"Unique Reason presents his first authorial release at Sudd WAX. His first appearance was Remixing STK at the Sudd WAX Limited 3rd release. From West Zone of Sao Paulo, the underground producer brings much Soul from his Analog MPC. Closer to Moodymann, Buzz Goore, Norm Talley, Rick 'the Godson' Wilhite, the artist sounds very influenced by Detroit Music. The release sounds Deep, House, Techno, bit of it all. The Sound Elements are dirty, lo-res, and RAW. Shinedoe appears reshaping the funky mood. What a brilliant Remix. She turned into 90's House Vibes, and build up that atmosphere back these days. This is a classic underground tune, special tool, killer dance floor weapon."
Am National Album Day (NAD), der nun schon zum sechsten Mal stattfindet, kommt die UK-Musikszene jedes Jahr zusammen, um die Albumkultur zu feiern und zu fördern. Das diesjährige Thema der 90er Jahre soll ein Licht auf ein äußerst reichhaltiges Musikjahrzehnt werfen, das sich zwischen Pop, Trip Hop und Hip Hop bewegte: NAD-Release: Nas "It Was Written" - gold & black marbled Vinyl. "It Was Written" war Nas' zweites Album, das 1996 veröffentlicht wurde. Es war ein sehr erfolgreiches, millionenfach verkauftes Album mit Beteiligung von Lauryn Hill, Dr. Dre, Foxy Brown und Mobb Deep. Seit seiner Veröffentlichung war es außerhalb der USA nicht auf Vinyl erhältlich.
Australian label sense. debuts its vinyl-only imprint with a limited first release from none other than Romanian-born Alin Crihan.
Alin delivers three stripped-back, dark, atmospheric rollers guaranteed to become instant mood-setters for underground dance floors, while rewarding patient and attentive listeners.
We are then treated to an enchanting, eclectic ambient piece that feels truly cinematic, an absolute must-listen. Close your eyes and let your mind wander…
sense. is a project focused on timeless music over trends, creating a platform that aims to inspire and open the ears of its local audience through carefully curated musical experiences, connecting the Australian party scene with international artists deeply rooted in the minimal genre.
Amelie Lens' debut album 'AURA' is the first full-length studio album to come from the Belgian artist despite being one of the most respected and sought-after acts in electronic music today.
Of the album, Amelie says:
"'AURA' is my story. Aura is about the connection between the crowd and me. Music has always been my escape, my way of turning my emotions and energy into something new. When I was younger, I would disappear into nightclubs and create myown world in my head. Being in the nightclubs gave me this feeling of belonging somewhere, I felt connection and freedom I had never experienced before. That feeling changed my life completely. So this album really reflects that whole journey. From playing tiny local clubs and driving myself through the night for gigs, to standing on huge festival stages, becoming a mother, building EXHALE and learning how to balance it all in life.
I wanted 'AURA' to feel emotional but still powerful, uplifting but raw. From big festival tracks to the trippy tracks I'd play at 4am at RSO. Although making this album is one of the biggest things I have ever done in my life, I wanted to keep it light and somehow playful. Because that is also how I am as a person. This is the most honest version of myself I've ever shared. I hope it brings some light, happiness and connection to others as it does to me. Because Aura is and always will be about my connection to you."
The album will consist of 11 brand new tracks, all produced by Lens - with one stellar collab, who will be announced in due course.
Do you know what time it is It's debut o'clock. Emitting his first material for Pampa, it's &ME - craftsman of all things deep and sturdy, at the same time connoisseur of emotive touch and virtuoso of sure instincts, one of the scene's central characters for a good amount of years now and one of the main figures of Berlin's Keinemusik-crew. The man has been hitting the bulls eye of public perception several times in the past, meeting everything it takes to get a crowd going with an intent on the detail when it comes to his arrangements and sound. These new two cuts seem nothing less than the essence of his abilities.
There is "In Your Eyes", the name lending A side to this EP, showcasing a rather pensive mood. It's just a few bars for the compound of kickdrum, tuned hi-hat tambourine and shimmering background noise until the first chords of an improvised piano-piece are tenderly laid upon the beat. Add a synth-motive coming back and forth and you'll have the main ingredients to this - in every sense of the word - floor-moving tune. Accordingly, the arrangement won't aim for an all too obvious sensationalism and rather opts for a flowing and intertwining call and response of its elements, ultimately resulting in a staggering impact anyway.
In comparison, "As Above So Below" on the flipside is adding a fair amount of emphasis. It unfolds in a dry and dense sounding beat-architecture that's suspense-packed with shaker sounds and subtextual field recordings. Most certainly, a slip-proof ground for this tune's centre-piece, a scale-riding synthbass sparking an almost anthemic trigger for floor-ecstasy. While details like subtle reverberating tapping and sparkling ambient textures sound like recorded deep down in a dripstone cave, the overall energetic layout pushes relentlessly to the heights of peaktime-grandeur. There you have it: "As Above So Below" - this tune works on every level.
DJ Koze's 2013 album opus Amygdala has continued to bewitch all who encounter it since its release. Tipped as his own personal Sgt. Pepper, the sublime long-player revealed a fully-realised and personal body of work, complete with a classic songwriting at its core, House in its heart, and veins coursing with psychedelic color. La Duquesa' was the album's dreamy single standout, a journey into deep, tropical ecstasy. XTC' begins in the same spirit, and captures the all the blissful allusions of its name, but its initial gentility belies the deep intensity to come. Floating pads glow with celestial ambience as a kick drum is gradually coaxed into solid form, and the introduction of spoken text begins the second act. Many people are experimenting with the drug Ecstasy,' it says, ...is the drug like the lie and meditation the truth Or am I missing something that could really help me". XTC' then transforms: sweetly imploring tones become demanding, gentle gradients between chords turn hard-edged, and sharp hi-hats cut through the haze. Complete with Koze's signature percussive quirks, it drives towards the track's final pay off: an undeniable, all-consuming, irresistible high. Knee On Belly' recalls Koze at his most tongue-in-cheek and overt, it is bright, bold and literally brassy, using cut-up horns of all shapes and sizes to patchwork together his own unique arrangement. With the highs and mid ranges accounted for, Koze adds in a swollen, thrumming bass line to mix to bring this floor-filler to life. Knee on Belly' recalls a raw, filtered and funky approach to groove, with a nod to disco house and the art of artful sampling, as it orbits between its own neon highs and simmering lows.
Ilija Rudman is marking the 30th release on our musical town of Sakskøbing. The Croatian artist has told this particular story how he wanted with 4 tracks crucially being together on this disc so it would be a complete tale of “Egg of the Sun”. From heavenly pads & guitar riffs he has given birth to this particular disc which is ready to enter into the vast world of music. The artist has been putting out discs since the early 2000’s and has developed a vast discography behind his name that only deserves respect and admiration whether he is working solo or in collaborations with other musical souls. The label is welcoming a true visionary to its roster and it can only yield the feelings of excitement, admiration and proudness. The egg is so close to the sun like Icarus used to be in his time however instead of burning it only shines with brilliance.
For the orbit travelers comes the new instalment by the Spanish maestro Do or Die. This very well-known figure in the world of non standard audio frecuencies has crafted 4 trance infused weapons for different occasions and settings one might find themselves in. The appropriate clothing attire is needed for this space journey without any holes or tears in, so it can be assured no outside force will penetrate through. All four tracks has been crafted immaculately with the unified idea of orbit travel and translates this epic journey well. Ahead of the listener is an important trip from the moment needle will touch the grooves to the very last second of the title track located on the B side. It is a great honor to welcome this talented artist to the label family roster and marks a beginning of a beautiful story that will be told through the medium of music.
"La Duquesa", the most tender and most refined piece of the album Amygdala, perfectly casual and serious, deep and euphoric, all at the same time, is dedicated to the Spanish Duquesa de Alba, who, as holder of 46 titles of nobility, is even more highly decorated than Queen Elisabeth. Koze is fascinated by this lady: With her peculiarly creepy appearance she seems like a relic from the past era of the Spanish nobility. She is the most pictured woman in Spain and a pop phenomenon. When, in 2011, she married a man 24 years younger than herself, the entire country badmouthed her. Sometimes Koze would love to be that younger
man, who the Spaniards dismiss as a legacy hunter! Encore the needle is cookin'. Dj Koze did it again. His homage to Audrey Horne. "Burn with me" - a fucked up, deep and schizophrenic brainfoodbouncer with legato bass and hi hats way out of time. The beat burst like shagging, the dirty off hi-hat lashes remorseless in the twatherd - everyone just wants to get laid straight away.
Robag Wruhme, working on the material. On the very same piece. And performing two different movements. First, thinking in category Album: who will hear it where? also: mood, position, length. Second, thinking in category Maxisingle: a spinning-tool for the club – another form of another functionality: accelerating the rhythm, lowering the harmonicmelodious, still preserving the nature of the song. And each version should make you HOT for the other!
Nata Alma, a voice loses itself in the infinite, a car brakes, a horse whinnies, the sun scorches relentless. Further, further on, towards the flickering, stoically. Water, flames on the horizon, Fata Morgana, a mirage. »And you might say, we've got no place to go?« - okay? no notokay at all!: Shuffle!
Nata Alma, melancholic Eight-minute-forty. A love song, a wave good-bye: »And you might say, that you need me no more?« sings Sidsel Endresen alongside Bugge Wesseltoft's swells and ebb-aways – metal never sounded so longing; a buzzing swing, a siren call from afar.
Robag Wruhme takes a seat at the organ and plays minor bass notes. He gets up, leaves the room and lays down a dry rock of funk: wooden kick on wooden snare, tight-cut voices, driving hi-hats and shakers, gated synth danglers and percussion loops. Relentless, stoically. »And you might say, that it's over?« – relentless, maybe, but that's how he creates the Further: keep going! dance it off! a new day rising!
And right here. Flip it and keep on moving: Venq Tolep. A summer meadow, grass-stains, a gentle breeze, an early smell of hay. Venq Tolep. Endorphins tickle under the skin. A
percussive spectacle, dance of the insects. Hopping around in flat shoes, the beat is phat and reverberated by a cluster of trees. Stabs on the e-piano set in, picturing the euphoric moment when Loving-feelings walk hand-in-hand with a Hint of Melancholy.
Robag Wruhme, Nata Alma and Venq Tolep - music for dance floors, inside and outside, music for the summer, day and night, and for convertibles on the way there.
*Kissa* is an immersive ambient electronic project crafted by Mathias, drawing inspiration from the serene and evocative atmosphere of Japanese jazz kissa cafés. These intimate spaces, known for their deep reverence for music, serve as the foundation for *Kissa’s* sonic landscape—where warm nostalgia and futuristic minimalism intertwine. Consisting of eight expansive compositions, *Kissa* abandons traditional rhythmic structures, allowing sound itself to guide the listener. Ethereal textures, evolving drones, and subtle harmonic shifts create a meditative experience that blurs the lines between memory and imagination. Each track is a portal—an invitation to lose oneself in sound, to explore the spaces between notes, and to embrace stillness as a form of movement. With *Kissa*, Mathias redefines the boundaries of electronic music, crafting an experience that is at once deeply personal and universally resonant. Whether serving as a soundtrack for introspection or a companion for late-night contemplation, *Kissa* embodies the essence of timeless listening—where music is felt, not just heard.
Others take years to reveal why they belong together.
PLNK008 is the first solo release by Natural Goofy on Planka Records. Following a series of appearances across various labels and collaborations, this record offers a deeper look into the sound he has been quietly shaping over the years.
A collection of recordings gathered over time, connected less by genre than by a shared sense of mood and movement.
Rather than chasing functionality, the record follows instinct. Loops are allowed to breathe. Details appear slowly. Tension builds almost unnoticed. Elements drift in and out of focus. The intention was never to arrive somewhere quickly, but to stay inside a feeling for as long as it remains interesting.
The release also includes a special reinterpretation of one of the EP's tracks by dear friend and talented Italian producer Shkedul.
The original version of the track will be available exclusively as a digital bonus on Planka's Bandcamp.
These tracks were not designed to demand attention. They reward it.
Nueen follows production for Iceboy Violet and a string of releases for Quiet Time Tapes, Good Morning Tapes and Balmat, with a sprawling an ambient drill epic –the methodology is laid bare on »Searchtiers«, obscuring its UK drill-style sliding bass with weightless synths and gaseous FX, featuring guest spots from Dawuna, Space Afrika, Loraine James, Xzavier Stone and RenzNiro.
Glasgow’s Hot Towel are a DJ & production duo, community dance party organiser and now record label reimagining the balearic spirit far from its original context and sunnier climes.
This debut EP contains 4 dance floor focused tracks tested and developed on the Hot Towel dance floor and beyond. Produced over the last 4 years in grey and rainy Glasgow these 4 tracks reinterpret the joy of warmth, connection and world building in dance music.
Warm in Your Office is a feet on the floor, head in the clouds, bouncing 90’s piano house inspired track with warm driving bass, punchy gated snare, percussion samples and a surprising nostalgic drop for fans of late 90’s and early 00’s Serie A.
The lo-fi beatbox rhythm of Low Pressure in Paradise features a melodic, rumbling bassline, vintage synth string stabs and a warm melancholic synth pad swell reminiscent of the day after the night before, or the thunderous ambience of an oncoming storm and the reflection that brings. Think warm orange and magenta sunset overcast with heavy mauve clouds and possibly a hangover from one too many negronis.
A sunbaked synth flute melody shimmers like heat haze in the latin / balearic inspired beach bar romp Last Minute Staycation. Cowbell and syncopated piano move the hips, while romantic synth strings pine for that magical other world away from the mundane. A shift in tone midway evokes the peril of a balearic dream turned nightmare, capped off with timbale and a shredding electric guitar solo serving Lambada meets Zappa.
Endless Cosmic Procession is a downtempo balearic builder that chugs along with minimal effort. Tuned percussion drives the groove, with bass and synth punctuations that reverberate into space and swirl with delay. A rising arpeggiator gently brings melody to complete the harmonic space of the track that rounds off the EP with a contemplative dance floor moment.
Matrix Disruption is the vinyl debut of Cluster B, a project that confidently navigates the dark territory of hypnotic tech, progressive house, and trance nuances. Four tracks crafted with patience and vision, where the groove is never an end in itself but becomes a narrative tool.
The EP opens with the title track, "Matrix Disruption," where mechanical rhythms and synthesizers interweave into a dense, hypnotic fabric.
"Escalation" pushes the accelerator, building tension layer by layer, leading into a climax that leaves no escape.
“Dancing in the moment" takes the dancefloor to deeper, more suspended territories.
“Human Touch" closes, introducing a more human and melodic respite.
A work that looks to the dancefloor, designed to be played on vinyl and do its job where it counts.
On a class debut for Biscuit’s choice Good Morning Tapes label, Kyoto’s dub specialist G Version III runs signature fusions of digidub steppers, drill, and holographic, minor-key FM synths.
One up on her 12” for Riddim Chango last year (plus the »Scenery From Double Glazing« tape for Digital Sting in ’24), G Version III’s »Chapter II« most finely chisels her lucidly rugged definition of the late ’80s / early ’90s mystic steppers sound. The OG Caribbean spirit is heard filtered through UK dances and shored up in Japan, where G tessellates its salient points with a palette of glassy Japanese synth tones and chamber music to exquisite effect. If Wendy Carlos was a soundgyal?
Across six cuts she builds the dance around digidub x drill waltz »Livin 4« and a haunted dancehall special in the harpsichord/horn riff of »An Idyll«, impressing her prowess in the fusion of subcontinental scales with a drill-tipped skip in »Queen G Theme Chapter II«, and tucking right into an aerodynamic, flying steppers mode, shades away from Element, in »Motherearth Guidance«. At a slower, wider stride her »Higher Grade« goes eyes-down on massive subs, and »Voice of Mystique Warriyah« adapts the classic-schooled sound like TNT Roots in Tokyo.
The clergy is pleased to present the 8th solo Hypnus record by our adept veteran Luigi Tozzi where he takes his signature deep techno sound to a new level. It has already been nearly two years since the release of Binary Sunset and now we gladly share with you a fresh continuation that takes us on another journey to a galaxy far, far away. Packaged inside a custom cut, full-color sleeve with stunning artwork by Reza Afshar.
Early support from Cassegrain, Cio D'Or, Deepbass, Ness, Svreca, TM404, Etapp Kyle, Iori, Samuli Kemppi, Takaaki Itoh and Par Grindvik to name a few.
Structure Series 3 marks the next instalment in Molecular Recordings' ongoing vinyl series, bringing together a selection of artists connected by a common language: deep, functional, uncompromising techno.
Forged between machine pressure, hypnotic movement, and warehouse energy, the release continues the label's tradition of spotlighting both respected figures and emerging producers without distinction. The focus remains where it has always belonged — on the music itself.
Across four cuts, Structure Series 3 moves through shifting textures and intensities, balancing raw groove, atmospheric depth, and precise rhythmic architecture. Built for sound systems rather than algorithms, these tracks are designed to reveal their full weight in the physical space of the dancefloor.
Three decades after its foundation, Molecular Recordings continues to operate beyond trends and short-lived cycles, remaining committed to authentic underground techno and the artists shaping its future.
Structure Series 3 is another transmission from the Molecular network: Built from experience, driven by instinct. Structured for the underground
A hypnotic drift through dub house and techno textures that seem to exist outside of time entirely. From somewhere deep in the Finnish night, Havsmörker surfaces with two pieces of weightless, waterlogged sound. Ilväder, Swedish for "storm weather" belies its name: there is no violence here, only the slow drift of pressure systems moving across open water.
Cosmic Breeze Records is happy to present From Above, from Brussels based producer Bass Toast, an artist who has spent years honouring and preserving the rich musical house heritage. Bass Toast has always had an enormous will to connect what separates.From the early New York House to intricate broken beats, he’s been spending the last few years colliding different genres, soulful at heart, both club and non club, comfortable and uncomfortable, celebrating the floor and the grace of simply listening.The A side opens with African Girl, sexy and sensual, moving you in slowly before FromAbove takes you on a whimsical Latin journey, before Stance closes it out with a broken beats jazz and intricate drums that reward every listen. The B side shifts weight, Chucho and Watch And Remember are both club-oriented, propelling without ever losing the thread that runs through the whole record, before Childhood Memories closes everything down with grace.
“A lot of people run to see who’s fastest. I merely run to feel the breeze.”
Ontario-based hip-hop editors, builders and sculptors Suckaside are not afraid of taking on any challenge big or small and have worked across timeless house, r&b, hip-hop and disco joints. This time though, they take on a hip-hop staple and flip it into a Latin hearted with a shuffling samba groove, organic percussion and natty piano melodies. The edit is first up and has a female vocal line oozing soul and attitude and then on the flip one of the East Coast's finest mic men appears with one of his most well-known verses layered into the same groove. Perfect for late summer fun.
It's been a while since the last EP of fresh productions from long-serving Parisian producer LaRoye - three years in fact. On this belated and welcome return to action, the French artist transfers from Mad Mats and Tooli's Local Talk label to the fast-rising Deeppa Records imprint. He's brought with him a quintet of previously unheard cuts. The focal point is opener 'Everybody's Got Soul', a deliciously warming, shuffling and sun-soaked slab of woozy deep house soul that comes accompanied by a wonderfully cosmic, slow-build and percussion-rich interpretation from Darryl Baaki. Elsewhere, LaRoye flits between bouncy deep house futurism ('I Want Ya'), smooth tech-tinged deepness ('Surrender'), relaxed and melodious broken beat ('Long Way To Go') and thickset, early morning dreaminess ('You Have To Understand').
"ASSEMBLE MUSIC 15 YEARS - Part I : Founded in Lisbon in 2011, Assemble Music celebrates its 15th anniversary with a three-part vinyl compilation, bringing together fifteen artists who, in different ways, reflect the label's past, present and future. Released simultaneously in November 2026 and distributed worldwide by Clone Distribution, the three records are less a retrospective than a continuation of what Assemble has been building since the beginning: music with character, made by artists with their own language, away from trends and easy categorisation. Across fifteen years, Assemble has moved freely between house, techno, electro, dub and more experimental forms of electronic music. The catalogue has never been defined by one particular sound, but rather by a certain approach, personal, uncompromising and built to last. Part I opens with XDB, an artist whose relationship with Assemble goes far beyond a single record. His deep, understated approach to house and techno has always been closely connected to the musical identity of the label. Aubrey, one of the enduring figures of the UK underground, follows with decades of experience behind him and a catalogue that stretches back to the early 1990s. Synchrojack connects the compilation to another important lineage: the raw and deeply individual British house music with a track produced and never released in the 90's. Activ-Analog bring their machine-driven, analogue approach back to Assemble after previously releasing on the label, while Kumquat Kids aka Julian Phethean & Steve O'Sullivan with a track originally released in 1999 on the Various Positions EP for UK label Organised Sound. "Surface" is a genuine late-90s underground rarity! Over the years, the original 12" has become increasingly sought-after and notoriously expensive on the second-hand market."
After Space Dimension Controller the Clone Royal Oak series is coming with another young talent. This time its Swedish Genius Of Time, known for their debut release on Aniara records. Three takes on classic house music done by young producers in their unique almost serene style that reveal their nordic roots. Genius Of Time shows that house music can still sound fresh.
Italian proto house vibes on this new Clone Royal Oak 12". An elegant Whodamany & Dario Di Pace production that's ready to be a regular force on dancefloors from Rimini to NYC and the Chitown. The classy vocal heavy club mix is backed up by the re-mix and freak-appella!
Midmorning on a beautiful sunny Sunday in 2011 in the heart of Tokyo, where frenetic and otherworldly Shibuya meets softer, sleeker Aoyama, Portland Oregon-based producer/performer/DJ Conoley Ospovat walked into Seco Bar and was met by a major party in progress. Eddie C was the only person on the lineup, and had already been on the decks for hours. Conoley caught the immense end of the ride, and was then introduced to Eddie by a mutual friend.
A few more encounters in Japan followed, and then the two of them moved to Berlin - arriving nearly simultaneously - where they continued to hang out at gigs and in more casual settings in that fabled and demanding city. Eddie was a source of tips and inspiration for Conoley, and the musical and personal connection was strong.
Fast-forward 10 years, and both are inhabitants of the verdant Pacific Northwest. It is there that their Rain/Sky collaboration was born.
Lindsey Flowers, Conoley's dear friend and long-time collaborator, lends her words and sweet voice on Rain/Sky...
Rain/Sky
Celestial shimmer, liquid light
Falling to nourish and cleanse
Lifted, grounded
Cool green energy and feeling
Between now and then.
Dedicated to Tetsuyoshi 'Sisi' Kisisita
Originally released in 2006, Rendezvous is a rare, dub techno track released by Nao AKA DJ Compufunk from Compufunk Records in Osaka. Working under the name Lovegod for the first and only time, he created a timeless epic for a live set at the legendary, short-lived underground club "United Underground ??? (Tsurunoma)".
Now revived 20 years later by Richard Akingbehin’s Kynant Records, Priori contributes a dreamy rework and Janeret slows it down into a crisp dub version to complete the EP.
Written & produced by Naoyuki Yamakawa
Additional production by Francis Latreille and Mickael Jeanneret
Mastering by Anne Taegert @ Dubplates & Mastering
Artwork by Grant Gibson
Distributed by N.E.W.S
After the acclaimed Quanteen by MYKI, Chat Noir returns with the second release of its new CHTNR series, welcoming back Pletnev, following his appearance on Chat Noir Hors-Série #3.
Bleach Please is a tightly engineered dose of techno and progressive trance, driven by relentless grooves, hypnotic momentum and razor-sharp sound design. Four tracks where precision meets psychedelic tension and every detail has a purpose.
Load the machine, turn it up, and let Pletnev do the rest.
AAl Trenzar Mis Penas is AFFRA’s debut album, an intimate and transformative
work where she turns pain, memory and vulnerability into songs. Inspired by the
tradition of Indigenous women braiding their hair to leave their sorrows there,
AFFRA braids hers through singing. The album moves through wounds, grief, roots
and self-care towards healing and hope, with her voice as refuge, mirror and a
way of existing.
'Suau' is the band's debut live-recorded EP. Five tracks blending R&B, hip hop,
and jazz fusion, moving away from today's processed sound. Organic music made
in Vic by eight musicians playing without rush.
Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Atlantic Records!
Platinum-selling 1982 studio album by Crosby, Stills & Nash
180-gram 45 RPM double LP
Mastered directly from the original master tape by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering
Pressed at Quality Record Pressings
Tip-on old style gatefold double pocket jacket by Stoughton Printing
Although Crosby, Stills & Nash had, in effect, been together for well over a decade when Daylight Again (1982) was issued, it was only their third studio long-player of concurrently new material. Initially, the project began as a collaborative effort between Stephen Stills (guitar/banjo/keyboards/percussion/vocals) and Graham Nash (guitar/keyboards/percussion/vocals), as David Crosby was descending into a self-induced state of perpetual drug dependency. However, Crosby was included, although arguably in name alone, and his hauntingly lyrical "Delta" stands as one of his finest contributions. Perhaps the most telling element in the trio's state of affairs was the addition of the Eagles' Timothy B. Schmit and CSN bandmember Mike Finnigan (keyboards/vocals) on vocals throughout.
Among the most notable material on the album are Graham Nash's "Wasted on the Way," and "Southern Cross," composed by Michael and Richard Curtis with Stephen Stills. Both were extracted as singles and became among the best-known tracks not only on Daylight Again, but also in the post-'60s CSN canon.
This reissue has all the earmarks of a phenomenal Analogue Productions reissue. Mastered directly from the original master tape by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering and cut at 45 RPM. Pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings, and housed in a tip-on old style gatefold double pocket jacket by Stoughton Printing.
"As sharp as I sing, it still soothes you, doesn't it? Like a lick of ice cream?" sings Thao Nguyen on her Kill Rock Stars debut, We Brave Bee Stings and All. Whether it's intentional or not, the line describes her sound perfectly. Nguyen's rich, breathy voice -- and the way she croons, yelps, and drawls with it -- recalls Cat Power, Fiona Apple, and Sinéad O'Connor. However, these comparisons suggest that Thao is a searing, intense artist when nothing could be further from the truth: her country-tinged indie folk-pop is playfully observant, mischievous with just a hint of vulnerability. By playing against type and putting a voice that seems tailor-made for brooding into songs that are sunny and sweet, Nguyen carves out her own intriguing territory among indie folk songstresses.
On We Brave Bee Stings and All's first two songs. "Beat (Health, Life and Fire)" builds brass, ukulele, and piano to an urgent but joyous peak, while "Bag of Hammers" is as rambling as it is catchy. The interplay between Nguyen and her band, the Get Down Stay Down, is more intuitive than ever, and the album's fuller sound (courtesy of producer Tucker Martine) complements her more fully formed songs.
In fact, most of the album is so cheery that it's a good thing Nguyen's voice isn't delicate, or her music might be sickly sweet instead of fresh and engaging. Fortunately, "Feet Asleep"'s Dixieland moxie and "Geography"'s jazzy flourishes help keep the album from sounding too predictable. Even if this isn't Thao's first album, We Brave Bee Stings and All is a fine introduction to her music.
An explorer from Earth is pulled through a malformed black hole and crash-lands on a distant
water-covered planet. Her ship lies in ruins, its systems failing, lights flickering through smoke. Then it
begins to rain.
As water enters the machinery, the opposite of what might be expected occurs. The ship starts to recover.
Its interface reorganises itself into legible glyphs; damaged systems begin to hum back to life; the
surrounding terrain slowly assimilates with its structure. Everything is washed in pastel blues, greens and
purples, and a landscape that should feel entirely alien produces an inexplicable sensation of home.
This is the world NikNak imagines for Azul, an album built around water and our increasing desire to
become more integrated with technology. Yet the relationship she proposes is not one of technological
domination over nature. Here, nature repairs the machine. Water nourishes the human body and its
extensions alike, dissolving the perceived boundary between biological and technological systems. The
cyborg at the centre of Azul is fluid rather than metallic: copper capillaries, nanotechnology and water
circulating through the same body.
Part of this imagined world has a very real source. Much of Azul was developed during a residency at Casa Ilhabela in Brazil, where NikNak collected underwater recordings specifically for the project. These
recordings give the album's fiction a physical foundation: its imagined waters begin with real ones. Field
recordings become material for an environment that is simultaneously otherworldly and rooted in direct
experience.
It is a natural evolution for an artist whose practice has long resisted a single mode of listening. An
award-winning turntablist, composer and improviser, NikNak has built a language around manipulating
sound in real time and treating recorded material as something fluid rather than fixed. On Azul, that instinct expands into more immersive world-building: sound becomes environment, organism and narrative at once.
Following 2024's Ireti, Azul marks NikNak's arrival on Lapsus Records. Beneath its science-fiction
architecture lies a quieter and more personal transformation. Back on Earth, the explorer was afraid of
water. Here, she eventually kneels beside a small rock pool and drinks the rainwater collecting within it. For the first time in a long while, she feels completely at ease. What once inspired fear has become
nourishment; what should feel foreign feels like home.
The feeling doesn't last. The ship's distress beacon was activated when it lost course, and somewhere
beyond the atmosphere its signal has been received. The explorer looks towards the point where she first
tore through the sky and sees another vessel beginning to emerge. For now, she calls this place Azul.
IT is celebrating the Detroit - Bristol connection with the "Magenta Glow EP" from Hodge. This began with Hodge playing for IT in Detroit, first at Return to the Source, and then at a spring party at Tangent, where he was so inspired by what he saw that he began composing music for these environments. It quickly expanded to a number of songs, each to be carefully mixed from their stems by BMG in the Interdimensional Laboratory on hardware to give the record the largest and most solid sonic footprint it could have, using the same process as the recent Andy Toth record and Alchemical Sisters album. Each song is unique, yet each is so strong it could be its own single. Science fiction themes are highlighted with "Magenta Glow" referencing Philip K. Dick, and "Oankali" being named after entities from Lilith's Brood by Octavia E. Butler.
The twelfth release on Early Morning is a collaboration between Fauxplay and Anthony Pappa, two producers whose shared roots in progressive house give the record its coherent, unhurried identity. Four tracks, nearly thirty minutes, built around a single piece and its transformations.
Forever Seeking is the foundation. A seven-minute arc that settles into its groove with patience, opens into a melodic break that creates genuine space, and returns with a drop that carries weight without force. The Ambient Mix closes the record as its quiet resolution - the same melody stripped of rhythm, allowed to exist on its own terms.
Between them, Simon Vuarambon contributes two interpretations. The Remix maintains the emotional core of the original while moving with greater urgency, cycling through two distinct breaks and drops across eight minutes. The Dub Mix takes a more stripped approach, emphasizing space and low-end, giving each element room to breathe.
This is music for the later hours, where the dancefloor and the inner world become the same place.
Silhouette is a brand new label from Burnski, who is surely the hardest working man in the underground right now. His thirst for sounds that traverse the garage, tech, dub and minimal spectrum seems to be utterly insatiable. For the second release on his latest outlet, he enlists Budapest-based house-head Vitus. In return, he drops five tunes that will work the floor with muscular grooves but bring the fun with great samples. There's raw filth on 'Got Your Head Nod', choppy, jazzy loops on 'Mind State,' a more heads down minimal sound on 'Take Me (To The Floor)' and bubbly energy on the well swung closer 'House Is (Never) Boring'. A charming EP full of club utility.
Following his recent appearance on Blueprint, Mark Broom returns to the label with a unique project, revisiting the work of techno pioneer Regis. Entitled "Power Is Neutral", the release sees Broom rework a selection of seminal Regis recordings originally released on Downwards Records across the albums Gymnastics (1996), Delivered Into The Hands Of Indifference (1998) and Penetration (2001).
Known as one of the key architects of the Birmingham techno sound, Regis (Karl O'Connor) helped shape British techno through his work as co-founder of Downwards Records and a catalogue that continues to influence generations of artists.
For Mark Broom, few artists embody British rave culture quite like Regis. Drawing on source material that has long stood as a cornerstone of UK techno, Broom approaches these edits with both respect and imagination. As Regis puts it, "Mark Broom is like some modern day Bagpuss... he has fired up his techno mouseorgan and polished old relics to make them all shiny and new."
Power Is Neutral delivers six expertly crafted reinterpretations that bridge the raw energy of Regis' original works with Broom's unmistakable contemporary dancefloor sensibility, bringing these timeless tracks to a new generation of listeners.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of one of the true cult classics of the Italo Disco universe: Mike Mareen’s “Love Spy.” Released in 1986, the track sounded strikingly different from much of the dance music around it: futuristic, dramatic, playful and instantly recognisable. It quickly found its way into DJ cases across Europe and became one of the records that would define Mike Mareen’s electronic sound.
But the story actually began under a different name. An early incarnation of the song was called “Batman,” with lyrics inspired by the adventures of the famous comic-book hero and the villains surrounding him. A small number of promotional copies circulated before copyright concerns meant that the concept had to be abandoned. The title and lyrics were rewritten and “Love Spy” was born. The early “Batman” version has since become one of the most fascinating curiosities in Mike Mareen’s catalogue.
Four decades later, we felt an anniversary like this deserved something special.
LOVE SPY 40th Anniversary will therefore arrive in two parts, bringing together some of our favourite producers from today’s Italo, synth and electronic scene.
Part One features brand-new remixes by Luca Dell’Orso, Flemming Dalum, Also Playable Mono and Disco Computer. And enthusiasm was never going to be a problem here. “Love Spy” is not simply an ’80s classic, it remains a genuine DJ favourite, loved by old-school collectors and a new generation of Italo-wave selectors alike.
Alongside four killer new interpretations, we are bringing back the original Badman Mix, plus the highly sought-after “MAKE YOUR OWN MIX” material – rare set of individual elements created for DJs to deconstruct, combine and rebuild “Love Spy” themselves. These samples have become particularly desirable among collectors and make the perfect addition to the first chapter of our anniversary edition.
Four new remixes. Two pieces of history. Forty years of LOVE SPY.
And we are only halfway there.
LOVE SPY 40th Anniversary Part Two, featuring another line-up of major names from our scene arrives in November.
Abacus back in full effect — “The Earthly Pleasures” EP, a deep house gem celebrating 30 years since its original 1996 drop on 83 West.
Jazz-infused grooves, soulful rhythms, timeless vibes — this one still hits heavy.
A true classic from the Abacus catalog, reissued for the heads who know.
Pure deepness, no filler — essential wax.
Feedbacks:
Harri (Sub Club) : nice, will play and support
Hector Romero (Def Mix) : Proper deepness on Sunray - still sounds fresh! and the Bassline on Phonogrammeis a killer. Love it. H
Geir Aspenes (G-Ha (Sunkissed)) : Thank u
Pacific Coliseum (Dublab, Teen Daze, Noire & Blanche) : Moonbeamz is the jam for me; still sounds fresh all these years later!
Fred P : Nice..
Mr. V (Sole Channel Music / Strictly Rhythm / Salter Music / Defected) : Pure dopeness Thanks
Mark Farina : classic! nice.
Jimpster (Freerange) : Abacus doing what he does best and bringing the deep heaters! Loving all three tracks here.
Laurent Garnier : very elegant EP
Lea Lisa (Phonica Records / Folklor Club) : Play them since day one, good to repress for the new generation. Essential
Anthony Collins (Frank & Tony / Scissor & Thread) : great record
Franck Roger (Real Tone Records) : What a greta news to repress this old classic
Prosumer : 30 years later still hot AF
Red Eye (Crash Planet Rec, R.E.A.D., Red/Shift, Lavish Habits, Multipass) : Moonbeamz still out here holding its own!!!!
Felix Dickinson (Futureboogie, Rush Hour, Cynic) : Used to play Moonbeamz a lot when it first came out, nice to have the digis.
DJ Bone (FURTHER) : Crazy Hazy Days is really nice
Terry Farley : sunrays a legend
Antal (Rush Hour) : nice!!
Carista : love this thanks
