Cerca:j punch

After a longer break, Marko Nastic is back with a new Easy Tiger release that was surely worth the wait! This time, Marko is bringing us three banging tracks that are inspired by the comeback of the 90s club sound with a cosmic touch to it. The opening track, "How to Create the Vibe Around", is an old-school roller with a punchy drum and a heavy bassline. Dreamy and trance-inspired synths will push you to the dance floor, and the acid sound will make you move. While you're vibing, the vocal is sure to hit the spot and complete this journey. "An Ode to the Executioner" is the beast of this EP. Starting with crazy modulations, it creates an euphoric energy that is fulfilled with a fat bassline and a straight-on techno beat. Uplifting acid and trance vocals keep us in a rapture state of mind.Last but not least, "Cables And Rain" continues the party with an old-school drum loop and a groovy bassline that reminds us of Marko's recognizable older production. Coloring this banger is a refreshing flute melody and a repetitive vocal. And of course, the wrapper of the track, once again, is the acid sound that is sure to lock you in place.

Very limited stock available on these. Picture Disc Vinyl Packaging: 2xLP zoetrope (animated) picture discs, 24x36 foldout poster in custom silkscreen PVC gatefold sleeve + download card. On their fifth album, Infinite Granite, Deafheaven are no longer toying with the juxtaposition of pitting metallic abrasion against swirling grandeur. Quite the opposite: Infinite Granite is a bold and brave leap forward, a gorgeous and invigorating album brimming with style and splendor. In the context of their catalog, it takes on a whole other layer of defiant beauty. Across Infinite Granite, vocalist George Clarke showcases a startling vocal range; falsettos, whispers, multi-part harmonies, and other adventurous vocal treatments, with his trademark black metal-inspired howls mostly absent. Guitarists Kerry McCoy and Shiv Mehra expand their sonic palette to include synth textures using them to enrich their astral guitar work rather than outright replace it. Drummer Daniel Tracy has always been a force to reckon with behind the kit, but where he used to floor audiences with his speed and stamina, he’s now free to broaden his approach and lay down authoritative drum patterns that together with bassist Christopher Johnson’s punchy bass lines anchor the band’s lofty arrangements. The refinement of their sound was further encouraged by producer Justin Meldal-Johnsen, who lent a pop ear to the record. Jack Shirley, who helped produce every previous Deafheaven album, remained on board to engineer the album along with additional engineering and mixing from nine-time Grammy Award winner Darrell Thorp. Ultimately, Infinite Granite is Deafheaven’s most goosebump-inducing album to date. Highlights: Follow up to 2018’s grammy nominated album Ordinary Corrupt Human Love and first full-length release with Sargent House. Deafheaven named ‘Artist of the Decade’ by Vice, along with albums featured in ‘Best of 2010s’ lists on Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Metacritic, AV Club and many more. Three previous albums Sunbather, New Bermuda and Ordinary Corrupt Human Love have received incredible praise from press and named ‘Best New Music’ by Pitchfork. Deafheaven have scanned over 160k albums and streamed over 30 million tracks in the US alone.

10th Anniversary Edition auf Limited SPLIT-COLOURED Vinyl!

"Run the Jewels - die herausragende Kollaboration der Hip-Hop-Veteranen El-P und Killer Mike - haben sich seit der Veröffentlichung ihres Debüts Run The Jewels im Jahr 2013 von einem launenhaften Underground-Rap-Projekt zu einer weltweiten Sensation entwickelt. Sie mischen den industriellen Dreck von New York City mit dem pulsierenden Bounce des dreckigen Südens und schmieden die Zukunft des Hip-Hop, während sie an den Grundpfeilern seiner Basis festhalten: gymnastische Darbietungen von Fähigkeiten, aufrührerische politische Rhetorik, gnadenlose Angeberei, kampferprobtes Arschlochgehabe, Punchlines mit Altersfreigabe und ein Hin und Her, das das Zusammenspiel der Adidas-Ära schreiend in unseren heutigen Albtraum bringt. Ihr selbstbetiteltes Debütalbum aus dem Jahr 2013 wurde ursprünglich über eine Reihe von kostenlosen Downloads auf der Website veröffentlicht und zerreißt das Regelwerk der Musikindustrie. Mit Big Boi von Outkast auf "Banana Clipper" und Prince Paul auf "Twin Hype Back" ist es ein "rauer und tollwütiger Ritt"; eine "auftrumpfende Siegesrunde für zwei Künstler auf dem Höhepunkt ihrer Kreativität"; und wurde als "eine der besten
Hip-Hop-Platten des Jahres 2013" betitelt

TPG long term friend and homeboy Ben Oyefeso pulls out a trio of double-jointed cuts for the club and not, the German producer's debut EP ‘Lagerfeuer’ packs that left-of-centre house punch that’s come to define the label throughout the previous ten releases and certainly more than just that. Cutting his lane at the junction of oddball party music and deconstructionist boogie, Oyefeso’s maiden sortie floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee. A weird, buzzing slab of body-jacking electronics that doesn’t play by the book.

An off-road bouncer of a track, the opening number ‘Matt’ has us nodding our heads to a high-in-vitamin mix of jacking house programming and erratic acid patterns gone astray. Knee deep in 303-marinated puddles of psychedelic squelch, Oyefeso keeps swinging the pendulum between a proper syncopated 4x4 motif’d framework and frantic digressions into an abstract-leaning headspace.

A2 ‘Kool’ opts for a further sliced-and-diced rhythmic line of action, generously infused with twisted Rephlexian phrases and sustained waves of micro-house clicking. Topping off that strange journey, the title-track ‘Lagerfeuer’ merges polyrhythmic intricacies with a forward-moving, earwormy kind of linear groove, all laced with a spooky baseline that stretches out into a purgatory of frankly eerie dissonances. Enough with the words, just jump on board Ben Oyefeso’s ghost train for a seriously tortuous, nonconformist ride across dance music’s jagged ridges and most secret crevasses.

Credit 00 arrives at the peak of festival season with a sadboi singalong to soundtrack the long summer evenings we spend all year looking forward to. Teasing his upcoming full-length, the Rat Life boss returns to Pinkman for the first time since '21 with a punchy single that draws inspiration from believe and despair. Future dancefloor karaoke anthem 'Hope' travels through time by laying 21st century autotune pop over ancient bit crushed computer beats. Watch out for the dangerously catchy hook, once it's in your head it won't be leaving anytime soon!

2002 erschien das Debütalbum von The Bees 'Sunshine Hit Me' und bediente sich einer breiten Palette von Einflüssen, darunter Psychedelia, Reggae, Indie und 60s-Rock, was den Briten eine Nominierung für den Mecury Prize einbrachte. Nun wurde das Album remastered und wird als blaue LP (mit 2 Bonus-Download-Tracks) neu aufgelegt.

Recently reformed Swedish death metal pioneers DISMEMBER are proud to announce that they have once again joined the ranks of NUCLEAR BLAST RECORDS, where they released their demo, Reborn In Blasphemy (1990), their 1991 debut album, Like An Everflowing Stream, as well as the four records that would follow. Between 1988 and 2011 DISMEMBER earned a notorious reputation as the “Motörhead (version) of death metal”, through eight classic albums and furious live shows around the globe. The band was formed by Robert Sennebäck, David Blomqvist and Fred Estby in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1988 and has long since been regarded as one of the originators of the trademark Swedish death metal sound, next to other pioneering bands such as ENTOMBED, GRAVE and UNLEASHED. DISMEMBER recorded a couple of self-released demos before their 1990 demo cassette, Reborn In Blasphemy, with Matti Kärki on vocals and ENTOMBED's Nicke Andersson taking over most lead guitar parts, got picked up for a wider release by NUCLEAR BLAST RECORDS. In 1991, their first full-length, Like An Everflowing Stream (Nuclear Blast Records), saw the light of day, which was recorded by Tomas Skogsberg at the now legendary Sunlight Studios, and featured Richard Cabeza (UNANIMATED) on bass. DISMEMBER released their acclaimed sophomore album, Indecent & Obscene, in 1993, which to this day remains their most successful output.

Released in 1997, the fourth studio album by Sweden's DISMEMBER totally lives up to its title, and provides a harsher, more aggressive sound than its predecessor. Including a barrage of great tracks like 'Misanthropic', 'Of Fire', 'Silent Are The Watchers', it also marked the debut of drummer Fred Estby as producer. This remaster by Patrick W. Engel adds an impressive additional punch resulting in the ultimate version of this classic.

Bristol's soul jazz kings The Jazz Defenders release a new vinyl 45 single this autumn as a taster for their third album, which is destined for release in spring 2024. Once again, they are bringing together their love of 1960's soul jazz and golden era 90's hip-hop, just as they did on a couple of tracks on their last album "King Phoenix" (Haggis Records 2022). This new single sees them reunited with London MC/rapper Doc Brown, who guested on the track "Perfectly Imperfect", and his flow sits so naturally over the Jazz Defenders' music and beats, you'd think he's a permanent band member.

The A-side "Rolling On A High" is a real old school boom bap style party hip-hop jam. Big beats, rolling bassline (acoustic double bass), Ramsey Lewis soul jazz piano vamps, funky Hammond organ and some punchy horn section business, all topped off with Doc Brown bouncing bars back and forth with that laid back vibe he always brings to the mic. A guaranteed dance-floor bomb, whether you're a breaker, a jazz dancer or simply a Saturday night disco shuffler. The B-side "Looking Back" takes the tempo right down. An 'end of the night' number when the lights in the club are low, the last drinks are being drained and you're thinking and reminiscing about times gone by. The good times and bad, successes and mistakes. And made even more poignant and reflective halfway through when the mellow strings come into the song (once again excellently arranged by pianist/bandleader George Cooper). If "Rolling On A High" is the fire then "Looking Back" is definitely the ice. Proof that the Jazz Defenders can rock the party and grab the dancers but also dig deep with emotive tunes that draw in the discerning listener.

The Jazz Defenders, led by keyboard maestro George Cooper from The Haggis Horns, have been building a reputation as a great musical unit since their debut Blue Note/hard bop-inspired album "Scheming" appeared on Haggis Records back in 2019, which received a huge amount of praise from critics, and subsequently went on to spend 5 weeks in the top ten of the American jazz charts In 2021, their double A-side vinyl single "The Big Man/Love's Vestige" got them the breakthrough they deserved. It garnered heavy support on radio from top folks like Craig Charles (BBC6 Music), Helen Mayhew (Jazz FM), Jamie Cullum (BBC Radio 2), and Worldwide FM resident DJ's Ashley Beedle and Colin Curtis. They further enhanced their reputation as a rocking band with album number two "King Phoenix" and by electrifying audiences at sold out live shows across the UK, including the legendary Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London.

Album number three is well on its way but for now, check out this tasty limited edition 45 single on Haggis Records. The JDs and Doc Brown...the perfect combination, still keeping that sweet jazz/hip-hop love affair alive today.

A very special autumnal presentation from FaltyDL & Studio Barnhus, in the form of a perfect little slab of 12'' vinyl, exhibiting the love for the classic house sound that burns within the hearts of the prolific New York producer as well as the Swedish dance music
powerhouse. In particular, “Our House Is Barnhus” honours and updates the deeper side of the French touch – think Pépé Bradock and early St. Germain – fully displaying the state-ofthe-art production skills and emotional depth always present in Drew Lustman's music.
Known for his shapeshifting sound, FaltyDL has been releasing explorative electronic music for over a decade, switching his sound up intuitively across 6 albums, remixes for The xx and Mount Kimbie, executive production credits for Mykki Blanco and a multitude of
singles and EPs, including two previous Studio Barnhus editions in 2021 and 2019.

Our House Is Barnhus (12'' vinyl + digital release) is out on Studio Barnhus on September 29, 2023.

JJ McCann Transmission - aka James McCann - has a long history in Australian rock circles (in Perth, Sydney and Melbourne) and has had a bunch of releases out in France and Spain. James' new album - his first under the new JJ McCann Transmission moniker - is called Hit With Love and it was produced by Rob Younger of Radio Birdman and the New Christs who produced every second great Australian rock record in the 80s and 90s (Died Pretty, Hard-Ons, Lime Spiders, Celibate Rifles, Hoodoo Gurus etc) and who more recently produced Civic's Taken By Force. It is a scorcher. Songs like "Forces at Work", "Don't Bother Me", "She's Repatriated" and "Blindsided" would be at home in the booze stained venues and shagpile carpet sharehouses of Australian inner-city music scenes of yore. mphibious Skin' and ew Machine' pack an angular post-punk punch, while entimental Crap' takes a booze and blues-stained axe to misconceived nostalgia. This is an album that drips with reverence for the past and bursts with passion for the future of rock'n'roll. Get it now and feel the love.

Ed Sheeran’s brand-new album Autumn Variations will be available for pre-order on the 24th August at 5pm before a worldwide release on the 29th September. It will be available to stream on all platforms as well as purchase physically as a CD or various limited Vinyl editions.

Ed Sheeran is an era-defining artist who has sold over 52 million albums and 150 million singles across the world. Through his fusion of thought-provoking songwriting, universal pop and multi-genre influence, his rich tapestry is not only perfectly suited to his audience but it’s something that transcends generations.

Since surfacing on the UK circuit in 2010 with his ‘No.5 Collaborations Project’ – an eight-track EP featuring his favourite grime artists of the time – the Suffolk-raised recording artist has resonated with fans across the world through his peerless songcraft and versatility. And now, with six consecutive UK No.1 albums to his name – ‘+’ (2011), ‘x’ (2014), ‘÷’ (2017), ‘No.6 Collaborations Project’ (2019), ‘=’ (2021) and ‘-‘ (2023) – Sheeran continues to reaffirm his status as one of the most in-demand pop stars on the planet.

Prior to the release of ‘=’ (October 2021) – an album that’s now surpassed five million global sales - Sheeran secured two UK No.1 singles in the UK with ‘Bad Habits’ and ‘Shivers’, which sat atop the UK’s Official Singles Chart for a combined total of 15 weeks. Moreover, the LP saw him take home 2 x EMA’s for ‘Best Artist’ and ‘Best Song’; an American Music Award for ‘Favourite Male Pop Artist’; British GQ’s ‘Solo Artist of the Year’; 4 x Los40 Awards; a BRIT Award for ‘Songwriter of the Year’ alongside a nomination for ‘Song of the Year’ at the 2022 GRAMMY’s.

Sheeran’s most recent album, Subtract, secured Ed his sixth No.1 album. Produced by Aaron Dessner, the album was anchored in his love of singer/songwriter compositions and written against a backdrop of personal grief and hope. Ed’s most critically-acclaimed album to date, it housed the heart wrenching UK No.1 single ‘Eyes Closed’ – a song about his late friend, Jamal Edwards.

But it’s not just his recorded music that’s seen the former Glastonbury headliner become one of the sought-after artists of the 21st century. Possessing a mystical ability to turn 90,000 capacity venues into the pub back-rooms that he first started playing in, Ed made history in 2015 after becoming the first-ever artist to play Wembley Stadium solo - without a band, just with his guitar and loop pedal - over three, consecutive sold out nights. Move forward to the summer of 2019 and Ed would re-enter history books after the completion of his mammoth two-year Divide tour, officially becoming the most-attended tour of all time after it culminated with special homecoming shows in Ipswich, Suffolk. Beginning last summer, Ed is currently travelling the world on his ‘+ - = ÷ x Tour’ (pronounced ‘The Mathematics Tour’), which saw him return to Wembley Stadium for a five-night run last June.

Ed Sheeran, who was awarded an MBE for his services to music and charity in 2017, is the proud recipient of 1 x IFPI Award (best-selling global artist of 2017); 4 x Grammys; 4 x Ivor Novello’s; 7 x BRIT Awards (including two consecutive wins for ‘Global Success’ in 2018 and 2019); 7 x Billboard Awards + more. Moreover, to this day, his blockbusting third studio album ‘÷’ remains the fastest-selling album, ever, by a male artist in the UK, while the LP’s lead single, ‘Shape of You’, maintains its status as the most-streamed song in Spotify’s history.

At the end of 2019, Sheeran was presented with the Official Chart Company’s first-ever ‘No.1 Artist of the Decade’ award following a host of accomplishments in his native UK including the most No.1’s across the UK’s Official Singles and Albums chart from the years 2010-2019. Most recently, Ed scored two more feats with the OCC after becoming the first British Solo Artist to claim 52 weeks – an entire year – at No.1 on the Official UK Singles Chart, with only Elvis Presley and The Beatles achieving more overall weeks at the top, as well as becoming the first-ever artist with four albums spending an entire year or more in the UK Top 10.

Infekto aka Rico Tubbs aka Riku Pentti is a Finnish producer, from the city of Tampere. A long time figurehead of the Finnish dance scene, he first started releasing music under Infekto on Aquasky’s Passenger label in 2002, later launching his Rico Tubbs pseudonym on Jay Cunning’s Menu Music. And prior to all of that, he was part of the Mombfunk MC’s… you remember… Freestyler!

Here he goes back to his original musical love, hardcore rave. Four total destroyers that brings the warehouse feel… uplifting melodies with heavy bass and beats.

Teaming up with The Ragga Twins on one of the tracks and bringing in the heavy remix pressure from the one and only Marc Mac from Reinforced aka Manix and one half of 4-Hero. On top of that Nervous & Anxious also delivery a kickout punch with their remix, keeping things on that Finnish tip!

Pressed on 180g heavyweight vinyl and presented in a Amen Brother housebag with a black inner sleeve.

Absolutely essential funk-fuelled, disco flavoured business from Le'O Roy with ‘Pound For Pound’ on the mighty Golden Flamingo Records. Produced by Bobby Brinson, and P&P’s very own Peter Brown, you’ll struggle to find four and a half more electrifying, feel-good, funk-infused minutes of music than these.

Pound for pound one of the best cuts of this scene, it’s an early ‘80s boogie leaning blend taking the best bits from disco, funk and soul, and adding a heavy dose of NYC spice to the mix. Punchy funk guitar licks, a driving beat laced with hypnotic cowbells and an intoxicating, gritty yet golden dose of vocal power. A rare as hen’s teeth record finally given the official reissue it’s been crying out for.

Before the Odysee, there was the Iliad; a tale of the golden age of heroes and warriors.'

The idea behind the new Iliads series is to return to the sound of the golden age of Jungle/Drum & Bass, and more specifically the original ‘heroes’ of the Odysee label.
This second in the series pays homage to the unique sound of the Mirage releases. The influence of these releases on the SD sound that followed has often been overlooked, principally because it was assumed that the ‘Mirage’ moniker was simply another pseudonym for Source Direct, when in actual fact it was a lethal combination of the powerful engineering and arrangement skills of Jim Baker (Source Direct) and the sound selection and co-production of Odysee’s founder, Tilla Kemal (T-Mirage).

Face In The Shadows immediately opens with that slightly darker feel, with tracks like Feel My Dreams and Stonekiller in mind. The trademark SD style of break switches (aptly named ‘call & response) are immediately evident, although the Funky Mule gives the track its primary momentum. The sound selection is eerie, focusing on the 70’s Film-Noire, and deep Electro in line with Tilla’s particular preferences. The spoken word quotes are also unmistakably ‘Mirage-esque.’

Regenesis is a classic Odysee B-side track; lighter, more experimental and Jazzy in it’s feel. It showcases intricate and crisp rolling break work, and a beautifully refined selection of real stand- out musical quotes; from the sweet R&B-esque vocal ad-libs to the lush 70’s style sleaze of the Rhodes rolls. The interaction of these elements is the glue that holds this tune together.

The Darkness Within is the final track of the E.P. and it is the arrangement of samples that really emulates the ‘Mirage’ sound. Tilla & Jim were very particular about grouping sounds to work with & answer each other in each section of a tune. Samples were often sourced from obscure Film OST’s or rare electro albums which had sample diggers scratching their heads for many years! This track is dubbed out deeper, with a punching & rolling Soulpride features as the hero break and a repetitive deep chord stab forming the foundation of the tune.

Look out for the final instalment Volume III, where we will be focusing on the dystopian Jazz sound of the Hokusai releases!

UK house icon Mr. G makes his FUSE debut alongside longtime friend and collaborator Duncan Forbes, with the two partnering for their excellent ‘Time To Dip’ EP.

An artist truly regarded as one of UK house music’s greats, Colin McBean, aka Mr. G, stands today as an individual at the pinnacle of the genre as his trademark sound and legendary live sets continue to tantalise crowds across the globe. A special guest at FUSE’s final show at London’s iconic Printworks in March, the event that went on to influence the EP’s curation, the UK mainstay heads to Enzo Siragusa’s globally renowned imprint for the very first time this September as he delivers his ‘Time To Dip’ EP alongside longstanding friend and regular collaborator, Duncan Forbes. Friends for many years, having known one another since Forbes’ Animated project, their collaborations on Phoenix G and 49North and recent LP have seen the duo uncover a selection of high- quality cuts from across the house spectrum - and here they showcase their innate chemistry across four tracks loaded with quality.

“Gotta say, this EP really is born outta standing on the stage before my set at FUSE at Printworks and listening to what was being played. When I got back I said to D that I wanted do something based around what I had heard, never really thinking Enzo or FUSE would get it, but how wrong we were. It’s another fab meeting of minds with D, which makes this joint EP so different yet special... I feel it covers many different bases and tempos, a real gem. Looking forward to see what folk make of it.” - Mr. G.

Title track ‘Time To Dip’ is classy house music that packs a punch typical of that trademark sound we’ve come to know and love. It’s heavy and tough yet stripped back and unquestionably dancefloor focused, all softened by hooky female vocals and hazy textures. Duncan’s ‘Sherbert Dip’ mix highlights the vocal and brings it to the fore as shuffling drums and sweeping melodies build around the elements. The flip welcomes ‘All Night’, a delightfully vibrant track pairing rich rhodes, swirling leads and sharp hats with an abundance of subtle jazzy textures, before Forbes’ ‘In The Zone’ remix delivers an immersive, heady and dubby late-night voyage for a mesmerising final ride.

wAFF makes a triumphant return to Hot Creations after a seven-year hiatus with his three-track, groove-driven ‘Slapfunk EP’.

Since his first outing back in 2012, wAFF has been an integral part of the Hot Creations family, remixing various releases and dropping a total of four EPs - the last being ‘Sick Pleasure’ in 2016, which still stands today as a highlight in the label’s extensive catalogue. Marking a long-awaited return to Jamie Jones and Lee Foss’ beloved imprint after seven years, with material via renowned labels such as Solid Grooves, Cocoon, Desolat and his very own NATURE imprint over that period further establishing him as a leading name, he arrives fresh from his third Paradise show of the season ready to ignite dancefloors with a trio of irresistible beats on ‘Slapfunk’.

Title track ‘Slapfunk’ opens the release with shifting stabs, warping bass patterns and fizzing lead synths, steadily progressing into a menacing club-focused workout. Continuing his signature style, ‘Questions’ showcases a blend of pulsating beats synchronised with a warped vocal topline that enhances the allure. Finally, ‘Next Game’ delivers a punchy trip loaded with subtle minimal-leaning influences, combining chopped vocal snippets with slick, stripped-back percussion.

Alinka Returns to Rekids with her latest EP ‘I’m Your Ghost’

Following the relaunch of her label Twirl alongside Shaun J. Wright, Alinka now brings her brand new EP' I'm Your Ghost' to Radio Slave's Rekids. Having made frequent appearances within its catalogue, her 'I'm Your Ghost' EP sees the Ukranian-born, Chicago-raised and Berlin-residing producer return with four eclectic and club-orientated house tracks. These will sit amongst her previous releases on Permanent Vacation, Needwant, HE.SHE.THEY and Crosstown Rebels.

'Teachers' is the first cut presented on 'I'm Your Ghost' with its sharp percussive layers building towards the well-honed grooves in its composition. Title-track 'I'm Your Ghost' punches through next with weighty, wobbling subs placed against a catchy lead. 'I Still Believe' is featured with rising chord progressions and pounding kicks as '909 Lives' draws the EP to a close with an intricate mix of synths and striding drum work, paying homage to its title. It’s a package highlighting why Alinka is on an unstoppable rise, with support from some of the biggest names across house music.

Ted Milton and Graham Lewis return as Elegiac with their second release – a four track EP inch titled “Meet My Stalker”. The pair of idiosyncratic sonic stylists, bullish outsiders with a Dadaist's ear for unexpected rhythms and ear-catching turns of phrase return showcasing a new track – the title of the EP - along with three bass heavy dubbed out no wave versions of tracks from their self titled debut LP.

Ted Milton is a prolific poet, with several volumes under his belt, as well as an avant-garde puppeteer. Yet he's probably best known as vocalist/saxophonist with psycho-funk afro punk fake no-wave pogo jazz trio Blurt. Milton's group has produced an impressive string of albums, not to mention his numerous solo recordings.

Meanwhile, Edvard Graham Lewis has a history of strong solo releases, both under his own name and as He Said. And of course, as bassist, lyricist and sometime vocalist with post punk innovators Wire, he's been responsible for numerous landmark releases, from 1977's Pink Flag, to 2003's Send, to 2020's Mind Hive.

Arranged, like the album, by electronic composer and sound artist Sam Britton whose sure touch pieces all the elements together. Kicking off with a stripped down driving shortened version of “He Folds” with its eerie honking sax and kraut like pulsating bass the perfect complement to Milton’s chorus echoing throughout. “Boat” is another album track beefed up with Milton’s chants backed by layered percussive blasts and squawking sax. “Meet My Stalker” makes its first appearance here with its infectious snarling looped bassline and Milton’s refrain “It’s a wind up”. Closing out with another album highlight an elongated version of “Vancouver Slim” all synth bleeps and ricocheting grumbling sax and hypnotic vocals. Punchy, idiosyncratic, packed with melody and groove, this second release is the fascinating sound of an evolving Elegiac.

'AVANT TRASH' ist der programmatische Titel des Debütalbums der Cousines like Shit.
Mit ihren kritischen Punchlines verlautbaren die Cousinen ihre Beobachtungen zu Gesellschaft und dem Paradoxon Mensch. In Tracks wie 'Barbie', 'Vivid Sassy' oder 'Bachelorette' kann man sich wiederfinden, ertappt fühlen, oder man muss schlicht schmunzeln, wenn einem die Komik gewisser menschlicher Verhaltensmuster bewusst wird. Mit der Wahl des Titels 'AVANT TRASH' kreieren die Cousinen nicht weniger als ein eigenes Genre für sich, für ihren unverkennbaren Stil, textfokussiert und untermalt von simplen, aber eingängigen Melodien.

"RTR makes a dazzling return to WeMe Records with Circle coming through with 6 new tracks. 6 ways to outline his love for playful melodies, sauntering arrangements, squelching synths. Less breakbeat, more dancefloor oriented, RTR shows off some of his best and most colourful material as of late The record is both raw and punchy, kicking into gear over and over like an old fashioned detuned drum machine loop."

The kind of band whose members are fully immersed in their local scene-through a handful of notable side projects and the show- promoting Philly staple 4333 Collective- the quintet's sound takes wide- spectrum influence from its environment. The result is an amalgam of complex song structures and flourishes of technical acumen, wholly unconcerned with genre, yet evoking the specific styles of touchstones such as Paramore and Circa Survive.

On their debut longplayer Where the Heart Is, Sweet Pill's unbound, raucous energy presents through ten autobiographical tracks that hinge on singer Zayna Youssef's elastic, enrapturing voice- at times belting and controlled, at others textural and guttural. Supporting Youssef are guitarists Jayce Williams and Sean McCall, bassist Ryan Cullen, and drummer Chris Kearney. Their blistering lead single "Blood" sees Youssef exploring a deteriorated friendship over Williams and McCall's trudging riffs and tactful counterpoint, with Cullen and Kearney rumbling nimbly in the song's foundations.

Second single "High Hopes" counters with introspective, melodic punk that reshapes anxiety rather than succumb to it. But third single "Diamond Eyes" momentarily slows the pace, with McCall joining Youssef on vocals for a breakup lament laden with acoustic sentimentalism and an emotive flurry from guest flutist Jill Ryan. Such range is the central facet of Where the Heart Is, where Sweet Pill's penchant for combining punkish tropes enlivened with the vibrance of math- rock and the aggression of post- hardcore sweetened with pop sensibility compound into something stylistically new yet still familiar.

DeForrest Brown Jr., the writer and producer behind Speaker Music, describes Techxodus as "abstracting Blackness through information overload". On the album he explores the intersection of tech, Blackness and resistance via music taken from his archived live shows, which are then edited, ordered and reassembled in the studio. The main line of inquiry that feeds into Techxodus is Drexciya, whose myths have informed much recent afrofuturist creativity. DeForrest researches and reimagines the artifacts and stories of Drexciya with new maps, ideas and music, particularly reflecting on the 'Seven Storms', seven albums that came out in quick succession around the death of Drexciya member James Stinson, which seemed to herald Drexciyans in the attack mode. The artwork by Abu Qadim Haqq, who also created artwork for Drexciya, links the work too, with Deforrest re-orienting charts and timelines familiar from Drexciyan mythology, working up clues to all possible environments where Drexciyans could survive, from the depths of the Atlantic, to oceanic islands or even outer space. Like Sun-Ra, another touchstone of Afrofuturist music, it might be that the Drexciyans wanted to leave the planet they hated. With these elements, DeForrest creates a soundtrack for an alternate history, a sort of sci-fi sonic fiction which threads together the sonic warfare and mythos of the Drexciyan records with ideas and references to Ishmael Reed's 'Mumbo Jumbo', which tracks the story of 'Jes Grew', an audio virus, back to the coastal black cities of Alabama and the American South. Musically the album is as intense as its inspirations. DeForrest skilfully hand-plays rhythms which amalgamate trap and jazz drumming, but feel at times like orca-song as they pulse through the thick waves of digital sound. Equally the music evokes the ocean, with deep cold drones, or as if it's floating through time like in 'Holosonic Rebellion' which mixes in recordings of African Warriors. Sometimes there is an energetic turbulence as on 'Jes Grew', where punched-in passages of jazz brass bounce against DeForrest's drums to create a weird disassembled jazz. Towards the end the album begins to feel like a spaceship taking off, the rushes of ascending noise and distortion, distant Southern Gospel Vocals feel like music that's leaving earth. Listen to it without the references or feed your imagination; this is a powerful and immersive original work from one of electronic music's most unique creators.

When one of South Africa's most sought after trumpet players steps forward after a career alongside the very best in the International jazz scene, you know it's going to be a special record.

Dennis Mpale was one of South Africa's heavyweights. You'll find his name springing up on every important South African jazz record and billing since the 1960's. Chris McGregor's iconic Jazz/The African Sound LP, Abdullah Ibrahim's Dollar Brand, Barney Rachabane in the highly influential ensemble Roots, and early work in house bands appearing alongside Nick Moyake in The Soul jazz Men to name just a few. His trumpet playing had character, an extension of the body and amplifier of that great South African sound.

Leaving South Africa during Apartheid as a strong supporter and member of the ANC, Dennis made London his home, joining the newly established SA Jazz scene and standing in solidarity against the oppressions back in Africa.

Moving between London and South Africa during the 70's and 80's It wasn't till the early 1990's when Dennis finally settled again to make his biggest transition to solo artist, redefining his Jazz past and putting a heavy kwaito infused house slammer on the agenda. 1994s 'Paying My Bills' (a title maybe more appropriate now than it ever has been) is a mighty jazz kwaito house effort: From the heavy synth beat and gorgeous floating solo opener of 'Paying My Bills', to the highly infectious vocal phrasing on thumping house anthem 'Take My Time'. Paying My Bills takes the sensibilities of a jazz maestro and pairs it with one of South Africa's biggest producers Peter 'Hitman' Moticoe, creating the perfect recipe for a certified summer slammer.

Having previously only ever been released on CD, this is the first ever vinyl pressing of the album (hazy early test pressings lurk on a small number of lucky shelves). Vinyl mastering is handled by The Carvery's very own Frank Merritt here in London, with the resulting tracks generously split over 2 discs to fully appreciate the swampy heavy dub bass drolls for full dancefloor effect. It's loud and punchy and makes space for those glorious trumpet improvisations while keeping the synth refrains and heavy bass thumping.

Early plays include resident NTS DJ's and a feature on Palms Trax Radio 1 residency with surely more support to follow.

Der mit einem GRAMMY Award und mehrfach mit Platin ausgezeichnete Singer-Songwriter, Schauspieler und New-York-Times-Bestsellerautor Corey Taylor (Slipknot, Stone Sour) verrät Details zu seinem neuen Solo-Studioalbum CMF2. CMF2 ist der Nachfolger von Taylors Solodebüt CMFT aus dem Jahr 2020, das die
Nummer-1-Billboard-Mainstream-Rocksingle "Black Eyes Blue" und die Streaming-Sensation "CMFT Must Be Stopped" (feat.Tech N9ne und Kid Bookie) enthielt.
Das Album erreichte Platz sechs der US-amerikanische Billboard Top Rock Album Charts und #9 der deutschen Albumcharts.

"Mein erstes Soloalbum spiegelte wider, wo ich herkam. Dieses Album zeigt eher, wo wir hinwollen", fügt Taylor hinzu.
CMF2 - auf dem Taylor singt und Lead- und Rhythmusgitarre, Klavier und Mandoline spielt - bündelt die Energie, Experimentierfreudigkeit und Direktheit, die eine Karriere ausmachen, in der Taylor mit seiner mit einem Grammy ausgezeichneten Band Slipknot mehr als zwölf Millionen Alben und mit den Chartstürmern Stone Sour weitere Millionen verkauft hat.

CMF2 ist Taylors erstes Album für BMG und das erste auf seinem eigenen Label, Decibel Cooper Recordings.

Jay Ruston (Anthrax, Steel Panther, Amon Amarth), der sowohl Stone Sours 2017er Album Hydrograd als auch CMFT produziert hat, kehrte für Taylors zweites Album zurück.

SuperBlue: The Iridescent Spree is the electrifying new album from jazz legends Kurt Elling and Charlie Hunter, following the success of their eponymous Grammy-nominated debut and acclaimed EP Guilty Pleasures featuring Nate Smith. With a vocal range that seamlessly blends jazz, R&B, and funk, Elling is a virtuosic showman and deep collaborator with a comedic edge. Hailed by The Washington Post as the most daring, dynamic, and interesting singer in jazz since the mid-1990s, he and Hunter have pushed the boundaries of jazz and lyrics to create a one-of-a-kind sound that is uniquely their own. Teaming up with hip-hop masterminds Corey Fonville and DJ Harrison (Butcher Brown), Elling and Hunter showcase their virtuosity, showmanship, and musicianship to offer a deluge of roisterous funk, indelible beats, and all-too-current lyrics that will have you grooving like never before. SuperBlue is more than just another jazz album. It's a punch in your face, take no prisoners masterpiece that showcases the sheer talent, passion, and unpredictability of these extraordinary musicians. Get ready to be blown away by the brilliance of Kurt Elling and his collaborators in this groundbreaking project!

Worriers' new album Trust Your Gut is what happens when a queer Springsteen sleeper cell emerges to throw an indie rock house party. It’s the opening scene of Empire Records if it were soundtracked by Frightened Rabbit. It’s about yearning for a better self when you constantly feel neither here nor there. While that isn’t entirely about their gender, it’s absolutely a part of songwriter Lauren Denitzio’s lived experience as a millennial. After Worriers released an album the same week as the 2020 lockdown - and after a history of what can only be described as music industry slapstick comedy - Denitzio rebuilt their songwriting practice from scratch. Armed with a small artist grant, new collaborators, and a lot of time on their hands, Trust Your Gut was written by taking everything apart and putting it back together again. The album was written and arranged with drummer Atom Willard (Against Me!, Angels & Airwaves), pianist Franz Nicolay (The Hold Steady), and guitarist Frank Piegaro who joined the band in 2019. With bass recorded by Allegra Anka (Cayetana) and strings by Ethan Philbrick, Trust Your Gut crafts a world of heart-punching indie rock with pop and folk influences after a career of fierce punk-leaning anthems.

'A bold voice for a frustrated generation, Mae Muller makes pop music that packs a real punch, and her debut album is no exception. The 17 track LP is full of songs that are deeply personal yet demonstrate her deft ability
to celebrate the female experience at large, capturing the mood of her generation with playful precision. Mae explores love and loss, dating and relationships with fearless honesty, confronting her own experiences whilst also capturing the broader frustrations of young women today. Whilst a fierce feminism often informs her songwriting, her new music exposes a much more vulnerable side. Beginning a dynamic new era, 2023 has been an incredible year for Mae. In January she was chosen to represent the UK at the 67th Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool with dance-pop anthem, ‘I Wrote A song’. Following the show, the track became the No.1 trending song in the UK and charted Top 10 this week, giving Mae her first top 10 single.

Der mit einem GRAMMY Award und mehrfach mit Platin ausgezeichnete Singer-Songwriter, Schauspieler und New-York-Times-Bestsellerautor Corey Taylor (Slipknot, Stone Sour) verrät Details zu seinem neuen Solo-Studioalbum CMF2. CMF2 ist der Nachfolger von Taylors Solodebüt CMFT aus dem Jahr 2020, das die
Nummer-1-Billboard-Mainstream-Rocksingle "Black Eyes Blue" und die Streaming-Sensation "CMFT Must Be Stopped" (feat.Tech N9ne und Kid Bookie) enthielt.
Das Album erreichte Platz sechs der US-amerikanische Billboard Top Rock Album Charts und #9 der deutschen Albumcharts.

"Mein erstes Soloalbum spiegelte wider, wo ich herkam. Dieses Album zeigt eher, wo wir hinwollen", fügt Taylor hinzu.
CMF2 - auf dem Taylor singt und Lead- und Rhythmusgitarre, Klavier und Mandoline spielt - bündelt die Energie, Experimentierfreudigkeit und Direktheit, die eine Karriere ausmachen, in der Taylor mit seiner mit einem Grammy ausgezeichneten Band Slipknot mehr als zwölf Millionen Alben und mit den Chartstürmern Stone Sour weitere Millionen verkauft hat.

CMF2 ist Taylors erstes Album für BMG und das erste auf seinem eigenen Label, Decibel Cooper Recordings.

Jay Ruston (Anthrax, Steel Panther, Amon Amarth), der sowohl Stone Sours 2017er Album Hydrograd als auch CMFT produziert hat, kehrte für Taylors zweites Album zurück.

The last time Canadian underground techno tastemaker Rennie Foster had a record on a French label it was the historic F-Communications. Back then Rennie’s penchant for bringing warehouse nostalgia together with hi-tech futurism was a consistent theme and in 2023 this fusion based musical concept is realized further toward the future through a new EP release, Cryptic Layers on Parisian imprint Skylax Records.


The record opens with Let It Go, a simple title for a complex and dreamy piece of lo-fi rave house featuring clattering breaks, ear worm vocals and a drastic bassline driving the whole custom vehicle. Then the similarly, simply titled Just Do It explodes into action with an inspired mix of Detroit inspired dub techno chords, fierce amen breaks and a hip-house energy akin to both current urban style and authentic musical roots. These tracks sound like they could have been released at any time during the past decades but still sound current, or even futuristic. Apparent is craft, design and an understanding of dance music from the perspective of obsession, experience and passion.



The remixes come from absolute legends in the world of techno, representing Rennie’s other home-base territories, the techno cities Detroit and Tokyo. Japanese electronic music icon Ken Ishii provides a storming acid remix of Just Do It with liquid 303 bass, anxious and trip vocal snips, and punchy drums that will sound absolutely ace in a club. Detroit third wave pioneer Sean Deason closes out the record with a crisp dose of hi-tech funk that is sure to be a DJ weapon with it’s hypnotic energy and timeless production style.



The digital only portion of Cryptic Layers begins with a second version from Ken Ishii, this time sans vocals leaving the acid stripped down and bare. Two more original tracks by Rennie Foster are also on offer. Sadlands is an organ laden deep house, synth-wave, contrasting piece of melancholic dream dance while I Say Peace signs off the project in a layered classic house style with early rave stabs and grooving after-hours appeal.

There's a buzz building around Australia’s Featherstone and his debut EP for the UK's Gated cements his reputation for acidic, emotive electro. These four tracks see the Adelaide-based artist with one eye on the dancefloor and one on pulling as much soul as he can from his gear. This is glassy-eyed stuff, deeply melodic but punchy as hell, with all four tracks hitting hard

It is always our pleasure to have new talents in the house, and we've been following Notzing's development since long ago. His approach to techno is absolutely personal and complex, hard and intrincated, mental and physical.

Protae is the first missile in this box full of weapons, a super busy techno exercise with compacted drums, drilling synth lines and random metallic hits breaking the monotony. The effect on the floor is devastating and has been tested extensively in dancefloors worldwide by label owner Oscar Mulero in the past months. 7 minutes of pure dancefloor mayhem.

Fagus continues with the sickness, with hysterical synth washe repeating an hypnotic chant, adding layers of sound as the groove goes by. Repetition is here the key to proper trance, not exactly with pleasant tones but by aggression.

Ekaterin is gummy and elastic with formant synth sounds chewing frequencies and changing constantly in shape. Another mental mantra with a physical drive.

Molniya slows down the pace and dives into profound sound scapes full of unnatural underwater sounds and washes providing a feeling of scuba diving.

To end this sonic odyssey, Emision goes completely beatless, growing from the profound sub bass frequencies to crispy and crunchy surface noises, creating the soundtrack of floating in outer space with no gravity. Please beware of the super intense bass tones when playing on a big sound system.
The perfect combination of experimentation and punchiness, keep an eye on this guy, is gonna make some proper noise in the coming years.

It's time to release the toys from the darkness and dive into the sound playground. "Midnight in a Toyshop" is a new Lo-Fi House project from an old hand in the electronic music business. He is launching an EP series called "Play". This will be available on vinyl and digital. All tracks are characterized by punchy, driving beats and a deep, warm, positive atmosphere. The use of 8 and 12 bit tools and tape recordings creates a nostalgic aesthetic that takes you back to a time when moments of lightheartedness and playful creativity flourished. Press play and enjoy the journey.

Producer Scrappy Jud Newcomb and Cleaves teamed up for the third time in early 2022 between Covid surges to record a new batch of songs, Slaid's first in five years.

Familiar themes of struggle and resilience will be a surprise to no one. As Scrappy puts it, "This album speaks to the hopeful, the hard working, the battered, confused, and the sad. But above all to the believers in the city of freedom that we heard in the stories of our youth and all those FM radio hits."

The first single, "Through the Dark," was co- written with Slaid's long- time collaborator and life- long friend, Rod Picott ("Broke Down," "Take Home Pay").

Slaid describes it simply as "a song about offering comfort in hard times."
Joseph Hudak of Rolling Stone calls Cleaves "a master storyteller, one influenced not by the shine of pop-culture but by the dirt of real life."

"More than 20 years into his career, Slaid Cleaves just keeps getting better . . .

There are few contemporaries that compare. He's become a master craftsman on the order of Guy Clark and John Prine." - Austin Chronicle

Verheyen reflects on how he "learned a valuable lesson, from all those years making records and touring with Supertramp. We always lamented that the record was a demo for the tour, because the songs developed so much more on the road. This time I was fortunate to play the music for a year and a half before committing it to CD and vinyl, so the songs feel much more fully realized. It was a luxury recording music we all knew so well."

This is reflected in the musicianship heard on the album, which includes a masterful duet between Carl and Sophia James – of American Idol fame – on Riverboat Sky’s title track. The supporting musicians consist of Verheyen’s regular touring band – Dave Marotta (bass), John Mader (drums) and Troy Dexter (keyboards); who are supplemented by Jim Cox, Alex Acuna and Chad Wackerman.

Returning once again via Geelong, Australia; Vintage Crop offer up their new single “Springtime”. With 2022’s “Kibitzer” album still looming large in the rear-view mirror, the band now speed ahead once more with this two-track seasonal treat. 

“Springtime” exhibits the band’s growing strength in harmonic arrangement, whilst staying true to their taut roots - allowing the lyrics to shimmer. Following the arc of a relationship on the rocks and both people coming to terms with their situation, the song is a rare moment of vulnerability for the band that demonstrates their range. The flip side of the EP sees “Mercenary” deliver the sort of post-punk punch that fans have come to expect from the band. Brutish, brash & refusing to sit still; all the makings of a classic Vintage Crop number. Paired with lyrics exploring the online music scene, the track pokes fun at the “Internet Sound” that now dominates the underground. 

Springtime is a firm foot forward for Vintage Crop.

Weighing in heavy with murderous intent across three guaranteed dance levellers, Trends & Boylan land on Sneaker Social Club with a bang. The pair have been slugging out grime-leaning gear for the past five years, causing a ruckus with their truly evil ‘Norman Bates’ beat, releasing also on Trends own Mean Streets label and linking up with Slimzee’s foundational stable Slimzos for some dubplate action.

They bring that street-level swagger to the tracks on the Ninety Nine EP, but here their punchy 8-bar flex is embellished to blend in with the Sneaker surroundings a treat. ‘Carnage’ tips towards chopped up Think Breaks while ‘Nocturnal’ doubles down on the dirtiest of b-lines. Confirming their allyship from dubplates' gone by, Slimzee links up with Trends & Boylan for the double A side slammer, ‘Ninety Nine’, weaving dread-side D&B stabs around a tightly-wound beat with devastating results.

There’s not an ounce of excess on these cuts precision tooled to smashup the dance good and proper. Need we say more?

Rotterdam rising star Danou P steps up to Jamie 3:26’s label with a three-track EP of emotive deep house.

The title track ‘Allez Hoop’ is deep, moody and somewhat reminiscent of an electronic ‘Riders On The Storm’. Lush strings, analogue leads, classic Rhodes and a barely containable synth sequence stacked on top of a driving groove.

‘Jazz Dummy’ sees Danou P collaborate with fellow Rotterdam based artist Kems Kriol. It’s a classic sounding track drenched in live percussion and that good old M1 saxophone.

Closing out the EP ‘So Fruit’ is an homage and inside joke gone wrong in a good way. Funky electric piano stabs and rhythmic synths in a sandwich of punchy drums and thick bass. It pays tribute to an absolute classic track and features an epic flute solo by Moises Toscano Fuentes.

“Orlando Furioso is a haunting, one-of-a-kind statement, from an important new voice in improvised music.” - Steve Lehman

“…imagining instruments that haven’t been invented yet: space harps, cosmic gamelan, Venusian banjo. It’s the purest distillation of Atria’s musical language, simultaneously grounded and unearthly.” - Stewart Smith for The Wire (November 2022)

“Making liberal use of microtonal harmony and hypnotic, ostinato rhythms – as well as the occasional stylistic smash-cut, reminiscent of John Zorn – Orlando Furioso announced itself on Wednesday as a punchy, creative force on the New York scene. (…) Atria’s rhythms had a welcoming, social propulsion, and the microtonality of his writing for keyboard proposed an individual – even insular – language.” - Seth Colter Walls for The New York Times.

Early European composers felt that their work reflected in its structure the divine nature of the material world. Via tuning, form, and contrapuntal alchemy, these musicians sought to illuminate and edify the complex and perfect order of existence. The music recorded here also reflects the contours of an ordered world, but it is no place any of us has ever visited. By assembling far-flung building blocks from the detritus of a 21st-century musical vocabulary, Orlando Furioso brings the listener into a bizarre new cosmos. The result is deeply expressive music that speaks not with the voice of a narrator or memoirist, but with that of a cartographer.

Like a science-fiction Dante, the listener is taken on a tour of many diverse and colorful provinces of an alien world. Though each composition references its own set of real-world musical locales (from the Andes to Indonesia to Italy to New Orleans), they are bound by stylistic consistency into a coherent, continuous geography. Permeating this world is an uncompromising commitment to microtonal harmony, rhythmic intensity, and an ability to deploy the esoteric (Nicola Vicentino's notorious 31-tone temperament) and the head-smackingly obvious (a surprise djent breakdown) with equal conviction. Though Vicente's compositions are steering the ship, serious recognition is due to all the players on the record for their ability to meet these demands.

Our omnivorous musical diets offer real abundance. They enrich our craft by providing access to limitless approaches from which to choose - more masters to study, traditions to absorb, and techniques to hone than is possible in multiple lifetimes. They can also inflict heavy and often contradictory burdens of influence. When every corner of the map has been charted, it becomes difficult to find a new direction in which to travel. One solution I hope to see more often is the one pursued on this record: breaking down distinct musical worlds into component parts and reassembling them into a language. When completed with precision and with no stone left unturned, the seams between the pieces vanish and the listener is deposited somewhere beautiful and strange, left to assign their sensations meanings of their own. - Mat Muntz

Orlando Furioso is led by Vicente and features David Acevedo, David Leon, Andrew Boudreau, Alec Goldfarb, Daniel Hass, Simón Willson, and Niña Tormenta. Orlando Furioso celebrated its release at Roulette Intermedium in Brooklyn, NY, as a part of Wet Ink Ensemble's 24th Season opening concert, a performance which The New York Times heralded as "virtuosic", "punchy, creative" and "even revelatory."

Winner of the Deutscher Jazz Preis: Best International Debut Album 2023

NOTE. WITH THE PURCHASE OF THE VINYL YOU WILL ALSO RECEIVE THE TRACKS OF THE TOTAL 23 DIGITAL VERSION AS A DIGITAL DOWNLOAD. THE DOWNLOAD CODE CARD CONTAINS ALSO ALL TRACKS OF THE CD.

Okay, you’re listening to the 23rd edition of Kompakt’s annual compilation series TOTAL… hold on… 23??? It’s impossible to look at this number without thinking of William S. Burrough’s Captain Clark anecdote, the Illuminatus trilogy and the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu. But don’t you worry, we’re not giving in to eikositriophobia. We’re enlighted folks, after all.

Total 23 kicks off in a disco mood with a well tempered double punch from label co-founders Michael Mayer and Jürgen Paape. Jörg Burger calls out a trippy new genre named Cinematic Dance before C.A.R. and Patrice Bäumel resurface with a club mix of their early 2023 single ‘Four Down’. Sofia Kourtesis’ sultry remix of Perel ‘Matrix’ finally gets a well deserved vinyl release. ‘Ice Cream Cake’ by Cologne’s newcomer M.A.P.E. helps cooling things down a bit before another debutante, Argia from Madrid makes her first entry to the Kompakt catalogue. Gui Boratto’s recent single ‘Drink In Paris’ raises the energy levels just in time for Reinhard Voigt’s ruthless closing track ‘Endlich XXL’, an ode to some of the best things in this world: Beer and techno.

Okay, du hörst die 23. Ausgabe der jährlichen Kompilationsreihe TOTAL von Kompakt. Moment mal… 23??? Man kann diese Zahl unmöglich betrachten, ohne an William S. Burroughs’ Anekdote über Captain Clark, die Illuminatus-Trilogie und die Justified Ancients of Mu Mu zu denken. Aber keine Sorge, wir erliegen nicht der Eikositriophobie. Immerhin sind wir aufgeklärte Leute.

Total 23 beginnt in Discostimmung und einem wohltemperierten Doppelschlag von den Mitbegründern des Labels, Michael Mayer und Jürgen Paape. Jörg Burger ruft ein psychedelisches neues Genre namens Cinematic Dance aus, bevor C.A.R. und Patrice Bäumel mit einem Club-Mix ihrer Single ‘Four Down’ aus dem Frühjahr 2023 wieder auftauchen. Der tropisch-schwüle Sofia Kourtesis Remix von Perels ‘Matrix’ erhält endlich eine verdiente Vinyl-Veröffentlichung. ‘Ice Cream Cake’ von M.A.P.E., einem Newcomer aus Köln, sorgt für etwas Abkühlung, bevor mit Argia aus Madrid eine weitere Debütantin ihre ersten Spuren im Kompakt Katalog hinterlässt. Gui Borattos aktuelle Single ‘Drink In Paris’ steigert rechtzeitig das Energielevel für Reinhard Voigts gnadenlosen Schlusstrack ‘Endlich XXL’, eine feierliche Ode an einige der besten Dinge dieser Welt: Bier und Techno.

Celebrating Sir George Shearing, combines the punch of a big band with the intimacy of a small group, as this hard-swinging, highly melodic outfit showcases some of the UK's most gifted soloists. Whether reinterpreting classics such as Conception and Lullaby of Birdland or re-introducing lesser-known tunes such as Night Flight and Children's Waltz, its richly varied repertoire mirrors Shearing's own development, encompassing swing, be-bop, cool and Latin jazz, topped off with some of the most celebrated vocal numbers of the 20th century.

Mysteries Of The World is the stunning final studio album from legendary Philly supergroup MFSB. Expertly co-written and produced with the mighty Dexter Wansel, it features the untouchable, sparkling masterpiece "Mysteries Of The World". The whole album is truly exquisite; a stylish, classy collection of pure Philly soul and orchestral jazz-funk.

MFSB, an acronym for Mother, Father, Sister, Brother, was formed by producers Gamble & Huff of Philadelphia International Records. The band's roots can be traced back to the house band at the legendary Sigma Sound Studios, where they played on numerous hit records by artists like The O'Jays, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes and The Stylistics. Mysteries Of The World comprises slick jazz-funk grooves, mostly penned by Wansel, who produced a fair chunk of the album in a similar style to his space-funk records. MFSB's smooth sound is retained but it receives a fresh, elegant and jazzy upgrade. While this album is as mellow as the rest of the latter-period MFSB recordings, it never forgets the group's soul music underpinnings.

Swaggering, well-timed horn blasts, sweeping strings and a percolating, hard thumping slap-bassline combine to devastating effect on amazing opener "Manhattan Skyline". It's a sexy mid-tempo instrumental which sets us up nicely for what follows. Essays could be written analysing the perfection of title track. Arguably the finest jazz-funk instrumental ever made, it's absolutely magnificent. Featuring musicianship of the highest calibre, the band play with their trademark tight discipline, cooking up a syncopating rhythm with an array of exploratory keyboard riffs wrapped around a punchy bassline sent from heaven. It sounds like house music, it's that ahead of its time. The string intro is sumptuous, hypnotic and divine and that's all before the beat hits. The track fuses classical, jazz and funk into a musical journey that you never want to end. Absolutely flawless, it's a dramatic disco dancefloor killer.

Says Dexter Wansel himself: "You know, of all the songs I wrote/produced/arranged for MFSB, this is for me the most different. I think it's an experiment in rhythmic, soft sonic synth and live string and harp combinations. I composed it in an effort to blend a funky groove, along with synthesis, and orchestral sounds. There are 3 synthesizers: Oberheim 4 voice, Polymoog, and of course Arp 2600v. And, as I remember, I recorded the track with the rhythm section, string, harp and flute players first. Then I added synthesis."

The profound elegance remains in abundance on the slinky, harp-laced "Tell Me Why"; Carla Benson's beautiful voice truly shines on this sophisticated cut. The side closes out in dramatic style with the string-drenched "Metamorphosis". It's a staccato, Blaxploitation groove workout featuring wah-wah guitar, creeping basslines, rich horn solos and soulful vocals drifting in and out of the mix. The bouncy, irrepressible "Fortune Teller" opens the B side in the bass-heavy orchestral funk style before the beautiful "Old San Juan" glides in, a Balearic-adjacent track with intricate arrangements, building its mellow soul groove around an atypical flamenco guitar hook. Melancholy, guitar-led instrumental "Thank You Miss Scott" is a real highlight, with gorgeous flute, string and percussive elements whilst closer "In the Shadow" works an otherworldly synth line into its bossa nova groove.

An essential record for fans of Philly soul and groovy jazz-funk, Mysteries Of The World was mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis and cut by Cicely Ralston for Alchemy at AIR Studios. The stunning artwork, the work of renowned illustrator Robert Giusti, was restored at Be With HQ to round out this beautiful reissue.

Vargmal Records continues to explore immersive, thought-provoking techno with an abstract spirit by presenting Corners EP from the emergent collaborative UK project Terrain. The Kosovo-based label was launched in 2022 with a considered balance of classic and contemporary techno, featuring Italian techno pioneer Leo Anibaldi and commissioning attendant remixes by contemporary Italian maestro Donato Dozzy.

Continuing the label's embrace of subliminal sounds for adventurous dance floors, Terrain deliver four tracks of snaking, subtle rhythms pivoting away from rigid structures towards a more fluid kind of techno. It's a sound the duo of Joe Baker and Voytek Stanley channeled on their debut release and they expand on the principles from that record in superlative style on Corners.

The EP opens up with the weighted pressure of 'Blind Spot', a dense workout pivoting on a fractured kick punching out underneath interwoven sheets of texture and atmosphere. 'Vintage' develops this theme with dubby chord washes which bloom out over the fine detail of the deceptively complex beat configuration. 'Corners' meanwhile adjusts the temperature from cooly meditative to subtly fierce accents Terrain edge into their sound.

It's an elegant fusion that remains at ease with the overall mood of the EP, but a noticeable shift in energy for the B side. 'Singularity' completes the picture with additional input from Localhost, welcoming layers of noisy melodics which sit comfortably on top of Terrain's dubby pulses. More open and searching than the introspection which holds sway elsewhere, it's a tonal shift that opens the sound of Terrain out and brings a sense of balance to their assured second record.

German heavy metal legends U.D.O. are back at the starting line with album #19 (!), titled „Touchdown“, which is scheduled for release on August 25th. It’s astonishing, how iconic singer Udo Dirkschneider and his band, who just celebrated two important anniversaries last year (Udo’s 70th birthday, as well as 35 years of U.D.O. band history) now already come up with such a fresh, inspired new piece of heavy art – unmistakably making clear that slowing down has never been an option for them: U.D.O. continue their triumphant success and „Touchdown“ is another impressive addition to the band’s rich legacy.

German heavy metal legends U.D.O. are back at the starting line with album #19 (!), titled „Touchdown“, which is scheduled for release on August 25th. It’s astonishing, how iconic singer Udo Dirkschneider and his band, who just celebrated two important anniversaries last year (Udo’s 70th birthday, as well as 35 years of U.D.O. band history) now already come up with such a fresh, inspired new piece of heavy art – unmistakably making clear that slowing down has never been an option for them: U.D.O. continue their triumphant success and „Touchdown“ is another impressive addition to the band’s rich legacy.

Fiddlehead's third album Death is Nothing to Us is a defiant, new chapter for the band. Since 2014, the Boston-based group have been honing their unique sound, bringing together the energy of hardcore, the anthemic melodies of `90s alternative, and the unbridled passion of Revolution Summer era emo. Their previous albums, 2018's Springtime and Blind and 2021's Between The Richness, dealt heavily with grief from different perspectives, and now their latest feels like a de facto culmination, drawing together many of the catalog's through-lines sonically and lyrically. The band again teamed with producer Chris Teti for their third record, and his punchy production captures Fiddlehead's live energy while showcasing the massive guitars and undeniable catchiness that makes their music so immensely satisfying. The album's concise 27 minutes sound like a natural extension of all of the band's strengths, but is glued together by vocalist Pat Flynn's singular tuneful roar. Flynn, since his time as the vocalist of Have Heart and now as Fiddlehead's frontman, has earned a reputation as one of hardcore's most thoughtful lyricists. He interweaves his ruminations on life, death, and all the joy and tragedy in between with references to Roman philosopher Lucretius; the author Jean Améry; other musicians like Bad Brains, Alex G, or Wire, and even references to the band's own back catalog. The humanity across Death Is Nothing To Us is palpable in every note. It's the kind of art that observes pain with real honesty rather than prescribing a solution for it-and in doing so, inadvertently offers some sense of hopefulness. The album finds Fiddlehead so deeply delving into the pain, confusion, nuances, and contradictions of sadness-so willingly wrapping their arms around a concept as existentially baffling as death itself-that they've created an album that is truly life-affirming. Death is Nothing to Us exemplifies so much of what makes Fiddlehead a special band: taking these heady, unanswerable questions and wrestling with them in a very earthbound way, all wrapped up in the urgent power of a three minute punk song.

The second release of Dynamic Reflection's Time Crystals series explores the deeper end of the musical spectrum somewhat. Function's opening track delivers almost ten minutes of downtempo modulations before Viels' Fragile kicks in: punchy, gritty and dancefloor oriented.

Dynamic Reflection head honchos and curators Abstract Division give a 'less is more' college with Convolution, keeping tension high at all times without ever dropping the kick for more than a couple of beats. The closing track sees Ben Buitendijk, Shoal and Vand collaborating under their DOM moniker for this special occasion, delivering a piece of trippy and stubborn techno.

Quantum Realm is part of Dynamic Reflection's 15 year anniversary celebration: Time Crystals. This is the second of five EP's. Own all five and an all new, visual piece of art will appear.

Hurry has grafted the best qualities of ‘90s bubblegum power pop—the pitch-perfect songwriting, the pop-rock sheen, the borderline saccharine vocal melodies—onto something far more raw and emotionally resonant. Don’t Look Back is striking in its tenderness and candor—approximately half of the lyrics on the record concern the deterioration of an 11- year relationship Scottoline was in, with the other half being a celebration of new love. The first words Scottoline sings, in opening track “Didn’t Have to Try,” is essentially a statement of theme: “And we’re back at the beginning / Never thought I’d see a face like that again / It attacks when we’re not ready / And I won’t play it safe this time.” This is pop music about actual feelings which means it’s automatically better than most pop music. It is challenging and addictive.

There is not a single moment on Don’t Look Back that isn’t completely drenched in melody and emotion. “Parallel Haunting” evokes the tuneful ache of golden age Evan Dando; “Little Brain” sounds like golden age Evan Dando and golden age Noel Gallagher. Don’t Look Back is, in a word, bittersweet, with melodies that feel like a jackhammer on your brain’s pleasure center and lyrics that feel like getting slapped in the heart.

Yetsuby lands on London label Third Place with her 'Water Flash' EP this July.

Seoul-based artist Yetsuby is best known as one half of electronic super-duo Salamanda, who have won hearts and minds with their light and floaty new-age electronica via releases on Good Morning Tapes, Human Pitch, and Métron Records. As a solo act, she has released her own music on the Taipei-based 禁 JIN as well as through the Seoul store The Internatiiional amongst self-released delights on her Bandcamp.

Turning to Will Hofbauer's playful Third Place imprint for her latest 12', Yetsuby delivers four bubbly tracks. On the A-side, the title cut 'Water Flash' leads with airy synths and textured percussion, while 'Electro Union' ups the energy with choppy vocal samples, punchy drums, and twinkling arps. On the flip, subtle synths wriggle alongside low-key percussion on 'Commercial Noisy Day', making for a heads-down affair, before the gorgeous finalé '물먹는하마' rounds out the B-side with delicate keys and detailed yet muted drums.

A little more than two years after the reunion album ‚The Art of Navigating by the Stars‘, which was received fantastically by the press, SIEGES EVEN released the follow-up ‚Paramount‘ in autumn 2007. The songwriting had started directly after concerts in Russia (Moscow), Greece (Larissa and Athens) and a double headlining tour with DEADSOUL TRIBE.

It was clear from the beginning that this album - the second with the new singer Arno Menses - would not be a concept album. Rather, the band put more emphasis on writing autonomous, partly shorter songs, which were not connected by any concept in terms of content.

For the production they decided this time to work with Kristian ‚Kohle‘
Kohlmannslehner, who had rather made his mark in the field of harder music. The production style was quite different from the work of Uwe Lulis on ‚The Art of Navigating by the Stars‘: There, a lot of the material was recorded live and without clicktrack, whereas Kristian Kohlmannslehner focused more on precision and modern editing techniques. Without judging which approach is the better one, one can say that ‚Paramount‘ sounds perhaps a bit punchier, more conducive to the somewhat altered songwriting and extremely transparent.

The lyrical spectrum ranges from experiences on the mountain Corcovado in the urban area of Rio de Janeiro (‚Iconic‘), human hubris (‚Paramount‘), the dropping of the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima (‚Bridge to the Divine‘) to personal narratives (‚Tidal‘ or ‚Leftovers‘).

‚Paramount‘, like its predecessor, was very well received by the press. The band embarked on a European tour immediately following the release of the album in the fall of 2007 and played at the renowned ‚ProgPowerEurope‘ festival in the Netherlands, among other venues. In 2008 followed a show at the ‚Rock Hard‘-Festival as well as three concerts in the support of the American AOR legend JOURNEY. The live album ‚Playgrounds‘, released in spring 2008, documents the concerts of this tour. The stars were actually aligned favorably for SIEGES EVEN, so it was all the more surprising that the band‘s journey finally came to an end at the last of the three support shows for JOURNEY in Bamberg in the summer of 2008.

„Paramount“ was not available for many years and was only released on CD in 2007.

Bourassa is back and serving us a scorching new summer hit. This time, label boss Smolny doesn't hold back, unleashing a powerful holiday anthem titled "Need Love." If you're truly in dire need of some love, this track is definitely for you!

It starts off slowly and nostalgically, seasoned with a distinct amen break. The growing tension sends shivers down your spine, while a beautiful trance chord intertwines with a long pad in the background. Adding to the flavor is a twisted female vocal that seductively flirts with your senses. It all culminates in a euphoric experience, gradually building up to release the accumulated energy. Finally, everything explodes as a strong and expressive bass line hits you like a ton of bricks.

The following track "Running" takes a more tranquil approach, transporting us to a dreamy realm. Broken drums keep propelling us forward, never allowing us to pause. The melodic chord gracefully emerges, creating a chill atmosphere and setting the mood. After the breakdown, grooving bongos complete the picture.

The B-side features two fantastic remixes of the title track, "Need Love." The first one is a fierce breakbeat roller from Denham Audio. With its powerful bass and mesmerizing droplets cascading in the background, it creates a distinct hypnotic atmosphere. The change in bassline to the typical speed garage sound delivers an even more potent punch at the end.

The second remix is crafted by SLG, who flawlessly captures the sound of the '97s, creating a track in the progressive trance style from that era. A brilliantly composed bass line constantly propels the track forward, building tension alongside the melodic line. A real dance floor killer!

It’s June 2022. After months of rehearsing, Tim Sanpher decided to take the band into Brighton Road Recording Studio for a weekend.

Having yet to play a gig he was interested to hear how they’d respond to being put on the spot and wanted to give them something to focus on. With the very late addition of a second guitarist they set up and recorded nine songs live in one afternoon. Only the vocals would be replaced the following day.

The recording was purely for posterity and there had been no plans to release it yet...on hearing the roughly mixed playback it was already obvious...they’d captured something special. Something more than just the five members combined. It was a true “lightning in the bottle” moment.

It was clear that Shaw’s Trailer Park had its own individual sound and character.
And here are those recordings captured on album for the first time!

Punchy rocking workouts like Don’t Do That and She’s Alright sit alongside live favourites - psych workouts Sun Device and Rainbow Man.

Today, powerhouse mande jazz ensemble Balimaya Project announce
their second album When The Dust Settles to be released by New Soil in partnership with Jazz re:freshed on July 21, 2023
A dynamic maturation of the group's thrilling big band sound, When The Dust Settles is a personal and cathartic expression of grief, rage, love and joy.

Fusing West African rhythmic tradition with the energy of London's jazz continuum, the album celebrates the restorative power of Black male brotherhood among diaspora communities in London.

Led by composer/arranger and UK-based Djembe player Yahael Camara Onono, Balimaya Project have established themselves as one of the most exciting and forward-thinking ensembles in Britain.
Enlisting guest vocalists Afronaut Zu, Obongjayar and Fassara Sacko across ten groove- laden and punchily percussive tracks, each song on When The Dust Settles engages intentionally with the significance of folkloric rhythms to illuminate themes that include the death of Camara Onono's older brother, losing a child, becoming a father, migration, survival and a search for truth.

As Camara
Onono describes: "One thing that's really linking us is that concept of family and the bonds are getting stronger every time ... It was important to me to go deeper and address not just tradition and culture, but also address emotion."

Dance music powerhouse Deeptrax follows up recent dispatches from Joey Anderson and Caim, with a label debut from fellow Dutch techno stalwart Robert Vosmeijer AKA De Sluwe Vos, who offers a 5-track collection that explores the depths of both music and sound.

Crafted during the pandemic, Vosmeijer, who had been experimenting with ambient music and sound design, found himself longing for the dancefloor and its ability to disconnect you from reality whilst reconnecting you with friends. As such he began digging into his record collection, absorbing sounds and reenergising his creative output.

"I loved making these records because it felt like I could express myself, within the 'De Sluwe Vos' project, again.”

The Patron Records boss’ new Terraforming EP opens with ‘Reeeese’, a heavyweight ode to the legendary bass sound that underpins the track with its thick layer of treacly warmth. Solar Prince turns our focus on percussion, with its xylophone melody dancing between vaporised synths and string-laced stabs, to create a soothing and yet urgent soundtrack.

On the flip, title track Terraforming, with its wonderful analogue crackles and hisses, lets the pulsing sub steal the show again as pressurised hats snappily punch holes in the atmosphere. Jupiter's Universe exudes a roughly cut techno 2step, layered with pulsing cosmic synths and bubbling melody.

Finally the EP is rounded off by Crawford. Another track that perfectly rides the intersection of music production and sound design. It’s cosmic keys and scything synths work almost at odds with the tribal roll of his drums, yet come together to create a mature and unique production.

Carl Finlow keeps on keepin' on. Not only is Finlow one of the most respected names in electro, a producer who boasts a sprawling catalogue that takes in a wide variety of aliases, but he's also spent recent years establishing himself as a mainstay for Sheffield's Central Processing Unit label. Soft Robotics, the new EP from Finlow's Silicon Scally project, is the fifth Silicon Scally release in five years to boast one of CPU's instantly-recognisable black-and-white covers.

The reason that Silicon Scally and CPU keep linking up is simple; they're a perfect fit for one another. Central Processing Unit has established itself as a haven for post-Drexciya producers since launching in 2012, and there are few artists better than Finlow at building on the Detroit group's sound. The union bears fruit once more on Soft Robotics, an EP of lithe machine-funk jams that will both do damage in the dance and also reward more concentrated home listening.

Things begin at a steadier speed than one might expect. Rather than barrelling off with the kind of sinewy roller one associates with the CPU name, Soft Robotics' title-track takes things at mid-pace. The groove reveals itself without hurry, Silicon Scally adding or subtracting elements - twitchy modular loops, pensive pads, the occasional blurt of low-end - atop the chugging bass/drums groove. It's a track which wins you over with guile rather than force.

As the name of subsequent cut 'Jitters' intimates, this one picks things up a little after 'Soft Robotics'. The tempo is higher here, the central beat more nervy. At their cores, though, 'Jitters' and 'Soft Robotics' are kindred spirits. Here, another slyly insistent bit of drum programming comes swirled up with all sorts of extraterrestrial tones, from little nuggets of melody supplied by the keys to electrifying synth stabs and percussive squelches.

Things limber up further still on first B-side 'Spin Ratio'. The track's 808 kicks are punchier than those of the A-side jams, and there's a dizziness to the bass tone which gives 'Spin Ratio' an intriguingly off-kilter feel. Atop the booming beat we find ourselves hypnotised by cells of melody and harmony interlocking or moving apart - particularly the staccato module at the track's heart. Sure enough, 'Spin Ratio' is the Soft Robotics joint which cleaves closest to Drexciya, invoking other Detroit disciples like Jensen Interceptor in the process.

After Soft Robotics picks up speed in the middle, closer 'Super Fluid Tones' brings us back to where we started. This track returns to the more measured delivery of the record's opener - there's a steady pulse to the drums, and once again Silicon Scally packs the mix with so many intriguing whizzes, bangs, blips and blurts that it's impossible not be won over by this tune's construction. 'Soft Robotics' and 'Super Fluid Tones' bookend Soft Robotics very nicely, and Silicon Scally's smart pacing gives the EP a lovely ebb and flow.

The ever-excellent Carl Finlow drops a Silicon Scally release via Central Processing Unit for the fifth year running. Like its predecessors, Soft Robotics is an excellent and deftly-crafted collection of modern machine-funk.

RIYL: Drexciya, Jensen Interceptor, Fleck E.S.C., The Advent

From the city of Tampere, Finland, comes Type-303 with a brand new EP ”Näsinpuisto” on a new local label VERRAZZANO. This time we take a detour from his usual acid sounds and head to the park for summer vibes.

Taking inspiration from early 90’s Italo house and balearic scene, ”Näsinpuisto” EP gives four sunny, mysterious and long drink fuelled cuts to cheer up the thirsty crowd.

Opening with a lovely haunting flute melody, ”Is It Magic” asks the question if there is some special magic in northern summer days, and the answer is fairy whistling YES! Part nostalgic and part forward looking, the song is relaxing house par excellence.

Second track ”Sexy Sax” sounds something like it was meant for fashion shows in Milan, or to be played at terraces with international tasteful clientele. With solid bass, sophisticated rhythms, sax melody and sea-breeze sounds, 90’s N.Y. house vibes are evident.

”Garden Of Love” is a playful tune that might be playing in the background when you stumble upon a secret garden in the park. The question is dare you enter in? Because Ecstasy comes to those who dare to step out of their comfort zone.

Lastly ”Summer Nights” is a relaxing late evening tune, ending the summer day journey with reassuring sounds in the after glow. Still with enough punch to work great either as set starter, or when you want to chill the dance floor.

Verrazzano calls you to enjoy summer, love and friendships!

First impressions matter. Especially on a debut album. Time and attention-strapped listeners size up an artist within a song or two, then move on or delve in further. Fortunately, it only takes Margo Price about twenty-eight seconds to convince you that you’re hearing the arrival of a singular new talent. “Hands of Time,” the opener on Midwest Farmer’s Daughter, is an invitation, a mission statement and a starkly poetic summary of the 32-year old singer’s life, all in one knockout, self-penned punch. Easing in over a groove of sidestick, bass and atmospheric guitar, Price sings, “When I rolled out of town on the unpaved road, I was fifty-seven dollars from bein’ broke . . .” It has the feel of the first line of a great novel or opening scene in a classic film. There’s an expectancy, a brewing excitement. And as the song builds, strings rising around her, Price recalls hardships and heartaches – the loss of her family’s farm, the death of her child, problems with men and the bottle. There is no self-pity or over-emoting. Her voice has that alluring mix of vulnerability and resilience that was once the province of Loretta and Dolly. It is a tour-de-force performance that is vivid, deeply moving and all true. From the honky tonk comeuppance of “About To Find Out,” to the rockabilly-charged “This Town Gets Around” to the weekend twang of “Hurtin’ (On The Bottle)”, Price adds fresh twists to classic Nashville country, with a sound that could’ve made hits in any decade. Meanwhile, the hard-hitting blues grooves of “Four Years of Chances” and “Tennessee Song” push the boundaries further west to Memphis (the album was recorded at the legendary Sun Studio). • Hometown: Nashville • Recorded at Sun Studios

Heels & Souls Recordings step back to 1988 for their sixth reissue, relicensing and remastering Flair's anthemic soul number 'Chasin' The Rain.' For the uninitiated, strap yourself in for six blissful minutes of heavy bass licks, soaring vocals, and infectious synth lines.

Consisting of Janet Rose (aka UK Soul queen JB Rose), Joe Matz, Peter Bielig, and Peter Shindler, Flair was a predominantly German affair, with Rose being the only UK band member and Bieling living in London during the late '80s. This is a curious detail considering 'Chasin' The Rain' is often lauded today as a UK Soul classic - partially due to its release on the prolific UK label Champion. However, it's squeaky-clean production values, and the fact it was mixed and mastered at the famous Jankowski studio in Stuttgart by three Germans, reveals a somewhat different story.

The track has that UK street soul heavy low-end, but with a synth-pop flavour sprinkled in the mix - swinging synth lines and gated snares aplenty. Yet from chatting to Peter Bielig, who's been instrumental in getting this record reissued, the sounds sweeping across the Atlantic from the likes of Jam and Lewis, who blended R&B, funk, soul and pop, were clearly a big influence too.

Those were heady days for four young twenty-something musicians, with Peter recalling cherished memories these tracks bring back, telling of his and JB's PA sessions at London's Gulliver's nightclub. However, while 'Chasin' The Rain' had all the hallmarks of a chart-breaking hit, Champion prioritised other projects and the record never broke. Sadly the group disbanded after only two releases, and this musical gem was consigned to the crates of those in the know. Soon after, Peter Bielig went to Jamaica to work at Tough Gong Studios, working on albums for Rita Marley Music. He now lives in Brazil, producing local artists in his studio in Salvador.

Unfortunately, the master tapes were nowhere to be found, so we had the maestro, Sean P, rip and restore a mint copy of the record, with award-winning mastering engineer Cicely Balston working her studio magic for that added punch.

Pelican and Thrill Jockey are proud to present a deluxe edition of the band"s acclaimed 2005 album The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon The Thaw, newly remixed, remastered and featuring special bonus rarities including an early version of "Red Ran Amber," (previously only available on a split with MONO) and demos of "Autumn Into Summer," "Last Day of Winter" and "Sirius". The Fire In Our Throats established Pelican as indisputable masters of their craft. Pelican"s ability to alchemize their influences into a sound so wholly original and then expand on that sound into a work of captivating beauty remains a marvel. The album indelibly shifted the paradigm of heavy music and the ripples of that shift can be heard in the countless bands who have risen to prominence since its release. The genre-busting nature of the album"s melodicism and refined dynamics was a harbinger of things to come in a genre whose strict boundaries were rapidly being shattered; a fact recognized and cemented by the album"s critical reception, which engendered everything from an Album of the Year nod from Decibel, to pontifications about Pelican representing a rising wave of intellectualism in metal from the New York Times. Nearly two decades since the album"s release on Hydra Head Records, The Fire In Our Throats has stood as not just one of the band"s most celebrated releases, but as a watershed work of avant-metal. The album arrives with a fresh mix by its original engineer Greg Norman and mastering by Josh Bonati, imbibing the songs with a new ferocity while also granting increased clarity, highlighting the developing interplay between each member. The refreshed mix brings an additional punch to the rhythm section of bassist Bryan Herweg and drummer Larry Herweg, bolstering the brightened melodicism and interlocking riffing between guitarists Trevor Shelley de Brauw and Laurent Schroeder-Lebec. The more articulate presentation of the album showcases the power of each individual player while buttressing Pelican"s distinct sound as a unified force.

Pelican and Thrill Jockey are proud to present a deluxe edition of the band"s acclaimed 2005 album The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon The Thaw, newly remixed, remastered and featuring special bonus rarities including an early version of "Red Ran Amber," (previously only available on a split with MONO) and demos of "Autumn Into Summer," "Last Day of Winter" and "Sirius". The Fire In Our Throats established Pelican as indisputable masters of their craft. Pelican"s ability to alchemize their influences into a sound so wholly original and then expand on that sound into a work of captivating beauty remains a marvel. The album indelibly shifted the paradigm of heavy music and the ripples of that shift can be heard in the countless bands who have risen to prominence since its release. The genre-busting nature of the album"s melodicism and refined dynamics was a harbinger of things to come in a genre whose strict boundaries were rapidly being shattered; a fact recognized and cemented by the album"s critical reception, which engendered everything from an Album of the Year nod from Decibel, to pontifications about Pelican representing a rising wave of intellectualism in metal from the New York Times. Nearly two decades since the album"s release on Hydra Head Records, The Fire In Our Throats has stood as not just one of the band"s most celebrated releases, but as a watershed work of avant-metal. The album arrives with a fresh mix by its original engineer Greg Norman and mastering by Josh Bonati, imbibing the songs with a new ferocity while also granting increased clarity, highlighting the developing interplay between each member. The refreshed mix brings an additional punch to the rhythm section of bassist Bryan Herweg and drummer Larry Herweg, bolstering the brightened melodicism and interlocking riffing between guitarists Trevor Shelley de Brauw and Laurent Schroeder-Lebec. The more articulate presentation of the album showcases the power of each individual player while buttressing Pelican"s distinct sound as a unified force.

Das Debut des Kanadischen Metalcore Acts Teeth

„A Biblical Worship of Violence doesn’t pull any punches, it doesn’t hold back from being as insane as it can, it doesn’t ever let up, and let me tell you, it is one hell of an introduction“

Taken from the album ‘Strata Records – The Sound of Detroit – Reimagined by Jazzanova’, BBE Music, DJ Amir and 180 Proof records present the 3rd single from this monumental project. This release features remixes by Japanese Club Jazz pioneers Kyoto Jazz Massive, and Genre Blending New Yorkers, musclecars. Kyoto Jazz Massive were enlisted to remix the Jazzanova reimagining of Sam Sanders’s iconic song Face at my Window. Their mix adds an intimate Jazz Club feel to vocalist Sean Haefeli’s recording, which highlights the dynamics of Sean’s voice. The subtle tempo increase maintains the feel of the original and adds a punch to the brass section, making the track an entirely new experience. musclecars add that traditional New York / Chicago House vibe to Jazzanova’s reimagining of Kenny Cox’s ‘Beyond the dream’, and the result is a skippy afro/latin dancefloor filler which can go on forever. musclecars demonstrate their genre blending superpowers on this mix which adds a garage swing to a jazz record, definitely going to be a jam for the dancefloors in 2023. Both remixes showcase the importance of DJ Amir's unearthing of these strata gems, and Jazzanova’s reimagining, how they have breathed new life into one of Detroit’s hidden gems - Strata Records. They will definitely on board new audiences to the treasure trove that is Strata, and the iconic stories surrounding the often overlooked record label.

***AUGMENTED REALITY COVER***

Merak EP by Sev Dah marks the debut release on the Berlin-based label Dust in Grooves. Heavily influenced by the grit and zeal of Berlin, Detroit, Birmingham, and, his own, Sarajevo, Sev Dah unleashes his distinctively punchy and deviously structured spheric sound across this 4 track EP.

Opening with a stomping dancefloor tool that sets the energy high with playful and nostalgic loops, "Audio Grape" showcases the dynamic range of the techno proletarian. The dexterity of "Butter Knife" cuts intensely through the air with unexpected tones and drums, evolving into a steamy big-room journey made of sinister spins all the way through.

On the B side, "Dense Fog" permeates the space with a thick grip, softly engulfing all the senses in a labyrinth of sound, steadily building up anticipation with gleaming pads and elevated melodies as the story unfolds. The final track "Meraki" glistens with cold, robotic, fast-paced beats, roaring with otherworldly chords, like omens from the dystopian future, and melancholic subtlety that leaves a feeling of bitter hope.

From start to end, the EP Merak is an expression of the thriving and techno-revolutionary spirit of Sev Dah, crafting powerful narratives through a minimalistic approach. As a founder of DIG records, Olivia Mendez aims to bring precisely this signature sound, and a dedication to vinyl culture, which puts Dust In Grooves at the forefront of the contemporary techno scene. Further bridging classic and current formats, is the dynamic augmented reality cover designed by visual artist Bileam Tschepe. To unlock its motion, follow the riddle on the back.

All tracks are mastered by Nihad Tule.
Words by Lora Mateeva, MONUMENT

Dark, evocative beats engulfed by bold raw vocals: this is
TOTEK, the genre-defying electronic project of Allysha Joy and
Max Dowling.
In their own right, Allysha and Max both lay claim to an
extensive musical prowess: the former as a member of the
internationally-acclaimed nu-soul outfit 30/70 and her equally
revered solo project, the latter as a prolific producer, performer
and collaborator (Client Liaison, NO ZU, Parvyn and countless
others).
Born out of burn out and edging frustration for the pace and
complication of life at times, this collaboration came together
almost immediately. TOTEK found itself in the dark edges,
wanting to punch a little harder and move through it all quickly,
boldly, unafraid in relief. The chemistry held between Max and
Allysha found songs written in mere moments that expressed
something new that neither artist had been able to access
alone.
On face value, the six tracks on ttk.1 could feel musically
divergent: representing different idioms, different tempos and
different themes. Yet they are unified on a more holistic level
through their energy, ethos and character. TOTEK prefers to
view music in this way: what is the overall experience of a
record? Pushing boundaries and eschewing conventions has
been organically at the heart of TOTEK from the beginning. The
process of crafting a record was no different: The artists
intended to create a work that is characterful and unpredictable
yet unified by a throughline of potency and intensity.
TOTEK represents a masterful coming-together of influences: a
blend of multiple electronic idioms with a unique soul sensibility;
channelled through two creatively potent individuals. While their
music conjures shades of Dorian Concept, Jana Rush and
Flying Lotus, ultimately their sound is eclectic, elusive and
unique.

Lost private press gem "The Swimmer" by Florida native Danny Morgan, is a cool and breezy, beguiling easy glide from 1987. It should've been huge. It still could be. It's a mellow marina masterpiece and quintessentially Balearic. Over the past few years, it's gathered a cult following yet the album from which it derives is virtually impossible to come by.

Finally available on a standalone, fully remastered 12", it's been backed by an instant classic "Seahawks Swimming Through Space Remix", courtesy of those beloved cats Jon Tye and Pete Fowler.

These won't be around for long, limited to just 500 copies for the world, so don't drown in procrastination.

One listen and you'll want to dive in.

Fans of the deeply entrancing, nautically and narcotically-enhanced cuts of Dennis Wilson or Michael Nesmith’s The Prison will be instantly mesmerised by the sheer beauty of "The Swimmer". After tracking Danny down, we wanted to know more. How does something so magical come about? The man himself answered thusly:

"At the time I was running many miles on the Sanibel Island beach and doing a bit of swimming in the Gulf Of Mexico. Keeping my mind busy on a long run, I imagined a “what if” movie scene. Almost every run or swim someone is sitting there on the beach watching what goes by. Back at my desk I started finger picking some chords and the picture in my head showed up. I punched in a rhythm loop and the song was on its way.

Adrian Belew and I had the same manager Stan Hertzman so I was listening to some of Adrian’s work. I was a huge fan of Joni Mitchel and the unusual chord changes and melodies in some of her songs. All of this influenced the sound on “The Swimmer”

I had a support band at the time living in my house on Sanibel Island so we practiced a lot. We came up with an arrangement of the song and we took across the bridge to John McLane’s Important Studios and recorded it. I played finger picking acoustic guitar and sang, Tim Miller played drums, Jeff Holck played fretless bass, Dave Dust played lead guitar and John McLane played keyboards and sang harmony."

Our deep thanks must go out to Jon Tye (MLO / Seahawks / Ocean Moon) for first hipping Be With to this stunner. We returned the favour by giving him the keys to the stems and requesting a strung out remix to go on the flip - he returned having conspired with Pete Fowler to conjure a cosmically copacetic rerub with the subtropical chug of the "Seahawks Swimming Through Space Remix".

Putting together the artwork for this 12" release was an enjoyable process. It was nice to be able to flip the original sleeve for the Beach Life album by using previously unseen photos, sent to us by Danny. We wanted to create something that looks like it would've gone with the LP sleeve. We think we've cracked it. Simon Francis remastered Danny's original audio and Cicely Balston's precise cut for Alchemy at AIR Studios ensures this 12" sounds appropriately outstanding. The immaculate Record Industry pressing will ensure this previously lost masterpiece stays forever found.

Our label is thrilled to share yet another mind-blowing electro/proto-techno track by Art Programming (Art P), following the release of "Genscher Pull N Push". This track was originally the final piece on their self-titled album, released on cassette in 1983 under the P.A.P. label from Bremen.

To this day, the track remains almost completely unknown within collector's circles. However, let's take a moment to imagine what might have happened had the recording been released as a vinyl 12" back in 1983. Could it have been a game changer? We will never know for sure. Nevertheless, one thing is certain: with its punchy Roland 808 rhythms, and catchy synth lines and vocoder, it undoubtedly qualifies as a classic German electro track, and one of the earliest techno/proto-techno recordings.

At almost 8 minutes in length, this track includes one of the most exhilarating breaks in electro music of that era, showcasing extensive drum editing and effects. It strongly resembles the sound that Detroit would become famous for in the years to come, but make no mistake - this record was produced straight out of Bremen, a relatively small city in Northern Germany.

For the flip side of the single, we enlisted Alexander Arpeggio, the owner of Mond Musik und Eine Welt label, to edit the track while preserving its original spirit. As a member of the acid techno project Aufgang B and the synth-pop minimal duo OTTO, he not only has a deep understanding for this kind of music but also possesses the ability to give the song a different feel with greater dancefloor appeal. He has slightly reduced the tempo of the track and emphasized the instrumental and break parts, resulting in an exciting remix that is DJ-friendly and has everything you could ask for.

The 12" release comes with the original Art Programming logo in a vintage style, packaged in a generic black sleeve with hype sticker. It is limited to only 200 copies. This is a serious gem that you won't want to miss out on, so act fast!

A1 - Continuum

Teaming up once again the original Spatial production duo open their latest EP serving up a thumping onslaught of amen goodness with Continuum, a track which takes the classic Demon's Theme break and carves it to bits unreservedly with a myriad of chops, cuts & edits. We are treated to some delicious filter work later in the track over a shimmering backdrop of synthwork, glazed with a bunch of micro melodies, bleeps and FX.

A2 - Depth Perception

Meticulously constructed vintage breakbeats immediately set a brisk tone with Depth Perception before a blissful early interlude reminds us to sit back and take a breath, before our breaks return - blanketed with an introspective layer of serene synths & keys which somehow combine perfectly, resulting in a tonal mosaic only ASC & Aural Imbalance can conjure up with their combined skillset.

AA1 - Distant Orbit

Nest up an unsettling, melancholic intro tenuously launches classic atmospheric breaks delivered with that crisp, old school brand new punch we have come to love from the distinctive style of drum n bass Spatial is showcasingand developing with each release. Powered with a lively bassline, it's easy to lose yourself in this piece as the track lives up to its title and sends the listener far beyond the confines of their speaker.

AA2 - Cold Front

An intriguing, inquisitive energy opens Cold Front with an assortment of breakbeats woven together exquisitely in a collage format, DJ-friendly yet mellow at once . The dialed-back airy backdrops showcase a glorious intricacy to the breaks, so detailed with umatched clarity - they almost possess an ASMR-like quality, offering new discoveries to the ear each time on repeated listens.

STEB delivers a brand new single featuring Dario Rossi and remixes from Marvin & Guy, Feel Fly and Van Der Kirche & THC. Italian STEB is no stranger to cooking up floor filling hits. For this latest offering he works with Dario Rossi, a renowned drummer with a signature style like no one else.

Their 'Kauris 1979' is a beautifully deep house track with shimmering chords and twinkling melodies. Echoing claps help drive this most classy of tunes forwards under subtle vocal sounds and the whole atmosphere is full of late-night magic.

The vibrant Marvin & Guy remix has a cosmic edge and that's the case here with this excellent remix. It layers in mysterious whistling leads and 80s synth sounds as well as a rasping bassline that brings a different perspective than the original.

Feel Fly remix brings all that alongside some feel-good piano chords that light up a punchy nineties house bassline.

Van Der Kirche & THC then join forces for an expansive broken beat remix with crisp hits and silky bass all making for a sublime trip.
This is is a package packed with disco-tinged grooves for late-night dance floors.

200 copies ~ Vinyl 180 grams ~ No Repress!

Another deep techno ride on Delsin's Cameron series by Rhythm B?ro co-founder Na Nich. The Ukrainian DJ and producer delivers four excellent vibrant, dreamy techno trips. From the punchy 'Inlamint' to the unstoppable flow of 'Subway'. A darker twist appears on the mesmerizing 'Black Soil' finishing it off with a downtempo eyes closed delight 'Argonaut'.

Returning to his home base, Rotterdam based electro-techno mainstay Conforce presents a heavy pack of angular, experimental approaches on his latest offering into the Delsin databank.

Boris Bunnik's accomplished machine language has traversed deep and dubby soundscapes with punchy, club-focused fare alike, since 2010's Grace EP he has found a regular home on Delsin and it's always exciting to see what he comes up with next.

Where Conforce has commonly housed Bunnik's more melancholic, introspective work, the sound palette on Sins Of Synthesis is more tipped towards darker dimensions. The shadow of braindance looms large, guiding the music towards twitchy pattern manipulation, alien textural design and dissonant harmonics.

Bunnik's signature sense of melody can still be detected around the edges, from the distant, hazy pads of 'Charlatan' to the lingering chimes of 'Fragile', but this is a pointed new direction for Conforce and it's leading somewhere very interesting...

Hand the king of re-edits Late Nite Tuff Guy the keys to an unreleased Silk recording from the ‘70s hey days and you’ve got yourself a recipe for greatness. A’s and Bees line up their second heavyweight 12 inch pressing, with two exhilarating edits from LNTG alongside the first ever release of the original recording. As ever 50% of the profits from this release will be donated towards the British Beekeepers Association.

It's rare to crack the vaults on a recording that’s as good as this, that never saw the light of day. Courtesy of ‘70s Philly International wonders Silk, most famed for their soul sensation ‘I Can't Stop (Turning You On)’ that was sampled by LF System for their 8 week strong number 1 release, ‘Somethin' 'Bout The Way’ has all the elements of a smash hit. As catchy as they come, singalong sensibilities and musicianship of the highest order with vocal harmonies to match, it’s genuinely astonishing that this never got released. Who better to tweak this into an all-out disco stomper, than re-edit royalty Late Nite Tuff Guy. His Disco Dub teases in, loops up and adds extra punch to all the elements that make the original such a standout track, before letting loose those joyous vocals. Big room, full body, DJ friendly business this!

On the B side, the original mix gets it’s first ever release, with LNTG providing a shorter edit of his full throttle re-work to round off the package.

Greg Paulus joins forces with fellow Brooklynite Taylor Bense for a new Freerange EP showcasing their left field, raw house sounds across three original tracks plus a bonus Martinez Brothers edit.

With previous releases appearing on labels as diverse as Soul Clap, Let’s Play House, Ghostly International and Kompakt, the producer, DJ and trumpeter is perhaps best known for being one half of No Regular Play who have recorded LP’s and EP’s for Wolf & Lamb, Crew Love, and Let’s Play House. Never one to be confined to one genre, Greg takes influence from Jazz, Funk, Hip Hop and underground house to form a unique sound primed for discerning dance floors. Taylor Bense is an in-house composer and producer at the highly regarded Hyperballad Studios in Brooklyn, where he works and records a wide spectrum of music for everything from high end commercial work to EP’s for Wolf + Lamb and Soul Clap Records. The entire EP was recorded and produced at Hyperballad Studios over the past few years.

Title track Heat Make Sense wears its Prince inspiration on its sleeve with a hooky whistled tune, crunchy live bass fills and punchy, raw beats. Next up we have Switch which features Brooklyn MC’s Stimulus and Malik Work on vocal duties and Greg’s own trumpet adding top lines to the deep pads and rolling groove.

Marino takes us back to golden era jacking Chicago house of the 00’s but with Greg’s trumpet flourishes bringing a live, jazzy energy to the track. Fellow NYC mainstay Big $exy provides his trademark deep baritone vocal to give a little hip house flavour. Closing out the EP we have NYC’s Martinez Brothers providing an uptempo minimal edit of Do You Love Me, a track from Greg’s previous Freerange EP. The MB’s keep things rolling and stripped back for maximum club impact creating a useful DJ tool whilst allowing Greg’s musical and vocal parts to shine.

Along with Wu-Tang Clan's Inspectah Deck and 7L, MC Esoteric is probably best known as 1/3rd of the acclaimed trio CZARFACE. Before creating the comic friendly hip-hop supervillain, Eso developed and unleashed another fictional anti-hero that bolstered his music, and that character was dubbed EGOCLAPPER. You could view Egoclapper as Czarface's predecessor. Esoteric's legacy as a leading vanguard of Boston's underground rap scene extends far beyond CZARFACE, AOTP, and recent collaborations with MF DOOM, it leaps across multiple decades of records both solo and in collaboration with 7L. So now, Eso's imprint Fly Casual Records is proud to present this sterling reissue of his 2007 solo debut; the twitchy, punchy, eccentric Egoclapper. Not only has this record never previously been released on vinyl, but it is now presented on exclusive transparent blue wax.

All Her Plans, the third album from Melbourne, Australia's Cable Ties, finds the trio of Jenny McKechnie, Shauna Boyle, and Nick Brown at their punchiest and most assured. The ferocious, kraut-influenced blend of post-punk and garage rock of Merge debut Far Enough remains, but McKechnie's lyrics invite the listener closer than ever before. The urgency and fury that have marked Cable Ties' output thus far is more nuanced on All Her Plans.

The unfettered rage of their calls to action endures tackling subjects like broken mental healthcare systems and the burden of familial care that is largely placed on women…while holding space for gratitude, love, and acceptance. All Her Plans is a breakthrough moment for Cable Ties. It is the sound of a group that is exhilarated to be making music together again, both a celebration of their resilience and a massive step forward into a future they can finally claim as their own.

All Her Plans, the third album from Melbourne, Australia's Cable Ties, finds the trio of Jenny McKechnie, Shauna Boyle, and Nick Brown at their punchiest and most assured. The ferocious, kraut-influenced blend of post-punk and garage rock of Merge debut Far Enough remains, but McKechnie's lyrics invite the listener closer than ever before. The urgency and fury that have marked Cable Ties' output thus far is more nuanced on All Her Plans.

The unfettered rage of their calls to action endures tackling subjects like broken mental healthcare systems and the burden of familial care that is largely placed on women…while holding space for gratitude, love, and acceptance. All Her Plans is a breakthrough moment for Cable Ties. It is the sound of a group that is exhilarated to be making music together again, both a celebration of their resilience and a massive step forward into a future they can finally claim as their own.

After a year of scheming and crafting, building and destroying, Maisie Peters is ready to share what she’s been conjuring up – her brand new album ‘The Good Witch’, arriving via Gingerbread Man Records/Asylum on June 16th.

Recently heralded by vulnerable lead single, ‘Body Better’, Maisie’s second studio album ‘The Good Witch’, is the official follow-up to her No. 2 BRIT Breakthrough certified debut, ‘You Signed Up For This’, and in many ways the older, wise and scorned counterpart.

Exhibiting a newfound confidence, sharper storytelling and greater artistic ambition, Maisie created ‘The Good Witch’ across London, Suffolk, Stockholm, Bergen and LA, alongside the likes of, Oscar Görres (Taylor Swift, Troye Sivan), Two Inch Punch (Sam Smith, Jessie Ware), Matias Tellez (girl in red), Brad Ellis (Jorja Smith, Little Mix), Joe Rubel (Ed Sheeran, Tom Grennan) and Elvira Anderfjärd (Tove Lo, Katy Perry).

Ashee’s epic Oxytocin which has been ringing across big rooms across the globe, is finally getting a vinyl only release.

Oxytocin encapsulates everything that keeps the dancefloor going straight on till morning - the rolling bassline and haunting vocals keep you intrigued as the track progresses and builds become increasingly intense, relieved by a punchy and face-melting climax. This track has been getting bodies moving all over with its infectiousness - it truly is a dancefloor weapon and has been road tested by everyone from DJ Tennis, Carlita, Kiimi and many more. On the flip side is Ashee’s pumping rendition of Motomami, another dancefloor weapon exclusive to this vinyl package.

Ashee has already graced labels such as Aus, Life & Death and Circoloco and played live at everywhere from Gotwood to Sonar. Here he delivers an exclusive vinyl only double Aside with floor-filling effect.
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Naarm alchemists Sleep D's revelatory new synthetic 'Electronic Arts' is ready for circulation.

Having released 4 EPs of mind-altering club tackle since 2019's 'Rebel Force', the duo overcome second album syndrome, boiling down their chaos with a more developed sense of songwriting. Never banging one drum, 'Electronic Arts' mirrors the anything goes mania of their DJ sets, tactfully shifting through different sounds and styles. Tempos intensify and decelerate, at times pushing the threshold to 150 bpm from docile canine dreamscapes to full tilt Space Invaders in AR mind games.

Largely built on road tested material from their live performances, the album is a tangible Butter Sessions gathering, busting out the gate with Martian rave initiation Planet Waves, Outdoor System's polyrhythmic beatdown and the Orb-like hero dose affirmations of Sunrise In The Crater (I Exist). While 'Electronic Arts' is otherwise a self-dependent effort, Punch Drunk is brewed ever more potent by the hypnagogic vocals and lucid trumpet cycles of former futsal team member YL Hooi. Their unified energy incidentally manifests a profound matrix of ambient techno, motorik, Don Cherry and Everything But the Girl.

Also touching on apocalyptic doof and minimal, the album is not exclusively peak time with Maryos Syawish and Corey Kikos' specialty curveballs also playing their part. From Village To Empire finds the duo rooting down in Syawish's heritage with a tapestry of purposefully deployed Iraqi and Syrian ethnographic samples and field recordings, dubbed within range of Muslimgauze and On-U Sound. As minimal techno finale Textile trails off into footsteps wandering back to base camp with a satisfied exhale, one wonders where Sleep D's existential pathfinding could possibly take us next?

After a short hiatus, Headstrong is back with Hard 2 The Power of Core from Clouds. True to form, the pairing of Liam Robertson & Calum Macleod drop four devastating, hyper-produced tracks. From the chamber-psytrance of lead track Doom Tune serving as a sidestep to the classic Clouds sound, to the hard hitting and rave infected Braincellz & System 4 (Hard To The Power of Core). Each track packs a punch with their modern take on the UK hardcore sound.

Five in ya face techno trax from the renegade master.
Beatz that keep on rolling and rolling & rolling, always moving forward, braking every barrier along the way.

Nasty stuff, that punches with brute force & with the typical filth of Endlec's sound.

Beware! Those trax are only 4 the serious dj's out there!
This is TECHNO WITH ATTITUDE!

Blue Marbled Vinyl

Opening the EP we have a serious sensory treat from Aural Imbalance, as he ditches his own rulebook unleashing a myriad of rapidly combining elements synergising over glorious echoed intro-beats, before an uncharacteristically heavy slice of breaks punches its way into the track, electrifying the atmosphere while the trademark melodies dance above like fireflies in the night.

A2 - Luminosity

An airy intro slowly welcomes in snappy snares, staunch forthright bass tones and those delicious airy pads we know Aural
Imbalance so well for, gradually enveloping the listener in a luscious web of glorious serenity. Layers of intricate textures and rhythms build upon one another, creating a mesmerizing and hypnotic sonic journey inviting repeated listens.

AA1 - Moonscape

Aural Imbalance crafts a true gem here as Moonscape opens with a serene hit of soothing pads before the wonderfully analogue breakbeats join the party, laden with hi hats and subtle poise. The backdrop exudes whimsical birdsong until halfway we are treated to a true earworm melody carrying us through to the clean ritualistic outro.

AA2 - Sunlight Through Clouds

Simon closes the EP with Sunlight Through Clouds, opening with wistful muffled grooves before the bubbly apache break reveals itself and whisks us on a synthful audio feast, built on the immersive, meditative soundscapes he is so well known for. The track has a soothing, reflective vibe and fits perfectly as a curtain call for his latest extended player.

Words by Chris Hayes (Spatial / Red Mist)

Endplate is back after his excellent Gemini EP from 2020. The andalusian expert gives us four exercises of proper driving techno with an excellent sonic craft.

Unreal opens this slice of plastic with a repetitive and elastic line grooving across the precise beat. The main synth line changes in intensity along the development of the track playing wisely with the percussive elements to create the required feeling.

On PMMM the rhythm goes dirty and pulsating, gummy sequences come along a n intense drum pattern heavily reverberated and processed.

The flip side opens with, No Success Street, starting with a voice-like sound, obsessive and intense with an opaque bass drum as foundation. Sibilant drones add tension to the formula, increasing the adrenaline levels as the track goes into total madness.

Malenia closes the physical edition with echoed drums and loads of reverb. The drums go solo for the first bars, being filtered and processed constantly. A superb tool to add tension to a busy set.

As the first bonus digital track, Animal Noise, dirty and screamy, a dystopic hymn for the proper morning routine at Berghain for example.

To end the digital version, Green Eye, direct and punchy, with the right dose of drum pressure on a 90% rhythmic track, again a tool for those to know how to use them.

Techno with no jokes inside, from the makers to the real players.

Introducing Cutcross, created to champion the melting pot of basscentric sounds teetering around 140 bpm. Heading up the concept are Sicaria & Mia Koden, two DJs who have set out to explore and expand on the possibilities of these sounds whilst spotlighting underground artists.Cutcross is therefore their next step in supporting the forwardthinking music that they've drawn for when curating sets.

CXT007 brings forth the final release on the label: linking up two UKbased favourites in the 140-sphere. With a heavy-weight solo track each - longtime Sicaria Sound set staple 'Gruffa' by Nova alongside Taiko's punchy 'Pastorius' - the flip of the record then introduces two dynamic collaborative efforts which perfectly interlace melody and bass.

Infernal Sounds dish out the 3rd and final instalment in their IFSDIGIV series, loading up 4 more of their digital tracks onto a jam-packed 12". Mungk & Ego Death kick off proceedings with the beautifully oriental and melodic 'Crestmoon', before Drumterror takes charge in magical fashion on 'Likeness', incorporating a weighty and spacious mainframe to wrap around the saxophone wizardry of Ed Hodge. The B side takes a slightly more subterranean vibe with 'Memento' by Metafloor, dropping in on a heavy and bass-loaded swinger, before Grawinkel rounds off the EP with militant and wonky 'The Future', a tune that'll be battering the speakers with mid-range punches and flurry of low-end jabs. It's a release that has everything you need - four very different selections but packing variety and substance.

Recieved heavy support from the likes of Truth, N-Type, Deep Tempo, Bukez Finezt, Enada, Sicaria Sound, BunZer0 and many more.

A famous anthem once begged: “Don’t Make Me Wait.” Sometimes, though, it’s good to make ‘em wait—even just a little bit. Case in point: The production duo of Fabrizio Mammarella and Phillip Lauer, known to clubbers, DJs and music heads as Black Spuma.

Three years after their last EP—and nearly a decade into their production existence—the duo have finally given us a full-length manifesto. Sure, there have been a smattering of remixes and EPs over the years on labels like Futureboogie, International Feel and Live At Robert Johnson. But on their new LP “No No No,” the Spumas at last get to stretch out and give us their full-meal-deal.

The pair birthed the tracks at Lauer’s famed Pyramide III studio, with 10 tunes finalised and selected remotely, thanks to the wonders of high-speed Internet. While the Spumas are well-known (both together and as solo acts) for their melodic, 80s-tinged club workouts, the album format has allowed the guys to push their sound into parts unknown. The album drops at the end of May on Permanent Vacation, and it distils all the things we love about the duo: The melody, the playfulness and the musicianship of two veterans in full command of their powers.



Take the tune “Obereggen,” which expands a punchy, staccato bassline into that sweet spot where trance and italo can play next to each other. Or the cut “Fracture,” which is built on a Detroit-like chassis but makes room for gorgeous pads, subby bass and a nimble breakbeat.

For the established fans, there’ll be plenty to latch onto, including the title cut (and first single), which sounds like something Robocop may have produced if he’d taught a violence diversion program.
Meanwhile, cuts like “Dillingen” remind us of one of those lost Eurythmics B-sides that show up in the dark corners of MixesDB. The album was mixed and mastered by Lopazz, and boasts a colourful cover from Berlin-based artist Ilja Karilampi.

So, 17 years after initially meeting, we finally have a full album from these Spuma Men. And in the end, it was worth the wait.