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DJ Sotofett and LNS have teamed up with Tresor Records for Sputters. The double-vinyl album with 15 cuts spans a hybrid of warped electro and psychedelic hypnosis, all the while remaining fixed in an unmistakable dance release. Recorded between 2017 – 2020, and bookmarked throughout by intros and interludes dug out from archival material, it's a deconstructed yet classic compound of techno-sonics.

LNS from Calgary, Canada, is rooted in braindance, electro and acid. Releasing 12inches on both her self-titled imprint LNS and Sotofett’s Wania - LNS, whilst in the studio, has often pointed out “the lacking blend of dub and electro in dance music”.
DJ Sotofett, hailing from Moss, Norway, is among a myriad of things commonly known for the extended work of his Sex Tags Mania and Wania labels, without forgetting his afro, dub and jazz releases on Honest Jon's London.
Together both artists give space to a guest appearance by E-GZR, a fellow Wania artist, to open the Sputters journey. The sinus bending drum stutter of K.O. by E-GZR collisions flanging basses and chronic-inducing synth pads to blueprint the technoid atmosphere to come. LNS & DJ Sotofett take control with El Dubbing, evoking an effect-heavy demeanour, typical of the Sex Tags Mania soundworld that DJ Sotofett is responsible for, this time rubbing up against solid electrified rhythms. The hypnotic moods carry over to Dúnn Dubbing's deep delays, freely running over a surprisingly minimal skeleton retaining a solid direction. Crafting a warmly emotive end of Side-A with sparse rhythms to perfection.
A meaner turn introduces Side-B. Hints of electro are scattered everywhere, fat basslines, ricocheting drums and synths that mourn and drift in and out of harmony. Vitri-Oil exposes a tumbling sound design, fog-lit chords of material fragility and nosedives - with an alive mix that wallows and grows in equal measures. The side closes with Shim, a classic drift between house and techno releasing sensual euphoria with the albums first big surprise – grand strings.

“LNS wanted to sell her TR-606, while my reply was for us to make a track with the 606 sounding so fresh that she'd never even think about selling it again” Sotofett states. Side-C proves the artists to be some of the most singular producers around with album centrepiece The 606. Clocking in over 10 minutes, it kicks off as a driving techno banger, chugging bass and big chords. Midway through everything falls away, and out of the void enter scattered drums and improv piano lines emerge, while twisted dubs lead us back in an enduringly warm groove.

Side-D sets the clock back to the original electroid foundation of the album, casting fires with alien vibrations. Synchronic Bass Blort is a hard-hitting electro track, steaming sonics and thrills, its melodic hook diving in subterranean motions. On Sputtering the duo raspily beams into outer space, with fizzy motives that disfigure and dazzle while the harmonies of the closing track is for yourself to experience.
DJ Sotofett and LNS deliver an album inhabiting a world full of sci-fi sonics and fierce groove. Their sound is free and live, simultaneously wondrous and sharp.

It is with extreme pleasure that we, Basement Boys Records proudly announce our 100th single release and 30th year in the music business as an active recording label!

Holding down our 100th release is the legendary multi-faceted singer/songwriter/producer Byron Stingily. As one third of the Chicago-bred, world renown trio, Ten City and as its primary lead vocalist, Byron’s velvety falsetto graced such House Music staples as “Devotion”, “That’s the Way Love Is”, “My Piece of Heaven” along with scores of other classic House music favourites. As a solo artist, Byron went on to create such memorable House jewels as “Get Up” & “It’s Over” a classic collaboration with the Basement Boys for his project on Nervous Records.

“We Belong Together” contains four mixes. The Monday Night Vocal Dub and Instrumental are up first, with percolating congas and swinging violins that accentuate the well-paced drums and percussion of this delectable mix. The brassy horns sing in tandem with Byron as he tugs on the heartstrings with his romantic, chromatic vocal adlibs and signature riffs. The sugar-laden strings and sparkling pianos brings to mind the 90's Ten City production of Marshall Jefferson.

DJ/songwriter/musician/producer, Maurice Fulton is one of House music’s true originals, back where he started. Maurice had the first release on Basement Boys Records with Sticky People "Kong". A man with a mind-blowing complexity behind all that is deep, dark and funky.

Fulton’s mix takes a more soulful tech approach employing a host of electro sounds. A fervent polyrhythmic vortex of percussive wind chime effects, married with classic snares, tom toms & hi-hats, deep sub bass and a meaty kick all define this masterful alignment of electro and acoustic elements. At the midway point, Maurice turns the suspense-filled symphonic intro from the previous mixes into this electro breakdown groove fest sure to drive dancers into a frenzy complete with Byron’s heartfelt lyric.

Closing it out the Main Mix in all its glory, hi-powered, dense bottoms and percussive elements, sweet R&B “boogie” style chords, neatly placed horn accents with Byron slaying the lyric as he always does in his exquisite, soulful pleading falsetto telling the object of his affection, “We Belong Together”.

• The Creation was formed in 1966 from beat combo The Mark Four, and was quickly signed to a production deal with Shel Talmy, The Who’s producer. The first release was the urgent “Making Time”, which featured guitarist Eddie Phillips playing his guitar with a violin bow, two years before Jimmy Page started doing so.
• Alongside the “We Are Paintermen” LP, “How Does It Feel To Feel” rounds up the remainder of the recordings they made with Shel Talmy. This LP features the 2016 stereo mixes of Creation classics “How Does It Feel To Feel” (both the UK and US versions), “Life Is Just Beginning” and “Sylvette”. The last 60s lineup of The Creation, which featured future Face and Rolling Stone Ron Wood, is represented by all four sides of their two single releases.
• Pressed on 140 gram clear vinyl, the inner sleeve features 60s photos of The Creation from the collection of designer Phil Smee.

a A1. How Does It Feel To Feel UK version


[d] A4. How Does It Feel To Feel [US version]

West coast composer, artist, and producer Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith has chartered a pioneering career with multiple critically-acclaimed albums since 2015. Following the release of The Kid in 2017, Smith focused her energy in several directions. She founded Touchtheplants, a multidisciplinary creative environment for projects including the first volumes in her instrumental Electronic Series and pocket-sized poetry books on the practice of listening within. She's continued to explore the endless possibilities of electronic instruments as well as the shapes, movements, and expressions found in the physical body's relationship to sound and color. It is this life-guiding interest that forms the foundational frequencies of her most recent full-length, The Mosaic of Transformation, a bright, sensorial glide through unbound wave phenomena and the radiant power discovered within oneself. "I guess in one sentence, this album is my expression of love and appreciation for electricity," says Smith. While writing and recording, she embraced a daily practice of physical movement, passing electricity through her body and into motion, in ways reflecting her audio practice, which sends currents through modular synthesizers and into the air through speakers. Not a dancer by any traditional definition, she taught herself improvisatory movement realizing flexibility, strength, and unexpectedly, a "visual language" stemming from the human body and comprised of vibrational shapes. Understood as cymatics, as Smith says, "as a reference for how frequencies can be visualized," much like a mosaic. Smith describes her first encounters with this mosaic; "the inspiration came to me in a sudden bubble of joy. It was accompanied by a multitude of shapes that were moving seamlessly from one into the other...My movement practice has been a constant transformation piece by piece. I made this album in the same way. Every day I would transform what I did yesterday...into something else. This album has gone through about 12 different versions of itself." As it has arrived, in a completed state, The Mosaic of Transformation is a holistic manifestation of embodied motions. Smith's signature textural curiosity that fans have grown to adore pivots naturally into a proprioceptive study of melody and timbre. Airy organ and voice interweave with burbling Buchla-spawned harmonic bubbles. "The Steady Heart" quivers to life, peppering blasts of wooden organ between winding vocal affirmations. As with a body, moving one portion requires a balance and counterbalance; here, subtle tonal twitchy signals fire in conjunction with coiling arias to create a mesmeric core. When the beat arrives at the midway mark, a swooping and jittery waltz, a sense of stasis in motion, a flow state, is sonically achieved. As soon as it syncs, it disappears back into the swirling ebbs of electric force. Other tracks stray into more ruminative physical realms. "Carrying Gravity" is built around string-like pads that expand and contract like a solar plexus, becoming taught and then loose. If the record could be summarized in a single movement, it is the 10-minute closing suite, a rapturous collage called "Expanding Electricity." Symphonic phrases establish the piece before washes of glittering electric peals and synthesized vibraphone helix into focus. Soon, Smith's voice grounds it all with an intuitive vocal hook, harmonized and augmented by concentric spirals of harp-and-horn-like sounds. Smith's music doesn't capture a specific emotion as much as it captures the joys of possessing a body, and the ability to, with devotion and a steady open heart, maneuver that vessel in space by way of electricity to euphoric degrees.

Celebrating live music and record store culture.

After having completed the first run of shows for their recent album "2066" through UK, France and Germany, the Mighty Mocambos did an intimate performance at world-renowned Groove City Record Store in their hometown Hamburg.
Not content with just playing stripped down versions of existing material, the band wanted to step up a notch from the "tiny desk" type concert idea and decided to record unreleased tunes for a vinyl single capturing the live energy and crowd atmosphere with analog studio techniques. After having warmed up with a couple of songs from "2066", a cheerful crowd in the packed shop witnessed the band tracking magic takes of unheard songs directly to tape.
"St. Pauli Second Line", an instrumental live favourite with simple but irresistant swamp funk ostinatoes turned into a frenetic call and response chant workout midway of the song. Singer Nichola Richards' tune "Keep It Movin'", a mainstay of the band's live repertoire for years, was cut with great energy, finally finding its way onto wax. "Something's Missing" is a brand new tune with a raw sister funk vibe - written and arranged for the occasion, rehearsed once and performed live for the first time in the version you hear on this record.
While many live recordings a are mere mix of crowd noise and neglectable renditions of well-worn tunes that are unusable for DJs and hardly appealing to the dedicated listener, THE MIGHTY MOCAMBOS - Live At Groove City au contraire is a treat for turntableists and a testimony of the spark that a well-attuned live band can light up, combining the vibes of a concert with the no-nonsense analog sound of their well-loved studio recordings.

"WOLF Music" offer up something a little different to their usual tip, enlisting the warm dusty reverberations of four-piece, jazz-not-jazz collective Velour for a 7" of hazy, genre traversing rhythms. Alongside being producer for the Velour project, long-standing member of the WOLF pack Mr. Fries gives his own distinctive house touch to the flip side remix.

Perfectly capturing the new school of jazz, Essen-based Velour crisscross genres drawing on elements from each yet anchoring their roots in the richness of jazz’s deft melodies and percussive touches. Head-nodding down the open road, ‘Pose’ is that undeniably soulful, first swig of summer many tracks strive to be. Morphing into a woozy affair as the sun sets midway through, Velour’s songwriting talent well outstrips their years. Throw WOLF pack member Mr. Fries into the mix, kneading in his signature production style and the freshly baked result straddles the intersection between jazz, broken beat, house and soul.

Fries then takes on remix duties for the flip, maintaining that dusty demeanour yet going for a full frontal Moodymann-esque house interpretation. The smokey jazz bar sax, background hustle and weighty beat make for a summertime heater served straight from
the grill, garnished just right with Mr. Fries own vocals over the top.

Interstellar digital dancehall with stunning synth, superb vocal by Robert Ffrench in extended mix & mad style by obscure DJ Shortie Ranks. Recorded at Creative Sound Studio (Kingston, JA) in 1985.
"On “I Am Wondering” – a lovers of sorts – Ffrench is Dennis Brown in the high notes, and Gregory Isaacs in the song`s playboy sentiments. A guitar gently wah-wahs, while the synths do a giddy glissando. Midway through this discomix the bass becomes boss – throwing everything else – chopped piano chords and all – into echo. Then it`s rewind for the DJ cut – a brag and boast toast from Shortie Ranks – recounting his triumphs at legendary Kingston reggae venue, Skateland”. (Ban Ban Ton Ton - April, 21 of 2020) Robert French grew up in central Kingston and attended Kingston College. He recorded his first singles in 1979, at the age of 17. He achieved success in 1984 with his performances at the Festival Song Contest and the Reggae Sunsplash festival. He had a combination hit with deejay Clement Irie with "Bun & Cheese", and his first two albums were released in 1985. He had another hit in 1989 with "Modern Girl", a collaboration with
Courtney Melody. In the mid-1990s he relocated to New York City, where he teamed up with rapper Heavy D, with whom he had a hit with "More Love", with an album following on Ras Records, featuring collaboration with several artists including Lady G and General Degree. He has since returned to Jamaica, where he runs the
Ffrench record label and distribution company. He released the album Yesterday and Today in 2001, collecting many of his earlier singles. After a period of inactivity as a recording artist, he returned in 2009 with the single "I Do". As a producer he has worked with artists such as Dennis Brown, Buju Banton (he produced Buju's first single
"Ruler" on Stamina riddim), Beres Hammond, George Nooks, Luciano, Jah Cure, Yami Bolo and Sizzla to name a few. Robert French was the cosin of the late great Pat Kelly. As a french label, big fan from Ffrench productions, i'm very proud and happy to start a collaboration with Robert Ffrench, the most french jamaican. Stay tuned for many many more.

In 2016 Patrick Doyle relocated from London to LA, midway through writing his new album – the follow up to his recent acclaimed release as Boys Forever. The self-titled Boys Forever album was Patrick’s debut as a solo artist after years of playing in well-loved indie bands including Veronica Falls, The Royal We and Sexy Kids.

On moving to LA he continued working on the songs for his next record – emailing them to Helen Skinner (who toured as a member of the Boys Forever three-piece live band, and now plays in Barry) who added a bass line to the songs and sent them back to Patrick. They continued to finish writing the record via email and in February 2017 Helen joined Patrick in LA to record Keeping Up Appearances. They recorded the album over four days in February 2017 at LA’s Golden Beat Studios – with Patrick once again teaming up with Andrew Schubert who produced Boys Forever.

Bastard Jazz is proud to present the sophmore solo album by one of the gems of the New Zealand underground soul scene, Isaac Aesili. Woven through electronic soul, with threads of jazz, funk, R&B and house music, Isaac's 'Hidden Truths' is the stylistic unification of all his previous projects (Karl Marx, Funkommunity, Sorceress) into a dazzling and diverse body of work. Three years in the making, its depth is clear from the first listen, and is peppered with some of New Zealand's finest soul and jazz musical talent, including two stunning female feature vocalists from New Zealand; Ladi6 and Rachel Fraser.

The album opens with an ominous instrumental 'Mirror' setting a dark a tone for the album the start, shimmering with shades of Dilla swing snapping over metallic chords and a graceful trumpet solo that enters midway through. Wild feat. Ladi6' is a heavy downbeat future soul joint with stratospheric synths layered over driving beats that build alongside the elegant vocal weavings of New Zealand's first lady of soul, Ladi6, while 'Player' sees Isaac's unique vocals tell a tale of dangerous seduction within a synth funk-driven dancehall cum house music that feels like the Gap Band on a tropical vacation. 'Jungles' is a deep, native and ocean-like soundscape that begins with syncopated synths and beats that collide dramatically into a frantic, sweeping synth outro, followed up by'Realms' , an intricately crafted song that has sonic elements from techno-house that are other-worldly accompanied by live drums that flip after the breakdown into a swinging conclusion of the album's first half.

'Run Every Way' is an epic percussion-driven electronic blues that begins with a vocal chorus from Isaac that could just as easily be interpreted lyrically as a warning about climate change as it could an expression of the inner-self, while "Refugee" is also a heavily percussion orientated joint that fuses romantic classical strings with otherworldly synth stabs and Isaac's haunting vocals moving climactically into a tender coda conclusion. "Rain Gods" feat. Rachel Fraser is a heavenly pathway into Rachel's luxurious vocals with clever lyrics merging the soaring synths and looped bassline into a short yet memorable chorus'and 'Steps' is classic Isaac Aesili production including deep Rhodes chord changes, a knocking beat with layers of percussion, synths and horns providing a warm emotive accompaniment to Isaac's vocals. 'Last Minute' is a simple yet sophisticated jewel of space and time that concludes the vocal tracks of the album in a proper soulful style, and 'Maureen' rounds out the album as an expressive instrumental outrolude that features Isaac's trumpet.

Isaac Aesili is an Internationally acclaimed solo artist and the producer and creative force behind Funkommunity, Sorceress and Karlmarx. Isaac's original productions have been supported internationally by DJs such as Gilles Peterson (BBC Radio 6 Music), Benji B (BBC 1), and Lefto (Belgium, Worldwide FM). His trumpet playing features on many collaborations including 'Layer' by Julien Dyne (Wonderful Noise/BBE) and 'Midnight in Peckham' by Chaos in the CBD (Rhythm Section). A world-renowned musician on both trumpet and percussion, Isaac is a member of the Lord Echo band. His music fuses Soul, Funk, Jazz, Afro and Latin styles with R&B, Hip Hop and Electronic music. Isaac's much anticipated sophomore solo album "Hidden Truths" is out on Bastard Jazz (NYC) in 2020.

Clear Vinyl

Detroit Underground label head Kero returns to his sonic roots with the first of the Detroit Map Series originally featured on the limited DUTT-181 Series functional record player designed by Neubau Berlin. As a kick-start, Kero reveals Highways—a 5-track extended player of (abstract) electronics that is cleverly pulled together with a downbeat flow and tracks aptly sub-titled as major freeway arteries of the Motor City.


"Davison" commutes through glitch bits, bobbles, and broken beats flickering back and forth as it eventually opens midway through the traffic jam and hopscotched potholes with a synthesized melodic stream. Fisher displays its minimized techno flurry and rumbling low-end growl tempered by subtle blips'n bleeps and clinical precision. Southfield busts apart with modular maneuvering and heavy percussion showcasing an opportunity for Kero to cruise in the passing lane as the piece gradually mutates into a crunchy experimental electro epic. Lodge ebbs and flows with The Detroit Escalator Company-styled minimalism felt many miles away from its source. Chrysler expands and contracts with its 7-minute acid-electronic sprawl—here we see Kero carefully downshift to allow an ambient undercurrent to traverse a moonlit sky in the late night hours creating perhaps the finest soundtrack to (minimal) Detroit-inspired techno of yesteryear with a thumping heartbeat. ~PDS

Soma welcome the debut album from the ever-growing roster of youthful talent as Lewis Fautzi drops The Gare Album, named in homage to The Gare Club, Porto, where Lewis made his discovery of Techno. A bold 4 track single debut gave rise to the album process midway through 2013 and under the careful supervision of Soma, Lewis has provided a definitive peak in his sound cultivated on the back of years of studio work. A collection of deep, dark and twisted techno awaits.

A definite maturity in production shines through on this fantastic LP from Fautzi as he creates a cold and calculating output, clearly focused on the future. The Gare Album has allowed Fautzi to express himself fully through electronic music, a task that he has taken to whole-heartedly.
The Gare Album will be released on limited double LP.

Hoshina Anniversary is conquerer of the mind, creating the most beautiful sound, other than silence.
This is his first offering for the ESP Institute.

Side A’s 'Sagano' is fairly representative of the Hoshina sound — raw organic samples and instrumentation, of traditional Japanese origin, mercilessly bent and tweaked to suit the needs of his obsessively precise arrangement. Midway through the track, we’re bewildered by his demonic breakdown on the Rhodes, which daringly tags the bassline and strings into a synchronized trio of jazz-funk noodles, and he even throws in a key change before dropping us back into the main hook for the duration of the dance. It's a major flex, and indeed makes an impression.

On side B’s 'Haru Wa Akebono', Hoshina displays an alternate and equally significant side to his songwriting, merging optimistic twinkles and arpeggios with slightly detuned dry percussion for an overall uneasy vibe, not dissimilar to early video game aesthetics or circuit-bent toys. Across both sides, there lies an unhinged overtone, such that we feel one small step from spiraling deep into a demented quicksand, a freak-out where hallucinations get the better of us.

Initiating a breadth of releases planned with the ESP Institute, this single summarizes a few of Hoshina’s most compelling modes, and though there is a whole circus yet to unfold, we hold his cards close, no spoilers before the main act.

These two songs will have you drinking moon juice and dancing naked at the Mardi Gras.

East Man returns with a four track EP that explores his own Hi Tek take on Grime, stripping everything down to the raw, bare essentials.
Opening the EP is Fight For A Cause, a rough a fuzzy sub bass driven exercise in beat science that draws as much upon Dancehall as it does Grime. The second track, Selector, is a straight up DJ tool, utilising an alternating 32 bar pattern interspersed with splashes of pirate radio chatter.
The flip side opens with the storming Bandit Country.
The subdued intro lulling you into a false sense of security before the beats and bass are unleashed in full attack mode, the relentless onslaught pausing only briefly midway for you to catch your breath before continuing on it's devastating path.
The closing track, Darkage, is an ominous brooding affair that those of you familiar with East Man's sets will know well.

A real head nodding roller, it's definitely one for the technical DJ's.

Patrick Conway keeps a low profile and wobbles through the alleyways. This is his first offering for the ESP Institute. Side A’s Know The Future is properly moody, a UK rave track skirting the fringe of everything we hold dear from the days of our youth—big grey melancholy chords, mild shuffling breaks and anonymous diva cries peppered sparsely throughout—yet the artist manages to skillfully tick our nostalgia boxes whilst avoiding the road into full-blown pastiche. It's a versatile track, easily suitable for both the early hours in the warehouse or the tender drive home where your terrible Tuesday awaits. On the flip side, Patrick continues his plunge into emotional depths, summoning layers of ghostly sighs, chopping up the beats in half time and introducing a more prominent use of bass, but midway through Digital Warfare he jettisons the angelic pleasantries in favor a more deranged headspace. He’s had us swallow the wrong pills, sending us through a labyrinth of mirrors and echoes for the second half of the track, only to partially find our footing in the last minute. These two songs will send you to another time and place.

Belgium DJ / Producer ED1999 kicks off the debut release for his newly minted 'Porpax' imprint with 'Melodius Hubbub, a 4-track EP of hypnotic dark Techno saturated with modular wizardry. The release confidently displays ED1999's production power as well as the serious direction the label is aimed at taking. The music featured clearly inspired by the energy found in Tbillisi, Berlin, Detroit and anywhere else heavy duty underground music is celebrated.

'Path Of Hope' is a punchy mover heavy on the reverb, with washes of metallic gray atmospherics floating in and out of the steady analogue drum patterns. The track grows in energy throughout with additional claps, hi hats and melodies generating an absolutely effective tension building weapon.

Title track 'Melodius Hubbub' is pure hypnotic Techno at its absolute finest. Black as midnight elements drive the energy to dark territories. ED1999's perfectly positioned sonic peaks and valleys of thick musical textures ensure the dancefloor never loses a moment getting lost in the incredibly positioned hypnosis of sound.

'Winding Course' is centered around a gurgling synth ride which gives the track an uneasy and twisted vibe throughout. Additional melodic effects join the main synth, adding a romantic sense of danger and dancefloor movement. Akin to ED1999's brilliant ability to keep his music restrained and effective for serious club-goers.

'Sleazy Nook' is the darkest of the dark tracks found on the release, with shudder inducing effects and ice cold soundscapes residing alongside the winding rhythms. A truly intense breakdown midway through the track generates a clever sense of sinking, with only the kick drum returning to keep people safe from going under.

Marco Faraone returns to Drumcode with some of his most inspired work ever, comprising of four tracks crossing the Techno spectrum.Growing up Marco was surrounded by 90s Italo house and techno, which have all had a part in the current sound he produces today. Never one to stick to any individual style, he can often surprise his fans with a set pumping out peak time beats to down tempo house cuts with catchy vocals.
'With this release, I took some inspiration from listening back to some old Vitalic sounds and giving some extra power to the use of synths in each track. It's got a festival vibe to it, which is something I wanted to achieve' - Marco His last Drumcode EP was back in 2016, so this October he makes a welcome return showing his multiskilled productions at their full potential on this mega 4 tracker, opening with the gargantuan 'Never Forget'.Mutating rhythmic synths hark back to the good ol' days of BXR and the limitless talent of the Italian Techno scene in the late 90s. Boiling over in the main break this is crowd-pleasing dance music at its finest.
'Cruiser' is a bumpy upbeat ride with a strong melodic hook that will have the hands raised and the feet stomping.Title track 'Lunar Eclipse' is a dense, at times claustrophobic roller. Menacing to begin with, the addition of the main melodic motifs lifts the mood midway. 'Take This Trip' rounds out an incendiary EP. Lighter and more musical that the previous three, it offers a joyful, softer message. 'This is a special release for me, I wanted this to have explosive power yet the perfect balance of melodies and sounds to create a different and unique atmosphere for each track'
- Marco Faraone

TONE SERIES (TS) is glad to introduce to you to its second release TSRS02. In 2016, we launched TONE SERIES. So far, we've have released five EPs (consisting of two tracks each) all composed by French musician David K.

Midway between the first release TS10 and the last one TS01 (TS06 came out at the beginning of September 2017), we thought it would be interesting to ask artists we like to reinterpret one of David K's creations. As a result, we're delighted to present you TSRS02, 2nd EP of the TONE SERIES Remix Series, 2nd EP of the TONE SERIES Remix Series ... consisting of :

A-SIDE: 24 BARS PER DAY (TS08) remixed by English music producer, live performer and Mosaic label owner Steve O'Sullivan,

B-SIDE: FRIENDS (TS06) remixed by French music composer, DJ and C.S.R. label owner Cesar Merveille.

TONE SERIES is an ephemeral French music label dedicated to deep-house music. The project is originally inspired by David K and the different colours that emerge from his music. The name 'TONE SERIES' brings together the idea of interdependence between music and design: what colour follows on from music and, in return, which musicality comes out of a colour.

(Disclaimer: release notes refer to the combined CD double-album release "Hot Flash: Best of The Voltags" on which all tracks appear together. "Electric Nightmare" and "Danger High Voltag" are released separately on vinyl format)

It does not happen that often any more that unreleased music from 40 years ago surfaces. Even more unlikely it is that the songs put on tape are such treasures. The Voltags were right at the forefront of the local Washington DC New Wave/Punk scene of the late 1970s. Influenced by Kraftwerk, Gary Numan, The Clash, and The B-52's, they have released only one 45rpm single during their existence. But during the time span of not even 18 months, they had recorded enough material for an entire album - but the songs remained in the can.

This is the story of The Voltags, a short-lived band which could have become famous and mentioned in the same breath as the aforementioned music legends of that era - if their songs had been released back in the day. Dive in and enjoy the sound of The Voltags, it is truly special. We here at Perfect Toy are thrilled to be label to finally release their work and we sincerely hope that they are finally getting the appreciation they so richly deserve.

Detailed information:
Dave Bennett and Hangnail Phillips grew up in Brookside Park, Newark, Delaware, USA, a small suburban college town nestled midway between Philadelphia and Baltimore. Their first band project evolved into Pump Productions (Pump) under which they released their only 45rpm single in 1970 (one of the two songs, "Pappy's Rug", can be heard on "Down & Wired 3", Perfect Toy Rec.). Soon after the recording of the single the two graduated from High School and disbanded Pump. Both moved on to form two new Newark bands. Dave was a founding member of "Snake Grinder & The Shredded Fieldmice" and Hangnail co-founded "Rudy Baker & The Vegetables".

In early 1979, two friends of Dave's, Nick Norris and Mike Fisher, became partners in a music production company, White Clay Productions. One of White Clay's first artists was Dave Bennett who had just written two excellent songs: "Electric Jungle" and "Son Of Sam". White Clay set up a recording session and Dave assembled a group of friends to record the songs. Before the recordings were even mixed, Dave asked Hangnail if he would join in a band to support the single and other songs he had written. When James Keesey (drums) and Rick Reid (bass) were added the line-up was complete. For a while they didn't have a name and then one day Nick Norris was looking at a photo of Dave standing next to a "Danger High Voltage" sign. Dave's head was in front of the E in Voltage and Nick laughed "Danger High Voltag" and so it was soon suggested that the band should be called "The Voltags" (pronounced Vol'-togs). After months of preparing a repertoire they were ready to play out. Their first gig was (October 20, 1979) at a gay disco in nearby Wilmington called The Backstage. On December 30, 1979, White Clay decided to put on a big show at the State Theater to celebrate the end of the Seventies ("The End Of The Decade Bash").

For the next year, with the help of White Clay, they recorded 19 songs, both studio and live recordings with White Clay's mobile unit. If not for these "off the board" recordings, many of their songs would have never been recorded. There was always talk of a second Voltags single but the strains of working so closely together were taking their toll on them and Dave decided to leave the group in December of 1980. The Voltags couldn't be The Voltags without Dave, and by the end of 1981, Hangnail, James and Rick, too, were ready to disband.


- all songs previously unreleased
- mastered from the original reel-to-reel tapes
- limited vinyl release

With Lukas Lehmann, a new face joins the footjob-squad. Out of his estimated 7.436 unfinished projects, he managed to complete three tracks, bag a remix and bundle it all up to what will hit the stores as 'This Is Why' EP. The A-Side kicks off with the discoish banger 'Q&H' and a beautiful synth-heavy remix by Lorenz Rhode - not only famous for his releases on Compost Records or Exploited but also for taking Detroit-Swindle-Liveshows to another level with his godlike keys-skills. The deeper side of Lukas' sound is represented on the B-Side. Starting with edgy piano chords, 'Solid/Fragile (Coexistence)' introduces an enchanting arpeggio midway through the track. With its distinctive strings, 'Nothing But A Heartache' makes for a semi-sentimental yet still hips-moving finisher.

After last year's well recieved album 'The Phoenix', King Britt returns under his Fhloston Paradigm moniker for the first in a series of 'Cosmosis' EPs. 'Cosmosis Vol 1' is three spacey perfumed hardware workouts of the kind that Fhloston Paradigm built his name on. The EP starts with 'Sonic Six', matching bumping drum machine rhythms with gurgling bleeps, and mournful strings building the emotion through the noise.The second track is the slowly evolving ambience of 'Faith', which builds up into radiant, shimmering clouds of sound before a bass line drops midway, grounding the track melodically and switching the emotion from ecstatic to bittersweet. The EP closes with 'Past', where broken sounds are dragged over a warping piano line, and a flickering static melody engulfs the track as the noise dies out. 'Cosmosis Vol 2' will follow early in 2016 ...

Entitas, is the second instalment of Jay Clarke's BLACKAXON imprint, and sees the label boss bring out the big guns in the form of three distinct and diverse cuts. First up is Entity, an autonomic monster which has sweat soaked energy written all over it. It's auspiciously one part deep, and more than double just as twisted. Things are far from linear with Entity, it's mercilessly the sum of it's own parts, and has the hallmarks of a true big room pleaser written all over it. A truly authentic demonstration of the old adage 'It's not where you are going, it's how you get there'. Entity is certain to be reached for by all of the major players on the Techno circuit for a long time to come.
On the flip, Ghosts Of Acid is the Yin to Entity's Yang. A plangent and introspective groove opens up with wispy cymbals, cleverly placed rims, hats and claps. Exploratory and evolving subaqueous acidic forays dare the listener to dive in a little deeper, with the reward being a very proficient and efficient take on the now classic Acid sound.

Existence Through Perception seeks to carry on where the previous two tracks left off. A driving groove and sinister hook lets up briefly midway to a near triumphant fanfare, only to be brought back to it's mischievous overture. A perfect late night/peak time track for DJ's looking to elevate the bar of their set just one more rung higher.

Support From:

(Phase), DVS1, Ben Klock, Answer Code Request, Luke Slater, Norman Nodge, Chris Liebing, Lucy, Oscar Mulero, Speedy J, DJ Deep, Tommy Four Seven, Cassegrain, Inigo Kennedy, Slam, Brendon Moeller, Nihad Tule, Kr!z, Psyk, Jonas Kopp, Truncate, Samuli Kemppi, Juho Kusti, Anthony Parasole, Eric Cloutier, Jereon Search, Moerbeck, Truss, Distant Echoes, Yac (I/Y), Philippe Petit, Thomas Hessler, Randomer, Volte-Face, Fundamental Interaction, Arnaud Le Texier, Ame, Angel Molina, Tensal, Kwartz, Stacey Pullen.
Credits

Davide Squillace, the Italian DJ and producer behind the This And That Lab and Hideout imprints, has kept up a hugely productive schedule since the 1990s, and lands on Luciano's Cadenza Music this fall with the 'Goiânia' single release. Previous musical output on a multitude of labels such as Primate, his own Sketch Music & Minisketch labels, Ovum, Supernature and M_nus has also seen the artist collaborate with plenty; Guti, Martin Buttrich and Philip Bader among those who he has conjured up some inventive and dancefloor-centric minimal electronic music with. On the lead track 'Goiânia', Squillace opens up a highly musical pot of orchestral stabs and brass hits, morphing bottom end and freestyle synth licks, cavorting around a steady percussive beat to great effect.'Blossom' comes heavier in vibe, but maintaining the classical atmosphere developed on the EP's opener. Pizzicato synths play a call and response with dramatic strings whilst an electro tinged drum pattern and sizzling hats lay the foundations of a track with more than a nod to the classic house sounds developed on labels like Innervisions and Ibadan. 'Unit 9 closes the release, and Squillace goes on a Galactic ride through meteoritic bleeps and humungous pads for a cosmic and pacey techno number, dubbing it up midway for a most enjoyable ride and a fitting closure to a classy release on Cadenza.

Sister Label to Vanguard Sound Anunnaki Cartel plays host to the fourth installment of the Vanguard Sound Series featuring 4 tracks from crew members Dakini9 (Lola), Chris Mitchell, DJ. Spider, and founder Amir Alexander. During the time since Vanguard Sound Vol. 3 launched the Vanguard Sound label, the series has reached a kind of cult classic status among the most dedicated U.S. underground vinyl collectors. As more and more people discover Alexander and his Crew of ultra talented DJ/Producers, their releases on discogs disappear and then reappear for three to five times their original price. Buy on sight status is quickly being achieved by all six members of this shadowy Crew.

The four tracks contained in this release all touch base with the vibes already established by the Crew, while continuing to expand the sonic palette as well.
Amir Alexander's Cypher is classic dirty analog at it's finest. With a slightly overdriven synth baseline leading the way, followed by restless percussion. Midway through, deep and mysterious pads create a dreamy texture as a spoken word passage muses about loyalty to those you came up with.

Chris Mitchell's 213NL raises the temperature with Chris's signature "Phrenetic" drum programming under an SH101type acid baseline oscillating wildly as melodic strings soar.
DJ Spider keeps things gutter with some Vanguard/ Plan B style street knowledge in the form of New World Resistance. An industrial/ futurist tech beat frenzy full of vocals dropping science about the New Word Order's plans for global domination.
Dakini9 closes the release by taking us to the depths and beyond with her deeply emotive work in the form of Rollercoaster to Nowhere. Sci fi atmospherics weave in and out of lushly serene pads while her always deadly serious percussion marks the time effortlessly. Time travel is evoked as the dulcet tones erode all sense of the here and now. Fall into infinity! For the collector's, this one is not to be missed as it is a rare Vanguard Volume on it's sister label Anunnaki Cartel with both logos on one record. Don't sleep..