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Acid Pauli's new album "Mystic Meltdown" is hypnotic mystery, textural mastery, all hurtling through your system at peak velocity, unrelenting yet full of mischief and spirit.
The first full-length Acid Pauli album since 2020's MOD, here the artist, Martin Gretschmann, who you might also remember from Console and The Notwist, reaches out to collaborators, unearths new sounds through travel and then brings it all together with one long, sweeping breath - an album to take in as a whole, to ride its compulsive energy to the end and then back to the start, over and over again.
While the album's been brewing for some time, "It took months and months to find the coherency and the story that this album is telling," Gretschmann recalls, "Arranging the pacing, feeling how the tracks come together into one album", it reads as effortless. It draws from Gretschmann's various musical languages, from the techno, house and ambient of Acid Pauli, even reaching back to the electronica of Console, but it places them in new contexts, at new speeds and in rich, giddy contrasts. Mystic Meltdown feels like endless pleasure, unflagging energy.
It's also an album rich with multiplicity. There are many voices that visit us at the Mystic Meltdown, from Hani Mojtahedy's Kurdish vocal on "Goman (Remix)", through to Lhasa de Sela's "Con Toda Palabra" in Spanish. A sample of Kingdom Molongi's voices opens the title track and returns on "Mystic Feedback" - this feels like a particularly profound connection, given the inspiration that Gretschmann has gleaned from the musical community surrounding the Nyege Nyege Tapes label and organisation over the years. He's also appeared at one of their festivals, by all accounts a revelatory experience.
Sometimes Gretschmann reaches back yet further. "Yes, Caroline" hints at an abstract relationship with the Beach Boys' pop masterpiece, Pet Sounds. Yet the way he draws these various influences into his own music always displays more than a touch of transmutation. Releasing the album on his own label All Is Acid which has recently been undertaking a reissue program of some of Acid Pauli's earlier works, "Mystic Meltdown" feels like a complete expression for Gretschmann; from beginning to end, from creation to reflection. "Building up, going into different spheres and emotions," Gretschmann concludes. "Working through some darker shades, trying to find light. Pouring in to get through."

As a longtime member of Hot Chip and LCD Soundsystem, Al Doyle has spent decades working alongside two of the most distinct vocalists in modern pop: Alexis Taylor and James Murphy. If he’s had a song or an idea, there’s always been someone else he’d rather have sing it.
But on November 20, 2026, the British multi-instrumentalist will release Hollywood Saviour, an album that drove him to finally embrace his own voice. “It’s me discovering a way to write and sing stuff that I could live with,” he says of his first-ever solo outing.
Recorded in his East London studio, Relax and Enjoy, Hollywood Saviour has the feeling—the rush and release—of a breakthrough, of an artist letting go. Doyle’s found freedom in simplicity here, leaning into the many pleasures of guitar-bass-drums, indulging wholeheartedly in the weird, spontaneous, raucous, and raw. He sounds free.
That sense of fun and rampant possibility can be felt in every groove, Doyle finding added inspiration in the loose and the louche, from Sexual Harassment’s 1983 electro-funk raunch-o-rama “I Need A Freak” to Throbbing Gristle’s locomotive 1980 paean to jerking off, “Something Came Over Me,” which is lovingly covered here.
At times, this album feels like a delirious response to the darkness of our current moment. On opener “Hard Times in America,” Doyle offers us a psychedelic window into his experiences traveling back and forth to the United States in recent years, feeling fascism’s hold tighten with each visit.
That sense of character comes through in Doyle’s vocal approach, a giddy combination of Iggy Pop, Pete Shelley, and PIL-era John Lydon. On “All I Want for Christmas”—a dark and devastating highlight—he takes on the shape of a drug addict come holiday season, “both dead and alive,” abandoned by his family, stumbling through a garden of drum machine and piano. It’s a pop song, lovely and lovingly rendered. It just wouldn’t be the same without his voice.

22, A Million is a record of dualities. First released in 2016, Bon Iver's third album found Justin Vernon reckoning with pain and love, suffering and redemption, omens and happenstance. Such ambiguity is the core of how Justin composes words: there are always two ways to see something. Inside a fragmented language of symbols and numbers is a sonic distillation of past years of turbulence and how to recover. Across ten songs, 22, A Million shattered expectations of what a Bon Iver record could be. Through different groups of friends—close, passing, new, old—he began to assemble proto-melodies, vague textures and specific moods from hundreds of hours of recorded improvisations. Songs like “22 (OVER S--N),” “33 ‘GOD’,” “715 - CRΣΣKS” and “8 (circle)” traded familiar structures for fractured electronics, pitch-shifted vocals and dense layers of sound. What initially felt like a radical departure has since become one of the most influential and enduring works in Bon Iver’s catalog. 2026 marks the ten-year anniversary of 22, A Million. To celebrate,


Bon Iver and Jagjaguwar will release a deluxe anniversary edition pressed on Frosted Silver vinyl, featuring new alternative artwork with soft-touch finish and spot UV gloss detailing. The package will include the original 28-page lyric booklet, represented here in 3x silver inks, with an additional 12-page full-color inlay booklet documenting the album’s creative process through previously unseen artwork and an essay penned by Eric Timothy Carlson. The Brooklyn-based artist’s visual work has shaped the Bon Iver world since 22, A Million and his visual language has become inseparable from the album itself. A custom 12-panel ‘inverted cross’ CD edition will also be available.

SOMA35.4 - Slam 'Activate' Remixes

Soma's 35th anniversary remix series continues with SOMA35.4, turning its focus to one of the label's more recent defining tracks - Slam's 'Activate'.

Originally released as part of Slam's catalogue over the last decade, 'Activate' quickly established itself as one of the duo's most recognised and widely played tracks of the period. For SOMA35.4, the track is handed over to four artists who each bring a distinct perspective to its driving, functional foundations.

Luke Slater takes 'Activate' and applies his trademark precision and raw club-focused approach. Oscar Mulero delivers a tougher, more industrial interpretation, pushing the track deeper into his characteristic high-pressure sound. Phil Berg brings a hypnotic, groove-led edge to his version, while Nastia Reigel offers a more contemporary, atmospheric take that reshapes the track through a different sonic lens.

SOMA35.4 continues the ethos behind the 35-year project: bringing together established figures from Soma's history and artists operating within its wider sonic sphere.

Tracks 1, 3 & 4 Mastered By Conor Dalton @ Glowcast Mastering
Track 2 mastered by Carlos Koschitzky

Rooted in a wide spectrum of influences—from breakbeat and IDM to dubstep, acid, electro, and techno—Avram’s sound is shaped by years of immersion in underground culture and a deep focus on rhythm, drawing from the raw energy of the UK scene.

Flow State distills this language into a dynamic DJ framework. Spanning breakbeat, raw techno, and acid-leaning elements, the record is built for the dancefloor.

A1 “Limb by Limb” unfolds through breakbeat and dubstep rhythms, flowing into the unmistakable lyrical force of one of Avram’s most influential MCs. A2 “Outer Space” moves into denser, driving territory, grooving alongside techno rhythms and bassline arpeggios.

B1 “Romica Groove” locks into a hypnotic swing—a breakbeat cut with subtle jazzy elements, driven by a catchy bass motif and a familiar clubbing reference. B2 “Everything That’s in Style” closes with sharper, raw-edged energy, channeling old-school melodic techno vibes over a powerful breakbeat foundation.

Balanced between Avram’s originality and his influences, Flow State delivers high-impact tools built for the dancefloor.

Green Tee Latte & Cappucchino Variant. Shall we add a little milk? Black Screen Records and Toge Productions have once again teamed for the vinyl repress of Andrew Jeremy's soothing, relaxing and jazzy lo-fi soundtrack to the coffee brewing and heart-to-heart talking simulator Coffee Talk on limited edition vinyl. For the first time, the soundtrack will be available on Green Tea Latte & Cappuccino Ink Spot double vinyl and comes in a beautiful gatefold sleeve with stunning original artwork by Natto (@vulpetrope) and liner notes by the Coffee Talk developer team. "Jazzy chords, hip-hop beats, vinyl crackles, a chilled mind and heart, and a prayer, that's all you need to make music for Coffee Talk. It's soothing, relaxing, and most importantly, keeping the warmth of your heart." - Andrew Jeremy, Game Producer / Music Composer

2026 Repress

Techno mainstay Gary Beck drops hugely sought-after cut 'Hopper' on SHDW's Mutual Rytm sub-label Spectra, with remixes from KiNK.

Glasgow-born Gary Beck is a primary figure in techno and has been for well over a decade. Dropping seminal
underground classics and cultured full-lengths on an array of leading labels, as well as his own BEK Audio imprint,
he has also led the way as a revered DJ as his legacy continues to build. Now, adding to his standout 'Upside
Criminal' EP as well as his well-received track 'Fold' on the 'Federation Of Rytm III' VA, he returns with a record that
has often featured in both his and Mutual Rytm boss SHDW's sets, stepping out on the label's Spectra series with
a cut that has long been sought-after by those who know.

A spontaneous studio moment turned club weapon, the timeless 'Hopper' merges a syncopated disco bassline with
subtle nods to funk and classic dancefloor energy. It's one of those tracks that lingers in your head long after the
night ends - a pure embodiment of Beck's raw energy and production finesse built on an infectious groove full of
contrast and character.

Bulgarian synth wizard, hardware genius and tireless innovator KiNK delivered Spectra's inaugural release, so he
lands as the perfect person to remix. His first interpretation stays close to his roots with a house-leaning, slowed
down take that channels warmth and groove in equal measure. On the B2, however, he flips the script with a high
octane fusion of techno and UKG. It's a peak-time anthem engineered to ignite dancefloors and closes out a
standout EP with the third release in the Spectra catalogue.

Gary Beck 'Hopper' drops via Mutual Rytm Spectra on 20th June 2025.

2026 Repress

Ribe & Roll Dann serve up potent techno on Mutual Rytm with 'Virtus Occulta'.

Built around concepts of unacknowledged work and enduring merit, the release marks their first EP on SHDW's widely
respected label.

Based in Toledo and Madrid, Ribe & Roll Dann are exciting residents at Laster Madrid and Lanna Club, two of Spain's leading venues. Emerging as driving forces in their national techno scene, they have also made an impact on the global landscape, making wider moves through collaborative releases on Klockworks, and individual outings on a number of other influential labels. Having previously featured in the label's Federation of Rytm IV compilation, the pair make their full EP label on SHDW's Mutual Rytm imprint to open March with a deep dive into their expansive sound.

Opener 'Sub Terra' is a pure club tool that is direct, physical and rooted in the underground with a seriously heavy low end. 'Extra Lumen' is more restrained but still built on a steady, forceful rhythm with controlled energy that prefers to operate in the shadows. 'Ars Non Placens' stays true to the idea that music is not made to please, but to exist on its own terms with hunched drums and dubby undercurrents. Next, 'Meritum Negatum' fizzes with static electrical charge and minimal drum funk and is a direct reflection on overlooked skill and unacknowledged work, before closer 'Virtus Persistens' delivers a continuity and a steady pulse rather than an explosive ending, keeping you locked throughout.

In addition, three digital bonus cuts come alongside the vinyl package. 'Labor Inauditus' speaks to hours of technique, production and booth experience that remain invisible. Next come the taught, rubbery rhythms and unrelenting atmosphere of 'Silentium Testium', while 'Sine Aplausu' - which means without applause - brings a ghostly late night vibe that you will never want to end.

2026 Repress

KiNK & Raredub inaugurate new sub-label Spectra on SHDW's Mutual Rytm, backed by remixes from icon Marcel Dettmann.

Spectra is a new sub-label from contemporary techno powerhouse Mutual Rytm, with the project set to showcase memorable singles alongside feature innovative remixers. The name Spectra reflects the wide range of vibes the label will deal with and the diversity of sounds that emerge through these creative reinterpretations.

Needing little introduction, Bulgaria's KiNK is a synth wizard and live specialist who gets more out of machines than anyone else on Earth. He has dropped endless standout tunes ranging from Running Back to Hypercolour and, more recently, Mutual Rytm with his 'Quantum Shake' EP earlier this year. For this latest outing, he works with fellow Bulgarian talent Raredub, known for his own high-octane, distinctive and dynamic sound that has gained supporters From FJAAK to Paul Woolford.

The original 'Time to Change' has already generated buzz and has been a favourite of DJs from across the electronic realm, bringing a forceful and slamming cut with plenty of machine funk. A buzzy lead synth roams through the mix to bring great menace, while garage-like percussive loops keep things moving over a monstrous bassline.

One of techno's most influential DJs and producers, long-time Berghain resident Marcel Dettmann joins the release to offer his unique touch as the first remixer on the project. His 'Reconstruction' brings subtle nuances as he slows the beats to a more dubbed-out house vibe and layers in bright synths and swirling vocal loops that will get hands in the air. His 'Universal Raw Mix' closes the package in style, delivering a stripped-back roller with freaky vocals and eerie synth details.

Limited Edition 2026 Black Vinyl Repress.
Up in Flames is Dan Snaith's second album, originally released under the Manitoba moniker on March 31, 2003 .
Made with the same modest home setup as its predecessor, it nonetheless sounds like a different artist entirely - a kaleidoscopic rush of sun-bright melodies, tumbling percussion, and psychedelic pop that traded the hushed intimacy of Start Breaking My Heart for something warmer, bigger, and more joyfully overstuffed, encompassing 1960s psychedelia, Madchaster swagger and shoegaze swoon.
Snaith was later forced to change his artist name after a well-documented lawsuit, and Up in Flames stands as the final album released under the Manitoba name - a high point to go out on. The record was met with widespread critical acclaim, and has since been recognized by Pitchfork as one of the standout albums of the 2000s. It remains, by most accounts, one of Snaith's finest and most beloved records.

One of the most influential dub albums ever made. The remixing techniques used – radically new for 1973 – helped transform the role of the producer and the engineer to that of creative artists in their own right.

First released in Jamaica in December 1972, Upsetters 14 Dub Black Board Jungle is widely regarded as one of the first full-length dub albums and a true landmark in reggae history. Produced by the visionary Jamaican innovator Lee “Scratch” Perry, it marks the decisive moment when dub evolved from incidental B-sides into a fully realized long-playing art form. At a time when Jamaican sound system culture was flourishing, producers were beginning to strip down popular reggae tracks into instrumental “versions,” emphasizing the bass and drums for sound system deejays to toast over while adding echo and reverb effects to make things more interesting and dynamic. While King Tubby, who was in charge of mixing the tracks, was pioneering the technical foundations of dub, Perry expanded the approach by adding the hypnotic and psychedelic sound effects that made this record so rich in ideas, rendering the album more conceptually bold.

The album reworked previously released rhythm tracks by the Upsetters, which were recorded between 1970 and 1972, shortly before Perry opened his own studio – the legendary Black Ark Studio in Kingston. Their tight, groove-driven playing provided a solid backbone for these radical studio manipulations. Using the mixing desk as an instrument, tracks were deconstructed in real time – dropping vocals in and out, isolating drumbeats, pushing bass lines to the front of the mix, and sending fragments of sound spiraling into space through the heavy use of a spring reverb and tape delay effect units. Silence became as important as sound, and the interplay of rhythm and echo created a hypnotic, immersive listening experience.

Upsetters 14 Dub Black Board Jungle established dub as a genre defined by creative studio intervention. It demonstrated that the remix itself could be the main attraction, influencing generations of reggae producers and resonating far beyond into the techniques and aesthetics of post-punk, electronic music, hip-hop, and ambient sound design. By transforming the studio into a creative laboratory and elevating the “version” to an art form, this foundational album reshaped not only Jamaican music, but the whole of modern music production culture.

"Independence," an improvisational work recorded in 1969 by the jazz group New Directions, featuring Masayuki Takayanagi on guitar, Motoharu Yoshizawa on bass, and Yoshisaburo Toyozumi on drums, is being set for release in the 11th installment of "Spin This Now!


The recording took place at Teichiku Kaikan Studio on September 18, 1969, over the course of approximately six hours beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Chris Liebing's collaboration with Daniel Miller, Pascal 'Stubbleman' Gabriel and Terence Fixmer, aka The Alte Stuben Modular Ensemble, 'Entangled Circuits', has been remixed by Hayden Payne, better known as Phase Fatale. Originally released on Chris Liebing's 'Evolver' LP earlier this year, the remix will be released via CLR 20th November 2026. The original track is a collaboration between Liebing and The Alte Stuben Modular Ensemble made up of Mute founder Daniel Miller, Pascal 'Stubbleman' Gabriel and Terence Fixmer. New York-born, Berlin-based Phase Fatale has held residencies at Berghain, Brooklyn's Merge and Tbilisi's KHIDI, and has built a catalogue across Ostgut Ton, Dekmantel, Jealous God and his own BITE imprint, carrying a lineage that runs from New York's cold-wave underground through to the sharper industrial edges of Berlin's club circuit.

Phase Fatale rebuilds 'Entangled Circuits' around a hypnotic bassline, pitching the original's synth stabs up a notch.
Weighted kick drums, relentless repetition, and industrial texture anchor the rework in techno mastery, delivering a peak-time weapon without loosening its grip on the source material.

The original version of 'Entangled Circuits' appears on 'Evolver', Liebing's first solo techno LP, released 27th March 2026 on CLR. 'Entangled Circuits' was composed on a skiing trip to Oberlech, Austria with The Alte Stuben Modular Ensemble, Mute founder Daniel Miller, Pascal 'Stubbleman' Gabriel and Terence Fixmer, blending dark, modular synth textures with driving rhythmic sequencing. Marking a distillation of over three decades at Techno's core, the album pairs introspective depth with immediate, floor-driven impact, bringing together contributions from the likes of Luke Slater, Charlotte de Witte, Speedy J and The Advent, while ultimately remaining rooted in Liebing's singular vision.

WOW! An early ’80s New Wave, Electro, Proto-Electronica, Industrial and Kraut-Pop album that has never been released before is now coming out on Elaste Records and it’s a perfect fit! History is being made.

Quotes: “A pearl” (Hans Nieswandt) / “Great album” (Hell, Gigolo) / “Awesome album” (Patrick Pulsinger) / “Magnificent material” (Roman Flügel) / “An ’80s electronic gem… an ’80s Krautpop highlight” (Sankt Otten).

In the early eighties, Michael Heinkel was one of those quiet electronic musicians hardly anyone knew — at least outside of Munich. While machine rhythms were being perfected in Düsseldorf, dilettantism was elevated into an art form in Hamburg and West Berlin was soundtracking its own feverish coldness, Munich seemed to be a place where, apparently, nothing was happening. Or almost nothing. Because beneath the radar, far removed from the grand narratives of those years, Michael Heinkel was already creating his own electronic cosmos — stripped-down, idiosyncratic and often ahead of its time. Electronic minimalist music, born somewhere between a home studio, nightlife and the longing for a future that could only just be imagined back then. But the recordings disappeared into drawers, onto cassettes and tape reels. For decades, they remained a secret shared only among friends, insiders and a handful of close companions. It was only 45 years later that Andreas Dorau and Ralf Hertwig (Palais Schaumburg) — two defining figures of that early avant-garde — insisted that the recordings finally be made accessible. Not as an exercise in nostalgia, but as the overdue release of a missing piece in the history of German electronic music. This music is not a nostalgic retrospective. It is a delayed signal from a future that had already begun back then. Format: Heavyweight black vinyl incl. printed inner sleeve + download card



Quotes: -"Michael Heinkel's long-lost LP is a treasure trove. I'm constantly amazed at the musical gems from the early '80s that are still waiting to be discovered." - Hans Nieswandt (Whirlpool Productions) - „Some München musical history that somehow got missed at the time finally gets released after 40 years. Great album.“ - Hell (Gigolo) - “Awesome album! Today, we can only imagine just how groundbreaking electronic music at this level was back then. When gems like these are heard for the first time in perfect sound quality, it’s like a trip back in time to the early days of electronic music. Back to the future!!!” - Patrick Pulsinger (Cheap / iO / Sluts’n‘ Strings & 909 / The Private Lightning Six) - “Terrific material!” - Roman Flügel (Acid Jesus / Alter Ego / Sensorama / Warp 69) - “ELASTE has unearthed an 80s electronic gem! A German minimal wave gem-freshly unearthed! Minimal, rare, brilliant - an 80s Krautpop highlight.” - Sankt Otten - „Pure and delicious 80s Electronics from Munich. We love it.“ - Gorilla Aktiv

You asked for one more. Laibach duly oblige with MUSICK : ENCORE, a follow-up album to their 2026 record MUSICK, out on Mute.

They answer the crowd's demand with six brand new tracks and reworks of songs from the original album, reimagined by an eclectic line-up. Vinyl takers get the core 10-track experience, pairing new songs with four key reworks from the band, Richard X, PUNCHBAG, and Balžalorsky. The CD goes further, expanding to 13 tracks with additional remixes, including a rework of new track ‘#US’ from SILVERWINGKILLER, an Algorithm remix of fan-favourite ‘Allgorhythm’, and a bonus version of ‘Love Machine’ courtesy of The Lincolnshire Poacher.

Where MUSICK turned maximalist, hyper-driven pop into a reflection on our oversaturated, AI-warped media landscape, ENCORE pushes further into that fractured hall of mirrors – glitching, distorting, and rebuilding the original tracks into new shapes, from pulsing electropop to warped Eurodance detours and everything stranger in between.

Ihr habt nach einer Zugabe gefragt. Laibach liefern: Mit MUSICK : ENCORE erscheint auf Mute das Nachfolgealbum zu ihrem 2026 veröffentlichten Werk MUSICK.

Als Antwort auf die große Nachfrage präsentiert die Band sechs brandneue Tracks sowie Neuinterpretationen von Songs des Originalalbums, umgesetzt von einer vielseitigen Auswahl an Künstler. Die Vinyl-Version umfasst zehn Tracks und kombiniert neues Material mit vier ausgewählten Reworks von Laibach, Richard X, PUNCHBAG und Balžalorsky.

Die CD-Version erweitert das Programm auf insgesamt 13 Tracks und bietet zusätzliche Remixe. Darunter befinden sich eine Neuinterpretation des neuen Tracks „#US“ von SILVERWINGKILLER, ein Algorithm-Remix des Fan-Favoriten „Allgorhythm“ sowie eine Bonusversion von „Love Machine“ von The Lincolnshire Poacher.

Während MUSICK maximalistischen, hochenergetischen Pop als Spiegel unserer reizüberfluteten und durch KI zunehmend verzerrten Medienlandschaft inszenierte, führt ENCORE diesen Ansatz konsequent weiter. Die ursprünglichen Tracks werden zerlegt, verfremdet und neu zusammengesetzt – von pulsierendem Elektropop über verschobene Eurodance-Ausflüge bis hin zu allem, was dazwischen noch eigenwilliger und unerwarteter wird.

What's Left is the new album by Tom Henry, releasing November 20th, 2026 on Royal Oakie Records. Where his debut album Songs to Sing and Dance To leaned into big dreams, What's Left is a record about what remains once the dust settles, delivered with the wit and charm of a young rocker in his prime. The familiar influences are still there — Paul McCartney and Big Star loom large (though there's a little more Third/Sister Lovers this time around), but now the songs are lush and polished, with new sounds creeping in around Henry’s trademark power pop hooks. On a handful of tracks you can even hear strains of Syd Barrett influenced acid-folk alongside psychedelic rock that recalls The Brian Jonestown Massacre or The Beatles at their most lysergic.

Produced in collaboration with David Glasebrook (Patti Smith, Peter Case, Sugar Candy Mountain), and engineered by Glasebrook and Stephen Shirk, the album was tracked across two cities at Shirk Studios in Chicago, IL and The Garden Shed in Oakland, CA, where Glasebrook also handled mixing and mastering. The record's cross-continental origins reflect the movements of Tom’s own life over the past half decade, which found him departing his native Chicago for Los Angeles before returning home four years later, and lend the album its distinctive sound of Midwestern grit mixed with California sunshine across all twelve tracks.

Opener "Someone I Need" sets the tone: an old-fashioned, up-beat rocker built for a roadside diner jukebox somewhere out along the backroads of your mind — it's crunchy tape tones and horn arrangement lending warmth to the song as the narrator asks for a dance and beckons the listener along for the ride. By "It's Not Meant to Be," the record turns inward, wrestling with the exhaustion of trying to find love in the modern age — especially for someone who wears their heart on their sleeve and often comes to find their suitor's wardrobe doesn't have room. "Silverlake Song," reminiscent of early Donovan, kicks off with otherworldly sitar — a wry postcard from the west, tracing how the shimmering promise of L.A.'s Silver Lake enchants, bargains with, and ultimately tries to ruin the starry-eyed dreamer — and very nearly succeeds.

In addition to Tom–who sang and played guitar, bass, and keys–the album features musical contributions from co-producer David Glasebrook, Brian Daley, Joe Daley, Finn Swingley, Lewis Patzner, and labelmates Graham Patzner, Charles Lloyd, and Simon Beins. Liner notes come courtesy of Ian F. Svenonius, who — in the guise of one Johnny Sincere of Integrated Star Management Ltd. — recounts his company's failed attempt to sell Tom Henry a gimmick: a space suit, a coal miner's neckerchief, a lounge pianist's dead-eyed shades. Tom turned them all down. As Svenonius tells it, when reminded that every story's been told and every gimmick's been used, that all that's left is to admire the photographs of what's gone before, Tom simply shrugged: rock 'n' roll is an eternal spring, and if this is what's left, that's just fine with him — it's what he likes to do.

St. Panther is the recording project of Dani Bojorges-Giraldo (they/them), a Mexican/Colombian artist, producer, singer, rapper, and multi-instrumentalist living in East Los Angeles. On their full-length debut, East Side Love Story, they dedicate an effervescent, soulful set of love songs to the place they call home.
The project has developed over the past six years within the walls of their East Los Angeles apartment. Friends, lovers, sounds, and songs, the essence of the East Side pours through the windows as an endless stream of distinctly Latino taste. Chicano soul, Motown classics, G-funk anthems, and other feel-good oldies fill the air with warmth and romance. Everything imbues the timeless East Side Love Story, arriving in 2026 on the art-forward label drink sum wtr.

Music From Memory presents ‘Sleep Machines’, a new collaborative album from UK ambient pioneers O Yuki Conjugate and German producer and DJ Philipp Otterbach.

Formed in Nottingham in 1982, O Yuki Conjugate have spent more than four decades developing a singular approach to what they now describe as ‘dirty ambient’. Emerging from the post-punk DIY scene and drawing early inspiration from artists including Cabaret Voltaire, The Durutti Column and Jon Hassell, the group gradually carved out a space between post-industrial electronics, ambient music and Fourth World experimentation. Centred today around founding members Roger Horberry and Andrew Hulme, their work has retained an outsider sensibility throughout its many periods of activity and hibernation.

Philipp Otterbach approaches music from an equally open-ended perspective. As a producer, collector and DJ, his work moves freely between drone, dub, techno, house and electronics. His sets and productions share a fascination with unexpected connections, allowing disparate sounds to drift into one another through intuition rather than fixed genre boundaries.

‘Sleep Machines’ began with a chance meeting at The Gun on Well St. in London. Otterbach asked, “Would you be interested in doing a collaboration?”

“A collaboration? Sorry, we don't do collaborations,” came the reply.

“But wouldn’t it be fun?”

“We don't do fun either.”

Despite themselves, O Yuki Conjugate tentatively sent over an initial track. An avalanche of ideas quickly came back, and what began as an unlikely proposal developed into 18 months of recording, file-swapping, mixing and repeated reworking between the UK and Germany.

Produced by Otterbach, the resulting ten tracks bring together recognisable elements of both sides while gradually dissolving the lines between them. O Yuki Conjugate’s hazy atmospheres, dubwise spaces and tactile rhythms meet Otterbach’s instinct for strange detail, low-slung electronics and shifting forms. Rather than functioning as a collection of separate pieces, the album moves without gaps, unfolding as a single continuous work in which one environment slowly slips into the next.

‘Sleep Machines’ is both O Yuki Conjugate’s first collaborative album and an unlikely meeting point between two generations of musicians whose work has consistently existed at the edges of established forms.

Volume 1 - Growth
Resurrection is a long-term musical work that has accompanied Christine Benz for almost twenty years. The first track was created in 2007 (track id - Born after Code), with another piece added nearly every year thereafter.
Throughout this time, she continued to produce other music while steadily developing her artistic language.
Musically, the album moves between minimal techno, ambient and experimental electronic music. Across different phases of her life, Resurrection gradually grew into an archive of her personal and musical evolution.
The complete work unfolds as a trilogy across Volumes 1-3.
At its core lies her fascination with sound as material. Rather than thinking in terms of conventional melodies, she works with textures, vibrations, and spatial relationships. A small number of elements give rise to complex sonic spaces, where minimal changes can have a profound effect. Mistakes, chance occurrences, and unexpected responses from the systems she uses also become part of the music. Even from chaos, remarkable structures
emerge. Whenever unplanned beauty reveals itself, she preserves it as a small “miracle” in which control and chance intertwine.
The complete work unfolds across three chapters: Growth, Structure and Resonance, exploring repetition, frequency, perception, consciousness and technological development in the relationship between humans and
machines. It moves from origin through the formation of an internal order towards connection and interaction.
Volume 1: Growth, draws upon the Fibonacci sequence and the spiral as symbols of natural development, with the music growing through repetition and minimal change into increasingly complex forms. Throughout the
project, technology appears as a tool, a partner and a mirror of our perception, raising the question of whether consciousness, responsibility and empathy can evolve alongside technological progress.
During the project’s long evolution, Donato Dozzy developed an interest in Christine’s distinctive sound design.
In 2021, this led him to propose his own interpretation of Our Determination for Volume 1, subtly reworking the track through his own musical perspective.
The artwork developed by Christine also went through a creative process of its own. The original photographs were taken in a basement around 2019, with a wet curtain draped over her. In 2026, she decided to transform
this visual world into a moving-image artwork. For the production, a film crew reconstructed the entire setting.
The video shoot demanded a great deal from Christine: after several hours beneath the wet curtain, the cold was no longer merely part of the staging. This elaborate creative process gives the artwork its distinctive character
and makes it an essential part of Resurrection.
The first chapter will be released in November 2026 as a double-vinyl edition housed in a distinctive gatefold sleeve with an inside-out finish, matte varnish, and partial raised spot UV varnish. Two further double-vinyl
releases, Structure and Resonance, will complete the trilogy. All three volumes will be released on Pirat Records.Records.

Naughty Boys, originally released in 1983, was Yellow Magic Orchestra’s seventh and final album to top the Japanese Oricon Pop charts.

A remix album, Naughty Boys Instrumental was released in July 1983. It contained nearly the entire Naughty Boys album as instrumental tracks in an entirely different running order, as well as the b-side to "Kimi Ni Mune Kyun", "Chaos Panic"; and the full instrumental version of "You've Got to Help Yourself", of which the vocal track was included on Service.

Naughty Boys Instrumental featured additional synthesizers imitating the vocal lines, as well as new embellishments and mixes. Several tracks featured sonically updated percussion tracks, while "Ongaku" featured an acoustic piano soloing over the piece.

This release combines both the original and instrumental albums. Naughty Boys & Instrumental is available on black vinyl and includes a 4-page booklet.

Delinquent Habits is the self-titled debut album of the Chicano hip-hop group that was formed in Los Angeles in 1991. As a group they got widespread attention with their, both melodic and hardcore, Latin-tinged rap. For the album they got help from Sen Dog, known from the very popular hip hop group Cypress Hill. He was the executive producer and also made a guest appearance on "Underground Connection".

The group was one of the biggest breakthrough acts of 1996. It started with the single "Tres Delinquentes" that attracted much attention and sold over one million copies. The album followed quickly and was equally successful by reaching the Billboard Top 200. The genre gained a new classic!

Delinquent Habits is available as a 30th anniversary edition of 2000 individually numbered copies on blue and white vinyl.

Die Band ,The Holy Kiss" aus San Francisco erhebt sich aus dem Grab, um ihre letzte Aufnahme erstmals auf Vinyl zu veröffentlichen. Aufgenommen im Jahr 2009 von Skot Brown (The Phantom Limbs, Altar de Fey) und zuvor auf 50 handgefertigten CD-Rs veröffentlicht, ist ,Gunslinger" ein raues Meisterwerk aus der Blütezeit von The Holy Kiss mit vier Songs, die feurigen Blues mit Blut, Schweiß und einer kräftigen Prise The Birthday Party vermischen. Der Titeltrack der 12", ,Gunslinger", ist ein Cover eines Bo-Diddley-Songs, den die Band so arrangiert hat, dass er ihrem Hang zur melodischen Kakophonie entspricht. Frontmann Matty Rue Morgue singt mit dunkler Sonnenbrille aus tiefster Seele, während ,Schlagzeuger Nick Ott wie ein Riese über einem elfenhaften Schlagzeug thront und die Felle so fieberhaft bearbeitet, dass er eine Selbstentzündung riskiert" (Tatiana Simonian, L.A. Weekly). Das im Jahr 2000 offiziell gegründete, von schwarzem Humor geprägte, altmodische und gut gekleidete Quartett ,erzeugt einen dunklen und auf süße Weise dissonanten Krach, der an Mordballaden erinnert und perfekt dazu geeignet ist, die im Limbus schwebenden Geister der Betrüger, Verrückten, Säufer und anderer gesellschaftlicher Ausgestoßener heraufzubeschwören, über die die Band gerne in ihren schattenhaften, Dickens'schen Liedchen" (Bill Picture, San Francisco Chronicle). Die Veröffentlichung von The Gunslinger enthält außerdem eine Bonus-7"-Single mit Solo-Aufnahmen, die Matty Rue Morgue 2009 gemacht hat - nur wenige Jahre vor seinem viel zu frühen Tod im Jahr 2015. Darauf sind zwei Songs von Matty und ein Song von The Holy Kiss (,Go Head N Count `Em"), die für Solo-Akustikgitarre neu arrangiert wurden. In seiner Version von ,Go Head N Count `Em", gespielt mit Liebe und tiefem Respekt vor der Blues-Tradition, lässt sich Matty gleichermaßen von Lightnin' Hopkins und Lux Interior inspirieren.

Very Limited Edition

Vocalisations like ‘Hooo’ and ‘Huhuh’ form the wordplay on Use Knife’s upcoming release as these sounds are meant to summon strength, overcome fear and unleash unwavering sonic assault. Set for November 20, the EP ‘Hooo Huhuh’, on the band’s own Hooo Huhuh record label, is Use Knife’s first release since its acclaimed 2nd album ‘État Coupable’ on VIERNULVIER records in 2025.

The journey of Use Knife began in 2020 during a music residency in art centre VIERNULVIER (Gent, be) when Iraqi percussionist Saif Al-Qaissy, Stef Heeren and Kwinten Mordijck, as well as the multidisciplinary artist and scenographer Youniss Ahamad, came together to form Use Knife, later joined by Jerusalem In My Heart’s Radwan Ghazi Moumneh as mixer and guest musician. The project quickly gained the attention of prestigious platforms like The Wire, The Quietus, BBC6's New Music Fix, KEXP, NTS, Inverted Audio, METAL Magazine, Ma3azef, A Closer Listen, and others documenting the universal resonance of Use Knife's message.

Since releasing its debut album ‘The Shedding of Skin’ on VIERNULVIER, a remix EP ‘Peace Carnival’ on Morphine records, and follow-up album ‘État Coupable’, Use Knife has played its visceral audio-visual liveshows at many prestigious festivals like Le Guess Who?, Tremor, Colours of Ostrava, Les Trans Musicales, Rewire, Sonic City, Resonator, Roadburn, Donau, Fusion, Rage Sacrée, Micro, Clandestino, E-fest and many more.

Praised by The Quietus and The Wire for its vibrant and wholehearted performances, Use Knife has been described as an electrifying live act that fully engages its members and audience alike. Their sound, dubbed 'industrial Iraqi EBM', is celebrated for its ability to immerse the audience in a hypnotic state, erasing global borders through real-life connection and dazzling visuals on gigantic projection fabrics, resulting in exhilarating sensory experiences.

Further extending Use Knife's influence, Radio alHara in Palestine has hosted Use Knife's 'Feeding the Gentry' show since 2023, where the band aims to build a community by opening their platform to other guests like Saint Abdullah & Eomac, Monstera Occulta, Cinna Peyghami, Bader, Anthony Sahyoun, ... thus broadening the band's international reach and impact.

Earlier this year, Use Knife collaborated with Rabih Beaini from Morphine Records to re-remix the band’s track ‘To Feed the Gentry’ (feat. Radwan Ghazi Moumneh), blending in the beautiful track ‘Kunna’ by Rully Shabara. The resulting track was included in Beacon Sound’s compilation ‘Gaza is the Moral Compass’ to help support Palestinian-led mutual-aid groups on the ground in Gaza.

The forthcoming 'Hooo Huhuh' EP, releasing on November 20, advocates for the resilience and determination of the people, their collectives and communities, with energetic vocalizations, distorted percussion and throbbing saxophones. The title track, originally mixed by Radwan Ghazi Moumneh and mastered by Heba Kadry during the ‘État Coupable’ sessions, has been surgically reworked into the clubby rant that is ‘Ho Hahaa Huh’ and the drone-like mantra ‘Nobody Can Separate Us محد يكدر يفركنا’.

The limited vinyl edition comes with a 3-color risoprinted sleeve designed by Lebanese artist and graphic designer Farah Fayyad.

Gorgon City return with their new Album, "Aether."

Marking a major milestone, the electronic duo are returning to their full live format for the first time since their 2019 performance at the Coachella Outdoor Theatre. The highly anticipated return features sold-out headline shows at London's Alexandra Palace and Manchester's Victoria Warehouse.

The 2 x LP includes 12 tracks of the Duo’s trademark sound featuring artists like Caroline Byrne, Maximillian, Cloves & Jem Cooke (Crosstown Rebels).

Stix Records, a sub-label of Favorite Recordings, is back with Disco Reggae Vol. 7, continuing a series that goes back more than 20 years, to the success of The Dynamics’ acclaimed album Version Excursions.

Born in Jamaica, reggae has always shared deep roots with Soul, Funk, R&B and Pop. Over the decades, Jamaican musicians have mastered the art of reinterpreting iconic songs through their own unique musical language. With the Disco Reggae series, Stix Records celebrates this rich tradition, bringing together fresh reggae interpretations of timeless classics from across the musical spectrum.

For this seventh volume, Charles Maurice has once again carefully curated a selection packed with gems, featuring reinterpretations of tracks by Hall & Oates, Gloria Estefan, Crystal Waters, Patrice Rushen, Cameo, Joe Smooth, and many more.

Behind the controls, the usual crew of friends is back: Taggy Matcher, Mystic Jungle, Soul Sugar aka Booker Gee, and Mato. This time, they are joined by Dub Shepherds and Slowly from Japan, who each bring their own flavour to the collection with two killer covers.

The result is another feel-good journey through Disco, Funk and Reggae, made for dancing under the stars, cruising with the windows down, or simply vibing with friends.

Disco Reggae Vol. 7 is another chapter in Stix Records’ ongoing celebration of the timeless connection between Jamaican music, classic songs and the dancefloor.

2026 Repress

The Godfather of Hardcore, Marc Acardipane, needs no introduction. His outstanding releases over the past 30 years speak for themselves. He has been instrumental in helping to create electronic music history, with countless well-known productions which have been unsurpassed by any other artist of this calibre. His timeless masterpieces have been and always will be heard at hardcore raves spanning the circumference of the Planet. With "9 Is A Classic", "Slaves To The Rave", "Pitch-Hiker", "Stereo Murder" and "We Have Arrived", just to name a few, he clearly proves who's the boss. "The Most Famous Unknown" is a well compiled collection of Marc's music, which showcases a mere portion of what he has composed and produced since the early nineties! The vinyl and digital selection of "The Most Famous Unknown" features remixes by Body Sushi a.k.a. VTSS & Randomer, Dasha Rush, Gabber Eleganza feat. Delirio, Jasss, Kilbourne, Minimum Syndicat, Nina Kraviz, Perc, Solid Blake, Stranger, Umwelt and VTSS, which all deliver excellent interpretations of tracks they have chosen to revamp. All original tracks have been re-mastered to the highest possible standard of quality.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Jean-Michel Jarre's groundbreaking 1976 masterpiece Oxygène, a definitive new range of anniversary editions arrives in 2026, presenting the landmark album with its most advanced audio presentation to date.

Working from the original 1976 stereo mix, Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios has overseen the mastering process, creating a new high-resolution digital transfer that both preserves this iconic recording for the future and provides the source for a new generation of release products of the highest possible quality. This new remaster retains the warmth and detail of the original recording while delivering enhanced clarity across all formats.

Fifty years after redefining electronic music, Oxygène remains one of the most influential electronic albums ever released. These anniversary editions celebrate its enduring legacy with state-of-the-art audio, collectible packaging and definitive new formats for both long-time fans and new listeners.

2026 repress!

3x12'' Re-issue of this Drexciyan masterpiece that was previously released on Supremat. Now including the tracks that were only available on the CD version when the album first came out in 2001.
If the late James Marcel Stinson left anything in his wake it's certainly the staggering amount of beauty he produced over the years. Tresor Records prepare to re issue a slice of that beauty on October 10th.
Thematically, 'The Opening Of The Cerebral Gate' saw Stinson shift away from the grand narrative of the Drexciyan saga, instead exploring a sub-plot of esoteric concepts revolving around internal, mental and psychedelic tropes. Musically, it presents the electro genius at the height of his game.

Blur Records marks eight years of international artists and bright, instrumentally rich disco jewels with the second part of its anniversary compilation. The super reliable Monsieur Van Pratt opens things joyfully with 'Just Wanna Make You Dance' complete with strutting bass and disco-house grace that never stops soaring. Delfonic's 'Diamonds' brings filtered depth and a soulful sparkle that supports the glittering vocals. Reiner Von Vielen & Dizko Kreme's 'Good For You' rounds out the A-side with more rooted, chugging disco and a vocal that tugs at the heart. Flip it over and N.W.N.'s seven-minute 'Twin Souls' is a soulful house dreamer, Andy Bach's 'Keep Going On' samples a classic horn riff in a rolling groove, and Sven Wegner & Reiner Von Vielen close with the sophisticated and jazzy house cool of 'Inside Of Me. ' Here's to the next eight.

This new EP and revival of his Nite Rite series from Dutch electronic maestro Mason (he of chart topping Exceeder fame) comes in the form of four very individual cuts aimed squarely at the dancefloor. Typically eclectic and fresh sounding, these four cuts have been doing damage in the clubs over recent weeks with a strong reception from a massive cross section of DJs. Cuts vary from French Touch style disco-house to out-and-out electro filth.

Introspection is a 1972 cult-favorite solo guitar album by Brazilian composer and guitarist Luiz Bonfà. Unlike his more famous bossa nova recordings, this album presents Bonfá in a deeply personal, almost meditative setting. Recorded primarily as a set of intimate solo guitar pieces, Introspection showcases Bonfà’s signature combination of classical technique, Brazilian rhythm and emotive melodic phrasing. Initially overlooked, Introspection later gained recognition as one of Bonfà’s most admired and distinctive works outside the mainstream bossa nova canon. This reissue is the first ever on vinyl after 1972.

Bringing mutant verve and a deadly swing to the bassweight discipline, Lyeform lands on Sneaker Social Club in resonantly rude form. Strong doses of UKG, wormhole techno and dubstep course through the veins of this muscular four-deep drop, but the London-based producer's metabolism strips the strands down to an atomic level and rebuilds the dance in his own design.

There's a dense and dank mood hovering over 'Drift Into Dread,' shaped out by rugged, noisy percussion steering towards mind-melting immersion. Rather than resting in technoid repetition, the landscape keeps shifting as dislocated rhythmic phrases slide in and out of earshot, led by the disembodied toasting of a mysterious MC.

'Vintage Gilly' has a much starker sound palette, all crackling drums sparking static interference into negative space with subs so low you might mistake them for heart murmurs. All the better to savour the subtleties as they tease into the mix, not least the understated lead lines loping lazily on the threshold.

The 2-step swagger is unmistakable on 'Godkiller' as it comes bowling into earshot, but there's not a whiff of garage revivalism in earshot as we channel hop between metallic feedback interference and needlepoint noise snaking around the minimalist framework of the beat.

'Glass Eater' closes the record out on another skippy stepper, but here Lyeform makes room for cavernous dub techno chords, overdriven bass harmonics and teeth-grinding noise. It's a final maverick swerve from an artist carving out a formidable impression via micro-level textural exploration within the context of dark and deadly soundsystem tackle.

Brooklyn-based DJ and producer Son of Lee is a native New Yorker who's been active in the local underground for over a decade. He launched this label back in August with a doozy of an EP that soon sold out, and so we're glad he's back. These are four more flame-hot disco edits marbled with references to many classic sounds and artists. 'Stop Making Cents' is jangling disco-pop, while 'Different Places' slows down to an 80s synth chug and 'Louis-Dreyfus Dance Face' brings some erotically charged disco sophistication and 'Nichols In May' is a mid-tempo and dubbed out delight with funky guitars for days. Classy and effective.

Finnish-American producer Tin Man aka Johannes Auvinen has spent much of his career updating 80s Chicago acid house for a new era and on 2006's now reissued 'Love Sex Acid', the three 303-driven cuts recall the acid work of Laurent Garnier and Ludovic Navarre. 'Falling Acid' opens with a gloomy intro before building into clattering snares and a slowly intensifying 303 wig out. 'Let's Do It Acid' writhes hypnotically with a snake-like bassline and a haunting whispered sample, while 'Love And Sex Acid' leans into deep house, with tasty electric piano licks over acid textures. A still well-crafted new take on acid's roots that hasn't aged in the 20 years since the revered Finnish label Sahko first issued it.

Classy US deep house operator Vick Lavender often holds back different versions of his music for his own use, but Mister Bear has teased some off him for this new EP. 'Spirits' and 'Time & Time Again' Both come from his beyond album and get served up here as two Time Traveller mixes. The former is a sax-laced and soulful jam for sunny afternoon sessions outside, and the latter is a richly musical house odyssey. 'Galactic Traveler' is included as a bonus that brings magical melodies to the fore and lets them run free over a shimmering groove full of life-affirming spirit. Three belters, packed with invigorating vibes.

Techno is an experimental journey: deep, moving, cinematic, carried by science-fiction dreams steeped in true melancholy. Over time, much of this heritage has faded away. The soul and spirituality of the music have receded, giving way to the oversized ego of some, and to the constant need to show off on social media: a techno that looks beautiful, but is sterile, limited, meaningless, with no jazz, gospel or disco influence at all. The innovators, whether African-American in Detroit, Chicago and New York, or German with Kraftwerk, bet everything on the hypnotic and mesmerizing side of this music. "Lost Spiritual" was born from this observation, with a simple idea: to give more credit to the music and what it makes you feel than to the musician's look or haircut. This record is a tribute, an inspiration, and the hope that the spiritual dimension, which was the priority in the early 80s, will never die.

La techno est un voyage expérimental : profond, émouvant, cinématographique, porté par des rêves de science-fiction empreints d'une véritable mélancolie. Avec le temps, une grande partie de cet héritage s'est effacée. L'âme et la spiritualité de la musique ont reculé, laissant place à l'ego démesuré de certains, au besoin permanent de s'afficher sur les réseaux sociaux : une techno belle en apparence, mais stérile, limitée, vide de sens, sans aucune influence jazz, gospel ou disco. Les innovateurs, qu'ils soient afro-américains à Détroit, Chicago et New York, ou allemands avec Kraftwerk, misaient tout sur l'aspect hypnotique et envoûtant de cette musique. « Lost Spiritual » est né de ce constat, avec une idée simple : donner plus de crédit à la musique et à ce qu'elle procure qu'au look du musicien ou à sa coupe de cheveux. Ce disque est un hommage, une inspiration, et l'espoir que la dimension spirituelle, qui était la priorité au début des années 80, ne meure jamais.

Since the early 2010s, photographer and producer Izaak Schlossman has been surreptitiously using the Topdown Dialectic moniker to frame his most enigmatic and most psychedelic productions: faceless pure sound experiments that ogled dub and techno archetypes from somewhere far beyond the veil. This generous 2LP collection surveys over a decade of persistent activity, pulling together recently unearthed gear written between 2013 and 2016 (the same time period as the iconic Peak Oil trilogy) and muddling it with more contemporary material. It's a rare chance to fully comprehend the slow, measured evolution of the project: its genesis as a method to fractalize various bass music frequencies with suggestion rather than over-compression, and its ongoing advancement through sensitively finessed ASMR ambiance towards spangled neo-psychedelia.

So it's no surprise that the lengthy suite of five-minute snapshots was initially devised while Schlossman was preparing for his first ever Topdown Dialectic live appearance in 2025. A hazed early morning, open air performance that's still lodged in the memory banks of anyone who witnessed it, the set provided the narrative anchor for the album, blurring the past and present and reaching tentatively into the future - ideal material for audiences whose brains are fully plasticized. The tracks, while divided, sound as if they're breathing over and into one another; beats and phrases materialize and dissolve just for moments, leaving the mind to fill in the gaps with any available sonic material. What might reflect the bright neon light of acid house at first soon embodies the flicker of a candle over a desk of drum machines in a Midwestern basement, or the first blush of sunlight over a tiny campground as subwoofers creak in the distance.

It's music that asks the listener to be involved in the creation itself, projecting their own shapes on the negative space, their discreet fantasies on haunted stretches of near silence. Schlossman's identity was never the point, Topdown Dialectic was always a scrying stone intended to divine far more personal revelations.

In 1979, Neil Fraser (artistically known as Mad Professor) founded Ariwa Sounds, the longest-serving and one of the most influential independently owned Reggae studios and record labels in the UK. From humble beginnings set up in the front room of Neil's home in South London recording on 4-track and homemade equipment, Ariwa would go on to record and release over 300 albums including works from some of the most impactful and storied artists of their time in the genres of Reggae, Dub, and Lovers Rock

Whilst our previous release in collaboration with Ariwa captured the label's early sound, a shared performance with Neil in Osaka and regular visits to his South London studio inspired us to assemble this 15-track compilation, showcasing the label's output across 45 years. Our release emphasizes some of the label's greatest vocalists: Johnny Clarke, Sandra Cross, Kofi, U Roy, Sister Nancy, Queen Omega, Aisha, Garnett Cross, Abel Miller, Horace Andy and more — presenting the Motown and Stax influences in the Lovers Rock, but also provides a glimpse into the dubbier and more experimental side of the label, showcasing Ariwa's commitment to quality but also their personality, philosophy and their humour. Love songs, break-up songs, socially engaged songs, dub experimentations — this compilation is not a "best of" Ariwa but a diverse and honest celebration of the label through the lens of Melodies International.

The compilation will be out in July in vinyl 2xLP, CD, digital formats, mastered from the original tapes by Frank Merritt (the Carvery), pressed at Optimal, artwork created by Jason Evans with design and assembly contributions from Nevil Bernard and Will Sweeney, animated teaser by Nevil Bernard and Melozine designed by Mafalda Meireles.

The fifth chapter of The Third Room's curator-led series is shaped by Alarico, one of the defining voices of a new generation pushing techno into faster, sharper and more rhythm-driven territory. Through his productions, DJ sets and close ties to a network of like-minded artists, he has helped shape a contemporary sound defined by tension, detail and forward momentum. For his curation, the focus lies on connection. Bringing together artists operating within a shared sonic language, the release reflects a generation where precision, movement and emotional depth exist in constant dialogue. The record opens with Connection, a first official collaboration between Yanamaste and Alarico. The track captures the intersection of both artists' approaches: Yanamaste's intricate and distinctive synth work meets Alarico's driving, forward momentum. Fast, pulsing and tightly controlled, it unfolds through cycles of tension and release, stripped back to its essential elements. On Crimson Leaf Minstre, Toru Ikemoto builds a detailed and contrasting sound palette. Bright, delicate elements interact with darker stabs that disrupt and reshape the rolling bassline, creating a sense of movement that feels continuous rather than moment-based. The track leans into depth and variation, balancing clarity with a more mysterious tone. Blue Lights by Lea Occhi & Amotik shifts into a more groove-led space. What begins with a functional framework gradually opens up - subtle chords and restrained vocal elements add texture and attitude without overtaking the structure, resulting in a track that feels both light and deep. Closing the record, IB1809 sees Alarico return with a defining statement. Reduced but highly present, the track builds around a strong rhythmic core, where chords, melody and vocal fragments interlock with precision. There is a sense of contrast at play - melancholic yet driven, vulnerable yet forceful - culminating in a moment that feels both functional and expansive. Across all four tracks, the release remains tightly focused - fast, dynamic and cohesive, with a strong emphasis on movement and detail. As the fifth entry in the series, it captures a distinctly modern strain of techno, where emotional nuance and rhythmic intensity are no longer in opposition, but fully aligned. A1 Written and Produced by Irakli Danelia & Alarico Zucchi | A2 Written and Produced by Toru Ikemoto | B1 Written and Produced by Lea Occhi & Anil Chawla | B2 Written and Produced by Alarico Zucchi Mastered by Ahmet Sisman (The Third Room Studios) Artwork by Charlotte Ernst Design by Daniel Bornmann (STUEDIO.XYZ) Distribution by Clone Pressing by Matter Of Fact

One of the best mid 70s roots tunes, reissued the way we always wanted to see it. The Officials (later known as Earth & Stone) "Babylonian" was released on a very rare Jaguar 45 as a solo vocal, but also had a lesser known release on a Dynamic Sounds compilation album. That album cut is a duo harmony vocal over a slightly different take of the rhythm, and never reissued on vinyl before. Both vocal cuts are now paired back to back in crisp master tape quality.