Beats Vinyl New Releases - News

Kuiper comes after last year's acclaimed debut album 'Elaenia' and is the second release on his own label Pluto. Check out the video here!:
Speaking about the new release, Shepherd says:

'Since starting a band to realise the music from my LP, it has sparked a deep interest in the band itself, and so Kuiper is the result of playing with Leo, Alex and Susumu. Each time we play it, its completely different. We set the scene with electronics, and some drum machines that form the foundation to allow the unfurling of the rest of the track. The version on this EP - believe it or not - was recorded at 8am!

The other side - 'For Marmish Part II' - is carbon dated by my singing voice. I can't get that high anymore! It was recorded way before ' For Marmish' on the album but the two tracks happened to be written around the same time.

I want to share them because both sides reflect in two tracks where I was right at the start of the Elaenia project, right up to now post-LP release, playing live and going on the road with a band. I hope, like I feel, people will find a common strand in the hypnotic nature of both tracks. '

Glorious new Floris Vanhoof LP co-released with Kraak. Comes with 24 page colour photo book.
. Modern experimental Belgian brilliance by this ever exciting artist. Do Not Sleep! 220 copies only. BIG TIP !

"This music and these pictures are made out of curiosity about how multiple images overlap on film
and how waves that arise in tiny electronic circuits translate to the outside world.
2 side long pieces and a selection of 24 slides printed on a lush 30 by 30 cm format give an
alternative for popular myths “our memory is a tape recorder” and “the exact photographic
memory”. When we take time to listen inside own heads, what appears might be closer to the
double exposed images and swirling tape manipulations then we imagine.

Whooshing echoes out of homemade musical circuits and acoustic recordings processed through
configuration of tape recorders and filters mix the same way as the colors in the layered images.

The title is comes from the book 'The Pattern on the Stone' by inventor W. Daniel Hillis. The word
'computer' usually refers to an electronic digital device. The book tells about the existence of
computers where water flows instead of electrons. This 'fluid computer' serves as a source of
inspiration for deconstructing the ubiquitous algorithmic machine, and for new technologies to be
revived through untracked sidetracks."

In a few short years Halogenix has already had a prestigious career in bass music, after making his mark with his solo projects as well as marking out new territory with Ivy Lab he is now entering a new chapter and focusing on his own productions.

To mark the occasion Critical Music present an EP full of the dynamism you might expect from such an experienced producer. Future thinking as ever the 8-track 'Deep News EP' rolls from beautifully crafted drum & bass to heavy half-time including the enormous 'Blej VIP'.

Debut release from London based Hooverian Blur. Obfuscating the rave with breakbeat music for the now. Smudged soundscapes, chopped warehouse breaks, rude warehouse bass, obscured sentiment. Hooverian Blur is a new project from genre hopping DJ Warlock, coming back full circle with his Hardcore legacy and Rag & Bone aesthetic.

Early support from West Norwood Cassette Library, Ben UFO, Alienata.

Repress

For the label to finally reach its 20th catalogue number is a seminal moment. To reach it with the original logo designer for Encrypted Audio and all round top gent is an even greater honour.

Mesck has a slew of releases on friends and family labels such as Chestplate & Crucial Recordings but with this release we wanted to create the feeling that no side was an A. Knowing Zach's style he did not let us down.

As we are referring to this release The Double Header..... 'Locust March' testament to the commanding way Mesck uses percussion and synth tones in a controlled fashion to create anticipation in the way they are used. In a track dominated and driven by a raw sub and mid punch combination that Mesck knows all so well. Joined by the equally amazing 'Fugazi'... There is no other way to describe this piece of art than EPIC.

Noordhoek, das Resultat dieser vierwöchigen Reise der geo-kulturellen Impulse und kreativen Experimentation, erscheint nun als Album auf Stil vor Talent. Während die Produktionen auf Noordhoek das beeindruckende Sounddesign früherer Oliver Koletzki und Niko Schwind Releases fortführen, formen komplex rhythmische Texturen zusammen mit der altbekannten emotionalen Tiefe und dem intrinsischen Gespür für die Floor-Kompabilität ein zeitgenössisches Update uralter Tanzrituale. Nach einer Berg- und Talfahrt durch zwölf abwechslungsreiche aber dennoch sehr kohärente Produktionen, ist eins gewiss, wenn die letzten Donnerschläge über Noordhoek krachen: Südafrika hat die Kreativität zweier außergewöhnlicher Musiker so sehr beeinflusst, dass sie die Vielfalt ihrer Eindrücke leichtfüßig in eine eigene, originelle Welt des Sounds verarbeiten konnten.

His latest release I KNOW from Elypsia Records is a quintet of Detroit inspired remixes of the song 'I Know'. Inspired by Kevin Saunderson, his original TECHNO MIX (7:06) is a hardcore and high energy track with intensity to match the wildest of crowds. The EP also contains 3 remixes of the track, each exposing and accentuating the brilliant aspects of his complex tune. It begins with the LUCIEN FOORT REMIX (6:41), a lively big room hit with a punch fit for an epic Saturday night. UK MIX (6:46) follows with subtle electric melo-dies and rhythmic drum and bass patterns that give listeners the feel of wonder and excitement under a clear starry sky. With a clean and gravitating groove BIT FLOAT REMIX (7:42) would fit perfectly in any Ibiza party with flair and style. This release is a masterpiece of its own and nothing less than the product of a man who was born with beats and melodies ingrained in his soul. For Orlando Voorn, making music is more than a way of life, it's a necessity. From the early age of 9 his natural intuitions became apparent when his drum teacher told his parents he could play everything that was shown to him, even though he had no ability to read a score. He began to DJ at the age of 12, and 3 years later won the World Mixing Championships of 1983 at just 15 years old. Steve Clisby, from the popular American band 'American Gypsies', recognized Voorn's ability and taught him chord structures, which gave him the tools to begin composing tracks using keys and bass. His artistry then took off, making a name for him-self with his vibrant dance tracks under the alias 'Frequency". Today, he's known as one of the Netherland's most inventive and ingenious producers in the world of electronic dance music. Having produced a wide variety of music under a number of monikers including 'Fix', 'Format', 'Urban Nature' and 'X-it', his diverse ability stems

Zur Zeit der Veröffentlichung seines hochgelobten Albums "Howl" und einer damit verbundenen Tour gegen Ende des Jahres 2015, löste sich der Londoner Elektronik-Songwriter Ryan Lee West aka Rival Consoles gerade aus einer 13-jährigen Beziehung.

Also setzte er sich hin und begann über die Wintermonate hinweg, neue Musik zu schreiben. Das Ergebnis dieser Unternehmung bildet das in arbeitsreichen Nächten geborene 34-minütige Mini-Album "Night Melody". Dessen sechs Titel warten mit mysteriösen Sounds auf. Nicht ohne Grund, wie der Künstler selbst erläutert: "Ich fand mich wieder in einer stillen Wohnung, während die Tage früh dunkel wurden. Noch nie zuvor in meinem Leben wurde ich so sehr von einem Mangel an Licht beeinflusst. Ich erinnere mich nur, dass es eigentlich immer nur Nacht war. Entweder machte ich Musik und traf Freunde auf ein paar Drinks, oder ich ging zu Partys und tanzte bis in die frühen Morgenstunden."

So entstand Wests bisher persönlichstes Werk. Fast jede Synthie-Spur nahm er intuitiv auf, ohne Hang zur Perfektion, aber mit viel Intention und Ausdruck. "Ich bin nicht interessiert daran, etwas Trauriges oder Glückliches zu machen", so West. "Ich will Musik, die bittersüß und komplex ist - so wie das Leben."

Nach zahlreichen Releases auf Ninja Tune, Anticon oder Planet Mu erscheint das dritte Studioalbum des britischen Electronic-Produzenten Greg Feldwick aka Slugabed auf seinem eigenen Imprint Activia Benz und trägt den rekordverdächtigen Titel: "Any Attempt To Control The Environment Or The Self By Means Which Are Either Untested Or Untestable, Such As Charms Or Spells".

Stimming x Lambert have done an album together: EXODUS!
This duo debut will be released on the new Berlin based Kryptox label on 9th march 2018.
Kryptox is the new label for Neo -Jazz/Kraut/Classical music my by Gomma and Toy Tonics founder Mathias Munk Modica.

Stimming is one of the main names in German advanced Techno. He first appeared to the public with cooperations with David August and Solomun on Diynamic records. Later he did orchestral Techno works and is by now one of the leading names in his genre..

Lambert is one of the rising starts of german neo-classical music. The - pianoman with the mask'.
After 3 albums (some recorded with little help by Niels Frahm) he is selling out venues all over Europe.
Together Stimming x Lambert created a new approach on postmodern, romantic, krauty Electronica mixed with classical piano elements.

Firing out of Wakaan on May 24th is the supercharged new EP from New Zealand’s very own TRUTH. They began working together a decade ago and ramp up the intensity for this four-track offering, which brings out their contagious, floor-filling vibe as an act.

TRUTH kick-start the EP with its title track; a busy bassline and reverbing bass notes thud out of the speakers with fiery direction and crisp rhythms. ‘Goodnight’ blends drifting vocal samples and a deep, grooving beat that has been drenched in low-end energy.

‘Creatures’ is a chance for menacing snatches of melody to infiltrate its commanding bassline, coming in thickly textured waves. The last tune here is ‘For Sure,’ again showcasing TRUTH’s knack for incorporating unique samples and coupling them with a roving, pitched down backdrop.

They say "With this EP we wanted to showcase some of the diversity of our sound. From the triplet-driven crazy energy of the title track ‘The Unexpected’ with its bouncy bassline and in your face sound design. The ravey, garage-esque intro of ‘Goodnight,’ which transforms into a snarling reese-bass monster. ‘Creatures’ is something straight out of the swampy depths, sucking you in with horror vibes. Then ‘For Sure’ is just plain weird, but catchy, upping the tempo on that one.

We've been vibing on Wakaan for a while now, so it's a real honor to be able to release a full EP of material on such a dope label. There also seems to be a massive crossover in people who enjoy the Wakaan sound and people who follow our Deep, Dark & Dangerous label. So we're really excited to see how people respond to this release, and just in general seeing what the future has in store for the scene as a whole!

Oh, and did someone say purple vinyl"?

It’s time to expect ‘The Unexpected’…

SWINGTING017 is a bouncy JA-to-UK bashment banger that features a hefty combination of producers and vocalists from both the Equiknoxx & Swing Ting camps. The tune finds each artist at their most playful, riding the sparkly, jiggy riddim impeccably.

Jump to the Bar was built and voiced in two days at London Bridge's Red Bull Studios, late Summer 2017.

Day one involved Gavsborg , Time Cow , Platt & Samrai arriving from various residences of friends and family in the vicinity of the English Capital (shout to the Epsom crew). Alway early-birds, Gavs and Cow set to the task on various machines and available gear to construct the rough instrumental, with Platt & Samrai assisting on percussion and programming. Soon lush synths, tough kicks, flanged hats, grimy bass and snappy claps were combining neatly and the backdrop was set.

Day two featured Kingston's queen of the cool kids club Shanique Marie flying straight into the big smoke to lay down a witty hook in minutes before earning a lie down on the sofa. Original Brum-town don RTKal rolled in from the West-Midlands (driven by Farda Neeko) dropping a one-take freestyle (egged on by an excitable studio gathering including Randy Valentine, Mr Williamz & Specialist Moss) that later became his verse and the pre-chorus. With the clock ticking on the session, the flask was neatly passed to Mancunian stalwart Fox for the final flourish, giving shouts to buckfast tonic wine & organic herbal treats.

Supported by Toddla T (Coldest Record), Jubilee (BBC Radio 1 Residency), Chal Ravens (Top Flight), Max Glazer (Federation Sound Radio) as well as being added to Spotify's Dancehall Official Playlist.

Out of stock for aeons, includes the legendary Four Tet Remix. Limited to 600 units.

“Built By Humanoid” is Humanoid's second album, a mere 30 years after the debut, though Brian Dougans claims the first album wasn't really him anyway.
Humanoid's classic acid house single, ‘Stakker Humanoid’, highly regarded as one of the key tracks from the era (Richard James (Aphex Twin) sights the Stakker project as a major influence), enjoyed massive success in 1988. Reaching No.1 for 5 weeks in the UK dance charts, performances on Top of the Pops, a John Peel session for the BBC and European tours eventually led to an album deal.
Whilst all this was happening, Brian Dougans (one half of electronic legends Future Sound of London) claims he was returning to his squat in Kings Cross with no electricity or water. He not only became disillusioned with the business, but also became increasingly ill from the conditions he was living in. Around 6 tracks into the album, he left London and record label, Streetsounds, returning to Manchester to recover and regroup his thoughts. However, Steetsounds pressed ahead with the album and it was finished in Brian’s absence with guest performers.
Brian left Humanoid behind and went on to create FSOL with Gaz Cobain becoming leading lights in the burgeoning ambient scene, scoring a top 10 album "Lifeforms" on Virgin Records.
In 2003 Rephlex (Aphex Twin’s label) released a posthumous album of 1988 out takes compiled by Brian.
Recently Humanoid tracks have been popping up on modern compilation albums (Touched Music / Gasman, etc) signalling a possible return.
“Built by Humanoid” is a brand new nine track album of future acid cuts, breaks and electronics, a lot of which is credited to 2 synthesisers co-designed by Brian Dougans and English Electronics company Digitana. It is this innovation that has helped usher Humanoid back into the limelight and consequently the album has a rather new and unique sound and style.
The track ‘Polymath’ is created using a possibility / probability theory that results in a track which at no point repeats itself - 303 tinged acidic bubbles. Meanwhile ‘Traktion’ is a break beat, pulse laden, bass heavy monster. ‘Fu*k It’ is the future sound of 303. Fast, frantic and beat driven. Whilst ‘Post Humans’ combines thumping 909 and 303 into an acid hallucination.

This classic DANNY STYLES track was originally released on LUCKY SPIN RECORDINGS and the masters have long been lost. Danny has managed to find the original disks and has painstakingly recreated the original using those old AKAI S1000 & ATARI disks with a borrowed ATARI 1040STE and AKAI S1100 (Thank to Peter Argyle for this!). There was also a previously unreleased mix of LIFE IS A ROLL on the disks which has also been brought back to life and can now be heard for the first time in 25 years.

Hazards of Prophecy is the latest project from UK producer Dave Rendle ('System Status' and 'The Detroit Urban Gardening Ensemble'). Dave has previously released music on labels including Untracked, Out Here Audio, Horn Wax, Stupid Human, People Must Jam and his own label Night Sweats Music and has caught the attention of global tastemakers such as Gilles Peterson, Phil Asher, Ashley Beedle, Alex Nut and Ross Allen.

Kicking things off with "Percussion Concussion", Hazards of Prophecy lay down luscious chords, a wriggling bassline and carefully spliced vocal chops over a bedrock of interlocking rhythms and whistles in what can only be described as a floaty "Bruklearic" roller. The A2, "Minnie & Marcos", takes things up a gear and brings the listener on a Rhodes fuelled odyssey, swinging through a variety of dynamically and sonically versatile sections as it pulls and pushes limbs across the dancefloor. Finally, "Love & Rum" bring things to a half-time climax with majestic pads, piercing synth runs and a bubbling rhythm section.

J.Wiltshire joins the Black Orpheus stable with five tracks of heat for the dance. On side A, 'Semuta' and 'Lemon Squash' are an acid-soaked take on classic electro and sound like a summer beach party organised by Snake Plissken. The theme of road-ready funk continues with the rolling, squelching bass of 'Hundred'. On the reverse, 'In Your Belly' and 'Cymek' take the release into murkier territory. Two cuts of razor sharp retro futurism, these weapons of choice would turn heads at any post apocalyptic rave or dystopian underground gathering. Eye patches at the ready!

We’ve got something a bit different from usual for our next release: Meeting of Waters by Josiah Steinbrick.

Back in 2017 the unassuming Los Angeles-based multi-instrumentalist and producer released his first collection of solo pieces and we’ve been listening to it compulsively since then. Given that its initial release was only in North America, both on cassette with Leaving records and in an extremely limited vinyl self-release via BANANA editions, we felt that this meticulously crafted, essential work righteously deserved to get a proper spin in Europe too!

The album is composed of what you could call nine sculptural environments, each a mixture of organic sketches and improvisations, recorded rapidly and more or less free of any processing. Each piece is based on up to five simple elements - electronic and/or (tonal) percussions - used to create subtle evolving patterns and harmonies. The sounds explore the wilderness of jazz in a concrete setting, devotional in nature, creating a timeless cartography.

Ry X Has Announced The Release Of His Much-anticipated New Album, Unfurl, Available 15th February 2019 Via Infectious And Is Available To Pre-order Here. Ry Has Shared A First Track Entitled 'untold', Which Is Streaming Here, And Announced News Of An Extensive International Tour To Follow The Release, Including 4 X Uk Shows In February. Ahead Of Those Dates Ry Will Be Visiting London This Friday (12th) For A Headline Barbican Performance Backed By The London Contemporary Orchestra Which Has Been Sold Out For Months. Upcoming Tour Info Below.

Six composers compiled on one EP. Everyone with its own approach stepping into the long history of New Wave, EBM and Synth-Pop from Switzerland. For the first release of the newborn label ‘Subject To Restriction Discs’ focus on analogue production with all its variations.

It all began when gearheads from all over Switzerland came together to indulge their love for analogue synthesizers and drum machines. This led to a project at which end a tape compilation resulted. Only 70 tapes were made and almost got forgotten. Now is the time some of these tracks find their way to a new medium and a bigger audience.

Credited as “Music For Relaxation”, Cumulus is the perfect music to encourage subconsciouschange, decrease blood pressure or pet the cat on the couch to.

Recorded in a Toronto apartment in 1985, Cumulus is an ultra-rare private-press ambient cassette release which was circulated amongst a small group of friends within the avant-garde theatre scene at the time. Brent Snyder’s interest and discovery of Frippertropics and Brian Eno inspired him to set up a 4 track tape recorder in the corner of his dining room to create the two slowevolving guitar loop-based pieces that make up Cumulus. The a side, “Excursion”, drifts between subtle dusty peaks and valleys in an almost Basinski-esque way, while the subtle hums and textures of “Cumulus” gently levitates above the earth and settle into sublime tones similar to Steve Roach “Structures From Silence” and Brian Eno “Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks..

In 2017, Lagartijeando (Mati Zundel), released his second full length album 'El Gran Poder,' via Wonderwheel and subsequently hypnotized the masses with the way he laced the traditional Charango playing that he picked up traveling the Andes with the pulsing, digital-cumbia electronica that'd been popularized in the region by the likes of Chancha Via Circuito, Nicola Cruz, and beyond. El Gran Poder plucked Zundel from his small town of Dolores in Argentina and catapulted his sound onto a global stage. He was revered by the likes of The Fader and Bandcamp, who referred to him as an electro-folk alchemist - and that he is.

On June 7, Lagartijeando casts a new spell with Jallalla, an ambitious new full length being released on Wonderwheel Recordings. Jallalla is a word used in Bolivia to celebrate something- and it's a word that strengthens in meaning when more people say it together. Jallalla is an entire life in an album - beginning with what would be the sonic representation of pulling back reeds to discover a new path with the song Villazon-Potosi and its sparse electronic percussion gradually filled in with curiosity-giving winds. Following is joyful charango riff that becomes the base for the track La Frontera, which features the sweet, wispy voice of Minük, the Colombian artist Alejandra Ortiz, known as half of the duo Lulacruza. As the album progresses, it becomes more experimental with electronic elements, sneaking in bits of deep house and dub. The fourth track is called Caña, and is a collaboration with none other than Chancha Via Circuito. It's minimal and haunting, playing with repetitive bass, chimes, and what sounds like owl sounds. Zundel's beloved charango sneaks back in via the next track, Adios Potosi, continuing the trek with a sweet melodic mid-album break. On the track A Todo Pai, one that celebrates Latin American identity (a todo pai, un solo maiz, repeats the song), Zundel collaborates with Javier Arce - lead singer of the Costa Rican indie-funk band Cocofunka, whose peculiar and infectious voice adds new layers onto the album. The last few songs are a mix of meditative electronic tracks and life-giving dance-floor ready numbers, all lending to Jallalla being a celebration of life and the various adventures it contains.

Jallalla is out on June 7 via Wonderwheel Recordings.

Last year, after his mind-warping gig at Cafe OTO, we presented the new world of Yximalloo, and his label Sakura Wrechords, from Tokyo.

Yximalloo's (Naofumi Ishimaru) long and varied career in music covers a period as manager of Yellow Magic Orchestra back in the day, when he also started producing his own music on cassette. Later branching out into CDrs, his discography is voluminous. Sometimes collaborating with Momus, Jad Fair (Half Japanese), Sympathy Nervous (Vanity Records) and others, he has quietly put out over 70 releases, all with his undefinable catalogue of styles.

An unknown track of his was released in 2013 by Kompakt, as "Wanted". An unknown artist - they had lost the details of the CD he'd sent them - they were compelled to release it anyway. It was the only vinyl release of Yximalloo's until "Best Of". Now he returns with a second volume.

Culled from just a few points in his prolific career, this release has hints of early Residents, Hosono's jerky formative sample projects and deep- in-the-woods Texas Chainsaw Massacre vocals - just a few more glimpses of Yximalloo's dimensions. Shipping in two weeks.

"A manner or style, a frame of mind, thought or existence" (Mode).
"Intelligence quotient, the use of perception or awareness." (IQ).

Mode I/Q, the self-proclaimed unknown band, was a richly textured, bold project starting life in 1979 out the embers of punk and new wave resulting in a hypnotic convergence of love, the future, life and art.

Lucian and Nicolas, two creative spirits who viewed the world through their own prism, augmented by a moving cast of friends and acolytes, were together compelled to make great music. This was a concept from the heart, with transformativelive performances, channelling spaces into art "Mode" events orchestrated to bring about a full integration of site and sound.

Psychedelic, punk overtones. A funky electronic hybrid, mixing Kraftwerk with black music. Guitars delayed and twisted through echo boxes and micro synths. Casio and Commodores delivering the machine funk. CBGBs, Max's Kansas City and Danceteria - Mode I/Q played and much, much more.

Just 3 releases deep, 1984's mini LP Mind/Soul captures the band at their best. 6 songs to immerse, dance and shake the mind.

Amsterdam based Dutch/German DJ Monty lands on house lovers’ favourite label Framework Recordings for an essential vinyl only

EP that goes beautifully deep. Monty is a brilliantly diverse DJ and producer who jumps from drum crazed madness to jacking house

To acid, disco or funk weaponry. He has a love for energising the dance floor that carries over into his productions and now

Framework benefit from that with these four new essential tracks.



The blissfully pad-laced deep house dreaminess of ‘Ingwa Jam’ opens things up. It’s an expansive track with jazz keys and spaced

Out grooves that are perfect for the early hours. ‘Ad Hoc Adams’ then bumps along at an inviting mid-tempo, with loose hits and

Rasping bass adding to the richness of the groove. On the flip, ‘Yamaha Army’ is a cosmic seven-minute journey with a soft acid line

And noodling keys all taking you on a real trip into musical house of the highest order. Closer ‘Fluffy’ is a subtly joyous, uplifting track

With muted euphoria in the keys and a heavenly atmosphere with weightless drums rolling below. This is timeless music stuffed with

real emotion.

In her varied career that would combine art gallery installations, major film soundtrackings and commissions for Atari, Suzanne Ciani’s earliest experiments remain some of her most challenging, beguiling and timeless... Flowers Of Evil ticks all the above boxes and flicks switches that would power-up a new uncharted universe of her own musical modernité. Finders Keepers present the first-ever release of these vital archive recordings.

As a genuine vanguard of electronic music composition at the forefront of the modular synthesiser revolution in the late 1960s, Suzanne Ciani’s forward-thinking approach to new music would rarely look to the past for inspiration, which makes this unheard composition from 1969 a rare exception to the collective futurist vision of Ciani and synthesiser designer Don Buchla. In choosing to adapt the controversial prose of French poet Charles Baudelaire, Suzanne would join the ranks of ongoing generations of pioneering musicians like Olivier Messiaen, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Serge Gainsbourg, Etron Fou Leloublan, Celtic Frost and Marc Almond (not forgetting Star Trek’s William Shatner!), all equally inspired by the 19th century writer’s works of “modernité” (modernity), a self-coined term dedicated to capturing the fleeting, ephemeral experience of life in an urban metropolis, best exemplified in his symbolic, erotic and macabre ode to Parisian industrialisation, Les Fleurs du mal (Flowers Of Evil).

In her varied career that would combine art gallery installations, major film soundtrackings and commissions for Atari, Suzanne Ciani’s earliest experiments remain some of her most challenging, beguiling and timeless... Flowers Of Evil ticks all the above boxes and flicks switches that would power-up a new uncharted universe of her own musical modernité. For the many enthusiasts that have already drawn the parallels between Baudelaire’s writings and experimental/electronic music (a relationship rivalled only by the likes of J. G. Ballard and Aldous
Huxley) some might instantly recognise an unconscious sistership between this recording and another 1969 electronic adaptation of Flowers Of Evil by celebrated female electronic composer Ruth White. An interesting distinction of White’s excellent version of Flowers Of Evil (released via Limelight records, home to the likes of Fifty Foot Hose and Paul Bley) is that its dark tone generation and vocal manipulation was created with a Moog synthesiser, the commercially triumphant
rival to Suzanne and Don’s Buchla Systems (Buchla and Moog’s historic, simultaneous, neck-and-neck synth developments are well documented.) The fact that Ciani’s version was never intended for commercial release (not unlike her 1975 Buchla concerts, which could easily have taken Morton Subotnick’s Bull by the horns!) is also poetically reflective of the nature of Ciani and Buchla’s alternative perspective. The choice to present this extract from Flowers Of Evil in its intended French language further distances Ciani’s faithful reaction from some of its better-known variations. Having attempted to voice the poem herself, the multilingual Italian-American composer’s French accent did not meet her own standards, resulting in the request for a fellow unnamed French student who lived on campus at Mills College in Oakland to accurately verbalise the section of Baudelaire’s collection entitled Élévation.

‘Tribes 1.1’ by Weird Dust is the third release on Brussels-based label and vinyl purveyor Crevette Records. The six tracks reflect an eclectic taste in hardware, melding organic and heavily processed sounds into a sort of musical retro-futurism. The percussion distinguishes itself, simultaneously free-form and mathematical, and certain to make you dance. Up close, ‘Tribes’ gestures at something alien, like going back to the jungle, but on another planet. This is what the future was like; notice the weird dust all around you.

Set to be one of the biggest tunes of 2019, Vanta Black is a sonic statement like no other.

Headed up by the inimitable instrumental, the release also features the equally sought after Inja vocal version as a digital exclusive and a VIP of Low Blow, the original being the track that started Benny L's Metalheadz journey almost 2 years ago.

Low Distance is Deaf Center´s third full-length studio album and perhaps the most focused effort by the Norwegian duo to date. After their last record Owl Splinters (2011) was quite an eclectic endeavor, Erik K Skodvin & Otto A Totland draw their sound back into something more quiet and minimal.

The record starts with a piece of sweeping analougue electronics. It´s a spacious, yet dynamic opener that leads directly into the static tones and piano motivs of Entity Voice, which balances a new sense of abstractation with the classic Deaf Center sound. It´s warm and close while sounding like it´s set in the outer horizon. Overall Low Distance feels both alien and familiar with its atonal synths, close pianos and drowned out noises.

After meeting in studio for the first time since 2011, the recordings came out of a 3 day session in 2017. It was then mixed at both EMS Stockholm and at Erik´s home studio over a longer period to create a blend of deeply layered as well as stripped down pieces. Both Erik & Otto have been active individually since their last meeting as Deaf Center: Otto released 2 solo piano albums, while Erik has furthered his descent into musical abstractation both under his own name and as Svarte Greiner. It´s long overdue to hear them connect their personalities into something new. Low Distance is a welcome return replete with beauty, mystery and uncertainty.

Noise To Meet You's second release offers a mini-LP that drives Electro to its most elegant side. Six tracks filled with dance impulse and emotional charge made by the Swedish artist, EBE-2.

The incredible San Francisco Area Jazz Funk Spiritual IMANI"Out of the Blue" original only 500 copies of this privately pressed record was manufactured in 1983. Here is your rare opportunity to own a deluxe reissue of this "impossible to find" original.

Privately pressed by Preston Phillipps and Pam Byrd has been called the "ultimate private press vocal anthem" of bay area jazz. If you like John Heartsman, Aposento Alto or Minority Band, don’t miss a true killer record. E s s e n t i a l . . .

Berlin based trio Keller Crackers collective likes to shape haunting esoteric sounds, in which self-built instruments dance with ritualistic synthesised rhythms, field recordings, psychoacoustic drones and poetical spoken silhouettes.

After a self-released MC and a mesmerising tune called “Anem” out in February 2019 on the custom-made Kashual Plastik 007 double-vinyl compilation, now they give birth to their own debut record “KC”, a four track EP resulting from various improvisational studio sessions, a bag full of spontaneous visionary DIY sound fashion that melts meandering serialism, foggy ‘Chris & Cosey’-ness, exoticism and freely expressed emotions. Some pieces are given time to evolve, being dragged through long arrangements and slow transitions, while others are playful and short. To close up the magic circle, the release includes a tripping Tolouse Low Trax signature remix.

The opening tune “Specialised” swings on a trance-like hypnotic bass line, while a self-made kalimba played through a tape delay and overtones from a DIY circuit bended device inject dynamics and colour to the composition. Out of the sonic depth, the spoken words of Sylvana Wickman emerge enchanting and unreal, naming a series of technical terms, assembling a deep notion on the specialised society we live in.

“Cow Tongue” follows, a fleeting composition of crackling electronic clicks jumping off a micro-modular device. They got overdubbed again by Sylvana’s voice, delightfully reciting phrases from a recipe of regional delicacies.

The A side of KC`s first strike finishes with a spaced-out synth bass and the lo-fi beats of a Yamaha RX15 drum machine. They are the gripping foundation of “Aithouses Anamonis“, which means “Waiting Rooms”. It describes the scene of a man sitting in a waiting room observing the consumerist behaviour by the folks around him.

The B-side opens with a Tolouse Low Trax remix of “Specialised”, elevating the original with the bass line of “Aithouses Anamonis“, while melting the all into a dark nebulous Tolouse Low Trax signature stripped down funk for endless nights in neon lights.

For their final track “Colours”, Keller Crackers invited a steady free member of their live shows to record with them: free jazz musician Robert Würz. He tuned his flute enthralling over a suspenseful bass line formed in a whirlwind of synth-sounds. The whole frenzy gets divine through sliding chords that rise from a self-built guitar.

A musical bouquet for open spirits, that value charming minimal wave zones, undefinable post-industrial psychedelics and hallucinogenic poetry reflections on the current state of our mechanical times.

PAN welcomes back the Lifted ensemble for a second cross-continental adventure off the grid,
simply titled Lifted 2. It expands on the expression of improvised fusion that brought about the
spectrum of styles explored on their 2015 debut album for PAN.
Lifted is now a core group of Future Times boss Max D, Matt Papich aka Co La, Jeremy Hyman and
Motion Graphics., alongside Jordan GCZ, Dawit Eklund, Will DiMaggio, Beatrice Dillon and Bass Clef
“On this record we went a lot deeper into our kind of studio technique,” Lifted say. “We tried to
cultivate the sound using the studio as a primary tool, almost a member of the group in a way.”
Max D’s international crew of Future Timers play deft roles throughout Lifted 2. Jordan GCZ
and Dawit Eklund both return for ‘Lifting’ alongside 1432r’s Sami, NYC’s Will DiMaggio and Sao
Paulo’s Repetentes 2008. Beatrice Dillon and Bass Clef, two highly-decorated artists from the UK
underground, make telling contributions which mark the latest in a long line of celebrated creative
collaborations for the pair. Further input comes via Aya, vocalist and bassist for crucial Japanese
experimentalists OOIOO, and Martin Kasey, a friend of Papich with a background in Baltimore
theatre, summoned for Lifted duty to provide some striking saxophone blasts.
How do all these collaborations manifest on Lifted 2? It’s a sort of inverse process full of blind
takes with the results more bruised than polished. “The song stays fluid until the end. We pile the
ideas really high and then decimate them,” Lifted say. “We delete until the songs are crystallizing;
lay a grid of silences to organize the tracks. The breathing spaces become definitive.” These seven
tracks adroitly weave through mood and vibe, demanding heads lock in with an initial blast of
whip sharp percussive hits and contemporary no-wave blowouts before letting off steam with
soothing ambient synthesis. “Black Pepper” acts as the album centerpiece, an unhinged mangle
of SH101 basslines, freeform flute & saxophone and multiple percussive sources brought to order
by Papich’s studio dubs. “Rose 31” edges closest to the kind of jazz fusion that inspired the project
from the off, Lifted utilising the various classic instruments deployed by the greats of the game.

“Style” can be defined as that special ability to watermark every track with an instantly-recognizable identity. Local Suicide, aka Munich’s Brax Moody and Greek-born Vamparela, has it in spades. And following releases on labels such as Bordello, My Favorite Robot, Multi Culti, Roam, Duro and OMBRA, it only made sense that the duo would eventually find its way to Lumière Noire. After all, “black light” (as per the meaning of Chloé’s label’s name) could describe the way Local Suicide’s music flirts with the more troubling zones of the listener’s psyche, where danger roams and aural comfort is no longer a guarantee. The EP’s two tracks set a dark, shifty sonic tableau, in which German-American multidisciplinary artist - and a unique personality of the Berlin underground - Nicki Fehr comes to blend his voice with Vamparela’s. With its swerving bass slithering over a slow tempo, Leopard Gum is the perfect slow burner, a slice of comatose disco that will find its way to the darkest corners of nightlife - and haunt its DJ sets. The synths that come crashing across the track’s Smagghe & Cross remix add their saturated signature that provide a different kind of hook through its breathless nine-minute run. The same measured tempo is found once more on the more ethereal Already There, where Local Suicide affirm their adherence to the more captivating signatures of new wave and post disco. Permanent Vacation stalwarth Lauer adds a surprizing electro pop shimmer to the track. With Leopard Gum’s opaque and impenetrable atmosphere, Local Suicide have released one of their strongest efforts to date.