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Cookin' On 3 Burners are Australia's foremost organ trio joining the dots between funk, soul, boogaloo & jazz. Long time partners Lance Ferguson (guitar), Ivan Khatchoyan (drums) and Jake Mason (organ) have taken their home brew of soulful Hammond get down everywhere from jazz festivals to after hours bars and clubs. Their top notch reputation led to them supporting Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings in Sydney, jamming live with Breakestra and becoming THE in demand band south of the equator. With a musical CV that includes names like Joe Bataan, Alice Russell, Mark de Clive-Lowe and The Quantic Soul Orchestra, as well as the world beating outfit The Bamboos, it's not surprising this latest CO3B album has generated huge interest even prior to its' release. Their first Freestyle album 'Baked, Broiled or Fried' featured the group in a hardcore funk groove but on 'Soul Messin' sees the sound, feel and influences widened further with some quite magical results. Versatile singer Kylie Auldist (Tru Thoughts Recordings) opens proceedings on the deep funk groove of 'Push It Up' but it is the Freestyle 45 'This Girl' (FSR7057) that provides the mellow, beautiful and incredibly catchy vocal highlight of the entire collection, shimmering horns ride over this laid back, future deep soul classic. We don't yet know what Gary Numan will make of CO3B's version of his 80's synth pop hit 'Cars' (CD only) but Jake Masons organ playing (including simultaneously supplying the super funky bass lines via his Hammond foot pedals and left hand) takes this track in a direction no one was expecting! Drummer and top notch singer Fallon Williams provides his gritty, searing voice on 'Hole In My Pocket' and 'Seen Through Your Disguise' sounding very much like US soul legend Robert Moore and the band display their versatility whilst doffing their caps in the direction of The Meters on the numbers 'Dog Wash' and 'Piranha' The down tempo, moody album closer 'The Proving Grounds' (CD only) once again shows the groups expanding musical textures and rounds off 'Soul Messin' the bands most varied and accomplished recording so far.

Recent Mark Lamar Live Session on Radio 1

"This Girl" has been Freestyle's top selling single of 09 so far !

Outta the shadows and into the strobe-light, Alex Lewis aka Turinn debuts on Modern Love with a highly rinsable debut double-pack of sawn-off brukbeats and anxious, nerve-riding grooves brewed in the ravines of North Manchester. Turinn emerges from a new generation of producers in the city that include longtime spar Willow, and upcoming producer Croww, soon to offer up his own debut recordings.
Crooked and rugged AF, but tempered by an acute emotive sensitivity, 18 1/2 Minute Gaps renders a bleedin' cross-section of mongrel, hybrid style 'n pattern in a breathless, deceptively freehand fashion that comes riddled with an electric blue energy all of its own.
Committing ten trax of fractious, mutant funk and sore feels, 18 1/2 minute Gaps serves to cap Turinn's formative phase of production like a lead lid on a nuclear rave implosion; trapping original 'ardcore 'nuum, Detroit booty and dank post-punk elements in a perpetual flux of in-the-pocket grooves which ravenously attempt to split at the seams, alternately pushing into Muslimgauze-like buffer zones of distortion or resoundingly wide ambient dimensions, and often both at once.
On the first plate, this ambiguous dichotomy is epitomised between the rare surge of quick/slow torque in Ovum, which almost sounds like Chris Carter sparring with Burial Hex, and then in his nod to the Italian new wave with Elba, which seems to find the square root between Lorenzo Senni and some skudgy as heck Kassem Mosse grind, whereas the bittersweet soul of 1625 finds compatible links with his close peer, Workshop's Willow as well as Japan's Shinichi Atobe and scene enabler Move D, while Parratactico swaggers into quantum dancehall meters.
The second disc is no less deadly: the album title track runs at a nexx level Detroit momentum like DJ Stingray flipping Derrick May and Carl Craig's Kaotic Harmonies, before ESO cuts in like a super cranky El-B wearing itchy Primark underwear, and the bone-rattling hardcore jungle of Spawn soon enough gives way to the sweetlad couplet of Petrichor and Ondine, where his elusive, distressed melodic touch really shines thru.

Adrian Younge presents: The Delfonics is quintessential sweet-soul from The Delfonics lead vocalist William Hart produced by Adrian Younge. From the very beginning, it was Younge's intention to create an old-school Delfonics vibe but offer a very hip-hop-informed perspective. There are distinguishing musical elements that Delfonics fans will recognize, like the electric sitar guitar, the French horn, string arrangements, and the tympani. Recorded and mixed by Adrian Younge at Linear Labs, the preeminent analog studio of Los Angeles, CA.

To begin the year with, Antinote summoned Panoptique and JC Satan's Paula to release a badass two-tracker, paying a pared-down tribute to a very overlooked period in recent musical history: the accursed electroclash-era.
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At a time when 'Balearic' has become the new musical gospel, the holiest adjective one can use to describe one's music (and therefore, electroclash has become the musical antichrist - to keep going with the biblical comparison)... while everyone seems to glorify stuff like Ibiza's 'endless sunsets', the duo happily kicks over the anthill with a song, a record and a band soberly called Succhiamo (first person plural of 'to suck' in Italian). The title-track straightforwardly announces what the main elements of Succhiamo's music are: over-saturated simple patterns of drum machines and EBM-infused lines of synths backing overtly sexual vocals in Italian. Nothing more, nothing less.

On the flip side, Succhiamo deals with the same formula in depth, engaging this time in detailing a meaningless list of products available in the 'supermercato'. The song conveys a nihilist - but fun - attitude, and it just sounds as if the band was crashing a car in a commercial zone in high spirits... As a kind of inheritor to Ich Bin, Succhiamo offers to bring some stupidity in the club and gives serious dance music producers the finger, like some irreverent Franco-Italian Beavis & Butthead.

Bastardo Electrico is a techno night and label based in Cork, Ireland. It's run by Jamie Behan, a veteran of the scene and one half of Flexure alongside Stephen Mahoney. Both have been DJing since the mid-'90s, but Flexure is a relatively new hardware-based project that sounds like a mashup of techno, acid, electro and Chicago house. Shadow Puppets is Flexure's debut EP, a collection of unhinged machine bangers fans of Tinfoil's and On The Hoof's weirdness will likely appreciate.

Modulated noise drills through the centre of "Blizz," getting more rancorous as the track steams on. "Callmecrazeey" is less abrasive but boisterous and more energetic, like a mound of Mexican jumping beans, complete with cartoonish xylophone notes that give it a cheeky twist. The cheekiness continues on "703 39flr," which teems with homemade sounds between the kicks, giving you plenty to home in on even if the track doesn't make you want to dance. The hypnotic "Piltrafiltra" is more likely to get you moving with its slender '90s trance hook. It's the most functional track on the record, but who needs functionality when you can be ricocheting off the walls with "Callmecrazeey'"s oddball jive.

Jump in your spaceship and join us on our intergalactic exploration, as we are happy to announce that our next vinyl release is from Blossom Kollektiv's very own Leo Woelfel . Making his debut last year with a digital only release we are very excited to present his first vinyl release for the label titled Heuweid EP. The four track EP features three originals and a remix from Matthias Vogt that will take you on a deep exploration of space so buckle up and get ready to blast off.

We start our journey with the Frizzante mix of 'Heuweider Mineral' the track features a deep brooding bassline but with deep and dubby pads that takes us to a universe that plays with the darkness but keeps the light in plain sight. Backed with a solid kick and percussion to give the track a fully rounded feel this is one track that will put a big smile on any lover of the deeper side of house music.

Next up we get Matthias Vogt's interpretation of 'Heuweider Mineral.' Bringing a more broken beat reconstruction of the original, Matthias brings a raw flavor with a roaring bassline, moving snares and a redevelopment of the dubby pads that transforms the track and creates a feeling of weightlessness while floating through space.

On the flip side we are presented with a more classic deep house vibe with Leo's original 'Elke Ueber Der Bruecke ' this track is careful crafted with the dance floor in mind. A strong kick paired with tightly woven percussion and a classic deep house pad keeps everything moving in this distant but familiar world.

Our final stop on our planetary adventure is 'Stahlgruber Andacht' speaking to us in echoes the pads gently intertwine with a detailed drum patterns until the moving acid like bassline comes in to create a whole new dimension of sound. This concept is something that isn't all together new but done in a new and forward thinking way to finish off the full package of a finely tuned deep house record.

Following their much-acclaimed surprise debut album VERMONT from 2014, Motor City Drum Ensemble's Danilo Plessow and Innervisions' Marcus Worgull reunite for more synth daydreaming on the suitably titled II'. The new outing continues where the first full-length left off, strolling further down the luminous and undulating path that the duo turned into, influenced in equal measures by kosmische, krautrock, minimal wave and synth soundtracks.
This latest batch of instrumental cuts opens with the strictly balearic vibe of NORDERNEY, a softly swinging, light-footed recording with a keen sense for structure. Featuring a guest performance from Robbert Van Der Bildt (aka Kaap) on guitar, it's a telling starting point for the album that - similar to Vermont's self-titled debut - successfully navigates between economic, careful studio arrangements and playful, incidental exploration further pushing into jam session territory. Van Der Bildt's guitar returns on the plucky, curious UFER, where Vermont showcase a renewed sense for jazz-like improvisation - same as on the cuts DSCHUNA, CHANANG and WENIK, which also include contributions from Dermot O'Mahony and Tadhg Murphy on strings.
Still, Vermont's synth contraptions remain the album's main attraction, with the extensive array of gear encompassing an entire panopticon of analog bling - from Arp Oddysey and Moog Prodigy to Fender Rhodes, Juno and Prophet, list-studying gear heads will find lots to drool upon. Consequently, tracks like CHEMTRAILS, UNRUH or GEBIRGE err on the machine side of things, expertly interweaving arpeggiated sequences for maximum atmospheric effect. Foreboding, slightly menacing synth motives as on SKORBUT or CHEMTRAILS are perfectly balanced with the casual ambient of HALLO VON DER ANDEREN SEITE and the nostalgic warmth of DEMUT - while the gentle push of the masterful KI-BOU even carries a whiff of classic deep house, linking the Vermont project to Plessow and Worgull's main careers as dance floor movers and shakers.
Continually intriguing, immersive and texturally rich, each one of Vermont's new pieces betray the experience, precision and determination of the producers involved - while opening up Worgull and Plessow'a vocabulary for patient experimentation and subtle discoveries. A musical treat for synth aficionados - and everyone else, if you ask us.

After a short break Unison Wax returns with a brand new four-track collection of music from the bossman himself, Diego Krause. The Berliner took a year off in 2016, concentrating on other projects and letting the label have a rest, but now he's back with a refined sound. Unison Wax embodies a more sophisticated aesthetic, with warm analogue hues and subtle textures to push things forward a little. After all, we couldn't come back from a break without progressing, huh!
First out of the blocks is 'Nihilate', which helps introduce this updated Unison Wax sound, crisp beats lock us into a groove in conjunction with a dainty selection of analogue effects and a funky little b-line. Diego carefully adds new elements as the track progresses, keeping you interested right until the end.
Next is the title track, 'Rituals', which kicks off with an insistent bassline and spellbinding percussion that keeps you gripped from the off. He throws in some claps to add energy and muted pads, which slowly rise to prominence, giving the track an emotive atmosphere which wraps itself around you. One for the eternal dreamers...
Flip the record over for side B and 'Dysfunction', which turns things grimy. Marauding beats and bass conspire to create a morose atmosphere. Diego's penchant for super sharp beats is present here again, and the energy builds slowly but surely. A new layer creeps in every few bars and sucks you right into the track's lair. Expertly done, and impossible to resist, this is darkside pressure at its best.
'Eudaimonia' rounds things off, with more deep grooves. Initially propelled by minimal percussion, the track really gets going when more beats are added. It maintains a laid back feeling and, while the drums are solid, the atmosphere is mostly quite soft with swirling pads keeping things light in the top end. When they fall away towards the end of the track we have a rather gnarly close to the composition, as the beats and bass take over.
And there it is, the welcome return of Unison Wax - smooth and refined for 2017...

'Deep session! It is rare to hear folk music from Japan in such beautiful fidelity and incredible dynamics. This recording is intensely gorgeous and hauntingly disarming. This should open up a whole new world of adventurous listening for folks outside (and inside!) Japan.'Brian Shimkovitz (Awesome Tapes From Africa)

'Sounds absolutely great! Super interesting and engaging.'Ben UFO

'Just Give Me That Old Time Religion, It's Good Enough For Me.'Japan Blues

A hotline to the gods! Kagura is a thousand-year-old form of Japanese Shinto sacred music and dance, accompanying the chanting of myths; the word "kagura" can be translated as "god-entertainment". Passed down over countless generations, the music is rare and recordings even rarer. Shigeo Tanaka was a master of the yumi (bow), an uncommon single-string percussion instrument, which is a true bow: arrows are fired off at the end of each ceremony to fend off evil sprits. The instrument is difficult to play; it's hard to draw out the proper sound and maintain the rhythm.
Yumi kagura is the oldest of all the various forms of kagura. The Tanaka family, based in rural Joge-cho, Hiroshima prefecture, has passed down this yumi kagura tradition for hundreds of years; this lineage continues to this day in the person of his daughter Ritsuko Tanaka. The Joge-cho yumi kagura, which prays for family well-being, bountiful crops and good fortune, was designated an Important Intangible Cultural Property in 1971. The piece featured here, "Takusa saimon", based on the myth "Ama no iwato" (The Rocky Celestial Cave), is mesmeric, reaching back across ages to the time before time, with Tanaka's voice and yumi, accompanied by flute and metal percussion, drawing us closer to the primal activities of the gods. Listeners may find affinities with aspects of musics as diverse as German electronic minimalism like E2-E4, certain Ethiopian music, "spiritual jazz" and more, all tapping into the deep root of forever. Previously available only on a ridiculously obscure 1990 cassette release, Yumi kagura is the first collaborative release by EM Records and Riyo Mountains, a Japanese folk song research team. Available on LP and CD, with the CD featuring a bonus track: "Inagahachiman jinja yumi kagura hono" recorded in 2016 by Tanaka's daughter and successor Ritsuko Tanaka.

+ Direction/liner notes by Riyo Mountains
+ English liner notes & lyrics

Fans donated €25,000 to Emika for the project
Fans paid for the album before hearing any music
Electronic & Neo Classical. Fits 2 genres / Cross over
The composition is inspired by electronic music
Emika hired double the amount of bass players in a normal orchestra
Emika created a new seating plan for the orchestra, to sound more like a wide stereo pop album
Echo concepts (electronic music)
Romantic piece, lyrical piece, universal themes of love and sadness, huge beautiful melodies
50 piece symphony orchestra
Silver-toned soprano Michaela Srumova
Composed in Berlin
Recorded in Prague at Czech Radio Studios.

* The crossover between electronic music and classical composition has never been in more vibrant and dynamic health. Multifarious musician Emika explores this fertile ground on her ambitious new opus 'Melanfonie': her first orchestral composition, some four years in the making.

* Funded by a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign that exceeded its target by an impressive €25,000.
* While many rebel from their classical training never to return to it explicitly, Emika has always been attracted to the potential and freedoms offered by the symphony form.

* As well as taking inspiration from her electronic music background in composing the music itself, Emika also applied some of production and playback principles from that realm to create a piece whose every element has been carefully considered.

* Emika is on a quest to try and change what we mean when we talk about 'classical music'. For her, the magic of the 'genre' is about the instruments themselves and more importantly the people who play them; not the restricting traditions and conventions of the classical world itself.

* I want to change the face of classical music and give it a more honest and real image. It is time we had something other than pomp and circumstance and avant-garde squeaks and pops..

Supported by
Chilly Gonzales, Zola Jezus, Ellen Alien, Nina Kraviz, Mala, Christian Kellersmann, The Barbican, Francesco Tristano.

Ekambi Brillant was born in the village of Dibombari in Cameroon in 1948. In 1962 he attended school in Yaounde and learned his musical craft. In 1971 he heads off to the big city lights of Douala. Here he finds himself in a French TV, music competition hosted at "Le Domino" nightclub. It is here where he brushes shoulders with other Cameroonian music legends such Manu Dibango and Francis Bebey.

The music contest win gives him the break he needs and in 1972 and with the support of fellow troubadour JK Mandengue he finds himself with a record deal with Phonogram and his first hits in France.

Its in 1975 where we pick up this merry tale. Because it is in 1975 when things start to get a bit funky. Which is just how we like it here at Africa Seven. In partnership with French producer, guitarist and all around hero, Slim Pezin he creates the "Africa Oumba" album. He goes on in the two subsequent years to record the Soul Castle and Djambo's Djambo's albums also with Slim.

Our compilation focuses on the funkier end of Ekambi's music drawn mainly from the 1975 to 1978 period. Things open up with our theme tune "Africa Africa" (of course). It's tribal twisted psych funk is the perfect start to any album. We then move to "Aboki" possibly Ekambi's finest dance floor filler. Next it's the choppy disco strings and slap bass of "Nyambe" and the swirling African swing of "N'Kondo" and the pulsing chop-funk "Ekila".

The flip side starts off with "Soul Castle" an ordinary day tale for our hero. "Massoma" and its funk boogie get things bopping next up before "Machine Ma Bwindea" gives us some punchy brass and low slung funk grooves. "Mother Africa" shows us the songwriting power of Ekambi while also managing to have one of the funkiest flange basslines we have heard in a good while. Things close off with swing-time of "Lambo Lena".

Ekambi Brillant would go on to become one of the big name legends of Cameroonian music with nearly 20 albums to his name. He has contributed to the emergence of several Cameroonian artists such as Marthe Zambo, Valery Lobe, Aladji Toure and Africans. He now spends his time in Cameroon and Washington DC. Ekambi, we salute you sir.

The mysterious Cecil Moses & The S.G.'s (Oliver Klomp - drums, Colin Higgins - guitar, Bob Heinemann - bass, and Marc Hager - keys) unite with deep funk pioneer Lucky Brown to interpret Lucky's original "Mesquite Suite," a collection of spiritual folk/jazz modal melodies fused with earthy and arcane rhythms composed in the summer of 2015 in an ashram in the Texas Hill Country.

The S.G.'s, who specialize in their own brand of great quartet instrumental soul ala Booker T. & The M.G.'s and The Meters, adapted quickly to Lucky's experimental, rudimentary, vernacular, and minimalist approach. One thing you will notice in these tunes is that the vast space created by the musicians and the composition is what allows the FEEL to filter through, and for Lucky Brown, FEEL is what it is all about.

This first single presents the themesong of their collection, a deep tribal shuffle, "Mesquite Beat," upon which Jason Cressey - trombone, and Thomas Deakin - sax, offer their own explorations. The flip is an upbeat and minimal pentatonic anthem entitled "Justice," featuring Lucky Brown himself on funk flute.

With this release, we are proud to introduce the first installment of the "Mesquite Suite" collection on Tramp's own special limited imprint: "Tramp Tapes," a suite of original, raw deep funk inspired as much by Mulatu Astatke as it is James Brown.

Hot on the heels of the co-release between Especial and Cocktails d'Amore Music of the Sfire Remixes EP (EES023/CDA013) comes an accompanying release with a pair of deeper, stripped back remixes from the inimitable Timothy J Fairplay and Willie Burns. Well known as producers, DJs and label managers with their Crimes Of The Future and WT Records respectively, as well as appearing on a who's who of electronic labels including Pinkman, Unknown To The Unknown and L.I.E.S, they have appeared in various guises on both Emotional Response and Especial. Here then are 4 remixes - 2 each per side - that take the unique original to new dance floor extremes. Timothy steps up first with his take on Sfire 2 via differing vocal and instrumental versions. His trademark, echo laden rolling percussion and "Carpenter" key lines take the original Synth-pop homage to the dark room. Adding Arps, a lifting, hedonistic breakdown and the scatter-stepper drums and claps found on the Instrumental version and this is pure COTF territory and the better for it. Willie meanwhile has long followed his own path for his take on Sfire 3, offering one of his deepest remixes to date. Thudding kick, brooding pads and dark strings force the vocals to go down, way down for examination. The distorted vocals of Remix 1 are countered by Remix 2 letting the track shine via a seemingly endless 4/4 beat. Psychedelic, trance inducing, pulsating, this is an ever growing mind expanse.Presented in sparse Hand Stamped sleeves, this one off Limited Edition pressing is a unique EP, taking Sfire to a different sphere that warrants investigation. It was only

Cristal clear lakes, impressive mountains, soothing forests and
Berlin Techno music.The National Park of Saxon Switzerland in eastern Germany, south-east of Dresden offers endless ways to have a great hiking journey. The 93km region between Pirna and the Czech border is one of the most beautiful landscapes in Europe. More than 700 summits are available to rock climbers, while for those who prefer to keep their feet on the ground, there are 400 km² of marked hiking-trails, steep treks, paths and some cycle routes through the National Park. In this area, called the Erz mountains, we found our beautiful cover stone with a typical Ore layer inside.

August 2016 saw Running Back release a first volume of live tracks from Redshape, but January 2017 sees the much loved artist return to Delsin, his most regard label, for a second offering of the same. This time the EP has one track made in Paris, and one in London, and both are filled with the sort of beautifully bleak and lo-fi sounds that have made this man such a standout artist over the years. Up first is 'London,' a chugging track that builds in pressurised layers of coarse hi hats, gurgling bass and pinging kick drums. It is a hypnotic groove that teases you as elements drop in and out and hisses of static and broken little guitar riffs add some cheeky funk. On the flip-side, 'Paris' is much more playful, with colourful pixelated melodies dancing about the mix, industrial drums working down low and steppy synths fleshing things out. Overall it sounds like a future disco for inebriated robots and is one of Redshape's more party starting tracks.

Leyla's 'Parallels & Influences EP' brings together Mondkopf, Positive Centre, Codex Empire & Yuji Kondo for an assaulting 4 tracks of power infused and industrial strength techno.
Mondkopf starts things roling with militaristic snare rolls and off-kilter analog synthesis into a climatic fervor of dystopian scene-scaping. This then is followed upu energetically by the pounding pressure and liquid 303 squelches of Positive Centre's 'Rub'. Crushed out cymbals battle against booming sub bass as a foghorn call rides high above the tempestuous patterns.
Codex Empire's 'Hessdalen' is as slick and detailed as it is ruff and raw. Huge sweeping backgrounds with intense high end percussion lick over a stomping, staggered kick pattern. Yuji Kondo (one half of the excellent Steven Porter project with Katsunori Sawa) brings things to a close with 'Whip Blow'. Bringing his signature refusal for traditional percussion sources - this peaking track pits high level technicality against deeply hypnotic and brooding rhythm.

From the whip-like crack of Yako's signature staccato vocals and impossible-to-memorize lyrics to the relentless overdrive tempo of their oneof-a-kind prog-core, Melt-Banana have long resided in a cybertopia of their own devising where the limits of technology and human capability are old-world concerns as quaint and cumbersome as bartering with a blacksmith. The demos for Fetch, their first studio album since the severely fried pop-punk of 1997's Bambi's Dilemma, were completed in March 2011, but the Fukushima earthquake changed everything, including
their ability to concentrate on recording. Which stopped completely.

Once they felt ready to return to their music, they decided to approach the songs on a sound-by-sound basis, choosing each tone with meticulous attention to detail, affirming their personal connections, being themselves naturally and openly.


Fetch scrapes glam shimmers off punk's outermost fringes and forges them into a rather intensely technical Deanscape packed with fantastical hybrids. Agata's guitar riffs, seemingly composed in tandem with skipping CD players, are more bad-ass than ever, bright and fractured like the soundtrack for a CC-Hennix-scored biker flick. The album is juiced with electronics and post-rock production, tempering what could easily be a
tiresome and predictable frenzy, yielding unexpected associations: Kate Bush climaxing on Walter White's blue meth; demos of late-period Wire playing metal run through Wasp synthesizers and Autotune; unripe wild
lychees keeping time on an Ankgor Wat tin roof during a monsoon.

They've been performing live as a duo since summer 2012, and will do the same for their '2 do what 2 fetch' tour in support of the album. After nearly 20 years of playing with a live rhythm section, their use of a PC, while opening possibilities for a variety of drum and synth voicings, does not signal a move away from the traditional live band sound, as heard, for example, via the future transmissions from downtown Noiseapolis on
2009's Lite Live: Ver. 0.0. Yako and Agata say they need to feel real band sounds onstage as much as someone in the audience. This is a group that routinely excels at several kinds of impossible simultaneously, so of course any new challenge they come up with for themselves is sure to blow the doors off your Mini Cooper. - First record as a duo expands the M-B sound
into multiple dimensions - LP includes digital download card; first
pressing on clear vinyl

'I take my guitar and strum and sing some tings and blow people's mind. But I ain't trying to do anybody's music. I'm doing what I feel' - Shadow

When it came out in 1984 the far-out album Sweet Sweet Dreams by Trinidad & Tobago's Shadow (aka Winston Bailey) was described as 'way ahead of its time'. Undeservedly it was panned by critics and, unable to reach markets, disappeared into the dusty record collections of a few music aficionados. Now, more than three decades later that cosmic dance-floor UFO is about to take off again, change all that and set the record straight. Remastered and cut by Frank Meritt at The Carvery the album is truly a masterpiece.

But who is this Shadow behind Sweet Sweet Dreams Shadow is a man of understated magnitude. A truly enigmatic artist, he first emerged in Trinidad and Tobago during the 1970s, becoming a part of the tapestry of Caribbean music and reinvigorating calypso at the time. Calypso, the indigenous folk music of Trinidad and Tobago, has roots in West African kaiso rhythms, French Creole influences, and the hardships endured by the African slaves brought to Trinbago, whose descendants still use it as a tool for satire, self-expression, and social commentary. Calypso has also given birth to several other music genres, including soca, with its uptempo beats and festival context. Shadow effortlessly moves between both.

Shadow came from a humble but musical family and started writing songs as a youth while tending cattle in the fields. To his family's initial chagrin he chose calypso over church music but his talent and drive were undeniable. In the early days of his career Shadow's style was cramped when working with some of the more conservative music arrangers who felt that calypso and soca should fit a mould. But after a while Shadow teamed up with more innovative arrangers, including Arthur 'Art'de Coteau, who followed their and Shadow's intuitions resulting in a long line of hits.

'The first time we met for me to arrange his music we had a heated argument on the arrangement for one of his songs, I was theoretically correct but Shadow was musically right. Shadow broke all the traditional musical rules and made his own and that made him a musical giant. He changed the face of Calypso music in 1974 with the release of "Bassman" a tune in which Bass and magnificent horn line took central stage changing Soca music for ever. What Shadow did with his music was to put calypso on the International Dance circuit, giving it a totally different groove. You could take his music and swing it in any direction, Disco, Pop, Calypso, you name it. His music was different from anything that existed before'. - Carl "Beaver" Henderson, one of Trinidad's veteran producers.

This inert creativeness culminated in Sweet Sweet Dreams which was arranged by Shadow and deals with burning and ever-relevant themes like love and the ups and downs of relationships. a surprising fact for someone mainly known for his satirical and political lyrics. It prompted his manager to wonder if Shadow had written the lyrics while in a state of 'tabanca' (a word used in Trinidad and Tobago to describe lovesickness).

Sweet Sweet Dreams was recorded at the legendary SHARC studios, located on a hill in Chaguaramas (near Port of Spain) and despite a fantastic sound and monster Soca-boogie tunes like 'Lets get it together', 'Lets Make it Up' and 'Way, Way Out' the album was a commercial flop, probably due to the fact that it didn't sound like anything else coming out of Trinidad & Tobago at the time: It fused a range of different rhythms and new sounds, primarily heavy synth riffs.

Shadow took the album's lack of success in his stride with usual aplomb:
'When I did Sweet Dreams I expect something could happen. But nothing big happen because I have no big market and no distribution and all this thing now. So I just cool myself and move on to another song. I wasn't doing just one song. I used to always have plenty songs at the one time. And be writing music'.

What Shadow didn't realise back then was that the proto-electronic cocktail he had mixed in 1984 would only find the recognition it deserved three decades later. Life has swung full circle: Sweet Sweet Dreams has come true and been elevated to holy grail status becoming one of the most sought-after Caribbean disco records in existence.

For this re-release we carried out extensive interviews with Shadow and the musicians and have included as bonuses exclusive photos from Shadow's personal collection and the dancefloor filler tune 'D'Hardest' was added as a bonus track.

Deluxe LP w 180g, Reverse Board Sleeve, MP3 Download - HOLOVR is Jimmy Billingham who also records under the alias's Tidal, Venn Rain, Journey of Mind & Holographic Mind - He has released music on Firecracker Records, Opal Tapes and Hooker Vision as well as his own Indole Records Release Information Anterior Space may strike some listeners of a certain age as an echo of the gilded age of "armchair techno" exemplified by Warp Records' Artificial Intelligence comps. There's a similar convergence of the cerebral and the blissful in the four epic compositions HOLOVR (aka Jimmy Billingham) finesses from his analog and digital synths as that found on those early-'90s pieces by Black Dog, B12, and others. Discussing the creation of Anterior Space, which is the first HOLOVR release to feature no beats, Billingham reveals, "Dropping drums gave me a bit more freedom in terms of tempo and rhythm, and it was actually really liberating. Having fewer elements in a track also meant it was possible to record live, which is my preferred way of working, as you can capture an actual snapshot of time and a natural, in-the-moment negotiation of the different elements of a track. I'd know a track was ready if I could sit there and listen to it looping round for long periods of time and really get lost in it, and then I'd try and capture a nice section of that in the space of 10 minutes or whatever." You can hear this on Anterior Space's opening 11-minute track, "Into Light." Its subtle gradations of warped tones and implied rhythms teem with hyperactive elegance. The titular light glints off of several jeweled facets, like a disco ball made out of diamonds. The slow, mobile-like rotation of synth baubles over a foundation of yearning, icy drones on "Apparent Motion" creates the illusion of a shimmering stasis, but there's actually a great deal happening here. .

Dublin based disco imprint Fatty Fatty Phonographics return with the 4th instalment of their 'Downtownsounds Classics' series, this time throwing three stone-cold classics onto one 12, all given the re-edit treatment by in house producers Pablo and Shoey.
Voiced by Leroy Burgess, with drums by hip hop legend Marley Marl and production by The Aleem Brothers, 'Release Yourself' was a huge across-the-board anthem in the clubs of NYC on its release in 1984.
The lads have superglued elements of both the vocal and dub sides together for an epic end of night take on this beloved classic.The B side features two under appreciated classics from the pen of one Billy Nichols, a man known for his work with West End Records (the Levan mixed 'Give Your Body Up To The Music') and the funky band of brothers that was BT Express.
On 'Take Me...' Nichols' hooked up with disco master Patrick Adams for an emotional, string drenched disco belter that has found favour with the likes of Dimitri from Paris, Floating Points and Hunee.While 'Dance If Off' is a wonky proto Acid-Disco trip beloved of Rahaan and Eric Duncan of Rub 'n' Tug. With copies going for over 300 euros, you can do your bank account and your dancefloor a favour here...

The DJ/production duo from Munich back with four tracks full of bass-heavy excursions into hybrid forms of club music close to Grime, Dancehall, Dub, Techno and the yet unnamed territory in between - their natural habitat. Lead single and first track of the EP is Copper And Lead, which features "London city warlord" Riko Dan of Roll Deep fame, spitting dangerous lyrics on a Bashment/Grimeriddim.Following this is Blurred Vision, low end monster named after their gigantic soundsystem event series, exploring the middle ground between Dub and the technoleaning 4x4 universe. Up next is Killer, a song with Warrior Queen from Jamaica, who prepares for a Dancehall dub war on a 808-heavy beat straight from Miami...err, Munich.Topping the EP off is Siren Riddim, an instrumental uptempo bomb for the apocalypse club gang and all the gunfinger crew. It's the first EP in a series of three, leading up to an Haul & Pull Up album in early 2017. With this, Schlachthofbronx will follow up their three previous original albums (2009s Schlachthofbronx, 2012s Dirty Dancing and 2014s Rave And Romance), completed by EPs for Labels like Mixpak, Monkeytown, Mad Decent, Disko B and Man Recordings as well as production work for artists like M.I.A., Snoop Dogg, Major Lazer or Bonde Do Role.

Fall of 2016 sees Midnight Magic ready to enchant us once more with the much-anticipated birth of their 2nd studio album, the wondrously eclectic Free From Your Spell. Going back to their roots in Los Angeles, Morgan Wiley, and Tiffany Roth, alongside the rest of the boogie nonet, have prepared a refined feast of genre-bending songs. The ever so diverse moods of Free From Your Spell make it a seductive journey. With each song mixed seamlessly into the next, the record coalesces into one long disco odyssey, reminiscing Giorgio Moroder and Donna Summer's concept albums "Four Seasons of Love" and "A Love Trilogy". Moods, genres, and styles intertwine like an aural kaleidoscope, the album electrifying with its striking harmony. Whilst exuberantly borrowing from past decades, Free From Your Spell more than holds its own as a self-assured, innovative body of work. Midnight Magic's Free From Your Spell is an offer one can't refuse. An attractive deal in the form of disco escapism, traveling through its various shades, emotions, and incarnations, a comprehensive revival of the genre for modern ears. It's Studio 54, It's Moroder,Amanda Lear, Gino Soccio, and Grace Jones. It's a whole palette of 1980's R'n'B and cosmic funk. Despite all the music references of past eras Free From Your Spell is very much a current album, a mature demonstration of genuine skills in songwriting, a multi-instrumental banquet of sounds, a coherent collection of ambitious dance tracks and a beautiful celebration of eclecticism. Add to this some of Tiffany Roth's most memorable vocals to date and you arrive at one of the year's most exciting releases. There is a strong reason for both "midnight" and "magic" in the name of the band after all.

Our official first time full lenght vinyl release of the James Walsh Gypsy Band album I've got the feeling has been a huge success and are now sold out from the label. As an answer to the demand, we have now pressed a small run of 7" single for the 45 collectors and Dj's. Limited run of 500 only. The 45 is special designed på Hans Jørgen Wærner who also did the original cover art.

Side A: The fantastic uptempo AOR Modern Soul track, I've Got The Feeling was an easy choice as the A side. Smooth soulful sounds for the dancefloor or travelling along the coust of California. The track was also featured on the fantastic Americana - Rock Your Soul on BBE Records.

Side B: Caves of Altamira is a fantastic mid tempo cover of the Steely Dan track. Funky, smooth soulful version with the Tower of Power horns make this as a runner up of the best version of the track.

Here is a review from Juno Records of The James Walsh Gypsy full lenght album, Ive Got The Feeling:

The James Walsh Gypsy Band is kind of the outfit to go to if you're looking for some blue-eyed soul but, just like Ned Doheny and his sublime reissue on Numero, the band never fully came out of its shell and they were limited to just one album on RCA Victor, 1998's self-tiled LP...until now. I've Got The Feelin' was recorded a year later, in 1979, at the legendary Muscle Shoal Studios, but it never made it out onto the shelves apart from a seriously limited CDR run. Norway's Preservation has thankfully done the right thing by pressing it up on vinyl, and the opening title track is as just as wonderful as the first time we heard - a true soul masterpiece with a clear LA influence. "Looks Like You Got Down In Love" is a funkier, more soulful version of Credence at their deepest, while other highlights include the supremely majestic "It's Over Now", and the tear-jerking "Alabama Eyes". It's a road album, the sort you want to really take in properly. Recommended.

A year after their impressive last album Burn It Down, Detroit techno legends Octave One are back with a nine track double EP that again shows they are masters of big hypnotic grooves.

Entitled Love by Machine, the album's name is a nod to the fact that the Burden brothers are such revered masters of their hardware. Both in the studio, where they cook up atmospheric house and techno with soaring synths and vocals and also in the live arena, where they are celebrated as one of the most accomplished and forward thinking performers in the game today. That is all the more impressive when you bear in mind they have been active since the '80s, most often releasing on their own 430 West label, which is where they appear again here.

Say Lenny: We've been exploring the theme of connection with this project. How technology gives us the illusion that we are closer to each other more than ever. At some point humanity crossed a line where the devices that we created to bring us together are the same devices that are blocking us from organic experiences.'

Technology is only a tool, which we also had in mind during the recording process.' Adds Lawrence. We decided to go back to how we used to make our records, when we didn't have so many 'sophisticated' audio devices. Back to when we interacted in the studio together as musicians.'

Things open up with the loose metallic percussive line that is In Mono, which sets the machine made tone and is filled with promise. Locator then immediately gets to action with a gallivanting techno kick and various synth lines wrapping round each other as you get sucked into the groove. Just Don't Speak (Midnight Sun Redub) is a more deep and house leaning track with big feel good piano keys and slithering synths that will get hands in the air. Proving they have real range, 7 B4 Dawn is a moody and reserved cut with subtle acid pricks, hip swinging claps and a spaced out dead of night feel.


The second half of the album offers peak time business in the form of the spectacular Bad Love II, the whirring and cosmic Sounds of Jericho and the big loops and fluid grooves of (Where) Time Collides. Pain Pressure is a wonky number with big bassline and a focus on percussive patterns as well as some vocals with real attitude and last cut 8 B4 Dawn ends things in a downbeat and sombre way with sad chords and emotive strings. It is pure Detroit, much like the whole album, and rounds out another fine release from these most revered veterans.

Love Notes from Brooklyn offers up this platter from a very exciting new Brooklyn artist, Subtenant. As it says on the tin, The Artisanal Acid EP is heavy on the 303 squelches and emotional content. Each track has a unique pairing of soul and heavy acid funk. Evergeen Soul is the clear lead track here, using a female snippet to keep this otherwise tough little number dancefloor friendly. This track is then reworked by Detroit underground darling, D'Marc Cantu, who pitches things up into funky rave territory. The flip side sees the title track feature the most soulful chords on the entire record, and then on the B2 the artist himself takes to the mic on Know How It Feels. This whole EP feels live and direct from the Brooklyn underground.

Virginia-born singer/songwriter Nicole Wray has everything you'd want in a singer: an infectious Jackson-5-family-member flare, a range like Aretha's, and a church upbringing that's brought a pure, healing texture to her voice. But the struggle she's been through has made her more than a singer. Nicole Wray is an artist. When talking about Queen Alone, her first solo album in some time, Nicole explains, It's a reflection of my soul. It's who I am today.' And aptly so. Nicole is writing and singing songs about her life. And yet to even start to know her soul, you have to go back to the beginning. Growing up in Portsmouth was tough at times for Nicole. However, at the age of fifteen, life opened up quickly when Missy Elliot paid a visit to Nicole's family home to audition her on the spot. Missy was there on the rumored strength and quality of her voice. Instantly blowing her away, she signed and left with Missy that night. Two years later, at age 17, she had a hit gold single off a solid debut album (Make It Hot). Suddenly she was part of a team that included late '90s R&B and rap royalty: Missy, Aaliyah, Ginuwine, Playa, Timbaland and Magoo. She made it, and fast. However, as rapidly as she achieved success, Nicole then found herself needing to re-make it. By late 2001, her time with Missy and company had run its course. They amicably parted ways and Nicole, once on top of the R&B world, was unsure of what was next. It was a very low, but important, point in her life. While neck-deep in this struggle, Damon Dash and Roc-A-Fella Records called. They signed an album deal and by 2004, in what was starting to be a pattern, just as things were looking up Roc-A-Fella suddenly (famously) split. Nicole found herself in a familiar situation. In 2013, Nicole paired up with London vocalist Terri Walker and released the album Lady. Once again, Nicole was tested. Terri parted ways with the group to pursue her own projects shortly after the album's release. Fast forward to now-the transformation from singer-for-hire to pure artist is evident in this new full-length solo release, Queen Alone. The record was written and recorded in 10 days at the legendary Diamond Mine Studios, in Queens NY with Leon Michels and Tom Brenneck handling production. Nicole says she is Singing out loud now-singing from the stomach.' Back in 1998 she was coached how to sing, and told to stay in a pocket that never let her show her range, power, and passion. Today, after stutter-stepping in and out of the industry, there is a new soul and substance to her songs-all of it from her life. They Don't Hang Around", tells the story of her post Roc-a-Fella days, Guilty", is about her brother's incarceration, Make Me Over" tells the relatable story of being broke with expensive taste, and 'Let It Go', a perfect way to end the record, is about the simple act of letting go and moving on. Almost echoing her new record, Nicole says, You have to go through something for it to be real.' She has been living with one foot in fame and the other in real life. The result is clear: she's feeling something real in her music again. And it's hard for us as listeners not to follow suit.

The Europe-centered techno scene might be thinking: Where is techno in a city as vast, dynamic and electric as New York It's alive and well, and keeps growing through aptly-named NEW YORK TRAX. Founded in 2016 and based in Brooklyn, NEW YORK TRAX is an outlet for New York music, by New York artists, in New York city.
New York Trax 02 was written by Boris Brenecki (Ontal, Impulse Controls), who has recently relocated to New York, starting a new chapter in his life and artistic career. This record is the very first material he produced in New York, heavily inspired by the city and its people. 'The Oven', with its continuous filthy groove intensified by metallic percussions, is a serious candidate for an instant classic and a deadly weapon when used on a dancefloor. The grittiness of "The Oven" was depicted through images of the less beaten paths of New York in a well-received official video published recently by the label. Dark yet insanely dynamic "Transit System", based on field recordings of the New York City subway, opens with a bang the B side of the record, followed by "Strictly Hardcore", a sonic manifesto of brutality. Get it while it's hot!

After a considerable career releasing on numerous labels, as well as being co-founder of Essen based label Mild Pitch, Langenberg finally drops his first album under this alias. Max Heesen, (who is also one half of Ribn with Manuel Tur) delivers the smartly titled 'Central Heated House' for Steve Bug's Dessous Recordings. The LP format suits Langenberg's hypnotic house classicism well, allowing time and space to stretch out the grooves and moods over four sides of vinyl - working both for the DJs and perfect as a soundtrack for the autumn. The LP kicks off with 'Jade', a melancholic, tape saturated introduction to Langenberg's deep tastes. 'Room 210' maintains this atmosphere, with fizzing percussion and warm Detroit-esque melodies. 'Groove 26' is perfectly timed for the hot summer, as lush Rhodes chords and KDJ style vocal snippets provide the heat for the openair vibes. The single from earlier this year 'Shadows' features the talents of vocalist Blakkat, and caused some serious response when it hit airwaves and dancefloors alike. 'Never Worry' is a heads down roller, built around a simple but perfectly executed bassline, while 'Dreamliner' is trippy laidback sunshine house all the way. 'I'll Be Late' and 'Planitz Proposal' step back into the club, with Langenberg's signature crisp percussion, crunchy hits and analog synth wizardry on full display. 'Rain & Roses' closes out the album in a similar way to how it started wistful, thoughtful house music with soul.

Madrid's Downbeat have a good name around these parts - now Jose Rico steps up for Off Minor with the deep correctness. TIP!
Label Owner, GCZ, says "These three cuts will lead you deep into Jose Rico's dreams. On first listen you can immediately tell these were made by someone super sensitive and experienced in this thing some call deep house. If you are a dj, you'll appreciate this selection, cause it makes your job easy and gets the floor busy in a sec. If you're a human, you'll appreciate it cause it'll make you feel stuff you haven't felt in a while.

Anyway, I'm very proud to release this record on Off Minor. Jose Rico and I go way back. This is a special record for me. Orpheu de Jong designed this wonderful sleeve. He has a gift. Enjoy!"

American experimental musican Shane English continues in a long tradition of outsider electronics as he's been humbly prolific in his output though the years involving himself in numerous recording projects.Collaborating with Jonah Lange in their group Corporate Park as well as an ongoing collab with Beau Wanzer (seeing a release last year under the CP/BW name), English now commits his second full length solo offering to vinyl in the form of the General Dimensions lp.Sparse machine driven electronics dominate the recording providing a back drop for the occasional pulsating rhythm, metallic clank or floating obscured vocal. While it is a dark and sparse affair there is a quiet downtrodden beauty throughout giving the recording a sense of uncertain serenity in an almost shoegazey way. Highly recommended for those into early electronics.

Hotflush are proud to welcome an exciting new talent to the roster. Her name is Or:la and she arrives at her debut 12' already boasting a formidable reputation as a DJ and promoter in the UK - her long-standing Meine Nacht party is Merseyside's finest and her appearances on WHP line-ups are turning heads. The 12' in question is 'UK Lonely' - a four track EP that flaunts enviable range and seems to contradict the producer's youthful years. In it she covers a broad spectrum of past and contemporary influences spanning garage, Afrobeat, breaks and dubstep.
The A-side is punchy yet elegant: vocal cut-ups drift through off-beat percussions in title track 'UK Lonely', while riddims and melodies weave in and out of each other on an exotic 'Limbosoup'. The B-side is more contemplative: 'X & O' recalls the wistful vocals and layers them over aughties breakbeats before 'Jaipur' rounds off this opening salvo in delicate and playful fashion, hinting at things to come.

It's been five years since his acclaimed debut 'Severant' and time has proved it prescient, its futuristic trap influence is now ubiquitous. 'Slow Knife' seems to return to where 'Severant' left off, but with the intricate sound design of last year's haunting EP 'Assertion Of A Surrounding Presence' subsumed into the compositions, making them more exacting and beautifully crafted. Between albums Kuedo has been working as a sound designer and composer for hire and the application of intent and widescreen rigour that commercial work requires has definitely found its way into the new album. 'Slow Knife' has the subtlety, ambition and pacing of a brilliant soundtrack - a sense of an album of scenes, that easily lends itself to an impressionistic narrative. But, as with 'Severant', the title suggests relationship unease, with the slow knife being a metaphor for the building resentment in any close relationship. 'Slow Knife' is almost two albums, the first half, according to Kuedo, invokes the seduction of the city, taking the music of Michael Mann's 'Manhunter' as a cue, with the latter half being inspired by the bloody starscapes and voodoo wilderness of films such as 'Angel Heart', 'Night Of The Hunter' and more recently the 'True Detective' series. Both halves of the album are also in thrall to Mica Levi's inspiring 'Under The Skin' soundtrack, especially in the turbulence of the mid-section. The songs of the albums first half are synthetic and seductive, a gelatinous veil with shades of the pseudo-sophisticated trance of Enigma, of all things, underpinned with dusky unsettling shadows and atmosphere. 'In Your Sleep', perhaps surprisingly, features the vocals of Hayden Thorpe from Wild Beasts, who settles his dark, whispered vocals into the moonlit shadowy atmosphere. 'Floating Forest' is the first track to allow back some of Kuedo's experimentation with the Southern rap template, which he explored before it became commonplace, with echoed drum splashes and a sinister repetitive motif, ending with a haunting growl. The second half of the album enters wilderness territory with 'Approaching's slow descending notes, before 'Broken Fox - Black Hole' throws the record into the cathartic darkness, as undulating chords play hide and seek with riotous reeds and scratchy strings grown from challenging collaborations with cello player Koenraad Ecker (from Lumisokea). 'Breaking The Surface' shivers and coils, before metal and strings dominate while 'In Your Skin' feels like being lost in a vast hinterland before 'Warmer Light' introduces some memories of sunshine, with its plucked bassline and spiralling dub. 'Halogen Light' opens with the sound of crickets and a clear piano, cleansing the soul before 'Lathe' brings things down to earth with a short, yet powerful coda.

Aussie rare groove ensemble Kerbside Collection's second album of instrumental funk and jazz grooves "Trash Or Treasure" (released May 2015) gets the remix, rework and re-use treatment with a variety of re-interpretations with everything from downtempo hip- hop/neo-soul and dusty analogue lounge beats, to fuzzy, Balearic electronic club workouts and even some broken beat flavours.Kicking off this limited edition 12" vinyl, AV artist/DJ/Producer Sampology lights up the sitar disco vibes of "Strawberry Fields" taking the track into sizzling Balearic, club work-out territory with added afro percussion, squelchy wobbles and effects, perfect for summer festivals and hazy end-of-night vibes. Vinnie Laduce's follows with his cruisy vocoder and lo-fi indie beats reconstruction of "Shake 'n' Bake", while another local Brisbane producer TwoDee (who also appears on "Mind the Curb" remixed) delivers an eighties, electro break flavoured re-work of 'Rabbit Hole'.Side B starts JNBO (The Cactus Channel bass player) and his unique wonky, analogue and quirky touch to the title track for a fuzzed out, analogue electronics burner for fans of Floating Points, Cro Magnon, Dabrye and Dimlite (bounced to tape no-less for added bump!). Closing in on this special vinyl is Kerbside's drummer Paprika who takes the coastal groove of 'Bogangar' to the afro side with his 'Mountain Air Afro- dub', recreating a low slung, Tony Allen styled afrobeat groove with added melodic movements and dubby effects, while he adds another remix taking "Trash Or Treasure" into future jazz/broken beat territory with added percussion, moog bass and a surprise heavy change up at the end, almost reflective of some classic Fat Freddy's Drop!

The motorcity boys are back with LOVEiT003 a fresh sounding 4 tracker strongly reflecting the diversity of styles found at their parties. lds kicks thing off with 909 To Heaven, a jacking and balearic workout with a rootstrax, Chicago style bassline keeping the floor hypnotised until the small hours of the morning. Snares, Kicks & Rhodes is a more laid back jam. Lazy warm pads and a slow winding sub bass rise and fall intermittently only to be interrupted by a lo-fi distorted bass that snaps you right out of that trance. Nico Brun opens the flip side with an absolute banger, hazily reminiscent of that 90's warehouse rave. lds and Nico Brun close the EP with an atmospheric collaboration perfect to start or end the night with. Splashy beats keep up the footwork whilst pulsating synth sounds slowly wind together and drop with a beautifully crafted sample that's guaranteed to bring some sexyness back to the dance floor. This EP will definitely be a regular addition to your record bag to spread those warm summer party sounds. - Bruno Farace Early Support: XDB (Echochord / Dolly): "Debut ep" Congrats! End Monologue is my favourite.

Berlin based Adam Marshall and Christian Andersen collaborate as Graze. In the latest installment of our UFO series, the Dekmantel Records offshoot dedicated to experimental and futuristic electronic music, the Canadian veteran producers serve up a 50/50 lethal/dreamy drum trax package. Many have applauded the versatility of Graze, and their Xup EP is yet more proof of their original minds.Xup' is an abstract 4/4 jugular, beating out devious percussive patterns and rattling hi-hats over a grizzled and arpeggiated synth mortar-fire. 'Vast' on the other hand is an esoteric slow-burner, a hallucinatory trip to the depths of analog synth paradise and a perfect intro, outro or home listening gem. On the flip, the hyper-lean gearshift of 'Tryptch' pumps energy through off-kilter and plunderphonic basslines, while 'Shadow Play' is a classic piece of breakbeat bliss including a celestial synth arrangement that makes a perfect soundtrack for slow-speed sci-fi rides.

For its fifth release, Amsterdam's Taped Artifact offers up a various artists EP that features four tracks including one from the boss, Kevin Arnemann, as well as Hiver, Elmer and Physical Therapy. It is a moody and atmospheric deep techno offering that fits in with the label's ever more singular aesthetic. Up first is Physical Therapy, a producer who since 2012 has put out some fine EPs and LPs on labels like 1080p, Unknown to the Unknown and Liberation Technologies. It is a roomy affair with corrugated mid tempo drums down low and haunting pads up top. Building in intensity with some icy hi hats, it ends up as a ghoulish number that adds real theatre to the floor. Next up is Elmer, key part of Brussels' Bepotel Records crew. Melting techno, wave and dub into raw and expressive new forms, this new cut 'Simple Models' makes great use of analog machinery. Again deep and horizonless, a rippling lead synth line plays off an industrial bass riff as paddy drums roll on below. It's humid and heady stuff, to be sure. Then comes the boss who offers a more dubbed out and bumpy dub­techno track with expansive chords rolling off into the distance and light and airy hi hats dancing in the mid ground. It's one to get floors moving before the Hiver duo of Giuseppe Albrizio and Sergio Caio from labels like Curle and Vidab close things out with the dusty old breakbeats and woozy spaced out synths of 'Intersect.' This is a subtle but impactful EP full of sensitive underground sounds that pack a real punch. Vital Sales Points: - 5th release on Taped Artifact - First Various Artists compilation on Taped Artifact - Custom made artwork by photographer Merel Kemp - Artwork

Zeal....Enthusiastic devotion to a cause, ideal, or goal. In our case devotion to deep, dubby, warm mirco grooves.

The label's first release comes from 'Monsieur Georget' which is an alternative alias for well-known French producer Chris Carrier, who many will recognise from his own label Adult Only Records, along with releases on other labels including Robsoul, One Records, OFF Recordings and Silver Network.

The release also features a remix from stellar German artist DeWalta, who along with a number of seminal releases on Meander, is a regular collaborator with Mike Shannon and boasts releases on other labels including Vakant, Haunt and Visionquest.

Track one titled Le Village Flottant' is the first of the three originals on the release. Setting the tone of what's to come, it has stripped back drums with delicate sprinkles of delay that are brought to life with a wonky lead synth and poignant piano stabs. The track fuses intricacy with dancefloor focused energy.

Second track called Mecrant Des Oceans' has gliding synths that line the back of the mix whilst the morphing tones and subtle squelch of an acid line provides the momentum. Murky and mysterious, there's a metallic ring to the percussion and it's a fine example of how less can often be so much more.

Third on the release is the DeWalta remix of Le Village Flottant' and keeping the originals ride, he adds his own dub Techno influence. With new synth parts he cuts the already stripped drums to a bare minimum, which gives his added synths plenty of room to breathe and creates a captivating ambience.

Finishing the EP is the third original track titled Picnic Dans Le Metro' and like the rest of this release, it twists and turns with rippling textures and deep atmospherics. Each drum hit is crafted with expert precision and every textured synth sound merges to create the perfect groove and mood.

Yet again, LabelOwner Gaze ill joins forces with the Danish Dubstep ambassador RDG, this time for a 4 track collaborative EP. On the Aside the artists' minds melt together in two pieces of Dubstepscience. As the title suggests, RDG and Gaze ill show what Dubstep is made of with 'Keepin' It Real' that's characterized by a pressuring hardness, and uplifting energy. 'The Zone' follows with its progressive universe that evolves in just the right way with perfect timing. The Bside shows off the two artists' individual skills with immense, paranoid vibrations on RDG's 'Shapeshift', and thrillingly deep basslines on Gaze ill's 'Combo'. The EP is a refreshing showcase of the genre's finest offerings original sound with a wellbalanced diversity. RDG and Gaze ill keep it real for this first vinyl release on Cue Line Records.

Veteran dub techno producer Brendon Moeller dons his Echologist alias on 'The Flame' EP.

The title track is the most experimental, opening the record with tripped-out machine melodies and off-beat drum hits. 'Kavorka' follows in the same vein but is more obviously dancefloor-focused. Its arps build up the tension until a thick 303 line takes things to tipping point and eventually release. On the B-side, 'Dirtbox' is a fast-paced, Echologist take on warehouse techno and a deep, atmospheric cut 'Candy Mountain' finishes the record in Moeller's signature style.

Mastered by Neel (EnissLab Studio, Rome). Pressed on 180g, 12' vinyl at Optimal Media, Germany. Packaged in a house sleeve. All artwork designed by Christopher Honeywell.

Nachtbraker is back! It's been a huge year for the Amsterdam deep house juggernaut who returns to Dirt Crew with his all new and colorfully titled "Really Ties The Room Together" EP. Constantly on the move, he's found time between touring throughout Europe, Asia and South America to continue to push his a-typical house sound forward with this year's HEIST release and his quirky jam "Busy Bee" that was featured on our "Deep Love 100 Compilation. This three tracker is jam packed with bouncing club tunes and a whole lot of flange. Things kick off with the title track "Really Ties The Room Together". It twists and turns over an unconventional but irresistible groove, shimmying shakers, brass stabs and a serpentine riff work together creating a super tight dance floor cut. "Rew" begins somewhere in deeper territory, suspense building beneath the clouds, a rumbling bass rolls in from over the horizon before a glorious funk guitar blows the whole thing wide open, letting the sun's rays burst through and that familiar Nachtbraker good time energy shine in. The rerub of "Rew" is something altogether new from our deep house protagonist, a break beat and casual groove guide gently towards an ever intensifying acid trip. Don't be fooled by the lovely deep chords, things get nasty in the end. It's best to expect the unexpected from our adventurous resident producer, and this EP is no exception.