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At home, in the islands of Cabo Verde, there was grog, or grogu, a strong sugarcane moonshine not dissimilar to Colombian aguardiente, copiously consumed at Funaná parties. In the diaspora, in Europe, there was leite quente (hot milk). "I can still remember the taste of the first leite quente I drank in Lisbon," says Antonino Furtado Gomes, Pilon's drummer and current band leader.

Synthesize the Soul, Ostinato Records' second compilation, revealed chapter one of the Cabo Verde cultural story in Europe, zooming in on visionaries like Paulino Vieira who made Lisbon the headquarters spearheading the musical revolution taking place within Cape Verdean emigre communities across Europe in the 1980's. Musicians from across the diaspora would eagerly travel to the Portuguese capital to record.

Grupo Pilon represents the second chapter of the Krioulu diaspora story. In smaller pockets, second generation musicians were independently contributing to one of the most lush periods of cultural innovation by immigrants in Europe. In Luxembourg, in 1986, a group of teenagers formed the largely unknown (outside of Cape Verdean circles) but consistently brilliant band named after the blunt instrument used in the islands to pound corn for Cabo Verde's national dish, cachupa.

With only five members, Pilon combined searing estilo Krioulu drumming and the hybrid ColaZouk style with blissful synth work and rugged guitar licks, creating a stripped-down, addictive sound that masterfully straddled two worlds, a seductive electro-Funaná carnival born from the first few sips of hot milk.
The band drew from the inspiring political changes of the day: the release of Nelson Mandela in South Africa and the fall of the Berlin Wall. The right to democracy became a constant theme in Pilon's songs.

With access to better opportunities than their parents' generation, Pilon's roster were part time musicians. Music was not part of their academic upbringing nor a full-time gig. Their rhythm and style were wonderfully imperfect, made out of rawer skills and inexperience. Pilon did not follow the templates established by revered Cabo Verde bands. Keyboard player Emilio Borges played off beat and the band preferred arranging their songs to start from the beat normally heard in the middle of a composition rather than the beginning.

These two elements made Pilon's music simple, unique, and inimitable. From 1997-2015, a lack of concerts and professional musicians proved near fatal. Today, Antonino and what remain of the original quintet are slowly piecing back together the puzzle of their once mighty outfit from an unlikely pocket of Europe. In it's heyday in the 90's, Pilon serenaded audiences in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Lisbon, Rotterdam and Frankfurt, securing their reputation as a respected and unifying cultural force.

This LP, drawing from the six most powerful songs from Pilon's three-album catalog, is the serving of still fresh leite quente to spice the summer and maybe even fuel the next generation of musicians in the Krioulu corners of Europe.

"Art Is A Cat" is The Dining Rooms' eighth studio album - thirteenth if we also consider five remix and rework records - in over twenty years of career. It comes out five years after the fully instrumental "Do Hipsters Love Sun (Ra)?", and shows itself as a new milestone in the artistic path of the Milanese duo formed by Stefano Ghittoni and Cesare Malfatti.

In fact, "Art Is A Cat" hosts every facet of The Dining Rooms' music, mostly nourishing the intuitions delivered in past albums such as "Experiments in Ambient Soul" (2005) and "Ink" (2007). It preserves all the characteristics of their typical signature: songs balanced between folk and soul, dub expansions, instrumental hip hop and cinematic atmospheres. Not to renounce to any of these aspects and given the high quality of the recorded material, Stefano and Cesare decided not to sacrifice anything, and wrote and produced a 19-song full-length for a total duration of about sixty minutes.

"Art Is A Cat" also hosts a large group of guest singers, both historical voices of the band and absolute novelties, who also co-wrote the lyrics; the vocal parts are interspersed with the group's instrumental classics, from funk-fueled visionary downtempos to more experimental micro-songs. Sean Martin and Georgeanne Kalweit therefore return with two songs each (one of the two sung by Georgeanne has its lyrics written by Jake Reid, a London-based singer who already collaborated with The Dining Rooms in "Lonesome Traveler" in 2011).

Among the new entries we have, first of all, the Italian-Tunisian Rahma Hafsi on the sensual ballad "Little Girl" sung both in English and Arabic, while the very young Italian-Salvadoran Beatrice Velasco Moreno sings, together with Sean on backing vocals, the spoken-word "Teach Me To Dance", the spiritual "Sweet Love" and the title-track, an orchestral folk moment among the most inspired ones in the entire band's history; Lola Kola, queen of Tropicantesimo, also brings an absolute novelty in the world of The Dining Rooms, presenting for the first time an Italian-sung piece: "Nella Sua Loca Realtà", a post-melodic song dedicated to the fragility of love.

The vocal parts series ends with two episodes in which Stefano resumes his past as a singer (in the '80s with Peter Sellers & The Hollywood Party) with the Indian-flavoured "Ohm And Raga" and the existentialist ballad "She Says I'm Bad".

"Art Is A Cat" is therefore a complete and very fascinating album, destined to excite and leave its mark.

"21" is the well-crafted, sharp and original first album by the duo HILA, composed by American cellist Artyom Manukyan (who already worked with Kamasi Washington, Daedalus, Flying Lotus, Run DMC, Gretchen Parlato, Raphael Saadiq, Clive Lowe Mark...) and french producer Dawatile.

The combination of jazz, Los Angeles beat-scene and the vibrations of 80s and 90s Soviet Armenia make it a striking and unprecedented fusion. These kind of nostalgic and unconventional references forcefully shake the codes of mainstream culture to create a sincere, raw and intimate expression.

"HILA" was born from a spontaneous and intense creative impulse between Artyom Manukyan, a Los Angeles-based Armenian celloist and his partner in crime, David Kiledjian aka Dawatile, a French multi-instrumentist of Armenian descent. This project is proving to be a true master stroke given that it only took 21 days for the duo to make it a reality.

"HILA" was made in less a moon cycle but captivates and electrifies audiences upon its first outings. "H.I.L.A" colors the warmth of the Californian "High" with Armenian vibes. The artists chose this name for their creation since both have a close and valuable connection to these locales. This journey began in 2007, on the day Dawatile went to Yerevan, the capital of this small country in the Caucasus mountain to realize a first fusion project centered around local folkloric music genres.

There he was introduced to local musicians including the Armenian Navy Band, one of the country's foremost groups in which Artyom played the bass and cello. In this context, he also met many musicians such as Tigran Hamasyan and Norayr Kartashyan. This will be the beginning of connections between Lyon, Yerevan and Los Angeles. The following year, the two artists will be be seen performing next to Taylor Mc Ferrin at the Jazz à Vienne festival. More recently, they partnered up again when the cellist, who had freshly relocated in California, invited Dawatile to produce his album. As soon as the studio’s threshold was crossed, they decided to postpone this record and create a joint project: Hay (as the Armenians call themselves) / High In Los Angeles. HILA was born at the end of these 21 days of intense creation. The association of Artyom Manukyan and Dawatile is the combination of two visions, two versions of Armenia, two personalities, the reunion of the Eastern and Western blocs.

One grew up nurtured by the sounds of hip-hop and jazz in Europe and the other by art music and Russian-influenced 1980s Armenian folkloric music before moving to L. A., Ca. The cornerstone of it all, the glue that unites everything : Armenia and music. They generate a new identity synthesizing two perceptions, their complicity transcending these cultural discrepencies. To achieve this, they will scour through images of Artyom’s childhood, within the popular culture of Soviet Armenia. Together, they revisit this decidedly retro vibe, based on the work of Caucasian groups inspired by African American music. This background is rehashed and fused with ancestral Armenian sounds. The DNA of the album "21" is molded by these dear influences.

We can also hear the ancestral sounds of Armenia, a country at the edges of both Europe and Asia. The presence on two tracks of Armenian music Master Norayr Kartashyan, infuses the languor of past melodies and traditions. These purposeful anachronistic sounds offer a fantastic depth to this powerful opus. Listening to the album, one can appreciate the successful fusion of styles and influences. Those combinations, however, manage to preserve individual identities only to enhance the art through an adamant musical dialogue.

Being driven by the urge to transpose Armenian musical traditions into a unique universe, the daring artists, offer an innovative combination by blending, for the first time, these ancestral sounds with the world of Los Angeles beat-scene and jazz. An invention largely fueled by the magic strings of Artyom and maestro Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, a pillar of the genre in Los Angeles combined. These associations resonate with a triumphant equilibrium. HILA is musical uncharted territory in which Artyom's cello strings intertwine to ignite the harmonies of keyboards, the machines, the vocals and electronic layers Dawatile pieced together. HILA plays the soundtrack of an adventure set between Armenia around the end of the Soviet era and a mysterious near future.

Artyom Manukyan grew up in Armenia in the 90s. At the time, he studied Russian classical music while learning jazz with assistance by his father, a music journalist. Being an unconditional music lover, he went on to sharpen his skills at the prestigious Berkelee College of Music. Subsequently, he’s been lucky enough to travel the world touring with numerous acts and mainly with the Armenian Navy Band. The group has fostered alacritous success honored by a BBC Award as a crowning achievement. He moved on 10 years ago and made his way to L.A. with his cello on his back. In the City of Angels, he quickly became a popular figure of the jazz and hip-hop scenes thanks to his first album "Citizen". He’s accompanied prestigious musicians such as Kamasi Washington, Melody Gardot, Daedalus, Flying Lotus, Run DMC, Gretchen Parlato, Raphael Saadiq, Clive Lowe Mark, or Vulfpeck. He released his solo album on the cello, "Alone" in October 2019.

Dawatile is a bold producer and multi-instrumentist as well as a passionate and resolute musician molded by jazz. As a versatile artist, he handles and juggles the saxophone, the keys, the bass and composition. Simultaneously, Dawatile produces cross-over projects and soundtracks for the movie industry. He, as well, has had the opportunity to be a part of many tours, including with his electro hip-hop band, Fowatile and more recently with the "Future Kreyol" trio, Dowdelin. Being the ever workaholic, he has under his belt a string of prestigious collaborations with the likes of Talib Kweli, Foreign Beggars, Roy Ayers, Tigran Hamasyan, Mathieu Boogaerts, Voodoo Game and Piers Faccini. His taste for developing new musical recipes and his know-how in production make him a much sought-after album producer. In concert, the HILA duo offers a sober, precise and rhythmic performance. "21" is an aerial and lively album taking the audience on an at times joyous and sometimes melancholic dreamlike journey. The magic of "HILA" operates at the speed of light and positions it already as an avoidable group.

Ecke Records returns with its fourth release this November, the four-track ‘Grit’ EP coming courtesy of Xantrax with a remix from Addison Groove.

Taking the lead is ‘Tekline’, a murky, unfurling cut fuelled by off-kilter tribal drum work, bubbling bass delays and modulating synth flutters. Addison Groove steps up next on remix duties, reshaping ‘Tekline’ with choppy vocal cuts, dubbed out chord stabs and organic percussion floating atop the originals hypnotic groove.

‘Linetek’ opens the flip, as the name would suggest acting as a counterpart to the lead track, taking a 4/4 approach rhythmically while introducing a similar modulating bass line alongside chanting vocals.

‘0121’ then rounds out the package, an angsty, dynamically unfolding composition laid out over four and a half minutes with droplet synth delays, heady bass swells, spoken word vocals and crunchy broken drums.

They Say: “Driving brass and sax ensemble over funky rhythm section, playing tracks of various feel and style”.

We say: From the Lincoln Continental that memorably adorns the cover to the tranquil funk contained within, this glowing ode to the grooving force of 70s American soul music is ice cool all over. With brilliant contributions from the Three Key Alans™ (Hawkshaw, Parker, Tew) as well as Mike Moran, Les Hurdle and Keith Roberts, this is driving music for only the vibiest cats.

Originally released in 1976, The All American Powerhouse is one of the very best of the Themes library releases. It’s killer. A feast of dramatic jazz, horizontal, melodic funk and bouncing sunshine-y West-Coast feels throughout, there also lurks an intense injection of the Blaxploitation sound. Understandable, given the subject matter and year it was released.

Highlights include Alan Parker’s confident, horn-heavy wah-wah-fuelled album-opener “Sweeny Todd”, Hawkshaw’s graceful “Getaway” glide and dramatic, breathless “Speed Run”, Mike Moran’s loose, organ-driven propulsive B-Boy classic “The Pick-Up” and Keith Roberts’ percussive tour de force “Overide” that closes out the LP.

Yet, perhaps the most significant track here is Les Hurdle’s long-adored “Soul Train”. A grooving, bass-heavy library classic, it’s all swirling strings, stabbing horns, heavy open drums and melodic funk-rock guitars. Add in the funky clavinet, and the combination works beautifully.

As with all of our other Themes re-issues, the audio for The All American Powerhouse comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis. We’ve taken the same care with the sleeves, handing the reproduction duties over to Richard Robinson, the current custodian of KPM’s brand identity.

Oh, Juan! We love thee, we love but thee with a love that shall not die ‘till the sun grows cold and the stars grow old.
Once in a blue moon, there is a star for whom we see limitless possibilities, whose inevitably long and fruitful œuvre all but insists we do everything in our power to nurture and provide support.

We diligently examine that sky, seeking rarefied meaning from an often desperate and banal universe, and over this past decade you have surely proven one of the brightest, most wondrous and tenacious cosmic forces we’ve encountered.
Your kaleidoscopic wealth of personality, your emotionally urgent storytelling, your obsessive-compulsive weaving of voices siphoned from the pop culture æther, your ability to synthesize teachings from the Atlantic Northeast, Caribbean and Fatherland to pen an ever-evolving musical autobiography; these superhuman strengths are not lost on us.

The 'Oxford House' EP is particularly special, as 'Fahrt Im Himmel' was our fateful introduction to your work, and though that meeting in a writhing maniacal pit of half-naked sweaty bodies was nearly five years ago, it still lives romantically close to our hearts. We just know the world will fall in love and 'Let It Go', just as we did.

It’s exciting to see you merge a musical adolescence with the now evolved Juan Ramos of 'Oxford House', recognizing your significant coming-of-age and never shying away from your roots, but rather confronting and embracing them at your every turn.

We will continue to champion your creative process and output, in hopes of fueling your inherent quest to illuminate uncharted regions of your vision.
... With all our love, always and forever, the ESP Institute.

The On Board Music imprint returns with its third release this October, a five- track various artist package featuring material from Lanoche, Yugen, Serena Butler, Estrato Aurora and Vera Logdanidi.

Laura BCR’s On Board Music delivers its third release here, following two mini LP projects from Healing Force Project and Mesak. The ‘Point A’ project marks the beginning of a series of VA’s coming on the imprint focusing on both established and up and coming talents from different origins, stylistically ranging from ambient to techno and all meeting together on the dance floor. French painter Natacha Mankowski provided the artwork once again, and mastering was taken care of by Carsten Dämbkes.

Taking the lead is Lanoche’s ‘Love Fall’, an ethereal opener fuelled by hypnotic pads, wandering bass tones and heavily reverberated, shuffled percussion before Yugen’s ‘Phantom’ lays focus on pulsating arpeggios, choppy bass stabs and swirling atmospherics. Serena Butler’s ‘Fertile Fancy’ follows next, a cinematic four minute ambient cut employing subtly nuanced pads and bright voice like tones throughout.

Estrato Aurora’s ‘Icnita’ opens the flips side with murky, oscillating bass tones, gritty, off-kilter drums and an ever-present underlying tension before Vera Logdanini’s ‘VPlanet’ rounds out the package perfectly, delivering a reduced Techno cut fuelled by cavernous atmospherics, arpeggio bleeps and swirling low-end pulses.

Soul Jazz Records are releasing their new ‘Space Funk – Afro Futurist Electro Funk in Space 1976-84’, an intergalactic journey into black space, fuelled by funk, powered by computers.
‘Space Funk’ is a lovingly compiled collection of superb, rare and off-the-wall space funk and electro releases mostly released on small independent labels in the late 1970s and 1980s.
Reactors are reacting, boosters are boosting, pack your funk and shake your booty! Computer funk … makes you jump! This is the space funk program!
The album comes in deluxe artwork and three formats – digipack + slipcase CD, a very limited deluxe 2xLP + bonus 7” single + download vinyl version, and a standard 2xLP + download standard vinyl version.
Features music by Jamie Jupitor, Solaris, Robotron 4, Juju & the Space Rangers and many more intergalactic space warriors!
The shuttle program has been altered – there is no Star Wars only electro funk jam joyriders in Space – hold tight!

Celebrating a Decade of Dark Entries with a compilation titled ‘Tens Across The Board’. We revisit our roster and chose 10 songs from 10 bands from 10 different countries spanning the years 1981-1993. The songs flow in chronological order and have never appeared on vinyl, with 7 of the songs previously unreleased.

The compilation begins in 1981 with Parade Ground from Belgium, the duo of brothers Pierre and Jean-Marc Pauly with help from Patrick Codenys and Jean-Luc of Front 242. “The Light’s Gone” was one of their earliest experiments and employs a stark minimalism with modular synthesizers, guitar reverb and tape delay. Next we venture to Granada, Spain in 1982 to meet the trio of Diseño Corbusier. Influenced by Cabaret Voltaire and Dadaism, “La Esperanza está en Antenas” was the band’s take on melancholic pop fueled by a robotic DR-55 bass-line. Sailing the Mediterranean Sea to Athens to meet Greek electronic goddess Lena Platonos who shares a demo from 1983. “Μια Γάτα Σασ Περιμένει Στη Γωνία” translates to “A Cat Is Waiting On The Corner” and is possibly the witchiest sounds we’ve shared yet, ending with a blood curdling scream. Frozen in 1983 we cross Ionian Sea to Messina, Italy and visit Victrola, the duo of Antonino “Eze” Cuscinà and Carlo Smeriglio. They’ve unearthed a melodic instrumental version of “Luca” fueled by a Korg Polysix and TB-303. Traveling across the Adriatic to Slovenia circa 1984, where Borghesia are working on their album ‘Ljubav Je Hladnija Od Smrti’. “Magla” translates to “Fog” fitting for the thick, somber electronics of Aldo Ivancic providing a dense atmosphere for the baritone vocals of Dario Seraval.

On Side B we go down under to Sydney and excavate a hidden Tom Ellard song recorded in 1984 under the alias Lord Metal, an anagram of his name for copyright reasons. “Ga Duum Blitzfonika” is a slow-motion, unadulterated dance groove originally released on the cassette compilation "Independent World”. Skipping ahead to 1986 in Tours, France we salute X-Ray Pop the minimum new wave duo of Didier "Doc" Pilot and Zouka Dzaza. They contribute the hypnotically fragile “Corto Maltese” that originally appeared on the cassette compilation ‘Plop’. Crossing the German boarder we arrive in Dortmund at the apartment of Andreas Sippel of Second Decay who recorded the instrumental demo “Lübeckerstrasse” in 1988 with partner Christian Purwien. Utilizing an TR-808, SH-101 and Arp Odyssey this cold slice of futurism was named after the street Andreas lived on. Traveling westward to England, specifically Basildon, Essex to the teenage bedroom of From Nursery To Misery, the trio of identical twin sister vocalists Gina and Tina Fear and keyboard player Lee Stevens. “Contentment” is an introspective, ethereal pop song with child-like vocals that originally appeared on the Belgian tape compilation ‘Heartbeat Vol.4’ in 1989. Finally, we return home to San Francisco and close out the compilation with Cyrnai the moniker of multi-instrumentalist Carolyn Fok. “Digital Grit Box (Demo)” was an outtake from the ‘Transfiguration’ album sessions recorded in 1993, utilizing dark dance drum beats made with MIDI sequencer programs Studio Vision and Sample Cell.

All songs have been remastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios. The vinyl is housed in a custom designed jacket by Eloise Leigh featuring our label’s colors black-white-red with connect-the-dots pattern linking the 10 songs via maps/timeline/location, all relating to the reissue process, plus source images from San Francisco, our hometown. For this landmark release we've also printed a 2-sided fold-out wall poster that includes every artist we've released in our first 10 years 2009-2019 in black, red and silver metallic ink, plus an 8x11 insert with lyrics, notes and photos.

Nark, aka Kevin Kauer, has headed up the Bottom Forty imprint since 2017 working with artists such as Doc
Sleep, La Fracheur & Léonard de Léonard, Ali X, Ximena, Alisu and Shit whilst maintaining the philosophy
oflaying down tripped-out, eccentric productions without conformity. Inspired as a young gamer and fueled by
the inspirations of travel and gigs today, Nark has cultivated a set of sounds and ideas that have come
together to form his creations today which include releases on labels such as Nein Records, 2MR and Bottom
Forty in addition to remixes on Soul Clap, Friends with Benefits and Love Story. ‘Do You See Yourself’ sees
Nark invite Mexico’s Thomass Jackson who holds releases on Feines Tier, Gomma and his Calypso Records
imprint in addition to Ali X and Palomo.


Title track ‘Do You See Yourself?’ lays the foundations for the EP delivering entrancing modulations, chuggy
rhythms and eerie vocals taking small stabs at vanity culture, while ‘The Playing Field’ seethes rattling
percussion, acid fueled synths and hypnotic chanting alleviating the senses. The Playing Field’ was inspired by
a long night out listening to Optimo DJ in a dark warehouse and it was made later that morning as something
to fit into a long, building and cathartic set.


On the flip, Thomass Jackson’s remix of ‘Do You See Yourself?’ maintains the stirring style deploying stabbing
bass notes, meandering waves and undulating unearthly atmospheres until Ali X x Palomo round things off
with an infectious remix fusing shaky, 808 drums, effervescent grooves and bright 303 flavours throughout.

PBR Streetgang return to their newly launched KURTZ imprint this October to deliver ‘Acid Tools’, accompanied by Wilde Renate residents Longhair on remix duties.

Founded in Leeds but now found touring the international scene week in, week out, Bonar Bradberry and Tom Thorpe, aka PBR Streetgang, have cemented their position as leading names within the current house and disco landscape via a slew of stand-out releases on imprints such as Skint, Crosstown Rebels and Futureboogie, plus appearances in 2019 alone at Glastonbury, Love International, Printworks and a summer residency at Pikes Ibiza to name just a few. Launched earlier this year, their new KURTZ imprint quickly found favour amongst a who’s who of the industry’s leading names, from Andrew Weatherall to Bicep, Hot Chip to Soul Clap, and here we see the duo step out again on home turf to deliver the second instalment as they reveal their Acid Tools’ EP, featuring three versions of the up-front ‘Ron’ - each of which have been doing damage in their sets across the summer months - backed by a remix from Wilde Renate residents Longhair.

Up first and delivering the ‘Full Fat’, version one sees Bradberry and Thorpe introduce punchy analogue percussion arrangements in tandem with a chunky, menacing acid line at the production’s core, whilst infectious vocal samples and hooks ebb in and out of the mix to guide the production as it chugs along, whilst the ‘Half Fat’ mix strips back the vocals to reveal a driving and warping journey across six-and-a-half minutes. Next up, Berlin duo Longhair’s remix welcomes a low-slung interpretation armed with delayed effects and sci-fi atmospherics to provide a combination of rich depth and space, before rounding out proceedings via the ‘Fully-Skimmed’ mix – a high-energy 909 fueled workout set to feature as a favourite for many across the months ahead.

Words from the label:

Our imprint marks its five years anniversary this year and to celebrate it’s offering up five special various artist packages across 2019 limited to 250 copies each, featuring material from the likes of Vid, The Mole, Cinthie, Shinichiro Yokota, San Proper, Akiko Kiyama, Com Sin aka Cosmin TRG, Subb-an and more..

Kicking off the third instalment of the series is San Proper’s ‘Your Call’, a robust yet dream house workout fuelled by choppy bass hits, fluttering synth licks and a shuffled analogue drum groove. Barcelona based trio Triad follow with ‘Room N’, a hypnotic house cut fuelled by ethereal chord swells, modulating percussion and vacillating bass tones.

Tokyo’s Iori Wakasa then rounds out the release with ‘Rave In A Village’, as the name would suggest embracing a classic house feel via a winding piano chord, twinkling piano melodies, crunchy drums and mesmeric pads throughout.

This project also sees a new design concept for the imprint from London’s David Surman’s painting installation project ‘Paintings For The Cat Dimension’ which ‘’explores the motif of the cat as emblematic of internet aesthetics, a place where all painting styles and modes now exist non-hierarchically as pure information.’’

Manchester songwriter Ryan Kennedy returns with his fourth album "The Unforgiving Current". Recorded in and around Tokyo hotel rooms, apartments and studios,  the album is a badly lit stroll through Tokyo's winding streets, stopping in only the most questionable bars. Despite its seemingly overpopulated centres, there is often a strange isolation. This Isolation would be the fuel behind "the Unforgiving Current".

After moving to Tokyo early 2018 Kennedy began work on the album. Amidst language and work issues his rosey outlook soon dimmed and what follows is Kennedy's exploration and loneliness in this foreign land. Previous musical similarities may be unearthed but what runs through this record is a vein of (dare I say) mature introspection which sets it apart from previous works. 

ODD OKODDO is a Kenyan/German duo formed by Olith Ratego and Sven Kacirek. This vinyl single marks their first outing, announcing the album "Auma" which will be ripe and ready in autumn 2019. Olith Ratego performs his immaculate vocals in the musical style called "dodo", which originates from the shores of Lake Victoria in Kenya, high in pitch and soulfully expressive. He himself refers to his music as "dodo blues". As a skilled luthier, Olith Ratego designs and builds his string instruments himself, first of all the five-stringed Okoddo which lends its name to the project. Sven Kacirek is a multi-instrumentalist commuting between Germany and Kenya for many years now. He plays the marimba, percussions and piano, next to producing this project. He has closely collaborated with various international musicians, among them Nils Frahm, Shabaka Hutchings, F.S. Blumm and Marc Ribot. "Okitwoye" is one song of the first ODD OKODDO album "Auma“, it comes in a multi-layered, ambiguous rhythm between three and four. The remix on the B side amplifies the essence of the song. Peter Power is a part of the Voodoohop collective from Brazil and his releases on Multi Culti or Polychrome Sounds fuel the rather slow, organically hypnotic dancefloors. He premiered this remix at the Heliodora festival in Brazil, at sunrise next to a giant waterfall, and it was just perfect.

Following up on the 2017 debut EP 'Don't Get Me Wrong’, Dazion returns with his second release on Second Circle.

On his latest EP; 'A Bridge Between Lovers’, we hear the Dutch multi -instrumentalist take even more unexpected swerves and turns in the form of fi ve new tracks recorded in his home studio in Den Haag. Setting himself loose from any musical confines, his process develops spontaneously; a Spanish guitar connects with an Indonesian wind instrument, wood sticks are channelled through a gritty sampler, while weird drum pattErns make their way out of Alesis HR 16-B and Yamaha computers. The results of these recordings are a fluid yet familiar Dazion sound; typically utilising electronic and organic sounds in his own distinctIve way. As with its predecessor, the tracks on ‘A Bridge Between Lovers’ are heavily rhythmically fuelled as well as rich in melody. Not least during another collaborati on with the Portugese vocalist Paulo on the alluring opening track ‘Eu Ñ ao Sei’, where Dazion again radiates what he himself calls, his "musical message of love to everyone".

In an era of boundless self promotion, anonymity is a rare and precious thing. Listening to Trevor Jackson's NTS show one night we heard a glorious piece of music by something called Elite Beat. A quick search found 10 years worth of recorded material but not a single photo or youtube clip. They had made a record with Niger born guitarist Mdou Moctar but were based in Portland, Oregon. More questions than answers but we knew we had just heard one helluva cosmic link up!

We still don't know what they look like but we can tell you Elite Beat is a 6 piece ensemble now in their 12th year as a musical collective. Their sound is non prescribed rhythm music with an emphasis on live playing, free form expression and dubbing techniques. Players who have absorbed the plethora of global grooves from dub, Ethiopoques and Tuareg guitar music (probably the odd Dead bootleg too). They aren't retromaniacs or here to revive a genre. Just some cats from Oregon talking that universal language, fueled by laugher and a vision of the eternal.

"By The Light Of The Pyramids" and "Postcards From Gortupal" are their latest and greatest offerings, birthed out of live sessions.

*The vinyl versions are shorter edits of the original / digital to preserve sound quality.

Reed Records presents the fifth single from Mohawkestra ‘Mo Heavy’ b/w ‘Buffalo Bill’ available on 7” vinyl

Mo Heavy is the first Mohawkestra single to feature one of their original compositions as the A Side and it’s a belter! Replete with the signature Mohawkestra heavy organ working alongside driving guitar chops and the percussion gets plenty of time to shine.

As the a-side is a Mohawkestra original on this one the B-Side is ‘Buffalo Bill’ which is a rather unique funk fuelled take of ‘The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill’ from The Beatles’ White Album. The hint of the title and the melody are the only similarities though as Mohawkestra take the groove far out into the Funk spectrum and stripped back to raw elements.

Available on 7” vinyl

The fifth and final Mohawkestra 45 in this series for Reed, and for this final donut they have gone into the realms of soundtracks vibes, a lost 70s cop show theme immediately comes to mind. This is a wide open joint, a spaced-out arrangement with super tough drums n' bongo breaks that keeps building into a killer jerkin' funk burner, just needs a cop car's siren wailing at the end! Special mention to Joe Wilkins for the raw as **** guitar riffs, heavy stuff. All in all a wicked and furious 45 for B-Boys & B-Girls.

Repress!

Wiggle celebrate 25 years and relaunch their iconic label with a releases including co-founders Terry Francis, Nathan Coles and Eddie Richards, as well as artists like D’julz, Silverlining, Mihai Popoviciu, and more.

Wiggle, the brand that gave birth to tech house a sound that would power London’s club music community for over two decades, step out into their 25th year. To mark reaching this remarkable milestone, they plan a special series of international shows and a relaunch of their influential and ground-breaking label.

Taking their lead directly from the acid house movement, Nathan Coles and Terry Francis first brought Wiggle to life through their heady warehouse parties in the early 90s. Unpretentious to their core, these now infamous events were known for their purist values – community and a sound that booms. Finding a kindred spirit in another new face, Eddie Richards became resident from early sets and was a key figure from the off.

Through these now historic events, they embedded themselves deeply into London’s party landscape becoming familiar faces at cultural institution fabric. Heavily based around the core residents they also invited parts of the international and local world from Richie Hawtin, Jay Tripwire, Abe Duque and Colin Dale.

It’s about here we acknowledge Wiggle’s place in originating tech house - working the hard line swagger of techno together with the depth of feeling of house, matching rhythm with bass in a way perfectly aligned with endless hours of hedonism. This potent mix of musical elements is where it began and set down the foundation of London’s rich and active community of DJs, producers and ravers.

The label was founded close to the parties, sourcing tracks from the ever building network of producers who were fuelling this sound evolution. For their 25th birthday you can expect to see the Wiggle imprint coming back in strength - returning to cutting tracks to wax and continuing its legacy for bass fuelled party sounds and pioneering new talent.

2019 will see a series of international shows and a quarterly London party bringing the much loved Wiggle sensibilities and celebrate what they are and have achieved.

After a break of some 10 years producer and DJ Mat Carter felt the time was right to wake his imprint from hyper sleep.

It was started as and will continue to be an outlet for both Mat’s own material and that of other like-minded beings and as the name Varial suggests the label is not limited, instead it reflects Mat’s tastes and touches on many styles.

Varial launches with the remaster and re-release of the much sought after cult classic, Zark Time E.P. Written and produced by Mat himself, this E.P. pulls on influences of fractured imagery, fuzzyelectronics and dense soundscapes to form five tracks of warm, funk-fuelled jams that 17 years on still refuses to neatly conform with any one genre. As Mat himself says, “I can’t help my influences.”

During his time away from the music scene Mat’s focus was on raising a family and honing a physical craft but the pull of music never went away.

For the second release on the Galaxiid imprint, a label of electronic music archeology and quality, we are transported to the strange sonic world of an elusive 90s pioneer. Solar X's 1997 album X-Rated will be released for the first time on vinyl, as well as reissued digitally, with new artwork by the Japanese artist Keiichi Tanaami. Two worlds connecting sonically, visually and culturally.

Solar X enjoyed a burgeoning career in post-Perestroika Moscow making playful, low-tech electronica from Soviet analogue instruments, which he masterfully configured to forge animated compositions and dancefloor rarities. Fascinated by chaos and complexity, his music explores the ways in which our minds can be manipulated by structure - an endeavour quite plausibly linked to his other career as a lecturer and researcher of AI, information theory and cognitive science, his interest in which was in turn triggered by his young experiments in computer music.

Solar X gained international attention at a time when Russia was (quite unfairly) seen as a vacuum for electronic music, but was exploding in the period of piracy, poverty and freedom following the collapse of the USSR. Young Russians had benefited from the soviet education system and there was a strong DIY computer programming and music scene, fuelled by hackers, gear freaks and party animals. Viewed from today, the album is reborn at a time of further political and social strife, which many see as fuelling the huge creativity and radical thinking of modern Russia's young creatives.

X-Rated treats tempo and form as fluid concepts, administering sudden changes to its sonic landscape with disorienting effect, underlain with a subtle dose of humour and experimentation. Downtempo trip-hop sits alongside frenetic IDM and blistering electro, all bound together by peculiar melodic inflections and lively distortions. Warm, trippy harmonies and robotic synths are offset with angular drums, shifting erratically through moods and genres with cunning intent. Much like his contemporaries from the era, it's his ability to breathe life into a humble production setup that makes his music so compelling some twenty one years later.

The track titles are from a book of call girl cards in London phone booths, that reached the artist in Moscow in 1995. "I liked the titles from these cards, which were self-promoting and offering pleasure (e.g. "Mistress awaits you"). So, I thought since my tracks also offered some kind of pleasure, they might as well advertise this through their titles.'

Label head Nina Kraviz was introduced to the work of the 83 year old sensei Keiichi Tanaami by Ukawa Naoshiro, founder of Dommune in Tokyo, one of the brightest figureheads for the arts in Japan, responsible for the graphic design of the cover. In September 2017 Nina played for the opening of Tanaami-san's first exhibition in Moscow at Gary Tatintsian Gallery. Nina performed a live sound palette, to accompany the looping 7 minute animation, of experimental music from the Soviet Union, Russian pioneers of electronic music like Species Of Fishes and SolarX, Soviet-time pioneer Lev Termen, Kuryochin, avant-guard rock mixed with some Stockhausen and just pure abstract sounds, as well as treasured artists like Biogen.

Tanaami's illustrative work has strong sexual elements, so out of the five art pieces Nina selected and commissioned for Galaxiid, the first fits perfectly for 'X-rated'. The vertical line of text on the left is the traditional form for Japanese covers of foreign releases. The cover, together with the accompanying poster and sticker, are printed in Japan to ensure the highest print quality and purity of the colours.

The new Outplay release is by young and upcoming dj/producer Cleanfield, or 'Jelle' as his mom calls him.
Hailing from Arnhem, the Netherlands, it's always great to see another talent pop up in the Dutch scene!
He has made three super catchy tracks for us, perfect for the summer season!

First up is the title track 'Haute Cuisine', warm bouncy bass topped with a super infectious lead melody and percussion. If there is a track more suited for the festival season it's this one for sure!
'Hot Wheels' races on with a deep rolling groove, fuelled by wah wah rhythm guitars, warm synth chords and arpeggios.
'Conflict With Clayton' brings another solid groove to the table with scattered vocal samples and multiple synth layers. Scorcher!

So imagine dancing your ass off to this EP in the sun and feeling fantastic, we sure are!

Reinhard Voigt returns to his own label KOMPAKT with another episode of satiric techno to enlighten today’s current trend of deadpan dance music. Since the 1990’s, Reinhard has brought an unparalleled spirit into the techno scene through outrageously energetic live shows and the many releases under alias such as SRI, Pentax plus of course his ongoing collaboration Voigt & Voigt together with esteemed brother, Wolfgang Voigt. Reinhard embraces all that wildlife has to offer with “Was wir spüren”. Starting things off with the future afterparty anthem, “Das singende, klingende Ding” the bass drum is there to guide the lost and found through a voracious bee storm as the rooster crows gloriously towards duck quacking oblivion. “Tausendmal zu viel” fits perfectly as the soundtrack for to the artwork created by Mareena von Cube – a tormented hymn loops its way to the warriors of the never world. “Der Mann, der nie nach Deutz kam” is classic Reinhard Voigt techno at peak-time point. A throttling bass drum is voraciously fuelled by the jungle twilight.

Acid Techno supergroup The Wipeouts (Chris Liberator, Sterling Moss, Aaron Liberator) return with 2 cheeky adrenalin fuelled cuts of twisted 303's, hard-as-nails beats, and tongue-in-cheek vocals. On the flip Geezer and Rats On Acid deliver rolling Acid Techno shenanigans, with Geezer finishing off the EP with his firebrand chunky beats. A 4 track instant Acid party!!

After S3A's 'Deep Love' contribution last year we are stoked to present you this great collection of music! Coming from the French underground S3A aka Max Fader is absolutely no stranger to the scene. With releases on Local Talk, Quartet Series and his own 'Sampling As An Art records' he is deeply rooted in House, Hip Hop, Disco, Soul and Funk serving residencies at Paris clubs 'Concrete' and 'REX' he has become a local favourite as well with his DJ and Live sets. We are more than excited to release this special debut album that showcases some older and recent work, with live acoustic songs from early 2017 recorded at the Paris 'Red Bull Music' studios to new sample based House and Disco infused tracks in the signature 'S3A' style we got to love so much in recent years. 'Fever", 'Friends, 'Joint No. 5 and 'Greed' are all funk fuelled jams composed by Max, re-played and recorded again in several live jams with fellow musicians Nicolas Taite, Raphael Vallade and Pierre Vadon and edited in the studio by S3A afterwards, they breath this special Soul and Funk love Max got into by listening to 'Masters at Work' and old Disco jams. The latter 'Greed' has a special story, it is a cover of an early 'Laurent Garnier' track that got reworked by 'Avril' in the early 00's, here Max wanted to present his own Jazz and Funk perspective on that same track. The club stompers 'First Day With Lucien", 'Lockwood", 'Clarence J. Boddicker' and 'Leaving 19th' are the true party business on this album and range from Deep House to more classic edit style Disco tracks with live improvisations played on top of them.

The Italian disco masters are back with four heavy funk-fuelled vinyl cuts.

Cabasa has off-kilter bass, Rhodes, dirty drums and grainy samples knitted together in to a groove heavy enough to get your Gran going. Hypnotic, trippy and disco at its finest.
Congo Club goes full cowbell and 80's drums. A chanted vocal wonks out over a Rhodes that weaves all kind of magic, then the lead drops and critical mass is reached.
The title track cracks on at a pace with synth strings, flanging bass, distorted drums and keys tying it all together. Latin percussion is dropped over a a sung sample and the swing is on.
Summer of Sam takes a more soulful diversion but keeps a foot firmly in the disco camp. The track builds with spacey atmospherics in to a track that will work in any situation.

Vid has grown to become a driving force in the contemporary minimal house scene in recent years both on his hometurf, Romania one of them most important regions for this sound, and across the globe. Racking up releases on the likes of Pleasure Zone, Andromeda, Brouqade and of course Sound Of Vast where he returns here for his fourth EP on the imprint.

Title-track 'Life Of Dreams' leads, laid out over thirteen minutes with murky atmospheric textures, warbling sub bass tones and eerie voices ebbing and flowing amongst a dynamic arrangement of organic percussion. 'Povestea Ei' follows, rhythmically shifting things in broken territory via jazz-tinged off-kilter drums while poetic spoken word vocals, modulating synths and stuttering bass tones further fuel the mind-altering feel. 'Povestea Mea' then rounds out the release, this time round embracing a cinematic feel and employing emotive strings, bubbling synths and minimalaistic pops, clicks and whirrs at its core.

Third LP of Cabaret Contemporain, French band (featuring Fabrizio Rat on keys) who use acoustic instruments (piano, guitar, bass, drums, contrabass) to produce a « hand-crafted » club music infused with techno. Inspired by Jeff Mills, Robert Hood or Drexciya, the five members already had a career on classical scene; their idea is not to replay classical techno tunes but to create a new path for the electronic music. 2 tracks featuring with the label boss, Arnaud Rebotini.

« Ballaro », which opens Cabaret Contemporain's third album, begins with light percussions, which seem to turn on themselves, while being conveyed by reverberations close to dub. After a few minutes of convolutions, the piece gets out of hand, transporting the listener into a rich form of pulsating trance, irrigated by a soaring melody and punctuated by persistent piano tones. « La selva »; more subdued, has the same energy, the track ending in an even more powerful way, a kind of paroxysm.

Finally, the strangest and most minimal « Cactus », features a singular groove, which evokes the most brutal house from Chicago, or the sometimes obsessive techno from Detroit. Just like other tracks such as « Transistor » or « TGV », fuelled by sweat and trance, Séquence Collective bears all the intensity of a techno cut for clubs' dancefloors. The only difference being that their music is not played with synths, drum machines or software, but with acoustic instruments. Dual curriculum The band is composed of five musicians and a sound engineer: Fabrizio Rat on piano, Giani Caserotto on guitar, Julien Loutelier on drums, Ronan Courty and Simon Drappier on double bass and of course Pierre Favrez on console. They are all in their thirties and met at the prestigious Paris Conservatoire in the late 2000s. However, all the musicians in the band have a double curriculum and navigate freely between the institutional realm and the underground or pop music scenes. Through classical or contemporary music, jazz and improvisation, rock and experimentation, they share a common passion for the original and futuristic techno of the 1990s, that of Jeff Mills, Robert Hood or Drexciya, which they have decided to reinvent and further in their own way. Not as a simple stylistic exercise practiced by virtuoso musicians, but rather as a new path for modern music, and for their generation. « The original idea » they say, « was to make club music by hand, like craftsmen. Like in the early days of jazz, our band managed to transform itself into a kind of dancing machine. Our music is therefore functional because it is danceable, but also mental and abstract, while offering several layers of listening. You can dance and play, have a purely physical and sensory connection to the music. But you can also immerse yourself in its listening, perceive refined harmonies or more complex rhythmic superpositions »

If the tones of Cabaret Contemporain are truly unique it is because each member of the band has developed a very personal approach through the use ''prepared'' instruments. The strings of their piano, guitar or double bass may recall strange machines with literally incredible sounds, obtained using objects such as chopsticks, clothes pegs, foil, hangers, a tiny pie mould or many other utensils from a DIY store. A collective energy

Cabaret Contemporain is first and foremost a live band that has been performing in venues and festivals since its inception in 2012 (Nuits Sonores, Siestes Electroniques, L'Aéronef, Le Trabendo, Philharmonie de Paris, Gaîté Lyrique, Rewire, Dancity, Barcelona Accio Musical...), both at traditional jazz and contemporary music venues, and more often at electro music hubs. When facing the audience, the band, which plays each of its sets in one go, without a break, shows an intense physical presence, which competes with the musical power of DJs who share the stage with them. Their performance, full of tension and repetition, which requires maximum concentration and a state close to trance from the musicians, is sometimes, according to them, « a mental journey and a mystic experience ». A dimension that brings to mind the historical techno culture and its dancers who, communicating on the dancefloor, were carried until the early hours of the morning by the power of the beat. An album inspired by the stage Since their beginnings, their compositions on record have drawn their energy directly from the practice of their concerts, whether referring to Terry Riley (2014) or Moondog (2015), an EP and an album dedicated to the repertoire of the two American artists, the original compositions of Cabaret Contemporain (2016) and Satellite EP (2017), as well as this new album. Séquence collective can be listened to as a condensed transcription of their inventions and their live experiments. The tracks, more than half of which were improvised during sessions held in the former Vogue studios near Paris, were recorded in live conditions, « like an old school rock band » they say. As usual, they invited a new musician to join them in the studio. After collaborating with Étienne Jaumet or Château-Flight, Arnaud Rebotini, César winner for best film music, added a welcome synth touch on two tracks (Pro- One, Prophet 600), which boosted the group's formidable collective energy. The album ends with « October Glide », again performed with Rebotini, a lyrical and lively track, built on a powerful and slow progression of timbres and percussions, which would ideally find its place at the core of a techno party « peak time »

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of this iconic release from Titonton we are reissuing these highly sought after tracks! Titonton is one of the very few artists out there who not only created their own individual production sound and DJ style but one of the few who has stuck to the creative energy that fueled the original works and continues to do so. And now, carefully remastered from the original DAT recordings these works sound fresher and better than ever!

Art is a matter of different phases and influence. The artists' core reaches out like heat waves. And very rarely do these artists' core merge like Brigitte Fontaine and Arseki Belkacem have. Their Saravah Era lasted ten years (1969 to 1979), ten years of "folle sagesse" (crazy wisdom), above all genres and song limitation.

"Le plaisir secret que donne une chanson, dessin à la craie sur le mur de tes sons" (the personal delight within song, a chalk drawing on your wall of sounds) whispers Areski, right after Brigitte's voice on the penultimate song of the double album "Vous et nous". Released in 1977, this free flowing record contains 33 songs, it's their 6th album after "Comme à la radio", "Brigitte 4", "Je ne connais pas cet homme", "L'incendie" and "Le bonheur", and it continues to spread the wide and generous spectrum of the couple fully blossoming talent. Electronic experiments, North African trance, refined acoustics and medieval drones gracefully blend with the acid and candid tongues of the singers, surprising us each step along the way. The making of this record was also full of twists and turns. It started out as a solo effort by Areski at Jean-Pierre Chambard's studio. Little by little, as Areski was filling tapes with poems and improvised skits, Brigitte would sneak into the studio at nightfall, adding her voice here and there, her whispers then became screams, giving fuel to the fire in a total blaze, a surreal blaze. The solitary work ("je") thrived to become us ("nous") and you ("vous") ...

Benjamin Barouh, June 2018

Official, remastered reissue of this disco tinged, afro funk treasure and the first time the 'Karam Bani' single has been cut to 12' - maximising every ounce of highlife soul from Sidiku Buari's productions.

That undeniable US funk flavour coupled with Buari's Ghanaian rhythms bring a zest to these grooves even the tangiest of forbidden fruits couldn't draw out. Those fuzzed keys and dusty highlife guitar licks sprinkle the West African flavour, whilst drumming demi-god Bernard Purdie provides the wizardry behind the infectious, yet precision like beats that make the track so unique. Purdie's killer breaks combined with Buari's jubilant vocals give a spirituality to this cut that'll liven up any dancefloor - alongside being a gold mine for samples.

Flip it over and you're hit with the joy filled jam, 'Ye Koaba'. Tribal drums lead the way for a chorus of jubilant chants supplemented by glistening synth sounds and funk fuelled guitar riffs. It's a feel-good slice of Ghanaian sunshine, capturing that community spirit and good-hearted nature Ghana's famous for.

Two afro funk sensations sure to put a smile on your face, even when the skies are grey and you're 5000 miles away from the glorious West African coastline.

Our Favourite Bothy Botherers Mac-talla Nan Creag (comprised Of Hoch Ma Toch, Other Lands And Lord Of The Isles) Return To Firecracker Recordings, Channeling Ancient Rites, The Mysteries Of The Scottish Landscape And Its Elements Through Technologies Both Old And New For Your Listening Pleasure.

This Time Round The Archaeological Work Of Forestry Commission Scotland At Dun Deardail In Glen Nevis, And The Links Between That Site And The Ancient Celtic Myth 'the Sorrow Of Derdriu' Provided Fertile Ground For New Exploration And Response. Accompanying The Music Once Again Will Be A Lush Booklet Containing Some Of The Stunning Imagery That Results From The Work Fcs Have Done There, All Packaged And Silk-screened With The Usual Finesse We've Come To Expect From Firecracker Recordings And Their Chief Visionary House Of Traps, In Conjunction With 12th Isle's Al White.

Captured In Part In A High Vaulted Medieval Church, Then In Home Studios, Bouncing Ideas Back And Forth Over The Internet, Mtnc Have Once Again Drawn On Field Recordings, Traditional Instrumentation, Analogue Electronics And The Simple Power Of The Human Voice To Create A Shimmering And Expansive Song Cycle.

Whereas The First Album Was Borne Out Of An Intense Period Of Field Trips And Whisky Fuelled Jam Sessions In Brochs And Had A Loose Approach Overall, The Second Is Perhaps More Focussed In Its Themes Relating To The Ancient Tale - Love, War, Beauty And Tragedy All Intertwined - And They Arguably Go Deeper This Time, Conjuring Up Something Of The Fourth World Feel, By Way Of The Firth Of Forth.

With Additional Contributions From Professor John Kenny - Whose Primal Zummoesque Playing On A Range Of Horns Including A Giant Conch Shell And A Replica Of The Ancient Deskford Carynx Underpins Several Tracks On The Album - And Eva Sutherland (daughter Of Other Lands) Who Provides A Reading From The Myth At The Very Beginning, This Is An Album That Not Only Carries The Heaviness Of History But Also Looks To The Light Of The Future.'

With Recent Appearances On Boiler Room And The Groove Magazine Podcast Plus Sets Across Asia And Europe, Jamaica Suk's Fearsome Techno Sounds Are Winning Fans Far And Wide. A Year On From Her Debut Release On Her Own Gradient Label Comes This Stunning Second Volume.
A1 Stinger Ray Kicks Off The Ep With Zingy Modular-style Synth Sounds Pulsing Over A Bubbling, Murky Bassline. Sheet Metal Snares Punctuate The Beat, With A Switch-up Halfway Through Into Gnarled, Distorted Synth Crunches Catching You Unaware. These Brutalised Rhythms Morph In And Out Of Hypnotic Arpeggiated Pulses To Make For A Hallucinatory Ride With Ample Dashes Of Psychedelia Throughout.
A2 Fallen Sets It Outs Stall Immediately, With Filtered Down Acidic Bass Playing Out A Jagged Groove. A Manic Counterpart Mimics Its Rhythm But Dizzyingly Delayed Off The Beat To Create A Rugged, Funk-fuelled Feel. Cymbal Rides Pitch Up And Down, Unidentified Snarls Of Fx Mutate Around The Edges, All The While The Sharp Hi-hats Keep The Metronomic Heartbeat Going.
B1 Whispers Ups The Intensity. Delicate, Arpeggiated Chime Sounds Set A Crystalline Mood Before Swathes Of Intense, Darkly-tinged Synths Swell In And Out Of Focus Atop The Throbbing Kick Drums. The Effect Is That Of A Factory Full Of Machines Growing A Mind Of Their Own, Malfunctioning In A Pleasing Harmonic Dissonance.
B2 Twilight Rain (vinyl Only) Completes The Set With Infectious Triple Kick Drum Patterns Underpinning Dramatic Drum Hits And Warped Atmospheric Shivers That Create A Spooky Feel As Droning Bass Tones Carve A Path Through Your Speakers.

The 2nd HOMOAGENT EP 'We Are Here To Ruin Your Life' continues the exploration of this city's various basements. A fictional work of excess, doused in amyl and fuelled by the Trve Basque Speed, greased gloved strangers in decaying mansions meets Hellraiser but in real. Triames & Maiovvi return to Instruments Of Discipline with four new productions of their trademark glassed out, hi-fi night fantasies where sweat and leather meet 18 or more consenting adults.

Late November will see Tact Recordings vinyl only sub-label Tactics return with 'Vol.4', a various artists package featuring Jor-El aka Joel Alter, Imugem Orihasam and Benjamin Brunn.

Tactics was launched in late 2017 by co-founders of the imprint Yard One with their 'Vol.2' EP, following on from the 'Vol.1' various artists EP released on the main imprint Tact Recordings back in 2012. Since its inception last year and it's two releases so far from founders Yard One and Fletcher, the label has garnered the attention of DJ's like Varhat, Roger Gerressen, Raresh, Malin Genie and Andrey Pushkarev to name a few. Here though we see the imprint welcome some of it's favourite artists from over the year onto the roster, namely Echocord artist Jor-El aka Joel Alter, Ilian Tape's Imumgem Orihasam and Smallville regular Benjamin Brunn. Leading on the package is Sweden's Jor-El with 'Remember Tomorrow', a gritty dance floor workout fuelled by dusty drums, fluttering stab sequences and sweeping synth strings before Japanese producer Imugem Orihasam edges into dub territory with a cinematic two minute soundscape opening the composition before weighty drums, swirling pads and dubbed out metallic chimes dynamically unfold throughout.

Hamburg's Benjamin Brunn then closes the package with 'ResoPlanet', as always delivering smooth, understated electronic music via wandering ethereal pads, resonant bleeps and bumpy, off-kilter 808 drums.

Earlier in the year, Red Light Radio co-founder Hugo van Hejiningen and Identified Patient joined forces to debut their new musical project, Stallion's Stud. Artificial Dance is ready to release the first fruits of the duo's studio collaboration.
The four-track EP digs deep into their shared love of electronics, post-punk era experimentation, DIY music culture and dubbed-out drum machine rhythms. The results are undeniably dark and intoxicating, with former punk singer Hugo fronting proceedings via mind-altering vocals and twisted lyrical flows.

Opener 'Promising Promises' sets the tone for what follows, with Hugo's spoken vocals wrapping themselves around ricocheting industrial dub rhythms and raw, delay-laden electronics. The delay trails to oblivion remain a force to be reckoned with on the creepy, fuzz-fuelled cold-wave doom of 'Instrumental Aria', while the throbbing and clanking 'Unpredictable' and 'Voice of No' ratchet up the intensity by several notches via end-of-days guitars, heavyweight bass and face-melting percussion.

The seventh volume of Drumcode's annual A-Sides compilation hits with no less than 10 debuts for the label, with Charlotte de Witte, ANNA, B.Traits and Scuba's SCB project, among the collection of topline artists to release their maiden productions on the imprint.

Over two decades into its lifespan, Drumcode keeps evolving and excelling, pushing techno forward while remaining wholly respectful of its roots. This reputation for progression was further fuelled this summer with its inaugural festival at the NDSM Docklands in Amsterdam, featuring a long list of heavyweights including Nicole Moudaber, Joseph Capriati, Amelie Lens and Ida Engberg, among others.

As ever, the A-Sides compilation provides a timely opportunity to showcase the full range of its sonic repertoire, with Adam Beyer scrupulously selecting unreleased tracks that have taken prime position in his sets over recent months.

Formidable duo Dense & Pika kick off part 5 with their powerful composition 'Lemur' renowned for their standout studio output they consistently conjure up a unique take on their distinct sound. Tastemaker's favourite Jel Ford makes a welcome return to the fold as he ushers in techno rhythms with bustling breaks with his track 'Nightshade'.

On the B side resident DJ of the infamous GZG parties in Holland, Man With No Shadow supplies his rave infused twisted cut 'Manilla', where his warped bass combines with shattering breaks & heavy weight drums.

Lastly, Locomatica & Blaukoma present 'Unfold' a brooding techno workout with crisp drum programming that features a euphoric vocal bursting with emotion. Set to cement these two producers as acts to keep your eye on in the near future.

Hailing From Nashville, Tennessee - A City Better Known For Being The Cradle Of Country Music, Jaundice And Dzee Form The Backbone To The Future Dz Duo, Which Has Way Less To Do With Johnny Cash Than With The Hague Sound, And Their Latest Offering For The Label They Help Co-run, Tram Planet Records, Although Tracing Rings Of Fire In Its Wake, Further Ratifies That Lineage.

A Shape-shifting Collection Of Post-apocalyptic Detroit Electro And Squelchy Acid Grooves Sieved Through Filthy Filters - Perfect To Play In Your Muscle Car While Speeding The Highway At Night, 'splint Mask' Finds The Duo At Their Most Epic And Unhindered. Premiering Today Through Our Channels, 'sawed Off' Is A High-octane 303 Fuelled Racer Blazing With A Hint Of Unit Moebius Weirdness And Off-the-cuff Rugged Hardware Spritz. If You Like Your Electro Scruffy, Grinding And Aggro Like We Do, Future Dz Have You Covered. Get In The Zone And Feel The Burn, You're In For A Treat.

'they've quietly found themselves elevated into the psych scenes premier league.' Drowned In Sound 
 
'when they go pedal-to-metal it rarely fails.' Mojo Magazine
 
'The Lucid Dream are rapidly becoming major players in an ever-increasingly crowded psych scene..utterly seductive.' The Quietus
  
'one of the most enthralling bands in the UK.' Far Out Magazine
 
 
The Lucid Dream return in October with the release of their 4th album, 'Actualisation'.
Driven by fans raising £10,000 to help replace all equipment robbed after a Paris show in early 2017, a new album became the instant focus in the summer of 2017 for a rejuvenated The Lucid Dream.
 
'Actualisation' is soaked in the influence of acid house, amalgamated with dub and kosmische. It will again see them acknowledged for venturing into pastures new, setting themselves apart from 'genres', 'scenes' or what any other act are currently doing. 
 
The album was penned over the summer of 2017 by Mark Emmerson (vocals/guitar/synths), using only the classic Roland 303/808 synths, bass and vocals as tools for writing. Inspiration for the writing was formed via continuous listening to the Chicago to UK acid house works of 1986-1992, the focus predominantly on the groove.
Several months on from those writing sessions and The Lucid Dream have completed their 4th album in 5 years. A record made for the dancefloor.
 
 
Recorded at Whitewood Studios, Liverpool, with Rob Whiteley, the album is produced alongside long-time collaborator Ross Halden (Ghost Town Studios, Leeds), with mastering via Dean Honer (All Seeing I/I Monster/The Moonlandingz).
 
The confrontational techno-punk of 'Alone In Fear' opens the album, a 9-minute attack fuelled by the frustration and anger spawned by Brexit, government and a realisation of what 2018 Britain currently is.
Recent single 'SX1000' (the first work from the album, unveiled via 12' vinyl in April this year) is the band's first move into pure acid house. The acid house fusion runs throughout the record, represented furthermore by 'Ardency', a track already praised by live critics when aired live for the first time earlier this year as 'even on first hearing, would've raised the roof of The Hacienda'.
 
The 2-part opus of 'Zenith' follows, commencing with a space-dub/house instrumental groove before building into a track that will go for your head as much as your hips. Only 'Breakdown' harks back to sounds of old for the band, a little reminder of the skull-crushing impact they can make when stripped to the bare bones. 'No Sunlight Dub' closes the album, a dark-dub that invites the classic acid-house tool (Roland 808) into the dub. The track makes a stop-off into drum 'n' bass/jungle along the way before rounding up in a manner suited to Lee Perry, King Tubby, Augustus Pablo and other Jamaican greats.
 
 
The Lucid Dream formed in Carlisle, Cumbria, in 2008. A string of sold-out 7s was followed by the debut longer player, 'Songs Of Lies and Deceit', in August 2013. The initial vinyl pressing of the debut album (500 copies) sold out within 2 days, and was backed by a main stage slot at Kendal Calling, and supports to Death In Vegas and A Place To Bury Strangers (full UK tour).
 
The bands 2nd album ('The Lucid Dream') was released in March 2015 to further acclaim. This included 2 BBC 6 Music sessions and plays across most shows on the station, as well as plays from BBC Radio 1 (Huw Stephens) and BBC Radio 2. Further press followed from Uncut, The Skinny, Louder Than War, and Drowned In Sound, who named the album #7 UK album of 2015. Supports to Clinic and A Place To Bury Strangers also coincided.
 
 
3rd album, 'Compulsion Songs' was released in September 2016, on Holy Are You Recordings. The vinyl pressing of the album sold-out within a day, prompting an immediate 2nd press, with pre-sales of the album topping 1,000 before release. The album was backed by a headline UK tour, and a main slot at Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia (for which they were singled out for major plaudits from The Quietus, The Skinny and Drowned In Sound). The album again received acclaim from the likes of Mojo, Uncut, Classic Rock Magazine, BBC Radio 2 (Huey Morgan) and across the board on BBC 6 Music (Lauren Laverne, Marc Riley, Tom Ravenscroft, Gideon Coe, Stuart Maconie).
 
 
 
'Actualisation' is released on 19th October 2018 (CD/download/ltd red vinyl/standard black vinyl), via Holy Are You Recordings.

'they've quietly found themselves elevated into the psych scenes premier league.' Drowned In Sound 
 
'when they go pedal-to-metal it rarely fails.' Mojo Magazine
 
'The Lucid Dream are rapidly becoming major players in an ever-increasingly crowded psych scene..utterly seductive.' The Quietus
  
'one of the most enthralling bands in the UK.' Far Out Magazine
 
 
The Lucid Dream return in October with the release of their 4th album, 'Actualisation'.
Driven by fans raising £10,000 to help replace all equipment robbed after a Paris show in early 2017, a new album became the instant focus in the summer of 2017 for a rejuvenated The Lucid Dream.
 
'Actualisation' is soaked in the influence of acid house, amalgamated with dub and kosmische. It will again see them acknowledged for venturing into pastures new, setting themselves apart from 'genres', 'scenes' or what any other act are currently doing. 
 
The album was penned over the summer of 2017 by Mark Emmerson (vocals/guitar/synths), using only the classic Roland 303/808 synths, bass and vocals as tools for writing. Inspiration for the writing was formed via continuous listening to the Chicago to UK acid house works of 1986-1992, the focus predominantly on the groove.
Several months on from those writing sessions and The Lucid Dream have completed their 4th album in 5 years. A record made for the dancefloor.
 
 
Recorded at Whitewood Studios, Liverpool, with Rob Whiteley, the album is produced alongside long-time collaborator Ross Halden (Ghost Town Studios, Leeds), with mastering via Dean Honer (All Seeing I/I Monster/The Moonlandingz).
 
The confrontational techno-punk of 'Alone In Fear' opens the album, a 9-minute attack fuelled by the frustration and anger spawned by Brexit, government and a realisation of what 2018 Britain currently is.
Recent single 'SX1000' (the first work from the album, unveiled via 12' vinyl in April this year) is the band's first move into pure acid house. The acid house fusion runs throughout the record, represented furthermore by 'Ardency', a track already praised by live critics when aired live for the first time earlier this year as 'even on first hearing, would've raised the roof of The Hacienda'.
 
The 2-part opus of 'Zenith' follows, commencing with a space-dub/house instrumental groove before building into a track that will go for your head as much as your hips. Only 'Breakdown' harks back to sounds of old for the band, a little reminder of the skull-crushing impact they can make when stripped to the bare bones. 'No Sunlight Dub' closes the album, a dark-dub that invites the classic acid-house tool (Roland 808) into the dub. The track makes a stop-off into drum 'n' bass/jungle along the way before rounding up in a manner suited to Lee Perry, King Tubby, Augustus Pablo and other Jamaican greats.
 
 
The Lucid Dream formed in Carlisle, Cumbria, in 2008. A string of sold-out 7s was followed by the debut longer player, 'Songs Of Lies and Deceit', in August 2013. The initial vinyl pressing of the debut album (500 copies) sold out within 2 days, and was backed by a main stage slot at Kendal Calling, and supports to Death In Vegas and A Place To Bury Strangers (full UK tour).
 
The bands 2nd album ('The Lucid Dream') was released in March 2015 to further acclaim. This included 2 BBC 6 Music sessions and plays across most shows on the station, as well as plays from BBC Radio 1 (Huw Stephens) and BBC Radio 2. Further press followed from Uncut, The Skinny, Louder Than War, and Drowned In Sound, who named the album #7 UK album of 2015. Supports to Clinic and A Place To Bury Strangers also coincided.
 
 
3rd album, 'Compulsion Songs' was released in September 2016, on Holy Are You Recordings. The vinyl pressing of the album sold-out within a day, prompting an immediate 2nd press, with pre-sales of the album topping 1,000 before release. The album was backed by a headline UK tour, and a main slot at Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia (for which they were singled out for major plaudits from The Quietus, The Skinny and Drowned In Sound). The album again received acclaim from the likes of Mojo, Uncut, Classic Rock Magazine, BBC Radio 2 (Huey Morgan) and across the board on BBC 6 Music (Lauren Laverne, Marc Riley, Tom Ravenscroft, Gideon Coe, Stuart Maconie).
 
 
 
'Actualisation' is released on 19th October 2018 (CD/download/ltd red vinyl/standard black vinyl), via Holy Are You Recordings.

Absence Seizure Marks Its Tenth Release This September, A Split Package Comprising One Original From Co-founder Abe Duque And Two From Label-founder Matuss.

Since Its Launch Back In 2015 The New York City Based Absence Seizure Imprint, Launched By Abe Duque And Matuss Has Been A Platform For The Latter's Original Material And Across The Past Nine Releases And Picked Up Support From The Likes Of Young Male, Sage Caswell, Dorian Paic And Eduardo De La Calle Amongst Others. Here Though We See Co-founder Abe Duque Join The Part To Mark The Labels Tenth Vinyl Release Alongside Label Regular Julia Matuss.

Matuss Steps Up With 'crashing Hard' A Murky, Stripped-back Number Fuelled By Choppy Bass Stabs, Minimal Percussive Bleeps And Airy Atmospherics . Next On The Package Is Abe Duque's '11-27-2016', A Typically Raw Affair From The New York Techno Veteran Fuelled By Squelching 303 Lines, Robust Analogue Drums And Dreamy Arpeggios.

The B Side Features Matuss' 'sisabuc Fresh' Closes Out The Package, Stripping Things Back Even Further To Minute, Shuffled Percussion, Stuttering Ethereal Chords And Permeating Sub Hits Which All Flow In Unison Across Its Ten Minute Duration.