House News

ElectronicaA Mountain Of One are set to return to the musical landscape with their brand new track “Custard’s Last Stand”, released 6th August through their new label AMORE via Above Board distribution. It is the first new piece of music the band have released in over a decade.

”Custard’s Last Stand” shows the band, made up of musical soulmates Mo Morris and Zeben Jameson, have lost nothing in the past decade. Recorded over Skype during the coronavirus pandemic, with Mo now in Bali and Zeben in west London, it is a shimmering, modern classic, experimental but accessible, melodic and adventurous. As ever, it is utterly unique, made in a musical universe all of their own.

“Custard’s Last Stand” EP is out 27th August, and will come with an incredible Dub Versions from dub pioneer Dennis Bovell MBE, as well as another new track “Stars, Planets, Dust, Me”. He has also provided a rare vocal performance.

The forthcoming album will be released this autumn. The whole project has been mastered then remixed for a forthcoming album by the legendary Ricardo Villalobos.

When A Mountain Of One AMO1first started performing, they quickly became one of the most-acclaimed bands out there, with the likes of i-D, Sunday Times Culture, Pitchfork, NME and more raving about them and their inspired and original approach, led by Mo and Zeben’s almost telepathic understanding.

Sold-out shows and awesome reviews followed with “Collected Works” and “Institute of Joy”, two phenomenal records that have stood the test of time, criss-crossing Balearic, folk, jazz, dance, rock and psychedelia.

A Mountain Of One have collaborated to create a coming together of music and virtual reality. With NYX VX, the band have developed a virtual world, one that will help provide inspired opportunities for artists looking to identify, connect and engage with audiences on multiple levels. This is the first stage of a new world that people will be building out and inhabiting, as venue for performances, home for musical and visual archives, space for play and exploration. Welcome to 'Stars, Planets, Dust, Me'.

Watch the teaser, soundtracked by new single “Custard’s Last Stand” HERE

The band also supplied the music for the stunning short film from acclaimed director Daniel Lindegren, filmed in London over lockdown. Check that out HERE

Repress!

The story begins in 2006.

That summer I developed somewhat of an obsession with Tonto’s Expanding Head Band after having seen them perform at the Big Chill festival that year. The music blew my mind. Later upon my return to civilisation and the ensuing 'research' which then began in earnest I became as much blown away by the enormous T.O.N.T.O. (The Original New Timbral Orchestra) modular synthesizer that had created the music as I was by the music itself. Built in the early '70s, it's still the largest synthesizer around today. With the live show still resonating in my head I tracked down everything Tonto had ever recorded. One of these tracks was an obscure outtake from the time T.O.N.T.O.’s creators, Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff, were producing and engineering for Stevie Wonder in the ‘70s (https://youtu.be/wuaSzFf7yq0). The track, Bittersweet, only ever appeared on a highly limited self-released CD put together to coincide with their appearance at the Big Chill. Consequently I featured it on a few mixes I did over the years and invariably I’d be asked “what’s that track?” by those with an ear for something unique. And invariably these same people, many of them DJs, would turn away disgruntled when I informed them it was CD only. Although I didn't know it at the time, the seed was definitely sown for this vinyl compilation that you now hold in your hands.

I first contacted the multi-Grammy award winning Malcolm Cecil in 2015 not long after Invisible, Inc. had launched with a proposal to putting the track out. There was always the question of what else would go on the record alongside Bittersweet? More Tonto tracks? Tracks by other artists? Other reissues? New material like the Invisible Family series? Or should it be just a single sided colour vinyl 12” celebrating the majesty of this wonderful piece of otherworldly yet emotive downtempo synthesizer funk?

As time rolled steadily onwards I realised at the end of 2017 that the 20th Invisible, Inc. release (a fair landmark for a small independent label) would soon be upon us.

I’d always thought of celebrating reaching the 10th, 20th, 30th release with a mix CD using tracks from the back catalogue.....but by the time INVINC 10 came around I'd missed the boat. I decided I wouldn’t let commemorating the 20th release slip me by and a compilation seemed the most fitting way to do this...and why not go the whole hog and spread it across two discs, house it in a gatefold sleeve and turn it into something rather special?

It took three years. From first contacting Malcolm in 2015, until shortly after his 81st birthday in January 2018, that we agreed to reissue the track on vinyl! The timing was perfect.

The hunt then began for other music to compliment Bittersweet. I'd heard some remixes legendary cosmic DJ Daniele Baldelli and Marco Dionigi had done of '80s synth pop/electronic founding father Richard Bone that had appeared digitally that I immediately thought would fit the bill. Likewise I'd heard an astonishing collaboration between psychedelic techno/dub duo log(m) (formerly Legion Of Green Men) and ambient pioneer Laraaji that seemed greater than the sum of its parts (keep an eye out for a double album from this melding of minds in early 2019). K. Leimer was another hero of mine, active since the '70s, who I'd been in touch with for a few years. We'd never managed to get a full album off the ground so I was thoroughly over the moon to get a contribution from him for this compilation. Many emails and Skype calls later and the rest all fell into place. I'm so proud to be able to also feature the music of Baikonour (another long time favourite), Eva Geist with Epsilove, Randweg, Causa, Ulysses, and of course those that have already appeared on Invisible, Inc. previously: the inimitable Secret Circuit, Sordid Sound System, Komodo Kolektif, Higamos Hogamos presents Spacerocks, Bal5000, Natural Sugars and Bronze Savage. I couldn't have done it without these people, many of them on board from the very beginning and who I love and respect all the more for it. Invisible, Inc. wouldn't be what it is now if it weren't for them.

That being said, “Lost Transmissions From The Off-World Territories” is just a tiny fragment of some of the amazing music available to us today. I urge you to further explore the artists represented here. Some of them have a body of work surprisingly different from the piece of music you are listening to right now. I'll let you go down the rabbit hole yourself. This process is fun if you like a good dig....but beyond that is that every so often you'll find something, as I have done, that'll completely take your breath away and move you to marvel at what an incredible world we're living in; where music can express our most abstract thoughts and deepest feelings in a way that words could never do. Enjoy!

Vinyl Only. Limited

One sure thing about featuring Dan Goul in a MixCult release is that his music will always be big on emotion. Next up, “Upon Descent EP” edifices those delicious sounds that those star floating dancers are pulled to. The classy and sensual beats keep always under construction, making the range of the tracks infinitely expandable over time. This release is a very versatile DJ tool, but certainly for those who like to keep it graceful.

Another quality release by Vincent Desmont on his own VDR imprint!

AND so the spotlight pans to Quantec. Having launched Neighbour Recordings with the Life Is Rhythm EP from Base Pilot, the studio collaboration between label owners Birke TM and Quantec, the imprint now turns to the latter for a solo follow-up with the muchexperienced artist turning in the tasty Moments EP. A self-confessed lover of old-school synths and their lo-fi beauty and emotion, this child of the Eighties naturally gravitates towards deep, dubby, Detroit-esque vibes and much more besides. You can hear it again in his latest work. The dramatic mesmerising synths of Inception are the most apposite aural appetiser, setting the scene perfectly for the main event and dovetailing snuggly with the dub-flecked deepness of Momentum I and the irresistible drive of the truly dope Nocturne. The pulsating, near-menacing throb of Momentum II explores different territory – that of techno – whilst the spacey, chilled groove of Diurnal is the perfect comedown from the EP’s more heady business.
Artwork: Marko Meth Mastering: Sam Irl
Words: Tim Gibney

Repress

Endlich präsentieren Compost den lang ersehnten Pablo Fierro Remix für “Bara” von Mr Raoul K & Manoo (ein Black Coffee Favorit!!) zusammen mit einer Dub Version und einem superben Collabo Afro House Track von Pablo Fierro und Mr Raoul K. Ein fettes Package mit Global Club Torpedos!

"Prime Sequences" is the latest album by dj and electronic music producer GummiHz, real name Alexander Tsotsos. Alex has an ear for what he describes as elastic frequencies, thus gummi-hertz! In other words, low bass lines, airy synth phrases and shuffle rhythms, playfully arranged within loose forms. A philosophy that comes across throughout this long player. Elements fall in and out of order, time swings back and forth, all together in perfect harmony! Pushing the boundaries of what has become his signature sound, a fusion of house and techno all the way from Berlin to Detroit! This package features underground music coming straight from the heart, or the Hertz more appropriately! The story unfolds within no less than nine tracks showcasing Alex's versatility in making waves!

The opening track titled "Berlinopolis" is a sonic portrait of the city of Berlin, where Alex lives since more than a decade. A smooth soundscape produced by combining abstract melodies with field recordings of the city's ambience. "'Second Wave" follows airy jazz chords and drum parts to launch the listener into trajectory. It feels like the sort of track that would probably make it into Herbie Hancock's deep house collection! The title track "Prime sequence" is a Detroit brewed piece with some Berlin minimalism rawness in the rhythm section! Combining a mixture of drama, suspense and shaking drums to dominate the dance floor. Next up comes "Submerge", a tight and hypnotic affair carrying the right amount of subtle release. It locks in right from the start and doesn't let go! "Prime Dub" dives deeper into the frequency spectrum. Rhythm and sound stimulate the brain waves as a heavy chord phrase cycles to infinity. "Proto Sequence" follows a simple still infectious groove laced with various modulations. This track has party written all over it! Inspired by proto-house motifs pioneered by artists like Chi-town's Ron Hardy. "Metafunk" reaches out to Berlin's club culture at its core. That is, the youth and street culture! The phrase on repeat signifies the urge to reclaim the streets, while endlessly flowing within finely tuned electronics. "Mindloop" is a track written for the after hours looping state of mind. Another minimal house cut with a fair dose of psychedelic sound design. Lastly, "Descension" relaxes the mood through deep pulsating rhythms and playful arpeggios. Pushing towards a meditative state by stimulating mind, body and soul!?

"Prime Sequences" covers a wide range of styles like ambient electronics, peak time house and techno, as well as seriously effed up after hour minimalism! Made for both djs and music lovers, this is the second long player by GummiHz to come out on vinyl after his debut album "Sleepless Nights" back in 2009! While it succeeds his latest EP, "Groove is in the Hertz". What makes it even more special is that it comes out on brainchild Claap, giving the artist total freedom of expression.

Obviously right after Sneak Illuminator Ep, Illumination Lp arrives. And it is an Illumination worthy of the name as the german musical blacksmith delivers here luminous musical landscapes for his first ever "gatefold 3 records lp" album. A very important addition in this artist's already extended disography and an important step for Goldmin too, mostly as we're celebrating our 10 years birthday this year.

2022 Repress echocord 20th anniversary special release

This vinyl series celebrates artists who continue to inspire the echocord journey, from 2001 to 2021 and beyond.

Over the past two decades, the Kenneth Christiansen helmed echocord imprint has been at the forefront of the dub-techno scene, discovering and developing sophisticated artists globally.

The twelve-track release is an exploration, from energetic dub techno, with cuts like Luke & Jeff Hess’ “M1 Dub”, grad_u’s “Pacific Lair”, and Idealist’s “Ride” to more esoteric passages with Forest Drive West’s “Signals”, Mikkel Metal’s “Lakam Dub” and Brendon Moeller’s “Slow Return”. Heavy dub vibrations resound in Babe Roots feat Another Channel’s “Gunman” and Deadbeat’s sub-driven “The Old Doom and Gloom” while Fluxion turns it to a jazzy, dub house wave with “Slide”.

“To me music is life, thank you for your support keeping the sound of echocord resonating” –Kenneth Christiansen

Repress

Shadowax's debut EP on TRIP Nikolai Reptile is a fun-filled package of effervescent techno and mutant bass jams.

Holic Trax offers up its 3rd compilation. Put together by label boss Tomoki Tamura, the selection features a range of artists old and new and will be released on two slabs of vinyl.

For over 3 decades, Orlando Voorn has been a force in dance music like few others. One of the first Dutch producers to establish a connection between Detroit and Amsterdam (check “Game One” his collaboration with Juan Atkins for Metroplex). He has recorded under a trove of alias that include Fix, Frequency, Format to name a few. He maintains a relentless release schedule, and we are very grateful that he found the time to make his return to Kompakt after his well received 2021 “Internal Destination” EP.

The track “So Deep” lives up to the title. A soulful vocal and sincere house beat simmer through an eerie soundscape loop. “Deeper Shades” keeps the vibe of the A Side and makes for a serene and moody deep house journey of epic proportions. Last but not least, “March Of Freedom” brings out the best of Orlando’s visionary production. Sweeping synths and sounds cascade into a momentous track that fits the peak time or in those eternal late night sets.

Restock incoming !

Rumbling beat, mindbending dub chord and atmospheric safari by one of the absolute veterans of the Icelandic techno scene. Q-Box was originally released in 1999 on the legendary Thule Records and has since then been one of the ultimate go-to dub techno track for DJs worldwide. Now, 22 years later, the release has been remastered – and to add a little sprinke to the cake we have worthy remixes from some of the mightiest of the current Reykjavik techno scene.

To celebrate its first anniversary Lempuyang firmly stakes its claim amongst the forefront of deep techno labels with an outrageous line-up consisting of eight of the most respected heads in the business, all doing their stuff across four pieces of vinyl. Among the highlights are the growling menace of Sa Pa's 'Randomer', Gradient's fizzy, dubbed up 'Dopamine Rain' wearing its Basic Channel influence on its sleeve, the ghostly rave stabs of Deadbeat's 'Planterwald' among a sea of radioactive white noise and the clear, sculpted linear grooves of 'Growing Pains' by Bluetrain. That said, there's no weak link among the eight cuts and put together into one coherent package it's more than the sum of its part.

"Escapism" is the second album produced by Piotr Rajski also known as Pepe.. Once again, he offered us music that is hard to close in one genre and is best described by the artist himself:
At the time of creating this album, the world was absolutely dominated by the pandemic turning our lives upside down. Writing new music has became a way to escape from disturbing reality.

According to Paweł Bartnik who also mixed and mastered my first album "Afterimages", the second one is more colourful and vivid. I think he described well the idea I had in mind while recording the new tracks. I wanted them to stay in that dreamy tone which can't be referred to only one genre.

The record was pressed on 180g vinyl.

Limited version was made in 100 copies - each vinyl record has a different splatter color! "Very Limited Surprise Edition"

I found "Escapism" a great opportunity to combine my UK inspirations ("Vanity Fair", "WQRWY") and rap fascinations from Money Sex Records or Tartelet Records ("Realizm Magiczny"). While working on the album my biggest inspirations were i.a. Madlib, D'Angelo, Samiyam, Ras G, Jai Paul and Overmono.
I'm extremely happy I could create some of the songs with such talented people as Moo Latte, Kasia Siepka from Byty, Paulina Przybysz, Immortal Onion, Baasch and Wuja HZG. Everyone's unique personality enriched the sound and compositions on the album.

The cover was designed by Beata Śliwińska "Barrakuz" and it's based on the summer photo taken by Kuba Olachowski. It's worth mentioning that it was created using analog collage technique.

And where did the title come from?
The songs on the album are for me the way to escape from the pandemic and explore new musical areas. I just wanted to forget about all the laws, quarantines and restrictions. Imagination turned out to be the perfect cure for this.

Within Reason Records welcomes Hugh Mane to the fold with a four track EP that is his most polished work to date. Veering away from his usual club ready sound, Hugh takes a much more relaxed approach on 'Resonant Moods', choosing to focus on meticulous production techniques and textural layering to create an EP that transcends both time and space. Often the case with Hugh's music, you can be 6 minutes into a track and not know that any time has passed at all. 'Resonant Moods' is a wonderfully crafted EP that encapsulates emotive tonality and playful rhythms, whilst oozing spacious sub frequencies.

schwerfälliger schaffelfunk

Fans of Jean F. Cochois (Elias/Jeremy/Drain Pipe) & the Driftwood label, sit up and take note. Catalan producer Adria came to our attention after his sublime contribution to Chikyu-u's digital sideline. Here, he delivers four ultra deep & dubby house tracks, in a similar vein to Driftwood but without the hefty price tag usually associated with the label. Adria is a producer to watch in 2022!