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Influences and inspirations come from far and wide. Sometimes they can be household names or pioneers. Other times, they can be lesser-known outfits; less known, but no less influential. Futuro belong to the latter category for Italo Moderni.

Javier and Raúl are two Spanish synthesizer sorcerers who are steeped in the traditions of italo disco and the analogue sounds of the 1980s. While Italo Moderni was still in its infancy, Futuro were a shining light with a young upstart by the name of Adrian Marth even making videos for their tracks. From these beginnings, a mutual respect and friendship developed. Now, the circle is complete with the six tracks making their way onto Accidenti; an EP that marks Futuro’s debut on Italo Moderni.

The collection showcases the breadth of Futuro’s sound. With all instrumentation played through classic analogue machines, the six works journey through neon-streaked city nights, deep uncharted jungle and sun-kissed beaches. Drawing on the music of Rimini, silver screen soundtracks and arcade innocence, this is an EP that remembers and reimagines the 1980s. Intent is immediately set, with the tense and textured “L’assalto” delivering movie score synth stabs alongside crisp percussion. “Matador” is pure elegance, panpipe playfulness countered by glacial refrains and shimmering key shifts. “Iguazu” transports the listener to the wildlife and wilderness of the Amazon; cascading chords glisten as the canopy sings. Futuro takes to the skies with the sonorous swoops of “Il sogno dell’aviatore” before the lovelorn landing of “Fantasma d’amore”, a sumptuous synthesizer serenade of unrequited romance. To close, we’re firmly on the ground for “Sotto le stelle.” Under these sparkling stars, glimmering notes glow with warmth in a finale fitting for such an EP.

And, it is fitting to finally have Futuro on Italo Moderni. A group that has inspired and will continue to do so well into the future. An accidental discovery, mutual respect and a partnership rooted in a love of synthesizers has brought Accidenti into being.

It's rare to hear a debut 12' single that really blows you away. That's hardly a controversial statement; in truth, most producers take time to find their feet, developing a distinct style over a period of years, rather than months.
Magnesii, then, is something special. Currently based in Amsterdam. The previously unheard of producer has delivered a stunning debut 12' for Tom Trago's Voyage
Direct label. R Raw, fuzzy and in turns melancholic, spellbinding and intense, its' three tracks bubble and hiss to the distinct sound of vintage analogue hardware.

You see, the young Dutch producer tends to avoid modern computers. 'I often feel like those screens suck my soul away,' he says. Instead, he jams out tunes on a tasteful selection of analogue gear, sequencing with either the Alesis MMT-8 or the Akai MPC2000 - a favourite toy of many of the Netherlands' best electronic producers - and adding basslines, beats, acid lines and melodies on obscure synths and drumcomputers'. His creations are then bounced down straight to 1/4" tape or cassette.

Some of these resultant jams, as showcased on this impressive debut, are nothing less than inspired. Acid lines rise and fall, machine drums rattle, and distinctive synth
lines weave in and out of the mix. These are raw tracks for the dancefloor blessed with all the colour and warmth associated with vintage hardware.

'RZTB Tantra' sets the tone, layering bubbling acid lines and dreamy chords over a relentlessly nagging bassline and punchy, scattergun drum machine percussion. 'Lava Jam' is decidedly deeper, with woozy, emotive melodies and alien electronics tumbling over a dusty rhythm pattern and tactile acid bass.

Magnesii completes a sterling debut with 'Van Dyke Island Jam', whose squidgy bassline and long, drawn-out M1 chords work in complete harmony with the crispy rhythm track and densely building percussion hits. Like its' predecessor, it too seems to be tinged with sadness, as if Magnesii's machines are shedding a tear for glories past.

Clearly, Magnesii is a name to look out for in future. For the time being, we'll have to make do with one of the most impressive debut 12' singles of 2014 to date.

Legendary Hiroaki Sugawara in the form of Sergio Maria Saguaro presents Rain Guitar.

Step into paradise alone to deeply savor an exotic experience.

“I first learned about this album thanks to GOKA, who built the sound system for my record shop, CELLAR RECORDS. Around 2019, it was praised by some connoisseurs, but it’s different from the so-called “popular ambient” sound that was in vogue at the time. This work is a Japanese obscure pop album created in 2002 by Hiroaki Sugawara, who goes by the name “Sergio Maria Saguaro,” mixing all types of exotic moods and completed in a secluded space. In particular, A-2 “Window with a Dog” and B-5 “Washing Machine” are truly a sonic paradise. When you put this record on your shelf, be sure to place it next to Tatsuhiko Asano’s excellent soundtrack “Following in the Footsteps of Doshin,” which was happily reissued in 2022, or Steve Hiett’s “Down On The Road By The Beach.”” -浜公氣 (Cellar Records)

“This sophisticated sound file paints natural landscapes, depicting rich and abundant scenes while floating through them, creating a world that is as beautiful as a kaleidoscope, appearing in the soundscape in a way that is always gentle, natural, and organic. It makes extensive use of four types of stringed instruments, modulators, flutes, and ethnic instruments, possessing a refined sense of elegant ambiance.” -Walearic / Gokaine Sound Research Institute

SOULMEEX record label marks its first anniversary in November 2025 with a milestone release: the label’s debut 7-inch. This special edition offers a new opportunity to expand its catalogue of forward-thinking sounds while honoring the timeless spirit of vinyl.

For the occasion, SOULMEEX presents signature tracks from NYC-based artist Evan Michael, whose productions balance depth and groove with finesse. On Side A, “Drifted Past” flows with hypnotic textures and steady momentum, creating a journey that bridges nostalgia and modern club energy. Side B, “Total Fiction” reveals a darker, more intricate narrative, weaving subtle rhythms and immersive layers that highlight Michael’s skill in uniting experimentation with dancefloor appeal.

As in the label’s very first release a year ago, the artwork is once again crafted by watercolor artist Celia Egea, whose visual language perfectly captures the spirit and emotion behind SOULMEEX sound.

More than a record, this release acts as a bridge between tradition and innovation, embodying the SOULMEEX vision: connecting timeless electronica aesthetics with fresh artistic voices. One year of music, community, and creative exploration.

No Static Automatic is proud to cap off the year with the electrifying *Cabin Pressure EP* from seasoned producer and sound designer **Luke Sanger**.

Set for release on limited edition vinyl, this four-track weapon is a potent fusion of classic electro rhythms and Sanger’s signature world of bleeps, wobbles, and modulated
chaos.

With a career spanning two decades at the nexus of music and technology, Luke Sanger is a relentless innovator. While his roots are often linked to techno, his artistic output defies easy categorization, constantly exploring the full spectrum of electronic music. On the

*Cabin Pressure EP*, he turns his focus to electro, injecting the genre with his uniquely off- kilter and captivating sound.

The EP is a masterful display of analog synthesis. Sanger crafts simple, infectious basslines and leads, then sets them in motion, allowing them to converse, modulate, and evolve into a complex tapestry of sound. The result is a listening experience that is as intellectually fascinating as it is physically compelling. Over a bedrock of sturdy electro beats, Sanger layers acid basslines with wild envelope modulation, distorted humanoid samples, and an array of wobbly, techy textures designed to bring dancefloors to a state of ecstatic, unstable bliss.

This is a record built for impact. The *Cabin Pressure EP* is not just a collection of tracks; it's a dynamic tool for DJs, guaranteed to become a secret weapon in sets that demand character and forward-thinking energy.

Best Intentions announces Inverse, a new 4-track EP from Melbourne-based producer and DJ; Pugilist, arriving 12 December on digital and limited white-label 12" vinyl. Marking his first release on the London imprint, Inverse sees Pugilist expanding further into the shadowy, percussive terrain he has become known for, merging future-focused techno, lo-fi industrial, and the energy of early hardcore breaks through his own atmospheric lens. The EP captures both the toughness of the dancefloor and the subtle experimentation that runs through his catalogue. A Scottish/Kiwi artist now based in Melbourne, Pugilist has built a reputation for stylistic range and rhythmic depth. His releases on Modern Hypnosis, Samurai Records, and 3024, along with the recent launch of his own imprint Ruff Kutz, demonstrate his ability to move across tempos and moods while maintaining a distinctive sonic identity. On the decks, he is celebrated for tightly curated sets, deep crates, and an array of unreleased dubs. Speaking on joining the Best Intentions roster and the inspiration behind the project, Pugilist shares: "Stoked to be joining the Best Intentions fam with 4 x retro rave rollas across the hardcore continuum, from minimalist Techno, to smoked out Electro, to krusty Hardcore and Breaks. This EP is a mix of styles which have informed my production style over the years. It is great to be putting out music with a shared vision for giving back for a greater cause. I have been a fan of the label since its inception so jumped at the chance to do a 12". I will be donating my share of profits to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre - a wonderful Melbourne-based charity for asylum seekers here in Naarm. They do wonderful work." The EP's closing track, FKRY, a collaboration with POD, brings warped leads, stepping drum work, and old-school jungle tension into a modern, heavyweight techno frame.

SPTLP007 - ASC - Vanishing Point LP

Evolving further with each release, ASC delivers his latest monumental album on Spatial, a varied and memorable journey through stunningly realised fusion of modern and classic atmospheric breakbeats.

A1 - Mystic Street

Setting a murky tone with light cymbals and synthwork flecking the intro, Mystic Street calmly purrs and growls towards a drop of analogue kicks and a sparse, menacing drum pattern to kick off this incredible album. Enveloped by a dense cloud of darkly atmospherics, the track coils with tension, each element rippling through the mix like distant memories as the suitably enigmatic bassline rumbles beneath.

A2 - Convergence

Straight into the beats with a DJ-friendly two step intro, ASC utilises sparse, sci-fi hits and persistent danceable breakbeats with a melodic bassline. As the atmosphere builds, percussive tones punctuate the swirling pads, creating a luscious sense of forward motion with echoing samples and effects combining in the mix to create a dreamlike soundscape perfect for the dancefloor and headphones alike.

B1 - Invisible Borders

No ASC album would be complete without an amen workout, and we certainly have that here as Invisible Borders rushes into view with simmering intent, melodic samples tore from battlegrounds of yesteryear providing a truly epic atmosphere, rippling breakbeat trickery teasing the listener before crushing full contact amens arrive with panache and veracity - twisted across yearning bass with an unflinching fighting spirit.

B2 - Celestial Bodies

Up next a moment of calm as we soak up the charms of the dreamlike Celestial Bodies, a soothing journey of beats, breaks and atmosphere from Spatial's label head. Melodic notes ripple across the mix with old school breaks filtering to and fro, conjuring images of a cosmic journey unfolding, where old school breakbeat rhythms pulse like distant constellations, echoes shimmering in the vast expanse of ASC's versatility.

C1 - Losing Track Of Time

Into an absolute stunner next as ASC unleashes a modern classic which has a wonderfully instant familiarity to it - like it was lifted directly from the golden era of atmospheric drum & bass. The old school breaks have a distinctive feel while a variety of pads teaming with life swirl around above. A myriad of spirited melodies develop and maintain your attention with classic 808 basslines to complete this remarkable composition.

C2 - Slipstream

Switching up the vibe in style, ASC delivers an intense, cosmic intro to Slipstream which builds gradually with whooshing effects and long female vocals before a crisp, crunchy slice of Hot Pants breakbeat heaven tears through the mix, chock-full of excitable edits portrayed in a brilliant clarity. Warm sub bass punctuates the track while a reverberating earworm melody slowly etches itself into your mind.

D1 - Paradigm Shift

A good old fashioned roller up next as Paradigm Shift sees ASC blend a superb 2-step rhythm with a sumptuous smooth bassline - guaranteed to move the dancefloor. Atmospherics take no back seat either as elegant synthwork swirls and washes across the soundscape with subtly used vocal samples adding texture and warmth to an impressively layered mix that maintains its pace right through to an echoing conclusion.

D2 - Transmitter

Sending us back to interstellar space for an inspired mission through vast unexplored star systems, Transmitter sees ASC create a stunningly evocative, ethereal collage of atmospherics with sonar-like beeps punctuating and persisting throughout. Driving the track along are the superbly programmed drums, filtered and layered with twisted, distorted vocal samples to complete this exhilarating album in pure Spatial style.

On “Cold Sweat,” James Brown famously called to “give the drummer some.” In 1974, Philadelphia vibraphonist Khan Jamal called to Give the Vibes Some, with superb results. Pianist and composer Jef Gilson’s PALM label gave Jamal the platform he needed to deliver a thorough exploration of contemporary vibraphone. After launching PALM in 1973, Gilson quickly demonstrated that he would only produce records not found anywhere else. Give the Vibes Some, PALM number 10, was another confirmation of this guiding principle.

Raised and based in Philadelphia, Khan Jamal took up the vibes in 1968, after two years in the army during which he was stationed in France and Germany. Decisively drawn to the instrument by the work of the Modern Jazz Quartet’s Milt Jackson, Jamal studied under Philadelphia vibraphone legend Bill Lewis and soon made his debuts in the local underground.

Early in 1972, Jamal made his first recording, with the Sounds of Liberation. The band attempted an original fusion of conga-heavy grooves with avant-garde jazz soloing. Saxophonist Byard Lancaster, an important figure in Jamal’s development, contributed much of the solo work. Later in 1972, Jamal made his leader debut with Drum Dance to the Motherland, a reverb-drenched, never-to-be-replicated experiment with live sound processing. Both albums appeared on the tiny musician-run Dogtown label.

“We couldn’t get no play from nowhere. No gigs or recording sessions or anything. So I took off for Paris,” Jamal recalled in a Cadence interview with Ken Weiss. “Within a few weeks, I had a few articles and I did a record date. It didn’t make me feel good about America.” That was in 1974, while Byard Lancaster was recording the music gathered on Souffle Continu’s recent The Complete PALM Recordings, 1973-1974.

Jamal’s record date delivered Give the Vibes Some. At its core, it was an exploratory solo vibraphone album, even if two tracks added (through technological resourcefulness?) a très célèbre French drummer very much into Elvin Jones appearing under pseudonym for contractual reasons. Another track, for which Jamal switched to the vibes’s wooden ancestor, the marimba, added young Texan trumpeter Clint Jackson III. The most notable article published on Jamal during this stay in France was a Jazz Magazine interview. Jamal’s last word there were “The Creator has a master plan/drum dance to the motherland.” “Give the vibes some” could be added to this programmatic statement.

The White Chief project has been defined by her creator as the background character for self_sabotage deconstruction. Deeply inspired in early Industrial, Noise and Power Electronics taking, musically and conceptually some development model acts like Throbbing Gristle or Whitehouse, and certain complex lyrical compositions like could be some Fad Gadget tracks, Maria Barros, a colombian dj and producer known as Gatasanta delivers 5 dense, raw, noisey and dark cuts with the aesthetical connotation of the violent modern times, created among other analogical sounds with multiple Moog bass lines. This record includes also, two tracks from AMAS, Gatasanta's first live project with artist performer Ivana Ray Singh, both artists based in Barcelona. These two tracks appears on the EP as a tribute to the duo's early years of electronic production and performance tours around. All tracks has been produced 100% hardware.

ULURU is a large sandstone rock formation in Australia. It's sacred to the Anangu, the local Indigenous of the area. For many years it had been deprived of its spiritual significance, due to mass tourism, capitalism, as well as greedy and selfishness of people who just want to make money out of it. However, as a result of the Anangu’s resilience, care and staunchness, huge changes took place in the national park around Uluru as well as in the broader public's consciousness, giving again to the Uluru the sacred identity that had been lost.

You might be reading and thinking now: so what's the point? Actually, there's no real point. I would rather say, there’s hope. The hope of seeing humans all around the world following the example of the Anangu. The hope of seeing humans finally stopping to treat the earth and all what’s part of it, what’s on and what’s in it, as a slave without soul. The hope of changing today, and if not today at latest by tomorrow. This system is failing. It's no longer sustainable, and there's no much time left.

So everybody, don't sleep, be critical.

The 12-track record is the first album on SHDW's influential label and explores the past, present, and future of techno.

Planet X label head and 20-year scene veteran Exos, hailing from Iceland, draws on his native country's influences in his work, which explores the interplay between light and dark, warmth and cold. His high-octane sounds over the last 20 years have appeared on vital imprints like Tresor, X/OZ, and, of course, Mutual Rytm, with his releases for
the label having been extremely well received, garnering support from the scene's key DJs. Whether dubby or hard, his techno is always authentic and channels the purity of the 90s style. This new album follows Exos's inaugural X-Release, the Infrared 10", the Icebreaker 12" from last year, and his track on the latest Federation of Rytm IV compilation. It's a real journey through all facets of his sound, including a trip back to his dub techno roots, ambient
explorations, and emotional vocal pieces with lifelong memories fused into sounds that reflect the artist's decades spent in Iceland.

'Sweet Dreams' opens with an atmospheric intro in the form of a 28-year-old collaboration with his father. This full-bodied analogue ambient piece is rich with the mysterious tones of the Nord Modular and was recorded during their shared studio days at D17 in Reykjavik. The title track is a hypnotic, linear groove with icy synth modulations and glistening melodies. 'Hinn Vioforli' then brings dub warmth while 'State of Mind' recalls the spirit of the legendary Reykjavik club 'Thomsen', a cornerstone of Iceland's late 90s underground scene. 'Glaour Og Reifur' and
'Fogur Er Hlioin'pay homage to the echoes of ancient Viking heritage, 'North of January' conveys the cold of Exos's homeland, and 'Hvarvetna' brings textured percussion and darker undertones before '101 After Dark' slows to a bass-heavy broken beat exploration of texture and post-dubstep pressure.

After the heady and atmospheric sound of 'The Dolphin Oracle', another key collaboration comes with 'Freefall', an emotional breakbeat piece featuring vocalist Amelia Rodriguez,' who also lends her voice to 'Shock', a magnificent track that channels Exos's modern techno energy. The album closes with a haunting paradox, 'Paradise Lost,' questioning whether our sweet dreams are truly moments of bliss or simply reflections of what we've already left behind. The three bonus digital cuts offer sleek minimalism, punchy deep techno, and suspenseful ambient.

Kid Katana Records teamed up with Dotemu, The Game Kitchen and KOEI TECMO GAMES, to bring you the highly anticipated NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound OST on vinyl.



The physical edition is a 2LP designed in close relationship with the game's creative team:
- 2 colored vinyls: transparent blue & magenta, matching the cover art & the color-code of the two protagonists
- exclusive poster with extended credits & liner notes giving insights from the game’s creative team and featured artists


This album illustrates the incredible return to the saga's origins, embodied by Ryu Hayabusa's disciple Kenji Mozu and The Black Spider Clan Kunoichi Kumori, both united to repel the sudden onslaught of demons. It takes players back to its roots: a side-scrolling, brutally precise action-platformer set between the events of the first three episodes of the NINJA GAIDEN 8-bit era. The game’s OST blends different genres: rock, retro tunes and action-packed arcade music that respect the IP music legacy while modernizing it.

Astropolis Records, the label born from the legendary Brest festival, marks a decade of electronic devotion with a sprawling, heartfelt anniversary compilation — slightly belated, but executed with undeniable flair.
It also comes in two EPs, showcasing the many facets of the Astropolis universe: in-house artists, long-time festival collaborators, and fresh talent from France’s ever-bubbling scene. Eighteen artists guide us through a sonic journey where rave heritage, electronic dreamscapes, and collective fervor intertwine — true to the spirit of a festival that has never recognized borders



The first EP bathes in warm tones across electronica, house, g-tech, old-school rave, and melodic techno.
It opens with grace and magic via Rone, whose electronic touch conjures the intimate and the infinite. Between electronica and downtempo, The Dolphin Ambassador delivers luminous melancholy, offering a gentle calm before the storm.


The unlikely pairing of Mézigue and Swooh catapults house into a g-tech vortex with the unrestrained Broken Roll To Venice, a compact fusion of groove, hybrid sounds, and playful inventiveness.
Belaria & Madben continue this alchemical thread on Into The Void, an incendiary anthem where 90s rave, EBM, and modern intensity collide in hypnotic trance.


For old-school dancefloor loyalists, KiNK finally resurrects a cult live set staple: Give Me, a bona fide banger merging breakbeat and vintage house, engineered for late-night sweat sessions.
Oniris & Benjamin Rippert revisit the melodic techno roots of the label on Sonate, demonstrating a masterful command of harmony.



This anniversary compilation underscores the label’s openness to new generations and recent sonic hybrids, while paying homage to the techno scene that shaped its early days. Much like the festival itself, it embodies the same sincerity and collective energy: a small manifesto connecting generations, aesthetics, and territories — celebrating roots without nostalgia, and the future without bowing to trends.

Default Mode by Raleigh & Takenaga continues the newly established X series – Harmony’s platform for new voices and limitless exploration. Hailing from Prague, the duo embodies the next wave of adventurous sound design and musical talent from the imprint’s home town.

Incentive Program opens the EP’s A side with a drifting, trance-tinged flow wrapped in sweeping pitch movements and fractured vocals. The track sets a shadowy, almost sinister atmosphere, pulling all witnesses into its slow-burn gravity. It’s a steady build, tipping the floor over the edge. Stiff Envelope pulls you into its depths as it continues to build tension with resonating synth hits that quiver over a powerful trance foundation. With a few moments of silence that let its unsettling atmosphere settle across the stereo field before swinging back in at full force, this one is tailor-made for big systems.

B side’s Ground Floor carries on with metallic swells and shimmers that ring underneath the surface as the tension built on the A side bursts, settling into a grounding four-on-the-floor moment and leaving just enough time to breathe before Raleigh stirs up a concoction of devious vocals, snappy percussion, and a seductive bassline that lifts the mood tastefully. Takenaga wraps up the record with Head Count, a razor-sharp blend of crisp percussive cuts and stuttered crumbles that are seeking the perfect pitch all the way, climbing up and down. Heads are counted on a lively groove that radiates playful momentum and commands the dance floor to get in formation, keeping a tight rhythmic focus. Infused with the pulse of UK club culture, this track delivers a fresh and forward-thinking sound perfect for adventurous turntables.

Continuing the epic journey through three decades of trance excellence, Platipus 30 Years – Volume 11 lands as the penultimate installment in the acclaimed anniversary vinyl series. This edition brings together a stunning selection of classics and remixes that embody the unmistakable Platipus sound: the power of Union Jack – Cactus (Original Mix), the modern reimagining of Art of Trance – Before The Storm (Gai Barone Remix), the euphoric depth of Moogwai – Viola (Original Mix), and the psychedelic force of Quietman – The Sleeper (Man With No Name Remix). With its mix of legendary originals and visionary reinterpretations, Volume 11 stands as a testament to Platipus’ enduring influence and offers collectors another essential piece of electronic music history.

A pioneer of the NYC underground returns to Psionic. After a highly sought after release in the label’s early years, Reade Truth delivers once again with the Life In Review EP. With decades of experience shaping the sonic landscape, his signature blend of analog vintage textures and modern flair shines across four diverse cuts. From hazy minimal electro and dusty broken beats to hypnotic, mind-bending energy—this is Reade Truth in full force. A vital new weapon in the Psionic arsenal from a legend, one of the true originals.

Unearthed from the original DAT at Strange Weather Studios in South London, Get Fucked's Unearthed Stash traces a chronological journey through the legendary group's earliest recording sessions, from the raw chaos of their 1999 debut album to the more refined dub house explorations that led into their second LP.

Sourced from the best surviving master DATs this collection brings together remastered classics, lost versions and previously unreleased edits, offering unfiltered look into one of the UK underground's most fearless creative period.

Each track has been carefully remastered to preserve the saturated punch, tape grit and raw energy of the original sessions, while expanding definition for modern sound systems.

Pressed on 180g heavyweight black vinyl, Unearthed Stash is strictly for collectors and true heads preserving the energy and attitude that made Get Fucked pioneers of the London underground sound. A raw document of a lost era, revived.

Archival Gold. From The Source. Unearthed at Last.

Opsin- the new collaborative alias of longtime friends and producers Keydell and Kincaid - announce their debut LP on wax, Through The Wall, from London-based record label Hypnic Jerks.

Artist Info:

Opsin is the debut project between artists Keydell (Liam Keydell Myers-Cook) and Kincaid (Joe Arthur). The Pair have previously released on the following labels: Well Street Records, Banoffee Pies, Redstone Press & Bliss Print.

Both have extensive work in sound design and collaborated on the soundtrack for Mithridate at London Fashion Week 2024. Kincaid also produced the soundtrack for Alexander Whitley's Anti-Body Ballet.

Release Info:

The album is named after the birthplace of its creation. Sharing files between bedroom walls during COVID-19. Keydell's meticulous Ableton-based resampling of found audio and modular synth racks, and Kincaid's Reaktor-driven synthesis in Logic.

Draws on a wide spectrum of electronic influences the album infuses elements of rave, techno, industrial and ambient sounds, whilst never quite landing in any specific genre.

Second release from London label Hypnic Jerks on 4 sides of 180 gram vinyl, in a gatefold sleeve designed by Jacob Wise and mastered by Rashad Becker.

A followup from their first release - Toumba's debut physical release 'Rosefinch', which saw later releases from Hessle Audio and Nervous Horizon.

Continuing his refraction of the rave continuum into pointedly dislocated, delicately bruising sound system meditations, Low End Activist returns to Peak Oil with a second instalment in his Airdrop series. This time around, he channels the ghosts of foundational tech-step and the quantum leaps of late-90s D&B to provide the inspirational fuel for his skeletal, astral constructions. A strong stylistic thread continues to weave through the LEA output from his earlier self-released EPs and Sneaker Social Club albums, where haunted atmospherics, blown out subs and snatches of breaks dart around each other in empty dancehalls, but the finer point of the sound design and synthesis makes very specific references to landmark moments in hardcore's evolution.

By weaving his own autobiography into the music, the Activist maintains a fundamental theme of his work to date. 'Colin's Golf', 'Smithy's Porsche,' 'Merv's Lazy Eye' and 'Brillo's Teeth' are all personal codes harking back to the formative Oxford rave scene. With the framework in place, he uses textures, timbres and studio tricks from scene-leading pioneers and local heroes of the era as ingredients in thoroughly modernist concoctions. None of the reference points are deployed as literal callbacks — they're waymarkers for the creative process and faint triggers bedded deep into Airdrop II's strange formations. Fleeting sonics might trigger latent memories for those who were there. For everyone else, Airdrop II is another step further along rave's eternally unspooling odyssey, guided by decades of precedents on a path into the future.

Lost Gospel Gem - Exitiment "Rap For Jesus" by Columbus Native Kenneth Jordan Rediscovered Nearly 40 Years Later

Columbus, GA — In the late 1980s, Columbus native Kenneth Jordan was such a powerhouse on the local music scene that talent shows had to rewrite their rules. His voice was so captivating (and his wins so frequent) that some claimed the competitions were rigged.

Jordan, deeply rooted in the city's thriving R&B circuit, eventually turned his creative energy toward faith-based music. Teaming up with several local musicians, he recorded "Excitement (Rap For Jesus)", a gospel-infused rap track that aimed to connect with a younger audience enthralled by the sound of hip-hop. His goal was simple: to give youth something uplifting to rap about and listen to.

In 1985, following a personal health scare and a period of reflection, Jordan transitioned from R&B to gospel music. "I took it as a sign from above that it was time to make a change," he later shared. Though his lyrics found new purpose, his signature soulful style remained unchanged.

Fast forward to December 2022 in Little Rock, Arkansas, where record collector and producer Brian Sears stumbled upon a well-loved copy of "Excitement (Rap For Jesus)" while purchasing over a thousand vinyl records from the trunk of an SUV in a Lowe's parking lot. Struck by the track's energy and message, Sears went into "detective mode" to uncover the story behind the voice—and the man—on the record.

Today, Kenneth Jordan continues to share his gift with his community, leading spirited performances every Sunday at his local church in Columbus. Nearly four decades later, his music and message still resonate with the same joy and conviction that first made him a hometown legend.