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Next up on the ever-eclectic XVI Records, a shadowy figure steps into the spotlight: enter the mysterious Captain Over, whose dark yet soulful bruk-infused tracks soundtrack the next stage of their voyage towards the sun. For his debut outing, Captain Over calls on the abstract vocal stylings of the legendary Trim (Roll Deep, 1800 Dinosaur) on opening track 'SICK'.

Showcasing why he's one of the most iconic and forward-thinking MC's to grace the mic, Trim's dulcet tones twist through a jungle of shuffled beats and subterranean sub-bass, an eerie child-like melody drifting overhead.

Clack Clack and No One Ever Really Flies inhabit a more dancefloor friendly space, their unique syncopation, fierce instrumentation and relentless energy open up the dancefloor for some real get loose moments.

On the remix, they hand the controls over to XVI homestay Books (following on from the success of his previous 'Feel It In My Bones' and 'High Praise Edits Vol 1' releases which won praise from the likes of The Black Madonna, Moodymann, Gilles Peterson and Seven Davis Jr) Books expertly crafts a cosmic footwork jam, full of his trademark soulful chords and eerie midnight saxophone licks.

As he prepares to launch his forthcoming EP 'No-One Every Really Flies' into the cosmos ; Captain Over is beginning to cement his place as one to watch in the UK underground - a sequel EP featuring grime upstart Nico Lindsay is scheduled for release later in the year, with several more collaborative works in progress.
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People of Earth proudly presents Warren Harris aka Hanna.
Blessing us with a 4 track EP titled "From the Dark Sky". Delivering his signature bass licks and providing us with a vocal track on top of it all in "Last Forever". Hints of jazz, gospel and straight deep house throughout the record, all beautiful, uplifting and full of purpose.

"After a deceptively quite 2017, Especial picks up the pace pace by welcoming back the peroxide, youth filled Fairplay (re)version and a 2nd EP of old-skool-meets-the-new-school flavoured House and Breaks to lock, jock and spin.

After the criminally overlooked 'How Do You Like Me Now' EP - how is Classic Version not a...classic...version - Junior gets back on the (lino) floor. The EP starts with a look north to the 'other city of 7 hills' that birthed a Warp'd British retake on House in his bleep-dub ode, End Of Love. The autobiographical title belies a forward approach with his trademark echobox kick'n'hats underpinning uplifting keys and nodding bleep finger solo.

Who to join the party then, than another man of mystery, Roy Of The Ravers. After his debut EP on sister label Emotional Response became a most played from Aphex et al, it is only right bring him to E'Special. His brooding, hoover rush Remix 1 heightens the vibes with a heads down bleeping half-steppa. Righteous!

The flip is given over to Junior's roots, bringing the hip-hopper back with the anthemic The Shazsquatch Goes Back Into The Woods. No shoc(k) horror here, just more upwardly mobile breakbeat meets UK techno licks. You can hear Fairplay at one with man and machine, pushing a sound that looks back but most definitely goes forward with 'Sunrise' on the mind.

To close is the swagger of EP title cut, Faxes From The Future. Hair of the (black) dog fuses a swinging break with proto-dub-meets-Giallo stylings to rework the senses and say, now is (still) the time!

A return to making the noise while keeping tongue planted firmly in cheek. What are u like Top. Buzz."

Following two previous excursions into degraded tape loops, fuzzed-out ambience and bittersweet moments of tenderness, O$VMV$M return to Idle Hands to complete a trilogy of LPs with 12 vignettes from the underbelly of the Bristol scene.

Bound to Young Echo's ever-swelling cult of wayward sonics, individually Amos 'Jabu' Childs and Sam 'Neek' Barrett have plenty of irons in the fire. Childs deals in forlorn, vocal-led introspection alongside Alex Rendall and Jasmine Butt as Jabu, while Barrett can be found laying down punishing modern grime variations alongside Kahn, or delving into more traditional soundsystem sonics in Gorgon Sound. Meanwhile the pair were clearly heard laying down some of the tones that seep out of the uncredited Young Echo collective LP from earlier this year. Their production work behind Rider Shafique's killerLion7" on Lavalava was unmissable, and their blunted beats behind Manonmars' debut LP are awaited with anticipation.

As O$VMV$M, the pair enter a particular sound world that mixes cosy nostalgia with creeping dread. Even at its most mellow, a sense of unease hovers beneath the surface, and that's what makes their approach so compelling. The sound palette is broad, from pitch-shifted RnB vocal licks to foggy trumpets crawling at half speed, but over it all a dense blanket of dust gives the sensation of peering back through time.

Putting paid to the idea that immersive music needs to be long and drawn out, the dose response on these condensed mood capsules is quick and strong. In a little over 20 minutes O$VMV$M take you far and wide. The trip over the past three LPs has been an adventure for both label and artists - Sam and Amos have shaped out a style that now feels like a fully formed entity independent of their other ventures. We look forward to seeing where O$VMV$M heads from here.

Keshavara debuts on FILM.

Taking it's influence from downtempo Alt-Pop and Hip Hop, but with nods to blissed out Dub and World Music - the Indian producer arrives on the Berlin based label with Creators of The Rain. Danny Wolfers takes control on the flip - turning in a gorgeous, transcendental remix under his Legowelt alias.

Live instrumentation provides the backbone of the work - dusty drums drive the music forward, complemented by shifting dub-guitar leads, off kilter bassline licks and delayed drum machine breaks. Singer Gio's vocals sit com-fortably at the back of the mix, soft but inviting - present but realised with a distinctly otherworldly energy. There's a fine, organic feel to the recording - ambient surface noise shifts and warps between elements, and live FX pop and duck in and amongst instrument strikes giving the work a rolling, hypnotic feel. It's a deep and fully realised piece of music - wonderfully three dimensional in it's execution, and a striking homage to the artist's wide frame of refer-ence.

On his remix, legendary synthesiser enthusiast Legowelt draws for a characteristically Sci-Fi finish, in keeping with the best of celebrated output for Clone, L.I.E.S., Creme Organisation and more. Maintaining the tempo of the origi-nal piece, but augmenting the work with a growling Reece bassline and hazy lead synths, the Dutch producer care-fully shifts Keshvara's recording up a gear. Where Creators of The Rain began life as a grooving, Hip Hop indebted piece of World Music - immediate but markedly laid-back in it's execution - Danny Wolfers injects a more anthemic, uplifting sentiment, highlighting the dub elements with a delayed drum machine line and pushing the vocals back with a touch of reverb to give his glorious synth-work space to breathe. It's a wonderful take on an already accom-plished piece of music; respectful but inspired - and no doubt some of the Hardware Occultist's finest work.

Following on from their 'Ususmood' EP in February, Finnish duo Shuffless return to Paris based record store and distribution company Synchrophone this May to deliver the enigmatic 'Puoliaskel'.

Taking inspiration from music, nature and the elements that surround them, Jukka Hänninen and Mika Hanka aka Shuffless have quickly garnered the attention of many within house and techno since making their production debut in 2016. Written at the Vislampi Studio, located in Ruutana City, Finland, using a combination of hardware gear from the likes of Roland, Korg and Arturia, here we see the duo reveal their latest work with four diverse and expansive cuts set for release this Spring as they return to Syncrophone's in-house imprint. Opening up the EP, Hänninen and Hanka fluently introduce 'Chi', a complex and evolving cut that effortlessly fuses deep, rich chords, and delicate, skipping hi-hats, before easing into the flowing groove of 'Lahti' with its jazz-tinged melodies and heady tones guiding the production into lighter territories.

On the flip, 'Nime Ñvailla' introduces a matrix of hazy textures amongst crunchy percussion licks and dubbed out atmospherics as the duo return to deeper, darker realms, before title cut 'Puollaskel' punctuates the package in classy fashion, laying down gritty analog percussion, resounding kicks and subtly programmed nuances to conclude an excellently worked EP.

The Finnish tropical troupe Maajo is back with a two-track EP. In contrast to the Afro-Balearic sound of their 2016 debut Tropic of Tulli, the new Defo / Mansaba EP is a step in a deeper and sometimes darker direction.

Defo kicks off the EP with a driving 5/4 rhythm. Reminiscent of Mark Ernestus' Ndagga sounds, it is a tribal tune with Maajo's signature ethereal disco elements.

Trevor Deep Jr.'s version straightens out the original's unconventional time signature and focuses on a four-to-four beat and plenty of Berliner dub. The remix is a solid dancefloor tool, traversing the original like a train making its way through a dark rainforest.

The B-side is entirely covered by Mansaba, a 14-minute long journey into inwards. This studio jam, recorded largely live, is a wild mixture of polyrhythmic sequences, krautrock guitar licks, equatorial forest percussion and violin synths. The trip starts slow and soothing, sneakily picks up pace and keeps grow and growing, eventually exploding into a full-on tribal dance.

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An artist as versatile as Alex Krüger is a rare find these days, not only did he release numerous EP's and albums as Tigerskin or Korsakow since the mid 90s, he's also been on the forefront of the 'Dub Techno' movement since 1999 with outings on classic labels such as 'Raum...Musik", 'Force Tracks' and '3B/ United States of Mars". Now ten years after his last album on 'Opossum Recordings' Alex is back with this well crafted genre bending full length 'Caves & Cages". From deep techno cuts through rippling ambient excursions to funky reggae infused live jams with Haushausen this work is yet another milestone in the creative bubble Alex lives in (i.e. his studio). A predominantly analogue producer, Alex recorded most sounds for 'Caves & Cages' on his modular synths and vintage gear at Organic Domain during 2017 and early 2018. Throughout the album tension ebbs and flows effortlessly via syncopated subs, analogue improvisation, subtle chord stabs and sustained swells interspersed with textured field and home recordings. The ambient opener 'Intra' sets the tone for the album. Rich with alien atmospheres, distant soundscapes, out of reach voices and licks of live instruments dug up from numerous recordings dating back as far as 30 years, even before Alex started his electronic journey. The sojourn ventures deeper from there. Subaquatic dub techno is the mood on 'King's Cave", 'Helix' and 'In Air' only surfacing ever so slightly for moments of clarity where shimmering tops and glistening synth lines shed some light on the steady grooves. The tracks 'Future History' and 'Transition State CIV' border on deep house territory.

In recent times Alex Pletnev has been making his mark on the musical stratosphere with an array of works from from cold wave edits, through gorgeous adaptations of african and world music to tribal techno originals. He joins us as Pletnev for "Aztec Code / Daywalker", a 12" combining his abundant influences to take us to bizarre, far-off places.

"Aztec Code" is a pure dance thing. Inspired by the fat kicks and live bass lines of the Big Beat era, Pletnev combines a jumping beat with african percussion and a charismatic vocal that seems to call out from between the palm fronds of somewhere steamy as we work up a sweat. Tenderly crafted with samples taken from almost 10 records, one-shots, drum layers and melodic licks are treated and mixed, giving rise to a warm, lush atmosphere perfect for circling a fire deep in the tropics.

On the flip, "Daywalker" is a completely original, synthesised outing. A sleazy lead line charms and slithers upwards between layers of syncopated tabla and a sultry acidic groove. The tune spins and twists around this central oriental theme, ever-evolving as layers of detailed percussion and ad-libbed melodies intensify the tone.

Sound artist Eva Geist joins Fleeting Wax label head Mehmet Aslan to spin "Daywalker". The pair create a sonic bridge between the two originals. Their hazy rework dubs out some electronic elements, adding contorted sound design, distant vocals, lofi samples and an italo leaning bass. A mystic incantation for spaced out late morning moments.

Desolat's Loco Dice joins the roster of Martinez Brothers Cuttin' Headz label this April with
'$lammer', backed with a remix from Detroit Techno veteran DJ T-1000.
Du¨sseldorf's Loco Dice has long been one of the most respected figures in contemporary electronic music with releases over the years on leading labels like Cocoon, Cadenza, Ovum and of course his own Desolat as well as a heavy touring schedule taking him across the globe year in year out. Here though we see Dice offering up his new single courtesy of Cuttin' Headz, a platform the Martinez Brothers and associates to deliver high octane, dance floor focused House and Techno.

The original mix of title track '$lammer' leads with spiralling brass like bass tones, flute licks, shuffled shakers and resonant synth hooks running alongside a bumpy bass line and an amalgamation of heady, processed vocal lines.

Following is Detroit's DJ T-1000 stepping up on remix duties, stripping back the aesthetic of the original to lay focus on robust rhythms and various vocal refrains from the original whilst chugging bass and tension building atmospherics gradually unfold throughout.

Amsterdam based label Anagram readies label co-founder Sinfol's first solo release in three years entitled 'Pull Back'. The release, which features four passionate tracks, sees the light of day in the beginning of April. Since the launch of Anagram three years ago the label has put out a steady flow of releases from artists such as Anetha, Octual, Stefan Vincent, Elad Magdasi and Haze. However, the imprint has also acted as the main platform for Sinfol's own productions. Blurring the line between various subgenres, the Dutch artist is an eclectic one and meanders between acid, house, techno and more. The chords and arpeggios set the mood in 'Life Off Measure' where robotic elements rise to meet them, carving the way for 'Result' with its oscillating tones, clap fueled percussion and three-o-three licks. 'Pull Back' is packed with a thunderous energy that's intertwined with Sinfol's soulful vocals and ethereal synths, before swaying into deep house territory with 'Exhale'. The track's rolling bass, broken drums and twinkling melodies round off the latest instalment on the rising Amsterdam label off in a graceful manner.

A cool film needs a cool soundtrack, right And none come cooler than ATOMIC BLONDE. A double LP filled to the brim with needledrops of some of the '80s best known cuts, as well as some under the radar gems, and a smattering of brand new tracks recorded especially for the movie.

David Bowie, George Michael, The Clash, Nena, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and A Flock Of Seagulls of course need no introduction, and they all contribute absolutely killer songs here. Rubbing shoulders with these A-listers are lesser known acts such as Re-Flex, whose track 'The Politics of Dancing' was a minor hit in the UK and is a pure '80s synth-pop banger from start to finish. After The Fire went from playing uninspired prog rock to recording the should-have-been classic 'Der Kommissar,' full of funky guitar licks and a chorus so hook-laden it should be illegal. 'Voices Carry' by American new wave band 'Til Tuesday features Aimee Mann on vocals and is an all-timer everyone needs on vinyl.

The second of Alma Negra's 12 Rhythms Series is dedicated to the Maloya sound from La Réunion, a tiny island where a
melting pot of cultures is reflected strongly in its music. Maloya's roots go back to the time of slavery, its quick tempo and raw
energy making it not only a popular dance music but also a powerful protest through movement.
On their Maloya EP, the Basel collective pay tribute to the hypnotic rhythms that were feared both by the Catholic Church and the French government for the musical form's subversive part in the rebellion against colonialism.
The release revolves around two contrasting Alma Negra re-workings of Lindigo's Tany Be. The first takes a classic call &
response structure in 12/8 and 6/8 rhythms, adding a driving bass line and guitar licks. A solid 909-kick locks things in step,
along with a sax flourish and FM synths. Their re-imagining of African and Tamil influences for modern dancers is a triumphant
manifestation of the music's origins.
With the main reworking focusing on a rolling dance floor groove, the Dub Mix concentrates on trance-inducing aspect of
Maloya. Using a modular set up to pick apart layers of percussion, it is a dense and heady trip into the spirit world.
The B side focuses on Christine Salem, one of today's stars of the Maloya scene. Without wanting to squeeze the soul from her
deep tones, Kabaré is slowed down a notch, with drums added sparingly. This sensitive treatment gives the track just enough
weight and tension to punch in on todays dance floors without losing the intent of the original.
The source material for this EP has been road tested from the very beginning of Alma Negra's journey. The collective have gone
to great lengths to ensure the original creators are on board with their treatment of their music and are honoured to be given the
chance to distil their own ethos into a record that is bubbling with today's dance floor drive. Their reverent treatment aims to
preserve the power and beauty of the source material, to bring uncovered gems to a new audience.

Gitkin sold guitars. To be precise, he re-branded, sold and traded knock-off Gibsons. A lone, travelling salesman, he toted his counterfeit wares to guitar stores and music emporiums. His trade took him to most corners of the USA, passing through big, smoggy cities and nowheresville small towns. His nights were spent at not-so-salubrious motels. It was at those nocturnal stop-offs that he'd often cross paths with newcomers to the States. His fellow travellers were mostly immigrants, newly-arrived, from places like Ethiopia, Mexico, Indonesia.

Or at least, that's the story as Brian J Gitkin has been able to piece it together. This album, '5 Star Motel', is by a different Gitkin, an ode to the one described above. Or to put it another way, this is the younger Gitkin's homage to his elder relative: the elusive, guitar salesman uncle he never met. A steady drip of anecdotes have construed an image of his relation's itinerant, huckster lifestyle. Finding a cassette of his recordings, it spoke of the effect of those encounters: lo-fi and scratchy, the music leaped seamlessly, in difficult to discern ways, between different far-flung styles.

On '5 Star Motel', that younger Gitkin (henceforth referred to simply as Gitkin) has sought to expand the philosophy he encountered on that tape. The guitar is common thread, the raft to navigate a sun-dappled stream of ideas. It's an embrace of cultures where folkloric stringed instruments still rule, or where they've led to a more recent embrace of the electric guitar. He traces the loose, meandering paths which join them together.

It's about America, the world outside its borders, and the inscrutable, inevitable dialogue that exists between them. Take 'Cancion Del Rey', where the sound of Peruvian chicha - steady-moving, alluring, and lyrical - winds its way through Gitkin's fuzz-filtered licks, and the rhythm underpinning it. Or 'Yama', where Middle Eastern influences echo out of grooving, cyclical riffs. Touching on the distinctive tones of Tuareg music and the Sahara, too, 'Grand Street Feast' charts a sand-dusted, melodic misadventure.

Paris club kid MAXIME IKO joins BPitch with this five-track trip into the depths of his mind !

Infused with acid licks and electro motifs, this is a scintillating debut from an artist who represents diversity and inclusiveness - two cornerstones of club culture. Maxime's influences range from the gothic, dark and lurid through to the often flamboyant gay culture, launching his own highly-regarded gay event at Rex Club called 'Cockorico' and, later, putting on 'Le Bal Con' at Badaboum - a party that celebrated the wild, creative side of nightlife with art performances and lots of crazing dancing. Maxime's 'Concilium' EP starts with the frenetic 'Achartade', a track which pulsates with eerie vibes, closing with the multi-tempo closer 'Concilium' - a demonstration of Maxime's penchant for playfulness and experimentation. In between those two killer cuts we have 'Repulsion', where the main riff has a jaunty, arpeggiated rhythm, 'Timeline's Wrong', a heads down acid roller with vocal stabs and a totally absorbing atmosphere and finally, 'Closure' a spine-tingling emotionally-charged adventure. One that will lift the roof off anywhere it's played. An accomplished collection from a man who values the roots of electronic music culture and brings his own unique vibe with each performance and new release... allez!

New 7" from the mysterious Gitkin, who crisscrossed the US in the late 70s selling knockoff Gibson guitars to the diverse & disparate groups of immigrants from all four corners of the globe who were coming to the US during the 2nd great migration. Recycling and filtering the sounds he encountered through his own psychdelic lens, he created a sound rooted in other, but deeply his own. This single is taken from his forthcoming album, "5 Star Motel" and features two tracks from the album 'Grand Street Feast' which charts a sand-dusted, melodic funk misadventure, while "Cancion Del Rey' has the sound of the Peruvian chicha - steady-moving, alluring, and lyrical - winding its way through Gitkin's fuzz-filtered licks, and the rhythm underpinning.

It was May 2017 when Earthboogie's debut release dropped on Leng. The soundsystem-loving East London duo rightly won praise for a fne EP that brilliantly joined the dots between all things intergalactic, terrestrial and tribal.
Having spent the last ten months recording their adventures, Izaak Gray and Nicola Robinson return with Silken Moon', the frst single from their forthcoming debut album, Human Call.
In typical fashion, Silken Moon' cannily combines musical elements from a myriad of styles - most notably Afro-disco, samba and mid-tempo Chicago house - to create a humid hybrid that defes easy categorization. There are bouncy organ riffs, undulating acid lines, clipped Afro-funk guitars, tons of tropical percussion and the chanted, carnival-friendly vocalizations of guest singer Nina Miranda.
The release comes backed with remixes from two members of the extended
Leng family: long-serving producer Felix Dickinson and Turkish rising star Ali Kuru. Dickinson sticks close to the original of Silken Moon' with a mix built around gently jacking machine drums and Earthboogie's sweaty guitar licks while Kuru takes Human Call' in an altogether more cosmic direction. Pushing the track's psychedelic TB-303 lines and tropical textures to the fore whilst
adding his own mind-altering electronics - most notably a fat new synth bassline - Kuru cleverly re-casts the track as a pulsating, late night throb-job.

Quality is the key word from Copenhagen based Music For Dreams and here is another home run. Willie Graff splits his year between DJ residencies in New York and Ibiza. In this new outing with studio partner Darren Eboli, the influence is, as the title suggests, clearly NY-based. Over only four tracks, the pair manage to craft a stunningly comprehensive exploration of the essential elements of dance music.

Opening track "Love Flight" staggers into a lush string-driven groove that recalls the glory of Metro Area meets Wally Badarou vibes. Minimal yet playful, it lounges somewhere in the depths of the house tradition, calling on familiar sounds while throwing in odd details along the way (harmonicas). It takes both skill, devotion and a sense of humor to pull this track off, making for a strong opening. "Moon Tan" lingers on a metallic hook that drags you into a plethora of percussion followed by a rubbery soft baseline. Dubby key work would suggest this was a new wave band jamming at Compass Point, while the icy chill of the xylophone transports you into 80s italo territory.

"Second Sun" pulls out the bag of boogie tricks, relying on a firm but humble baseline and smattering drum machine claps. Nile Rodgers-style guitar licks guide us onwards into a well-orchestrated jam that builds up and breaks down with perfect timing while dreamy chords reach for the sky. "First Light" keeps the groove tight while dipping over towards more Balearic temperatures. Steeped in a watery atmosphere and gentle organic percussion, it focuses in on a trance-inducing arpeggio that lulls you in to the swaying Badarou-style synth swirls that intercept it.

D.KO Records regular Mad Rey joins Rekids with a pair of deep house cuts this March.

The Parisian producer and Red Lebanese co-founder started releasing music as Mad Rey in 2014, providing D.KO Records with their second release (having already contributed to the D.KO01 various artists EP under his real name Quentin Leroy).

He now joins Rekids with a solid two track package initiating with 'In My House N°6', a lively slice of house featuring funky bass licks and jazz influenced melodies complete with a compelling groove. On the flip, 'L'orage (Dub)' 'L'orage (Dub)' slows down the tempo whilst exhibiting sampled strings, crunchy snares and twinkling effects.

Having recently appeared on Bosconi Records and Altzmusica, Daisuke Kondo is a producer on the rise at present. This outing on Vibraphone adds fuel to that particular fire with four distinctive cuts that push to the outer edges of house music without losing sight of the groove. "Hold On To Love" is, on the surface, an upbeat, disco-infused house jam, but there's a certain trippy approach Kondo takes in the processing department that edges the music into a different head space. "Life" meanwhile gets gritty and bass heavy at one end of the frequency range, and airy and melodic at the other. "Feelin Blue" gets even dustier and scratchier with its sample treatment, and then "Fallen Star" lays down some unflinching machine beats with wonky, distant piano licks.

Figurehead of the Japanese jungle scene, Ishio Dai releases 'Mirage / Island Dub' on his own Effective label. Working around a lick from Skatalite legend, Johnny Moore these two steppers roll with ferocious bass frequencies and snappy percussive sequences. Ace!

* Boom 90's sought-after selection from versatile JA/UK vocal veteran Danny Red licking out against bad boys and gangsters alongside Boombastic Crew aka Nick Raphael (Manasseh. Riz Records, Roots Garden) and Gil Gang (Tuff Scout, Riz Records)
* Riddim-wise this is a sound system bullet which has hints of the mid 80's in the style of King Jammy, Jah Tubbys and Unity Sounds.
* This track originally came in the early 1990s on a Riz Records LP `Themes From Riz' which is now a wallet-busting records to secure.

For the first release of 2018 we welcome Harry Wolfman to the Outplay family!
Having followed his work for the last couple of years we're very happy to have him deliver this varied 4-tracker, which very well might be some of his best work to date.

The A side starts off with 'Hitch'. A warm and dusty groover driven by rhodes, a rubbery bassline and a thudding kick. A lovely string piece in the middle of the track slowly builds up to the break for it to return to the head nodding groove soon after. The added percussion gives it a nice lively feel as well.

'Pigs in Blankets' sets the pace a little slower, but the funk goes on. The track incorporates 80's style samples with some excellent synth and chord work. Perfect for a warm up session.

Starting on the B side Harry takes it up a notch with 'Nemoto', which will be a definite stomper for the dance floor. It takes you on a 9 minute journey of rolling bumpy basslines, screaming distortion leads and hypnotising synth work.
Finally, to ease things off, STS-136 (Final Call) comes in at a slow 88 bpm pace as a perfect closure to the EP. Dreamy pads, piano licks and a calming marimba melody combined with a beat which feels like a warm blanket will make you wander off for a moment...

Finale Sessions launch a new series entitled Unreleased, and their kicking things off with label boss Michael Zucker sparring with Jonno & Tommo (more commonly found lurking around labels like Ornate). As you would expect from Finale, it's a deep house masterclass, with Jonno & Tommo leading the proceedings with the deft piano licks and hard grooving sub bass of "Dirty Nylons" before Zucker steps in with the pattering rhythms and swooning pads of "Just Believe". On the flip Zucker embraces a gentle strain of electro for "Narrow Is The Gate" before Jonno & Tommo round the record off with the immersive tones of "Shark City".

If you're familiar with Public Release's sibling, FACE, a series of parties, you'll already know that Jee Day, né Dennis McNany, has been in the Bay Area label's orbit for some time; as half of the DFA act Museum of Love, he joined the inner circle years ago. Here, with Amot Herga Laxy, he makes his bold debut on Public Release itself.
The single begins with 'Crocodile Tears,' an abstract, impressionistic tapestry of African rhythms, meditative synth washes, Vangelis-esque horns and pads. It recedes and Jee Day plunges deeper into the jungle with 'Communication Masterbation,' a propulsive number built around a psychedelic, droney bass that's wrapped with gritty, distorted effects and layers of topline keyboard licks stacked high. A raw club track cut from transcendentalist cloth that'll lift you off the dance floor.
The B-side is a dub of 'Communication Masterbation,' with an emphasis being placed on pulling out, unraveling, extending the rhythmic elements and emphasizing the electronic veil the piece is shrouded in. A trancey, menacing sprawl that could be an extended Sonic Youth live jam if they swapped their stringed instruments for Roland and Korg gear—and dusted the whole thing in an unknown psychoactive slime.

For more than 30 years music has been the most important thing in my life - this is a clear and true to the heart statement by Soulsurfer, DJ and drummer for the Hanover-based outfit named SUPERSOUL. And yes, SUPERSOUL are a real band. A band in love with analogue instruments and mastering their craft. A rat pack of five groove fanatics accumulating enough years, wisdom and experience to tell truly authentic stories within their songs - songs which are taking the bands audience on a journey into the 60s and 70s sound of Black America. SUPERSOUL are playing Funk 'n' Soul on a hot, steamy, energetic and passionate tip, performing self-written songs with stories told in the bands mothertongue - German ! With Arne Busch as vocalist and band leader SUPERSOUL is built around a true force. His vision and expression of Soul is phrased like the emphasis of a preacherman's gospel whilst fat and funky grooves are masterly crafted and carefully layered by Margot Gontarski and drummer Lars Heindorf a.k.a. Soulsurfer, glazed with wah-wah-heavy licks played by guitar wizard Toni. Their experienced interplay on the latest SUPERSOUL album is polished with loads of analogue engineering magic at Studio Nord Bremen and perfectly complemented by solos and arrangements of Lutz 'Hammond' Krajenski and seven other guest musicians making and appearance on this longplay piece.
It's not big of a surprise that these musicians, all of them rich in experience due to their contributions to other bands and projects, met in Hanover, Germany's secret capital of Funk. But it is quite a surprise that it took that long for an album to appear on the record store circuit that amalgamates German lyrics and urban Funk in a previously unheard manner like SUPERSOUL does.
And for those who come across this longplay piece whilst being on their next dig we go along the lines of the words by the famous man Miles Davis as - We suggest to you to play this record at the highest possible volume in order to appreciate the sound of SUPERSOUL .

Tact Recordings launch their new vinyl only sub-label 'Tactics' this November, with the first EP coming courtesy of Yard One, who deliver three excellently programmed cuts in the shape of 'Tactics Vol.2'.

Launched by Yard One, aka Jordan Bruce and Larry Jones, and Richard Fletcher (who produces under numerous guises including Adventures In Daydreams and Fletcher), Tactics is set to become the labels latest project with a focus on solely vinyl releases. Inspired by the 2012 Various Artists release 'Tactics Volume 1' on Tact Recordings, which featured productions from Isherwood (Sharingtones/Imprints/Lize Records), journalist Per Boisen-Moller, and label regular Luke Black, the sub-label is set to showcase a more stripped back and minimal side to the Tact Recordings family with releases coming courtesy of Yard One, Fletcher, Luke Black and their close friends only.

The EP opens up with 'Avenoir', a raw and hypnotic production that utilises a multitude of lasers, glitches and pops at the forefront to keep listeners firmly on their toes, whilst a delicate and captivating melody floats fluently amongst ever-evolving percussion shots and twisting bass licks below.

On the flip, 'Granular Movements' snakes its way through swinging drums and hazy, jazzy melodies to reveal an effortless rolling groove, before 'Hexad' keeps the focus on percussive elements strong, whilst a moody bassline goes to work under layers of meditative pads and subtle background nuances to punctuate an excellent debut offering from the label. (Vinyl Only).

We hope you like this Ep as much as we do, ReSolute Label
Resolute Label's tenth release, The Nest EP , features the head honcho himself, Elon. Written and produced entirely in Nest's Brooklyn based studio, this EP is a collaborative project that showcases vintage gear such as the TR-808, 909, Prophet 6, TB-303 and SH-101 to name a few. The EP kicks off with the title track, a stripped back number featuring arpeggiated synths, warm pads and 303 stabs, co-produced by Bulgarian live maestro, KiNK, an industry vet who needs no introduction. On A2, Elon teams up with the machine obsessed Italian, mass_prod, for
Fractious , a techno number with swirling synths and reverberated vocal stabs that echo throughout. On the flipside, Elon collaborates with techno don Alexi Delano aka ADNY to produce Flirtface , a groovy 303 bassline track with resonant synth licks that keeps the mood rolling. The B2 vinyl exclusive track, Meander , features a second collaboration with KiNK.
Offered as a digital exclusive and co-produced by David Scuba, Last Call features a modulated bassline and intricate drum programming that effortlessly rolls along.

STRICTLY STRICTLY enters the second round: The Obsessed EP by TOBS (co-founder of Drowned-Records) comes with 3 driving highly energetic cuts. The title track is putting the stamp on the A-side with pounding Lo-Fi-Power at its best and side B teaches the science of licking a battery with a piling drive of arpeggios before falling apart in the best possible way with IOW.

This November will see Elia Perrone launch his new Jun'Ai imprint with his very own 'Flowers' EP, accompanied by a remix from Romanian minimal powerhouse Vid.

Tuscan producer and DJ Elia Perrone has long been one of the most respected figures in Italy's underground electronic music scene having co-founded the Klang Club in Arezzo which has seen him play alongside the likes of Simoncino, Juju & Jordash and Move D. Amongst this Elia, alongside brother and production partner heads up Unclear Records which plays host to their collaborative works as Easy To Remember as well as material from the likes of Baby Ford, Roman Fluegel, Christopher Rau and Dandy Jack amongst others.

Here though we see Elia turning a new chapter with the launch of his Jun'Ai imprint and taking the lead on the inaugural release is 'Flowers', a mind-altering slice of micro house fueled by pops, whirrs, clicks and sample cuts while fluttering atmospherics and bright string plucks ebb and flow throughout the murky depths of the composition. Vid aka Egal 3 steps up on remix duties to follow, delivering a straight edged take on things via crunchy organic percussion, billowing echoes of the original's atmospherics and a robust sub driven bass line.

Opening the flip side is 'Rain Smell', a slow brooding, hypnotic number employing dynamic string licks, modulating synth drones and bumpy 4/4 drums before 'Moshishi' closes out the package with airy ethereal textures, glitched out off-kilter percussion and rumbling low end tones.

Idle Hands continues its quest to support new talent coming out of Bristol with a fresh 12" from local beatsmith Crump. Up to this point, he's been quietly slipping out razor sharp reduced house cuts on various artist releases for Extended Play and Banoffee Pies, but it's high time he had a 12" of his to truly showcase his sound.

The two tracks on this single tap into a consistent thread on Idle, fusing the minimal sensibilities of contemporary European house music with a swung, dub-weighted presence fit for soundsystem consumption in the fair city we call home. Much like previous releases from Leif, Christian Jay and Matt Karmil, this is a demonstration of stripped down music loaded with swagger.

"Ice & Spheres" pivots around an ear-snagging 2-step shuffle that cuts through any mix, but there's scores of subtlety woven in between the drums to reward the attentive listener. Snatches of vocal, distant field recordings, low-blowing synth licks and other unidentifiable sonic matter lurk quietly in the mix to cast a spell on the sleep-deprived twitcher and warm-up head-nodder alike.

Sporting a brighter disposition thanks to the sheen of its chords, "Mechanisms" provides a different vibe on the flip. The beat throws down with a rugged nod to West London broken styles while still tapping into that aforementioned continental 4/4 sensibility, injecting a refreshing variation into the densely populated minimal house landscape while maintaining the meditative qualities that keep the genre close to our hearts.

Following on from the impressive opening statement from Modern Manners, the second installment from the hitherto unknown outfit sees the sonic remit reaching out to other influences while retaining that poised lounge attitude that made the first record so instantly endearing. "Research" is a dub track in essence, sporting ample space in the mix, the odd conga roll and sparse chords calling out into a field of reverb and delay. "Can Maneras" is a more shuffling kind of smooth jazz that aligns with the classy licks of St Germain and the like. "Serate Cosmiche" finishes the EP off on a melancholic tip that puts the synths at the front of the mix for the first time.

For ANMA's fifth release, Reekee aka Italy's Riccardo Masi has produced a classic cut of uplifting house, quintessentially jamming a thunderous rolling groove with soft jazz piano. Ecstatic synths unleash their primal screams throughout before the Hammond steps up and raises the bar! Remixer Ricardo Miranda cooks up a veritably frantic electronic jungle of idiosyncratic pulsing square waves and marimba voodoo soup, before Vick Lavender takes over the B-side with nigh on ten minutes of organically blissful jazz and groove experimentation. Vick's Mix comes rooted with percussive breaks and a solid evolving rhythm section and is brim-filled with sleazy vibes, tender electric licks and rapturous synth pads swelling us into elation!
Lovingly pressed on 180g vinyl, hand stamped and labelled.

Hell Yeah is back with more beach ready and boat party styled summer tunes, this time from Riccio. This Italian producer has long been making essential edits, off kilter grooves and soul kissed house sounds that demand to be played loud and these new ones are no different.

Described by the label boss as Balearic Big Beat, this EP kicks off with Afro Chemy, a scorching seven minute tune that builds on a bed of fat drums. The scattered percussion is loose and organic and when the funky bass and colourful xylophone sounds comes in you can't help but cut loose. Add in a sexy trumpet line and you have the sound of summer distilled into seven sensational minutes.

Funky Cave will get any party started with its old school drum breaks and cymbal splashes sounding like the ocean when you plunge in on a hot day. Busted bass lines add a certain fatness and cosmic keys and steamy guitar licks make this another perfect outdoor anthem.

Last of all is the blissed out Heather, one to drop at sundown after a long day's dancing. The beats are warm and lumpy, the synths smear out to the horizon like gently breaking waves and soulful leads really get your heart swelling. Proper.

With the label's 10th anniversary celebrations now done and dusted, Claremont 56 returns to action with something rather special: a magical debut single from a previously unknown talent.
There's not much we can tell you about Ferdi Schuster, other than that he is a talented young producer from Augsburg in Germany. As Claremont 56 is one of his favourite labels, he speculatively submitted some tracks for consideration. Label founder Paul Murphy was astonished by what he heard and believes the two tracks showcased on this 12' are amongst the best things the label has released for some time.
A-side 'Little River' is breathtakingly good. Opening with the sound o a babbling brook, it sees Schuster wrap plucked, sun-kissed acoustic guitar licks and jaunty vintage synthesizer motifs around a languid, samba-infuenced groove. As the track progresses, further magical musical elements come to the fore, including blissful electric piano solos and more mazy synthesizer solos, seemingly played on battere old equipment from the turn of the '80s. Schuster's love of the acoustic guitar is explored further on similarly impressive B-side 'Befreit'. Here, gently strummed chords and fuid Spanish guitar motifs catch the ear, as hushed cymbals and gentle hand percussion lap at your feet like the sea at sunrise. The German producer adds atmosphere through a combination of leisurely Hammond organ solos and a touch of Jew's Harp. When all of these immaculate elements combine, the results are little less than spellbinding.
Schuster may be taking his frst steps into releasing music, but his
compositional, playing and production skills are already fnely tuned. We can surely expect to hear more inspired music from him in the years to come.

Circus Company and The Mole have long been making eyes at each other across the same crowded dancefloor. Colin de la Plantes primary project is synonymous with the off-kilter corner of house music we like to spend our time dancing in, and the labels he releases on are close cousins of the Circus troupe. From Wagon Repair to Philpot, Musique Risquee to Perlon, its a wonder that we havent worked together previously, but finally thats been put right with Little Sunshine. Stripped back, understated disco grooves have always been the bread and butter of The Moles sound, while infectious, cyclical melodic patterns are equally important in making his unique version of house music. On the title track, those elements are presented with full force, but in between the driving rhythms linger the most gorgeous keys, bringing a mellow introspection to the track as a neat counterpoint to the energy of the drums and arpeggios. Compared to the clean lines and peppy tempo of Little Sunshine, Discotheque Airplane is an audacious swerve into low and slow territory, where dusty samples rule the day and the bass swells in and out of earshot with a truly mesmerizing effect. Its a moody affair loaded with tension, mystery and funk in abundance. As if that wasnt enough proof of the variety in The Moles repertoire, on his collaboration with Dutch hero Tom Trago for Down The Hallway we find the pair exploring lean, focused techno, where the simplest of rhythms propel a haunting, distant vocal lick. Its the drum sounds that make this a special cut, championing warm, natural percussion instead of the methodical drum machine hits found in most contemporary techno. Rounding the EP off in a beautifully mysterious style is Aardvarck, whose remix of Down The Hallway take

REPRESSED !
Bristol based producers Behling & Simpson take on remixing some Kerri Chandler classics this August with the 'Heaven' EP, set to drop via Kerri's very own Madhouse Records
imprint.

Madhouse Records boss Kerri Chandler needs no introduction having been one of the most prominent names in underground house music for over two decades now. While rising talents Behling & Simpson's collective output has been championed by the likes of Claude von Stroke, Derrick Carter, Ralph Lawson, Modeselektor and many more over the pairs 100+ previous releases between them (under various guises), this stands as testament to their undeniable ability to craft forward-thinking electronic music.

First up on the release we have 'Heaven' featuring Christopher McCray on vocal duties, Behling & Simpson's prevalent low-slung, dropped tempo rhythms take the lead, alongside hypnotic lowend tones, while the duo capture Chandler's warm musicality with style utilizing the original's bright chord progressions and smooth vocal licks, creating an intricate, intelligent slice of house. 'Peace Of My Mind' follows on the flip side, a track originally released on Madhouse in 2011, though returning to the label in 2014 with an intriguing reshape courtesy of the Behling & Simpson, again taking on the pair's niche slo-mo feel, setting the tone and radiantly showcasing why their sound stands tall above many of their
contemporaries in such an effortlessly cool way.

New Yorks' Matuss returns with the eighth release on her Absence Seizure imprint this September, comprising three originals from the Ukrainian born artist.

Julia Matuss, better known as simply Matuss has been steadily carving out a name for herself over the past decade, initially finding her feet as a prominent DJ in the Ukrainian scene she grew up in before a move to New York saw thing progress and the launch of her Absence Seizure imprint shortly followed. Now eight releases deep the imprint has piqued the interested of DJ's such as D'Julz, DJ Deep, Derek Plaslaiko, TWR72 and Beaner.

Taking the lead on the package is 'Fairy Dust' setting the scene via warbling Rhodes chords, raw dub sweeps and a pulsating low-end drive before a spaced out, sinuous resonant synth lead ebbs and flows throughout the focal point of the composition.

'Baelfire' follows and strips things back to raw percussive feel, employing thunderous claps, a weighty kicks and sweeping filtered sample as the foundation before the latter half of the record works in a frenzied acid-tinged hook. 'Faramant' then closes the package with an amalgamation of organic percussion, natural bass licks and glitchy percussive chimes which all subtly evolve and retract throughout.

Oberst & Buchner are next up on Freeride Millenium and the two Bavaria born, Vienna based producers deliver an EP that offers their interpretation of what 'modern summer togetherness sounds like.' The talented pair started making music together aged 15 and aim to cook up emotionally driven jams. They do so on labels like Heimlich, Underyourskin Records, Schönbrunner Perlen, Lokd, and always get the juices going, as they do once again here. Beginning with the brilliant 'Greg' we dive into a breakbeat bath of summery chords as playful claves dance on the horizon. It is a melodically rich track with spiritual feelings that really bliss you out. On the moodier 'Emile' night time arrives and warm chords mix with jangling, organic glass and percussive tinkles that reflect rays of light. It's a perfectly jazzy and loose number that really suspends you in a rueful place. Last but not least, 'Embrace' is a fluid intergalactic convention with sparse drum kicks weighed down by sombre synths. A skittish, dubstep style groove then comes in and elevates the track with gentle guitar licks and slithering synths adding colour, and overall it has the same zoned out feel as a thousand-yard stare. This is a brilliant mood EP that mixes up the synthetic with the organic, creating some fascinating grooves as a result. The release once again features original artwork from the ever talented Daniel Rajcsanyi. Thanks for purchasing a real copy!

Rune returns on his own Drum Island imprint, this time very ably assisted by UK House turned ambient ambassador Chris Coco
Weekend Billionaires, in its original form is a delightfully lolloping Balearic builder.The Chris Coco Sunshine mix immerses those guitar licks and synth pads in a sea of dubbed out, ultra-violet light. Already rumoured to be included on Harvey's eagerly awaited Mercury Rising comp. Anton Klint (Tryck & Ton / Public Possession) steps up on the flip with a no-less psychedelic, but decidedly more laser-lit interpretation.
Finally Alta Lab wraps things up with a pacier interpretation, Housing up the elements into a hypnotic, emotive rendition...
Quite a package