Up next to bat for the Astral Black label is Glasgow's Bushido and he looks set to hit his debut 4-track EP straight out the park. Over the past 18 months Bushido's playful, dance-hall infused take on UK club-music has built a steady reputation, with his soundcloud page showcasing a blaze of radio rips lifted from 1xtra, Rinse & NTS. His Beach Stage set at last years Outlook Festival was picked by The Daily Street as their personal highlight and his collaborations with label-mate DJ Milktray & contributions to releases from Liminal Sounds & LuckyMe's 14/15 advent calendar have picked up DJ support from the likes of Hudson Mohawke, Mssngno & Nina Las Vegas as well as press from the likes of The Fader & FACT.
On 'Grandmaster Cash', Bushido turns in 4 sweltering, hyper-tropical, club tracks - the arpeggiated cowbells & vocal chops of opener 'Palm Trees' sounding like you've hit the jackpot on a fruit machine. 'Palm Trees' has become a firm favourite in sets from the likes of Mr Mitch & Murlo and its clear to see why. The sino-centric 'Cherry Blossom' is up next, it's half-step breakdowns offering some mild respite before culminating in an arsenal of pan-flute chops & triplet hi hats. The mavado-sampling 'Just Us' rings out at the top of side B, a stripped back offering of anthemic vocal-chops, 808 kicks, sub bass and rim shots. Finally, leaving the B'more bounce of Boxed-favourite 'Jersey' to seal the deal.
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What a treat we have here! The long awaited Medlar debut on Riverette is finally here: After a string of amazing releases on Wolf Music and having remixed a few of the biggest acts on the scene such as disclosure, Medlar gives us 3 tracks that showcase what a talent this guy is.
First of on A1... chills, that's all we need to say, one of the most anticipated tracks on soundcloud, on B2 we have his take on acid and what a take that is. On the flip side we have a track for the weirder side of the dance floor just as we like it, something in between house and techno.
If this wasn't enough there's a remix too, by up and coming and classy as hell act FYU Chris it's freaking amazing!!!
WEvery artistic scene is lead by their artists and kept alive by their fans, but mostly by its talents, who can look outside of the box and have a great relationship with their crowd. Junior C is a great example of how this theory comes true for a DJ and Producer.
Junior C is a very versatile artist, who consolidated his career in three columns: Technique, Feeling and Crowd-Reading, Important skills that added to his strong musical taste made him able to adapt his sets to many dance-floors, from underground to mainstream without loosing his musical identity.
As a producer, he got a lot of attention by his latest tracks Relax' and Sweet Acid Talk' released by Impact Records, produced in partnership with Wehbba and Propulse. Both tracks in just a couple of weeks hit the top 20 in tech-house at Beatport receiving compliments from: Sven Vath, 2000 and One, Karotte, Hector Couto, Joseph Capriati and many more, afterwards Sweet Acid Talk' was the best seller of Ibiza Underground 2013' released by Toolroom Records.
In this EP he has worked with H.O.S.H., Gui Boratto and Gunjah to create new approaches of his latest single Coming Over' and the result are 3 different interpretations of this dance floor timeless song, full of groove, lush harmonies and organic undertones. It doesn't take much to imagine this EP owning dance floors in the months and years to come.
Engineered to perfection by label head GUI BORATTO, it's an exciting step for the imprint and the project alike.
it's an exciting step for the imprint and the project alike.
Ark & Pit Spector continue their inspired journey with an extended EP full of groovy jams and absorbing rhythms for Hold Youth. The Frenchmen have formed a potent alliance with a series of expertly-crafted, high-quality releases dropping over the last couple of years. On this new EP they go deeper into their sound explorations with five original works and a remix from their Parisian buddy and Hold Youth member, Le Loup. First up, we go into bumping jazzy territory with 'Chauffage Central', a mesmerising cut with swirling pads, soulful vocal clips and a jaunty b-line. Straight up after that, Hold Youth rudeboy Le Loup gives 'Chauffage Central' a funky little rework, throwing live sounding percussion, Nubian vocal clips, trumpet parps and a pumping bassline into the mix which gives a totally different identity. The final track on side A, is a cheeky teaser called 'Petite Ondée'. Rolling out for just under two minutes the track has a muffled, jazz-esque feel to it with a warm rolling bassline and bright, sparkling piano keys.
On the flip we kick off with 'Air Conditionelle', a lush, retro feeling with those oh-so-familiar heavy-hitting eighties snare licks. The bassline takes you to a New York City street and the whole atmosphere is that of an old school NYC neighbourhood, while a spoken-word sample adds a human touch just before the track comes to an end. 'Sub Tropical' goes a little leftfield with an unusual combination of sounds in tandem with a pulsating low end, occasional sax licks and punchy percussion to give it plenty of energy. 'Averse Et Contre Tous' closes out the EP with a slothish ride into the sunset - Ark and Pit Spector show their experimental side presenting an odd union between blues samples, gruff electronic sounds and piano keys.
Another triumphant effort from Ark and Pit Spector, in fact, some of the finest work to date. Make sure you check it out!
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When we started Heist a few years back, our idea was to give a stage to talent in a same way as we have had a helping hand by the labels that have supported us from the beginning. Therefore, it's our pleasure to share this release with you by newcomers 'Ouer', a Berlin based duo with only a handful of tracks out so far on their self released debut last year. Their approach to producing is very much jam based, and with a compact collection of synths, drum machines and a fair level of distortion, they succeed in creating their own sound with hints of classic electronic music from Chicago and Detroit. There's a nice mix of energy on the whole EP, 'The ascent being the most driving track of the package'. Fans of classics MCDE tracks will love 'Show off' with it's dreamy DX7 style chords and cracking acid lines. 'Move over' feels like a jam session that was way too much fun with some lovely solo work on the synths, whereas 'Mess around' goes down in similar free-ride style on the synths and again, has some lovely sampling going on. An impressive ep we're just all too happy to have on our label. Sincerely yours, Lars & Maarten
You can call them a »supergroup«, but Moderat understands that it's the »group« aspect that makes them interesting.
Gernot Bronsert, Sebastian Szary (aka Modeselektor) and Sascha Ring (aka Apparat) have been working together as a trio almost as long as their two separate projects have existed. We've seen their collaboration grow from »laptop boy-band,« (as Ring playfully puts it) in 2003—with computers synched using software Ring himself had written, because at the time, »there was just no live performance software around.«
Ring confesses that Moderat wasn't »really meant to be a recording act ,« with Bronsert agreeing that, »it was really just about fun.« This maybe explains the six-year break that followed Moderat's first EP before they finally returned in 2009 with their selftitled debut album. Intent on creating something that contrasted with their own projects, the group started the cycle which blossoms on their second album, aptly titled II, culminating now in the trilogy's completion, III. Whereas I was the combination of two separate entities, II brought the members closer together, and in III, the final chapter in the trilogy, Moderat sounds like one band.
Both Szary and Ring will tell you that Moderat moved progressively from making tracks towards a more traditional writing approach of making songs - a process more fully realized on III. That's partly why the vocals have become more prominent. Mostly, you hear Ring singing (there are no guests this time), as he so often does as Apparat, but listen closely to »Ghostmother« to hear Bronsert and Szary backing him up. Stepping out of their comfort zone is the kind of thing that helped create their interplay between pop and electronics; doing it right won them the Resident Advisor Best Live Act honor as early as 2009, and they continue to gain popularity while remaining independent and underground.
Szary describes the idea behind Moderat as, »imagin(ing) yourself sitting in the cinema and watching a movie with an incredible soundtrack.« This is true with Moderat in general, but III in particular pairs an emotional pull with sensual imagery, creating dynamic sound and depth with lyrics such as »the calming scent of lavender fills the air,« or »burning bridges light my way.« You'd have
to ask them whether they're intending to manipulate the listener in the same way that John Williams or Hans Zimmer might with traditional orchestras.
One of the best parts of Moderat is their use of electronics to achieve orchestral diversity. They update the songwriting tradition with an intriguing palette, borne of careful attention and skill, informed by their »experiences with sounds of nearly 25 years of suband club culture.«
Let's not forget that these three were brought together by Berlin's now legendary rave scene. With this as their common foundation as individuals, III signifies Moderat's maturation in modern pop — an achievement shared under their collective belt.
Bronsert explains that, »the new album isn't based on jams. We went into the studio and knew exactly what we needed to do.« This is reflected in the sophisticated themes explored in the music. Take »Ghostmother,« which ponders inner peace, acceptance, fear of the unknown and how facing that fear often reveals something not so scary. Or »Running,« which is about being part of a mass that constantly needs to move to function, but doesn't have the power to decide the direction of motion. Or how about the wisdom of »Reminder,« which recognizes the world for its flaws and our role we've each played in that, but choosing to act differently and light the way to something better.
Given that, it's a bit of an understatement when Bronsert says, »I'd say our music has definitely matured.« Successful in their own endeavors, now they've mastered the »group«. It doesn't mean the end of Moderat, but it does mean they'll have to find something else to excel in.
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The first Late Night Tales release of 2016 is a very special project by Sasha.
Imagine listening to music inspired by Frahm, Richter and Steve Reich, but made by one of the UK's leading house and techno DJs. Away from the hubbub of the club, the craziness of Ibiza, there's a contemplative side to everybody. Forget the beats and the sweat and the billowing anthems; this quiet, undulating, at times pastoral piece is less about songs and anthems and more about texture and atmosphere. 'Scene Delete' is a side of Sasha you've never heard before. I love post-minimalist modern classical, I love to listen to something completely different that's quite hypnotic as well. It almost purges the system.
About three years ago, my collaborators David Gardner and ThermalBear and I wrote a song called 'Bring On The Night'. I sent it to Ultraista and within a few days she sent it back with this amazing vocal on, with Nigel Goodrich playing keyboards. We tried to do club mixes but we just couldn't get it right. So it sat there doing nothing.
Tracks like this kept building up, until finally last summer my frustration boiled over. We'd made so many tunes that I couldn't remember the names of half of them: What was that thing with a bass sound and a string line It drove me mental. At the same time as we were logging these tracks, I was listening to the Jon Hopkins' Late Night Tales and I thought a lot of the music we'd been working on was in the same vibe. So I sent the music over to Late Night Tales and they really liked it.
Initially, I thought we'd just do a Late Night Tales compilation with maybe a few pieces of my own music. But as we went through everything we'd worked on in the last two years, we realised we had about 50 pieces of music. So we started editing and compiling: 'Scene Delete' is the end result.' - Sasha, January 2016
Think of 'Scene Delete' as somewhere between a mix album, an artist album and a gentle stroll through the soundtrack in your mind. Make sure you switch off the lights before you enter.
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Our friend Carli Löf - true musical genius, master producer of everything from rugged & raw grime scorchers to straight up Eurovision goodness - finally debuts on Barnhus, with nothing less than a timeless, laser-soaked rave hymn. On the flip we have our very own Pedrodollar Nordkvist flexin some serious remix muscle with your choice of contemplative comedown house and/or solemn ode to ancient trance gods. In the words of a friend-of-a-Scottish-friend: Oh aye - that's a fuckin 3am punch yer mate in the face with joy effort. Well intae this! Just out of jail after 20 years and first night out with the old crew. Take a few eccies and that tune comes on and you turn to your pal, put your arm round him all sweaty and say it's just like a remembered it. I'm gonnae be awrite.
The multi-talented musician/producer Bing Ji Ling (Tummy Touch Records/Ubiquity Records/Lovemonk Records/Claremont 56) and DJ Alex from Tokyo are very excited to share with you a brand new, collaborative track Not My Day', that encapsulates their experience in New York, as well as their friendship. It's been a few years in the making, but well worth the wait! Alex and Bing moved to New York around the same time, and met in a bar (filled with Loft heads) after one of David Mancuso's Loft parties. Bing recognized Alex's voice from his weekly Shibuya FM radio show in Tokyo, and went up to introduce himself, being a fan. Turns out, they have many friends in common in New York, Tokyo, and beyond. They were instant friends, family. The track came out of several listening sessions from Bing's basement studio in the East Village, where Alex shared some tracks he'd be digging, across a wide range of genres, eras, tempos, etc.. Everything was very easy, very natural...Back in Tokyo Alex and Isao bring their club vibe and remix the funky and groovy Not My Day' into a magnifique electronic deep house anthem!
On the flip is Bing's version of Lil Louis' club classic Lonely People' Alex has been playing non stop, providing along here his own DJ friendly Tokyo Black Star retouch club version. Bing's version was originally recorded for his covers album called Sunshine For Your Mind' that was first released in Japan on the label Rush Production. This album came about, after years of playing solo/acoustic covers with a looping pedal in Japan. Bing has since performed the song live in New York, London, and at Croatia's Garden Festival with rave reviews!
Bing Ji Ling and Alex now live just minutes from each other in New York City as well as the Catskills, and enjoy frequent meals, music and mountains. We hope you enjoy...Happy Spring!
Just This is a Milan based label collective.
Just This is the expression of a social, metropolitan and underground movement we are living and going through all together.
Our Mission is to give room and importance to Art and Music which are still evolving day by day.
Just This is aimed to frame these changes, which are going to be the picture of today and the future memory of the cultural movement of this age, throughout a series of messages, images and sensation drawn inside the audience.
Furthermore, thanks to the energy, the happiness and the magic charm of our parties and events, talented and unique artists, from all over the world, use their way to interpret music to communicate people the real core of this change:
the future is changing...
Bereits die Coverästhetik zeigt unmissverständlich, Marshall Mathers alias Eminem bleibt sich selbst treu und provoziert Wiederspruch, wo er nur kann. Bereits das vorab als Single erschienene Just Lose It erregte, nicht zuletzt durch das reichlich respektlose Video, gehörig Aufsehen. Von dem kurz vor der US-Wahl präsentierten Track "Mosh", dem politisch eindeutigsten Song in Eminems bisheriger Karriere, gar nicht zu reden. Der 32-jährige Rapper aus Detroit ist nach wie vor einer der begnadetsten HipHop-MCs. Da mögen noch so viele Neider und Konkurrenten anderes behaupten, Slim Shady lässt sie alle weit hinter sich. Mit einem bewährten Team im Rücken, Dr. Dre zieht wieder als Executive Producer im Hintergrund die Fäden, und Gastauftritten von D-12, 50 Cent, Nate Dogg und Obie Trice lässt Eminem nicht das geringste anbrennen. Nach einem etwas verhaltenen Auftakt mit "Evil Deeds" folgt gleich mit "Never Enough" einer der besten Tracks des Albums. Der von Nate Dogg und 50 Cent vorgetragene Refrain ist jedenfalls dermaßen hypnotisch, dass er einem nicht mehr aus dem Ohr geht. Ein todsicherer Hit. Eminem ist aber nicht nur als Rapper eine Klasse für sich sondern hinterlässt auch als Produzent wieder seine unauslöschbaren Spuren. "Yellow Brick Road" und das rhythmisch völlig ungewöhnlich aufbereitete "My 1st Single" sind nur zwei gelungene Beispiele von vielen, mit welchem Ideenreichtum der Mann auch diesen Job erledigt. Definitiv einer der stärksten Nummern ist das zusammen mit D-12 eingespielte "One Shot 2 Shot" sowie der am Ende des Albums platzierte Titelsong "Encore", bei dem Eminem von Dr. Dre und 50 Cent am Mikrophon unterstützt wird. Die geradlinige Produktion von Dre und Mark Batson tut ein übriges dazu, um den hymnischen Charakter des Tracks noch stärker zu betonen.
HNNYs big tune 'Nothing' from earlier this year now remixed by Kyodai alongside a killer unreleased latin house jam from Kyodai entitled 'Vengo Loco'.No fuzz...just a serious buzz on this one!
Limited stamped 12" ! .
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Iceland's Olafur Arnalds (Kiasmos) and German multi-instrumentalist Nils Frahm team up again for some breathtaking excursions in classical/ambient crossover bliss. Frahm's sombre piano passages gently dance over Arnalds' serene soundscapes and eerie field recordings on this bittersweet and emotive journey.
What was meant to be a one hour video recording of the duo in action turned out to be an eight hour long improvisation session and these are some of the segments of the wonderful marathon recording.
We particularly enjoyed the gorgeously haunting electronic soul captured on "23:52" where those analogue synth strings just rise and rise to an epic climax.
Following two EP releases on Delusions Of Grandeur the time felt right for thatmanmonkz to get working on his debut LP. The Sheffield b-boy is no newcomer to production having been releasing music since the mid-noughties but has seen a definite rise in interest the last few years following essential releases on his own Shadeleaf label as well as remixes and productions for the likes of Classic, Kolour LTD and Kon's StarTime.
With his first musical love being Hip Hop it's easy to understand how his approach to house turns out so refreshing. Inevitably MPC's, big, bold samples, Jay Dee inspired grooves and a raw, underproduced sound all play a big part and never one to shy away from an interesting collaboration he has enlisted the skills of several vocalists including Detroit MC Ta'raach (whose credits include Slum Village and Jill Scott), Erik Rico (collabs include Ron Trent and DJ Spinna), Khalil, Dave Aju, Pete Simpson (as A Brother Is...) and Malik Ameer.
Things kick off with a low-slung soul jam entitled Air featuring Kahil Anthony complete with sparkling Rhodes arps and a dub-wise bassline underpinning a beautifully lazy groove. Jus Anutha Wunna Deez follows with a rough and ready house jam that clearly doffs its cap to those old Sound Signature and Mahogoni Music releases we know and love so much. Next up we have Boogie Down with Erik Rico rocking some Parliament inspired vocal business bringing the feelgood vibes to this rolling P-Funker. Some Ol' Nex' Ish goes for a jazz samba meets house fusion whilst A Fly New Tune goes strictly old school with a classic combo of dusty break, filtered fusion rhodes n bass sample, movie dialogue snippets and a masterful flow delivered by Ta'raach. Dave Aju steps up next on Turn It Out laying down a unison vocal refrain to compliment the bumping disco groove complete with a call and response section for some singalong party participation!
As we continue, Another Night Under The Glitterball sees thatmanmonkz back in familiar territory with a rock solid, deep jazz-house jam. On I Can Hardly Breathe we're treated to a downtempo gospel-infused affair which leads us perfectly into the most bumpy club- friendly track of the LP For Bae. Moon On The Hill is a collaboration with Italian DJ Kali and his Raw Standard crew and treats us to some distinctly mid 90's Kruder and Dorfmeister vibes to zone out to before heading off in an altogether more bonkers, psychedelic dancehall direction on Vampires. Baked is another classy thatmanmonkz take on Hip Hop featuring Malik Ameer on the mic. Take U 2 My House sounds like something Prince might have made in the mid-80's if he'd just come off a 3 day bender at Panorama Bar. And closing the show in perfect style and fashion we have For Those I've Lost Along The Way which is a blunted yet beautifully optimistic number that has echoes of Lonnie Liston Smith and a brilliant spiritual vocal sample which provides the perfect closer to an amazing debut LP.
After closing the year with four tracks of wintery house from San Laurentino, Aficionado set their sights on the spring with their latest release, which comes courtesy of Glaswegian trio Imperfect Product.Opening with a drifting dreamscape, reminiscent but intangible (entirely fitting for a track reborn out of decade's old rehearsal tapes) 'Solina' blooms into colour and focus at the rattle and crash of a jazzy drum break. An irresistible rolling bassline carries the groove onwards and upwards, loosening your shoulders nicely before spiralling synthesisers, swaggering wah guitar and rippling piano take your breath away completely.
As the fuzzy organ stabs and shimmering drones flood the soundscape, you're overcome with memories of youthful mixtapes where Innerzone Orchestra and Eddie Henderson rubbed shoulders with 'Summer Madness'. Understated but overwhelming, 'Solina's' sweltering perfection works just as well as an end of night life changer as the soundtrack to a spliff and sangria in the back garden.
On the B-side, London's Les Crocodiles deconstruct the track inna dubwise style, turning up the heat for some far out Balearic beat. The head nodding rhythm holds things together perfectly while the acid-tinged rubber bassline, echo drenched middle eastern strings and psychedelic synth lines do their very best to totally blow your mind.
As you head deeper into the groove, the dreamy piano of the original leads us into a euphoric breakdown before pulling us back in for more ecstatic dancing.
A score of releases in and with no two records sounding the same, Aficionado continue to fly the flag for open minded music.
Officially Aficionado.
limited to 300 copies
The latest Toy Tonics release comes straight from London with a remix by Germany's finest TUFF CITY KIDS. Metropolitan Soul Museum or MSM are Nick & Filippo. The pair have been running together Nick's Teng Records for the past 3 years - the label was set up to release Nick's Akra project music as well as other artists. Heads will remember this great imprint. Always crossing borders. Never being boring. Nick was also part of Mock & Toof, a duo that had quite a buzz when they were releasing freaky house music just few years ago. MSM have had a good start already: they self-released their Ruff Trk 4 a few months ago - including a remix by ROUND, the guy from Talabot's Hivern Discs. The interesting thing about MSM is also their live act: Playing with 707, Vintage keys, Machine and various effects - a similar set up for their studio production brought on the dance floor. There will be a lot more to come from MSM. This is just the beginning. house. Just good taste.
Black magic, what is that supposed to be A spell that seeks to do harm to others Usually yes, however Taron-Trekka are animated by the best intentions, rather aim for the magic of the night and as always want to merely destroy the dancefloors of this world in a symbolic way. In fact, nobody has comes to grief with the four tracks of their "Black Magic EP" (the last part of their "Magic" triology) - nevertheless, they possess a certain magic.
However, Taron-Trekka don't make jumbo jets disappear, they don't walk through the Chinese wall or initiate other cocky tricks à la Copperfield. They are more like thimbleriggers. Or card jugglers. You know, those guys who surprise you when you least reckon with it. Those who have already outsmarted your mind when you were still thinking that it was just about to really begin. Taron-Trekka have the groove and cast a net of loops, which magically creates a tremendous energy. Loops with which the smallest shift can open up worlds. Worlds, which admittedly appear accessible, but are hardly decipherable. This way, tools become magical tracks. Furthermore, house becomes a music, which brands itself to the last corners of a soul. Just like the trick that you haven't understood until today.
A1 Black Magic Taron-Trekka's ride through the night starts funky and dry with the title track of the EP. The effects bleep here and fade away there, however over distance a magical pull develops. A pull that can only be escaped from with great difficulty.
A2 Monofile Regarding "Monofile", Taron-Trekka conjures a groove as selfwilled as enchanting by initially making vocals and keys appear on a dead straight beat and then letting this very same one stumble over itself. At the right moment it engenders at least as much "Ohs" as "Ahs" in a club, you bet.
B1 Red From black to red, from night until morning. For exactly this moment "Red" was made, which brings every last person to the next afterhour with its swing and depth.
B2 Distance Entirely against its own title, "Distance" may indeed affect one deeply. Namely then, when one wants to delve into funk as subtle as extensive. That is Jan Jelinek at a gallop or SND with more punch. Both are fantastic
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Gone with the flow - after a little break the German musicians Julius Steinhoff and Abdeslam Hammouda revived their musical adventures and left all electricity untouched this time. For their new acoustic project the duo has chosen the alias Tonight Will Be Fine - a name that is familiar to those who followed their work in the past years. As Steinhoff & Hammouda they used the name for their first 12" on Smallville Records, the worldwide acclaimed house and beyond label and record store that Steinhoff co-runs. Now they reheated the phrase and chose it as the alias for a bittersweet acoustic singer/songwriter project. Their wonderful, captivating new musical venture came into life due to happenstance and old ferventness. After their trips into house music the duo parted geographically. Hammouda moved away from Hamburg while Steinhoff strengthened his label Smallville, built up a global DJ career and produced acclaimed house records on diverse labels - solo" and with his buddy Dionne as Smallpeople. In all the time Steinhoff and Hammouda never stayed out of touch, bound together through deep friendship.
At some point they met again for musical missions and started to record music that had nothing in common with their prior work. Steinhoff re-activated his self-taught guitar abilities and entered the studio of his friend Lawrence in the back of the Smallville record store to capture some steeldrums and vibraphone sounds. Hammouda brought more instruments like a banjo, a violine and tablas and they just started to record sketches and songs. Hammouda's musical backround leads to a widespread range of influences while growing up, before he got into producing hip hop and electronic music. For Steinhoff, the transformation from an electronic music producer into a singer/songwriter wasn't that new too, as his first musical steps have been routed in band music. Until his late teenage years, when he discovered house and techno, he played drums in a local indie group in Freiburg and for Tonight Will Be Fine he now also freed his old drum kit from cellar dust.
After the duo felt that their musical communication elevates into something more profound then a session thing, they provided themselves with additional instruments like new guitars, claves, an accordion, a piano and more. Initially the songs were very rough and sketchy. Musical ideas that did not have a real song structure. Then we started to arrange the tracks and added our voices and lyrics.' both reveal. Their charming singing covers almost the whole album with a characteristic sense of deep winking melancholy. Their lyrics are exercising the possibilities of words and are inspired by life, the world and all the those questions a human can ask in his time on earth. At some point both started to show their new songs to some friends and they liked it and encouraged the duo to move on. Somehow one of the tracks landed in Toshiya Kawasaki's mailbox. He instantly fell in love with it and asked if they would like to do an album for Mule Musiq. They did what was asked and after some reformatting and reinventing Tonight Will Be Fine originated 13 songs full of sweeping acoustic guitars, airy rhythms, piano melodies, gloomy accordion emotions, touching voices and a bunch of other exotic instruments, done without the help of electronics. They all form Elephant Island' - an incredibly inspirational place where impressionistic lyrics dance gently with kinetic acoustic music that comes out of plain jamming fun. The melange of a structured song base and free improvisation injects all songs a loose feeling. And shows two handsome fellas carving out their own musical utopia. It is a warming one, full of hope and musical freedom powered by an unabashed instrumental playfulness.
nstrumental playfulness.
It's been just over a year since Cale Sexton emerged out of Melbourne's suburban sprawl into the centre of its thriving club scene, in which time the sets he's delivered from behind a nest of wires and hardware have gained recognition as some of Melbourne's most compelling and sought after. Moving across a vast terrain of reference points, Sexton constructs dense soundscapes held together by tight programming, all of this culminating in the powerful live delivery he's become known for. These four songs mark an impressive debut EP, and the second release on Melbourne imprint Temporal Cast.
Beautifully Designed 1LP, 180g Vinyl Press kit: Following his Extended Play EP on Other People last year, Jream House is the turbulent and spiritual debut LP of Mark Hurst aka A Pleasure. Blending mathematical composition with an unrestrained studio experimentalism, the sound of A Pleasure charts a space where formative influences confront the most immediate performative impulse. Using a process of numerical transposition, the names of personally significant bands and composers are converted into drum patterns. He then lets loose, improvising around these structures with a variety of traditional and unorthodox instruments: bass and guitar, bowed cymbals, drum machines juggled like turntables, blowtorch on aluminium, to name but a few. With his influences as start-points, he builds rhythmic structures literally in their namesake, blasting their hulls with walls of noise, monolithic basslines and any other jam-yielded shrapnel. Despite the chaos and complexity of the process, the results sound neither clinical, nor garbled. The tracks always find their way to an emotive melody or strong groove. Lush guitar strums and yearning keys ride the high-speed beat of Slow Channel", which seems to soar through cloud-cover as one snaking mass. The Order of Things' folds a cosmic guitar-part into a backdrop of heavily side-chained noise. Arthur Russell' features a neck-snapping rim-shot and crushed snare that splash up the bits of an elegiac vocal part. Through violent and idyllic atmospheres, Jream House jettisons its inspirations like landing shuttles, always in search of new ground. These are songs, not just experiments.
Following releases in the past for Exploited Records, Rinse FM and Future Classic to name just a few, Cardiff-based duo Bodhi have found a new home on Black Butter Records.
With the release of the 'Howler' EP, they'll be joining a roster that includes Woz, My Nu Leng, Rudimental, Gorgon City and Clean Bandit.
Includes the acid tinged title track, and Mr Fingers style 'Brawd' with an insistent vocal loop steadily building the energy before fizzing synth pads and pneumatic drumwork come to the fore, transporting the track to moody late-night club territory.
With House Warming - Andy Vaz returns with his 3rd full lenght album on his own Yore Imprint. Due to Andy's half Indian roots, he is lucky enough to owe a Beach House just outside of Mangaluru, South India in the State of Karnataka. - where most parts of the Album were written over a period of 6 months. In this totally isolated, entirely tourist free hidden spot, which had become Andy's second home over the past years, he found himself away from the usual routines of western life, to find himself in a position to simply sit down and create. The result is House Warming". As the Title suggest's - think of house, sure and no doubt- but here on this album, thought all the way thru from beginning to end. The result then is House Music in all it's aspects: The Soulful, the deep and the raw or if you want - Deep House, Acid House, Garage/Vocal House - the joints range from downtempo, elektro and even hip hop beats. Oldschool you may think Maybe in spirit, as entirely produced with analogue synths & the roland series from 808, 909, 505, 606 to the original 303, but used in a modern studio environment. Andy Vaz is someone who has been around long enough to know how to programme his very personal idea's into the music - without denying influences such as Detroit, Chicago and New Jersey, to create something that goes further than a simple reflection of the past. Deep isn't a genre, it's a feeling. A warm feeling most of all. Be invited to come and see if you'll find it here.
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For the second release, the artist Kaelan joins the ranks of the squad of Shaw Cuts with the EP 'The Silent Swordsman'. Equipped by his sharp stabbing weapon and a mysterious fighting technique taught by the head chief of the Sun Moon Sect Master Wu himself, Kaelan strikes out to hunt. Not hectic but silent, so watch your back!
The chase starts off with 'Latch', a straight techno banger with swirling chords and thrusting percussions that can easily slice the villain's face into pieces. Bloodbath.
'Claw' already gives hint to another weapon of Kaelan just by the track's name. Filled with filtered moving chords and vigorous and intense drums, this tune would be the perfect soundtrack for the final fight between two kung-fu masters, surrounded by befogged dead bodies lying on some mossy floor.
On the B-Side, Farron bolsters up the silent swordsman with a more break-beat orientated version of 'Claw', filled with energetic clap combos, subtle pads and big bass drum hits.
The whole EP is topped off with the track 'Hasen', a beautiful journey into ambient music with a touching atmosphere.
Mission completed. The carnage continues
With our first release of 2016, we welcome one of South London's _nest, Dullah Beatz, with his EP "Ballys On". Known to the label for a while, Dullah has been around since Grime started but the availability of a lot of his beats has been sparse. So after a guest appearance on our first album, JT The Goon's "King Triton," we're proud to present Dullah's most substantial release yet. On the A side for the 12th release on Oil Gang, the orchestral minimalism of the title track gives way to the Indian scales of "Time," both of them full of sub and menace. Then on the B side, there's a track called... "Oil Gang". This was Dullah's choice, we're not just going on an ego trip. The echoes of the label's recent styles are there though, a JT style flute riding gunshot hats and amsfeedback. The last track, Floating, rounds up the EP with a bit of tribal space and steel drums riding Dullah's inimitable style. This is the first time theres been a proper Dullah Beatz statement on vinyl and we're really happy it gets to be us at Oil Gang that got to do it.
On November 13th, PNN Records will release the debut album of its most enigmatic artist,
myr. 'Diamondbacks Make Wonderful Pets' is more than just a strange name, it nine tracks represent an exciting evolution in myr.`s trajectory as an artist. Following his debut EP 'Nobody knows Avalon' myr. seems to have dug deep and discovered another level to his sound. Each of the tracks on the record are confidently offbeat and precisely composed.
'A Little-Bitty Bowl (with B.Hotton)', mixes thunder sound-effects with glitchy synth bleeps, layering them above darker tones which build to a perfect storm in the middle. This 10 minute track fails to get boring and is representative of the album as a whole. myr.`s ability to carry off strange hybrids is what makes his music unique. From the ghostly warbles of 'I Think I Hear Them Coming' to the sunnier sounds of 'Eleanor', myr.`s disregard for the norm has lead to an exceptional record that surprises at every turn.
Finally the dudes behind the fantastic Hell Yeah recordings step out into the limelight on their own with their debut EP of on Golf Channel. And what a debut !
Tracks range from blissful, boogie influenced house music (Adriatic Bolt) to the 1992 style Primal Scream psychedelic chugging banger (Quando) via sunny acid (Quiet Force) and deep emotional vocal led ambience (I Don't Care Who You Are).
Just as you'd expect from the amazing sounds their label has put out over the years, this ep is uncategoriseable in the best possible way We look forward to hearing more from the aptly titled Balearic Gabba Sound System, this is just an aperitivo, or is it a selection of antipasti...either way, it leaves you ready for the next course.
Golf Channel every time !
The perfect Christmas gift for discerning fans of cutting edge analogue electronica. And Kraftwerk!
Radioland was initially devised as a breathtaking audio-visual live experience by the Anglo-French trio of Matthew Bourne (synthesisers, voice), Franck Vigroux (electronics) and visual artist Antoine Schmitt.
The original music has been transformed with hurricanes of modulated electronics, earth-shattering bass frequencies, vocoders ebbing and throbbing and the occasional drop into periods of eerie near-silence.
Using a variety of vintage analogue synthesisers and electronics, they have recreated the futuristic, industrial world of ominous darkness and dazzling light imagined by Kraftwerk in 1975 and reconstructed in this bold new manifestation for 2015.
The album is mastered by Denis Blackham, who mastered Kraftwerk's classic 1974 album Autobahn
The LP edition is limited to just 1,000 copies for the world in a deluxe gatefold sleeve with a CD included
Both versions include liner notes by David Stubbs, author of Future Days: Krautrock and the Building of Modern Germany, and photographs and images from the project
The album cover artwork is taken from the video work of Antoine Schmitt, creator of the captivating visuals that are a vital component of the Radioland performance
Matthew Bourne and Franck Vigroux's impressive collective CV boasts collaborations with artists such as John Zorn, Nostalgia 77, Marc Ribot, Annette Peacock, Elliot Sharp, Mika Vainio, Ben Miller and Zeena Parkins
More Radioland shows are expected to follow the release in 2016
Cologne based artist 'Adryiano' has finally threaded into label managing waters. Ever since the emerge of his multi functional platform 'Cestraw' back in 2011 Adryiano has been twisting and thinking on when to launch the label side of things. After the humble success of his latest "Down South" effort on Soul Notes it felt like the right time.
CR/001 turned out to be an emotive dance floor record that touches several different modes within the spectrum of underground dance music. From the straight forward 303-anthem "Break Module" to the uplifting yet deep, Chicago-ish tones of "Path Of Yours" - Adryiano's "Default EP" is set to unfold just in time for the cold, dark days before Christmas.
Helen is a pop group from Oregon. Liz Harris (vocals/lead guitar), Jed Bindeman (drums/tambourine), Scott Simmons (bass/guitar), and Helen (back up vocals).
Originally started with the intention of being a thrash band, it turned into something else entirely. The Original Faces was recorded over a period of several years in Portland by the band members, their friends Nick, Chris and, largely, Justin Higgins. Written together, some songs based on Liz and Scott's demos.
Jose Rico launches the new Le Disque Record Store's project: Ambiwa Records, a label dedicated to abstract House music.
"Declaration of Intent EP" is a collection of songs with a history, 4 pieces of his life talking about hypocrisy referred to poverty, the trivialisation of music as money source, the days in the studio with Ron Trent, and the night music-workers.
Beyond any related stories, here you can find all the Jose Rico's Music standards: Impossible Mpc percussion patterns, black keys, vocal textures, distorted kicks and tons of suspense and tension. This just means ... music for the most demanding dancefloors and open minds. As it could not be otherwise, mastered by Jose Rico.
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This is France in the Mitterrand years: fashions fleet as fast as governments. In the early eighties, the happy-go-lucky gather the nectar of each and every new release.
Believing in a bright future for videotex, and loosened up by the sexy talks broadcasted on the budding pirate radios, the new generation dreams of dance floors and holiday clubs. French Boogie, which preserves the spirit of these years of boodle and bunkum, is the ideal soundtrack to their dreams.
What the web now refers to as French Boogie is some synthetic funk reflecting the spirit of those days when nothing was impossible, or so it seemed. Its syncopated flow heralded the dawning of French rap. Often considered as some kind of post-disco, inspired as much by black music as by new wave, this carefree pop music with bawdy lyrics indulged in simple pleasures: holidays, swank and sun were recurrent themes. Totally in tune with its time, it incidentally glorified luxury, success, and a certain consumerism embodied, for instance, in Bernard Tapie.
In popular clubs such as La Main Bleue in Montreuil, or L'Echappatoire in Clichy-sous-Bois - where Micky Milan could be seen behind the decks - an enthusiastic audience discovered this new sonic wave, influenced as much by French pop as by Sugar Hill Gang or Kurtis Blow. The artists who first launched the movement engaged in it wholeheartedly, but as often the case with new music trends in France, humour and casualness quickly became a decoy to impose a new style. This explosive mixture, in which startling and typically Frenchy French lyrics go along New-York-style tunes, is sometimes reminiscent of the kinky comedies directed by Max Pécas or Claude Zidi. On this prolific scene, partly originating from the Jewish community, everybody was looking for success, trying to hit the jackpot with what was to hand. Famous media personalities, one-hit wonders or John Does in quest of fame, all had a go at French Boogie - more or less successfully. Apart from « Vacances j'oublie tout » by Elégance, « Un fait divers et rien de plus » by Le Club, or « Chacun fait ce qui lui plaît » by Chagrin d'amour (produced by Patrick Bruel), very few songs became hits: the story of funk in France is that of a half-baked robbery.
In this myriad of new musicians, the very young François Feldman and Phil Barney pioneered a fresh and hybrid style. Other well-known artists like Gérard Blanc from Martin Circus (Attaché Case), Richard de Bordeaux (Ich), or Jean-Pierre Massiera (Anisette, Pirate Scratch Band, Mandrake, Scratch Man...) added an eccentric touch to this sound-wave, making it often entertaining, and sometimes showy.
Capture d'écran 2015-10-26 à 12.55.43Singers like Agathe (the author of 'La Fourmi' and of the hit song 'Je ne veux pas rentrer chez moi seule') were far more than just window dressing. They even tried to give an ironic and subversive twist to this rather harmless genre. The very vindictive rebel Gérard Vincent shared in this spirit, but as a whole, French Boogie became associated with nonchalance and sauciness. Thus, Stéphane Collaro, Gérard Jugnot, Alain Gillot Pétré and other TV clowns would clumsily contribute to this French variation on funky sounds. In a few but intense years, French Boogie gave all the tips to party with style.
If some hits made it possible for the happy few to get a real house under truly exotic palm trees, the wave actually ebbed away very quickly, leaving quite a few musicians stranded on the shore. Whether they were sincerely motivated, or simply opportunistic, they had failed. In 1984, French Boogie was already breathless, and got merged with other genres: on the one hand, rap and breakdance adapted its flow to a more urban world, especially with Sydney's show, H.I.P.H.O.P, and Dee Nasty's broadcasts on Radio Nova; on the other, italo, new beat and house began to rule over dance floors, even more strongly asserting the will to develop music for clubs.
Squeezed in between the age of disco and that of modern electronic music, French Boogie was a transitional phase, but it remains an amazingly refreshing testimony to the intermingling of pop and underground cultures. The genre was hastily categorized as anecdotal in spite of its pioneering synthetic groove and matchless bass lines. An attentive ear will discover the poetry of the ephemeral beyond the eccentricities of the genre, as well as a certain unexpected avant-gardism. At the origin of major music trends, always cheerful and catchy, French Boogie is what you need to party.
To anyone with even a passing interest in the weirder end of good-time party-ready house music, Freaks should need little introduction. Luke Solomon and Justin Harris have been keeping our preferred kind of dancefloor vibrating to the cheekiest manifestations of house music since the mid- 90s, never letting up and moving in the same oscillations as the good ship Circus Company. From first emerging on Phono through to setting up their Music For Freaks label, stopping by Playhouse, Wash House and Rebirth amongst countless other labels along the way, the UK duo have constantly given the traditions of house music a tickle in the ribs without losing that fundamental funk that makes a record great to dance to. We were thrilled to welcome Luke and Justin to remix Dave Aju's 'Nu Threads' at the end of last year, and now we follow up on that connection with a special EP of gems from the extensive Freaks archives. On 'Shrunken Heads (One Pro Mix)' the rock solid foundations of filter house music collide with flamboyant synth noodlings for a truly cosmic end result, while 'Absolut Zero' finds solace in a slower, deeper groove peppered with oddball effects tweaking and disembodied vocal samples. Heading further into loose-fit, slippery territory, 'Funk You (Who Do You Trust Dub)' lets soulful sample licks wriggle and writhe through a decidedly laid-back atmosphere that shows off the range Freaks have always sported in their output since day one. In many ways this coming together of Circus Company and Freaks feels like a logical development for two bastions of the oddball house music community, not to mention a great opportunity to hear tracks that otherwise might never have seen the light of day.
Ever since the debut, 'Communication EP' which also marked our 50th release, Alexander Lay-Far has a special place in the Local Talk family.Since then things have been going well with plenty more releases, tours, the launch of his label In-Beat-Ween Music plus a new full length album done.
With so many things on the go we're of course very happy to welcome Lay-Far back and with him this time, two UK house legends that need little introduction, Ashley Beedle and Darren Morris. Together the trio produced an EP that embraces the charms of both disco and house and we think it hits on every level. The A-side is dedicated to 'Doctor Feelgood', which is just as the name suggests, a delicious disco house cut that will make you feel good.Extra bonus points for the wonky bassline.
On the flip, you'll find two versions of Slope. The first one is an easy / breezy number built around jazzy drums, warm chords to catch your breath for a minute or two, lovers of rhodes should lend the track an extra ear, it's pure bliss. After those 5 minutes and 14 seconds has ended Lay-Far steps into the remix arena, turns up the tempo and sends the track straight to the dance floor. No need to fiddle around too much, he just sprinkles some extra touches of Lay-Far magic to the original and voila, it's done.
It is certainly not a small feat to have an ambient compilation series running for over a decade and keep it fresh and interesting - especially when the core aesthetic idea is as well-defined as POP AMBIENT's. However, this didn't keep last year's instalment (KOMPAKT 315 CD 120) from finding a compelling balance between veteran contributors like JENS-UWE BEYER or LEANDRO FRESCO and new, idiosyncratic voices like MAX WÜRDEN or THORE PFEIFFER. They all return for POP AMBIENT 2016, joining a captivating cast that also includes heavy-weight soundsmiths, experimental composers and ambient confidants like THE ORB, ANTON KUBIKOV of SCSI-9 fame, MIKKEL METAL, GREGOR SCHWELLENBACH or STEPHAN MATHIEU.
Starting off with a surprise guest, POP AMBIENT 2016 presents electroacoustic composer and installation artist STEPHAN MATHIEU, whose highly textured opening drone APRIL IM OKTOBER bears all the hallmarks of a pop ambient classic, stealthily weaving in layers of sound and moving fluidly between territories. The man clearly knows what he's doing - after all, he has worked with luminaries like Taylor Dupree, Ekkehard Ehlers, Janek Schaefer or Sylvain Chauveau (see also Pop Ambient 2009). Meanwhile, THE ORB show off the full extent of their experience in the field and have their own little ambient collage opera going on in ALPINE DAWN - a slight detour from their beat-laden full-length MOONBUILDING 2703 AD (KOMPAKT 330 CD 124), but just on that same level of masterful sonic dexterity.
Moving forward, SCSI-9's ANTON KUBIKOV builds momentum with a sweet melody slowly evolving to the atmospheric backdrop of a light synth rain, while MAX WÜRDEN imagines a dreamy, yet twisted underwater world with lots of space to get lost in. He later returns for a collaboration with THORE PFEIFFER (not on vinyl), the other newcomer hero from Pop Ambient 2015, and the result is a fascinating amalgamation of both producer's distinct sonic sensibilities - the grittier, drone-based approach from Würden and Pfeiffer's penchant for roaming samples and skewed loops. Another dedicated collab comes from SICKER MAN & GREGOR SCHWELLENBACH who team up for string-infused, cinematic epic TURNS.
Longstanding Kompakt ally MIKKEL METAL presents the surging TITAN, followed by LEANDRO FRESCO's magistral rework of DAVE DK's VEIRA from his VAL MAIRA album (KOMPAKT 326 CD 121). A very special bonus adventure can be found in THORE PFEIFFER's "megamix" of WOLFGANG VOIGT's RÜCKVERZAUBERUNG (not on vinyl) - an entire concept series succesfully reimagined as one sweeping cut. JENS-UWE BEYER continues his expeditions into hypnotic, semi-acoustic soundscapes on THE BREMEN, transitioning into the windy mountaintops of LEANDRO FRESCO's mysterious, multi-layered CONFIGURACION DE ATAQUE (not on vinyl). THORE PFEIFFER has the honour to conclude POP AMBIENT 2016 with the appropriately titled IDYLL, a soothing, swirling synth study giving the listener ample opportunity to return to mundane reality at his own pace.
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It was a remorseless hatred that enslaved a people many millennia ago in the captivity of those who worshiped the sun and the moon and the gods in the stars and of the earth and beneath the earth. In toil and despair the people were flogged and cursed by the searing whip, scorched by the flaming desert sun above and burned by the abrasive sand below their feet. In agony, they cried out for rescue from the malice-bred bondage of the kingdom. "How long" While ridden with anguish, their captors became plagued with disease and death, and so the enslaved fled. Within a day, they reached the edge of a vast sea from which mountains grew blocking them in on both sides, and as they looked back in terror they witnessed their captor's army quickly approaching. A watery death spread out before them while a spear-pierced death raced in from behind.
Yet their cries for help were not unheard... billowing clouds rolled in and a tower of fiery blaze appeared as manifestations of the theophanic Glory-Spirit protecting and separating the people from the approaching wrath. With no where to go, the great sea split apart, and before them a narrow path was unveiled through the voided waters for the people to pass through to their deliverance. The army rushed in after them only to be swallowed by the raging sea that had just brought life for those who had been enslaved, but now brought death to the death that had held them captive.
Life for the people of God is a pilgrim journey through an alien wilderness under the shadow of death. So it was in days long ago. So it is in ours.
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Former Steppah Huntah' member, Missoless has
collaborated and worked in the past with Nu-Tropic and also
made remix for 4Hero to name just a few.
Now making music as solo artist, she teams up for this
project with singer Stan Smith (Tokyo Dawn Records) to re-
build this forgotten unique Broken vibe. Daz-I-Kue (from
Bugz in the Attic) & Lay Far talented Russian producer also
collaborated and made 2 nice remixes.
You will find here a blend of Hip-Hop / Broken-beat / Nu-Jazz
flavors to rock the floor.
Essen's own Glenn Astro has called his first album Throwback, and the name is at once a perfect fit and not nearly the extent of the story. On the one hand, Astro has filled the double-LP with a wealth of old-school gestures and textures—the warm whoosh of analog synths, the rattle of Rhodes tines and the sizzle of jazzy drums,all held together by the comforting glue of tape hiss and vinyl crackle. If you're used to the clean sonic lines and stylistic streamlining of so much contemporary house music, then Throwback is sure to feel less like a record you just pulled out of plastic wrap than a well-seasoned one salvaged from a flea market or unfinished basement. And yet like so many Tartelet releases—particularly the label's last two full-lengths,
Max Graef's Rivers of the Red Planet and Uffe's Radio Days—it feels fresh and keenly contemporary no matter how vintage the fabric. Rather than throw back to any one moment, he's given us a collage of styles that's quite literally timeless. Astro makes brilliant work of his influences, drawing on hip-hop, house, funk and soul in such equal measure that it's hard to argue that one impulse dominates the other. The sound certainly flirts with the dance floor, with Astro applying highpressure
deep house pads on the title cut, gliding on shimmering keys for "One For Viktor," and taking us on a vibraphone-fueled workout with "Kilometer Disco," one of a pair of cuts featuring Max Graef. But Astro obviously relishes the time he spends on the sidelines absorbing the atmosphere, or at home head-nodding to the dustiest corners of his record collection. For every house beat you hear, you'll also dip into juicy, 90's-style beat science, toasty ambience and buttery chord progressions.
Expertly paced but never hustling you along, Throwback begs to be heard as a whole but explored at your own easy pace—a record for hazy mornings-after, vibey
nights in and endless summer afternoons.
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One half of Scottish duo Clouds, Perth Drug Legend tear off a solo EP of rugged, apocalyptic bloke-techno. Stunners, all of them. Freak genius at work.
What more can be said about Clouds, young prodigies who have put out as much innovative techno in the past few years than anyone. The story takes a twist with a wealth of material being released by PDL, hot off a remix of Tiga's Bugatti and releases on Resin and Westend Communications. The sound is reminiscent of Ghost Systems Rave, but there's the feeling that things have gotten even more refined, something that smacks of a real subcultural movement.
Opener Balquhidder Ruins is a stomping gate-crasher, the tempo pulled back just enough to feel the grit of industrial funk, everything restrained to it's bare essentials. Monzievaird swings heavily around a few twinkling bleeps, sparse, chunky kicks that thunder through the greased hats. Pushing things even more into the dark corners with overdriven, haunting resonance is Clackmannanshire Crusaderz, which sounds like the soundtrack to being blacked out on the ground in a Berghain tunnel. Thisistullohnottibetpal adds a mystical, multi culti dimension with some mountain flute inexplicably soaring through the air before a bell breakdown zens things into a forceful yet tranquil climax.
If that madness weren't enough, there's a digital bonus track which is an absolute bomb if you're into lower tempos and hip hop inflected bangers.
Toby Tobias has been responsible for some fine quality music over the past 10 years with labels such as Rekids, Nang, Let's Play House and Quintessentials all dropping his unique brand of raw, analogue house and techno. A DJ's DJ who always seems to pull out a lesser known gem and make it sound like a classic, Toby knows his music as well as his studio, inside out. We've been proud to deliver three EP's from him on Delusions but we all felt the time was right for a full length, especially considering that 7 years have passed since his debut LP Space Shuffle on Rekids. Toby fully embraced the scope and breadth that an LP affords a producer, holing up in his Hackney studio and losing himself in his machines. Rising Son is the result of those sessions and it's brilliant!
From the opening machine funk of The Wonder featuring vocals from Atwell we can hear that Toby is quite sure about the direction he's taken for the LP. 808 beats bring vintage electro vibes whilst Atwell's vocal hints at the golden era of Chicago house, adding a soulful touch to the rigid groove. Love Affair continues the theme of off-world utopia where the droids have a heart and soul and sing torch songs of love lost, the Moroder-esque influences bringing a retro sheen to the LP. As we continue through tracks such as Sloflava and Sending Signals we find blissful, downtempo jams which perfectly soundtrack this imagined night time world which Toby seems so happy to immerse himself and his listeners in.
I Robot follows, providing the one cover version on the LP from the Alan Parsons Project as well as being an LP defining focal point. A track which shows that when the machines are working for you, it could just be a perfect world. But Broken Computer soon shows us what can happen when things go wrong. Incidentally, this is from a genuine computer crash which Toby managed to capture using his phone. A beautiful glitch in the system which spewed out such a mournful noise and a very happy accident that would be completely impossible to create if you set out to try.
As we continue we're treated to the likes of Friday Analogue Jam, Whisper It and Weird Danger, all echoing bleeps, squelching bass notes, heavenly pads and precision beats. In some ways we get a feeling of a land that time forgot, in others something of sublime beauty and futurism. That Toby can paint pictures with his music in this way speaks volumes, knowing instinctively when to draw out a mood or feeling or flip things on their head to command your attention and beg another listen. And another.....