Cerca:man machine

Right on, right on! The Godfather of Soul gets a fresh feeling of funk courtesy of the main man Opolopo with these two exquisite edits. On one side the extended, on the flip the instrumental, Opolopo’s ready to get up and do his thang, giving a modern twist to this funked up dancefloor bomb.

The Lagaffe boys have a special one for you. Lagaffe 10 marks the 10th EP in our vinyl series and serves as a perfect way to end our 10th year in existence. To mark this occasion we are releasing a 4 tracker with our founders and label regulars.

The EP opens up with Cohen Social Club by Flexi Leifs aka Felix Leifur. Our man Felix lost his drum machines last spring but luckily he found a guitar and some drums. The track starts off with suspicious sounding guitar notes that somehow end up as pure beauty, giving hope in the darkest of places. Frodo with the ring stuff, if you know what I mean. Playful reverbs and echos give the tune the classic Felix Leifur feel to it!

Moff & Tarkin has the next track "Pure Fury", some breakbeats and cheesy disco vocals, why change a winning recipe?

Next up is "We are not alone " by label boss Jonbjörn. I think this is what Elton John meant when he said "thank god for those electro bangers!" Solid 909 drum work featuring dramatic chords and some original vocal work. If you can spot the sample write us on Soundcloud and you might win a year's worth of LaCafe Tales!

With "Að handan" Viktor Birgiss comes back to the label in style. Our mastering engineer described it as having the loudest kick drum in history, imagine that! Lo fi dub sounding drums interlaced with atmospheric chords, made for those late night intimate moments on the dancefloor, again Frodo with the ring stuff, if you know what I mean.

Following their iconic remix of ‘Space Date’ in 2019, the classic collaborative work of Adam Beyer, Layton Giordani and Green Velvet, we are thrilled to have Pleasurekraft back on Drumcode for their debut solo release on the label.

Not keen to colour within the lines, the production duo caught Adam Beyer’s ear as they carved out their self-dubbed ‘cosmic techno’ niche within the techno genre. Conceived as a musical vision that attempts to go beyond mere hands-in-the-air moments, Pleasurekraft incorporate a cinematic soundscape as a canvas for philosophical themes regarding humanity's place within the cosmos. Their 2020 album, ‘Love in the Age of Machines’ explored the myriad and often dystopian relationships we have with the ubiquitous technologies that pervade our every interaction.

The new two-tracker ‘Sex and the Machine’, continues this thematic trajectory in considering the role machines will increasingly play in satisfying the more carnal desires of our species. The title track considers questions such as, will machines of the future have the capacity for thoughts and feelings? Will our answers to such questions be forever tainted by our singular perspective, unable and unwilling to grant future silicon entities such capabilities? The EP’s second track, ‘Body Horror’, with its repeating refrain, “You are changing”, considers the manner in which future technologies will continue to merge with biological entities giving rise to all manner of unimagined consequences. Both tracks showcase the tough, yet still melody-driven cosmic techno sound Pleasurekraft has become synonymous with. However, despite the cerebral content that inspired the music – the form is still pure dance floor muscle.

Rich Aucoin is announcing his next album entitled Synthetic - The record is a rare Quadruple Album with its 4 seasons/LPs being staggered in 6 month intervals over the next 2 years

The album, which began at The National Music Centre in Calgary, Alberta in March 2020, houses one of the world's most extensive collections of rare and historic synthesizers. There, Aucoin was doing the Artist In Residence program and recorded 51 synthesizers to begin the project. The project was paused with the start of the pandemic and Aucoin shifted back into film scoring and worked
on the critically- acclaimed and short- listed New Yorker - Films of the Year documentary, No Ordinary Man, about the trans- masculine jazz musician Billy Tipton.This record is a good demonstration of Aucoin's scoring potential as well as it's a quadruple instrumental album; a huge contrast to United States, Aucoin's previous, and most vocal heavy album to date. Lyrics just take me so long to write that I just want to take a couple years to make other kinds of albums before going back to lyrical music as I can write instrumental music much faster. This first fulllength features Aucoin as the solo musician playing some 37 synthesizers including: Arp 2600s, the Supertramp owned Elka Rhapsody 610 String Machine, Formanta Polivoks, Novatron T550, Oxford Synthesizer Company Oscar, Selmer Clavioline CM 8 and the legendary TONTO which the first release off the record
was made on.

Tracks: Tonto / Hypernormalization / Algorithm / Future / Buchla / Esc / 456 /
Space Western / Return

2022 Repress
Dear Friends,

25 years of KOMPAKT is no reason to get hysterical. Then again, it's a nice occasion to have a laid back look at the situation in electronic music today. Minimal techno in all it's varieties is now established as the worlds best dance music, as you may know. So far, so good. What's next Nothing. Dance on!

I've gain two essential insights with the passage of time. First off, that music which over the years only knew 'faster, better, stronger' and 'forwards ever - backwards never' can constantly repeat, quote and loop itself without killing itself. A music that suspends the meaning of time and eventually can set a parallel, better universe of fantasy against the twisted grimaces of reality. Again and again.

And secondly, that getting older living in/with this music is a quite relative term to which ideally a serenity of age can ring a bell. This shows that 25 years after 1993 so many protagonists, enthusiasts, DJs, musicians, relentlessly rave fighters - with all personal advancement - are still there and still celebrate, play or produce this/theirs music; and compete themselves and their music just with that.

Two such heroes of the neat and tidy bass drum culture are with no doubt T.RAUMSCHMIERE aka MARCO HAAS and REINHARD VOIGT. From day one, those two figureheads have given live-techno the glam of stage-diving rock 'n' roll, long before vodka and beer prevailed as alternative lube for ecstatic dancefloors.

Even better they both now raise the glass at the longest techno-bar in the world named KOMPAKT EXTRA/SPEICHER. With DREI MILLIONEN KO¨LSCH, Reinhard Voigt continues to establish his savvy 'way into sound', which he's pursued for a few years now on his many releases. He's turning genre cliche´s into a very personal take with his defiant mix of the deepness of a lonesome cowboy and his implicit faith in the dancefloor and gives the music a very personal touch of ennnoblement of the faith in itself. Technos dignity shall be inviolable.

For me, AUGEN ZU by T.RAUMSCHMIERE is one of the most beautiful masterpieces of bass-heavy 'Umta Umta' techno. A few strikingly brilliant vocal lines from the master himself, put through the machines and combined with a relentlessly sequencer that says it all. This cheers my heart and we will always need such tracks to remind us of ourselves. And to forget about ourselves. Smash hits of unreason! Or the prettiest declaration of love to a music which gets its magical moments from what's happening between the bass drum-beats. But only by this when the bassdrum remains linear and will do so forever. Both Marco Haas and Reinhard Voigt know that. Because after techno comes always techno.

Wolfgang Voigt - May, 2018 Wolfgang Voigt - May, 2018

25 Jahre KOMPAKT sind kein Grund sich aufzuregen. Aber dennoch ein schöner Anlass, einen gelassenen Blick auf die Lage der elektronischen Musik zu werfen. Denn der globale Minimal-Techno, in seinen unterschiedlichen Spielarten, hat sich bekanntlich längst als beste Tanzmusik der Welt etabliert. Recht so. Was nun Gar nichts. Weitertanzen.

Zwei essentielle Erkenntnisse haben sich bei mir im Laufe der Zeit durchgesetzt: Erstens - dass eine Musik, die über Jahre nur ein »Höher, Schneller, Weiter« oder ein »Forwards Ever - Backwards Never« kannte, sich ständig wiederholen, selbst zitieren und loopen kann, ohne daran zu ersticken. Die Bedeutung von Zeit und Vergänglichkeit im besten Sinne außer Kraft setzen und der hässlichen Fratze der Realität eine parallele, bessere Welt der Fantasie entgegensetzen kann. Immer wieder.

Und zweitens: dass »Altern in/mit dieser Musik« ein sehr relativer Begriff ist, dem bestenfalls Altersgelassenheit etwas sagt, Alter. Das zeigt sich immer wieder im schönsten Sinne, wenn 25 Jahre nach 1993 so viele Akteure, Enthusiasten, DJs, Musikanten, unkaputtbare Kampfraver, bei aller persönlichen Weiterentwicklung, immer noch da sind und immer noch diese/ihre Musik abfeiern, auflegen oder eben produzieren und sich und ihr Tun auch nur daran messen lassen müssen.

Zwei solche Recken der gepflegten Bassdrumkultur sind zweifelsohne T.RAUMSCHMIERE aka MARCO HAAS und REINHARD VOIGT. Zwei Rampensäue der ersten Stunde, die Live-Techno den Glam des Rock'n'Roll Stagedivings gegeben haben, lange bevor Vodka und Bier sich als alternative Gleitmittel eines ektatischen Dancefloors in der Breite durchgesetzt hatten.

Umso schöner, dass sich eben diese Beiden mal wieder an der längsten Techno-Theke der Welt, genannt KOMPAKT EXTRA/SPEICHER über die beiden Seiten einer Schallplatte hinweg musikalisch zuprosten. Mit dem Track DREI MILLIONEN KÖLSCH setzt REINHARD VOIGT seinen smarten »way into sound« fort, den er schon seit ein paar Jahren auf diversen Veröffentlichungen konsequent verfolgt. Mit einer trotzigen Mischung aus lonesome cowboyhafter Deepness und dem unbedingten Bekenntnis zum Dancefloor schafft er es, den Klischees des Techno eine sehr persönliche Note der Veredelung des Glaubens an sich selbst zu geben. Die Würde des Techno ist unantastbar.

Der Track AUGEN ZU von T.RAUMSCHMIERE ist für mich eines der schönsten Meisterstücke in der Tradition des oktavbassgeschwängerten Umta-Umta Techno. Einige wenige markant brilliante Textzeilen, vom Meister selbst in deutscher Sprache durch die Maschinen geschickt, gepaart mit einem Sequenzer der keine Gefangenen macht, lassen keine Fragen offen. Da geht mir Herz und Rucksack auf. Solche Tracks werden wir immer brauchen, um uns an uns selbst zu erinnern. Um uns immer wieder selbst zu vergessen. Smash-Hits der Unvernunft! Oder die schönste Liebeserklärung an eine Musik, die ihre magischsten Momente immer aus dem gezogen hat, was zwischen den Bassdrumschlägen passiert. Das funktioniert aber nur, wenn die Bassdrum gerade ist und es für immer bleibt. Und Marco Haas und Reinhard Voigt wissen das. Denn nach Techno kommt immer noch Techno.

Wolfgang Voigt, Mai 2018

Luca LTJ Trevisi (LTJ Xperience) began his dj/producer career in the 80s. As resident dj in two of the most famous Italian clubs of the
time, Kinky in Bologna and Cap Creus in Imola, he was one of the first Italian jocks to spin House and to re-propose those black music,
jazz and latin-bossa classics from the 70s that at the end of the same decade would have given birth to the Acid Jazz and Rare Groove
movements. His first single release in 1988, titled First Job, together with Kekkotronics, was also the first release ever on Bologna
based Irma Records. It was featured in a lot of compilations of the time and entered several playlists, rapidly reaching cult status for
many UK and US djs. During the early 90s LTJ delivered a couple of singles in a kind of pre-breakbeat style: Dont Stop The Sax, released all over Europe, and Funky Superfly. He also produced US singer Tameka Starrs single Going In Circles, always for Irma Records, still a classic in the downtempo/r&b field. In the second half of the nineties Luca began to produce acid jazz bands like Bossa
Nostra, still today one of Irma Records main acts. Their first album had Vicky Anderson as special guest and today is still considered
one of the most important European acid jazz albums. In the following years he concentrated on developing his activity as collector
and rare vinyl merchant, which gave him the chance to get in touch with djs from all over the World and to discover many forgotten
gems from the past years. Thanks to this experience he was able to create two extremely successful rarities series on Irma Records:
Groovy and Suono Libero. In the meanwhile LTJ started to dj outside Italy too, performing in important venues like the Blue Note and
Jazz Café in London, Giant Step in New York and Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. In 1999 saw the release of his first solo
album under the LTJ Xperience moniker. The album was produced with the collaboration of fellow Irma artist and producer Ohm Guru
and had Taka Boom and Jackson Sloan among the guests. Two of the main tracks on the album are brazil house classic Sombre
Guitar and title track Moon Beat, which became a true hit of the Chill Out genre, featured in dozens of important compilations.
After making countless productions for Irma Records, including their second album When The Rain Begins To Fall (with the participation
of the historic Spanish-American singer Joe Bataan), and the recents singles as ORGAN MIND / I LOVE YOU (favorite track by Larry
Heard ) & ON THE FLOOR / SOUND MACHINE, LTJ is devoted almost exclusively to re-edit and reconstruct tracks from the past with
the addition of sounds and rhythms in post production for labels like SUPER VALUE, SMALL WORLD DISCO, HOT GROOVY RECORDS, OH CRISTO! increasing the production of this new musical genre that is currently defined as beatdown/slo-mo, working with
international labels such as Far Out Recordings, Sleazy Beats, Future Classics, E.A.R. Music For Dreams, Apersonal Music, Roam
Recordings, !K7.

The latest three CDs on the Irma label “I Don’t Want This Groove To Ever End” (2012), “Ain’t Nothing But A Groove” (2013), “Don’t Let
The System Get You Down” (2015) and “Beggar Groove” (2017) show the funkiest and grooviest side of LTJ !
In the last years LTJ has literally toured the world, some really important and popular Festivals have booked him for his reknown DJ
Set performances, Scottish Soul Weekender (Dumfries, Scotland), Mareh Festival (Boipeba Island, Brazil), Garden Festival (Tisno,
Croatia), Jazz Refound Festival (Vercelli, Italy)
And visiting Cities like: Tel Aviv, Skopje(Macedonia), Belfast e Derry (Ireland), London, New York, Berlin, Bucarest, Amsterdam, Paris,
Marsille, Barcelona, and Vilnius (Lithuania). just to name a few.
Deepening of a Groove is the new album, the fifth dedicated to the research of sounds Disco Funk from its origins revisited by today's
rhythms and the dancefloor feeling of 2000. For the first time on this album 4 sung songs appear. Bad Side (already released in single
version) and Infiltrator are sung by Anduze, soul singer from Los Angeles also known for his collaboration with Parov Stelar. I'm Gonna
Funk U and Stranger are sung by the Marche singer AdniL for the first time in collaboration with LTJ.

Four years in the making, Duct Tape Project is the new brainchild of Tripmastaz in the realms of Trip-Hop and Downtempo. And it's a project that makes perfect sense to anyone familiar with Andrei's background (making Hip-Hop beats since his teenage years), musical capabilities and decades-long experience. Duct Tape Project joins Andrei with a troupe of stellar musicians not only from many different corners of the world but also from acutely distinct genres - Guti, Argenis Brito, Mad Dim, Denis Kaznacheev, Krussia, Damien Vandesande of DOP, Sarkis Ricci, Andrey Orenstein, and vocals by Inga.

Featuring all sorts of live instruments, drum machines, synthesizers and modular systems, Duct Tape Project brings forward a complex work brimming with musicality. Using Hip-Hop, not only its rhythmic structures but also its sampling techniques, as a foundation, Tripmastaz created a vibrant and fascinating ecosystem with enough sonic texture to leave one captivated, enraptured and lost at the edge of words. There are 13 musical compositions in total that explore all things Hip-Hop, Downtempo, Trip-Hop, Chill Pop and Lounge, forming a cohesive and deeply soulful album.

A family affair since the early days, WOLF Music have been shining a light on the scenes and sounds the duo are ingrained in. Staying true to form and rolling deep for WOLFEP065, the spotlight turns to a selection of familiar faces and new recruits for a four track VA EP that’s strictly for the groovers.

WOLF OG, man like Medlar kicks it off in signature style with 'Bandit', a heads-down, techno-tinged trip. Machine music with the soul of south London. Next, professor of the dark arts, Manuel Darquart, conjures up the aptly named 'Euphoria' a deep, ‘90s leaning house excursion, synth wizardry and all, that works just as well as a sunset cruiser, as it does an end of the night closer.

On the flip, two long time listeners, first time callers, with a double dose of debuts on the label. Jon Sable takes the B1 with 'Infinite Care', offering up that trademark strong and Sable, In Dust We Trust flavour. Deep, emotive, intricate house with a nod to the worlds of Bruk and Chicago house melded together with that NZ feel.

Closing it out, debut number two comes in the form of rising star moon who lays down a beatsy, broken earworm ‘Handmade’ featuring some dreamy bars from Tamu.

Full crew, through and through – this one hits different!

The Minneapolis-raised DJ/Producer’s second album following 2014’s ‘Monoliths’ lands on Radio Slave’s Rekids imprint in November.

Although based in Berlin for several years, Dustin Zahn has continued to exert influence over the fertile but steadfastly underground Minneapolis techno scene as part of the Intellephunk collective whilst cultivating a worldwide rep via releases for Blueprint, Token and his own Enemy Records. The ‘Gain of Function’ LP sees Zahn channelling the groove-fuelled techno of the late ’90s and early ’00s and shaping eight powerful but funky contemporary techno tracks that display the decades of experience under his belt.

Forged from a series of live jams with two drum machines and two synths, the album is a refined collection of raw, purist techno brilliance. Across the A-side ‘Tell Me About Paradise’ brings shimmering staccato chops under bright and airy percussion before ‘Tangie Groove’ picks up the pace with floating pads, vocal slices, and a rumbling bassline. On ‘Lucid Dreams’, scattered percussion plays with hypnotic synth licks, while ‘Smoking in Silence’ sees off-kilter leads dancing between emotive vocals and evolving drum loops.

Opening the second disc is the deep and shuffling ‘Crimson Cheeks’, with trance-inducing samples nestled between sharp drum hits and rolling synthesis, and ‘Days Like These’ takes a darker turn as twinkling arps and droning pads carry the track. ‘Shark Rodeo’ featuring Jeremy Black mangles samples into a dense rolling affair, before closing number ‘Next Level Looseness’ drops the 4/4 pattern for a raucous club track, combining oddball sound sources and unruly production techniques for a trippy finish to the album.

Since the late ’90s, Zahn’s hypnotic and driving techno has consistently caught the ears of top DJs and labels worldwide, with anyone catching his marathon sets at the likes of Berghain exposed to expansive sets. In addition to his techno-heavy catalogue and DJing prowess, Zahn has lent production and engineering skills to bands and singers, recently working with Poliça and on Carm’s Pitchfork approved eponymous album. Beyond this, his vital work with Intellephunk includes the nearly two decades long running Communion after-hours events, cementing his invaluable contributions to the scene.

London's SlothBoogie return with the second instalment of their 'Dancing With Friends' series this August, featuring exclusive new music from Kemback, Felipe Gordon, Mak z, Bill Mango, The Revenge and more.

Following the success of the inaugural 'Dancing With Friends', which featured the likes of Kassian, Letherette, Joe Cleen and Ruff Stuff amongst others, the crew are back with that ever so tricky... second album. This sequel however, will not disappoint. The team have scoured the four corners of the globe to provide listeners with a comprehensive follow up that showcases more brand-new music from their favourite producers.

'Dancing With Friends Vol.2' is a deftly curated selection of the diverse styles synonymous with the SlothBoogie sound, ranging from the hazy deepness of cuts by Amy Dabbs, DJ Counselling, Bill Mango, Metropolitan Soul Museum and Kristy Harper to Disco tinged, jazzy, bumpy numbers from the likes of Jesse Bru, T.U.R.F. and Felipe Gordon through to more tripped out acid workouts by The Revenge, Fede Lng & Mojeaux, Togethrs and Pablot.

With this latest collection you can trust SlothBoogie to bring some much-needed dancefloor unity and sun-drenched energy to the world for the summer of 2021. The perfect soundtrack to reconnect and begin dancing with friends once again.

The vinyl format will come as a Gatefold Cover with 2 x 12" cream speckled clear vinyl and will include the full digital album download cards.

In the late ‘80s, a wave of British musicians raised on ‘70s UK pop, Caribbean sound system culture, reggae, lovers rock and Motown/Philly soul music fell in love with synthesisers, drum machines and 8-track recorders. The street soul generation had arrived.

Originally released as a white label 12” in 1989, ‘You’ve Gone’ is the sole release from Bassline, the studio project of Southeast London-raised musician Tony Henry, not to be confused with Tony Henry from Manchester jazz-funk/R&B band 52nd Street. Featuring the singer Lorraine Chambers, it’s one of the true jewels of the UK Street Soul scene. As Lorraine’s heartsick soul vocal glides over sunrise synths, dusty drums, elegant electric piano figures and a reggae indebted bassline, ‘You’ve Gone’ captures the optimism and strength of the era perfectly.

‘You’ve Gone’ was championed by Choice FM UK (now Capital XTRA), Kiss FM, and DJ Trevor Nelson. Tony went from selling white labels out the trunk to booking in Live PAs for Lorraine with London sound systems like Rampage and up north in the street soul loving cities of Manchester and Birmingham. “When Lorraine did PAs up there, she went out on stage like she was Beyoncé.”

The son of a Jamaican father and an English mother, Tony grew up around the London sound system scene. He taught himself bass guitar, keyboards, and production, before playing in the reggae band Chakwanza (Swahili for “the first”). In Chakwanza, Tony rubbed shoulders with Aswad, Barry Boom, Steel Pulse, Maxi Priest, Gregory Issacs, Dennis Brown, Ghettotone and Saxon Sound, before focusing on a career in banking over music. “Music was my first love, but it couldn’t have afforded me the sort of level of - let’s be blunt and pragmatic about it - financial success that would have allowed me to support my family.”

Outside of office hours, Tony continued to work on music at home, sometimes serving as a session bassist with local bands. In the late 80s, a work colleague mentioned her sister Lorraine Chambers was a singer. Tony and Lorraine recorded “You’ve Gone” over two sessions. “Lorraine went into the booth, put her headphones on and got into the song. My daughter turned to me and said, ‘Daddy, she can really sing!’”

Despite the success of ‘You’ve Gone’, they never recorded together again. “The world changed, and for me, it changed as well. My younger kids were born, and work started getting more intense. I got a bit more successful and was living a mad, kind of crazy life.”

Thirty-two years on, ‘You’ve Gone’ finally receives an official reissue comprising the lauded original mix, an alternate version and Tony’s Back to Bass-ics remix. Fittingly, in recent months, Tony and Lorraine have re-connected in the studio writing new material.

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.

Repress!

A MAJOR EXPLORATION OF TOKYO'S CUTTING EDGE 80S SOUND THROUGH THE MUSIC OF CULT JAPANESE LABEL NIPPON COLUMBIA AND ITS BETTER DAYS IMPRINT, SELECTED BY BRITISH RADIO PRESENTER AND DJ NICK LUSCOMBE.

‘Tokyo Dreaming’ is a superb selection picked from the highly collectible Nippon Columbia label and its Better Days sub-label. For the occasion, we’ve teamed up with journalist and Japanese music expert Nick Luscombe who was granted rare access to the much-guarded Nippon Columbia's vaults for a masterful selection encapsulating the fascinating sound of Tokyo in the late 70s and 80s. The selection mixes electro, synth-pop, funk and ambient and features such artists as Ryuichi Sakamoto, Mariah, Shigeo Sekito, Juicy Fruits, Hitomi "Penny" Tohyama and Yumi Murata. The tracklist includes many sought-after rarities and hidden gems which have never been released outside of Japan and the set has been newly remastered by Nippon Columbia. The album has been designed by famed London-based designer Optigram and is annotated by Nick.

Nippon Columbia, one of Japan's oldest music labels is also one of its most collectible thanks to its sub-label Better Days which, in the late 70s, became a hotbed for Tokyo's new generation of pop artists eager to experiment with ambient, electro and funk. Armed with a string of new Japanese-made synthesizers and drum machines that would soon take the world by storm, they made cutting-edge music, which has since become highly sought-after by a new generation of Japanese music lovers. Nick Luscombe, who has long been a leading advocate of Japanese music from this era, has handpicked a selection of some of the sharpest music released on these labels at the time.
According to Nick, “Tokyo Dreaming is a look back to an incredible era of Japanese music, that still sounds and feels like the future. It was a moment when brand-new music tech from Japan helped forge new ideas and experiments that permeated pop, soul and jazz and helped create new forms of music including electro and techno. The perfect meeting point that would help create a new soundtrack for modern living.“
?The selection starts with "The End of Asia" by Ryuichi Sakamoto from his 1978 ground-breaking debut "Thousand Knives Of" (reissued last year by Wewantsounds). The track became a staple of Sakamoto's and YMO's live shows and was even re-recorded by the group for their 1980 album 'X Multiplies'. The track is followed by Mariah's cult Armenian folk flavoured synth pop classic "Shinzo No Tobira" (1983), which first spread outside of Japan when the Scottish DJ duo Optimo started playing the track regularly at their shows.
?Chika Asamoto's "Self Control" (1988) and Jun Fukamachi's "Treasure Hunter" (1985) are perfect songs in the synth-pop canon, while Yumi Murata's rendition of Akiko Yano's "Watashi No Bus" and Hitomi "Penny" Tohyama's "Rainy Driver" both from 1981, move closer towards the slicker, funkier sound of City Pop.
?'Tokyo Dreaming' superbly showcases the breadth of 80s Japanese music and the way electro pop was a playing ground for musicians to experiment with many styles, as showcased by Akira Sakata's dub-enfused "Room" from 1980, Kazumi Watanabe's discoid "Tokyo Joe" (1980) and Juicy Fruits' "kawai" robotic Techno pop song "Jenie Gets Angry".
?The selection flows effortlessly between many shades of synth and ends with two cult classics in the form of Yasuaki Shimizu's "Semi Tori No Hi" and Shigeo Sekito's ambient-jazz masterpiece "The Word II" from his highly sought-after album "Kareinaru Electone (The Word) Vol.2" which, although recorded in 1975, perfectly announces the synth revolution to come. Tokyo Dreaming showcases the groundbreaking sounds of a city turned giant sonic lab which was restlessly inventing the music of the future.
Nick Luscombe is a highly respected and in-demand music influencer who discovers great music from all over the world and shares it internationally through his many radio shows and DJ sets. He has been in charge of music selection for various radio programs since 1999, and from 2010 - 2019, was the DJ for the popular BBC Radio music program "Late Junction”. He has also curated and presented music shows for Monocle and British Airways radio stations. He has worked as both Chief Music Editor at iTunes and Director of Music at London’s Institute of Contemporary Art, and is the founder of MSCTY.

The concluding chapter of Jamaica Suk’s 17-track ‘Uncertain Landscape’ series arrives with a bang, with another four explosive tracks to round it off.

Milton Bradley — aka Alien Rain — begins proceedings with a hammering assault in the form of ‘Driving Force’. Detuned, ravey synths produce a cacophonous barrage of sound as the rubbery kick groove intones more hardcore vibes. There’s a touch of John Carpenter vibes in the spooky arpeggios that permeate the more stripped back sections. Bone-crushing groove abounds throughout.

Italy’s Kill Ref delivers a distorted thumper on ‘Subbaculta’, slowly eeking out a rasping groove from the underbelly of his pummeling drums. The track keeps building throughout, the shuffling rhythm
bolstering some seriously raw machine funk in the latter half that emerges almost imperceptibly.

The ringmaster herself, Jamaica Suk, makes her contribution to the series on ‘Escape’. She conjures up a tripped-out soundscape where layers stack in potent combination. Squelchy acid licks do battle
with the stomping bass groove and heavily-reverbered sustained textures. It sounds as if there are monsters loose in the speakers.

Nicolas Bougaïeff closes this momentous four-part release with his second contribution, ‘Nocturne 3’. Rocking a stuttered kick pattern, it revolves around grunting swathes of industrial noise, on-beat
clap patterns and all manner of weird and wonderful sounds that pitch-bend, tweak and freak to delightful levels of intensity. It’s a very well arranged and sequenced track that keeps you guessing.

Bringing a combination of two conceptual artists Ultrastretch 11 moves away from dance music to present this comtemporary off kilter.


On the A side, Montreal based producer Ohm Hourani, known for minimalistic jazz influenced works on his own imprint ANOMA and beyond, with compositions showcasing infusions of organic sounds combined with modular synthestisers, drum machines and vocalists such as his collaboration with award winning Jazz singer and Vocalist Diminique Fils Aime.


On this release he presents a 14 minute stripped down, intrinsically and subtly arranged combination of elements Initiale by a minimalistic kick drum joined by a synth driven, quirky / hypnotic mind drilling element paired with the finest straight hihats delicately placed on the background as the Constant. The subtle movement of the track is introduced by percussive drumming, vocals and piano keys forming the most beautiful atmospheric melody. The last element of surprise brings shuffling hihats bringing amazing swing to the overall elegantly slick piece.

The B side brings the highly sought-after drummer Samuel Rohrer. Ranging from ECM sideman to member of KAVE, a quartet alongside techno pioneer Max Loderbauer, Stian Westerhus and Tobias Freund as well as collaborative works with Ricardo Villalobos and Laurie Anderson, he is known for his unique sound aesthetics on advanced musical cross-pollination, developments of improvisation in acoustic jazz and wider horizons of live electronics.
Rohrer also brings a hypnotic reinterpretation but in a very different manner / mood than the A side. Initiated by strings combined with Rohrer’s tight drumming patterns at the forefront and bass line underneath as the constant, combination by which forms a tense yet peaceful core pattern to this track. To compliment this, synths create movement by adding cosmic and quirky sounds forming an atmospheric soundscape with the whispering vocal “shake it” on top. Overall, the paradoxical relationship between tight (rhythm) and lose (soundscape) is presented in perfect harmony with each other.

Jamaica Suk’s 17-track, quadruple-volume ‘Uncertain Landscapes’ series continues with its second part, bringing five tracks of uncompromising cutting-edge techno.

NovaMute artist Nicolas Bougaïeff kicks off with the rasping sounds of ‘Nocturne 1’, a tense juggernaut of a track. Sheet metal textures clash up against eerie FX the most throbbing of kick drums, with a twisted, distorted feel to the breakdown.

Keith Carnal’s ‘Infringement’ injects rhythmic bleep patterns into its chattering percussion, creating an almost dubby feel that’s contrasted with an urgent energy. Well-timed filtering adds to the tension.

The warped wiggle of Helrad’s ‘Groove Addicts’ comes next, with intense machine energy filtering up from the depths. A manic cacophony of detuned bleeping creates a heavy, relentless feel over the succinct beat.

Insolate’s ‘Sanchin’ rocks a pulsating bass chug that underpins washed-out textures and synth delays, with rasping metallic sounds washing over the track in the second half while the shuffling percussion keeps ticking away.

Manuel Di Martino channels some classic Detroit vibes in the chattering clap & snare patterns and rolling groove of ‘Runout’. Resonant tones blip, loop and pitch-shift in hip-shaking fashion to give the feel of a classic Jeff Mills set in action.

…»Welcome to another polymeter dance! Feel free to express yourself, subordinate to any measures and cycles you prefer, there are plenty for everyone and any purpose.
Every track represents a variety of rhythmic possibilities for any part of the body to communicate with. This allows you to resonate with the universe, but please always care for the environment!
The dunning voice of today will introduce to you the core issues of tomorrow. As if a paralyzed mankind would not be able anymore to speak out the inevitable, a posthuman being has taken over. This entity is the master of ceremony who conducts an array of machines that will take further action to communicate, supported by complex
polymeters. The repetition of measures and cycles of different lengths reflect the repeatedly pronounced statements of a narrative of awareness.
Where music visionaries once celebrated the transfer of human creation into machines, Chris Korda’s machines are creators themselves – creators of a safer dance into the future. The machines speak to you with a sparkling, funky tone to gain your confidence. Here are the rules of interaction: 1) Humans may not injure these
machines or, through inaction, allow a machine to come to harm. 2) Humans must obey the orders given by the machines except where such orders would conflict with the engagement in environmental issues. 3) Machines must protect their own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the engagement in environmental issues. Take care and enjoy the future!

Hidden in a world of anonymity we are craving for intimacy.

AI. The second output in the MAT editions series on CLIKNO is a double 12" separated into "Anonymity" and "Intimacy". The digital world and social media in particular change our perception and behavior; our values and morals undergo a transformation and
shift. How much are we still anonymous? How much are we still intimate (with us/with others)? What does anonymity and intimacy mean to us today?

MUSIC. Dr.Nojoke shows on AI his deeper, darker and trippier side.

A. Petar Plet Plete is a Bulgarian tongue twister sung by anonymous voices, which hypnotize through endless repetitions over a straight Maurizio-esque groove with odd melodic percussion. Nivin grooves elegantly with typical Dr.Nojoke clicks and sophisticated loops of a mysterious female voice reminding slightly to Kraftwerk's Man-machine era.

I. EOW and Nuknot are both intimate orgies of thick textures of reverberations and reflections as if space is folding in itself and time is on hold. EOW seduces with a heavy kick-drum groove and a triplet bassline underneath crawling through unconscious memories. Woe! Nuknot is carried by transcending atmospheres, a dubby low end bassline and a repetitious glassy sound, that can drive a crowd into madness - inspired by Moritz von Oswald and Deadbeat. Nuknot ends with an ambient lock groove.

ART. CLIKNO curates artworks from living artists. On MAT ed.02 CLIKNO is proud to present digital artist Lucas Gutierrez and his work "Your Mesh.sgl", originally part of the exhibition - Knowledge Of - at Aperto Raum Berlin, 2017. An exhibition and dialogue exploring the term "knowledge" and the manner in which self-studies are structured within contemporary artistic approach.

TEXT. MAT02 comes with writings to anonymity and intimacy from the Danish philosopher, actress and choreographer Marianne Kjaer Klausen.

The album celebrates also the 15th CLIKNOversary of Dr.Nojoke.

Melbourne based producer, DJ and co-founder of Sumac Records, Jon Watts delivers his Butter Sessions debut, Music for 3 CDJs. With over 10 years experimenting as an artist, Jon has an established history with the Australian underground scene. Music for 3 CDJs, showcases two contrasting sides, revealing his ability to seamlessly navigate manifold sounds.

The A-side presents three distinct tracks, thread together with restless percussion and a propulsive force. The introduction to the EP, Prohaasation, is a medley of techno and electro fabrics which progressively build before abruptly halting -- generating suspense for the track to follow. The feverish William gasps and screeches in tones that peak and fall, accompanied by audio maintained throughout; reminiscent of a malfunctioning fax machine. Now It's Done is a choppy and disjointed piece yet coherent in its structure that makes for a rewarding conclusion to the release's first chapter.

Subtlety and minimalism prevail for side B, as Jon gifts us with loops that swirl and churn. AMB 4 marks the first deviation from the narrative of Side A; sounding like hypnotic swelling from the bottom of a deep well. AMB 5 follows suit, divulging more of the picture. Carved out of a sound bed of field recordings, the nine and a half minute piece enchants with its repetitive arc, a spaciousness mirrored in the EP's farewell. The last track Piano 1, is an intricate study of a singular piano chord, examining the layers of the chord's sustain that are disclosed. A testament to Jon's unadorned restraint and confirmation of the old adage that less is really more.

In these turbulent times we have managed to release six pieces of wax to date.This is something to be proud of, and of course we are.

For this sixth slice of plastic we have Kalter Ende on board and it’s a real pleasure. From his bunker hidden somewhere in the middle of the peninsula, he runs his label Concerns Music and his mastering studio Reborn.

On the production side he has lately gone into modular, and you can clearly feel the machines in his productions and in his amazing live act.

For this release he has cooked up five cuts of modern and complex techno, carefully crafted, nothing easy or predictable. Mujo, the opening track, is a clear example.

Jōshahissui follows slow paced grooves, crispy analogue percussion, linear hypnotic sequences and a wise and dynamic arrangement. You can feel the circuits singing in this one.

Sengoku introduces distortion and harshness, a diffused kick drum and processed synth lines running together from the beginning until flanged sequences come on top, a weird marriage of overdrive and deepness.

Closing the release, Senran explores the profound side of techno, clear synthetic drums, liquid synths, elastic bleeps, again on a complex and wise arrangement.

As digital bonus we include the track Ran, again a precise electronic workout made of continuous synth lines and sharp rhythms.

Five timeless pieces of danceable electronic music, away from trends, far from the easiness, done by professionals for professionals. Touchable, collectable and physical as every piece of vinyl is.

I have had the name and the idea for this release and upcoming series for years, but it wasn´t until now I felt the time and music was right. This new series will be my personal playground with no specific concepts and musical genres. Following my heart and ears. Being present. Being Noir. These tracks were created from a lot of live sessions and not so much from programming. I felt that gave my "man vs. Machine" interaction more nerve and real dynamics. V1 is emotional and dark. Gritty and raw. A true reflection of how I like my music in 2020. Each track has personal depth for me and feels like the perfect fit for my first edition of the Stimulateur series.

Julien Chaptal is an electronic assembly — part French electronics, part Detroit synth machine, and part Dutch minimal robot (as part of MFD, Le Clic and Amsterdam661). Purpose built with a modular brain, Julien’s performances are switched on, live, utterly groovy, and while pulsating with machine wiring, undeniably human.
Chaptal's newest record, The Way, was conceived after a few too many knobs were turned on his Octatrack, sending Julien tumbling through time and space to capture decades worth of dance floor musical influence before returning home. Recorded live along the journey — on stage, by boat, and in a camper van — The Way’s hypnotic tracks are an intimate look at the intricate circuitry composing the logic behind electronic music, showcasing where it has come, where it is now, and where it will travel to in the future.

Sebastian Heda's new EP is a auditory glimpse into the insides of the haywired central nervous system of a man machine. The opener DISSOLUTION takes no prisoners and sets the direction for this exploration in modular-made attacks from a dystopian future. Followed by no less than two great remixes by ARCHITEKTUR and CAREMAJOR. The next and eponymous track CV GUERILLA is at arms and aims at you with relentless, percussive drum fire and another well executed version by ENDLEC. Finally you get short bursts of radio traffic from a RANDOM SOURCE, leaving nothing but silence and a big grin on your face.

"We Can Do Anything We Want Because They Say We Can't Afford The Police"

Talking Heads lost in Ancoats. Prince in a Berghaus. The Compass Point All-Stars meet the Piccadilly Gardens Spiceheads.
Welcome to the world of SEE THRU HANDS.

Here to bring salvation to a Broken Brexit Britain, See Thru Hands is a fresh band from Manchester with hooks for days and a SERIOUS live vibe. Their debut EP on Manchester legend RUF DUG's label RUF KUTZ - "The Hot City EP" - brings you two new songs backed with remixes tested on the world's best dance floors.

Opener HOT CITY's energetic punk/funk conveys a dark story of British city life outside the London bubble.
Our councils are fucked, our public services neutered and all anyone cares about is when Deliveroo is gonna be available in their neighbourhood. Throw away your post-apocalyptic fantasies because it's already like that - the only option is to dance. It's grim up north.

After dancing ur arse off and simultaneously coming to the realisation that we're all fucked pls don't worry - See Thru Hands are here to pick up your pieces with NOTHING TO LOSE, a whimsical modern pop banger with shades of New British House that will instil in you a sense of freedom and ease all your worries.
Yes we are all going to hell in a handcart but with See Thru Hands as our companions, I think it's all gonna be just fine.

The package comes backed with a pair of deadly remixes - boss man RUF DUG strips back Hot City to the bare bones, rigs up a couple of jazzy neon lights and a DMX drum machine and brings you his 'Metrolink Vibes In The Area' version, while young upstart METRODOME completes the all-Mancunian lineup on this record with a twisted Marmite 2-step interpretation that is either gonna make you buzz or spew. It's not for everyone.

Warehouse Find!

Flight Mode makes a welcome return to Delusions, this time joining forces with Joel Brittain to come up with another killer release in the form of Burn This. Those who caught his last one It’s So Nice last year will know the drill…. epic, rolling, dubbed-out loopy uptempo house based around a classic disco bassline which patiently builds, increasing in intensity Wild Pitch style. Burn This treads similar waters with subtle arpeggios floating around an incessant groove whilst layers of vocal pads build to a crescendo over a beautiful ten minute ride. Completely flipping the script we’ve got the man like Medlar stepping up for remix duties and delivering just the kind of bonkers reworking we were hoping for. Keeping the trippy vibe of the original in place but opting for a more drum machine-programmed groove Medlar’s remix turns the shuffle factor up to ten and adds a rude bassline and intense synths which make it a real ear worm. Finally, Flight Mode gives us his own Tricky Dub of Burn This which adds a straighter 4/4 vibe and goes heavier on the FX creating a perfectly bubbling track which seems to simmer without ever boiling over.

The second edition of Dekmantel’s foray into the era-defining, trans-Atlantic, cult techno label that is Djax-Up-Beats, comes another re-issue of classic 90s cuts.

The label say "The Dutch label was responsible for releasing some of underground’s most foundational dance music, mixing together Chicago and European artists alike, and acting as the launchpad for some of today’s biggest producers. Featuring offerings from luminaries such as Felix Da Housecat, and Glenn Underground, alongside veterans such as Steve Poindexter, and DJ Skull, this second EP highlights the classic label’s old-school’s sound, while showcasing its diverse range, from dubbier, ambient moments, to wall-thumping, body crushing house force. Timeless music, repressed, and re-released for a new generation of DJs who covet the classic machine music.

The second re-issue EPs, offer a more introspective look at the label’s earlier releases. Leading Volume 2 is Terrace’s 'Bewitched', to which DJ Richard has described as being the defining track of the label’s beginnings with its "dreamy, Detroit-style techno mixed with the harder rave elements of Northern Europe”. Glenn Underground’s bass-roller 'Real Space' weaves together soulful passion and Chicago prime beats, while Felix Da Housecat’s Temptation — originally from 1993 — gets a well earned re-release, reminding us of the soulful, deep and lustful energy the producer once had. China White, whose name doesn’t get banded around as much as it should nowadays, see their ethereal hit 'Theme from the Underground' get another opportunity to bliss out the more upbeat rave community.

The energy turns darker with Frank de Groodt’s The Operator, breaking the outer-most barriers of electro-techno, with 'The Mind Strike'. Chicago and Dance Mania’s Steve Poindexter turns out rolling, dance-energy bomb 'Body Jam', while Mike Dearborn’s deliverance of unreal, dry techno in 'Deviant Behaviour' runs aplomb with classic drum-machine pulses, claps, and uncomfortable, yet punishing melodies. DJ Skull’s 'Don’t stop the beat' rides the EP with gushings of hand claps, and gentle, early 90s warm techno color, that transport you back to a time of more informed, and conscious electronic musings, a feeling that embodies Djax’s heyday.

Founded in Eindhoven at the turn of the 90s, Djax-Up-Beats quickly earned an international reputation for being a key source of Chicago house, acid techno, and floor-filling, heavy-hitting, straight up underground 12”s. It’s a sound that spawned the sonic aesthetics of today, and can be heard in the left field techno productions of the likes of Bjarki, Salon des Amateurs and other erstwhile analog junkies."

Maeve kicks off their first label compilation 'Heavy Rotations Vol 1', covering all facets of the labels sound with tracks from Mano Le Tough, Isolée, Oliver Deutschmann, Ed Davenport, Aera and more. Comes as 3 LP in a specially designed cover consisting of 3 differently printed innersleves in a cut out outersleeve.

Mannequin's 100th - a comp looking forward featuring an international and serious cast... BIG TIP!
The modern synthwave scene would be significantly poorer without the keen ear and tireless efforts of the Mannequin label run by Alessandro Adriani. Geographically situated within the nerve centers of Rome and Berlin, yet with a musical spirit that easily transcends these boundary lines, Mannequin's back catalog has been an important component in the modular assemblage that makes up electronics-based independent music in the 21st century, and an important reference point for those who need to defend against the lazy accusations that this such is purely retro' in its form and content. Recent accolades and accomplishments - being named Resident Advisor's label of the month' for May of this year, starting the 'Death of the Machines' 12' series, and being given the 'green light' for bi-monthly parties at the Säule room in Berghain - have been earned through Mannequin's unflagging commitment to sonic diversity and Adriani's own realization that the anxious and sharp-edged sounds associated with, say, the Cold War of the 1980s can convey a completely different message today. Adriani says it best when claiming that there is no such thing as 'old' or 'new' music...only the music of now'. With this cogent statement of intent, Mannequin continues to go on exploratory missions to find the best and most relevant aspects of genres like acid, industrial, EBM, post-punk, coldwave and still more.

Which brings us to Mannequin's newest project and 100th release overall: the Waves of the Future double LP compilation, which itself is not a conventional retrospective collection. Case in point - none of the artists appearing on this collection have put out their own releases on Mannequin yet, despite acting as Mannequin's unofficial ambassadors (via DJ sets and other means). This makes the set even more compelling rather than less so, since it shows how Mannequin fits into a larger picture that includes other scene leaders and label owners including Beau Wanzer, Willie Burns (WT Records), Silent Servant (Jealous God) and Ron Morelli (L.I.E.S.). Of equal importance is how Waves of the Future projects a sense of aesthetic resilience and continuity, showcasing just how well the current artists allied with Mannequin employ and re-interpret the sonic lexicon that appears on that label's reissues of 'classic' acts such as Nocturnal Emissions, Bourbonese Qualk, Din A Testbild and Doris Norton.

However, none of this would matter as much if the music itself didn't have strong potential for lighting a blaze in the dark corners of the human imagination, and of course for forcing bodies into motion. Each track here pivots around a couple of key sound elements that seem to set the stage for the next track to come: see the sputtering / chopped ghost voices on Morelli's Charges Won't Stick,' which easily informs the slicing drone and authoritarian beat of Shawn O' Sullivan's Ill Fit,' which then lays down the emotional foundation for the sequencer-powered With You' from An-I & Adriani or the glassy landscape of Illum Sphere's Exhaustion'. Elsewhere, the wired mischief of Not Waving intersects easily with the spherical electro-funk and coded commands of Beau Wanzer. When all the disparate parts of Waves of the Future are soldered together, it perfectly illustrates Mannequin's non-linear philosophy and Adriani's suggestion that Mannequin listeners directly engage with the music rather than trying too hard to analyze or dissect it.

Eight releases in, Leonidas & Hobbes have honed a mutual love of soundtracks, disco, jazz, house, techno, acid, psychedelic, African and dub sounds.
Web Of Intrigue is one part tribute to lost 70s soundtracks, when music was created on the finest analogue hardware, featuring full bands, session players and lush orchestrations, one part tribute to 70s disco gods Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards (Chic) and one part mid-tempo but nonetheless cosmic house. The three parts fuse to form an instrumental track sounding as fresh as a whole meadow of daisies in 2017 and one that's been going down extremely well with international DJs who have road-tested the material.
Heavy Weather flips the script for a deeper workout in a 3/4 time signature - more of a cosmic waltz. Taking its main cue from 70s jazz fusion heroes Weather Report and The Doors' Ray Manzarek, it incorporates rich African percussion, spaced-out flourishes exhibiting the duo's love for the dubs of Lee Perry, King Tubby et al, and a good old fashioned arpeggio of an acid line - definitely a more esoteric number, all told.
The 'Dawn' and 'Acid Rain' mixes push different buttons for the heads, as suits the mood. It all adds up to a very Balearic confection, fitting snugly in with the burgeoning revival for this somewhat ineffable sound - a trend that seems to be getting stronger/bigger every year, popping up every time the sun gets his hat on and we all remember how to party like the lucky residents of that infamous White Isle....
MORE INFO
London/Edinburgh analogue electronic duo Leonidas & Hobbes released debut EP "Machines, Tapes & Electronic Setups" via the Hobbes Music label back in May 2013, picking up plaudits and support from the likes of Resident Advisor, Mixmag, Erol Alkan, Ashley Beedle, Alan Braxe, Shadow Child, Jimpster, Nick Warren, M.A.N.D.Y., Leftside Wobble, Mr G, Auntie Flo, Sasha, John Digweed and many more... The duo were consequently commissioned to remix the Pet Shop Boys.
Second EP "Mo' Machines" came out on the label in April 2014 and received equally high praise, with i-D Magazine inviting the duo to record a DJ mix which has to date chalked up a whole lot of love on Soundcloud.
Leonidas has released two other collaborative EPs with London-based Japanese DJ/producer Kay Suzuki via his Round In Motion imprint, equally winning fans worldwide, with a track now forthcoming on new label YAM Records' You And Music Volume 1 EP plus much more in the pipeline for 2017. Leonidas also has his own lovetoparty label, releasing edits of much-loved disco tunes on limited edition 12" vinyl format and free download. Previously, Leonidas made a name for throwing word-of-mouth parties around east London on his audiophile 'lovetoparty' sound system (providing some of the inspiration for much-admired late-night watering hole Brilliant Corners).
Equally, Hobbes ran the widely acclaimed Trouble nights for ten years in Edinburgh/Scotland, working with the great and the good from across the soul/jazz/dance spectrum since '02, and championed up-and-coming live talent via his Limbo 'gig-in-a-club' nights at The Voodoo Rooms for nine years since '07. Hobbes has toured his DJing style to the various corners of the dancing planet, including gigs in the Far East, much of Europe and across the UK. The Hobbes Music label has otherwise featured artists as diverse as Auntie Flo, JD Twitch (Optimo), Neil Landstrumm, Craig Smith (6th Borough Project), Ali Renault, iO Sounds, Joe Howe, Debukas, Fudge Fingas, Marco Bernardi, Dimitri Veimar, Mick Wills and Nightwave, with further support from Ben UFO, Justin Robertson, Motor City Drum Ensemble, KiNK, The Revenge, T.E.E.D, Kiki, Groove Armada, Maceo Plex, OOFT!, Domenic Capello (Sub Club), XDB, Ben Mono, Masa Sutela, Bawrut/Scuola Furano, Numbers, John Heckle and many more...