House News

Black 140g vinyl in heavyweight grey carton sleeves. One time pressing, limited to 800 units

German-Syrian band Shkoon will release their long-awaited debut album “Rima”, sending out a message of cultural diversity to the world. Shkoon’s concerts have attracted a diverse audience for many years, bringing together people of all religions, colors and backgrounds. For their album-tour through Germany and Switzerland, stops in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Munich and Zurich are planned.

Musically, the album is situated between influences of electronic downbeat, deep house, dub and hip-hop. The band members come from a variety of different musical backgrounds and have created their very own sound with a mix of influences between the Arabic and Western world. Piano, violin, synthesizers, percussion and vocals merge oriental melodies with western electronic beats, taking the listener on a journey that blurs the boundaries of cultures.

Shkoon is more than a German-Syrian live act with Arabic lyrics. In addition to their own lyrics, the band uses traditional musical folklore elements of the Arab community, which today appear more relevant than ever. The title song of the debut album is inspired by a story from Arabic folklore, in which a mother tells peaceful tales to her child as the world sinks into chaos. This song is accompanied by the singer and rapper Tareq Abu Kwaik, also known as "El Far3i", by the band
47Soul.

After the war in their home country drove the two Syrians to relocate to Germany, Ameen, Thorben and Maher met in the hanseatic city of Hamburg in 2015. During a spontaneous jam session, an unexpected energy and thus the project Shkoon emerged, which was soon followed by the release of the band’s very first EP a few months later.

During the first performances of Shkoon, a spark quickly jumped over to the audience, which soon allowed the group to play major festival stages all over Europe. Even as Shkoon’s musical expression knows no boundaries, it is not easy for the band to travel other countries, as Ameen (the vocalist) and Maher (the violinist) consistently face difficulties of getting visa documents due to their refugee status.

This is particularly lamented in Arab countries, where the band has long been celebrated as stars, for example when they played a sold-out show in Beirut for an audience of more than 3,000 people. But also in Europe, especially in Germany, there is immense enthusiasm in their fans-base is huge.

Mountains Are Mountains" is a solo album that presents the sound of many moments scattered all over a period of Berke Can Özcan's (Ex-Konstrukt, Big Beats Big Times) personal time on this planet. He is a drummer, composer, writer, producer who keeps experimenting with all that is available to his one ear. Gongs, aquadrums, a vibraphone, a steel drum, a prepared piano, a vintage harmonium which smells exactly like a vintage harmonium, log drums, kalimbas, as well as his self-made instruments made of old keys, soda caps, flower pots, bamboos, the most lousy-looking pedestal fan in the world, bicycle bells, straw brooms, old toys, garden hoses and Buddhist-prayer playing machines are all played by himself.

All sounds were constructed by – or at least decorated with – sadness, passion, agony, curiosity, excitement, loneliness, bliss, nostalgia, bitterness, joy, whatever you and I and he knew that could be experienced. "Mountains Are Mountains" is yours to taste.

In Musik und Text verschmelzen über alle 11 Titel hindurch Stimmungen, Eindrücke der Sub-Sahara Konzert-Tour von B.Friedmann 2013 und Fetzen von Erinnerungen an eine imaginierte Zukunft. Sie reagieren auf reale "Kpafuca" - "things falling apart" - Zustände afrikanischer Metropolen und kollabieren zu Grooves und Phrasen, die an Chris Marker´s Science-Fiction-Apokalyptik ( "La Jette"/ "Sans Soleil" ) erinnern. In dieser Polyphonie der Un-Orte schwingt auch der Geist reisender Klangabenteurer, zB. der musikethnologischen Praktiker Hartmut Geerken und Roman Bunka (Embryo), deren Visionen und Musik-Wirken sich gegen reduktionistische, essentialistische Inszenierungen sträubt. Gegen jene kulturellen Landkarten, die in die Musik immer wieder zwanghaft hineingezeichnet werden, setzt Friedman auf "Cease To Matter" im intuitiven Modus die befreiende Kraft des Rauschens, der Über-Mensch-Maschinen-Musik, der krummen Beats und des technischen Zufalls-Defekts, kurz: das "Un-gehör-sam" (Johannes Ismaiel-Wendt) gegenüber der normativen Deutungshoheit musikalischer Weltkarten.

Die Stimme des aus Texas stammenden in Berlin lebenden Performers und Vokalisten Daniel Dodd-Ellis wirkte bereits 2007 auf Burnt Friedman´s Album "First Night Forever" (non22). Die Lyrics stammen von beiden Autoren und wurden von Friedmann während der Produktionsvorgänge 2013 bis 2014 mehrfach zerlegt und neu zusammengesetzt. Die Zeile "Sky Is Blue Inside Of You" ist dem 1932 erschienenen Roman "Brave New World" von Aldous Huxley entnommen. Tracks 04 und 09 ("Cease To Matter") enthalten ein Piano Sample Edit basierend auf einer Komposition von Georges Invanovich Gurdjieff (1872-1949).

Flanger is back! After 10 years, Atom™ and Burnt Friedman have composed and produced their fifth long player:

As debut on his own label Hyperjazz Records, with 'The Great Oxidation EP', electro-shaman Khalab comes back to his natural habitat: the dance floor. With these three instrumental tracks, the visionary artist aims to drive the listener on a backward journey, down to rediscover the most ancestral human rite: to dance. A return to the origin in a radical way to reach a brighter future, but also a bridge for another world - a new space where meet new life forms and uncover new feelings and new consciousness. To embellish this EP, the presence of two very special collaborations.

His music evolution is a seamless journey – from the most ancestral tribes to the unexplored cosmos; from the black jungle to the skyscrapers; from the remotest subconscious to the furthest and real projection of future Africa. His wide-reaching musical tastes can be heard regularly on his monthly Worldwide FM show, Love from Rome. Already working on a new record ready in 2022, Khalab pulls out of his laboratory the first experiment with this EP.

Repress
Leuk en Ko is the Dutch bastard child by Unit Moebius members Jan Duivenvoorden and Richard van den Bogaert. Creating a vault of hard to classify material from mid eighties until early nineties, it didn't get out there for whatever reason. After ''De Snoei 1'' appeared on ''World of Rubber 3'', the big follow-up is here â an album of 13 selected ''songs'' mastered from tape, pressed on vinyl and put in a nifty package (song texts included!) that works like a charm at home, on the floor or at a funeral.

One of TAU’s core family members and an artist who we discovered and nurtured from day one, Innellea returns to the label. Over the last couple of years it’s been amazing to watch Innellea grow and succeed, with his music catching the attention of labels such as Innervisions, Diynamic and Afterlife. Now he’s back with TAU, delivering a neat four-track package that represents his unique, melodic approach to electronic music. The Hypolation EP is another big stride forward for this artist, who continues to impress with his production prowess.

After long lust, Roy's mega anthem Emotinium finally gets re-released into the wild, following its original inclusion on the lo-fi Acid Waxa cassette classic 2 Late 4 Love + the much sought after 12" EP version released in 2016. This time however, Emo finds itself playing up-front alongside the previously unreleased Melchester Acid Pt. 3 + two wonderful raw studio jams (Home & Away Game Acid) If Emotinium is the cute & cuddly festival fave played by the likes of Aphex Twin & Feel My Bicep et al, then Shirley this bonus disc of mutant acids are the evil Gremlin offspring, fed & watered after midnight; bubbling, fizzing, hissing and multiplying. 'It's been a rough night for Rockin' Ricky, but he's still on the air!'

UK label Wisdom Teeth returns with its third long-form offering - Sculpturegardening: a new LP by Mexico City-based artist and producer, Tristan Arp. Incorporating elements of ambient, glitch, microhouse and downtempo, it’s an otherworldly record populated by knotty modular textures, blossoming floral melodies, tight pointillist rhythms and glossy acoustic instrumentation. The record was born from a process of “collaborating with machines”: using modular synthesisers to generate probabilistic melodies and rhythms, with the artist taking on the role of sculptor and curator. Throughout, the boundaries between the organic and digital are playfully blurred: we hear synthesisers played by guitars; emotive and distinctly human melodies generated by modular circuits; digital percussion drummed by hand; and live cello processed with a digital finish. The results sometimes recall Roman Flügel at his most colourful, or Benge’s meandering synth workouts, and even at times echo the dubbed-out cello experiments of Arthur Russell.But really sculpturegardening occupies a sonic world of its own, born from a unique web of happy accidents and incidental arrangements. The record’s bright colours and subtle rhythms make it a fitting follow-up to K-LONE’s 2020 LP Cape Cira and Facta’s 2021 LP Blush, and place it neatly alongside the work of label mates Duckett, Benoit B, Steevio and Iglew.
“With sculpturegardening, my concept was to approach music like gardening. I collaborated with machines inspired by the way a gardener collaborates with the earth. A gardener creates the conditions for the plants to come to life and develop on their own. In a similar way, I created a set of conditions and probabilities for the music to make itself. Who is making the music here? “A sculpture garden to me can be a really beautiful environment of balance between randomness and order––between nature and human interaction. Things that are either extremely organized or completely random tend to not resonate with us. On the other hand, something very interesting happens when a balance between the randomness and organization is struck. I invented this verb sculpturegardening to represent creating with the aim of this balance, and the with the aim of building a world in which each piece is a zone, or a sculpture in a garden.” The record will be twinned with a physical iteration - a sound installation at an exhibition curated by Tristan Arp titled Nada Se Pierde; Todo Se Transforma. The show opens on 9th October in Mexico City at Avant.dev. The physical sculpture garden will be a collaboration with Mexican sculptor Pablo Arellano. The sound installation will centre around a 4-channel audio system that gives voice to different sculptures and allows visitors to create a mix of the sounds depending on their position in the garden.

*Repress*

As a young person growing up in West Yorkshire, my experiences of true underground clubbing became intertwined with names such as Back to Basics, 20/20 Vision and Carl Finlow. That period in the early 2000's became a life-affirming time for my young self.

Frequent trips to Back to Basics, then held at the Mint Club helped forge my outlook on electronic music and how it should be played in a club environment. I would often hear stories about ""the Farm"" and the late night parties and studio sessions. The anecdotes and tales of US icons recording in the countryside with the local guys provided only a small insight into the creativity and fun that must have gone on during those years. Cut to now in 2017, whilst looking back to those times more than fifteen years ago, I can proudly say that the dots have been joined and the connections now formally established.

I'm immensely proud to say that Carl Finlow, the understated king of British electro, and I, have put together a selection of his works that provides a themed snapshot into his musical history. The music I have chosen with Carl may not be all of his biggest tracks but it is the music that is special to me. The selection has a vibe, one that is deep and emotive, music for the head as well as the feet - Hope, you hear it in the same way (...)

Launching earlier this year, Sef Kombo and Louie Dunmore’s afro house imprint Sondela has already started to build an impressive catalogue of releases from rising stars and established acts of the genre. Now Sondela deliver four of the label’s early releases on a special 12” package, featuring David Mayer’s ethereal remix of Mr. V’s ‘Fire La Chocha’, the evocative and deeply atmospheric Saint Evo remix of Native Tribe & TTAN ‘Ancestor’s Calling’ and the stunning ‘In Control’ from Karyendasoul & Zhao. Closing out the package is the label’s debut release ‘Ezizweni’ from Berlin afro house advocate Hyenah featuring DJ Tira & Luke Ntombela. With these four striking cuts showcasing an impressive first year for the fledgling imprint, ‘Sondela Selects’ cements Sef and Louie’s label as a serious one-to-watch.

A nightmare inspired by the vision of Dario Argento's “Suspiria”, or a dark soundtrack for a movie just imagined in a couple of visionary minds. “Iris” is the first release on souterraine.org by Luciano Lamanna and Adamennon.

Two eclectic musicians who don't need any introduction, improvisation lovers as well as experimenters. The notes of fear are those of vintage keyboards and synthesizers which resound again among labyrinthine woods and gothic buildings.
Mixed at the Subsound Studio by Luciano Lamanna and mastered by Andrea Merlini, “Iris” takes you one step from the abyss.

Three is the magic number and continues the Connection Lost series by Massimiliano Pagliara on Uncanny Valley. The series is a highly emotional project for the masterful Italian DJ and producer with music that is deeply inspired by thoughts on how to cope, once the connection with loved ones is cut. As wide as the feelings and emotions in those situations are, as varied is the sound palette with tracks between Acid, House, Disco and Downbeat.

White Vinyl Repress

Two consecutive #1's on the Beatport Top 100 has taken this special series of releases from strength to strength. Combining Techno's new breed of heavyweights with the perfect classic track, is a formula Renaissance are getting right time after time. Following on from Solomun and Tale Of Us's outstanding contributions, Renaissance turn their attention to the ever-evolving Maceo Plex for a remix of Remake's iconic 'Blade Runner'; a track featured prominently on the very first Renaissance compilation in 1994.Eric Estornel aka Maceo Plex has become well known for his mind-bending Techno sets and releases under various guises such as Maetrik. 2011 saw the Ellum Audio boss, release his debut album under Maceo Plex on Crosstown Rebels, 'Life Index' was met with critical acclaim and propelled the North American to success. Leading to him starting his own label Ellum Audio with a distinct Techno sound, whilst releasing his own music it's served as tool to champion those around him seeing releases from upcoming acts such as Agents Of Time and Shall Ocin.Speaking about the ReMix Maceo Plex, explains his love for the Neo-Noir Science Fiction Film Blade Runner's soundtrack and the inspirations behind the track:

'The original Vangelis, soundtrack for the movie Blade Runner is my all-time favourite cinema soundtrack and one of my favourite records from the early 90's is the cover 'Blade Runner' by Remake.' - Maceo PlexThroughout time artists, musicians and designers have all paid homage to the cult classic movie and its soundtrack which has inspired the minds of many. Now taking his opportunity through the ReMix collection, Maceo Plex has delivered a timeless edit for the Renaissance collection series. Injecting the signature Maceo Plex sound with pulsating bass lines and futuristic synth tones stabbing their way to the breakdown where we're met with all too familiar piano melody; transforming the original cover into a prime-time atmospheric weapon. 'I wanted to make my own version to honour this special music and add a little something personal in this new version' - Maceo Plex With the previous editions in the ReMix, both hitting #1 in the Overall Beatport Chart within a week of release, the Maceo Plex remix will be eagerly anticipated.
The vinyl release also contains Remake's original version as the B side.

* Atheos is a ferocious new collection from Rotkeller, which sees the Swiss electronic duo (Laurent Schmidhäusler and Federico Sutera) double-down on the brooding energy of their previous releases with a renewed intensity—fusing bold electronic experimentalism to dense, maximalist techno.

* Whether on the slow-burn immensity of opener 'SW', the monolithic, doom-laden expanses of 'Malz' or the spellbinding surge of '17. October', Atheos showcases a dark melodic complexity from the duo—in part brought on by the use of both digital and analog recording techniques.

* While the mesmeric, choral melancholia of EP closer 'Godless'—its eerie and beguiling textures echoing all that has preceded it—offers-up ominously open-ended ending; solidifying Atheos as Rotkeller's most atmospheric and cohesive work to-date.

* As if that wasn't enough, EOMAC (Stroboscopic Artefacts, Killekill, Trilogy Tapes, Bedouin) caps Atheos off in style, with a savage edit of '17. October'. The remix that pushing Rotkeller's original track into new rhythmical directions—the glassy rhythms splintering like shards of light across an eternally eclipsed landscape.

Set for release in both physical and digital formats on May 5th, Atheos marks Rotkeller's first EP for Swiss-based record company Thrènes (which takes its name from the Greek word for funeral lament) and are a label dedicated to the release of tenebrous electronica and techno.

Running Back & Dusky proudly present Life Signs Vol. 1. The band that brought you the fabulous remix for KiNk’s „Perth“ lavishly donate a whole EP to Running Back. And it has all the classic trademark sounds we cherish them for: British bass science applied on classic house tropes, breakbeats underpin transcendent melodies, IDM meets UKG. The sounds of Guerilla records, Northern Exposure and the mash-up aesthetics of early Rage parties all echo through the ranks. All of it expertly executed and as much fun to listen to as to play it out. But handing the microphone over to the band themselves:
„Boris Borrison’s Trip To Morrisons: An Italo inspired bassline meets Belgian rave vibes via a British supermarket chain. Who is Boris Borrison? Perhaps we’ll never know. Some say he’s still wandering around in the freezer aisle to this very day.
Lea Valley is a homage to the area in London along the river Lea, home to a mix of nature reserves and industrial warehouses and wasteland, historically famous for illegal parties. The area was a regular haunt in our teenage raving days.
Static: A warm wash of melancholic euphoria in which to submerge. Inspired by classic electronica and the melodic techno of early Autechre and Aphex.“

Raw Mt’s break-through landscapes showcase. Warm and hypnotic arpeggiator textures infected by the 90s Italian progressive era. Retro-future sound for your mind your body and your soul. Mastered by Lucretio with NeverEngineLabs' ZDF Filters for Symbolic Sound Kyma and a G SSL 4k compressor.

Armand Bultheel is half of the group Agar Agar. He also makes music on his own, which he now feels ready to present to the world.
He composed an album, Lullabies For Computers which will be his first to be released on vinyl.
It's a series of lullabies, addressed to our computers that so often accompany us in bed and sleep - even if in the end, while composing the tracks, Armand felt more like writing them for his friends. With this album, he presents a sensitive and organic electronic music,
whose softness provokes a contrast of emotions between joy and melancholy.
Happy to share these tunes, he put in the softest ingredients possible, with round bass and little melodies that wander over.
He slipped in the colors of his favorite synths, one of which he made in the shape of a human mouth.
Lullabies for Computers is the second part of the new "Meditations" series from Cracki Records, a series of records made to listen (for once) to escape and dream.