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"Dylan Hayes' album debut LP, We Don't Own, We Create, released on Futurepast, is a sonic trip balancing club functionality with experimentation. The two-discs project is a bold statement of artistic intent-where minimalism, industrial textures, and introspective loopy moods collide.

As the result of 8 years of research and experimentation, We Don't Own, We Create is an electronic sci-fi odyssey, unfolding across eight tracks balancing structure with unpredictability. Co-produced and mixed by Davy Vandegaer, this album is also the story of a friendship rooted in a shared vision-crafting a signature 'futurepast' sound where old-school techno aesthetics meet fresh, yet edgy, sonic treatments. The first disc unfolds like a waking dream. My Ikigai sets the tone with pulsating, introspective club energy, blending loopy synths and a growling bass. Plastic World plunges into eerie depths, weaving spectral vocals and fragmented rhythms. Silent Reverie in To Memory drifts through textured atmospheres and layered percussive echoes. Remind Me Ridley twists hypnotic techno into a dense, mantra-like piece-its reverbs and delays build an intensity conjuring into a foggy, shifting auditive illusion.

The second disc marks the awakening, shaking off the haze with Beautiful Struggle, where abrasive loops, industrial bass surges, and dissonant synth layers build tension. Echoes of Fate condenses the album's ethos, unleashing pulsating stabs and humming rhythms that slice through the mix with razor-sharp precision. The eponymous We Don't Own, We Create is an electronic ode to the creative process, where haunting vocal loops weave through deep, trippy synth lines, blurring the boundaries between organic and synthetic. Closing on Mizze, the journey dissolves into pure introspection, fading into the ether.

The record balances four club-driven tracks and four experimental pieces, crafting a distorted, explorative soundscape-an immersive journey where dance music meets dark, avant-garde sound design."

2025 Repress

Re-issue on Dr Motte's Spade Teddy by Jonzon, one of the great DJ producers during the formative years of Berlin techno. Testosterone EP from 1996 - essential!

Das Debütalbum des britischen DJs, Produzenten und Multiinstrumentalisten Lawrence Hart.

Harts Stil verbindet seine technisch versierten Fähigkeiten mit emotionalen Vibes und Dancefloor-Treibstoff und schafft so einen Sound, der sowohl für den Club als auch für das Eintauchen in die eigenen vier Wände geeignet ist. Das 12-Track-Album ist emotional ein Garagenalbum, euphorisch und therapeutisch. Es ist eine Reise durch cineastische Melancholie, schwebende Synthies und Momente der Zerbrechlichkeit, gespickt mit Sprachsamples. Tech-Wizard Lawrence Hart, der allein schon durch seinen Großvater, den berühmten Computerpionier Geoff Tootill, eine wissenschaftliche DNA hat, wurde schon als Kind zum klassischen Musiker ausgebildet. Bereits mit 15 Jahren sprach er an einigen der renommiertesten Musikschulen New Yorks vor und studierte dann Jazztrompete am SUNY Purchase College bei berühmten VertreterInnen des Fachs. Er spielte an der Seite von Größen wie Bob Mover (einem ehemaligen Kollegen von Charlie Mingus und Chet Baker) auf den Bühnen der Jazzclubs New Yorks. Bald entdeckte Hart die elektronische Musik und das Clubbing für sich.Seine Fähigkeiten als Produzent entwickelte er während der Zusammenarbeit mit dem Double Six/Domino-Künstler George FitzGerald, mit dem ihn eine langjährige musikalische Beziehung verbindet. Bis heute hat Hart Solo-Singles, EPs und Remixe auf Hotflush, Attack Decay Sweet Release, LG105 und seinem eigenen Label SSEM veröffentlicht.

Chiminyo is a UK-based jazz/electronic artist and the founder of the new label NRG Discs (having previously released on Brownswood, Nightdreamer, Gearbox, and Astigmatic, with artists such as Gary Bartz, Shabaka Hutchings, Maisha, Nubya Garcia, Cykada, Uniri, as well as solo). Chiminyo is a versatile musician who blends the raw energy of live drums and percussion with cutting-edge electronic production.

His early solo releases showcased his knack for unique approaches to making music, using self-coded software to trigger synths and samples from every cymbal crash and drum hit, eliminating loops and click-tracks. This DIY, tech-driven methodology allowed Chiminyo complete, spontaneous control over his music—all from the stool behind his drum kit—creating a sound that is both daring and innovative.

Chiminyo's latest project, NRG, continues this trend of innovative thinking. Born from discussions around the UK jazz scene, Chiminyo concluded that this musical expression is less about "jazz" and more about the energy (NRG) that fuels it. As a result, NRG has evolved into a semi-regular event where Chiminyo brings together some of London's finest musicians for live, improvised performances that encapsulate the spirit of the scene. These live recordings are then given the magic production treatment by Chiminyo and co-producer Aviv Cohen, transforming them into the masterpieces we get to hear on wax.

The first three NRG LPs were a massive success, generating over 600,000 streams, selling over 800 copies (without distribution support), and receiving airplay on BBC Radio, Jazz FM, NTS, Soho Radio, and many more. High-profile DJs like Gilles Peterson and Jamz Supernova championed the albums, which were also covered in print by The Guardian, Jazzwise, Echoes Magazine, and various online channels. This success led to an invitation to record a live album at Ronnie Scott's, one of London's most iconic jazz venues—an incredible opportunity for any artist.

NRG 4 brings together some of the best jazz and electronic musicians in London. The album features Marisia Osu (harp), James Akers (tenor saxophone), Daniel Casimir (double bass), Lyle Barton (synthesizers), and Tilé Gichigi-Liperé (live electronics)—an all-star lineup whose members have released multiple records on Concord, Brownswood, Jazz Re:freshed, Astigmatic and more, and have collaborated with artists such as Laura Misch, Nubya Garcia, Blue Lab Beats and Emma-Jean Thackray. Three tracks are graced with features from Jorja Smith's backing vocalist BAELY and Cuban saxophone maestro Regis Molina.

Limited to 400 12" LPs (350 standard, 50 screen-printed limited edition).

Since 2020, and from coast to coast, indie-rockers Fib have been rewiring brains with their singular, jangly sound and furiously tight live performances. Fib's members connected in Portland through their love of punk, friendship, and their shared exceptional musical abilities. After releasing their debut self-titled tape in 2021 and touring the US, the band picked up and moved across the country after falling in love with Philadelphia. The city quickly warmed to Fib's controlled mania- the band putting on the tightest show imaginable, and then, at the end of the set, destroying their instruments in total chaos mode. They matched Philadelphia's freak- fitting like a fingerless glove. Now, connecting with Philly label Julia's War, the group is releasing their debut full-length record Heavy Lifting- a musical odyssey exploring arty pop, punk and progressive rock- while simultaneously breaking free from genre and giving the listener a vividly surreal auditory experience. With Heavy Lifting, Fib shed their early, scrappy, lofi limitations, and embraced a new, expansive and warm recording capture. This bigger sound allows the group to put their technical skill, harmonious vocals, and hyper-infectious songwriting on full display. Songs like 'Mutuals' and 'Say' are frenetic and bouncy- shifting through virtuosic arrangements held together with intermittent, powerful hooks. With tunes like 'Dotted Line' and 'PS,' the band settles deeper into the grooves and songwriting allowing the listener to zone in and bob their head a bit more. While the nine tracks that comprise Heavy Lifting are equally unique and invigorating showcasing the members' intricate guitar tangles and polyrhythms, the album is holistically composed- a greater sum than its parts. The release would easily sit well for fans of new bands like Palm, TAGABOW, and Water From Your Eyes, but would just as easily be a welcome addition for record heads who love bands like This Heat, Television, and Psychic TV. While this might all be hard to believe, and their name is Fib- it's no lie. Fib's Heavy Lifting is a vibrant, moving and endless sonic rainbow. Pick it up and step into their wild and ecstatic void.

Originally released on Ben Chasny's own Pavilion imprint in 2011.

"I was invited by the Incubate Festival and the city of Tilburg to participate in an artist residency where I would explore the region’s unique chapels built for the Virgin Mary. After writing the music for about six months by drawing on memories of the encounters with the chapels and using techniques inspired by Gaston Bachelard’s Poetics Of Reverie, I flew back to Tilburg to perform the music at the Incubate Festival. We recorded the evening and I released the result on my Pavilion label. Each cover was hand painted white on white in the old Pavilion style. I created a stencil and used graphite powder to make the design that is inspired by the sun imagery in Athanasius Kircher diagrams."

Roadside chapels express the identity of the inhabitants of North Brabant, a Dutch province, bordering on Belgium. Roman Catholicism has been the dominant religion in this southern part of the Netherlands since the eighth century. For about a century and a half this religion was strongly suppressed. Only when the French revolutionaries preached freedom of belief around 1800 could the people of North Brabant exercise their faith again. This was the start of a very strong emancipatory development from which a special form of the Roman Catholic faith arose that fully determined everyday life of the people here. This faith was the determining factor in life and the measure of all things. After the second Vatican Council (1962-1965) the reins of the catholic faith in Brabant were loosened as well. This was the start of a revolutionary process of secularisation. Within a decade hardly anything was left of the almighty influence of the Roman Catholic Church and this situation has lasted up to the present day.

In spite of the almightiness of the official, Vatican ruled, Roman Catholic faith, North Brabant has always and perhaps notoriously fostered an undercurrent of popular belief as well. This is a kind of belief in which elements of the official faith and age-old pre-Christian traditions are combined. Worshipping relics, holding pilgrimages and processions, the use of water from holy wells, popular art, recitations and songs, festivals, rituals, folk traditions, superstition and the like are all examples of popular devotion. These matters have strongly influenced and formed the identity of the present-day population of North Brabant. It is part of their immaterial heritage.

An obvious and still very much visible form of popular devotion are the roadside chapels. In Brabant some 400 can be found, most of which have been devoted to Mary. Chapels are small buildings in which Mary or other saints are worshipped. They can be found within villages or towns or in natural surroundings. Always at the finest spots! The beauty of the environment adds a primary religious or mystical feeling to the visitor. Local people attach great value to their chapels. In spite of the overall secularisation in society they are still at the centre of cultural and social life. Where people in North Brabant can hardly be found in the churches nowadays, this doesn’t mean at all they are no longer religious. On the contrary, religious feelings are perhaps stronger than ever, but now people have to find their own expression of them. That’s why they fall back on the age-old popular belief in which chapels play an important role. We can even witness new forms of popular belief with chapels as their focal point. An example of this is the scattering of ashes of people who have been cremated. Chapels clearly also play a role in the lives of young people. On an average five new chapels are added every year.

I have studied the popular culture and belief and the identity of the inhabitants of North Brabant for over thirty years. I have published over forty books on these subjects. In 2010 I was approached by the organisation of the Incubate Festival in the North Brabant town of Tilburg. Their request was for me to lead the American composer and guitarist Ben Chasny around a number of chapels in the province devoted to Mary. He had been invited to North Brabant to write some new compositions. Ben Chasny then chose to be inspired by these chapels and that’s how we met. I was especially curious how an American would react to something as specific and small as a roadside chapel in North Brabant, since we tend to think here of (people in) America in terms of ‘big-bigger-biggest’. Would an inhabitant of this enormous country with this prevailing culture be able to grasp and respect the identity of some 2.5 million people in North Brabant with their chapels? The answer to this question lies hidden in the compositions he made and that can be listened to on this album. Yes, Ben Chasny has been able to convert the phenomenon of a simple chapel devoted to Mary into music. The physical and the spiritual have found each other. What a beautiful world…just listen! - Paul Spapens

FABRICLIVE’s new incarnation as an artist-focussed label continues, with a stunning two-track 12” by the Hong Kong-born, Netherlands-based rising star Kiana Li, aka gyrofield.

Rooted in drum & bass but distinctly the sound of now, this single sparkles with freshness, and stands-out with an exquisite verve for detail and craft. Balmy and comforting, atmospheric and melodic, the cloudsurfing breakbeats and celestial propulsion of ‘Akin’ is pure friendly pressure, whilst on ‘Mother’ big vocals, low-end precision and techno swathes soar even higher.

“'Akin' and 'Mother' remind me of my earliest days writing dance music. These are two free-spirited, transportive pieces that feel like spreading my wings and letting the air take me. Brought skyward in the hand of fate, nurturing yet weathered by my very own ideals. We all wish for better days. And toil to heal.” gyrofield

gyrofield has released music on prominent labels including Critical, Overview and Noisia's Vision. Last year she released the album A Faint Glow of Bravery on Metalheadz, and the EP These Heavens for XL’s prestigious house bag series, which has previously showcased music by Blawan, Joy Orbison and Overmono.

gyrofield is a regular on NTS and an in-demand DJ, whilst radio/club support has come from Mary Anne Hobbs, Objekt, Special Request and DJ Flight. Press fans include Rolling Stone, Crack, The Quietus, The Fader, DJ Mag and Resident Advisor.

“Scintillating - a sonic portrait of heaven that takes drum & bass and imbues it with the divine” Resident Advisor

“An artist whose journey and sound are quite unlike those of anyone else” The FADER

“Her vivid productions are a breath of fresh air in the scene” DJ Mag

“Merging the atmospheric and experimental with the melodic and emotional” Crack

“Packed with shapeshifting sounds that examine the universe and beauty of nature. Fusing atmospheric and spaced-out sounds with danceable sonics” Dummy

"She will never sit comfortably in any one genre or play to expectations or rely on any standard production formulae” UKF

Back with a bang for 2025, FABRICLIVE re-enters the fabric Records fold, which also incorporates Houndstooth and fabric Originals.

La Flemme is a dynamic quartet from Marseille, blending garage pop and psychedelic vibes. Comprised of Jules, Stella, Charles, and Ronie, they formed with a goal to release their debut album, La Fête, on April 25th, With their energetic sound and introspective tracks, La Flemme embodies the raw spirit of Marseille, marking their arrival as a vibrant force in the French rock scene. "La FLEMME emerges like a colorful whirlwind on the French musical landscape, drawing its audience into a universe where garage pop sounds, psychedelic textures and undeniable nervous energy mingle. Hailing from Marseille, this group of young musicians has already left its mark on the floors of French concert halls, each having previously explored the world of music within various projects. Jules, Stella, Charles and Ronie, respectively associated with Technopolice, Flathead, Tense of Fools and Avenoir, Tessina joined forces after a lazy night, deciding to create a new musical entity together. Their initial goal was simple: to get on stage for a concert within the next two months. And the result lived up to their aspirations: catchy tunes, imbued with the frenetic energy of garage rock and the desire for psychedelic sound exploration, etched in the auditory memory of their audience. La FLEMME unveiled a self-titled debut EP in 2024, with the hit tracks "Somnifères" and "Bruxisme". They now return with an album entitled "La Fête", due April 25, 2025 on EXAG' Records. "

2025 Repress

Revenge Techniques presents "The TAFKAMP Club Experience Volume 1" - a selection of trax carefully crafted for your dancefloor pleasure! Featured on this release are "Binnenweg 2" - a catchy and melancholic TAFKAMP-style anthem. On the flipside you will find (by popular demand) the highly anticipated "First Rush" track as well as a remix for "I LAF YOU", previously and originally released on Paling Trax but this time reworked by young producer promise Tomas Kunkel!

“Lift off! Full throttle!! Bounce off!!! Interstellar ballistic mode!!!!!

Earth has gone crazy again, so set course to imaginary -M-E-L-M-A-K- nebula and its planetary, two-suns system – the refuge for sanity…

Since their last release in 2004 the duo Prarhamansah remained somewhat active in local underground but haven’t released anything officially. This is their first official 12” single release for years and is featuring remixes from friends – fellow artists – who also gravitate around the provincial Bulgaria’s homemade electronica dealers from -M-E-L-M-A-K-.

Have your seat on a trip where small-community-artists demonstrate their own versions of various propulsion technologies imagined by mankind.

fabric Records has enlisted Turkish-Italian DJ and producer Carlita for the next instalment of its prestigious mix compilation series, ‘fabric presents’. Set for full release on April 11, fabric presents Carlita will showcase her meticulous curation, featuring two new original tracks.

The double vinyl sampler features eight full length tracks taken from Carlita’s mix. Her two exclusives ‘Raf’ and ‘Stop Now’ are cut to A1 and C1 respectively.
The two black vinyl plates are 140g and are packaged in black inners, inside a matt printed reverse board printed sleeve. The vinyl package accompanies the CD, digital download and streaming of fabric presents Carlita mixed compilation across all major platforms on 11th April 2025.

The announcement of Carlita’s mix arrives alongside the release of the first single, “Raf,” a collaboration with Toronto producer Andre Zimmer, out now via fabric Records. “Raf” is a high-energy fusion of classic house and rave influences, crafted with the dancefloor in mind. The track pairs infectious, soulful vocal elements with punchy synth stabs and rolling breakbeats, all anchored by a deep, groovy tech-house bassline. “Raf,” along with an additional original from Carlita, “Stop Now,” is nestled among storied house and techno juggernauts such as Butch, Alex Metric, and Paco Osuna, as well as rising underground producers Prunk, Toman, Alinka, and more.

Beyond the club and festival circuit, Carlita is a leading figure at the intersection of music and fashion. She’s been featured in British Vogue and on the cover of Vogue Italia, performed at exclusive events for Louis Vuitton, Versace, and Fendi, and curated performances featuring The Blessed Madonna and Heron Preston at her own multi-sensory Senza Fine parties. Most recently, she collaborated with Audemars Piguet to mark the release of her debut album, Sentimental.

Carlita (real name Carla Frayman) comes from a background of musical mastery, having played classical cello for the Royal Academy of Music in London in her earlier years (after learning to play piano at age 3). Since her earliest memories, Frayman has never stopped developing her musical talent, picking up more instruments, learning music theory, and after university, saving up enough money to pursue it full time. She hasn’t stopped chasing her dreams and is now playing high-profile DJ slots (check out her Cercle set at Cinecittà in Rome), and has quickly risen as a producer with her phenomenal debut album Sentimental on Ninja Tune last year, as well as remixes for Disclosure and RÜFÜS DU SOL.

Coming up, Carlita be performing at festivals and clubs in Puerto Rico, Switzerland, Germany, and many more. On April 12, celebrating her fabric presents release, Carlita will be taking over Room 2 at fabric alongside Jennifer Loveless, Tommy Gold, and Pedrose.

A Chaos Of Flowers is an album that builds on their ferocious 2023 album nature morte. BIG|BRAVE"s music has been described as massive minimalism. Their fusillades of textural distortion and feedback emphasize their music"s frayed edges as much as its all-encompassing weight. The potency of the trio"s work is their singular artistry combining elements of traditional folk techniques and a modern deconstruction of guitar music. Gain, feedback, and amplitude are essential. For A Chaos Of Flowers guitarist/vocalist Robin Wattie drew heavily on the poems of artists whom Wattie found kinship in, their words resonant with experiences of those often sidelined by cultural norms. "I discovered that most poems from folk traditions or in the public domain seem to be by men - to which I could not quite relate. In my search, I rediscovered some of my favorite works and poets," says Wattie. Guitarist Mathieu Ball and drummer Tasy Hudson help Wattie shape poetry into pieces as dense and impenetrable as they are vulnerable. BIG|BRAVE achieve their colossal sound through minimalist approaches, a deft understanding of dynamics and an inventive employment of percussion and distortion. The trio reconceptualize what it is to be heavy or minimal, challenging perceptions with their illumination of painfully overlooked perspectives. Guest guitarist Marisa Anderson lends earthen, blues-inflected atmospheres to the album, where guitarist Tashi Dorji and saxophonist Patrick Shiroishi amplify the squall. Working closely with frequent collaborator and producer/engineer Seth Manchester, the internal tumult of Wattie"s voice rings out in warbles, haunting echoes, and unearthly harmonies across bold immense walls of distortion. BIG|BRAVE have collaborated with metal monsters The Body on a previous Thrill Jockey release, Leaving None But Small Birds, and have toured internationally with bands like SUMAC, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, SUNN O))), and Lingua Ignota. As they continue to ascend in their journey as pioneers in the contemporary metal scene, it"s safe to say that BIG|BRAVE are here to stay.

The resistance continues! Sev Dah returns to PROLETARIJAT013 with a four-track weapon forged in the fires of relentless, old-school hypnotic techno spirit. Paljba and Juriš - names that echo the battle cries of past uprisings - unleashing raw, driving rhythms, spiraling loops, and relentless tensions straight to the frontlines.No compromise. No surrender!

Rinse France branches out with a brand new label of its own and who better to inaugurate it than Paris-based Beatrice M. The producer makes a knowing nod to dubstep's golden era on this debut with the first version of 'Magic.' It is built on steppy rhythms with seriously wobbling basslines that are all-consuming. Glitchy effects and shimmering synths finish it in style and leave you dreaming of dubstep dances gone by. The B-side is a Techno Mix that reimagines the original with a driving four-on-the-floor rhythm and plenty of richly atmospheric pads.

Dan Piu and Grant's Theory of Movement project has served up gold for lovers of heady tech and minimal. After something of a hiatus, it is now back on When The Morning Comes with more of the sort of tuneage that is going to quickly sell out and soon become the ID request du jour at your favourite underground parties. These are of course sophisticated sounds from the silky house bumps of 'Now & Then' with its seductive vocal allure to the throwback 90s sounds of 'Over Time' (Acid Mix). 'Basis' (Foundation mix) is another immediately classic house sound with analogue and dusty drums and zippy melodies next to more smooth chords. 'Motion Of Objects' shuts down with a more zoned-out vibe and widescreen melodic architecture for late nights.

We are proud to present the Singapore-based artist Case Woo. Yet unknown here in Europe he started his musical career 10 years ago with 80's New Wave synthetic sounds. Originally released on the Muller offshoot Lifetime Music in 2002, we are happy to offer some original 2004 Muller press copies! Some of these tracks represent a sound that is looked for by DJ's with great interest again today. From more straightforward synth-led Techno to the more Electroclashy sound, it's all in there!

Rafael Marín, best known as Rapha Mundi, is back on Buenobueno Discos with a solid 6 track EP titled Bonanza. The super prolific, hard working hero from the small town of Murchante, in Spain, keeps pushing boundaries on his personal journey through music.

On this record Rapha explores the deeper sides of House and Techno with a minimalistic production and a truly amazing sense for hypnotic grooves. Always club ready, always dj friendly. He also even delivers a beautiful ambient track called 'Otra Luz' as the cherry on top.

Also don't miss his show 'Slaps U' on Relativa Radio where he shines as an incredible record selector.

ISA003 levels off our continued journey of navigating through quality music. ‘Demure’ by PHEEK seamlessly glides between paradigms of ambient soundscapes and minimal techno while MIHAI POPOVICIU hits in true tech fashion with a stellar remix.

AISSA RECORDS is a Montreal boutique vinyl sub-label of SULEIMAN RECORDS. Founded by DJ/producer Darem Aissa, the name of the imprint pays homage to Syrian poet Suleiman Al-Aissa, one of the most prominent contemporary Arab poets.

"Underground EP" is an immersive dub experience from Domino Vibes. It's the third release from theyoung but promising romanian label, that stays true to its groovy dub-techno sound.

Especially tailored for the clubgoer, the opener "Soirée Privée" is an odissey into
monotonal synth themes played in a echo chamber, a pumping kick accompanied by syncopatedperccussion accents lost in delay reflections.The whole rhythmic construction drives the dance forward to a hypnotic state that finally locks in an endless loop.

"Night Drive" is recorded with a playful wit, using synth pads with rich chord harmonics all packaged with a rolling beat that drives the dancer to a realm of happiness. A must have for the DJs from the romanian underground scene, "Get Real" is the true banger of the release that will fill any Floor. It is an uncompromising crowd pleaser, with a punching kick, thick bass lines and rich synth chords ready to impress any clubgoer and guaranteed to lead you in a memorable epic state at the peak of afters. The ending act "Warmness Inc." is constructed around a solid groove, a relentless beat, a deep bass line, and a warm synth theme that carries you to an euphoric state of mind.

VALIS continues his climb with a new Ep with 3 cuts per side of pure techno tools for plastic lovers. The EP includes work from Eduardo De La Calle plus some work belonging to his new project RSCA alongside Aureal, which previously released work on Jamaika Suk's Gradient label and soon on the Berlin label Mole Audio.

BRVTAL has taken a new direction in its sonic journey, moving beyond its early sound to embrace the raw mystique of proper techno. This shift has already been reflected in recent digital releases, but BRV007 marks the first vinyl of this new era, a powerful compilation uniting top-tier international and Hungarian producers.

The record features the driving force of Italy's Alarico, the relentless energy of Croatia's Insolate, and the raw intensity of New Zealand's Keepsakes, who already collaborated with BRVTAL in other ways. Joining them are Spain-born techno heavyweight P.E.A.R.L., alongside Hungary's own CVRDWELL and the fierce alliance of Indirect Movement & AGA2L.

This is BRVTAL's boldest statement yet, uncompromising techno, pressed to wax

Fresh Blood straight from NYC, big tip!!

NYC’s underground producer Sweater On Polo back on the machines for the first release on Signal Route. “Mechanical Confusion” favors the techno and basement house approach of early 90’s Chicago innovators found on labels such as Dance Mania, Relief Records, and Saber Records. His style and approach carry a familiar old school angst, creating an intergenerational dialogue between the now and then. Going from acid house, to techno, and then synth punk, this 6 track EP captures the relentless range of the young artist.

On this 4th release, on his own imprint, London based producer Dying in Beauty presents 4 techno weapons with an old school twist. The 4 peak time tracks showcase a sound reminiscent of early Gigolo, Muller and Missile releases from the late 90s and early 2000s, ranging from EBM infused sounds to groove techno that is hard, yet always playful. This is for the players.

Process of Elimination explores sickness as a teacher for anti-capitalist modes of being; a rewilding of the self. The product of an attempt to be indestructible, this sickness has an unknown diagnosis. The only route to determine the indeterminable is via a process of elimination. Eliminate the noise so it may quieten and make space for listening to what whispers underneath, allowing a return to the present moment. Slowness and queerness as technologies, questions as answers and mysticism as a path to healing when science alone does not suffice.

London-based multidisciplinary artist El Hardwick’s sophomore album follows their experience of becoming chronically ill after years of treating their body like a machine. El explains: “After failing to receive a diagnosis, which is only given via a lengthy process of elimination, I instead turned to autonomous modes of healing rooted in mysticism and herbalism; putting aside the need to be defined. My journey towards accepting my disability is told in parallel to my coming-out as trans. I also see my non-binary identity as a process of elimination: I am neither gender, both, in-between. It is through rewilding myself from capitalism and gender normativity that I learn how to connect to my body and the earth; no longer allowing either’s energy to be extracted from. The less I sought answers, language, metrics and analysis, the more peace I found.”

Gifted Yorkshire producer Sikka delivers an outstanding 6-track selection of cuts taken from his forthcoming “Junglist Code” LP on New York’s Liondub International label. Sikka’s exciting take on 90’s Jungle is unmatched in its authenticity, musicality, drum sequencing, and soulful sample selection. These are throwback Jungle gems crafted with brilliant modern production values and techniques. Dedicated to the old school, but made for the new, these tracks maintain the sound and feel of the classic Jungle music that we came to know and love, but they are tastefully updated for 2023 by one of the most powerful, versatile and under-rated producers in the UK right now.

Das zehnte Solo-Album von Mathias Schaffhäuser heißt „Singing
About It“ und der Titel ist Programm – hier wird gesungen. Und zwar
auf fast jedem Song, und wenn nicht, dann wird wenigstens
gesprochen. Das gab es auf noch keinem Album des Wahl-Kölners.
Zwar kennt man Mathias in erster Linie als Produzent von Minimal-,
Techno- und House-Tracks, allerdings gab es auf fast allen seiner
Alben auch Stücke mit Gesang, die sich gerade in den letzten Jahren
stilistisch den Tracks auf „Singing About iti" annäherten. Der
wirkliche Unterschied zu dem, was Schaffhäuser in den letzten
dreißig Jahren veröffentlicht hat, ist die Songform, die allen Stücken
auf dem neuen Album gemeinsam ist. „Singing About It“ wurde nicht
für den Dancefloor produziert, auch wenn einige Stücke dort
durchaus eine gute Figur machen dürften.
Letztlich war der Spaß am Singen die Triebfeder hinter „Singing
About It“. Und da die Tanzfläche nicht im Fokus stand, konnten sich
auch Club-ferne Einflüsse aus experimenteller Elektronika,
verschmitztem Pop und sogar Blues und Prog-Rock mehr Raum
freischaufeln.

For the quartet led by NIGHTRAGE frontman Konstantinos Togas, 2025 is shaping up to be a stellar year. In February, Greek progressive metallers HERTA toured Eastern Europe. On May 2, 2025, the playful Athens-based group will release their debut album, “Crossing The Illusion” (LIFEFORCE RECORDS). HERTA’s sound is characterized by groove- and rhythm-driven compositions that continually offer surprises and fresh impressions. Despite the complexity and technical prowess of their music, the songs remain accessible and catchy. The band’s keen sense of atmosphere and melody shines through, creating ten eventful tracks that captivate listeners from start to finish. “Crossing The Illusion” immediately enchants with its sophisticated creativity. The band delivers impressively majestic songs that blend heaviness and pathos in a compelling mix. Guest appearances by Sakis Tolis (ROTTING CHRIST) and George Prokopiou (POEM/MOTHER OF MILLIONS) further attest to HERTA’s approach to expanding the variability and complexity of their prog metal continuously. The album was produced and mixed by Fotis Benardo at Devasoundz Studios and mastered by Johann Meyer at Silver Cord Studios. FFO: GOJIRA, LAMB OF GOD, MASTODON and MACHINE HEAD

Heavy, mind-warping techno built for the late-night sessions. Kosh delivers deep, rolling basslines and spaced-out textures with pure underground energy. A must-have for selectors who like it deep and driving.

Radio Slave (Rekids) : Feeling "Whiplash"...
Laurent Garnier : cool EP
Ben Sims : Now downloading. Will check asap!
Marcel Dettmann : thx
Enzo Siragusa (FUSE) : Really nice EP!
Raresh (ar:pi:ar) : thanks
Archie Hamilton (Microhertz / FUSE) : Lovely stuff
Dorian Paic (Raum Musik) : No Exit is the one for me. Thx for the promo.
Truncate : Nice cuts
KT (Space Dust / Sisu) : Belter EP
Jerome Sydenham (Ibadan) : Downloaded for Jerome Sydenham
Domenic Cappello (Subclub) : nice release
Chloé Caillet (Smile Records) : love this!
Italojohnson (Italojohnson) : No exit for me
Darko Esser / Tripeo (Balans / Clone) : Kosh always delivers. Straight in the bag!
Mystic Bill (Classic / Trax / Relief) : Great release here, thanks!
Fred Everything (Lazy Days Music / 20:20 Vision) : Enjoying the dubby Whiplash, thanks!
Ame (Innervisions) : thanks
Ryan Elliott (Faith Beat) : Whiplash!!
Bill Brewster (NTS) : Lost in change is v good.
Harri (Sub Club) : nice, will play and support
Tal Fussman (Survival Tactics / Innervisions / Cod3QR / Drumpoet / Rekids) : nice one!!
Greg Gow (Restructured / Transmat / KMS) : great vibes will play out
Bake (All Caps/Rinse FM) : sick. thank you!
Enrica Falqui (ERIS, Plexus 4) : Love it!

Lael Neale's minimalist drone pop draws inspiration from the Transcendentalists, the alienation of modern life, and a rich array of musical influences-ranging from Dionne Warwick and John Lennon to primitive American gospel and Spacemen 3. Her expansive new record, Altogether Stranger, due May 2, was written and recorded in the early morning quiet of Los Angeles. Clocking in at just 32 minutes, the 9-song LP covers an unexpected breadth of musical and lyrical terrain-from garage rock nursery rhymes and creation myths to Motorik dance dirges and solitary Omnichord meditations. A brilliant lyricist, Neale has a unique ability to uncover the extraordinary within the mundane, tackling themes of polarity that recur throughout her work-country vs. city, humanity vs. technology, isolation vs. society. This album is her third collaboration with producer Guy Blakeslee who helps expand the tonal palette while staying true to Neale's commitment to the raw immediacy and hand-made intimacy of home recording. Altogether Stranger - a stunning album filled with dreamlike reverie, Neale's crystalline voice, and echoes of the Velvet Underground - was conceived after four years of oscillating between rural solitude and urban chaos. It finds Neale perched at the piano in a hilltop bungalow, looking down on a rare curve of Sunset Blvd. Here, in this daily ritual of writing, singing, and painting-what David Lynch referred to as "the Art Life"-she creates the space for her most adventurous work to date. Born and raised in Virginia's idyllic countryside, Neale brought the high-lonesome sound of her home state with her when she moved to California to pursue music. After years of writing songs on guitar and playing small venues in Los Angeles, she discovered the Omnichord in 2019, which sparked a new creative direction. This led to her 2021 Sub Pop debut album, Acquainted With Night. That album's 2023 follow-up, Star Eaters Delight, deepened the collaboration with Blakeslee, infusing minimalist soundscapes with a heightened electric energy. The album found a devoted audience, and Neale's subsequent tour included sold-out shows in Los Angeles, New York City, London, and Paris, multiple trips across Europe, and a West Coast run supporting kindred spirit Weyes Blood. This marked yet another return to Los Angeles. Indeed, Los Angeles is not just the backdrop of Altogether Stranger but a lead character. The album's accompanying film - created with Neale's faithful Sony Handycam - builds on her ongoing series of videos, telling the story of Neale as an alien in a suit of mirrors stranded on Earth. Wandering through modern-day LA, she finds both absurdity and beauty in our fragile, untenable way of life. Over the long year it took to write Altogether Stranger, Neale vacillated between childlike optimism and existential melancholy. While she may not have been able to reconcile these opposing states, Altogether Stranger represents an ambitious breakthrough for this singular, self-sufficient artist.

Magic Water Records proudly returns with its second release featuring Dutch artist Nathan Homan. His “Lost Stop” EP delivers four club-ready (techno-)house tracks in his signature style, limited to 300 copies. Vinyl only.

Mit schweren RiffsɎ präzisem Schlagzeug und experimentellen Samples verschiebt das Album die Grenzen des Metalcores
Lyrisch behandelt es Themen wie KampfɎ Rebellion und technologische Ängste
Tracks wie "Reverie In Atonement" und "The Prototype" bieten emotionale Höheɞ punkte und Tiefen

Sediment is an assemblage of field recordings made in the Swiss canton of Jura on a single day in August 2022. Jura's rock and limestone formations create a complex topology which hosts a diversity of sound spaces; human, more-than-human, geophonic, subterranean and extra-terrestrial. By walking and driving through this landscape curious pockets of activity are revealed to the listener. The layers of strata that make up Jura; earth, rock, forest, cables, pipes, factories, planes and radio towers inform the sound strata. These recordings incorporate and embrace these many layerings; the acoustic, radio, magnetic, vibrational, tectonic, resonant.

Over the course of a day Tim Shaw and Laurent Güdel followed their ears, they visited forests, mountains, rivers, hydroelectric plants, caves, radio broadcast towers, wind turbines, train tracks, sacred wells, man made tunnels and abandoned factories, harvesting sounds from this tangled and ever-changing soundscape. Using various listening devices they attempted to listen into the full spectrum of activity, hydrophonic, geophonic, air-pressure, electromagnetic and radio.

Sounds harvested include pieces of limestone being submerged into water, electromagnetic fall out from cell towers, the resonance of a limestone processing factory, VLF radio, the mechanisms of infrastructure, radio controlled airplanes and acoustic signals. These files are mixed and blended together to create a new stratification.

The final compositions were separately pieced together in each of the artist's studios using the collective corpus of recordings. The result is two different sonic interpretations of this layered, ancient and complex landscape.

Tim Shaw works with sound, light, and communication media to create performances, installations, and site-responsive interventions. His practice spans environmental sound art, digital media, media archaeology and walking. He frequently presents his work at festivals, in forests, caves, warehouses, up mountains, and in museums and art galleries all over the world.

Laurent Güdel explores analogue synthesis, phonography, and sound archives through multi-channel electroacoustic compositions, live performances, installations, and audio publications. His work explores the politics of sound, the means of production of early electronic music, and the archaeology of audio technologies, their infrastructures and institutions. He is also co-curator of Kopfhörer, a series dedicated to live experimental music.

Listen to This.” As the original working title for Bitches Brew, the instruction and invitation remains to this day as the best way to approach a record that shattered conventions, altered music history, and, 55 years later, still sounds far ahead of its time. The template for jazz fusion, Bitches Brew is rightly ranked by virtually every significant outlet among the 100 greatest albums ever made. Sewn together with vibrant colors, voodoo textures, and ethereal moods, the 1970 landmark emerges with supreme detail and nonpareil feeling on Mobile Fidelity’s UltraDisc One-Step 180g 33RPM 2LP vinyl set.

Sourced from the original master tapes, strictly limited to 5,000 numbered copies, and pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, this definitive-sounding 55th anniversary reissue enhances every element of a double album that established new possibilities for studio recording techniques. You’ll hear wide and deep soundstages, separation between instruments, and an extremely broad dynamic range. If ever a jazz album can be said to have gone to outer space and back, this is it.

Sourced from the original master tapes, strictly limited to 5,000 numbered copies, and pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, this definitive-sounding 55th anniversary reissue enhances every element of a double album that established new possibilities for studio recording techniques. You’ll hear wide and deep soundstages, separation between instruments, and an extremely broad dynamic range. If ever a jazz album can be said to have gone to outer space and back, this is it.

Davis conceived Bitches Brew by having the musicians stand in a semi-circle. There, he pointed at them with vague directions for tempo, solos, and cues. The collective improvisation and interplay spawned a galaxy of melodies and grooves that were later spliced together by producer Ted Macero. Benefitting from the ultra-low noise floor and superb groove definition of this pressing, these distinct creations take shape with utmost realism. Compositions stretch across jet-black backgrounds and paint canvases laden with millions of colors and shades. Juxtaposed percussion, loose jams, and melodic segues explode with impressionistic verve.

Bitches Brew also boasts visionary artwork. By design, the lavish packaging and gorgeous presentation of the UD1S Bitches Brew set call attention to such matters. Housed in a deluxe slipcase, it features special foil-stamped jackets and faithful-to-the-original graphics that illuminate the splendor of the recording. It is made for discerning listeners who desire to fully immerse themselves in everything surrounding the album, from the images to the tones. And this is one effort where every last detail matters.

Gathering a Hall of Fame-worthy lineup of musicians and tweaking it according to his desires, Davis follows through on his idea to “put together the greatest rock and roll band you ever heard.” Central to his proposition is the presence of two (and sometimes three) drummers and two bassists, a tactical move that makes rhythms a central focus. Akin to the futuristic album cover art, the drum-driven suites head toward distant universes and uncharted territories. At once hypnotizing and grooving, they chart maverick adventures via quixotic rock, funk, and R&B elements.

A without-a-net experiment involving interchangeable double-quintet lineups, Bitches Brew explores the previously unimaginable with electrified instruments — Fender Rhodes piano, processed trumpet, dissonant guitars, and bass among them — and an emphasis on feeling over composition. Mesmerizing and soothing, jarring and smooth, overt and subtle: The music seemingly covers an entire map of emotions and sensations, and like no record before, ties together the groundbreaking creativity of the multiple disciplines that were changing popular culture at the end of the 1960s and dawn of a new decade.

Conceptually, Davis described Bitches Brew as “a novel without words” and “an incredible journey of pain, joy, sorrow, hate, passion, and love.” The vast psychedelic expanses of warped echoes, liquid reverb, and tape loops confirm such ambitious contrasts of light and dark, fear and hope. Yet the most absolute characteristic of the watershed effort lies in how it resists definitive interpretation and encourages free thought — the very principles Davis used to conceive Bitches Brew.

More About Mobile Fidelity UltraDisc One-Step and Why It Is Superior
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab’s UltraDisc One-Step (UD1S) technique bypasses generational losses inherent to the traditional three-step plating process by removing two steps: the production of father and mother plates, which are created to yield numerous stampers from each lacquer that is cut. For UD1S plating, stampers (also called “converts”) are made directly from the lacquers. Since each lacquer yields only one stamper, multiple lacquers need to be cut. Mobile Fidelity's UD1S process produces a final LP with the lowest-possible noise floor. The removal of two steps of the plating process also reveals musical details and dynamics that would otherwise be lost due to the standard multi-step process. With UD1S, every aspect of vinyl production is optimized to produce the best-sounding vinyl album available today.

Coming from a diverse background of equal amounts hip hop and rock, the producer behind the alias of nrl:ndr got into dance music late in his musical career. After playing in kraut-oriented bands like So Many Mammals, parts of that group reformed into the live techno outfit Tren Né, with the goal of fusing techno elements with live drums. Playing for illegal raves with a punk-like energy, nrl:ndr has cemented his relationship with his machines in service of the dance floor.

But his solo debut on blundar is quite far removed from that scene. To understand this music, one should be aware of the conditions under which it was manufactured. Reluctant to consider himself an artist in the traditional sense, nrl:ndr makes his music free of anticipation and without apparent goals. To glean into this outré musical space is like putting one's ear to the boarded up windows of the photograph that adorn the front sleeve.

The album makes extensive use of the Roland JV-2080, a sample-based synth rack from 1996 with a distinctly clean sound. Our producer dives deep into the expansion cards (labeled after genres like “Hip Hop” and “World”) for curious and sometimes cheesy samples. But he also forces the JV-2080 to do things which are not its forte, like the arduous task of programming decent kick drums.

Another technique that is testament to his experimental view on music making, is the idea of using sketches of unfinished tracks with different time signatures, and mash them together into something new - of which the results of one of these experiments can be heard on the closing track and its bilingual conversation between ambient and tribal.

Full of stunted rhythms and eerie melodies, the unclassifiable nature of the music of nrl:ndr lies somewhere in the vicinity of IDM, classical avant garde and private press synth. From the epic opening track - echoing the post-kraut drumming style of Michael Shrieve - to juggling with chopped up vocal samples and treading into almost trap-like territories on A4, he crosses into a multitude of genres without getting his hands too dirty with nostalgia.

Dateline: April 10, 1970. Setting: The storied Fillmore West in San Francisco, CA. Context: Miles Davis, three days removed from his first session for Jack Johnson and, with newly recruited soprano saxophonist Steve Grossman in tow, opening shows for countercultural heroes the Grateful Dead on the latter’s home turf. Result: The initial rumblings of a thrilling era in which Davis and his cohorts would again upend jazz and popular conceptions of the genre with music steeped in groove, improvisation, and hang-on-for-your-life adventurousness. All captured on Black Beauty: Miles Davis at Fillmore West.

Mastered at MoFi’s California studio, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, Mobile Fidelity's numbered-edition 180g 33RPM 2LP set helps bring what went down that spring evening in Bill Graham’s venue to your listening room with exceptional clarity, balance, and presence. Originally only released in Japan in 1973 and unavailable in the United States until the late ‘90s on compact disc, this marks the first time Black Beauty has been issued on domestic vinyl. The wait is worth it.

Benefitting from quiet surfaces and excellent definition, these LPs present the band’s livewire energy and torrential storm of notes with captivating dynamics, pacing, and fullness. At its core, this audiophile reissue takes you into the walls of sound erected by a band learning on-the-fly the sheer power, will, and breadth of the electric jazz Davis was orchestrating and realizing, on the spot, would reach rock audiences that until that point had only a faint awareness of his mad-scientist experimentation. The sense of release and reach conveyed by these carefully restored records make it clear the veteran bandleader was in the process of a permanent shift that he’d chase for the next five years.

Given Davis was only a few months away from releasing the pioneering double album Bitches Brew, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that much of the fare here adheres to similar explorative approaches. Turbulent rhythms, provocative trumpet passages, and rich, saturated tonal colors that seemingly splash against a blank canvas take precedence over any traditional attempts at organization and melody. Davis and Co. intentionally play everything on a line with the bandleader signaling changes with his horn via coded phrases. The group speaks a common language — with each member having gone to achieve iconic status for their career contributions and technical prowess.

In the company of Grossman, Chick Corea (piano), Dave Holland (bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums), and Airto Moreira (percussion), Davis constructs themes around “Directions,” “Miles Runs the Voodoo Down,” “It’s About That Time,” the title track to Bitches Brew, and more from his then most-recent studio works and the in-progress Jack Johnson. His farewell to the popular standards that for nearly two decades remained a part of his repertoire arrive via a brief dalliance with “I Fall in Love Too Easily,” a shortened albeit aggressive “Masqualero,” and the “Theme” finale of “Spanish Key.” Initially, Black Beauty lacked specific track listings due to Davis’ increasing frustration with listeners over-analyzing his music.

In retrospect, it’s difficult to blame anyone for wanting to view what’s on display here with the aural equivalent of a magnifying glass. Leaning in rock directions, yet maintaining an ear for spaciousness and solos, Black Beauty survives as a snapshot of a thrilling moment amid a transitory period in which evolution came fast and furious. Just two months later, Davis would add another instrumentalist to the lineup in the form of organist Keith Jarrett, and the perpetually restless visionary would blast off to a more atmospheric and arguably more chaotic universe.

Consider, then, this live document a bridge to that galaxy and a breathtaking example of the possibilities of jazz itself.

EYA Records continues to deliver top-tier techno, house, and electro, and their latest record is no exception. This time, they’re shining a spotlight on Italian producer Mennie. The Plan EP is a sonic experience that flawlessly merges hypnotic beats, cutting-edge melodies, and an infectious dancefloor vibe.

Luke's Anger (real name Luke Sanger) delivers his first outing on Love Love, Ceiling Walker. Sanger is a relentlessly interesting hero of the underground, probably best known as a techno and electro producer and an active player in the live experimental techno scene across Europe, notably including multiple appearances at Berghain/PanoramaBar. Based out of Norwich, UK, Luke has put out a plethora of banging records for two decades in styles from across the rave spectrum on some of our favourite record labels like Tigerbeat6, Don't and Sneaker Social Club, as well as an increasing amount of more ambient-leaning releases under his real name in recent years. Recognised as a true techno stalwart, Luke has received support from the likes of Surgeon, Dave Clarke, The Advent and Jerome Hill.

This EP fits firmly into the 'banging' camp - more than a nod to classic stateside sci-fi electro stylings as well as UK dance music's bleep techno bass foundations, this is popping, caustic, mechanical phunk expertly engineered to make you shake and wiggle. Particle Swarm kicks the EP off with strung-out synth chirps and plenty of latex squelch before moving onto the bounciest number, Threshold Rider, with buoyant bassline droplets poking through a solid 808 framework. On the flipside, title track Ceiling Walker utilises rushing crescendos and fluttering analogue rhythms to keep the dancefloor in rapture while closer, Silicon Boogie, achieves maximum levels of funk by aptly juxtaposing digi vocal snippets against square wave bass.

Immortal Onion haben sich als eine der aufregendsten Acts der neuen polnischen Jazzwelle etabliert. Ihr einzigartiger Stil geniesst internationale Anerkennung, was sich in Gigs in 25 Ländern Europas und Asiens widerspiegelt. Die neue LP "Technaturalism" geht über Jazz hinaus und bietet eine fesselnde Mischung aus elektronischer Hardstyle-Energie und zarten, lyrischen Momenten, in der die Band moderne Technologie mit organischer Sensibilität verbindet. Das in Eigenregie geschriebene, aufgenommene, produzierte und gemischte Album gab ihnen die Freiheit, einen wahrhaft originellen Sound zu kreieren. Das Vinyl wurde von Stefan Betke bei Scape Mastering gemastert.