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After collaborations with Merzbow and Daniel Avery, Alessandro Cortini (Modwheelmood, Nine Inch Nails) moves to The Point Of Departure for his third solo full length album. Alessandro Cortini today announces his third solo LP, AVANTI, due for release on 6 October via The Point of Departure Recording Co. Speaking about 'Perdonare', the first single to be taken from AVANTI, Cortini says: Perdonare embodies the often strenuous search for strength to forgive someone for their behaviour, when it becomes apparent that such behaviour is not conscious nor wanted, but merely a by-product of one's upbringing.There are few more potent examples of the power that music holds over our memories than hearing a song and being instantly transported back to a specific time or place. But what if we could change the soundtrack retrospectively If the scenes from our life played out on a big screen, how would we choose to score them It's an idea that Italian multi-instrumentalist Alessandro Cortini found himself preoccupied with on his latest album AVANTI.
Prior to making the record, Cortini rediscovered an archive of home videos made by his grandfather, who passed away a few years previously. Among the cache were several Super 8 films of family gatherings as well as hours of dinner-time conversations recorded on cassette for posterity. It was as if Cortini had unearthed a perfect fossil of his childhood. The films, however, were missing one crucial element - the sound. So Cortini decided he would restore the miss-ing audio in his own way, by composing a musical accompaniment to the footage.
As it turned out, Cortini had a few blanks to fill in himself. The films exposed some inconsistencies in his memories, moments that he romanticised or misremembered. But what surprised him the most was that the recordings appeared to be almost as fallible as his recollections - both showed signs of degradation. I really like that about memory and music, both from an instrumentation and playback point of view, I like imperfection,' he says.
AVANTI is rich in anomalies and irregularities - much like our memories - which Cortini let creep into his compositions by recording live on a single synthesiser, the EMS Synthi AKS, without overdubs. Just like the films, there are errors and mistakes in the music, some of which became the theme and some which are peculiar things that happen once or twice,' he says.

Purveyors of enigmatic dreamscapes and organic, danceable electronica, Leeds-based, electronic-soul quartet Noya Rao are set to release their debut album, Icaros, this November. Founded by producer Tom Henry (Cosima, Yellow Days) Noya Rao was originally conceived as a solo production project with a separate live band representation. Alongside bassist Jim Wiltshire and drummer Matt Davies, whom Tom had met playing in other bands within the Leeds music scene, the project grew to become a collaborative effort mixing Tom's production ideas with the attributes of Jim's unique bass synth lines and Matt's polyrhythmic beats. Their compositions drew on the influences of jazz, hip-hop and electronic music whilst incorporating the sounds of the bass-heavy-dub music synonymous with the Leeds music scene. Their sound really came into focus when they met vocalist Olivia Bhattacharjee who brought her gospel style and complex choral harmony to the band. Developing from raw, psychedelic improvisations, their sound became more defined and minimal, underpinned by live instrumentation and more structured song writing. This co-existing electronic and organic thread gives the band a strong identity and their powerful live show sets them apart from other producer-led bands. Matthew Halsall from Gondwana Records saw the band perform at an intimate show in Manchester in 2016 and blown away, signed the band on the spot.

Icaros takes the listener on a journey through the band's unique sound-world amplified by Tom Henry's bold and inventive production techniques. Sometimes fragile, sometimes raw and visceral the album opens with the ethereal Azimuth. It's contrasting sections and mysterious chords offer echoes of the band's instrumental beginnings whilst the repeated vocal harmony layers at the end demonstrate a signature feature of the new Noya Rao sound. Moments is the first tune they wrote together and reflects upon taking joy in the everyday: the opening womb-like chords are another distinct sound of the band. The gritty Golden Claw describes the effects of a manipulative heartbreaker, it's darker, more driving and has a ruder '80s flavour. Midas demonstrates the band's use of linear structural forms and complex rhythms influenced from around the globe. It tells the story of someone who, led by greed, made some regrettable decisions. The atmospheric Dreaming Part 1 and Part 2 are sumptuous dreamy soundscapes. They were born from the same epic improv-based writing sessions as Fly, which has a trippy disco vibe, offset with wonky chords and crunching vocal harmony. The hook-led I Feel points to future ventures for the band: mixing their electronic textures with a more formal song-writing approach. A sublime slice of dreamy space-jazz, Same Sun Will Rise, finds Olivia contemplating mankind's utter selfishness and a desire for change, "Over borders we've assigned, same sun will rise'. Minimal and spacious, This Time demonstrates the merging of ethereal edginess and delicate songwriting. It is this combined with their electronic and live approach and more than a hint of Leeds attitude that gives Noya Rao their unique sound.

Although Rico Puestel has been producing since 2005, he still seems to be something of an insider tip. Since 'Caravel' though, his August release on Cocoon Recordings, things have taken a dramatic turn with Puestel currently enjoying 'man of the moment' status, especially when it comes to progressive techno and peak time action on the dance floor."973 picks up exactly where 'Caravel' left off, kicking powerfully with irresistable, effect-loaded breaks that really twist your melon. This one really works you over but there's also feeling and a touch of elegance, in fact we can't remember hearing anything like this since Len Faki's Dustin Zahn Remix! '973 proves that 'Caravel' was no flash in the pan, just one tantalising glimpse into the musical world of Rico Puestel and that's not the end of it..."272 is a little more stripped down and chilled to start with, but soon opens up into the same crazy atmosphere as '973. This is dominated by an up-and-running arpeggio synth, which combines with the now familiar effects-break motif to create an incredible hypnotic effect. A little less brutal than '973 but drenched in more reverb, '272 is something like 'kicking Deep Techno' with a nod to the Tech House corner in the style of Mark Broom or Joris Voorn. Mr. Puestel serves up two choice cuts here and there's no question that 973272 will be with us for a while. Buckle up, hold tight and off we go!

"Those who physically suffer from dopamine depletion seek ways to experience maximized pleasure." Hong Kong's hyper-everything enfant terrible, S.Y. delivers a much darker complex Ep than his two previous offerings under a new alias, a creative therapy of sorts apparently dealing with substance abuse and unstable mental conditions which luckily for everyone translates into more leftfield dancefloor gold with the brilliantly nondescript '$ LFO' and weirdo power drive of the title track on A side, followed on the flip by a surprisingly beautiful ode to concrete music, and a deeply haunting field recording piece that closes a perfectly round EP... or does it;) Sleeve artwork by Matt Damhave

So, after a little break we're back with a new release. This time we're joined by the multi-talented production powerhouse that is Swarm Intelligence (aka Simon Hayes). Landing heavy with four bruising techno cuts that each find their own unique way of taking your head off, EAR017 is a bumpy journey through darker club flavours. 'Flatlands' opens things up, reminiscent of the type of marching, granite-heavy Brum techno of old - this is minimal in construction but maximum in its impact. Move forward to 'Ground Up' where demonic, dissonant keys take the lead above a rattling midrange that sounds like a corrugated roof ready to fly off. Opting for cleaner, elastic drum patterns on 'Tingla', Hayes swaps tense for dense, with a LOUD take on steppy techno, that'll please fans of some of Blawan's earlier work. 'Skitz' starts out an a more dub tip with a wailing, paranoia inducing hook and snaking rhythms, eventually joined by more hard-hitting broken kicks, leading us comfortably into oblivion.

3BYK debuts with a release of a strong and uncompromising techno

A1 track is a 12 min passage through distorted acid lines and a heavy bass groove
B1 has a powerful flow and a heavy but funky rhythm
B2 is a drunk synth over a strong drum pattern

Legendary Los Hermanos member Santiago Salazar's album 'Aspirations For Young Xol' is given a vinyl release courtesy of Rekids.

A heartfelt dedication to his son Isaias, 'Aspirations for Young Xol' takes us through the life of a pillar in the electronic music community - Santiago Salazar. From his formative years spent in California to his connection with Detroit and the passing of a childhood friend, the long-player's tracks signpost the musician's significant experiences, both positive and negative. This meaningful body of work was released digitally on Pastel Voids and now Rekids release the album on wax.

'Saturated Fear' sets a deep tone for the LP, flanging melodies and echoing claps float through the composition before the album's title track 'Aspirations for Young Xol' offers haunting arpeggios with occasional acidic overtones which are cleverly offset by beautifully designed lead synth transitions. 'Bloodlines' follows a similar musical vein with delayed bass riffs that are suspended above shimmering hihats and a weighted kick.

Santiago provides three beatless pieces throughout, which digress into more emotional territory whilst offering brief respite from his heavier drum work. 'Xol's Pain' combines orchestral strings and swelling synthesisers which build tension with a subtly complex, evolving motif. Both 'Dark Matter' and 'Ode to Stinson' use arresting atmospheres, warped arpeggios and ethereal pads which lull the listener into a retrospective mood.

An intensity builds in the later tracks, a gritty but powerful low end provides a solid foundation in 'Orange Blossom Thump', eventually making way for a hectic and elastic lead synth before 'Pachuco Dub' displays drones that build a dissonant pressure in which the complex tom rhythms and rolling hi hats can grow. 'Sarah Rivera' hypnotises with its delectable chord progressions and complimentary melodies which seem to float above a rigid drum composition to close the album with style.

Genre blending and audience crossing drummer/percussionist Eric Thielemans is proud to present a brand new, exciting combo together with Rudy Trouvé , Mauro Pawlowski , Roman Hiele and Jean-Yves Evrard . With this eclectic band ET sets out to explore, or rather rub against the obscure repertoire by Jazz masters such as Ornette Coleman, Alice Coltrane, Sun Ra and Albert Ayler .Are The Mechanics a Jazz combo The Mechanics don't know. As of yet, The Mechanics have no real memory of their own. What they do know is that they are impatient to check out the mechanics behind those musics that tick their tock. They will do so as they are feathered. In colours, primal and expressive. And what better way to understand something than by breaking it and then trying to fix it .Tagging The Tag : The Ex, Liquid Liquid, Ornette Coleman, Sun Ra, James Chance, Alice Coltrane, Aphex Twin, Roland Kirk, John Cage, The Love Substitutes, Hiele, Evrard, Trouvé, Pawlowski & Thielemans.
Tag Away ! The Mechanics is an exciting new band operating out of Antwerp, home base to bands and musicians such as dEUS, Evil Superstars, Dead Man Ray, Chantal Acda, Tape Cuts Tape, Gruppo Di Pawlowski, The Love Substitutes, Kiss My Jazz, Mâäk's Spirit, The Mechanics bring together 2 generations of musicians out of the avant jazz, improv, rock, songwriter and electronics scenes. Mixed into an exciting cocktail of energies childishly bald and raw, maturely tender and constructive, spiritually curious and rocking loud with electronic burning sonic edges.

This November will see Elia Perrone launch his new Jun'Ai imprint with his very own 'Flowers' EP, accompanied by a remix from Romanian minimal powerhouse Vid.

Tuscan producer and DJ Elia Perrone has long been one of the most respected figures in Italy's underground electronic music scene having co-founded the Klang Club in Arezzo which has seen him play alongside the likes of Simoncino, Juju & Jordash and Move D. Amongst this Elia, alongside brother and production partner heads up Unclear Records which plays host to their collaborative works as Easy To Remember as well as material from the likes of Baby Ford, Roman Fluegel, Christopher Rau and Dandy Jack amongst others.

Here though we see Elia turning a new chapter with the launch of his Jun'Ai imprint and taking the lead on the inaugural release is 'Flowers', a mind-altering slice of micro house fueled by pops, whirrs, clicks and sample cuts while fluttering atmospherics and bright string plucks ebb and flow throughout the murky depths of the composition. Vid aka Egal 3 steps up on remix duties to follow, delivering a straight edged take on things via crunchy organic percussion, billowing echoes of the original's atmospherics and a robust sub driven bass line.

Opening the flip side is 'Rain Smell', a slow brooding, hypnotic number employing dynamic string licks, modulating synth drones and bumpy 4/4 drums before 'Moshishi' closes out the package with airy ethereal textures, glitched out off-kilter percussion and rumbling low end tones.

STRICTLY STRICTLY enters the second round: The Obsessed EP by TOBS (co-founder of Drowned-Records) comes with 3 driving highly energetic cuts. The title track is putting the stamp on the A-side with pounding Lo-Fi-Power at its best and side B teaches the science of licking a battery with a piling drive of arpeggios before falling apart in the best possible way with IOW.

It is time to discuss fundamentals. For his second appearance on Laut & Luise Constantijn Lange shows his interpretation of human mannerisms that contrast so much while being closely entangled. Able to deliver both pain and satisfaction alike, its apparent simplicty may deliver the purest bliss while the complexity of its impact can at times feel devestating: Power & Love. For the first part of this pair Onosizo stands by to passionately proclaim and address the true nature and dangers of power. In contrast the second part of this EP is a musical dedication to all the light hearted and emphatic moments, a chance to brighten up and an invitation to feel untroubled, if only for a few minutes. Just like a mapleseed rhino would do.

Having previously released music on WOLF Music, Futureboogie and recently his own label Fate And Fiction Recordings, Lee Pattison aka Thrilogy delivers the 18th release on Omena.
Completing the package is the most famous Newcastle producer in Mexico right now, Man Power.

Industrial Techno powerfull EP. These four Non-stop 4/4 kickerz will destroy teh dancefloor for real !

Berlin native Arne Spremberg kicks off own label DOMUM with a pack of two substantial originals and two thrilling remixes by Man Power and Narciss. 90's rave sounds are combined with modern harmonies and rhythms adding up to a dancefloor-ready release that's not afraid of house' and techno's borders.

Finnish visual artist and filmmaker Hannu Karjalainen's music draws inspiration from ambient, drone, modern classical and dream pop. His first album Worms In My Piano was released in 2007 on Osaka Records and the second album, Hintergarten in 2009 on Simon Scott's Kesh Recordings. A Handful Of Dust Is A Desert, his third album - and the first under his full given name - arrives after a prolonged break.

Hannu Karjalainen's association with Karaoke Kalk started with his remix of Dakota Suite's The End Of Trying Part III on The Night Just Keeps Coming In in 2009 which also featured remixes by the likes of Hauschka, Deaf Center, Loscil and many more. Now, luckily for all concerned, Hannu is releasing a full length album on the label in the form of the exquisite record A Handful Of Dust Is A Desert.

The album opens with the track Angel which is a truly heavenly composition reminiscent of Boards of Canada's finest work. The Emigrant makes effective use of sinister synth-lines and delicate glockenspiel patterns to invoke a kind of science-fiction soundtrack atmosphere. Throughout the record, our ears are graced with truly sublime sound-scapes and transcendent textures.

The title track is actually the shortest tune on the album, but in no way less evocative. It's looped piano melodies are comparable with Susumo Yokota's later recordings in their minimalism and poise. A Year In a Day continues to walk the fine line between ambient and electronica - which is one of the albums great virtues: it shows how lively and eventful ambient music can be. Certainly ambient music benefits from having a strong pulse as Karjalainen demonstrates in various tracks on the album. The song Love Is A Black Lion features a sample from the afore mentioned Dakota Suite tune The End Of Trying Part III, and therefore somehow closes a circle.

This powerfully contemplative album comes to a controlled landing with the majestic Breaks My Heart She Aria, another in a long line of mesmerizing drifts, with a floating choral voice delicately enveloped in strings and pitched percussion.

A Handful of Dust Is A Desert is instantly captivating and for lovers of ambient music, dream listening. As an artist who trained in photography and is mostly active in the world of visual art, Hannu Karjalainen clearly enjoys a great deal of creative freedom in his music. This is the kind of desert you won't mind getting lost in and even take pleasure in roaming through the expansive sonic landscapes and horizons it embodies.

The wait is finally over. The greatest living female voice in African music, Oumou Sangare releases a new album "Mogoya" (meaning "people today") on a new record label with an all-new production team and a wonderful new set of songs.

The power of Oumou's voice and the potency of her message remain as strong as ever and, while her sound is rooted deep in the continuity of Malian tradition, Mogoya has a strong new sound. Co-produced by Andreas Unge in Stockholm and by the French production collective A.l.b.e.r.t. (who have worked with among others Air, Tony Allen, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Beck, Franz Ferdinand) in Paris, it draws on a rich musical heritage whilst also looking to the future.

"We wanted to emphasise the raw power of Oumou's voice and songs. We wanted to find a new modernity" says co-producer Ludovic Bruni, one of the three members of A.l.b.e.r.t. with Vincent Taurelle and Vincent Taeger.

On the album, traditional African instruments - the kamele n'goni (harp), karignan (metal scraper) and calabash percussion - are augmented by electric guitar, bass, keyboards and synths with Tony Allen on drums. As Oumou puts it, "This time round I wanted to go for more of a modern sound, to satisfy young people in Mali but being careful, all the while, to respect my culture and tradition".

The songs describe what Oumou knows best human relationships. She addresses difficult topics with incredible frankness - jealousy, ingratitude and betrayal never afraid to sing about the day-to-day problems faced by African society, particularly women.

Oumou has a high international profile, touring all over the world, collaborating with artists such as Alicia Keys, Tracy Chapman, Bela Fleck and Dee Dee Bridgewater and featuring on the soundtrack of Toni Morrison's Beloved. She is a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation and has three businesses in Mali a range of SUVs called 'Oum-Sang', a hotel in Bamako and 'Oumou Sangare 769, Rice', grown in her own fields.

She has released six albums on the World Circuit label: Moussolou, meaning "women"(1990), Ko Sira (1993), Worotan (1996), Oumou (2003), Seya (2009) and Kounadi (2012).

Music is at the absolute centre of Oumou's life: "without it I'm nothing and nothing can take it from me" and Mogoya represents an exciting new chapter in her career, something which she approaches with a mixture of boldness, humility and confidence."It was new for me because my music has never had this kind of arrangement and sound before. I've been totally in the tradition for years now so to get out of that and have a look around elsewhere was a total pleasure," Oumou Sangare.

Two of Hospital Record's most electrifying artists have formed an allegiance for a true coming together of titans. Bournemouth's Krakota and Sao Paulo's Urbandawn have combined their production talents to create the five-track 'Focus Shift' EP - a real drum & bass mash up of styles and sonic sequences.
The aptly named 'Coyote' is an absolute howler, unashamedly powerful and loaded with energy, distorting and plunging itself into new streams of audio chaos throughout.
'Laguna' fits with their alter-egos - sweet, pensive and majestic. Operating within a more classic Hospital framework, this rolling stroke of musical bliss will leave no party unsatisfied.
Sitting in the middle of this concerted creation is title track 'Focus Shift'. Informed by both liquid-funk and tech styles, it's gelled together with scathing bass riffs and high profile percussive chops.
'Epigram' has all the bassweight you'd expect from such a monolith collision of production powerhouses. Crisp and sinful, with a consistently militant atmosphere this song is pure depth, darkness and danger, with a genuinely intriguing sonic progression that renders this track as devastating as weapons grade plutonium.
Seeing the release home is 'Paladin'. An ardent dancefloor destroyer that fuses the power of the stepper with the groove of a roller, that even angels would find themselves bustin' a skank. Uplifting and powerful with cosmic subtleties in the low end twinned with sombre melodies and skittering drum-work all tempered in unison to create a certified banger.

4 pumped up jams for djs to take control - don't hold back, just let go and feel the n·r·gee. Early support by Eduardo De La Calle, Jennifer Cardini, Andrew Claristidge, Gilb'r, Daniel Kyo, Photonz, Angel Molina... Points of interests - Only for the headstrong tripping on strictly undeground massive hits. - For fans of techno, warehouse, (old school) breaks and bleeps. - Pure reel-2-real analog recording and extra loud mastering by F.Stader at MMM. - Features 6 eternal loops and bonus samples for extended dj pleasure. - 121th release from renowned Swiss Mental Groove Records est. 1989 (Dj Rush, Eduardo De La Calle, Sun Araw, Miss Kittin, Luciano, Brodinski, Donato Dozzy,...), also home of Musique Pour La Danse (Olivier Abbeloos, Frankie Bones, Orlando Voorn, Nate Krafft, Dirk De Saever, Todd Sines...) and We Release Whatever The Fuck We Want (Midori Takada, Michel Legrand, Kenji Kawai, John Carpenter...).