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For his first solo vinyl release Slovenian producer Nitz drops four introspective cuts exploring unusual rhythms and soundscapes. Spanning techno, electro and IDM, this is material built for discerning dancefloors.

Fit for Consequences: Original Recordings, 1984–1987 is the first ever archival release from Repetition Repetition, the “two-man electric minimalist band” consisting of Ruben Garcia and Steve Caton hailing from Los Angeles in the mid 1980’s. Repetition Repetition’s unique blend of cosmic art-rock minimalism / maximalism was self-released across a series of cassettes produced in micro editions, and while garnering the attention and participation of luminaries such as Harold Budd, remained under the radar during the band’s existence. Fit for Consequences: Original Recordings, 1984–1987 collects select material from across the duo’s catalog.

It was over a plate of Mexican breakfast food when Ruben Garcia and Steve Caton first told Harold Budd of Repetition Repetition and the worlds they intended to explore by respective way of synthesizers and guitars --- a rendezvous instigated by the former’s fan mail to the legendary composer. If the upstarts entered this restaurant from a one-way street of admiration, they would leave with not only Budd’s interest but, sometime later, a blessing in the wake of many hours shared by the three in Garcia’s Los Angeles home recording studio: “This is going to be difficult, but God help them, I think they’re great,” noted Budd in a USC lecture in 1985. Now several degrees removed from prior rock music aspirations, the real game was afoot.

Between 1984 and 1988, Repetition Repetition operated within something akin to the underground of the experimental underground, although even that designation perhaps overstates the case. The duo’s sparse output consisted of three cassettes self-released on Garcia’s Third Stone Music label: Repetition Repetition (1985), Lakeland (1987), and The Machinist (1987). Their songs would also be included during this period on Trance Port Tapes’ vital scene-scanning compilations assembled by A Produce. Live performances occurred with similar infrequency, but Garcia and Caton counted converts in quality over quantity, numbering among them the aforementioned Budd, a Chambers Brother, and, judging by a memorably drop-jawed reaction following a rare Repetition Repetition gig, Jackson Browne.

Likewise, critical support materialized in the form of KCRW deejays Brent Wilcox and Dean Suzuki, whose steady airplay positioned Repetition Repetition’s music amidst fearless company like Jon Hassell, Hiroshi Yoshimura, and Richard Horowitz. Yet, to hear fellow Trance Port featured players like Tom Recchion and Bruce Licher of Savage Republic tell it, Garcia and Caton moved as ghosts --- a notion more vexingly endorsed by the silence of record companies that failed to come knocking --- and therein lies an overarching truth to the work itself.

Journey to the heart of Repetition Repetition and one discovers a collective ear impossibly attuned to the hypnotic possibilities of stylistic convergence, the resulting music possessed of seamless multimodalities which beckon to a glimmering plane of the disembodied. Where Caton sought his artistic fixes at an intersection of popular genres, Garcia zoned in on the sonically spare, drawing from the same wellspring as the Enos and Rileys of his personal avant-garde pantheon, and in their coming together the two tapped into a deeper cosmic source. Synthetic walls of keyboard sound in forever states of reprise met waves of shimmering --- and at times even punishing --- guitar in reply, their soundscapes hovering convincingly between, as suggested in fittingly dualistic fashion in a press kit assembled by Garcia, such disparate sensations as bird flight in one song and oil drilling in the next.

But don’t call it a push-pull dynamic, as this was a creative partnership founded upon fluidity and organicism by way of, naturally, repetition. In contrast to, say, the Bressonian ideal of repetitive motion as a great stripping away, the concept in the hands of Garcia and Caton equated to ascendancy via continuous unfolding, a maximal route to minimalism. To be sure, their recording philosophy morphed over the course of the act’s short history, and what started as a process defined by consistent in-person interplay developed into a more isolated method formulated by Garcia, who eventually took to his own one-man bedroom-studio sessions in order to fully chart any and all potential ostinato-loaded paths which he could travel down, the Tascam-captured resonances subsequently provided to Caton as blueprints from which to take flight himself, adding layer upon layer of steel to the proceedings.

If the practice and execution changed, however, the evidence certainly didn’t rest in the results: The seamlessness remained, and, despite the brevity of their time together, so has Repetition Repetition. With this finely calibrated collection of songs in Fit for Consequences: Original Recordings, 1984–1987, Freedom To Spend sees to it that the private worlds of Garcia and Caton can now be visited by all rather than just the count-‘em-on-both-hands lucky few whose musical endeavors or collector vocations carried them into this once-distant dimension.

Repetition Repetition’s Fit for Consequences: Original Recordings, 1984–1987 will be released on Freedom To Spend in vinyl and digital editions on May 30, 2025. The collection includes extensive liner notes from Bill Perrine, and wil be offered alongside Over & Over, a supplemental collection of music available exclusively as a mail order cassette from Freedom To Spend and RVNG Intl.

"In a world where it is easier than ever to say something, it is actually the hardest time to be heard.
We are constantly bombarded by so much information and/or distractions that people can hardly be blamed for not tuning in.
The box has been constructed to be safe, so why step outside it?

The vibe shift is undeniable but everyone is free to choose which frequency to tap into.
Music can be nourishment for the soul if you have the right ingredients. Even then you need the right chefs to cook it properly to be served.
Meftah and Ideeyah have taken their time to create something that feels complete.
Something intentional. Meditative.
Another piece in the great chain of the African Diaspora.

Where else but Detroit could something like this come from?
A complete concept that is unabashedly of the present but still honors the past. This is Soul music. Crafted with love for community, for heritage, for fulfillment.
There was a method to the madness, a reason for the gradual formation of artistic merit that is presented to you now.
This music contains a universal message if you can open your eyes and mind to it.

Less talking, more doing.
Go out there and be somebody again.
Reclaim your light under the sun.

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.
For Funk is it’s own reward,
if you want it to be.

- Turtle Bugg"

The first in a proposed series of transmissions, Surface Detail's mystifying debut introduces an incorporeal body that exists only through sound and sensation, prompting listeners to discern a spiritual realm beyond the physical. Its surging electro-acoustic compositions push past the material world to plunge into deeper sonic dimensions, slowly revealing a philosophy borne of near-death and out-of-body experiences that challenges perception itself.

Overhauling vintage experimental techniques with their bespoke modern methodologies and processes, Surface Detail rearrange the musical timeline, merging vastly different concepts to hint at questions rather than provide solid answers. Their uniquely immersive soundscapes use texture, rhythm and tonality to help brush away the superficial and contemplate the unknown, approaching its delicate, controversial subject matter with sensitivity and sensuality. Not just an auditory experience, 'Surface Detail' tests the potential of sound itself, eliciting visceral physical reactions with its uncanny subtleties.

Those principles are divulged immediately on opening track 'Marée Noire', as breathy saxophone notes loops and swirl over cosmic oscillations and microtonally tuned drones. It's music that cracks open a passage that snakes through various genres, suggesting silhouettes rather than affirming banal musical preconceptions. Skeletal rhythms appear in the ether for only a moment, disappearing into the sonic landscape, and Surface Detail's bespoke instrumentation materializes just to bring out the cellular intricacy of the music, concentrating the gaze on microscopic textures and irregularities that discompose the senses. As the album drifts forward, it bends material reality even further: on 'Southern Breach', warm, lower-register organ tones intermingle with sinewy guitar twangs, evaporating into warped, hypnotic oscillations and eerie echoes; and by 'Superbook of the Dead', the conspicuous details have almost disappeared completely, replaced by subterranean clangs, industrial ambience and other-worldly electrical interference.

It's in this way that Surface Detail softly assert their convictions, insinuating a narrative that subliminally ushers listeners down an hypnagogic River Styx by removing all traces of the familiar. On closing track 'Broken Silicates', distant lullabies, dissociated stutters and ghostly woodwind sounds blot fractal patterns on the wide open space, reincarnating the album in a liminal zone that's not constrained by somatic logic. Whisper quiet and utterly beguiling, it transcends material existence, dissolving barriers between surface and depth.

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

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

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

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

Elipsis is the convergence of three musical personalities deeply rooted with one foot in the tradition and one foot in the future. Pedrito Martínez (Eric Clapton, Paul Simon, Sting, Wynton Marsalis), master percussionist, Yoruba priest, and one of the iconic voices of Cuba, seamlessly weaves Afro-Cuban tradition with an innovative approach to every project he touches. Mexico City-bred Antonio Sánchez is equally admired for his work as a solo artist (with guest appearances by people like Thom Yorke, Trent Reznor, and Dave Matthews), sideman (Michael Brecker, Chris Potter, Avishai Cohen), drummer for the Pat Metheny Group for almost two decades, and Oscar-nominated film scorer (Birdman). Michael League is best known as the founder of the 5-time Grammy-winning, Texas-born instrumental music ensemble Snarky Puppy, but has spent the majority of his career producing records by artists like David Crosby, Youssou N’Dour, Susana Baca, Silvana Estrada, and Los Muñequitos de Matanzas. The result of these three musicians is future folklore- a delicate balance of each member’s roots and the insatiable desire to push the tradition into places one can only imagine.

Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine are at it again! Hot on the heels of their debut full-length The Audacity of Hype, the group—featuring Ralph Spight (Victims Family, Freak Accident, Hellworms), Jon Weiss (Sharkbait, Horsey), Billy Gould (Faith No More) and Kimo Ball (Freak Accident, Carneyball Johnson, Mol Triffid, Griddle)—roars back with five unreleased rippers. CD and download versions include “Metamorphosis Exploration on Deviation Street,” a transmogrified 18-minute cover of the Deviants’ classic. The band’s twin guitar attack retains some of the space punk overtones and spy-music-on-meth chaos of Dead Kennedys, while adding a healthy dose of Detroit-style proto-punk, flavoured with Weiss’s industrial excursions into metal percussion. This is Biafra’s first full-time band since Dead Kennedys broke up in 1986, and the depth and breadth of his musical chops and lyrical triumphs are on full display on these ferocious tracks

Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine are at it again! Hot on the heels of their debut full-length The Audacity of Hype, the group—featuring Ralph Spight (Victims Family, Freak Accident, Hellworms), Jon Weiss (Sharkbait, Horsey), Billy Gould (Faith No More) and Kimo Ball (Freak Accident, Carneyball Johnson, Mol Triffid, Griddle)—roars back with five unreleased rippers. CD and download versions include “Metamorphosis Exploration on Deviation Street,” a transmogrified 18-minute cover of the Deviants’ classic. The band’s twin guitar attack retains some of the space punk overtones and spy-music-on-meth chaos of Dead Kennedys, while adding a healthy dose of Detroit-style proto-punk, flavoured with Weiss’s industrial excursions into metal percussion. This is Biafra’s first full-time band since Dead Kennedys broke up in 1986, and the depth and breadth of his musical chops and lyrical triumphs are on full display on these ferocious tracks

Chilean-born, Bristol-based DJ, producer, and vocalist Shanti Celeste is back with her highly anticipated second album, Romance, set for release on May 16 via the label head’s own Peach Discs, in collaboration with Method 808. Marking her debut LP on the cult London-based label, Romance sees Celeste fully embracing her artistic evolution, delivering a lush and deeply personal exploration of love, longing and self-discovery across its nine tracks. The album’s bubbling lead single, ‘Thinking About You’, is out now - an emotional and dancefloor-facing glimpse into Celeste’s new era with her voice at the fore.

Shanti Celeste has long been revered for her radiant and infectious sound in a vibrant blend of house and techno. Romance takes this signature style to new heights, exploring the depth of romantic and platonic relationships that permeates the record with a pop-infused sheen. With her vocals placed front and center for the first time, Celeste weaves a sonic tapestry that is as introspective as it is euphoric; it’s a love letter to romance, but also an ode to the transformative power of opening your heart.

For all of Romance's soft focus, it still functions for the dance floor - lead single ‘Thinking About You’ is poignant and heartfelt, driven by a shimmering groove and Celeste’s ethereal falsetto. Inspired by memories of a late friend, the song is a tribute to the enduring nature of love and loss. “He was my first boyfriend but also a really good friend,” Celeste shares. “He was a really important person in my life.” —a beautiful, danceable meditation on the power of remembrance.

The majority of Romance was crafted between Celeste’s home of Bristol and London, featuring collaborations with longtime friend and esteemed producer Batu on ‘Note to Self’, ‘Light as a Feather’ and ‘Softie’. The album also sees Celeste teaming up with Austrian-Ethiopian harpist Miriam Adefris, whose delicate instrumentation adds a celestial edge to tracks like ‘Butterflies’ and ‘Medicine’. It follows her previous smash hit ‘Ice Cream Dream Boy’ last summer, which was named a track of the year by both Mixmag and DJ Mag. Earlier this month, Shanti celebrated the release of the vinyl version with a packed-out in-store set at Phonica Records in Soho.

Shanti will be taking her Club Celeste event series to The Cause for the third year running on May 17, in celebration of the album release. The day & night party will feature sets from Shanti as well as Daisy Moon, Gabrielle Kwarteng, Lishy, Peach and Ryan Elliot b2b Ogazón. Tickets are available here: https://ra.co/events/2062135

With Romance, Celeste steps into her full potential, creating an album that is as deeply personal as it is universally resonant. The album arrives this summer via Method 808. Stream ‘Thinking About You’ now.

Chiminyo is a UK-based jazz/electronic artist and the founder of the new label NRG Discs (having previously released on Brownswood, Nightdreamer, Gearbox, and Astigmatic, with artists such as Gary Bartz, Shabaka Hutchings, Maisha, Nubya Garcia, Cykada, Uniri, as well as solo). Chiminyo is a versatile musician who blends the raw energy of live drums and percussion with cutting-edge electronic production.

His early solo releases showcased his knack for unique approaches to making music, using self-coded software to trigger synths and samples from every cymbal crash and drum hit, eliminating loops and click-tracks. This DIY, tech-driven methodology allowed Chiminyo complete, spontaneous control over his music—all from the stool behind his drum kit—creating a sound that is both daring and innovative.

Chiminyo's latest project, NRG, continues this trend of innovative thinking. Born from discussions around the UK jazz scene, Chiminyo concluded that this musical expression is less about "jazz" and more about the energy (NRG) that fuels it. As a result, NRG has evolved into a semi-regular event where Chiminyo brings together some of London's finest musicians for live, improvised performances that encapsulate the spirit of the scene. These live recordings are then given the magic production treatment by Chiminyo and co-producer Aviv Cohen, transforming them into the masterpieces we get to hear on wax.

The first three NRG LPs were a massive success, generating over 600,000 streams, selling over 800 copies (without distribution support), and receiving airplay on BBC Radio, Jazz FM, NTS, Soho Radio, and many more. High-profile DJs like Gilles Peterson and Jamz Supernova championed the albums, which were also covered in print by The Guardian, Jazzwise, Echoes Magazine, and various online channels. This success led to an invitation to record a live album at Ronnie Scott's, one of London's most iconic jazz venues—an incredible opportunity for any artist.

NRG 4 brings together some of the best jazz and electronic musicians in London. The album features Marisia Osu (harp), James Akers (tenor saxophone), Daniel Casimir (double bass), Lyle Barton (synthesizers), and Tilé Gichigi-Liperé (live electronics)—an all-star lineup whose members have released multiple records on Concord, Brownswood, Jazz Re:freshed, Astigmatic and more, and have collaborated with artists such as Laura Misch, Nubya Garcia, Blue Lab Beats and Emma-Jean Thackray. Three tracks are graced with features from Jorja Smith's backing vocalist BAELY and Cuban saxophone maestro Regis Molina.

Limited to 400 12" LPs (350 standard, 50 screen-printed limited edition).

Ein dynamisches und erhabenes Werk voller Emotionen und Sensibilität, "From Where You Came" als eine Reihe nächtlicher Übertragungen, altertümlicher Verfeinerungen und lebendiger Geschichten, die reich an erhellenden Qualitäten sind. Die Kombination von programmatischer Musik des 19. Jahrhunderts mit Jazz aus der Mitte der 70er Jahre und ihrem unverwechselbar farbenfrohen und mehrdimensionalen Kompositionsansatz, der die Improvisation einschließt, ermöglicht Coverdale die Synthese mit Live-Instrumenten in einer genrefreien, aber deutlich erkennbaren Geste der Wiederverbindung mit Land und Körper durch Klang zu verbinden. Sie betrachtet Komposition als diagnostische Methodik zu spirituellen Zwecken, leitet emotionale Resonanz wie Ladungsströme und verdrahtet das rein Gefühlte in elektronische Signale. Obwohl sie auf mehreren Kontinenten komponiert und aufgenommen hat, unter anderem im GRM Studio in Paris und dem Elektronmusikstudion EMS in Stockholm, wurde "From Where You Came" im ländlichen Ontario, Kanada, fertiggestellt. Mit Beiträgen der multidisziplinären Klangkünstlerin und Cellistin Anne Bourne und dem mit einem Grammy ausgezeichneten Posaunen-Wunderkind Kalia Vandever, enthalten die 11 ausgedehnten und doch verdichteten Kompositionen des Albums Streicher, Holzbläser, Blechbläser, Tasten, Software und modulare Synthese, die eine musikalische Sprache einschreiben, die Animationen mit ungefilterter, beeindruckender Klarheit wiedergibt. ,Alles kann eine Stimme haben", sagt sagt Coverdale. ,Für mich ist die Stimme mehr als nur menschlich." Passenderweise ist es die eigene Stimme der Künstlerin die sich im einhüllenden Schwellwerk des Albumauftakts in Luft auflöst: ,Everything you know is real", singt sie in ,Eternity`, "I'm sorry, life is beautiful." Als zwischen Animismus und Animalismus oszilliert, ist das folgende Album absolut voll von Leben in all seiner atemberaubenden Komplexität. Coverdale rechnet mit der Erfahrung von Trauer, Entwurzelung und dem Druck der totalen Freiheit und Unabhängigkeit ab, und beweist eine übernatürliche Fähigkeit, die Trübsal in höchst fantasievolle und inspirierende Fantasy-Epen aus Klang zu verwandeln.

"So the bad news is, in a fit of pique, I asked Chat GPT (nicely) to compose a one-sheet for the new Shit and Shine double album, Mannheim HBF. The even worse news (yes, even worse than resorting to such tactics) is that the resulting biography is halfway passable and on some levels, superior to the sort of thing being published by what’s left of our weekly coupon-shoppers. But for fuck’s sake my friends, Craig Clouse did not get to where he is today today by settling for halfway passable and neither should you. That Shit and Shine’s discography is vast and dizzying is already well established; what’s not nearly as established are these recordings being specifically dizzying. I don’t know if there’s anyone else in modern music as skilled in waltzing around the periphery of so many disparate idioms ('noise', being one of the least prominent this time around) and somehow, against all odds, tying ‘em together in the most intricate of knots. And who doesn’t love knots? We all have our favorite ways to experience music that’s all-engulfing, but whether your preferred method is thru a stadium sized sound system or ear buds affixed as you’ve leapt off the tallest building in Bastrop, TX (the Jerry Fay Wilhelm Center for the Performing Arts, since you asked), not for the first time, Shit and Shine is entirely appropriate in either instance, possibly every instance. There are moments where I think this is a club record. The Friars Club, however. Far be it from me to provide guidelines for how and when you take in Mannheim HBF. 'No interruptions', 'no distractions' are merely suggestions on the label’s part, though we cannot be held responsible for what happens if you ignore ‘em. Thank you."

Wenn herausragende Jazzmusiker mit einer gemeinsamen Geschichte im Studio zusammenkommen, ohne zu proben oder vorbereitende Auftritte zu absolvieren, ist das Ergebnis oft eine oberflächliche, nummerierte Session. Das ist bei Solid Jackson ganz und gar nicht der Fall.

Die vier Musiker, die an dem gelungenen Nachweihnachtsalbum Consenting Adults von Criss Cross aus dem Jahr 1994 mitgewirkt haben, gehören zu den »Top Five« eines jeden eingefleischten Jazz-Kenners. Dieses zweite Treffen von M.T.B. (benannt nach den Nachnamen von Brad Mehldau, Mark Turner und Peter Bernstein und in Anlehnung an die »Young Lion«-Band OTB aus den späten 80er Jahren) ist ein intensives, konzentriertes Konzert, das die herausragende Stellung jedes Mitglieds in der Jazzlandschaft von 2024 unterstreicht. Jeder hört zu. Keiner übertreibt es mit dem Spielen oder setzt auf »House«. Die Atmosphäre ist von konzentrierter Exzellenz.

Consenting Adults wurde erst 2000 veröffentlicht, sechs Jahre nach seiner Entstehung. In den Liner Notes werden die Protagonisten (Larry Grenadier, damals wie heute, spielt Bass; Leon Parker, der Schlagzeuger von 1994, weicht Bill Stewart) als »junge Elite-Improvisatoren, die nach Abschluss ihrer Ausbildung zu den Machern des Jazz des 21. Jahrhunderts gehören werden« beschrieben.

Kurz gesagt, so Mehldau in einer E-Mail-Konversation für diesen Text, waren Turner, Bernstein und Grenadier - der in den letzten drei Jahrzehnten in einer Vielzahl von Kontexten immer wieder wunderbare Entscheidungen getroffen hat, nicht zuletzt in Mehldaus Trio mit Jeff Ballard, im kollektiven Trio Fly mit Turner und Ballard, an der Seite von Stewart in Trios unter der Leitung von John Scofield und Pat Metheny und auf 15 früheren Criss-Cross-Alben - 1994 ›voll ausgebildet‹ und ‹haben an der Identität gefeilt, die sie damals schon hatten.‹ Dasselbe gilt für Stewart, der auf Solid Jackson seinen 26. Auftritt mit Criss Cross hat.

- 2025 repress -

Bespoke - adj. - specially made for a particular specification

Defiant Life – die zweite Duo-Aufnahme von Vijay Iyer und Wadada Leo Smith für ECM – ist eine tiefgründige Meditation über den Menschen in der Gesellschaft und das damit verbundene Leid, aber auch die
Resilienz. Zwischen Leo Smiths unverwechselbaren Trompetenflügen und Vijays feinfühligen Erkundungen
an Klavier und Fender Rhodes schimmert ein ätherisches Funkeln durch mehrdimensionale Räume hindurch,
die Platz für nachdenkliche musikalische Konversationen schaffen. ”Wir arbeiten mit unseren individuellen
Sprachen und Materien”, schreibt Vijay in seinem ausführlichen Begleittext, „aber auch mit unseren Methoden der akustischen Einstimmung und mit dem, was ich als eine gemeinsame Ästhetik der Notwendigkeit
bezeichnen würde”. Eine Notwendigkeit, die sowohl von Dringlichkeit als auch Frieden gezeichnet ist, sich
im ersten langen Stück „Sumud” unheilvoll äußert, dann mit bluesigen Untertönen auf „Floating River
Requiem” wieder auftaucht, immer noch zweifelhaft, aber mit Silberstreifen auf „Elegy: The Pilgrimage”
zu hören ist und schließlich auf dem abschließenden ”Procession: Defiant Life” schrecklich schön zum
Ausdruck gebracht wird. Defiant Life wurde innerhalb von zwei Tagen im Auditorio Stelio Molo in Lugano
aufgenommen und von Manfred Eicher produziert.

To speak to Luca Daniel Schwarz aka LDS about his music is to be enthusiastically guided into a complex world of his own creation: clean and powerful techno which pulses with life from the textured patterns and drum sequences that have fills and accents that would make anyone who’s picked up a set of drumsticks envious. Yet this ecosystem of noise is deceptive; Schwarz’s process for making music is very different to how a live drummer would create the same subtlety of performance. Forever researching new technology, Luca got deeply interested in different programming languages, and created a series of probability-based music tools for manoeuvring sounds and sequencing.
Manipulating those probabilities takes a skilful alchemy, needing understanding of both musical structure and how the tools he devised work. To return to the drummer analogy, if the drummer is focussed and intentional in the moment of playing, then the method used in LDS tracks is almost diametrically opposed, with all of the intention coming in the assembly of the instruments, potential paths, and gateways; once play is pressed the music flows, following all the rules that were set in advance, not unlike a domino run or Rube Goldberg machine. And like a domino run, the results are fascinating and, ultimately, fun: staccato vocals pop in and out in ‘zipp prompt’; laser-like synths pulse; background noises sweep across the aural plane of the dub techno of ‘diff, blockmix’ and ‘pow’ adding texture that brings vitality all-too-easily missed out when complex mathematical
processes become entwined with music creation. The high sensitivity to texture and rhythmic detail in Stadion Progg is multiplied further on Jean Redondo's remix - whose track, Hypersonic, was the backbone of 2023’s ‘yet’ compilation on Tresor.
The balance between technology and a sense of fun might also come from the maker; it’s not easy to overstate Schwarz’s passion for what is now his favourite way to make music, “it never gets boring. There’s always a moment of anticipation to see what actually emerges.” And the true “power of 2” comes into play when the resulting music can be fed back through the system again and again, potentiating the music in exponential ways.

South Londons’ indomitable Medlar delivers an ambitious new album

The long-time underground favourite has collaborated with the likes of Dele Sosimi, Rebekah Reid, Deevoenay, Finn Peters, Sam Virdie, Afla Sackey and Arnau Obiols on an album that finds him taking his production to new levels.
From roots playing illegal raves in the South West to building up a cultured catalogue that bounces between house and garage, Medlar has long been part of the underground conversation. He has dropped a previous album and many innovative remixes and edits for the likes of Billy Cobham and Shirley Lites, worked in the studio and on stage with Afro legend Dele Sosimi and most recently released an album under his own name that collected myriad different sonic sketches from the past 15 years.

Islands is an altogether different proposition that comes after establishing himself as a mix engineer and producer of other people's music. In that time, Medlar has honed his skills, learnt new tricks and grown more able to express himself in sound. The result is an album that explores a more electronic palette inspired by '80s fusion sounds whilst maintaining a loose, organic flow through his use of live instrumentation. “The idea for the LP was for a collection of music which could sit alone as club tracks, but would work equally well as part of a whole. The name Islands came from this, as there's some connecting ideas but the tracks sit independently in their own little sonic worlds. I took a lot of inspiration from early 80’s electronic music produced during early years of MIDI technology… proto house, jazz fusion, electronic disco and experimental ambient. I wanted to juxtapose some of these methods with more contemporary production and make something that's ultimately quite fun!” says Medlar of the record which could easily soundtrack a summer road trip.

Across 11 tracks, he blends old-school techniques like a fusion of live instruments, FM synthesis and MIDI triggered vocal samples with more contemporary touches such as punchy, club-friendly drums and dub inspired, speaker-wobbling low end. The result is less reliant on samples than his previous works and makes for a perfect blend of retro authenticity and future freshness.

Edinburgh-based three-piece funk band High Fade are set to release their debut album 'Life’s Too Fast'.

Capturing the raw, on-stage energy that has been the driving force behind High Fade’s meteoric rise was never going to be easy, but that’s exactly what Harry, Oli and Calvin set out to do with a clear creative vision to record their album live at the iconic RAK Studios in London.

'We recorded in RAK Studios, with the desk built for the Rolling Stones in ‘76, with the same cigarette burns still on the faders. It instantly had a vibe of raw energy and liveliness to it that matched the way we wanted to record - live.' – Calvin

The result? 'Life’s Too Fast' – a blistering 10-track debut from one of the UK’s most exciting bands that manages to deliver the same tight, groove-laden funk rock that has put the group on the radars of Jack Black, Cypress Hill and Rage Against the Machine’s Brad Wilk, has seen them tour with The Cat Empire, and tick off iconic venues including Glastonbury, Jazz Cafe, and Boomtown Festival.

'We decided to record the album live rather than through the normal single track overdubbed method – we felt this would help to fully convey the band’s power, sound and energy across to the listener! More like we’re playing a gig and having it recorded – it was a tough process, but we went about it in the best way for both us and the audience, to ensure they’re getting the most authentic High Fade sound and experience possible.' – Oli

Having spent much of the last three years on the road seeing to a punishing tour schedule, 'Life’s Too Fast' is a chance for the band to stop and take stock, to reflect on their whirlwind success, and create an artistic milestone that demonstrates who High Fade are today. 'It’s the most accurate representation of what High Fade is, what we sound like, and who we are' explains Harry. Telling a clear story that matches their own experiences over the last few years, the album is a snapshot taken by a band who are accelerating towards real success and recognition.

'I’m glad we finally have a body of work that we’re proud of and feels like a collection of songs that nicely represents where we are right now. It’s organised chaos and shows that we like to play, but can also write a catchy tune.' – Calvin

Launching into proceedings with the effortlessly uplifting 'Take Me To The Floor', every track is a demonstration of the band’s technical prowess and broad sonic palette. A forward-facing selection of completely original material, the album also gave the band the opportunity to re-imagine fan-favourite 'Sharpen Up' as a stripped-back cut that reflects the band’s current lineup.

'Honestly, I kinda feel like I could explode with excitement about getting it out for everyone in the world to hear because it has been a long time in the making! A culmination of what all the singles have been working towards! I guess the album represents us and the direction we’re taking the music, it represents us as a trio and the gel that is High Fade.' – Oli

‘SUN SHONE’ is a multidisciplinary music and art project of Istanbul-born, Amsterdam-based Deniz Omeroglu AKA Loradeniz,. ‘SUN SHONE’ marks the arrival of her debut full-length album: eight tracks of ambient electronic music painted masterfully with a palette of synthesizers, effects, percussion and ethereal voice.

‘SUN SHONE’ was conceived in two parts: the first tracks coming spontaneously to life in the aftermath of heartbreak, with Omeroglu trusting the creative flow and using it as a method of self- healing. What was initially planned as an EP release grew into a full-length album as she spent one month consciously working on the perfect B-side to complement the music.

Omeroglu wrote, performed and produced everything on the album, drawing on her deep knowledge of music theory and production; in addition to studying classical piano in the Conservatory from an early age, she holds both a Bachelor’s degree in Composition Studies and a Masters degree in Sound Design.

Many of the compositions on ‘SUN SHONE’ centre around interplaying synth arpeggios, oscillators expertly tuned for an equal degree of menace and sweetness that balances on a knife-edge. This ambiguity is echoed lyrically across the record, with its recurring themes of love lost and memories revisited. From the spoken word of opener ‘Saint Odds’ and ‘Swimmer’ to the layered choral swells of ‘No Moon’ and the melodic hooks of ‘Brick House’, Omeroglu’s voice is central to ‘SUN SHONE’, employed with impressive versatility. At times, it feels simultaneously fragile and powerful, perhaps nowhere more so than in the yearning swells of “Cloud Sofa’, a healing lullaby for lost love that offers up one of the most delicate moments on the album. 


Whilst this may loosely be referred to as an ‘ambient’ album, Loradeniz’s knowledge of modern day production techniques and experience as both a sound designer and seasoned DJ (both in clubs and on radio) makes its presence felt throughout; echoes of Artificial Intelligence-era IDM appear in the dancing arpeggios and rhythmic pulses of ‘Sea Serpent’ and ‘Waterbear’, while the album closer ‘Aftersun’ could easily be imagined working as the euphoric last tune of a club set at sunrise. 


With her debut album, Loradeniz weaves together an impressive breadth of styles and sounds, all held seamlessly together by a feeling; a cathartic desire to bring out all the melancholia from within. The album opens with the words ‘The search of love continues in the face of great odds’ a suitable mantra for a record that manages to combine melancholy with intense rushes of positivity and hopes for the future.