Retromigration returns to WOLF Music for his 2nd solo outing on the label with a trademark, warm, jazz-flecked house journey.
Hot property by anyone’s standards, the Amsterdam-based producer stretches his legs across six MPC chopped and screwed heaters, from the punchy, deep deliciousness of ‘Hafenluft’ and sun-soaked vibrations of ‘Mad Fox’, to the bouncing bubbler ‘Tinger’ that features Nephews.
On the flip, the Dam-Funk channeling, keytar cruise ‘Be Alright’ sits side by side with ‘Disk Yard’ and ‘Nur Wir’, two twilight cuts that showcase Retromigration's love of the beats and hip hop scenes whilst putting his own unique spin on them. Another sure-fire example of why you’re seeing Retromigration’s name popping up all over the place right now – pure class from start to finish.
The Covid Pandemic hit Germany in March 2020 and by the 15th of March all of the public life was shut down. It was the same day where my son Rio was born.
For me, this early stage of the pandemic had something very intimate and private, since I was forced to stay at home with my young family for weeks. In Mai 2020 I started to leave the house, for other occasions then just going to the shop or taking a walk and that was the time I started working on “Hotel Solaris”. It was an intense creative rush: in 8 weeks the album was written, performed and produced in one flow. I had two days every week, where I could go to the studio for 4 hours and that time the album was done. It had a corpus in a sense that I
knew I wanted a faster or a slower track at points, but the whole hotel idea came when I saw photos of the old Hotel Arkada on the Croatian island Hvar, that my extremely talented friend Marcella Zanki shot on her holidays.
They show a well preserved socialist-brutalist hotel architecture in the middle of the beautiful Adriatic and for me it was like looking at pictures from a timeless place, without knowing where and when it exactly was, totally surreal.
I liked that idea of a hote that stands as an escape symbol from the real world, which was something everyone needed when the pandemic was building stronger and stronger. I decided to call it Hotel Solaris, inspired by the novel from Stanislav Lem, where Solaris is a planet covered by an ocean which triggers our subconscious mind to
become reality. It all fit at the end and “Hotel Solaris” was done.
D’Arabia is back on House of Disco with come sleazy Italo flavour across two originals, ‘Continuamente’ featuring DJ Rou and ‘Sempre Meglio’ featuring Brine. If that wasn’t juicy enough already, Giovanni Damico and Hot Toddy get given the keys to the HOD residence laying down remixes of the title track with their own distinctive touch.
Reissue of Elizio De Buzios's "Tamanquiro". Remastered and pressed on 45 RPM!
Sitting a good 90-minute drive away from Rio de Janeiro’s crowded beaches and packed tourist hot-spots, Campo Grande is not a neighbourhood that attracts travellers from around the World. Traditionally it is home to the city’s lower middle-class, whose aspirations of moving up the social ladder were played out in a suburb that has always been solidly working-class.
Campo Grande is home to Elizio De Buzios, a Brazilian musician who started playing music in the late 1970s and early 1980s. De Buzios began as a drummer, before learning to play guitar and starting to compose and sing his own music. When he turned 18, De Buzios joined a local band formed by some of his friends and other like-minded local musicians: Sol da Terra. The band mostly played samba in neighbourhood bars and small venues around Camp Grande, but De Buzios was interested in more than just samba. While he naturally admired great samba composers such as Cartola and Beth Carvalho, his musical pass went far beyond Brazil’s national music. He also loved MPB and bossa-nova and at home he listed to Joäo Bosco, Milton Nascimento, Luis Melodia, Tom Jobim, and many bossa-nova singers.
In 1980 De Buzios was noticed by a local representative of international major label Polygram, who gave him the opportunity to record two songs. He was excited, so started searching for inspiration for the songs he would eventually lay down. He found that inspiration close to home while passing a neighbourhood shop which made and sold clogs. After noticing a display of then fashionable Portuguese clogs outside the store, De Buzios popped inside to talk to the owner. It turned out that he was a tamanqueiro – as clog-makers are traditionally called in his native Portugal – and was as passionate about music as he was about the footwear he made. Thus inspired, De Buzios returned home to work more on the lyrics and music.
The next day, he headed into the studio to record the song, with Vale Ribeiro, who later went on to produce tracks for Marcos Valle, behind the desk. With Ribeiro’s assistance, De Buzios managed to record two songs in one day: ‘Tamanqueiro’ and ‘Sou Um Louco’, a ballad with English lyrics blended into the mostly Portuguese text. From the start, it was clear that ‘Tamanqueiro’ would be the single’s A-side. Incredibly catchy and funky, with some subtle disco elements, the song remained distinctively Brazilian thanks to the use of the cuíca. Listening back all these years on, De Buzios’ lyrics seem almost spontaneous, carry the track forward, and make it almost impossible not to sing along. Its infectiousness and funkiness made it an instant hit with the first few people to hear it.
When it was released, responses to the song were enthusiastic, even if it never became the Brazil-wide smash it should have been. It resonated well in the local clubs and on the radio, but unfortunately the marketing was handled by an inexperienced Polygram employee who failed to adequately promote the track. As a result, the record sank without trace and De Buzios’ dreams of stardom evaporated. Having just started a family, he realized he could not live off the uncertainty of being a musician. Instead, he got a job at city hall as a civil servant, a role he continued until his retirement a few years ago. ‘Tamanqueiro’ and ‘Sou Um Louco’ remain the only two songs he ever recorded.
In the early 2000s, with the rise of diggers’ culture, ‘Tamanqueiro’ slowly surfaced again. It became a sought after, hard to find seven-inch single, finding its way onto the airwaves once more and into the ears of a new generation of listeners. Some started appreciating the song so much that it was referred to as the “best-Jorge-Ben-song-Jorge-Ben-never-recorded”. And they are right: ‘Tamanqueiro’ does have that Jorge Ben-straight-forwardness. It’s a completely honest song that’s almost impossible not to fall in love with. Thanks to this remastered reissue on Rush Hour, De Buzios may now get the props his sole record so richly deserves.
Now for the good news: De Buzios is still singing in local bars and clubs in and around Campo Grande. He is surprised, but also incredibly proud, that the record he had almost forgotten about is appreciated so much by a group of music lovers he didn’t even know existed. But above all, he is happy that more than 40 years after the recording session, the record lives on – not only on this re-release, but also in his weekend sets in the bars of Campo Grande.
In May 2018, Belgium's Amelie Lens launched LENSKE, the fruit of working on new music and collaborating with her peers. The aim was to create a platform to release her own and friend's music that they use to tear apart dance floors around the globe. Less than two years after, LENSKE is putting out their 10th release and it's evolved into something more than just a label, but a family.
During this relatively short time, the prolific crew formed by Amelie Lens, Farrago, Milo Spykers, AIROD and Ahl Iver have released a collection of contemporary anthems, storming techno cuts and acid weapons. The imprint's catalogue illustrates their exploration for a shade of techno particularly focused on the hi-NRG factor. You can usually catch them at the Exhale showcases worldwide - at the likes of fabric London, Off Sonar in Barcelona and Dour in Belgium- testing their new productions that the crowd highly anticipate for their release.
For this fresh record, each artist contributes a track for a mini VA compilation showcasing the label's sound. Belgian producer Milo Spykers opens up with 'Traversing', a heavy-hitting cut with a ravenous sound design. Hot on the heels of her recent compilation for the fabric presents series, Amelie Lens steps up with her brand new tune 'The Future' featuring energetic synth hooks with her signature vocals. AIROD goes ravey with 'Divine Power' introducing jungle elements, while on the other side, Farrago delivers a catchy vocal-led slammer with 'Step Up'. Ahl Iver, the newest addition to the label, brings the final touch with the intoxicating 'Night Creature'. The future is bright!
After a two year hiatus, DJ Spinna and Kai Alce return to BBE Music with the 5th instalment of their 7” vinyl series ‘Foundations’, this time showcasing Ralphi Rosario &Xaviera Gold’s undisputed club classic: ‘You Used To Hold Me’. With global interest in ‘45s on the rise, ‘Foundations’ aims to fill those frustrating gaps in all our collections by releasing specially crafted edits of classic house tracks on 7” vinyl for the very first time.
The youngest member chosen for Chicago’s ‘Hot Mix 5’ on WBMX back in 1981, Ralphi Rosario is nothing less than House Music royalty, and 1987 smash ‘You Used To Hold Me’ is surely his most enduring hit. Featuring fellow WBMX DJ and vocalist Xaviera Gold, the song has seen several cover versions, remixes and reissues over the years, but has surprisingly never before appeared on ’45. Spinna and Alce have chosen to create special edits of the ’87 ‘Riviera’ version and the ‘(You Used To Beat Me Black and Blue) Bonus Beats’ for this double-sided slice of Dance Music history.
“This is the blueprint to vocal House music and how it should be delivered” says Kai Alce, “and to have the opportunity to present it on 7" for the first time with Ralphi's blessing is overwhelmingly gratifying!”
“You Used To Hold Me seems like one of those anthemic jams that you pretty much heard everywhere- it was massive” recalls DJ Spinna. “I remember hearing it at the Paradise Garage in 1987, but it may have already been a hit on NY radio by that time. It’s one of those classic vocal tracks that impacted the House world as hard as Ten City ‘Devotion’ and ‘Move Your Body’ by Marshall Jefferson. The Bonus Beats on the 12” was a great tool for the DJ. You often heard it used in blends with other tracks.”
The new batch from the bottomless edit archives of Danny Krivit is an uptempo, guitar-heavy excursion into two cuts of danceable rock from opposite sides of a decade.
“Marbles” originally came out late in 1970, the result of a collaboration between the fiery British guitarist John McLaughlin and drummer Buddy Miles. Miles was hot off his time with Jimi Hendrix, and producer Alan Douglas, who’d been instrumental in putting together the Band of Gypsys group, attempted another crossover combination with a brand new, blazing guitar god. Also on the date was Larry Young, an organ player best known for his expansive jazzy albums on Blue Note, and several veterans of Buddy Miles’ funk-rock combos. The resulting mixture produced in “Marbles” a powerful, driving rhythm anchoring an addictive riff that steamrolls through the cut in a fashion not unlike the motorik sound of Velvet Underground or Can. Mr. K’s edit leans heavily on the drums, naturally, with a long, tailor-made intro and a mesmerizing focus on the main riff, extending things well past the seven-minute mark.
Ten years later, the world of music was in an entirely different place but a good guitar riff coupled with a driving beat was still powerful currency on the dancefloor. This time, the group was Scottish new wave-punk group APB, whose single “Shoot You Down” had garnered unexpected peak time play in cutting edge NYC hotspots Danceteria, the Peppermint Lounge, the Ritz and the Mudd Club. “Shoot You Down” combines the urgency of the Clash with the free for all vibe that characterized the downtown scene (and throws in a chant borrowed from P-Funk for good measure). Mr. K has created a long instrumental opening that leads into the vocals, giving the tightly-wound 7-inch single a proper extended 12-inch treatment it deserved but never had before.
The sound is crisply remastered for club play, and stretched over the breadth of a 12-inch single. Both of these tracks are appearing on the long-format player for the first time.
Spaniard Cuartero debuts on LOCUS as he drops his slick four-track ‘Wasp’ EP this September.
A mainstay within Spain’s house music scene over the past decade, Malaga’s Cuartero remains one of the most consistent and well-supported names on the circuit. With releases via the likes of Hot Creations, Desolat and Saved, his recent material has seen a deeper and more minimal emphasis placed on his work, dropping material via Eastenderz, Constant Black and Djebali, plus his own Cuartero Concept imprint. Up next, September welcomes the addition of a new label to his catalogue as he makes his first appearance on LOCUS, delivering a quartet of crisp cuts in the form of his ‘Wasp’ EP.
The lively ‘Eucalyptus’ opens proceedings as swirling pads and rugged kicks bounce atop of nimble basslines, while ‘Assault’ employs rubbery, elastic bass alongside bright vocal interjections and sharp drum licks. On the flip, ‘Bagonda’ welcomes a deeper, warping journey through skipping hats, rich chords, and glitched vocals, before closing the show via the off-kilter and scattered yet impactful sonics of title cut ‘Wasp’.
The independent label Six Nine Records Ltd. UK, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, proudly presents Petawane (ft. Alura) and his first release on the
label!
Petawane was born and raised in Harlem, New York and started his
singing/music career at the young age of six, when he both performed in church and for friends of the family. The great response and
appreciation he got from his performances made him pursue the dream of becoming a full time performer and musician. He’s always been influenced by the old school greats, such as Sam Cooke, Willie Hutch and Curtis
Mayfield to name a few.
“Lovers Dream” is a stunning mid-tempo track featuring Alura, together they deliver amazing vocals and a tune which definitely makes the
perfect soundtrack to hot summer nights in the company of friends and lovers!
Definitely not to be missed as it is a limited UK press with small hole
and full colour printed picture cover!
Breezy vibes coming out of Australia as Guy Contact lands
on Coymix with 4 cuts of ecstatic eco house and ¦zzy prog,
for cruising extra smoothly through those hot summer
nights.
Charlotte de Witte's mighty KNTXT label rolls on with another big new EP from Italian wonderboy Alignment. The Berlin based techno talent serves up four suitably supersized cuts that follow on from his Time EP, which landed earlier in the year.
For the last five years, this artist has been amassing a fine discography of thrilling techno. This has earned him a worldwide reputation amongst the techno cognoscenti, and despite the global
pandemic this year, he has still put out plenty of red hot new material that proves he has used his extra free time at home wisely. He can do old school inspired bangers as well as refined futuristic techno rollers with equal style, and proves that once more with this fantastic new EP.
He says it, “reflects more the ‘sentimental' moments during these hard times. Nevertheless, you can also expect trippy and hypnotic vibes that will make you dream to dance again until the early hours.“
While Charlotte adds, "Ever since I started playing these tracks, people started asking for track IDs. They stood out and always were one of the highlights of my sets. These tracks are made to
destroy any type of dancefloor. A true masterpiece by one of the most exciting artists around.”
Opener Nothingness is a hunched over techno power-groove, with high pressure kicks and scraping synths peeling off the drums. It's a big wall of irresistible sound, then Injection brings
even bigger and more kick drums that are sure to rattle any club to its foundations, while the rave synths will get hands in the air.
Reverberated keeps up the good work with a more all-consuming techno cut thanks to the laser-like synths that light up the track from above. It has superbly dark and unsettling vocals stitched into the groove for extra layers of mental intensity. Last of all is the dark and urgent Sensory Deprivation with its edgy synth motifs and unrelenting energy.
These are four more high powered tracks from man of the moment Alignment.
The 17th in our Attack The Dancefloor Series that is always a strictly vinyl affair. This time we’ve got some exclusive remixes to dish out in this Special Remix edition of the series.
First up we got the Freerange boss in to remix the classic Sunburst Band track ‘He Is’. The mighty Jimpster has turned in a rich and sublime mix that truly deserves to be called Deep House. Warm Rhodes licks twinkle over deep kicks dubbed out guitars and hazy echoes. The whole track is drenched in Jimpster's deft touch as a producer and we think this is one of his best remixes. A Heavenly rework you might say.
Next up is a long lost remix from Andrés of ‘I Recoginise’ by Joey Negro. Never before released this was unearthed deep within a hard drive in the ZR vaults, now seeing the light of day it deserves. Andrés does what you would expect of him delivering a bass heavy MPC driven rework, utilising the synth lines and vocoder to great effect.
Fresh off a run of hot remixes for Glitterbox is Razor n Tape’s JKriv who turns the disco arpeggios up to 11 with his soaring remix of Prospect Park’s ’The Kinda Love’ complete with live strings and percussion.
Last but not least, The Visions’s dreamy piano led remix of the classic 'My Vision' by Jakatta featuring none other than Seal on lead vocals.
The latest from Mr. K and Most Excellent Unlimited pairs lowdown and stomping disco from an unlikely source with a funked-out floorfiller from some very familiar voices.
Minnie Riperton’s 1977 single “Stick Together” was an outlier in her catalog of smooth modern soul, an intentional nod in the direction of the prevailing disco sound. Co-written with Stevie Wonder, “Stick Together” in its original single release was divided into two parts, the first a fairly conventional uptempo cut with all the catchy qualities you’d expect from Stevie and the husband and wife team of Richard Rudolph and Minnie. It was the second half of the song that caught the ears of DJs who played for funkier dancefloors, however. Freddie Perren, a former member of Motown’s legendary Corporation collective of songwriters and producers, and a man then red-hot off his success with Tavares’ “Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel” and the Sylvers’ “Boogie Fever,” was on production duties, and the song clearly benefits from his disco-friendly touch. In Mr. K’s epic edit we are treated to a lengthy exploration of the second part of “Stick Together,” featuring keyboardist Sonny Burke (veteran of Marvin Gaye’s band and fresh from playing on Candi Staton’s disco smash “Young Hearts Run Free”) working out an irresistible Jingo-esque piano part, Riperton’s sensual ad-libs, and, as if that wasn’t enough, a cameo appearance by Pam Grier on finger snaps! Krivit’s 8-minute-plus edit passes way too quickly to get enough of the hypnotic groove — rewinds are called for!
Our flip side, “Body Language,” originated as an album cut on the Jackson Five’s last album of original material for Motown, Moving Violation, recorded before Jermaine left to go solo and the remaining brothers joined Epic Records in a new incarnation as the Jacksons. For such an obvious heater it’s puzzling why the label never released it as a single; but regardless of that apparent misstep, “Body Language” has long been a sure shot in many DJs’ bags. With his new edit, Mr. K presents the track in its ultimate form, loud, remastered, stretched out and rippling with energy over a full six minutes. With an iconic bass line that just doesn’t quit, and Michael and the boys in fine form, it’s impossible to imagine a situation where this wouldn’t set the room on fire.
Special Request continues his impeccable run of form with a typically fervent entry into the DJ-Kicks mix series. His adventurous 25 track mix takes in personal favourites, new school classics and of course a selection of his own brand new and exclusive edits, dubs and reworks next to some overlooked gems. Leeds based Paul Woolford dares to go where few others do. He can do face-melting underground bangers, peak time piano anthems, ambient cinematics or chart climbing crossover hits. What unites his work as Special Request across labels like Houndstooth and R&S, though, is precision engineering, but never at the expense of real, raw emotion and visceral impact. He is an artist who very much pours his heart into everything he does, and has been on such a prolific run in recent years that it has been impossible to keep abreast of all his many projects. Even in this mix, he hints at yet more new sides and sounds. As always with Special Request, this is an emotional, full spirited ride through the musical mind of one of the most accomplished artists of the day.
It's time to get on up people!! Multi-track guru Moplen has only gone and got his mitts on the 1978 Island classic from Chic legend Kenny Lehman and his side project Roundtree!!
‘Get On Down’ receives another impressive polish from one of the scenes hottest Disco masters that’s beautifully arranged with fresh layers, enhances the original sultry vibe perfectly and puts some sexy bump into this original Disco ride that you thought couldn’t be improved….Essential!!…..and it comes with a bonus dub!!
"I am sitting in a garden, I haven't left the property in weeks, someone is dropping off food once a week. I haven't seen a human being in ages, I feel like a reverse Schroedinger cat - do I exist when nobody sees me? I must be somewhere in France but I don't remember. I have lost my consciousness again. When I wake up I hear a broken record looping somewhere in the mansion. A washed-out opera. Behind the trees I see the dilapidated hermaphrodite sculpture in a field of verdant nettles and fern. I hear gunshots far afield, aeroplanes in the sky, sirens on the main road.
When unconscious I dreamt of sitting on the Concorde observing the scarab blue ocean and iridescent clouds from above, an erstwhile receding memory. Sometimes I hear the organ of the nearby Renaissance Cathedral merging with the Russian Church bells.
I am hallucinating again. Someone's humming in the kitchen? Singing? A Radio? I overhear two young women talking about art galleries in the neighbour's garden. Bees attack, again…..again and again. The hairspray finally intoxicates them. An amphoric japanese voice is whispering in my head saying I will die soon. Someone (something?) bangs on the vases. The fountain's water turns dark red.
Fleur calls and says mum died. The funeral will be televised on tuesday. We opt for the synthetic choir for the service. The call is suddenly interrupted. Mold is slowly taking over the house.
I go back inside."
Une Fille Pétrifiée is the debut album of new Black To Comm related entity Mouchoir Ètanche (after one recent 12" on Richter's own Dekorder label). Combining real and fake acoustic instrumentation, sampling, field recordings and excessive yet inaudible post production this is another sublime and ethereal statement. Influences are ranging from (French) Classical & Opera to the anecdotical compositions of Luc Ferrari, Chinese Opera, Chanson, Sacred Music / Church Music, JG Ballard and Surrealism.
Marc Richter records as Black To Comm for Thrill Jockey, Type and Dekorder and as Jemh Circs for his own Cellule 75 imprint. He also produces soundtracks and acousmatic multichannel installations for institutions such as INA GRM Paris, ZKM Karlsruhe and Kunstverein Hamburg.
Brooklyn-based queer nightlife luminary Jasmine Infiniti self-released her debut album, BXTCH SLÄP, in March 2020. Dark Entries steps forward to present the album remastered and on double vinyl. Over the thirteen disruptive club cuts of BXTCH SLÄP, Jasmine conjures occult rave incantations with sub-tectonic bass and seductive harmonies. Audaciously championing R&B, vogue, and hip-hop sounds, Jasmine Infiniti’s latest collection of techno-hybrid dance tunes is built for the dancefloors of underground nightlife.
While SiS, her debut EP, was an ode to queer solidarity, community, and sisterhood, BXTCH SLÄP refines the art of personal myth-building. It is an unflinching and uncompromising album, but it also boasts surprising range, moving briskly between ethereal hardcore house (“HOTT”), anxious dark electro (“SPOOKED”), and certifiable techno bangers (“YES, SIR”, “WELLFAIR”). Meanwhile album standout “<3” hovers just above 100 BPM, a defiant statement of euphoric sensuality that’s no less gripping for its dramatic deceleration. Closing number “SHONUFF” clocks in at ten and half minutes, but not a second of this acid-laced adrenaline rush feels wasted. BXTCH SLÄP might be suited for the high-impact dancefloor, but this music takes on a new life in the moments we spend between the parties, alone and full of desire.
BXTCH SLÄP was mastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios. The sleeve features photography from Guerrilla Davis and hand drawn Infiniti logo designed by Eloise Leigh with a 3-D chrome effect by Sebastian Ortega. Each copy includes a 3-D chrome die-cut sticker. The Queen of Hell is back and her powers are stronger than ever. All hail The Queen!
A MAJOR EXPLORATION OF TOKYO'S CUTTING EDGE 80S SOUND THROUGH THE MUSIC OF CULT JAPANESE LABEL NIPPON COLUMBIA AND ITS BETTER DAYS IMPRINT, SELECTED BY BRITISH RADIO PRESENTER AND DJ NICK LUSCOMBE.
‘Tokyo Dreaming’ is a superb selection picked from the highly collectible Nippon Columbia label and its Better Days sub-label. For the occasion, we’ve teamed up with journalist and Japanese music expert Nick Luscombe who was granted rare access to the much-guarded Nippon Columbia's vaults for a masterful selection encapsulating the fascinating sound of Tokyo in the late 70s and 80s. The selection mixes electro, synth-pop, funk and ambient and features such artists as Ryuichi Sakamoto, Mariah, Shigeo Sekito, Juicy Fruits, Hitomi "Penny" Tohyama and Yumi Murata. The tracklist includes many sought-after rarities and hidden gems which have never been released outside of Japan and the set has been newly remastered by Nippon Columbia. The album has been designed by famed London-based designer Optigram and is annotated by Nick.
Nippon Columbia, one of Japan's oldest music labels is also one of its most collectible thanks to its sub-label Better Days which, in the late 70s, became a hotbed for Tokyo's new generation of pop artists eager to experiment with ambient, electro and funk. Armed with a string of new Japanese-made synthesizers and drum machines that would soon take the world by storm, they made cutting-edge music, which has since become highly sought-after by a new generation of Japanese music lovers. Nick Luscombe, who has long been a leading advocate of Japanese music from this era, has handpicked a selection of some of the sharpest music released on these labels at the time.
According to Nick, “Tokyo Dreaming is a look back to an incredible era of Japanese music, that still sounds and feels like the future. It was a moment when brand-new music tech from Japan helped forge new ideas and experiments that permeated pop, soul and jazz and helped create new forms of music including electro and techno. The perfect meeting point that would help create a new soundtrack for modern living.“
?The selection starts with "The End of Asia" by Ryuichi Sakamoto from his 1978 ground-breaking debut "Thousand Knives Of" (reissued last year by Wewantsounds). The track became a staple of Sakamoto's and YMO's live shows and was even re-recorded by the group for their 1980 album 'X Multiplies'. The track is followed by Mariah's cult Armenian folk flavoured synth pop classic "Shinzo No Tobira" (1983), which first spread outside of Japan when the Scottish DJ duo Optimo started playing the track regularly at their shows.
?Chika Asamoto's "Self Control" (1988) and Jun Fukamachi's "Treasure Hunter" (1985) are perfect songs in the synth-pop canon, while Yumi Murata's rendition of Akiko Yano's "Watashi No Bus" and Hitomi "Penny" Tohyama's "Rainy Driver" both from 1981, move closer towards the slicker, funkier sound of City Pop.
?'Tokyo Dreaming' superbly showcases the breadth of 80s Japanese music and the way electro pop was a playing ground for musicians to experiment with many styles, as showcased by Akira Sakata's dub-enfused "Room" from 1980, Kazumi Watanabe's discoid "Tokyo Joe" (1980) and Juicy Fruits' "kawai" robotic Techno pop song "Jenie Gets Angry".
?The selection flows effortlessly between many shades of synth and ends with two cult classics in the form of Yasuaki Shimizu's "Semi Tori No Hi" and Shigeo Sekito's ambient-jazz masterpiece "The Word II" from his highly sought-after album "Kareinaru Electone (The Word) Vol.2" which, although recorded in 1975, perfectly announces the synth revolution to come. Tokyo Dreaming showcases the groundbreaking sounds of a city turned giant sonic lab which was restlessly inventing the music of the future.
Nick Luscombe is a highly respected and in-demand music influencer who discovers great music from all over the world and shares it internationally through his many radio shows and DJ sets. He has been in charge of music selection for various radio programs since 1999, and from 2010 - 2019, was the DJ for the popular BBC Radio music program "Late Junction”. He has also curated and presented music shows for Monocle and British Airways radio stations. He has worked as both Chief Music Editor at iTunes and Director of Music at London’s Institute of Contemporary Art, and is the founder of MSCTY.
We think our 6th release – not counting the überdrüber
‘sizzling hot edits’ – is a good display of the rtct.records
variety. Four artists from all over continental Europe are
showcasing their eclectic styles, fully exploring the richness of
house music front to back and old to new. Whether you hated
or enjoyed the record, let us know what you did with it. And, you know, just for reasons of SEOability, here are artist names again: PARADISO RHYTHM!
MUTENOISE! GUS NOBEL! LEO WOELFEL!
A firm Drumcode favourite, Mark Reeve is back with his latest techno opus.
Weaving his vitalising, biting techno through the seminal imprint since 2012, Reeve has since become a permanent fixture within Adam Beyer’s camp. He saw demand for his knockout ‘Run Back’ EP being matched and surpassed by his ‘Far Away’ EP. Staunch DC fans will also be familiar with Reeve’s output on the label’s A-Sides compilation series, and clubbers hot on the tails of Drumcode events will have caught him centre stage across a string of showcases, including the inaugural Drumcode Festival.
Reeve’s music invariably endorses an arresting sonic aesthetic, with intense melodies often driving in those eye-closing moments. The title track ‘Distance’ is an atmospheric opening gambit set to sonically massage the senses with uplifting pads and a radiant melody. ‘Serum’, a track recently road-tested by Beyer at a special event in collaboration with Cercle, soars and captivates as it progresses with a low-end rumble and intricate keys. ‘Fix Me’ is a vigorous techno workout that’s intent on energising a clubroom rammed with sweat-soaked dancers. Closing off the EP, ‘Filmwave’ rides a killer groove into a pit of punchy, powerful kick.
U2 return with their hotly anticipated new studio album 'Songs of Experience'. The Island Records priority release completes a stellar year for the Dublin band, following their return to stadiums with the critically acclaimed, sold out 'The Joshua Tree Tour 2017' playing to 2.4 million fans in just 51 shows across Europe and North and South America, as well as the successful 30th Anniversary re-issue of 'The Joshua Tree'.
Recorded in Dublin, New York and Los Angeles, Songs of Experience was completed earlier this year with its subject matter influenced by Brendan Kennelly's* advice to Bono, to ...write as if you're dead'.
The result is a collection of songs in the form of intimate letters to places and people close to the singer's heart: family, friends, fans and indeed himself.
Songs Of Experience is the companion release to 2014's 'Songs Of Innocence', the two titles drawing inspiration from a collection of poems, Songs of Innocence and Experience, by the 18th century English mystic and poet William Blake.
Produced by Jacknife Lee and Ryan Tedder, with Steve Lillywhite, Andy Barlow and Jolyon Thomas, the album features a cover image by Anton Corbijn of band-members' teenage children Eli Hewson and Sian Evans.
'The Blackout' and 'You're The Best Thing About Me' were the first songs to be made available from the album. 'You're The Best Thing About Me' is the band's first UK Top 20 airplay record in a decade and has also been remixed by Norwegian superstar DJ and producer Kygo.
*Brendan Kennelly - Irish poet, novelist and Professor Emeritus at Trinity College, Dublin.
Tiger Stripes follows up ‘Baby’ with a quintuplet of aces on Drumcode.
Death, taxes and Tiger Stripes crafting dancefloor weapons for Adam Beyer’s Drumcode and Truesoul labels. Not many things in life are certain, but we’ve always counted on Mikael Nordgren knocking it out of the park. Last year’s ‘Baby’ EP was a label highlight, while in March he released ‘Sneaking Hotdogs Into People’s Pocket’, which mined the spirit of ‘90s-drenched euphoria and was a standout on Truesoul. Now he’s back dropping heat on DC.
Taking the retro vibes of Hotdogs into more techno-orientated territory, he bunkered down with his family in the Swedish forest, setting up a makeshift studio in the kitchen. From this, the five-track ‘Into Desolation’ was born. Beginning with ‘Recluse’, it combines steely bass rumbles with old skool stabs and a heady vocal from Mikaela Rahmqvist. ‘Basshunter’ is propelled by galloping bass and a catchy undulating melodic loop and is brilliant in its effective simplicity.
‘Into The Early Night’ is a pearl, comprising deep compression-heavy bass stabs, perky percussion and a rousing vocal, making it a winner at festivals so far this summer, including Awakenings. ‘Ignition’ fires on all cylinders with a wicked arpeggiated hook and pounding drums. ‘Ride’ is a nostalgic nod to the past as trance-inspired chords marry deliciously with crunchy future-focused techno.
We are proud to showcase more Bay Area family with the release of a new EP by Doc Sleep who cut her chops as a DJ in San Francisco’s vibrant scene the past decade. In 2016 she made the move to Berlin and became a resident of Room 4 Resistance. Since 2013, she's been the co-owner of Jacktone Records, which specializes in techno, ambient, and experimental electronics. In 2016/2017 she released her first 12's on the Hot Mass-affiliated Detour Records and Bottom Forty. She also co-wrote a track with Bezier and Nicole Ginelli, titled “Stranger,” that we released on the ‘Primes’ EP in 2017. Her latest release, ‘Your Ruling Planet’, was released on Jacktone in March 2019.
We first heard “Creme Fraiche” on Doc’s soundcloud page and begged to release it. The track has the feel-good vibes you get on early morning dancefloors as things are winding down or up. Paired on the A-side is the pulsating dark jam “Never Eating Again” that previously appeared on ‘Run The Length Of Your Wildness V.2’ and, like that compilation, proceeds from this track will be donated to Ghost Ship Fire victim Cherushii's family. On the B-side are two remixes from close friends of Doc. First up is a fresh breakbeat remix from Violet: DJ, producer, boss of Naive records, co-founder of Rádio Quântica, and mina resident shaking up Lisbon's nightlife. Second is Berlin-based producer and fellow R4R resident, rRoxymore, who presents an innovative remix of future-facing techno and bass variations adding her own vocals on top. For this release we’ve teamed up with Jacktone to release a cassette version, our first in this format, featuring two peak-time bonus tracks. All songs have been mastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. Each copy is housed in jacket designed by Eloise Leigh with neon pink and lavender gradients echo morning sunrises with a collage of dreamy elements using a photo by Doc of Club Toilet in Detroit.
Darien Dean is a soul singer who needs no introductions. His last album, Departures' is already rocking the soul charts, thanks to his classic songwriting and live instrumentation,
we can say that this isn't just soul music, it's music that has a soul.
Someone is You' is defnitely one of the gems of this album, thanks to the amazing Avery Sunshine on vocals, this track is one of the hottest nu-soul single for the summer 2017!
With immaculate vocal turns and sleek production, Views is Drake's tour through the city that made him. A meticulous contrast to the off-the-cuff brilliance of recent mixtapes, he taunts adversaries with speaker-rattling anthems ('Hype,' 'Still Here'), revisits his humble beginnings ('Weston Road Flows'), and rekindles the seductive chemistry with Rihanna ('Too Good'). Those extremes—the Caribbean warmth of 'One Dance' and the icy lament of 'Fire & Desire,' the unflinching vulnerability and unapologetic self-assurance—make Views a riveting victory lap from Toronto's game-changing MC.
Australian label Nightime Drama, run by Peter Fincher (aka Vibrio) and Shaun Franklin (aka Trebek) now serves up its second standout release of 2016. This four track affair comes hot on the heels of the last by Yoshihiro Arikawa, and is a second release on the label by Aussie live act, DJ and producer Trinity, with Steven Tang and Italian based Andee on the remix. Trinity has also released on OOC, Coincidence and Android Muziq and regularly performs all round Europe. His sound deep and cosmic, heady and hypnotic, as the fresh tracks here prove. Cascade Drive is seven minutes of direct and elastic house with spacey pads and driving drums carrying you through the cosmos. From the Earthmothern label and one half of RK's, Andee strips it back to a slick rubber kick drum then layers in a forceful acid line and icy hi hats to really get you under its spell. The longform groove is physical and cerebral in equal measure. The next original is Expansion, and again finds Trinity serving up a hi tech and soul infused deep techno sound that is lithe and liquid, smeared with great pads and truly timeless. Emphasis boss Steven Tang is the perfect man to remix given his style, and his version flips the cut into a more heavyweight and banging techno effort, but one that is just as littered with sci fi sounds, spaceship trails and intergalactic energies.
RNT welcomes Manchester upstart Loz Goddard into the fold with his new outing, 'The Drunken Monk EP' on the Reserve imprint. Hot from recent successes on House of Disco and Dirt Crew, young Loz delivers yet again with a 4 tracker of dusty thumpers and jazzy burners, brewed with love and pressed to vinyl the color of a cool pint of ale!
Chapter 1: 'The soul within them'
Beneath their rugged skin and scalding flesh, there is a human soul trapped in eternity, burning with excruciating and insatiable energy.
Chapter 2: 'Inside their lair'
In the mountains old as the world itself, warlocks from across the lands has gathered inside their cavernous lair to celebrate and bless the birth of a hundred dragons. As they chant, their mother roar.
Chapter 3: 'They soar through flames'
Up in the endless sky, the hunters are soaring in the flames blasting from their jaws. With scales hot as the sun, flesh like molten iron, the fly in honor of this day of legends.
Chapter 4: 'Hatchlings, hatching'
As the celestial portals align, the hatchlings start to hatch. Catching their first glimpse of starlight and screaming to the eternal void as their tiny wings start to flap.
Supported by:
Deepbass, Ness, Rraph, Svreca, Antonio de Angelis, Arnaud le Texier, Hector Sandoval (Exium), Kwartz, Takaaki Itoh, The Noisemaker, Unam Zetineb, Valentin Corujo (Exium), Vilix, Mattias Fridell, Oscar Mulero, Refracted, DJ Sandrien, Eric Cloutier, Giorgio Gigli, Nihad Tule, Attemporal, Ben Buitendijk, Brendon Moeller (Echologist), Etapp Kyle, Nima Khak, Rasmus Hedlund, Retina.IT, Victor Martinez, Antonio Ruscito, Dubit, Periskop, Shaded Explorer, Warmth, Astronomical Telegram to name a few.
Cellaa Music is proud to present release number 19 with Dennis Cruz & Luliano Mambo. It was obvious then, not to have this young, driven talented artists on board is not an option, they are a gem! Get ready for some colossal dancefloor tech-house heat!
After amazing releases on Insert Coin and Mushroom Smile, Dennis & Luliano lands on Cellaa Music with a smashing ep titled LSD'. Enjoy the hot percussions and the fresh flavors in the three tracks they are proposing you, and put them into your bag. This groove is irresitable!
The Remix comes from Label Head Martin Heyder who totally stick to the vibe yet give it different edges. His Version is deep but is always on point to please the crowd, and rock the Dancefloor...
KiNK (Macro/ Running Back)
I love this! All the tracks are massive! My favorite is the Andreas Gehm remix as it`s the most
weird one, but I`m a sucker for funky acid and this is right up my alley!'
Robert Owens (Chicago/London/Berlin)
Great tracks'
Tensnake (Virgin)
thanks, nice original and Gehm remix'
Dave Clarke (White Noise 2fm)
Dark and groovy'
Luke Solomon (Classic Music)
love love love love hard TON xxxxxxxx'
Tim Sweeney (Beats In Space)
Make me Dance is the one for me'
DJ T. (Get Physical)
thank you for the music!'
ÂME / Kristian (Innervisions)
thanks'
Mark Broom (UK)
FAT mix from Andreas! Respect for the UK!!!!!!!!'
Massimiliano Pagliara (Live At Robert Johnson)
bravi!!'
Mørbeck (Vault Series/Code Is Law)
Make Me Dance!'
Acid Washed (Paris)
MEGA GOOD!!!'
Patrick Pulsinger (Vienna)
love it!'
Angel Molina (Barcelona)
the ultra dark acidic 'Make Me Dance (Andreas Gehm Remix)' is my track on here, although
'Forget About The Music' is a fantastic 80 ´s house track as well. Thanks.'
Paul Woolford (Planet E/Hotflush)
2 thumbs up for the Andreas Gehm Remix. Many thanks!'
Renato Cohen (Brazil)
That's proper music! Forget About The Music sounds amazing. Andreas Gehm Remix is also
huge!'
following the success of the first parquet most wanted ep, here comes the second volume with another 4 future classics!
finest melodic house & techno by EINMUSIK, SOLEE, WHOMI, DALE MIDDLETON and MASHK! Already huge DJ support by MARCUS WORGULL (INNERVISIONS), HOT SINCE 82 (NOIR MUSIC), JOHN DIGWEED (BEDROCK), MAX COOPER (TRAUM), BETOKO, SASHA, OLIVER SCHORIES (DER TURNBEUTEL), HERNAN CATTANEO, DEEP DISH and many more...
Hobo (Minus, Hot Creations, Tronic) launches his new imprint, Soundz, by finally releasing his highly acclaimed hit 'Mind Games'. After tearing up Ibiza and the world over this season, Mind Games is finally clawing its way out of select record boxes and into record stores everywhere. Joining Mind Games is its evil twin, 'Public Lies'. Equally epic, Public Lies builds to a fever pitch with familiar but not quite normal synth tones soaring wildly overhead. Two monster jams to kick off Soundz in that familiar Hobo style.
Phonica Records inaugurate a new series of releases that will fall under the 'Special Editions' banner; a series that will feature collaborations, one-off releases and anything that doesn't fit into the main labels' outlook. The first release comes from Sinkane, a hotly tipped new artist from NY.
Sinkane is the project of Sudanese-born musician Ahmed Gallab. Gallab cut his own teeth as a youngster in the punk DIY landscape of middle America, and then found himself touring far and wide as a member of Yeasayer, Caribou, Eleanor Friedberger, Born Ruffians, and Of Montreal. He has emerged from it all as Sinkane, a project that identifies a renaissance within the space and spirit of the outposts of contemporary music. With an aesthetic range seamlessly shifting from soul to rock, and from jazz to pop, Sinkane's vibe is timeless and the sound is now.
Runnin' is a song taken from a collection of songs simply titled Mars. On this limited edition 12" from London's Phonica Records, the album version of Runnin' is re-imagined as an increasingly dense longburn club jam by Daphni (Dan Snaith of Caribou fame) and as a more angular headjam by Chandeliers of Chicago.
After hitmachine Carlo Lio SK Supreme presents another promissing guy called Eric Volta. Including hot Remixes by Kanio (Suruba, Traum, Stereo Seven Plus) and David West (Anjuna Beats, Pickadoll, Armada Music).
here is a direct and enduring connection between the roots of Italian electronic music and the underground club culture of today.
Boldly pulling that thread are Marta Paradise, the duo from Martina Franca (Puglia, Italy), who have established themselves as a go-to name for anyone craving an elegant, refined sound that remains unapologetic.
For their latest release, they team up once again with a true legend: Fred Ventura. As one of the most iconic artists of early Italo Disco, Ventura brings an unmistakable vocal timbre that turns every track into an instant classic.
The result of this cross-generational collaboration is Call In The Night, a track that bridges authentic Italian heritage with the sharpest edges of modern Indie Dance. It delivers everything discerning clubbers live for: shimmering synths cutting through the dark, an octave-driven bassline that locks you to the dancefloor and a nocturnal, dreamy, relentlessly catchy vocal line.
Elevating the package even further is a stellar remix package featuring some of the hottest names on the current circuit, including Mystery Friend, Day Ventura, the unmistakable touch of the legendary Flemming Dalum, and Slow Motion label boss Franz Scala.
Far from a simple nostalgia exercise, Call In The Night is a forward-looking journey with a vintage soul that never falls into cheap clichés. Past and present merge to set the world’s most visionary DJ booths ablaze.
Written by GIANLUCA SERVETTI
HEY CABRERA
Owner of the Magazine “rockerilla”
