Suche:off the record

Orbis X is a sublabel of Orbis Records and will be mainly focusing on softer yet often usable as DJ material for the broader mass interested in Electronic music. This sublabel is an extension of Orbis Records softer, more melodical and experimental side. Music will be ranging from house, dub, chicago over melodic acid and even breaks. Not any track makes it to this sublabel if it can't stand on its own and stand the test of time!

Aleksander Zekovski might not ring a bell but it should ring a bell within a few months.
We warmly welcome Moda on OrbisX with his very special and pure analog feel to sound.
Unique, funky, very good arrangements and multi-talented. Nothing more, nothing less.
Someone who deserves to be discovered or at least get a bigger audience.

We re taking the leap of faith with Moda, serving him a full EP to experiment.
The Roots EP was born.
The full EP is a mixture of funky beats with some housy touches with, in some phases, gentle and experimental dirty glitches.
Something to add to your collection. This EP can be played in quirky eclectic DJ sets, lounge bars or just at home with a nice glass of red wine.
Background music while having dinner with friends and you want to serve something special This is one of those special EP s!


Something To Talk About is funky, dreamy and sparks that twitchy leg movement when you doubt if you should be dancing or be slightly head banging to that tune.
That kinda track. Serves well with candles, wine and late night talks.

Under Her Skin might take off on a weird bit quirky dirty start, but when that lead kicks in, ... we were sold.
Extremely funky. Be aware: you can t hold yourself from clapping to this song.

On the B-side, "Winter Tale" counts as the second A track on the EP. Deep! Gentle and yet so snappy in it's own dirty way.
We fell in love from the first note, or should we say that filthy deep baseline, those dirty well mixed-in toms and snappy rude claps!

"Running Man". Well... if you like dreamy catchy house. This is for you.
A nice extra track, making this EP a brilliant pressing.

We can't emphasize the talent Alexander has.
We hope he gets more attention with this EP.
Full support for you Alex.

- mau

New versions of Tensal's 'Opposite Inertia' EP, with a remake of his own and contributions from Mike Parker and Pangaea.

New versions of Tensal's 'Opposite Inertia' EP, with a remake of his own and contributions from Mike Parker and Pangaea.

One the most distinctive artists in techno, Mike Parker, combines his signature, modulated bassline and sharp claps with the off-kilter rhythm of 'Inertia 1'. Tensal's remake of 'Inertia 2' is direct, peak-time gear. The synth line is kept front and centre, the beat is heavy and expertly arranged. Pangaea, of Hessle Audio, switches up the broken rhythm of 'Inertia 3' and adds the kind of unusual touches that make his records stand out.

Mastered by Giuseppe Tillieci aka Neel @ EnissLab Studio, Rome. Pressed at at Optimal Media. Packaged in a house sleeve. All artwork designed by Christopher Honeywell.

For 20 years, the Geophone label has been Mike Parker's most personal musical project. This time, Parker offers a solo 10" EP with two tracks of immersive and hypnotic techno. "Night Calling" is the stomping A side with sizzling acid patterns and a booming kick drum. The B side, "2_gated EXP" explores the darker regions of techno with an odd time signature that cycles over the beat with precision, already a favorite in Cio D'or's recent dj sets. As always, the hand printed jacket features Parker's bold and dynamic artwork (limited edition).

Limited to 500 copies with artwork

While unveiling the 'Mutant Tournament' Quartet last year, label boss Nachtbraker was quietly hunting for new music behind the scenes. Being the fine huntsman he is, he came out of the woods with sonic bits and bobs so delectable he had no choice but to spread them out over two brand new quartets. That's right, eight records in total, to be released over the course of the next 18 months. We're delighted to introduce you to Scott Franka, who's at the helm of the first missive. This creative head from Amsterdam has been making music since the tender age of 11, but it wasn't until he adopted his Scott Franka moniker that he really found his groove. His music encompasses influences from dub and dark techno to classic drumpcomputer and synth-heavy house. Franka's style takes cues from Detroit, Chicago and the UK, and yet is also very personal and forward thinking at the same time. 'The Gym' might be his solo debut, but a smattering of releases from the man is on the horizon. The best way to introduce you to Scott Franka's musicality is 'The Gym' on A1. Starting of with sweet, melancholic chords and 808 hats Scott turns your world upside down after the first break. Try to keep your head steady, and get that dirty look of your face.. doesn't work right It's just too good. 'Toenail' is up next, and its undeniable groove and incredible amalgamation of synths and strings make for an absolute early hours melter. Flip over for 'Sorry' to hear Franka knock it out of the ballpark with its heavy breakbeat and UK-style bass. Finally, there's 'Street', a mesmerising groover, rounding things off nicely. The release doesn't only mark its first artist EP, it also marks a new look for the label. Building on the muscular,pheromone-rich theme of the first Quartet, Elsemarijn Bruys developed a fresh concept for both new Quartets with a little help from Scott Franka,

Fresh off of a pair of well-received EPs on his recently-launched Manhigh imprint, Berlin's highly respected techno auteur Henning Baer makes his first appearance on Nonplus with 4 excellently crafted, saturated machine techno tracks on The Idea of Instinct. Following on feelings suggested in the title, the EP opens with a pair of more contemplative pieces: the title track's spare arrangement puts mechanical rhythmic drive behind its exploration of dusky electronic atmospheres, while the feeling of 'DNA' is both brighter and slightly pacier, its hypnosis deriving from the pads and synthesizer sequences that circle the drums. 'CCC II' takes a darker approach to a similar idea, this time with the suggestion of polyrhythms in the distant and heavily-treated percussive elements circling in the background behind uneasy ambience. It builds to the closer 'Spiritual Quest', where overlaid rhythms in 3 and 4 are not easily reducible and create the tension at the track's centre driving it to its conclusion.

Written & produced by Roboknob. Mixed by Stefan Goldmann. Mastered by Rashad Becker. Info: We've said it before: techno's vanguard can be found in the East right now. Sofia's quirky techno underground is densifying. Evolving around the Diviat Slon parties (residents: StefaK & Stefan Goldmann), the Beton nights, the indoors offspins of Artmospheric festival and unannounced appearances of KiNK under his Cyrillic guise, raw and rave-infused techno is increasingly defining the city's sound of the small hours. Roboknob are part of this movement, and this is their debut EP. A live hardware duo, Yasen and Stanislav drop rugged, noisy machine jams around the Bulgarian capital and have been regulars at Artmospheric. The EP's tracks have been distilled from their live repertoire and mixed by Stefan Goldmann into sharply defined form with added bite. 'Dexydi' is Greek for acid - the corrosive liquid, not the music. Accordingly, its heavy-handed single-note bass attack will cut through anything. 'Spellbind' is more bouncy with frantic upward movements, distorted percussive fallout and a seasick bass foundation. 'Liulka' handles two layers of time rubbing off of each other: quirky and pushing high in the sky, against the bass drum mechanics down low. A suitable acoustic symbol for Sofia's state of techno.

Following up on the long awaited 'Melody' / 'Stop Fantasy' reissue from 2016, Mothball Record returns with a lesser known, but no less brilliant, double-sided disco bomb from Plustwo.
Lighthearted and infectious melodies on both sides are matched with superb production and unmistakably beautiful vocals: this is no fast food but elegant music to enjoy for years to come.For many years a favorite in the Mothball Record offices, yet strangely unknown by many, 'Mad Radio' and 'New Sensation' will put some unexpected spark in your next disco set.

Favorite Recordings proudly presents this new official single reissue of I Believe! by Calvin B. Rhone: A very rare Gospel/Disco masterpiece, originally released at only 1000 private-press copies, and surprisingly unknown and underrated until today.

Calvin Bernard Rhone, a native of Los Angeles, has been ministering in word and song for more than 40 years throughout the US and abroad. He acknowledges that he is passionate about music, yet purposed for ministry. Beginning his professional singing career at age eight, he has shared the stage with possibly every major Gospel artist from the 60's to present.

In 1983, he released the album Intimate Friends on his own label, C.B.R. Records. Recently discovered by DJ and collector Charles Maurice, the LP has never received the attention and fame it deserves. It was anyway obvious for the DJ and Favorite Recordings, that some of the tracks it includes would for sure become real classics for all Disco and Funk music lovers and deejays.

Officially licensed to Calvin B. Rhone himself, it's today reissued for the first time, as a 3 tracks vinyl single.

London/Lisbon label Release/Sustain start the year as they mean to go on. Presenting a 4 track various artists 12'' titled _Nightfall and Other Stories_. The record is comprised of 4 artists the Label regard as legends of that deeper dance floor sound. Opening proceedings on A1 is *Dekmantel* mainstay *Vakula*. A regular at the Release/Sustain 'Conclave' parties and part of the RS family His offering, _809,_ is a percussive drum tool trip of a track, with sporadic raw percussion shooting shining across a positively minimalist backing. For A2, we see Italian stalwart of underground dance music, *L.I.E.S* & *Crème Organization* regular, *Simoncino*. Obscure sample work, and a repeating line 'i can use a friend', twist and turn over rugged, thumping, functional drums and bass. Simoncino at his best! Furthering the quality of this standout 12'' is Chicago house music pioneer, and *Dance Mania* alumini *Vincent Floyd*. Rich in melody and familiar classic house sounds, Reggie's soft jacking house sound bring a silky smooth, North American touch to a previously rugged, European 12 slab of wax. Rounding things off we have *Clone*, *Prime Numbers* & *Deep Explorer* badman, *Reggie Dokes*. A cut riddled with percussive and quirky undertones Enjoy!

*Singer-songwriter Amelia Harmony is a welcome addition to the Partial Records roster. Although relatively a new comer, over the last few years, Amelia has been playing with bands of varying genres and styles in and around her native Derby, as well more roots reggae-orientated releases on labels such as King Earthquake, Instrument of Jah, Mellow Vibes and her own recently established Soulshine Music label.
*`Fear and Love' is an uplifting rootsy steppers rhythm with a positive message and soulful vocals topped off with some tasteful acoustic guitar licks. Amelia's delivery oozes cross-over appeal. We will be hearing lots more from her.
*Produced by Liam McGurk for his own well-established Partial Records label.
*The Dub version is mixed by UK dub master legend Dougie Wardrop at Conscious Sounds studio, London

The reveries begin with a simple electrical hum - a starting signal for the appearance of a vibrant array of sound, shifting before us in seemingly random motion. Before we know it, all those pulsating melodies, razor-cut hifi-house beats and drunken robot jazz ensembles start forming into patterns, secretly & perfectly designed by one Art Alfie. A long time operator in Stockholm's small but insistent underground music scene, Oscar Wedrén broke through internationally in 2012 with the Karlovak project, founded with on-off studio and dj partner Rudolf Nordström, a.k.a. Mr. Tophat. The duo's inexplicably fresh takes on classic dance music tropes is as much a result of a brilliantly odd pairing of personalities as of a defined concept and a precise method in searching for the perfect house groove. While writing Reveries Of, released early spring 2017 through Studio Barnhus, Art Alfie freed himself of all conceptual footholds, delving instead deep into his archives of old and new memories and feels, working with improptu field recordings and emotionally-guided sampling processes. He came back with an intricate and personal debut album and he didn't lose his groove on the way.

What a pleasure to announce this 2nd opus!
We offer 4 tracks composed by rare and talented artists who master the hypnotic groove perfectly. We focused this release on the organic and dancing side. A dance that takes us until the early hours, at the moment when the sun is rising...Le Jour Se Leve
Certified Quality!
Written and produced by Alan Castro, Raul Falcon, Nicolas M. Trojani, Radostina Bekiarska & Daniel Ivanov.
Vinyl Only! Limited Copies!

It was the spring of 2007 when Paul 'Mudd' Murphy and Kevin Pollard announced the arrival of the former's Claremont 56 label with Villa Stavros', a magical frst collaborative 12'. It
seems somewhat ftting, then, that Claremont 56's fnal release of its' frst decade will be N7 Odyssey, the frst collaborative album from Mudd & Pollard. By the time Villa Stavros' came out, the pair had already been regular studio buddies for a couple of years. Initially, Murphy had recruited Pollard - a hugely talented keyboardist and composer - to play on tracks he was working on for Rong Music. One thing naturally led to another, and soon they were joining forces to make music as Murphy's home studio in
Holloway, North London. As the years rolled by, further acclaimed singles followed Villa Stavros' - the bubbly, Rhodes-laden Balearic disco shuffe of Vincent', and the lilting, intergalactic dub disco of Scaffold', most notably - before the duo's other musical commitments began to take precedence. Murphy had his hands full running the Claremont 56 and Leng labels, while Pollard carved out a successful career as a soundtrack composer for both flm and television. Now, the album they set out to make all those years ago is fnally fnished and ready to be
released. N7 Odyssey - titled in tribute to the Holloway studio they recorded in for many years before Murphy moved - draws together freshly re-mastered versions of their previously released singles with a clutch of previously unheard tracks. Built around the duo's own fne musicianship, with Pollard handling synths, keyboards and electric piano, and Murphy guitar, bass and percussion, the album's ten tracks offer a musical journey through their shared love of shuffing grooves, sun-kissed soundscapes and
gentle positivity. Highlights come thick and fast. There's the swirling strings, futtering futes, jammed-out electric pianos and heady female vocals of Far Away', the enchanting new age ambience of December', and the rush-inducing Balearic disco breeze of Mawson's Walk', a former single blessed with sublime horn solos and rising, cinematic strings. Check, too, the head-
nodding beats, fuid electric piano solos and jazzy guitars of Inatin', the gentle Eastern mysticism and vintage ambient house aesthetics of Anura', and the ultra-deep house pulse of N7 Odyssey'. The album fttingly fnishes with a sublime ambient interpretation of Scaffold', arguably the duo's most celebrated track. It may have taken a decade to emerge, fully formed, but Murphy and Pollard have delivered an album that's beguiling, magical, and hugely comforting. Clearly, it's an odyssey worth
taking.

Yoruba Records is proud to welcome back Toto Chiavetta for the release of his debut album, 'Impermanence', split on vinyl format over two 12's. Hailing from Catania, Sicily, Toto is known for his deep, techy, and often moody dancefloor-ready jams. On 'Impermanence' (Part 2), 'Don't Give Hope Away' revisits Toto's focus on the peak hour dancefloor, a warm and thick bass ushers in a smooth and spacey vocal that is definitely one to get people moving. The title track of this release, 'Impermanence', keeps things chugging along with a classic deep house sound. The bassline commands you to move you your body as Tshaka Campbell's spoken word vocal will have you lost in the moment. We couldn't be more proud to offer this debut album, one that highlights Toto's growth as an artist while maintaining a strict focus on the dancefloor. DJs and listeners alike will find these tunes well suited for the late night hours, listen and enjoy!

2x12"

Optimo Music are delighted to present the second full-length from The Golden Filter, "STILL // ALONE".
After relocating to London and playing shows around Europe for a year and a half, self-imposed pariahs Penelope Trappes and Stephen Hindman delved into creating a two-sided existential opus by renting out old studio spaces around the UK and using mostly analog 80's instruments, machines and effects.
An album about being in love with pure solitude, when STILL // Optimo Music are delighted to present the second full-length from The Golden Filter, "STILL // ALONE".
After relocating to London and playing shows around Europe for a year and a half, self-imposed pariahs Penelope Trappes and Stephen Hindman delved into creating a two-sided existential opus by renting out old studio spaces around the UK and using mostly analog 80's instruments, machines and effects.
An album about being in love with pure solitude, when STILL // ALONE is separated into two distinct sides, record one, STILL, is a hypnotic meditation for the nightclub. Wavy patterns of sound and light bounce off of Penelope's literary vocal bursts, layered over the ominous deep synths and arpeggiators, held together only by a strict 4/4 beat. The rhythm, ironically forcing the body to move, however internally focused and mindful, still.
Record two, ALONE, takes the club offline and into the fringes of raw, odd pop.

Ever-prominent drum machine beats rule, while love and loss permeate the four atmospheric goth songs. Music for dancing alone.
"Behind the cotton wool is hidden a pattern... the whole world is a work of art... there is no Shakespeare... no Beethoven... no God; we are the words; we are the music; we are the thing itself." - Virginia Woolf

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.

THEM records welcomes back Hiroaki Iizuka for the its fifth outing. Having supplied the 'The Run' as the labels first record, here Iizuka doubles its play time and track listing length in his stunning Voodoo EP. The extra time offered allows Iizuka to flex more of his versatile style. THEM as a label sets out to eschew a Techno norm largely made up of a traditional 4 x 4 sound. Having come from a London background, the curating of the label gives a nod to the rave sounds of the Capital - especially D&B, Garage, Breakbeat Hardcore and Grime. That is to say of course along with its characteristic aesthetic of Horror and The Gothic.
In Iizuka THEM found a common ground: Based in Hokkaido, Japan, Iizuka does not share the same London influences, yet shares their base values and thrust. Common themes of his sound involve broken and syncopated beats, and a rave energy. This is what lead him to being the first and prime THEM stable artist. Voodoo EP showcases this breadth of Iizuka's style, from tracks that could easily fit into any Grime set, such as Primitive Acid, to the more melodic tones of Floating Point, in which Hiroaki guides THEM into previously untrodden ground for the imprint.

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.

After a succession of new signings including Recloose, Tom Trago and Paul Woolford - Aus Music return to their original roster and roll out another solid 3-track EP from label mainstay Huxley who - in a monumental pairing - enlists the help of Chicago legend Roy Davis Jr. With a grand total of 8 Aus records under his belt including his lauded LP 'Blurred' - Huxley continues to return with a sound that typifies the label - intricate dance that music that packs power and emotion in equal measures. The 'Rag & Bone' EP kicks off with 'Do You Feel Me' - a track that seed Roy Davis Jr. and Huxley meld moody synths with a tough, rattling low-end. A striking vocal runs over subtle flecks of acid and bending melodies that make for a pensive trip before 'Weapon 3' dials Carl Craig-esque tension with rough, tribal drums and razor sharp sweeps. The Dub of 'Weapon 3' then mellows the tone of the original and rounds off a varied pack of dance floor bombs.

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.

Next up to close out a hefty year of DJ-Kicks releases is one
Daniel Avery, bringing with him two exclusive new tracks and
a host of techno heavy goods. In his own words:
"To me, the most appealing thing about electronic music is that
it requires time and patience to fully enjoy. It's about becoming
lost in the repetition and the atmosphere. The warmth of the
kick drum.It's important to remember to take a breath in this world. The studio and the club can offer similar experiences in that regard but it never feel like it's running away from things. It's almost the opposite: it's in those moments where we stop that we can feel the most alive.We're constantly being told that modern generations have no attention span but it's simply not true. There is more out there to distract us but we have not changed as humans. Kids now want to go and listen to a DJ play for ten hours and become locked in their world. A mix CD, like an album, is designed to be listened to from beginning to end. It's something I still firmly believe in.

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.

British producer Pris preps his sophomore EP for Avian.

Love, Labour, Loss marks the Berlin-based producer's second outing on Guy Brewer's Avian label, and a further refinement of a production aesthetic that pitches caustic, heads down tool Techno & greyscale IDM against more meditative Ambient & Drone recordings.

AVN026 tackles familiar themes, and the same low slung, deep-seated sense of unease found on earlier offerings, released via both Avian itself & Unbeknown To Us - the producer's own outlet, winds its way in and amongst the work. There's a lightness of touch to this most recent effort though, and experimentation with more overtly musical sequences proves fruitful, drawing on a previously untapped energy to great effect. The same goes for forays into more complex rhythmic structures - taught, processed percussion sits bright in the mix, working to generate an anxiety that is fast becoming a hallmark of the artist's work.

Whilst the material maintains a keen focus on the crushed, droning sonics that have come to characterise the label's output, Love Labour Loss, is an impressive development - offering at once both a new dimension to the artist's work, but also a congruent, streamlined addition to the Pris discography.

The Turbo debut from Gilmer Galibard is a collection of four dark, visceral techno floor-destroyers from a young Canary Islands-based producer about whom we know relatively little. It also marks the label's first release to feature a swear in the title, offering a foreboding glimpse of the paranoid machine-driven warehouse terror contained within. "By now you will have heard the demo in its entirety and are still dancing whether you want to or not. For my purposes, you will use the Search Engine Optimization terms "Dark," "Visceral," "Techno," "Floor-Destroyers" and "Paranoid Machine-Driven Warehouse Terror" to ensure that it finds its way to the 83 people who need to hear the release through this specific channel. You may tell people I am 26 years old and from the Canary Islands; both facts are true and sound comforting enough but as you now know this does not matter. Print this in its entirety and leave the release title unchanged. I would say I've said too much but that is impossible because as you've come to understand all of this has already happened.

Miskotom is a project from Mik and Andra.Originally hailing from Russia but now both residents of Vilnius Lithuania. Both have a long history of music making going back as far as childhood.Andra was involved in 2Muchahos an ambient project which came out on Beko recordings. Mik came up through the indie scene playing in bands before finally settling in the dj booth and then as a producer....Miskotom's music has a magical dreamy quality, sometimes lovely Balearic or melodic pop sounding like long lost tracks form Wally Baderou, but also sounding like sleazy mid 80s chicago basement jams....Analog synths jam along with guitars ,voca land ,handmade percussion mixed down and recorded onto tape. Sometimes 4/4 sometimes no beat at all.....to round off this EP we have an excellant remix from Kito Jempere, who over the last few years has notched up a steady stream of releases over many labels , most recently a killer edits ep for the mysterious Bahnsteig label.

When faced with the decision to take a different direction at the risk of getting lost in a synthetic sound or to further explore the same musical path, Vaudou Game didn't need to consult the oracle for very long when putting together their new album. Since their first acclaimed album, Apiafo and its irresistible single "Pas Contente", these Lyon natives never turned down the heat on over 130 stages across Europe, Africa, America and Asia. Peter Solo has displayed his amulets, charisma and yellow pants around the globe.When time came for them to harness their Afro-Funk sound for the second time, they turned their attention once again to their analog strengths. Vintage material, instruments produced in the 70's and cassette tapes were the "grigris" (or lucky charms) which proved most effective to ward off digital corruption of their music and return them to a tight-knit group with a solid groove.This unbeatable trance rhythm, inherited from James Brown and Fela, icons of Funk and Afrobeat, becomes trident when joined by Mawu, the creative voodoo divinity hidden in each of the group's notes. This inspiration transcends their spirit of communion, plunges them deeply into Mother Earth and results in the telepathic trance which is directly connected to Togo Peter's native Togo.Each song then becomes a celebration where the listener becomes the group's voodoo doll, embraced by the rhythm, submitting itself to the mercilessly metronomic cutting of guitars, struck by the copper-colored flashes of lightning forged by the African voodoo deity Hevioso, pierced by the psychedelic visions generated by the organs and a six-string guitar, cheerful songs, and hypnotic incantations.KIDAYU means "sharing" in Kabye, the language spoken in northern Togo. Sharing, is the philosophy of Vaudou Game - both in their recorded music and on stage.Vintage African funk tinged with voodoo chanting: Togolese Peter Solo and his fellow musicians from Lyon electrify us in a frenzied ceremony" - Télérama

RAWAX proudly welcomes Mr. Lamont Norwood aka Dj Di'jital to the family! A true pioneer from Detroit!

Truly an old school Techno Bass jewel, DJ Di'jital has been a key player in the development of what some call the "Second Generation" of Detroit Techno. Having released on classic Detroit labels like Metroplex, Direct Beat, and Twilight 76, there is plenty of good reason why his name and his work have become so legendary over the years.

Influenced by early groups like Kraftwerk and Parliament, it was no surprise that the 80's fusion of Electronic Music, Funk and Hip Hop that brought about the Electro Funk sounds, would have such an impact on him. As a kid, Lamont Norwood aka DJ Di'jital became acquainted with the idea of mixing two songs together using tape decks, which while being limited, still gave him the drive and passion to pursue a career as a professional DJ. Over the years he played many different house parties and underground clubs, even spending some time as a Cabaret DJ.

Throughout this time, Di'jital became an incredibly skilled turntablist, quickly gaining the reputation of being a formidable force behind the wheels of steel. The year 1996 would prove to be quite a momentous one for Norwood, not only signing to the already well established label Direct Beat, but also becoming the official DJ for one of the label's finest and most important artists, Aux 88. Having already released his first EP, "Prototype", on Direct Beat, this would become a great opportunity that would help seal him as an icon of what was now known as the Detroit Techno Bass scene. Over the next few years,

Di'jital continued recording for Direct Beat, releasing some of the greatest and most unique Techno Bass classics to date, even doing a few remixes for some of Aux 88's most well known releases like "Electro/Techno", "I Need To Freak", and "Break It Down". Hit EPs like "From The Mind Of The Master", and "360 Degrees" became instant classics, still very sought after to this day. He also had some of his songs appear on some of the various Direct Beat compilations that were released between the years 1996 and 1999 like "Xperience De Bass II", which released "Radar2Bass", one of his most notable works, as well as the all time collector's album, "Techno Bass: The Mission".
Perhaps what may have been one of the biggest signs that his career was becoming exactly what he had hoped for, was the opportunity presented to him to remix Aaron Carl's classic "Down", which was released on the iconic Metroplex Records in 1998; Something that to any Detroit native would have been an honor and a milestone, given the reputation and level of success and influence that Juan Atkin's imprint had on the Detroit Electronic Music scene, as well as the global Electro/Techno movement.

Between the years 2000 and 2002, there was a small hiatus in complete EPs or albums being released by DJ Di'jital, although there were 2 different tracks released on the labels Bipolar and Studio iK7. In 2002, he went on to sign to another of Detroit's legendary imprints, Twilight 76, where he released 2 EPs, "Bass Programmers", and Di'jital's Revenge". In 2005, already a veteran and having amassed the necessary skill and knowledge needed to be a true beat warrior, Di'jital was now ready to join the resistance...Underground Resistance that is! Featured on the Interstellar Fugitives Vol. 2 compilation ( also later released as a 2xCD/DVD set ), Di'jital also released on the Electrocuter EP, which featured the previously released "Bang", as well as "Track 19".

In 2006, already well into the digital age ( no pun intended ), Norwood would release his first set of downloadable works, starting with an album called "The Prototype", on Twilight 76, which was completely unrelated to his first EP which was also called "Prototype". Recently, Twilight 76 has also released what is so far a 2 volume set of battle cuts dubbed "Electro Battle Tools".

The only known material that is known to be in the future for DJ Di'jital at the moment is a remix of Morphogenetic's "Techno Bass Is Back!", which was originally released as a free download to members of Technobass, but will soon be released on a 12"/Digital release that will launch the site's own label "Techno Bass Music". There will also be a follow EP by Di'jital, so stay tuned! Over the years, DJ Di'jital has proven to be an unstoppable force in the Techno Bass scene, tirelessly working to push the boundaries of Electro forward with his futuristic and visionary beats that have unleashed mayhem across the globe, not just in his published works, but also in his incredible DJ acts, where one can truly witness one of the few actual turntablists in this style of music. Expect more in the future as Di'jital's revenge continues to spread across the globe with his out of the ordinary approach towards Techno Bass music.

Following the excellently received Dilation LP on FILM, the duo return to the Berlin based imprint for a remix package featuring FaltyDL, Grand Optimist, Djrum & Portable Sunsets. Erol Sarp & Lukas Vogel's ingenious use of the grand piano has won them many plaudits over the years. Working solely with the sounds of the grand piano and a set of 20 self-built hammers hitting the piano on different parts - filtered & warped in an extraordinary fashion, the pair craft dense, rousing music - kept fresh & current with nods to IDM, ambient & techno. As such, the original recordings are fertile ground for remix opportunities, and the FILM label call on a who's who of left-field electronica to reimagine the work. NYC native FaltyDL takes on Newtons Cradle, flipping the original and turning in a stepping, psychedelic slice of half time proto-Footwork while both Phillip Otterbach, operating under his Grand Optimist alias, and 2nd Drop's Djrum offer tripping, ambient reinterpretations. 1080p's Portable Sunsets reimagines key LP cut Neon as fuzzy beach house jam, reseting the original & eeking out a wholly different energy with driven drum machine hits & a soothing vox line.

Originally released in 2014, Luciano's 'The Great Amael' is an enchanting and endearing trip; a lo-fi bubbling groove and dusted Hammond organs that hustle along whilst live percussion cuts through the oceanic atmospherics. Two years on, and Cadenza Music call upon a brace of remixers to provide fresh and unique interpretations of this hidden gem in Luciano's catalogue. Having recently released his first album in over 10 years, Matthew Dear AKA Audion boldly steps up to the mantle and stamps his intelligent techno sound all over 'Amael' in the first of our remixes. Cutting a sprightly pace from the off, Audion melts stuttering sine waves and bulging tones over concrete beats, tweaking in the original organ riff and fathoms deep pads whilst adding additional vocal refrains as he playfully teases the arrangement before dropping a superb riff in his 'Backward Melody' Remix, which takes a most psychedelic and unexpected twist! Two other musical heavyweights collaborate on the second of the remixes; Phil Moffa and Seth Troxler are no studio strangers, having released a joint project on the British Hypercolour label last year, and remixed for Tiga a few months back. Their LSOS LOVE/GOD Remix builds from ambient beginnings, save for a rhythm carved out of spongy electronics, a sturdy beat kicking in and setting the controls destination unknown, as the duo steer through breathy vocal cuts and propelling bass, stripping the remix back before leaping back into hyperspace with some adventurous and dubbed out vibes, before coming back down for landing with those unmistakable pads from Luciano's original.

Remember how badly we wanted to join them and be part of those sea-faring adventures: Jack London’s The Sea-Wolf, classic TV shows based on his novel The Road, on Radu Toduran’s novels... back then, a couple decades ago, the titles of these shows alone were enough to trigger some strong gusts in our hearts, salty squalls perfect for imaginary downwind journeys we dreamed of with billowing sails. We wanted to cruise alongside albatrosses, seagulls, and fellow sailors. Floating high above a three-masted vessel, we watched our own adventures unfold far below, an imagined movie scene complete with a whole crew that worked the rigging, and all the rest. Cutting waves. Amidst the storm and stress of sounds hitting our eardrums far out in the ocean. Combined with the sounds of rotors, of tropics crossed, of marimbas and cabin wood pounded, of strange music spotted in the distance. And even though it was merely for an hour or two that we were rescued by that seal-hunting ship “Ghost,” as Jack London had it, plus, even worse, often found ourselves surrounded by villains: it was a great escape, for we’d successfully set sails – to new and exciting places.

Both around their own Weilheim shores and elsewhere, brothers Markus and Micha Acher have launched various musical vessels, bands and free-floating constellations over the past three decades – and yet: amid all these other speedboats and unlikely sonic barges, The Notwist has always remained the mother ship. This new album documents the latest live incarnation of this very band, which also features Andi Haberl, Max Punktezahl, Karl Ivar Refseth, and Cico Beck. Recorded on December 16, 2015 on the second of three consecutive, sold-out nights at UT Connewitz in Leipzig, Germany, "Superheroes, Ghost-Villains & Stuff" indeed feels like a first-hand live experience caught on triple vinyl. That’s why it’s the definitive album of The Notwist’s career.

Although there is one song that points to the early, “louder years” of The Notwist – “One Dark Love Poem” off the album Nook –, the rest of the night’s set sees the band perform all the major hits off Neon Golden, The Devil, You + Me, and Close To The Glass. However, these are different, organically enhanced versions, new interpretations and combinations that feel much more alive; thanks to Olaf Opal’s incredible mix, they sometimes even outshine the original studio recordings. Listening to "Superheroes, Ghost-Villains & Stuff" feels like watching these songs evolve and change, moving from one frame to the next, much like a baroque triptych.

What starts out like ‘wimmelbook’ imagery, the music soon folds and unfolds like a Moebius strip: Sans bottom or top, sans inside or outside, the inside becomes the outside and vice versa. It’s all about sonic interconnection, about music as entanglement, music as reconciliation. The rather majestic, cinematic (indie) pop and experimental, kraut- infused jazz, the spirit of the enlightenment and baroque playfulness, the traces of modernism and minimal music, dub leanings, hip-hop lessons, and even hints of house music: here is where they all come together, reconciled in a sound that’s both melancholy and romantic. And ultimately, the spirit of these songs is set free – and the band has released itself, is free at last.

As for the album title, it’s lifted from the song “Kong,” and encapsulates Markus Acher’s motto. Throughout the track, the water theme first appears as a dangerous threat: a force that’s strong enough to wash away an entire house; and yet the fluid state keeps transforming and eventually releases that sense of threat into something rather hopeful, a new musical beginning, a melodic departure that ultimately leads to euphoria and a renewed spirit of adventure. These are the strong gusts mentioned above, it’s the spirit of discovery, the urge to set sail together. The crew’s back at it, working the instruments, the rigging, with sails a- billow, launching the next voyage of discovery, assuming the East in the West and vice versa. And thus the adventure saga continues.

Pico Be (Das Weiße Pferd)

Gerd Janson and Phillip Lauer are creatures of habit. Every week, the two club veterans meet up at Phillip's studio and spend an entire day making tunes. And while Gerd often likes to joke that his role in the arrangement is limited to making coffee and looking at his cell phone, it's clear that the two men have forged a potent partnership, one that's been responsible for an astonishing amount of dancefloor heat over the past few years.

Incredibly, this German pair has managed to maintain a relatively low profile, despite the steady stream of music they've released via well-respected labels like Unterton, Delsin, Internasjonal, Permanent Vacation and Live at Robert Johnson. And then there are the remixes—Azari & III, Scuba, The Juan Maclean, Fort Romeau, Avalon Emerson, Massimiliano Pagliara and Sinkane are just a small sampling of the artists who've enlisted Tuff City Kids to work their studio magic.

Throughout it all, there have been whispers of a proper Tuff City Kids album, and now that Adoldesscent has arrived, it will be all but impossible for the duo to linger in the background. After all, the LP is anything but shy—thanks in part to hooky vocal turns from the likes of Annie, Joe Goddard, Kelley Polar and Jasnau—and even the album's instrumental cuts feature some clear nods to various eras of dance-pop, from the boogie-inflected funk of 'Wake People' to the breakbeat techno of 'Boilered' and the tweaky rave nostalgia of 'Nordo.' Elsewhere, first single 'Labyrinth' is an infectious bit of new wave, while the guitar-driven 'Scared' recalls the gloomier side of '80s pop and 'Tell Me' is perhaps the record's most playfully soulful moment.

DJs will likely gravitate toward the darting strings of 'Aska' and breezy vibes of 'Farewell House,' yet Adoldesscent isn't entirely focused on the dancefloor. Dreamy opener 'Ophmar' evokes the legacy of John Carpenter, while the crunchy 'R-Mancer' offers up a sort of psychedelic synth freakout.

Much like the Tuff City Kids themselves, Adoldesscent isn't about any one style or sound in particular. It is, however, a cohesive effort, along with proof that the different corners of the electronic spectrum have a lot more in common than we'd all like to admit. More importantly, it's a whole lot of fun, and isn't that what dance music is supposed to be about anyways

The Benoît Pioulard Listening Matter is the sixth kranky album from Thomas Meluch under the nom de plume Benoît Pioulard. It arrives on the 10th anniversary of his first LP Précis, and offers a rekindled focus on self-examination, as well as a return to vocal-based pop structures following the mostly instrumental Sonnet (2015).

Recording for the Listening Matter began during a period of grief, turmoil and self-medication, and continued throughout two years of growth and healing. Reflections on vice ("Layette", "Anchor as the muse"), virtue ("Narcologue") and death ("A mantle for Charon") feature equally in this concise treatise aimed at the flawed-but-resilient core in us all.

By coincidence this album was completed on the very day Meluch's only brother died; accordingly, it's dedicated to him and anyone seeking paths away from their demons.

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.

Bocal 5 were a No Wave art group composed of Doc Pilot (synths, vocals), Zouka Dzaza (bass), Florian Guillou (synths), Mickey Lepron (electronic drums, bass) and Evy Tinguette (lead vocals). The project was born in November 1980 in Tours, France as the brain child of Doc Pilot. Between 1981 to 1986 Bocal 5 recorded one 7' single and a cassette-only album before taking a year off in 1984 to launch X-Ray Pop. Influenced by Erik Satie, Brigitte Bardot, Suicide and Young Marble Giants, they call their music "minimum naive new wave."

Musique Électronique' is a 19-track compilation of songs recorded across 1983, most of which have never been released on vinyl before. 16 tracks appeared on the From Bocal 5 To X-Ray Pop' album originally released on cassette by Sound of Pig in 1984. Both tracks from their debut 7' originally released in MB5 1984 are included and show a progression in sound as a result of newer recoding equipment and techniques. Also present is a song from the tape compilation Andreas N°3 L'Animal" released by Fraction Studio in 1984. Armed with a Korg 770, MS-10, Prophet Pro-One, Roland TR-707 and TB-808 they crafted their own brand of quirky synthesized electronic pop. Songs are short, concise and well structured, richly textured, moving at a quick speed with hardly a pause. Evy's pouting, tongue-in-cheek vocals (sung in French) come together for a catchy, sensuous, danceable, eccentric psychedelic ride. This collection shows the group's sense of humor, vitality and carefree playfulness.

All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. Each jacket displays a bright neon green collage of photos and ephemera from the band's archives designed by Eloise Leigh that exudes the project's DIY spirit. Each copy includes a 6-page xeroxed booklet with photos, original artwork and press clippings.

Were proud to bring you remixes of the 1996 classic track Keith Sibley - Stand By me, Originally produced by Ron Van Zeist who's worked along side some of the garage greats like, Masters of work & Eddie Perez, in this EP, we bring you all new remixes, which include Crackazat, who kicks off with amazing deep trenched, rolling house track. up next is label boss Marc Cotterell with his classic cut along with some killer live organ by Slikk Tim, on the flip is awesome 90's vibe from Johan S and lastly we finish the EP with the original club mix that came out on the 1996 release.

The Sound of Detroit by one of it's unsung heroes, Amp Fiddlers new album Motor City Booty comes straight off the D Funk assembly line, a full on dance floor affair from Motown to P-Funk, Techno and Neo Soul.
This 11 track album produced by Yam Who & includes the massive Soul Fly sounding like a Mark Ronson production had he been hanging out with George Clinton's Parlet followed by the bonafide P-Funk anthem 'Steppin' both featuring the stunning vocals by the Dames Brown girls.
Amp Fiddler is credited for taking both a young J Dilla and also Q-Tip under his wing teaching them Akai MPC techniques, setting the path for some of Hip Hops finest recordings which have defined the shape of things to come.

You Can't Defeat Her, When You Meet Her You'll Get What I Said B2 Marlon Hoffstadt - 2000MG Floating Info: Retrograde returns late September with 'In Reverse Pt.1', a various artist package featuring Matteo Luis, Natureboy Gold, Terron and Marlon Hoffstadt. Berlin based imprint Retrograde marks its fith release here and once again welcomes back a selection of the collective recording artists already featured on the label such as label head-honcho Natureboy Gold, FFRR/Play It Down artist Marlon Hoffstatd, also co-founder of the label and tipped as a Future Star by Pete Tong on Radio 1. Matteo Luis also makes a return following appearances on two EP's for the label prior to this, while an exciting addition to the catalogue comes in the shape of Terron, most notably known for their work with Young Turks sub-label WHITIES. Up first on the release is Matteo Luis' 'Out Here' setting the tone with ethereal pad swells, organic rhythms and choppy bass hits while a soft and brooding melodic tension subtly unwinds throughout the composition. Natureboy Gold's 'Eternal' follows and employs a similarly airy synth feel while introducing a robust tom- driven rhythmic approach to create an understated dance-floor focused contribution. Opening the flip is Terron's cryptically named 'No.57, You Can't Defeat Her, When You Meet Her You'll Get What I Said' which drops the tempo to a low slung feel with dubbed out bass licks, bumpy percussion and spiraling bass drones to create something idiosyncratic and psychedelic. Marlon Hoffstadt steps up to round off the package next with '2000MG Floating' delivering a raw energetic workout with soaring 80's tinged leads, snaking bass grooves and frenetic percussion.

Brotherhood Sound System Records is back with its third 12" offering and the first in a series of compilations entitled 'Percussive Parameters', delivering percussion heavy sonics focused directly at the dance floor.The lead track of the EP, Callahan's 'Kudzu', opens with a chopped, atmospheric vocal layered intelligently over rolling percussion and a hypnotic flute. A pounding 808 kick drum is teased underneath until the track switches into a relentless, chugging club tool.
This one's destined to tear up dance floors for a long time...
Next up are label bosses Silas & Snare with 'Eastern Shores'. An unassuming and innocuous introduction with lush pads and clean percussion that ricochets neatly off vocal cuts dramatically shifts pace and turns into a weighted, rolling cut of UK Techno. On the flip, A:Tonal leads the charge through an acid tinged stomper entitled 'Perfect Imbalance'.With driven percussion and firing synths in equal measure, this is unquestionably a peak time weapon in any DJs arsenal. Finally, Bristol locals SYZ & LKY deliver 'Turbulence', a groove and sub laden roller that's meditative and hypnotic whilst maintaining an assertively club ready focus.We're very excited about the start of this new project and chapter for the label, and would like to thank you for all your on-going support. Enjoy the music!

TEE MANGO is the alter ego of Millionhands' founder Tom Mangan
and IMPERFECTIONS VOL. 1 is his debut Long Playing record.
After the success of his Theo Parrish inspired TRIBUTE 12s TEE MANGO returns
with IMPERFECTIONS VOL. 1.
Early support on this coming from: Caribou, Leon Vynehall, Axel Boman,
Tim Sweeney, Moxie, Wolf Music, Laurent Garnier, Kornel Kovacs
and a selection of others.
IMPERFECTIONS VOL. 1. is a celebration of off kilter electronic music.
Featuring vocal contributions from FEMME aka Laura Bettinson of Nigel Godrich's ULTRAISTA, and the Edo Van Breemen of Canadian pysch wizards Brasstronaut.
Full of pleasantly discordant musical mistakes and loose sample-laiden coincidences.
Fill your boots. x

Late September marks the arrival on the second edition of Unclear Records 'A Tribute To Klang Club' featuring Move D, Fred P, Christopher Rau and label-heads Easy To Remember.
The Unclear Records imprint has carved out quite the reputation over the past few years with an already impressive back catalogue featuring material from Juju + Jordash, Rick Wade, Gigi Masin and Gerry Read. Here thought we see the welcome return of the labels 'A Tribute To Klang Club' series with its second contribution, following the inaugural various artists package that boasted material from Baby Ford, Roman Fluegel and more.
Move D opens with 'Rise!' and delivers a typically brooding, hypnotic number before Fred P follows up with 'Lush Life' laying down raw acidic bass and ethereal pads alongside shuffled rhythms. On the flip Christopher Rau's 'Unclear Joint' ups the energy levels via weighty drums and intricate use of string, bass and vocal samples before label-heads Easy To Remember round off the package with 'I Don't Know' a stripped back house cut led by sparse percussion, jazzy synth licks and soft pads.
'A Tribute To Klang Club Vol.2' is out on Unclear Records 26th September 2016.

After about 30 years as Techno/House/Synth DJ, Borft now release Joakims debut album. You can hear that he really knows what it takes to get your crowd crazy. This record is full off Classic (yet bizzarre) House/Acid/Disco styled stuff and on the entrance track he got Company by wonderful vocalist Silvia on a Classic trip Chicago - Helsingborg.... Check this def. out!!!

Pliant, jazz inflected techno meets mutated off-beat breaks and alien electro from New Yorker and co-founder of Exotic Dance Records Jiovanni Nadal aka J. Albert. This is gritty urban techno reflecting on street life in Gotham City. On the A side we got the squealing and hissing grind of "Bloo N Red" followed by the sublime and broken house of "Ting Waan", absolutely loved this bittersweet and emotive piece. On the flip "Dyslexia" has that haunting and dusty attic jam style, much like fellow NYC hero Patricia and then "Earring", equally nailing that particular aesthetic too but with more of an industrial edge with its textured and metallic rhythms doing a fine job. 12" Vinyl 140g.

Many of you will remember Manuel Göttsching by his Masterpiece E2-E4 and know the fact it got sampled by far more than once. Think Sueno Latino' to start with... and the plethora of further re-recordings by Derrick May, Joe Claussell, and a bootleg by Carl Craig that prove how Now' and Iconic Manuel´s Work is. The 2006 edition Joaquin Joe Claussell meets Manuel Göttsching' is the first attempt to bring these once illegal mixes finally to a broader and wider audience. It comes with 2 very rare and first time officially released tribute mixes of 1970´s Göttsching Classics, carefully remodeled by Joe Claussell (21.12 minute Deeper Distance' plus 10.17 Minute Ain´t No Time For Tears"). The last words, however, are left to MG himself, with Shuttlecock", a final eighteen minute excursion, which has Manuel improvise over a soft carpet of delayed bell sounds, before the guitar fades away and the track deepens and thickens, like a dark river sweeping along ever more motives and harmonies. A perfectly balanced collaboration released on both CD and LP. Consisting of 3 concert recordings which were originally released on the 6th CD Album Private Tapes : Tracks 1 und 3 were recorded at Bataclan in Paris, 12/1976, Track 2 in Berlin 8/1979

In My Room proudly presents 'Fixion', the fourth full-length offering from Anders Trentemøller. With 'Fixion', Anders has crafted a logical successor to 2013's 'Lost' - a record that in many ways managed to truly capture the visceral live experience of Trentemøller as a full-band. In much the same manner that 'Lost' built on from the somber cinematic classic that was 'Into The Great Wide Yonder', 'Fixion' has embraced the Danish artist's trademark melancholy and matured it into something uniquely atmospheric and darkly romantic.

Limited Deluxe Collectors Edition 2LP,180g, Gatefold with Spot Varnish+ MP3 Download + Download Bonus Track Rework!

In My Room proudly presents 'Fixion', the fourth full-length offering from Anders Trentemøller. With 'Fixion', Anders has crafted a logical successor to 2013's 'Lost' - a record that in many ways managed to truly capture the visceral live experience of Trentemøller as a full-band. In much the same manner that 'Lost' built on from the somber cinematic classic that was 'Into The Great Wide Yonder', 'Fixion' has embraced the Danish artist's trademark melancholy and matured it into something uniquely atmospheric and darkly romantic.

Lowercase Life is a new record label releasing limited vinyl editions with hand made artwork covers. Label owner Colophon kicks off with the 1st EP trying to catch the spirit that once started in Detroit. Three tracks created on old analogue synths and drum machines combined with new software technologies. In addition to the original tracks Florian Kupfer (L.I.E.S.) delivers a remix with a raw, uncompromising one-take hardware recording like only he can.

Peng Sound Records kick off the year 2016 with their first set of 10' discs - the original dubplate format does seem rather fitting for what is perhaps one of the biggest and most in-demand cuts from Ishan Sound & Gorgon Sound in recent years, a big contribution to their unstoppable rise in soundsystem music territory. Trojan, the grime-tinged steppers is reminiscent of the seminal 'Find Jah Way' by his peers Gorgon Sound, yet it's still an unmistakeable Ishan Sound production, in the way it's sonics are laid out and presented. In perfect combination fellow Young Echo cohort Rider Shafique steps up in authoritative style, going full charge at the walls of babylon with lyrical firepower. The Ishan Instrumental and the Gorgon Remix have been staples in sets from the likes of Iration Steppas, Kahn & Neek (aka 'Gorgon Sound') Mala, Dubkasm and and of course Ishan Sound himself. The list of selectors who have played this is small but refined, this one has been kept close to the chest, in true tradition to the dubplate ethos of exclusivity. In addition to the instrumental cuts, Peng Sound Records present the burning vocal cut with Rider Shafique. Flip the disc, and the Version awaits, letting the rhythm take full control, for extended dubwise pressure. For all the selectors out there, this release comes packed with enough version excursion to keep the fire burning 'til the dance is charred and dusted by means of frequency. The second disc comes loaded with the infamous Gorgon Sound remix, sonically pretty much exactly between the sounds of Bandulu and Gorgon, with their extra overdriven low-end and amplified, multiplied kick drum pattern, their version of Trojan is arguably the most explosive of them all. The combination of Ishan, Gorgon and Dubkasm is something we've come to expect from Peng Sound now, but this is the first Record that combines all three on one plate - the final cut on this set of Trojan interpretations gives us an exclusive, brand new Dubkasm counteraction - flipping the energetic steppers on it's head in favour of an uplifting one-drop beat, giving the vocal and rhythm a brand new space and presence. If the first three cuts were there to mash down the place with unhinged, dangerous soundsystem attitude, then the Dubkasm cut could be seen as the cool and easy soundboy burial, cementing Rider Shafique's message with deadly effect.

Next installment of Rex Ilusivi archive uncoverings - This time a live concert from SNP (srpsko narodno pozoriste / serbian national theatre) in Novi Sad, Serbia. Again it's a sublime masterclass in layering and mixing from the much revered King Of Illusion. TIP!
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'To this day Rex Ilusivii remains an enigma of the global music culture, caught between late cold war electronic spheres, classic and the power of found sound. A musician from the Southeast European counterculture, whose art today seems to be the worldly intelligence of the modern age. Listening to the early music of Mitar Subotic sounds like catching the future even tough you know here sounds the past. How can somebody be light years ahead of most of his contemporaries in terms of individuality and uncompromising vision, creating such musical narratives with a feeling for outernational space' It must have been the signs of his time in Yugoslavia, that lead him to compositions in which two or more antithetic forces fight each other for the cause of an unheard harmony that melts industrial, sample art, Musique concr'te and ambient. His 'Koncert SNP' from 1983 demonstrates his ingeniousness to the core ' about 38 minutes of experiment and appeal that move playful between demonstrative frankness and seductive sensuality. You hear pulsating synthesizer bliss, widescreen sample art full of Bosch-like images and elusively drama catchiness that absorbs deep. So deep that words can't express their meaning. Only notes can spell out the score. Listening to his live recording several times without a break reveals also a story arc of literary transcendence. And as transcendence is something beyond speech, the music of Rex Ilusivii can't be narrowed down in phrases. Only one thing must be recommended: surrender to it and it will surrender to you.
Michael Leuffen in June 2016

Chances are you've already danced to one of his sets at Panorama Bar - Matthew Styles has been a regular guest DJ at the club for several years -, but you've probably also come across at least one record with music that went through the Englishman's meticulous hands. While Matthew has released great but small numbers of 12"es on various labels since 2007, his credits in mixing, engineering and mastering exceed his solo discography by far.
With the Metro EP we're finally offering a full solo release by Matthew Styles on Ostgut Ton, accounting for his consistent productional finesse, especially with his original track "Liquid Sky" (on Nick Höppner's Panorama Bar 04, 2012) and his 'Dub Mix' of Dinky's "Planes" (on Ostgut Ton / Zehn, 2015).
"I've never worked on a sequential set of songs that came out on the same record," Matthew commented on this 12". As with his productional approach in general, the Metro EP has a certain timelessness: "One piece is from 8 years ago, one from 3 years ago and another from around the time of the recent birth of my second son. I'll leave it up to the listener to guess which is which."
The eponymous "Metro" on A is an elated seven-minute, trippy, meandering analogue synth exploration in House and Cosmic Disco. "Wave 6" opens the flipside with a simple yet beguiling melody: 6 notes dancing completely beatless in 5/4 time, meandering repetitively and escalating towards a blissful - yet only anticipated - climax. "Border" on B2 is a solid addition to the long history of Dub Techno - smooth, steady, super layed back, but also offering many colorful melodic elements.
(de) Gut möglich, dass du schon einmal zu einem seiner DJ-Sets in der Panorama Bar getanzt hast - Matthew Styles spielt seit Jahren regelmäßig am Wriezener Bahnhof -, aber sicherlich hast du wenigstens eine Platte gehört, die vorher durch die akribischen Hände des Engländers gegangen ist. Obwohl Matthew seit 2007 tolle aber wenige 12"es auf verschiedenen Labels veröffentlicht hat, übertreffen seine Credits als Mixer, Engineer und in Mastering seine Solodiskografie bei weitem.
Mit der Metro EP hat Ostgut Ton nun endlich ein volles Solorelease von Matthew Styles im Angebot, das seiner konsistenten Produktionfinesse - besonders bei seinem Track "Liquid Sky" (auf Nick Höppners Panorama Bar 04, 2012) und seinem 'Dub Mix' von Dinkys "Planes" (auf Ostgut Ton / Zehn, 2015) - Rechnung trägt.
"Ich habe noch nie aufeinanderfolgend Stücke produziert, die dann auf derselben Platte erschienen wären", kommentierte Matthew diese 12". Wie generell bei seinen Produktionen besticht die Metro EP durch eine gewisse Zeitlosigkeit: "Ein Stück ist acht Jahre alt, eines von vor drei Jahren, ein anderes von kurz nach der Geburt meines zweiten Sohnes. Die zeitliche Einordnung möchte ich dem Hörer überlassen."
Das gleichbetitelte "Metro" auf A ist eine beschwingte 7-minütige, trippige, mäandernde Analog-Synth-Erkundung in House und Cosmic Disco. "Wave 6" beginnt die B-Seite mit einer einfachen aber betörenden Melodie: 6 Noten tanzen beatbefreit im 5/4-Takt, treiben repetitiv und ansteigend auf einen beseelten - aber nur erhofften - Höhepunkt zu. "Border" auf B2 ist eine solide Dreingabe zur langen Geschichte von Dub Techno: sanft, stetig, super entspannt, aber mit vielen melodischen Elementen.

What's in the du name 030303 records asked three of their favourite prod'ucers with matching names to du an ep together: Ann Harbour's D'Marc Cantu and Mark du Mosh & Paul du Lac, both from the dutch harbour city Rotterdam. The result is dynamite! A1"Mine Motion" is a monsterous jacker in the rawest form how only mr Cantu can du! On the B side Mark du Mosh takes off with a flight to "Bermuda" with a hot & steamy roaring electronic beast sitting on the wing of the plane and causing some heavy turbulence. Fortunatly du Mosh keeps us flying high with some deep emotional synths. Last but not least Paul du Lac delivers a dark psychedelic techtool called "Beta Rhythm". A track that creeps under your skin as a virus, causing some serious haziness from noding your head. Be aware that this record will appear on vinyl only!

What Ever Not is the variegated music outlet from experienced Dodi Palese and Dan Mela, Italian DJs and producers supporting, selling, playing and releasing instrumental and dance music for two decades. What Ever Not tenth record, 'Galegos Bar / The Ritual', sees a split release signed by Dan Mela and Marco Erroi. Label co-founder Dan Mela inaugurates a new moniker 'Man Dela' for 'The Ritual' - the original track gets remixed by Anton Zap, with whom Mela already collaborated for a digital release on his own Ethereal Sound. Flipping on the other side, Marco Erroi, head of Common Series Ltd, continues his production career with 'XXXV Gold Fingers' for the 'Galegos Bar' side - one of the many different aliases he personifies - also contributing by realizing the artwork. 'Galegos Bar / The Ritual' offers two sides of the same coin and we can have both things with one stroke. The common denominator is the ethnical ritual. It is fully expressed in the Man Dela side with deep and hypnotic ride out turned upside down by Anton Zap with a dynamic electronic waltz. The same item, however, is magically hidden in the XXXV Gold Fingers side, where we can find it in the form of drink beer and play cards just like in most terrible bars in South of Italy.