Search:pro tech

Return of the UK producer Allen Saei aka Aubrey on the mighty Barba label is another bold statement in the discography of this well-versed artist. Building on the relationship with the Burek/Barba/Pomalo family established through remixes of Information Ghetto's "Inspiration" track (Burek 2013), DJ Stingray's "Communication System" (Barba 2015) and his solo "Clock Funk EP" (Barba 2017), for this record Aubrey presents us with a continuation of his previous Barba release, simplistically titled "Clock Funk 2" EP. As is to be expected from a guy who's been spending time in the studio for better part of the last three decades, this 12" is pure techno, in the best sense of the word. As mature and consistent as the previous record of the series, we have Aubrey building on that ground and expanding the range into more abrasive and rough on one side, and even more subtle and humane on the other. A1, titled "Clock Funk 2" is among the subtle ones. Beautiful cascading keys, glitchy synth bleeps and lead lines intertwine into a gorgeous composition grounded by a driving bassline and counterpinted with distorted ride cymbals. Uniquely sounding track which draws influences from many corners of the planet. A2, titled "Sel Moulo" sets a point for the other side of the spectrum. The heaviest and roughest, it locks the frame in which this EP works. Direct, abstract and firmly aimed towards the dancefloor, this cut is for the peak moment of the night when its combination of jacking beats and trippy leads will just push the craziness off the edge. B1, the most humane and gentle track on the EP, "Triads" is a perfect match for the A1 cut, although slower and calmer. Again, the similar approach is used, where the perfectly tuned combination of small synth and keys elements form a complex image which will stay ingrained into anyone's mind once you play it in the right moment. Again, it's hard not to reach for the word "beautiful" when describing this one. B2, Ghost Mist, is on the other hand a match for the heavy A2, but also not as intense. A repetitive affair, with abstract synth lines and disharmonic pads serving as an emotion injection just when they're needed. Common thread moving through all four cuts is an infectious groove intertwined with synth lines that would not be misplaced amongst the best examples of space-influenced techno music firmly grounded on the floor. All that, pressed onto a heavy duty 180 gram vinyl and beautifully packaged in an original artwork by local artist EmaEmaEma.

In 1990, raising their voices over the sound of Neuropolitique's 'Mind you don't trip' Sebastian S. and Mike DMA (Direct Memory Access) met, breaking the ice by swapping opinions on LFO and 808 State. They later went on to create the first live configuration of BWP Experiments (Bad Woofer Posse Experiments, for more info see basicmoves), and produced dozens of tracks together which, for the most part, were live takes and remain unreleased. Only
a few made it out into the world, and to this day have stayed well under the (discogs) radar:
Our Techno Theory' was put out on an 8-tracker cassette by Research and Development,
while only two productions 'Escape' and 'Pay your taxes' were pressed on vinyl for the same
imprint. Now Sebastian S. (aka Caustic 14) returns to the label with two previously unreleased tracks
found in his personal archive. 'Excalibur' was produced in tandem with Mike during the last
session the pair ever did in Sebastian's studio (Z'ha'dum) in 1996. It's a vibrant hommage to
their common passion outside of music: Sci-fi. This track refers specifically to the series Babylon
5 , which was a revolution in the genre, and the first tv series to outdo Star Trek (the intergalactic
reference since the early 1960's). The idea of being 'united against darkness' was key to the
series, and the motto remained essential for Sebastian, Mike and Deg's music productions,
collaborations, live shows and dj sets. The influence of what had been a passion since
childhood can be felt in their sound: unconsciously they had dreamt up the soundtrack to their
own space journey. The second track 'Cliffhanger', a solo production by Sebastian S., is a dig from several years
earlier (1994). The Detroit influence is strong here, yet the signature Caustic 14 "space opera"
melodies hold their ground and shine out.
We are very proud to propel this Belgian electronic music heritage out into the world.

In memory of Matt Cogger.

walrus & islas , September 2018.

Deep late 80's percussion LP created to accompany contemporary jazz-dance classes. African instrumentation meets Western Jazz arrangements and computer technology. TIP!
.
Percussions Pour La Danse was a collaboration between North American born jazz & contemporary-dance instructor Tony Kennybrew and French musician Jean-Pierre Boistel. Tony, a Washington native who had studied, taught and danced professionally since the age of 12, found himself in France in the late 80's. It's here that he linked up with like-minded musician Jean-Pierre; who had recently returned from a 6-month trip to West Africa. A trip that helped refine his craft that begun in the early 70's.

The music was created for Tony to use when teaching contemporary jazz-dance classes and to accompany live performance, allowing students to 'dance slowly, rapidly and change speeds without changing the tempo!'. This work of rhythmic research was based on the 'Balance of The Walk'; in 4 times, in 6 times, in 7 times & in 3 times. In order to reach the spatial possibilities he was striving for, Jean-Pierre would also use computer assisted programming to sample and re-play his own instrumentation. This allowed him to lay down the tempo of the track and then play live over the top, which in turn gave him the freedom to add the desired instruments and effects to each song.

Jean-Pierre's use of instruments such as the Kalimba, Talking Drum & Sanza gives the album a distinctly African feel, while contemporary Jazz-dance time signatures adds a unique perspective to these traditional instrumentations creating an ethereal balance between the old and new.

Optimo Music is delighted to release the new album from Lia Mice, Australian-born but UK-residing DJ, producer and instrument designer.

Here's a few words from Lia - "When I moved to London in 2015, many things changed at once - I started going to more techno and electro nights, I changed my live-set setup, and I had access to a fully-equipped recording studio through my music masters programme. At the same time I was reading a lot of books on time travel, not just science fiction but also psychology and neuroscience - like how the human brain perceives time from moment to moment, how we can experience overlapping time, and how we interact with our past and future through memory and imagination. 'The Sampler As A Time Machine' is the result of all these new influences coming together. The tracks were developed out of ongoing studio experiments interpreting these different ideas of time travel by using samplers and tape to re-sample and manipulate original music performed by me on various instruments including my voice."

Tracks from Aural Imbalance's Propagation Of Light album versioned and rendered for wax.

Just Breathe gets spotlighted on the A-side with two remixes. First up, Maps Of Hyperspace grafts his brand of dubby ambience to Simon's instrumentation for trippy chill house goodness. Off Land strips back the beats and ups the ambient bandwidth on his version to close out the side.

The B-side kicks off with Soul Solution, one of Mr. Huxtable's trademark lusicous atmospheric house tracks. Adriano Mirabile brings his techy production stylest o the desk on Fall Of Stars to wrap things.

Adam X returns to his imprint Sonic Groove with his first album in four years, a 56 minute excursion into EBM and Cyberdelic Industrial Techno titled RECON MISSION. The mission begins with beat driven hypnotic electronics that invoke paranormal illusions of Easter island mythology and Bermuda Triangle disappearances. Climbing forward the album crosses the line into harder industrial territories, conjuring visions of New York City's dystopian past and CIA shadow government experiments.

Adam's own voice adorns tracks such as "Never Ending Quest", "Modular Bodies" and the title track "Recon Mission", while manipulated dialogue samples take the stage on "Tales Of Mystery', 'Search & Retrieval' & 'Delusions Of Paranoia'. Subtle, whispered statements creep in and infect the listener's ear, guiding them deeper into mental oppression. This album is not for the faint of heart, and its meticulously detailed production stands as a testament to Adam X's enduring career in techno. Adam has survived the ups and downs of the industry while continually raising the bar for production value and sound design. RECON MISSION is a triumph, ahead of the curve of modern industrial techno. This is not a throwback, this is Future EBM.

Following his previous releases on respected imprints such as Optimo Trax and last year's remix of Romanthony's 'Give U Up' on Glasgow Underground, Jasper introduces his own label with two of his most ID'd weapons over the last few months, 'Crypto' and 'These Are The Beats'.

The lead track 'Crypto' is a hypnotic builder showcasing a new, musical maturity expertly applied to his own productions. Digging deeper into the house and techno sounds he has been playing around the world since his early twenties, his heads down production sound is inspired by deeper moments on the dancefloor, whilst retaining the energy his own DJ sets are internationally renowned for.

On the flip 'These Are The Beats' rolls out more hypnotic lead lines and drum machine rolls to further the themes established by Crypto, plunging the dancer into a deeper state of consciousness without forgetting the dancefloor energy needed to hold your attention in the early hours of the morning.

The sound of Jasper's recent productions are the result of years of musical development; birthed in the basements of Subclub and refined the world over. Mitchell Street Records is a reflection of his own musical tastes, an outlet to showcase the music he loves to play.

With her debut album Self Fulfilling Prophecy, released by InFiné last June, the French producer closed the loop on the first sequence of her life. A sequence filled with transformations, encounters and collaborations: her successive moves to Montréal and Berlin (where she was closely involved with feminist activism), and her foundational residency at Detroit's Underground Resistance, among others, informed her authentic, global-minded techno aesthetic. The aptly-named Self Fulfilling Prophecy is thus the honest expression of a artist who has found herself at the center of techno activism, an eloquent testimonial to 'how today's electronic is made.' With the necessary hindsight and application, La Fraicheur has created an opus that blends raging techno with more atmospheric moments. An opus that is now being reviewed in light of the electronic scene's main pillar: the dancefloor. 'Self Fulfilling Prophecy remixes' recasts in vinyl version the Techno esprit of La Fraicheur´s original album with four reworks, which condition the dancers to unstoppable footwork as much as they open the listeners 'minds up. On the A-side, an activist of the Polish scene, VTSS is a leading figure in the protest against conservatism, racism and ambient homophobia and one of the founders of the Brutaz parties in Warsaw. She rocks 'Eau Troubles' in an 'industrial' soundscape, as disturbing as fascinating

In just a year of existence, Chloé's Lumière Noire has brought emerging artists and promising newcomers together - and this first compilation of 13 brand new tracks expands the roster, exposing the label's eclectic vision in full daylight. When Chloé talks about her label, she puts forward the fundamental values that informed her own musical journey, her trust in her own musical taste - and, of course, the predominance of human relationships: 'I followed
my bliss and only commissioned tracks from artists that I respect and whose music I love. That to me is Lumière Noire's musical palette.' With this 13- track, unmixed compilation, Chloé makes a case for a label aesthetic that is based in open-mindedness. Familiar, elemental Lumière Noire artists are represented, as are new faces, producing a kind of group photo presaging what's next for the fledgling label. Lyon's Markus Gibb leads the track listing with Kuru with a deep chiaroscuro matching the label's ethos, followed by other mainstays Il Est Vilaine's Farenheit 451, which evokes Ray Bradbury's retro-dystopic angst with the
band's usual electro-pop elegance. Sutja Gutierrez, who released in debut EP, The Legend of Time on Lumière Noire in April, pursues his electro Shamanism with the ceremonial Allodoxaphobia, while Iñigo Vontier (whose EP Aluxes came out on the label in late 2017) brings his C O N T R A project
online with track Taurus, a further development in voodoo house. Elsewhere, Suuns lead singer Ben Shemie, who lent his fascinating art-rock croon to Recall, a single from Chloé's Endless Revisions LP, contributes A Million Kinds, a synthy, psych-pop debut that is as brilliant as it is surprising. On to the freshman class: Dutch producer Drvg Cvltvre (who gets personal kudos
from Chloé with each new 12') brings the uncompromising dark electro of his hypnotic and claustrophobic Last Rites. Jonathan Fitoussi's airy, minimalistic Cercles Polaires brings the respite of his recent Versatile Espaces Timbrés LP (a collaboration with Clemens Hourrières): 'I met him at Xavier Veilhan's
Studio Venezia at the Venice Biennale. He's a great guy, and his universe is unique,' says Chloé. Benedikt Frey's deep techno track Iaon, is on par with his smash 2017 album, Artificial, out on ESP Institute. First-timers are also part of the recruits: Bajram Bili with the ten cerebral minutes of Restart, Théo Muller with the ultra-deep Douce Transe, and Lumi, a Basque band that fuses
electronic sounds with acoustic instruments, brings the ompilation to a close with a track commissioned by Chloé. These audacious choices are anchored down with the likes of Permanent Vacation pioneer Lauer's hooky, 80s-infused Pythor ('Just like him, I was a resident of the Robert Johnson, and he was a guest of mine at one of my Lumière Noire nights at the Rex. He is one of these people whose music I highly appreciate'); Aergeworc & Franck Agrario, half of English duo Swayzak David Brown's project, weaves an ethno* mood into Grace's techno. Bringing together different generations, genres, and styles That may not necessarily be Chloé's MO. She invokes a more arbitrary, personal logic: 'I like to mix of-the-moment tracks and more timeless one, but the rule is above all 'do I love this or not'. That was my ethos when I started Lumière Noire.' In that way, the label is definitely in keeping with its time

Strut Present An Exclusive New Compilation Curated By Optimo's Jd Twitch, 'kreaturen Der Nacht', Bringing Together Classics, Rarities And Oddities From Germany's Original Post-punk And Diy Scene. 1979 To 1984 Was An Era Of Particular Artistic Upheaval In Germany As Strong Subculture Scenes Formed In Many German Cities. Emphasis Was Placed On Expression Rather Than Technical Perfection, Artistic Impact Rather Than Skill. Diy Self-organisation Prevailed With The Establishment Of Small Record Labels And Independently Produced Records And Cassettes. Bands Experimented Across Genres And Consciously Abandoned The English-speaking Mainstream With German Band Names And Lyrics. 'although We Had A Small Underground
Scene, It Was Very Vibrant,' Explains Gudrun Gut Of Malaria! 'bands Like Die Haut, My Frst Band Mania D., Malaria!... We Organised Gigs Ourselves Or Friends Would Open A Gallery And
Have Bands Playing. We Hung Around Together In A Handful Of Clubs Like Risiko Or Dschungel And Went To Gigs At So36. West Germany Had Other Regional Scenes Too: Düsseldorf And
Köln Around Der Plan And The Ata Tak Label And There Was The Hamburg Side With Abwärts. Germany Didn't Have A Real Music Industry Like The Us Or England Back Then.'
This New Collection Is A Personal Selection From Jd Twitch, Built Over Years Of Playing The Tracks In Club Sets. 'it Is Not Designed To Tell A Defnitive Story Of What Was Going On In
Germany In This Era,' He Explains. 'rather, It Is Simply An Arbitrary Collection Of Records I Adore From A Specifc Era With A Specifc Attitude That Hopefully Together Sum Up Some
Of The Musical Undercurrents In Germany At That Time.'
The Package Features A Host Of Rare And Unseen Photos From The Period Along With Extensive Interviews With Artists Including Beate Bartel (mania D.), Christoph Dreher (die Haut),
Michael Hirsch (p1/e) And Thomas Voburka (weltklang). All Tracks Are Remastered By The Carvery With Artwork By Optimo's In-house Design Man Andrew Beltran.

Written by Mårten Attling, Jeff Virgo, Robert Folkesson
Produced by Mårten Attling

D3 Allstars premieres on underground Swedish label Machine Soul Records with a vinyl release that really stands out. Dub techno and electronica with an organic twist of live bass, djembe and jews harp. Music for your mind, your body and your soul - in Dub we trust!

After a break of 6 years, Atlanta based electronic musician, producer and sound designer Richard Devine returns with a new album 'SortLave' on Venetian Snares' Timesig imprint. Recorded between 2016 and 2017 using Richard's custom built Eurorack modular system and two Nord G2 Modular units, SortLave features 12 tracks of intricate electronica that ranges from abrasive percussive experiments such as 'Revsic' to 'Astra's dazzling juxtaposition of sounds and onto the radiant ambience of the album's closer 'Takara'.

Talking about the album's genesis Devine explains 'I've been using modular synthesizers since I was 17, but have never written complete tracks using these newer systems. This was my first experiment to see if it would be possible and I probably spent about 5 years building up the systems that I used on this album.' 'I wanted the record to sound very different to my previous works which had been more cold, digital, clinical even, and had all been made using computers. The aim here was the complete opposite, to create something that felt very organic, detailed, spacious, big and warm and just as importantly, a record that you could put on and play all the way through that flowed in a seamless way.' This new approach was to prove fruitful and enabled Devine to create music in an entirely new way. 'I really wanted to break free from timeline-based music creation and do things with my hands on the fly,' he explains. 'So the tracks are more like captured snapshot performances where I could experiment and play around with the idea of probability-based sequencing for every patch, string multiple sequencers together that would feed other sequencers to come up with interesting rhythms and melodies. It was really fun coming up with new sounds this way too, I felt like I created several I haven't heard before with this album. Some of the tracks on the album were complete accidents and evolved from something that happened spontaneously. In the end I feel this is one of the best records I have released to date, so I'm very excited to share it with the world.'

Making his debut in 1995, Devine's releases for labels including Schematic, Warp Records and Detroit Underground have established him as one of the leading figures within the electronica community. In addition to his musical productions, Devine has enjoyed a lengthy and successful career in sound design, developing patches for many of the world's leading music technology businesses and working with companies such as Google and Nike.

Poker Flat Recordings drop a new four track EP from Greek Techno / House producer Thanasis Voulgaris. Under his Kindimmer moniker, Voulgaris has been putting out quality dancefloor music since 2010, including a handful of releases already for Steve Bug's iconic Poker Flat label. 'Merge', the title track sets the tone with a killer, propulsive rhythm, adding chopped up organ stabs and shuffling funky percussion. 'Swift Changes' has a similar deft touch, all slinky chords that bring about thoughts of the classic Detroit sound, while adding his own signature take. 'It's Coming' is a little harder, with a booming kick and tricky hats, before opening up into another deep bomb that will keep the more discerning floors in raptures. 'Ride With Me' flexes its funk - the groove jacks a little harder and the vibe is definitely ready to make the basements sweat.

Acid Steve's Avinit label delivers 4 more warm and throbbing London squat party Acid Techno anthems from the heart of the London Acid Techno underground. Featuring some of the major players of the scene - Geezer/Secret Hero etc. - and newer producers like Acid Steve himself, Benji 303, and Rats On Acid, this release is already being championed by the likes of Chris and Aaron Liberator.

Pleasure In Mind Records Presents It's First Vinyl Only Release. This Various Artists Includes Four Tracks By Different Producers And Aims To Showcase The Variety And Scope The Label Has Built Up Sonically. From A Housier Track By Argentinian Prodot, Going Through A More Tech And Minimalistic Groove By U Z Z V, Passing By An Experimental And Ambiental Cut By Duky To An Organic Breakbeat From Max Tolmachev & Dnlk, Pimrv001 Brings Together A Combination Of Sounds Ideal For Any Situation Or Setting.

On Board Music Comes Back With An Original Ep From Finnish Artist Mesak. Articulated Over Ambient Sounds, Idm Ballads, Futuristic Techno Textures And Unrefined Electro Beats This New Release Unrolls A Pure Masterclass Of Electronic Music. Also Known For His 90's Electro Classics Within Duo Mr. Velcro Fastener, The Veteran Producer Teams Up Here With Fellow Finnish Artists Mono Junk, Claws Costeau And Horns Specialist Antti Hevosmaa To Display His Impeccable Expertise In Crafting Rhythm And Sound. The Release Also Comes With A Splendid Full Cover Artwork From Berlin Based Painter Natacha Mankowski.

Steve Bicknell returns to his 6dimensions label, adopting his The Evader guise once again with a re- issue release titled 'Awakening The Past 2'. Returning as The Evader for the second instalment of 'Awakening The Past', this will be Steve's fourth appearance on 6dimensions and features four tracks from 1994's 'No Hats Required' EP, which dropped on influential UK label, Cosmic Records - the tracks were originally made by Steve to be played together as a segment in various combinations. This release follows outings from 6dimensions artists Jing, Metro Skim and Heartless - continuing the label's theme of illustrating the 'human mind's natural make-up'. 'No Hats Required - Track 1' displays a locked 4x4 groove, filled with tidy modulations bouncing gracefully off the kicks before 'Track 6' offers a fast-pitched looping beat with floating percussive jitters. 'Track 2' then features twisted stab sequences over a minimal drum loop before a rolling 808 beat joins oscillating bass flutters in 'Track 3'. On the flip, Bicknell presents two new tracks recorded in 2017. 'Power Of Balance' provides cross firing synth shrills layered and tough techno convolutions to generate a rising intensity, until 'Shifting Illusion' concludes the package with minimalist dubbed-out flavours whilst flush melodies harmonise with continuous pulsations.

A girl stands at an arcade machine, her eyes fixed on the glowing screen with her back turned on the world. She seems to be alone, somehow lost and yet at one with herself. The cover art (by Carmen Alt-Chaplin) for Peter Zirbs' debut album as a solo artist conveys escapism - being totally immersed in another reality, in the virtual world. His equally futuristic and retro-futuristic aesthetic is permeated with melancholy. What if we really don't exist

Peter Zirbs himself also knows how to escape: how to hunker down in the studio, hide from the outside and lose himself in the music. He emphasizes that such an escape is healing, leading to the world of the romantic. The Viennese musician and producer has always felt most comfortable straddling genres, whether techno and rock in previous band projects, or now as a solo artist combining post-minimalist dramatic synth/piano ("Firmament") with modern wave pop ("Are You Reality") and poignant ballad-kitsch ("Dreamescape"). Here there are subtle changes in emphasis gracing otherwise repetitive harmonies; there a true appreciation of pop. Ten songs - five with lyrics, five without - some threatening, some heartbreaking, all stirring. They project a world - sometimes concrete, sometimes abstract - in which can be found beauty and disquiet, love and fear, failure and perseverance. A world one is happy to get lost in while the cinema in one's head tells its own stories. (by Manuel Fronhofer)

As part of the Viennese rave and techno scene of the 1990s, multi-instrumentalist and electronic producer Peter Zirbs has released music under several pseudonyms, produced and remixed various artists, and scored a range of experimental films. He has broken down genre boundaries over the years with the variety of his output. The circle closes now. In 2018 Peter Zirbs finally steps into the spotlight as a solo artist.

"What If We Do not Exist" by Peter Zirbs is released on 19th October 2018 by Fabrique Records. Guest vocalists include Monika Heidemann (Heidemann, The Phenomenal Handclap Band, The Juan MacLean / DFA Records), Tom Walkden (Wolventrix) and Gerard McNeice.

* Packaged in re-sealable polybag with A4 artwork insert. Comes with EOC logo sticker and download code.

* Katsunori Sawa returns to his EOC (Enormous O'Clock) alias for Mirae Arts. Hailing from Kyoto (Japan), Katsunori Sawa is the co-founder of 10 Label with techno producer, Yuji Kondo. Currently producing and performing as a solo artist as well as in collaboration with Yuji Kondo (as Steven Porter), Anthone (as BOKEH), and Chafik Chennouf (founder of Leyla Records). EOC debuted on the legendary UK label Ai Records in 2008 with an album called Information Warfare. Katsunori Sawa has since then developed a catalogue of deep techno escapades for labels such as Weevil Neighbourhood, Opal Tapes, Leyla Records, and 10 Label.

* The Path of Untitled Memories is a project grounded in neon excess and delicate balance of modern conformity. Ceaseless wriggles beyond pleasures. Electro excursions for the curious minded.

* Logo and sticker design by Jason Smith (founder of Ai Records). Artwork by Elbert Choi (founder of Mirae Arts).

* Vinyl pressed at the highly reputable Gotta Groove Records, Cleveland, Ohio.

For his first appearance on Spring Theory, a twelve inch by Bryce Hackford, Brooklyn producer best known for conceptual experimental recordings incorporating field recordings and sampling in improvisation that often resides somewhere between ambient and techno. Recorded mostly during time living in London in 2015, this is Hackford's most floor-oriented release. Coming from a time of extensive all night DJing everywhere from private affairs in upstate New York's mountains to Panorama Bar, these tracks combine a rawness reminiscent of Theo Parrish and long form cosmic droning of eternal music. Fans of dub techno, ambient, psychedelic music...

In a time when Jazz music is entering a contemporary renaissance and exciting the ears and minds of new audiences, Zombie Zombie's Étienne Jaumet offers us his unique, idiosyncratic take on the sound with the sprawling '8 Regards Obliques', his 3rd solo album with the Versatile label.

Jazz requires a certain freedom of technique, interpretation and improvisation that already matches Jaumet's own production style and sonic aesthetic as well as his playful approach towards music. The eight pieces that make up the new LP were very quickly recorded; Jaumet let himself be carried away by the atmosphere without focusing too much on fine details or the laborious aspects of the composition process. The finished article is a spontaneous collection that stands out, a true mirror image of the creative process adopted by the artist. Not surprisingly, spontaneity is one of the characteristics already present in his music, in both his recorded output and his live happenings, where he leaves much room for freedom and improvisation.

'8 Regards Obliques' was recorded at the Versatile studio in less than 3 weeks with quite a basic set up: TR 808, selected synthesizers, vocals and of course the saxophone, which is a constant presence also in his previous albums. For the mix Etienne has again appealed to the maestro I:Cube, a central figure of the Versatile story and a prdigious engineer and artist in his own right. He immediately understood that it was necessary to keep the spontaneous side alive and to not over-produce the pieces or over-edit them, being constantly mindful to retain the power in the sound and in the frequencies. From Sun Ra with 'Nuclear war', Miles Davis in 'Shhh / Peaceful' or 'Theme from a symphony' by Ornette Coleman to 'Caravan' (already quoted by many jazzmen), Etienne enjoyed revisiting classic masterpieces and paying tribute to his inspirations. He allowed himself only one personal and original composition, 'Ma révélation mystique'.

"It's Maths classes. A red-haired boy sits in the back, rhythmically tapping his fingers on a table like a madman. Although other students' eyesight is focused on the formula being written on the black-board, the boy could not care less. Out of a corner of his eye he notices as the sequence of numbers slowly begins to melt off the blackboard, glittering with colours, and finally spills all over the floor like a fractal leakage from some other dimension. Students from the first rows, scared, put their legs up - and then you start to hear the rhythm. The sounds, once set free, feedback from the walls and find their way to all chinks and cracks, circle all around to finally reach the teacher's ear. The lady cannot stop the upcoming fury, grabs Krzysztof Ostrowski (number 28) by his ear and circumventing the leakage she leads him out of the classroom. It's not the first nor the second time such thing happens. Years later, the boy finally sits by the machine; subtle light comes through the window slightly ajar, the curtain dances with the wind. Krzysztof, bent, is programming the rhythm."
It's warm and bright Autumn of 2018 and Krzysztof emerges again, this time on vinyl released by Jacek Sienkiewicz's label Recognition. The experimental style of "Primary Fluctuation" might come as a surprise to many of Jacek's followers, but there are surely some common features for the two art-ists - from attention to detail to a kind of serious melancholy present in their music. Ostrowski's rec-ord is a journey through futuristic polyrhythm, with enough space for menacing basses or unorthodox samples, reminding the aesthetics of fusion of broken techno and bass music championed recently by the labels like Timedance or Livity Sound. Four tracks (five in digital version) make up a cohesive, intriguing and surprising record, announcing series of special releases prepared by Recognition for the forthcoming months. ,

We are very happy to announce the 13th release of Cabrera with two special remixes from the label boss', J.C., 'Vertigo' record that came out in the summer of 2017. Side A comes with a special Shed rework. Rene is a huge influence for us and we are thrilled to have him on our catalogue. Keeping the essence of the original, he made a proper raw dub techno banger. On the flip side, Kastil, already part of the family, took Nyame in a whole other level and made a fresh blend of fierce techno.

Mantra makes an entry to Finnish ProForm Series with his raw and uncompromised four track acid EP called 'The Abyss'. After releases on Bunker Records, Polybius Trax, Solar One Music and Abstract Acid under the Mantra alias Craig Stainton delivers four tracks of jackin' pure acid techno madness in the veins of true underground. Starting with 'Next Culture' is a good introduction to pumping beats and a moaning 303 while 'Beat Methods' takes a rougher and tougher angle to acid. Just imagine yourself in a warehouse party in the morning jammin' to some acid. On the B-side 'The Abyss' leads us to the deep end of the 303 or even to the bottom of the acid sea. 'Singularity' ends this package with great 303 lines definitely burning up the house! A limited and numbered edition of 200, after that it's gone, no represses, no digital, so you know what to do!

Almost one year in the making, Bulgaria's outstanding techno talent lands his return to Drumcode with a four-track EP.

Timmo (aka Valeri Ivanov) doesn't do things in half measures. Since the release of his excellent 'System' EP last year and 'Muzik', his inclusion on A-Sides Vol.6, he's committed himself to crafting, refining and polishing a quartet of cuts inspired by the cosmic realms beyond planet earth.

Titled 'Meteorite', its release marks 10 years since he first began producing and stakes its claim as a resounding career highlight with tracks already highlighting gigs for Adam Beyer at Tobacco Dock, Awakenings, Future Kappa Festival and Junction 2.

Beginning with the title track, the streamlined work throbs with a searing synthetic pulse. 'Black Moon' sees the EP land its first blow, kicking with a mixture of undulating synths and understated hoovers.

'Spacetime' stays true to its name delivering intergalactic techno vibes.

'Cosmos' concludes the work, taking us into extra-terrestrial dancefloor territory, with a barrage of trippy synth work and a melodic underbelly the makes the track both beautiful and heavy-hitting in equal measure.

Auch Auf Seinem Dritten Album Nutzt Sebastian Kramer Aka Redshape Den Für Ihn Prägenden Sound Von 90er-jahre-techno Allgemein Und Speziell Aus Detroit Nicht Als Zitat, Sondern Erzeugt Mit Seinen Neuen Tracks Ein Sehr Spezielles, Eigenes Narrativ: Düster, Gespenstisch, Und Doch Entschieden Romantisch. In Gewisser Hinsicht Ist "a Sole Game" Sogar Die Erste Echte Redshape-lp Überhaupt, Die Nun Nichts Mehr Imitieren Will, Sondern Sich Durch Selbstbewusstsein, Selbstreflexion Und Souveränität Ausweist. Im Klassischer Redshape-manier Begeben Sich Die Acht Tracks Von "a Sole Game" Auf Eine Reise Durch Nächtliche Welten Und Düstere Industrielandschaften, Durchzogen Von Seltsamen Stimmen Und Geräuschen. Eines Der Wichtigsten Ziele Lag Unüberhörbar Darin, Ein Nahtlos Perfektes, Ganzheitliches Elektronisches Album Zu Produzieren, Das Ohne Interludes Oder Typisches Füllmaterial Funktioniert. Entsprechend Warm Und Analog Klingt Die Platte. Letztendlich Setzt Redshape Damit Klassisches Songwriting Mit Den Codes Von Techno Um Und Macht In Seiner Musikalischen Entwicklung Einen Großen Schritt Nach Vorne.

The New York Downtown Producer/Composer Returns With His First New Album In 3 Years

EIGHTEEN: the year of release, 2018. EIGHTEEN: the age at which I first used a synthesizer.

In creating EIGHTEEN I worked independently in the studio, initially building up tracks with synthesizers and found sounds recorded in my daily comings and goings. After working with the tracks over a period of months,I shared them with a few musicians, who added their own instrumental layers. Though working independently, we all shared a similar working process: working in our personal recording spaces, as opposed to larger recording studios.

The musicians are: Gabe Gurnsey (drums) of Factory Floor, with whom I collaborated on the Beachcombing EP and performed live at London's ICA. I appear on Gabe's newly released album Physical;

Larry Saltzman (guitar) has played in my Love Of Life Orchestra since the 1970's. Well-known for his work with Arthur Russell ('Kiss Me Again', Flying Hearts), he is in high demand in NYC by acts such as Simon and Garfunkel;

Paul Nowinski, (bass) has played with LOLO since the 1980's. Paul has an impressive list of credits, including Les Paul, Keith Richards, Bernard Purdie and the Boston Pops; Matt Mottel, (electric piano), is the newest addition to the Love Of Life Orchestra. He is half the duo Talibam!, a leading act in the noise jazz scene; Lewin Barringer, (guitar), is a talented guitarist and producer in Philadelphia.

After mixing the final tracks, I brought the mixes to Berlin. There I worked with the brilliant mastering engineer Mike Grinser who helped to give the album a unified sound.

I think of this album as electronic music. It was created in my home studio, using analog and digital synthesizers, found sounds recorded on my phone, and instrumental parts contributed by friends. Finely crafted melodies and harmonies are set against subway noises, street construction, and distant foghorns. Sometimes there are sustained clusters, generated by my leaning against the keyboard. Deliberateness paired with randomness: this is what guided the artistic process.

This album is atypical for me as I am not playing saxophone. (I do play one reed instrument - a harmonica.) I grew up with the sax as my primary instrument. Yet my father was a radio journalist so the reel-to-reel tape recorder was a ubiquitous presence in the family home. From an early age,

I experimented with the tape machine: recording, overdubbing and splicing tape. I learned about Varese from Frank Zappa liner notes; I read John Cage's 'Silence.' Electronic music was on my radar.

My first exposure to an actual synthesizer came when I recorded my first single at the fabled Sound City Studio in Van Nuys, CA. The studio had a custom Neve board, but it also had a firstgeneration Moog modular synthesizer sitting unused in the maintenance room. I asked and they kindly let me experiment with it. Soon, I enrolled at the University of California - San Diego after I discovered they had separate studios for their Moog and Buchla systems. These large modular synthesizers were affordable then only by institutions and rock stars. But these would be soon eclipsed by smaller, cheaper synths in the 70's and early 80's. In the same way, recording studio technology became accessible in the 90's. . And thus the personal computer and digital audio allowed studio quality production in the home studio. Electronic music had become democratized.
Handmade music by way of digital technology: this is the music of EIGHTEEN

Forever cursed with 'deep-' and 'tech-house' labels by the press due to decisions taken 10 years ago before he had any idea how this industry worked, Avatism returns mildly angrier than ever before with 'Ate-Up', an EP the producer actually started writing during an MDMA-induced lucid dream after Vakant label boss spiked his drinks in 2011. To give his poor soul some credibility, we've enlisted AQXDM (Aquarian & Deapmash, fresh from their storming debut on Bedouin Records) and the mysterious Maenad Veyl (Veyl, Pinkman, Death & Leisure) on remix duties.

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

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

Hosono's solo career would take many twists and turns from this point forward, with forays into exotica, electronic, ambient, and techno, culminating in the massive success of techno pop group Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO), who made their debut in 1978. Admired by artists ranging from Van Dyke Parks to Mac DeMarco, Hosono continues to forge ahead as he heads into his fifth decade as a musician. With the re-release of his key albums for the first time outside of Japan, his genius will be discovered by a whole new generation of fans around the world.
.
The unbelievably prolific Haruomi Hosono is one of the major architects of modern Japanese pop music. With his encyclopedic knowledge of music and boundless curiosity for new sounds, Hosono is the auteur of his own idiosyncratic musical world, putting his unmistakable stamp on hundreds of recordings as an artist, session player, songwriter and producer.

Born and raised in central Tokyo, his adolescent obsession with American pop culture informed his early forays into country music, which he would revisit later in his career. Hosono made his professional debut in 1969 as a member of Apryl Fool, whose heavy psychedelia was somewhat at odds with his influences, which leaned towards the rootsy sounds of Moby Grape and Buffalo Springfield. The latter was one of the main inspirations for his next group, Happy End, whose unique blend of West Coast sounds with Japanese lyrics proved to be highly influential over the course of three albums. After the band’s amicable break up in 1973, Hosono began his solo career with Hosono House, an intimate slice of Japanese Americana recorded inside a rented house with recording gear squeezed into its tiny bedroom.

Compilation of the works by MJ Lallo, weird harmonizing mantras layered with drummachine rhythms.. Very psychedelic compositions where she uses her voice to create all kinds of sound(scapes)
.
Take Me With You is a revelatory voyage through the captivating universe of voice artist and poet MJ Lallo. The works on this 2LP compilation were all recorded in her home studio between 1982 and 1997, primarily using drum computer, synth and her own voice processed through a Yamaha SPX 90 digital effects unit. They range from wordless harmonizer mantras and primitive drum computer meditations, to psychedelic latin dance-floor anthems and synth-drenched end-of-the-nighters. Lallo has created her own inimitable galaxy of sound where the human voice, liberated from the constraints of language and abstracted using digital technology, is able to explore the outer realms of human expression, like Joan La Barbara with an Eventide and a new-age sensibility. Although Lallo's flight path is distinctly her own, her journey converges with other travellers as diverse as Jon Hassell, Laraaji, Stereolab, William Aura, Laurie Anderson, Meredith Monk, Gertrude Stein and even Terry Gilliam (whose film Brazil was a big influence on Lallo). Like something beamed in from another planet, Lallo's work is both fascinatingly strange and strangely familiar, and will leave a lasting impression for lightyears to come. Double gatefold LP, remastered DDM pressing.






[E B1 | Midnight in the Sky

ADULT. '20 years ODD.'
Over the course of the last two decades, Detroit-based duo ADULT. (Nicola Kuperus and Adam Lee Miller) have released six albums and nineteen EPs and singles across some of our favorite labels: Mute, Ghostly International, Thrill Jockey, Clone Records, Third Man Records, and their own label, the revered Ersatz Audio. November 1998 marked their first release: the five-song 12" 'Dispassionate Furniture'. This September, twenty years later, Dais Records is proud to announce ADULT.'s seventh full length album: THIS BEHAVIOR.
The album began as 23 demos written and recorded in a remote cabin in the woods of Northern Michigan during the dead of winter. In total isolation, and with a reduced amount of gear (a modified version of their live setup) on the cabin's kitchen table, the duo were completely immersed in an incessant inescapable studio of their own making - looping, repetitive analogue sequences grinding away day and night. At the end of the intense demo session, a handful of peers were enlisted by the band for the difficult task of paring down the demos into the final album.

The result is 10 tracks of uncompromising dark electronics, showcasing ADULT.'s return to aggressive and energetic dancefloor mastery. Album opener 'This Behavior' alongside the follow-up 'Violent Shakes' (which ascends into synths wailing like warning sirens over Kuperus's commanding vocals) set the stage for an on-edge listen, while the heartbreaking 'Silent Exchange' unfolds as a beautiful sad synth dirge.  'Perversions of Humankind' breaks the mood - driving the listener into a slow and low groove before the frantic album midpoint of 'Irregular Pleasure'. 'Does The Body Know' is the album's post-punk anthem, with irresistible singalong 'we're out of order - we're undefined!' The latter half of the album drives forward with 'On The Edge (You Put Me...)' and 'Lick Out The Content', refusing rest and demanding movement and response. 'Everything & Nothing' emerges slowly from sparkling synth textures, snowballing with nervous energy into an acid techno stomper before the album comes to a close on the icy landscape of 'In All The Debris', a goose-bump inducing slow electronic mantra that closes the curtain on a massive album.

Artist statement on the album's writing process:
'It's confounding how often we negate the importance of disconnecting, getting weird, getting lost. Discomfort and joy intertwined. Day to day, theatrical self-presentation set to rest in our frantic social world. Public becomes private, almost too private. Looking out into frozen woods as you deliver your vocals. For who For what Taking walks along icy shorelines as you try to overcome writer's block, as you try to overcome yourself. Not seeing anyone for days and weeks on end. Overwhelming thoughts and feelings come rushing in; anxiety, fear, purpose, banality, futility of task, power structures, power struggles, pointlessness, collapse.You're faced to face yourself. Your awareness is heightened. You are neither here nor there. You are in a liminal state As you work in this isolated cabin your windows become mirrors.'

"Are we distortions. Are we distortions, perversions of humankind.Are we distortions. Are we distortions, twisted somewhere in time."

ADULT. '20 years ODD.'
Over the course of the last two decades, Detroit-based duo ADULT. (Nicola Kuperus and Adam Lee Miller) have released six albums and nineteen EPs and singles across some of our favorite labels: Mute, Ghostly International, Thrill Jockey, Clone Records, Third Man Records, and their own label, the revered Ersatz Audio. November 1998 marked their first release: the five-song 12" 'Dispassionate Furniture'. This September, twenty years later, Dais Records is proud to announce ADULT.'s seventh full length album: THIS BEHAVIOR.
The album began as 23 demos written and recorded in a remote cabin in the woods of Northern Michigan during the dead of winter. In total isolation, and with a reduced amount of gear (a modified version of their live setup) on the cabin's kitchen table, the duo were completely immersed in an incessant inescapable studio of their own making - looping, repetitive analogue sequences grinding away day and night. At the end of the intense demo session, a handful of peers were enlisted by the band for the difficult task of paring down the demos into the final album.

The result is 10 tracks of uncompromising dark electronics, showcasing ADULT.'s return to aggressive and energetic dancefloor mastery. Album opener 'This Behavior' alongside the follow-up 'Violent Shakes' (which ascends into synths wailing like warning sirens over Kuperus's commanding vocals) set the stage for an on-edge listen, while the heartbreaking 'Silent Exchange' unfolds as a beautiful sad synth dirge.  'Perversions of Humankind' breaks the mood - driving the listener into a slow and low groove before the frantic album midpoint of 'Irregular Pleasure'. 'Does The Body Know' is the album's post-punk anthem, with irresistible singalong 'we're out of order - we're undefined!' The latter half of the album drives forward with 'On The Edge (You Put Me...)' and 'Lick Out The Content', refusing rest and demanding movement and response. 'Everything & Nothing' emerges slowly from sparkling synth textures, snowballing with nervous energy into an acid techno stomper before the album comes to a close on the icy landscape of 'In All The Debris', a goose-bump inducing slow electronic mantra that closes the curtain on a massive album.

Artist statement on the album's writing process:
'It's confounding how often we negate the importance of disconnecting, getting weird, getting lost. Discomfort and joy intertwined. Day to day, theatrical self-presentation set to rest in our frantic social world. Public becomes private, almost too private. Looking out into frozen woods as you deliver your vocals. For who For what Taking walks along icy shorelines as you try to overcome writer's block, as you try to overcome yourself. Not seeing anyone for days and weeks on end. Overwhelming thoughts and feelings come rushing in; anxiety, fear, purpose, banality, futility of task, power structures, power struggles, pointlessness, collapse.You're faced to face yourself. Your awareness is heightened. You are neither here nor there. You are in a liminal state As you work in this isolated cabin your windows become mirrors.'

"Are we distortions. Are we distortions, perversions of humankind.Are we distortions. Are we distortions, twisted somewhere in time."

Blackfilm is an anonymous Hungarian artist who introduced himself with his self-titled debut in 2008, sold out in a few months and later reissued on both CD and vinyl format via Denovali in 2010. His debut has garnered widespread attention - "Evolving from downtempo electronic music to orchestral paroxysms and, insanely, passing from down-pitched nothingness to frozen urban landscapes, it becomes inevitable to resist." / "Dark and brooding, Blackfilm envelopes you like a thick fog creeping off a cooling swampland." (Headphone Commute) - and is still a classic.

Since then, he has relocated to London and released the collaboration master-piece - Along the Corridors' with Italy's heavy dub producer Eraldo Bernocchi in 2010. After eight years of silence Denovali now proudly presents his second solo album - Zero One Seven', in line with a re-issue of - Along the Corridors' on vinyl for the first time.

On - Zero One Seven', Blackfilm merges tracks spanning across drum and bass, dub and electronic. The sounds on the album are built from the ideas on the original Blackfilm - S/T' and - Along the Corridors' and progress to a sound built on new ground mixing modern production techniques and influences while at times referencing the Blackfilm sound we know from his previous releases.

The album maintains a consistent focus on atmospherics, beats and heavy bass ranging from darker dub and drum and bass influences to vocal tracks and complex ambient soundscapes. Production wise, the familiar Blackfilm style incorporating the use of synthetic sounds mixed with samples enables the album to create an intriguing, shifting atmosphere as the album progresses. A dystopian journey through haunting vocals, hypnotic drum patterns and complex sound design.

Tact Recordings vinyl only sub-label Tactics returns this August with 'Tactics Vol.3', a three-tracker coming courtesy of label co-founder Fletcher.

Berlin-based producer and DJ (Richard) Fletcher, also known as one half of duo Adventures in Daydreams, has been steadily carving out his own brand of soul infused house and techno over the years, picking up support along the way from luminaries such as Larry Heard, Oskar Offerman, Mr. G and Ivan Smagghe along the way as well as shows on his home turf at Berlin hotspots like ://about blank, Sisyphos and Golden Gate amongst others.

Leading on the package is 'Oildrum' with skippy hats, bumpy wooden percussive hits and a snaking bass groove throughout as modulating synth whirrs and airy pads silkily ebb and flow within.

'Faucet' follows, featuring long time Tact Recordings artist Luke Black, edging things into dubbier realms via ethereal, billowing chords, rumbling sub bass tones and metallic percussive chimes to create something raw and hypnotic before 'Brewed' rounds out the package, this time round laying focus on a swinging organic drum groove, bubbling, glitched-out synth tones and ever-unfolding atmospherics continually keeping the tension building throughout.

- Spectral Decay' is a collection of musical reflections about the paradoxical contemporary state of humankind, whereas its own technological, social, cultural and economical development seems to entrench the possible points of a structura downfall. The narrative of - Spectral Decay' starts with heavy, mesmerizing industrial vibes. Due to the notable sound design techniques of Japanese artist Tetsumasa, his hefty piece - Nex' evolves into a harsh but still amazingly cinematical music sculpture.
Subsequent mid-tempo composition - Onzour Shayatini' by Meer dynamically follows the dark, experimental path of drone and noisy structures. Violent accents smoothly lead to the deconstruction of drum & bass patterns and turn into strident 90s metal riffs. The track progressively penetrates obscure subterranean abysses and becomes a perfect introduction to the next theme by Yuji Kondo - - Hades'. In Greek mythology Hades was the ancient god of the underground kingdoms, darkness, death and metals. Therefore, Kondo's music piece turns into an infernal portrayal of the underworld where tenebrous layers of bass frequencies, raw textures and Drexciyan sounds build up an enormous and lasting tension.
Side B begins with the track - Anthropocene' produced by Arboretum co-founder - Mogano. The whole composition refers to the present geological epoch we live in, characterized by environmental pollutions, depletion of fossil fuels and accelerated urbaniza- tion of the world. It is a deeply conceptual soundscape of a powerful system, that incorporates both - the destructive forces of technology and the infinite energy of the whole universe, that interweave in a devilish dance of post-techno, breakbeat and dub tones.
Thereafter, ~Raw in his piece - Poly Bios' pictures the interference of human structures in the nature. Creating a mosaic from indus- trial and tribal, organic sounds, he tells a mystical story of fear, hope, escape and primeval instincts.
The narration concludes with an atmospheric composition of NWRMNTC - solo project of Ana Quiroga from experimental ambient duet LCC. - Beyond' is a boundless, spectral reflection on collective human consciousness, where haunting vocals evoke a recon- dite, ineffable pain, leaving the listeners in a profoundly meditative state.
Laura Polan´ska

Nigh/Tmare's most recent EP, entitled 'Hypnagogia' on Thrènes Records, is the perfect example of the artist's uncompromising attitude. The integral work on this project is the perfect sublimation of experimental overtones, rugged beats, and techno punch, making for a candid, outstanding, and diverse approach with a lot of edge.

The opening track, 'Inside Me', perfectly encapsulates the dark, melancholic atmosphere and the robust dynamism we find throughout the EP. Operating a more technoid and ethereal approach on 'Without Believing', Nigh/Tmare successfully communicates his urge to express his dystopian feelings of loneliness and despair. The journey continues with "Deflagration of Hell", which comes as a daring lamentation from deep inside the darkness. Killawatt's rework on this one heads off a bit of the original and discharges its emotional intensity by offering a new audaciously powerful dynamic. Finally, 'Despite Everything' keeps the perfectly balanced feel of the EP; it offers a subtle touch of dreaming and a hidden optimism. The digital edition includes an exclusive track and a longer version of Killawatt's interpretation.

Set for release in both physical and digital formats on October 12th, Hypnagogia EP marks Nigh/Tmare's first EP for Swiss-based record company Thrènes (which takes its name from the Greek word for funeral lament) and are a label dedicated to the release of tenebrous electronica and techno.

Next up in this ongoing split-ep series are two equally talented producers from different ends of the spectrum, both sharing their unique viewpoints on that special dreamspace of self-awareness and how the way there actually sounds like! Following his explosive Figure-EP just this recent summer, Juxta Position now reveals his more sublime side on these two technoid journeys. Keeping it raw and beautiful, the analogue lover lets his synths engage in dialogue, floating through murky realms and simply getting lost in the groove. A new face for Figure and definitely one to watch is Pablo Mateo. Taking a likewise subtle yet distinctly more grounded approach, his tunes unfold slowly and each tell their entirely own storyline. Tomo is an extraordinary specimen of how a track grows past its confines, into something genuinely touching and can eventually open up that space inside and what lies beyond!

Hot on the heels of Rapid Eye Movement's journey of discovery and growth comes the EP 'Split: Remixes' featuring reworks of the quartet of cuts originally signed by label founders Memorial Home and VII Circle.

Invited to apply their own reflections onto the material are rising producers Nur Jaber and Wrong Assessment as well as renowned artists on the underground experimental scene Edit Select and Reggy Van Oers.

First up is Nur Jaber's take on VII Circle's 'Metaphysical Functions' showing how the young Berlin-based Lebanese artist is as much inspired on remix duties than in crafting her already much acclaimed productions. The perfect mixture of dark and intense driving techno beat with haunting ambient-driven melodic motifs and dramatic breakdowns encompasses much of what her sophisticated sense of sonic exploration is about.

Up next on a heavier kicking note is 'Dogma' refashioned by Milanese fellow Wrong Assessment who transmits his vision of both minimal and hard pounding techno by merging a strait rugged beat with undulating synth lines and bouncy cymbals that will drive the audience to an insane rave-spirited dance floor venture.

Following the path, Tony Scott a.k.a Edit Select's interpretation of Memorial Home's 'Second Floor' is a clear example of the unique and forward-thinking sound that the Scottish techno scene 'veteran' has developed throughout the years. Deftly combining a tension-building drum and bassline work with layers of hypnotic synth textures that makes the track both suggestive and trippy-hitting in equal measure.

Concluding the journey is Reggy Van Oers (RVO)'s rework of Memorial Home's 'Ampere' which evinces this quest for organic and mental techno soundscapes inspired by classical and cinematic music, characterising the both complex and powerful crafting signature of Dutch Telemorph label's owner.

Between dark shadows and brightness, REM confirms with this new release that quality and free-minded artistry are the key pillars of the platform's curation philosophy.