After turning in a wall-shaking remix of Essaie pas last year, Romanian production duo Khidja present their first EP for DFA. These four tracks are deep, spooky heaters - think John Carpenter in the club, with industrial basslines, frenetic melodies careening a bit out of control, and vocals echoing from the corners of the room. Their signature throb that runs along all four tracks, influenced by their time spent in underground scenes in Bucharest, London, and Berlin, as well as an emphasis on the jagged sounds of hardware.
Having established themselves with previous releases on labels like Hivern Discs and Malka Tuti, Khidja get darker, dubbier, and more twisted on In The Middle Of The Night. We find the record in the witching hour, and the tracks represent the cycle of nighttime mentalities, revealing the various directions the mind can wander in the place between consciousness and unconsciousness - mania, paranoia, even boredom. It all makes for a raucous dancefloor experience, with the duo bringing something new and heavy to the DFA roster.
Buscar:khidja
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Part 2 of Khidja's debut LP Transmissions.
5 fresh tracks written & produced by Andrei Rusu and Florentin Tudor
Mastered by maestro Enrico Mercaldi
Artwork by our heros at &Talmor
Part 2[14,08 €]
The long-awaited debut LP from Romanian duo Khidja is finally coming via Malka Tuti Records.
The album ‘Transmission’ will be divided into two separate releases - Part 1 & Part 2. Part 1, presented here, will be released on June 16th, while Part 2 will be released in the 2nd half of September 2023. The album, which contains 10 new tracks from the duo (5 on each part) was written and produced by Khidja over the last several years.It was mastered by Enrico Mercaldi and distributed world wide by One Eye Witness, with a fresh fresh artwork by Angus Plunkett & Morey Talmor @ &talmor Part 1 consisted of 5 gems showcasing the diversity in the Romanian duo’s production - from shuffle to slow-mow, through chugging disco-not-disco to 4th world and beyond.
Khidja continue to develop their tripped out vision with their first full EP for Hivern since 2019's 'Impossible Holiday'. In 'Something In The Water' the Romanian duo presents three new tracks that drift between genres and moods through open minded studio experimentation. "The Future Has Disappeared" and "Back To Vid" rely on contrasting sound palettes and a smart use of the stereo field to build up tension while 'Science of Ghosts' is an expansive number of galactic electro-funk. The 12" features a stripped out mystical remix by Azu Tiwaline while the digital release includes two extra oddball dancefloor cuts. Artwork by cm-dp.
Duca un rotolo. Les star tape edit. Equipaggi.
Casinoboy returns after a decade in hiding. Young Sex. Slow Sex. Mr Sexy. Then the grande secret. The Unknown. Nuova. Acid. Jack. Geile. Bang. Hehe, Hoho. He is Rune. A legend. Mumble-grumble. Lindbaek knows the score. Disco, disco, disco. Cut, edit, splice, dice. Pumper.
Finale Campioni. Chuncho. Khidja edit v dub v techno. Who wins?
To sign off 2018, Malka Tuti are releasing a mega 4- tracker ep by Khida, in collaboration with their old time friend from back home Mihai Balabas. The 4 different tracks were written over the past few years, slowly plotted produced and perfected, each in its own 'twisted' direction. There are no dancefloor killers here, but instead 4 very unique voyages, experimental sonic excursions in time and space. It was the track Chloe that caught our attention, back in 2015. It's not a typical Khidja track, but the musicality and the composition in it reminded us of lost balearic moments. It made us reminisce on summery Sunday mornings back when life was still a bit more innocent, and naive. Out of our infatuation with that track came the idea of 'sitting on it' until the right tracks will be ready, and here we are, more than 3 years later.
Silent is the new single by Miruna Boruzescu aka Borusiade from Bucharest. Silent is a suffocated cry. Silent as in silence that is hard to take. Sitting and waiting in silence, while exploding on the inside. Silent as in silence before the storm. An intense track that recalls industrial spaces, hedonism, sweat, sex and disconnection from the outside world. The rattling sound of ghost train passing by, or big reverberated factory machines unleashed. Body music 2017.
The B side features a remix by the project Khidja , also hailing from Bucharest, and is driven by the track's bass synth, a neurotic now school electro rapture take on the original.
Silent will be part of Borusiade's debut album that will be unleashed next year via Co´meme.
For their sixth release London based record label and clubnight Snap, Crackle & Pop return with another slice of the post punk and kraut influenced electro/techno sounds that are coming to define the label. The latest release comes from Niv Ast and it serves as a follow up to his appearence on this summers Relish compilation. The EP leads with an ice cold slab of post punk swagger in the form of Quebec / Makolet which gets the remix treatment from previous collaborators Khidja, the Romanian duo strip the percussion back for the dancefloor and tease out the track's darker side with more than a hint of acidic malevolence. For the B-Side Disco Monroe offers a nostalgic slice of pitched down French Electro undoubtedly influence by the Djs recent residencies in Paris. Optimo Music's Mr TC rounds off the EP with his unmistakably left field vision to give the track a dark tropical re-imagining.
Limited white label of The Magic Ray's new single (formerly known as Electronicat) produced by Cosmo Vitelli. 12 release includes stellar remixes by Khidja (Hivern Discs, Malka Tuti, Emotional Response) & Simple Symmetry (Disco Halal). Dischi Autunno is a label run by Jennifer Cardini & Noura Labbani.
Following on from Plus Instruments Love Is Enough Remixes EP comes an accompanying Dubs EP, featuring deeper reversions by Jamie Paton, Luke Solomon, Khidja and joining them with a breaks meets dubwise, Alphonse. Truus de Groots return to her Plus Instruments project after a 30 years break saw the label pick up her off-kilter House roller, Love Is Enough for one of our (e)special remixing packages. Here then, we turn out attention to everyones favourite, the Dubs. Starting with label mainframe, Jamie Paton, his Cloudy Dub-Out pulls his mix through modular prisms for heads down basement rumble. Echo chamber vocals, twisted syncopations and a bass to breakdown walls, this is Patons true calling - dub to get lost in and rightful to kick off the EP. Next guest remixer de jour, Luke Solomon stays close to his original bumpin remix, warping the vocal with skatntrippin wonk, all atop a funk bass line and riding shuffle percussion. Cha cha cha. On the flip, Khidja triumph again with a tougher version. Not a straight up dub of their remix, this pushes a nod to colder (wave) vibes, with industrial percussion riding high on their trademark production. Hard kick atop refrained synths, growing out of Eastern protoid routes to glimpse their future. Finally, mystery man Alphonse comes in from the dark to close with a killer breaks inspired dub. Utilising the originals bass with an angular break, the intricate cut up percussion, Theremin and vocals all glide, keeping the head and feet (jazz) dancing for some (free) party sound system love. Dub is enough
Emotional Especial reaches a landmark with its 50th release. Started in 2012 as a “dancier & trippier”, club friendly spin off, sub label to Emotional Response, it has gone on to forge a path, releasing a myriad of artists including the opening release by Jamie Paton (Cage & Aviary / ESP Institute) to Richard Sen (Bronx Dogs), the debut of Khidja (Malka Tuti / DFA) and on to unearthing the breaks masters Alphonse (Klasse Wrecks) and Junior Fairplay (Crimes Of The Future), the uplifting Italo influenced Lauer (Robert Johnson), the new wave anthem of Sfire (featuring Sophie), plus perfect remixes bt Kris Baha (CockTail D’amore) and INHALT (Dark Entries), the NYC pop-rave-vox of Kim Ann Foxman, through to showcasing upcoming artists like Berlin’s Giraffi Dog (Aiwo Recs) and the global acid adventures of Akio Nagase (Chill Mountain) to most recently, the slo-mo trance muscle of 53X and post-rave uplighters of Remotif (Space Lab) and DJ 1985.
As with every 10th release on the label, the label present a various artists “Showcase” of what and where the label is. Aptly it is recent signing 53X who opens Gracias Especial with the bounce of Radar. Finland’s Jonne Lydén debut EP on Especial, Zen ’23 came out of nowhere, more than simply riding a zeitgeist of the “Trance Revival”, his all-live analogue symphonies drop the bpms, presenting widescreen beats, darkroom bass, sirens and tripped out vox all mix to propel a singularly driven.
Taking things much deeper has been the hallmark of Jamie Paton’s remixes for the label. As well as providing the opening EP in 2013, designing every sleeve and producing 20 remixes and counting another 2 for the label here, it’s impossible not to associate Especial with Jamie’s music. First, he reworks rising star DJ, but recent break out producer Chez De Milo, with a trademark dub excursion that takes the ethnic origins of Kremer to a space echo wonderland. Space is the place, the lulling beats, see you falling through the gaps, true dub style.
Alphonse makes a rightful return to Especial, with Raze Rave highlighting the allusive producers’ unique understanding of the varied history of rave culture via a techno-suite of soundscapes, perfectly mixing uplifting breaks, memory inducing vocal samples and dub bass, with a nod to the pop sensibility that rave encompassed, while being that allusive “lost chord” moment of man and machine.
The finale returns to the trance acid expanse of 53X, with the mastery of label stalwart Jamie Paton. An apt marriage, Paton takes the title cut from Lydén’s debut EP and crafts a trademark durge-dub, where TB303 and space echo intertwine with the De Witte vocal, hinting at touches of dub, new wave, trance and acid house all in one melting pot of sound the label optimistically termed “Protoid” back at inception of summer 2013.
6 months after the release of Ed Rain’s (one of Andrei Rusu, half of duo Khidja, solo projects) debut solo album ‘Met him on a Wednesday’, Malka Tuti records is presenting two Huge remixes for the title track’s collaboration with Fantastic Twins.On the A Side we have Pilooski on the banger duties. Heavy sub bass frequencies and edgy rhythms reminiscing of late 90s UK energies (but with a somewhat modern twist) push forward a dance track with a unique structure and unexpected sonic surprises. Big room IDM. Big Big Tip. On the flip side we finally managed to collaborate with one of our favourites Superpitcher. The Kompakt x Pachanga Boys x Hippie Dance xxx alumni is one of our all time favourite people and producers, and we are oh-so-happy that he joined us on this special ride.His interpretation of the track takes it into more “poppy” realms. The entire track is laid over a beautiful sub bass droney kind of bassline and the result is one of those “this has been on repeat the entire day” kind of songs. A melancholic hue paints the song with a ‘Happy-Sad’ kind of energy and gives it more emotional depth yet always keeps it playful.
The Italian 80s avant garde / anarcho scene is explored in this limited 12” release presenting Nengue and their previously unreleased cover version of the new wave classic Los Ninos Del Parque and the electro pop wave African Beat.
The tumultuous political climate of the 1960s through 1980s inspired Italian artists to craft an introspective, psychological musical landscape. As civil unrest, violent demonstrations, and political murders became commonplace, Italy's centres of intellect vibrated with activist energy. This atmosphere gave birth to a unique, mechanized sound that blended electronic elements with a raw, discordant aesthetic, reflecting the chaotic spirit of the times.
Through vintage forms of social networking and music sharing, a community led process steered the scene, publishing zines and records that grasped alternative concepts of music and lifestyle.
Nengue, were similar to many of these lo-fi, retro-future electronic music pioneers. Based in Rome, their music / art backgrounds flowed with anti-art, extreme noise, futurism, industrial, experimental, martial, folk, free jazz and exotica.
With a couple of releases as a duo, as was often the case, they appeared in numerous other projects and the music was a mixture of their individual backgrounds.
Extraordinarily, only appearing on a couple of obscure cassette compilations, indicative of the time, the quality of Nengue’s productions stands testament. Originally approached to reissue their Cosmic meets Kraftwerk inspired African Beat, a wonderful yet simple electronic idiom, layers of electronica rising, each element an addition flow, vocals the release’s waves.
However, the discovery of their cover of Los Ninos Del Parque – describing it as ‘powerful anarchic nonsense’ – is rightfully now the primary focus.
Acting as some Brutalist interpretation, its sharp electronics and industrial vocals, propel you to a brick-strewn squat party and a place in anarcho folklore.
These are matched with a remix / remake by Berlin’s Bionda e Lupo. Presenting a ‘Neumisch’, Sneaker’s exacting studio mastery and Sano’s additional vocals are a blessing – a new duo version – dynamic and wonderfully special.
To complete, the powerful dub of African Beat closes. Stepping out of his time as one half of Romanian duo Khidja (DFA / Hivern Discs), Andrei Rusu builds on his recent solo releases / remixes for Malka Tuti with a fantastic, bottom heavy version, perfectly building with expertise, an EP for the basements of today that was made in the dark times of the past.
Casinoboy makes a triumphant return to Duca Bianco with a sparkling EP that once again shows his studio mastery. Previously featuring alongside luminaries like Rune Lindbaek and Khidja on a well-received compilation, Casinoboy's latest kicks off with 'Honesty' which is a blend of Balearic and breaks that brings a shuffle-and-wiggle experience with uplifting samples and an old-school UK rap edge. 'This Feeling' has a catchy Street Soul feel, while 'Searos' mixes up ambient sounds and Spanish Guitar to evoke the essence of the White Isle. Closing with 'Astral Go Go,' really pumps the party in ways only he knows how.
Malka Tuti is proud to present the solo debut EP by mister Andrei Rusu,
one half of Khidja.
After a series of stellar remixes in the past year to Cosmo Vitelli (on Im a Cliché), Dadalus & Bikarus, Santaka & Nic Arizona, Rusu is finally ready to present his own original solo materials to the world.
Ahead of a full LP planned on MT for later this year, Rusu is presenting us with 2 fresh new tracks. The A-side is a 120bpm dirty and distorted super- trippy banger for the biggest floors and the darkest rooms.
On the B-side Rusu collaborates with an artist known to the followers of the label - Decha, who contributes her signature expressive vocals on this half time industrial dub track. This time however, the vocals run through the hands of Rusu who soaks them with distortion and even more punk attitude, almost echoing the energies of the late Genesis P-Orridge.
The release includes 2 remixes by a couple of master remixers who also happen to be part of our extended family.
Remixing the title track, and off the success of his 2 incredible albums
released on 2023 (Music From Memory & Offen), Philipp Otterbach supplies a remix for the books, channeling the original track’s intensity through oceans of reverb, whimsical samples and addictive trippy rhythms.
For the Hedesch Remix we’ve asked one of our favourite remixers out there aka Black Merlin to contribute his cut and boy he didn’t disappoint (does he ever?)
Black Merlin supplied us with a long and addictive psychedelic synthetic and very dubby journey for the b-side.
We complete 2019 with the "Sky, Horse and Catch EP" by label boss Noema himself.
On his quest to 'Bring the Jams', the world traveling DJ delivers two stunning tunes, streaked with percussion that he recorded on a trip to Sao Paulo.
Last but not least, Noema's EP comes along with a mind-bending remix by our favourite Romanians Khidja.
The title track translates a 90's Detroit House Groove to the present day and adds Cuica, Berimbau and several other Brazilian drums on top. Riding the complex groove, you encounter eccentric synths, mysterious soundscapes and of course the horse, on this 11 minute long hack.
'Minhocao' trades the horse for a racing car and takes you on a cruise on the same-named elevated highway that leads through the city of Sao Paulo. Surrounded by driving beats, guitar single-notes, massive synth-bass howls and a gritty Moog theme, this jam is a hell of a joyride!
Khidja strips down the original title track to its core and creates a solely percussive version in a half-time groove. By adding a virtuoso Qanon/Saz-like sound the tune develops an arabesque flavour with a dubby bass as the cherry on the top.
Platform 23 again explores to the dense voids, this time with a touch of the funk, with a reissue of Dutch experimentalists De Fabriek and two tracks from their "Music For" cassette series, this time calling all Hippies.
Featuring both original and reinterpretations from modern-day heads, Dunkeltier and Khidja, this double-pack is something of an oddity, showcasing the bands' expansive range, moving away from the noise, drone and industrial soundscape releases they had become known for and crafting here, free flowing, groovy longform jams.
Active since the late 70s to today, De Fabriek (The Factory) have never considered themselves a real band - being also a label too - with an evolving and irregular line up centred around Richard van Dellen, they present their music and output as a kind of work-union.
With literally four decades and dozens of releases across all formats, 1988's cassette release, 'Music For Hippies', has become something of a cult curio, with the long improvisational tracks, Lullabye and Coming Down eschewing the rougher, industrial experience for something completely different.
In opener Lullabye, we go full leftfield P-Funk meets Motorik undertones. An incessant beat is laid from the start and doesn't cease for over 10 minutes, while spoken vocals call closer to the Krautrock realms of Can and hark to Liebezeit's stylised grooving best.
Analog, echo washed, with touches of glam and wrapped in simple effects pedal work, the secrets are passed to Dresden / Berlin inhabitant Dunkeltier aka Sneaker DJ aka Thomas Smorek. His darker moniker, appearing on obscure edits for Macadam Mambo and the much-missed Bahnsteig 23, his 'Hey Robot' mix adds bass, percussion, strings and synth to remold Lullabye into a late night, red light, basement denzien. This is followed by an additional, bonus reimagining, creating an all-new time piece, an ear worm of the best kind with Tik Tok Goes The Clock.
The second slab presents in Come Down, a more resembling De Fabriek werk. Edited to fit, the darkness is entered as snapshot vocal quips, oscillations and synthesised mutations are laid over a lazy, relentless ostinato rhythm where cymbals crash on the bar. Inviting, calling, De Fabriek's aptly titled downer is in fact, a joyous journey.
To complete, label affiliates, Khidja take a break from finalising their debut album to unfold their 'Psychebabble Mix', a dozen plus minutes of warped, twisted, cassette machinations that suck the listener further along the trip. Added bass propels their edit suddenly to a new direction, a hook for mind and for the open willed, the body. De Fabriek's "coming down lullabye" arriving on vinyl for the first time, with a twist and shake, calling deeper to acceptance.
A simple idea in an over complicated moment. Strip away aesthetics and be artist centric, sharing and explore collisions, sounds and genres. Step out of comfort zones to release a series of EPs of broad, challenging and deep music.
Starting with The Proposal by A Strange Wedding, this Lyon based producer from the Worst label, builds on their "modern style" slow trance to create a label anthem, a template. Stretched Arp, hypnotic bass and searing melody, underpinned by ocean wide kick. Merci for the perfect beginning.
Datasal are next, as this Gothenburg's trio's debut arrives. Acoustics (Miyazawa flute / Fender bass) and electronics (Roland RS-09 / Korg Mono) collide; prog rock meets post punk meets dance; outside organised compositions to improvise to the beat.
Side two leads back to the origin. 84PC, the dormant Tel Aviv collective that developed out of the city's Michatronix Crew (featuring Katzele, Naduve, Asaf and Yovav), return with a previously unreleased remix from Khidja. Their "Welcome To The Pleasuredome" moment is peak time perfection.
To close Barcelona's Iro Aka arrive with another debut. Having dispatched edits on Hard Fist and 44,100Hz Social Club, their bubbling 303 is a tender dreamtime finale that points ahead.
A simple idea in an over complicated moment. Strip away aesthetics and be artist centric, sharing and explore collisions, sounds and genres. Step out of comfort zones to release a series of EPs of broad, challenging and deep music.
Starting with The Proposal by A Strange Wedding, this Lyon based producer from the Worst label, builds on their "modern style" slow trance to create a label anthem, a template. Stretched Arp, hypnotic bass and searing melody, underpinned by ocean wide kick. Merci for the perfect beginning.
Datasal are next, as this Gothenburg's trio's debut arrives. Acoustics (Miyazawa flute / Fender bass) and electronics (Roland RS-09 / Korg Mono) collide; prog rock meets post punk meets dance; outside organised compositions to improvise to the beat.
Side two leads back to the origin. 84PC, the dormant Tel Aviv collective that developed out of the city's Michatronix Crew (featuring Katzele, Naduve, Asaf and Yovav), return with a previously unreleased remix from Khidja. Their "Welcome To The Pleasuredome" moment is peak time perfection.
To close Barcelona's Iro Aka arrive with another debut. Having dispatched edits on Hard Fist and 44,100Hz Social Club, their bubbling 303 is a tender dreamtime finale that points ahead.
- A1: Yvré-L'evêque Feat. C.a.r, Tolouse Low Trax Broken Pleasure Remix
- A2: Les Mystères De Lorient Feat. Narumi Herisson, Khidja Remix
- A3: Marilyn Drum, Golden Bug & In Fields Remix
- B1: Yvré-L'evêque Feat. C.a.r, Krikor Remix
- B2: Bar A Gwin Feat. Macdara, Rubin Steiner Remix
- B3: Les Mystères De Lorient Feat. Narumi Herisson, Marvin & Guy Remix
- B4: Phare Ouest Feat. Yula Kasp, Narumi Rework
After the release of their first album, Il Est Vilaine ask to artists and friends to deliver a series of high-flying remixes: Tolouse Low Trax, Krikor, Khidja, Marvin & Guy, Golden Bug, Rubin Steiner, C.A.R…
Tolouse Low Trax opens the ball with a destructured version of Yvré- L'évêque while keeping the darkness of the track. We can hear a nod to the track "Holland Tunnel Dive" anthem of the Salon des Amateurs.
For the eponymous track Khidja were inspired by the sounds of the land of the rising sun which is a good thing to accompany the song of Narumi Hedgehog! A bright version and influenced by YMO's era Sakamato.
Golden Bug & In Field proposes an alternative just as trippy as the original version of Marilyn Drum, a trip between neighborhood hospitals and crazy guru.
Another version of Yvré-l'Evêque this time Krikor takes care of it and takes out his sampler for a digi-dancehall version that only he has the secret, Faya !
Rubin Steiner delivers a version back to the roots of Bar à Gwin mixing deep house texture and 80's-NY-hip-hop/electro.
The two Italians of Marvin & Guy bring out the hits, the guitars and the arpeggios for an epic version of Mystères de Lorient.
To close the album, we find Narumi Hérisson at the controls of her piano for a dreamy and sensitive version of Phare Ouest where her voice and that of Yula Kasp are mixed in the greatest harmony!
Decha’s Hielo Boca LP was released in early 2019 and quickly was embraced by many as an exceptional experi- mental yet very personal and soulful piece of art. Artist Viktoria Wehrmeister (half of renowned duo Toresch along- side fellow Düsseldorfian Tolouse Low Trax) is already working constantly on her sophomore album for Malka Tuti that will come some time in the near future. In the meantime, longtime fans of Viktoria, many friends of the label asked to participate in the remix project that fol- lowed Hielo Boca. On this record we will present 4 remixes that are as imag- intive, inspirational and clever as the original composition. Tapan, Eva Geist, Khidja & Philipp Otterbach took upon themselves to reconstruct Viktoria’s ideas in very surpris- ing, intriguing and “out of the box” ways.
Cooper Saver has been busy of late, prepping EPs for a host of labels
including Permanent Vacation, Internasjional, ESP Institute and Hivern
Discs - all of which are set to drop in the coming couple of months.
We’re happy to welcome him on Biologic records with two stunning remixes
from Khidja and Abstraxion.
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