Search:lea

In January of 2004 recording commenced on Loretta Lynn's 42nd solo album. This particular album was poised from the start to be a unique and standalone installment in a long well established, unbelievable, legendary, career already spanning five decades due to the role of producer going to none other than a 28 year old Jack White. White, a long time admirer of Lynn's work, leapt at the chance to conduct this musical experimentation of blended styles and see what fruits the two very separate but cosmically intertwined approaches to writing, playing, and producing music could yield.

The album would go on to win the 2005 Grammy Award for "Country Album Of The Year", with the albums second single "Portland, Oregon" winning "Best Country Collaboration With Vocals". A litany of other accolades were to follow and the record firmly cemented itself in the annals of Country music history as the most successful crossover album of Lorettas historic career. Twenty-two years later, we're still celebrating it.

Third Man Records is proud to announce Van Lear Rose reissued and expanded. Now including the additional track "Just to Have You Back", previously only available to members of The Vault vinyl subscription series, rounding out the already impeccable tracklist. This LP is available in both a standard black and limited edition orange (while supplies last) colorways as well as CD.

In January of 2004 recording commenced on Loretta Lynn's 42nd solo album. This particular album was poised from the start to be a unique and standalone installment in a long well established, unbelievable, legendary, career already spanning five decades due to the role of producer going to none other than a 28 year old Jack White. White, a long time admirer of Lynn's work, leapt at the chance to conduct this musical experimentation of blended styles and see what fruits the two very separate but cosmically intertwined approaches to writing, playing, and producing music could yield.

The album would go on to win the 2005 Grammy Award for "Country Album Of The Year", with the albums second single "Portland, Oregon" winning "Best Country Collaboration With Vocals". A litany of other accolades were to follow and the record firmly cemented itself in the annals of Country music history as the most successful crossover album of Lorettas historic career. Twenty-two years later, we're still celebrating it.

Third Man Records is proud to announce Van Lear Rose reissued and expanded. Now including the additional track "Just to Have You Back", previously only available to members of The Vault vinyl subscription series, rounding out the already impeccable tracklist. This LP is available in both a standard black and limited edition orange (while supplies last) colorways as well as CD.

Tony Reed is undoubtedly one of those artists whom fans of “heavy music” have, at least unknowingly, encountered on stage or on their turntables at some point. Bands like Pentagram, Mos Generator, Hot Spring Water, and the so-called supergroup Big Scenic Nowhere are just a small part of his discography, which he continues to expand as a producer and mixer.

CONSTANCE TOMB was Tony Reed’s first band, which he founded at age 19 and which was heavily influenced by the gothic movement of the early ’80s. There are recordings online from when they made “boombox recordings” or, later, when he recorded everything “hi-fi” on his own in the garage with just a microphone, preserving it all for posterity on cassettes. You can also find several solo cover versions released under the band’s name. It was a labor of love that Tony Reed never let go of, but there was never a real band that toured or released an album—until now!

Now Tony has breathed new life into his childhood love, CONSTANCE TOMB, and fused his fondness for dark ’80s bands with his heavy metal past. Bands like Southern Cult, Bauhaus, The Cure, Bowie, as well as Black Sabbath and Thin Lizzy have shaped his musical tastes. Now, a mix of old and new songs is being infused with fresh energy, reviving a solo project that had taken on a slightly artificial feel.

With Bo McConaghie on bass and Christian Roney on drums, the band has already played its first concerts in the northwestern United States to find their sound as a group. Joint rehe

Stitched together from organic percussion, field recordings, and textures gathered from across the globe, Vikmatic’s most recent TSoNYC EP, co-produced with label head Danilo Braca, plays like a love letter to New York City, penned in the language of friends and family scattered across its boroughs. Rooted primarily in house, jazz, and Balearic sounds, but pulling just as freely from the sounds of Brazil, Africa, and India, Neighbors moves to the rhythm of a city swept up in the collective pulse of its most lively season.

Playful and minimalistic, “W4 Street” is a jazzy house track that adds a scintillatingly smooth, beachy flair to a nostalgic New York energy for a combination that leaves us unsure of what is improvised and what has been rehearsed to absolute mastery.

The EP’s second track, “Flushing”, represents a dramatic departure from the airiness of the previous one. Haunting and mysterious, with a leaden kick and a capricious synth, there is no question that we are finding ourselves in an entirely different neighborhood.

Early in the track, “Sunset Park” transforms from a deep rumbling into a catchy warm-weather groove with satiny synth layers, textured rhythm, and unhurried guitar and synth solos, evoking a sense of pure ease and beach season contentment.

Sultry and dream-like, “Harlem River Drive” is the ideal send-off for Neighbors, an album firmly situated in the living memory of an iconic urban summer. Warm and bittersweet, with woodwinds comprising the heart of its instrumentation, it’s not hard to picture a sunset in Upper Manhattan.

MIRAGGIO lands on the Visual Distortions imprint with after the sun, a sharply executed four-tracker steeped in rich 2000s nostalgia. Fusing early-aughts club aesthetics with modern sound design, the record kicks off with the crisp, driving electro of "two see" before diving into the retro-futuristic atmospheres of "airwaves." On the flip, the classic percussive roll of "o ritmo" shifts the gear, leading perfectly into the sleek, punchy closer, "bubblegun." An essential, time-warping package built for the floor.

2026 Repress

Few producers embody the soulful heart of House Music quite like Move D. Being a mentor of the label since day one, All That Jelly brings together two defining and desirable cuts from David Moufang’s recent history to one record.
'To The Disco ’77' 2013 original version for the A-side and the 2017 live rework finds its way to the B-side, both freshly remastered by the amazing and sought after Andreas Kauffelt. 'To The Disco ’77', opens with a clean, electro-styled beat that has a restrained power and a controlled tension that gradually blooms as the keys start to lift the mood into something lighter. When the iconic 'to the disco' vocal sample cuts through, it’s like a wink
from the past, threading disco’s golden exuberance through the disciplined swing of classic house. The track is a seamless blend of Funk, Disco, House and Electro with each element raw yet playful, woven into a groove that never stops urging you forward. It’s a masterclass in balance: sleek but deeply human, nostalgic but alive in the moment. It's like listening to the history of dance music in one special track.
'To The Disco ’77 (Move D Live Rework)' stretches the idea out into something even more fluid. The groove loosens, the funk rises to the surface and the extended runtime gives space for guitar and bass lines to share center stage, riffing around each other with organic warmth. The 'to the disco' mantra remains, grounding the track in its celebratory intent. It’s the kind of tune that closes a night perfectly and makes you not want to leave the dancefloor. Reissued together, these versions show Move D’s masterful ability to bridge eras and genres, reminding listeners that the dancefloor is as much about emotion as it is about motion.

"Once Turin-based producers Mattia and Massimo joined forces under the Voodoos & Taboos moniker, they quickly became a notable force in contemporary club music. A crafty take on house music, combining groove with sculpted production work and a bent for lush melodies, drawing from a wide range of influences - anything that borders on the electronic genres really, and beyond - fueled their own namesake imprint with 6 EP's and landed them spots on a variety of top-tier labels. We have been keen to work with these artists for a long time, and are thrilled this finally materializes with the release of ALT027. Title track "Sempre Sognar" immediately sets out the duo's floor-focused intentions. Breakbeat-laced drums gradually build momentum before a formant lead drops in. It trades phrases with an equally infectious organ that's eventually joined by a 303 pattern for the track's finale. Similar vibrating, buzzy leads thrust "Take Me" forward. Amid heavily delayed vocal samples, the proggy beat takes a more trippy turn however. Synthesized idiophone interludes create room for moments of repose, although not entirely unambiguous ones. A subtly detuned lead and more sleek acid lines are supported by the type of arp bass that characterizes Voodoos & Taboos' sound on the B-side's "Revolution". A collage of broadcast and war-movie lines alike not only adds color, but underlines the sense of indeterminate imminence that looms throughout the track. B2 "Afterhouse" sees the BPM drop a notch, yet the palette shows no signs of winding down; it is downright exuberant. As different arpeggiated melodies play call and response, tape-delayed chords, alarm-like risers, and sprinkles of guitar add extra flavor. This does not lead to excess, however. Everything is carefully measured and kept in check: after all, at the helm are two artists who understand that perfection lies in getting a great many small things exactly right."

Disco Collected celebrates the dance music which originally developed from R&B, soul, and funk from the late 60s and 70s and turned into a mighty subculture in discotheques, with Studio 54, Manhattan, New York as one of the most famous and extravagant discos all over the world. Disco used a steady four to the floor beat, string sections, horns which created a perfect setting for DJs who mixed their special 12 inches to an eager dance crowd.

Movies like Saturday Night Fever and Thank God It’s Friday contributed to disco’s mainstream popularity. Compiled on Disco Collected are some of the best, well-known and great disco hits by Rose Royce, Chic, Kool & The Gang, The Trammps, Thelma Houston, KC & The Sunshine Band and 16 more guaranteed floor fillers.

The 2LP Disco Collected is available as a limited edition on disco ball silver vinyl and includes an insert.

2026 Repress

DJ Koze doesn't aim for technical perfection for its own sake, but rather to serve the purpose of giving birth to great music. On his debut 'Rue Burnout EP' from his own Pampa label, he plays with finesse and sophistication, and implicitly understands the importance of subtlety, leading from dreamy and restrained parts to a noisy frenzy at the end. 'Blume der Nacht' starts with a looped piano solo from Arabian dodecaphony, interwoven with bangs of violine bows, piercing high-pitched strings, almost shrieking glissandi, deep angel chants and obsessive sharp rhythms. The 37 year old constantly horny wunderkind producer has made a habit of creatively foiling expectations, and works also under the pseudonyms Adolf Noise, Swahimi and recently Madima Lokkah to redefine the boundaries of electronic music. This daring concept works perfectly in the title track 'Rue Burnout' - it is very rare that you find house music this excitingly light-fooded and precisely transparent. The musician cuts the pigtail off the term 'Kackmusik' for good, and demonstrates how sounds are capable of creating the most delicate musical interplay.
Amen.
DJ Koze, Germany, April 2010.

Duality Trax reaches its tenth release with a defining moment for the label, as label boss Holly Lester steps forward with her debut EP. A personal milestone as much as a catalogue marker, the record channels sounds that have shaped her sound to date - early tech house, the low-end swing of UK garage and breakbeat, the rolling pulse of mid- 2000s European dancefloors, and the emotional lift of ’90s progressive house - all refracted through a distinctly personal lens. Open Your Mind sets the tone with a sense of lift and release: a wide, expansive bassline carries skippy, garage-tinged percussion, while bright piano stabs cut through guided by playful, restless FX. Big Fill pivots into tougher territory, a driving cut built on a rolling sub that pulls you into the groove - equal parts pressure and introspection, with moments of dreamlike suspension between the weight.

On the flip, Tanit drifts into more atmospheric space —an ode to Ibiza that still carries a distinctly UK undercurrent. A squelching, elastic bassline and cheeky, garage-leaning wubs provide a foundational groove but everything around it drifts: gated synths shimmer, drums sparkle, half-heard vocals dissolve into the mix and the track unfolds with a blissed-out, cruising energy. It feels just as natural in a dark room as it does out on open water, coasting past Formentera. For the remix, Holly turns to one of her favourite producers of the moment, DJ Life, who draws Open Your Mind into deeper waters. The Berlin via Australia producer stretches the groove into something more hypnotic and submerged, a patient 5am burner that lingers in the air,equally at home in basements, afterhours, and those inbetween moments as night slips quietly into day

Continuing with the next installment Len Faki's Hardspace series, he breathes new life into four distinct tracks, re-imagining them through the signature Hardspace lens: heavy, thumping, and relentlessly propulsive. Spanning decades of sound, these reworks bridge the gap between nostalgic grit and future-facing intensity, proving once again that a strong is often the most effective tool in the bag.
DJ Sneak's 2009 cut Acido sits perfectly between acid-house and techno-leaning aesthetics-a natural fit for a Hardspace edit that amplifies its jacking, loopy groove. Staying closer to techno's roots is Like A Tim's warehouse classic Rashness; here, Faki channels the raw, frantic energy of the original, proving how nuanced changes can generate a completely different, captivating energy as he reshapes the track's dynamic impact and tightens the low-end.
The B-side takes two contemporary cuts further into the red: the Snuff Crew edit ramps up the intensity, stripping back Where's The Bad? to a singular, hypnotic loop for peak-time impact. Finally, Umfang's Complete Your Collection undergoes quite the transformation, adding layered, rhythmic complexity and shifting bass weight to create a trippy but floor-focused drive.

Savy Records' seventh release marks the label debut of Matti Turunen, one half of Finnish electro outfit Morphology and a cult figure across the wider electro scene. Rantaluhta EP is a timeless masterpiece. Synth-heavy throughout, it moves from bass-driven, Detroit-rooted machinery into a more euphoric, rave-leaning close -- a record that shows real range within the electro spectrum. On the flip, veteran producer Carl Finlow, contributes a remix under his Silicon Scally alias, pushing 'Oleanterinkiitaja' into trippy and galactic machine-funk territory.

The highly acclaimed U.K post- punk band Joy Division was originally called Warsaw . Formed in Manchester, England in the late 1970s, the group consisted of Ian Curtis on vocals, Bernard Albrecht (aka Sumner, aka Dicken) on guitar, Peter Hook on bass and Stephen Morris on drums. Hook, Albrecht and Curtis hooked up at a local concert and later formed the group Warsaw. The band's name was taken from a David Bowie- Brian Eno composition, "Warszawa". The 5 bonus tracks on this album are demos cut by the group at Pennine Studios in Manchester on July 18, 1977 with Steve Brotherdale on drums. The first eleven tracks presented here were the result of a recording session for that album that took place in early May of 1978. Rehearsals leading up to the session resulted in two new songs being added to the group's existing repertoire: "Interzone" and "Transmission." "Interzone" was based on the backing track of the song "Keep On Keepin' On," to which the band added their own lyrics. The result was a song distinctively their own. "Transmission" was written by the band during the final week of rehearsals. The first verse contains a quotation from Alistair Crowley's The Book Of Thoth. The two recordings are interesting renditions of songs which would later became famous.

Acid Pauli returns to the curious world of Gwar Is Not The Answer (originally released 2006 on Smaul) with a carefully remastered re-release that includes two new remixes from Jonathan Kaspar and Acid Pauli. The title track unfolds at an unhurried pace, weaving loose acid traces through warm percussion and off-centre melodic fragments that seem to appear and dissolve before settling into place. It drifts forward with a quiet sense of momentum, balancing eccentric textures with a groove that remains firmly grounded throughout. With his new remix Jonathan Kaspar takes the original into leaner territory, sharpening its contours and drawing out its tension while preserving the peculiar character at its core. His remix stretches the track into a more focused club framework where rolling low-end pressure meets finely tuned rhythmic movement, allowing small details to carry unexpected weight. On the flip Acid Pauli revisits the track from a different angle. The remix opens up the source material into a spacious and fluid arrangement where shimmering tones circle around a deep pulse and subtle harmonic shifts gradually reveal themselves over time. Together the three versions explore different dimensions of the same musical language, moving between psychedelic house, understated dancefloor functionality and the kind of idiosyncratic storytelling that has long defined Acid Pauli's work.

Landing on the 4th of September via his own imprint Knee Deep In Sound, ‘Obsessions’ is less a traditional dance record and more a reckoning — with where Daley Padley finds himself now, as an artist and as a person. Written across a period of constant movement, touring and introspection, the album holds the push and pull between intensity and stillness that has come to define his world.

This is an artist who started making music in Barnsley — long nights, small rooms, total commitment to sound. Those early marathon sets weren’t a stepping stone to something else. They were the foundation of everything that followed: global tours, chart success, the creation of Knee Deep In Sound, a career built entirely on instinct rather than expectation. Hot Since 82 has never followed a fixed path. He’s carved out a space that sits somewhere between underground credibility and global reach — and it’s that same restless, uncompromising approach that shaped this album.

“Some days feel heavier, some thoughts harder to hold. But music still reaches the places words can’t. It’s therapy and a reset button.”

That sense of release runs through the entire record. While rooted in house music, Obsessions doesn’t sit in one place for long — not to prove a point, but because that’s simply how Padley hears music. It moves between deep house, breakbeat, melodic electronica and full club focus as naturally as a conversation shifts tone. Moments of euphoria give way to reflection and tensions dissolves into release.

The album opens with ‘All That Matters’ — a track that feels immediately both expansive and intimate and sets the emotional register for everything that follows. From there it unfolds like a journey rather than a sequence.

Lead single ‘Shaded’, landing on the 12th June taps directly into classic house lineage while feeling unmistakably current — a bridge between where this music began and where it’s heading. Elsewhere, ‘Life’s Too Short’ and ‘Eternity’ introduce warmth and movement, weaving piano, breakbeat and subtle Afro influences into the album’s wider palette.

As the record progresses, the light changes. ‘Wow’ leans into darker, late-night territory — tension, restraint, a hypnotic centre. The collaborations with Kuuda on ‘State Of Mind’ and ‘Time’ bring the album back into full club focus: driving, physical, built for scale.

DJ Support: Marco Carola, Funk D'Void, Fish Go Deep, Quentin Harris, Carl Craig, Horse Meat Disco, moodymanc and many more

Me Me Me is back after 2 years on ice, with a new focus and new priorities, built around the regional music community being driven by Man Power and friends in North East England.

Written, recorded, performed and pressed in the North East, Newcastle live artist Mac Seldom's Twenty Twenty-Three EP see's the artist find his stride after early outings on Skream's "Of Unsound Mind" label and Scuba's "Hotflush Recordings" and leans into a more house-not-house rhythmic palette to further cement his status as being one of the most exciting and adept sound designers to recently emerge in club music.

Amsterdam-based Moody Mehran captures the atmosphere of a soft Mediterranean sunset perfectly. Just in time for late summer, the Dutch-Iranian artist debuts on SEVEN with four trance-infused, uplifting cuts, alongside a remix by Maruwa. The EP channels a distinct Balearic-leaning, '90s trance sensibility. Melodic, sun-drenched and emotionally direct. Built for open-air floors and festival moments, these tracks are driven by shimmering synth sequences, rolling basslines, crisp percussion and psychedelic sound design. It’s a sound reminiscent of trance’s golden era reduced to its essence: simple, euphoric, and highly effective.

Amsterdam-based multidisicplinary arts collective and, in this case, ambient electronica-producing duo Wanderwelle created several of the biggest releases that Silent Season have enjoyed to date, this previously digital-only single being one of the very biggest. The public's been clamouring for a vinyl release of this one for an entire decade now, so the label have finally obliged. Four tracks here catch Alexander Bartels and Phil van Dulm in reflective but lively chilled techno mode and from the gliding depths of 'Leaving Port Logan' to the eerie siren song of 'A Watery Grave' there are shimmering subaquatic atmospherics aplenty but also pulsing, underplayed rhythms too. Liquid gold.

Yung Lean - That's It (feat. Future & Metro Boomin)
Travis Scott - RHYNO (prod. by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo)
CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso, PinkPantheress,
Fred again.., & Etienne de Crécy - Sexy Magic
Morgan Wallen - Last Thing You Need
Rauw Alejandro - Macacoa 2000
Keith Richards - Bright Lights, Big City

In statement to Its identity, Fergus Sweetland's Pain in the Brain EP initiates the linage of the unapologetically physical, vinyl-only Wobble Wax.

His release at its core is a computerised gallop, grounded in playful but mature musicality. Fergus' chord aware contemporary detailing emits a breezing alchemy of wiseful restraint from an artist who understands the assignment.

The ever-welcoming theme of Sweetland's signature percussion ensures each of the 4 excursions deliver a cohered reference, but not without unique imprint. Speaking to the subtle, non fixed states, that Wobble's manifesto arguments.

Notable entries include: B2's 'Pain in the Brain'- a sharply composed stab anchored in acidic static'ism. And A1's 'Lean into Fuzz'- An aura farming ode to synth-tropic minimalism.

The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk was an American single-seat, subsonic, twin-engined attack aircraft and is a fitting name for this EP, which is equally low-key, menacing and devastating from RAN. Influences from Loefah, Youngsta and Boddika abound in these stark and dark dub soundscapes, which drip with dank warehouse vibes, ride on booming low ends that melt into an inky night and come with precision-engineered percussion. 'GBU-10 (External Guidance)' is a late-night search across a deserted city, 'JDAM (Signal Without Light)' has a more sub-aquatic feel and rolls more fluidly, while 'GBU-27 (BLU-109 Core)' is ominous, with ghosts of dubstep and broken beat lurking round every corner. Fantastically immersive and meticulously executed, not least because the EP was mastered by the great Transition Studios in South East London (early support from Carrier).

We present the Kosmische Advice EP, the first collaborative release from Roman Flügel and Phil Kieran.
Recorded between Belfast and Berlin, the EP brings together two long-established figures in European electronic music whose paths have run in parallel for many years. The title track was written in a single evening session in Belfast during Flügel’s visit for Kieran’s Leatherette club night, capturing an immediate and largely unaltered performance that sets the tone for the release.

New EP, after a long break.

Bermuda and Matteo Point, Italian producers and DJs who have been friends for years, return with a new EP born from their shared vision of electronic music.

On Side A, Bermuda delivers dry 80s-inspired drums, energetic synths, and deep, precise, and immersive sounds.

On Side B, Matteo Point brings a more visionary and experimental approach: dreamy high-tone synths, reverse effects, and dynamic drums that create a hypnotic and constantly evolving atmosphere.

The breakthrough hit that cemented THE SOUNDLOVERS
as one of the leading international dance acts of the ’90s.
A timeless anthem about overcoming loneliness,
embracing emotional growth, and finding the strength to
move forward. Beneath its uplifting dance groove lies a
message of hope, resilience, and self-discovery.

TECHNO Records continues its 2026 release series with a new work by Germany-based artist VNNN., a fixture of the Ruhr area’s underground techno scene for more than a decade.

Built around an intuitive search for bearings within a complex personal identity, the record takes Staza — the Bosnian word for path — as its poetic title.

Noir-toned, hypnotic and driving at its core, the music sets deep tension against insistent momentum and call-and-response energy. Each of the four original tracks refracts the same artistic identity in a different way. Together, they form a cohesive, self-assured techno vision. Raw and direct without sacrificing detail, the release reflects the focus of the artist who has produced extensively, released selectively and remained highly self-critical while refining his own sound.

Nadia Struiwigh reroutes “Prava Ljubav,” turning its central hook into what VNNN. describes as a junglistic firework. Her remix extends this portrait with a contrasting fifth state — a genre deviation that reflects both artists’ broad musical outlook and their willingness to move beyond boundaries when inspiration leads them there.

TECH042 gives physical form to the layered outcome of two singular artistic inquiries, turning it into a functional object and marking the debut of both VNNN. and Nadia Struiwigh on TECHNO Records.

The long-awaited reissue of "Woodstock Generation” set for release in the 11th installment of "Spin This Now!," a masterpiece of Japanese jazz-rock by Soul Media, led by Jiro Inagaki!


Led by Jiro Inagaki, one of the leading saxophonists in the Japanese jazz scene, Soul Media captured the explosive musical movements of the late 1960s and early 1970s on this classic album. Rooted in jazz while boldly incorporating elements of rock, funk, and psychedelia, the album is packed with the thrilling sound that could only have emerged from Japan's music scene of the era.

Smallville presents a very special album project – 'Tumbling Cycles' by Billus is here to stay! Ethereal deep-dubby house music from Australia, that feels like finding the hidden-treasure you were not even looking for.

„When I am most enjoying making music, I have this sense that I'm just watching cycles of sound happen and match up in front me on their own and I'm not really just doing anything and it's really nice. Most of these tracks stem from a small collection of
iteratively distorted percussive jazz and breaks that I kept coming back to and watching them cycle around each other.“

This is Billus' approach while he is out in the studio zone. As a result, we all get the chance to scuba-dive into his soundscapes like a warm blanket, interwoven rhythms and cosmic textures, that seem to have the ability to heal. The fresh feels was real,
every time the album went by.

Billus is praised for his impeccable mixtapes for a lot of very special occasions of doing not a lot- make sure to check these out. And Billus produces sprawling music- he released on Naarm labels Animalia, Vessel and Pollinate and he makes music to shyaway in the woods, picking up lil mushrooms if you feel like- or leave these untouched for the same effects.

So while listening to the Tumbling Cycles LP, make yourself comfy and try to work out your own personal scenario, in which Billus' music and his leftfield approach would flourish best. These tracks come with approval by the sweetest dancefloors
around the world and we can't wait to release these to the world. The 2x12“ comes with a stunning full-cover artwork from Stefan Marx.

Chris Liebing's collaboration with Daniel Miller, Pascal 'Stubbleman' Gabriel and Terence Fixmer, aka The Alte Stuben Modular Ensemble, 'Entangled Circuits', has been remixed by Hayden Payne, better known as Phase Fatale. Originally released on Chris Liebing's 'Evolver' LP earlier this year, the remix will be released via CLR 20th November 2026. The original track is a collaboration between Liebing and The Alte Stuben Modular Ensemble made up of Mute founder Daniel Miller, Pascal 'Stubbleman' Gabriel and Terence Fixmer. New York-born, Berlin-based Phase Fatale has held residencies at Berghain, Brooklyn's Merge and Tbilisi's KHIDI, and has built a catalogue across Ostgut Ton, Dekmantel, Jealous God and his own BITE imprint, carrying a lineage that runs from New York's cold-wave underground through to the sharper industrial edges of Berlin's club circuit.

Phase Fatale rebuilds 'Entangled Circuits' around a hypnotic bassline, pitching the original's synth stabs up a notch.
Weighted kick drums, relentless repetition, and industrial texture anchor the rework in techno mastery, delivering a peak-time weapon without loosening its grip on the source material.

The original version of 'Entangled Circuits' appears on 'Evolver', Liebing's first solo techno LP, released 27th March 2026 on CLR. 'Entangled Circuits' was composed on a skiing trip to Oberlech, Austria with The Alte Stuben Modular Ensemble, Mute founder Daniel Miller, Pascal 'Stubbleman' Gabriel and Terence Fixmer, blending dark, modular synth textures with driving rhythmic sequencing. Marking a distillation of over three decades at Techno's core, the album pairs introspective depth with immediate, floor-driven impact, bringing together contributions from the likes of Luke Slater, Charlotte de Witte, Speedy J and The Advent, while ultimately remaining rooted in Liebing's singular vision.

WOW! An early ’80s New Wave, Electro, Proto-Electronica, Industrial and Kraut-Pop album that has never been released before is now coming out on Elaste Records and it’s a perfect fit! History is being made.

Quotes: “A pearl” (Hans Nieswandt) / “Great album” (Hell, Gigolo) / “Awesome album” (Patrick Pulsinger) / “Magnificent material” (Roman Flügel) / “An ’80s electronic gem… an ’80s Krautpop highlight” (Sankt Otten).

In the early eighties, Michael Heinkel was one of those quiet electronic musicians hardly anyone knew — at least outside of Munich. While machine rhythms were being perfected in Düsseldorf, dilettantism was elevated into an art form in Hamburg and West Berlin was soundtracking its own feverish coldness, Munich seemed to be a place where, apparently, nothing was happening. Or almost nothing. Because beneath the radar, far removed from the grand narratives of those years, Michael Heinkel was already creating his own electronic cosmos — stripped-down, idiosyncratic and often ahead of its time. Electronic minimalist music, born somewhere between a home studio, nightlife and the longing for a future that could only just be imagined back then. But the recordings disappeared into drawers, onto cassettes and tape reels. For decades, they remained a secret shared only among friends, insiders and a handful of close companions. It was only 45 years later that Andreas Dorau and Ralf Hertwig (Palais Schaumburg) — two defining figures of that early avant-garde — insisted that the recordings finally be made accessible. Not as an exercise in nostalgia, but as the overdue release of a missing piece in the history of German electronic music. This music is not a nostalgic retrospective. It is a delayed signal from a future that had already begun back then. Format: Heavyweight black vinyl incl. printed inner sleeve + download card



Quotes: -"Michael Heinkel's long-lost LP is a treasure trove. I'm constantly amazed at the musical gems from the early '80s that are still waiting to be discovered." - Hans Nieswandt (Whirlpool Productions) - „Some München musical history that somehow got missed at the time finally gets released after 40 years. Great album.“ - Hell (Gigolo) - “Awesome album! Today, we can only imagine just how groundbreaking electronic music at this level was back then. When gems like these are heard for the first time in perfect sound quality, it’s like a trip back in time to the early days of electronic music. Back to the future!!!” - Patrick Pulsinger (Cheap / iO / Sluts’n‘ Strings & 909 / The Private Lightning Six) - “Terrific material!” - Roman Flügel (Acid Jesus / Alter Ego / Sensorama / Warp 69) - “ELASTE has unearthed an 80s electronic gem! A German minimal wave gem-freshly unearthed! Minimal, rare, brilliant - an 80s Krautpop highlight.” - Sankt Otten - „Pure and delicious 80s Electronics from Munich. We love it.“ - Gorilla Aktiv

What's Left is the new album by Tom Henry, releasing November 20th, 2026 on Royal Oakie Records. Where his debut album Songs to Sing and Dance To leaned into big dreams, What's Left is a record about what remains once the dust settles, delivered with the wit and charm of a young rocker in his prime. The familiar influences are still there — Paul McCartney and Big Star loom large (though there's a little more Third/Sister Lovers this time around), but now the songs are lush and polished, with new sounds creeping in around Henry’s trademark power pop hooks. On a handful of tracks you can even hear strains of Syd Barrett influenced acid-folk alongside psychedelic rock that recalls The Brian Jonestown Massacre or The Beatles at their most lysergic.

Produced in collaboration with David Glasebrook (Patti Smith, Peter Case, Sugar Candy Mountain), and engineered by Glasebrook and Stephen Shirk, the album was tracked across two cities at Shirk Studios in Chicago, IL and The Garden Shed in Oakland, CA, where Glasebrook also handled mixing and mastering. The record's cross-continental origins reflect the movements of Tom’s own life over the past half decade, which found him departing his native Chicago for Los Angeles before returning home four years later, and lend the album its distinctive sound of Midwestern grit mixed with California sunshine across all twelve tracks.

Opener "Someone I Need" sets the tone: an old-fashioned, up-beat rocker built for a roadside diner jukebox somewhere out along the backroads of your mind — it's crunchy tape tones and horn arrangement lending warmth to the song as the narrator asks for a dance and beckons the listener along for the ride. By "It's Not Meant to Be," the record turns inward, wrestling with the exhaustion of trying to find love in the modern age — especially for someone who wears their heart on their sleeve and often comes to find their suitor's wardrobe doesn't have room. "Silverlake Song," reminiscent of early Donovan, kicks off with otherworldly sitar — a wry postcard from the west, tracing how the shimmering promise of L.A.'s Silver Lake enchants, bargains with, and ultimately tries to ruin the starry-eyed dreamer — and very nearly succeeds.

In addition to Tom–who sang and played guitar, bass, and keys–the album features musical contributions from co-producer David Glasebrook, Brian Daley, Joe Daley, Finn Swingley, Lewis Patzner, and labelmates Graham Patzner, Charles Lloyd, and Simon Beins. Liner notes come courtesy of Ian F. Svenonius, who — in the guise of one Johnny Sincere of Integrated Star Management Ltd. — recounts his company's failed attempt to sell Tom Henry a gimmick: a space suit, a coal miner's neckerchief, a lounge pianist's dead-eyed shades. Tom turned them all down. As Svenonius tells it, when reminded that every story's been told and every gimmick's been used, that all that's left is to admire the photographs of what's gone before, Tom simply shrugged: rock 'n' roll is an eternal spring, and if this is what's left, that's just fine with him — it's what he likes to do.

Atlantic Records and Rockstar Games announce Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album, the upcoming official soundtrack album from the biggest, most immersive evolution of the groundbreaking Grand Theft Auto series yet; Grand Theft Auto VI.

Launching alongside the hotly anticipated game, Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album features 34 original tracks that capture the electric energy of GTA 6’s world of Vice City and Leonida, with a genre-defying roster of the most exciting and preeminent artists in the world.

With 34 original tracks that capture the electric energy of Grand Theft Auto VI’s world of Vice City and Leonida, Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album features a genre-defying roster of the most exciting artists in the world.

Half a century after its original release, legendary Lebanese musician and singer Marcel Khalife—renowned oud player and global icon of both music and activism—returns with a new recording. On this album, he reinterprets four of the five tracks from his debut, Promises of the Storm. A bold defiance of time and history.


Why revisit the same album, 50 years later? The reasons are many, but one stands above the rest: history itself seems to be repeating. The narrative unfolds once more in the same dire circumstances as half a century ago, as if time has folded in on itself, returning everything to its starting point. The urgency, the necessity—it all remains, pressing and inescapable. We must begin again.


In 1976, a young Marcel Khalife found himself exiled in Paris, fleeing the Lebanese Civil War and his family’s Christian village, where his progressive, left-wing ideas had placed him under a kind of house arrest. He was one of the few to openly and unwaveringly champion the Palestinian cause. The situation quickly became untenable, especially since, just a month before the war began in March 1975, Khalife—fresh out of the conservatory—had given his first public concert to great acclaim. Then, everything collapsed. What does one do when trapped at home? Read books, play the oud, and turn those readings into songs. In his family’s de facto prison, Khalife began setting the poetry of the great Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish to music. These songs, born of confinement, he carried with him into exile, driving to Paris where a producer offered him the chance to record an album. Naturally, the tracks were the ones he had been improvising at home from Darwish’s poems. The album’s title, Promises of the Storm, echoed the war that was just beginning. Khalife recalls that the album became a hit after a concert at the Fête de l’Huma, where 500 copies were sold in a single day. “Everything started there, and it never stopped,” he remembers. He would meet Mahmoud Darwish shortly after, at a dinner organized by mutual friends. From that moment, a deep friendship blossomed between the two men.


With Darwish’s words and Khalife’s music, the songs of Promises of the Storm are imbued with a powerful evocative force—melancholy, tenderness, and poetic resistance in the face of violence. The album catapulted Khalife to international stardom, leading to endless tours and recordings, yet he never abandoned his commitments.


Now, 50 years later, Promises of the Storm returns in a fresh recording, because history is repeating itself. After the Israeli bombings in Lebanon at the end of 2024, Khalife, who was on tour, found himself stranded in Paris. He remembered a recurring request from his son, musician Bachar Mar-Khalife, who had often urged him to re-record his now-classic debut album. One morning, oud in hand, Marcel knocked on his son’s door and said, “Shall we? I’m ready to record.”
These new versions are stripped down, raw, and intimate—just the solitary strings of the oud. Khalife sings as never before, his voice no longer marked by the fragility of youth but imbued with something deeper, freer, unshackled. It soars high yet resonates low, always clear, as if to escape sadness, to evoke love and violence, desire and exile. In just four songs, Khalife encapsulates a lifetime, and a philosophy of life. Rita tells of a love of Darwish’s, with the haunting line (translated from Arabic): “Between Rita’s eyes and mine, a rifle.” Oummi invokes the figure of the mother as a metaphor for the lost land. Promises of the Storm is a meditation on revolution, the hope for change, the melancholy of defeat, and the power of thought. Passport captures, through poetry, the feeling of being stateless—a citizen of everywhere and nowhere.
Time has only strengthened these texts and this music. History never repeats itself without a valid, indispensable reason for the present. That reason is fully contained in Marcel Khalife’s new interpretations, which have never sounded so clear, so right, so essential.

This autumn sees the release of ‘En de stilstaande tijd voor (elektro-)akoestisch ensemble’ (And Stationary Time for (electro-)acoustic ensemble), the new album by composer and musician Sietse van Erve. With this release, Van Erve marks a definitive turning point in his artistic career: bidding farewell to his long-standing pseudonym Orphax to continue under his own name.

From Rewire to the Studio
The foundations for this album were laid during a memorable live performance at the Rewire Festival 2025 in Den Haag (The Hague). There, Van Erve presented the composition for the first time with an ensemble featuring Anne La Berge (flute), Gareth Davis (bass clarinet), and Dario Calderone (double bass). The leading Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant praised the performance as "incomprehensibly still", drifting on a single, drone-like tone through which the instruments softly float.
Van Erve recalls the intensity of that debut: “I don’t think I’ve ever been as nervous for a performance as I was for Rewire. A packed hall in Amare, during such a major festival”. Following a second successful performance at Festival Musica in Strasbourg, the decision was made to capture the work permanently in the studio.

A New Vision of Nostalgia
The composition originates from Van Erve’s fascination with time and nostalgia, inspired by a 1960s postcard of a Spanish village where time seemed to freeze. While based on a solo piece from 2020, the (electro-)acoustic instrumentation provides a completely new interpretation. The transition from solo electronics to an ensemble brought unique challenges. Van Erve explains: “Certain effects can be triggered with a single knob on a synthesizer, but they result in almost unplayable parts for other instruments. In those situations, I presented the challenge to the group and we searched for a solution together.’’

Identity and Evolution
The album also marks a personal transition for the artist. Regarding the departure from his moniker, he states: “I was looking for the right moment, and now it feels right. With this project, I have finally been able to do what I’ve had in my head for a long time... I feel I have achieved something, and that is why I think it is a good time to initiate the name change."

Realisation through Crowdfunding
Recorded in the spring of 2026 at Studio 150—located in a former church in Amsterdam-Noord known for its exceptional acoustics—the album was captured by Joeri Saal. The production of the deluxe vinyl LP and CD was made possible through a successful crowdfunding campaign via Dutch platform Voordekunst, where supporters contributed to the studio and production costs.

As a longtime member of Hot Chip and LCD Soundsystem, Al Doyle has spent decades working alongside two of the most distinct vocalists in modern pop: Alexis Taylor and James Murphy. If he’s had a song or an idea, there’s always been someone else he’d rather have sing it.
But on November 20, 2026, the British multi-instrumentalist will release Hollywood Saviour, an album that drove him to finally embrace his own voice. “It’s me discovering a way to write and sing stuff that I could live with,” he says of his first-ever solo outing.
Recorded in his East London studio, Relax and Enjoy, Hollywood Saviour has the feeling—the rush and release—of a breakthrough, of an artist letting go. Doyle’s found freedom in simplicity here, leaning into the many pleasures of guitar-bass-drums, indulging wholeheartedly in the weird, spontaneous, raucous, and raw. He sounds free.
That sense of fun and rampant possibility can be felt in every groove, Doyle finding added inspiration in the loose and the louche, from Sexual Harassment’s 1983 electro-funk raunch-o-rama “I Need A Freak” to Throbbing Gristle’s locomotive 1980 paean to jerking off, “Something Came Over Me,” which is lovingly covered here.
At times, this album feels like a delirious response to the darkness of our current moment. On opener “Hard Times in America,” Doyle offers us a psychedelic window into his experiences traveling back and forth to the United States in recent years, feeling fascism’s hold tighten with each visit.
That sense of character comes through in Doyle’s vocal approach, a giddy combination of Iggy Pop, Pete Shelley, and PIL-era John Lydon. On “All I Want for Christmas”—a dark and devastating highlight—he takes on the shape of a drug addict come holiday season, “both dead and alive,” abandoned by his family, stumbling through a garden of drum machine and piano. It’s a pop song, lovely and lovingly rendered. It just wouldn’t be the same without his voice.

The Forbidden Planet is the new album by Tomorrow Comes The Harvest, featuring Rasheeda Ali. The album explores a wide range of electronic and acoustic improvisational conversations, creating expansive and constantly evolving sound landscapes.

The recording carries forward many of the qualities that have made Tomorrow Comes The Harvest so distinctive from its beginnings. The project originated through the percussive dialogue between Jeff Mills and the late Afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen. When thetwo creative forces first came together several years ago, what emerged was more than a collaboration or musical conversation. They opened a pathway-a way of creating through instinct, exchange, rhythm and freedom. That pathway continues to lead toward new horizons, and The Forbidden Planet is evidence of just how far it can travel.

The album is the result of an intricate creative process spanning nearly two years, connecting a series of recording sessions at notable studios including Criteria Studios in Miami, Soda Sound, and the legendary Studio Ferber in Paris, France.

The Forbidden Planet explores the more cerebral dimensions of the band's vast musical language. An idea is introduced, and almost immediately it begins to transform. Themes are questioned, reshaped and redirected as the musicians respond instinctively to one another.

As Tomorrow Comes The Harvest is known for, the performances were recorded largely through improvisation, often capturing the energy and spontaneity of an almost one-take process. These recordings were later carefully refined and shaped into the compositional structures heard throughout the album.

The creative seeds have been planted in fertile ground, allowing ideas to grow naturally and without restriction. In rhythm and in spirit, each musician contributes an essential voice to the conversation. Within that collective precision lies something even more important: a shared love of musical freedom and the possibility of creating without boundaries.

Prabhu Edouard - tabla and vocals
Jean-Phi Dary - keyboards
Jeff Mills - percussion and electronics

Featuring Rasheeda Ali on flute, with a special guest appearance by Laurent Vernerey on electric bass.

The Forbidden Planet will be released November 20th, 2026 on Axis Records on Double-Vinyl & CD + DVD. The DVD features selected live footage from Tomorrow Comes The Harvest, featuring Jeff Mills, Jean-Phi Dary, Prabhu Edouard and Rasheeda Ali.

Filmed & recorded live at London Jazz Café on September 27th, 2025, the footage captures highlights from the band's unique fusion of electronic music, jazz, percussion and improvisation.

The long-awaited vinyl re-issue of ‘Sunday At Devil Dirt’ from Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan.

Sunday At Devil Dirt is the second full-length collaboration between the former Belle & Sebastian member (Campbell) and Lanegan, the Screaming Trees frontman and part-time QOTSA vocalist.

Recorded between studios in the Catskills and Isobel's native Glasgow, Sunday At Devil Dirt is an album of dust bitten ballads and troubled wanderings, easily the equal of its predecessor. Again, Campbell and Lanegan complement each other beautifully, like silk on cracked leather. While continuing to mine the same rich seam of Alt-Country, Folk and Blues of their debut, the new record also embraces a dusty southern gothic, while a sultry, jazzy feel is evident on a number of tracks. As with their debut, the album has been written, produced and arranged by Isobel Campbell, with Lanegan providing lead vocal duties.

Eve 6 is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band Eve 6, originally released in 1998. The lead single and popular song "Inside Out" became a hit and reached #1 on the Modern Rock charts. Other singles include "Leech", "Superhero Girl", "Open Road Song" and "Tongue Tied", all contributing to the album's wide recognition.

The album was produced by Don Gilmore, known for his work with Linkin Park and Good Charlotte. Eve 6 became certified Platinum, selling over one million copies in the United States and achieved high positions on the Billboard charts, making it a hugely successful rock debut.

Eve 6 is available as a limited edition of 1500 numbered copies on yellow & white marble vinyl. The record comes in a deluxe sleeve finished with leather laminate and includes an insert with lyrics and liner notes.

Amazing Part 2. all groove, all dancefloor, no filler. across all four sides the mood stays the same, beautiful, groove first, dancing first. Nothing forced, nothing loud for the sake of it. Four artists, four classics, one record that just wants people moving

2026 Repress

Robag Wruhme, working on the material. On the very same piece. And performing two different movements. First, thinking in category Album: who will hear it where? also: mood, position, length. Second, thinking in category Maxisingle: a spinning-tool for the club – another form of another functionality: accelerating the rhythm, lowering the harmonicmelodious, still preserving the nature of the song. And each version should make you HOT for the other!
Nata Alma, a voice loses itself in the infinite, a car brakes, a horse whinnies, the sun scorches relentless. Further, further on, towards the flickering, stoically. Water, flames on the horizon, Fata Morgana, a mirage. »And you might say, we've got no place to go?« - okay? no notokay at all!: Shuffle!
Nata Alma, melancholic Eight-minute-forty. A love song, a wave good-bye: »And you might say, that you need me no more?« sings Sidsel Endresen alongside Bugge Wesseltoft's swells and ebb-aways – metal never sounded so longing; a buzzing swing, a siren call from afar.
Robag Wruhme takes a seat at the organ and plays minor bass notes. He gets up, leaves the room and lays down a dry rock of funk: wooden kick on wooden snare, tight-cut voices, driving hi-hats and shakers, gated synth danglers and percussion loops. Relentless, stoically. »And you might say, that it's over?« – relentless, maybe, but that's how he creates the Further: keep going! dance it off! a new day rising!
And right here. Flip it and keep on moving: Venq Tolep. A summer meadow, grass-stains, a gentle breeze, an early smell of hay. Venq Tolep. Endorphins tickle under the skin. A
percussive spectacle, dance of the insects. Hopping around in flat shoes, the beat is phat and reverberated by a cluster of trees. Stabs on the e-piano set in, picturing the euphoric moment when Loving-feelings walk hand-in-hand with a Hint of Melancholy.
Robag Wruhme, Nata Alma and Venq Tolep - music for dance floors, inside and outside, music for the summer, day and night, and for convertibles on the way there.

Spanning Portland, Bristol, London and beyond, Cold Light has evolved from a friends-and-family label into something stranger but more cohesive. It's a collective spanning Best Available Technology, Birthmark, Withdrawn, the wind between, CSNL and Rael, plus a wider orbit including Elaine Malone and Tony Onuchukwu. What began as a 2019 tour experiment and crystallised during lockdown into the Live at the Laundromat sessions has now fully matured into a singular sound rather than a patchwork of ideas. Dub sits at the centre, most clearly on the sprawling 'Fields in B', but the group folds in haunted boom-bap, gritty noise-rock and ghostly trip-hop with equal confidence. 'Riot' and 'I've Known Fires' both hover in that murky, half-familiar space the collective has made its own.

Strong Limited and hand numbered white Label! The second release on Observer’s imprint marks the project’s debut on vinyl, delivering four cuts of dub-leaning techno.

2026 Repress
Temudo - Meteora (FUSE06) by Noah Hocker

A leader of the Portuguese wave in techno co-founding Hayes Collective while boasting acclaimed releases on Klockworks, Blueprint, and Soma, Temudo grabs the reins to take club music back to its days of audacity and risk taking. A more than promising up-and-comer turned modern reference, Temudo defends his reputation with a release showcasing depth in his various sonic universes and a deep understanding of his music's history. For its seventh release, Temudo's 'Meteora' is a logical next step for the club's direction - a sweet spot between dancefloor efficiency and enduring aesthetic.

Combining the intrigue of mental soundscapes with the reliability of imposing rhythm, 'Meteora' finds itself collected, expressing effect through restraint. The title track, claiming the EP's A1, is just that - a force of interweaving sound design and powerful micro transitions. Some believe the best techno records are able to express emotion and attitude despite its dissonant and machinelike nature; if that's the case then Temudo has mastered the craft. 'When I Grow Up', however, puts the focus back on the body. What sounds like warbling tape modulation over a percussive lead makes this record an addictively delirious ride from start to finish, fitting in with the track before while shifting to different priorities. Proving his versatility, 'Vrthng' at first seems reminiscent of the minimal Berlin style with a higher pace, but quickly progresses into something intensely euphoric. With experience and measure, an out of the box approach can really pay off, and the added emotion in 'Vrthng' is certainly a turning point in the EP. This mindset is clearly carried over in the project's conclusion : 'It's Always Past'. A surprising use of harmony and storytelling, this final chapter ends with Temudo sealing his style with confidence. The track is mystified by its chords, ending 'Meteora' with a question mark that leaves us in anticipation for what Temudo dares to do next.

Ghost Dubs, real name Michael Fiedler, aka Jah Schulz, announces a rebirth with 'Damaged', his first album for The Bug's PRESSURE label..

Having recently dropped two criminally overlooked, experimental dub LPs, with his 'Dub Over Science' series, the German producer/bass specialist, now stretches his own parameters of outwardness still further, with these twelve fresh explorations of dub deviance. For those who feel the fusion of dub techno and ambient drone had creatively ended with the demise of the short lived, Berlin based Chain Reaction label. Ghost Dubs now upgrades, and extends that legendary blueprint's abstract methodology even further and deeper, floating away upon a wonderfully warm sea of hiss and static bliss. This is dub so atomized that it disintegrates within your eardrums. Its music, where the machines take over and virtually all traces of humanity are erased. But thankfully, the warmest soul still oozes seductively from the pores of Fiedler's robo riddims. Relentlessly hypnotic, seriously sedated, 'Damaged' celebrates the point of departure within it's mesmerising low end grooves. Album opener 'Chemical', provides an opiated slo-mo skank, which sounds like Plastikman's 'Consumed' era pulsations drenched heavily in sub aquatic fx. A triumph of surface noise surfing and sub woofer testing relentlessness, it provides the perfect intro to this compellingly immersive album. For batty shakers and headtrippers alike, there's added thrills aplenty, as Ghost Dub's richter scale tremor rhythms remain impressively massive, and the atmospheric depths of 'Damaged' appear tantalisingly oceanic. Throughout the duration of the dreamy selection, there is an obsessive balance of bewitching ambience and heavyweight bassbin shaking. The lead single 'Thin Line' itself provides a missing link between African Headcharge's early percussive body probes and Rhythm & Sound's addictive radiance, with the slightest hint of Burial's doomed romantic hauntology added for good taste. Alternately, and no less gracefully, 'Dub Lobotomy' bizarrely resembles Miles Davis 'Get Up with it' chopped, screwed, and relocated to a futuristic Kingston Town. Impressive indeed, Fiedler's mastery of live dubbing on his mixing desk shines accross the duration, and gives the album an improvised edge, and sense of peripheral chaos. Elsewhere, spooked steppars('Hot Wired'), haunting house ('True to life') and 4th World psychogeography('Undone'), combine to ensure there is a forever changing mixture of flavours percolating within the admirable consistancy of the overall sound.

With a tip of the cap, and nod of the head to Pole('Second Thoughts'), its no surprise then that PRESSURE would then turn to the great, Berlin based producer Stefan Betke, to master/cut this collection at his infamous Scape mastering room. And a fine job he did too, as high quality sound and levels are definitely maintained throughout.

If you like your melodies submerged, your dub narcotic, your basslines obese, and your beats evaporating, 'Damaged' provides the perfect prescription and entry point into Ghost Dub's spectral soundworld.

2026 Repress in White Vinyl
There are few people across the globe, who will have not been touched by the work of Frankie Knuckles. Forever regarded as ‘The Godfather of House’. A Grammy Award winner, Frankie had a street in Chicago named after him where the old Warehouse once stood to commemorate the first ever Frankie Knuckles Day on 25th August 2004. Five years ago, Frankie passed away in Chicago on 31st March 2014 leaving behind one of the greatest house music legacies spanning almost four decades.

Now he is commemorated once again by long time writing and production partner Eric Kupper who will release part II of the special commemorative album on vinyl around this date. Eric, himself a seasoned DJ producer and writer, working side by side with Frankie on many his seminal classics, as well as personally working on over 116 Billboard #1 Dance Records. Having both worked together for many years they established themselves at ‘Director’s Cut’ from 2011 and set about producing original releases and remixes based on the classic ‘Def Mix’ sound while sharing equal credits for their creations.

The album features some of Directors Cut’s best works with the Re-Directed version of the seminal classic ‘Baby Wants To Ride’ plus their re rubs of Inaya Day, Sybil, Hardsoul and Lou Rawls - You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine (Kenny Summit, Frankie Knuckles & Eric Kupper Unreleased Anthem).

This album is to be released in collaboration with The Frankie Knuckles Foundation who work to continue Frankie’s legacy whilst focusing on music in schools, LGBTQ youth homelessness, AIDS research / prevention & diabetes research / education.

Finnish-American producer Tin Man aka Johannes Auvinen has spent much of his career updating 80s Chicago acid house for a new era and on 2006's now reissued 'Love Sex Acid', the three 303-driven cuts recall the acid work of Laurent Garnier and Ludovic Navarre. 'Falling Acid' opens with a gloomy intro before building into clattering snares and a slowly intensifying 303 wig out. 'Let's Do It Acid' writhes hypnotically with a snake-like bassline and a haunting whispered sample, while 'Love And Sex Acid' leans into deep house, with tasty electric piano licks over acid textures. A still well-crafted new take on acid's roots that hasn't aged in the 20 years since the revered Finnish label Sahko first issued it.

B-Side and Sucka Timmy make music together as SuckaSide and take care of the A-side of this new 7" from their own label. It finds them bravely approaching a rework of a stone-cold soul classic, 'Somebody Else's Guy' (SuckaSide remix) and the first thing they do is lean into the lung-busting vocal, serving it up with some raw chords before letting a funky disco-house groove unravel below. LROY then steps up win the flip with 'Happy Sugar', a funky-ass and wobbly jam with acrobatic vocal turns and tin-pot percussion. It's a fun vibe with tons of character and, like the flip, is a great tool to have in the arsenal.

180 GR returns with the third and final chapter of Music & Territory from N-Zino, continuing his exploration of groove, rhythm, and deep-rooted dancefloor music through a record balancing organic textures with timeless club sensibilities. The 180 GR Classic Mix of Your X leans towards the label's signature dancefloor language: stripped-back, hypnotic, and groove-driven, built around rolling rhythms and functional energy. In contrast, the 180 GR Organic Mix opens the arrangement into warmer and more textured territories, emphasizing musicality, movement, and a more immersive atmosphere. On remix duties, Trinidadian Deep delivers his signature spiritual approach -- deep, meditative, and richly textured -- stretching the source material into immersive territories built for late-night moments. Meanwhile, Nico Lahs brings his unmistakable blend of raw groove, jazz-infused house aesthetics, and driving rhythm sections, injecting extra energy while preserving the emotional core of the originals.

Cold, Bold & Together (CBT) CBT was founded in Bellingham, Washington in 1971 by percussionist Tony Gable and musicians Solomon Harris, Keith Hooks and twin brothers TC & Jamar Jenkins. It soon became evident that Bellingham was not a particularly welcoming environment for R&B music, so they moved to Seattle to try their luck and plumb the rich supply of venues, which they successfully did until disbanding in 1978. They spent their early Seattle years playing a combination of covers and originals in clubs, later becoming the "go to" opening act for various nationally known artists, such as Ohio Players, Kool and the Gang and Earth, Wind & Fire. While they were paying their club circuit and opening act dues, they squeezed in recording sessions whenever they could and released their own material, which was well-received and got strong regional airplay. However, because of the feudal nature of the music business at the time, they just couldn't break out, and like a lot of Northwest bands with great potential, they inevitably broke up and went their separate ways. Upon disbanding, they left behind a collection of original recordings at Seattle's legendary Kaye-Smith studios.

Unfortunately for CBT, the studio passed through several owners and at some unknown point in time, one of them did the unforgivable and destroyed the storied studio inventory of two-inch tapes and quarter-inch masters. Unknown to the band, a copy of their masters was smuggled out by their producer who added them to his legacy collection of cloned quarter-inch masters. After several years and many moves, he became concerned about the tendency for magnetic tape to deteriorate over time.

He sent the tapes to a Seattle lab to be restored and digitized, with the hope that perhaps, some day, they might be made available for the listening pleasure of R&B fans. The hoped-for day has finally arrived. Russell Paine and Super Disco Edits has pressed two of the Kaye-Smith CBT tracks: "Go For It", a jazz-influenced instrumental, featuring Kenny G, and "Unity", sung by the group en masse with Tony Gable singing lead. The musicians on these tracks are: Tony Gable, leader, vocals and percussion Harry Alexander, drums Kenny Gorelick (now world-renowned "Kenny G"), sax, flute and horn arrangements Chris Ishi, trumpet Michael Young, Trombone Jamar Jenkins guitar, vocals TC Jenkins bass, vocals 1 Philip Woo, keyboards Footnotes: CBT gave legendary saxophonist Kenny G his start in the music business. Kenny was still in high school when he was recruited to play sax and write horn arrangements. Kenny co-wrote, arranged and played sax and flute on the instrumental "Go For It." He rips a smoking tenor sax solo in the middle, which showcases his already masterful technique and solidifies his R&B bona fides. He went on to have a spectacular career recording for Clive Davis and Arista Records. Before his untimely passing in 2016, Tony Gable went on to found contemporary Jazz group, "Tony Gable and 206" (206 being Seattle's then only area code). With songwriting, performance and production help from Kenny G.

Unlock the allure of The Hot Spot through its unforgettable soundtrack, a captivating collection that brings the film's sultry ambiance to life.

Set against the backdrop of a small Texas town, The Hot Spot follows Harry Madox, a charming drifter with a dark past. As he arrives in town, he becomes embroiled in a web of seduction and deceit, navigating his way through a love triangle involving the sultry waitress, Gloria, and the alluring femme fatale, Dolly. Tensions rise and passions ignite, leading to a thrilling climax where desire and danger intertwine. Directed by the visionary Dennis Hopper, the film is a masterclass in mood and atmosphere, capturing the essence of 1990s neo-noir.

The Hot Spot has garnered acclaim for its stylish cinematography and gripping narrative, but it's the music that truly sets it apart. It's an amalgamation of swampy blues, jazz and rock — all mixed and recorded in a sparse, bloomy and eerie sort of way.

Critics hailed the soundtrack as "an electrifying fusion of jazz and blues that perfectly complements the film's seductive undertones." The blend of sultry melodies and haunting instrumentals creates an immersive experience that resonates long after the credits roll.

This recording is just so damn fine, so airy and warm. And the musicians aboard on this Dennis Hopper film are a who's who, including Miles Davis, John Lee Hooker, Taj Mahal, Roy Rodgers, Earl Palmer and Tim Drummond. This has long been a highly sought-after and collectible record among audiophiles. This soundtrack is essential for any music lover or film buff, capturing the very essence of the film's seductive spirit.

Mike D will release his debut album Thank You on August 28, marking the first full length offering of new music from a Beastie Boys alum since 2011. Tracing its origins back to a series of zero-pressure, experimental recording sessions at Mike’s home studio, the album features a dozen servings of sonically inventive post-electronic grooves and hypnotic hooks that find Mike D’s unmistakable voice leading the listener through an aural playground that defies categorization. Pressed on purple vinyl.

Mike D will release his debut album Thank You on August 28, marking the first full length offering of new music from a Beastie Boys alum since 2011. Tracing its origins back to a series of zero-pressure, experimental recording sessions at Mike’s home studio, the album features a dozen servings of sonically inventive post-electronic grooves and hypnotic hooks that find Mike D’s unmistakable voice leading the listener through an aural playground that defies categorization. Pressed on clear vinyl.

Nail is one of our favourite house artists. He was a key player in the 90s, not least with Nottinghman's DiY, then disappeared for many years before returning a decade or so again. Since then he has kept on turning out unique house jams (there have been tens of them by his and others on his latest label in the last six months) and now curates the first volume of House Fire Records material for his In The Dance label. This compilation brings together his aliases Scorpio Parish, DJ XE0re, George F, Peoples Inc. and Five Bagonag. The grooves are killer, the production perfectly undercooked, the swing often central to everything.

Scottish producer and label owner Graham Wilson signals a new phase for Seventh Sign Recordings with a four-track EP that blends Detroit techno roots with bright European electronic colours. Across the release, Wilson moves between pulsing four-on-the-floor rhythms, analogue basslines, crisp drum-machine percussion and shimmering synth work. "Mode" opens with an energetic, uplifting drive with steady kicks, pulsing bass and bright synth leads shaped with clean, modern production and side-chained pads. "Oberheim' follows with warm analogue textures, arpeggiated lines and optimistic pads, carrying a classic synth-wave feel while keeping a tight, Detroit-leaning groove. "Are You There" pushes into tense, atmospheric territory: rising pads, crisp hi-hats and a pumping bassline build momentum, giving the track a spacious, late-night techno edge. Closing cut "Parallel Lives" shifts into retro-futurist mode, neon-lit and melodic, evoking 80s energy and nocturnal late night drives. All in, a strong, forward-looking EP that connects machine-soul heritage with modern electronic clarity, ushering a fresh chapter for Seventh Sign.

Teemon and Poomba go looking for light in the darkness on their new EP “Hopeless.” The Madrid duo have a knack for dragging nostalgic sounds into the present, and this release is no exception. With equal parts Hi-NRG euphoria and dark disco dread, the four tracks feel like a glitchy transmission beamed in from another decade, or perhaps another galaxy…

The title track, “Hopeless,” sends us hurtling down a wormhole. Powered by a cavernous bass, we are propelled through kick drums, warp effects and sparkly synths, while a distant voice calls at us through the darkness.

Iranian producer Amirali takes “Hopeless” somewhere a little lighter with his remix, easing the intensity down before letting it slowly climb again. His version foregrounds the track’s earworm synth line and builds on it, layering and expanding on the vocal line until it sounds celestial. Amirali’s skills as a classically trained pianist feel reflective here in his compositional approach.

If “Hopeless” is the wormhole down, then “Moon Connections” is what’s waiting on the other side. The track leans heavily into sharp, percussive sounds that form a grounding contrast to the high synths that glitter above. With a spoken word line that sounds like it’s being transmitted through a space-age radio and enough deep warp effects to get lost in, this B side sends us to the stars.

Closing things out, the Eagles & Butterflies remix of Moon Connections brings us down to earth. Chill, deep-house adjacent and with a hint of Daft Punk in its DNA, it wraps a heavily filtered guitar line around a softened groove built for the comedown – the sound of the sun coming up on the last people left on the floor.

Moving In Silence welcomes AI Robot for its third release, balancing driving grooves and deep atmospheres, the Bucharest based dj/producer crafts four underground hits that will not leave the bag.

DJ Support: Glenn Underground, Crazy P, Terry Farley, Aroop Roy, Chris Coco, Frank Tope, Greg Wilson, Dom Servini, Francois K, Max Essa, Oliver Dollar, Pete Herbert and many more

Danny Ward’s Balaphonic project, one of many the long-serving performer, producer, percussionist, drummer and DJ has utilised over a career spanning over three decades, has evolved considerably since his first release under the alias 11 years ago. Conceived as a platform to explore his love of Afro-Cuban and Brazilian musical culture, it gathered new impetus during lockdown and the recording of superb first album Resolution Revolutions, which fused these influences with nods to Balearica, dub, dancehall and deep house.

On the Organic Matters EP, Ward’s follow-up to that critically acclaimed set, the Balaphonic musical universe has expanded once more, with the Manchester native showcasing a wealth of eye-catching collaborations and an even more intricately layered and sonically detailed sound rich in live percussion and instrumentation. It’s an ambitious and widescreen musical vision wrapped in sun-soaked melodies, morning-fresh motifs and simmering, sunset-friendly soundscapes.

The dizzying new heights scaled by Ward on Organic Matters is evident from the opening bars of ‘Dew Drops’, a piece created in unison with internationally renowned composer and arranger Robin Dewhirst. Between them, the pair have conjured up a yearning, life-affirming samba shuffler where picturesque piano, xylophone and balafon melodies rise above Ward’s dense, layered Latin percussion and warming bass.

Next, Ward delivers a thrillingly different take on his 2005 composition ‘Switch’, featuring legendary Brazilian jazz vocalist Flora Purim and her equally talented daughter Diana Moreira Booker. Whereas that was a jazzy deep house workout, Ward’s Balaphonic re-make is a shuffling, gentle exploration in 7/4 time – a heartfelt tribute to the Brazilian records with which Purim first made her name in the 1960s and ‘70s.

‘Balaventurers’ sees Ward join forces with an old friend from the North-West scene, R.S.L founder Joe Botham AKA Baleardelica – a multi-instrumentalist and producer whose Flamenco-inspired acoustic guitar motifs provided the starting point for another vividly colourful exploration rich in layered vocalisations, twinkling keys and impeccably arranged percussion.

It’s followed by ‘Life of Strings’, a more up-tempo and dancefloor-leaning excursion written and recorded alongside Amsterdam-based violinist, and composer Katya Gabeli. While Ward’s percussion-rich groove provides propulsion and a rock-solid foundation, it’s Gabeli’s evocative string arrangement that provides the focal point and emotional resonance. It’s a genuinely brilliant collaboration.

To round off a second stunning Balaphonic release on NuNorthern Soul, Ward delivers two simmering, slow-motion delights: the Afro-Cuban rhythms, cascading melodies and melodic percussion motifs of ‘Boxfresh’, and stunning EP closer ‘Home’ – an almost overwhelmingly poignant and beautiful number that gently ebbs and flows on waves of tracked piano, dreamy chords and a comforting sense of closure. It’s a genuinely sublime conclusion to another wonderful Balaphonic release.

Originally released in 2023, this highly sought-after release finally gets its much-needed repress in 2026. Original copies are already exchanging hands on Discogs for £50+, so make sure you grab this while you can — before the Discogs sharks get their grubby mitts on it!

Two Cold, a name synonymous with the number two and of course, ice cold beats. Even though the London based brothers haven’t actually released any music yet, their coming has been foretold by a growing chill that has permeated the dance music stratosphere.

Legs beginning to quiver and shake? That’s Two Cold.

Hips involuntarily gyrating in an attempt to stay warm? Two Cold.

Jaw chattering like maracas? It’s those frosty boys, you’d better believe it.

If you like your dance music to take you on a psychedelic journey through time and space, the DESERT LEATHER EP is for you.Winding passages that explore breaks, bleeps, bass and beyond. Genre defying influences snatched from every dimension of the dance diaspora.

Inescapable body-rocking beats that echo through your very bones so hard that even your ancestors have a boogie.

The DESERT LEATHER EP will expand your mind to the very edge of the horizon, where earth and sky meet and where all laws of nature are meaningless.

Two lads
Wicked beats
Original styles

Clever boys
Original styles… wait I said that already
Lots of bass
Delightful melodies

Two - as in there are two of them

Cold - as in their beats are ice cold

PAPv006 delivers a refined blend of groove-led cuts primed for deep dancefloor moments. Max Kion opens the A-side with 'Revival', a warm, rolling track that builds momentum through subtle progression and soulful energy. On the B-side, the MYOB Rework of Groove P's 'Are They Real' injects a fresh, driving twist into the original, layering hypnotic rhythms with a crisp, modern edge. Closing the release, 'He's Mine' leans into deeper textures and late-night moods, rounding out the record with confidence and style. PAPv006 stands as a versatile addition for selectors seeking depth, movement, and understated power.

Diese Doppel-Vinyl-Compilation lädt ein in die warme, entspannte Welt des Lo-Fi-Sounds - eine Musik, die entschleunigt, Atmosphäre schafft und Nähe erzeugt. Versammelt sind prägende Künstler des Genres, die Lo-Fi, Downtempo, Jazz-Einflüsse und elektronische Gelassenheit miteinander verbinden. Mit Beiträgen von FKJ, Darius, Kid Loco, St Germain, The Mighty Bop, DJ Cam, DJ Spinna und weiteren wichtigen Namen entsteht ein vielschichtiges Panorama zwischen organischen Grooves, sanften Beats und subtilen Melodien. Die Auswahl richtet sich gleichermaßen an langjährige Liebhaber wie an neue Hörer, die Lo-Fi als eigenständige, zeitlose Form elektronischer Musik entdecken möchten. Ein stimmiger, sorgfältig kuratierter Sampler für entspannte Hörsituationen, stilbewusste Sets und alle, die elektronische Musik lieber fühlen als konsumieren. ENGThis double-vinyl compilation invites listeners into the warm, comforting world of lo-fi music - a sound defined by relaxed rhythms, organic textures and understated emotion. Featuring leading artists of the genre, the collection blends downtempo beats, jazz influences and laid-back electronic production. With tracks by FKJ, Darius, Kid Loco, St Germain, The Mighty Bop, DJ Cam, DJ Spinna and others, the album offers a broad yet coherent overview of lo-fi aesthetics. It appeals both to seasoned listeners and newcomers seeking a timeless, atmosphere-driven listening experience. A carefully curated selection designed for calm moments, focused listening and stylish musical environments

Please can someone please give me a better word for Sexy? Because the thesaurus is giving me ick...Send help because this is a SEXY record – and (football analogy incoming) – a sexy summer signing....

Yes, that’s right ODF’s summer transfer to the Shall Not Fade main label is complete. ‘The Rhythm Grooves’ makes a hat trick of 12”s for us after the UK OTW producer’s double sell out EPs ‘Deep Step’& ‘Rock With Me’ on our Time is Now imprint. The UKG and grooving breaks specialist has been developing his game and steps into House territory for something of a statement EP and we’re (hot and) here for it. Since launching his own On Da Floor label last year ODF has been on a tear and this record perfectly encapsulates why. Four double threat tracks that can be weaponised both as main stage WMDs or as deadly 3am tickets to another place....

This invisible dichotomy is most clearly on show in title track & A side opener ‘The Rhythm Grooves’ is equal parts hot under the collar and hands in the air. Deep and sexy house but with a stepping baseline and a big vocal. ‘Free Your Soul’ stays deep, a swung jacking house cut with big M1 stabs and piano riffs and cheeky breakbeat breakdowns. That palette is timeless and there’s every reason this track will be too.

The B-side leans more into sweaty room & heads down territory but just like before there’s that double threat and we’ve seen both these tracks go off in big rooms at peak time. ‘Back to Mine’ calls back to that sweet spot in the early 2000s with French Touch inspired tech house was dominating Ibiza...Sleazy and sunbaked? Check. But what we didn't realise was missing w as some Accieeeed. Big shout from ODF there.. ‘Do You Feel Me?’ closes out in celebratory style. A proper tech house tool complete
with chugging bassline and more sexy breathy vocals. It’s the after hours roller.

A serious note to close, because I don’t want the playfulness of this press release to make you overlook this (sexy) EP as it’s appeal is more than skin deep. Having sat with – and lusted over –these tracks for a while I can tell you that they just get better (and hotter) with every outing. The Rhythm Grooves is out 28th August 2026 on Shall Not Fade.

For this second volume of UK ELECTRONICS, we’ve once again selected, here at Delodio, some of our favourite tracks from Mindscan Tapes, an English DIY label active from 1988 to 1994, run by Robert Maycock, a young Englishman with an extraordinary ear.. Its Beatronic and UK Electronics compilations brought together electro, early techno, ambient, experimental, house and industrial music at a time when most labels stayed within clearly defined genres.

Here at Delodio, we are amazed by the contrast between the quality of these cassettes and the label’s extremely underground nature: its best-selling title has barely sold 30 copies.

More than a compilation, the album is a tribute to the artists involved, Robert’s artistic vision, and the pre-internet DIY culture that connected music obsessives through mail, flyers and home-copied cassettes.

A snapshot of an era when a young Englishman spent his dole money bringing unheard music into the world.

Nach zwölf Jahren meldet sich Morten Harket, die unverkennbare Stimme von a-ha, mit seinem bisher persönlichsten Soloalbum zurück. Human Grace ist ein tiefgründiges, intimes Album, das den gewohnten Stadion-Sound a-ha’s gegen organische, emotionale Klänge tauscht. Von Harket selbst als „Feier des Lebens“ beschrieben, entstand das Album in enger Zusammenarbeit mit langjährigen musikalischen Weggefährten und seiner Familie – darunter berührende Gastbeiträge seiner Töchter Tomine und Karmen Harket.

Aura Safari are taking it back to the source with new album Spaced Out Disco on Hell Yeah. The eight-track record is inspired by the iconic sound, feel and studio techniques of the original 1970s disco and was played entirely live with real instruments.

Aura Safari are Andrea Moretti, Lorenzo Lavoratori, Daniele Melloni and Nicholas Iammatteo, and they have been releasing EPs, LPs and remixes on this label since 2020. They have long been entrenched in the local scene of Perugia and are live specialists with a unique chemistry that allows them to translate funk, jazz, soul, disco and house into their own timeless and universal musical language.

Integral to the album is the live performance aspect. All the band members hooked up in the studio and played together, often laying down tunes in one take and then adding some post-production for a modern edge. Disco, dub, jazz-funk and instrumental grooves define the sounds while the creative use of classic delay, echo, spacey FX and dubbed out arrangements lead the record the same Jamaican character that inspired original dub-disco pioneers like Arthur Russell, the Compass Point Studio and labels like Prelude and West End.

'Starlove' opens with low-slung grooves and squelchy bass that twist you inside out before 'Spaced Out' shimmers with astral melodies and synths that rise like a rocket disappearing into the night sky. Funky claps and flashes of Dexter Wansel-inspired soul complete the picture, while 'Santa Barbara' eases the pace with a brain-bending dub workout full of weighty low-end and warm, sun-kissed chords. 'Cosmic Affair' lives up to its name, gliding through the galaxy on uplifting guitars and slinky drums, all wrapped in irresistible retro-futurist magic and lit by the moon.

'Disco Mirage' turns inward with simmering bass, dusty open hi-hats and hazy synth trails drifting through effervescent jazz keys that rise like champagne bubbles. 'Magik Space Dust' stretches towards the stars with soaring leads and knotted bass locked into an effortless groove.

Spaced Out Disco does exactly what it promises and plots a richly imagined journey that never stops looking towards the stars while keeping its feet firmly on the dancefloor.

“Nothing grows in the shadow of great trees,” said Constantin Brancusi when leaving Auguste Rodin’s studio. The same holds true in music, as Richard Raux’s journey proves. At the end of 1970, after recording the debut album of the legendary band Magma, which he co-founded, Raux set out to explore new musical horizons. Under the names Faarmadin and later Hamsa, he crafted a sound deeply rooted in jazz and improvisation, yet daringly open to experimentation.


A devoted admirer of Charlie Parker, Raux played bebop alongside René Urtreger and performed with Bernard Lubat’s Percussion Expérience. Jazz is a cornerstone of Hamsa’s iconoclastic approach, blending seamlessly with psychedelic and progressive rock, and the rich musical traditions of Madagascar, where Raux spent his formative years.


Hamsa is as much a personal endeavor as it is a “family affair.” Alongside his brother Patrice on guitar, Raux brought together a circle of friends—Alain Lecointe (double bass), Jean-Lou Besson (drums), John Faure (guitar), and Alain Pistre (percussion)—to record at the iconic Château d'Hérouville, just outside Paris, at the end of 1974. Yet the spirit of Hamsa is deeply Malagasy, rooted in the village of Andranomadio, which gives its name to the album’s opening track: a vibrant explosion of percussion and color. Africa’s presence resonates throughout the record, whether invoking Brotherhood of Breath (Chris McGregor) on “Johanna,” the Malagasy-infused work of Jef Gilson, or paying homage to John Coltrane’s Africa.


Far from being “just another fusion,” Raux’s music dazzles and transports. The saxophone-guitar unison on “Ahiri Lalita” captivates, the vocals of “Fahamadina” sweep you away, and the manifesto of “L’exploité” hits hard—yet with a liberating warmth. Sunshine and joy shine through on the album’s closing track, “Cultivate the Garden of Your Heart” (with Alby Cullaz on double bass and Jean Padovani on drums), capturing the ethos of Richard Raux and Hamsa—and now, ours too.

Often credited as the father of multi-media theatre, Alwin Nikolais (1910-1993) took complete creative control over his productions - including cutting-edge approaches to lighting and costume that transformed human bodies into shifting sculptural shapes, while also composing wildly innovative electro-acoustic and synth-based audio as accompaniment.

After initially experimenting with musique concrète and tape manipulation (as demonstrated on the 1959 LP Choreosonic Music of the New Dance Theatre of Alwin Nikolais) Nikolais became the first owner of Robert Moog's synthesizer at the Audio Engineering Society convention in New York in late 1964. Relying heavily on the Moog and later the Synclavier synth/sampler, these 21 tracks document Nikolais' highly-prescient compositions across the mid 1960s through to the late 1980s - existing not only as extensions of his other-worldly choreographic productions, but standalone pieces of foundational mid-century American electronic and experimental music.

"Born in Southington, Connecticut in 1910, Nikolais’s early years and early career were in acting, music and puppetry. It was not until the late 1930s that he began his work as dancer/choreographer in Hartford, Connecticut, where he was commissioned by the Avery Memorial Theatre, a part of the Wadsworth Atheneum, to create an evening-length work to the music of Ernst Krenek. Previously his work and study as a pianist-organist found him accompanying silent films. This sort of accompaniment required from the musician not only a playing skill but also a versatility in improvisation, matching movement to sound, and evoking mood to situation.

Nik was drawn initially to dance by his involvement with the percussion scores used by the illustrious early twentieth century German dancer Mary Wigman. In trying to learn more about percussion, he was lured into dance class and thus his career began. His development of music and dance occurred simultaneously. His introduction to the twelve-tone technique opened his mind to the expanding areas of atonal music, and his dealing with music as sound per se. In 1948, after being appointed director of the Henry Street Playhouse in New York, Nikolais formed the Playhouse Dance Company, later known as the Nikolais Dance Theater, and began his aesthetic orientation toward dance as a study of motion. By the 1950s, he had ceased creating literal dances and began his explorations and eventual milieu as an abstractionist.

Sound became an important part of his abstract theatre. For his first dances, which involved his new thinking of dance as both a visual and kinetic art, he used live percussion scores in which he directed his dancers to play instruments of all nature. There was a combination of children’s toy instruments as well as harsh and resonant automobile brake drums, and other pitched auto parts which he also used to accompany classes. Once he installed his own tape recording machines, he quickly used the limited range these instruments provided in a new way, slowing and increasing speed and reversing sound. He also made the sounds adhere to the choreographic structure (not the other way around), thereby giving the dance its independence from the musical phrasing. But the real need remained: the search for new sound. Nik made a sound library, recording noises and percussion and vocal sounds, which the French aptly called musique concrète. Needless to say, he became a master at splicing bits and pieces.

From 1956 to 1962 Nikolais composed eleven major scores for his theatre pieces using such techniques. In 1963, James Seawright, who at the time was assisting Nik in his productions and also working at the Columbia-Princeton Center for Electronic Music, recorded a sound bank for the production Imago (1963). With this material, Nikolais created his first synthesizer score. Imago won the Paris Grand Prix in 1968 and launched the Nikolais Dance Theatre towards its national and primarily international acclaim.

During the same period, Seawright came to Nik and told him of a young man who had invented and constructed a simplified synthesizer and insisted that Nik visit the electronic fair currently being held in New York. Nik did so and met Robert Moog. He was completely taken by the new machine and after making some suggestions to Moog, (which Moog made), Nik bought the inventor’s first machine with the aid of a Guggenheim Fellowship. Moog himself was astonished by what his machine could produce for Nik. This machine was later acquired by the Museum of Musical Instruments at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor as the first Moog synthesizer. The Synclavier was Nik’s next source of sound and since the mid-1970s remained the major instrument in the Nikolais soundroom.

Alwin Nikolais has been honored and awarded throughout the world. He has received the French Legion of Honor, the Kennedy Center Honors, National Medal of the Arts, two Guggenheim Fellowships, as well as Mellon, Ford, and Rockefeller grants. He has been a recipient of NEA grants since 1966, been awarded five honorary doctorates, all for his remarkable achievements in Dance Theater. His genius has influenced several generations of artists."
—Murray Louis