Beats Vinyl New Releases - News

A leading figure and respected elder in the Teklife family, Traxman has waited patientlywhile releases from young upstarts like Taso and Dj Earl have been enjoyed by footwork lovers all over the world. Now the time has come for Traxman to take centre stage, presenting a collection of new material that demonstrates his mastery of the footwork sound. Tekvision arrives hot on the heels of Teklife 005: Greenlight by DJ Manny, bringing an interesting contrast of production methods and styles. A prodigious crate digger, Traxman has provided the sample sources for many of Footwork's classic tracks over the years. So while DJ Manny recorded the majority of the vocals on Greenlight himself, Traxman uses his expert sample flipping techniques to add the human element to his productions. Traxman is a mainstay of the Chicago underground, with a discography stretching back to the golden era of Dance Mania Records in the 1990s. Ghetto House was an important precursor to Footwork, and Traxman was a key figure during this transition.

Echoes of the Ghetto House sound resonate through Tekvision, with tracks like Drop It Down and Twist The Party Out paying homage to the origins of Juke and Footwork music. Be Gagen feat DJ Earl is a beautiful opening track, with a soulful, melancholic synth unfolding patiently over a half-speed beat. When the bass kicks in after 1 minute 10 seconds it has a profoundly uplifting effect, and the late arriving vocal rounds off the composition perfectly.

Many of the tracks demonstrate brilliant and playful manipulation of vocal snippets, with Let Me Get Up and Control Ya Bitchezzz among the finest examples of this art. Finally,Tone Deaf and Whop Line show yet another side to Traxman's sound with an intoxicating and angular mix of bass and bleeps.

Two unashamedly amenistic smashers in an old-skool style - harking back to the hazy days of the mid-1990's.

A malicious statement of intent from Pact Infernal’s Altar label, Mors Omnibus I is an assemblage of amenable architects of dread summoned together to create a collection of ominous rhythmic rituals.

Silver / Gold C90 Cassette in J Card.

After appearing on labels such as Neo Violence and Nerang, DJ Safeword steps up for his debut EP on Infinite Pleasure. Straight from the dungeon into your ears, he delivers three tracks that will have you screaming for more. Comes with a bass heavy electro edit by none other than Pepe, strapping on his black leather leash for maximum pleasure!

Never forget your Safeword!

On his second 12", simply titled "More", Mischa Lively manifests a colorful world of vigorous techno journeys. On the A-Side, the record greets us with the psychedelic extraterrestrial funk of "Phuhkwiddem", followed up by the freestyle drum-break electro of "Pain in the Vein". On the flip side, the trip continues with the breathing techno pounder "More" which vividly deconstructs and rebirths itself through an agile series of peaks and valleys. The EP closes with the broken-beat grime of "WIP Limits", a finishing move that bounces with no restriction.

Released through Mischa Lively's own freshly-established New Love Unlimited imprint, a portion of all sales from More will be donated to the Equal Justice Initiative - an organization "committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society

With a third album, ‘Return To Telepathic Heights’, released this year on Gerd Janson’s Running Back label, techno outlaw A Sagittariun returns to themes of a space western nature with a closing epilogue, ‘A Fistful of Bitcoins’.
An extended player that traverses Tucumcari, Vietnam’s Black River, and the ultimate, and final leg, of the journey; to Devils Tower in Wyoming.


Vital Sales Points:
- full picture sleeve, designed by Jonny O (Rocket Recordings/Goat)
- global PR and marketing campaign from Hype Filter
- last A Sagittairun album for Gerd Janson’s Running Back label received excellent reviews in Mixmag, DJ Mag, The Wire & more…


Selected DJ feedback:
Robag Whrume – Good one!
Shanti Celeste – love this!
Nick Höppner – Sounding great
Brendon Moeller – Dope AF!
Johanna Knutsson – Beautiful stuff
Ed Davenport – Some heavy stuff here, Road To Devils Tower is a special cut!
Bruce (Livity Sound) – Real digging the slow bits, proper gear!
John Osborn – The Sacred Chao is heaven!
Interstellar Funk – Really like ‘A Fistful Of Bitcoins’
Neil Barnes (Leftfield) – very nice and imaginative EP
Fabrice Lig – Really nice EP, love it
DJ Octopus – Great one!
Vincent Neumann – Ooh, so nice!
Ell Weston (Banoffe Pies) – Superb selection
Cormac – Black River is super nice
Cooper Saver – wow, love these
Bill Brewster – lot’s of nice gear on here, good work
96 Back (CPU) – wonderfully bleepy and dubby
Tensnake – lovely release
Kirsti (Null & Void) – So consistent, another great release from A Sagittariun

Berlin`s producer, sound designer, and composer Sven Weisemann`s 4th fulllength DESOLATE Album on FAUXPAS MUSIK arrives in Autumn 2019. Entitled
EXCEPTIONALISM, features 11 tracks melting the 90’s. The tracks are in an
intelligent DownTempo with a touch of Ambient. The Release comes as 2x12“ 180g
Vinyl Edition. Vinyl tastes better...

Chambre Noire Records is a new label out of Montreal, managed by Peter Bunzinelli. It is the continuation of a mix series and a radio show on N10.AS, active since 2017. For its very first release, it features Puma & The Dolphin’s debut record, the Primitive EP, including a remix by Michal Turtle. P&TD is a Bulgarian producer based in Sofia. The Primitive EP focuses on firedance grooves, exotic percussion along with a dub and post-punk approach.
A1 - Jungle Futura The EP open With this wild chugger. Layering jungle sounds with loose hand percussion, the mood is at the crossroads between Latin and oriental influences. As the track progresses, the rhythmic section is enriched by skippy snares and a variety of vocal samples, sweeps, and melodies, with undeniable firedance-inducing results. A2 - Camel in Dub
Darker and more synthetic in some regards, this track is closely aligned to the post-punk paradigm with its bass guitar and Linn Drum groove, and dub techniques skillfully used by the producer to create a rather psychedelic mise en scène. After laying down the foundations of this plodding rhythm, satellite voices, rhythmic and melodic elements follow one another, taking the dancer on a real trip. A3 - The Dress With vocal samples and a bass guitar at the forefront interspersed with minimalist but highly efficient rhythmic elements, melodies and other bleeps & bloops engaged in ear-catching interplay, there is something loose, sensual and slightly hazy about this track. B1 - Cobra Dance Taking a similar yet slightly different approach to the post-punk sound of previous tracks, this tune features a catchy bassline and groovy percussion of a rather Latin persuasion, alternating between vocal samples, melodic elements, and rhythmic phrases. In a sense, this track is reminiscent of the spirit of Martin Hannett’s work with ESG, that is to say, groovy dance music that feels like the opposite of synthetic.
B2 - The Dress (Michal Turtle Remix) Highly-esteemed British producer Michal Turtle’s remix of The Dress is a stunner. Stripping the track down to its primordial elements and treating sounds in dramatic and psychedelic fashion creates a very mystical and trippy feeling all over the remix which feels eminently balearic but with a unique twist. Light footed and dreamy on one hand, groovy as hell and impossible not to dance to on the other, this is probably what dancing on clouds feels like.

The Fifth Kingdom presents it’s second release, 3 transcendental trips from label head Ancestral Voices. Title track Samhain is a return to dexterous syncopation, a rhythmic ritual that aptly celebrates our descent into the new season. Fómhar slides deeper, translating the Autumn harvest into a mood that seeps from the tracks pores. Blewit Mist captures the morning glow, a glowing ambient passage that carries us into our new environment.

We are excited to bring you a new 3 Track EP from South London producer Fusahra.
Recent releases on 7th Storey Projects / Criterion / Next Phase and now Transmute have been getting great responses and radio plays across the world.

When we heard these tracks for the first time they felt instantly right for Transmute. Dark soundscapes and heavy breakbeats with Fushara’s trademark change ups and subtle variations. Something new to discover on every listen.

DJ Support from: Bailey, Chris Inperspective, DJ Trax, Storm, Trex, Latent Notion, Equinox, Infest, Ricky Force, Digital, Invaderz, Chef.

Garden City Movement's debut album 'Apollonia' is set for release on 16th March 2018. The trio of Roy Avital, Yoav Saar and Johnny Sharoni produce a blend of sounds drawn from their diverse cultural worlds, ranging from art-pop to experimental house to horizontally-aligned vibes.

Since surfacing at the close of 2013 with their breakout track 'Move On', Garden City Movement have released 'Entertainment' and 'Bengali Cinema' EPs, the 'Modern West' 12' in collaboration with The Vinyl Factory, climbed the Hype Machine Popular Chart with multiple singles, recorded live sessions for Boiler Room, Majestic Casual and FACT, opened for Bonobo, Caribou, Alt-J and played all over the world. The band's music video for 'Move On' received a nomination for Best Music Video at the LA Film Festival, won Best Video of The Year' at the MTV Israel Music Awards and the video for 'She's So Untouchable' screened at Raindance Film Festival in London.

Recording through 2017 at their studio in Tel Aviv, Garden City Movement took the time to explore their sound as a band. From the combination of dream-like vocals and cinematic-RnB in singles 'Slightly All The Time' 'Before I Fall' and 'A Means To An End' to the leftfield four-four of 'Mediterranea' and 'Sans Titre' or the ethereal jazz of 'I Knew Before I Met Her (That One Day I Would Lose Her)' and worldly influences of the title track - the heightened craft in their production is firmly felt across the album's 18 tracks.

After releasing three EPs, which each had a very tight deadline, recording the album has been a chance to grow. It's the first time we have been able to really take the time and experiment a lot in the studio, try to develop and deepen our language, come up with new sounds, and take our techniques even further'. - Garden City Movement

The album takes a darker path lyrically, exploring the breakdown of a fading relationship and the depression, loneliness and abuse that follows. While not explicit, this melancholy grounds the album in the real world. The fusion of forward facing production and confessional account of human-interaction frames an emotional and honest album of modern soul music.

3024 returns for another action packed V.A. EP with tracks from label head Martyn, UK Hard Drum master NKC, Washington DC local Djoser and an unreleased gem from Jacques Greene!

Nikolai Erastowitsch Bersarin, the ambivalent colonel general, communist and first Soviet city commander of Berlin, had an accident with his motorcycle in 1945 at the age of only 41. In the enraptured, now somewhat more compressed and at the same time more colorful (not more cheerful) electronic sound(track)s of the strange Bersarin Quartett, in its East Block sea landscapes with latently kitsched wallpaper and double bottoms, shadows of this strange figure Bersarin can be guessed - still or again - at a good 70 years later. But perhaps that is also irrelevant. This 'band' could just as well play imprisoned in the remixed court of the eternal, crazy North Korean presidents, whether embodied in an orchestra, quartet or as masked solo entertainer. It brings us supposedly post-rock and post-socialist grandeur, which has degenerated very slightly, in a great new splendour amidst all our irritations and emotions. And everything takes place in our heads.

The Bersarin Quartett - after thirteen years and three epic, (bad-)dreamlike beautiful albums - have settled down with their fourth album "Methoden und Maschinen" ("methods and machines"). For the time being. Because at the same time many new layers and paths are emerging. Playing live in many arrangements and at great concerts in Slovenia, Poland, Czech Republic and Russia, this has grown into a quartet, but it is still the project of DJ, musician, graphic and audio designer Thomas Bücker. The numerous concert evenings with Andy Stott, Tim Hecker, Fennesz, Murcof, Dictaphone or Hidden Orchestra, among others, are undoubtedly noticeable on "Methoden und Maschinen". The Bersarin Quartett continues to stand for the outing of a complex musical subconscious. 'The Dark Side of the Moon', only that the moon is shimmering here, at least now and then. It's probably also due to the sun shining on it. Minimalism and bombast go together. Constantly developing and entangling contrasts, paradoxes and contradictions are the motor. Constantly caught between two sides. Don’t believe the hype!

DRNTTCKS return with their fifth full-length release, this time on british tape label Industrial Coast. "White Gaze" takes a grim look at Europe anno 2019: ongoing wars against migration through the EU government and Frontex, the rise of racist nationalist parties all over the continent, a re-installment of identity politics and re-legitimation toxic masculinity. Things are fucked, but maybe they are as fucked now as they were in 1910 or 1986, because the regime has been mostly the same. It’s the panoptic stare of white, wealthy and more than often male, heterosexual cis bodies. Who still set the rules. Who still distribute the power.

All graphic work on this release is done by artist Elisabeth Thoma. The photos used for "White Gaze" were taken in the ethnographic departement of a natural history museum. There were no white bodies objectified or exhibited.

Warehouse Find!

Two Nu Jungle Techno tracks written by Ron Wells & Jimmi Nugent. Typical SE sound, clean Pumping and atmospheric.

Kenrick’s signature sound is haunting and richly melodic, phased and distorted, lending an ancient-to-the-future vibe to everything he touches, whether rootical collaborations or left-field version excursions.

Alter Echo & E3 and Headland had been wanting to collaborate for some time, and Kenrick’s high-plains-meets-far-east vibes seemed the perfect opportunity to build something truly unique.

2x12"



Anthony Burgess's second wife Liana carried a cassette recorder with her at all times to capture her life with the author and their son Andrew. This extraordinarily intimate audio archive of over 1,000 cassettes now sits with the International Anthony Burgess Foundation and artist Alan Dunn has been granted access to select excerpts from it and curate sonic conversations from others.

Disc 1 contains the very first and last known recordings of Burgess's voice alongside domestic incidents, rehearsals and answering machine messages, while Disc 2 invites 23 artists and musicians to remix the rare material into a unique Burgess portrait far beyond 'A Clockwork Orange'.

Anthony Burgess was born in Manchester in 1917, Anthony Burgess was educated at Xaverian College in that city and at Manchester University. He served in the army from 1940 to 1946 and as an education officer in Malaya and Brunei from 1954 to 1959. He published more than 50 books (including 'A Clockwork Orange' and his masterpiece, 'Earthly Powers') and composed around 250 musical works. He was created a Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres by President Mitterrand of France and a Commandeur de Mérite Culturel by Prince Rainier of Monaco. He died in London in 1993. His books are still read all over the world.

Alan Dunn is an artist and curator based between Liverpool and Leeds, where he is a reader in Art & Design at Leeds Beckett University. His projects have been presented at Tate Britain, ICA, Liverpool Art Prize, BBC Radio and Bluecoat.

The International Anthony Burgess Foundation in Manchester is an independent educational charity which encourages public and scholarly interest in all aspects of the life and work of Anthony Burgess.

Rounding-off a landmark year for Clark which saw an accelerated drive for variety and freshness - including skewed renditions of Bach performed at the Royal Albert Hall and a hugely acclaimed score for TV series ‘Kiri’ - the leftfield legend takes it back to the source with two bangers for the massive.

The riff-powered heavy electrics of ‘Branding Problem’ romp from Detroit to Belgium via Chicago and the M25. It’s platinum-grade dancefloor techno, but it’s more too. The production flair and inventive sound sculpting ensure a level of quality and originality not found in your average grist-for-the-mill DJ fodder.

‘Legacy Pet’ is hardcore and tech step dipped in loopy juice; it’s the sound of a raver wandering out from a cavernous warehouse, across fields and into an enchanted dingily dell dance, throwing gun fingers with the goblins and faeries.

“I’ve been quite amused at how easy it is to stream background music these days. How accessible it all is and how entitled we all feel to it, like it’s some sort of air freshener you spray in your Uber.

For some reason I’m imagining a future where Elon Musk does a streaming deal, so he can prance around controlling nano implant VR chips for 1 million amortal coastal elites, while the rest of us don’t have electricity and only manage one rave a year - to a sound system powered by rationed candles. This is music for that fantasy scenario, ha.

Anyway, I don’t want these 2 tracks to be part of background air freshener world. They are limited edition club gear. I wanna play them out so badly in my live show.

Influences: Hardcore UK rave, Detroit techno, Jungle, Oizo, Ed Rush and Optical, No U-Turn. The origins, the source and it’s constant subsequent mutations. BEHOLD THE CONTINUUM, HARDCORE WILL NEVER DIE.” Clark

N is one of the most profiled German drone / ambient artists - being active since the early 1990s he has released more than 50 records - on this new album he cooperates with Ricky Graham (Signals Under Test). Disrupt/Construct is a long-form music release featuring two compositions: Disrupt and Construct. Graham collected musical responses to a series of his own guitar improvisations from Neidhardt over the period of a year. Graham then crafted this album at the Elektronmusikstudion EMS in Stockholm, Sweden. Disrupt is a series of buckling themes that function as self-contained, shorter musical compositions. Construct presents a semi-improvised stream-of-consciousness piece that stands in contrast to the disruptive nature of its counterpart and divides into three self-contained musical movements. Limited to only 100 pieces w/ handprinted sleeves.

Onwards and upwards, Dub Sector perseveres with its fourth physical discharge, welcoming Repulsion to the (vinyl side of the label roster). Taking the reigns in succession of the latest heaters by Dalek One, the following three low-end fiestas are brought to you by the swiftly aspiring producer, his base of operations residing in Oklahoma, US.

Active since 2011, the promising artist has since then put forth a multitude of releases on various esteemed imprints, including two 12" appearances, and digital publications on labels, such as Dubstar Records and Dayzerzo's Vomitspit. Reviewed by the likes of MixMag as well as receiving airplay from Dubstep ambassador Joe Nice and inDepth Radio among others, Repulsion has also joined Denver's SubMission agency roster and is actively involved in various musical projects. His sonic signature is situated within the sphere of Dubstep, embedded in Lo-Fi sampling aesthetics. A refreshing take on modern sound system music, infused with lush vintage flavours, Hip-Hop influenced grooves and swingy basslines.

Special Request joins forces with Nina Kraviz and Anastasia Kristensen, shattering the doors of perception over a four-track EP. 'Through The Looking Glass' drops July 20th on Houndstooth.On the A side, Nina Kraviz provides two interpretations of 'Curtain Twitcher'. 'Alice Was Here Remix' takes the intensity of the original and boils it into a 4/4 spin of frenzied basslines and distorted acoustics, punctuated by her languid reading of the Mad Hatter. For the 'Samba Version', syncopated polyrhythms take charge of a fragmented melody.
Opening the AA side, 'Looking Glass' lures you down the rabbit hole with mysterious bleeps, only to reveal a whirlwind of stormy breaks and junglist percussion. Closing off the trip, Anastasia Kristensen's remix of 'Tiresias' marches its way through a field of swollen bass and glitchy percussion.

Legendary UK outfit Future Sound Of London kicks off with a trippy head jam to soothe the mind of electronic dreamers. Berlin's Monolake aka Robert Henke follows with a beat-driven and heavy industrial piece of clattering sounds and whirring rhythm mechanics. David Morley completes this sixth EP of the 10 years series in style: "Traytor" brims with depth and floaty atmospherics pushed further by low range beat parts. Real endorphin material.

Kevin Foakes (Openmind, DJ Food, Ninja Tune) created all the graphic work. Mastered by Matt Colton at Alchemy Mastering, pressed on 180 grams vinyl and a separate digital version will be available from the usual digital shops. Stay tuned!

The fourth Plafond sees fine-crafted contrasting pieces complement each other in courtesy of Ulla Straus and Oceanic. Along the wide arbitrary landscape of listening or 'ambient' music, it is a delight to have two artists, separated by the vast Atlantic, contributing quite opposite interpretations of such to the series. Perceptual time feels as a recurrent theme which binds them, albeit in a whole different modus operandi. In her iconic tactile productions, Straus excavates levels of advanced musical complexity in the seemingly most simple. Throughout two tracks her crude and beautiful technique riffles, compositions that remain prone to the transient, combining field recordings with morphing saxophone and guitar. This is deeply evocative music that turns its recipient into a mode of contemplation. 'I Forgot to Take a Picture' breathes melancholic romanticism, 'Becoming Warm' feels lorn yet hopeful. Pastoral haze over a rouge-tainted barren, the crackling insides of a wooden forest house. Picturesque and minimalist, Pennsylvania's Straus manages to temporarily stop the sand from gravitating downwards. Oceanic antagonises Straus with the triptych 'Three Sides of a Shell', recalling different emotions adhering to the fourth dimension. As a performing artist Oceanic masters the element of suspense. Here, over the course of nineteen minutes, a three-note sequence is explored within the producers imaginatory, chapterised, providing moments to navigate through his fictitious galaxy. Stuttering melodies across azure waters, synthesised bleeps as flickering stars over a moonlit mountain pass. Oceanic's music feels advanced through actively incorporating contemporary futurism, whilst never losing the glacial glance that is so familiar to its early nineties foregoers. It is as if listening to 'Three Sides...' heightens the senses, towards possibility, innovation even, triggering illusions of time dilation, shattering the hourglass. Comes in hand printed dreamy, pink sleeve, including Obi-strip, by the BAKK Innerspace Ink Station.

Ivy Falls, the delicate indie-pop band hailing from Ghent Belgium, continues its journey with this new EP. Their sound is characterised by subtle electronics, disarming vocals and meticulous arrangements. Fien Deman's silky soft, almost ethereal voice makes your head spin while her songs alternately soothe and sting you.

Fien calls this project her baby. She writes, arranges and co-produces all of the songs. She already made waves before as guest vocalist or sidekick (with Satin Jackets, Illuminine, Hydrogen Sea, I will, I swear) but this is Fien at the controls. Fien found her studio accomplices for this new chapter in Daan Schepers (Warhola, Bazart) and Pieterjan Coppejans (Eefje De Visser). Jasper Maekelberg (Balthazar, Faces on TV), Sebastiaan Van den Brande (Amatorski) and Dijf Sanders also contributed.

After releasing 'Mean Girls', Ivy Falls' debut EP in 2017, the band was able to play acclaimed venues such as Gent Jazz Festival, Boomtown, Ancienne Belgique, Trix, Botanique, alongside Sigrid, Mabel and Jessie Ware to name a few. The 'Mean Girls' EP was praised by press and radio and landed her over half a million streams.

For this new EP, Fien gathered 3 musicians to form the Ivy Falls band: Trui Amerlinck (Tsar B), Jasper Morel (Black Box Revelation) and Simon Raman (Steiger). The songs for the new record, coming out on November 15, have crystallized into velvety, warm and mature arrangements.

Ivy Falls songs often deal with resolving internal conflicts and dealing with one's own - and other people's - expectations, the struggles of growing up. More specifically on this record, Fien aims to grasp the abstract yet very distinct concept of 'The Light' with references throughout this new EP. She added this quote to the back of the vinyl: "Though I'm not sure whether we'll ever manage the craft of fueling the light when it's needed, let's pretend that we do or at least we once will."

Black Truffle invite you to an evening of drunken revelry in the Batcave! After a chance meeting at a local supermarket in Poughkeepsie, New York, Joe McPhee and Graham Lambkin have performed together as a duo extensively in recent years, in addition to their joint work excavating some of the wildest tapes from McPhee’s archive for Lambkin’s now defunct Kye label. Live in the Batcave documents an evening the two friends spent together in the company of Joe’s brother Charlie and Lambkin’s son Oliver in November 2017 at Charlie’s house in Poughkeepsie. The LP captures seven increasingly drunken snapshots of the four shooting the breeze, playing flutes and whistles, drumming on anything at hand, and playing records.

Edited together in Lambkin’s distinctive style of lo-fi domestic tape collage, the multiple simultaneous cassette recordings of the shenanigans abruptly cut in and out and fall out of sync, creating disorientating, woozy echoes. Mics are bumped, stories are told, drinks are poured, text messages arrive, and AACM-esque flute jams are interrupted by violent bursts of laughter and wet-mouthed sound poetry. All the while, classic soul records play, initially in the background, but coming increasingly to the fore until the record culminates in a strangely moving free-associative singalong. Presented in a gatefold sleeve with extensive photographic documentation and liner notes from Joe McPhee, Live in the Batcave is a truly unique document that exists somewhere between free jazz, audio verité, performance art, and everyday life. File next to your copy of Das Kümmerling Trio. ‘Our music was born from the sounds of jazz, funk, soul, noise … sounds with no other reason so exist, except because they did, sounds which occurred like putting one step in front of the other to see if the way was clear to take the next step. The plan was, there is no plan, just start at the beginning, end at the end and party like it’s 1999’ – Joe McPhee

Much anticipated & supported Grime Trap hybrid finally sees the light of day after support on BBC 1xtra. Accompanied with a haunting remix by JLSXND7RS. This one has been heard in all the dances for the past year. Support from J:Kenzo, Sicaria Sound, Opium Hum (Boiler Room) and many more.

In late 1997, unsigned Melbourne producer Castel won a competition at a local club. The prize was certainly sought-after: a CD single release on leading local label DanceNet. That EP, “Estrel”, subsequently appeared in stores in 1998, but within two years Castel had packed away his Atari-ST, sold off his hardware and quit music for good.

Thanks to Echovolt Records, Castel’s story now has a happier ending. 22 years after it was recorded, the unfeasibly gorgeous “Estrel” is finally appearing on vinyl alongside original bonus cut “Me & You” and a trio of similarly impressive unreleased productions from the period.

“Estrel” is positivity personified – a melodious, morning-fresh blast of deep electro bliss rich in bustling drums, tuneful IDM style lead lines and darting, psychedelic electronics. It’s joined on side A by “Me & You”, a pitched-down chunk of hazy ‘90s electronica that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on one of Warp Records’ legendary Artificial Intelligence compilations.

On side B, Castel opens up his archive of unreleased recordings for the very first time. The rush-inducing, bass-heavy swirl of “Safer Somewhere” – one of the last tracks he ever recorded and reminiscent of some B12 recordings from the period – is followed by the intergalactic ambient brilliance of “Latch” and the lilting, sun-bright bliss of breakbeat-driven shuffler “16/11/1998”, whose combination of weighty bottom-end and layered electronics neatly sums up the unheralded qualities of Castel’s previously forgotten work.

Over de dingen die we vergeten zijn. Omdat we misschien wel beter kunnen dan dit.
Door de aard van Pu¯wawau heb ik besloten deze biografie zelf te schrijven. Na het uitbrengen van 3 solo albums (‘Let Your Hands Be My Guide’ 2013, ‘The Sparkle In Our Flaws’ 2015 en ‘Bounce Back’ 2017) en het spelen in verschillende bands zoals Isbells en Marble Sounds, voelde ik een grote urgentie om onderzoek te doen naar de kracht van de stem en de verbindende factoren van het zingen. Deze urgentie werd gevoed door het lezen van het volgende stukje tekst van socioloog Walter Weyns:
“Zodra we mensentaal leren, horen we in het geritsel van bladeren alleen nog stom geruis. We horen het, maar luisteren er niet meer naar. Het ruist alleen nog wat, het heeft ons niets meer te zeggen. Maar soms, heel af en toe, wekt iets het vermoeden dat de bladeren, de dingen, ons nog wel iets te zeggen hebben. Het is dan alsof er heel diep in ons iets resoneert met wat vanuit de verste verte komt, een vaag teken dat we niet begrijpen maar heimwee opwekt. Dat kan gebeuren, want we zijn sociale wezens. We staan open naar het andere, we willen ermee communiceren, en nooit zweren we de sociale omgang met dingen, dieren, planten, wolken en landschappen helemaal af. Al wat een vorm heeft, al wat zich toont, al wat zich laat horen, spreekt ons aan als had het ons iets te zeggen. Mensen zijn zo door-en-door sociaal dat ze in nagenoeg alles een teken, een verwantschap, een correspondentie kunnen zien en een boodschap vermoeden.”
Onze wereld lijkt zoveel nood te hebben aan alles wat er verborgen ligt onder de woorden. Ik ben ervan overtuigd dat juist dat ons kan helpen om terug verbinding te zoeken. Met onszelf e´n met elkaar. We gebruiken zoveel woorden. We hebben een mening over veel. Maar klopt dit wel? Komen deze letters van de juiste plek? Luisteren we wel? Zang heeft mij altijd een plek voor reflectie gegeven. Voor een diep voelen en ervaren. Dus ik wilde deze plek gebruiken voor een muziektheatervoorstelling. Het is tevens de eerste keer dat ik het medium theater gebruikt heb voor mijn werk. Heel bewust. Theater is een zeer krachtig middel en het heeft me ook buiten mijn comfortabele ruimte gezet waardoor ik mezelf opnieuw moest uitvinden en opbouwen. Uit deze voorstelling kwam de plaat Pu¯wawau. Een plaat waarin ik samen met zangers van Nederlands Kamerkoor NXT en een aantal muzikanten op zoek ga naar de kracht van de stem.
Valgeir Sigurdsson, bekend van onder andere zijn werk voor Bjo¨rk en Feist, heeft gezorgd voor prachtige, bevreemdende arrangementen waardoor de uitdaging nooit ver weg was. Josse de Pauw heeft zijn woorden en stem geleend voor de voorstellingen en was een aanwezig klankbord in de zoektocht en inspiratie.
Ik heb voor Pu¯wawau nauw samen gewerkt met een fijne groep muzikanten bestaande uit: Eric Thielemans, Laurens Smet, Jozef Dumoulin, Jeroen Stevens, Michae¨l Brijs, Firas Al Alwani, Beatrijs de Clerck, Katelijn Van Kerckhoven. De opnames werden gedaan door Stef Kamil Carlens, Joris Caluwaerts en Martijn Groeneveld. Een heerlijk team om mee te werken.
We deden reeds 17 try outs tijdens theaterfestival Oerol in Nederland. Enkele reacties van bezoekers:
“De essentie die we allen zijn kwijtgeraakt weer aangeraakt! Diep, diep, diep geraakt!”
“Gewoonweg betoverend.”
“Wat een prachtig ontroerend cadeau geven jullie ons.”
“Het mooiste geschenk van Oerol.”
“Wat ontzettend ontroerend en verbindend. Enorm onder de indruk ben ik. Veel dank. Ik zou nog veel langer willen luisteren en stilstaan hier bij al wat we vergeten waren.”

Young Ethics is the new label from Armand Jakobsson, p.k.a DJ Seinfeld, Rimbaudian, and Birds Of Sweden. For the time being, it will be exclusively for Jakobsson’s output.
The debut release, out 17 May, is a 4 track EP from DJ Seinfeld, available on vinyl, digital download, and streaming services.
Stylistically it will follow on from remixes for George FitzGerald, and Prospa, and from his April 2018 ‘Sakura’ EP, which saw support from Aphex Twin, Marcel Dettmann, and Daniel Avery.
Jakobsson released new music via his own DJ KiCKS compilation (July 2018), and Bonobo’s Fabric compilation (February 2019), but the launch of Young Ethics will see the first EP from him for over a year.

AKO Arcade brings you two jungle tracks from the vault of DJ Stretch himself.
Both are from the late 94′ era.

Dem Want It is a VIP and Ganja Dub are dubplate versions of tracks that never had a full vinyl release. Stretch would always do an alternative version for himself which normally ended up better than the original. After finally locating the DAT and getting them remastered to share with the AKO supporters.

Both have lashing breaks and deep sub basslines and old sound tape vocals throughout. These will be limited like the other Arcade releases and once there gone that will be it. We hope you enjoy another piece of history.