quête:ma sha

There is a kinetic energy that binds drummer and producer Karriem Riggins and singer-songwriter, rapper, and producer Liv.e, the spark that happens when instinct meets flow and spirit finds rhythm.

Their collaborative debut as GENA (short for “God Energy, Naturally Amazing,” and loosely inspired by Gina from Martin), The Pleasure Is Yours feels like a playful, soulful conversation between two kindred improvisers: Liv.e’s smoky, unpolished vocals glide through Riggins’ warm, percussive universe. Rooted in jazz, soul, and hip-hop, Liv.e brings a raw, experimental approach to R&B, while Riggins known for his work with Common, Erykah Badu, The Roots, Madlib, and his close kinship with J Dilla, extends his lifelong dialogue between jazz improvisation and beat science.

Together they create a world that’s analog and ethereal, percussive and poetic, bridging eras without settling in one, the sound of two artists finding a new shared language rooted in rhythm, vulnerability, and exuberance.

Pressed on 180g vinyl, the album comes in an embossed sleeve and is avaible in red and black splatter.

There is a kinetic energy that binds drummer and producer Karriem Riggins and singer-songwriter, rapper, and producer Liv.e, the spark that happens when instinct meets flow and spirit finds rhythm.

Their collaborative debut as GENA (short for “God Energy, Naturally Amazing,” and loosely inspired by Gina from Martin), The Pleasure Is Yours feels like a playful, soulful conversation between two kindred improvisers: Liv.e’s smoky, unpolished vocals glide through Riggins’ warm, percussive universe. Rooted in jazz, soul, and hip-hop, Liv.e brings a raw, experimental approach to R&B, while Riggins known for his work with Common, Erykah Badu, The Roots, Madlib, and his close kinship with J Dilla, extends his lifelong dialogue between jazz improvisation and beat science.

Together they create a world that’s analog and ethereal, percussive and poetic, bridging eras without settling in one, the sound of two artists finding a new shared language rooted in rhythm, vulnerability, and exuberance.

Pressed on 180g vinyl, the album comes in an embossed sleeve and is avaible in red and black splatter.

Brown Horse—named one of Brooklyn Vegan’s 10 Artists Shaping the New Indie-Country Boom—return with their third and best album in as many years, Total Dive. With songs from each of the four members (Patrick Turner, Nyle Holihan, Emma Tovell and Rowan Braham) the writing charts a world of small revelations and painful changes. Total Dive is out April 10 via Loose Music; pre-order today on LP and CD.

Carve is the second full-length by Bay Area artist Kathryn Mohr. Written over the course of five years and recorded over several weeks in a rural singlewide in the Mojave Desert, the album centers on love experienced as a form of grief, not as an aftermath of loss, but as a condition of intimacy itself.

Mohr describes Carve as an album about how memory exists outside the body, embedded in places and landscapes. It is shaped by her first return to the American Southwest since a childhood road trip at age five, and by the experience of moving through terrain that holds emotional weight long after its origins fade. The record considers how intimacy feels after years of isolation, and what it takes to carve out a life that allows for trust, presence, and feeling rather than mere survival. The project took form after a difficult tour that ended in Joshua Tree. Mohr pointed her car into the desert and drove alone, crisscrossing the Mojave on dirt roads. Months later, she returned to record the album, working alone with an acoustic guitar, a field recorder, and limited supplies. Following that period, Mohr began to allow for intimacy and connection. The time she spent recording Carve in the desert did not create isolation so much as mirror it. Working alone out of an old, western-themed jail Airbnb, the physical enclosure reflected the emotional conditions under which much of the record had been written: distance, restraint, and long stretches of stillness. In that context, love was not experienced as escape, but as something inseparable from impermanence and the awareness of loss.

This tension between connection and inevitability sits at the center of Carve. Some of the album’s songs were written earlier, during a prolonged period marked by emotional distance and apathy. Over those four years, Mohr was working through unprocessed childhood memories and their long-term effects on her ability to connect with others. The work was slow and difficult, involving a fundamental reshaping of how she related to herself and to the world. Carve was mixed by Richard Chowenhill of Flenser labelmates Agriculture. Rather than offering resolution, the album documents the act of remaining present within tension. Carve is not about escaping grief, but about accepting it as inseparable from love itself. Kathryn Mohr’s previous effort “Waiting Room” received the coveted ‘Best New Music' designation and a score of 8.4 from Pitchfork.

BRIXIA is a music collaboration project that began in Prague, founded by Czech multi-instrumentalist Max Lipovsky and Chilean synth aficionado Daniel Rodriguez. From the depths of a cold basement in Prague's Žižkov district, the duo crafted hypnotic rhythms and a fusion of cosmic, tropical, and oriental sounds during their never-ending live jam sessions—until they were finally ready to hit a record button.

Seeking a change of scenery, they packed up their instruments and drove 1,500 kilometers to Rome, where they recorded their music in the vibrant heart of Pigneto. There, they met Jonida Prifti, an Italian poet of Albanian heritage, and invited her to layer her poetry onto their tracks.

The result is both unexpected and deeply captivating. The title track is a dub-infused, ever-evolving piece of shamanic minimalism, laced with Balearic guitars and swirling synths that emerge only to fade back into the depths. Jonida's whisper-like vocals drift above it all—so ethereal they almost feel imagined.

In contrast, Vortice jolts you awake. This one will surely find its way into the bags of more adventurous DJs out there, with its driving post-punk bassline and near-harmonica melodies, it feels like a journey through uncharted territory. Jonida's voice guides you like a navigator, and suddenly, you've arrived.

After a two-year pause, CHILDHOOD returns with a new 12", GROUND SUPPORT by REDUKS The release introduces REDUKS, a young Munich-based artist whose path crossed with Muallem through Blitz. What began as a working relationship quickly turned into a shared musical understanding. Despite the difference in generation, both are connected by a similar sensitivity: a deep respect for the past, an awareness of the present, and a clear instinct for what lies ahead. Sharing a studio, this connection naturally translated into music. REDUKS brings a rare combination of emotional intuition and technical precision -- a producer with a deep-rooted understanding of club music, yet unbound by formula. The result is a collection of four dub house cuts, each shaped for a different moment across the night. Timeless in character, the tracks lean into subtlety and function -- built for the dance floor, but never confined to it. This record also marks the beginning as the first release of an ongoing series.

Still compelled by the space they first opened, Gūsū returns with a second release, “Inhabiting Me”. What began as a shared approach, sprouted from intuition, has grown denser and more defined, holding on to that same fragility and openness. The duo continues to befriend with contrast, friction and proximity, shaping a language that inhabits their uncommon ground.

Vintage drum machines, tape delays and bass guitar widen the sonic ground, adding pulse, grain and instability, while the guzheng holds its place in full clarity. Each sound source becomes each other’s ornament, forming to gesture the next currents.

What emerges is less a fixed composition than a shifting form: precise in detail, impossible to contain. Listeners who have experienced Gūsū’s live performances will recognise this rare quality: a music of great sensitivity that expands with quiet force, drawing them inward rather than confronting them directly. The sound fades, re-enters, and leaves behind the trace of a lighthearted heaviness, echoing back in fragments, reappearing in memory with altered weight and colour.

Time bends inward and tones return altered. Between repetition and resonance, a tensile form begins to emerge. Neither nostalgic nor futuristic, neither static nor loose. Gūsū does not merge its materials into one smooth surface; it lets them stand close enough to sharpen one another.

Gūsū is a transcultural music project born from the confluence of two distinct artistic voices: Xueyan Chen and Nicolas Balmer. Together, they create a complex dialogue of sound that bridges the ancient and the modern, exploring the liminal spaces between tradition and experimentation. Gūsū’s inception was serendipitous, sparked by a shared stage in late 2022. What began as spontaneous improvisations has since evolved into a profound collaboration. The duo has performed under various monikers, finding their ultimate identity in the name Gūsū, a nod to both heritage and transformation.

“LET IT SHINE” IS A MIX OF EXPLORATION, LIGHTNESS AND CREATIVE CONNECTION.
THE TITLE “ LET IT SHINE” HOLDS THE ESSENCE OF THE WHOLE PROJECT. IT’S ABOUT TRUSTING YOUR INSTINCTS, BEING OPEN, AND LETTING YOUR OWN SPARK COME THROUGH
NO MATTER WHAT FORM IT TAKES. IT’S AN INVITATION TO LET YOUR TRUE COLORS SHOW TO EXPRESS YOUR ENERGY AND LIGHT WITHOUT HOLDING BACK.
IN A WAY, IT’S A REMINDER TO STOP HIDING BEHIND WHAT’S EXPECTED AND INSTEAD LET WHAT’S TRUE SHINE THROUGH.

Rahaan has become a Chicago legend, a DJ who is widely recognised for his exceptional skills behind the decks and his exquisite taste in music. Lately he has also been earning plaudits for his production skills with some truly outstanding releases. Rahaan has collaborated on a very special release featuring Swiss-born and Italy-raised, Kihmy is an artist and producer who creates nocturnal soul music, where electronic textures and trip-hop atmospheres converge. Her sound lives in the shadows, intimate and cinematic, characterized by a deep and expressive voice and emotionally engaging lyrics.

"Let it Shine" EP released on Soulistic 360 (April 2026). Grab the limited edition vinyl before it's gone!

Juan Atkins returns as Model 500 with I.D.L.E., a transmission rooted in Detroit's original machine language. Pulsing basslines and crystalline sequences unfold with the precision and restraint that have defined the Model 500 signal for decades. The package expands with two reinterpretations from different corners of the electro-techno continuum. DJ Stingray pushes the track into high-velocity orbit, sharpening the rhythms into a relentless futurist propulsion. FJAAK reshape the material with their unmistakable Berlin energy, driving the groove deeper into warehouse territory while keeping the circuitry alive. A meeting point between generations, I.D.L.E. continues the Metroplex tradition: forward motion, mechanical soul, and signals from the future.

“Passion” is back! The new track from producer/DJ Beltran and The Flirts (including some “Native Love” by Divine) has quickly become a fan favorite in his sets and online, with 500k+ views already. Now available as a special 12″ vinyl release, featuring an exclusive Ben Liebrand 12″ vinyl version made especially for this edition and only available on the 12″.

The release is shaping up to be Beltran’s biggest since his breakout club hit “Smack Yo’”, supported by Michael Bibi, Mochakk, John Summit, Pete Tong, Dom Dolla and more, and now boasting 100M+ streams. It follows a huge year for Beltran, including tours across the US, UK, Europe, Australia and South America, with standout appearances at Coachella, CircoLoco Ibiza and KOKO London. Expected shipping: 2nd week July.

AMBASSADE ventures into the world of Manrira - a dark, alluring feminine presence that confronts systems driven by value, profit, and power. Emerging from dystopian structures, Manrira exists in the liminal space where organic and digital forces collide, merge, and mutate. This new audiovisual work is devoted to the enchanting acoustics of the human voice and its relationship to bodies, architectures, and shifting environments. At the heart of Manrira is the human voice - alive, breathing, and full of presence. It flows like a living instrument, shaping space and emotion. Manrira explores the voice as resonance, as body, and as spatial event. Manrira moves from dynamic song compositions into extended structures, blending live bass, neo-classical elements, ethereal vocals, drum machines, breaks, and techno-driven textures. The result is an immersive experience that invites the audience to listen closely and reconsider their connection to sound, space, and their surroundings.

*** Special edition on yellow flame colored vinyl. Comes with a poster and stickers *** AMBASSADE ventures into the world of Manrira - a dark, alluring feminine presence that confronts systems driven by value, profit, and power. Emerging from dystopian structures, Manrira exists in the liminal space where organic and digital forces collide, merge, and mutate. This new audiovisual work is devoted to the enchanting acoustics of the human voice and its relationship to bodies, architectures, and shifting environments. At the heart of Manrira is the human voice - alive, breathing, and full of presence. It flows like a living instrument, shaping space and emotion. Manrira explores the voice as resonance, as body, and as spatial event. Manrira moves from dynamic song compositions into extended structures, blending live bass, neo-classical elements, ethereal vocals, drum machines, breaks, and techno-driven textures. The result is an immersive experience that invites the audience to listen closely and reconsider their connection to sound, space, and their surroundings.

16 Hot n' Swingin' rot n' roll party shakers & quakers groovin' ALL NITE LONG!!!

Say what's up Mac? I hear you're having yourself a lil' party? Now you gonna have a swell time let me tell ya. You got the babes, the booze, delicious food, but a party ain't nothin' unless you got the tunes!

Now listen up, and listen up good. For the big sound you need the big pieces. And for the hottest sounds around, I'm your man. All the top dee-jays - they all go through me. Rex, Mad Mike, Wolfman Jack - I'm their all-time #1 go-to main man when it comes to killer diller rockin' boppin' dancefloor bangerz. The Monkey, the Twist, the Hully Gully and the Shing-a-Ling - I got the tunes to make y'all swing.

I got sides that'll make you sway. I got spins that'll go your way. I got the platters that matter. The discs with no risk. Trust me with the tunes to make 'em swoon.

So whaddaya say? You wanna go my way? Let's have a ball and a swingin' part-tay. But remember, you gotta go through me.

‘I Feel 4 U’ was written by Rui Maia in collaboration with Kyle Quest and marks a new chapter in the journey of Mirror People, the alter ego of the musician, producer, and DJ. The track further deepens the collaborative spirit and connection to dance music that have defined the project since its inception.

Recorded last year, the song blends elements of disco, funk, and electronic music in a composition shaped by rhythmic fluidity and Kyle Quest’s melodic vocal approach. João Cabrita contributes saxophone and backing vocals, reinforcing the track’s organic and collective character.

The 7″ only vinyl-exclusive B-side, “Gordon Glu,” is a journey through the warm and melodious trademark sound of Mirror People, drawing on classy synth-pop, Balearic influences, and organic, jazz-funk-inspired grooves.

Andreas Tilliander returns to Kontra-Musik in a grand style with his second TM404 album. Titled 'Acidub', this highly anticipated release is much more of an evolution than a repetition of the first superbly self-restricted album, where Tilliander even decided to use only one of the two Roland TB-303 waveforms. Acidub is a more playful and open listening experience, no doubt inspired by his extensive live touring with the TM404 concept. In fact, you can almost hear Tilliander's flock of acid machines breaking free from the restrained modus operandi. Every sound is like a migratory bird with a heart yearning for high altitude and favourable winds. The opening track Alinge paints a lucid picture of these acid birds leaving a cold industrial landscape behind, the flickering black shadows from their wings against the white smoke rising from a forest of chimneys below. The very last seconds of Alinge even echo of the place the silver birds are longing for, but that will remain a secret between Kontra-Musik and the avid listener. Sufficient to say, we can follow these birds of passage as they're heading south towards a warmer climate, fleeing the cold discipline of the North. Mutron Mantra, for instance, brings us to a rainforest full of serpentine lianas, giant leaves dripping with moist and green pools of water bubbling with organic life. Don't Defend Mascot guides us through a steaming savannah at dusk with hundreds of yellow eyes following our every step while Pade vividly describes the perils of the flight and the pace and courage needed to press on. In all, Acidub is a surprisingly exuberant follow-up to the more introspective TM404 album. But while the musical journey of this second album is quite different, the experience of sheer aural eminence remains the same. Andreas Tilliander has done it again, and Kontra-Musik couldn't be prouder.

The evolution of Andreas Tilliander's moniker TM404 has reached its third stage. The first TM404 album was a heavily self-restricted concept album, live recorded with classic Roland machines. The subsequent album had a more playful vibe, shaped by Tilliander's extensive live touring. This third TM404 album on Kontra-Musik simply tells the story of what he's been up to since. The third part of a musical diary, initiated in 2013. The TM404 venture might have started out as a dreamy acid dub project, more suited for the chill-out than the main floor. But by popular demand Tillander found himself touring big clubs around the globe and the TM404 sound adapted organically. As a result, the album features tracks like Vactro and Rymdeko: fast paced acidic techno tracks in the same vein as classic Plus 8 releases, but with more space echo. Much more. But never fear, fans of the classic warm and bubbling TM404 sound. You'll certainly get yours as well. A substantial portion of this album was recorded in a studio flat in Berlin as part of an artist residency. For obvious reasons, Tilliander could only bring a small portion of his studio gear to this German sanctuary. As a consequence, this album has a more stripped down vibe than its predecessors, which creates more space for Tilliander's glowing melodies. The last track on the album, a loving homage to Kontra-Musik's label boss, is a sublime example. And for the Instagram generation, here's the short version: The album is called Syra. That translates to Acid. You're welcome.

The recordings on Volume II were captured in Copenhagen, Denmark on January 18, 2020. Guided as much by human instinct as by musical intention, the ensemble moved through the evening with a shared sensitivity…listening, responding, and trusting the moment as it unfolded. Though Morten McCoy admits to having felt quite ill that evening, nothing in the music suggests restraint. Instead, what remains is a vivid, playful exchange, where McCoy and Johannes Wamberg carry both Part I and Part II as a flowing conversation, speaking through sound rather than words.

Part I begins abruptly, almost throwing the listener back in time to the exact moment the improvisation was born. Jonathan Bremer steps to the forefront, providing a solid, melodic bassline as Kristoffer and Eliel, perfectly in sync, lay down a steady foundation for whichever voice chooses to rise above the rhythm.

This is also one of the few I Am An Instrument recordings to feature two guitarists. Johannes Wamberg leads the way, shaping the harmonic direction, while Steven Jess Borth II adds subtle rhythmic textures through muted palm work, deepening the groove without ever stepping into the foreground.

Part II unfolds with Morten McCoy on his Moog One, delivering a beautiful, expansive solo. Using a carefully chosen patch, the sound pulses through the rhythm, moving with the groove rather than above it, riding the beat like a wave through the ocean.
Shaped by trust, presence, and collective improvisation, Volume II captures a group deeply attuned to one another, allowing intuition and momentum to guide the unfolding form.
——
Volume III was recorded in Copenhagen on March 5, 2020. Little did anyone know that only days later, the world would be placed on pause for years. Captured just before that moment of global stillness, this session carries a heightened sense of presence, a final gathering before silence reshaped everything. Recorded in a space more commonly associated with a club atmosphere, the music draws on a different kind of energy and immediacy. With Eliel Lazo unable to attend, the group invited Victor Dybbroe of Girls In Airports to join on percussion, subtly reshaping the ensemble while preserving its core spirit. Part I opens with Steven Jess Borth II calling out on tenor saxophone, answered by Morten McCoy on Wurlitzer electric piano. The piece gradually unfolds into a meditative groove, patient and expansive, carrying the listener through an eight-minute journey of layered rhythm and restraint.

Part II begins with Jonathan Bremer on stand up bass, slowly joined by the rest of the ensemble as each voice enters with intention. Midway through, an unexpected vocal melody from Borth emerges, drenched in reverb and delay, later reappearing as a melodic line on the tenor saxophone.

Part III is led by Morten McCoy on Wurlitzer electric piano. His signature melodic language sets the direction, guiding the ensemble while leaving ample space for the music to breathe and evolve through collective improvisation. Reprise returns to the closing moments of Part II, its title reflecting its origin. The familiar groove reappears, transformed into a distinctly Jamaican-influenced rhythm, over which Borth delivers a final tenor saxophone solo, bringing the conversation to rest.

Any questions about any of these products feel free to get in touch and we'll help you out!

[a] a1. Part I [Vol.2]
[b] a2. Part II [Vol.2]
[c] a3. Part I [Vol.3]
[d] b1. Part II [Vol.3]
[e] b2. Part III [Vol.3]
[f] b3. Reprise [Vol.3]

There are records that follow the rules, and others that rewrite them in real time. With O R G A S M A N I A, Byron The Aquarius returns to Skylax with a deeper, freer and more unpredictable statement — where jazz instinct meets raw machine funk, and structure dissolves into pure feeling. Rooted in the lineage of Detroit yet never confined by it, Byron operates in that rare zone where house music becomes expression rather than format. His sound doesn’t chase functionality — it breathes, it stretches, it resists. The EP opens with Back 2 Zion (Tomorrow), a spiritual and meditative journey built on loose drums and luminous chords, carrying a sense of elevation — early morning music where the dancefloor begins to think again. Enter the Co$mos (Fool) pushes further into abstraction, with drifting synths and broken rhythms unfolding in a non-linear structure, navigating between Sun Ra’s cosmic language and Detroit futurism. On the flip, Mr. Captain Crunchhh brings a raw, playful energy — crunchy textures, off-grid swing and an almost improvised groove, alive and unpredictable, a leftfield tool designed to disrupt expectations. Finally, O R G A S M A N I A stands as the centerpiece — hypnotic, sensual and immersive, locking into a deep repetitive groove while evolving in subtle layers, a late-night body experience guided by a sharp musical mind. Across four tracks, Byron The Aquarius confirms his unique position between jazz musician, house producer and sonic storyteller, with a trajectory spanning Sound Signature, Axis, Eglo, Apron and Shall Not Fade, continuing to resonate from Detroit to Berlin and beyond. Artwork by H5 — the iconic studio behind Daft Punk, Air and Vitalic — reinforces Skylax’s timeless and art-driven identity. This is not fast music, this is not algorithm music — this is music for those who still listen. Strictly for the heads. Vinyl only. No repress. Skylax Records.

Ikadub have been shaping their sound for a decade, oscillating between digital pulse and analog sounds. Character and rhythm that the duo offers to several singers according to style and mood, for a discography rich in beautiful encounters.

Tell The Truth is an example, if not the best, of a collaboration that rings true, hits hard and sounds killer! Prince Jamo delivers impeccable vocals to lyrics that resonate as current events prove him right, served by a riddim that makes you nod your head from the first bars. I want to say BIM!

Ecstasy and delirium—Amterdam’s duo Match Box transport us once again, getting us back on bright, trance-leaning club sounds; while Berlin-based Olsvangèr takes on remix duties with patient in waveform form—dubby, radiant and groove-led. X-File’s is an ep leaned into pure ecstasy made for this summers festival calendar and beyond.

303 synthesiser leads, driven bouncy baselines, infectious chopped vocal samples from the nineties—Match Box sit somewhere between euphoric trance and high-energy progressive house, shaping the sound of the EP.
On B1, Olsvangèr takes Stone Again into dubby territory with his signature prog touch, full of intricate textures and depth.