganz dem Moment der Zusammenarbeit hingeben. Die ,Archive", die dem Albumtitel seinen Namen geben, werden zu Dokumenten der kollektiven Intelligenz des Trios. Die chaotische Energie von ,Archives" treibt Vanishing Twin in ungewohnte Formen und Richtungen. Außerhalb ihrer Komfortzonen findet das Trio neue Momente der Erleuchtung und Freude. Tief im Mix hörst du vielleicht, wie Magaletti zum Bass greift, Mukai unerwartet am Schlagzeug einspringt oder Lucas chamäleonartig durch die Lücken gleitet. ,Archives" verfeinert Vanishing Twins Modell des kollektiven Musizierens, bei dem Egos in spielerischen Mix-and-Match-Spielen in den Hintergrund treten und die Kreativität zwischen den drei Multi-Instrumentalisten fließt. Sie bewegen sich zwischen und außerhalb konventioneller Genrekategorien und reihen sich neben Weggefährten wie dem Tara Clerkin Trio und Still House Plants ein, wodurch sie die Vorstellung vom zeitgenössischen Musikensemble erweitern. Nach einem Jahrzehnt ihres Bestehens sind Vanishing Twin wandelbarer denn je.

Indie shops only. Limited red vinyl rerelease. 500 for the World (just 80 copies for the UK) After falling out with Sir Coxsone, the legendary head of the Kingston label Studio One, Lee Perry first founded his own band and then, in 1973, set up his own studio in his backyard. What was born out of necessity developed into a unique success story. With both the Upsetters and the Black Ark, Perry made music history - most notably with the 1976 release of the album Super Ape, on which he made the genre of dub bubble and boil from the mixing desk in previously unheard ways. For Perry, the studio is like a living organism. Whether he truly experiences it that way or simply lets too much ganja go up in smoke, for Perry the equipment is organic, empathetic, and intelligent. The catch is that the results sound exactly like that as well. Long before sampling was invented, he layered tracks of deep basslines, echoes, and reverb with various self-recorded sound sequences – often played in reverse - on top of, into, and beneath each other. In other words, Perry was the first producer who made the music instead of the band. Among other things, this earned him the title ‘Salvador Dali of Dub.’

Often credited as the father of multi-media theatre, Alwin Nikolais (1910-1993) took complete creative control over his productions - including cutting-edge approaches to lighting and costume that transformed human bodies into shifting sculptural shapes, while also composing wildly innovative electro-acoustic and synth-based audio as accompaniment.

After initially experimenting with musique concrète and tape manipulation (as demonstrated on the 1959 LP Choreosonic Music of the New Dance Theatre of Alwin Nikolais) Nikolais became the first owner of Robert Moog's synthesizer at the Audio Engineering Society convention in New York in late 1964. Relying heavily on the Moog and later the Synclavier synth/sampler, these 21 tracks document Nikolais' highly-prescient compositions across the mid 1960s through to the late 1980s - existing not only as extensions of his other-worldly choreographic productions, but standalone pieces of foundational mid-century American electronic and experimental music.

"Born in Southington, Connecticut in 1910, Nikolais’s early years and early career were in acting, music and puppetry. It was not until the late 1930s that he began his work as dancer/choreographer in Hartford, Connecticut, where he was commissioned by the Avery Memorial Theatre, a part of the Wadsworth Atheneum, to create an evening-length work to the music of Ernst Krenek. Previously his work and study as a pianist-organist found him accompanying silent films. This sort of accompaniment required from the musician not only a playing skill but also a versatility in improvisation, matching movement to sound, and evoking mood to situation.

Nik was drawn initially to dance by his involvement with the percussion scores used by the illustrious early twentieth century German dancer Mary Wigman. In trying to learn more about percussion, he was lured into dance class and thus his career began. His development of music and dance occurred simultaneously. His introduction to the twelve-tone technique opened his mind to the expanding areas of atonal music, and his dealing with music as sound per se. In 1948, after being appointed director of the Henry Street Playhouse in New York, Nikolais formed the Playhouse Dance Company, later known as the Nikolais Dance Theater, and began his aesthetic orientation toward dance as a study of motion. By the 1950s, he had ceased creating literal dances and began his explorations and eventual milieu as an abstractionist.

Sound became an important part of his abstract theatre. For his first dances, which involved his new thinking of dance as both a visual and kinetic art, he used live percussion scores in which he directed his dancers to play instruments of all nature. There was a combination of children’s toy instruments as well as harsh and resonant automobile brake drums, and other pitched auto parts which he also used to accompany classes. Once he installed his own tape recording machines, he quickly used the limited range these instruments provided in a new way, slowing and increasing speed and reversing sound. He also made the sounds adhere to the choreographic structure (not the other way around), thereby giving the dance its independence from the musical phrasing. But the real need remained: the search for new sound. Nik made a sound library, recording noises and percussion and vocal sounds, which the French aptly called musique concrète. Needless to say, he became a master at splicing bits and pieces.

From 1956 to 1962 Nikolais composed eleven major scores for his theatre pieces using such techniques. In 1963, James Seawright, who at the time was assisting Nik in his productions and also working at the Columbia-Princeton Center for Electronic Music, recorded a sound bank for the production Imago (1963). With this material, Nikolais created his first synthesizer score. Imago won the Paris Grand Prix in 1968 and launched the Nikolais Dance Theatre towards its national and primarily international acclaim.

During the same period, Seawright came to Nik and told him of a young man who had invented and constructed a simplified synthesizer and insisted that Nik visit the electronic fair currently being held in New York. Nik did so and met Robert Moog. He was completely taken by the new machine and after making some suggestions to Moog, (which Moog made), Nik bought the inventor’s first machine with the aid of a Guggenheim Fellowship. Moog himself was astonished by what his machine could produce for Nik. This machine was later acquired by the Museum of Musical Instruments at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor as the first Moog synthesizer. The Synclavier was Nik’s next source of sound and since the mid-1970s remained the major instrument in the Nikolais soundroom.

Alwin Nikolais has been honored and awarded throughout the world. He has received the French Legion of Honor, the Kennedy Center Honors, National Medal of the Arts, two Guggenheim Fellowships, as well as Mellon, Ford, and Rockefeller grants. He has been a recipient of NEA grants since 1966, been awarded five honorary doctorates, all for his remarkable achievements in Dance Theater. His genius has influenced several generations of artists."
—Murray Louis

A couple of years after his last outing on Constant Black, Rotterdam-based Fabio Santos is back with another precision -tooled tech house EP that mangles dub, tech, minimal and house. 'Slow Burner' isn't really - it's a full-flavour sound with a dubby undercurrent and weighty kicks. 'Fever Dreams' pulls back and zones out musically, but with another forceful and deep groove that burrows into the cosmos. 'Changes' is balmy tech house that marries an irresistible snap down low with nice swirling pads up top, perfect for smooth cruising in the club. There is a more playful vibe to 'Feeling It?' With its tribal percussion and wigged-out synth details, 'Dancing To The 00's' throws it back to prime tech house dons like Terry Francis. A very useful EP

Galcher Lustwerk's 'Vestibule EP' is one of the best of the year if you ask us, (and the remix package by some genuine heavyweights is also worth seeking out). That the leftfield US producer is now back with another outing is literal and metaphorical music to our ears. This one strips away his usual muttered vocals and opens with the stuttering, dubby rhythms of 'North Coast Nostalgia' before 'Cat Video' suspends you in uneasy synths and a skeletal minimal rhythm. 'Thick Description is a deeper, more insular sound for the afters and 'Mock Tudor' is dusty, beautifully imperfect analogue house that is scuffed up and soulful in Lustwerk's signature low-key style.

Charles Webster was one of the architects of the early UK house scene but has never got the flowers he deserves. Maybe this first win a new series of reissues from his incredible vaults, will change it. Unreleased Stuff comes on Remote and opens with a louche tech house sound that's deep and emotionally dialled in. 'Don't Work' is great advice for anyone as well as being a humid house roller for the backroom. 'How To Live' brings more of a steamy energy that encourages you to get up on your toes and then 'Bad Year' slows it down and layers in some lovely liquid West Coast chords. Two more brilliantly vibey cuts close an EP that must not be sniffed at.

Hidden Sounds Record store – with the help of Emotional Recordings – launches the Dark Times label with the first of two club orientated EPs from Canadian brother-production duo Lex and Rew MacCrimmon and their project Alkahest.

Released on their own Post Contemporary label between 1994 – 1996, Alkahest contrasted with the spacious electronica of their influential and still on-going project, Legion Of Green Men.

Growing up in suburban city life in Burlington, Ontario, the MacCrimmon brothers’ interest in music and collecting records started early, always looking for interesting sounds in new places. With a limited local music scene or record stores, the alternative and college radio stations were the only way to discover new music or the type of music they sought.

The German electronic sounds of Kraftwerk, Klaus Schulze and Tangerine Dream were early obsessions, alongside Neu, Cluster (& Eno) and the post punk and synth pop emanating from Britain. The Flying Lizards, John Foxx / Ultravox, Gary Numan and The Normal were favourites, before diving into the 80s industrial experiments of Cabaret Voltaire, Severed Heads, Nurse With Wound and Throbbing Gristle.

Making their own music soon followed, first experimenting with 4 track cassette and digital delay, drum machines and synths soon followed, steadily building their own studio. All these influences merged in the early 90s with the dawn of house and techno and the progression to start the Post Contemporary label launched in 1992.

With the project Legion Of Green Men achieving early success, their diversion with Alkahest explored a post-industrial techno hybrid. Unsubtle, night music, the rhythm and sonic textures are more prominent over melody.

Contact High covers this Alkahest sound, from the 133 bpm trippy, psychedelics of opener Black Tabs, the acid breaks of Ground Zero or the charging nature of closing Séance 333, where all bets are off – together this 4 track EP perfectly captures the early spirit of Canada’s electronic music scene finding its place in dance culture, from the raves of the Toronto’s outer rim to the beaches of Anjuna.

However, in the title cut Contact High, there is something else happening, as electronic dub is explored, where the space in the music, between the beats, is as important at what happens on the surface. A love of this ethereal feeling would lead the brothers to head further in this direction and here is a perfect example of that early journey.

Hackney based Hidden Sounds Records launches – with support from Emotional Recordings – it’s Dark Times label by diving in the the music of Alkahest, a short-lived project from Canadian brother-production duo Lex and Rew MacCrimmon.

For the second EP, the Twisted Up release is re-examined, with a tweaked track list to represent the times and how their sound continues in relevance today. Released in 2 years (1994-1996), Alkahest was the darker side of the MacCrimmon’s productions and allowed them to focus on twisted, psychedelic electronics, away from their main Legion Of Green Men project.

Self-described music obsessives from a young age – lying under a home-made harpsichord, with their heads in the resonator box was an early indication of a love outside the norm. Experiments with forks and pencils on strings – totally unaware of the likes John Cage – highlighted an interest in sound from unusual places.

Anything with a synth notably grabbed their attention, going to the public library to take out BBC Sound Effects and Morton Subotnick albums, sat alongside contacting European mail order catalogues, to grow their knowledge and record collections.

As early productions formed, working under the sound production name of Incarnate, their love of art was just as influential as music. The likes of M.C. Escher, Salvador Dali, Bridget Riley and the Op Art movement, was all part of brothers in their progression to form the Post Contemporary label in 1992.

Following the DIY ethos of the music they had long been buying, their “indie ethic” influences all coalesced in the label, not conforming to one sound or tempo, placed them within the electronic music coming from Canada, but also, out on their own.

Twisted Up expands the Alkahest sound, the title cut a stomping anthem, it’s unrelenting drums and lifting strings a call to arms. The compelling Shake arrives, acid techno rewiring synapsis, dub static between the beats.

On the flip, Twisted Another is just that, a reversion excursion, pushing the psychedelic synthesis to the forefront, stabs call and respond. Closing the EP with the perfectly titled, Kiss My Acid, a journey of industrial bang, reflexed, Alkahest showing their sound is pulsating, widescreen overtures.

Paraiso has been doing vital work in Portugal - documenting the underground dance scene's history and pioneers in various mediums while also showcasing equally brilliant artists from newer generations. And they've been doing it for a decade now: we all know that a label dedicated to its local scene through and through is something rare and should be celebrated. This compilation 'X - 10 Years of Underground House Music from a Paradise Called Portugal' is a manifestation of that cross-generational spirit, with ten never-before-heard pieces of music by initiators and legends like The Advent alongside more recent veterans like Roundhouse Kick and Vil or younger talent like Phoebe or Van Der. Things start off with Salbany's 'Trax 10', oozing a techno elegance and irrefutable groove that wonderfully portrays the spirit of the Lisbon sound: raw yet ethereal, disarming in its simplicity while containing rave, romance and rhythmic complexities. Label founders Maria Amor & Shcuro firmly carry on the torch with 'Intracellular', gelled by dubby washes, syncopated drums, infectious rhythmic sense and layered with a melodic vocal motif. Vil's 'Cave' brings in stone-cold tight percussion offset by rich, evocative pads and technoid know-how for days. The Advent steps in with an ode to acid-minimalism, raw and slow-burning, with curious and twisted moments peppered with the skill of an expert. Van Der storms in with a piece of hybrid qualities, impeccably blending a swing onto industrial territories for a hypnotic-yet-banging hands in the air dancefloor moment. Scam Dust (the duo of Tiago and Shcuro, from adjacent generations) picks up on the industrial flavours, adds furious jacking rhythmics and live sonic experimentation that takes us to peak-quality effect and noise manipulation. 'Subvert' follows and goes deeper, as if into the depths of the ocean, with aquatic arpeggios and sparse drums that morph into an 303-driven state of mysterious oceanfloor mania - Roundhouse Kick sending us messages from the South. Violet and her 'Dream Machine' emerge with its mutant noisy motif, delay-drenched percussion and steady beat interrupted by keys, drum variations - and a u-turn to its paranoid loopy beginnings. Phoebe enters the chat and brings sonic sun rays in 'Galaxia 2000', a wide-eyed moment lead by colourful, open synthesisers with gates and filters taking us on a beautiful ride on tense, swingy drum patterns. The tenth track comes from Lisbon's rkeat and is full of closing act ear-candy with its beautifully chiseled, groovy as hell percussion, organic sonics and metallic instruments that seem to announce that the next decade is about to be just as good, if not better than this lovely 2016-2026 stint of boundary and scene-pushing.

Following on from his electric appearance on Diamonds in the Night, Tallac returns with a four‑tracker of low‑orbit elation. Tessitura blends floor‑facing energy with sleek space synths, elegant undercurrents washed in bold bars to produce a one‑of‑a‑kind sound. Drums hit hard on “Carbon Copy,” driving percussion providing the launchpad for synthlines to swoop and soar. Tempos are taken down a notch for the analogue embrace of “Kiss Me Quick.” Notes bend and flow in this smoky dreamscape, samples pulling the listener ever deeper. The rumbling kicks and hissing hi‑hats of “Pythia” are punctured by a throbbing beat; gliding above the rolling snares and luxurious breaks is a melody that thrums with palpable intensity and unbridled joy, a track made to ignite audiences. Never adhering to genre tags or style pigeonholes, Tessitura closes with “Cybersyn.” Touches of cosmic melt into late‑night glow‑stick energy, dawn’s light piercing the warehouse windows while the speakers continue to bounce blissfully.

"I’m very excited to work with deep medi again. I was buzzing to be releasing topper top with them on their 10th anniversary and it’s even better to be back for their 20th". Sir Spyro

Kicking off our 20th anniversary year, and arriving 10 years after his iconic release ‘Topper Top’, grime, dubstep and UK bass pioneer Sir Spyro returns to DEEP MEDi with his new dancefloor rattling EP, 2ND SQ.

The EP opens with the unrelenting ‘2ND SQ’, the track’s stuttering hi-hats and all consuming bass cut through by an icy, industrial-sized snare. The desolate ‘Be Afraid’ creates a sense of vastness via its minimal production, resulting in an eerie and energised track designed for dark warehouse raves.‘Diagonal’ continues in the same dark vein, the track’s brooding,looping production sure to send listeners into a mystified trance. Closing the EP is ‘Patch Bae’, a glitchy joyride that calls to mind the16-bit era of gaming, leading listeners on an exhilarating, kaleidoscopic journey.

Repress!

Dan Kye is the mysteriously evoked moniker from multi-instrumentalist, producer, and vocal sensation Jordan Rakei. The New Zealand-born artist - who now resides in London - presents his first long-player from Dan Kye, ‘Small Moments’, on Bradley Zero’s Rhythm Section INTL. An ode to the dancefloor, the musical project was born out of Jordan’s lockdown experience, created from the comfort of his own home. Recorded with just a laptop, extra live instruments and guest musicians, ‘Small Moments’ seamlessly transcends across electronica, jazz and funk, with each genre being effortlessly fused with Jordan’s melancholy vocals. Allowing himself to push the boundaries, Jordan’s Dan Kye moniker draws on the energetic and uplifting elements of house and techno and perfectly mixes it with the sultry vocals and emotion that come with the live elements we know and love from Jordan Rakei. The record offers listeners a journey through more floor-heavy tracks such as ‘Mogeri’ and ‘Raro’ to more groove infused offerings such as ‘Rainbow Road’ (which is named after one of the maps in Mario Kart and inspired by the energy of Prince’s iconic live concert at The Aladdin in Las Vegas), whilst tracks, like ‘Sober’, take on a more lyrical and anthemic feel.

Jordan Rakei: “Rhythm Section INTL was my entry point into dancefloor orientated music, and it was Bradley who asked me whether I could head in that direction so he could play my music out in the clubs. Dan Kye has still got melodies, but the main focus is to keep it high energy.”

After meeting Bradley Zero online whilst living in Australia, Jordan eventually moved to London in 2014. The same day he landed, he went straight to a Rhythm Section party to meet Bradley, and it was here that he first got a taste for house music. He enjoyed Rhythm Section INTL’s ability to draw on both live and electronic talent; and thus, after Bradley asked him for some productions for the parties, the idea for Dan Kye was born. ‘Small Moments’ is a musical masterpiece that can be enjoyed as much on the dancefloor as it can in the comfort of your own home and is a perfect step into Jordan’s landscape and idealism of dance orientated music.

Bradley Zero - “In around 2014 the proprietor of the famous Northside Records in Melbourne handed me a self released 12” from a new, unknown artist based in Brisbane. It was Jordan Rakei - Franklin’s Room. I’d been home almost a year before I actually got round to listening to it and I remember that moment like it was yesterday. I lay down on the sofa, put the record on and was transported! The Dan Kye project is a testament to the experimental and independent ethos Jordan lives by and is a product of an artist reaching full stride but not afraid to still try something new. This ‘Small Moments’ LP was conceived in a record store, born in a club on Rye Lane and is now flying the nest, throwing caution to the wind and making a bold statement.”

Mining the rich seam between transcendental escapism and crushing physical pressure, Sciama delivers his first album for Samurai Music. Exploring an energetic pitch between half-time and full-tilt 170, the London-based producer sculpts brooding soundscapes of sheer peaks and deep pits, driven by unrelenting but light-footed forward motion and an imposing strain of sound design. As Sciama, Michael Watters has been marking out his exacting sound since 2019 with an assured run of albums on ASC's Auxiliary label. His second EP for Samurai — the Wave Interaction 12" released earlier this year — pointed to his current area of focus inspired by the teachings of electronic music pioneer Daphne Oram. Contemplating the relationship between precise electronic frequencies and human perception, Celetal Form now delivers the full findings of his exploration. Oram coined the term 'celetal' in her 1972 book An Individual Note of Music, Sound and Electronics, trying to sum up a connection between the celestial and electrical. It's this spiritual dimension contained within sound waves Watters is concerned with, and the shape of the music on Celetal Form follows suit. In an opening statement of abyssal ambience, 'Overload Into Silence' establishes an atmosphere that endures throughout the album. Caught between steely textures, vaporous reverb tails and subtle harmonic interactions, the glacial shift of the many layers under Watters' control reveals an intense amount of detail at play even before drums and bass come into play. From there on in, the intensity ramps up from one heavyweight stepper to the next. There is agile, brittle top-end percussion at work on the likes of 'Induced Resonance' and 'Consuming Pulse', perhaps the most closely connected to D&B, while 'Rational Echoes' and 'Scanning Waveband' deal in urgency and techno-coded tension. A half-time roll guides the huge kick drum undulations of 'No Panacea', and 'Celetal Emergence' opens up into more spacious surroundings to let the subtle microtonal inflections of the synth tones set a curious mood. The two 'Intermodulation' tracks bring Watters' exacting approach into sharp focus, pushing the drums back and foregrounding alien frequencies that coalesce into unfamiliar yet strangely uplifting forms. Throughout Celetal Form this uncanny sensation charges the music with a power that reaches beyond its immediate, surface level impact. This intentional reflection on Oram's visionary thinking charges the current sound of Sciama with energetic intrigue that stands apart and invites a mindful, maybe even spiritual, engagement.

YARN welcomes René Audiard for its tenth release with "Makes Me Feel", a four-track EP from one of underground electronic music’s most singular voices.

Across years of dub techno, minimal and leftfield electronic experimentation, René has developed an approach to stripped-down music that feels anything but limited. Where minimalism can often become an exercise in taking things away, his work finds possibility in what remains. "Makes Me Feel" is a particularly fitting example: immersive, at times strange, but always full of feeling.

‘Lovin’ opens the EP in familiar Audiard territory: murky low-end, locomotive groove, reduced rhythmic compositions and an understated framework swimming in a pool of detail. 'Possession' lets in more light. Vocal echoes, persistent rhythms and occasional string phrases give it a cinematic quality, while a groove that seems to circle endlessly takes on an almost shamanistic pull. The EP’s 11-minute behemoth, 'Flesh', fills most of the release’s B-side while making a convincing case for patience and sophistication. There are echoes of minimal’s golden age here, but Audiard never mistakes repetition for standing still. Tiny rhythmic fragments sit alongside expansive orchestral gestures, with samples working at every scale of the arrangement. Warmth and cinematic drama run through the track, but it's the playful programming underneath that keeps it moving. 'Night' closes the record on a different note, recalling Audiard’s work with Ali Çakır in Düve. Percussive samples, accordion and Middle Eastern guitar phrases bring a more acoustic character to his reduced 808-infused broken beats, making for a playful, occasionally melancholic ending with a distinctly microtonal feel.

What makes René Audiard’s music so rewarding is how readily you recognize his hand in it. There is a particular grain to the sounds, a way of placing details within a groove, and a willingness to follow an idea wherever it leads. Across “Makes Me Feel”, those instincts give four quite different tracks a shared identity. Even when working within familiar forms, Audiard makes them sound entirely his own. It’s the holy grail of music production: a personal sound signature. And a thoughtful addition to YARN’s growing repertoire of reduced, sophisticated dancefloor music.

When everything just aligns… then it feels like it is meant to be. I think we have all experienced that feeling; a feeling of completeness and that ‘full circle’ moment. Nihil Young lands his debut album packed full or memories stemming from the day he met his wife, to more recent times and the birth of his first child.

‘Compass’ takes you on a real journey of melodic music expertly written and crafted by Nihil from instruments all through to lyrics and songwriting – he has used all of his skills on this body of work – and he does not disappoint! AT ALL!

The album features collaborations alongside Rowland Giles, Leo Wood, Lasada, Jordan Arts, FRDRK, Adriana Stone, TYGR TYGR and more… Each track sounding as special as the last. THIS IS COMPASS….

This is Nihil Young … This is REALPROG

Party Store Records is back with their third release and are digging deep into the current Detroit
underground with a debut EP from live duo Lock & Hammer and an ethereal remix from legend
Terrence Dixon as Population One.
The four cuts are locked in across a range of vibes making this record a useful weapon across
the spectrum of peak time intensity to deep after-hours absurdity.
The title track, “Hofmann’s Bicycle”, is a mind melter that has the promise of a psychedelic
anthem. A driving, swirling stomper that will push you to limits you didn’t know existed. Fire up
the grill as your brain’s about to get cooked.
Population one aka Terrence Dixon delivers a cathartic and ultra deep remix of “Hofmann’s
Bicycle”, injecting a classic Detroit take with heavy strings overlaying a dense kick and hypnotic
groove.
“Freq” is a trip into the void, with sinister synth lines and hard hitting percussion propelling the
journey. Peak time engagement awaits any dancefloor it’s played on.
To round the package out “Sour Monkey” dives right back into pure absurdity, hanging at the
edge of right and wrong with drug addled rhythms and low end attack, this is already a cult hit in
the darkest of rooms.

Fall Collection pulls from the vaults. Four tracks, some long out of print, one never
before pressed, all of them worth the dig.

The A-side opens with Ty Tek’s Dirty Fusion, originally released on Gourmet Recordings
in 2005 alongside the Audio Soul Project remix two years later. Both have been
fetching serious money on the secondary market for a reason. This is tech house from
when that phrase still meant something, the walloping cadence, the sci-fi pads, the
seismic synths rolling underneath. You hear it once and it stays with you.

Departed by Wasted Chicago Youth follows. Justin Aulis Long and Mazi Namvar
started from a remix brief and promptly ignored it, building something new from scratch
in a single session. Organs, wailing lead, disco break, 808 subs, a plastic bass line
threading through all of it. Somewhere between an angry Metro Area and a more
psychedelic Jitwam, but really it’s just WCY doing what they do.

Love Thy Enemy by Wasted Chicago Youth appeared on the Chase The Devil EP back
in 2009. The bubbles, shuffles, and wobbling chords hold up, and the vocal samples hit
differently now than they did then.

ASP’s Cloud Dub closes the record. It appeared on Dubs Vol. 2 as a digital release in
2022 and has never been on vinyl, and that’s where the subsonic acid bass line and
the layered string, piano, pad, and organ groove finally get room to breathe. Deep
house the way Chicago made it in the early nineties. Bare, musical, and raw.

Track A1 written by Ty Tek. Remixed by Audio Soul Project
Track A2 written by Justin Aulis Long and Maziar Namvar
Track B1 written by Justin Aulis Long and Mazi Namvar
Track B2 written by Audio Soul Project.
Copyright Control
Fresh Meat Records 2026

UK underground legend Acerbic aka Ant, Chicago Loop and many other alias returns to Perc Trax after the huge success of this Acerbic remix of Perc's 'Imperial Leather' last year. A regular on labels such as Stay Up Forever, Cluster, Hydraulix, Maximum Minimum and his own Power Tools label, now it is time for his over overdue first full EP for Perc Trax. Across the four tracks on the Doom Circuit EP Acerbic sets out is vision of club techno. Hard driving and powerful with a constant sense of forward momentum. Opening track 'Doom Circuit' has been a key part of Perc's sets for months now. Acid techno without the acid as a succession of computer bleeps take over the role a 303 would usually play in tracks like this. Next up 'Lukla' floats echoing lead lines, looping house music stabs and just a touch of London underground acid to create a fusion of key underground sounds. B1 track 'Metroliner' is the most energetic track on the EP as a stomping kick and clap rhythm is topped off synths stabs reminiscent of Luke Slater's classic 'Forklift. Finally 'Helter-Skelter' takes things down a notch to finish the EP to focus more percussion intricacy making it the perfect mixing tool for the more creative DJ.

Veerus & Mattia Saviolo bring their A-game for the brilliant ‘Move Your Body’. The Italian compatriots aren’t new faces to Drumcode. Veerus has earned his stripes via five fantastic EP over an eight-year period, highlighted by ‘Hypnosis’, ‘System’ and ‘Cycle’. Meanwhile Mattia Saviolo is a recent debutant dropping the excellent ‘Parallel Dimension’ on A-Sides Vol.10. When Veerus suggested a collaboration to Mattia, he didn’t mince his words. “Yes, but it has to be a bomb!” Over two days the pair locked in to build an outstanding peak-time production from the ground up. “We started completely from scratch, with no ideas prepared in advance and no project exchanges before meeting. In just two days the track was finished and everything happened very naturally. We both brought our own vision into the process without stepping on each other’s toes, which made the collaboration feel effortless from start to finish,” Veerus shares. ‘Move Your Body’ has a distinct charismatic appeal not commonly found in techno tracks, highlighted by a stomping riff throughout and tension-filled break, before it turns into a pumping cut in the final stanza. A straight-up belter! Accompanying it is a captivating solo track from Mattia, ‘Mindframe’. An absolute gem, file under futuristic techno that sounds like no other.

DJ Support Mark Knight, Dj Spen, Brian Tappert, David Penn, The Shapeshifters and many others.

Serge Funk’s "You Treat Me Right" EP on Groove Culture is a definitive masterclass in modern disco-house that belongs on every DJ and collector’s turntable. Impeccably curated by the Italian imprint Groove Culture, this four-track 12" vinyl balances future funk playfulness with crisp, contemporary production. It delivers high-octane dancefloor energy that rewards listeners both in a packed club and on a high-fidelity home setup.

Per Hammar returns to his own Dirty Hands imprint with the four-track ‘Ontario EP’, once again showcasing his raw, robust and groove-led style.

Swedish producer and DJ Per Hammar has steadily carved out a reputation as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary underground electronic music. As the founder of the acclaimed Dirty Hands imprint, Hammar has built a platform synonymous with deep, groove-led and uncompromising club music, while other productions have found homes on some of the scene's most respected labels including Sushitech, Kalahari Oyster Cult and Craigie Knowes. Here we see him returning to his own home and delivering stripped-back late-night tools, psychedelic excursions and deep, hypnotic dancefloor journeys. Hammar consistently balances functionality with personality, a quality that has established him as one of Europe's most respected underground talents.

Title cut ‘Ontario’ leads with Per laying down crisp, crunchy drums alongside dubby bass tones, fluttering stab sequences and intricate modulations, all delicately ebbing and flowing throughout the composition. ‘Off Disk’ follows, fusing organic percussive elements with weighty sub-bass, shifting synth flourishes and bubbling, delayed melodies that steadily unfold across the groove.

On the flip side, ‘Oops All Sixes’ shifts into more acid-tinged House territory, built around a squelchy acid bass hook and saturated drums, while sporadic, expansive delays and hypnotic reverberations drift atop the track’s raw, loopy foundation. ‘Airex’ concludes the release by diving deeper, stripping things back to oscillating percussion, a snaking low-end pulse and airy chords.

Hysterical Love Project return with February’s Album, ten warm compresses steeped in the hum and hiss of late season humidity. Downcast guitars are aerated by sanguine refrains and flitting e-waste, languidly driven by a persistent low-end throb. Contentment pulsates with delerium; sweetness ripens into pressure.

You ask me, what’s the point of doubt? What’s the price of peace of mind? I open the windows to let the insects in and the light out.

FFO: Chris & Cosey, Labradford, City Centre Offices, YL Hooi

Written and recorded by Brooklyn Mellar and Ike Zwanikken
Physical Distrubution by Rubadub

DJ Deep and Traumer continue the Get-Rooted journey with a new four-track EP that once again reflects the label’s concept: two artists sharing their individual perspectives while complementing each other’s musical language.

The release opens with DJ Deep’s original version of “Come Get It”, a timeless House cut deeply inspired by the spirit of the early ’90s, with a subtle nod to the legendary sound of Murk. Traumer then delivers his own interpretation of the track, transforming it into a more contemporary and forward-looking production while preserving its original essence.

Bridging the two versions is a dedicated DJ Tool, designed to seamlessly transition from one interpretation to the other, or to be used creatively in the mix alongside other records.

The EP closes with “Le Coton”, an elegant and sophisticated House track whose timeless groove perfectly rounds off this third Get-Rooted release.

“Neither from here nor from there” is often used to describe migrant identities in territorial terms. In the case of Siete Catorce, it works better temporally: his music has always been so far ahead of its moment that it ultimately carved out a space of its own within both Latin American and global electronic music.

Born in Mexicali and shaped between the Bay Area and northern Mexico, his musical identity emerged through hip hop, dubstep, and the independent borderland scenes. After several years in Mexico City — without a clear place inside the local circuit — he created his own space through his music, developing a distinctive DJ/live set and a singular vision of contemporary Mexican electronic music, becoming a key figure within the city’s most forward-thinking underground.

In 2026, he releases El Valle, his first album in nearly three years. The record moves through different currents of electronic music — ambient, techno, cumbia, and tribal — filtered through a unique rhythmic language marked by syncopation, unpredictable breaks, and a constant tension between restraint and energy.

The album opens with “Mexicali,” alongside Andre Pereda, a tribal track stripped down to its percussive essence, evoking the genre through an ambient and synthetic approach. From there, “Aragón” and “El Rancho” progressively increase the tempo and intensity, combining cadenced phrases with minimalist tribal beats and unexpected turns.

In the second half of the album, now moving through territories of 140 BPM and beyond, tracks like “Montecarlo 1” and “Tierra Roja” drift between futuristic bass music and large-scale techno structures. This is followed by the 8-minute epic “East LA,” where Siete Catorce expands the energy of syncopated techno before releasing it into a pre-Hispanic tribal journey with flute and all the drums required for the occasion.

The closing section arrives with “Tlatelolco,” accelerating into an epic cumbia infused with trance references, and “Los Pinos,” a direct and forceful finale sustained by some of the album’s most precise sound design.

More than genres, Siete Catorce’s work is defined by meticulous sound design and an exceptional rhythmic sensibility — qualities that have established him as one of the most respected drum programmers of his generation.

Hara Discs is proud to present the first EP from Sheffield-based DJ Harry Shackleton, co-owner of Grub Records and one half of DJ duo Wow & Flutter. This release draws influence from their longstanding residency at underground electro party Control., melding together sounds which have made this one of the North of England’s best kept secrets for the past 7 years. In an extremely long-winded and uncertain move, he has finally donned his rather fetching production hat and completely self generated the alias Hypno Disc with which he aims to unleash some music that is 100% OK.

The EP and alias are a homage to the late 90s and early 00s TV show Robot Wars. The title track combines the carnage of Craig Charles with something a bit UK and tribal. The remaining tracks bear the names of robots which took part in the wars. These are written from the perspective of the robots and as such are internal monologues of what each robot was thinking. The concept comes from an early fascination with this show and how it made the artist feel as someone growing up in the UK around 2000.

We hope you enjoy this release. Complaints will be tolerated.

CEASE!!!

A time in passing, a time of note. A release created in a moment of profound fondness, within a studio front of memory. A detour delivered to and released on Entered Records via the Zodiacs way of life. Jesse You is here to create the doorway of sound via his 4 tracks of driving psycho players.

Opening the release with Violet Expander a track driven with keys of suspense and basslines for the feet. Rudolf C’s V.E mechanical overhaul remix then hits with the peak funk head melt.

On the Bs a deeper journey tact is delivered through Sorti. A similar drive and suspense yet with a delicate melodic role. Final track Planet Malfunction is exactly that, a wobbly circular loop double backing on itself for the collision of sound, ultimately that malfunction.

A release that takes you on the detour you didn’t know was coming.

The Stockholm-based duo continues their flirtation with Chicago disco house, clearly indebted to DJ Sneak's bump-and-swerve school yet filtered through Scandinavian cool. It's affectionate without being slavish, and just irreverent enough to avoid museum-piece territory.

This EP is another testament to the soundscape Ari Bald & CJ Scott strive to showcase as a duo. Built on a deep love for digging through jazz, funk, soul, disco, and cinema, their sound captures a nostalgic vibe from the late '90s and early '00s. "Dart 2 Da Heart EP" highlights their playful approach to samples and raw, straightforward production. Produced and mixed in Sätra Studios in the southern suburbs of Stockholm, this record is made exclusively for the mobile-free dancefloor.

Carl Cox drags Renegade Soundwave’s “The Phantom” back onto the dancefloor with a fierce, high-pressure rewire built for peak-time systems. Running at 130BPM, the mix combines pounding techno kicks, snapping breakbeats and metallic percussion with dark, rolling bass and flashes of rave-era synth energy. Chopped vocal chants and distorted samples cut through the rhythm, steadily increasing the tension before the track erupts into a relentless, warehouse-sized groove. Raw, physical and deliberately uncompromising, it preserves the original’s rebellious industrial spirit while giving it the weight, momentum and modern production power of a full-blooded Carl Cox club weapon.

Mr C breaks into Renegade Soundwave’s “Probably a Robbery” and escapes with a hypnotic, acid-soaked rewire designed for the darker reaches of the dancefloor. Opening with clipped percussion and shadowy vocal fragments, the track gradually locks into a muscular groove as a snarling 303 line twists, bubbles and mutates across the mix. Layers of machine-funk rhythm, metallic drums and psychedelic electronics steadily intensify, creating a raw tension that rarely lets up. Spacious enough to draw DJs deep into the journey but relentlessly physical when it hits full force, this is classic British electronic mischief rebuilt as a tripped-out, late-night acid workout.

Loveface are back once again with four more dancefloor ready edits. Starting things off is a Unique Dancefloor Rework of 80’s Post Punk Classic. Following on from that is a Complete remodel 0f 90’s alternative dance/rock hit. Now flipping over to the B side is a House groove with sensual monologue diva vocal. Last but not least we are treated to an Uplifting 90’s flavoured italo house/garage vibe track.

Early DJ Support: Moxie, Grant Dell, and Saoirse

HUMAN is a vinyl-only electronic music label based in Manchester, focused on music, art, fashion, and culture. We press records we believe in with no shortcuts.

HUM001 is the label's debut release, featuring E-Funk / Twisty by Scarper.

Scarper is a London-based producer and DJ known for blending melodic electronica, broken rhythms and left-field club ideas into a sound that’s entirely his own. Over the past decade, a deep catalogue of albums, EPs and remixes has taken shape, alongside work in advertising, gaming, TV and short film.

‘E-Funk’ is a hybrid club weapon - part 2-step, part house, part breaks, all energy. A certified floor starter that lives in the bag and lands every time, especially when the room hits its stride.

‘Twisty’ is probably the most dancefloor-ready cut, but the solid broken grooves dancing around acid bass lines and bleeps on each of these nine thumping tracks could work any room at the right moment.

DAYBREAKERS Records proudly presents ROOT DOWN 30, a celebration of one of Europe's most influential club institutions. Curated by legendary DJ, producer and tastemaker Rainer Trüby, the compilation marks three decades of Root Down, the Freiburg party that has quietly shaped dancefloors, record collections and musical conversations since 1996.

Long before genre boundaries dissolved into today's eclectic club culture, Root Down championed a unique musical vision. Jazz, Brazilian grooves, soulful house, broken beat, Afro-Latin rhythms and future-facing electronic sounds were brought together under one roof, creating a community that became a vital meeting point for adventurous dancers and deep music lovers alike.

Across thirty years, Root Down has hosted an extraordinary roll call of artists and DJs including Jazzanova, Gilles Peterson, Theo Parrish, Kyoto Jazz Massive, Jimpster, Laurent Garnier, Dixon, Peter Kruder, Richard Dorfmeister and countless others, helping establish Freiburg as an unlikely but essential stop on the global underground music map.

ROOT DOWN 30 captures that spirit perfectly. Handpicked by Trüby, the collection brings together a selection of artists whose music embodies the warmth, sophistication and dancefloor energy that have defined the party since day one. Featuring music and remixes from Jimpster, Osunlade, Da Lata, Jazzanova, Crackazat and more, the compilation moves effortlessly between soulful house, jazz-inflected club music, Brazilian influences, broken beat rhythms and deep electronic grooves.

ROOT DOWN 30 is a snapshot of an enduring musical philosophy. Thirty years after the first Root Down dancefloor came to life in Freiburg, the spirit remains unchanged: open-minded, soulful and rooted in discovery.

ROOT DOWN 30 stands as both a celebration of that remarkable journey.

Released on DAYBREAKERS Records.

2026 Repress

Even if Ancient Greek isn’t part of general knowledge anymore, the word mega is. Hence, you might admire our modesty to say that Roman Flügel’s first outing on Running Back in 2022 is perfectly headed. Greta, large, mighty and somewhat the love- or brainchild of his earlier Garden Party and the previous D.I.S.C.O., Mega pulls out all the stops: hi-nrg melodies, circus bells, cowboy funk and honey hooks at 140 beats per minute. While it is nearly impossible not to take this bait or decorate it with the Bobby-O medal of honor, Roman proves one more that you can be catchy and classy at the same time.
Rules on the other hand, puts some of these stylistic devices in reverse or down-tempo mode and feels like brushing your teeth after an extended feast or the perfect hors d’oeuvre.
Completing the picture with Film 1, Film 2 and Film 3, Flügel flexes his freethinking muscles and lands in-between art school new wave bands and soundscape science. Music that is masterly made, magical in its impact and perfectly described with a misquoted line from Get The Balance Right: it’s never predictable.

The year was 1989, and Derrick May was at a creative peak as both a DJ and producer. Under his Rhythim Is Rhythim moniker, he released a string of landmark records on Transmat, while his residency at Detroit's The Music Institute showcased the distinctive DJ style that would soon take him onto the international stage. Around the same time, he hosted a weekly radio show on Detroit radio station WJLB, alongside influential programs by The Electrifying Mojo and The Wizard (Jeff Mills).

For one of these broadcasts, May assembled a 15-minute megamix in his studio during the week leading up to the show. He opened his radio set with this continuous mix, blending his own tracks and versions into a seamless introduction that reflected his approach to DJing at the time. It includes unreleased versions of classics such as ‘Nude Photo 88’ and ‘Strings Of Life’.

‘All of this is unreleased because I made it as I was playing it on the spot as a special Mayday Mix for my show on the radio station WJLB in 1989, edited together straight from the keyboards live to tape. There is no other recording of these tracks in this form, only here’.

The original WJLB master tapes have since been lost, and no official recording is known to survive. Fortunately, many listeners recorded the broadcasts at home. One such cassette, preserved by Richie Hawtin, eventually made it our way. It has been carefully restored and mastered, with the artist’s approval.

To highlight this remarkable document of techno history, the recording is now available as a limited-edition, one-sided 12-inch release. The mix has been cut as a continuous side, visually divided into eight sections, while the reverse features a custom engraving.

Lorenzo Dada makes his first appearance on his own label, Romance a record label dedicated to romantic, 90s-inspired house music.

The release features three original tracks, including Fantastic Love, an iconic track for SOUND, capturing the signature vibe and identity of the new label.

Beste Hira'nin minimalist zarafeti, Kansas City'den Loidis'in remiksiyle bulusuyor. Jaja until infinty.

,Memoria", das neueste Album von Carmen Villain auf Smalltown Supersound, beginnt wie ein geöffnetes Ventil; ausatmende Flötenakkorde füllen langsam eine weite Klanglandschaft und laden den Zuhörer dazu ein, das Tempo zu drosseln und in einen Zustand des tiefen Zuhörens einzutreten. Es ist eine Einleitung, die gekonnt in ein Album aus verlangsamten, spektralen Dub-Klängen führt, die schimmern, knurren und über die narrativ geordneten sieben Titel hinweg ausklingen. In dieser Hinsicht knüpft ,Memoria" dort an, wo Villain mit ihrem 2022 erschienenen Album ,Only Love from Now On" aufgehört hatte, auch wenn der Schwerpunkt des aktuellen Albums auf Klang als Erinnerung liegt - und auf Erinnerungen als sich wandelnde, nicht statische Unvollkommenheiten. Wiederholung fungiert als neu erzählte Erinnerung; die Bearbeitung zersetzt und formt den Klang neu, und Abstraktion ermöglicht eine Art Freiheit von Linearität. Inspiriert von Pauline Oliveros' Schriften über innerlich abrufbare Klänge, die für andere unhörbar sind, sowie von Apichatpong Weerasethakuls Film ,Memoria" aus dem Jahr 2021, betrachtet Villain die Erinnerung sowohl als kognitive Fähigkeit als auch als Form der Komposition und formt Samples aus ihrem eigenen Archiv zu einer kosmischen Selbstbeobachtung - wenn auch zu einer, die das Gegenteil von Solipsismus ist. Der nach innen gerichtete Blick des Albums lässt sich vom tiefen Zuhören als Form der Empathie inspirieren, das uns gleichzeitig mit uns selbst und unserer Umgebung verbindet. Die Arbeit der letzten Jahre an Kompositionen für zeitgenössischen Tanz und Installationen - darunter Kooperationen mit der Choreografin Eszter Salamon und ein Aufenthalt am IRCAM, bei dem sie erstmals ambisonische Räumlichmachung erforschte - prägt ebenfalls die verstärkte Aufmerksamkeit, die ,Memoria" dem Klang als physischem Raum und immersiver Umgebung widmet. Ein Großteil von ,Memoria" basiert auf einer Kombination aus neuen Aufnahmen und älterem Archivmaterial: Aufnahmesessions mit der häufigen Mitwirkenden Johanna Orellana (Flöten) sowie Eivind Lonning (Trompete) werden neben Villains eigenen Klarinettenaufnahmen zerlegt und zu einer dichten, aber luftigen Sample-Bank neu zusammengesetzt. Die viszerale menschliche Präsenz (Atem, Wind, die Körperlichkeit der Luft, die durch Instrumente strömt) und harmonische Stränge des Free Jazz treten durch mehrere Bearbeitungsschichten hindurch zutage, als hörte man sie aus der Ferne - oder durch die Zeit hindurch. Rhythmen und Texturen lösen sich auf. Der Klang erodiert. Erinnerungen werden neu gestaltet. Und Melodien sind, anders als auf Villains früheren Veröffentlichungen, weniger deutlich und weichen anderen musikalischen Leitmotiven. Es lässt sich eine Tradition zurückverfolgen, die zu Rhythm & Sound, Clicks-and-Cuts, Pharoah Sanders, Jon Hassell, Actress und Ricardo Villalobos führt - wenn auch oft in abstrakten Formen: Kleine Klänge werden groß, während große in einen feinkörnigen Rhythmus zurücktreten. Minimalismus ist der Schlüssel, um die Details wahrzunehmen: knisternde Elektronik, Einatmen und Seufzer hallen in weiten Räumen nach und ruhen auf einem Fundament aus Rhythmus. Diese Zurückhaltung unterstreicht Villains Neigung, Klänge und ihre geisterhaften Klanggedächtnis-Doppelgänger nach Frequenzen chirurgisch voneinander zu trennen. Paradoxerweise lässt sich jedes Artefakt als Annäherung an eine Erinnerung mit äußerster Präzision hören. Für Villain scheint die Erinnerung im Klang bequem hinter dem Mischpult eines Dub-Labors Platz zu nehmen und dort gekonnt und unvorhersehbar Lautstärken, Texturen, Filter und alle anderen Parameter - bekannte wie unbekannte - in einer sich ständig wandelnden Erinnerung zu steuern.