Beats Vinyl New Releases - News

NRG is one of the most important artists the rave scene ever saw, with an endless string of classic releases under his belt!

This box set contains the vast majority of his back catalogue, gloriously remastered, as well as brand new remixes from some of the most talented people in the business old skool and new: Altern 8, New Decade, Hyper On Experience, Bay B Kane, Luna-C, Paul Bradley, and Al Storm.

Orange Vinyl 2023 Repress

Well deserved re-issue of this evergreen

Angela was the studio project of husband/wife duo Angela and Ingo Werner formed in 1981 in Rüsselsheim, Germany. Ingo had classical training in bassoon and piano at the Akademie für Tonkunst in Darmstadt from 1966-70. He joined Krautrock band My Solid Ground in 1971 before going on to form his own project Baba Yaga in 1974. In the late 70s he formed the ensemble AIR with Armin Stöwe and Reinhard Karwatky. The project debuted with a a concert at ARS Electronica Competition in Linz, Austria 1980, which they won. Klaus Schulze was on the jury with Wendy Carlos and Robert Moog - but more importantly, Angela was in the audience. Two days later, Ingo told the band he needed a singer, so they asked Angela, and recorded two albums for RCA between 1981-82 before being dropped. Ingo wanted to work on a new project that involved dancers and live video. They recruited American performance artist Jyl Porch, who was living in Munich, to assist with choreography with her friend Kirsten McKenley. Jyl ended up recording her own album first, which gained interest from Klaus Schulze, who helped them secure a deal with EMI in 1983. Later that year, the trio recorded 4 songs that would be released on Angela ‘Fantasy’ single on 7” and 12” formats in 1984.

The music on ‘Fantasy’ was completely created with computer software of Ingo’s own design. The concept of a polyrhythmic, polyphonic, and polydynamic sequencer was realized by Ingo after a visit to Wolfgang Palm in Hamburg. He paired his sequencer with Palm’s legendary PPG Wave Computer System, allowing for more dynamic and nuanced programming. Angela programmed the music, sang, and wrote the lyrics to “Painted Love”, while Ingo arranged and played all electronics and keyboards. Jyl wrote the lyrics for “Fantasy” and the slow and sleazy, electronic disco B-side “I Gotta Little Love”, where she also sings background vocals and the “hot little flame” rap. The original B-side to the 7” version was a cover of the 1967 Hal Hackady and Lee Pockriss song “Kites”, made famous by Simon Dupree and the Big Sound.

All songs have been remastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The EP features the original 1984 cover artwork with a striking photo of Angela styled by Jyl in severe Neue Deutsche Welle fashion, and includes an insert with lyrics and and photos designed by Maycec..

German project founded in 1984 by Peter Mergener and Michael Weisser. This release features two cheery picked exemplary moments in downtempo contemplative cosmic travels. A side sends the listener well out of orbit with a 10 min long gradient of Krauty arpeggiated showers that grows elegantly, a concerto to the astros of the mind. Flip it and it gets better as your space capsule gets sucked into some distant planet's gravitational pull, feelings of other-worldly sounds, slowed down beautifully almost eerie nuances one won't forget so easily. Sunrise on a Balearic island from another solar system. Berlin-School by trade but also heard on mixes by Jose Padilla. Heftily remastered.

Tobias Freund, the Berlin based producer, musician, and label owner of Non Standard Productions has created an incredible cover record that pays tribute to some of the most iconic and influential artists of the past four decades.


The album Tobias. & Friends - TOP TEN places a unique spin on the original tracks, with its combination of electronic sounds and vocal performances from Javiera González, Barbie Williams, Cormac McAdam, Carlos Cabezas, and Stian Westerhus.
Having already worked with Javiera González on the recent post punk album release “The Mutual Torture - Don’t” (NSP 19), Tobias has once again used his talents to honour some of his favourite bands.

Each track has been carefully re-produced at Non Standard Studios in Berlin, resulting in a perfectly balanced mix of old and new.

Repress!

Your favourite futuristic dance duo Bop x Subwave are back on Hospital Records with their highly awaited debut album Renaissance
Following on from the huge successes of their previous EPs Love and Other Drugs and Dream On which furthered solidified their commendable reputation in the electronic music scene, the pairing's first- ever collaborative longplayer consists of 14 tracks which perfectly demonstrate their creative mastery and unmatched abilities to experiment with various styles spanning indie electronic, lo-fi jungle, garage, techno and more.

Setting things in motion you'll find Cold Tear of a Dreaming Vacuum Cleaner, a mellow yet energising electronica- meets- D&B cut guaranteed to permeate your headspace with hypnotising synth plucks, bouncy drumwork and ambient atmospheres directly transported from a futuristic nearby universe.

Expect nothing but 80's euphoria on Storm In A Teacup featuring Isaac Howlett - the frontman of synthpop group Empathy Test. Bop x Subwave provide late night nostalgia in its purest form with retro drum machines and catchy electronic hooks as Isaac Howlett supplies distinct melodies and imaginative lyricism.

The strikingly titled Rave I Didn't Know Was The Last is a glimmer into the now distant past of lockdowns and worldwide no- dance policies. Delving into a beautiful combination of garage and breakbeat influences, you'll soon become immersed in hands-in-the-air piano stabs and downpitched vocal chops instantly taking you back to the last rave you blissfully danced the night away at.

Hush featuring fellow Russian drum & bass don Enei, and Hospital's freshest signing SOLAH, is a techy drum & bass liquid number layered with hazy chimes, minimal 2-step drums and a sinister bassline. Stripped back and rolling, SOLAH's vocals are a sublime addition as she graces the track with her delicate harmonies and captivating lyricism.

In true Bop x Subwave fashion, Addicted To Space is a UK- garage stepper complete with subtle lo-fi injections. As they step into the 130BPM territory brace yourself for dissonant chord stabs, distorted vocal chops and a womping bassline. This isn't the duo's first rodeo in the world of garage either - their initial UKG collaboration 'Haze' topped the Beatport Garage charts back in 2020.

Other notable album moments include the irresistable 80's synth- pop anthem Wait For Me released earlier in 2022, as well as Euphoric Rush featuring the vocals of Enter Shikari's very own Rou Reynolds. Karina Ramage also makes an appearance

A special collaboration between Metalheadz and Reinforced, celebrating breakbeat culture and the history of both imprints over the past 3 decades.

Green Vinyl

For its fifth release, french label The Bass Academy goes back into time!!! Originally written by legendary Man Parrish, "Boogie Down Bronx", a cult classic from 1984, sees a mighty resurrection with a "fresh mix" rework from UK Electro veteran Bass Junkie. Not the first time Phil Klein (Battle Trax, Breakin' Records) remixes Man Parrish as he committed in 2002 the heavy “Bass Junkie's Boogie Down Bass Mix” of “Hip Hop Re Bop”. Today, he serves up an uncompromising electro funk mayhem made of old schoolish samples, vintage synth melodies, retro congas, relentless scratches and pounding 808 beats. This brand new Sci-Fi anthem, enhanced with the legitimate legacy from the past, will invite you for some irresistible B-Boy breakdancing movements on the linoleum!!! Tuuuuuunnne! On the flipside, Phil teams up once again with long time partner in crime Simon “The Dexorcist” Brown. Together, as Gods Of Technology, (Battle Trax), they revisit another untouchable song, “Future Computer”, an exclusive to TBA track written by Jamie Jupitor and published in 2017 (TBA02). Metallic sororities melt with nasty vocoder sequences and imparable whispers turn the cut into an ode to the dancefloor thanks to harsh and hammering beats. What a timeless monster in pure West Coast tradition! With abrasive outings to appear on the forthcoming months including an incredible album with Matt Whitehead on Dominance Electricity, Phil Klein definitively returns to studios stronger than ever, putting a end to a short blackout. Rush in this hypnotizing collector 12”, limited as usual to 150 copies as it marks one of Phil Klein’s best releases to date!

28 years ago Chris Mann and Paul Darking released their debut EP on Andrew Weatherall’s (RIP) Sabres Of Paradise. A year later another EP came out on the same imprint, followed by two albums on Weatherall’s label Emissions Audio Output and a bunch of EP’s on Emissions’ sub- labels. Two more albums saw the light of day on Iris Light Records, but the start of the new millennium brought a stop to the creative output of the production duo known as Blue.

'In Thy Domain' is a concept album and audio-visual work by British artist Fred Mann. The 12-track, double-vinyl album is a cinematic voyage tracking the evolution of mankind, key themes of human advancement, technology, life after AI, and beyond.

The album traverses multiple genres - including ambient, electronica, broken-beat techno, and experimental drone - to create an immersive musical experience that mirrors the dynamism of human evolution.

The work aligns with the latest scientific knowledge, drawing inspiration from the tipping points of human civilization and the defining timelines that have shaped our species. The music is complemented by a series of artworks and scrapbook images, visible in the vinyl gatefold, which symbolize each track and its corresponding era.

Many of the tracks feature additional production, synthesizers, flute and clarinet by Chris Taylor (Grizzly Bear / Warp), and additional production and drum programming by Inland (Ed Davenport / Counterchange).

Fred Mann premiered ‘In Thy Domain’ live in Prague, October 2019, alongside Alessandro Cortini for Dietl Archive x Polygon.

The album version comes presented on heavyweight double vinyl in a gatefold sleeve designed by the artist himself.

This is a direct repress of one of Kniteforce's very much sought after releases from the early 1990s. At the time, Dj Vibes and Wishdokta were the leaders in remixes and releases, and this EP showcases the reason why! Both remixes have stood the test of time, and if anything, sound even better now they have been remastered from DAT and cut using the best modern techniques. Unmissable!

Watergate favourites GHEIST make their long-awaited label debut.
There’s an auspicious connection between GHEIST and Watergate; the Berlin four-piece played their veryfirst live show at the club in 2017. Since this time, not only have they become tried and true favourites at the Oberbaumbrücke hotspot, but they’ve caught the ears of electronic music fans the world over, establishing themselves as one of the most promising new acts on the scene.
After stellar releases on Last Night On Earth, Diynamic and their own Radau Records, ‘Zukunft’ is a fitting debut, shining with the GHEIST’s trademark juxtaposition of melancholic and euphoric tones. The title arouses an immediate nostalgia courtesy of its shimmering combination of organ stabs, scattered vocal effects and smooth bass. ‘Disclose Yours’ will make the hairs on your arms stand up with its major key synth riff and stirring vocal. Completing the package is a slick dub, primed for the early hours.

The music of Jack Bags comes from multiple contaminations and a deep love for vintage analog sounds. Panorama Groove is a journey through those sounds and a personal vision of those genres that are constantly inspiring.

The Brothers From Different Mothers (BFDM) boss man Judaah next in line on the AMX series. He goes full sludge mode on Side A, starting with strictly low slung beats, tinged with dub/experimental influences before finishing up with some vocal percys. Side B starts with some electro / bailefunk crossovers, moving into a Jersey and Balt influenced section and then taken down a notch to finish.

Full AW by Ciaran Birch with double sided J-card & on body cassette printing.

No digital.

Hibotep is of Somali ancestry. Born and raised in Ethiopia, she currently lives in Kampala, Uganda. A walking, breathing example of the diversity of Kampala’s arts and culture scene, Hibo Elmi is, amongst other things, a DJ, filmmaker, fashion designer, installation artist, rapper and producer. A self described cultural nomad, pushing forward a genre she calls Industrial Shamanism.

Over the past five years, Mark has forged a unique identity in underground drum’n’bass, alloying traditional junglist motifs and electroacoustic ambience through a series of singles on A Colourful Storm and Unterton. A Colourful Storm now presents the culmination of his work and debut album, a shapeshifting expression of luminescence and rhythmic complexity.

Mark’s ambitions with Integrier Dich Du Yuppie (2017) and The Least Likely Event Will Occur In The Long Run (2018) reflected upon the relationships between - and division of - people, place and power. Now he responds with two pieces featuring his signature skittering drums, seismic sub-bass and atmospheric passages recalling Roland Kayn, Luigi Nono and Bernard Parmegiani. Moonlight shines, choral voices appear from above. Arresting, unnerving tranquility.

Recommended for fans of Eli Keszler, Hiro Kone, Torsten Pröfrock and Kali Malone.

Extra-early jump-in on this one as news reaches us today that it's just gone under the lathe at the Berlin cutting room of Dubplates & Mastering. No upfront sounds are available yet, but as long as you've been paying attention the last couple of years you'll already know how to react to a new Jahtari release without the need for an audio assist. And when that release is a collection of all new, previously unavailable joints by a line-up of such bone-melting bass wave pressurisors as is on patrol here, click your eager-anticipation dial up a few notches and wait for your circuits to be flooded with dub. 13 tracks, highlights including two solo tunes from Jahtari head-chef Disrupt, two new Dizza productions vocalled by El Fata and Soom T, Rootah in the mix on a fresh Solo Banton / Maffi cut, exclusive deep heat from Black Chow ("outed" since their incognito debut for Hyperdub's 'Five Years' collection as two-thirds of King Midas Sound, Kiki Hitomi & Kevin Martin). Then there's Tapes, Illyah & Ltd. Candy, Clause Four (creator of the Jahmiga 'Whiskey Bar' mash-up 45), Pupajim, and finally longtime Jahtari associates Ras Amerlock and John Frum (aka Type's Julien Neto), certifying the must-have status of 'Jahtarian Dubbers Vol. 2' with emphatic assurance.

Hearse are back with their 3rd emission and there’s no letting up. Another cluster of dark electro tracks from some great producers. First up is Miami’s Exzakt & BFX collaborating for the electro bass stormer ‘Raw’. Next we have Hamburg’s Kluentah serving up the bunker style ‘Jungle Juice’. On the B side is Gothenburg’s electro don Luke Eargoggle with acid electro beast ‘Olympia’ and closing the ep is the mysterious Amboss with a track that’s like a crack to the face with a bream ‘I want to live in my car’. You know the drill, 300 copies, screen printed sleeve. Once they’re gone they’re gone.

Old school electro from Phil klein (Aka Bass Junkie) and Matt Whitehead (Perc Traxx, Don't)... Under their comon name Model Citizens. Totally Classic and well done insane driver ! B-side brings also the good electro oldschool feeling. And to finish the EP, get a good funky electro bass sound ! Maxxximum pleasure ! Superb EP bringing a fat soundproduction.

BLASTER !

Glitching through pop music, cruising around the borders of the avant garde, passing by the edge of coldwave and tumbling into dance and club vibes: after her debut Bad Woman Céline Gillain is back with her second album: 'Mind is Mud'.

On Mind is Mud' Gillain let herself sink in the swamp of emotional confusion, the perpetual brain fog caused by a post Covid-world asking herself: do we have to get used to paradox as a way of life from now on?*

A musical dissection in nine songs of the mudflow, a flow which reveals its rich complexity the more Gillain dived into it: from the demanding intro 'Together' Céline opens up her highly personal and unique vision, shifting between high definition lost dimensions and emotionsthe mud slowly transfers in a crackling and sparkling stream of consciousness.

The mud is well alive in all its weirdness and unclarity. At times, it even glows in the dark.

The answer to that question is yes. The story of Mind is Mud by Céline Gillain: "Music is a place where intuiting is a work in itself. For me, it's the one place where I'm in charge, free to think and do what I want. Mind is Mud is the fruit of a collaborative practice with a DAW, a research around the palliative power of rhythm and the dancefloor, music as a space where emotions and ideas merge, storytelling, the comic potential and imaginative nature of sound. I don't really write, I copy paste and then I arrange and rearrange. Every sound I use comes from software, field recording, Instagram, movies and midi scores I collect here and there. In the hierarchy of sounds, you might call them cheap sounds. The lyrics are collages as well, made of pieces of texts from various contradictory sources. In addition to using the voice as a vehicle for ideas, I investigate its percussive and polyphonic potentialities, the possibility to have more than one voice/mouth."

A limited edition of 300 copies of this 1985 masterpiece, remastered and presented in a renewed artwork. Berlin School synth sequences, American minimalism vibes, new age and oriental influences, guitar-synthesizers, genius arrangements... A masterpiece exploring the emerging MIDI technology of the time. A transportive selection of calming ambient soundscapes punctuated by glassy synth work and meditative drum patterns.

Acclaimed by many, Steve Roach himself said: »I heard Traces on vinyl back in the early 80s. It is still one of my top 10 albums. There is just an elegant, efficient, and emotional quality about it that just holds up like it was created today. A truly timeless piece of beauty.«

Recalling the »Traces« times, Wøllo explained: »I quit all the bands I played in. I wanted to work on my own using the modern electronic studio as an instrument, like a painter with his oil canvasses. I wanted to make a music that had expansive synthesizer textures and sequencer patterns, layered together with expressive melodic electric guitars. Working with depth, time and space. In those years in the early eighties the studio technology was new and revolutionary, and I wanted to explore all the new possibilities. To be able to control the infinite variations of electronic sound, using an endless palette for creative expression«.

Finally, a YouTube comment about the record that we enjoyed: »This sounds like vaporwave before vaporwave had anything to be nostalgic over«.

Co-released via Spinny Nights and Memorials Of Distinction, the debut release from fresh Bristol blood 'Grove' is now available on vinyl in the 'Big & Bad Edition' served with extra cuts & remixes, printed sleeve & printed inner.

Abstrakce recover this lost gem recorded in 1999 and published by Keliehor himself in a very short-run CD named "Create Music", which had almost no diffusion.

An outstanding collection of exotic tracks with a wide range of influences from primitive cultures all over the world. An unexplored region where the Minimalism concepts developed by Steve Reich, La Monte Young, or Terry Riley and renewed by Midori Takada meet Jon Hassell's 4th world ideas.

You will find here repetitive patterns that evolve and transform the sound space, unlikely instruments gathered together in a perfectly harmonic way, making flow an unusual melodic sense when the uncommon combinations of these instruments interact with one another. Simple instruments, yet exotic, primitive sound makers with complex personalities, timeless sound treasures unchanging a hundred years. Crude or sophisticated, most of the instruments, compel us to listen to them. A more flexible and wider range of tonality is discovered by limiting the number of instruments that play together and choosing those whose tones and harmonics resonate together.

The record results from a didactic project for nursery and primary school environments while searching for ideas to guide children in following the details of music. The music architectures are often transparent, even repetitive, but the culminative effect soon becomes more than that. These pieces are aural landscapes for dreams and adventures, doorways to imaginative worlds.

The Artists:

Jon Keliehor and Signy Jakobsdottir performed together in Seattle, Venezuela, and Scotland. During their stay in Seattle, both had studied gamelan music with Gamelan Pacifica under the direction of Jarrad Powell. After returning to Scotland, they continued to study and perform with Gamelan Naga Mas, in Glasgow, in projects directed by dhalang Joko Susilo, dancer/director Nyoman Wenten, and Professor Matthew Issac Cohen.

In Scotland, they created adult and children's workshops under the banner of Luminous Music. Preceding the formation of Luminous Music, Keliehor had worked as percussionist and composer with contemporary dance companies, both in London and Seattle. Following on studies in percussion music at Dartington College of the Arts, Signy moved to Seattle to begin work with Jon. The partnership that ensued brought them to Caracas, Costa Rica, Brazil and Spain to create music for the dance company DanzaHoy. In 1996, they returned to Glasgow, and continued to work together at the newly created Luminous Music Studios. Signy's involvement with musicians/groups has continued beyond this to include genres in Scottish/Celtic traditions, in Jazz, as well as music innovations of her own design.

The name NxxxxxS (pronounced "N-Five X-S”) sounds like it could be an equation, or a mystery. But to begin to unravel the identity of the French producer who just signed to Because Music and Mad Decent (the label founded by Diplo), you first have to look for clues on YouTube and Soundcloud, where so many underground artists have found a place to hone their craft. In the ten years preceding the release of his second album Short Term Agreement in 2023, NxxxxxS built up a solid reputation for himself in the international vaporwave, vaportrap & phonk scenes. This is no small feat considering he didn’t have any real knowledge of production or composition before deciding to take on these classic genres of “Internet music”.
The Paris native first gained exposure when he started making beats on YouTube, taking his inspiration from American rappers of the blog era - when artists, especially in hip hop, used digital technology to break away from traditional distribution models - like Mac Miller or Odd Future. Building on this initial success, NxxxxxS turned to Soundcloud, an essential platform for music enthusiasts, tastemakers or anyone on the lookout for the sounds of tomorrow.
Following in the footsteps of The Alchemist and other producers of the same ilk, NxxxxxS soon became one of the pioneers of vaporwave and vaportrap music. Featured prominently in modern productions, these styles originated on social media platforms such as Reddit or Tumbler in the 2010’s and are recognisable by their frequent use of commercial samples ranging from the 70’s to the 2000’s (taken from jingles, lounge, jazz or elevator music). Altered, chopped up and slowed down to around 60 to 70 BPM to match hip-hop standards, the music offered a critique or satire of capitalism, consumer society and any culture that grew out of it, most notably yuppies from the 80’s.
NxxxxxS put his own spin on the recipe by creating a new world filled with soaring melodies and countless references to movies and horror scenes, and eventually released his debut album Fujita Scale (a scale used to measure the damage inflicted by tornadoes) in 2014. The album reached a worldwide audience because of its composer’s story and of the secrecy around his French nationality, and even won over unexpected fanbases such as the highly closed off Chinese market. Fujita Scale landed on one of China's streaming platforms, making NxxxxxS an identifiable artist in Asia who went on to tour his album three times across the continent.

NxxxxxS kept the ball rolling, collaborating on a new series of more accessible projects, which aimed to be less niche in terms of the references or sub-genres they tapped into, so he could find a new audience. This led to his first hits, “Synthetic Corporation” - which would also become the name of his label - “Remember Last Summer” and “Formatted Excess”, as well as his most popular track to date, “Playa Shit”, with over 11M streams on Spotify. The upcoming album’s title, Short Term Agreement, is a playful reference to his unyielding desire for independence and productivity, and his eagerness to preserve the personal freedom he turned into strength.
Yet NxxxxxS is never one to refuse support, and he has now joined forces with Because Music & Mad Decent to further establish himself as a producer at the international level - alongside Diplo especially, who is a case in point - so that this understated and ever prolific artist can meet his ambitions of widening his audience and have his name known by all.
And so the tracks on Short Term Agreement serve as the foundation for NxxxxxS' new identity, featuring a rich and diverse array of sounds thanks to the numerous guests involved: London rapper Jeshi - a new British rap phenomenon also freshly signed to Because Music, French rappers 8ruki & Bitsu, Canadian Freddie Dredd and American underground talents Pollari . Avoiding the pitfalls of a compilation-like producer album, NxxxxxS has once again carved out his own style from the modern hip hop rule book.

In other words, NxxxxxS’ constant evolution has brought us this much closer to solving the mystery that is his name.

This inaugural release from new underground electronic music label Rubi Records celebratesthe welcome return of minimalist drum & bass producer Ashley Tindall, aka Skeptical, showcasing his first solo productions for over two years. Working with the clean slate that comes from setting himself no stylistic constraints, Ashley offers three new tracks that, although stamped with his meticulous trademark style, hit a little different than you might expect. If you’ve listened to the most recent remixes he has done, you’ll have heard a hint of what’s in store here: a maturity of style with an evolved sonic palette that takes his signature sound into new territory.

Ashley Tindal has always been forward-thinking when it comes to his productions, but never more so than with this EP, which delivers three slices of the highest quality, cutting-edge D&B.

The EP kicks off with ‘Thru My Head’, a sinister, dub-tinged beast that builds up with a dark,mesmeric melody before dropping some serious ‘stepper’ beats and an undulating low-end that rolls as only a Skeptical b-line does.

‘Push Up’ delves into much heavier territory. An intro of claustrophobic pads and menacing keys leads into a savage drop of surgical beats that have been crafted with military precision, underpinned with a monstrous bass line, and injected with the simple but effective ‘push up’ vocal hook. Add in some trademark Skeptical sounds and you have a certified dance floor weapon to get the crowd moving.

The EP closes with ‘Initiate’, a dystopian slice of D&B futurism that mixes up dark pads, beats so tense they ooze nervous energy, and some of the most twisted sci-fi sonics yet used by Skeptical. This is a masterclass in next-level business!

Pointillist club rhythms and dense, porous dub clouds encircle the Wrecked Lightship as Laurie Osborne and Adam Winchester set sail for phantom islands once more. The nocturnal boatswains chart a course guided by pronounced percussive impulses, using physicality to navigate the looming atmospheric pressure that has become their signature style.

Opening tracks ‘Arial’ and ‘Third Law’ speak to the roots of Osborne and Winchester’s respective work as Appleblim and Wedge, dealing in dancefloor abstractions where techno, electro and dubstep once stood, but there’s much more at play than simple genre tags could ever express. ‘Third Law’s electro-static interference calls back to Winchester’s work in Dot Product, while the twitchy urgency and gnarly bass echoes Osborne’s ALSO project with Second Storey.

Wrecked Lightship is an anchorless concern, free to drift into experimental waters if the currents surge that way, and so ‘Kill Mirror’ and ‘Hydrotower’ head away from forthright structures to play around with sound design and full-frequency manipulation. It’s too kinetic and jagged to be considered ambient, even if it willfully shirks the dancefloor. But for every starboard swerve there’s a prevailing wind, and the likes of finely-tuned club weapon ‘Take It Back’ whip ahead with laser-eyed focus.

Nailing their split interests between immediacy and the avant-garde to the mast, Wrecked Lightship deepen the reach of their project on their second album. Whatever shape a specific track might take, Oceans & Seas serves as a paean to the art of sonic manipulation and spatial processing.

Written and produced by Adam Winchester and Laurence Osborne
Artwork by Chloe Grove
Layout by Takashi Makabe
Text by Oliver Warwick
Mastered and cut by Simon at The Exchange

Purveyor of lovecore, fabba and cakebeat, bestie and all-round DJ-inspo Angel D’lite blesses Ritual Poison with her ‘Re4mat’ EP.

‘Werk My Body’ is a swirl of feminine energy, empowered vocals blending with hardcore breaks and hyper bass, a four four switch warping temporally before the track drops again. Local Group return the remix favour from their own recent EP, slowing ’Werk My Body’ to a 140 emo-banger, trance melodies sandwiching a proggy mid-section, the bass bumping throughout.

‘R u Ready’ keeps the NRG and BPMs high, breakbeats rolling over booming sub and dubbed out rave stabs, the sexual charge of the female ragga vocal frank and unashamed. ‘Re4mat’ signs off, the hallowed B2. Drawing on rave anthems of the past, it looks boldly to the future. 
“This particular historical juncture holds possibilities for change that we’ve never before experienced,” declares Angela Davis, as the euphoria subsides for a moment. ‘Re4mat’ and start again.

Functional dancefloor music doesn’t come much better than DYL & DB1’s latest 5-track EP on UVB-76 Music. Encompassing elements of dub, techno and drum & bass the EP playfully executes a less-is-more aesthetic where groove rules above all, a seductive proposition.

Friske comes off the back of a standout year for his personal label Requisite with no signs of easing up the pressure for 23. Three cuts of sunrays selections for warming bass bins and dancefloors

Opener “Someone” sees Friske expertly channeling the Jungle cannon by extracting key snare fills and rolls from Plastic Jam’s – Wicked Beat and reconstructing their swing with futurized 808 claps. Ethereal pads, distant voices and pulsing reese complete the halcyon skank out.

Two mixes of “Daydream” to choose from both pairing echoes of rare groove with drifting synth atmospheres and ear worming arpeggios. Both versions nod heavily to Bukem’s ambient intelligence with true connoisseurs recognizing the harder stepping drums of “Mix 1” gearing towards his Voodoo Magic sets whilst the subtler roll of “Mix 2” anchoring the head down sway of his Speed era.

J:Kenzo is an artist we have long admired here at Metalheadz and it was only a matter of time before we brought him into the fold for a full EP.

Titled 'ZegaFunk', J:Kenzo's 4 track offering was instigated by the 2020 lockdown and fiercely spurred on by Goldie over the course of the year. There is a real classic feel to the EP, so acutely influenced by the sound of 1997 with dystopian pads and groove-laden basslines readily bursting from each track. Innovative dub influences and engaging patterns keep the listener captivated throughout a slick EP with both substantial weight and flavour.

We're also honoured to have another incredibly accomplished artist join the camp in .EPOD who delivers his trademark skillset on an exquisitely reimagined version of the Metalheadz logo.

No More Mailouts label boss Sir Hiss, provides the latest release on Innamind Recordings.