Suche:para

Written during a period of geographic and artistic transition, Country Music traces Severin Black’s movement from London to Berlin, unfolding through cycles of isolation and adaptation. Composed on the city’s periphery, the album’s material was continually dismantled and reassembled, reflecting a process of both artistic and personal reconstruction. The album marks a shift in production methodology, moving away from the immediacy of summed live takes toward a more deliberate, stratified multitrack approach. Sparse yet hypnotic, the record distills layers of sound formed by constant relocation, recurrent solitude, and a recalibration of instinct. In many ways, it echoes the experience of exile, not in a political sense but in the quieter, more insidious form of displacement that alters one’s perception of time and self. The music drifts between structure and dissolution, a reflection of existing at the threshold of different spaces—both physically and sonically.

The shedding of the previously used Nape moniker signaled a decisive sonic transformation, informed by extended time spent in the Pyrenees and a renewed engagement with folkloric material. Severin began playing the clarinet while making this record, and though its presence is minimal, it reveals itself as an interest in acoustic simulation, particularly the digital approximations of classical instruments that emerged within 1990s synthesizer technology. This interrogation of authenticity and mediation parallels the album’s thematic engagement with memory, where recollection functions not as a retrieval of fixed experience but as an iterative process of distortion and reconstruction. The relocation to Berlin reignited an affinity for grime music, evident in the syncopated brass of Pilgrim Wine and the fractured vocal layers of March, while memories of childhood in rural Wales permeate the record’s atmospheric spaces. The album includes contributions from longtime collaborator Vanessa Bedoret and Berlin-based artist Pavel Milyakov (Buttechno).

Country Music situates itself within an unresolved dialogue—between past and speculative futures, between folk lineage and digital fragmentation, between place and its embodied and sonic traces. What emerges is not a fixed statement but a process, an ongoing negotiation between what is left behind and what is brought forward. Words by Chantal Michelle

Mastered by Owen Pratt / Design by Severin Black / Center label image by Nicky Kidd / Back cover text by Alya Kanıbelli

It is time for the guitar riffs and the basslines deeper than the Mariana Trench and therefore who can do it better than the Uruguayan born & raised mastermind that stands behind this next next edition - Matole. Hearing the music from this man leaves a great positive feel wanting to dance, live and love life. By perfecting his sound over the years, as soon as it touches the ear canals you can tell that it’s him and can only be him behind the wheel.

By his young age with utmost will to create, the man is leaving disc artefacts all over the globe working with different labels and promo teams. Now the time has come to synergize with XRD and the feeling is absolutely blissful. As the wise people say the algorithm is not going to fight itself, very important to get into battle stance and show these ones and zeros who is the boss around here.

For several years now, Young Kulcha has been establishing himself as the favourite of European sound systems. The young German-Congolese artist sets dub and reggae parties alight with his sharp lyrics and voice reminiscent of some of the most admired reggae artists such as Hugh Mundell, Dennis Brown and Garnett Silk.

With ‘More Work To Be Done’, Young Kulcha presents a track that encourages younger generations to remain optimistic and resilient despite the difficult times our societies are going through. Accompanied by the exceptional Swiss studio band The 18th Parallel, ‘More Work To Be Done’ plunges us straight into a Jamaican sound system party from the early 1980s, where the combination of Roots Radics and Scientist would have shaken the neighbourhood with their unparalleled heavy sound. With a dub B-side by Westfinga, the new European generation pays tribute to Jamaican legends with this musical bombshell!

Carlo Troja, aka Don Carlos, from the Italian province of Varese, has been active as a DJ since the late 1970s. He
debuted as a producer in the late 1980s with the single "Alone" on Calypso Records (IRMA), which immediately became a cult hit on the global Deep House scene. His productions have always fused house rhythms with the sounds of
African-American jazz, sometimes bordering on disco, progressive, and electronic soul.
In 1992, his first album, "Mediterraneo," was released in the United States on IRMA USA, followed in 1993 by his
second, "Aqua," and several hit singles with the Montego Bay project with Stefano Tirone (Stone Inc.), all on IRMA
Records.
He reached the UK charts with Byron Stingley's production of the hit "You Make Me Feel," a remake of the classic
Sylvester song. He has performed in various European and American countries, as well as at the Ministry of Sound
and Turnmills in London.
In 2001, he released his third album, "Music in My Mind," featuring Kim Mazelle, Michelle Weeks, Taka Boom, and
Kevin Bryant.
A new album of re-edits of '90s-style songs, titled Livin' a Dream, was released in 2020, along with two compilation
volumes of Paradise House, both on IRMA Records.
With this new single, he continues to showcase his distinctive Soulful Paradise House sound, rooted in the
Mediterranean sound, as specified in the title.

Elvis, the record, was released in October 1956 and remained at US No.1 for five weeks. For Elvis, the man, an
incredible year was drawing to a close: he made his first album, saw his records become available all over Europe,
made his television debut, appeared in his first film, and celebrated his first US No.1 single. It seemed inconceivable
that things could get any better, or that the fan fever could grow even more hysterical. But with the release of this, his
second record, Elvis had proved beyond doubt that he was here to stay. And this was just the beginning...

Shall Not Fade welcomes Pugilist for SNF140 "Maternal".

If you don't already know (and love!) Pugilist's prolific output, you need to get to know! The Naarm/Melbourne based DJ, producer and Rinse resident has released on Martyn's 3024, Melbourne's killer Modern Hypnosis, Silent Era's Of Paradise, Samurai, Rupture, ZamZam, J:Kenzo's Artikal, Sub Basics' Temple of Sound, Whities/AD93, Al Wooton's Trule, Banoffee Pies, Best Intentions and now his own buy on sight Ruff Kutz imprint.

'Maternal' is four blissey dubwise house blurring cuts. Embracing, medicinal, lush & corrective. Vibrations for heads and feet.

'Title track 'Maternal' is deep grooving infectious and honeyed house. Hypnotic, pulsating with head-meltingly warm padwork. 'Bona Fide' sees Pugilist team up with UK duo Mystic State. Drums sidestep with jazz swing while graceful piano and an ensemble of pads are topped with an introspective vocal sample dialing for your subconscious. The B1 'Anomaly' is a stepper - FWD charging drums backed with sub low pulses all brought together by trumpet echoes and woozy melodics. Finally comes 'Marigold', a soulful jungle excursion > early hours business, caressed nostalgic percussion, brushed rhythms, fleeting guitar licks and undulating vibes.

Reissue, at last!, of Vol. 2, second album by legendary Argentinian Rock outfit Billy Bond y La Pesada del Rock and Roll, a Hard Rock classic originally released in 1972. Leaning on the heavier side of their Hard Rock, Blues, Rock'n`Roll and Psychedelic influences, and keeping their playful spirit intact, the band created another masterpiece. Includes bonafide classics of their repertoire such as "La pálida ciudad", "La máquina" or "Para qué nos sirven". Their tongue in cheek adaptation of the patriotic song "Marcha de San Lorenzo" got them heavily censored by the government. An essential release for the hugely important Argentinian label Music Hall, licensed by the label and re-released in close cooperation with the iNAMU, Argentina's National Music Institute. Gatefold cover, includes insert with extensive notes and rare photos.

Tangerine Dream feierte in den 1970er Jahren große Erfolge und lieferte die Soundtracks zu einigen der größten Filme der 1980er Jahre (Risky Business, Firestarter, Near Dark, Thief, Sorcerer). Die Doppel-Live-LP „The Sessions IV“ ist der vierte Teil einer Reihe von Live-Aufnahmen und wurde 2018 beim Internet Festival Pisa, dem Øya Festival Oslo und dem Way Out West Festival Göteborg mit der damaligen Bandbesetzung Thorsten Quaeschning, Ulrich Schnauss und Hoshiko Yamane aufgenommen. Die Deluxe Doppel-LP enthält 80 Minuten Musik, die von Miles Showell in den Abbey Road Studios gemastert wurden. Erscheint auf transparent grünem Vinyl mit bedruckten Innenhüllen.

2026 Repress

As electronic music pioneers and co-founders of Soma Records, Slam have continually shaped the landscape of underground techno. With their forthcoming album, Dark Channel, they present a raw, club-focused record that stands as both a reflection of our turbulent times and a celebration of the dance floor's enduring power.

In 2025, the world feels fractured, dominated by division and extremism. Amidst this chaos, the dance floor remains a rare sanctuary-one of unity, self-expression, and collective escape. Dark Channel is an unapologetic tribute to this sacred space, where rhythm dissolves barriers and music serves as a universal language. Through relentless energy, deep textures, and hypnotic grooves, the album embodies the essence of club culture: a place where we reconnect with ourselves and each other.

Slam make no mistake when it comes to the sonic tone of the album as it opens with the tribalistic Use It, Lose It before the discordant sounds of title track Dark Channel hints at the relentless nature of things to come. The intensity continues with Parametric Factor & Glide - both pushing a pulsating, synth driven trip; the later leading on a more traditional Slam percussive workout. The dance floor warping Morganatic pursues dark territory while Infinit Spaces adds trippy FX to an already animated synth hook. The beautifully crafted Kuture Version delves into a more immersive sound as more direct, chord driven elements take the lead. The pace quickens yet again with Ghost Dancer highlighting sub tones whilst still crafting ominous intonations with its modulating FX. Approaching the conclusion, the ferocious Beat On The Drum delivers a lesson in rhythm and energy before the contorted Irregular Object completes proceedings in a suitably hypnotic fashion.

Mastered By Conor Dalton @ Glowcast Mastering

Das 2020 erschienene Album ,I Feel Alive" markiert das fulminante Comeback der Indie-Pop-Band TOPS aus Montreal, die ihren charakteristischen weichen Synthesizer-Sound, ihre hellen Gitarrenriffs und Jane Pennys emotional direkten Gesang zu ihrem bisher lebhaftesten Werk verschmelzen. Das Album schafft eine Balance zwischen glänzender Pop-Wärme und introspektiver Lyrik und beschäftigt sich mit Themen wie Sehnsucht, Verwandlung und Selbstverwirklichung. Mit einem Sound, der sowohl nostalgisch als auch erfrischend modern wirkt, zeigt ,I Feel Alive" die Band auf einem neuen kreativen Höhepunkt - üppig, intim und mühelos cool, was TOPS erneut als eine der überzeugendsten Stimmen des zeitgenössischen Dream-Pop bestätigt. ,Die Melodien sind durchweg so sanft und wunderschön wie die Traumschiffe, denen Penny zuzwinkert oder über deren Polaroids sie weint. TOPS sind jetzt zusammen mit Phoenix die Meister des modernen Softrocks." - The Guardian ,TOPS haben mit ihrem bisher klarsten Album ihre Berufung gefunden. Vollgepackt mit glitzernden Melodien, blitzsauberem Vintage-Pop und sehnsüchtigen Texten hält sich das Quartett aus Montreal nicht zurück." - Clash

Multiplatin-Superstar Hilary Duff kündigt ihr erstes Album seit mehr als zehn Jahren an. luck…or something erscheint am 20. Februar 2026 über Atlantic Records. HIER kann man das Album ab sofort vorbestellen/vorab speichern. „Oft werde ich gefragt, wie ich nach all den Jahren in dieser Branche noch mit einem halbwegs klarem Kopf durchs Leben gehe“, sagt Hilary. Es ist Glück – aber in dem ‚…or something‘ steckt auch eine Menge Gewicht. Vieles, was ich erlebt habe, steckt darin, und genau das hat mich zu der gemacht, die ich bin.“ Im Januar bringt Hilary ihr neues Album mit der „Small Rooms, Big Nerves“-Tour auf die Bühne – eine Serie intimer Konzerte, die innerhalb kürzester Zeit ausverkauft war. Die ersten Headliner-Shows seit über zehn Jahren starten am 19. Januar 2026 im historischen O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London. Es folgen Toronto (HISTORY, 24. Januar), New York (Brooklyn Paramount, 27. Januar) und Los Angeles (The Wiltern, 29. Januar). Nachdem die Shows so schnell ausverkauft waren, bedankte sich Hilary bei ihren Fans mit einer persönlichen Instagram-Nachricht hier ansehen. Das sechste Studioalbum luck…or something enthält unter anderem die gefeierte Single „Mature“, die bereits überall verfügbar ist. Duff schrieb den Track zusammen mit ihrem Ehemann, dem Grammy-ausgezeichnten Songwriter und Produzenten Matthew Koma (Britney Spears, P!nk) sowie der Hitmakerin Madison Love (Halsey, Ava Max). Der sarkastische, autobiografisch gefärbte Track kombiniert Erinnerungen an romantische Missgeschicke in der Jugend mit einer schillernden Produktion – genau jene Mischung aus Witz und Verletzlichkeit, die Duff seit jeher auszeichnet. Nur eine Woche nach Veröffentlichung hatte „Mature“ bereits über 5 Millionen Streams, dazu kommen über 2,5 Millionen Views des Musikvideos bei YouTube. Hier kann man den Clip ansehen, bei dem Lauren Dunn (Olivia Rodrigo, Dove Cameron, Saweetie) Regie führte. Anfang der Woche veröffentlichte Hilary zudem ein „Behind the Scenes“-Video vom Dreh – hier ansehen.

For years, L.A.’s David Jasso and the UK’s Mike Vest walked separate but parallel routes through psychedelic noise rock—two genre outsiders pulling the music toward raw instinct, intensity, and sonic extremity. Their paths kept echoing each other, from their own projects and collaborations—most notably through their work with key artists in the Japanese psych underground—both speaking the same volatile language of improvisation and avant-garde abrasion. A collision wasn’t just likely—it was inevitable.
This ethos and commitment to raw, volume-overdosed psych rock led to this new collaboration. Rather than deliver the expected heavy psych freakout, they opted for something more direct and confrontational.
The result is Non Violence and the album “Lifted Curse,” a six-track blast of noise rock focused not on mysticism and psych tropes, but on psychological depth. The album rips through raw male emotion: fraternity, loss, carnal impulses, mental states. Jasso’s lyrics read like an unfiltered journal mid-burnout; Vest’s swirling, savant-garde guitars create tension with Jasso’s own guitars; and Sned’s rocksteady grooves form a fistfight of harmony and dissonance.
Together, this new power trio carves out a new sonic language—heaviness rooted not in posturing, but in realness and weight: fragility, weakness, and the human efforts forged to break out from it. Non Violence is noise rock with an unironic violent aim in the physical dimension—a new conversation in a familiar space, where vulnerability hits harder than distortion and conviction outweighs myth.
David Jasso — Guitars, Bass & Vocals
Mike Vest — Guitars, Bass & Mix
Dave Sneddon — Drums

A unique collaboration between two of the most inquisitive and important artists in modern avant-garde electronic music.

Paper Masks marks a striking new collaboration between visionary Mute labelmates Phew and Danielle de Picciotto. Developed quietly over nearly five years, what began as an experiment between friends gradually evolved into a fulllength album. Phew composed and arranged all the music, weaving in dePicciotto’s voice and freely reshaping it to create something entirely new. Performed in both German and English, the result is an exploratory work that balances electronic minimalism with emotional immediacy.

Described by Pitchfork as “a Japanese underground legend”, Phew - former member of Osaka punk pioneers Aunt Sally - has forged a remarkable solo career, collaborating with Ryuichi Sakamoto, members of Can, and many others. In parallel, Danielle de Picciotto, an American-born interdisciplinary artist based in Berlin, co-founded the Berlin Love Parade and has performed internationally, working with Crime & the City Solution, Gudrun Gut, Space Cowboys, and her partner Alexander Hacke (Einstürzende Neubauten and frequent Phew collaborator) in hackedepicciotto.

Paper Masks stands as a mesmerizing exchange between two singular voices in experimental music - an intimate dialogue across distance, language, and sound, and a compelling addition to both artists’ evolving legacies.

Available on limited edition jellyfish color vinyl, featuring lyrics and poetry, and on CD, housed in an eco card-pack with a lyrics and poetry booklet.

Includes demos of every track from the original album, stripped back to (mainly) guitar and voice. Originally a Norman Records exclusive, these are the last few copies available from a limited pressing of just 300. Mark Fry is a France- based, English singer- songwriter/ artist whose debut album, 'Dreaming With Alice,' released in Italy in 1971, became a much-bootlegged "acid-folk" classic three decades later. Fry returned to recording in 2008 and has since released 4 more acclaimed studio albums. These days, far less "acid" than in his youth, Fry still knows his way around a beautiful melody. This album of sketches is resplendent with love songs, the beauty of nature and the passing of time Fry is certainly no stranger to the preparatory sketch. An artist in the truest sense of the word, renowned equally for his decades- long career as a painter of vibrant abstracts and as a cult psychedelic minstrel turned intimate, evocative singersongwriter, his atelier, housed in a converted stable building at his Normandy home, literally doubles as his music studio. It was in this space that Mark's fifth solo album, 'Not On The Radar,' released back in May, was recorded in the summer of 2024, with the singer pushing back his easels to accommodate a four-piece live band and vanloads of miscellaneous accompanying paraphernalia.

Before that, the studio had been a considerably emptier space in which working versions of the album's ten languidly bucolic compositions were first demoed by the solitary songwriter (although some emergent tracks were also captured at Balintore - the home studio of Mark's regular guitarist, Iain Ross, housed on the latter's London-moored canal barge). With those sketches presented here in the same running order as on the mothership longplayer, this new album stands as a document of process - offering the opportunity for track- by- track comparison for those already familiar with Not On The Radar. Crucially, it also makes for a very fine standalone album in its own right, which, if nothing else, bears testament to the inherent robustness of Mark Fry's songwriting.

Malena Zavala is an Argentinian-born, London-based artist, producer, and filmmaker, known for crafting ethereal, genre-blending music that navigates the space between her Latin heritage and her British upbringing. With the forthcoming album If This Life Could Start Again set for release on 30 January 2026 on Paraná Records, Zavala presents her most intimate, cohesive, and accomplished work to date, marking a significant evolution in her artistic journey.
With her new album, Malena creates an atmospheric dream pop world, weaving singer-songwriter intimacy with synth pop, Argentine folk, indiepop, rock and experimental music, threaded together by her blissful vocals and dreamy guitar work. Gorgeously warm and vivid, If This Life Could Start Again charts the journey from pain to acceptance, mapping out the non-linear nature of healing through a sonic landscape. Each song embodies a distinct emotion within that journey, from grief and chaos to feeling lost, seeking refuge, finding confidence, and finally acceptance and letting go. Drawing on her Argentinian roots, Malena uses the Andes mountains as both a visual and thematic anchor – the difficult climb towards higher ground becomes a metaphor for healing, whilst being lost at rock bottom reflects the darkest moments of the journey. 
Completely composed and performed by Malena herself, the album was recorded in Girona’s L’Empordà countryside in Spain with producer Luke Smith. As a professional producer and audio engineer, this was Malena’s first time relinquishing production control – an intimate creative shift that allowed their shared vision to shape the album’s rich, enveloping sound. 
However, Zavala’s career to date has been a testament to self-sufficient artistry. Her critically acclaimed debut, Aliso (2018), was written, recorded, and produced alone in her parents’ garage, which honed her dreamy bedroom pop sound. The album, praised by The Guardian for its “gently warped and beguilingly melancholy guitar pop,” ****, immediately catapulted her from DIY beginnings to prestigious stages, supporting acts like Lord Huron at London’s Roundhouse and Men I Trust at Village Underground and subsequently continuing on their UK/EU tours. Later with standout performances at Latitude, Green Man, and All Points East. Her consistent radio support from key influencers including BBC Radio 6 Music, BBC Radio 1's Huw Stephens, and Steve Lamacq has solidified her presence on the airwaves.
Her second album, La Yarará (2020), saw Zavala delve deeper into her roots, exploring Latin traditions like Cumbia and Bolero. This exploration of identity continues powerfully on the new album, but with a newfound lyrical depth and sonic confidence. The new album, If This Life Could Start Again, is a raw and transformative eight-track journey that maps the emotional landscape of healing. Written after a period of personal upheaval, the album traverses themes of grief, hereditary trauma, and self-discovery. The record’s narrative is structured like a mountain ascent. A challenging climb through varied emotional terrain, posing the central question: “Will you join the journey?” Sonically, this journey mirrors the non-linear path to acceptance, evolving from acoustic folk and synth-pop to funk-infused rhythms and rock anthems.
As a formidable live performer, Zavala has built a robust touring profile across the UK and Europe. She will embark on an extensive tour in February and March 2026 to support the album, with dates spanning major cities from London and Glasgow to Berlin, Paris, and Barcelona.
With If This Life Could Start Again, Malena Zavala fully realizes her artistic vision as a self-taught producer to an autonomous artist commanding her career through Paraná Records whilst reflecting the vast landscapes of her heritage and affirming her place as a compelling and evolving voice in contemporary music.

Reggae music in many ways reminds us of America’s Motown records. The music comes out of its stable fast and furious we tend to know the songs, the artists, the
studio but who? are the players. The unsung heroes that in many cases, cut most of our favourite tracks One such band this applies to in the Reggae field is the Soul Syndicate Band.

Each Jamaican record producer would have their favourite set of musicians they would use, availability permitting. Although several musicians crossed over into different named bands. For example, a set of players working with Producer Bunny 'Striker' Lee would go under the guise of The Aggrovators. The same group working with Producer Joe Gibbs would work under the name The Professionals. Soul Syndicate were the band of choice for Producer Niney the Observer, who used them for his own recordings and when you put that aside the other artists Niney produced, Dennis Brown, Max Romeo, Michael Rose, I Roy, The Ethiopians, Barry Brown, Gregory Issacs and Freddie McGregor.  To name a few and not necessary all, you begin to see the amount of material this set of musicians played on.

Built around the rhythm section of Calton 'Santa' Davis and George 'Fully' Fullwood, drums and bass respectfully. They were usually accompanied by Earl 'Chinna' Smith, Tony Chin on guitars, Keith Sterling, Gladstone 'Gladdy' Anderstone, Bernard 'Touter' Harvey, organ/keyboards and Noel 'Skully' Simms, percussion. Niney's tracks tended to be rhythm heavy and thus Sound System favourites.But when brass was needed/called for ,this was provided by the likes of Tommy McCook, Bobby Ellis, Felix ' Deadley Headley' Bennett. Niney not having a studio of his own at the time used most of Kingston's studios, again availability and money providing. But most of these cuts
selected for this release were cut at Channel 1 and a few exceptions at Randy's Studio 17 and at Joe Gibbs studio at Burns Avenue.

Niney also worked closely with King Tubby on his dub plates, so tracks after the recording sessions were taken to King Tubbys for reconstruction and sometimes
re-voicing over an existing rhythm. These were then used as version sides to the vocal cuts, but most importantly used to nice up the dances, being played out on King Tubbys Hometown Hi-Fi Sound System. We have pulled together a selection of such dub plate specials cut by the Soul Syndicate band for this release. Dub sides that emphasise how well the band worked together, and with Niney at the reigns and the added bonus of some Tubby magic sprinkled on top. Please see our Niney the Observer at King Tubbys 1973-1975 (JRO11) for further examples of this work.

We at Jamaican Recordings hope we are not alone in saluting the musicians, that played such a big part in producing many of our favourite Reggae Sounds. Having released titles by The Revolutionaries (JR003), The Aggrovators (JR005), Sly and Robbie (JR006), we are now pleased to release a selection of rare Dub cuts by another one of Jamaica's finest, the Soul Syndicate band to our catalogue...

Respect Jah Floyd.

At the start of this summer, following a three-year hiatus for Daphni (punctuated only by his first ever collaborative Daphni track ‘Unidos’ alongside Sofia Kourtesis), he dropped ‘Sad Piano House’. The track represented something of a continuation in the Daphni catalogue, its roots growing from Cherry’s ‘Cloudy’ and its subsequent Kelbin remix, something in that song’s makeup having a profound effect when played on dancefloors by Snaith and countless others. ‘Sad Piano House’ deployed more intangibly irresistible bendy piano to equally satisfying effect and continues to achieve similarly rhapsodic dancefloor saturation.
Though a sizeable gap for Daphni releases, between Cherry and Butterfly however of course sits Honey, the latest Caribou album and one that saw the more instantaneous and dancefloor leaning traits of Daphni peaking through the cracks more than ever before. This blurring of the lines leads to an intriguing collaboration in Butterfly’s lead single ‘Waiting So Long (feat. Caribou)’. An unlikely duo - in that both artists are the same man, Dan Snaith - ‘Waiting So Long’ is not so much an identity crisis, ego trip, or the result of a chemical spill in the Snaith laboratory. It’s simply a track that Snaith felt for the first time belongs to both aliases, and might appeal to fans of both. He has never sung on a Daphni track before, and did not set out with the intention to do so this time, and yet this strange billing was born.

Daphni music has always been Snaith’s way of hitting directly to the core of the dancefloors he spends so much of his time playing to, and those dancefloors have been steadily expanding as his name grows, with the music following suit. This album however also draws from further back with a definite kinship to the very first Daphni album, the invigorating bag of ideas that was Jiaolong.
Butterfly is a showcase of the wonderful variety and surprising twists and turns that made that album such an exciting new prospect and that still to this day make Snaith such an intriguing DJ. There are more heavy hitters here, tracks that fill those dancefloors better than anyone, like ‘Clap Your Hands’ which picks up the energy of ‘Sad Piano House’ and flips it, exposing the gritty and intoxicating underbelly of Snaith’s hitmaking side, while retaining the playful urgency that runs through all of his work of late. Meanwhile ‘Hang’’s comic-strip horns are unpinned by gleeful force, unrelenting and thrillingly unshakeable. Elsewhere though comes a clutch of other tunes that might creep out somewhere more off the beaten path, a path Snaith has never stopped seeking in amongst his larger billings. ‘Lucky’ is squirmy and elusively intoxicating, ‘Invention’ skitters down meandering, inviting corridors, ‘Talk To Me’ grumbles and broods in the murk, and ‘Miles Smiles’ could roll on endlessly, so confident in its groove. There are no obvious peaks in these tracks or unifying moments, in fact many of them really have no business being on the dancefloor at all, and yet in the right setting, they could be the most fun to be had all night.

One such club is a good microcosm for the ethos of Butterfly as a whole. “Around the time I was finishing up this album I played a long set in a club called Open Ground in Wuppertal, Germany.” Snaith recalls, “It’s kind of, in one sense, the platonic ideal of the kind of club I’d want to play in. Every single decision has been taken, at great expense, with the aim of making the perfect sounding medium sized club room. But on top of it being the perfect acoustic environment it also is run by an amazing collection of people in a way that gives it a sense of community that dance music at its best provides. It is an absolute pleasure to play in that room to a crowd of people who come from all over. Playing in there you feel like you can play anything, and I played works in progress of pretty much every track on this album in my set there. Don’t get me wrong, I love playing a short set at a festival or in a more raw warehouse kind of club where you bang it out and only really functional music works but on record I guess the point of these Daphni records is to keep in mind a more expansive idea of dance music where the parameters are broad and the church is broad. I think that actually, putting really functional stuff next to weirder tracks (both on an album and in a dj set) might be the thing that’s still most interesting to me.”
This is the feeling that’s most palpable on Butterfly, and in every single time you see Snaith DJ. Right from the inception of the Daphni alias - and even before that – the thrill of trying stuff out, pushing at the boundaries has always been there and on Butterfly is present in all its twists and turns. It leaps all over the place and yet it hangs together, never feeling like a grab bag of dancefloor utilities but rather a distillation of all the strings to Snaith’s bow, exhilaratingly human and unified by one singular concept – simple and joyful exploration.

At the start of this summer, following a three-year hiatus for Daphni (punctuated only by his first ever collaborative Daphni track ‘Unidos’ alongside Sofia Kourtesis), he dropped ‘Sad Piano House’. The track represented something of a continuation in the Daphni catalogue, its roots growing from Cherry’s ‘Cloudy’ and its subsequent Kelbin remix, something in that song’s makeup having a profound effect when played on dancefloors by Snaith and countless others. ‘Sad Piano House’ deployed more intangibly irresistible bendy piano to equally satisfying effect and continues to achieve similarly rhapsodic dancefloor saturation.
Though a sizeable gap for Daphni releases, between Cherry and Butterfly however of course sits Honey, the latest Caribou album and one that saw the more instantaneous and dancefloor leaning traits of Daphni peaking through the cracks more than ever before. This blurring of the lines leads to an intriguing collaboration in Butterfly’s lead single ‘Waiting So Long (feat. Caribou)’. An unlikely duo - in that both artists are the same man, Dan Snaith - ‘Waiting So Long’ is not so much an identity crisis, ego trip, or the result of a chemical spill in the Snaith laboratory. It’s simply a track that Snaith felt for the first time belongs to both aliases, and might appeal to fans of both. He has never sung on a Daphni track before, and did not set out with the intention to do so this time, and yet this strange billing was born.

Daphni music has always been Snaith’s way of hitting directly to the core of the dancefloors he spends so much of his time playing to, and those dancefloors have been steadily expanding as his name grows, with the music following suit. This album however also draws from further back with a definite kinship to the very first Daphni album, the invigorating bag of ideas that was Jiaolong.
Butterfly is a showcase of the wonderful variety and surprising twists and turns that made that album such an exciting new prospect and that still to this day make Snaith such an intriguing DJ. There are more heavy hitters here, tracks that fill those dancefloors better than anyone, like ‘Clap Your Hands’ which picks up the energy of ‘Sad Piano House’ and flips it, exposing the gritty and intoxicating underbelly of Snaith’s hitmaking side, while retaining the playful urgency that runs through all of his work of late. Meanwhile ‘Hang’’s comic-strip horns are unpinned by gleeful force, unrelenting and thrillingly unshakeable. Elsewhere though comes a clutch of other tunes that might creep out somewhere more off the beaten path, a path Snaith has never stopped seeking in amongst his larger billings. ‘Lucky’ is squirmy and elusively intoxicating, ‘Invention’ skitters down meandering, inviting corridors, ‘Talk To Me’ grumbles and broods in the murk, and ‘Miles Smiles’ could roll on endlessly, so confident in its groove. There are no obvious peaks in these tracks or unifying moments, in fact many of them really have no business being on the dancefloor at all, and yet in the right setting, they could be the most fun to be had all night.

One such club is a good microcosm for the ethos of Butterfly as a whole. “Around the time I was finishing up this album I played a long set in a club called Open Ground in Wuppertal, Germany.” Snaith recalls, “It’s kind of, in one sense, the platonic ideal of the kind of club I’d want to play in. Every single decision has been taken, at great expense, with the aim of making the perfect sounding medium sized club room. But on top of it being the perfect acoustic environment it also is run by an amazing collection of people in a way that gives it a sense of community that dance music at its best provides. It is an absolute pleasure to play in that room to a crowd of people who come from all over. Playing in there you feel like you can play anything, and I played works in progress of pretty much every track on this album in my set there. Don’t get me wrong, I love playing a short set at a festival or in a more raw warehouse kind of club where you bang it out and only really functional music works but on record I guess the point of these Daphni records is to keep in mind a more expansive idea of dance music where the parameters are broad and the church is broad. I think that actually, putting really functional stuff next to weirder tracks (both on an album and in a dj set) might be the thing that’s still most interesting to me.”
This is the feeling that’s most palpable on Butterfly, and in every single time you see Snaith DJ. Right from the inception of the Daphni alias - and even before that – the thrill of trying stuff out, pushing at the boundaries has always been there and on Butterfly is present in all its twists and turns. It leaps all over the place and yet it hangs together, never feeling like a grab bag of dancefloor utilities but rather a distillation of all the strings to Snaith’s bow, exhilaratingly human and unified by one singular concept – simple and joyful exploration.