Search:me

With 108, Nathan Melja shapes a world built around movement, repetition and presence.

Across four tracks, rhythms unfold with patience. The record opens with “Joe’s Muse”, a playful and deep energetic track, before “Les Planètes” expands into something wider, with the help from New York vocalist Joiah, and more suspended. At the centre, eponymous track “108” draws you into a more hypnotic, ethereal space. “Trippin’” closes the EP with a sharper physical pull, bringing the record back toward the dancefloor without breaking its internal spell.

The release is completed by “Strategic Patterns” as digital bonus, an additional exploration of sounds, repetition and subtle displacement.

108 is a record for the space between attention and abandon, precise in its construction, but always open to wonder. It also offers a faithful portrait of the broad panorama of influences that Nathan Melja incorporates into his music, a sound that can be equally appreciated on the dancefloor and through attentive listening.

Following the vinyl reissue of Back To Basics Part 1, Metroplex is proud to re-release Part 2 of this essential Detroit techno series. Originally released on New Religion, Back To Basics Part 2 is another piece of Juan Atkins' Detroit techno legacy, now returning to vinyl.

Seven-piece instrumental group Let Your Hair Down herald their triumphant return with super heavy new 7” Pingu’s Anthem b/w Gronk.

Hailing from the hotbed of Melbourne / Naarm, Australia, Let Your Hair Down step out from the shadows for the first time since their 2021 album‘Waiting Room’. The seven-headed cinematic funk group is a conglomerate of Melbourne’s thriving cinematic soul movement, comprising members of Surprise Chef, Karate Boogaloo, Owelu Dreamhouse and Temporary Blessings. The band’s sound is a sturdy mix of dusty minor key funk, off-kilter conguero psychedelia and horn-heavy boogaloo, represented robustly across both sides of the forthcoming College of Knowledge 45‘Pingu’s Anthem b/w Gronk’.

Side A, ‘Pingu’s Anthem’, pays tribute to the tune’s titular penguin protagonist. Emblematic of Pingu himself, LYHD’s horn section sticks its chest out boisterously atop the rock-solid drum feel of Hudson Whitlock. The tune is laced with a resolute flute solo from saxophonist Will Morrissey.

Side B, ‘Gronk’, is a punishing funk cut; relentless rhythm section careening through the tune, punctuated by the metallic, percussive sound of an empty gas bottle being struck. Razor sharp farfisa and menacing horns reinforce this deadly joint as one to handle with care.

Pingu’s Anthem b/w Gronk is out worldwide on 45RPM 7” vinyl on College of Knowledge Records August 7th 2026.

The debut Peacefrog album from Kenny Dixon Jr. aka Moodymann originally released in 1998 is an album of truly epic proportions, a must have for any and all collectors and lovers of house music. Utilising soul, funk, gospel, and even hip hop production techniques and alternating from mellowed-out disco dubs like "Mahogany Brown" and "Stoneodenjoe” to more raw and dirty tech-house tracks like "Me and My People's Eyes.”. Mahogany Brown delivers a slice of Black American music that affirms Kenny's reputation as a major influence on house music today.

College of Knowledge Records verkündet stolz das selbstbetitelte zweite Album von Let Your Hair Down. Let Your Hair Down ist eine siebenköpfige Boogaloo-Soul-Band aus Melbourne / Naarm , bestehend aus Hudson Whitlock (Karate Boogaloo, The Pro-Teens), Lachlan Stuckey (Surprise Chef), Tom Pettit (Temporary Blessings), Nic Ryan-Glenie (Owelu Dreamhouse), Will Morrissey (Saskwatch), Olaf Scott (The Teskey Brothers) und Luigi Portararo. Kurz nach der Veröffentlichung von Let Your Hair Downs mittlerweile sehr beliebtem Kult Klassiker-Debüt ,Waiting Room" kehrte die Band in das inzwischen stillgelegte Dachstudio zurück, in dem ihr erstes Album aufgenommen wurde, um ein zweites Album auf Band aufzunehmen. Mit dem gefeierten Toningenieur und Produzenten Henry Jenkins (alias Jnbo) erneut am Ruder entstanden bei einer fruchtbaren und fröhlichen Wochenendsession 11 brandneue Originalaufnahmen - und der einfache Teil war geschafft. Mit einem von Let Your Hair Down-Schlagzeuger Hudson Whitlock entworfenen Albumcover war das selbstbetitelte zweite Album von Let Your Hair Down fertig; 11 hammermäßige Instrumentalstücke, die den schrägen Funk in Moll, die perkussive Psychedelia und den bläserlastigen Boogaloo der undergroundigsten Gruppe aus der Soul-Underground-Szene von Melbourne dokumentieren. ,Let Your Hair Down" fängt die Band in Höchstform ein: spontane, energiegeladene Arrangements, dargeboten von einer erstklassigen Gruppe von Musikern, die es einfach lieben, gemeinsam Musik zu machen. Der ,Good Clean Fun"-Faktor verbindet sich mit messerscharfer Musikalität und fundiertem Gespür und kristallisiert sich zu einem wahrhaft erstklassigen Originalalbum heraus.

Four percussion-heavy tribal techno tools on SDM008. Leaf-cutting flutes slice through bone-crushing grooves, royal frequencies rise above the dark, sub-heavy Baltic pulse. High energy on the A-side, deeper cuts on the flip.

ORUMA is a trio formed by Ola Rzepka (drums, zither, percussion), Artur Rumiński (electric guitar) and Mat Barski (electric guitar). At its foundation is the musical dialogue previously developed by Rumiński and Barski as a guitar duo and documented on the albums “On the Margin” and “At the Junction”. Their encounter with Ola Rzepka during Kraków’s Kakofonie series opened this music to a new sense of dynamics, pulse and
collective form.
ORUMA’s music exists at the intersection of free improvisation, noise, experimental postrock and post-kraut repetition. It avoids the conventional division between soloist and accompaniment. Instead, two electric guitars and drums gradually abandon their individual roles to form a single, constantly shifting sound organism — moving from silence, open space and isolated gestures towards dense masses of sound.
The trio’s debut album consists of five pieces: “Satellites”, “Stranger”, “This Mountain Is Alive”, “A Rough Plan For Nostalgia” and “Hyperborea”. Together, they form a coherent journey: from distant signals and the first moment of contact, through friction and increasing physical intensity, to an expansive fourteen-minute finale.


Ola Rzepka
Drummer, pianist, composer and performer. She graduated from the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, where she studied at the Faculty of Composition, Interpretation, Education and Jazz. She was also a scholarship student at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen, studying piano and percussion. She teaches piano improvisation at the Wojciech Kilar State Music School Complex in Katowice and runs her own music lessons and workshops. As a composer, she collaborates with acclaimed theatre directors in Poland, Germany and Switzerland. Her musical collaborators have included Raphael Rogiński and Antoni “Ziut” Gralak. She has performed her original music at numerous avant-garde, popular, jazz, improvised and contemporary music festivals across Poland and Europe. In Jazz Forum magazine’s 2024 Jazz Top critics’ poll, she was named among Poland’s leading drummers.

Artur Rumiński
Guitarist and member of bands including Furia, Thaw and ARRM. He also composes and improvises under his own name and performs in the experimental duo Marmur, which he co-founded with Macio Moretti. He has released several solo albums on labels including Antenna Non Grata, Gusstaff Records, Zoharum and Szara Reneta.

Mat Barski
Guitarist associated with the Kraków and Tricity music scenes. His projects include the duo Ekotonika, the Rumiński / Barski duo. He has released albums through Gusstaff Records and Antenna Non Grata. Alongside music, he works in motion design and visual postproduction. He is a member of the Kraków-based Skład Solny Association, where he coorganises concerts and exhibitions.

Was? Noch mehr Aufnahmen von den Headcoats und Headcoatees?! Gerade als man dachte, sie hätten mit ihren letzten Veröffentlichungen das Jucken der 25-jährigen Pause hinter sich gebracht... Wenn eine Schlägerei zwischen Bo Diddley, den Ramones und den Sonics am feuchten Grund eines Brunnens deine Vorstellung von Spaß ist, dann sind diese Platten vielleicht genau das Richtige für dich. Wenn das tatsächlich der Fall ist, empfehlen wir, sie horizontal neben einem nach Süden ausgerichteten Fenster oder - noch besser - neben einem Heizkörper zu lagern, denn jede Verschlechterung der Klangqualität dieser Schallplatten muss für eure ungeübten Ohren sicherlich ein noch größerer Segen sein. Lasst uns also alle beten, dass diese unglücklichen Seelen - anders als die meisten anderen langlebigen ,Kult"-Acts, die darauf bestehen, Nägel einzuschlagen, lange nachdem der Hammer seine Schlagkraft verloren hat - nicht glauben, es sei in Ordnung, Jahr für Jahr bis weit in ihre 90er hinein denselben alten Krach zu machen. Wie auch immer, auf die nächste! Hasty Bananas, Archibald Prong

Symbol Of The Land marks Dialog's first beat-driven album, broadening the duo’s vision of dubwise electronic music into a long-player shaped by collaboration and global exchange.

Over the last two years, Helsinki-based producers Samuel van Dijk and Rasmus Hedlund have been refining their voice within modern dub techno, testing their material on the road and inviting kindred spirits to their studio for real-life feedback loops. During these sessions, they built the album around live mixing, repeatedly re-recording elements as they work, committing effects and modulation before pushing digital processes back out into analogue voltage.

Across the record, the smoky tones of their regular collaborator, Jamaican singer Benji, plus the original voice of dub techno Paul St. Hilaire (aka Tikiman) fold into an open exchange of rhythm, space and sound. Their musings are housed by warm, patient grooves across a range of tempos and moods; from the blissed-out, reggae style on “Mellow Mood” to the wispy and esoteric “Constellation Of Stars”.

The album, which follows a string of well-loved releases on the duo’s own DOT Records, lands via Richard Akingbehin’s Kynant imprint, a label regularly dialling into the transcendent qualities of vocal dub techno.

The Prodigy’s seminal track Breathe turns 30 this year. This new 12” vinyl package titled Breathe - x30 houses the original with remixes by The Glitch Mob, and Mefjus & Camo & Krooked, for the first time.

2026 legt Merge Records zwei frühe Veröffentlichungen von 1982 der neuseeländischen Indie-Pioniere The Clean neu auf: die EP ,Great Sounds Great" und die Single ,Getting Older". Beide erscheinen erstmals seit ihrer ursprünglichen Veröffentlichung wieder auf Vinyl. Die nach der ersten Auflösung der Band veröffentlichte Single ,Getting Older" dokumentiert eine besonders kreative Phase, in der The Clean mit aufwendigen Arrangements, Drone-Gitarren und ungewöhnlichen Studioexperimenten arbeiteten. Die Neuauflagen würdigen eine Band, die den Sound des neuseeländischen Indie-Rock entscheidend geprägt hat.

,Great Sounds Great", ,Good Sounds Good", ,So-So Sounds So-So", ,Bad Sounds Bad", ,Rotten Sounds Rotten!!" 2026 legt Merge Records zwei frühe Veröffentlichungen von 1982 der neuseeländischen Indie-Pioniere The Clean neu auf: die EP ,Great Sounds Great" und die Single ,Getting Older". Beide erscheinen erstmals seit ihrer ursprünglichen Veröffentlichung wieder auf Vinyl. Nach dem Erfolg ihrer Debüt-EP ,Boodle Boodle Boodle" wollte die Band neue musikalische Wege einschlagen. ,Great Sounds Great" zeigt The Clean experimentierfreudiger und vielschichtiger, mit stärkerem Einsatz von Orgelklängen, minimalistischen Aufnahmetechniken und dem späteren Klassiker ,Beatnik". Trotz anfänglich gemischter Kritiken wurde die EP ein weiterer großer Erfolg in Neuseeland.

Three Stripe Records, the original ‘Bristol Sound’ label release their first vinyl in 30 years.
Founded in 1988 by Smith & Mighty, the label was set up to release music from local talent as well as the pair’s own recordings, and in the late eighties released a string of underground hits.
The label’s first venture in ’88, a cover of Dionne Warwick’s ‘Anyone Who Had A Heart’, featured local singer Jackie Jackson alongside rappers M.C. Kelz and Krissy Kriss and stayed at the top of the indie charts for several weeks.
Now after a long hiatus, a new three-track 12” vinyl featuring Tammy Payne performing a cover of the ’60s Mandel & Webster classic, ‘The Shadow Of Your Smile’ is due to be released on 13th November 2026.
The vinyl’s three tracks capture different variations of breakbeat, dub and soul.

The A side is a break driven, dynamic bond-esque version with orchestral drops and rises, over a tough hiphop rhythm.
AA1 is a head nodding, rolling breakbeat affair with a digi dub style bassline, while Tammy’s vocal floats in and out on a sea of echo.
AA2 is the original mello mix with sparse beat machine style patterns and 303 bass line. Tammy’s full vocal carrying the flow in contrast to the urgent backbeat, occasionally joined by keys, guitar melodies and fx.
Each version having it’s own identity while all remaining very ’Smith & Mighty’

This album features most of The Searchers’ early hits, along with a selection of album cuts and B-sides—which really come to life in these live recordings. The standout tracks are the ones they never recorded in the studio. What’d I Say was previously released from their 1963 Hamburg Star-Club recordings, but this live version captures even more energy. The album also features radio performances that were never studio recordings, including Memphis, Tennessee, Red Sails In The Sunset, and Let The Four Winds Blow. So, put this record on, sit back and relive the heyday of one of the UK’s finest and most enduring bands: Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you The Searchers!
Sleeve notes by Peter Checksfield

2026 Repress

¡NO PASARAN! is the extension to Extrawelt's DYSTORTION, from brooding tension to playful relief, the album took listeners on a six-year-crafted exploration. Their next EP picks up where this epic chapter left off and is clearly related. It's a hypnotic dive into shadow and dream, darkness and melancholy with subtle flashes of light.
The title track of the EP, already known from the album (D1 - Extrawelt - ¡No Pasaran!) carries a commanding presence, pulses with a rolling, insistent bassline that anchors shifting rhythmic currents and evolving sonic layers. Between tension and release, shadows and melody, it's a track that moves like a living entity.
Arctic Dead Run hits like a surge of raw energy. Acid lines roll relentlessly, building tension that feels alive. Then a melody sneaks in - soft, almost fragile - cutting through the intensity, until hi-hats erupt and the groove snaps into full focus. Maximal yet controlled, every element finds its place.
Clipping Me Softly dissolves the pressure with a dark, playful groove. Precise rhythms meet spacious pads, opening into a dreamlike state where night slowly gives way to warmth and light.
A focused and uncompromising continuation of Extrawelt's sonic language: Dense grooves, acid pressure, and dreamlike relief collide in a release built for deep listening and late-night floors.

Sentimental Ultra marks DJ HEARTSTRING’s debut proper on Steel City Dance Discs, and their first album project, releasing November 13th 2026. Starting life as a mixtape before a happy accident or two took it down a different path, the 15-track album finds the pair chasing not just peak-time euphoria and what they can conjure in a club setting, but everything around it, too. The befores and the afters. The soft and the supercharged. What life felt like when they were young. Featuring collaborations with SWIM, Spriitzz, BAUGRUPPE90, Sam Gellaitry, Saidah, DMA’S, KennyHoopla, Monk, 3NDLES5, David Jackson and secret act, they fold formative years influences such as indie rock, rap, ambient and breakbeat into their sought-after sound, and balance them with contemporary-coded ideas.

This blend of worlds is at the crux of the album’s concept visually as well. Sentimental Ultra is an exploration blurring the lines of hard and soft, taking inspiration from subculture communities around football hooliganism and skateboarding. The cover is shot by iconic British photographer Ewen Spencer, renowned for his work around Skins, The Streets and more. The collaboration has seen DJ HEARTSTRING land features in Numero Berlin, Notion Mag and other cross-cultural editorial platforms ahead of the album announcement.

To date, the project has already received various milestones across international radio, including Arielle Free’s Big Whopper for third single ‘Another Year Alone’ and DJ HEARTSTRING landing a coveted BBC R1 Residency in November. Adding to this is the slew of digital looks and accolades for DJ HEARTSTRING’s set recordings including their closing set at Soenda Festival earlier this year which is on 115k views since being published in May 2026, their Melbourne Boiler Room published in 2025 with +1 million views and their Belfast Boiler Room published in 2023 with +1.1 million views.

Since DJ HEARTSTRING’s 2021 debut, when they rollicked through the club door with their Destiny of the Moment and Eternal Euphoria EPs, alongside a slew of self-released, pop-and-R&B-indebted edits, DJ HEARTSTRING have followed their hearts and won over legions more with an emotional dance music style that’s fast become synonymous with their name.

There’ve been big releases such as 2025’s You Are The Sun, I Am The Sky EP, and buzzy collaborations with fellow synapse-igniters like SWIM, Narciss, southstar and S.C.D.D.’s KETTAMA. The past few years have also seen remixes for Charli XCX and Sam Smith, Romy, Sugababes and Empire of the Sun, sets everywhere from Berghain to London’s 3000-capacity Roundhouse, their own Teenage Dream parties and a must-listen contribution to the BBC Radio 1’s Essential Mix series, which showcased just some of the sonic inspirations behind their signature, like Eurodance and trance, plus heaps of DJ HEARTSTRING material.

And now, Sentimental Ultra arrives off the back of DJ HEARTSTRING’s busiest summer to date with landmark festival plays at Awakenings in the Netherlands, Lost Village and Maiden Voyage in the UK, We Love Green in France, Lost Paradise in Belgium, Movement Festival in Detroit and Arc Festival in Chicago. Hot off the heels of their festival run, the Berlin duo show no signs of slowing down with a 3-date Australia tour at the end of September whereby they sold a cumulative 15,500 tickets across Melbourne, Sydney and Perth shows, all on presales. In addition to some pop-up in key markets around album release including Ireland, Scotland, Berlin and London, the Sentimental Ultra official tour also encompasses a European hard ticket run including Belfast’s Telegraph Building (2,000 cap), Brussels’ Braindance (2,000 cap), Paris Phantom (3,400) and DJ HEARTSTRING’s biggest London show to date - Brixton Academy (5,000) - an apt follow-up after selling out Magazine (4,000 cap) weeks in advance in February 2026.

There’s plenty still in store, and plenty of places to catch them throughout the rest of what’s set to be a landmark year. Shows from Miami to Manchester (for the sold-out KETTAMA presents Steel City Dance Discs WHP takeover) to Dublin’s District X, a hometown Teenage Dreams event and 2 colossal ADE headlines at Dockyard and Sugar Factory - with more plans bubbling behind the scenes. DJ HEARTSTRING season is well and truly upon us.

“Interpretation”
The act of explaining, reframing, or otherwise showing your own understanding of something. This captured me. We can all look at the same thing but what we see, hear or experience may differ. This word ended up being the title of my new album. I want to share my interpretation of music with listeners and take them on a musical journey. Through my music, I hope to bring about many interpretations. Your interpretation.

With great joy and pride we announce that The Night Service Commute second album Interpretation is a fact. The release is set for November 13th. You can expect cinematic vibes driven by breakbeats, bass, rhodes, violin, poetry, trumpet and field recordings. This turned out fantastic, and gave the album the groove, feel and vibe I was looking for. During the making, It was so great to learn how to capture the sound and get it to sit well in the mix.

The cover was made by my dear friend Saša Ostoja. His illustrations resonate greatly with me and put a smile on my face. The setting of the cover artwork is urban with hints of forest. Behind the windows, you can see the characters playing music and doing studio stuff. It has loads of hidden jokes and details. I can look at it again and again and discover new things every time.

2026 Repress

The clergy is pleased to introduce you to a new initiate: Birds ov Paradise. This highly anticipated Hypnus debut comes split into three separate EP's which will be released one each full moon starting October.

Some of you may be acquainted with the music of Birds ov Paradise already as he's put out two stellar records on Jens and Aniara Recordings in 2016-2017, as well as making a contribution to our podcast series The Memoir where his sound was put on a grand display. Those of you who are new to the fantastic dream world of this very talented artist will quickly get lost in the flowing rhythms that drives his magical deep techno sound.

Early support from Etapp Kyle, Ness, Slam, Iori, Refracted, Svreca, Cio D'Or and Dorisburg to name a few.

2026 Repress

Autumn of 2022 marked 20 years since the initial release of Metro Area's first and only album, Metro Area. Environ had already remastered and re-released this essential LP for its 15th anniversary. So this time around, we're doing something a bit different.

To celebrate two decades of Metro Area, Environ has partnered with renowned mastering engineer Matt Colton (Metropolis Studios) to remaster and recut the first four Metro Area 12"s: Metro Area, Metro Area 2, Metro Area 3 and Metro Area 4. Unlike the album reissue, these records include the original, extended 12" versions of all songs, including some which have never been re-released.

Metro Area is the duo's first 12" EP, originally released in 1999.

Four years on from the much-loved Shelter EP, Orphic return with the Mambe EP, a long-awaited follow-up that sees the duo push further into their signature world of deep, dubwise techno and hypnotic club music. The record opens with the title track, a slow-burning piece of stripped-back techno that unfolds through submerged chords, rolling percussion and finely detailed sound design. Sitting alongside it are two solo productions from each half
of the Orphic project.

Kieran Jandu’s Back To Mine veers into deep, bass-heavy electro, all cavernous sub pressure, fractured drum programming and smoked-out atmosphere, landing somewhere between the weight of Digital Mystikz and the hypnotic, off-centre psychedelia of a Craig Richards set.

DJ Space Taxi takes a different route with Dream Cycle, an introspective, dreamlike cut where shimmering textures, drifting melodies and restrained rhythm combine to quietly draw
you in.

Flipping the record over, two of the underground’s most distinctive voices reinterpret the title track. Polygonia brings her unmistakable fluid, organic touch, stretching the original into a beautifully detailed, living groove, while Konduku strips things back into a
deeply hypnotic, psychedelic excursion that feels tailor-made for the outer edges of the dancefloor.

A beautifully restrained return from Orphic that more than justifies the four-year wait. Four artists, four distinct perspectives, held together by a shared appreciation for depth, space and subtle movement.

Outlander Wax Records presents its debut record, a story of musical collisions and technoid love, bringing together Ian Tocor and Joseph Schiano di Lombo for this first release

DJ Support: Glenn Underground, Crazy P, Terry Farley, Aroop Roy, Chris Coco, Frank Tope, Greg Wilson, Dom Servini, Francois K, Max Essa, Oliver Dollar, Pete Herbert and many more

Danny Ward’s Balaphonic project, one of many the long-serving performer, producer, percussionist, drummer and DJ has utilised over a career spanning over three decades, has evolved considerably since his first release under the alias 11 years ago. Conceived as a platform to explore his love of Afro-Cuban and Brazilian musical culture, it gathered new impetus during lockdown and the recording of superb first album Resolution Revolutions, which fused these influences with nods to Balearica, dub, dancehall and deep house.

On the Organic Matters EP, Ward’s follow-up to that critically acclaimed set, the Balaphonic musical universe has expanded once more, with the Manchester native showcasing a wealth of eye-catching collaborations and an even more intricately layered and sonically detailed sound rich in live percussion and instrumentation. It’s an ambitious and widescreen musical vision wrapped in sun-soaked melodies, morning-fresh motifs and simmering, sunset-friendly soundscapes.

The dizzying new heights scaled by Ward on Organic Matters is evident from the opening bars of ‘Dew Drops’, a piece created in unison with internationally renowned composer and arranger Robin Dewhirst. Between them, the pair have conjured up a yearning, life-affirming samba shuffler where picturesque piano, xylophone and balafon melodies rise above Ward’s dense, layered Latin percussion and warming bass.

Next, Ward delivers a thrillingly different take on his 2005 composition ‘Switch’, featuring legendary Brazilian jazz vocalist Flora Purim and her equally talented daughter Diana Moreira Booker. Whereas that was a jazzy deep house workout, Ward’s Balaphonic re-make is a shuffling, gentle exploration in 7/4 time – a heartfelt tribute to the Brazilian records with which Purim first made her name in the 1960s and ‘70s.

‘Balaventurers’ sees Ward join forces with an old friend from the North-West scene, R.S.L founder Joe Botham AKA Baleardelica – a multi-instrumentalist and producer whose Flamenco-inspired acoustic guitar motifs provided the starting point for another vividly colourful exploration rich in layered vocalisations, twinkling keys and impeccably arranged percussion.

It’s followed by ‘Life of Strings’, a more up-tempo and dancefloor-leaning excursion written and recorded alongside Amsterdam-based violinist, and composer Katya Gabeli. While Ward’s percussion-rich groove provides propulsion and a rock-solid foundation, it’s Gabeli’s evocative string arrangement that provides the focal point and emotional resonance. It’s a genuinely brilliant collaboration.

To round off a second stunning Balaphonic release on NuNorthern Soul, Ward delivers two simmering, slow-motion delights: the Afro-Cuban rhythms, cascading melodies and melodic percussion motifs of ‘Boxfresh’, and stunning EP closer ‘Home’ – an almost overwhelmingly poignant and beautiful number that gently ebbs and flows on waves of tracked piano, dreamy chords and a comforting sense of closure. It’s a genuinely sublime conclusion to another wonderful Balaphonic release.

Anton Ivanchenko aka Light The Fuse and Ivan Moskvin (who is half of Fankin) met while judging Red Bull's beatmaker battle back in 2021, but it took years before they actually made music together. Decades of vinyl digging and a knack for sampling weird, unexpected fragments turned into studio jams, then into their debut album, Ghettoblaster Twins. There's no forced concept when they work together - they let the music happen naturally and it shows: breezy, curious, over before you know it. Source material ranges from obscure jazz to a Soviet film theme, all floating between funk, hip-hop and breakbeat, laced with a warm, nostalgic pull. A lovely debut, hopefully with more to come in future.

A two-way Italian/Mexican stand-off here, as Saint Wax founder Gledd (real name Eduardo Barbi) and Kaninchenbau label chief The Funk District (Fernando Mendoza) deliver their first joint EP since 2022. The latter steps up first with two solo workouts- the Clavinet-splashed nu-disco-goes-bluesy deep house shuffle of 'The River Bends Back' and the Rhodes rich deep house disco of 'Got To Be Alright' - before the duo combine on two collaborative cuts. 'I Said' is a gospel-powered slab of ever-building disco-house hedonism, while 'Down The Middle' is deeper, more bass-heavy and topped off with classic soul vocal samples. Gledd then takes over, following the infectious piano house bounce of 'I Said' with the colourful, acid-flecked excellence of 'Blessin'.

Swooped Records would like to introduce our limited series of vinyl only edits We love many of the edit labels with 1-2 tracks per release, and we’re going to help you value up with 4 top-shelf cuts on every record! We kick it off with Chainsnatcher “Jump Up In It” Vox that is straight up, dirty, bumping House music! It’s also featured on Derrick Carter’s for The 6 Mix w/ Mary Anne Hobbs on BBC’s flagship BBC Radio 6 Music. Next up Ric Viera of Guided Methods fame teams up with Elrose for “Only Ewe”. This funky House take on an afro-boogie jam will shake the dance floor and keep the discerning heads nodding. The flip side brings us Chainsnatcher “Jump Up On it” Dub. This is for those that want a stripped back version of the Vox with well placed, minimal vocal snippets and that dance floor boogie. Agent 818 rounds it off with “Don’t Let Nobody” and it’s time to get the summer time vibe started pronto! This jam will do the trick whether it’s day party-fun to after-hours strutting, just ask DJ Heather as she’s been playing it for a minute now.

Hope you dig!

Tehran-born Sohrab brings a unique mix of influences to the new outing on Iran-based label Shahr Farang. Vocals in Persian and melodies associated with Middle Eastern styles all colour his take on deep techno. 'Santouri (Sange Sabour)' kicks off with a throbbing rhythm and exotic strings that intertwine up top with wirey electronics. It's an intoxicating collision of cultures that also comes as a more direct instrumental. On the flip, 'Rise' is a jacked analogue workout with punchy kick and spangled bass locked in a wrestle as swung percussion and rattling chords all beef things up further.

Mit ihrem neuen Album Nine setzt das aus Chicago stammende Post-Metal-Trio Russian Circles seine bedächtige Weiterentwicklung und disziplinierte Verfeinerung fort. Dabei besinnen sie sich auf ihre Stärken und erweitern zugleich die Grenzen ihres Klangspektrums. Dies ist eine Band ohne Radio-Hits. Es gibt keinen Konsens unter Fans darüber, welches ihr bestes Album ist. Was bleibt, ist der Ruf nach Beständigkeit und Qualität - ein Ruf, der sie zu einer der weltweit bedeutendsten Bands im Bereich des instrumentalen Heavy Rock gemacht hat. Auch wenn sie betonen, dass ihre Musik aus einer Vielzahl unterschiedlichster Einflüsse schöpft, lässt sich sagen, dass sich die experimentierfreudige Vielfalt von Russian Circles zu einem unverwechselbaren, einzigartigen Sound entwickelt hat. Obwohl die Mitglieder von Russian Circles mittlerweile über das ganz USA verstreut leben - Gitarrist Mike Sullivan in Los Angeles, Schlagzeuger Dave Turncrantz in Chicago und Bassist/Keyboarder Brian Cook auf Vashon Island bei Seattle -, haben sie für Nine ihre jeweiligen Standorte musikalisch miteinander verwoben. Die sieben gewaltigen, fast seismischen Titel wirken wie Soundtracks zu den Herausforderungen und Tragödien des modernen Lebens. "Unsere Musik ist ein gemeinsamer Prozess der Versöhnung, der Orientierung und der Reflexion über das Älterwerden - sowohl als Individuen als auch als kreative Einheit. Das Leben hat reale räumliche Distanzen zwischen uns geschaffen, doch die Band bildet weiterhin unseren gemeinsamen Mittelpunkt. Diese kreative Zusammenarbeit ermöglicht es uns, den Lauf der Zeit zu erfassen und zugleich voller Zuversicht in die Zukunft zu blicken", erklärt die Band. Während frühere Alben beim Erkunden verschiedener musikalischer Gefilde fast spielerisch wirkten, ist Nine das Zeugnis einer Band, die ihr Terrain genau kennt und ihre Position in dieser vielfältigen Klanglandschaft festigt.

With ZURNA OBSESSION, Türkiye Edition, MoBlack explores the rich musical heritage of Türkiye through a collection of collaborations united by the unmistakable sound of the zurna. Powerful, expressive and deeply rooted in Turkish folk traditions, the instrument becomes the centerpiece of a project that bridges cultural identity and contemporary club music. Across four productions, traditional melodies, regional influences and Afro House rhythms come together in a celebration of musical exchange, with MoBlack acting as the connecting force throughout the entire release.

Bogdan Ra's Love Affair label is still in its infancy, but thus far has yet to make a misstep. On his previous EP for the imprint, the Lisbon-based artist explored his love of TB-303 powered acid house insanity; here, he drops a much more diverse but no less impressive five tracker. He begins with 'Tour De Acid', a punchy electro-meets-acid house workout featuring nods aplenty to Kraftwerk, before blurring the boundaries between formative acid house, bleep and deep nu-disco on title track 'Light Boom'. 'Take Your Time' and 'Manic and Cool' are both peak-time ready slabs of peak-time-ready house nostalgia, while closing cut 'Strictly Business' is a brilliant blend of bass-heavy breaks and acid-fired dancefloor psychedelia.

Nacho Marco returns on CHIWAX!
We are very happy to present you his third production for us so far.
A beatuy full of Groove, Soul and Deepness!
Highly recommended!

HOUSEWAX presents Wasserfall & Vaage - Chrome Nights (12")
High class House - don't miss!

No apologies needed once again from the Sorry We Play Vinyl crew as they roll out a seventh slab of wax that's packed to the edge with club heaters, but all of them quite different. 'EDIT19' kick off with a tribal steaminess and yelping vocals, oversized organic drums and scraping hits. It's controlled chaos that will demand wildness on the floor. 'EDIT20' flips the vibe with jazzy fingers dancing over an old-school disco groove that slides and slinks its way into your affections and 'EDIT21' then does another about-turn and heads into mean minimal territory with a militant rhythm, synths that roam like prison searchlights and a darkness that is all-consuming.

DiG Records’ latest release is a reissue of one of the most remarkable Russian electronic albums of the 90s. Available on vinyl for the first time, 100 Photography Lessons is the 1993 debut album by the duo Block Four, with a rich sound spanning a wide range of genres, from downtempo and experimental electronics to trance and techno.

Block Four was formed by Oleg Salkhov and Konstantin Smirnov in the early 1990s at Moscow’s SNC Studio. Salkhov was the studio’s first recording engineer, working with bands including Moralny Kodeks and Megapolis, while Smirnov came from Nikolai Kopernik, where he had already been experimenting extensively with electronic instruments.

The album is built around sampling, experimentation, and a broad range of influences. Block Four drew sounds from jazz, classical music, rock, hip-hop, folk and electronic music, as well as films, VHS tapes, and radio broadcasts, gradually assembling their own extensive library of samples and loops. Combined with synthesizers, samplers, drum machines, unconventional rhythms, and harmonic ideas, the duo brought all these elements together to create their own distinctive sound.

100 Photography Lessons captures a brief but important period when Russian electronic music was still developing its own language. Freely blending sampling, electronic instruments, and influences from a wide range of musical traditions, Block Four created an album that still sounds compelling more than three decades later.

Luis Reich and Max Wurden's Reverence traverses superb ambient and electroacoustic territory with sustained tones, radio interference, fragmented speech and plenty of harmonies that shift almost imperceptibly. 'Sono' opens wide with drones meeting distant brass, before 'Lens' marries brooding bass pulses with floating brass top notes that pass by like half-remembered thoughts. The title track strips everything back to a sparse, suspended core and 'Horfunk' brings damaged broadcast noise to a textured soundscape. 'Studio Blue' closes out slowly and patiently with plenty of sonic decay. A subtly dramatic record.

Cécille Summer 2026 Compilation
Summer and Cécille have always gone hand in hand.

For 2026, we’re back with another carefully selected collection of records that perfectly capture where house music feels today. Eleven tracks from artists we’ve admired for years, longtime friends of the label, exciting
newcomers, and fresh faces joining the Cécille family for the very first time.

Piem opens the journey with his long-awaited Cécille debut. A respected name in the scene for many years, his unmistakable groove has been on our radar for a long time, and we’re proud to finally welcome him to the label with Give Me The Rhythm.

Leon returns to where it all began. Since his very first Cécille release back in 2009, he’s been an important part of the label’s story. Let Bass Kick is classic Leon—timeless, understated and effortlessly effective.

UK duo Late Replies continue their incredible rise with Moment 4 U. Their fresh take on house music has been impossible to ignore, and we’re thrilled to have them on this year’s compilation.

Dutch mainstay Jesse Maas delivers Voices In My Head, another classy slice of groove from one of the most consistent names in the Netherlands’ house scene.

Buenos Aires’ Manu Desrets impressed us so much that one track simply wasn’t enough. His two contributions, Get GG and Voy No Kako, showcase two different shades of his sound and perfectly reflect why he’s become
one of the most exciting producers coming out of Argentina.

Andrew Azara has become a true part of the Cécille family over the years. This time he teams up with Traumer, who makes his label debut with a beautifully understated deep house record. Need You is one of those tracks
that quietly sticks with you.

We’re also excited to welcome Jay de Lys to the family. Together with Simon Kidzoo and Monölitio, the trio delivers Into The Light—a warm, feel-good house record that instantly became one of our favourites. Three
artists from Argentina, the Netherlands and Barcelona coming together exactly the way house music should.

After turning heads on last year’s Costa compilation, Brazil’s Classmatic returns alongside fellow Florianópolis producer Marian. Brazilian Madness is exactly what you’d expect: infectious groove, irresistible swing and that
unmistakable Brazilian sense of rhythm.

One of the hottest young names coming out of the Netherlands right now, Stefan Meser delivers Don’t Hesitate—one of those records that gets stuck in your head after the very first listen.

Closing the compilation is someone who’s been part of the Cécille story since the very beginning. Christian Burkhardt has been a longtime friend of the label and one of Frankfurt’s finest. Specialo lived in our vault for almost two years while we waited for the right moment to release it. This felt like the perfect place for it, and the perfect way to close another Cécille summer.

Eleven tunes. Eleven different stories. One soundtrack for Summer 2026. Welcome to the next chapter of Cécille.

Those who’ve followed the career of Aussie disco don Dr Packer should be familiar with the Surgery Edits name – it was the series of mostly self-released re-edit EPs with which he launched his career back in the 2010s. Wax Digits boss Fingerman has not confirmed that this double 12-inch is the Australian’s work, but since he has released previous instalments in the series, it is likely to be. Either way, there’s plenty to set the pulse racing throughout, from a lolloping and loopy disco-house style rub of Chewy Rubs ‘Future Freak’ and a similarly chunky, house-style rush through V’s ‘Muzik Got Me’ (itself a take on an early 80s NYC classic), to the chugging, organ-rich disco-goes-deep house re-tweak of BO’s ‘Nites’ and a peak-time-ready bounce through the disco-funk edit excellence that is BC’s ‘Shake’.

"Once Turin-based producers Mattia and Massimo joined forces under the Voodoos & Taboos moniker, they quickly became a notable force in contemporary club music. A crafty take on house music, combining groove with sculpted production work and a bent for lush melodies, drawing from a wide range of influences - anything that borders on the electronic genres really, and beyond - fueled their own namesake imprint with 6 EP's and landed them spots on a variety of top-tier labels. We have been keen to work with these artists for a long time, and are thrilled this finally materializes with the release of ALT027. Title track "Sempre Sognar" immediately sets out the duo's floor-focused intentions. Breakbeat-laced drums gradually build momentum before a formant lead drops in. It trades phrases with an equally infectious organ that's eventually joined by a 303 pattern for the track's finale. Similar vibrating, buzzy leads thrust "Take Me" forward. Amid heavily delayed vocal samples, the proggy beat takes a more trippy turn however. Synthesized idiophone interludes create room for moments of repose, although not entirely unambiguous ones. A subtly detuned lead and more sleek acid lines are supported by the type of arp bass that characterizes Voodoos & Taboos' sound on the B-side's "Revolution". A collage of broadcast and war-movie lines alike not only adds color, but underlines the sense of indeterminate imminence that looms throughout the track. B2 "Afterhouse" sees the BPM drop a notch, yet the palette shows no signs of winding down; it is downright exuberant. As different arpeggiated melodies play call and response, tape-delayed chords, alarm-like risers, and sprinkles of guitar add extra flavor. This does not lead to excess, however. Everything is carefully measured and kept in check: after all, at the helm are two artists who understand that perfection lies in getting a great many small things exactly right."

Please can someone please give me a better word for Sexy? Because the thesaurus is giving me ick...Send help because this is a SEXY record – and (football analogy incoming) – a sexy summer signing....

Yes, that’s right ODF’s summer transfer to the Shall Not Fade main label is complete. ‘The Rhythm Grooves’ makes a hat trick of 12”s for us after the UK OTW producer’s double sell out EPs ‘Deep Step’& ‘Rock With Me’ on our Time is Now imprint. The UKG and grooving breaks specialist has been developing his game and steps into House territory for something of a statement EP and we’re (hot and) here for it. Since launching his own On Da Floor label last year ODF has been on a tear and this record perfectly encapsulates why. Four double threat tracks that can be weaponised both as main stage WMDs or as deadly 3am tickets to another place....

This invisible dichotomy is most clearly on show in title track & A side opener ‘The Rhythm Grooves’ is equal parts hot under the collar and hands in the air. Deep and sexy house but with a stepping baseline and a big vocal. ‘Free Your Soul’ stays deep, a swung jacking house cut with big M1 stabs and piano riffs and cheeky breakbeat breakdowns. That palette is timeless and there’s every reason this track will be too.

The B-side leans more into sweaty room & heads down territory but just like before there’s that double threat and we’ve seen both these tracks go off in big rooms at peak time. ‘Back to Mine’ calls back to that sweet spot in the early 2000s with French Touch inspired tech house was dominating Ibiza...Sleazy and sunbaked? Check. But what we didn't realise was missing w as some Accieeeed. Big shout from ODF there.. ‘Do You Feel Me?’ closes out in celebratory style. A proper tech house tool complete
with chugging bassline and more sexy breathy vocals. It’s the after hours roller.

A serious note to close, because I don’t want the playfulness of this press release to make you overlook this (sexy) EP as it’s appeal is more than skin deep. Having sat with – and lusted over –these tracks for a while I can tell you that they just get better (and hotter) with every outing. The Rhythm Grooves is out 28th August 2026 on Shall Not Fade.

On 24th May, 2024, the exact day of its Golden Jubilee, Diamond Dogs will be issued as a limited edition 50th anniversary half-speed mastered LP. The first single from the album, ‘Rebel Rebel’, reached number 5 in the UK and the album would also reach similar heights on both sides of the Atlantic reaching number 1 in the UK and number 5 in the USA.



This new pressing of Diamond Dogs was cut on a customised late Neumann VMS80 lathe with fully recapped electronics from 192kHz restored masters of the original master tapes, with no additional processing on transfer. The half-speed was cut by John Webber at AIR Studios



The writing of the album was influenced by Bowie not being able to secure the rights for a theatrical production of George Orwell’s 1984 and the work of William S. Burroughs, whom Bowie had interviewed for Rolling Stone in November 1973. The songs on the album created an urban apocalyptic scenario with Bowie appearing on the cover as a controversial half-man, half-dog hybrid painted by the Belgian artist Guy Peellaert from photos by the world-renowned photographer Terry O’Neill. Since its release, tracks from Diamond Dogs have been covered by artists such as Beck, Tina Turner, Duran Duran, Def Leppard, Joan As Police Woman, Dead Or Alive and The Struts.