Cerca:l ow

Violent sounds...

Savage Grounds released their first three records with Lux Rec... of which one of the members from this Swiss duo is the label boss... this new EP is the first release coming out elsewhere... Savage Grounds have created a sound of their own... a sort of post-techno which combines elements of techno, elektro, EBM, acid and industrial... but these tracks will for sure also appeal to lovers of analogue synth music... the whole EP sounds like it has been recorded in an one take synth jam... raw and fierce synth sounds for the body and soul...

First Word Records are very proud to present an EP by Manchester's finest Hip Hop and Soul exports, Children of Zeus. This is 'The Story So Far...'

Konny Kon & Tyler Daley met back in 2005, after both performing a show near Paris in their respective crews, Broke'N'£nglish and Body Roq. The duo met up back home in Manchester, spurred on initially by a mutual admiration of each others music, and produced their first track together, aptly entitled 'Coming Home To You'.

A few years later, Tyler approached Konny about producing a full EP together. These sessions included the creation of a track called 'Still Standing', which ultimately saw the light of day last Summer on First Word. Still a highlight in their live sets, the Lenzman rub won "Best Remix" at the 2016 Drum & Bass Awards. The original has become somewhat of a British Soul anthem since its release, with people that missed it first time round still clamouring for it on wax. So we've included it on this EP.

As they've grown within the family of Manchester's music scene, they've provided a tonic to the city's bass-orientated club scene, breathing Soul back into the city, whilst maintaining their heritage of Hip Hop swagger. As an MC, Konny takes no prisoners, whilst Tyler (a prolific MC in his own right) has gained a rep as one of the UK's strongest Soul voices. Both artists have been blessed with the talent of beat-making. A combined craftsmanship upon the boards and in the booth.

From building a grassroots following of fans, they've since travelled the globe, sharing stages with giants and catching the ear of peers far and wide, from Pete Rock to Zed Bias. As well as hosting their own monthly radio show on NTS, they've collaborated with numerous Hip Hop acts, both sides of the Atlantic, as well as Soul royalty in the form of Caron Wheeler and Drum'n'Bass legends, such as Goldie (Tyler featuring heavily across his latest album).

Children of Zeus have finally begun the process of crafting together their debut album. This EP is a compilation of the creations the duo have produced themselves over the past decade, put together to appease their loyal followers thus far, and as an introduction to those yet to discover their talents. A snapshot of what has been, and a mere taster of what's to come. It features brand new tracks such as 'Smoke With Me' and (vinyl-only cut) 'Tonight', the anthemic 'Crown' (featured on First Word's 'Two Syllables' compilation previously) and fan favourites such as 'No Sunshine Tomorrow' and 'Push On'. A collection of raw, gritty, Hip Hop Soul music.

The debut album will drop in 2018.
This collection signals the end of the first chapter. A prologue even.
Get on board now. The time is right. This is the story so far...

The wait is finally over. The greatest living female voice in African music, Oumou Sangare releases a new album "Mogoya" (meaning "people today") on a new record label with an all-new production team and a wonderful new set of songs.

The power of Oumou's voice and the potency of her message remain as strong as ever and, while her sound is rooted deep in the continuity of Malian tradition, Mogoya has a strong new sound. Co-produced by Andreas Unge in Stockholm and by the French production collective A.l.b.e.r.t. (who have worked with among others Air, Tony Allen, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Beck, Franz Ferdinand) in Paris, it draws on a rich musical heritage whilst also looking to the future.

"We wanted to emphasise the raw power of Oumou's voice and songs. We wanted to find a new modernity" says co-producer Ludovic Bruni, one of the three members of A.l.b.e.r.t. with Vincent Taurelle and Vincent Taeger.

On the album, traditional African instruments - the kamele n'goni (harp), karignan (metal scraper) and calabash percussion - are augmented by electric guitar, bass, keyboards and synths with Tony Allen on drums. As Oumou puts it, "This time round I wanted to go for more of a modern sound, to satisfy young people in Mali but being careful, all the while, to respect my culture and tradition".

The songs describe what Oumou knows best human relationships. She addresses difficult topics with incredible frankness - jealousy, ingratitude and betrayal never afraid to sing about the day-to-day problems faced by African society, particularly women.

Oumou has a high international profile, touring all over the world, collaborating with artists such as Alicia Keys, Tracy Chapman, Bela Fleck and Dee Dee Bridgewater and featuring on the soundtrack of Toni Morrison's Beloved. She is a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation and has three businesses in Mali a range of SUVs called 'Oum-Sang', a hotel in Bamako and 'Oumou Sangare 769, Rice', grown in her own fields.

She has released six albums on the World Circuit label: Moussolou, meaning "women"(1990), Ko Sira (1993), Worotan (1996), Oumou (2003), Seya (2009) and Kounadi (2012).

Music is at the absolute centre of Oumou's life: "without it I'm nothing and nothing can take it from me" and Mogoya represents an exciting new chapter in her career, something which she approaches with a mixture of boldness, humility and confidence."It was new for me because my music has never had this kind of arrangement and sound before. I've been totally in the tradition for years now so to get out of that and have a look around elsewhere was a total pleasure," Oumou Sangare.

Dark Entries returns to the New Jersey basement studio of Smersh to unearth an 18-minute jam session from 1989, backed with two contemporary remixes. Smersh was the duo of Mike Mangino and Chris Shepard from Piscataway, NJ who began making music together in 1978. They were uninterested in traditional notions of songwriting or live performance. Between 1981 and 1993 they released over 40 cassette albums on their own Atlas King imprint. As these tapes traded their way across continents, Smersh developed a devoted following in places far beyond New Jersey, leading to releases on dozens of other labels from around the globe.

Sideways' was taken from a cassette titled '100', which refers to a 100-minute jam session the band recorded to tape on June 12, 1989 in Piscataway. The track was composed and performed by Mike, utilizing a Roland TB-303, TR-606, SH-09 and an ARP 2600. A frenetic hybrid of techno and acid with driving EBM style beats, Sideways' weaves intricate industrial noises with synth melodies that drift in and out of phase. On the flip are two fresh remixes by different aliases of prolific Ann Arbor producer Tadd Mullinix. As JTC, he expands the sound palette, adding organ stabs and lush pads, drawing on Detroit deep house and UK garage.The Charles Manier remix features chanted vocals on top of an array of pulsating synths, stark percussion, and post-punky guitar effects. Each song has been carefully remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The record is sleeved in a replica of the '100' artwork, which designer Eloise Leigh modified using motifs and textures sourced from the original cassette. Also included is an oversized postcard with notes.

Tenderlonious led jazz outfit Ruby Rushton drop their second album of 2017. Following on from the success of 'Trudi's Songbook: Volume One' the band are back with their highly anticipated 'Volume Two'. Comprised of a further six cuts the listener is treated to another journey through modern day jazz!

Stand out tracks include "Tisbury Truckin", which is a stunning opener! Starting with an atmospheric soundscape it unexpectedly drops into a neck-snapping hip-hop groove with a punchy melodic line before effortlessly sliding into an up-tempo, afro-beat inspired rhythm with strong solos from trumpet and keys in tow. "Song For Christopher" is a heartfelt ballad, which begins with a touching flute solo and continues to take the listener on a journey through the emotions, ending in a crescendo of optimism - a fitting tribute to the late Christopher Rushton.

"Charlotte Emma Victoria" is another strong track and includes some tasteful sousaphone and trombone parts to add extra oomph to its bounce, accompanied by a soaring saxophone solo by band leader Edward Cawthorne (aka Tenderlonious). The album ends with a classic Herbie Hancock jazz-fusion standard, "Butterfly", which the band handle with finesse. A fitting cover that I have no doubt would impress its original writers.

'Trudi's Songbook: Volume Two' is a fantastic album, which further solidifies Ruby Rushton's place on the modern jazz scene. This is a must have album that would hold its own in any jazz enthusiasts record collection - make sure you check it out!

There is no end to composer Peter Broderick's creative output, and so we present to you his new album titled All Together Again — available worldwide on November 17th 2017 via Erased Tapes.They say music takes you on a journey, and this collection of commissioned work by Peter quite literally does that. From a ferry boat ride in Istanbul, to walking down the aisle at a wedding, these songs were created for particular situations, yet Peter found a way to work without any sort of limitations and on his own erms. The result is an assortment of works from the past ten years, coming together as one: Peter's new album. Words from Peter, October 2017: Ever since I started releasing records in 2007 (10 years ago now!), people have contacted me periodically to ask if I'd be interested in making music to accompany their projects. Most of these projects have been things like films, dance pieces and theatre plays . . . but every so often I get the odd request for something a little different. Peter, would you write a song for my wedding My one year anniversary A ferry boat ride
In early 2015 I was asked to perform 12 minutes of music during a runway show as part of New York Fashion Week. I agreed and began composing a 12-minute piece which I could perform on my own with a few different instruments and some looping pedals. I made a recording of the piece and sent it over to my contacts at the fashion show . . . but a few days before I was to fly out to New York, they wrote back and told me they actually just wanted me to play a few older songs that they were already familiar with. Feeling slightly disappointed, I shelved the other piece, giving it the title If I Were A Runway Model.It is with great pleasure that I now present this piece in a collection of commissioned works spanning the last decade . . . it's All Together Again. This group of oddball works does indeed include a couple pieces written for weddings (Our Future In Wedlock and The Walk), and a song someone asked me to write as a gift for his wife on their first year wedding anniversary (Emily). And indeed, there's a 17-minute piece written to accompany a ferry boat ride in Istanbul (A Ride On The Bosphorus). A few of the pieces were written for films (Robbie's Song, Atlantic and Seeing Things), and one for a kind of interactive installation (Unsung Heroes).In my early days of recording, I took pride in playing all the different instruments myself and doing the recording myself as well. And then at some point I started branching out, working with other musicians and recording engineers. But this record is very dear to me in that it's a return to that original approach . . . playing all the different instruments myself, working with my limits on each one, and my own limits in recording and mixing. I've always held a broad curiosity for all different instruments and all different styles of music, and if nothing else I hope this record will portray that curiosity, and my pure love for this thing we call music. Can you dig it The cover art was made by Peter himself in his hometown of Portland, Oregon, by cutting and sticking different coloured paper fragments to depict the individuality of each track.

he Copenhagen based pop wonders Blaue Blume return with a new EP - 'Sobs'. The band formed around 6 years ago in a provincial Danish town, drawn to each other's love for rich, playful music. Blaue Blume (blue flower) is the epitome of a romantic band, their songs are brimming with love and yearning. Now 'Sobs', the follow up to their 'Syzygy' album in 2015, continues to build their reputation as a best kept secret, about to find a whole new audience of devotees. All four tracks for the EP were recorded in late 2016 in a three story villa, formerly owned by a religious cult. The band used the weird space away from the city to create a framework for the lyrics and the music. The band explains: 'Blaue Blume has been our band for about 6 years. In a bigger provincial town we started playing right out of highschool. At the moment we live in Copenhagen and every day we play, write and work on sounds. It's sort of become a life project. In our heads we make music that is playful, rich in detail and popish or somewhat smiling. For some beautifully inexplicable reason we ended up doing music together. In a way it seems sacred or at least meaningful. Macabre is a happy song about being afraid of dying. Some of us find that even the best life can be lonely sometimes. We found it interesting to address this taboo within the frame of a song that people could potentially dance or sing along to.

EMEX is the emergent project of George Apergis, who is the owner of Modular Expansion records. His brand new release 'Hyperion' is a collaboration with Studio 416, a mysterious project which based in Berlin. 'Hyperion' is a hypnotic, minimal track with deep chords which progresses into darker territories while the dark strings come. The release includes 3 massive remixes. The first one has been remixed from Alexander Kowalski, who has created a perfect groovy tool with his unique classic style, an instant hit. The second remix is coming from the legendary Brian Sanhaji, who is making the track darker with his pumping futuristic version. The release is closing with the hard, minimal and melodic remix from Subjected of Vault Series, an artist from the upcoming Berlin techno scene.

Written & Produced by George Apergis & Studio 416

Rick Lenoir and Larry Thompson aka Black Traxx dropped several volumes of their own brand of chopped up Disco sampling, deeper side of House. From 1991 through to 1994 the Black Traxx EP's were showing up in record stores, obviously giving respectful nods to other Chicago DJ's and producers the tracks included on the EP's contained a DIY spirit and rawness that were key ingredients. Lenoir, with the technical assistance of Gary 'Jackmaster' Wallace has revisited these classic releases for 2017 and the pair have turned in some special, exclusive extended versions of some of the highlights from the series.

Kicking off the first Black Traxx sampler is 'Climaxx', a stripped back, slow burning acid cut with more than a similarity to 'French Kiss' complete with ultra slowed down section in the middle. Far from a copycat, 'Climaxx' is it's own beast, a truly atmospheric track that tweaks in all the right places! 'Doctor's Housecall' is up next, a cut-up of Disco burner 'Doctor Love', a Chicago staple for sure. This is a brand new extended version of this jam, serious heat on this one, you all know the sample by now! Undoubtedly a nod to the legendary Ron Hardy and his mythical Muzic Box club, this one hits the spot.

On side-B we get a new version of 'Your Mind Is So Crazy' lifted off Volume III, this one's a pumping, breakbeat laced party starter. Vocal samples, synths and swinging drums all collide to form a real peak-time monster of a track, pure 90's style runnings! 'Retrospace' is the last track on sampler 1, it's a melding of Chicago House, breakbeat and bleeps. If you dig the sounds that emanated from Sheffield way back when, or the you're into the early hardcore sound pre-Jungle then this is the cut for you. Fast paced and funky, 'Retrospace' is a real hidden gem of a track, featured here in it's original form lifted from volume II.

This reissue has been realised with the full involvement of Rick Lenoir and Gary Wallace and is 100% legit! All exclusive extended edits have been made by Rick and Gary specifically for this release. Don't snooze, this one deserves a spot in any self respecting House heads record bag or DJ set, classic material made available again for 2017 - You can't stop it!

For the 108th installment in the ever expanding planet rhythm catalog, a various artists effort has been planned with some of the label's usuals and some exciting names we have had our eye on for a while now. For the A-side, ARTS label owner Emmanual brings his much appreciated E100 to vinyl. Previously released digitally through his own imprint, this cut has been sought after for a while now. Second up is Eindhoven native Albert Van Abbe. Albert has been making a lot of waves for a long time now and we're very glad to welcome him to the PRRUK family. More to Ignore 04 is a funked out piece of machine music that will definitely turn some heads. The B side is opening with Elyas' The Hangman. The mysteryman that gained some infamy through his releases on Modularz and Olympian delivers a cutting edge Techno work-out. Closing down this VA 12'' is Mendy. Returning to PRRUK for the 2nd time, Mendy has come up with ''Elevation'' which is a chordy techno theme for peak hours.

Transversales is a French label based in Paris founded by Sebastien Rosat & Jonathan Fitoussi.
Transversales is specialised in the reissues of long lost tapes, rare original soundtracks and library.
Jonathan Fitoussi is a French composer residing in Paris. He works on minimalist and contemporary musical forms. He's also audio restoration engineer at INA & INA GRM. Sebastien
Rosat is a French Music Supervisor working for Films, TV and Advertising. He's also a member of French electronic duo Sommet.
This first release is the original soundtrack of the film Rock, composed in 1982 by Bernard Parmegiani (1927-2013). A major figure of Electro Acoustic music and member of the historic GRM
(Groupe de Recherches Musicales) where he composed an important work of concert, among which is the masterpiece: De Natura Sonorum.
The work of Parmegiani, a virtuoso of the magnetic tape, is widely known to the public even without their knowledge, through the famous title he composed for the TV program Stade 2', for the French radio France Inter and also through the jingle adopted by Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris (1971 - 2005).
Bernard Parmegiani produced a large number of jingles, soundtracks and indicatives but ROCK stands apart in his repertoire. He recorded it without any outside constraints in his own studio. On listening to ROCK, one is reminded of John Carpenter or François de Roubaix: a work which mixes the sounds of the TR-808 drum-machine, Synthi AKS, Farfisa organ and Clavinet.
Limited Edition Remastered from the Original Master Tapes / Exclusive liner notes

- This four LP box set features some of the best studio recordings by Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings, the ten-piece band that Bill
put together after leaving the Rolling Stones in 1992. Whilst the band features guest appearances by all-star musicians (including
Mick Taylor, Eric Clapton, Chris Rea, George Harrison,Gary Brooker and Peter Frampton on these recordings), it has an all-
star core line-up that features Georgie Fame, Beverley Skeete, Albert Lee, Terry Taylor and Bill Wyman himself of course.
- For this compilation, Bill Wyman has chosen forty three tracks that showcase the fantastic lead vocals of both Beverley
Skeete, perhaps the UK's busiest session singer, and Georgie Fame, a star (and legend) in his own right since 1964 of course.
- Each singer has two LPs: Georgie's features his renditions of songs by the likes of J.J. Cale, Mose Allison, Dan Hicks, and Bill
Wyman & Terry Taylor, while Beverley's features her take on songs by Nellie Lutcher, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, J.B. Lenoir and
The Rascals.
- This box set marks the first appearance of any Rhythm Kings recordings on vinyl. The four LPs are housed in an attractive rigid
outer slipcase and the inner sleeves feature all themusician credits.

Our 5th release is all about the heart and soul of Analogue. The label owners and key players of the Athenian techno scene, deliver one track each with their own distinctive character and style.

2022 Repress

Our POP AMBIENT compilation series returns for its 2018 instalment, with series curator Wolfgang Voigt presenting another batch of hand-picked recordings from genre veterans and newcomers alike. The more seasoned among this year's contributors are easily identified by their individual artistic sensibilities, ranging from the morphing, organic rhythms of THE ORB's sample collages (on SKY'S FALLING) to KAITO's ethereal, trance-infused soundscapes (TRAVELLED BETWEEN SOULS) and MIKKEL METAL's intimate ambient songwriting (SHAME).
They join the ranks of Pop Ambient scholars such as MAX WÜRDEN & THORE PFEIFFER (co-authoring the sparkling PANORAMA), Magazine's JENS-UWE BEYER (creating rich drama out of cinematic textures on ATHOS) or Adjunct's KENNETH JAMES GIBSON (who pairs soaring strings with bubbly percussion on DISINCLINED TO VACATE). Pfeiffer can also be found working with genre mainstay LEANDRO FRESCO on opener SPLINTER, crossing the growth rings of the Pop Ambient family tree with a subtle, atmospheric collaboration. Another welcome return to the roster, Jörg Burger dusts off his iconic TRIOLA project last heard on Pop Ambient 2013 (KOMPAKT 269 CD 103) with the floating, echo-drenched cut L'ATALANTE.
After making his Pop Ambient debut on last year's instalment (KOMPAKT 365 CD 135), YUI ONODERA continues his exploration of deep, intricate string sounds on PRISM and NINE CHAINS TO THE MOON (CD only) - it's compelling material that shows the Tokyo-based musician and architectural acoustic designer as a strong addition to the Pop Ambient talent pool. He's joined by the two latest recruits to the series, both well-established artists in their own right: techno provocateur T.RAUMSCHMIERE flexes his drone muscles on the elegiac ETERNA, while pedal steel guitar maestro CHUCK JOHNSON creates expanding sonic spaces on the meditative BRAHMI - a uniquely immersive cut that draws from the idiosyncratic country post-rock he established on his acclaimed 'Balsams' full-length released earlier this year.
(de) Unsere POP AMBIENT Compilation-Serie kehrt für 2018 ins Rampenlicht zurück, natürlich kuratiert von Wolfgang Voigt, der auch für die aktuelle Ausgabe eine handverlesene Auswahl an Genre-Veteranen und Neuzugängen präsentiert. Bereits vorhandene Erfahrung mit der Mission macht sich unter den diesjährigen Beiträgen schnell bemerkbar - dank individueller Künstlerperspektiven,

von den organisch-rhythmischen Samplecollagen THE ORBs (zu hören auf SKY'S FALLING) zu KAITOs ätherischen Trance-Klanglandschaften (TRAVELLED BETWEEN SOULS) und MIKKEL METALs intim wirkendem Ambient-Songwriting (SHAME).
Im 2018er Line-Up treffen sie auf die neue Pop-Ambient-Schule, vertreten durch MAX WÜRDEN & THORE PFEIFFER (die gemeinschaftlich für das glitzernde PANORAMA verantwortlich zeichnen), Magazine-Mitbetreiber JENS-UWE BEYER (der auf ATHOS reiche Dramatik aus Texturen zaubert) oder Adjunct-Boss KENNETH JAMES GIBSON (mit aufsteigenden Streichern und sprudelnder Percussion auf DISINCLINED TO VACATE unterwegs). Pfeiffer findet sich ausserdem auf dem Albumopener SPLINTER wieder, eine subtile, stimmungsvolle Aufnahme, die er zusammen mit Genre-Wegbereiter LEANDRO FRESCO produziert hat - gewissermassen generationsübergeifend über die Jahresringe des Pop-Ambient-Stammbaums hinweg. Als weiteres altvertrautes Gesicht der Serie entstaubt Jörg Burger sein beliebtes TRIOLA-Projekt, welches wir zuletzt auf Pop Ambient 2013 (KOMPAKT 269 CD 103) gehört haben, und legt das durch die Wellen gleitende, echogetränkte

L'ATALANTE vor.
Nach seinem Pop-Ambient-Debüt auf der letztjährigen Ausgabe (KOMPAKT 365 CD 135) führt YUI ONODERA seine Erkundung tiefer, vielschichtiger Streicherklänge mit PRISM und NINE CHAINS TO THE MOON fort - zwingendes Material, dass den in Tokyo ansässigen Musiker und Architektur-Klangdesigner als besonders überzeugenden Zuwachs zum Pop-Ambient-Talentpool kennzeichnet. Zu ihm gesellen sich zwei Serien-Neuzugänge, die bereits äusserst erfolgreich an anderen Fronten tätig waren: der Techno-Provokateur T.RAUMSCHMIERE lässt auf dem elegischen ETERNA seine Drone-Muskeln spielen, während der gefeierte Pedal-Steel-Gitarrist CHUCK JOHNSON mit dem meditativen BRAHMI stetig wachsende Klangräume erschafft - ein herausragender Track ganz im Stile des eigenwilligen Country Post-Rocks, den er auf dem zuvor in diesem Jahr erschienenen 'Balsams'-Langspieler verewigte.

After more than 5 years releasing exclusively their own material on their own label and with 12 EP released since nowadays there, NX1 use now the cultivated experience through this years to launch Nexe Records, a new platform with which they open to release other related artists and collaborations that will rule the label.

To get started, Nexe Records opens with a 3 EP vinyl pack which contains 12 artists remixing released tracks from NX1. The first three records are involving names such as AnD, Orphx, Blush Response, Ontal, Samot, P.E.A.R.L., Scalameriya, Go Hiyama, Surit, Lucindo, RE_P and The Exaltics, a wide sort list that define the borders and possibilities of the sound that the duo purposes for this new label.

The third EP opens with a classy electro remix from one of the most reputed names from the genre, The Exaltics. Following on the A side we also find Samot, half of the NX1 duo and who delivers a broken hard twisted remix that works perfectly for any serious techno set. The B side starts with an overwhelming raw acid version from the modular industrial artist Blush Response showing his unmistakable convoluted style. Last track of the record is done by the spanish P.E.A.R.L, serving a serious driving techno track that keeps you mesmerized with deep pads and a strong punching kick.

As the head of Grounded Theory and MANHIGH, Henning Baer has since 2009 presented his downcast, experimental interpretation of modern electronic music to wide critical acclaim, establishing his forceful presence on Berlin's scene with immaculate curatorial skills and equally imposing DJ abilities. His discography so far, concentrated on Adam X's legendary Sonic Groove imprint and his own K209 and MANHIGH imprints, amongst others, keeps step with his formidable reputation and wide-ranging tastes, moving across the spectrum of hard-edged, aggressively modern techno. With 'Shatterproof', his long-germinating debut album for MANHIGH, he offers for the first time his unified vision in extended format, a varied exploration into the outer limits of the genre. At its centre a work of dark minimalism, he sets and maintains the pensive tone on ambient pieces like 'Angel Dust', 'All Over', and 'MIL-STD 461', which foreground the exploratory electronics that maintain their presence throughout. The corroded textures of the sounds, enveloped in decaying reverb, bring life to pieces like 'Never Ending' or 'Bliss', which sit between rhythmic interludes and the stricter dancefloor material found on the remainder of the album. Once he shifts into techno, he does it unremittingly, from the uptempo fury of 'Code Buster' and 'Burning Chrome', whose starkness only heighten the tension, to denser pieces like 'Drama Sky' or closer 'Vermillion Red', where the cavernous impacts of drum hits punch holes through beds of seesawing synthesizers. Shatterproof like its title suggests, Henning Baer's first album unifies and strengthens the work of an artist whose legacy is already assured.

Ike Yard recombine their music looking across decades of post punk, electronic, soundtracks and come out with some of their best yet and enough to last the next 20-30 years (in Ike Yard´s very own words). Originally founded in 1979 New York City, members Michael Diekmann (keyboard, guitar, vocals), Kenneth Compton (programming drums, synths arrangements, bass, guitar, vocals) and Stuart Argabright (programming drums, synths arrangements, distortion bass, keyboards, metal perc) reformed the band once in 2007 and again in 2010. Each time different and with new ambitions. This time 'Sacred Machine' EP is defined by detailed drum layers supported by multiple basses and keyboards, some off-timing beat patterns that turn in a second of synchrony into a straight four on the floor kick and first time vocal collaborations.

Composition wise 'Sacred Machine' EP is recorded as a 'rehearsal'. As for Ike Yard songs would not be done so very many times in their existence, all threw in on each piece as they came into being. It sounds like a group that could have been doing records in Anthony Burgess and Stanley Kubrick´s 'A Clockwork Orange'. 'Night Klub' revisits Ike Yard´s original 'Night After Night' from 1981 EP. 'Sacred Machine' might be familiar to those who caught Ike Yard dates in Europe between 2007-2014 as one of the extended jams prepared for the dark ambient shows. 'Tear Drop' night airport music with sweet vocals by Camella Lobo of Tropic Of Cancer is followed by 'Spit' that explores Ike Yard NCR style with jittery beats, clomping, stomping cross cut beats. 'Slaves Of Janet' featuring Erica Belle brings to mind scenes in an S&M parlour with unused lyrics from the Factory America LP recordings.

Ebo Taylor is a legendary guitarist, composer, arranger and producer from Accra, Ghana. A leading light of Ghanaian music since the 1960's, Taylor is still touring and recording, and at the age of 80 will be releasing a brand new studio album on Mr Bongo in 2018.
For this album, Ebo joined forces with 12-piece band 'The Pelikans' — from the Cape Coast region of Ghana — led by Bessa Simmona, with rhythm guitarist Fifi Orleans Lindsay. A genuine 'holy-grail' of Ghanaian music and one of Ebo's most saught-after.
The album was released on the small Abookyi label. Named after a nightclub they played in called PELIKANS, and sung in English and Fante, this was the first album where Ebo sang on tracks, such as the classic 'Come Along', on which he also plays keyboard. This song clearly defined a new direction in highlife and has become a Ghanaian funk anthem. 'Come Along' formed the basis of Sadat X's 'Remember That' hip hop jam from 2011.
This official Mr Bongo re-issue is packaged in our new & improved heavyweight 'tip-on' sleeves, printed in Japan, pressed on high quality vinyl, with label designs and artwork as per the original release. Ebo's forthcoming new studio album, 'MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS' is set for release in spring 2018, on Mr Bongo.

Alex Ferrazzi and Matteo Keemani a.k.a. Blue Mondays, longtime Laterra friends and collaborators (with releases on Sonar Kollektiv, Rebirth, Snatch!,Memento, Manocalda as well), strike again. They do it, as usual, their very own way: shades of Balearic flavours in there, but with a very dark and malicious twist. Marvin & Guy add some disco nuances (keeping it raw and obscure, though), while Nick Anthony Simoncino delivers a solid, strict, gloomy dancefloor affair. No frills, mad quality.

Seattle artist, and From 0-1 co-owner Sone, issues his debut vinyl EP, 'Auroras'. Aptly titled, this EP embodies the characteristic ethereal nature of these light formations seen in the far northern and southern hemispheres. Deep heady atmospheres, and constant driving rhythmic motion perfectly embody the artist's vision.
'Australis' opens the EP with hypnotic rhythms and enigmatic textures. Milkplant continues the theme while ratcheting up the energy level, and injecting a touch of grit. 'Borealis' brings the funk with undeniable groove and tracky percussive power; serving as a great DJ tool. UK artist Operator (aka Rich Jones) turns the focus with heavy driving force, and an organic, acidic chug.

In 2017, the musical term electronic' is nearly obsolete given the ubiquity of computerized processes in producing music. Even so, the prevailing assumption is that musicians working under this broad umbrella must be inspired by concepts equally as electrified as their equipment. Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith has demonstrated in her still-blooming discography that this notion couldn't be further from the truth, and that more often than not, rich worlds of synthesized
sound are born from deep reverence of the natural world. Smith (who by no coincidence, cites naturalist David Attenborough as a contemporary muse) has embodied such an appreciation on
The Kid in as direct and sincere a way as possible by sonically charting the phases of life itself.
The album, which punctually follows up her 2016 breakthrough EARS, chronicles four defining cognitive and emotional stages of the human lifespan across four sides of a double LP.
The first side takes us through the confused astonishment of a newborn, unaware of itself, existing in an unwitting nirvana. Smith's music has always woven a youthful thread befitting of the
aforementioned subject. Here she articulates it in signature fashion on the track An Intention,' which serves not only as a soaring spire on The Kid, but on her entire output. There is playfulness here, but it's elevated by an undertone of gravity into something compelling and majestic that is fast becoming Smith's watermark. The emotional focus of side two is the vital but underreported moment in early youth when we cross the threshold into self awareness. The subject is profound enough to fill an entire album, but rarely makes its way into a single track, indicating Smith's ambition to broach subtler and deeper subjects than the average composer. This side offers up another highlight in the form of In The World But Not Of The World' which serves its subject well with epiphanic, climbing strings and decidedly noisy textures over a near-Bollywood low end pulse.

Side three emphasizes a feeling of being confirmed enough in one's own identity to begin giving back to the formative forces of one's upbringing, which is arguably the duty that all great artists
aim to fulfill. This side ends with the exploratory album cut Who I Am & Why I Am Where I Am' recorded in a single take without overdubs on the rare EMS Synthi 100 synthesizer. This humble
piece of sound design serves as a contrast to side four's verdant orchestral moments, all written and arranged for the EU-based Stargaze quartet by Smith herself. This final side represents a
return to pure being, the kind of wisdom and peace that eludes most of us until the autumn of life. On To Feel Your Best' this concept is voiced in the bittersweet refrain one day I'll wake up
and you won't be there' which Smith intended to be a grateful acknowledgement of life rather than a melancholy resentment of loss. The song has both effects depending on the mood of the
listener, and both interpretations are equally moving.
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith belongs to an ilk of modern musicians who are defined by their commitment to creating experiential albums despite the singles-oriented habits of modern listeners,
and here she represents her kind proudly. The subjects on The Kid are not simple to convey, and yet through both emotional tone and lyrical content, Smith does just that. There is a similar
gravity to both birth and death, and rarely is that correlation as accurately and enthusiastically mapped as it is here.

Alan Watts, another logical inspiration of Smith's, once expounded that people record themselves to confirm their own existence, and as such, echoes and resonance are reminders that we are alive. You're not there unless you're recorded,' Watts muses, if you shout, and it doesn't come back and echo, it didn't happen.' The Kid speaks to this idea directly. As Kaitlyn Aurelia
Smith explores her existence through music, she guides us in gleefully contemplating our own.

Legendary James Brown's protégée Martha High teams up with mighty Japanese Osaka Monaural to pay homage to "JB's Funky Divas" in her new album "Tribute to My Soul Sisters".

Original Funky Diva Martha High has been an integral part of James Brown's life and career for more than 30 years. She was his backing vocalist, hair stylist, payroll master and his always loyal and reliable confidant.

The idea for this project was hatched back in 2014, when Martha was visiting producer DJ Pari, head honcho of the Soulpower organization and manager of soul legends like The Impressions, Lyn Collins and Marva Whitney. While reminiscing about tours with her fellow James Brown veterans, Martha felt that a tribute to the great soul sisters of the JB Revue, better known as "James Brown's Original Funky Divas," was very much needed.

"I looked up to these ladies of soul," says Martha, "Given the opportunity and the pleasure to perform their songs, is my way of saying: thank you, you're not forgotten. To record the music of the Funky Divas, would mean a lot to Mr. Brown. He always wanted the world to know he had powerful women on stage that could hold his crowd while he was off the stage. They were just as powerful and funky as he was."

Without further ado, following DJ Pari's advice, Martha partnered up in Tokyo with one of the hottest names of the new funk renaissance: Japan's Osaka Monaurail. Deeply influenced by the work of James Brown, Bobby Byrd, Curtis Mayfield and with nine albums under their belt, Osaka Monaurail have been leading the international funk scene for more than two decades, appearing at festivals such as Montreal Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival and Womad's, as well as recording and touring with funk legends like Marva Whitney and Fred Wesley.

This unique collaboration gives new life to 13 soulful pearls, masterfully interpreted as only an Original Funky Diva can do. To name a few: "Think (About It)", made famous by the female preacher Lyn Collins, "Mama's Got a Bag of Her Own", Anna King's answer to Brown's "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," "This Is My Story", of which Martha recorded the original version with The Jewels, and the soul classic "Answer to Mother Popcorn" by Vicki Anderson.

Born in Victoria, Virginia, and discovered by rock 'n roll pioneer Bo Diddley, Martha started her career with the soulful, legendary doo-wop group The Four Jewels, with whom she scored the national hit "Opportunity" in 1964. Soon, The Jewels caught the attention of James Brown and joined the James Brown Revue in 1966. The Godfather of Soul recorded and released several songs featuring The Jewels until the group disbanded. Nevertheless, Martha stayed with James Brown and continued to work with him as his personal vocalist for 32 years. She was with him at the Boston Garden during the iconic 1968 gig after Martin Luther King's assassination. She was by his side when he performed at renowned "Rumble in The Jungle" event in Zaire. Mr. Brown produced several of Martha's singles on his own People label such as "Georgy Girl", "Try Me" and "Summertime." Meanwhile Martha launched her solo career in 1979 with the self-titled debut LP for Salsoul Records. Since, she has released five albums under her name and, being one of the "hardest working women in show business", she became one of the leading singers of saxophonist Maceo Parker's legendary funky music machine, working with him for 16 years.

Throughout her career Martha has shared stages worldwide with iconic artists like Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Michael Jackson and George Clinton. Martha has been carrying the torch of soul music for her whole life, like a true soul sister. Now, with this new effort, she is keeping the music of the Funky Divas going, and we are sure that the Godfather of Soul and her faithful audience would appreciate it.

Durban's 23 year-old producer Emo Kid has announced he is to release eight-track debut EP, 'Gqomtera', through Gqom Oh! on September 22nd. Although titled 'Gqomtera', which Emo Kid explains is a slang term he and others use for the music, the record actually explores Sgubhu — another strain of South African dance music that shares many stylistic parallels with Gqom, though is always written with a 4x4 beat. Like DJ Lag before him, an artist widely considered the king of Gqom, Emo Kid is also considered a pioneer in Durban; 'Some people call me the Sgubhu king, but I'm just happy they're enjoying my music', he says. Based in Inanda, in the Etafuleni area township in Durban, Emo Kid's house looks out over an area called Isandlwana — the spot where the Zulu army famously defeated the British Army in the Battle Of Isandlwana in 1879. It is from this backdrop that he has written the majority of his music over the last few years, including new record 'Gqomtera'. At eight tracks long, 'Gqomtera' provides a comprehensive overview of the Sgubhu sound, with the aim of taking the listener on their own 'Durban Journey'. 'I wanted to show the uniqueness of my own style which I would describe as more musical', Emo Kid explains, 'you can feel the music when you listen but it still hits hard with that Gqom flavour.' That Gqom flavour, powered by hard, fast, uncompromising drums, provides a solid core from which everything else functions. Bright, shimmering trance synths feature on 'Futuristic Gqom', while on 'Enkwarini' — 'another word for a party or fantastic get together' — vocalist Fawell skips over light, playful Sgubhu rhythms. There's also space for harder, deeper cuts like 'Ground Shaker', cut with a twinkling melody line, the charging pace and power of 'Insimbi Yase Dubane' and the anthemic 'Asbambeki' featuring local crew TLC Fam, translating loosely to being unstoppable; 'It means you can't catch us basically', Emo Kid says proudly, 'On the dance floor, you can't touch us, we're on fire.' Capturing the raw, street sounds of his city, Emo Kid is the latest Durban artist to take the music global and with 'Gqomtera', put Sgubhu firmly on the map.

Collected Works 1996-2017' champions an oft overlooked aesthetic in contemporary techno, opting for radiant bliss over darkness and placing the listener in enveloping soundscapes, admirable for their sheer detail and arrangement whilst never losing sight of the dancefloor.The realisation of this project follows a 3 year period of co-writing, programming and engineering on the new UNKLE album 'The Road' part 1, which is now released. Since 1996, an accomplished career as a producer, and sound engineer has granted him releases on labels including Tresor, Delsin, Void, Archive, Rush Hour and Ferox, as well as a monthly residency at Tresor in Berlin

Matthew Puffett, the artist most commonly known as Future Beat Alliance, presents a retrospective of selected works under his most lauded moniker. The name - taken from an Afrika Bambaataa sleeve - may have been a nod to the early-80s hip hop that was his first musical love while growing up in Oxford, but the music bore the unmistakable influence of the Detroit techno that had become his obsession. 'Collected Works 1996-2017' maps an illustrious discography over two decades and will be released on the artist's own imprint - FBA Recordings. Preceding the compilation, a brand new track entitled 'Chemical Cloud' will also be released. The realisation of this project follows a 3 year period of co-writing, programming and engineering on the new UNKLE album -The Road' part 1, which is now released.

After more than a year of silence, the French duo VTCN RADIO releases its debut album "'Mydriase"

Mysterious and audacious odyssey, 'Mydriase' presents itself as a sensory and confidential journey. Fruit of a nocturnal composition guided by a need of musical introspection and a decisive encounter with an owl, the writing of this album will cut off its creators in an alternative reality for three years. Behind VTCN RADIO are the French producers Nathan Bokobza - a pianist fascinated by the romantic repertoire and the harmonic research of the impressionists - and Louis Martinez, a guitarist passionate about digital technologies and their uses in the process of sound creation. The group revealed its existence at the end of 2015 with the esoteric Riddle Song and continues to surprise the spirits with the release of the compositions Late Night Shuttle and Venus Flytrap in 2016, before creating in 2017 their own label "Five to Six Records". VTCN RADIO presents with Mydriase an experience based mainly on the dialogue between two entities - a dark, deep and a purer and luminescent - to constitute an elegant music, and ambivalent by its capacity to propose different interpretations. This self-produced album marks the first release of their label Five to Six Records, and presents us for the first time in a broader way the hallucinatory and singular universe of VTCN RADIO.

Sublime compilation of long-lost Australian indie-pop, acoustic jangle and beat happenings gathered by Melbourne-based collector and DJ Bayu and label head Moopie. Twelve tracks of singular vision spanning up- and downbeat pop, post-punk and minimal synth rarities recorded between 1982 and now. Australian twee pop royalty the Cat's Miaow shares the stage with the Cannanes and the Particles; Ya Ya Choral with Sarah Records' own Even As We Speak. Included is the previously unreleased 'Dot', by Mutant Sounds cult band Maestros and Dipsos. Full colour reverse-card sleeve with printed insert and lyrics sheet.

Following a run of local transmissions from A Sagittariun, Crump, Rob Smith and Atki2, Idle Hands turns its attention to Berlin and the straight-up, no-nonsense techno thrust of Johanna Knutsson and Hans Berg. Both respected artists and DJs in their own right, the pair have been turning out 12"s together for The Free Spirit Society, Klasse and Crime City Disco over the past few years, but most importantly they've been steering the excellent UFO Station Recordings as a vessel for their punchy, primal techno tracks.

The sound on this EP taps into the pure form of stern, dark dancefloor tackle favoured at Idle Hands - no extraneous filler, plenty of space in the mix, but equally built with warmth and personality rather than monochrome functionality. If you need further proof, just look to the fact the EP is named after a Swedish soap opera from the 90s.

The bleeps and bass tones that pulse through "Taggen" are so finely crafted they need not skip and dance around the arrangement. The melodic interplay on "Klimax" is subtle but ultimately uplifting and optimistic where so much techno concerns itself with oppressive gloom. "Bimbo" finds the pair embracing a more psychedelic approach, but even here the modulating effects processes are kept within certain boundaries so as to not dilute the impact on the floor. After all, this is music to dance to, to be felt over a large system (where possible).


Moving from leftfield bass excursions to minimalist 2-step, UK techno and now onto this much more continental sound, theMälarviken EP continues to widen the range of Idle Hands' musical tastes without losing sight of the complete picture.

Following on from his intimate entry into the DJ-kicks mix series, Lone is putting out a vinyl only EP of all the unreleased tracks from it. The horizontal mix tapped into all of Lone's influences, from hip-hop to house, IDM to techno. It also showcased some producers signed to his own Magic Wire label, and of course the back bone was built from some of the Nottingham man's freshest new productions. They come after celebrated releases on Werk Discs, R&S and Dekmantel, and include dance floor aligned EPs and more rounded full lengths designed for close listening. Here he sits in between the two across three thrilling cuts. Opener 'Saturday Night' is a breezy bit of deep house with crisp boom-baps and swirling pads that lend it a dreamy, ethereal feel. Spoken word snippets are stitched into the groove and the whole thing is as frictionless and feel good as house comes. Next up, 'Arc' is a little more direct, with scattered snares flapping over dry wooden kicks. It's a punchy bit of house latest DJ-kicks mix star Kerri Chandler would be proud, and comes overlaid with spring time flutes and luscious pads as a classically inclined bassline powers things along. Last but not least is 'Alpha Wheel 4' (Ambient Mix), a kaleidoscopic passage of suspensory sound scuffed up glassy surfaces trapping you in rays of refracted light from start to finish. All three tracks exhibit Lone's authentic, lived in and lo-fi aesthetic, and as a result slip perfectly into his ever more essential discography.

Alien Jams presents a new release by Wilted Woman called Home Listener. After releasing the amazing "Diary of a Woman" on She Rocks! earlier this year, WW is back with this sublime 5 track EP. From the onset, playful synth patterns mingle and coalesce, spiralling towards dizzy culminations. At times wobbly and disjointed, WW creates stunning compositions that would work magic on the dancefloor. Each track of Home Listener feels like its own paranormal entity, living organisms that develop and grow as the music unfolds.

LP Kraft Sleeve, Liner Notes Poster Inlay, Sticker Jun Fukamachi's 1986 never-officially-released highly sought after rarity NICOLE LP available for the first time ever on vinyl and CD, and made in cooperation with the artist's estate. All new liner notes by Masaharu Yoshioka aka The Soul Searcher.

WRWTFWW Records is proud to announce the release of Jun Fukamachi's highly coveted Nicole (86 Spring And Summer Collection - Instrumental Images) album, originally recorded in 1986 for celebrated fashion designer Mitsuhiro Matsuda's Nicole clothing brand and never officially available before. Only ever distributed as a limited promotional item offered to attendees and participants of the 1986 fashion show for the Nicole brand's Spring and Summer collection, Fukamachi's moody magnum opus has become a sort of Holy Grail for fans of Japanese ambient, jazz, and synth music alike...and rightly so! Meticulously conceived, smooth and subtle, Nicole sounds like it came from an ethereal land where Erik Satie and Art of Noise lived together, a sublimely cinematic listening experience perhaps best described by renowned Japanese music writer Masaharu Yoshioka aka The Soul Searcher: If you are driving down the Autobahn at 160 km/h, or even 80 km/h, and Jun's music starts playing on the car stereo, the windshield will instantly turn into your own personal silver screen. Nicole is available in two versions: a vinyl LP cut at Emil Berliner Studios, housed in a kraft sleeve similar to the original promo-only release, and a kraft digipak CD version. Both versions were made in cooperation of the artists's estate and come with new liner notes by Masaharu Yoshioka.

For the fourth release on 6dimensions, Steve Bicknell has delved into the catalogue of the Lost Recordings series on his previous imprint; Cosmic.Steve Bicknell's Awakening The Past feature three tracks from Why And For Whom, the first of Bicknell's Lost Recordings releases. Originally released in 1996, Why And For Whom Has been named one of the best UK Techno records of all time with Bicknell being billed as a 'criminally underrated producer'.With the re-release of these tracks in 2017, it is clear to see that the tracks have stood the test of time. All four-tracks on Awakening The Past were previously untitled but have been renamed with a focus on the human condition. With the 6dimensions label being founded on the principles of the 'human mind's natural make-up' it seems a natural decision to rename the tracks to suite the label ethos. Although one quarter of Awakening The Past was released 20 years ago, Bicknell's focus on mood shows coherence between his work then and now. The era of production can be distinguished in the EP, however, this is only eminent through a difference in recording technique. More importantly, the mood of older and newer productions are indistinguishable from each other and display Bicknell's unrelenting dedication to his own focus on concept of aesthetic. Physical Life' opens the EP with a rawness that is carried through the EP. With tape hiss underpinning the track, Bicknell's signature bass grumbles hold together hi-hats which progressively filter in and out over the course of the track. Bicknell's use of filters carries through onto the second track of EP, 'Natural Vibrations' boasts an erratic and high-pitched 303 sequence that shows a bit of experimentalism before the EP steps back into Bicknell's more familiar techno odysseys. 'Fearing The Minds Fears' paints a tense atmosphere, lashings of motoric modular synth are added with little fuss as the track title confirms its significance. Finally, 'Conscious Awakening' drives the EP to a close with dizzying pace: it's here that Bicknell's ability to control the emotion of the listener is really evident.

Optimo Music is delighted to continue its fruitful relationship with The Golden Filter with the release of this fantastic 4-track 12' EP.
We always prefer our artists to speak for themselves and avoid bullshit PR hype so here is what they have to say about this EP -
We're quite agnostic, and unreligious, but if there is any vibes associated with the EP (and maybe all of our music) it is very Buddhist in its ideas. Mindful. Aware of impermanence.
The whole EP is about being with the one(s) you love when everything else around you breaks down. Looking inward, with pure love, in the hope to radiate outward, rather than pushing for a fight, or running away. Recorded, written, and produced in isolation by Stephen and Penelope on our own in East London Studio space.
The EP starts with the song 'End Of Times' which is a dramatic, Shangri-Las influenced take on feeling powerless in a chaotic world, but still high on love. Happiness can be found in analog reverb. This is followed by 'Serenity', a hard and tranquil meditation of past + future.
Side 2 leads with 'Heart Control', with a slight nod to Pink Floyd. A nine minute plea to ourselves to keep it all focused and under control... The EP closes with 'Darkness Falls'. The lyrics for this came from an apocalyptic dream that Penelope had, and wrote down in the morning. the music is 100% purely modular, er, except for the tiny bits of guitar at the end.

Between the end of the 70's and the early 80's, a new sound appeared in London and its surroundings, a unique mix of Funk, Jazz-Funk and Disco labelled as Britfunk. Characterized by its raw energy that can put the needle In The Red, this up-tempo sound was a match for the UK's dancers and Jazz-Funk clubs.

This first release by French label Chuwanaga features some of the most exciting, rare and powerful tracks from that era compiled by the Parisian DJ and activist Saint-James, with bands such as Equa, Potion, Inch by Inch, Congress, Index and Spookey. It features also an insert with an in-depth focus on this musical era.

These young British musicians were equally inspired by the American Jazz-Funk productions and by Dub music and Reggae pushed by the Afro-Caribbean community who were at the heart of Britfunk's development. They gave Funk a unique British flavor. However, more than just a music genre or an enclosed expression of black Britishness, it was part of a genuine musical and social movement with its own dedicated labels, fashion sense and most importantly its own set of values that fueled the whole scene. Britfunk built itself within a multicultural evolution: black people, white people, straight and queer, all dancing in the same room to the same loud sound.

The Master is back, not many words needed to introduce one of the biggest pioneers of Deep & Emotional Electronic Music. Karim Sahraoui play on a league of his own, this is the second release of many to come. Thank you.

Bewitching Avant-Pop album from impromptu supergroup built around acclaimed Japanese duo, Tenniscoats. Featuring members of Notwist, Jam Money and Joasihno.

In these dark and uncertain times, there's an ever-growing collective of peaceful, loving types, bound together by an understanding of one peculiar word: Tenniscoats. Aside from being the name of an influential Tokyo-based duo, it represents fun, artistic freedom, experimentation and - perhaps most important of all - inclusivity.

A Tenniscoats gig is rarely the audience watching the performers. Instead, Saya and Takashi regularly shun the stage in favour of any particular spot that takes their fancy, whether it's an empty seat in the auditorium or the roof of a neighbouring cafe. In the world of Tenniscoats, music can happen anywhere, and everyone is invited to join in.

During the winter of 2016, the music happened in Munich. As a long-time fan, Markus Acher (Notwist) jumped at the chance not only to put Tenniscoats on the bill at the Alien Disko festival he was organising, but also to invite Saya & Takashi to a small apartment studio, together with Mat Fowler (Jam Money) and Cico Beck (Aloa Input, Notwist). This is where Spirit Fest was recorded over the following 14 days.

Tenniscoats are known for their collaborations - some of their finest work was done in conjunction with Tape, The Pastels, Jad Fair and many others - so making good use of the time and friends available was natural to them. For me, timing is important,' Saya said. We met in season, and the song flowers are now blooming!' Mat Fowler recalls the Spirit Fest sessions taking place in an idyllic, festive atmosphere. Every morning we'd all share breakfast, chat and learn about German Christmas customs. We'd catch the bus in the morning and walk home in the evening. The journey ran parallel to the beautiful flowing Isar River that bubbles, ebbs and flows right through the middle of Munich.'

While Tenniscoats sit at the heart of proceedings, it isn't their album alone. Markus, Mat and Cico also brought songs, providing a solid base on top of which the artistry could evolve. Mat explains that, a melody would begin, and slowly, each of us - in our own time - would find our way into the music.

Producer Tadklimp would sensitively set-up around us in this narrow window of time, so as to document that first and intuitive moment of collective discovery.' Nearly everything was recorded live,' agrees Markus, playing and singing together in one room with piano, guitars, percussion and some keyboards.' The collaborators came from Germany, Japan, the UK, Greece and beyond. That sense of inclusivity is palpable.

From the tender beauty of Markus's River River' and Saya's Mikan' to the electro-Merseybeat of Tenniscoat's Nambei' and the half-crazed pianica-reggae of Shuti Man', the resulting album is a testament to the manner of which these musicians are able to channel their songwriting through their spontaneity. It's also a snapshot of a gentle and intuitive moment in time - a beautiful meetup that expands this community, happily, even further.

Jon Willks (Grizzly Folk)

Awake at an undefined hour. Floating between the realm of dreams and open awareness. Accept it — you're a headspace passenger. Talking to a machine is a thrill for a moment or two. You want to go out, need to get lost. It's still yet all under the surface ... but you know it's going to happen, eventually. What you need to do is: return to the same old place. What you think is:

I hope the roof flies off, and I get sucked up into space.

This is the debut album by Berlin-based musician and futurist Andre´ Uhl. Crackling noise, moody arpeggios, and haunting melodies tell tales of the hazy past, moving into the twilight of the future. Each of the 13 songs is a dark and cinematic piece on it's own - altogether combined a compelling story, here for the listener to explore.

The album is available digitally and on vinyl in a limited edition of 300 copies, including a booklet of 13 short stories by different writers like the Czech visual artist and poet Katarina Hruskova, Berlin-based subcultural magickian Daniel Jones, and the British novelist Chris Brownsword - each story inspired by one of the 13 songs. I hope the roof flies off, and I get sucked up into space is the first trueness presented by Neofakt, a new label for audio, text and visual art.

Pittsburgh-born Phillip Ballou's earliest years were spent in the gospel field, after he moved to New York City in the '70s, he teamed up with Bennie Diggs and Arthur Freeman, founding members of The New York Community Choir and singer Arnold McCuller to form the group Revelation. The quartet recorded for RSO Records, scoring some R&B success in the US with tracks like Get Ready For This' and You To Me Are Everything,' touring the Bee Gees among others. Phillip also sang on albums by NYCC recorded for RCA Records and continued with Revelation until 1982.Frequently hired for sessions in and around New York, Phillip teamed up with UK soul music journalist David Nathan (who he'd met in 1974 during Nathan's first US visit) and John Simmons, formerly a member of The Reflections, another New York vocal group to write a series of songs for his own proposed solo record deal. Although a contract did not materialize, one of the songs - Ain't Nothing Like The Love' - got some interest from famed Philadelphia producer Thom Bell who presented it to The O'Jays. Ultimately, the tune was turned down by Kenny Gamble and John Simmons, by then musical director for Stephanie Mills, recorded his own version for a small independent label in 1981.Phillip continued his own musical journey, touring and recording with James Taylor and Todd Rundgren. In addition, Phillip's name graced recordings by George Benson, Billy Ocean, Kashif, Nona Hendryx, Jonathan Butler, Teddy Pendergrass and Melba Moore, in 1981, he began recording with Luther Vandross and became a part of Luther's touring band for many years, as well as singing on productions by Luther on Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick and others, continuing his association with him until Luther's 2003 stroke. Phillip returned to his gospel roots in 2004 as Minister of Music at a Brooklyn church and passed away in March 2005, aged 55. Thanks to renewed interest in the John Simmons' 1981 recording on YouTube, David Nathan has uncovered several tracks from the 1978 and 1979 he did with Phillip and John including Phillip Ballou's original version of Ain't Nothing Like The Love,' gaining its first ever worldwide release as a 7' single on Nefer Records in association with Super Disco Edits

Silencio celebrates the first year of the label with a double-pack vinyl aptly titled Uno.
Comprising of new and established artists, the tracks on Uno collectively summarize the the feel of this label's year, while giving us a hint of what to expect in the year to come.
Click Box & Stefan Dichev kick off the release with 'Memories'. Presenting a collaborative production that will prove over and over again why sound is one of the strongest senses tied to memory. Engineered with emotionally responsive rhythms that roll into a rocksteady baseline, this track evokes feelings with finesse. "Memories" also features funky squiggle sounds and trailing even-tempered tones to punctuate its procession. This is one you'll want to relive every time the opportunity arises.
New comer Wave Particle Singularity has done it again. 'Virtue' is a tremendous track that will quickly establish itself as one of your new favorite things. The drum sequence, accented by beguiling background sounds and curious vocals, gallops throughout this selection with all its feet off the ground together in each smooth stride. Plus, it also comes fully equipped with a pleasingly unpredictable pace in the form of some moody, well-orchestrated changes that result in a perfectly adjusted attitude. Never a dull moment on the dance floor.
Guaranteed.
Kepler.'s latest offering 'Tool A' possess all the qualities one would normally associate with a fine wine because the taste left on the palate after its consumption is both complex and satisfying. During its ascent, effects that compress a thousand echoes into a single sample ride alongside an active baseline that ripples accordingly. Subtle, flavorful snippets bleep and bloop in complete balance, giving this cut a coordinated, contemplative vibe that brings everything into focus.
With his first track on Silencio, Yuuki Hori's 'Scene 5' is truly a unique item. This electromechanicaly exotic sounding export from Japan makes an impression with layers that are neatly stacked and minimal to the max. Its main feature, a sample that seemingly mimics the mating call of a male bullfrog, rhythmically ribbits in harmony with the beat, bellowing over the entirety of this track. All the various elements of this composition come together in a natural way that feels symbiotic and sounds superb.
Another Silencio first, Jorge Ciccioli's 'TD8' has a deliberate intention to create momentum, with a deep, penetrating baseline that rises to the occasion by descending the darkest depths of its own digital horizon. In the midst of the mix the listener is greeted with a clever chorus that effectively sounds like air vibrating, or in layman's terms "blowing", within an empty glass bottle. As it goes through the motions, observe how every note is noticeably nuanced in an effort to reflect the subtle changes that take place.
Closing out the release and year for Silencio, is Laughing Man with 'Reach Out'. Hard, heavyand heavenly are all terms that could be used to express the sentiment of this selection.
Notice how right from the get go this production profoundly pounds out its agenda with a solid, speedy beat that relentlessly rocks throughout the recording. Accompanied by aseries of wavy, spirited vocal layers, ringing bells and an inspired intersection of cymbals,this track is one hell of a ride that will enable you to make contact with the other side.

This instalment follows on from our acclaimed 'Volume One' - Lauren Laverne's 'Compilation Of The Week', supported by the likes of Disclosure, Jeremy Underground, Horsemeat Disco, Hunee and Laurent Garnier. 'Volume Two' picks up where the last one left off — with a touch more soul and disco — records we've been spinning in our DJ sets and on the radio show of the same name, that inspired this series.

We opened a new record shop in the centre of Brighton late in 2016 - 13 years after the mighty London store closed it's door. Now situated on the ground floor of our Gloucester Yard home the shop is open every Saturday to sell records that we love, some of which you'll hear on the radio shows, and on this album.

It's been a resounding success and we've been able to host sunny instore events and Facebook Live broadcasts with guests including Nick The Record, Dimensions Festival family Debora Ipekel, Flamingods, Slugabed, The Physics House Band and Remi Kolawole & Sensible J.

In 2017 and beyond, we will be releasing more of our official reissues including lesser-known essentials from Brazil, such as Gal Costa's 'India', Robson Jorge & Lincoln Olivetti, Burnier & Cartier alongside 1980's Mexican psychedelia from Luis Perez. We've been digging deep, and will share another edition of our 'The Original Sound of...' series, this time across the border from Mali to neighbouring Burkina Faso. As ever, you'll hear these first, on our radio shows.

There will be more 'Mr Bongo Presents' events - we brought Alain Mion & Cortex to the Jazz Cafe in London in 2017 - and we've highly anticipated slots at Bestival and Lost Village festivals, plus a return to RAPPCATS in Los Angeles, more guest shows on Worldwide FM and NTS Radio and, of course, the continuation
of our own radio shows.

Compiled by David 'Mr Bongo' Buttle and Gareth Stephens,
plus a few personal favourites from Gary Johnson, Ville Marttila and Graham Luckhurst.

What A decade deep into its ongoing investigations, documenting and pushing the sonic frisson and fusion between science and technology, SCI+TEC remain at the very forefront of electronic music. Its feet firmly on the dancefloor, its spirit deep inside the machines, its sights set on the future: Dubfire's label has continuously forged its own deep furrow and has been doing so from day one. With breakthrough Dubfire releases such as 'Roadkill' and 'I Feel Speed' SCI+TEC has managed to create a whole new framework for 21st century techno. All the while SCI+TEC has consistently championed and encouraged new and unsung talent from around the world, amplifying legions of rising names; Davide Squillace, Paul Ritch, SHADED, Simi, Delete, Harvard Bass, Joop Junior and countless more include SCI+TEC releases in their rich histories. This precision balance of stark sonic signature, technical ideology and nurturing new ideas and talent has led to SCI+TEC's perpetual momentum into every house and techno DJ's playlists and sets for the last 10 years. Be it the label's penchant for deep, undulating subby grooves or its passion for warehouse-razing thunder-powered techno, the SCI+TEC sound covers every corner of the floor and every chapter of the night; as proved by the label's many world tours. And proved once again by this fittingly stacked anniversary album. 10 tracks to celebrate 10 years from 10 of the label's most exciting artists, every track brings home the SCI+TEC message: The breath-taking atmospheres of Alex Mine's album scene-setter

J.C aka Jose Cabrera and Kastil collaborate and come with the exciting results. A fresh blend of fierce techno, ambience, industrial, noise and found sounds recordings. A full length captivating album that pushes and pulls you through an edgy and engaging world of sound. Part 1 mixes up trance-inducing deep techno with punishing drum programming. Synths have a life of their own as they whip and snap about and bring a post apocalyptic sense of foreboding. Some tracks are abstract modular gurgles and others are lo-fi, heavily textured affairs that are beguiling beautiful. The use of modular synths lends the whole thing an unpredictable and analogue feel that makes is bristle and brim with life throughout. Part 2 focuses on more suspensory ambient sounds. It means tracks zone you out and get you thinking, with distant melodies drifting next to warm solar winds. When drums do appear they are deep down below and dubbed out affairs that unfold slowly. A album that keeps you locked from start till end!

First a »Tasse Kaffee« (cup of coffee), then »Ein altmodischer Tanz« (old-fashioned dance): On his second solo release Matthias Strzoda makes Sandy Denny's 1974 song »Like an Old Fashioned Waltz« his own and translates the moving lyrics congenial into German. Produced by Johann Scheerer and Matthias Strzoda, recorded and mixed by Johann Scheerer, Clouds Hill Recordings Hamburg. All instruments: Matthias Strzoda.

The soundtrack for this epic western movie featuring the great Lee Van Cleef bears the signature of Ennio Morricone: Guitars, flute, piano, timpani, drums and a Native-American choir style make this motion picture a kind of original masterpiece in the maestro's oeuvre. I Cantori Moderni di Alessandroni perform here in their own unique way with Alessandro Alessandroni on evidence with his original whistling. The main musical theme was employed by Quentin Tarantino in Kill Bill vol.1 and in Inglourious Bastards!

- FIRST TIME COMPLETE EDITION ON DOUBLE VINYL LIMITED EDITION OF 500 COPIES ON COLORED VINYL
- CONTAINS INSERT WITH TRACKLIST AND ORIGINAL MOVIE PHOTOS

MICK HARRIS (SCORN, QUOIT, PAINKILLER) returns after several years of hiatus with ten tracks of blasting landmine bass and interlocking shrapnel rhythms.I've been asked to write a press piece for the dark lord MICK HARRIS.Where does one even start Especially for someone with decades of releases over various solo projects, collaborations and pseudonyms, whether it's doing blast beats in the original NAPALM DEATH to crushing techno brutality as MONRELLA, or savage drum & bass as QUOIT. Then of course there's the mighty SCORN and his numerous collaborations with fellow luminaries such as JOHN ZORN and BILL LASWELL (in PAINKILLER).Rather than being tied to genres or scenes, MICK HARRIS is one of those producers who creates a whole sonic world uniquely of his own, in which varying tracks, styles and tempos take form, but yet in which everything sounds unmistakably characteristic of the creator. Needless to say his work has influenced legions of producers like SURGEON, REGIS, ONTAL, VATICAN SHADOW / PRURIENT, FAUSTEN, SHAPEDNOISE et al, and pretty much anyone in the world of powerfully dark, abrasive music you could name-drop. And yet after all this time, it is impressive that HARRIS still stands way above his successors and has never been surpassed in his own production/performance game.After a hiatus of several years, he is back with a new album under the guise of FRET.Working at a faster tempo than his SCORN material, the FRET project first surfaced years ago on the DOWNWARDS label, rooting it firmly in the dark, industrial and technoid world, and appeared more recently on Tresor (Kern mix by OBJEKT), maintaining the characteristic colossal bass-heaviness and textural depth.And now a full album on KARLRECORDS, Berlin. HARRIS fans will be delighted to know that despite the 130 bpm tempo, the newest FRET still resolutely avoids any straight four-on-the-floor kickdrums, every track lurches, stumbles, staggers and charges forth with beats in beautifully broken asymmetry.We get 10 tracks of crushing, percussive destroyers, each itself a storm of precision chaos, with colossal low-end frequencies that'll cause stampedes in the right circumstances. The classic HARRIS sound is there, searing waves of feedback distortion, intricate, interlocking rhythms and cold, abattoir atmospheres, especially track 6 "Stuck in the track at Salford Priors" which sounds like you're being continuously suspended in the air from multiple explosions all around, each kickdrum throwing you up in the air, the next one going off before you can fall completely back to the ground.The lazy-minded would probably lump it in with the term "techno", but the disciplined brutality, blasting landmine bass and interlocking shrapnel rhythms are clearly HARRIS' own trademark style, sitting somewhere between SCORN and QUOIT.The tracks appear deceptively chaotic on the surface, yet each is meticulously and masterfully composed with great attention to layering and detail. MICK HARRIS fans rejoice, the dark lord still remains at the top of his game.

(Derek Szeto / Fausten / Combat Recordings)

Grammy-winning singing sensation Gregory Porter - one of the most successful jazz artists of his generation - is back with a new album, 'Nat King Cole & Me', to be released on Decca/Blue Note on 27th October. It is a deeply personal tribute to Nat King Cole - the legendary crooner who ignited Gregory's love of music. It's only natural that I go to the root of my inspiration and where I come from. And that root would be my mother and gospel music and Nat King Cole,' he says.

Recorded at London's AIR Studios, the 12-track album features some of Gregory's favourite Nat King Cole tunes including 'Smile', 'L-O-V-E' and 'Nature Boy'. There is also a Nat-inspired arrangement of Gregory's own song 'When Love Was King', originally released on his million-selling hit album, 'Liquid Spirit'.

For Gregory Porter, the influence of Nat King Cole on his life and music runs deep, a through-line that reaches back into some of his earliest childhood memories, and culminates in the release of his new album 'Nat King Cole & Me'. Gregory explains, At five or six years old, Nat's music filled a void in me. My father wasn't in my life and wasn't showing interest in me or raising me and Nat's words were the life lessons, words of wisdom and fatherly advice I needed.'

Gregory's love for Nat's music blossomed so much that he wrote a semi-autobiographical musical, also called 'Nat King Cole & Me', which premiered in 2004. After the play, I felt a lighter feeling about my father and a deeper appreciation for both my mother and the great music of Nat King Cole,' says Gregory. He also found his voice through his own songwriting - It wasn't until I wrote the musical that I was fit to call myself a songwriter. Before that, I would write different poems but they had no music.'

'Nat King Cole & Me' is the follow-up to his Grammy-winning albums 'Liquid Spirit' (2013) and 'Take Me to the Alley' (2016). 'Liquid Spirit' took Gregory from being the biggest name on the jazz scene to being one of the most sought-after singers around today, performing sell-out shows across the UK and being invited to perform on high profile TV programmes including The Graham Norton Show, Strictly Come Dancing and the BBC Music Awards. He has become an adopted national treasure in the UK, having sung for the Queen multiple times, as well as major music festivals including Glastonbury, where he performed on the Pyramid Stage alongside the likes of Muse, Adele and Coldplay. Gregory's ability to transcend genres even extends to his surprise dance hit 'Liquid Spirit Claptone Remix' which became one of the most popular tracks in Ibiza.

After winning over audiences with his rich and soulful voice, there can be no better time for Gregory to return to the music which first inspired him to become a singer. On Nat's legacy and influence Gregory affirms, He was one of a kind. He left such great music - such beautiful things to listen to that you can't help but be influenced by that extraordinary timbre, style, and ultimate cool.'

Muzik & Friendz purple patch continues, literally, with a purple screen printed vinyl release from Belgian duo Le Babar & Pat Lezizmo 'Last Call' featuring Anano delivers two impressive originals coupled with a heavyweight international remix package making this the 7th outing for the Belgianbased label.
'Last Call' the original mix brings together tight classic house grooves a killer bumping bass line and the sexy vocals of Anano into a house track with real crossover potential. Denmark based Alvaro Hylander's mix goes deep, balearic and full of filtered rhodes, lush percussion with a tribal edge and breaks highlighting the sweet vocals, a perfect bar grooves shoulder shaker.
London based Frenchman Giom plays the ace card in the package with a foot stomping remix full of his own signature drum workout and ability to weave melodies and filtered breaks into a
package that has seen him release on the likes of Defected, Bunny Tiger, Toolroom and top the charts with his own label Supremus. Already tried and tested on his last US & Canada festival tour we fully expect many outings at the closing parties and festivals later this year.
Closing off the EP nicely the piano led 'Move Me' brings an upbeat and old school vibe full of stabs, vocal chops and a lush sax infused break perfect for sunsets and warm ups to boot.
Designed with the music collector in mind the limited vinyl release will be available packaged in hand made sleeves made from recycled materials.

Second album from one of the most popular artists on
Berlin's fine Project Mooncircle label!
Late night music from the back seat. 'Are You Anywhere', sophomore album from Tokyo based UK native submerse blends early 90's slow-jams and instrumental hip hop wrapped in smooth DX7 keys hybridized with his own unique sound. 'Are You Anywhere' is the second full length release from submerse on Project: Mooncircle with features from fellow Tokyo based
beat maker fitz ambro$e. Are You Anywhere' comes out worldwide on limited green colored vinyl (including download code).

RAWAX welcomes Patrick Raddatz, Robin Scholz and Philipp Boß R&S-B&S collective to the Family! Robin Scholz already showed us his talent with the debut ep called "retrospective ep" on the RAWAX 10 inch series (10.5) also on RAWAX004LTD together with Einzelkind as Rhythm Factory and last but not least with label boss Robert Drewek as RDRS on HOUSEWAX (H1004). Philip Boß is the label owner of high rising "Einfach Hören" label which entered the record stores some weeks ago. Patrick Raddatz is one of the old school dj's from Frankfurt. Active since 2 decades known from the famous X-Fade nights on Radio X and of course of his "Everglade reshape" on Weave Records which was 2005 a very big club hit all over the world.

This new production is a fantastic demonstration of advanced space electro & ambient - worth to check!

Two years after his last outing on Get Physical, Roland Leesker returns to the label of which he is Managing Director with a brilliant new track that comes with a remix from Cardopusher. Leesker has only put out a select few releases over the last 15 years-both solo and as DJ Carrera and R&R with none other than Ricardo Villalobos-but he has a truly fully formed sound. This tune has been doing serious damage in the clubs for a while now and makes you wonder why Leesker doesn't release more! Entitled 'Thunderstorm' it is seven minutes plus of moody and dramatic tech with heavy synth clouds, whining machines and turbulent drums all whipping up a storm. Manic keys and heavy chords come in and out as fizzing textures all make it a real synapse firing affair that is designed to arrest the attention of huge crowds, and it sure will do that. Venezuelan born Cardopusher has a diverse and experimental sound that takes him from techno to electro to acid to rave to house on labels like Super Rhythm Trax, Zone and BNR. Here he masterfully cooks up another frenzied track with spraying acid, heavy, marching and industrial drums and a real sense of rave energy that will dazzle as much as delight in any set. Finally, Leesker offers up his own 'Dschinn mix' providing even more raw energy. Angry drum rolls, stomping kicks and huge hi hats all piled up and force you onto action. It's a superbly metallic, in your face track to wake up a crowd in the late night hours. With this EP, Get Physical's sensational 2017 keeps on getting better.

Expansion's most successful and longest running compilation series returns with a 2017 edition. The concept remains the same, fifteen must-have modern soul room gems taken from the year's biggest dance floor spins on the soul scene. While tracks here have topped UK soul charts, many have not been available in all formats. Once again, attention is paid to the 'flow' of the 15 gems chosen here from shuffling beats to boogie to more soulful house as played at modern soul events. Participants this year include Omar with Los Charly's Orchestra, Tawatha Agree (voice of Mtume's Juicy Fruit') with Aeroplane, Kenny Thomas with Thames River Soul produced by and featuring Incognito, and both Wez and The Groove Association formerly members of Brit Funk group Second Image. Leela James is here after her stint in a US realty TV show R&B Divas: Los Angeles', other guests including Amp Fiddler, Faith Evans, Trina Broussard and Lifford.

Despite his low profile, Ken Karter might be one of Berlin's most influential artists in the techno scene. Karter is known as a mastering engineer for the seminal M_REC LTD, however his own productions have gone largely unnoticed until his 2015 EP on Stroboscopic Artefact's Monad series. His EP turned heads and gained him well-deserved attention. Two years later, his follow-up EP on Escapism exemplifies his focus on quality over quantity. His passion for mathematical formulas combined with his intricate knowledge of sound created an outstanding record set to satisfy both fans of experimental and dancefloor techno.

The British DJ, producer and label owner ((Infrastructure New York, Counterchange) Ed Davenport is releasing a great mini-album including four club tracks and two interludes on the Siamese imprint, owned by the production and DJ duo known as Adriatique.

The return of Timothy J Fairplay sees tracks from his 2 EPs on Emotional Response remixed on one special release. Four favourite producers chosen to bring new dimensions to his brooding, shuffling electronics, featuring Scientific Dreamz Of U, Alessandro Parisi, Perseus Trax and Antenna.Part of the label since inception, the last five years have seen TJF's career explode with releases on Bird Scarer, Charlois and Hoga Nord, setting up the Crimes Of The Future label with Scott Fraser and releasing an album alongside Andrew Weatherall as The Asphodells. His EPs for Emotional Response saw some of his strongest, deep and dubbed out productions that marked their own terrain and these reworks have been a long term project. Starting with a trance inducing breaks-dub of Stories of Prison from Scientic Dreamz Of U and you understand why this mysterious producer has become a cult in his own dreamtime, as subs bump this vortexed revision to its own portal.
Next Alessandro Parisi implants his cyber-electro-harmonies to Aim For The Yellow Sector. Fairplay's late night drive-by is respectfully given a future-retro mix, gliding away from East London's dank streets to mysterious plains and beyond. Things take an analogue twist for the flip with Perseus Traxx showing his love for Chi town on his remix of Saco Bay. A bumpin' bass sets the motion, mixing the swirling original to basement vibes x 10. Win win win.
Kindred spirit and fellow Pinkman/Charlois member Antenna closes the EP with a deep retake of Night Ferry. After causing a stir with the killer Odessa EP and subsequent releases on Royal Oak and Beats In Space, a remix was a given. A mellow groove and optimistic keys is the perfect way to end this chapter of Timothy's music and await for new adventures.

Some songs comes along that you seem to know the moment you hear it, even though it's for the first time. In the case of Spark The Universe it had exactly that impact. A mixture of late-60s psychedelic homage, early 80s new wave, white boy soul, plus a good dose of dub, all wrapped around a killer hook and super tight production and a hit was surely made.
The fact there are many deserving records that don't become a hit doesn't mean some are better than others and in fact, the joy in collecting and reissuing is finding amazing songs and bringing them back.
Increasingly heard in the sets of the more discerning DJs, Spark The Universe has become a cult play and with second hand prices now in three figures, a reissue is timely. As the label oft says, no one owns this music other than the writers, musicians and producers and their craft deserves to be appreciated.
Before going on to carve a successful career in 'electronica' project, Euphoria, Toronto's Ken Ramm had shown his considerable writing and playing ability with the 1981 debut LP Dragon and this 1983 follow up, known simply as Ramm.

Coming together through a meeting with a then relatively unknown producer, Daniel Lanois, via a mutual interest in tape loops and dubbing, it was the suggestion to bring in local vocalist Lorraine Segato that Ramm formed.
Recording at Lanois' Grant Avenue Studios, his interest in mixing past and present technology, with multiple digital delay units, harmonizers and other effect processors allowed Ramm and Lanois to explore using the studio as an instrument alongside real musicianship.

Backwards guitars, tremolo bar dives and guitar harmonics are incorporated with the vocals and percussion to perfection. With a 'Dance' and alternative 'Dub', the song's hypnotic and dreamy feel superimposed over beats pin-pointed to the later Euphoria project and with the addition of a latter day 'Discomix', from the labels' own Chuggy, Spark The Universe deserves it's place on contemporary dancefloors.

Already big support by Oscar Mulero, Shifted, Blawan, Jonas Kopp, Andre Kronert and more. In what is already his sixth release on his own ANGLS imprint, Dimi Angelis unveils his love for loopy, noisey techno. First drop Vector Shift skips the pleasantries and gets right down to it, fusing gritty saws and a rumbling bassline with ominous industrial stabs. On the flipside Dislocated stays with the program, but opts for a slightly deeper approach, riding on an unrelenting hihat. Follow-up and final track Triplicity closes it down in style, sounding almost like some of the machines hardwired themselves. Straight-up bangers, all three of them.

Kevin Kendall is an artist from Nashville, TN. He has released music on his own Bamboo Playground as well as Cincinnati based Racecar LTD. Key ideas Kevin finds interesting in music: feeling, texture, truth.

Solid, powerful and eclectic... Skudge has yet again delivered a fine remix 12". This time around we've got Blue Hour, whose slamming production work on his own, self-titled label has been delivering some of the finest techno in recent times. Blue Hour's remix is featuring on the A-side, where a pumping and pushing reinterpretation of 'Hunted' takes the lead. For the B-side, Skudge invited Parisian and underground House music purveyor Brawther, who literary beefs up 'Below' with his Steroids Mix. Fine tuning the original's core elements, while adding his special mix of rugged and dusty grooves with an updated sense of modernism: a perfect mixture of both House and Techno, a place where Skudge are coming from.

On October, 20, 2017, ambient shoegaze duo Aris Kindt launch the new Kingdoms imprint with their second album, Swann and Odette. Picking up where their first record (2015's Floods) leaves off, Swann and Odette is an evolutionary leap forward for the duo. The sonic palette is deeper, the grooves more sparse and the melodies are given more room to seep deep within a mix so expansive it feels almost tactile. This is heady, opulent stuff. The album is immaculately produced and cunningly arranged to sidestep easy classification while not sacrificing accessibility and authentic feeling. Aris Kindt is the collaborative project of Gabe Hedrick and Francis Harris (Scissor and Thread). Harris has previously released the albums Leland (2012) and Minutes of Sleep (2014), both of which have been lauded for (their) extensive use of live instruments, a contrasting feature to his work done before' (last.fm, 2016). Building on this approach, Hedrick adds his own sonic signature in effects-laden layers of electric guitar and modular synthesizer. Collectively, the album swells and reverberates to create a seamless interplay of synths and instrumentation cast loose from their origins and awash in oceanic delay.

Professor Rhythm is the production moniker of South African music man Thami Mdluli. Throughout the 1980's, Mdluli was member of chart-topping groups Taboo and CJB, playing bubblegum pop to stadiums. Mdluli became an in-demand producer for influential artists (like Sox and Sensations, among many others) and in-house producer for important record companies like Eric Frisch and Tusk. During the early '80s, Mdluli projects usually featured an instrumental dance track. These hot instrumentals became rather popular. Fans demanded to hear more of these backing tracks without vocals, he says, so Mdluli began to make solo instrumental albums in 1985 as Professor Rhythm. He got the name before the recordings began, from fans, and positive momentum from audiences and other musicians drove him to invest himself in a full-on solo project. It was the era just before the end of apartheid and house music hadn't taken over yet. There wasn't instrumental electronic music yet in South Afric a. As the '80s came to a close, that was about to change. Professor Rhythm productions mirror the evolution of dance music in South Africa. They grew out of the bubblegum mold - which itself stems from band's channeling influences like Kool & the Gang and the Commodores - into something based on music for the club. His early instrumental recordings First Time Around and Professor 3 mostly distilled R&B, mbaqanga and bubblegum grooves into vocal-less pieces for the dance floor. Musically, these were a success and commercially the albums all went gold. There were countless bubblegum albums flooding the marketplace, with nearly disposable vocalists backed by mostly similar-sounding rhythm tracks. Most of the lyrical content was light and apolitical. But the keyboards used formed the musical basis for what would come next. By the time Professor 4 and this recording Bafana Bafana - the name references South Africa's national soccer team - were released in the mid-1990s, k waito had fully emerged. Access to instruments and freedom of expression helped its rise in influence among youth. According to Mdluli, "Once Mandela was released from prison and people felt more free to express themselves and move around town, kwaito was becoming the thing." Lyrically, kwaito championed the local township lingo while adapting "international music," house music, into the local context. "International Music," as house music and early kwaito were interchangeably known, in many ways reflects the sounds coming from America. But South Africans made it their own. Today, the largest part of the music industry is occupied by house music and its relatives.

Musique par Andrew Chalk & Timo van Luijk

avec:

Tom James Scott - piano

Jean-Noël Rebilly - clarinette

Daniel Morris - guitare pedal steel

Mastered & cut by Rashad Becker at Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin 0417.

Having been entranced by both Andrew Chalk's work with MIRROR (and back to his solo works as FERIAL CONFINE, plus multiple collaborations with David Jackman, The New Blockaders, Daisuke Suzuki, etc ) and Timo van Luijk (as Af Ursin, In Camera, La Poupée Vivante, and collaborations with Kris Vanderstraeten and others) for many years, I was naturally intrigued to hear about and hear their duo project ELODIE. The project formed in 2010, and has spanned eleven beautiful albums already, to date.

"Vieux Silence" for Ideologic Organ is their first release presented outside of their own record publishing nook, Faraway Press & La Scie Dorée. However this is not the first encounter between Ideologic Organ & ELODIE, they performed at a night in London I curated in February 2012, alongside Jessika Kenney & Eyvind Kang. Elodie's performance was among the most delicately engaging and savant I have witnessed... so very quiet, with snow falling in London outside Cafe Oto's windows, the audience palpably entered a high intensity listening focus. The impression of this vivid memory is striking, considering how spare each of the individual elements present that night were.

"Vieux Silence", and ELODIE in general provoke a visual imagination in an instant, perhaps filtered through aged watercolour, tape grain, antique lenses, forgotten levels of listening and observational patience. On this gorgeous album Chalk & van Luijk also collaborate with piano, pedal steel and clarinet (played by , Tom James Scott, Daniel Morris and Jean-Noel Rebilly, respectively).

Each detail carefully considered and colouring step by step, like an impressionist watercolour.

- Stephen O'Malley, Les Lilas 2017

The third instalment of our Versus series see's the return of two previously featured artists plus some super fresh blood. Croydon's king of darkness Paragon comes with
more seriously dark vibes with 'Dominions'. Acid Lab makes his second Versus appearance with the beautiful
'Can't Run'. The don of Haunted Science Amsterdam
chapter Transient bring some dark techno atmosphere's with his epic 'Scripture' and label owner Soul Intent finishes the Volume Three off with a straight up dancefloor roller called 'Bite It'.

After 3 years H.omevvork come back with his owner, four energy tracks with a little
taste of 90's.

Excise is a vinyl-focused label based out of San Francisco, California. Each release pairs a regional Californian techno artist and a local visual artist, thus serving as a platform to fuse the two local creative scenes. Its first release features label co-owner Muon with 3 hypnotic raw analog tracks. Many of these tracks received heavy play time in the San Francisco underground, and now are seeing a broader release for the first time.

Artist biography:

US based artist, Muon (real name Marc Kelechava) spent his formative musical years in Brooklyn, NYC, but has resided in Northern California since 2013. His initial release on Excise is an attempt to combine hypnotic synth work with heavier dance floor elements: music to get lost to.

As a DJ, he now co-manages the iconic Direct to Earth crew, which started as an Oakland underground rave in 2011. The group's primary goal is to help bring international stars to the San Francisco community for the first time. This year alone they've hosted (or will host) Phase, Cosmin TRG, Yan Cook, Ansome, Marla Singer, and Ben Sims. Muon's an opening mainstay with his hypno-aggressive mixing work.

Chief ZK Bucket is back on the his very own Zaun Records...
Hammered already to death by his biggest fans :) a must have!!!

Berlin based Mannequin Records pushes out some proper Industrial/EBM bangers. Raised in Pescara on the Adriatic Coast and ow based in Frankfurt am Main Antonio Barbetta is debuting on Death of the Machines as Raw Ambassador.
The heavy four track ep is created to burn every dancefloor with full Industrial vibes and a lot of EBM influences, giving us a small insight into his violent and rough sound. Antonio is also running the Smashing Tape record label, with releases from Violet Poison, Innsyter, DJ Loser and Delivery. TIP!!!

Music From Memory's final compilation of 2017 sees the release of the double album 1 by 1', which brings together the works of American experimental musician Geoffrey Landers. During a period spanning from 1979 to 1987, this Denver, Colorado based multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer and engineer, conceived several solo albums. Only two of these, The Ever Decimal Pulse' and Habitual Features' along with the single Breedlove' were ever released on vinyl.
.
Being heavily involved in the local industrial/punk/new wave scene and wanting to create a recording studio available to record artists regardless of their financial circumstances' Landers set up The Packing House Studio' in 1981. This analog 8-track recording facility was located in a former slaughterhouse in the stockyards of Denver and was a place of significant activity for the next three years with the studio releasing recordings from numerous artists most notably Allen Ginsberg.

It was here that Geoffrey Landers also started his own aptly named Cauhaus' label. Indicative of the underground/DIYculture, Cauhaus' was a subsiduary of a label called Local Anaesthetics which was started as an in-store label by independent Denver record store Wax Trax. Typically Cauhaus releases were only pressed up in small quantities and independently distributed, making Lander's music essentially elusive to a wide audience. After relocating in 1984 to an art district of Denver Landers opened the Cauhaus Institute of Recording' studio where he continued to produce music for soundtracks, art and multi media projects for the next three years, after which Landers stepped out of the music industry entirely. He currently creates and exhibits mixed-media glass art.

Throughout the twenty tracks of "1 by 1", of which six previously appeared on CD only, we are submerged into a wide diversity of musical approaches from Geoffrey Landers. From the proto-house track Logarhythms' and the heart breaking New-Wave Boogie/Funk of Say You'll Say So' to the more contemplative pieces such as the oriental insprired Nisei' and the drenched in sunshine dub/reggae track Mack' Landers shies away from musical expectations again and again, searching continually for innovative and new forms of expression.

Mamie's Records is the new project of troublemakers La Mamie's. The crew of Djs, well known for throwing wild parties in Paris and its suburbs, top-quality sets, and their dedication to the Macki Music Festival, have decided to launch their own record label. Kodäma is a music duo formed in 2014 by Kiala Ogawa (singer and composer originally from Japan and Congo) and by T-time (bassist and composer). The word «kodama», meaning «echo» in Japanese, also refers to spirits conveyed by trees and forests. According to the legends, these spirits are responsible for the the phenomenon in which the mountains echo. Kodäma's universe is very linked to Kiala's cultural sphere with, as a major source of inspiration, her childhood's memories from the Japanese countryside. Kodäma is a subtle combination of electronic and acoustic sounds with Kiala's captivating voice, blending English and Japanese. From this mixture of sounds emerges a spiritual, experimental music marked by their own neo soul groove or future jazz

After a decade's absence, spent working in commercial sound design, New York based electronic musician and producer Joseph Fraioli returns to his Datach'i alias for a brand new album entitled 'System'. Featuring 16 tracks of beautiful yet unsettling electronic music recorded exclusively on a Eurorack Modular synth, 'System' will be released on August 19th via Venetian Snares' Timesig imprint. Speaking about the album Fraioli said, 'I've spent much of the past decade building up my own sound design company, Jafbox Sound, and in recent years have become fascinated by modular synths. I'd been making a series of performance videos, showing how they work and that inspired me to start making music as Datach'i again. I suddenly realized I had a growing collection of tracks that worked together and had something new to say. Aaron heard some of them and encouraged me to start thinking of them in terms of an album and here we are.' Venetian Snares says of the album 'Joseph's special take on live modular production has had me really excited this past year. There are so many great tracks, it was nearly impossible to compile this album. I'm tickled he agreed to release them with Timesig!' The first non-VSnares-related release on Timesig, 'System' will be available on double vinyl, CD and digital download. Those who pre-order the physical release via the Planet Mu website will also receive a bonus CD featuring 19 more tracks recorded around the same time as 'System'. In addition Timesig and Datach'i have partnered with TipTop Audio and everyone who pre-orders the album will also be entered into a draw to win a Z3000 Smart VCO oscillator and 'Happy Ending' kit, the perfect introduction to building your own modular system. Having released 6 albums between 1999 and 2006 on labels including Planet Mu and Sublight, Fraioli has spent the past ten years running award-winning sound design company, Jafbox Sound, where his productions for film, TV and adverts have been recognized by the likes of the Cannes Film Festival and the CLIO Awards. In 2014, Fraioli also joined forces with Interpol's Daniel Kessler, forming 'Big Noble.' Their freshman release entitled, 'First Light," combined Fraioli's approach to sound design with Kessler's guitar work to create cinematic, ambient soundscapes.

Autotomy is a collaboration between Belgium's Sleeperhold Publications, Brooklyn-based musician Patricia (Max Ravitz) and the Dutch artist Louis Reith. This output is the result of a long process of contemplation, discussion and elimination which gave us a record that encapsulates both Patricia's sense for hardware production and dance floor rawness. Describing this release is not a simple task. So we'll just tell it like it is: it's a record that slows down and, in this process, reveals its mystery. Referencing the title of this release, wunderkind Max Ravitz seems to provide the listener with the possibility of transformation, a way to shed part of your own being.When running though the tracks, one discovers the essentials of Patricia's sound architecture: the presence of lightness, of longing, mixed with the ability to deny it in the next instant. Sonically, there's a careful balance in these productions that belies their fundamental function as body music. It's ambient yet danceable, approachable despite it's often deconstructed layout, and ultimately warm and inviting.The entire record is made using Ravitz collection of hardware, which gives it its uncompromising texture. The presence of kicks, beats and soundscapes does not originate from a clean digital source but from a physical action, an excerpt of movement, a tick of the human hand. It is floating versus rhythmical movement, visceral versus strict. But above all, it is alive.The artwork used for Autotomy's sleeve design and the etching on the B-side was provided by Louis Reith. (All three tracks feature on the record's A-side.) Just as Patricia, Reith tries to resist technology in favour of physical and craft-based media, though the contrast between digital and analog is always present.Dutch artist Louis Reith produces works through a variety of different media, ranging from collages to wood sculptures, to paper objects and ink on paper works, always keeping an interest in simple abstract shapes and their combination. With an interest in materiality Louis resurrects found footage and creates new landscapes of shape and color, celebrating the human hand at work. Deliberate compositions form an illegible visual language where hidden words are portrayed as abstract sculptures.Reith also co-runs Jordskred, an independent publishing company worth checking out.Ravitz certainly is unstoppable and releases in a relentless and uncompromising fashion.Besides many collaborative projects with an array of artists (released under monikers such as Masks, Pulpo, Inhalants, DSR.MR...) he's released music on labels like Opal Tapes, L.I.E.S., Russian Torrent Versions, Ghostly Intl.,... 2017 has been quite a year for him so far. He not only founded his own imprint, Active Cultures, but also released a triple LP. Ghostly Intl. describes the release as a 'kaleidoscopic, a multi-faceted techno trip' and we couldn't agree more.

Osaka, not being Japan's capital city, has a history of producing some unique underground movements and artists. Without the attention or the funds Tokyo artists may have access to, Osakan artists over the years have had to make their own way with raw innovation.Iku Sakan, an electronic musician and DJ from Osaka, has spent most of the last decade living in Berlin. Prior to that, he was active in the underground club scene of Kyoto & Osaka. A previous unit was Sakan & Senju (with Muneomi Senju of The Boredoms). Together, they produced a 15 copy handmade edition of their music on CDr. Iku personally handed a copy to Karlheinz Stockhausen, when he was visiting Tokyo for his last festival appearance in Japan.Sakan began playing steel drum at the Görlizer park in Berlin, Tori Kudo of Maher Shalal Hash Baz then invited him to accompany the band. Immersing himself in the international DIY / noise / improv scene back in Berlin, he became active as an improviser, DJ and promoter, and has since worked with Sun Araw, Anders Lauge Meldgaard, Pekka Airaksinen, Günter Schickert, and Damo Suzuki.Playing and improvising, touring and DJing, has led to his sound, a kind of metaphysical music, with circular rhythms and an emotive, melodic feel. He combines analogue and digital devices (Omnichord, Roland MC303, and a DIY electronic doll synth. made by his friend Stephane Shibatsuji-Perrin in Tokyo), and pre-recorded materials, mixing and merging all four signals into one mixer (no MIDI sync.), through an effect pedal. When recording, he usually lets these devices run until something clicks. Then he records and starts to improvise, like he's playing an imaginary instrument, entering a timeless region where track length loses its meaning.2017 has seen some of Sakan's Berlin recordings released, initially on two tapes: 'Human Wave Music', for Natural Sciences, and 'Cepheidian' for Planet Almanac. The two track long player 'Prism in Us All' on Japan Blues' imprint is his first LP. His on/off-world sound, part kalimba, part gamelan, part E2-E4 - and at the same time, none of them. A hypnotic, musical mantra, centring the spirit, and resonating with the harmonics of the spheres.Prism In Us All' is the second release on Japan Blues' eponymous imprint, after featuring the album on his NTS show in January.300 copies only, in silk-screened sleeve.

We are bringing together the creative might of our residents to bring the sound of Renate on a double release EP. Over the years Renate has grown from a impetuous party to a glorious club. The people who came together under her roof and played beats that made bodies pulsate with ecstasy have become benchmarks in the music industry of today. We want to share with you that talent. The second EP is visited by long time Renate friends dOP. These french guys were there in the first Renate Party and there techno stylings grace us with a linguistic masterpiece. Michal Zietara the Polish heartthrob turned Bavarian hiker is joined by Voe the mastermind behind Suxul, together they merge to create a drop beat tune. Homeboy's Hadi is the Croatians influence by the Arab World in a culturally appropriate track that makes you wonder the streets of Damascus, leading to Mehmet Aslan our very own Sultan of beats making a sandstorm with this timeless piece.

Record Kicks proudly presents "A little taste of Soul" / Unwind Yourelf" a little appetizer of the much awaited new album by James Brown's protégée Martha High produced and recorded in Tokyo by mighty Osaka Monaurail. This 45 vinyl is limited to 500 copies worldwide and anticipates Martha High's forthcoming new album "Tribute to my soul Sisters".

The "funky diva" Martha High has been an integral part of James Brown's life and career for more than 30 years. After a lifetime spent shoulder to shoulder with the Godfather of Soul, she flew to Tokyo and teamed up with Japanese funk ambassadors Osaka Monaurail to pay homage to the great Soul Sisters of the JB Revue.

Born in Victoria, Virginia and discovered by rock and roll pioneer Bo Diddley, Martha took off her career with soul band The Jewels, with whom she scored the national hit 'Opportunity" in 1964. Soon The Jewels caught the attention of James Brown in the same year the group joined the "James Brown Revue". Martha stayed with James Brown and continued to work with him as his personal vocalist for 32 years. Mr.Brown produced several Martha's singles on his own label "People" such as "Georgy Girl", "Try Me" and "Summertime",meanwhile Martha launched her solo career in 1979 with the self-titled debut LP for "Salsoul Records". Since then she released five albums under her name and, being one of the "hardest working ladies in the show business", she became as well the lead singer of the legendary funky music machine Maceo Parker. Throughout her career Martha shared stages worldwide with some iconic artists like Little Richard, Jerry lee Lewis, The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Michael Jackson and George Clinton to name a few.

Greenlight by DJ Manny is the fifth release from TEKLIFE Records. This 10 trackLP is a masterclass in footwork production by one of TEKLIFE's leading figures. Born and raised in Harvey on the South-Side of Chicago, DJ Manny has been footworking since the age of ten. The Footwork sound has developed in unison with the dance style that accompanies it, and Manny embodies this synergy.DJ Manny is without doubt one of the best dancers on the scene, harnessing control, grace and power in every movement. So when he steps into the studio, he knows instinctively how to create tracks that make you want to move your feet.Instead of relying on chopped up samples, DJ Manny is more inclined to pickup the microphone himself, and this gives Greenlight an original and individual personality.On the opening track titled Way you Move, his flow is soulful and almost vergingon melodic. His laid back drawl sounds equally great on club bangers like Life in This Bitch and If U Want It. As a young man, DJ Manny was the protégé of the late great DJ Rashad, and Rashad's influence reverberates through classic - sounding footwork tracks like Boop Me Down and I'll Hurt Ya Baby.Elsewhere on Greenlight, DJ Manny explores different moods to great effect.Ghost Out is atmospheric and menacing, with a sparse, minimal rhythm and fearsome lowend pulsing through siren synths. Life In This Bitch is a defiant statement of self-affirmation, and Zancrash feat. DJ Taye is uplifting and dreamy,with complex rhythmic patterns evocative of vintage jungle records.DJ Taye makes a significant contribution to this record, collaborating with DJ Manny on 5 productions including the title track. A fellow TEKLIFE squad member, Taye is a highly accomplished producer in his own right, Expect to hear more from him very soon on HYPERDUB Records. Greenlight also features guest appearances from DJ Lucky, Gant-Man and Sucia.

Very LIMITED album discs available now:

This is the first album Oscar Mulero has released under his own name, after two acclaimed LPs under the moniker Trolley Route. Well known for his skills as a hard-edged, raw and floor-orientated techno dj, his productions go far beyond, digging deep into the intricate landscape of intelligent techno, floating moods, reminiscent atmospheres, harmony and detail.

Grey Fades To Green is the affirmation of his maturity as a producer, using both hardware and software in the pursuit of a highly coherent and diverse album.

The concept is split into two parts: The Grey and The Green, each one with its own character. The first part is rougher and meant for the dance floor, although pays full attention to detail and complexity. The second part is quieter, has a slower pace and is best enjoyed at home.

In The Green Oscar goes deep into the intellectual side of techno music and is heavily influenced by the post rave sound emerging from the UK in the nineties: Aphex Twin, Gescom, B12, Plaid, Autechre.. but with a contemporary approach.

This part of the album brings you melodies, harmonies, endless atmospheres, and hours of studio work. Each sound has been carefully constructed, nothing is left to chance: Every stereo panning, every change to the synth's parameters has been meticulously designed for your listening pleasure; just what you want when you listen to techno on headphones. Futuristic music made with the utmost care.

The Green starts with 'Letters From Madrid', a dreamy and melancholy track, where an introspective melody leads to a slow-building drumbeat. Broken rhythms and distorted drums go side by side with the piano riffs and analogue bleeps: intelligent techno by definition.

'Dreams of Happiness' is a sci-fi soundtrack where pads and the different atmospheres are the main stars, and where subliminal drums add flow to this tune from outer space.

'After All' departs from calm dreamy territories with its grounded beat, complex 303 programming and micro synth sounds. A track which is as good for listening at home as it is for the dance floor.

'The Darker Days' uses a similar formula. Slow bpm, fat drums and weird 303 lines that make infinite layers of sound.

repress
Shlomo is back with a masterfull work, after his stellar debut with 'The Repture' w. that Emmanuel remix, This time he is showing his evolution in sound and the sonic spectrum in the details. Usefull cuts that will give always something more to your sets. He is stepping up again his own game, This is Hardwave.

Just a few months after its first release, Nitsa Traxx comes back with a very special 12'.
The project started with a file exchange between Eduardo de La Calle and Ferenc. They decided to work each track on their own side using only a few isolated sounds from the other. This way none of the tracks could never be treated as a full original, but proper remixes of tracks that never existed, building an uncanny, almost dreamlike emotion.
A Side is for Ferenc's 'Parón Largo', where synthetic strings are omnipresent and time and space unbends, evolving to an anticlimax where an eerie vocal and the longest possible drop are the leading trademark. A never ending and emotional standstill that goes deeper than the Mariana Trench.
Eduardo De La Calle uses his distinctive signature sound in the B Side. 'Cloaking Tech D Fly D' is an obsessive yet beautiful track that reminds us of the Somewhere in Detroit series. This is a mental and heart-warming tribute to the Motor City sound that just a producer like Eduardo could do.
Next releases are on the corner already, and we can't wait to share them with you.

Somne debuts on Just This.
The Italian producer, whose real name is Federico Maccherone, presents his first release of 2017 - a solo EP marrying the same ethereal, wide-angle synthesis and intricate drum programming that appears on standout work for Boddika's Nonplus imprint and the Afterlife label. More than ever, Maccherone shows his range - rolling, meditative recordings sit comfortably alongside some more overtly dance floor material, with both approaches bound by the same high-end production values listeners and DJ's alike have come to expect from the Somne project.
In various ways, the EP offers a certain degree of insight into Maccherone's dual identity as a producer of both clinical, dance-floor fare as well as a cerebral, leftfield work - and in turn, how the artist draws together these two strands of creative endeavour to craft unique and profoundly emotive electronic music. Nods to classic IDM and Ambient sit at the periphery of the recordings, although the main focus is on the propulsive, contemporary Techno derivatives - from warping, half-time opener Divided Love, with its crisp, white noise washes and clinical use of distortion - through to Endgame's exacting, peak-time drive. And whilst the form shifts across the EP from half-time, polyrhythmic work to more direct 4x4 compositions - everything remains bound by the same exquisite, otherworldly atmosphere that touches on the grandiose whilst maintaining a gloriously introspective bent.
Balance comes across as a principle theme on the record, both in terms of production aesthetic and track sequencing, but there is a wonderful contrast between the elements - with the sounds ringing strong and true. The two versions of lead Metropolis that perhaps appear to illustrate in the best way the powerful dichotomy within Maccherone's work, with the A side version conjuring up a distinctly brooding sentiment - a quintessential example of rolling, contemporary Electronica, whilst the Alternate Mix of the B side offers a more direct, cathartic interpretation - expertly executed for maximum dance-floor effectiveness.
Mature and accomplished, Metropolis is a fine addition to the growing Somne discography. The record paints a picture of a producer in full control of his art, definitely working to create a powerful three-dimensional space of his own within the genre.

The EP s driving force comes from the stripped-down approach that has become a trademark of Shkedul s sound. Contained in its components, it is the perfect layering of full kicks, liquid bleeps and spectral hats that elevate the originals to higher level. Label owners dotwav add the full stop to the record with an atmospheric remix.

A new reference of the prestigious Spanish Techno label Injected Poison Records. After a year since from her last release on vinyl, during this time, we have been able to see some of her releases in digital format, but, It's vinyl time , we have generated enough waiting and now we can enjoy a powerful vinyl, with a magnificent work of art and design for collectors and four powerful tracks with 3 of the best producers of the Techno scene. We are proud to welcome our well-known label partner Christian W nsch and a new member of the Pole Group; P.E.A.R.L. At the vinyl we can listen two original tracks from the owner of the label, Jose Pouj, with two remixes of Christian W nsch and P.E.A.R.L. The release date will be available in September. Enjoy.

After the first successful record, Danish label front man Gaze ill pursues another excursion through the ever-growing Dubstep-spectrum. He returns to his own physical outline of Cue Line Records with four hefty cuts that surely make up another stellar record, however he s not alone. Last time it was his partner in crime RDG, this time its frontline support from the Dutchman & bass mammoth TMSV , who s given Space-Time a completely different spin.

CLV002 opens up with a serious wobbler: one that is reminiscent to the golden days of the fundamental Dubstep sound, but housed in a completely different straightjacket. It swiftly sets the pace, as the wobbles escalate into the leading element of the destructive Space- Time . The second cut by the Danish producer adds the step to dub music so to speak and lively resembles King Tubby on a Dubstep flex. Watch out for that naughty second drop, which holds
nothing but booming vibrations that ll hang fans upside down. Spirit Of The Forces unveils an equally refreshing take on bass music thanks to the creative structuring of both low-and-high melodies. This allows listeners to take flight
easily and fly away from what we call reality an excellent track for both spring and summer time. TMSV s spin-off is as bright as its forerunner, but far more up-tempo and hypnotic. Utrecht s producer instigates a spacious stepper that defeats time & momentum by incorporating his raw remix techniques. The right remixer for the right record: Cue Line Records at its best!

Formed in Washington, D.C. in January of 2014, the EFFECTS are Devin Ocampo, Matthew Dowling, and David Rich.

A multi-instrumentalist, Ocampo is a former member of the bands Faraquet, Medications, Smart Went Crazy, and Deathfix, all of whom released music on Dischord. He has also toured and recorded with Mary Timony, Beauty Pill, and J. Robbins.

Dowling was the bassist and co-leader of Deleted Scenes, while Rich was the drummer in the instrumental group, Buildings. Both released music on the experimental-minded (and now defunct) local record label, Sock- ets. Devin met both Matt and David years before and while there had been talk of a possible collaboration everyone had their own projects at the time. However, by 2014 all were between bands and it finally made sense to get together and start something new.

For the trio, playing together was a nice change in routine. It was a new configuration of musicians, rather than a recombination of old friends and former bandmates, which happens regularly in the close-knit music scene of Washington D.C. Matt and David offered a fresh perspective and (possibly) gave the Devin a nudge out of his comfort zone.

Since then, the EFFECTS have performed sporadically throughout the East Coast and digitally released four two-song singles. Their full-length debut, Eyes to the Light, will be out this fall on Dischord.

For their second release on the label, DGTL Records asked another one of its festival shows regulars: Fort Romeau. After playing at three different DGTL editions, and an upcoming fourth during ADE, the organization also wanted to propagate his sound with an EP on their imprint. The release consists of two multi-layered compositions, Untitled II and A Familiar Place, and will be available both on vinyl and in digital stores on the 13th of October.

Fort Romeau came into the spotlight with releases on Running Back, Live At Robert Johnson and Ghostly International amongst others. The British talent gained recognition with his cultivated ear and apprehension of all genres of music, that brought him to add something unique to the widespread spectrum of electronic music, both as a DJ and a producer. In 2015 he also set up his own label, Cin Cin, releasing split EPs from established names and newcomers alike, with a diverse musical policy that reflects Fort Romeau his open minded and inquisitive approach.


'Untitled II' is a luminous house tune, with a soundscape on top that takes you on a journey, while 'A Familiar Place' adds a little bit of darkness to the EP. This B-side is made up out of raw elements, a high tempo kick and hi- hat create a sturdy flow that makes it hard to sit still. All in all, it advocates the vision of the festival and its label, in every way.