Search:n sync

First Word Records are very proud to present a heavyweight EP in collaboration with seminal groove collective, CoOp: 'Selectors Assemble'.

It's been almost two decades since a bunch of music makers, bored of the genre constraints of their time, began toying with time signature and syncopation to birth what is now known as broken beat. Summer 2017, the 'Selectors Assemble' EP is in our laps and we have a fitting reminder and long-overdue renaissance of one of London's most valuable musical movements.

IG Culture and Alex Phountzi were integral to this movement, the focal point being the CoOp club night, which ran predominantly on the famed floors of Plastic People, up until 2007. CoOp remerged late in 2015 as a Boiler Room session, in which the originators linked effortlessly with new school players such as K15 and Alex Nut. The following day, a session was inspired between an assortment of artists, and the seeds were planted for the 'Selectors Assemble'.

Here we have the first offering. The steady-paced roller of 'Gangz' (IG & Seiji), the dutty wine-ready getdown of Henry Wu's 'Substance', the heads-down low-end theory of '2nd Intention', the dominant soundclash call-out of the 'Spartan Riddim', riding out with the garage-flecked jam 'Can't Hold It', also featuring Sonar's Ghost (Domu). Five tracks deeply rooted in groove and as beautifully diverse as Bruk ever was.

Pressed up lovingly onto 140g vinyl, this release is accompanied with a fully-printed insert, featuring an extensive piece on the history of Bruk, written by Andwot (Touching Bass), classic photography by Sarah Ginn, and full-colour artwork by Mitchy Bwoy, a legendary artist to the original scene in his own right. This is an essential artefact for followers of the sound, new and old.

First Word prides itself on its ethos of musical diversity, and we're ecstatic to welcome aboard the CoOp foundation to the stable. A crew of British dance music pioneers, sound-system legends, and now-school heavyweights, this is but a taste of what's to come. Lead by the don IG Culture, the family spirit has quickly formed, the selectors have assembled.

The stage has been set for bruk's second wind. Be ready.

A A1 | Henry Wu - Substance (IG Culture & Alex Phountzi Remix)

Panorama Bar resident Nick Ho¨ppner gets to Work on his second solo album on Ostgut Ton, connecting the territories of House music with the ease of Alt-Pop.
Work as in labor. An axiom that fuels the capitalist system just as the Techno/House scene economy says that one needs to keep oneself busy to make a living. As a musician, things are complicated of course. It's a long way from the romantic idea of creating music simply for the sake of art to becoming a full time musician. Those who have accomplished this feat often find themselves in a professional loop of writing the music, producing it, promoting it (with an info text like this), releasing it and then hopefully selling it. After leaving his full time job as Ostgut Ton's label manager in 2012, Nick Ho¨ppner went fully freelance, focusing on his musically diverse, deep and dynamic DJing in and outside Berghain's Panorama Bar, but more importantly spending more time in the studio. The result was his critically acclaimed debut album Folk (Ostgut Ton, 2015), various 12' releases and remixes, and now his sophomore LP, Work, which, more than ever, lays out his refined production skills and his talent to work the machines until they reveal their inner ghosts: nine new songs that now dodge the dance floor, then fully embrace it.
Work as in body of work. A record is more than the sum of clocked up hours at the studio, but the result of an artistic-creative process. On Work, Ho¨ppner shows his everlasting lust for musical detail, his increasing technical skills and compositional finesse. Work is a very personal, soulful and deep record that breaks through the usual club/dancefloor narrative by documenting Nick's interest for hybrid sounds and combining elements from varying musical genres. Work's lead single 'All By Themselves (My Belle)' is a very atmospheric, intimate and steadily unfurling IDM piece with ethereal synth and vocal pads; on the album it's contrasted by 'Clean Living' with Tram 78, a modern Ho¨ppner club classic: powerful, kick-heavy, muscular, cheerful and uplifting. It's a very personal track resulting from a recent reencounter with an old friend. Having spent countless hours together in Berlin's clubs in ever changing states of mind a decade ago or longer, things have since changed for both towards a more - clean living'. Connecting to this musical vibe 'In My Mind' follows with a slightly darker tone putting emphasis on bassline, percussion and squeaky sound detailing. 'Hole Head' pays tongue-in-cheek homage to Nick's love for UK club music, when a dashing melody of synths and vibraphone is matched with clattering breaks and syncopation. The dubby, mesmerizing 'The Dark Segment' not only impresses with its hypnotic synth figurines, but also by morphing to a shuffling Jazz rhythm towards it's middle part; 'Forced Resonance' uses Oberheim synth brass stabs to dramatic effect; the percussion- and clap-laden 'Fly Your Colours' comes with an irresistible piano melody atop an energetic kick; and finally the album-closing, shuffling but rhythmic, noisy yet bluesy 'Three Is A Charm' featuring the duo Randweg on clarinet, cajo´n and acoustic guitar is a coherent departure heading towards Indie Pop territory. It sees Nick collaborating with acoustic instrumentalists for the first time in his ten-year- spanning Ostgut Ton release catalogue.
Work as in artwork. Staying in line with the Folk album, the visual companion for this record comes from German collage artist Frank Bubenzer. As with the artwork at hand, Bankentsunami, and his other works, Bubenzer cuts up print magazine advertisements and recontextualizes them into new motifs, removing all human depiction from the source material, here as a commentary on the world of business, big money and the banking crisis.
Work as in work it. As a slogan 'work' has always been one of the genre's most utilized paroles, coined and put on wax by pioneers like LNR, Blake Baxter or Steve Poindexter, to name a few. Not only calling for the crowds to get moving on the floor but also to fully express themselves and their unique individuality inside an all embracing environment. A mindset rooted in House Music that has been an integral part of Nick Ho¨ppner's identity as a DJ and producer from the beginning and all through his decade-spanning residency at Panorama Bar. Work it!

The first release of "Syncretism" is a strong declaration of techno made by Cressida. The Ep includes 4 tracks, 3 written and produced by Cressida and 1 additional mix is made by UVB. All the tracks have got a solid raw sound, an excursion between the hardest industrial, the classic UK acid sounds and new wave.
The first track, Toxic Masculinity, is a punching tune haracterized by raw drums, rough synth and break sequencies. Second track, the UVB Testosterone mix, represents the masculinity killer track, with a screaming human being in a dark environment.Third track, Snakecharmer, is the anthem killer track characterized by acid and big room sounds.Neurotic X represents the other side of the label where the artist experiments his tone bringing you in a post industrial and wave scenario.

Brian Kage returns on Michigander with the, 'Best Kept Secret EP.' Kage once again provides three deeply emotional dance tracks filled with his signature warmth that immediately draw connections between personal memories and Michigan's natural splendor. Best Kept Secret starts the record off with tones of hypnotic bells that cascade down from within minor chords that hypnotize the listener until they are met with swelling strings to tie the infectious grooves to intelligent vintage percussion. Lush vocals continue building into an atmosphere of nostalgia and eventually gives way to that moment of intimacy that can only be felt outdoors while exploring with a person they love. Lost on Old Free-soil Road features a detuned analog synth-line that winds up and down over a bed of spooky night-time forest field-recordings which are encompassed by a jackin' 909 beat . Suddenly, juno stabs straight from the 80's pierce through sending the syncopated grooves back the direction they came from taking dancers along for the joyful ride. Cruise Control on US-31 rounds out the record with an infectious blend of pitched wooden toms, warm mid-range bass, deep 303 lines, and a smoky pad straight from a vintage rhodes. All these elements help keep the composition positive & relaxing, while expertly conjuring the feeling of sun on your face. This tune is the perfect tool for any DJ interested in luring day-partiers to a space where they can't resist bobbing their heads and enjoying their summer outside.

Following a number of exciting tunes released on the renowned Quintessentials, here comes Mat Chiavaroli's first long-player 'No Stranger To Madness". Warm Fostex tape hisses and MPC swings, the guy from the Pescara hills delivers 10 tracks for both your dancing and listening pleasure. The A- and B-side tracks are drenched in dusty funk samples, gritty chords and syncopated rhythms. In 'Aroma De Mi Vida' Mat chops obscure Rhodes riffs and layering them with more elements, just like in 'Whoja Vu", a heavy-sampled disco juggler very close to his previous Quintessentials releases. On the flip we find some deep chords melting with powerful gospel vocals, giving life to a track that annihilates boring dancefloors. There's a similar vibe in 'Jeep Ridaz' that reminisces about seminal Atavisme classics with broken detuned bits and agitated cut and pastes give a sense of randomness. The second part of this album shows Mat Chiavaroli's deeper side. 'Double Pain' is a tune that progressively brings you to many aspects of what Mat loves: saturated female vocals stick out while gloomy chords gently develop. 'Storia Losca' has a slightly different attitude with a huge synth presence, live percussion and dreamy pianos. The D side opens with 'The Quiet Bobobo", a distorted floor delight and ends with something closer to Mat's early music, disclosing a fresh collaboration with the young studio fellow P.Lok. 'No Stranger To Madness' fits many bills and is an impressive proof of what Mat's musical ability is.

Planet Mu are very excited to announce Jlin's long awaited second album Black Origami'. A percussion-led tour de force, it's a creation that seals her reputation as a unique producer with an exceptional ability to make riveting rhythmic music. Black Origami' is driven by a deep creative thirst which she describes as this driving feeling that I wanted to do something different, something that challenged me to my core. Black Origami for me, comes from letting go creatively, creating with no boundaries. The simple definition of origami is the art of folding and constructing paper into a beautiful, yet complex design. Composing music for me is like origami, only I'm replacing paper with sound. I chose to title the album "Black Origami" because like "Dark Energy" I still create from the beauty of darkness and blackness. The willingness to go into the hardest places within myself to create for me means that I can touch the Infinity.' Spirituality and movement are both at the core of Black Origami', inspired largely by her ongoing collaborations with Indian dancer/movement artist Avril Stormy Unger whom she met and collaborated with at her debut performance for the Unsound festival - 'There is a fine line between me entertaining a person and my spirituality. Avril, who collaborates with me by means of dance, feels the exact same way. Movement played a great role in Black Origami. The track "Carbon 7" is very inspired by the way Avril moves and dances. Our rhythms are so in sync at times it kind of scares us. When there is something I can't quite figure out when it comes to my production, it's like she senses it. Her response to me is always "You'll figure it out". Once I figure it out it's like time and space no longer exist.' Similar time shifting/folding/disrupting effects can be heard throughout the record - especially on Holy Child' an unlikely collaboration with minimalist legend William Basinski. She also collaborates again with Holly Herndon on 1%', while Halcyon Veil producer Fawkes' voice is on Calcination and Cape Town rapper Dope Saint Jude provides vocals for Never Created, Never Destroyed . Jlin will be touring extensively this year and is currently lining up appearances including Sonar festival. Later this year she will be collaborating in London with acclaimed UK choreographer Wayne McGregor who played her music recently on Radio 4's Desert Island Discs and described her music as quite rare and so exciting".

This release is gifted by a special remix from someone who need no introductions today : Chris carrier aka Mr Georget delivers a dope remix of one of the track that Franck already released on Home Invasion called Yabba.. The idea was to give to our favourite remixers (cause we got some good guys coming up aswell) the freedom to choose one of the tracks that they really like from the label.Mr Georget gave us a deep and hypnotic feeling on this one and we already love it it here; that's why we choosed to press it has a 45 rpm full side to give him the best sound and dynamics. On the other side Franck give us 809, a track wich is the result of the sync between the 909 and the 808 together when it comes to speak about drum and some synths delighted by his own secret.
Bugz is a simple ruff track coming out from the MPC wich we can ear from the drums, and some stabs samples coming thru his Vermona filter and passing by some external effects.. in and out its all about the jam here J We hope you will enjoy this new Ep has the summer starts soon guys...
Of course no share has we do vinyl only.

French producer and DJ John Jastszebski has been involved in the French and global underground
House and Techno scene for over a decade now, releasing on imprints such as D'julz' Bass
Culture, Phil Weeks' Robsoul, Syncrophone Recordings and of course Phonogramme where he returns to here.
The original mix of lead track 'Season' takes the lead via infectious stab sequences, snaking subs
and raw organic percussion before Kai Alce's 'Restructure' of 'Season' follows and tips the focus
over to airy chords, jazz-tinged lead melodies and a bumpy rhythmic swing. 'Illusion' follows and sees Jastszebski focus on a more stripped-back aesthetic with rolling drums,
dusty string samples and warm Rhodes driving the composition. 'Gracelend' then closes the package with smooth, unfolding pad melodies, crunch drum sounds and a murky, hypnotic feel.

The Band > SCARLETT'S FALL is a duo formed in 2014 by Ruth Childs (British-American performance artist and singer based in Geneva) and Stephane Vecchione (Swiss performance artist and musician based in Lausanne). They define themselves as dirty-girlie-kitchen-pop mixing catchy melodies and repetitive looping with fragile vocals and provocative texts. Out of their playfully ironic and poetic universe you can ear shades of CAN, Broadcast and Young Marble Giants. SCARLETT'S FALL toured their first album all over Switzerland and supported Tricky, Peaches and Anika.SCARLETT'S SCARED' is SCARLETT'S FALL ironically seductive second album. It all started with an (blue) demonstration vinyl entitled 'The Incredible Sounds of the Synclavier II' released by New England Digital Corp in 1981 to promote the first digital sampling system. Its content gave the basic atmosphere for the whole album: each of the 10 tracks samples a specific Synclavier sound. Add haunting melodies, mysterious vocals and fun beats and you get 'SCARLETT'S SCARED' complete. As the title suggests 'SCARLETT'S SCARED' is about being scared and takes its roots from vintage movies such as Klute (1971) and Metti Una Sera a Cena (1969) that deals with phone stalkers, insomnia, sexual tension, vampires, ghosts and explosive watermelon attack!

Camisole Records celebrates its 10th release with the reissue of «Electronic», first Benoit Hutin's LP.This promo album only send to radio and TV in 1980 is now regarded as one of the best Cosmic Library LP of this period.From the disco tinged of Test and Spot to the ambient and kosmische landscapes of Spectre or Synchronisme you can easily see why:The 5 original tracks are completed by 4 edits made by italo australian master Hysteric, Britanny edit wizard Shelter and Camisole boss Atton.

In this space between chaos and conformity disorderly moments welcome new phases into existence, leading to the awakening of an elevated version of the self. Between highs and lows, Transitions of Life remain; the concept behind Synthek's first solo full length sound narrative on his Natch Records imprint. Unfolding across a vexing two-year transformation phase, Synthek's crossings along rough roads are the tribulations to reveal this intimate personal journey of reve- lation through emotional downshift, spiritual upheaval and cerebral quandary. In this dominion, Synthek shapes the eleven track escapade along a sophisticated array of synths and warm analog drums, while contrasting the build and decline of atmosphere through deep bass soundscapes.
Pivotal turning points execute the programming of the album's three part sound design; beginning from darkness and repression, evolving to a more colourful aerial majesty of lucid dream state, morphing into the developed nature of life lessons learned; Transitions of Life making its incarnation into the discovery of the self and re-entry into reality.

*Transitions of Life is a 2x12' release made available through Natch Elements, intro- spective extension to the Natch Records imprint. Visual embodiment of the project artfully presented with photographic time capsule by Salar Kheradpejouh of Berlin, Germany with graphic work curated by Jacopo Saveritano, co-founder of Natch Records.

De-Bons-en-Pierre is a project from Beau Wanzer & Maoupa Mazzocchetti. Beau Wanzer spends the majority of his days sifting through paraffin embedded animal tissues and reading old issues of Fangoria, occasionally breaking his monotonous routine to record in various fits and bursts. As well as solo material, he is also in numerous projects including Streetwalker, Mutant Beat Dance, Civil Duty, and Corporate Park. He's released on many labels including; Diagonal, L.I.E.S, Cititrax, Nation, Rush Hour, and Light Sounds Dark. Maoupa Mazzocchetti is the pseudonym of Florent Mazzocchetti, a French producer based in Brussels. Florent is strictly devoted to a DIY mentality around music production and his sound revives the electro-industrial aesthetic of the late 70s and early 80s. He's released notable productions on labels such as Unknown Precept, PRR! PRR!, Knekelhuis and Mannequin Records.

While Beau was visiting Brussels he stopped by Maoupa's house to jam for a bit. All songs were recorded on April 4, 2016 between 11:00am and 11:00pm, as single live takes.'Crepes' is a 6-track EP, titled so because they ate crepes the majority of the session. Beau says, "There was a bit of a language barrier. We'd mostly just laugh and nod when something sounded cool to us." The equipment set up included a Roland TR-808, TR-606, SH-101, CR-78, CR-8000, two Syncussions and effects. Over 23 minutes of garbles, sludgy synths and leviathan rhythms. Surfing the slippery slope between industrial and electro, but never quite falling in, just a dip of your pinky toe to to test the temperature.

All songs are mastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. Housed in a sewage green/blue jacket featuring a crepe-masked duo reminiscent of pulpy VHS covers. Designed by Eloise Leigh and Florent Mazzocchetti. Each copy includes a 2-sided postcard with a photo taken during the recording session.

The always wonderful BEGIN returns after a very Balearic absence ! And what a return !
'Let's Talk' eases us in with some trademark Begin style mid-tempo mellowness, as undulating melodic elements are carried straight to the beach on gently lolloping beats
'Aight' adds a little more anticipation, with a syncopated backbone and some mesmerising Carl Craig style synth cycles...
On the B, the 'Cut The Paste' is a burly, New Beat inspired chugger, which manages to sound exactly like an early morning, strobe-lit Boccaccio moment, while simultaneously basking in the midday sun

Shelter is one Alan Briand, a young Parisian producer with a strong melodic centre producing a sound that pulls on the Zouk, the Afro, the Balearic and the Ambient palette. Zon Zon Zon is only his fifth release and his first mini album, following the series on International Feel that has brought us material from Len Leise, Wolf Muller and CFCF.

International Feel first met Shelter on a trip to Paris a few years back. It sounds like a story from a Nick Hornby novel, but there's a record shop in Paris called L'International Records, run by a guy called Dave who has a group of young French DJs, producers and promoters that visit the store, hang out and buy and listen to music - a story no doubt currently being repeated throughout the world as new generations immerse themselves in the culture. Shelter is a producer who has sucked up all that he has been hearing around him for a number of years and is now producing a quality sound, pulling on the exotic.

The seven tracks on this mini-album are taken from an extensive pool of Shelter's melodic magic. Some people lead on the beats, some on the production, but Alan focuses on the melody, with the beat closely tied in as support. Señor Zalla starts the album with an afro vibe, closely followed by the Zouk-style of Zon Zon Zon and Port-au-Cœur's mellow Balearic tones, as Shelter twists nature's sounds into his own sonic world. Bucolica, an upbeat wonder of a track, turns to the ambient mantra of Courant Rouge and it's distant cousin Courant Bleu, a classic rhythmic balearic piece with syncopated melody and delayed drums. La Volière (the French can make even bird cage sound beautiful) brings the album to a close with a smile in the mind's eye.


Zon Zon Zon is universal. It could easily have been created in Ibiza or Canada, Australia or Africa. It was in fact recorded at Paris 11, where Shelter forged beauty through the sounds of nature and uncovers a wisdom in its simplicity. We can expect good things from Alan. Here's the first chapter.

We can attest 'Despertar' is one of the most intriguing and beautiful albums to emerge from the Spanish's electronic music scene in 2017. A celebrated debut by the artist Piek, emerged from the most versatile musical scene, not in vain he creates inspired by the magic of great names such as Sigur Ros, Moderat or Bonobo.'Despertar' is the title chosen for the debut LP of this producer and dedicated music lover from Pamplona

Rekids return with an ethereal release from burgeoning producer Patrick Conway featuring Hessle Audio's Pangaea on remix duties.
"Records inspired by transcendental mediation, UK rave, Sheffield bleep/warp records, Carl Craig circa early 90's, silent servant, Shabba Ranks and joss sticks smoking out the studio..." - Patrick Conway
Syncopated percussion introduces 'Sandy Lane' whilst ebbing pads and metallic nuances add to an overall shadowy aesthetic. 'Orbit' then sees intricate breaks; ghostly synths and murky melodies join piercing vocal cries before Pangaea delivers a cacophonous remix combining crunchy drums with effervescent notes and a throbbing low-end.

Following his debut solo release 'Altar Ego EP' on La Mission in early 2016, J Choirboy returns with more bombastic breakbeats and raucous rave chords for your earholes. Another sharp shot of nostalgia to the heart to have you waking up spluttering in the glory days of '92. Simpler times when the internet was still in black-and-white and you and seven of your mates would pile into Gaz's Vauxhall Corsa and drive to a field somewhere off the M25 for a 'propa wicked' rave which you found out about from a party hotline on a crumpled flyer with some tenuous reference to science in the title. It's once more time to don the boiler suit and your rose-tinted Lennon frames, bask in the smell of Vicks VapoRub, and pour over the Polaroid albums of yesteryear. A colossal bass drum with a healthy slathering of reverb lays the foundation in 'Full Effect'; the interlaced hardcore stab sets a melancholy tone. But lo! In rush the clattering chords of the piano, refuelling the piece with MDMA-laden euphoria. In 'Lights Down', J Choirboy explores the sombre and reflective modes of the hoover synth. Subtle plaintive chords offset the characteristic rumbling bass drum and syncopated cadences of the breakbeats. As the first release on new label Rough Grade, the EP provides an uncompromising dance floor onslaught, occasionally soothing the listener with catchy melodies before continuing course through a stormy sea of roaring beats. Not for the faint of heart. Vital Sales Points: - support from Answer Code Request, Ryan Elliott, Boys Noize, Dustin Zahn, Fiedel, Martyn, and many more for previous release 'Altar Ego EP' on La Mission.

Following on from Plus Instruments Love Is Enough Remixes EP comes an accompanying Dubs EP, featuring deeper reversions by Jamie Paton, Luke Solomon, Khidja and joining them with a breaks meets dubwise, Alphonse. Truus de Groots return to her Plus Instruments project after a 30 years break saw the label pick up her off-kilter House roller, Love Is Enough for one of our (e)special remixing packages. Here then, we turn out attention to everyones favourite, the Dubs. Starting with label mainframe, Jamie Paton, his Cloudy Dub-Out pulls his mix through modular prisms for heads down basement rumble. Echo chamber vocals, twisted syncopations and a bass to breakdown walls, this is Patons true calling - dub to get lost in and rightful to kick off the EP. Next guest remixer de jour, Luke Solomon stays close to his original bumpin remix, warping the vocal with skatntrippin wonk, all atop a funk bass line and riding shuffle percussion. Cha cha cha. On the flip, Khidja triumph again with a tougher version. Not a straight up dub of their remix, this pushes a nod to colder (wave) vibes, with industrial percussion riding high on their trademark production. Hard kick atop refrained synths, growing out of Eastern protoid routes to glimpse their future. Finally, mystery man Alphonse comes in from the dark to close with a killer breaks inspired dub. Utilising the originals bass with an angular break, the intricate cut up percussion, Theremin and vocals all glide, keeping the head and feet (jazz) dancing for some (free) party sound system love. Dub is enough

Renowned house veterans D'julz and Jordan Fields drop two tracks each for a split release on Radio Slave's Rekids this December.One of the key components in Parisian electronic music, the A side sees a display of groove led cuts signature to D'julz as 'Shy Town' combines sultry bass tones with mesmerizing atmospherics and tranquil piano chords, making way for the crunchy drums and trippy synths of 'In Your Soul'.
Meanwhile, from across the pond in Chicago, Jordan Fields' raw productions begin with syncopated percussion and fuzzy notes until 'Mformation' concludes the package with thudding kicks and ethereal melodies.
Both artists have been commanding forces in electronic music for 25 years each making this split release very special indeed.

Black Truffle is thrilled to announce Reverse Tree, the new LP from the acclaimed duo of Eyvind Kang and Jessika Kenney, two musicians who have established themselves as powerful voices working at a unique intersection of contemporary composition, improvisation, and Asian traditional music forms. Either individually or as a pair, they have worked in contexts ranging from performances of traditional Persian and Javanese music to collaborations with Sunn O))), but their work together as a duo (documented on The face of the earth and Aestuarium, both released on Ideological Organ/Editions Mego) most clearly represents the central concerns of their diverse practices: a music of the inner life of sound, demanding ritualistic focus and promising heightened sensations.
On Reverse Tree, the duo expand their work together into the realm of the chamber ensemble, presenting two side-long works that feature Kenney's voice and Kang's viola alongside a multitude of other instrumentalists. Kang's Thoughts on Being Exiled to the Frontier, for Lord Wei, inspired by a text by the Tang dynasty poet Hsueh T'ao, features an all-star international ensemble: Kang, Kenney, maverick Israeli conductor Ilan Volkov on violin, Icelandic cellist Hildur Guðnadóttir, and guitarists Oren Ambarchi and Stephen O'Malley. The piece is primarily composed of irregular patterns of pizzicato notes and guitar harmonics, gently falling in and out of sync and providing a subtly unstable support for Kenney's voice, which sings long, wavering tones, at times reminiscent of Michiko Hirayama's classic performances of Scelsi. Drawing on 20th century instrumental techniques, alternate tuning systems, non-western music and the experience of nature (the irregular rhythms of the piece calling to mind nothing so much as drops of rain), the piece opens a space both serene and subtly uneasy.
Kenney's 'Elm features Kenney and vocalist Nova Ruth (of Filastine & Twin Sista) alongside an ensemble of strings and Seattle's Gamelan Pacifica, performing on Javanese instruments tuned to the slendro scale. An uncanny timbre created by bowing the keys of the Gamelan's instruments, supported by bowed harmonics from the strings, is heard consistently throughout the piece. After a long introductory section in which this harmonic cloud slowly descends from shimmering high notes to rumbling bass, the vocalists enter, singing a slow and stately setting of a 19th century Surakarta poem (attributed to Mangkunegara the IV). The melody is sung as a rich and wavering heterophony, with the ensemble sometimes rising up to support individual notes. The poem deals with the idea of a form of knowledge achieved through deeds, as a practice and state of the heart. This is music in slow motion, in which, in Kenney's words,

For its 33th release , Etruria Beat welcomes Diego Amura . The Italian prodigy already released on French Nowhere label ( Synchrophone Paris ) , Planet Rhythm to only name a few . Here are 4 pure techno cuts : 2 originals , Peruana with its characteristic distorted bass and unmissable 909 , Lost which is a classic techno tool with an hypnotic synth. On the remix duties , Lost got a reinterpretation from Dutch TWR72 with an intense and strong groove , while Label boss Luca Agnelli ´s rework of Peruna brings the music to another side of the dancefloor with an explosive restart .

After a few digital releases, Lunar Convoy delivers a masterfully executed debut EP to inaugurate newcomer belgian imprint NORITE's vinyl series. Counting Northern Electronics, Hypnus Records, Semantica and Prologue among his main influences, Lunar Convoy's first effort is utterly coherent while not failing to evoke a plurality of emotions. Imbued with sacred atmospheres, infiltrated with mysticism, ritualistic melodies and aesthetically charged rhythms, Outer Rim Territories is a testimony of his love for deeper realms. On the A side, Seswenna's trancey lead synth and pumping bass opens the EP with an excursion towards distant planets. Ryloth ventures into darker fields, scattered with whirring and saturated analog complains and haunted by ancient voices. On the flip side, Eriadu sets a more mystical pace with syncopated kicks and floating eerie pad, to embark on a parallel dimension. Allen's take on Ryloth is symptomatic of the US-based producer, speeding things up and offering a stripped down version filled with devastating hi-hats and firing toms to end this solid 4-tracker with the hypnotic-yet-effective sound that got him signed on Attic Music, M_Rec Ltd, PoleGroup or more recently Granulart Recordings. With such a captivating release, Lunar Convoy has set a high bar for the upcoming releases and left us under his sway.

MYSTERIOUS VOGELSPEED IS BACK - NEW CRAZY BIRDS DELIVER FRESH MUSIC A BIT OUT OF THE NORM

The Pack contains 12" Vinyl + CD Album
This is the sampler of the Affkt new album 'Son of A Thousand Sounds' to be released by Sincopat. It includes collaborations with Upercent, Piek and Sutja Gutierrez.

This is the sampler of the Affkt new album 'Son of A Thousand Sounds' to be released by Sincopat. It includes collaborations with Upercent, Piek and Sutja Gutierrez.

LIMTED EDITION - 50 Packs
The Pack contains 12" Vinyl + CD Album + Album on USB stick + sticker This is the sampler of the Affkt new album 'Son of A Thousand Sounds' to be released by Sincopat. It includes collaborations with Upercent,Piek and Sutja Gutierrez.

(180 gr vinyl incl. rmxs by Pharaohs, CFCF & Apiento) 'On Vacation' was hailed by many as one of the finest of 2016 so far. As ever we asked a few people we like to do some versions.
International Feel launched their minialbum series late last year and second in line was CFCF with 'On Vacation' which many hailed as one of the finest of 2016 so far. As ever we asked a few people we like to do some versions.

Pharaohs come from LA and blend Liston Smith vibes in a modern electronic context. They have released music on ESP Institute and 100% Silk. Their take on 'Pleasure Centre' is a bongo driven ride with acoustic guitars and jazz infused flute harmonics. It's a lovely thing.

CFCF himself takes on 'Fleurs laissés dans un taxi' in a beautiful balearic style. Super mellow with sweet guitar in a classic Pat Metheny style brings out the melody with the pads & syncopated drums and percussion rolling away in the background.

Apiento takes the chance to reedit 'Chasing' which was one of our favourites from the label. A little dub and an extension is all it takes to let this one breathe for a little longer.

Across the board good from International Feel. Enjoy.

After a refreshing and sold-out opening release by Mad Rey (Hotel La Chapelle), VERTV returns with Pondicherry, the second EP of another incredible young French newcomer: Monomite.

The multifaceted musician is sneaking around genres like House, Broken Beat, Hip Hop and Breaks revealing his signature sense of groove (Gimme Da Lighta Plez, Whatchulookinat), humor (Flying Saucers), depth ($$$) and his ability to funk, playing sensual hypnotic bass-lines and syncopated drums (Lovindabass Mon Frer, Les Baffes de Georges Moustaki).
VERTV is really proud to introduce you to this touching artist, Monomite's Pondicherry EP is an open window to his complex personality.
RIYL : Dego, Kaidi Tatham, Theo Parrish, Glenn Astro, Funkineven

COUNTERSTRIKE stand as one of the hardest production entities to pin down in the heavy-hitting end of drum and bass, delivering exceptionally well-executed cuts across the multiple sub-genres of the scene to carve out their unique sound. Following up a string of releases across leading labels in the scene, which sparked as early as 2001 and sees them today as one of the leading forces with their heavy sound - they unveil their 2nd LP through their own Algorythm Recordings - FEAR DIVISION DESTRUCTION.

Opening with the ominous tolling of church bell, before dropping with a sample that places tongue firmly in cheek - DEMONS pairs Counterstrike with US producer Gein to deliver a stripped wonky shuffle between dnb sub-genres for the most depraved of dancefloors. The LP also delivers hefty collaborations with the Panacea and Eye-D, with TOCKOTRONIC bringing heavy sweeping tech and a trance-flavoured breakdown, while HOW IT ENDS strikes with filthy acid-influenced crossbreed. Titular track FEAR DIVISION DESTRUCTION places it's roots firmly in the Portuguese sound, delivering devastating waves of pulsating techno-influenced dnb. AGAINST THE GRAIN leads from towering bass into a proud display of Counterstrike's broad range of influences - with hard and heavy dnb melding perfectly with neuro. SHOCKWAVE delivers an angrily syncopated growl perfect for inciting unhinged, abandoned delirium across the rave, whilst THE RAGE shows the true power that a Counterstrike snare can deliver. THE SIGNAL drops with furious break beats, juxtaposed by a funky triplet rhythm on the switch. VOLCANIC sees them combining forces with one of the scene's top MC's - Coppa, to deliver a nasty slab of future hip hop.

FEAR DIVISION DESTRUCTION delivers what it promises, an aggressive but highly-tuned odyssey into the core of hard dnb that will rip your soul out through your eardrums and leave listened palpitating in the dance.

Wolfgang Tillmans designed Cover with Innersleeve

How to introduce the first record by Wolfgang Tillmans Now considered one of the most significant visual artists working today, his very first passion in life lay with music. This record features on its B-side three songs recorded in 1986 in his home town of Remscheid. The A-side features two pieces recorded in 2015/2016. The 29-year gap in between were marked by Tillmans exploring music, pop and club culture from many different angles. 'Make It Up As You Go Along' is a pulsing dance track based on the recordings of a book printing press in a factory in Stuttgart. Morphed through various production stages, the press's syncopations and his Tillmans' serendipitouspenditous vocals merge into an intoxicating track that could become a summer festival early a.m. favourite. 'Triangle / Gong / What' is an experimental offering made up ofwhich combines the sounds of playing a special alloy triangle, a 999 fine gold gong and a vocal, fused through a particular gain manipulation during the recording process. The 1986 side features three songs which Tillmans wrote and recorded with collaborator Bert Leßmann. A single channel recording from the rehearsal room was all he had from back in the day. With the help of Tim and Klaus Knapp the recordings were filtered and eq'ed and then supported with precise reconstructions of the original instruments. Out of this production process spanning 30 years a unique time capsule emerged, which portraits a small town teenager with some ambition. 'Time Flows All Over' is a haunting reminiscence of the angst and energy of the mid-1980s, infused with surprising contemporary relevance.

After the success of their debut split EP with Muslimgauze which sold out in record time, the southern Italian male/female duo Underspreche return to Optimo Trax for their first EP in their own right. Three tracks of deliciously psychedelic advanced techno grooves filled with subtle syncopations and head melting sound design. First release in the new Optimo Trax colour scheme.

Delivering Verse III, Synthek concludes the first trilogy on his newborn imprint STK, showing once again is unrestricted approach to modern techno, which spans from bleeping offbeats to more stompin' and melodic tracks. 'Distress Mode' opens the record with a slow and solemn intro, ripped off by broken beats and obsessive bleeps, which escalate quickly into sonic madness. 'Diverse' closes the Aside with a somehow funked out mood, sounding causal at first, but recomposing once hihats break in, into a slick syncopate cut. The flipside is definitely more club oriented, opening with 'Reflection', where heavy beats and haunting melodies build up ceaselessly momentum. Last minimalistic cut : 'The End' finalises the release with propulsive rhythms designed to twist the dancefloor.

Re-Release of Losoul's classic 'Synchro'.

Previously released on Playhouse Records in 1998. Remastered and Reissued. Get yourself a new copy of one of the best kept secrets between Berlin, Offenbach and Detroit..

After his first EP on For Those Who Know ...Malvito is now on Syncrophone Recordings with Conforce remix.

Insula records delivers a solid follow-up to their first record, releasing a 4-track peak-time tripper by Alderaan. After appearing on Planet Rhythm and Weekend Circuit the rising Argentinian artist now brings his prolific atmospheric techno sound to the Dutch imprint. The 'Continuous Limit EP' is an uncompromising journey through syncopating bass-lines, spacious textures driven by heavy kicks that will shake the floor.

Here comes another release by Echologist aka Brendon Moeller. Brendon did several releases over the year and here comes the next Bomb!!
These tracks were recorded in autumn of 2016 in Brendon's
home studio that is conveniently located in the basement of his home in upstate New York.
The tracks were made using a combination of Hardware and Software. The protocol, well, sync all machines via midi and CV and then jam. Once a jam seems to take on a form he multitrack record all elements in Ableton and then create a nal arrangement and mix down.

You can call them a »supergroup«, but Moderat understands that it's the »group« aspect that makes them interesting.

Gernot Bronsert, Sebastian Szary (aka Modeselektor) and Sascha Ring (aka Apparat) have been working together as a trio almost as long as their two separate projects have existed. We've seen their collaboration grow from »laptop boy-band,« (as Ring playfully puts it) in 2003—with computers synched using software Ring himself had written, because at the time, »there was just no live performance software around.«

Ring confesses that Moderat wasn't »really meant to be a recording act ,« with Bronsert agreeing that, »it was really just about fun.« This maybe explains the six-year break that followed Moderat's first EP before they finally returned in 2009 with their selftitled debut album. Intent on creating something that contrasted with their own projects, the group started the cycle which blossoms on their second album, aptly titled II, culminating now in the trilogy's completion, III. Whereas I was the combination of two separate entities, II brought the members closer together, and in III, the final chapter in the trilogy, Moderat sounds like one band.

Both Szary and Ring will tell you that Moderat moved progressively from making tracks towards a more traditional writing approach of making songs - a process more fully realized on III. That's partly why the vocals have become more prominent. Mostly, you hear Ring singing (there are no guests this time), as he so often does as Apparat, but listen closely to »Ghostmother« to hear Bronsert and Szary backing him up. Stepping out of their comfort zone is the kind of thing that helped create their interplay between pop and electronics; doing it right won them the Resident Advisor Best Live Act honor as early as 2009, and they continue to gain popularity while remaining independent and underground.

Szary describes the idea behind Moderat as, »imagin(ing) yourself sitting in the cinema and watching a movie with an incredible soundtrack.« This is true with Moderat in general, but III in particular pairs an emotional pull with sensual imagery, creating dynamic sound and depth with lyrics such as »the calming scent of lavender fills the air,« or »burning bridges light my way.« You'd have
to ask them whether they're intending to manipulate the listener in the same way that John Williams or Hans Zimmer might with traditional orchestras.

One of the best parts of Moderat is their use of electronics to achieve orchestral diversity. They update the songwriting tradition with an intriguing palette, borne of careful attention and skill, informed by their »experiences with sounds of nearly 25 years of suband club culture.«
Let's not forget that these three were brought together by Berlin's now legendary rave scene. With this as their common foundation as individuals, III signifies Moderat's maturation in modern pop — an achievement shared under their collective belt.

Bronsert explains that, »the new album isn't based on jams. We went into the studio and knew exactly what we needed to do.« This is reflected in the sophisticated themes explored in the music. Take »Ghostmother,« which ponders inner peace, acceptance, fear of the unknown and how facing that fear often reveals something not so scary. Or »Running,« which is about being part of a mass that constantly needs to move to function, but doesn't have the power to decide the direction of motion. Or how about the wisdom of »Reminder,« which recognizes the world for its flaws and our role we've each played in that, but choosing to act differently and light the way to something better.

Given that, it's a bit of an understatement when Bronsert says, »I'd say our music has definitely matured.« Successful in their own endeavors, now they've mastered the »group«. It doesn't mean the end of Moderat, but it does mean they'll have to find something else to excel in.

Collaboration between Freund der Familie and the SEML Crew straight out of Paris.

Just great release by Analog Man ! Nick Simoncino !