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From his heart-racing productions to resounding mixes and live sets, Alliance Club founder OTON has found his distinct voice mixing tantalising vocals and compelling grooves, translating his love for music from many influences. After several releases on his own label, OTON now septs up with four playful, wide-eyed tracks that mix well known classics with a maximalist approach.

Who said we didn't need another Beyonce edit? OTON proves us all wrong with his club stomping take on 'Baby Boy' culminating in music that has serious dance floor momentum, while keeping things uplifting and memorable. Madonna's iconic 'Frozen' then plays out against the backdrop of acid leads and electro flavoured breakbeat; the overall sound design feels poignant and the lyrics add dramatic melancholy in a cathartic end to the record's A side.

OTON doubles down on our dopamine receptors with 'Hump'. The tracks' propulsive bass and fast moving kick drums are submerged in pink hued synths that move like lasers before 'Juicy' closes the show with a jittery workout that could be used to make any crowd get down.

Italian DJ and producer Francis De Simone debuts on Lee Foss and Jamie Jones' label Hot Creations with London Bass. Having built a solid back catalogue in recent years, his first Hot Creations release embodies the dynamic sound of the Palermo-born artist, channelling chunky tech house and disco-flavoured melodies.

De Simone explains his creative thinking behind the EP. "These tracks fully express my devotion to music. I ranged a lot, trying to remember an 80's sound up to a more raw and synthetic groove with Latin vocals to embrace the different ethnic groups." Reflecting his thoughts to a tee, the title track rumbles with a massive bassline and chopped-up vocals that add an instant burst of energy. Things get weird on Saludos A Todos, as thumping kickdrums collide with a trippy melody and even trippier vocals, creating a wavey atmosphere. The ideal club curveball. On Off White, De Simone delivers a pacey number packed with burbling beats and clicky percussion, complemented by dreamy vocals. The hint is in the name on closing track, This Is Undergound. A big room delight, De Simone drops a stripped-back banger, where the lyrics do the talking in tandem with a driving bassline. An excellent addition to the Hot Creations discography.

Based in Palermo, Italy, Francis De Simone stems from a family of musicians. Having played the drums from age two, the versatile artist can make anything from rock, pop and jazz, but these days, De Simone pens electronic music. His father worked as a bouncer for various local discos and exposed De Simone to dance music from a young age, later inspiring him to produce house and techno with an uplifting tint. Releases on Glasgow Underground, LW Recordings and REALM Records have helped shape the profile of this flourishing artist, with plenty more to come further down the line.

An artist with a rich history within modern house music and longstanding ties to Hot Creations, Ali Love makes his solo debut on the label with collaborator and Brazilian rapper Prince Andre. Ali takes on production duties here, and the result is a pretty unique slice of Brazilian hip house. ‘Da Da On’ brings a driving bassline, samba inspired percussion, whistles, and Prince Andre’s effervescent rhymes. This is an explosion of energy built for Carnaval. The dub highlights the track’s rolling drums and Carnaval atmosphere. Remixes are to follow on Hot Creations.

One of the premier songwriters of contemporary UK dance music, Ali Love has released material via Crosstown Rebels, Keinemusik, and Defected in recent times, and collaborated with The Chemical Brothers, Justice, Camelphat and Róisín Murphy, amongst many others. It was, of course, on Hot Creations, where Ali collaborated with Jamie Jones, Lee Foss and Luca C as Hot Natured, and whose ‘Benediction’ has now become a contemporary dance music classic. This is Ali Love’s long-awaited return to the imprint.

Following up on the success of House Of Riviera released in 2019, Mona Musique releases House Of Riviera Volume 2 curated by label head Nick V, a compilation that pays homage to forgotten gems of the classic Italian House scene, circa 1991-1994. 9 tracks from the artists and record labels that were central to this seminal era of House music, including two never released cuts from Ricky Montanari, Davide Ruberto and Ivan Iacobucci.

In the early 1990s, Italy hosted one of the most prolific scenes in the burgeoning world of House music. Whilst the majority of Europe was only just beginning to digest the arrival of this new musical genre born in the US, Italian clubs, DJs and labels were hot on the heels of their counterparts in the already established scenes of New York and London. The clubs of the Adriatic coast, also known as the Italian Riviera, were full every weekend, hosting the major US and UK Djs of the time, but also seasoned resident DJs that had been honing their trade since the early 80s. By the early 90s, Italian House music was regularly exported around the world with labels such as UMM, MBG, Flying, Palmares, DFC, Oversky, Zippy, D:Vision, Irma - and its sublabels Antima and Calypso, releasing tracks inspired by the original New York House and Garage sound, but with a very different, unique and emotional take. This was the specific aesthetic that was to become the House sound of the Riviera, the soundtrack to the golden era of Italian House music.

With all releases between 1992 and 1994, House Of Riviera Vol. 2 unites a selection of 9 tracks that encapsulates the atmosphere, the energy and creativity that reigned during that era. Including 2 previously unreleased tracks from Ricky Montanari and Davide Ruberto, and Ivan Iacobucci, both in the vaults since 1992, the compilation spans the different shades of the genre : from classic deep vocal house by Ricky Montanari and Sound Set, to the more dubbier late night dance floor cuts by Workin’ Happily and Night Communication, with Mental Detector and More Heavy Soul bringing some well chosen disco samples to their contributions, without forgetting the characteristic deep Italian dream house style by Green Baize. Artists featured are iconic producers and DJs from the day : Ricky Montanari & Davide Ruberto, Alex Neri & Marco Baroni, Ivan Iacobucci, Workin’ Happily and More Heavy Soul.

recut and repressed !

Summer is here, and we at OFF are proud to be once again a steady provider of sunny vibes with this lovely 2-track EP.

Purple Disco Machine from Dresden, Germany step up to the plate with a soul/disco-infused house tune with a driving flow and a killer beat, one made both for the club and the beach.

Second track comes from praised producer James Silk, from Liverpool, already familiar to the likes of Defected or Exploited, who delivers a west coast influenced deep house tune with an inspiring breakdown and a groove that will make everyone smile.

Another hit from OFF aimed straight to the soul!

---- Malente & Teenage Mutants - Blow My Mind

After the immense success of chart topper 'Hanging On' (Co-produced with Andre Crom), Teenage Mutants (Stil Vor Talent, Nurvous) makes yet another promising collaborating alliance with german superstar Malente (No Brainer, Defected, Fool's Gold, Southern Fried) to provide another hit single of huge proportions.

'Blow My Mind' is a nu-disco influenced funk bomb with a rocking synth bassline and hypnotic vocoder vocals that create a deep and spacey atmosphere. Another quality OFF installment destined to take dancefloors all over the world on a deep funky trip!

recut and repress !

Charlotte de Witte, without doubt one of Belgium's fastest rising talents in the techno circuit, and known from two strong EP's on Tiga's Turbo label, makes her debut on OFF.

The EP starts off with 'Trip', aptly name due to its cinematic sound design and arrangement. Charlotte's trademark use of vocals ooze character, and haunting synths complemented by a laidback but steady drum-foundation are the ingredients of this track.

Sweden's Techno-legend Cari Lekebusch delivers the first remix, a functional and linear interpretation, which is sure to be heard on festival dancefloors during the late summer.

TWR72 of Amsterdam, themselves very much what you would call a 'current breakthrough act', are responsible for remix number two, a contemporary interpretation based on syncopated rhythms.

The EP is completed with 'Repeat', a reduced drum-tool built around a repetitive vocal hook.

Altogether a strong statement of a promising young artist and another proof of the ongoing evolution of OFF Recordings.

Memento records is thrilled to announce "Hotter than Hell" a dancefloor twister release produced by Matteo Lago, Andrea Santini and Miky R, three DJs with more than e decade of experience behind the Booth. They are best known for their sweaty kinky party named Pandemonium that is soon becoming a record label as an output for their studio work.
"Make Some Changes" by Andrea Santini is a groovy hi-shuffled percussive track with a juicy acidic touch with an outbreak of good vibes and positive energy
"The Party Zone" by Matteo Lago is a killer cutting edge House track with an hypnotic synth, a full-bodied kick and sharp hi hats that lead straight into an anthemic 90s vocal hook
Miky R's techoid "Wild Flight' spreads elegant quirks rand clinks over a relentless sub bass and sophisticated uplifting Detroit-reminiscent chords.
Don't miss it! It's gonna make a Pandemonium!

Lined up next on Toolroom, we’re set to welcome the return of WEISS to the label 3 years after his last outing. Most known for his certified gold, 2018 smash-hit ‘Feel My Needs’, which received critical acclaim, topping 5 international music charts at #1, and earning DJ Mag’s ‘Best Of British Winner’ in 2018. WEISS himself has locked in an incredible collaboration with legendary Soul act The Jones Girls, using their classic record ‘You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else’ to create the club stomping cut that is, ‘I Need Some’.

A prolific DJ and producer, WEISS has released cuts on DIRTYBIRD, Universal, Island Records, D4 D4nce, Glitterbox and Toolroom along with remixing A-list artists including Kylie Minogue, Robyn, Calvin Harris, and Rag n Bone Man to name a few. When it comes to the House Music elite, Weiss is amongst some of the best there is, touring worldwide and sharing stages with Armand Van Helden, Todd Terry, and MK.

Of course, The Jones Girls are an act that needs no introduction, the legendary Philadelphia trio of sisters are the vocalists behind the classic Soul cuts ‘Nights Over Egypt’ and ‘Who Can I Run To’, released on the renowned Philadelphia International label.
Backing singers to both Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross during the 1970’s, The Jones Girls have left their mark on Music History and still influence artists and vocalists alike today.

With a passion for all things Soul, Disco and R&B, WEISS has officially fulfilled a childhood dream working with The Jones Girls to create ‘I Need Some’. This is a Disco House focused cut that pays homage to the original record ‘You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else’, whilst reinterpreting the sample and making it club ready for dance floors.

Hailing from Bahrain, sensational and suave producer Zone+ has just rolled out his very first Satya EP titled For Angels. If angels danced, they would flap their wings and soar from just hearing his contagious beats. Expect full body thrills with some emotional chills, as Zone+ delivers signature sounds that are crafted for freeing yourself on the dancefloor and in the outdoors. Optimal listening time? Rest assured - these four tracks will get you rising at dawn and grooving till dusk.

So who’s this mysterious master of deep hypnotic grooves? We’ll happily tell you. Currently based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Zone+ balances the art of creating depth and levels in his music to make his crowd move yet fly through emotional landscapes. Widely known for his mesmerizing sets and memorable productions, Zone+ naturally makes his mark on dance floors all over the world. Starting off as a club resident in Soundscapes Bahrain, he has since continued his musical escapades being an integral part of the growing underground movement in the region.

“I always connect with people and love historical things, buildings and old stories.” - Zeyad Mohsen, Zone+

For Angels epitomizes Zone+ for its recognizable grooviness, always generating a playful yet dreamy soundscape for solo or group listening. Adding in eerie and floaty undertones, Zone+ creates a one of a kind narrative within For Angels, alluring the listener to learn more as the tracks progress.

States Of Bliss’ is the next album by Fred P, his third full length in the last year, following ‘Oasis’ and ‘Abstract Soul’ and the most expansive of the three. Produced on the move in hotels and airports, as well as Fred's studio in Berlin, ‘States Of Bliss’ is described by Fred as “a collection of musical imaginations that truly inspire one to actions of positivity and balance, incorporating a range of emotive moods to create an environment for expansion within a sonic structure.”

Within the two parts States Of Bliss becomes a musical landscape spanning dance floor grooves such as ‘In The Flow’ with a vocal sample by Cassy, to the psychedelic acid jazz of ‘Live Your way’ moving into the meditative ambient goodness of ‘Awakening Desire’. There’s also the jazz track ‘NY’ recorded in 2012 that was remixed for the legendary "Selected" compilation. Not leaving any realm unnoticed, ‘River’ is a sought after soundscape and ‘Elevated States’ see’s Fred delves into trippy electronica. In the club or listening at home, Fred’s music makes perfect sense on either side.

MUSTA presents an elaborate six track EP project, titled 'Tamburi
Parlanti' which translates to 'Talking Drums' in English. The body of
work marks a turning point in his career to make more than electronic
music, and delves into a plethora of live music and field recordings
recorded for the EP, ranging from polyrhythmic tribal drum-patterns to
Afro-funk bass chords, congas and jazz-keyboard, played by local
musicians as well as himself.

Musta's love for music began during his 11 years spent living in the
Dominican Republic. This encounter of Latin rhythms started the musical
genre contamination that to this day distinguishes his productions. In
this EP, like the rest of his releases, the music is diverse, tribal and
hypnotic. Respectful of the past yet constantly innovative. This love of
the past and future has led him to release edits and originals on staple
labels such as Nervous Records, Samosa Records.

Music aside the EP artwork has significant meaning, the mask shown is
that of the ancient Mamuthone icon of Sardinian folklore which goes back
further than 2000 years, defined as a representation of the collective
soul of Sardinia, the ancient ritual of the Mamuthone creatures is that
of a rhythmic dance where 12 of the creatures dance together,
representing the 12 months of the year. With this theme, Musta aims to
connect the dots of this pastime tradition into the EP, reflecting it
visually as well as through the music itself.

"Tamburi Parlanti EP is a collection of songs that I've made myself
around the world, recording and collaborating with various musicians of
many different nationalities. The music reflects my musical path in
recent years which draws strong inspiration from afro-funk and latin
disco from the 70s and 80s. My intent is to create music that presents a
journey between the hottest Latin sounds, over to more African disco
rhythms.

reissue with original artwork!

Todd Terje's 2012 EP It's the Arps rumbled the floors of warehouse parties and hedonistic sleepovers alike with lead single 'Inspector Norse' leading the vanguard of electro fun.


Please welcome: It's The Arps! Oslo's magic music maker Todd Terje has already gained a wunderkind like reputation for his gentle yet potent productions (we won't mention the 'E' word here) on labels like Full Pupp, Permanent Vacation and Running Back on top of being one of the best remixers money can buy (Shit Robot, Bryan Ferry, Dølle Jllle etc etc). What is there left for him to do Establish a label of his own! 'It's The Arps' is the starting signal for Olsen. And what a splendid one it is. Created from scratch and solely on the mythical synthesizer ARP 2600, it features four tracks (reads instant classics) that couldn't be a better follow-up to his 2011 super hit EP 'Ragysh'. Towering over the assortment is the laser crime scene called 'Inspector Norse'. Defying genres and blinkers, this is finest goose bumps dance music that makes you whistle along, laughing and crying all at the same time - but the rest isn't half bad either. The short, but sweet 'Myggsommer' gives away Terje's secret love for quirky exotika, whereas 'Swing Star Pt 1' and its brother have a (balearic) brilliance and witchery to them that is rarely found nowadays. Released on Olsen Records and housed in a beautiful sleeve courtesy of Bendik Kaltenborn. 100% Arp 2600 and 200% Todd Terje.

(Late Nite Tuff Guy & Farley 'Jackmaster' Funk Remixes)

An ‘80s dance classic from the legend John Rocca, gets a fresh new take from Aussie edit king Late Nite Tuff Guy alongside a remastered reissue of Chicago house royalty Farley 'Jackmaster' Funk’s 1987 Hot House Piano Remix.

The main man behind jazz funk favourites, Freeez, John Rocca took to the studio in ’84 and whipped up an electro-fied steamer in the form of ‘I Want It To Be Real’. Tantalizing synthwork, beefed up basslines, gated snares and pure ‘80s vocals, it’s a melting pot of influences with a catchiness that caused a serious stir.

This special double header of remixes kicks off with a brand new mix from Late Nite Tuff Guy. He builds up the brilliance with masterful effect, keeping the vocal in the back pocket till the final frontier whilst adding in some buttery new synth magic and deft filtering to the mix.

On the flip, Chicago house don Farley 'Jackmaster' Funk’s 1987 remix homes in on those blissful piano and vocal stabs for a dubbed out ‘Hot House Piano Mix’. Spiritual keys laid down with passion that will be sure to get any dancefloor hot under the collar.

DJ Feedback:

OPTIMO/ JD TWITCH
Nice! The Farley mix is an all time classic. Lovely version from LNTG.

GERD JANSON
I have love for this.

GRAEME PARK/ THE HACIENDA
I vividly remember playing this record the day it was released while working at Selectadisc in Nottingham like it was yesterday. I played it the same night at The Garage club not long after I started DJing there. It brings back some great memories and this superb remix is just wonderful. Its made me get all bleary eyed and tingly. Absolutely tremendous stuff.

AXEL BOMAN
Love this

KAI ALCE / NDATL
This is a HOT EDIT from Late Nite Tuff Guy!

A LOVE FROM OUTER SPACE/ SEAN JOHNSON
Killer - love it

NORM TALLEY
I love this!

CROSSTOWN REBELS
Nice one!!

JACQUES RENAULT / LETS PLAY HOUSE
LOVE the classic Farley piano mix and the LNTG version is a fun take too!

OSUNLADE/ YORUBA
LOVE THIS!!

DANIELE BALDELLI
Love this classic, and now more love for both new remixes

DANNY TENNAGLIA
I really like this remix

DANNY KRIVIT/ BODY & SOUL
Nice

DJ KEMIT/ ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
An incredible beefed up edit of an international dance floor classic. 10/10

HELENA STAR / NTS
Amazing record, those chords!!

LOUISE CHEN/ NTS
I’d love to play this.

ERIC DUNCAN/ RUB N TUG
This ones cool.

MAKE A DANCE / BEN
Yes yes yes pease love the original so much.

HOT TODDY/ CRAZY P
The Farley mix is a total winner which is a new one on me, LNTG mix is pretty tasty also

TERRY FARLEY
Yes please. A big early House lesson for me BITD

SUB CLUB HARRI
Realy diigin this.

GROOVE ARMADA / TOM FINDLAY
Love this, production is so good!

Like in a fever dream she’s calling out to you to let you know… She loves you…

Original copies of this feel-good evergreen are few and far between but now it’ll finally make its way to your bag as for the first time in 30 years, KSM’s “Te Quiero” will see an official reissue. Originally released on X-Energy Records, one of Italy’s OG independent dance labels, it has everything you’re looking for in Italian deep house: silky pads, pianos, flutes, a killer vibraphone solo, and of course a sultry vocal. Non dormire, molto bene!

Steppin up, steppin in. Tom Esselle, one half of the minds behind the South London label and former Peckham record store, Yam Records, joins the WOLF Music fam for his first full length EP. And you best believe it doesn’t disappoint.

Following VA appearances on Rhythm Section and his own imprint, he goes all out for this first solo EP outing. Shuffling bumpers, SE LDN jazz-flecked deepness, tough drum workouts and broken beat heaters, all mixed down by Chaos In The CBD main man Beans, this really does have a cut for every occasion and shows an accomplished head rests on Esselle’s shoulders. Someone who’s been part of the scene for years, slingin records and throwing parties, he knows what makes people tick and even better what makes people move.

This is premium grade dancefloor business, tinged by a whole host of different influences and genres, strung together with that distinctive South London feel.

Edits by Mr. K-

High-powered disco intensity is what this new slice of long-form goodness from Mr. K is all about, in the form of two neglected cuts rescued and fully refurbished by the master.

For our exclusive edit, Danny has boiled the Dynamic Superiors’ “I Can’t Stay Away (From Someone I Love)” down to its most concentrated form, leaving us with a hard-charging, peak time, disco climax that leaves dancers no choice but to work up a serious sweat. Matching the intensity of the legendary breakdowns in “I’m Here Again,” “Don’t Leave Me This Way,” or even “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real),” “I Can’t Stay Away” is also an essential gay disco classic, with lead singer Tony Washington being a groundbreaking, proudly out lead singer whose voice surely influenced an up and coming Sylvester at the time. Check out his ad-libs, which Mr. K has made the focal point of his edit, and the similarities between Washington and Sylvester are inescapable. Released as a single in 1977, the song peaked at 27 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Disco chart. Krivit’s edit uses the longer album version, which is appearing here in 12-inch long form for the first time.

The intensity follows through on our flip, another patented Mr. K extension that jumps right into the juiciest parts of the cut and doesn’t let up. “Hit and Run” was first released on a single by the obscure Opus 7 in 1979 but didn’t make as much noise as the slower, funkier tune it was paired with, “Bussle.” This edit rescues and rejuvenates the cut by eliminating everything but the transcendent ride out, extended to a glorious eight minutes in order to fully enjoy its pumping bass and Philly-style group harmonies.

This exclusive 12-inch has been mastered and pressed to our usual exacting standards, another killer club weapon for the serious DJs and dancers

Restock

Greek genius DimDJ is no stranger to a live jam, pushing his machines to produce gritty dancefloor stompers since the heady days of 2004.

Following a 2019 album of trippy arpeggiated techno – appropriately named Recurring Patterns – here he makes his Gated debut with an EP of uncompromising 303 workouts, once again driving those silver boxes to produce addictive, floor-focused DJ tools.

But it's not all heads-down squelch, with a final track squeezed onto the B-side that brings a surprisingly punk twist to an EP that's also appropriately named... Acid Tracks.

One Tribe label-owner AMÉMÉ makes his debut production appearance on Crosstown Rebels next month with the three-track Drum Beat. The EP includes a remix by longstanding US house veteran Joeski, marking a major career achievement for the Benin-born talent.

The Latin influence is experienced right from the word go on Loca, as Saharan-esque elements build alongside resonant hats and playful, Spanish-like vocals. Tribal percussion drifts in and out alongside, whilst whirring key solos feature subtly throughout. Drum Beat comes next, manifesting as a welcome slice of contemporary Afro-house that’s packed full of raw instrumentals and authentic lyrical samples, before Joeski’s remix brings things to an up-tempo, club-ready close.

Specialising in Afro-leaning electronic music, AMÉMÉ has marked himself as one of the continent’s breakthrough talents in recent years. Head of One Tribe, his productions have been supported by the pioneering figure of Black Coffee since 2019, whilst his appearances on Watergate Records, Blond:Ish’s Abracadabra imprint and the mighty MoBlack Records have been equally well-received, firmly establishing his presence as one of modern dance music’s rising stars.

Joeski’s trajectory can be traced back to 1991, when he burst onto the NYC house scene as a founding member of The Chocolate Factory DJ collective. Since then, the US veteran has garnered a worldwide following thanks to his Maya label, which was first incepted in 2001, as well his keen ear for production that has seen him release on Crosstown Rebels, Relief and a myriad of other heavyweight imprints in recent years.

Should we look back and bring something of the past back into the forefront of our mind?
We think yes!!!
Because Kellerkind's “Disco on the Dancefloor” remains to this day a huge milestone in Sirion Records discography and the original track is still 10 years later an absolute earworm.

Dedication, constant focus on music, care and respect for others, are attributes that continue to apply to Kellerkind and have moved us to a remake of this infamous title.

As the title of the main track says, “Disco on the Dancefloor” with its groovy basses, poignant disco stabs is ideal for the dancefloor and still perfectly suited to inspire the masses.

But Kellerkind doesn’t rest on the guaranteed success of the past, he immediately delivers a thriving remake that perfectly reflects his current musical taste. Percussive, hypnotic and an all-around successful job to dress the track in a new garb.

Fittingly, there are two remixes by 8 Bit labelhead Gorge and Bernese producer Youen, among others.
A housy framework paired with percussion, discoid bass line and the hypnotic synth surface in the usual Gorge manner, not only gets the legs bobbing and the head nodding, but animates to conquer the dance floor.
Youen's techhousy remix puts the focus more on kick and clap and therefore comes as a true stomper. Peppered with the discreetly used samples, this makes for a wonderfully danceable mix for peak time.

10 Years of “Disco on the Dancefloor” is therefore more current than ever and an absolute must in the record bag, either on vinyl or digitally.

With the spring awakens: Bionda e Lupo. Hand in hand we walk back to the playful whimsical music land. With bare feet in the grass, around us melodies and bass. Everything shines: colors and lights, sun and faces. A cosmic happiness, from heaven a piece. Here we want to stay with you forever and dance, just dance. With their anthem for the Camp Cosmic festival Bionda e Lupo rolls out a carpet on the dance floor for a new 12″ series on “Eine Welt”.

Label maker Alexander Arpeggio personally feeds the project with his own sounds. Together we float through the sound of the 80s through authentic warm stories.

One year after its original release, the Placid Angles album Touch The Earth is being remixed by an impressive array of artists from the extended Figure family. With John Beltran being a distinct voice within the electronic music scene for over thirty years now, Figure is thrilled to reveal a whole LP’s worth of reinterpretations, including two works by the original artist himself.

Opening up is Marcel Dettmann, who seamlessly has integrated the lush soundscapes of the original album into a beat-driven but equally serene journey. Picking up on the LP’s underlying dark garage tropes, Planet Mu headmaster M-ziq infuses his rework with even more rolling drums and ethereal vocal chops. The also inherent IDM roots of Touch The Earth have been kept close by Warp-veterans Plaid who deliver a shuffling flurry full of horns, synths and syncopated rhythms. More straightforward interpretations include Dauwd’s dazzling piece of feathery, fast, atmospheric techno; a gorgeous melodic house remix by Baltra and Cassy who turns in a rigid UK stomper.

Amidst all the reworks, John Beltran himself makes two appearances across the record. As Placid Angles he adds another heads-down percussive/ambient swirl, which represents exactly what the producer has been hailed for since more than three decades now. His own remix finishes the record on an epic note, with an organic drum track that celebrates life and the necessity for communal gathering in order to dance.
Beltran’s own additions to this LP are like the essential glue that makes it all bind together, forging the old and the new into something equally exciting as already intimately familar.

The second release of Distant Waters has been conceived with the idea of making something dynamic with flow and motions as a scene of sea hunting with several wild oceanic animals. So we collaborated with different inspired divers who came all around Europe to give their vision of our synchronized hunting. Solidwood the italian man behind the label Planet Tapes open this VA with a warm, stirring & progressive track. Then Sans Sucre strikes again, like a seagull who plunges into a big shoal of fish with a high energy track. The guys from Toulouse, Soyouz & Groenogen keep the flow going with a speedy micro-acid track that will make people dance as fast as a group of sardines trying to escape from their predators. English newcomer Human Logo close this EP with a shiny housy track with samples of whales which call for a hunting session.

Three years after he released the incredible New Experience EP (picking up plaudits from Bill Brewster, Tim Sweeney, Laurent Garnier, Horse Meat Disco, Leo Mas & 6Music’s Tom Ravenscroft, among many more), Tokyo’s Kota Motomura returns to Hobbes Music for his debut LP, Pay It Forward. This is the first vinyl release on Hobbes Music since the much-loved ‘Aranath’ EP by Leonidas & Hobbes last Spring. While the label maintains the level of quality control for which it has become recognised, the artist continues to subvert electronic and dance music norms in his iconoclastic way on this extraordinary record.

He’s a mysterious character with an ear for idiosyncratic music that runs the gamut from ambient, exotica and jazz to disco, house and techno via post punk, new wave and funk. It’s highly original and all adds up to a confection perhaps best described as ‘Balearic’.

Album opener Paradise is a certified jazz-funk JAM. Destined for dance floors worldwide, this one’s been dropping well with DJs, Motomura demonstrating his piano chops alongside Mutsumi Takeuchi’s sax. Tropical pushes the boat in a more rhythmic direction, some pretty wild drum programming laced with more sounds of the, um, tropics, before mad vocal yelps suggest something yet more tribal. To Be Free initially resembles early 90s progressive house (pulsing bassline, synth-driven melodies), before the arrival of some new wave guitar licks a la classic Talking Heads/David Byrne and ooh ooh vocal chants take it to another dimension altogether.

B-side opener Emotion features Takeuchi again (on flute this time) and more vocal chants before things take a dramatic turn, threatening to open up into a full fanfare before calming and then bursting into wild life again with the exhortation that “C’mon, everybody dancing!” Rhythm flirts with an energy and pace more akin to a techno record: drums, drums, more drums plus a fair few yelps and chants - the kind of DJ tool that will send a simmering dance floor wild in the right hands. Flower closes things in a more melancholy style, familiar to fans of ‘Aboy’ from the New Experience EP, with plaintive acoustic guitar (performed by Akichi), birdsong and big piano chords.

Support from Bill Brewster, Leo Mas, Al Kent, Red Rack’em, Nick The Record, Phil Mison, Phat Phil Cooper, KZA, Sean Johnston (ALFOS), S/A/M, Dribbler, Joe Muggs, Monolith Cocktail and more…

‘Gonna review in MÜ mag... very fine stuff!’ JOE MUGGS
‘Will be reviewed on the blog’ MONOLITH COCKTAIL 
BILL BREWSTER played Flower on the DJ History podcast #641 (25.3.22)
'I really like this album, Flower and Paradise are my favourite' LEO MAS
‘I like Paradise’ AL KENT
‘Woo this is tasty. DEFO playing on my next radio show. The label’s A&R is defo getting better and better. HM has been putting out some dope stuff and this one seems really good quality’ RED RACK’EM
‘Paradise and Flower sounding good’ NICK THE RECORD
‘Tunes sound great!’ PHIL MISON
‘Going to include Paradise and Flower on my Sunday Ibiza global radio show PHAT PHIL COOPER (Nu Northern Soul)
‘Very nice album with influences from many different genres. I especially like To Be Free with nice synths and guitar cutting, and Flower, which is a chill vibe’ KZA (Mule Musiq, Endless Flight)　
'100% correct about the ALFOS potential of To Be Free!' SEAN JOHNSTON (A Love From Outer Space)
'Stunning, will fit perfectly with the vibe of my radio show’ S/A/M (Music For Dreams, DK; Playa Del Sol, Ibiza)
'Stellar work, i'll make a bet that Flowers is a Balaeric classic this summer' DRIBBLER (Breakfast Club, Ibiza)
‘It's cool in a nice smelling psycho sense, it was a very DEEP sound that I couldn't produce. Congrats!’ ALTZ (Altzmusica)
‘Paradise is my jam, it's deep, sunny and never boring. I'm interested to see how this will work on the dance floor. Overall a great album with solid composition and impressive use of live instruments!’ SOBRIETY (fka Chloé Juliette)
'Very tidy selection' ASTROJAZZ (Kelburn Garden Party, Wee Dub, Samedia Shebeen, Disco Makossa)
‘This is a lovely release. Follows on from New Experience in the best way possible. It's got lots of vibes going on but holds together as a cohesive piece of work. Love it’ JAMIE THOMSON (La Cheetah, Glasgow)
‘To Be Free is a track i could imagine Andy Weatherall playing in one of his sets at A Love From Outer Space’ KIRSTIE PATON aka She-Bang Rave Unit (Threads Radio, Radio Magnetic)

One of the most exciting names to emerge on the techno scene in recent times, Lilly Palmer makes her long-awaited Drumcode EP debut.

The German artist is a thrilling performer, who backs up her kinetic DJ sets with a quality body of production work. We got a taste of her talent when she contributed ‘Amnesie’ to A-Sides Vol.10 and elsewhere she’s dropped heat on labels including Octopus Records, Senso Sounds and her own Spannung Records imprint.

‘We Control’ is a satisfying label debut exhibiting her stealth-like ability to work a dancefloor with a variety of driving techno moods. The title track embodies a key-driven Motor City vibe, before thrilling waves of jagged synths and ravey effects take the cut into brain spangling bosh territory. ‘Resistance’ builds tension and anticipation in equal parts and is a vibe-heavy tool needed for every set. ‘Plasma’ is a full-force weapon that highlights why there’s so much excitement surrounding the rising artist. The EP closes with ‘Don’t Look Back’, as deep pulsating layers of bass cascade towards the finish line.

SAM Records was one of the labels at the forefront of the Disco Genre when the format was at its creative peak. This was the late 70’s and early 80’s, when the producers and artists involved were all using top notch professional recording studios with live instrumentation and their focus was on songs and rhythms that would make the dance floor move. Sam Weiss the founder of SAM was involved with various aspects of the music industry in addition to his role running the label, but the Sam Records imprint was his greatest passion, and that energy comes through in the songs that make up the catalogue. In this compilation we have engaged some of the world’s premier producers of the current disco inspired sounds that are blowing dance floors worldwide. They have used their talents and appreciation of the genre to mix, edit and master these classic jams into disco inspired productions that are fully equipped to ignite DJ sets and dancefloors worldwide.

Once in a while a record causes such a wave of excitement, it brings new vitality to dancefloors and generates fresh enthusiasm for the underground scene. ‘Without You’ is one such record, brought to life by the great talents of Art Department, a duo causing deep tremors due to their pioneering use of quivering bass, haunting vocals and fiery kickdrums.

The A side features the vocals of techno’s wonderchild, Seth Troxler, as well as Kenny Glasgow (one half of Art Department), his voice a major element of what makes their records so special. ‘Vampire Night Club’ layers the duo’s trademark synth sounds with an eerie and skin-pinching atmosphere. A truly mesmerizing record that gives the perfect introduction to the Art Dept sound on Crosstown Rebels, pre-empting their debut full length album on the label next year.

The double A and title track ‘Without You’ combines that unforgettable seductive bassline with a lingering vocal call. This record could have been made in the future as much as the past, its simplicity and depth the key to its appeal. Calls for its release have been heard for months and now have been answered with an extended 12” mix.

Art Department is the brainchild of Canadian duo Jonny White and Kenny Glasgow. With musical credentials dating back two decades, together they have constructed their own take on contemporary house music that has caught the attention of some of the leading figures of the current movement. With an album slated on Crosstown Rebels next year, this single is the first in a long line of raw futuristic bullets destined to cause a storm with an international audience.

Brazilian artist Bruno Furlan is the next to make his mark on the famed Hot Creations imprint. The two-track release, The Speakers Pump Like This, is set to bring the heat and make serious waves on dancefloors this year.

Title track The Speakers Pump Like This transports you straight to the club, with its peak-time pace, sonic synth stabs and prominent vocal cuts. On the flip, Moving gets to work with a sharp kick-drum and infectious vocals, as subtle builds and drops move throughout the track, whilst retaining the solid, rolling groove.

Hailing from the diverse and electric city of Sao Paulo in Brazil, Bruno Furlan started his DJ career while still a teenager and quickly became a highlight in the Brazilian electronic music scene, capturing the attention of artists such as Claude VonStroke, Chris Lake, Solardo, Green Velvet and Amine Edge & Dance. Always driven by a great love for his art, Bruno has created his own unique way of approaching music production, resulting in a standout discography and performances throughout the world. In addition to his own record label Whistle Records, Bruno has released on labels such as Dirytbird, Relief, , Sony Music, SOLA, Nervous, and more.

One of my first record releases was on Traum Schallplatten in 2007. I was living in Berlin and Traum was at its peak launching acts like Extrawelt, Dominik Eulberg, Gabriel Anada, Minilogue, Fairmont… The era of melodic minimal…

The release of Luftlust hit the big DJ's like Sven Väth etc. And I was truly overwhelmed by the support. But the version on the 12" was actually pitched up 5 BPM. And in the end the mastering was not in my personal preference. Watering my feel of it, once or twice a year people actually ask me to do a remaster. Over the years it has been a track circulating the web and playlists, haunting me.

Last year I dug in the past and actually wrote a masters exam in philosophy about being a youngster in the techno scene and how to keep up creativity while working with record labels. Somewhere in that process I decided to face the old ghost and make it happen. Time was ready for the re-release of Luftlust, on my terms on my own label Kranglan Broadcast.

Justus Köhncke Remix
For a time frame of a decade I have asked Kompakt veteran and Whirlpool Productions legend Justus Köhncke to do a remix on my Kranglan imprint. Herr Köhncke to me (and to everyone who has followed Kompakt) is one of a kind! A punk soul, dead serious while smiling, always putting hooks and fragments out of music history on Kompakt sound plates with precise grace… The last years he have replied he's been busy in the studio with Can member Irmin Schmidt, working on soundtracks but... suddenly one day when I wrote the man he said "I love Luftlust, send me the stems".

Listening to Justus interpretation I was blown away… like riding a cabrio through the German landscape of fields and deciduous forests a sunny day in late May! And wait for that outro bridge at 5:56! Like being hugged by the warm mother autumn.

Özgur Can Remix
Anjuna Deep cofounder Özgur Can and I have known each other since high school. Özgur was the first DJ I ever booked to one of my early raves in the forests of Nacka. From releasing our first records with our common buddy Petter on Peter Van Halls label 'Deep' we have walked a parallel path in life, Özgur with a wider span of releases and 100's of nights at sweaty dance floors. No one does the deep driven heartfull arpeggios like Özgur. They swell and they swirl. A true Music lover and true talent!

Lust
Time has flewn since 2007, and that winter break in Barcelona 2006 hanging out with James Holden and the Border gang at Razmataz… the weekend when I actually started working on Luftlust…

Working on a re-release of Luftlust I just got hit by lust to work a version of it from the position where I am at, the 2021 me. I went with lust and it just happened a late summer night in Stockholm being by myself for a brief moment doing what I love the most, making music.

Luftlust Original 120BPM Version
And at last the never released original version of the title track. Correct tempo as it was written. Mastered by Andreas Lubich aka Lupo, the very person to master this type of music if you take a brief glimpse at his back folder! Finally!

I love this project, and I love making it happen at Kranglan Broadcast. Bringing together thoughts and people you have thought of bringing together for a long time. Lust KLN014 is here.

Back In Stock!

The debut collaboration between techno alchemists Ben Klock and Lucy will probably provoke quivers of anticipation before a single note has been heard. After all, both producers have carved out names for themselves as scene innovators at what they do, and both have already proven that they can more than capably work in a duo format without sacrificing an iota of their unique aesthetics: in Lucy's case, there has already been the sublime Zeitgeber pairing with Speedy J., and Klock has joined forces with the likes of Marcel Dettmann to craft some of the more memorable output from the Ostgut Ton label. This new release makes good on each producer's talent for working with epically unfolding tracks, maintaining a strong command of both 'drone' and melodicism, and envisioning sound as a kind of inter-dimensional mass transit. As the record indicates, things can get very interesting when the two working methods superimpose perfectly, but can be just as interesting when the two fall slightly out of phase with one another.



Listeners familiar with the classic kosmische feel will be taken immediately by the opening gambit "Bliss," whose feeling of floating through the coldness of space is accompanied here by nicely warm production values. The bassline that introduces the subsequent track ("War Lullaby") is close to being a continuation of the opener's leitmotif sequence, although with a change in atmosphere that will keep curious ears from turning away too soon: an FX-shrouded voice delivers a monologue at once seductive and foreboding, followed by a confident kick thump with ephemeral trailing clatters in tow. This affective orientation pulses through the whole record well, building up to the second rhythmic track ("Santeria") which is the busiest and most engaging of the bunch. Here a variety of sonic flavorings are ritually thrown into the pot and allowed to simmer - fleeting snatches of conga, phasing zaps and rhythmic ricochets all make for a rich concoction that epitomizes the progress that has been made in techno music within this decade. The closing "A Ghost Love story," like the opener, is a non-'dance' piece, but is no less compelling for that fact: as a foam of white noise pans between the listener's ears, a slurred / pitch-bent refrain conjures the feeling of either entering or exiting from some erotically tinged hypnagogic state.



Speaking of which, the overall impression given off by this record is that of a special kind of reciprocity: that is, of dreams influencing reality and reality feeding back into dreams. The rhythmic intensity of these tracks, at once an indicator of a hard and immediate reality, is regularly complemented by oneiric flourishes that make the partitioning line between these two realms of consciousness less distinct. As the next chapter in the Stroboscopic Artefacts saga, and in the personal journeys of both Ben Klock and Lucy, it will contribute to the ongoing mission of all these parties: giving longtime fans what they want while expanding their consciousness and inquisitiveness.

For the 1st release we have invited our good friend K POD. His talent inspired us to make first vinyl only release with him. Charming groove, dancefloor bombs. Responsible for the remix is one of a kind Cosenza.

Over the past few years, Luca Binatti released a steady stream of quality EPs that showcased a remarkable talent with a clear understanding of what makes dance music unique. Also known for his guise as D:fferent Place, where house music is the main topic, Luca's boldest experiments belong under the Pressure Point project.

Pressure Point's debut on Pluie/Noir is no different — a collection of four ultra-personal tracks drenched in honest emotion and playful psychedelia. And it sounds as human as it sounds outer-worldly. Inspired by music genres unrestricted by the club ecosystems, "Ghost on Tape" features compositions that span from deeply spacial house to low-swung finely-detailed minimal.

Cover artwork features a stunning painting by the exquisite London-based artist David Surman. "Mask of a King / Midas" is inspired by Agamemnon's mask found in ancient Mycenae and Picasso's last self-portraits, furthering the emotional impact of the release as a whole. Limited pressing.

Nervous Records, the iconic label synonymous with the rise of house from the streets of New York City, will mark 30 years in the music industry by releasing the celebratory compilation LP ‘Nervous Records: 30 Years’ on October 1st (Part 1) and October 15th (Part 2).

Featuring original mixes of the label’s biggest tracks, plus remixes by some of its most celebrated acts, ‘Nervous Records: 30 Years’ is both a celebration of the past and of the future. Featuring a who’s who of electronic dance music, the long player sees names including Louie Vega, David Morales Darius Syrossian, Tensnake, Monki, Franky Rizardo, Danny Howard and more take on iconic Nervous cuts: ‘You Make Me Feel Mighty Real’, ‘Treat Me Right’, ‘Future Groove’, ‘Feel Like Singing’, ‘Get Up Everybody’, ‘Break You’, ‘Hot’, ‘End This Hate’, ‘Unspeakable Joy’, ‘Can Ya Tell Me’, ‘Jerk It’, ‘The Anthem’, ‘It Makes A Difference’, ‘Learn 2 Luv’ and ‘Don’t You Ever Give Up’.

The album marks one of the most enduring, extraordinary legacies to grace America’s illustrious music history, not just in electronica but far beyond. Founded in 1991 by Michael and his father Sam Weiss, and recognizable immediately by its distinctive character logo, the label grew rapidly, in no small part due to Michael Weiss’ practically unmatched passion for discovering new music.

“Louie Vega and Kenny Dope woke me at 4am on Tuesday night, Wednesday morning from their studio telling me they had something really different that I needed to hear,” Michael recollects. “I asked if they could play it over the phone. They said if I wanted to hear it I had to come to the studio. So of course I got myself up, got dressed and went there. That “really different track” ended up being ‘The Nervous Track’, a tune that became our signature release and was also highly instrumental in the emergency of London’s ‘Broken Beat’ movement.”

The label’s willingness to take chances on fresh sounds and innovative concepts rising up from the melting pot sidewalks of NYC ensured a body of work that has become a living musical history of the city. House cuts ‘Unspeakable Joy’ and ‘Nitelife’ (Kim English), ‘Get Up (Everybody)’ (Byron Stingily) and ‘Feel Like Singing’ (Sandy B) bump up against hip-hop anthems like ‘Who Got Da Props’ (Black Moon) and “Bucktown” (Smif-n-Wessun) and reggae cut ‘Take It Easy’ (Mad Lion); soulful flows from Mood II Swing (Kim English ‘Learn 2 Luv’, Loni Clark “Rushing”), Armand Van Helden (‘The Anthem’) and Nuyorican Soul (‘Mind Fluid’) sit alongside seminal techno singles like Winx’ ‘Don’t Laugh’. The young artists and producers who joined the Nervous Records’ family have gone on to become some of the most hallowed and celebrated dance acts of all time: Louie Vega, Kenny Dope, David Morales, Tony Humphries, Roger Sanchez, Armand Van Helden, Kerri Chandler, Kim English, Byron Stingily, Josh Wink, to name just a handful.

“We did a release with Josh Wink under his Winx alias entitled ‘Nervous Build-Up’,” Michael said. “It did well and it was obvious how talented Josh was. Subsequent to that release I was pretty persistent in asking him to continue to play me his new demos. During one phone conversation he said, “Mike I’m gonna play you something over the phone but don’t laugh when you hear it.” That demo ended up being ‘Don’t Laugh’, which became one of our biggest international hits and still to this day is one of America’s earliest and most impactful techno hits.”

As much a celebration of the label’s future as it is of their past, Nervous Records: 30 Years is but a marker in the imprints’ history, a clear sign of where they’ve been and also where they’re going. With 30 years behind them, the label’s determination to unearth new raw diamonds in the rough is as unwavering as ever.

“I’ve always been one to look at what others are doing (the industry at large) and think, “ok, are they doing this specific thing for a reason, or doing it because everyone else is doing the same thing” and make my decision based on that,” says Nervous Records’ General Manager Andrew Salsano. “In an age where data metrics and analytics reign supreme, I remain steadfast that they should be complementary to your decision and not the sole indicator to make one. So many songs today are written with 15 second hooks in mind for social media, and while there’s nothing wrong with that business model you will always be chasing the wave instead of carving out your own path and identity.

“My primary focus for the sound of the label has and will continue to revolve around signing good songs and music that has the ability to react at the street level first. The best results come from artists that are firstly given a bit of local love that grows into a global impact. Fresh ideas that express child-like curiosity and artists showing vulnerability in their music are also something I look for, artists and producers that are not making music with certain markets in mind, but rather their own style and signature that is unique but able to straddle the fine line of underground and overground.”

Still as raw, as underground and as finely tuned to the dance floor as they ever have been, perhaps the secret to the success - and the longevity - of Nervous Records has something to do with that hard, dogged, no-holds-barred NYC edge that runs through the veins of the label. With the next generation of producers rising from the clubs of New York, one thing is certain; Nervous Records will be there to find them, nurture them and bring them to the world at large, over the next decade and beyond.

After the huge success of XXXCULT001, XXX Culture is back with a bang showcasing that he means business & is here to stay.

3 unique originals curated for the dancefloor make up the EP while he invites the highly sought out Cosmjn to step up and give remix duties a good old smack.

Straight XXX vibes inside.

Limited to 500 copies only, this record comes hand stamped & delivered with the dopest of custom artwork making it a collectors and selectors dream.

Early Support From:
Cosmjn, Mihai Pol, Sublee, Kirik, Chrian, Herck, Costin Rp, Bryz, Rich Nxt, Viceversa, Dragutesku, Nu Zau, Rhadow, Iluy.B, Vern, Chklte, Paradoxal, Pascal Benjamin, Mancini & More.

If there was ever a dance oddity it’s the bizarrely named single ‘Prisencólinensináinciúsol’, released in late 1972 by Italian entertainment icon Adriano Celentano, first appearing as a 45 on his own Clan label. A cult favourite if there ever was one, GW Edits kicks off their label with a sumptuous edit sewing the A and B side of the record into an 11-minute masterpiece named ‘Adriano Italiano’.

Renamed ‘The Language Of Love (Prisencol…)’ for the UK market, the original failed to make any impression on the UK chart instead becoming a cult DJ treasure. The fact that it was regularly reissued over the next few years illustrates its enduring appeal.

The novelty of its title and zany nonsensical lyrics may have caught the attention, but what sealed the deal was that groove! On top of that, Celentano’s vocal (as well as that of his wife Claudia Mori, who injected the short female section) that mimics the way English sounded to non-English speakers, comes across nowadays as proto-rap, receiving kudos as such in more recent times. The track is most certainly an anomaly, having no bearing whatsoever on hip-hop culture, yet somehow unconsciously envisaging it.

The flip side of the record was appropriately called ‘Disc Jockey’, also featured that infectious rolling groove complete with offbeat hat. It wasn’t as DJ friendly though, the drums not dropping for the first minute, whilst it also featured a more traditional sounding song in Celentano’s native tongue instead of the rhythmic rap gobbledygook of ‘Prisencólinensináinciúsol’.

Here the two are sewn together for a full-length ‘Adriano Italiano’, running at just over 11 minutes, with the addition of a further two-minute instrumental version. The full-length appears on vinyl for the first time and, along with the original ‘Adriano Italiano’, launches the GW Edits series, bringing this eccentric favourite to a new generation of DJs in time for its 50th anniversary next year.

30 years since their creation, the unreleased Frankie Knuckles remixes of Electribe 101’s deep cut ‘Heading for The Night’ are finally unvaulted, available on 12“ vinyl

UK based electronic group Electribe 101 and their one album, Electribal Memories hold a legendary place in the annals of house and dance music. The band met after vocalist and writer Billie Ray Martin had placed an ad in Melody Maker in 1988: “Soul rebel seeks musicians – genius only”. Billie headed to meet the four responding musicians (Brian Nordhoff, Joe Stevens, Les Fleming, and Roberto Cimarosti) at their studio in Birmingham.
“I took three songs with me, one of which was the lyrics and melodies to (Electribe 101’s first single) ‘Talking with Myself’, as well as a copy of Julian Jonah’s ‘Jealousy and Lies’,” says Billie. “I told the guys: “I’ve heard the future, and this is what I want to do.” I had heard Julian’s track at the WAG Club and I still remember the moment I stopped my shimmying and just stood there, staring, then turning on my heels and going straight to the DJ to ask what this record was. The guys had already experimented with some more dance orientated tracks and were instantly sold on the idea.”
Originally self-released on white label and championed by pirate radio, ‘Talking with Myself’ caught the imagination of the UK club scene and saw the band sign to Phonogram Records. With the re-issue and its follow up, ‘Tell Me When the Fever Ended’, becoming bona fide pop chart hits, with daytime radio play, Top Of The Pops appearances, and magazine covers from Melody Maker to MixMag, i-D, the label were keen to galvanise the band’s success and for them to deliver an album quickly.
“Because we weren’t yet used to writing together, we tried different approaches,” explains Billie.” I brought along a few songs I’d already written with others. Other songs we wrote from scratch. ‘Heading for The Night’ is one of those songs. The guys had developed the music and I wrote and sang the melody and lyrics straight onto the track, without making any arrangement changes.”
The band had also found ardent fans in the US, with chart-topping success on the US club charts and mixes from some of the most in-demand remixers of the day, including Chicago House doyennes Frankie Knuckles and Larry Heard.
“Frankie had already done such an incredible job with ‘Talking with Myself’ and he was smitten with ‘Heading for The Night’”, recals Billie. “He enjoyed mixing it so much that he did six mixes, each one brilliant and soulful in its own way. His effortless and perfect vocal production while creating a more danceable version makes this another Knuckles masterpiece.”

While 'Heading for The Night' had been considered for single release, these legendary remixes never saw the light of day. Finally, Frankie’s work on this song finds its rightful place in both his and Electribe 101’s legacy.
This EP of remixes precedes the release of Electribe 101’s fabled second, never before released album Electronic Soul, later this year.

Revered Danish producer and live performer KÖLSCH follows his 2013 hit album "1977" (KOMPAKT 276 CD 107) with the new full-length "1983", again chaining up heroic techno tracks for a grandiose sonic journey to the vibrant heart of today's dance floor. PRIORITY RELEASE

Coupling contemporary production pizzaz with nostalgia-tinged soundscapes and sweeping melodies, this opus acts as both a skilfully composed portfolio of personal memories and a sublime collection of crowd-charming cuts - a modern classic in the making, coming from a master of his craft.

1983 features collaborations with Gregor Schwellenbach, Waa Industry and WhoMadeWho's Tomas Høffding.

Hot on the heels of SPEICHER 84 (KOMPAKT EXTRA 84), featuring club crackers DERDIEDAS and TWO BIRDS, the latest full-length offering from KÖLSCH is very much a travel album: "When I was a kid in 1983, we used to drive through Europe every summer on the way to the south of France", he explains. "A lot of my early music memories stem from these long travels, as we would listen to all my father's favorite records on the cassette deck. After getting a walkman, I would make up my own soundtrack for travelling, with early electro and hip hop creeping into my life. My father of course did not like it, and it never grace the official cassette deck of the car, obviously"

These trips became a primary source of inspiration to a hungry young mind forced to sit on the backseat of a car for several days: "they were also journeys through the seasons. In Denmark, it would be spring time, so I could nearly see us driving through spring into the summer. The scenery would change, and so would the mood in the car." Informed by the symbolic quality of these slightly gauzy childhood memories, KÖLSCH's unique melange of emotional and functional elements works exceptionally well for the full-length format - a seamless transition of musing introspection and explosve expression, where catharsis never seems far away in dance-ready techno vignettes like MOONFACE, UNTERWEGS or PACER.

From beatless opener and title track 1983 to the filigreed piano banger DIE ANDEREN or the bleep-infused synth-fest E45, each cut operates as its own little time capsule, storing bits and pieces of recollection and then magically transforming them into epic, beat-driven soundscapes. Confronted with other producers' input (and other memories), these traits find themselves extended in the most interesting ways - TALBOT, THE ROAD and CASSIOPEIA (also featured on KOMPAKT EXTRA 79) make excellent use of GREGOR SCHWELLENBACH's emotive orchestral flourishes, while BLOODLINE's lyrics come to life thanks to the distinct timbre of TOMAS HØFFDING of WHOMADEWHO fame. A new powerful take on an earlier collaboration, PAPAGENO 30 YEARS LATER not only rejoins WAA INDUSTRY on vocal duty, but also ends the album on a wonderfully elegiac, yet hopeful note - basically turning water into wine, as we've come to expect from KÖLSCH.

Samosa Records releases are coming thick and fast in what could be their finest year yet. Lex & Locke are the latest talent to make their Samosa debut with their ‘Pacifica’ EP – a sublime three tracker which is mouth watering from the off.

First up is Balandra. From the moment you hear the raw four to the floor drumbeat, you’re under its spell. The infectious bass riff moves the scenery around a little, whilst the subtle bongo attack teases what’s to come. And what’s coming is a funky, rolling cosmic lead synth that has no right to sound that damn sexy, no right at all. The vibe quickly grows into an interstellar journey, aided by an outrageously funky clav jam that gets inside your head. Balandra feels like the soundtrack to an ‘after dark’ undercover stakeout in a 1970s cop thriller. Detectives Lex & Locke are on the case and the evidence is compelling. A unique, 122bpm funk bomb which has the Samosa fingerprints all over it.

A2 is Cabo Pulmo – continuing the vibe of Balandra, Lex & Locke lay down some serious grooves in what initially sounds like a live funk band jamming away in the studio without a care in the world. No soon as we get into the beat and the bass, there’s an immediate switch to a swirling, bold cocktail of funk infused with a touch of jazz that belies the 124bpm tempo. The production is expertly tight; layers of synth, electric organ and punchy guitar riffs make this ideal for both the sun terrace and the dance floor. You’re under arrest, and Lex & Locke are reading you your rights!

The final track, Nine Palms has a real quirky, almost broken beat feel to it with its high-hat ride pattern and punchy bass drum. A wickedly twisted analogue organ riff is quickly introduced, which is cleverly used as both a rhythm device and the melodic platform that sets up the whole track. Lex & Locke seem to be total masters of a ‘free-style funky synth lead’, and we’re treated to another slice of this particularly tasty pie in ‘Nine Palms’. Whereas Balandra is the late-night stake-out, Nine Palms is the final act where Lex & Locke high five each other following another successful bust.

The Pacifica EP has a wonderfully intimate and assured vibe about it and is sure to feature in many a summer soundtrack. This release also proves that Samosa Records aren’t afraid to go off the beaten path occasionally - and when it’s this good we’re more than happy to follow. Grab this amazing cut of wax while you can!

After a very short break Daje Funk are back with a super fresh redesign. The label is also fully embracing the move from their previous 10” format to 12” with the obvious bonus that they are now able to cram just that little bit of extra music onto their releases.

Their latest release, the Slam Dunk EP, is their 9th since the label arrived and it’s been a memorable journey so far. Keeping things decidedly funk with a modern dancefloor twist for their latest instalment they have assembled and all-star cast of producers with Dutch edits wizard, Ronny Hammond, England’s Shit Hot Soundsystem and Uptown Funk and Italian producer Coldbeard all taking turns to vie for dancefloor gold.

Together they have turned in one mighty slab of black wax.

The EP opens with Ronny Hammond’s ‘Keep On Groovin’ and it’s a very serious club track. For those of you with long memories and deep collections the original used here was sampled for Screen II’s Hey Mr DJ, a 90’s house classic on Cleveland City and it feels just as essential right now in 2021 as it did in both the 70’s when the original arrived and in the 90’s. Keep On Groovin’ is a proper funk bomb and Ronny has taken it to town with the addition of a powerhouse bassline, ass shakin’ drums and cheeky ear worm vocal samples. Indeed there is no chance that you will be able to sit still when this one drops. Expect it to cause serious dancefloor mischief over the coming summer months.

Shit Hot Soundsystem is up next with ‘Woah’ with label co-boss De Gama adding some extra scalpel action. Another track with classic subject matter, this often sampled track has rarely sounded as good as on this monstrous funky outing. It still sounds as fresh and exciting as the first time you heard those vibrant and vital synths and beautifully layered vocals. ‘Woah’ is both immediate and essential and will be soundtracking parties for years to come.

Over on the flip Uptown Funk’s ‘South Side Boogie’ also has De Gama on edit duty and here things head off downtown 70’s funk style. Brass stabs, wah guitar, and spicy synth licks all combine for a track which has plenty of joyous zest as it combines disco edges with a funk packed groove combing to deliver serious club heat.

Seeing the EP out is Coldbeard and he takes up deeper still with a bubbling groove which captivates from the first notes of the dynamo synth bass before adding in electric guitar licks and a rhythm line to die for. A Funky Situation is a perfect example of how to build a track piece by piece until it becomes utterly essential. Once you have heard that Rhodes and the vocal stabs working together you just know that this one will need to be played religiously.

Four utterly essential tracks which perfectly bridge the gap from the 70’s to 2021. Nine releases deep Daje Funk delivers yet again on its mission to make funk as utterly essential in clubs again nearly 4 decades after it’s glorious genres beginnings.

Charlotte de Witte's mighty KNTXT label rolls on with another big new EP from Italian wonderboy Alignment. The Berlin based techno talent serves up four suitably supersized cuts that follow on from his Time EP, which landed earlier in the year.

For the last five years, this artist has been amassing a fine discography of thrilling techno. This has earned him a worldwide reputation amongst the techno cognoscenti, and despite the global
pandemic this year, he has still put out plenty of red hot new material that proves he has used his extra free time at home wisely. He can do old school inspired bangers as well as refined futuristic techno rollers with equal style, and proves that once more with this fantastic new EP.

He says it, “reflects more the ‘sentimental' moments during these hard times. Nevertheless, you can also expect trippy and hypnotic vibes that will make you dream to dance again until the early hours.“

While Charlotte adds, "Ever since I started playing these tracks, people started asking for track IDs. They stood out and always were one of the highlights of my sets. These tracks are made to
destroy any type of dancefloor. A true masterpiece by one of the most exciting artists around.”

Opener Nothingness is a hunched over techno power-groove, with high pressure kicks and scraping synths peeling off the drums. It's a big wall of irresistible sound, then Injection brings
even bigger and more kick drums that are sure to rattle any club to its foundations, while the rave synths will get hands in the air.

Reverberated keeps up the good work with a more all-consuming techno cut thanks to the laser-like synths that light up the track from above. It has superbly dark and unsettling vocals stitched into the groove for extra layers of mental intensity. Last of all is the dark and urgent Sensory Deprivation with its edgy synth motifs and unrelenting energy.

These are four more high powered tracks from man of the moment Alignment.

It’s time for the label founders to take control over our spaceship. Clusterhead offers four slices of proper abstract techno for those who know.
Release starts with Alteración del orden: a broken kick spiced with elastic synth washes and microdrones sets the pace while the rest of the percussive elements appear softly in the arrangement. The main sequence grows and mutates as minutes go by, reverb and stereo treatment goes heavier until repetition makes the desired effect on the virtual dancefloor.
Second cut Resiliencia Incesante again relies on broken kicks and processed synth lines. The BPM rate is higher here and the percussive elements are snapper and tighter. Sounds twist and change over time as the frequency range grows. An industrial ode to obscurity.
On the flip side, Automutilación creativa brings us again into oblivion, shuffled grooves obsessive sequences continuously moving and high pitched synthetic drums running through the stereo field.
Closing the release we have Notzing on board, still recovering from his amazing experimental work on our label, we give him again the commands of our spaceship to translate his mental obsessions in this superb rework of Automutilación creativa.
One more time we push the sound boundaries on behalf of timeless futuristic music in touchable format.
ESPAÑOL
Es hora de que los fundadores del sello tomen el control de nuestra nave
espacial. Clusterhead ofrece cuatro rebanadas de techno abstracto para aquellos que saben de lo que hablamos.
El disco comienza con Alteración del orden: ritmos rotos condimentados con sonidos elásticos de sintetizador y microdrones marcando el ritmo, mientras que el resto de los elementos percusivos aparecen suavemente en el arreglo. La secuencia principal crece y muta a medida que pasan los minutos, la reverberación y el tratamiento estéreo se vuelven más presentes hasta que la repetición produce el efecto deseado en la pista de baile virtual.
Como segundo corte Resiliencia Incesante nuevamente se basa en bombos rotos y líneas de sintetizador procesadas. La tasa de BPM es más alta aquí y los elementos de percusión son más rápidos y ajustados.
Los sonidos se retuercen y cambian con el tiempo a medida que aumenta el rango de frecuencia. Una oda industrial a la oscuridad.
En la cara B, Automutilación creativa nos trae de nuevo al lado oscuro, grooves mezclados, secuencias obsesivas en continuo movimiento y percusiones sintéticas de alto rango recorriendo el campo estéreo.
Cerrando el lanzamiento tenemos a Notzing a bordo, todavía recuperándonos de su asombroso trabajo experimental en nuestro sello, le damos de nuevo los comandos de nuestra nave espacial para plasmar sus obsesiones mentales en esta soberbia reelaboración de Automutilación creativa.
Una vez más empujamos los límites del sonido en nombre de la música futurista atemporal en formato táctil.

Anané Electrifies With New Version of Dancefloor Classic “Get On The Funk Train”

Known worldwide as one of the New York City’s most vibrant, charismatic and talented producer / DJs, Anané is uniquely positioned to bring light to the 1977 Number 1 Disco Hit “Get On The Funk Train,” originally released by the Munich Machine and produced by the renowned Giorgio Moroder

In addition to being a singer Anané is also DJ with residencies in New York, Ibiza and Naples. She knows how to move the dancefloor and how to elevate the mood of the room from first creating the vibe to getting the crowd into a groove; ultimately taking the dancefloor into full fledged party mode. Her strong and distinctive character can be traced to her experiences growing up in Cabo Verde’s capital city of Praia located on the island of Santiago during a time of extreme political strife, and to her many years of working hard to establish herself in the always competitive music industry. It takes a lot to tackle a classic and make it uniquely your own, but that’s exactly what Anané has accomplished with this fresh and vibrant new version of “Get On The Funk Train.”

With her wealth of talent as a performer, Anané is also highly accomplished as a record label owner. Her Nulu and Nulu Electric imprints over many years have been the source of some of the most played and sought after club bombs in the Afro House genre that is currently in vogue with DJs around the world. Her Nulu Movement line of merchandise represents the stylish, cutting edge fashion vibe of her NYC residency at Le Bain in the Standard Hotel, with designs created by Anané herself.

As befitting an artist so well respected and admired in the community, the producer and remixer team behind this project consists of several of the most legendary and successful producers in the industry. The recording was originally produced by Grammy Award winning producer / artist Louie Vega, one of the world’s premier producers who has the rare distinctive of attaining massive success in multiple genres including House, Freestyle, R&B and just recently he has been focusing on revitalizing the great musical genre known as Disco. The production includes live strings arranged by two of the most highly accomplished members of NYC’s storied musical history Patrick Adams & Leroy Burgess, and electric guitar by Carlos Alomar, formerly David Bowie’s music director. Remixes were supplied by Todd Terry, a man who is known as one of the original New York City based producers who help create the House Music genre that we know today, and by the recently formed production team of Michael Gray and Mark Knight, two of England’s most respected and successful producer / DJs. These two stars of the industry have generated a uniquely groove focused remixer style that has had DJ’s worldwide eagerly waiting each new production.

It’s 2020, the year Pop Ambient turns twenty-one years old, a spritely young adult waltzing out of its teenage joys and tears. Pop Ambient has always stood for a certain classicism and elegance, a kind of beatless music that’s diaphanous and hazy, gossamer and glittering. It’s a music that’s no less inviting for its slow pace and becalmed nature, with a different kind of tension bubbling under the surface. For twenty-one years, KOMPAKT co-founder Wolfgang Voigt has curated a series of peerless compilations that repeatedly find refreshing answers to a simple question – What happens when the dancefloor is empty, and everyone’s home to drift away?

As with many other Pop Ambient compilations, Pop Ambient 2021 offers a welcome platform to contributions from both old friends and new faces. It opens with the gorgeous, slo-mo drift of “Of A Vessel”, from new Kompakt signings Blank Gloss. Sending their music out into the world from their home in Sacramento, this duo makes music that’s featherlight and luscious, the muted chime of a guitar over here, the steady hum of a halatial drone over there; everything in its right place, and nothing overdone. The poise is all. Neozaïre (Tobias Sawitzki aka Noorden) and Seventh World (Juho Hietala aka Blamstrain) are our other two new voices, the latter closing (the CD version of) Pop Ambient 2021 with a long, lambent dreamsong, Neozaïre offering us two gaseous, morphing driftworks, “Vor den Toren Europas” and “In Verschwenderischer Fülle” (CD only), etched across with bell-like arpeggios.

Pop Ambient has always felt like a field for play for the KOMPAKT cognoscenti, and 2021 is no different, with Joachim Spieth collaborating with Pepo Galán on the sidereal visions of “Libration”, while Leandro Fresco teams up with Thore Pfeiffer on the lovely “Abejorro”. Pfeiffer also contributes two lovely solo miniatures of abstract longing. Yui Onodera calls in again, long distance, for their fourth Pop Ambient running, with the refracted, glinting lightscapes of “Cromo 5” and “Monochrome”, while there are also star turns from Max Würden, both solo and in Reich & Würden (with Luis Reichard), and Morgen Wurde, who drops by with the ‘ethereal drama’ of “Mittsommer”.

Pop Ambient gets the balance right: visions and soundscapes, long-distance communications and intimate asides, sweetness and light, drama and dreaming, all wrapped up in floral abstractions – a most beautiful distraction.

Wir schreiben das Jahr 2020, das Jahr, in dem Pop Ambient einundzwanzig Jahre alt wird – das entspricht etwa einem lebenshungrigen jungen Erwachsenen, der gerade aus den letzten Teenager-Freuden und Leiden herausgewachsen ist. Pop Ambient steht seit jeher für eine gewisse Klassik und Eleganz, beatfreie Musik, die, transparent und leicht verschwommen, zart und glitzernd leuchtet. Musik, die trotz ihrer Langsamkeit und ihrer sanften Natur unter Spannung steht, weil hier immer etwas unter der scheinbar ruhigen Oberfläche brodelt.

Einundzwanzig Jahre lang hat KOMPAKT-Mitbegründer Wolfgang Voigt diese einzigartige Compilation-Reihe kuratiert, die immer wieder neue Antworten auf eine einfache Frage findet: Wie füllt man die Leere nach dem Club?

Wie viele andere Pop Ambient-Compilations bietet auch Pop Ambient 2021 eine Plattform für die musikalischen Beiträge von alten Freunden und einigen neuen Gesichtern. Es beginnt mit dem wunderbaren Slo-Mo-Drift von "Of A Vessel" von Blank Gloss, einem neuen Kompakt Signing. Das Duo stammt aus Sacramento in Kalifornien und sendet von dort seine überaus leichte und sinnliche Musik in die Welt hinaus – ein zartes Zupfen an einer Gitarresaite hier, das gleichmäßige Dröhnen eines prunkvollen Soundscapes hier; alles ist hier am richtigen Platz und passiert ohne übertriebene Betonung. Gelassenheit ist alles. Neozaïre und Seventh World sind zwei weitere Neuzugänge. Hinter Seventh World steckt der finnische Produzent Juho Hietala aka Blamstrain, der (die CD Version von) Pop Ambient 2021 mit einem epischen, flackernden Traum names “Light The Waves Before Dawn“ beschließt, während Neozaïre, ein Seitenprojekt von Tobias Sawitzki aka Noorden, zwei gasförmige, sich immer wieder morphende und abdriftende Tracks abliefert: "In Verschwenderischer Fülle" (CD only) mit seinen glockenartigen Arpeggios und “Vor Den Toren Europas“.

Pop Ambient fühlte sich immer schon an wie ein Experimentierfeld für eingefleischte KOMPAKT-Künstler, und auch 2021 ist das nicht anders: zum Beispiel Joachim Spieth’s Kooperation mit Pepo Galán ("Libration") oder Leandro Fresco, der mit Thore Pfeiffer das liebevolle "Abejorro" produzierte. Pfeiffer steuert mit “Grape“ und “Center“ zwei weitere Solo-Miniaturen voller abstrakter Sehnsucht bei. Der japanische Klangkünstler Yui Onodera meldet sich mit den gebrochen-glitzernden Lichtlandschaften von "Cromo 5" und "Monochrome" bereits zum vierten Mal auf Pop Ambient zu Wort, während Max Würden sowohl solo, als auch als Teil von Reich & Würden (mit Luis Reichard) ebenso wie Morgen Wurde schon zu den Stars dieser Compilation gehört.

Continuing to make 2020 their own Tropical Disco are back with four tracks of joyous dancefloor fervour in the shape of Volume 19 of their well loved vinyl series.

The EP see’s a welcome return for the outrageously talented and regular contributor to the label Phased Groove. He is appearing alongside a debut for the equally revered Ziggy Phunk and a welcome return of Vagabundo Club Social on a release which is completed by a dynamite collaboration between Kikko Esse & Emanuele Del Carmine.

This is an EP punctuated by the jazzy flourishes that we have come to love from Tropical Disco which sit perfectly alongside a prodigious selection of disco edged funk.

Phazed Groove’s ‘In Motion’ is the perfect opener for this ever so stylish collection. Its dashing groove packs in everything from subtle guitar licks and disco flutes to gentle keys and an ever so sensual breathless female vocal which has likely beamed in directly from the 70’s. It’s a track which belies its laidback notions and is deceptively energetic. Expect this one to be played everywhere from Miami pool soirees to Mediterranean boat parties in the coming months.

Danish artist Ziggy Phunk has seen his star rise rapidly over the last couple of years on the back of a series of sublime releases. His track here ‘Vibes of Nola’ is as captivating as anything that he has produced to date. Built around some incredible keys its funk infused bassline gives it some genuine dancefloor guile.

Over on the flip Kikko Esse & Emanuele Del Carmine’s ‘Funky Tranky’ brings to mind some of Masters at Works jazzier moments as Nuyorikan Soul. Built round some wonderful live bass guitar playing its layers of sumptuous guitar and brass are a joy.

Closing the EP is an essential Latin-edged dance-floor gem in the shape of ‘Calabao’ from Colombia’s irrepressible Vagabundo Club Social. Acidic bass notes and filtered vocals add the grit here. It’s a track which you can expect to be ubiquitous on in the know dancefloors across the tail end of 2020.

Yet again Topical Disco raises the bar ever higher for contemporary disco.

Support across Mi Soul & House FM.

2025 Repress

On his fourth album proper, Now Here No Where, Danish producer Kölsch (aka Rune Reilly Kölsch) is charting new terrain. Fans of his ‘years trilogy’ – 1977, 1983 and 1989, released on Kompakt over the past decade – were privy to a kind of sonic diary, an autobiography, tracking the artist’s early years through three albums of superior, meticulously rendered techno. Calling in collaborators where needed – most notably, the strings of Gregor Schwellenbach – there was still something deeply personal going down, not quite hermetic, but internally focused; the albums proved not only Kölsch’s mastery of his chosen form, but also his capacity to make techno personal, individual, and to trace histories of the self through music. But on Now Here No Where, Kölsch finds his feet firmly planted in the present. Reflecting on his new album, he notes, “It is fascinating to write about memories and feelings that have had years to manifest and develop, but how would I approach current emotions?” It’s a good question: our past coheres through the narratives we build around memories, but the moment we’re in, the newness of the now-ness, is harder to navigate; this story is as yet untold. For Kölsch, this makes Nowhere Now Here “an album about life in the year 2020. A time defined by confusion, misinformation and environmental challenges. It is an emotional interpretation of personal and mental challenges, observations and personal growth.” Kölsch does this with music that effortlessly balances emotional heft with the dancefloor’s brimming desires. It’s a space that Kölsch has navigated for a while now – one of techno’s breakthrough acts, an in-demand DJ across the globe and a prolific and restlessly creative producer, he’s also Kompakt’s biggest-selling act – but Now Here No Where ratchets up the lushness, making for a delirious drift across twelve tracks that are at once perfectly poised and deeply trippy. “Great Escape” is an elegant swoon, an opener that pivots on a sigh and a prayer; then “Shoulder Of Giants” bustles into view, subliminal clatter and an aching violin line giving way to a riff that glows with fluorescence and iridescence. “Remind You” combines an odd ECM jazziness with notes from a twenty-first century torch song; “Sleeper Must Awaken” mines huge buzzing synths and lets them float, in and out of sync, with reduced, ticking beats; “Traumfabrik” (dream factory – there’s a giveaway) is oddly lush, the tones malleable and plastic, morphing across a glitching undertow. There are sad, emotional washes of strings throughout the penultimate “While Waiting For Something To Care About”, while “Romtech User Manual”’s patterns twist and shape in the light. Throughout, Kölsch never keeps his eye off the dancefloor, and you can tell this is his still his home. “The amount of energy and joy I experience every time I perform, has a profound effect on me. It has inspired me so much of late and has become an integral part of my musicality.” “The way we join in expressing our hope for the future every weekend has given me so much,” Kölsch concludes. The club as a temporary autonomous zone, as a space both of freedom and of politics; somehow, that’s all here, Now Here No Where. “Most of all, it is an album about hope.”

Auf seinem vierten Album “Now Here No Where” betritt der dänische Produzent Kölsch (alias Rune Reilly Kölsch) neues Terrain. Seine Trilogie mit den Jahreszahlen 1977, 1983 und 1989, die in den letzten zehn Jahren bei Kompakt erschienen war, hatte seine Fans durch eine Art akustisches Tagebuch, eine Autobiografie geführt, die die frühen Jahre des Künstlers über die Länge von drei großartig produzierten Techno-Alben nachgezeichnet hatte. Wo es nötig war, wurden Kollaborateure hinzugezogen - allen voran für die Streicher, arrangiert von Gregor Schwellenbach -, dennoch zeichnete die Musik immer auch etwas zutiefst Persönliches aus, etwas nicht Hermetisches, auf eine bestimmte Art immer auch nach Innen fokussiert. Die Alben bewiesen nicht nur, wie sehr Kölsch die von ihm gewählte äußere Form beherrscht, sondern auch seine Fähigkeit, Techno zu etwas Persönlichem und Individuellem zu machen und der eigene Geschichte durch Musik näher zu kommen.

Auf “Now Here No Where” steht Kölsch nun mit beiden Beinen fest auf dem Boden der Gegenwart. Mit Blick auf sein neues Album stellt er fest: "Es ist faszinierend, über Erinnerungen und Gefühle zu schreiben, die Zeit hatten, sich zu manifestieren und zu entwickeln, aber wie nähere ich mich meinen aktuellen Emotionen?”. Eine gute Frage: Unsere Vergangenheit wird im Innersten zusammengehalten durch Geschichten, die aus Erinnerungen entstehen, aber der Moment, in dem wir uns befinden, die Neuheit des Neuen, ist schwieriger zu beschreiben; die Geschichte ist noch nicht erzählt. Für Kölsch ist “No Here Now Where” daher "ein Album über das Leben im Jahr 2020. Eine Zeit, die von Verwirrung, Desinformation und ökologischen Herausforderungen geprägt ist. Es geht dabei um die emotionale Interpretation von persönlichen und mentalen Herausforderungen, von Beobachtungen und der eigenen, individuellen Weiterentwicklung".

Kölsch tut dies mit Musik, die mühelos kleine Gefühlsausbrüche mit den großen Sehnsüchten der Tanzfläche in Einklang bringt. Es ist dieser Zwischenraum, in dem sich Kölsch schon seit einiger Zeit bewegt, als weltweit gefragter und gefeierter Live Act, DJ und so unermüdlicher wie kreativer Produzent (nicht umsonst ist Kölsch der “biggest-selling-artist” bei Kompakt), doch “Now Here No Where” treibt all das noch weiter auf die Spitze: ein enormer Sog entsteht, der uns über zwölf Tracks hinweg gefangen hält wie ein perfekt ausbalancierter Trip. Der Opener "Great Escape" ist pure Eleganz, ein Track, der irgendwo zwischen Seufzer und Gebet hin und her schwankt; dann drängt "Shoulder Of Giants" ins Blickfeld, ein unterschwelliges Geklapper, eine wehende Geige, schließlich ein schillernder Riff, der in der Dunkelheit zu leuchten und zu glühen scheint.

"Remind You" kombiniert seltsamen ECM-Jazz mit einem sentimentalen Liebeslied des 21. Jahrhunderts; "Sleeper Must Awaken" schürft im Bergwerk riesiger Synthesizer, mal im Takt, mal aus dem Takt ticken die minimalen Beats; "Traumfabrik" ist ungewöhnlich “lush”, die einzelnen Töne, geschmeidig und modelliert, zerfließen in einem glitzernden Abgrund. Das vorletzte Stück "While Waiting For Something To Care About" wird von traurigen, emotionalen Strings untermalt, während sich die Strukturen von "Romtech User Manual" im Licht drehen und immer wieder neu formieren. Die ganze Zeit über behält Kölsch die Tanzfläche im Auge, und man merkt ihm an, dass sie immer noch sein Zuhause ist: "Die Menge an Energie und Freude, die ich bei jedem Auftritt erlebe, hat eine tiefe Wirkung auf mich. Sie hat mich gerade in letzter Zeit stark inspiriert und ist zu einem integralen Bestandteil meiner Musik geworden.”

"Die Art und Weise, wie wir an jedem Wochenende gemeinsam unsere Hoffnung auf eine bessere Zukunft zum Ausdruck bringen, hat mir viel gegeben", so Kölsch abschließend. Die Vision des Clubs als eine temporäre autonome Zone, als ein Raum von großer Freiheit aber auch von politischen Ideen, das ist irgendwie alles hier drin, Now Here No Where. "Es ist vor allem ein Album über Hoffnung."

With Samosa’s disco imprints currently dominating the vinyl charts in all the best record shops across the globe it’s safe to say that their Funk imprint Daje Funk is also making waves that are hard to miss.

Just off the back of a stellar release with Paul Older and Musta Daje Funk Volume 6 see’s label boss De Gama teaming up with G.Markus for yet another top class funk get down.

First up is De Gama’s monster ‘Feel The Groove’. I’m not sure if that’s an order or a request but either way it’s impossible not to do just that. Featuring thumping drums, shoulder shaking guitars, filters in all the right places and a sax solo to die for this is just a sublime track which will cause some serious dancefloor scenes.

On the flip G.Markus, a pseudonym of the super talented Ben Gomori, drops a modern funk extravaganza in ‘Gwarn’. With those eponymous Funk wah guitars, yet more thumping drums, super tight percussion, some fierce keys and a bassline that just shakes this is true dance-floor gold.

Daje Funk’s catalogue is building into one very serious collection of music. Make sure you check out the other releases right now before they are gone forever.

Modularz is back once again with a stellar release this time from seasoned producer Paul Ritch. The French native is here to deliver five tracks of pulsating techno
breed for the club and another project that adheres to the flagship. The Modularz sound has become so distinct and this EP showcases those rhythmic bouncing basslines and deep riding kick drums. Nuit Blanche is four tracks of punchy dancefloor driving kick drums that are coupled with eccentric modulations and synths. Expect underground crevice hidden chords deep textured and dripping sounds. Some cuts deliver sci-fi alien beeps and stabs that would make any martian jealous. The hi-hats are icy and the snares hype inducing: no matter the pace each cut is a weapon.

Schacke’s Make Them Remember is a point of genesis. From the insectoid trippiness of “Life Is Absurd” to the anthemic martial churning of “Make Them Remember” and the ocean floor pensiveness of “A Future Not Materialized”, the record mapped out the road ahead for not just Schacke, but for Copenhagen techno as a whole – a cornerstone in fast techno.

Young Boy Dancing Group
Young Boy Dancing Group was initiated in 2014 as a mercurial dance collective with an ongoing alternating cast. The group deals critically with modes of dance production, digital culture, originality and institutionalisation. Past performances include the Lithuanian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2015 and Manifesta 11 in Zurich, among others. The artwork for Schacke’s “Make Them Remember” is made up of a photo documentation from a performance by the group in Copenhagen in 2016.

Tiger Stripes follows up ‘Baby’ with a quintuplet of aces on Drumcode.

Death, taxes and Tiger Stripes crafting dancefloor weapons for Adam Beyer’s Drumcode and Truesoul labels. Not many things in life are certain, but we’ve always counted on Mikael Nordgren knocking it out of the park. Last year’s ‘Baby’ EP was a label highlight, while in March he released ‘Sneaking Hotdogs Into People’s Pocket’, which mined the spirit of ‘90s-drenched euphoria and was a standout on Truesoul. Now he’s back dropping heat on DC.

Taking the retro vibes of Hotdogs into more techno-orientated territory, he bunkered down with his family in the Swedish forest, setting up a makeshift studio in the kitchen. From this, the five-track ‘Into Desolation’ was born. Beginning with ‘Recluse’, it combines steely bass rumbles with old skool stabs and a heady vocal from Mikaela Rahmqvist. ‘Basshunter’ is propelled by galloping bass and a catchy undulating melodic loop and is brilliant in its effective simplicity.

‘Into The Early Night’ is a pearl, comprising deep compression-heavy bass stabs, perky percussion and a rousing vocal, making it a winner at festivals so far this summer, including Awakenings. ‘Ignition’ fires on all cylinders with a wicked arpeggiated hook and pounding drums. ‘Ride’ is a nostalgic nod to the past as trance-inspired chords marry deliciously with crunchy future-focused techno.

Kompromat Is A New Band Formed By Vitalic & Rebeka Warrior. Inspired By Old Berliner Techno, Its Music Fits Somewhere Between Einstürzende Neubauten And Crash Course In Science. Punk, Rock, Dark & Sweet, Kompromat Smells Like A Battle Cry & A Call To Prayer. It Makes You Wanna Lift Your Arms In The Air And Dance While Crying.

Maiovvi makes his omnidisc debut with a 3 tracker exploring a world made of lo-fi, hi-nrg horror dance.

Almost one year in the making, Bulgaria's outstanding techno talent lands his return to Drumcode with a four-track EP.

Timmo (aka Valeri Ivanov) doesn't do things in half measures. Since the release of his excellent 'System' EP last year and 'Muzik', his inclusion on A-Sides Vol.6, he's committed himself to crafting, refining and polishing a quartet of cuts inspired by the cosmic realms beyond planet earth.

Titled 'Meteorite', its release marks 10 years since he first began producing and stakes its claim as a resounding career highlight with tracks already highlighting gigs for Adam Beyer at Tobacco Dock, Awakenings, Future Kappa Festival and Junction 2.

Beginning with the title track, the streamlined work throbs with a searing synthetic pulse. 'Black Moon' sees the EP land its first blow, kicking with a mixture of undulating synths and understated hoovers.

'Spacetime' stays true to its name delivering intergalactic techno vibes.

'Cosmos' concludes the work, taking us into extra-terrestrial dancefloor territory, with a barrage of trippy synth work and a melodic underbelly the makes the track both beautiful and heavy-hitting in equal measure.

After dropping several tracks and performing at select festivals throughout the years, Ólafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen dedicated the year 2014 to explore the area in-between Ólafur's more acoustic, piano-based solo work and Janus's synth-heavy electro pop, with their collaborative electronic project Kiasmos.

By focusing solely on their self-titled debut album, Ólafur and Janus have been able to combine and further develop their unique sound aesthetics to complete an album driven by their mutual love for electronic music. Made in Ólafur's newly build studio in Reykjavík, Iceland, a majority of the album was recorded using acoustic instruments next to a variety of synthesisers, drum machines and tape delays. It features a live drummer, string quartet and Ólafur performing on the grand piano, producing an ambient, textured sound, which makes it a perfect home listen and equally danceable record. If you listen closely, you can spot them record the thumb piano, finger snapping and even the sound of the metal grinder of a lighter slowly to replace the usual electronic hi-hat sounds, giving the album a far more intimate and unique atmosphere.

We decided to start almost completely over with this record, so most of the material is written this year with the idea of making a record that can stand as one piece rather than a collection of songs. I am very excited to get a proper record out exploring a different territory than I am used to. I touch a lot on electronic genres in my own music but never have the opportunity to go full out electronic like we do here.' - Ólafur Arnalds

The Kiasmos project has been around since 2007, but because of all our other projects we never really got the time to sit down and write all the tracks we always wanted to. So when we early this year finally found the time to sit down and make a full length album there was so much we wanted to try out. The result surprised us a bit, it's deeper and more emotional than we imagined it to be, but that's the beauty of being able to make an album.' - Janus Rasmussen

Long-term Erased Tapes graphics collaborator Torsten Posselt at Feld Studios in Berlin created the cover artwork. Feld Studios was a natural choice for Kiasmos, seeing he also designed the cover for their Thrown EP, released previously.

Kiasmos is made up of Icelandic BAFTA-winning composer Ólafur Arnalds, known for his unique blend of minimal piano and string compositions with electronic sounds, and Janus Rasmussen from the Faroe Islands, known as the mastermind of the electro-pop outfit Bloodgroup. Based in Reykjavík, Arnalds used to work as a sound engineer, often for Rasmussen's other projects, where the two musicians discovered their common love for minimal, experimental music. They eventually became best friends, often hanging out in their studio, exploring electronic sounds.

As much as, in modern days, it has become increasingly difficult to pin things down to a specific genre this release brings very defined genres but also a refreshing feature, a constant change of energy in one single track, and most importantly, it all comes with this modern feel to it which indicates it is the new generation rising making justice to what Ultrastretch stands for, surfacing fresh and new talents. Signed by Austrian duo Foehn & Jerome.
The A side is of the EP consists of the genius idea that it is a relatively simple track, however, with the feel that so much is happening, the type when you listen to a loop but one you can listen to forever and not get tired of it, always the best sign. A rolling and constant bassline makes it into a super fat and rounded dancefloor groover, while on top you have these fragments of chopped up vocal samples in and out creating a sense of confusion, a mind drilling element is then complemented by very loose and fine hihats floating around.
On the B side starts with quirky minimal track with a galloping kick throughout, when the open hihats slam in with a vocal it quickly develops into a very happy and playful housy vibe and just when you are riding, the clap slams in now on a tighter hat sequence followed by the break and rebuilding, when it comes back however it adds another element changing the energy yet again, through introducing a synthline. The quirky frog sounding noises throughout certainly makes it a super witty track overall.

Berlin-based Skipson makes a stunning return from his hiatus with a 12' guaranteed to move any dance floor. Ever the perfectionist, Skipson dedicated significant effort to build on his already impressive discography which includes releases on raum...musik, Rue de Plaisance, and Deep Vibes. Plastek EP features three originals and a spectacular remix by Edward (Giegling). Describing the tracks would not do them justice so just have a listen for yourself...

When we started Ilian Tape 10 years ago in 2007, we were both basically kids at the ages of 23 (Dario) and 18 (Marco). There was no plan behind it, no concept, no promotion campaign or any budget, but just an early vision of where it could go. We wanted to build something that lasts. After a few years of playing at parties and producing music, it was the next logical step to start a label. You can clearly see us growing up through the label in terms of artwork, compiling the records and handling things. We made some mistakes along the way and there are surely things we could have done better, but looking back after 10 years now it all makes sense as it was a natural and human development with all its ups and downs.It was always a very personal project, never about making money, but about creating a platform for music we believe in and building relationships with artists in a transparent and fair way. We really appreciate that we were able to work with so many great artists, who shared the same vision and trusted in us, over all the years. A while ago we moved away from the ordinary release info write ups, because in general writing about music is tricky and who isn't tired of the typical, full of praise for every detail of a record, release textsBut this might be starting to get boring for you too, so just buy this lovely triple vinyl package including a poster and download code, light one up and turn up the volume!One last thing though - we want to deeply thank our parents for teaching us to live our dreams and find out who we really are, our friends for the vibes and honesty, all the artists releasing on the label, all the supporters & fans for buying vinyl and files, all the DJ's playing out the stuff, all the diggers selling the stuff overpriced on Discogs, all the dancers working out on the dancefloors & all the clubs doing label nights over all the years.

With immaculate vocal turns and sleek production, Views is Drake's tour through the city that made him. A meticulous contrast to the off-the-cuff brilliance of recent mixtapes, he taunts adversaries with speaker-rattling anthems ('Hype,' 'Still Here'), revisits his humble beginnings ('Weston Road Flows'), and rekindles the seductive chemistry with Rihanna ('Too Good'). Those extremes—the Caribbean warmth of 'One Dance' and the icy lament of 'Fire & Desire,' the unflinching vulnerability and unapologetic self-assurance—make Views a riveting victory lap from Toronto's game-changing MC.

Barcelona-based Rob Clouth returns to Leisure System with the Deep Field 12', a stomping showcase of his focused sound design and knack for memorable melodies with additional remixes from Kowton and Vessels.
Deep Field is Clouth's Leisure System follow-up to the Clockwork Atom EP, which was named one of the top EPs of 2014 by Bleep and introduced his electronic wizard by to a wider audience following prior releases as Vaetxh and under his own name. Debuted on Max Cooper's Boiler Room and appearing again on his Essential Mix, 'Deep Field' is tactile and threatening, with disorienting glitches weaved into the 4/4 structure. The belching low-end brings to mind a talkative machine that's been muzzled, eager to burst from its restraints.Livity Sound boss Kowton inverts the original into a gelatinous mass, adding jackhammering drums to the cloudy atmosphere and creating a spacious and stuttering lesson in tension and release. Fresh off the release of their LP Dilate, Leeds band Vessels put their own euphoric electronic magic to work with a housier take, drawing out Clouth's propulsive percussion with an added dose of lush melodicism that
should make it a new favorite for house DJs looking for a spirited twist on the typical. Deep Field is the third in Leisure System's new GRIDLOCK series, melding the freaky and functional
for modern dance floors.

Belgian talent Ilario Liburni looks to the release of his debut LP, 'Travel So Far', forthcoming on his own label, Invade Records. The eight track affair comes on a double vinyl pack as well as digital form which will follow a month later and proves the man behind it to be a superb producer with plenty to say.

Combining elements of house, minimal and intricate sound design, Ilario also heads up the Cardinal label and first emerged back in 2011 on Monique Musique. Since then he has gone on to release on a number of respected imprints (including Riva Starr's Snatch! And Memoria Recordings), has had his tracks licensed to compilations including Noir's In the House album for Defected and has continued to make a big impression as a DJ around Europe.

The album kicks off with 'Travel So Far', a synthetic and stripped back groove with lots of squelchy sounds, scurrying synths and feathery percussive lines all working their way into your brain. 'Sudden' is another Ricardo Villalobos style track that is elongated, intricate and immersive as it unfolds on soft edged drums. Next up, 'Carrie' is a smooth, dubbed out affair that demonstrates plenty of restraint yet really locks you into its hypnotic groove as static hiss and crackles alongside distant synths colour the spaces left behind.

'Steampunked Sewing Machine' ups the ante a little with a hollowed out drum line rocking back and forth on its heels, and 'Can't Fool Data' starts all waify and minimalistic before getting pulled apart to the sound of whirring machines, and then it drops again; you can imagine dancefloors going wild to its hooky rhythms. 'Jenndrum' is all about the pinging drum kicks and globular toms that make for a peppery groove, 'Pherthothal' toys with a sense of abstract funk and closer 'Schwalbe' is a gloopy, gluey, druggy fusion of slurred synths, hiccupping drums and dark textures that make for involving listening.

This is a genuinely inventive album riddled with fascinating sounds,
a real attention to detail and plenty of otherworldly moods that really stick with you.

Having been a fan of Reelow for, well, as long as we care to remember, we are really proud to present you his new outstanding EP on Cellaa Music. Now residing on Ibiza, Reelow has enjoyed yet another successful year. With the talent taking a back seat, its the music hogging the spotlight and rightly so. Two new Tracks and two massive Remixes that look to the past whilst sitting firmly in the present.

- Leave Me Alone' riding on massive percussion and a tough house beat, with this tough Drums and drunken, wubby Sounds it is running right through its core. Plenty of sonic details flesh out the languorous but slightly groove and you'd imagine this Track is to be the sort of many Artits will love.

- Your Crowd' is again about little tiny details and how they evolve with time. This one take you on a voyage of natural rhythms and big Drums. Developing from harmonic FX Sounds and a infectious groove, the track is full of surprises as it twists and turns into different sounds that come and go to take it further than the dancefloor.

The first of the remixes comes from the in form, Massimo Cassini. He team up with a hypnotic rework of - Leave Me Alone' that demonstrates just why he is one to keep a close eye on as he gears up on the production front. Massimo is delivering a muscular house bomb, carefully placed FXs and a nice and catchy line to make this a dancefloor mover.

Next we have Cellaa Music Co Founder Martin Heyder providing a soulful tech house surrogate to the original of - Your Crowd'. His remix has a deeper houseier twist with a smooth 303 pad sound and a concrete percussive arrangement to convey a fantastic production.

We'll meet you on the Dance Floor!!!

Some words from the man himself on way he chose these tracks: Make Me Feel: Classic disco track from Sylvester. Always gets the dance floor completely pumped. Love2Love: I love everything that Donna and Giorgio have done. Love To Love You Baby is definitely a big favourite. Just wanted to put my spin on it. Great vibe for the early hours of the morning. He's Mine: One of my favourite R'n'B tracks from the 90's given some LNTG muscle.

Two Irish acts crank up the volume for a healthy dose of sweaty, delirious techno

Starting out in 2001 to tie up some loose ends from our regulars, SPEICHER has since become a guarantee for vanguard dance sounds from all over the planet, allowing KOMPAKT to invite and support electronic artists that comfortably inhabit both the delicate and the more deliberate ends of the electronic music spectrum. For SPEICHER 76, two Irish acts crank up the volume for a healthy dose of sweaty, delirious techno - both acclaimed tracksmith CHYMERA and renowned Speicher favorite NAUM GABO hail from the green island... as is reflected in the color choice of this latest instalment in the series.

GREEN VELVET MAKES HIS CIRCUS RECORDINGS DEBUT WITH BIGGER THAN PRINCE, HIS MOST TALKED ABOUT TRACK IN YEARS...

BIGGER THAN PRINCE WAS BORN OUT OF A CONVERSATION BETWEEN LABEL BOSS YOUSEF AND GREEN VELVET WHEN BOTH PLAYED THE INDONESIAN LEG OF THE ANNUAL CIRCUS TOUR. THE IDEA OF THE CHICAGO LEGEND CONTRIBUTING A BRAND NEW TRACK FOR THE CIRCUS X // PART 1 COMPILATION WAS FLOATED AND SOON HE WAS JOINING NINE OTHER FRIENDS OF CIRCUS WHO WERE ALL TO FEATURE IN CELEBRATION OF TEN YEARS OF EVENTS.

'BIGGER THAN PRINCE' IS A CLASSIC GREEN VELVET VOCAL NUMBER AND SHARPER AND FRESHER THAN ANYTHING WE'VE HEARD THIS SUMMER. QUIRKY AND DRIVING, ITS SET TO BE ONE OF THE TRACKS OF THE SEASON.

TO BACK THE ORIGINAL, YOUSEF HAS DRAFTED IN MORE FRIENDS OF CIRCUS ON REMIX DUTIES, HOT SINCE 82 AND THE MARTINEZ BROTHERS...



DJ FEEDBACK



STEVE MAC - "LOVE THIS RECORD AND THE REMIXES... GREAT RELEASE!!"

TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS - "I LOVE THIS RECORD!!! I'LL PLAY THE ORIGINAL!"

MATTHIAS TANZMANN - "BOTH REMIXES REALLY ARE GREAT!! PERFECT FOR ME!"

LEE BURRIDGE - "IT WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE THE ORIGINAL FOR THIS GREEN VELVET FAN!"

SINDEN - "ORIGINAL WINNING FOR ME!!!! CLASSIC GREENB VELVET... I LOVE IT!"

ZOMBIE DISCO SQUAD - "WOW! I DON'T THINK I NEED TO SAY MORE. THAT COVERS MY ENJOYMENT MARTINEZ BROS. MAYBE MY FAV."

TIEFSCHWARZ (ALI) - "A GREAT GREAT RELEASE FROM GREEN VELVET. SUPPORT!"

AXEL BOMAN - "THIS IS SUCH A COOL TRACK... LOVE THE ORIGINAL FROM GREEN VELVET!"



DANNY HOWELLS - "MEGA PACKAGE... SUPERB ORIGINAL AND STUNNING REMIXES TOO... ALL GOOD!"

DEETRON - "REALLY LIKE THE ORIGINAL AND THE MARTINEZ BROTHERS REMIX AS WELL. I'LL BE PLAYING."

UNER - "THE MARTINEZ BROTHERS REMIX IS SUPERB!! <3"

DRUMS OF DEATH - "I LOVE THIS WHOLE PACKAGE... WILL PROBABLY PLAY THEM ALL ACTUALLY! "

SOUL CLAP - "PURE FUNK, STRAIGHT UP NASTY!! "

MOXIE - "BIG BIG TUNE!!"

RALPH LAWSON - "THE MARTINEZ BROTHERS REMIX IS BEST OF THE PACKAGE FOR ME. GONNA TRY IT OUT AND LET YOU KNOW."

ALEX WOLFENDEN - "CLASSIC GREEN VELVET TRACK WITH GREAT REMIXS! MARTINEZ BROS' THE ONE FOR ME, FULL SUPPORT."

ANNIE NIGHTINGALE - (BBC RADIO 1) - "HOT SINCE 82 SOUNDS QUITE HOT IN 2013!"

LARSE - (KLUBBING, WDR 1LIVE, GERMANY) - "I LIKE THE MARTINEZ BROTHERS REMIX. WELL DONE GUYS!"

WAIFS & STRAYS (AMOS) - "ALL TRACKS ARE KILLER! THE MARTINEZ BROS REMIX IS AMAZING...FULL SUPPORT."

LUKE SOLOMON - "I HATE TO SAY IT AS I AM SUCH A HUGE GV FAN...BUT MB'S MIX KIND OF TIPS IT FOR ME. SORRY CAJ."

&ME - "I DON'T LIKE IT, I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

GERD - GREEN VELVET = BIGGER THAN PRINCE! LOVIN' THE LINNDRUM WINK... GREAT REMIXES TOO!"



ZDAR - "LOVE THIS TUNE!!! CURTIS IS THE BEST AND ALWAYS BE... VERY GOOD MARTINEZ BROS. MIX TOO! LOVE!"

DJ HELL - "AND ANOTHER BIG TUNE FROM THE NEW PRINCE OF DANCE MUSIC! THIS IS GREAT!"

TOM FINDLAY (GROOVE ARMADA) - "GREAT EP!! MASSIVE, SUPER FRESH! GREAT CHOICE OF REMIXES TOO, BOTH SMASH IT!"

SHADOW CHILD - "YES! THE HOT SINCE 82 REMIX SOUNDS DOPE!!! "

SKREAM - "SICK RECORD!! MARTINEZ BROTHERS REMIX IS MY FAV ON FIRST LISTEN."

JORIS VOORN - "WAHAAHA CLASSIC GREEN VELVET ATTITUDE! GREAT STUFF GUYS!!"

ALIX ALVAREZ - "GREAT PACKAGE. GREAT MIXES, ESP FROM MY GUYS TMB, BEING MY FAVORITE. GONNA TRY IT OUT THIS WEEKEND."

TAYO - "THE COOLEST MOFO OUT THERE. CLASSIC GREEN VELVET. SLEAZY "CONTROVERSY" STYLE BUSINESS. LOVE."

CATZ N DOGZ (VOITEK) - "FUCK!! YES PLEASE!!! THIS IS FANTASTIC... MARTINEZ BROS. MIX MY FAV TO PLAY ON FIRST LISTEN."

IAN POOLEY - "THE HOT SINCE 82 MIX IS WICKED!! I'LL BE PLAYING THIS OUT FOR SURE!"

JD TWITCH (OPTIMO) - "I REALLY LIKE THE ORIGINAL OF THIS!! SUPPORTING."

MARC ROMBOY - "GREAT SELECTION OF VERSIONS AND GREAT TO HAVE A NEW GREEN VELVET IN THE BOX! HS82 IS MY PICK TO PLAY OUT THOUGH!!!"

DIESEL (X-PRESS 2) - "THE ORIGINAL AND THE HOT SINCE 82 MIXES AT ARE THE BEST FOR ME. WE'LL BE PLAYING THESE!!"

COPYRIGHT (DEFECTED RADIO) - "HARD TO CHOOSE A FAV. WHAT A PACKAGE...LOVE THE BEATS ON THE MARTINEZ BROS MIX...KILLER!"

The Voodoo Universe is now complete! The masterpiece combining the Trilogy 1-3 will be released on November 27th and is a magnificent work show of the multifaceted genius.

Concerts by successful musicians often have an air of church-mass: Fans pay homage to their idols, hailing them, giving the impression of following them blindly. Parov Stelar, a globally successful musician from Austria, is one such artist. Is this art of seduction a kind of Voodoo, Black Magic even? Who can tell? It makes no difference whatsoever, as to his fans Parov Stelar easily passes as a High-Priest of grooves that perfectly understands how to put them in ecstasy.

In Voodoo, Bondieu, a higher being communicates to the masses through priests called Loas. Parov Stelar manages to do so with his music. Voodoo Sonic was born and delivered with the idea to replace the conventional album with several EPs, allowing greater musical freedom and the possibility to explore the many sonic landscapes of Voodoo Sonic.

Now the Voodoo Sonic Universe is complete and celebrated with all three parts combined into one ultimate and highly demanded package. It's a Parov Stelar work show which makes it possible to enjoy his diverse sound world in all of its facets.

The Artwork for Voodoo Sonic was designed and painted by Parov Stelar himself. From the art studio to the recording studio, on to the dance floor in the form of art and beats. Parov Stelar is an all in one king of art.

The icing on the cake is the Voodoo Sonic documentary, which can be seen on all Parov Stelar channels available. (coming September 2020).

If you want to see Parov Stelar live, you will get the chance in summer 2021 at festivals in many countries following by a headliner tour across Europe towards the end of the year.

Cult reissue label Sticky Buttons returns with ‘Sweet Edits’, their first official foray into dancefloor edits featuring 4 remixes of Nigerian boogie legend Dizzy K by a hand picked set of superstar producers specially designed to get the party moving.

Starting with a bang, the A Side features a double hit of remixes to Dizzy K’s 80’s sleeper hit “Afrikan Jamboree”. First up is Clive From Accounts, frequent contributor to Razor-N-Tape and hot off the heels of his 2025 debut full length LP, Clive’s edit has gifted us a complete foot stomper, filled with popping synths and squelchy baselines the track has already been getting big plays by the likes of Optimo over the past 18 months. On track A2, well known dance floor magician Lipelis takes the reins, creating his Disco Dub version, expertly layering traditional african drums and vocal loops from the original to build a wonky club track laden with energy and soul as come to be expected from the artist.

Over on the B Side, South London based duo Make A Dance (M.A.D) take the formula from their own widely popular house inspired edits imprint to take apart Dizzy K’s “I’ll Never Love Again”, stripping it down into a teetering, chugging acid sprinkled weapon overlaid with a ferocious drum pattern destined to move even the stiffest hips. Last but not least, Japanese producer Mayurashka brings her signature subversive style to Sticky Buttons, flipping Dizzy’s K’s “Konga Mama” into a hypnotic tribal masterpiece, pulsating with a psychedelic techno edge ripe for blending in smokey club venues and dark mainrooms.

Four heaters not to be slept on. Hearing is believing and on this limited edition vinyl release the legend of Dizzy K sings again, finely tuned for 2026 dancefloors but always carrying the raw spirit of the original.

Mastered by Submarea Estudio
Cover Art Illustration by Alex Ram

New album by french rapper Sheldon, including featurings with Chilly Gonzales, Jazzy Bazz, Tuerie, Asfar Shamsi...



Monsters are never where we expect them to be. They take shape in silences, in vague fears, in the baggage we carry without always understanding it. Sometimes, we also encounter them along the course of a life. On this new album, Sheldon chooses to dance with them, to tame them with wit, grace, and a sense of peace.



Following a powerful return with Grünt 75, an iconic format to which the 75e Session collective brought particularly ambitious visual staging, Sheldon unveils a fourth album that unfolds across fourteen tracks like a chiaroscuro landscape, revealing the full depth of his emotional and musical range. Through intimate narratives, the record explores identity (Être une fille), family and fatherhood (La Fenêtre and Les Monstres, the title track), as well as friendship (Eh le reuf). These are themes that run through all of us, approached here with writing that is vivid, demanding, and deeply sensitive.

Driven by a strong narrative arc, the album features songs like Être une fille, which challenges and questions us. On it, Sheldon reflects on his relationship to gender, his doubts and discomfort with the codes of masculinity, and the idea that he has sometimes imagined himself elsewhere. Tracks like La Fenêtre and Avec ça illuminate the album like moments of communion, sincere, warm, and unifying, carried by a childlike lightness that makes tomorrow disappear.

True to his open minded and ever curious artistic approach, Sheldon draws from a wide range of musical genres while keeping rap as the album’s guiding thread, giving each song its own singular identity and contributing to the balance of the whole. To shape the project, Sheldon surrounded himself with a new generation of musicians and beatmakers whose influences span rap, indie rock, pop, and experimental music. Among them are Johnny Ola, who has notably composed for Zamdane, Jazzy Bazz, and Edge, Rodolphe Babignan, Carbonne’s flamenco guitarist, and Jeune Oji, an artist signed to Friends of Friends Music. Together, they bring melodic and acoustic richness, as well as a collective generosity that deepens the album’s intimacy.

This new album also opens the door to new collaborations.

On L’école primaire, Chilly Gonzales joins Sheldon for an unconventional piano and vocals piece, driven by cinematic, deeply intimate storytelling. Using his primary school as a point of reference, Sheldon retraces his path from childhood to adulthood, somewhere between nostalgia and serenity.

On Cowgirl, Tuerie joins Sheldon for a soft, melodic ballad with an 80s tint, capturing the weightlessness of a sunlit summer.

On Sidequest, Sheldon reunites with Asfar Shamsi, who had already appeared on his Grünt. Over a delicate cloud trap production, the two artists open up about everyday pain, finding in introspection a way to put things into perspective.

Finally, Vol de nuit brings Jazzy Bazz and Sheldon together for an intimate exchange over an ethereal, mysterious production, as both artists look back on their journeys with calm and clarity.

Conceived alongside Sheldon’s closest circle, the project celebrates family, friendship, and love as its founding pillars. Sheldon chooses to step away from the images, allowing his story to be embodied instead through the faces and gestures of those around him. This approach runs through all of the project’s visuals. Rejecting the excess of spectacular image making, he chose instead to hand a camera to his loved ones so they could offer their own vision of a song from the album. By opening a small window onto his intimacy, and that of the people closest to him, Sheldon finds a way to say a great deal with very little, turning deeply personal trajectories into something universal.

Like the music videos, the album cover is rooted in a deliberately simple approach, where the fantasy of childhood disrupts reality. Designed by Tenzin, the graphic designer behind Sheldon’s recent projects, Ptite Sœur, and also work for Jul, it is based on an archival photograph taken during a traditional carnival in Tenzin’s native village. With no staging involved, the image captures children in costume mid parade, caught in a spontaneous burst of movement, embodying the free innocence of childhood.



Les Monstres marks a new chapter in Sheldon’s journey. Like a rainbow after the storm, this fourth album reveals new colours in the artist’s discography, as he delivers a record that is both demanding and accessible, intimate and open, one in which music becomes a love letter to friendship and to love itself. Set for release on April 24, 2026, the album will be followed by a tour culminating at La Cigale in Paris on December 3, 2026.

In Sheep’s Clothing announces the long-awaited vinyl pressing of Marc Leclair’s beloved 2005 album Musique pour 3 femmes enceintes. The album will also be available on streaming for the first time via Community Music Group.

For years after Marc Leclair released Musique pour 3 femmes enceintes, he heard from listeners who had lived with the record in an unusually intimate way. Many described how the music became part of the emotional landscape of the months leading to birth. “I never expected that,” Leclair says. “Many women told me they listened to the record throughout their pregnancies. They said it made a real difference, that it helped them. It became more than just a record.”

First issued on CD in the early 2000s, Musique pour 3 femmes enceintes (Music for Three Pregnant Women) now returns in a new edition from In Sheep’s Clothing Hi-Fi, appearing on vinyl for the first time as a double LP. The record is being pressed in Detroit at Archer Record Pressing, the historic plant behind deep-groove classics by Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson, Underground Resistance, UR’s Jeff Mills, and J Dilla.

Listeners who know the Montreal-based Leclair through his better-known work as Akufen might be surprised by the tone here. During the same years he was shaping the intricate micro-sampling tracks that made Akufen a cult figure on labels including Perlon, Force Inc. and Trapez, Leclair was quietly developing this far more personal project. The meticulous craftsmanship remained the same, though the focus shifted from the hyper-detailed cut-up rhythms of his dance records toward something slower and more atmospheric. “I always compare my work to a jeweler,” Leclair says. “It’s really very precise. I’m a bit of a detail freak. I can spend hours or days on just one phrase in one song. Everything has to be perfectly put together.”

The project began almost accidentally. A few members of Leclair’s circle became pregnant nearly simultaneously, including one who had long believed she couldn’t conceive. The first track he recorded for the project wasn’t meant to advance a larger concept, he says. “It was meant to highlight the fact that three of my closest friends became pregnant at exactly the same time.”

Leclair was already a father with a three-year-old daughter, so the emotional terrain of early parenthood was familiar. Gradually the idea expanded. “I began thinking, why not make a whole album that celebrates this and also follows the entire pregnancy, the nine months,” he says. The music developed piece by piece, including a track originally commissioned by the Berlin experimental duo Rechenzentrum that would later become the album’s opening movement.

Nearly seven years passed between the first composition and the finished album, and the music mirrors the strange arithmetic of pregnancy itself. What begins as a single idea multiplies outward, sounds layering and branching until the album feels less like a sequence of compositions than a living process unfolding in time. “I work very slowly,” Leclair says. “Everything has to be something I’m completely behind. I never want to rush anything. I want things to come naturally.” Across its 72 minutes, the album blossoms with the patience of a long meditation on time, growth and emergence.

When Musique pour 3 femmes enceintes first appeared via Mutek, it circulated quietly but steadily. Critics who discovered it later recognized its unusual scope. In a 2006 Pitchfork review, Mark Richardson gave the record an 8.1, calling “150e Jour” “an unfailingly gorgeous and tightly sequenced quilt of guitar and piano samples reminiscent of Tangerine Dream,” and describing “85e Jour” as infused with “viscous pop ambient drift, the gauzy synth pads ebbing and flowing with rhythm.” Boomkat described the album as “a majestic opus from a producer that's always promised so much — here delving into a panoramic construction of almost visibly radiant music that works so beautifully through each and every second of its 72 minute lifespan.”

The new In Sheep’s Clothing Hi-Fi edition finally presents the record in the format Leclair long imagined. “I always thought that record deserved a vinyl edition,” he says. Spread across two LPs, the music now has room to unfold at its natural pace. More than twenty years after it first appeared, Musique pour 3 femmes enceintes remains what it was from the start: a carefully shaped meditation on transformation and the quiet miracle of life beginning.

1/2 of seminal electronic act The Knife, Olof Dreijer will be releasing his debut album 'Loud Bloom' via dh2 this May following years of drip feeding solo music under various aliases and lending his production talents across the scene. The 14 track (double vinyl) album consists of equal parts dancefloor ready bangers (some of which have been previously released) and more still, ambient moments that highlight Olof's versatility as a producer as well as the sounds from around the globe that he takes inspiration from.


In a burst of colour and rhythm that cuts a distinctive path through modern club music, Olof Dreijer crystallises his solo work around a gleaming debut solo album, Loud Bloom, out 8 May via dh2.

Across the album, Dreijer toys with the tension between pure pleasure music and his tireless thirst for the new. You might hear the structure of a Chicago house beat or a classic drum machine hit, but at every turn these tropes are remoulded into dazzling new forms. Taking inspiration from Nigerian author Akwaeke Emezi and their ability to deliver bold, progressive themes and visionary sci-fi through the accessible lens of romantic fiction, Dreijer makes vividly unconventional dance music utterly instinctive and easy to love.

London DJ/producer WILL B. and singer/songwriter YEUKAI fuse diverse influences to birth a truly special debut. Thick, soulful organ & ethereal vocals take this one so deep it should come with a lifeguard. Remixes from GLENN UNDERGROUND & ORLANDO VOORN make this an instant classic.

Since their ground-breaking US debut the Amigos have lived a double life. In their hometown of Caracas, Venezuela, they"ve hosted underground club nights for years (the most recent called "Super Sancocho Variety"). Then, insouciant single-entendre songs like "Sexy" and the doggy-style anthem "Ponerte En Cuatro" landed them on MTV and radio, and before long, the six young men found themselves pop idols. It wasn"t hard, but their hearts remain on the dance floor and in the clubs. AREPA 3000 is live instruments, start to finish. "Electronic music tries to simulate human sounds," says the guitarist. "It"s really easy to buy a groove box or an 808 to make us sound like techno. So we try to get those sounds from our instruments, to go the other way. Make the human sounds sound electronic. When we do our club shows, I"ll spin before our set and we"ll add live instrumentation. We can play four, five hours like that.