quête:journey man djs

On Top Records is extremely proud to welcome back Smasher with his sophomore album, ‘Vibes In Motion’. due for release the 16/07/2021

Following the release of his debut album ‘Locked In Locked On' in 2020 which featured in numerous 'Album of the Year' lists Smasher has spent the past year offering a high level of consistency among a time which has been very difficult for creatives.

With live shows stopping to a halt Smasher has taken this opportunity with both hands building a home studio to sustain creativity a very important factor for an individual who has a burning passion to create music, he has used the time productively “Vibes In Motion” is 51 minutes of future classic British UKG encompassing Hip Hop, Grime, RnB, 2 step Garage all blended together seamlessly to bring a fresh approach to a genre he has gone extremely hard for. As with previous material, the album is produced by Smasher himself collaborating with long time friend Aaron Greenwood bringing his soulful smoothed-out keys and backing vocals the pair have a great working relationship which spans over a decade which can be heard through out the record.

Smashers journey began with a love for late 90’s UK Garage collecting vinyls from record shops and dj’ing on pirate radio, which lead him to Hip Hop, RnB, Reggae, Soul and many different uk underground music styles, followed by decades of producing records for some pinnacle uk artists most recent production credit for “Ghetts” on the critically acclaimed ‘Conflict Of Interest’ album charting at number 2 in the uk albums chart, Giggs - Landlord album, Klashnekoff - Iona to name a few, Smasher is a producer who can deliver a very high level of production no matter the genre. Over the past 2 years Smasher has gained props far and wide: from Todd Edwards to DJ EZ releasing a record under his Nuvolve imprint, to guest mix for MBE clothes designer Wale Adeyemi, comedy UKG faves Kurupt fm posting his “lockdown freestyle challenge” Numerous guest shows & live streams for Rinse fm, Kiss fm, Phaze Transition & Mind Charity, limited vinyl run presses to collaborating with Capo Lee & Ayo beats for film soundtrack “Against All Odds”

Since releasing “Locked In Locked On” the feedback for the project was so greatly received i knew how i wanted to approach this next album and with plenty of time on my hands to experiment i wanted to include more collaboration, a lot of the link ups came together organically.

I feel you get a nice balance of some new school artists like Local, Solo Jane & Hotch mixed with some UKG generals like MC Neat, Mighty Moe, Preshus, Creed & Troublesome and original “Knightz of the round table” member Luckie Luciano, i always feel a duty to pay homage but i also want to evolve the sound and take it to the next level.

Since march 2020 its been a tuff time for people i feel like there are some hidden messages in the album it leans towards the underdogs of this world and at times i feel like that but there is always this burning desire inside me to want to do better hopefully that comes across for the listener.

Already with a dedicated fan base and support from tastemaking DJs such as DJ EZ, Conducta (Kiwi Records), Toddla T (Radio 1), Heartless Crew (1xtra), Majestic (Kiss), Scott Garcia (kiss), Smokey Bubblin B (Rinse fm), DJ Redhot (Rinse fm), Dj Cartier, DJ Spoony, Artful Dodger, MattJam Lamont (Rinse fm) Shosh (Kiss Fm) Rudekid (Kiss fm) Ricky Chalrie & Melvin (BBC Radio 1) amongst others from the burgeoning UK Garage scene,

The Smasher sound especially in UKG has brought a well needed fresh flava to a genre which has had very few full album offerings, with that said its time to share “Vibes In Motion” with the universe, This will solidify Smasher as an artist in every sense of the word and undoubtedly concrete him as one of the UK’s finest talents.

Stand High Records presents SH008: a brand spanking new 12” with two exclusive “discomix” cuts of Stand High Patrol's last two singles “Same Justice” and “Working Man”. Both tracks have a special link, they were made around the same time period and are of similar nature. These tunes share that special groove and sweetness reminiscent of the Dubadub Musketeerz’s rocksteady productions.

On these two discomix versions, Pupajim’s vocal parts are followed by Merry's trumpets, Mac Gyver then takes things into his own hands and dubs out the riddim! Time stretches and reveals the subtlety of the mix made at Kerwax's studio. Stand High Patrol exploits the riddims without restraint by offering each member of the crew the space to express their skills and inspirations. These two stunning discomix versions are the result of a real collective effort. They were built for Djs, soundsystems and for all those willing to dive into an eight-minute sonic journey!

180g Heavyweight Black vinyl. Mansur Brown is a 24 year old Artist,
Producer and Multi-Instrumentalist, from Brixton, London.

Mansur released his debut Album “Shiroi” in 2018, followed by EP “Tesuto” in 2020. Mansur’s forthcoming album entitled “Heiwa” is due for release in September 2021, and will be the debut record released on Mansur’s own record label, Amai Records.

“Heiwa”, which means ‘Peace’, is an album about “the journey of life and all the emotions that are faced throughout life in the quest to attain true peace of mind and happiness within.”

Mansur’s sound rolls out across “Heiwa” like an expansive film score backdrop to the conflict between city and nature and the cycle of life, and spans genres of R&B, Hip-Hop, Ambient, Rock and Electronica.
Radio play from Benji B and Bradley Zero (BBC R1), Soulection DJs,
Giles Peterson (6 Music)

Album launch at Wilton Music Hall - August 26th

If you don't yet know, Flexi is a record store and music label based in Italy and run by Simone and Lorenzo.

Over the years, Flexi have gained both the respect and recognition of the music scene, earned by almost forty years of experience in the world of music and with the support of many DJs, artists and fans

Finally Flexi Cuts returns with a brand new release pressed on a “raw transparent" vinyl called “Velvet Series” no 2 – six quality tracks from six superb artists for an electronic journey that makes you fly over “velvet”.

Selection of the works wasn't easy; the tracks were chosen tryin' to maintain a high quality level, such as the oldest (v. series part 1) which have been so appreciated out there.

The A side opening is by Bologna-based Brine, with “YR Body” that provides a Juno-ish bassline with a catchy vocal and a jazzy mood.

Then we have “Benerice" from Daughters and Sons (aka the master Luca Fronza) who throws us into a beautiful Detroit-inspired analog jam.

This side ends with our very own Sicily man Manuold with fresh Italo-House vibes absolutely made for the dance floor.

On the B side, welcome back the veterans Tengrams (formerly the Piatto brothers from N.O.I.A Records) with the outstanding "Rapid Eye Movement"… travelling across retro-future influences and 808 patterns… under a dystopian-sci-fi movie theme.

B2 track is by the Calma duo who plays with a few elements to build a neverending techno climax...did you recognise the sample?

The last track is a sort of relaxing downtempo sunset closure complete with bells, from the California producer Gloved Hands, a name that speaks for itself.

There’s something new under the sun. If you look at it closely,
something new is only (and always) created at crossroads –
when different and signi¦cant traditions are connected and
combined. On their own, these traditions have often existed
for a while. However, in this new form they have never
appeared together. The latest manifestation of something
new can now be found on the album “No Future Dubs”, the
interpretations of “No Future Days” – the most recent album
by German band Messer – by Finnish producer and old
friend of the group Kimmo Saastamoinen aka Toto Belmont.
The intentional traditions that merge on this grand and
digni¦ed album are post-punk, dub and techno. A new
chapter in the culturally constant narrative of dub is written
here. Through their past and parallel activities in hardcore
and post-punk bands, Messer drummer Philipp Wulf met and
befriended Kimmo, originally a drummer too. In their
continuous dialogue discussing their musical journey, Philipp
and Kimmo over the years more and more immersed
themselves in the aesthetic possibilities of dub and reggae.
Indeed, lots of musicians do not listen to the type of music at
home that they write and play in their respective projects
(Take me as an example: House is the music that I produce
and put on as a DJ. On my own, I listen to various stuff,
music by Monk and Messer for example). The same applies
to the protagonists involved here. By discussing dub und
through Toto Belmont’s steadily increasing producingexpertise, the idea of creating dub versions of selected
Messer tracks was born. The Messer album “No Future
Days”, released in 2020, proved to contain the perfect raw
material as the songs on this album are already produced in
a much more transparent way than on previous LPs – and
are hence more suitable for dub. Still, it’s a giant leap from
the originals to the dubs. These add a third dimension to the
described character of the post-punk/dub amalgam: techno.
The result is a sound that hasn’t existed before, especially
not with German lyrics (which scarcely, however, carry
meaning or messages here. Hendrik Otremba’s voice is used
more like an instrument, as if he was the ghostly ¦gure which
he often sings about and which now §oats and screams
through the sound space). The history of mutual contact and
in§uence of (post-)punk and dub (reggae), which Messer
have kept on writing, is glorious and reaches back far in
musical history. Still, it has always been a rather marginal
chapter not only in punk but also in dub history. But already
in the beginnings of punk (the British version, less the
American one), the presence and in§uence of reggae was
obvious in many places as both are united in their resolute
attitude as rebel music. This is how the two genres
recognized each other – especially the punks regarded
reggae as rebellious. As is known, already Johnny Rotten
mainly listened to dub in private. By using the name John
Lydon, he then – together with bass player Jah Wobble –
established the group PiL as one of the most exemplary
bands at the crossroads of dub and punk. The Slits, Pop
Group, Killing Joke, The Ruts and last but not least The Clash
along with the Mick Jones offshoot Big Audio Dynamite –
the thriving British music scene in the early 80s was full of
dub-in§uenced acts. The echoes meandered everywhere. In
the USA, it took longer until the in§uence of dub became
noticeable and it has never been as distinctive as in the UK.
The history of US hardcore, however, cannot be told without
bands like Bad Brains from Washington D.C. who on their
albums occasionally inserted conscious reggae and dub
tracks between breakneck hardcore tracks. Another
important group is Blind Idiot God who similarly included
dub tracks on their LPs – the contrast between densely
droning rock tunes and widely breathing dub versions can be
experienced very vividly here. In the 90s, dub’s in§uence on
post-punk decreased while turning up even more distinctively
somewhere else: Techno was in many respects susceptible
to dub, to say nothing of the music from the so-called British
hardcore continuum (jungle, drum & bass etc.), which directlydeveloped from dub and reggae. But also “pure” techno –
meaning techno without breakbeats – discovered its a¨nity
for the possibilities of dub at an early stage, in England for
instance in projects like Left¦eld or The Orb. In addition, the
project Rhythm & Sound was established in Berlin with close
ties to the Hardwax record store. With regard to this project,
you can’t really say where dub ends and where techno begins
(or vice versa) because of the interconnection of the two
genres here – everything is based on the steppers pulse
which links the two styles like a common DNA. With dub
techno a new genre was created. Until the present day, there
are producers who don’t produce anything else and DJs who
don’t put on any other music. The Messer dubs are
characterized by a grand majestic manner and force that
presumably someone like Mad Professor is able to produce
and that is also inherent in many Scandinavian productions
of the last 15 years; a crystal-clear aesthetic which locates
itself far away from Kingston or Brixton, but features a pulse
referring clearly to Berlin and Helsinki. The songs appear in a
completely new and deconstructed form, the instruments are
exclusively used as particles and raw material, not as riffs;
merely glaring guitar textures ¦ll the wide dub space. There
are many new elements that were added by Toto Belmont,
especially synthesizer sounds and drums. The ¦nal result
creates an enormous aesthetic power and dignity, and an
atmosphere you don’t want to leave anymore. “No Future” is
a well-chosen title as a reference to the protagonists’ punk
association; as a main thrust of the album, however, a
comma between these two words is imaginable as well.

The first Prestige release for 2021 is delivered by London-based, Italian bred HLZ! Emilio has been on the map for a min, and we are more than thrilled to finally lock in a project in the form of a versatile 3-track EP offering. As his talents have been revered with all the top labels and DJs across circuit, Prestige is chuffed to deliver this unquestionable slapper of a 12".

As the Lead track, 'IN BETWEEN' takes listeners on a journey thru a deeper palette, HLZ is able to turn out with casual grace. Liquid gold best describes such a superb composition. Rolled out drums + classic bassline hook = sure fire integrity.

Riiing the alarm! 'DUB SUNRISE' hits different and not what you'd typically expect from mans. Only meant to be heard on a proper rig, HLZ channels the natty spirit and nails this iteration of the dub wise vibrations.

Third tune might as well be a title cut, 'NEON UNDERWATER' is simply pure rudeness. The track perfectly fits its title, as you instantly catch that murky, immersed feeling upon first listen. Another sound you may not be accustomed to hearing from HLZ off rip, from a label that frequents the roads less traveled.

PMG017 will be a vinyl feature with full color sleeve on March 5th, digital to follow suit 1 week after release. The heaviest of players showing full support; likes of Doc Scott, Craze, Flight, Ulterior Motive, and more. We're very excited to finally share with you all, such an astounding drop from the renowned Prestige Music Group.

Rising London-based talent Casey Spillman debuts on LOCUS with his latest four-track EP, ‘Bit More Raggo’.

A hotly-tipped name within the UK house and minimal scene, London’s Casey Spillman continues to impress as one of the city’s key emerging DJs, producers and label owners. Founder of his own blossoming imprint Temperature, his releases and remixes via the likes of e1ven records, Sukhumvit and Infuse have gained support from a long list of the scene’s key players - solidifying his growing profile as one of FUSE’s key up-and-coming talents, whilst featuring across a string of their infamous events within the UK capital. Next up, Spillman’s latest outing welcomes a debut on recently launched FUSE imprint LOCUS, delivering four typically impressive cuts in the form of his ‘Bit More Raggo’ EP.

Opening cut ‘What I Say’ delivers a moody, up-front production armed with metallic percussion licks, resonant chords and driving low-ends, whilst the skipping hats and sweeping key leads of the slick ‘Gambling Man’ reveal a classy yet warping journey to close out the A-side. On the flip, ‘Humidity Meter’ introduces a hypnotic combination of shuffling percussion atop of escalating electronics and squelching bass patterns, before closing proceedings via the tripped-out vocals, crisp, raw drum shots and menacing bassline of final track, ‘Commands’.

Project Runaway brings together two of Tel Aviv's new breed of talented DJ / producers in a meeting of tripped out, expansive, psychedelic, club music. Landing on Especial to expand horizons is Met, their debut EP of deep, percussive dubs for late night tribes. A name on many leftfield lips, Alek Lee's journey continues following two acclaimed solo releases for the wonderful Antinote crew and new project, Shame On Us (alongside Naduve and Yovav Arzi) for that brightest star, Hivern Discs. Teaming up with the sound production skills of Stephan Bazbaz they create Project Runaway. Holding down his own citywide residencies, Bazbaz has developed a studio mastery of minimal dub, crispy house and trippy techno via a growing stream releases on numerous labels, as well as setting up his own No Wave records in 2016. After their welcoming, simple, yet wall quacking remix of Persian (EES031), Met, or 'dead' in Hebrew, bring their strands together as one sound. In original form, a vibrating drum takes on bass backbone is broadened with tight layers of percussion overtones and warped vocal interplay. Lee's psychedelic imaginings are a perfect fit across Bazbaz's wide production expanse, before horns raise the heat to extreme. For deeper DJs and big system dwellers, Met (Dub) does as it should, stripping away and opening wide. Hand percussion and vox ride the channels, coming in and out of the mix, while dub stabs transfix and could run for days. A meeting of minds, drums, psychedelics and pure club love.

Next up on First Word Records, we welcome the return of Don Leisure, with an EP of beats that see his two alter-egos go head-to-head, 'Shaboo vs Halal Cool J'.

Probably best known as 50% of Darkhouse Family, along with Melange label boss Earl Jeffers, they released their acclaimed debut album 'The Offering' in 2017 and subsequent remix project last year, featuring DJ Spinna, Kaidi Tatham and more. The duo are coolly establishing themselves as Cardiff's very own Mizell Brothers, recently producing Kamaal William's latest work, featuring on Kutmah's recent Izwid compilation, and collaborating on the Chicago x London project 'Where We Come From', featuring Makaya McCraven, Joe Armon-Jones, Nubiya Garcia, Theon Cross and First Word label-mate Quiet Dawn, amongst others.

'Halal Cool J' appeared originally in early 2017 with 'An Ottoman Excursion' on our sister-label, Excursions. A series of edits born out of a decade-long love of Turkish music, and some record-digging expeditions in Istanbul, something Don Leisure did the very day after 'The Offering' release party, prompting another series of beats. Ahead of an all-new full-length Halal Cool J album, here we have two tracks to give you a taste, 'Kazakh Honey' and 'Kaymak'.

'Shaboo Strikes Back' on the flip-side, with a track of the same name, and 'Mango Season'. 'Shaboo' was the name of a beat album that came out on First Word in 2017, inspired largely by Don's Bollywood actor Uncle, Nasser 'Shaboo' Bharwani, and by memories of journey's with headphones hurling out Hip Hop, fused with the sonics of his Mum's interruptions, and her favourite Asian radio station. 'Shaboo' featured in several end-of-year album lists, with Piccadilly Records calling it "the best album of it's kind since Dilla's 'Donuts'. Unmissable."

Both prior projects got love from DJs and selectors far & wide, including Tom Ravenscroft, Lefto, Huey Morgan, Rob Da Bank, Om Unit, Simbad & Mr Thing. A truly global affair, the beat battle of 'Shaboo vs Halal Cool J' takes us on several short, sweet hikes across a variety of Eastern climes.

Join in the journey once again on 7" vinyl and digital on April 5th.

Third LP of Cabaret Contemporain, French band (featuring Fabrizio Rat on keys) who use acoustic instruments (piano, guitar, bass, drums, contrabass) to produce a « hand-crafted » club music infused with techno. Inspired by Jeff Mills, Robert Hood or Drexciya, the five members already had a career on classical scene; their idea is not to replay classical techno tunes but to create a new path for the electronic music. 2 tracks featuring with the label boss, Arnaud Rebotini.

« Ballaro », which opens Cabaret Contemporain's third album, begins with light percussions, which seem to turn on themselves, while being conveyed by reverberations close to dub. After a few minutes of convolutions, the piece gets out of hand, transporting the listener into a rich form of pulsating trance, irrigated by a soaring melody and punctuated by persistent piano tones. « La selva »; more subdued, has the same energy, the track ending in an even more powerful way, a kind of paroxysm.

Finally, the strangest and most minimal « Cactus », features a singular groove, which evokes the most brutal house from Chicago, or the sometimes obsessive techno from Detroit. Just like other tracks such as « Transistor » or « TGV », fuelled by sweat and trance, Séquence Collective bears all the intensity of a techno cut for clubs' dancefloors. The only difference being that their music is not played with synths, drum machines or software, but with acoustic instruments. Dual curriculum The band is composed of five musicians and a sound engineer: Fabrizio Rat on piano, Giani Caserotto on guitar, Julien Loutelier on drums, Ronan Courty and Simon Drappier on double bass and of course Pierre Favrez on console. They are all in their thirties and met at the prestigious Paris Conservatoire in the late 2000s. However, all the musicians in the band have a double curriculum and navigate freely between the institutional realm and the underground or pop music scenes. Through classical or contemporary music, jazz and improvisation, rock and experimentation, they share a common passion for the original and futuristic techno of the 1990s, that of Jeff Mills, Robert Hood or Drexciya, which they have decided to reinvent and further in their own way. Not as a simple stylistic exercise practiced by virtuoso musicians, but rather as a new path for modern music, and for their generation. « The original idea » they say, « was to make club music by hand, like craftsmen. Like in the early days of jazz, our band managed to transform itself into a kind of dancing machine. Our music is therefore functional because it is danceable, but also mental and abstract, while offering several layers of listening. You can dance and play, have a purely physical and sensory connection to the music. But you can also immerse yourself in its listening, perceive refined harmonies or more complex rhythmic superpositions »

If the tones of Cabaret Contemporain are truly unique it is because each member of the band has developed a very personal approach through the use ''prepared'' instruments. The strings of their piano, guitar or double bass may recall strange machines with literally incredible sounds, obtained using objects such as chopsticks, clothes pegs, foil, hangers, a tiny pie mould or many other utensils from a DIY store. A collective energy

Cabaret Contemporain is first and foremost a live band that has been performing in venues and festivals since its inception in 2012 (Nuits Sonores, Siestes Electroniques, L'Aéronef, Le Trabendo, Philharmonie de Paris, Gaîté Lyrique, Rewire, Dancity, Barcelona Accio Musical...), both at traditional jazz and contemporary music venues, and more often at electro music hubs. When facing the audience, the band, which plays each of its sets in one go, without a break, shows an intense physical presence, which competes with the musical power of DJs who share the stage with them. Their performance, full of tension and repetition, which requires maximum concentration and a state close to trance from the musicians, is sometimes, according to them, « a mental journey and a mystic experience ». A dimension that brings to mind the historical techno culture and its dancers who, communicating on the dancefloor, were carried until the early hours of the morning by the power of the beat. An album inspired by the stage Since their beginnings, their compositions on record have drawn their energy directly from the practice of their concerts, whether referring to Terry Riley (2014) or Moondog (2015), an EP and an album dedicated to the repertoire of the two American artists, the original compositions of Cabaret Contemporain (2016) and Satellite EP (2017), as well as this new album. Séquence collective can be listened to as a condensed transcription of their inventions and their live experiments. The tracks, more than half of which were improvised during sessions held in the former Vogue studios near Paris, were recorded in live conditions, « like an old school rock band » they say. As usual, they invited a new musician to join them in the studio. After collaborating with Étienne Jaumet or Château-Flight, Arnaud Rebotini, César winner for best film music, added a welcome synth touch on two tracks (Pro- One, Prophet 600), which boosted the group's formidable collective energy. The album ends with « October Glide », again performed with Rebotini, a lyrical and lively track, built on a powerful and slow progression of timbres and percussions, which would ideally find its place at the core of a techno party « peak time »

"This release is a 12"" and it's individually 500 hand-numbered limited edition. The first 100 copies are pressed on CLEAR TRANSPARENT vinyls (AR013).
It contains 2 previously unreleased tracks from TONY ESPOSITO's Viaggio Tribale CD (2004): Dove c'e luce and Veronica song + A SPECIAL BALEARIC REMIX of Dove c'e luce from LucaEffeSunset + 3 previously unreleased tracks from the Lucan (Basilicata) musician Antonio Nicola Bruno CD (2004): Storia della terra mia and Danza e ridanza. In addition to the usual Archeo insert of credits and photos of the original album, it features also of a second insert concerning a beautiful photographic journey of 2004 by Manu-Archeo, related to this Music. Archeo Recordings is a reissue record label that regenerates old, lost, obscure (and forgotten) rare gems of Italian music of the 70s and 80s, and not only.
All outputs are licensed by the artists and the vintage labels, audio tracks are remastered in their original form, the sleeves and center labels are graphically recreated for today but all based on the original images.
Archeo would like to make the music available to a wider audience of collectors, DJs, music lovers of a forgotten time.
All releases are hand-numbered limited edition vinyl. The first copies of each release are pressed in coloured vinyls."

OMEN Recordings is off running to the industrial techno races againand this third release has already been gaining traction around the globe with high anticipation and support from many respected producers and DJs alike. The Puppetskin EP written and produced by German and French artists RENDERED with remixes by American producers BLACK ASTEROID and AXKAN is off to a great start. RENDERED starts off strong with the title track Puppetskin" (A1), with strong breakbeat kicks, thrashing snares and rich synth lines that are melodic and spacey. The dancefloor will surely love the Charles Manson samples. Nightmoves' (A2) also heads the pack with shuffling kicks while rich, minor-tuned pads take you on a persistent journey. About half way through, you will be moved by a 4/4 pattern that sneaks in and will be a favorite for the dancers. BLACK ASTEROID's remix of Puppetskin' (B2) does not disappoint as signature Black Asteroid textures and rhythms come alive in this rendition. Although it has rounded, full soundscapes that sound perfect for a large venue, its pumping, hypnotizing bass lines and screeching sirens keep you pulled into the darkness. AXKAN stays in the pack with his earthshattering remix of Puppetskin' (B1) by starting slow with a profound intro to then push the audio boundaries with his powerful kick and bassline, to gain more and more strength with vocal samples, distorted drums and FX. AXKAN uses every stem of the original in such a creative way to help win the race. This EP, soon to be available on vinyl and digital formats, exceeds the expectations of sound design and techno together. No matter what time of night it is, these tracks can be played in a versatile way. While still employing darker textures, a breath of light creeps its way in. Listening to this EP start to finish is definitely worthwhile.

Inwave is pleased to present its 8th vinyl only release, made up of the production by the Villalobos-Luciano boys Felipe Valenzuela, Felipe Venegas, Dani Casarano and the eclectic Inwave homeboy producer Niimm.
Journey through unique brand of melodious and elegant techno, minimal-house sounds delivered in a totaly underground and manner style, open to diverse sounds from around the globe- this Wax is full of grooves.
From Italy to Chile, to Europe and beyond, this four tracker is going to win the hearts of open-minded DJs and dancers alike...
Warm, trippy percussions and joyful, hypnotic vocal samples sure to bring smiles to every dancefloor.

Fuckthegovernment.Ltd, a.k.a. F.T.G (Alfredo Trastulli) and Music Box head honcho, Marco Riff, return to the Skylax fold in 2016 with a cache of house nuggets for our listening pleasure. Their last venture on Skylax saw F.T.G collaborate with a bunch of his friends, resulting in some of the best tracks we'd heard all year, including the unforgettable Fuckthegovernment theme. Their tracks have been celebrated and hailed by some of the best DJs in the game, names such as Derrick May, Ricardo Villalobos, Raresh, and DJ Harvey. The bar set by the first record remains sky high, and somehow, these two manage to raise the bar even higher. It may be the biggest cliche going when talking about an album, but the duo certainly do take us on a journey, through the past and present of house music. It's a record not too dissimilar in tone to Paranoid London's from a few years back, but F.T.G and Marco strip things back even further than those guys did, in our opinion; The sound is more raw with less frills, and no track names to predispose feelings in the listener either. This eight track project is cohesive and elaborate, with movements through sounds both acid and jazzy, minimal and maximal. It explores sounds that came to prominence in famous house locales such as Detroit and Chicago over in the U.S., but the underground European influence is definitely present, from Paris to Berlin, and of course F.T.G and Marco's home of Italy. With this album, these guys add to the underground sound that has cultivated in the city of Perugia for years now, a place that has seen the likes of Simoncino and Nicholas hone their craft.Don't miss out on a piece of Skylax history!

Late Night Tales welcomes back the cult figure and ultimate musical connoisseur, Bill Brewster to compile his second episode of the curated compilation series 'After Dark'. An obscure and timeless DJled journey which begins somewhere out in the near ocean, the waves are rolling and lolling gently into the shore, while a full moon shines on the surface. It's only faint, but somewhere nearby is the sound of bass, pulsing slowly, almost in time to the waves. Welcome back to 'After Dark: Nightshift'. Once again Bill Brewster comes armed with a sensitivity and sense of occasion that few other DJs possess. Delivering another batch of slow cooked musical stews, making sure the tempo stays nice and steady and the emphasis is on funk, soul, grits and corn fried chicken, Brewster has done so much digging, Late Night Tales had to hire a forklift truck and tractor. Among the unreleased nuggets, there's the Fernando mix of The Detachments; inordinate excitement about Gino Fontaine, a tune spotted a year ago but has languished in Andy Meecham's Stafford catacombs ever since. Also unearthed are some hitherto secret recordings between Robert Fripp and The Grid, and there are also some proper club faves here, too, like the daft but brilliant 'Mopedbart' by Hubbabubbaklubb and the luminous 'Boutade' by Mugwump, as well as killer oldies like Salsoul Invention and General Lee

Six years have passed since the last album by Andi Otto alias Springintgut, ("Park and Ride", City Centre Offices, 2007). In this period, Otto has done nothing less than inventing a new instru- ment: His "Fello" is a cello with movement sensors attached to the bow and a corresponding software. The development has been kicked off at STEIM in Amsterdam already in 2007. Since then, Otto has achieved vital refinements of the system, cooperated with artists of various fields as diverse as choreographers in Macedonia, theatre in Nigeria and Techno DJs in the Berghain Kantine in Berlin or the Fusion Festival. He even played solo with his instrument on different continents. For this third album, "Where We Need No Map" Otto takes the "Fello" to his studio in Hamburg for the first time. He records his instrument which has until today only been presented live on stage. In these Fello Sessions, the bow gestures immediate- ly modulate and process the amplified cello sound. In the subsequent editings he selects and cuts these sessions and merges them with other styles, such as Skweee, House and Jazz. Springintgut's trademark sound, this unique playfulness, is pre- sent throughout, while the live-processed cello adds an unrivaled deepness. The artist's expeditions even add more colour. Two tracks have been recorded in India. The lead voi- ce in "Bangalore Kids" is a field recording of a schoolboy in Cubbon Park, Bangalore. Andi Otto spends three months in Japan as artist- in-residence in the Villa Kamogawa in Kyoto. Du- ring this concentrated period he produces the more contemplative tracks of the album, like "Ka- mogawa Cycling" and "Western Kyoto". In Sri Lan- ka, finally, he meets Sasha Perera, the voice of Berlin's Dub Techno band Jahcoozi. They record two songs together. Especially in "Bullet" one can sense the lazy, muggy, peaceful heat of the after- noons in which this beautiful track has been com- posed. These stories may help to locate the music's orig- ins but still the sound of "Where We Need No Map" points us to unknown territories. The journey itself is the reward, let's listen!

Sechs Jahre sind seit dem letzten Album "Park and Ride" (City Centre Offices, 2007) von Andi Otto alias Springintgut bereits vergangen. Diese Zeit hat der Pingipung-Mitinhaber genutzt, nicht weni- ger als ein eigenes Instrument zu erfinden: das "Fello", ein Cello mit Bewegungssensoren auf dem Bogen und einer dazu gehörigen Soft- ware. Die Grundlagen dafür entstehen bereits 2007 am STEIM in Amsterdam. In der Folgezeit gelingt es Otto, das Instrument immer weiter zu verfeinern, mit unterschiedlichen Künstlern zu kooperieren und international aufzutreten. Für "Where We Need No Map" trägt Otto das Fello erstmals ins Hamburger Studio und nimmt unzählige Sessions auf, in denen die Gesten des Bogens direkt den verstärkten Sound des Cellos verändern und neu formen. Diese Fello-Sitzungen werden anschließend editiert und mit anderen Ein- flüssen vermengt, die von Skweee über House bis hin zum Jazz reichen. Der Markenzeichen-Sound von Springintgut, diese ureigene Verspieltheit, ist weiterhin vorhanden, gewinnt durch das live-pro- zessierte Cello aber eine bisher unerreichte Tiefe. Weitere Farbe erhält das Album durch Ottos zahl- reiche Tourneen in ferne Länder. Zwei Stücke ent- stehen in Indien. Die Stimme von "Bangalore Kids" ist eine Feldaufnahme eines Schuljungen im Cubbon Park in Bangalore. In Japan verbringt Andi Otto drei Monate als "Artist in Residence" in der Villa Kamogawa in Kyoto. Während dieser kon- zentrierten Zeit entstehen die ruhigeren Tracks des Albums wie "Kamogawa Cycling" und "Western Kyoto". In Sri Lanka lernt er dann Sasha Perera kennen, die Stimme von Jahcoozi. Sie nehmen zwei Songs zusammen auf. Vor allem in "Bullet" kann man der faulen Nachmittagshitze nachspü- ren, in der die Stücke entstanden sind. So lassen sich die vielfältigen Entstehungspunk- te von "Where We Need No Map" zwar karto- graphieren, aber der Sound des Albums schickt einen trotzdem in unbekanntes Terrain. "Der Weg ist das Ziel, frag nicht viel, hör mal..."