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The title says it all - A Cellarful Of Motown! ..A Northern Soul Love Affair.

West Grand has been set up to mine the deep vaults of mighty Motown courtesy of a licence deal with Universal Music.

The first West Grand LP fuses two musical religions, Motown and Northern Soul.

In some ways they are unlikely bedfellows. Motown became known as Hitsville by churning out hit after hit, while Northern Soul passion is fired by a constant search for the unknown and the obscure.
The 16 tracks here - on incredibly the first Motown various artists vinyl album released worldwide for 40 years - join the dots. All of them were recorded in the 1960s. None of them were released at the time, despite being prime examples of the sublime magic conjured up by Berry Gordy’s genius-like team of singers, writers, producers, arrangers and musicians at that tiny little snakepit of a recording studio on West Grand Boulevard in Detroit.

Motown authority Adam White’s album sleeve notes confirm just how productive that studio was. It often ran 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
As a result, lots of the most sublime music ever made was somehow rejected for release. It would have stayed unknown and unloved in tape boxes if it had not been for detective work by Soul aficionados turned detectives. That’s Northern Soul power. Many were DJs and collectors tracking down cassette copies or acetates (some of them found in rubbish skips and about to be destroyed). Others, notably Paul Nixon, the founder of the CD series A Cellarful Of Motown! which inspired this album, badgered the Motown gatekeepers so much they were eventually granted access to the forbidden kingdom.

Over recent years all the tracks contained here have been released—some bootlegged, some on legitimate seven-inch issues, some on CD, one download-only. The album proudly boasts debut vinyl release for some in the collection. All have been remastered and have never sounded better.

As a homage to Motown music makers + Rare Soul fanaticism, WEST GRAND believe we have come up with a classic.

A nocturnal ride through the magnetic waves of an imaginary club that never sleeps, where groove becomes ritual and the dancefloor an extension of the body. Francisco & Cosmo Dance – aka Francesco De Bellis and Cosimo Mandorino – orchestrate a mechanical and naif dance between man and machine, where synths chase each other and drum machines dictate tight, unrelenting beats. “Go Go Dance” is a concentrated dose of analog groove, electronic funk, no-wave pulses, and retro-futurism.

The Extended Mix transcends radio boundaries, diving into a hypnotic, fluid, body-driven dimension: a sonic tide echoing cosmic italo, primitive house, and off-kilter disco, shaping a soundscape for dancefloors from another dimension.

The House Mix, finely edited by Whodamanny, is a manifesto for the floor: pure rhythmic dynamite, made to ignite bodies and let them vibrate freely. A shared and refined vision of house music, where instinct and style fuse into a single voice.

“Go Go Dance” doesn’t aim studio perfection; it craves sensory truth – the kind born of urgency, space, and the pleasure of repetition. An anthem to the most authentic and lived-in club culture, where music becomes sweat, fantasy, and freedom once again.

IN TRANSIT by the duo Lia Kohl & Zander Raymond (Chicago) is built around a collection of field recordings made in spaces of transit —bus stops, train stations, taxis—blended with the accordion and modular synthesizers textures of Zander Raymond, and the cello and synthesizers of Lia Kohl.

The record features eight instrumental tracks, composed from these raw captures of transient zones, harmonized and enriched with musical treatments and arrangements. Combining acoustic and electronic sources, these compositions create an atmosphere that is both familiar and dreamlike, blurring the boundaries between the real and the imaginary.

Lia Kohl is a cellist, composer, and sound artist based in Chicago. Her broad and varied practice includes composition and performance, installation, improvisation, and collaboration. Her work is rooted in curiosity and patience, exploring the everyday and profound potential of sound. Following her album Normal Sounds (Moon Glyph)—an ode to the noise of daily life, transforming the hum of refrigerators and the ticking of turn signals into moments of unexpected beauty—Lia Kohl continues this exploration of the sounds that surround us with IN TRANSIT.

Zander Raymond is an interdisciplinary artist and musician based in Chicago. In his visual work, he improvises with various materials to create collages. His music is also rooted in improvisation, using modular synthesizers to construct soundscapes that take nonlinear approaches to composition.

Hot summer rain hits the cracked pavement in uneven rhythms. A neon sign flickers above a café that never seems to close, its warm white light reflected in the wet ground like a fever dream. The air smells of summer and the world hums with an easy tone, as if the city itself is holding its breath. A light flooded film noir-ish scene, that needs a soundtrack like "POOL JAMS", the new album of INIT, the Berlin based duo, that already caused quite a stir with their albums for Hivern Discs and Optimo Music. This time, they bring their latest creations out on R.i.O. - a label, with whom they are deeply associated. Their fourth longplayer is a playful one. One that brings trip hopping feelings. That has r'n'b grace, without catering regular trademarks of the genre. Dub, trance, drone, is all there too. Yet, nothing is present in pure definition. Rather suggested, interwoven, or newly twisted in a songwriting style, that haunts and seduces. On top the voice of Nadia D'Alò dances, steps and hums tempting to the grooves she created with her partner in crime Benedikt Frey. Together they fashioned a record, that, as INIT puts it, is "some kind of old photo from an old dry empty pool that got faded by sunlight ". A dreamy, sunny piece of song art, made for endless smoky LA freeway drives, and other adventures that seek for infinite riddance. You can dream it. You can trance it. You can't escape it, as soon as it rotates in your dream device for sound and vision.

BUDDHA-BAR SUMMER SESSIONS - MONTE-CARLO BY RAVIN A MUSICAL ODYSSEY TO CELEBRATE SUMMER & THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF BUDDHA-BAR MONTE-CARLO Under the starry sky of the Riviera, lulled by the warm breeze, an invitation to travel rises. A beat, a melody... and the mind drifts away. Buddha-Bar, the temple of world music and sonic elegance, celebrates 15 years of magic in Monte-Carlo with an exceptional compilation: Buddha-Bar Summer Sessions Monte-Carlo by Ravin. Conceived as a musical odyssey, this double compilation weaves captivating atmospheres, blending ethereal lounge, organic electro, and world sounds, in an intimate dialogue between East and West, tradition and modernity. Each track (including more than a dozen unreleased tracks) has been carefully selected by Ravin, who creates a captivating and chic experience, a true invitation to dance and escape.

DJ support from - Hector Romero, Marco Lys, Mousse T, Sam Divine, Vintage Culture, Ferreck Dawn, Mat.Joe, Claptone, Joseph Capriati, Claude VonStoke, Dennis Cruz, Huxley, Mark Knight, Format:B, Nic Fanciulli.

Riva Starr presents his fifth album 'Keep Me On The Dancefloor' on Snatch! Records.
An opportunity to demonstrate his growth as a producer and as an artist, the album showcases an unexpected Riva Starr sound – one that explores a fresh creative approach, focussing on songwriting, collaboration, and telling stories that are firmly rooted on the dancefloor.

Featuring collaborations with Chromeo, Flight Facilities, Harry Stone and more.
'The album was entirely crafted through writing sessions with talented musicians, writers, and singers. This approach brings something unique, as being in the room with other creatives adds an extra layer of creativity and depth, enhancing the production quality. Most of the tracks came together quickly, thanks to the incredible vibe and chemistry in the studio. Sometimes, the process needed a bit of back and forth and more than one session to perfect.' – Riva Starr

Fusing sounds that represent different eras of Riva’s career, 'Keep Me On The Dancefloor' wistfully and effortlessly glides between disco, funk, soul, filtered house, and even the guitar licks of classic rock; a sum of his career to date, it is a body of work that focusses on amplifying the positive moments, memories, and experiences that can only be found in music. Exploring what it means to connect with someone in the moment; a celebration of losing your inhibitions to the music and finding yourself completely in sync with someone you’ve only just met.

Charged with storytelling and heartfelt lyrics, his most personal work to date is the result of a considered approach to making music, one of collaboration with one foot still on the dancefloor, and the other firmly in the studio guiding an array of talent to build something unique with him. Moving away from the DJ-friendly cuts that have underpinned much of Starr’s career, the fifteen tracks on 'Keep Me On The Dancefloor' are much deeper. With singer Harry Stone providing catchy toplines and infectious vocals across at least half of the album, there is a clear maturity on display at every level.

Additional features come from electro-funk duo Chromeo on the irresistibly groovy 'I Was Lost', and Prince-esque vocals from Nic Hanson on '(I’ll Be Your) Paradise'. 'Know You Love Me' – the laid-back, sun-kissed cut with Flight Facilities – compliments the melancholy vocals of Biishop on “Wildfire” and the disco-infused 'It Feels Much Better' with Harry Stone.

Music is a tonic for the soul, but it feels much better with someone else.

On June 27, 2025, a long-dormant signal reactivates from Hamburg’s hidden places: Helena Hauff and F#X return as Black Sites with R4 on Tresor Records—their first full-length album and the first release under the moniker since 2014. Like a hieroglyphic recently discovered and translated, R4 feels more like a long-awaited resumption than a comeback.
Recorded to tape with minimal editing or post-production the record is a classic example of the symbiotic relationship that can come from the interaction of human and machine. This punk ethos isn’t invoked through distortion alone, but through method; in the album’s breaking from the received wisdom of hardness tethered to speed as most of the tougher pieces are lower BPM and vice versa (with one notable exception in the mind-melting stomp of BLOKK).
Across ten tracks, Black Sites traverse a landscape where genre dissolves into intention. It migrates through electro’s danceability, acid house’s corrosion, and into the liminal realm of machine funk—a genre coined by Andrew Weatherall, which sounds like the results of technology dreaming of soul where the emphasis is on live execution, on immediacy over perfection—a sound forged in the act of creating, not polishing.
In a 2013 interview, around the time of the first Black Sites EP, Hauff was quoted as saying that she wants “things to fit together properly, but on another level, I really want them to make sense together.” That principle animates R4: The album’s form reveals itself in time, with each movement echoing and amplifying the others to create a synergistic whole.
From the opening crawl of C4 (a name that like the music foreshadows the explosions to come) to the end-of-the-night bliss of MOTHERJAM via the intense peaks of BLOKK, 707, and classic acid track 3D it’s clear that R4 is a work made with serious intent; a refutation of a world where streaming has made the two-minute single the dominant musical form again. R4 demands immersion, not just attention. It is not a collection of tracks, but a singular, recursive experience: a mirror in which sound and listener repeatedly rediscover one another.

Nach über 25 Jahren Pause meldet sich Planet Pump Records eindrucksvoll zurück – und wie!
Label-Artist Stan-Lee aka Stanley Hottek reanimiert das legendäre Leipziger Technolabel mit einer kompromisslosen Vier-Track-EP: roh, druckvoll und tief verwurzelt im Sound der 90er – made for the underground.
Die EP „We Are“ versteht sich als klares musikalisches Statement: elektronische Musik mit Seele, Haltung und Herkunft – kein generisches Tool für Social-Media-Content, sondern echte Club-Energie.
Der Sound ist puristisch, treibend und analog produziert – ganz in der Tradition früher Planet Pump-Releases: raue Drum-Maschinen, wummernde Basslines und hypnotische Sequenzer, konsequent für den Dancefloor gedacht.
Die erste neue Planet Pump kommt auf klassisch schwarzem Vinyl, verpackt in einer bedruckten Stecktasche – limitiert auf 200 Stück.
Support Vinyl. Support Independent Labels. Support True Techno.

After more than 25 years, Planet Pump Records makes a powerful comeback – and how!
Label artist Stan-Lee aka Stanley Hottek revives the legendary Leipzig techno label with a relentless four-track EP: raw, driving, and deeply rooted in the sound of the ’90s – made for the underground.
The EP "We Are" stands as a clear musical statement: electronic music with soul, attitude, and heritage – not just another generic tool for social media content, but real club energy.
The sound is purist, driving, and produced with analog gear – staying true to the spirit of early Planet Pump releases: gritty drum machines, rumbling basslines, and hypnotic sequencers, all crafted strictly for the dancefloor.
The first new Planet Pump release comes on classic black vinyl, packed in a printed sleeve – limited to just 200 copies.
Support vinyl. Support independent labels. Support true techno.

LP - First Pressing in White Color Vinyl - Limited to 150

Includes: Gatefold. stickers + poster (60cm x 60cm) + download code

5 Years, All Ears, All Heart. Fifteen years ago there wasn't a grand plan, no vision board or 10-year strategy. It wasn't about fame and acclaim, it has always been about feelings and encounters. Meeting people who made music, loved music, were music. Fast forward a bit and the family just kept expanding. It wasn't just producers and DJs anymore, designers, writers, random hype people, "vinyl faced" ones... Everyone brought something different to the table and somehow, through our filter, it took us here. House, Jazz, Techno, Experimental, it didn't matter. The only rule was that the music had to feel alive, with a Jazzy twist, where "Jazzy" means a propensity to improvisation, not just music. This is not a story about numbers or streams. It's about people and places. Every track has a face behind it: the producer who turned a three-note loop into gold, the designer who nailed an album cover in one chaotic night, the heads who spun the story for the release and the friends who supported and listened. That is the soul of Apparel Music and that's why the cover for this "B-Day15" isn't gleaming or shiny, it's real. It's a celebration of encounters. The messy, magical moments when people connect and make something bigger than themselves. It's a big THANK YOU to all the characters who hopped on this ride. This record, dropping in both vinyl and digital formats and featuring artists from all over the world, is the symbol of the Apparel Music essence. From the USA with Osunlade to Australia with Erin Buku & Inkswel; from Denmark with Ghosten (featuring Francesca Touré and IZZY NU) to Italy with 2KS and Kisk; Argentina and Brazil with Eduardo and HNQO (with Collateral Lab), Spain with Tuccillo, Germany and The Netherlands with Marcel Vogel & LYMA. It's about exploring genres, diving into far-off worlds, being curious about other places, other people and figuring out how to make them all feel comfy under the same roof, chilling in the same room. A room we've been furnishing for a while with our little treasures, some fancy furniture, some not-so-fancy, but always with passion. There's more music to make, more stories to discover, more people to meet. Apparel Music is not just a label anymore, it's a big, instinctive, unplanned love letter to everyone who's been and who'll be a part of it. 15 Years, All Ears, All Heart.

The PARTI-PILLZ story charges into 2025 with its third release, spotlighting the electrifying sounds of Italian maestro Verniß. A masterpiece of crisp, punchy productions, Verniß brings the heat with his Black Shape EP—a four-track trip tailor-made for the late-night hours. From eccentric electro to sharp, modern techno, each cut delivers a knockout blow, crafted with livewire energy and club-ready precision. Verniß flexes serious finesse across the board, making this record a must-have in your DJ bag this Spring. Four tracks. Four weapons. One essential EP.

Kulture Galerie returns with its fourth vinyl compilation, showcasing a futuristic collection of Techno and Tech House tracks infused with hints of Braindance, Electro, and Acid. The compilation opens with tracks from London’s rising star YSANNE (Semi Delicious) and Rare Happiness, both delivering perfect dancefloor destroyers that have already been tested in clubs across Europe.

Next, analogue enthusiast Perseus Traxx presents a relentless live jam packed with squelchy sounds, while on the flip side, Uncanny Valley’s Herzel teams up with North Macedonia's own L.O.V.D to deliver a slow and chuggy Electro cut.

The compilation closes with Barcelona’s mysterious and multitalented artist Sal Abi and his track “Mariani,” a unique machine-made beat full of soul and magic. Following this is the fast-paced groove of “Expandy” by Acid maestro FLX, and finally, the record concludes with the blissful and timeless “Parking” by Global Aphasia.

In celebration of Pride Month, Kinga struts to Dark Entries with “Sexy Boy,” a steamy Canadian pop gem. Inspired by gender-bending pop stars of the 1980s like Boy George and Janet Jackson, a young Tomas Fussey aka Kinga ditched his “schoolboy appearance” to adopt an edgier, androgynous style. Immersed in Calgary nightlife, he became acquainted with sexy synthpop and disco songs like Madonna’s “Everybody,” Divine’s “Native Love,” and the Flirts’ “Passion” - songs which still linger in his mind. He began writing music: “It was 80s. Everyone was making a record. So I made one too.” In 1988 he teamed up with keyboardist Dan Madison and veteran producer Bob Gallo to make “Elevator Operator” and “Sexy Boy.” Kinga was surprised when the B-side “Sexy Boy” garnered substantial radio play from CFNY in Toronto. But he notes: “They saw the obvious... My physical appearance supported the lyrics.” In 1989, Amok Records backed a new “Late Night Dance Mix” version of “Sexy Boy.” Almost every part was re-recorded or remade, including Kinga’s vocals. The new version surprised Kinga with its slick production and moody atmosphere. Sales were disappointing, and Kinga stated “It was not the sound of the moment.” But these deeper house-inflected grooves feel like the sound of our current moment. This release of Sexy Boy includes five different mixes, including the original 7” mix, three versions from the 12”, and the previously unreleased “TV Mix”. Sexy Boy comes sleeved in a reproduction of the original artwork and includes an insert with liner notes and lyrics, as well as an 8x10 glossy press photo of the sexy boy himself.

Heads up, we got a hot premiere on GAMM from Chicago's finest Emmaculate and Basement Boys legend DJ Spen !

The story behind this release goes something like this...

Our buddy and GAMM contributor Coflo spins at a dope house party, drops the A side 'Step Into A Black Whole' and the club literally explodes when the track hits the massive hip hop breakdown (KRS!) and returns and transforms into a jazzy Afrobeat house stomper. It's an +11 min long musical journey going from house to hip hop to Disco-Afrobeat. The GAMM representative in the house "feels it" and asks Coflo who's behind the tune, and after a few months, the connection is made with Emmaculate and DJ Spen to secure the release for GAMM.

A few weeks later, Emmaculate delivers a second track, 'Boogie On Disco Woman', which is a killer Funk/Disco/Soul rework with raw drums, nasty clavinets and soulful female vocals.
This could easily have been the feature track, but lands on the B side this time.

Incredible jams !

Wh0 arrives on Rekids with ‘Girls & Boys’. The Grammy-nominated producer’s next single comes with a remix from Catz ‘n Dogz.

Wh0 lands on Radio Slave’s Rekids with new single, 'Girls & Boys', out 13th June 2025. A full-throttle piano jam, the track distils a range of House styles into one expressive, infectious, modern-day classic. Powered by a raw, rolling bassline and loopy chords, it brings unrelenting energy built to raise hands in the air all summer long.

Polish duo Catz ‘n Dogz step up on remix duties with a chunky dub mix. Stripping things back, they reimagine the original into a thudding Techno cut, complete with eerie vocal chops and a deliciously deep, driving groove.

Formerly a member of legendary House duo The Rhythm Masters, Wh0 has since made his mark as a solo act with sold-out shows at places like Printworks, XOYO and Fabric. The Wh0 Plays and Wh0 Worx label boss boasts production credits for artists like Ten City, Royksopp and Idris Elba and collaborations with the likes of David Penn, David Morales and Nile Rodgers, with his work often topping digital charts and his Spotify clocking up more than a million streams a month.
Radio Slave’s Rekids was founded in 2006 and has since spawned successful off shoots with the Techno-focused Rekids Special Projects in 2017 and its newest sublabel, REK’D, in 2024. With Matt Edwards as the sole A&R, Rekids has been crucial in developing early artist careers and has become a haven for established acts operating in House and adjacent genres, having recently featured the likes of Harry Romero, Tal Fussman, Spencer Parker, The Hacker, and many more.

Nothing said new or modern or futuristic quite like a synthesiser in the 70s and 80s. If you were shooting an advert and you wanted your product or your company to appear forward-thinking and ahead of the game, then you would want something electronic, something out of the ordinary. When TV producers and advertising directors started searching for music that sounded like “Tubular Bells” – and then Tomita, and later Jean Michel Jarre – music libraries such De Wolfe, Bruton, Parry and Chappell had to have the tracks readily available.

Compiled by Bob Stanley, “Tomorrow’s Fashions” varies from advertising jingles and TV themes to space exploration and gorgeous, beatless ambience. Though it’s 40-to-50 years old there’s a real freshness to this music. Older jazz players Brian Bennett, John Cameron, Alan Hawkshaw and others seized the chance to operate a synth; younger pups including John Saunders and Monica Beale were simply intrigued by the new technology being wheeled into the studios. There’s a tangible sense of adventure.

“Tomorrow’s Fashions’” brand of electronica anticipated new age and ambient music. It also had both a direct and indirect influence on pop – the early Human League and the future sounds of Warp Records are all over this collection. Electronic library tracks have been sampled by everyone from MF Doom to Kendrick Lamar.

One person’s primitive and experimental is another person’s space-age lullaby. This was music made in the shadows – in Soho’s secretive music library studios – that has now become desirable and influential. The chances are chunks of it will be sampled and used on hit records that have yet to be written. If the musicians’ aim was to soundtrack tomorrow’s fashions, they couldn’t have got it more right.

"Passion, an unquenchable thirst for music new and old and an unrelenting drive to make people dance, that’s Lefto Early Bird and Red D for you. Two music heads with huge respect for each other and a common love found in original sounds and classic music scenes. When they come together behind the booth it’s no holds and no genres barred, two kids in each other’s musical candy store.

A first step to expanding their collaboration to releasing music was made when Lefto Early Bird provided beats for a track on Red D’s debut album ‘Fantasize Then Realize’. Now out of nowhere here’s a split release between the two of them. A one-off? The start of a series? Your guess is as good as theirs! But what we do know is that you are getting the best of both of them with Red D bringing some Detroit meets UK rave/bass madness and Lefto Early Bird bringing some jazzed-up cheeky house rawness. Aimed straight at the floor and your booty!"

Second offering from Leo Gibbon’s MUDLINE imprint sees the producer reunite with grime’s perennial wild card, Trim, for a two-sided pressure test that flexes both restraint and raw power in equal measure.

On Side A – Orbit Step, Gibbon leans into the emotive end of the 140 spectrum — all reflective pads, sci-fi shimmer, and subbed-out swing — with Trim delivering a rare, inward-facing performance. It’s grime as meditation, anchored by subtle tek textures and lyrical ambiguity. The accompanying acapella, exclusive to the vinyl, is a potent bonus.

Side B – Danny and Darren flips the script entirely. It’s a no-frills, floor-ready juggernaut — grime at its most ballistic. Trim in full yardman mode here, riding the riddim with relentless intent. It’s sweaty, chaotic, made for late sets and soundsystem abuse.

Instrumentals included on both sides, giving extra room for exploration and dubplate mischief.

A bold second chapter from MUDLINE, Orbit Step builds on the promise of Happy Lovers and underlines Gibbon’s growing prowess in crafting versatile 140 tools with personality — while Trim, as ever, shapeshifts with ease.

Pink Floyd at Pompeii - MCMLXXII, the groundbreaking 1972 film directed by Adrian Maben. Digitally re-mastered from the original 35mm footage, with enhanced audio newly mixed by Steven Wilson. Set in the hauntingly beautiful ruins of the ancient Roman Amphitheatre in Pompeii, Italy, this unique film captures Pink Floyd performing an intimate concert with additional rare behind-the-scenes footage of the band beginning work on The Dark Side of the Moon at Abbey Road Studios. The accompanying album release will see the performance presented on vinyl for the first time.

2025 Repress

The COEO boys need no introduction anymore. Their two last singles made it into the sets of so many DJs. They are among the emerging artists of that new German scene of kids that make house music inspired by old Jazz and Funk records. The boys are mad about rare vinyl. And they love to make music with a positive spirit. Yes, there is something sunny in their tracks. Something that instantly makes you want to move. We heard so many mixtapes that started with a COEO track. Makes sense: They are perfect to set a vibe. A good mood. But if you know that the COEO boys work in a studio over the roofs of Munich, with a fantastic view over the lights of the city, with a great vibe where you see all the glammy colors of the light in the night..... then you understand why COEO's music sounds as it sounds.

The Aachen Jazz Files

A collection of essential jazz from the NABEL record label (1980-1994), compiled by miche & Rainer Truby.

The Aachen Jazz Files celebrates the pioneering spirit of NABEL Records—one of Germany’s most underrated yet influential independent jazz labels. Founded in 1980 by Rainer Wiedensohler, NABEL became a home for innovative musicians blending classic acoustic jazz with fusion, Brazilian rhythms, and avant-garde flourishes.

This compilation collects some of the label’s finest moments, including the soulful and Latin-tinged brilliance of Monika Linges Quartet (whose album *Floating* was reissued last year by PANORAMA Records for RSD Black Friday), the cosmic jazz explorations of John Thomas & Lifeforce, the deep jazz-funk grooves of Hipsters In The Zone, and the stunning, expressive vocals of Maria João’s quintet.

Nestled in the far west of Germany, near the Dutch and Belgian borders, Aachen has long been a hidden gem for jazz lovers. Its vibrant scene, fueled by music schools and the legendary Malteserkeller jazz club, cultivated a unique sound that resonated far beyond its city limits. In fact, the city didn’t just birth a jazz movement—it also lays claim to opening Germany’s first discotheque in 1959.

From London to Tokyo, NABEL’s releases became secret weapons for jazz DJs seeking deep, danceable cuts. The label’s trademark blend of acoustic jazz, fusion, and Brazilian influences made its way onto turntables in underground clubs and festival stages worldwide.

Expect elegant samba jazz, spiritual grooves, and modal masterpieces that capture the essence of NABEL’s golden years. Monika Linges’ contributions shine with her rich harmonies and heartfelt compositions, while John Thomas & Lifeforce deliver a perfect storm of fiery instrumentation and deep soul. Maria João’s early recordings showcase her extraordinary vocal range, and Hipsters In The Zone bring a forward-thinking, acid jazz-infused perspective to the NABEL sound.

As co-compiler Rainer Truby puts it:

'NABEL Records always had this special ‘Aachen sound’—a jazz flavor that carried its own energy, somewhere between the cool sophistication of fusion and the warmth of Brazilian music. It’s a pleasure to finally bring together some of these classics in one essential collection.'

Compiled by miche & Rainer Truby.

PANORAMA Records is a London-based label dedicated to unearthing and reintroducing rare and essential music to new generations. With a focus on jazz, funk, and global grooves, the label has built a reputation for high-quality reissues that capture the spirit of the originals while providing fresh context for today’s listeners. Their past releases have garnered support from tastemakers like Gilles Peterson, Patrick Forge, and Mr Bongo DJs.

»White Noise« is a cooperation project between raster-media and the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics. Artistic sound projects generated in the context of the scientific research institute will appear at irregular intervals. The themes and questions of empirical aesthetics research are taken up, questioned or challenged in very different ways. »White Noise« is conceived as an audio archive of the MPIEA artists in residence which records the artistic works on vinyl and documents the respective concepts and working methods in text form.

Victioria Keddie’s »Pshal P’shaw« (white noise #002) is a multimedia exploration delving into phonetic expression’s auditory and rhythmic nuances of phonetic expressions through an amalgamation of text, sound, video, data, and customized learning software. Drawing inspiration from the painter and architectural theorist Hermann Finsterlin who made speculative architectural renderings, the project originated during a residency at the Max Planck Institute of Empirical Aesthetics in Frankfurt in 2023.

The project’s engagement with the sonic landscape of the eight diphthongs in US English, documented through recorded sessions at EEG labs with participants of diverse international backgrounds, is not just a technical analyses. The applied script for the recording session, infused with a contemporary Western US dialect, ventures beyond, exploring the primal essence of phonetic expression and its impact on the oral landscape of mouth, throat, and tongue.

This work focuses on the spoken aspect of language: the art of oration, conversation, and mimicry. It reflects the beauty of our perpetual change, speaking directly to our humanity and the raw, tender moments of existence. It embraces the awkward, beautiful and vulnerable essence of our shared human experience.

Victoria Keddie is a multidisciplinary artist delving into sound, video, installation, and performance. Her work uncovers hidden narratives within ordinary artifacts and spaces, emphasizing their role in shaping our collective story. The examination of acoustic phenomena and language is a recurring theme in her artistic work. Keddie’s current projects navigate the acoustic complexity of language and dialects.

For over a decade, Keddie was co-director of E.S.P. TV, exploring the televisual medium for performance and sound. Keddie has performed and exhibited internationally. Recent fellowships include the NYSCA/NYFA for Music/Sound (2022), the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics (2023), and the Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, Sound Art and Experimental Music Fellowship (2024).

»White Noise«, 40 p. magazine English/German, vinyl LP, cardboard box

The latest transmission on Samurai tunes into half-time intensity with a psychedelic edge courtesy of leading French practitioner Vardae. Applying techno hypnotism and cinematic atmospheres to his snaking beat constructions, the Lyon-based artist delivers a pitch-perfect exercise in mystical meditation that follows a natural path from the Ancestral Voices LP.

Since first emerging around 2017, Vardae has been determined to establish a sound unbound by genre restrictions. To date he's successfully moved between cult labels such as Non Series and Ooda while pivoting from linear 4/4 to crooked broken beat without disrupting his immersive, finely sculpted production style.
Alongside his releases, Vardae is also responsible for the ouroboros festival that takes place every year in central France. Last summer, after the dancefloor closed on the final night of the the event, fabled Dutch transcendental ambient group Son Of Chi made an acoustic concert around the campfire that cast a spell over everyone present. This experience formed the inspirational basis for Vardae's new EP, drawing on the instinctive power of insistent rhythm and the spiritual intrigue that lies behind subtly dissonant tones - shadows cast by refined, restrained synthesis flickering in the imagined light of the flames.

From the rattle of timbale on 'The Light Motion' to the laser-focused ripples that charge through 'Voices Of Dispossession', Vardae bends and shapes his drum work with exacting intention across this EP. Treading the line between 85 and 170BPM, he approaches fierce peaks in his tracks with an exacting patience, building to the arp-soaked climax of 'Flaming As A Cloud' and its ecstatic, melodic crescendo.
Proudly individual and drawing from the deepest of musical experiences, Vardae's latest statement promises similarly profound moments when these pieces come into contact with the right souls and the right sound in the right setting.

Simon Herody put together a live solo performance sequencing electronic devices on stage for him to jam over with acoustic instruments. He played a lot in hotels and lobbies. The music had to be present but not too intrusive. Subtle electronics to guide his saxophone and flute playing. The setup proved successful and inspired him to compose the works that would become 'Hard Lounge'.

'At the same time, I was working at a bar/record store in Neukölln called Motif. Everything changed when I discovered the album "Heisei No Oto - Japanese Left-field Pop From The CD Age." I remember this guy, Jamie, who would sometimes bring new releases to the shop. This album really changed things for me; I was constantly playing it and it inspired the creation of these works tremendously.

The composition process for "Hard Lounge" was pretty unclear. I never really made conscious choices; I wanted to escape the conflicts that come with picking the right chords. I aimed to create music that transports your imagination to a sort of retro 80s jazz lounge, where people feel comfortable and at ease just sitting and listening. I wanted to act like a music designer, giving people a chance to listen without demanding too much of their attention.'

YIA, the emerging DJ duo, returns with a release that blends house, deep tech, and minimal influences, creating a refined yet impactful groove, designed to light up the most selective dancefloors.


The vinyl includes two exclusive remixes from two prominent international names:
• Argentine producer Guile, known for his organic and hypnotic sound, delivers a deep and immersive rework.
• From the UK, Duncan Thomas presents an elegant version, full of tension and groove, perfect for the more sophisticated nighttime sets.


Released by Yes I Am Recordings, a label active in both digital and vinyl formats, this EP is made for diggers and those seeking authentic, underground sounds.

*all original recordings from mid 90s Estonian released cassettes. Fascinating interpretations of the UK breakbeat and Jungle sounds recorded when the world felt like a much bigger place.

Since hearing the first breakbeats via the Finnish radio nightly shows introducing the burgeoning UK scene, Virko Veskoja, later head figure of Lu:k, was completely swept away by this new technological language that sounded like machines trying to initiate contact with people. The fluttering rhythm patterns, strings and vocal lines haunting the pathways of the infinite network. Like hip hop taken over by Skynet.

Reimagining it all in mid-90’s Estonia, a fresh and dirt-poor republic newly welcomed to the family of sovereign states on the outskirts of Eastern Europe, was challenging, to say the least. Finally, with the help of entry level music programs, custom-made soundcards and self-built computers by the other Lu:k-head Tõnis Valk, Lu:k took the first tentative steps in the history of Estonian jungle.

Eight Lu:k cuts have been compiled into a handy selection, a true sign of the times when uncertainty came with certain hope and optimism – new territories to chart, new frontiers to conquer. A time of innocence captured so sublimely in Lu:k’s music.

The compilation starts with menacing orchestration that sounds like the birth of a civilization, like in „2001: A Space Odyssey“, or the arrival of Godzilla, only to give way to sweeeet strings and the inimitable Minnie Riperton in “Lovin U”, combining all the essential elements of Lu:k in a track that has remained uncorroded by time since its inception in 1994.

The following “Demo 3” is its antithesis – fast and nervous, a harbinger of the darker days of neurofunk and techstep ahead. More in line with the social realities of the time, when something (or someone) could materialise out of thin air and attack you just as violently as those beats here.

“La:v” was Lu:k’s signature track throughout their brief career that went on only for a few years, 1994-1997. Lifted to heaven’s by Petula Clarks’s wonderful vocals, it perfectly captures the pure essence of creation. “I made it in my bedroom. Something like that just came out. Sorry”, says Virko apologetically.

From the themes of love we are led towards darker scenarios again with “Drunk-Drive”, a more vengeful cut reminiscent of early Ram Records’ nocturnal dangers, skylines shaped by basslines. Previously only available on the uber-rare “Raadiomaja valvelauas” CD compilation from 2005.

“In the Limelight” is lifted from their second album “Dreams in Drums” from 1996 (only released on cassette), and if it’s meant to address their new-found underground celebrity status in Estonia, there is surprisingly little elation here – the track rather consists of introspective strings and beats that sound almost melancholic.

Out of the remaining three tracks, “Proov2mix” and “Kadunud leitud” are the result of a treasure hunt amongst the old, obsolete harddrives – little nuggets that were condemned to obscurity until now. Between them, another vocal-led cut “010”, a non-album track only featured on two comps until now, is a strong reminder of Lu:k’s prodigious ability to handle vocal lines and morph them together with their own weaving synthetic melodies, strong pads and commanding beats.

Lu:k’s music has been largely unavailable for the better part of this century, with original tapes and CD’s changing hands for a small fortune. This vinyl release couldn’t come at a better time, bringing a seminal chapter of Estonian dance music’s mythical history to light again, both for the old-school acolytes and new converts.

All music by Virko Veskoja

LP vinyl only release + 4 page liner notes (comes with hype sticker)

The percussive new age soundtracks of '80s and early '90s Japanese TV, anime and manga built alternative worlds and pushed boundaries in the process.

When Japanese composer Yas-Kaz left Tokyo for Bali in the mid 1970s he had little idea of how influential his trip would become. In studying the storied art of gamelan, the jazz and avant-garde percussionist opened a door to a world of sound and rhythm left behind by the West. The music he and his contemporaries made would become known as new age. It also happened to soundtrack the golden era of anime.

Awash with money and with the prerogative to entertain the burgeoning middle classes, anime in the 1980s experienced a creative and commercial boom. Not constricted by generic expectations, production houses such as the now renowned Studio Ghibli were able to experiment liberally with both form and content. And with it came the space for composers to be similarly adventurous.

TV, Anime & Manga New Age Soundtracks 1984-1993 charts this moment across eight tracks spanning classics of the genre and previously unknown rarities. The collection brings together music that found kinship in electronic and acoustic instrumentation, often combining spiritual or environmental themes with percussive, varied and highly refined syncopations of non-Western musical traditions.

Among them is ‘Kaneda’ by Geinoh Yamashirogumi, the shape-shifting group of self-styled musicians, anthropologists and computer scientists that masterminded the soundtrack to game-changing dystopian anime Akira - and with whom the sound, tuning and breakneck speed of Balinese gamelan has become indelibly entwined.

Reflecting the desires of the era to reach beyond Japan’s borders, many of the soundtracks featured were commissioned for narratives set in distant lands or alternative worlds. There’s violinist and composer Norihiro Tsuru’s ‘Farsighted Person’, written for The Heroic Legend of Arslān, set in ancient Persia; Yas-Kaz’s own ‘Hei (Theme of Shikioni)’, for period sci-fi manga & anime series Peacock King - Spirit Warrior; and two tracks - Tassili N’Ajjer and Fiesta Del Fuego - from Yoichiro Yoshikawa’s soundtrack to NHK’s proto-Planet Earth series The Miracle Planet.

Such was the variety and quality of the music produced, if there is a guiding principle to the tracks collected here it is a sense of escapism and adventure that came with the confluence of modern electronic instruments and a fascination with percussive traditions.

Elsewhere, pioneering children’s TV composer Chumei Watanabe’s ‘Fushigi Song’ (performed by a vocal group Korogi ‘72) offers a trippy and infectious groove with sonic similarities to Don Cherry’s ‘Brown Rice’; little-known jazz-funk library group Columbia Orchestra showcase the best of Tokyo’s session musicians on ‘Hearts Beats - Theme for Andrew Glasgow’; before lawyer-turned-composer Kan Ogasawara closes out the compilation with a dramatic flourish on ‘Gishin Anki’.

Following on from Time Capsule’s acclaimed deep-dive into the world of manga & anime synth-pop in 2022, this vinyl only collection is set to broaden and diversify an understanding of how soundtracks shaped the sound of new age music in Japan for a generation.

Curators: Kay Suzuki, Rintaro Sekizuka (Vinyl Delivery Service)
Artwork: Tu-yang

For the latest Klasse Wrecks release, the label combine with Japan's finest festival and events crew Rainbow Disco Club to collaboratively present WRECKSRDC. Overrocket were an electro-pop band from Tokyo that enjoyed a grip of great releases in the early 2000s while signed to Neon Discs and its parent label Aten. During a digging session Luca Lozano discovered the forgotten tracks 'Duralumin' and 'Shadow of the Sun' and immediately set out trying to contact the band's members to arrange a re-release and remix. A few months of patient trying, the connection was finally made and wheels were set in motion. Musically the EP conjures up perfectly the sonics of that time, a grey area between analog convention and the unexplored territories of new digital freedom. Shadow Of The Sun is electro-pop perfection, with breezy vocals and a bouncing beat that sounds like nothing else around...past, present or future. Duralumin is a more dancey collection of blips and beats, one that will make sense in the current return to early 2000s aesthetics. To round out the release and propel it into 2025, KW label bosses take a track each and interpret in their own way. Lozano revisits his electro roots with two remixes of Shadow of the Sun, distorted 808s and growling 101 basslines provide a simple backdrop for the perfect vocals. Mr. Ho takes Duralumin into a more driving and pacey direction, upping the energy and excitement with fast percussion and a huge side chained breakdown that recalls the unbridled rawness of the early 2000s, when everything was just a little bit more fun. Keeping within the confines of Japan and in an effort to bring everything full circle, the label enlisted Japanese artist Gonno to master the tracks for an updated modern sound. The tracks themselves being mastered a few miles from where they were originally penned over 20 years ago.

Crash! Boom! Bang! 30-year anniversary celebrated with a unique special edition: a double album in black and white vinyl with 18 tracks and an 8-page booklet.

30 years ago, Roxette released their fifth album "Crash! Boom! Bang!", including a stream of hit singles like "Sleeping In My Car", the title track, "Fireworks", "Run To You" and "Vulnerable". The album would sell more than five million copies and was followed by their second World Tour, which saw them perform for over a million people, including the second performance ever by an international act in China.

“Roxette were among the three most played artists on American radio during 1989, 1990 and 1991, and we were on top of the charts all over the world. So, it's no wonder we felt pretty confident when it was time to record the new album”, Per Gessle says. “Having had that kind of success made us feel that we had a perfect opportunity to stretch out into new directions. To show slightly different sides of what Roxette could be. And I still think "Crash! Boom! Bang" is our best album”. Crash! Boom! Bang! saw chart success upon release, No. 1 in Sweden, No. 2 in Germany and No. 3 in Australia and the UK.

Roxette – Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle – came out of Sweden in the late 80’s. Their game was pop, their mission to conquer the world. With 33 chart-busting singles and total record sales exceeding 75 million, it seems safe to say “mission accomplished”.

We are delighted to welcome DJ Sneak to Industry Standard. An artist that needs very little introduction in the House scene… Since being the forefather of the filtered disco house sound in the early 1990’s with his releases on Cajual, Relief, Henry Street & Strictly Rhythm, and his production credits with Daft Punk, he has been a mainstay in the underground scene with his unwavering style. Little has changed in Sneak’s music in this time, as he always delivers his jackin’ signature sound on his productions or in his DJ sets. So we are delighted to have him on the label.

There’s no point is going into the usual track descriptions, these are just straight up DJ Sneak… Real House Music made for Real House People on Real House Music Dancefloors. Enjoy!

Following the success of his ‘Love Dub So’ EP, Nick Barber’s Doof project returns to Mysticisms, delving back to his earliest recordings of his ground-breaking Trance project, presenting tracks from his previously cassette only release ‘The Love Mixes’.

A youth that had captured the psychedelia of Pink Floyd, Gong, Hawkwind and on to Psychic TV, as a self-taught guitarist, his first trip to India and Thailand in 1989 and witnessing the early electronic dance music at the Full Moon parties, had seemed rudimentary in nature compared to musicality of psychedelic rock.

Returning to England, the electronic / rock crossover of The Shamen’s ‘Progeny’ parties – featuring DJs like Paul Oakenfold and Mixmaster Morris with the live acts of Orbital and Ramjac Corporation – offered something new that turned his head, before finally finding his crew in the legendary squat / underground Pagan parties. There, residents Lol and Yaz first played the new electronic Trance sound, introducing Barber to the music of Eye-Q, Dance To Trance and the hugely influential Pete Namlook.

Recorded between 1990 – 1991, while living in Cambridge to study Philosophy, these are the first versions of tracks that formed the basis of his debut EP on Novamute, in 1993. Working with minimal equipment – an Akai sampler, Roland monosynth, Yamaha delay pedal, all sequenced on an Atari black and white PC and single MIDI output and then recorded straight to an 8-track Tascam cassette multitrack – the exuberance and rawness of the music are full of the excitement and naivety of youth.

Never intended for public release or initially even as a demo, Barber would play the music off the Tascam multitrack for friends at after parties. Dubbing a handful of cassettes himself and personally drawing the covers, around a dozen cassettes were handed out to mates. Eventually one copy found its way to Mute Records, who were looking to launch their dance offshoot, Novamute. Re-edited mixes of Gift Of The Gods and The Nagual appeared on his debut EP and history was made, before Doof went on to release for luminaries like TIP Records and Dragonfly and a career touring the globe was launched.

Remastered from the original tapes, this EP offers a snapshot of that time, the energy and joy of these early recordings is clear and overwhelming. Where Ambient, House and Techno met the birth of electronic Trance that truly stand up some 30 years later as originals then and now.

Trance The Mystery.

co:clear is overjoyed to welcome Jonnnah to its fold, with a new long-form 12” edition. Featuring Pavel Milyakov (aka Buttechno) right off the bat, ‘Me, With You’ is an album that grips its listener tight with gleaming electronica, off-kilter trip-hop and swampy bass.

With past offerings to Soleil Rouge and Second End Records – a label which he heads – there's a thread that laces all of Jonnnah’s work. Although never sticking to a definable bracket, the Lyon-dweller effortlessly floats through various tempers, peddling impeccable electronics as equally suited to colossal sound systems, as they are to solitary early morning walks in headphones. It's ambient for the foreground that surprises with flurries of two-step and amen breaks – present-day sonics that doff their cap to what’s come before.

Out on limited edition 12” vinyl & digital, 30th May 2025. Limited to 200 copies.



Credits:



Written & Produced by Pierre Paumier

Featuring Pavel Milyakov

Mastered by Ike Zwanikken

Lacquer cut by Pitchcraft Mastering

Artwork by Conna Haraway

Distribution by Rubadub

wiggle room is the long-overdue Blip Discs debut from pq - founding member of Nihiloxica (Nyege Nyege Tapes, Crammed Discs) and long-time label affiliate.

On the A-side, “igglewiggle” and “aliens!” augment UK styles to deliver two bassy heavy hitters. The more experimental B-side starts off very B2 with “ketty stepper anthem” and its wonked-out polyrhythm, before a stripped-back VIP of “aliens” closes the record.

Having made his mark as a core force behind Nihiloxica — the Bugandan-techno outfit whose explosive live shows earned global acclaim — pq now hones a functional club sensibility he first showed on Lapsus Records and his own label Spooky Shit.

wiggle room balances an adventurous energy with serious bass-weight, never stopping to stroke its proverbial chin even once. A definitive, forward facing statement that expands the peripheries of the dancefloor in an ever evolving UK bass-music continuum.

In a blizzard of breaks and surrounded by towering slabs of icy atmospherics, Quelza comes spinning into the Dekmantel UFO orbit with an EP of grandiose proportions.

Anyone who caught Quelza at Dekmantel Ten last summer will be well aware of the breakthrough producer's affinity for evocative soundscapes — amongst his keen instinct for dancefloor propulsion its his richly rendered atmospheres that have made him such a vital new talent in the industry and club scene. The curious, extraterrestrial quality to his sound is the perfect fit for the resurgent UFO series, and Quelza has more than risen to the occasion with four tracks that take in the widest spectrum of his sound to date.

The title track 'Pensa Poetico' is a dramatic, 11-minute epic that moves beyond dancefloor rigidity into a fractured zone where rhythms splinter and shudder around immersive dub chords pulses and IDM infused rhythms . There might be the anchor of an insistent, staggered kick drum, but it's a simple tool to allow the freedom of movement for intricate layers of steel, glass, ice and dust before the second half erupts in a powerful display of breakbeat science. It's the most adventurous expression from Quelza to date — a track he credits with unblocking his creative process on the path towards a more honest expression within his production.

This spirit of adventure maintains throughout the EP, balancing cathartic compositional shifts with hyper-detailed scene-building and energy shifts that push and pull with your expectations. Quelza's well-established affinity for dancefloor physicality holds true as he twists and turns through these constantly surprising, nail-biting arrangements. Even when everything seems to fall apart, he'll sense the perfect moment to return to a pinpoint groove. Toying with minimal, modernist 2-step and complex organic percussion as well as choppy breaks, this is the sound of Quelza breaking out into a new phase where anything feels possible and his production vocabulary allows him to land audacious moves with mind-blowing finesse.

SAISEI founder Junki Inoue continues his vital archival work uncovering the riches of Japan’s distinctive electronic music scene and bringing them to new audiences around the world.

HERO U.D.A. aka Hiroyoshi Udaka is not someone you can easily google, but he’s sure lived a life worth retelling. His story starts back in the late 80s when, inspired by the acid house emanating from the UK — during what was fondly christened the Second Summer of Love — he picked up DJing and made the move from Japan to London. Throughout the 90s he DJed at underground techno institutions like London’s The End, CLUB UK and Silver Fish, as well as at the infamous Tribal Gathering raves, periodically returning to Japan to support techno greats like Colin Dale, Mad Mike, Suburban Knight and D. Wynn on tour.

The tracks on this EP, previously unreleased except for one, were all recorded after Udaka moved back from London to Tokyo, between 2002 and 2005. Yet they sound strikingly modern, drawing on a rich range of sounds that have come back round again two decades later: broken beat, acid jazz, dub and breaks. Deceptively simple grooves are given depth by layers of textures and micro samples, for example the surface noise on ‘On The Way’ that glues together an otherwise sparse skeleton of dubby pads and body popping drums. ‘Mature Missile’, ‘So Good’ and ‘Night Driver’ employ raw broken beat templates with acid accents, whimsical melodies and vocal interjections for a playful mood. ‘Sin City’ takes a darker turn, off-key piano hits and plunging bass adding to the wonkiness. The EP closes with a wiggly vignette, ‘222AM’, reminiscent of early 00s contemporaries like Mouse On Mars. Now these hidden treasures from Udaka’s archive gain a new life on SAISEI.

———

SAISEI is a Japanese word which translates to ‘reproduction’ and ‘to play’ (as in playing records). Japanese culture is widely known for its traditional nature just as much as it is for being forward into the future and this label’s concept does justice to exactly that. Having started digging for records as early as 16 years old, Junki Inoue delved into productions from 1990s Japan to uncover these native gems. SAISEI’s core concept is to recapture and reintroduce unique pieces of Japanese electronic music onto vinyl, to an audience it never reached before as most of this music was only released in Japan.


b A2. So Good Acid Funk

Auntie Flo finds a natural home for OUTERNATIONAL DANCE on Multi Culti Throughout his long career in music, Brian d’Souza aka Auntie Flo has made a name for himself for his adventurous and open minded approach to music making. Travel and collaboration is key to his work, and over the course of four albums and various singles, he’s showcased music made in Cuba, South Korea, Uganda, Brazil and more, often fusing long standing musical traditions, field recordings and artist collaborations with a modern production techniques. As Auntie Flo, he has bridged not only cultural gaps as a Scottish-Goan in hybrid genres like Afro-disco, Indian Classical and Dub-Techno, but recently crossed over into bioelectrical music, with his Plants Can Dance, Mushroom Music and full-blown ambient psychedelica all housed under his A State Of Flo label and Substack. Outernational Dance helps define this expansive sound with a set of tracks that brings dance culture back to nature, inspired by ‘Esperanto’, a form of universal language created by L. L. Zamenhof in 1887. The notion of music as the universal language has always been at the heart of Auntie Flo’s practise and makes this new EP a perfect fit for the boundary dissolving reverie of the Multi Culti ethos: pointing the way to a better world, borderless, free and in symbiosis with nature.

Flabaire, a seasoned French DJ and producer, has been a mainstay in the electronic music scene for years. As the head of the renowned D.KO Records for a decade and a multi-instrumentalist with the ability to play classics from The Band and Fleetwood Mac, Flabaire's artistry knows no bounds. We're thrilled to welcome him back to our label (his talent previously shone on the « Skylax House Explosion » compilation, curated by DJ Sprinkles and Hardrock Striker). With this latest release, we genuinely believe Flabaire has reached a new height of maturity in his production, delivering what we consider some of the finest deep house we've heard in years. This EP is steeped in the timeless essence of deep house, aligning with the legacy of Black Jazz Consortium (aka Fred P), the late, great Mike Huckaby, and the silky elegance of Soul Capsule. Every track feels meticulously crafted within the same creative framework, creating a cohesive listening experience that's as suited to at-home sessions as it is to the dancefloor. This isn't music designed for quick attention or fleeting trends—it's a powerful moment of deep house reclaiming its voice in a landscape crowded with Instagram “DJs” and shallow hype. The EP opens with A1.Echoes, an evocative track that draws listeners into its lush, immersive soundscape, immediately setting the tone for the record. A2.Eventually continues the journey, layered with smooth textures and a subtle groove that feels both intimate and expansive. On the flip side, B1.Lip Them explores deeper, jazz-infused rhythms, each note purposefully placed, creating a rich, hypnotic atmosphere. Finally, B2.La Haye rounds out the release, offering a dreamy, ambient house vibe that seems to float effortlessly—a testament to Flabaire's refined touch and sophisticated style. Each track flows seamlessly into the next, much like the movement of a jazz record, with even the titles evoking a Pink Floyd-esque sense of introspection. This is ambient house at its finest: real club music made for dancing, socializing, and deep listening. Beyond a simple EP, this record is a statement—a testament to the artistry and authenticity of true deep house.

SPHERART introduces its new KUNST 001 series with a fresher sound for fans of Progressive & Tech 90s, made especially for grooving. In this first release, it presents *PHONE CALL* by two great talents, Mariche and Gutt. These versatile producers in the studio are joined by two remixes designed to shake up the dancefloor, one by ADR (UK) and another by GUILE from Argentina!

Much has changed for Ilan Pdahtzur since the release of his Night City Life compilation six years ago. Back then, he was a little-known record collector who shared obscure, synth-heavy music that “captured the night-time glow” of the city he calls home, London, via a dedicated Instagram page. Fast forward to 2025 and Ilan is now a respected member of the international digger-selector community, having delivered must-check mixes for the likes of Bordello A Parigi, Bayete, Hunee’s Lifetones and Sound Metaphors.

It seems a fitting time, then, for Spacetalk to unleash Night City Life II, a second deep dive into Ilan’s distinctive, neon-lit sound world – a place where European synth-pop rarities, Italo-dance treats, dancefloor-focused post-boogie instrumentals soundtrack strolls around shuttered skyscrapers, dockside housing estates and wharf-side warehouse conversions.

In the six years that have passed since the release of Night City Life, Ilan has uncovered many more rarities, private-press gems and slept-on treats, with 14 of these featuring on the dusty-fingered crate-digger’s sublime sequel. As with its predecessor, much effort has been made to track down the artists behind the synth-heavy songs on show, with the vinyl edition featuring extended liner notes where some tell the story of their track in detail. Musically, there’s much to set the pulse racing within Ilan’s superb selections, from the slow-motion shuffle of Playground’s self-released 1984 B-side ‘Rainy Day Woman’ and the brilliance of Shamor’s 1985 South African synth-pop special ‘Close To You (Bwela Pafupi)’, to Sharon & Tracy’s ‘The Sheik’ – a belly-dancing inspired slab of TB-303 bass-driven house – and the kaleidoscopic, piano-rich 1992 Euro-house brilliance of ‘Come Into My Life’ by Jennifer.

Dive deeper into the collection and more under-appreciated musical masterpieces make their presence felt. There’s Sicilian musician Claudio D’Ignoti’s lesser-known boogie-era single ‘Anche Per Noi’, where rubbery bass guitar, Nile Rodgers style disco guitar licks and spacey synths dominate the sound space, Lena’s fashion circuit-inspired, early Pet Shop Boys-esque ‘Embrasse-Moi (Strumentale)’ – one that members of Milan’s Paninaro movement would surely have enjoyed – and a sublime, spaced-out and effects laden dancefloor dub of ‘Rescue Me (Imagination)’ by Jimmy D, a genuinely sought-after jam originally released on a now impossible-to-find seven-inch single. Offering another genuinely distinctive, carefully curated collection of lesser-known musical treats, Night City Life II is another essential, immersive and synthesizer-powered journey through Ilan’s unique sonic world.