Buscar:quirk

In the end, it's all about love

2026 Repress

Magic Carpet ring in the new year with a standout debut EP from English-born, Berlin-baked artist Jack D. With senses honed by days spent front left at clubs like Hoppetosse, Closer and Fold, Jack delivers four superb tracks bursting with energy and quirk. Somehow fusing wonk with groove, his style feels both strangely familiar and highly original at the same time. One for the heads!

2026 Repress

Alarico returns to Mutual Rytm with his 'Drops Of You' EP, packed with his mind-bending signature rhythms while focussing on a more minimal and atemporal approach than before.

Milan-based artist Alarico has firmly arrived on the world stage in recent years. Taking cues from the harder realms of techno of the 90s, he adds his own quirky rhythms and quickened sense of groove to showcase his modern take on the genre. Building on material dropping via his own Katana Records, with high-profile support from bigname DJs across the scene, he breaks new ground again here on this compelling new EP as he returns to SHDW's label Mutual Rytm with 'Drops Of You'.

Excellent opener '0 Kelvin' races out of the blocks with wiry synths and percussion that sounds like knives being sharpened, all over tight, punchy techno drums. 'One More' then gets more twisted with freaky synth line scurrying about the mix while hammering hits and bouncy drum programming races onwards into an unknown future.

'Asma' slips into a deeper but no less impactful groove - the tightly coiled drum funk is overlaid with soulful vocal whispers and militant snares that cannot fail to sweep dancers away. Next, the slick 'Sunburn' keeps the pace high and is another warp-speed techno excursion with bold drum patterns and dry hi-hats cutting up the beats. It's a fulsome sound fleshed out with great synth detail and euphoric vocal cries, before closer 'Drops Of You' layers broken beats, vocal snippets and psychedelic synth colours into an intense and emotional workout.

Alongside the vinyl cuts, three digital-only offerings are also loaded into this one as a trio of treats in the form of 'Sino', 'What For' and 'Erased', with each track harnessing pacy, energetic rhythms, a mix of bright and murky sonics, and tunnelling grooves crafted for maximum impact.

Alarico 'Drops Of You' drops via Mutual Rytm on 8th September 2023

With 'The Electro Guilde III EP' Zodiak Commune Records once again presents a selection of well-known and label-recurring electro-acid producers who take you on their various adventurous musical journeys.

'Collateral Funk' is a one shot live recording funky acid Electro track by Acidulant and inspired by the likes of Dynamix II

'We Will Survive' by Dima Gastroler is a fantasy about robots fighting for their rights in the future world of global robotisation. Dynamic electro and psychedelic pads make it sound like that battle. We will survive!

Step into the world of pozek with 'EPT', a 128 BPM electro-acid tune that takes inspiration from 80s toys like Speak & Spell and classic old-school electro. The track weaves quirky, retro acid lines with driving electro beats, creating a perfect fusion of nostalgia and futuristic energy.

When johnfaustus start an electro track for Zodiak commune Records, he always have in mind the journey of a spaceship to the edge of a dark galaxy. No exception with 'Oberon', syncopated rhythms, abrasive basslines and a dark spacy theme

There are two versions of this album:

1. numbered 100 copies of limited black 180g vinyl made in collaboration with U JAZZ ME Records

2. transparent orange 180g vinyl

LINER NOTES:

" When AJ Lee stepped back into the ring in September 2025 - after a ten-year break - she introduced herself to a new generation of fans with the words: 'If you haven't heard of me, I am your favorite wrestler’s favorite wrestler.' That is exactly what came to my mind as a lead for this blurb when Pokusa asked me to write it. Because that’s what they are: your favorite indie darlings' favorite indie darlings (even though no one uses that term anymore, let alone identifies as such). They are your favorite cool jazzcats’ favorite jazzcats. And they are probably your favorite young jazz act - if you don’t usually (or ever) listen to jazz.

This, I always thought, is their greatest strength. Half the battle (in my eyes) is recording a sick jazz album - one that a jazz magazine would fawn over. The real win is getting someone wearing a heavy metal T-shirt into it; someone who’s never listened to jazz and has never stepped foot in a place like Pardon, To Tu, but heard Pokusa and decided to change that. I am such a person. I didn't learn about jazz because of them, but they’re definitely the reason I started rating it.
Głowy (Heads) is, in a way, a classic album. If someone played it for me and - relying on my lack of knowledge and gullibility - tried to convince me that it was recorded in the Polish Radio Studios in 1975, at Akwarium Club in Warsaw in 1985, at Club Rura in 1989, somewhere in Tri-City in '94, or at Mózg in Bydgoszcz, I would probably believe it. Its 'classicness' goes hand in hand with its timelessness. I could write about how the album fits into the catalogs of Lado ABC, GOWI, or Biodro Records. I could dig for connections to Yass, Tzadik, or a number of other things.
But what Teo, Natan, and Tymek create here is as important in its experience as it is in its music. For me - an artist active in a similar time - each Pokusa album, including this newest release, is a record of a period of time and the experiences hidden between the notes. The Indian spices in food served before a show in Mózg. A headache from all the cigarettes smoked listening to tapes in Eufemia. Marveling at the graffiti over the sink in Młodsza Siostra. The narrow steps at Chłodna 25. The wider but slippery steps to Pogłos. The quirky and uncomfortable steps in Ziemia. The mosquitoes at Ladomek. The dilemma of whether to wear a nice polo instead of a T-shirt to SPATiF. The wonder of turning off Monciak into Dwie Zmiany. Why is a club like this on such a strip? Why is Pokusa playing here? And why do they sound so good?
On one hand, you can find journalists writing that Pokusa grew out of the classic free jazz of the 1960s; some might mention Albert Ayler. On the other hand, there’s Unsound Festival and young critics writing about 'post-jazz.' All of them are correct. This is universalism. This is that timelessness. Whether you pick up this album the day it comes out or in the year 2046, it will be good. In twenty years, people will still reach for it. Of that, I am certain."
Michał Turowski

There are two versions of this album:

1. numbered 100 copies of limited black 180g vinyl made in collaboration with U JAZZ ME Records

2. transparent orange 180g vinyl

LINER NOTES:

" When AJ Lee stepped back into the ring in September 2025 - after a ten-year break - she introduced herself to a new generation of fans with the words: 'If you haven't heard of me, I am your favorite wrestler’s favorite wrestler.' That is exactly what came to my mind as a lead for this blurb when Pokusa asked me to write it. Because that’s what they are: your favorite indie darlings' favorite indie darlings (even though no one uses that term anymore, let alone identifies as such). They are your favorite cool jazzcats’ favorite jazzcats. And they are probably your favorite young jazz act - if you don’t usually (or ever) listen to jazz.

This, I always thought, is their greatest strength. Half the battle (in my eyes) is recording a sick jazz album - one that a jazz magazine would fawn over. The real win is getting someone wearing a heavy metal T-shirt into it; someone who’s never listened to jazz and has never stepped foot in a place like Pardon, To Tu, but heard Pokusa and decided to change that. I am such a person. I didn't learn about jazz because of them, but they’re definitely the reason I started rating it.
Głowy (Heads) is, in a way, a classic album. If someone played it for me and - relying on my lack of knowledge and gullibility - tried to convince me that it was recorded in the Polish Radio Studios in 1975, at Akwarium Club in Warsaw in 1985, at Club Rura in 1989, somewhere in Tri-City in '94, or at Mózg in Bydgoszcz, I would probably believe it. Its 'classicness' goes hand in hand with its timelessness. I could write about how the album fits into the catalogs of Lado ABC, GOWI, or Biodro Records. I could dig for connections to Yass, Tzadik, or a number of other things.
But what Teo, Natan, and Tymek create here is as important in its experience as it is in its music. For me - an artist active in a similar time - each Pokusa album, including this newest release, is a record of a period of time and the experiences hidden between the notes. The Indian spices in food served before a show in Mózg. A headache from all the cigarettes smoked listening to tapes in Eufemia. Marveling at the graffiti over the sink in Młodsza Siostra. The narrow steps at Chłodna 25. The wider but slippery steps to Pogłos. The quirky and uncomfortable steps in Ziemia. The mosquitoes at Ladomek. The dilemma of whether to wear a nice polo instead of a T-shirt to SPATiF. The wonder of turning off Monciak into Dwie Zmiany. Why is a club like this on such a strip? Why is Pokusa playing here? And why do they sound so good?
On one hand, you can find journalists writing that Pokusa grew out of the classic free jazz of the 1960s; some might mention Albert Ayler. On the other hand, there’s Unsound Festival and young critics writing about 'post-jazz.' All of them are correct. This is universalism. This is that timelessness. Whether you pick up this album the day it comes out or in the year 2046, it will be good. In twenty years, people will still reach for it. Of that, I am certain."
Michał Turowski

Chronicle continues his journey through the cosmos on Spatial bringing a stunning array of inspired atmospheric bliss with Aqua Pura. A1 - Pure Alchemy Chronicle opens his latest EP for Spatial with a sprightly track, introduced with purposeful synthwork, echoing effects and a wonderful 808 bassline reminiscent of the late 90's Progression Sessions era. Energetic, layered breaks drive and build throughout Pure Alchemy with joyous vigor, while a cluster of subtle melodies intertwine across a varied and memorable mix from the label regular. A2 - Endless Ocean Next up Chronicle treats us to an amazing array of atmospheric synthwork with Endless Ocean, notes yoyoing across the soundscape through a gorgeous intro. Flecked with shimmering, buoyant melodies and bringing an immediate injection of pace, the breaks drop delivering a driving, distinctively head-nodding energy punctuated by a blippy micro melody and suitably deep bass. AA1 - Shared Consciousness Opening with a playful intro featuring subtle hi hats, twisted bells and a classic film sample, Chronicle deftly juggles excitable effects with his inimitable cheery atmospheric style before a real feast for the ears and the feet arrives - breaks reminiscent of those long lost nights at Shepherd's Bush in 1998 bring an essential hypnotic energy to a track simply dripping with style and rhythm. AA2 - Water World Straight into the action with crisp two-step breaks, Water World needs no introduction as a myriad of atmospheric effects, samples and quirky melodies seize your attention for a decidedly dancefloor-friendly track for 160bpm heads. Beautiful breakdowns play their part as well as the subtle yet room-filling 808 bass, rumbling persistently beneath another remarkable track from one of Bristol's finest.

The anonymous Only Music Matters crew serve up another EP of smoking sounds for discerning crowds. It's the smart sampling of a classic motif from jazz-house great Saint Germain that makes the opener 'AAA001A' so enchanting as a bluesy vocal drifts in and out of a dry, dubby, minimal tech beat. 'BBB001B' is more driving and gritty, a clipped tech cut to keep things moving in the dead of night, then 'BBB002B' brings another supple groove, this time with rays of synth rising out of the mix like the morning sun. Quirky sound designs and a skipping rhythm make it irresistible.

Always lurking amidst the underground Porto music scene is Spitbender, the most stable moniker of the ever-morphing Francisco Antão. Spin gathers a collection of tracks that demonstrate his experimentalism & coy sonic precision. Spitbender takes cues from Jungle & Hip Hop producers to create his own unique blend of Downtempo. What becomes clear throughout the album is the attention to detail: it is infused as much by Industrial's red-line spectra as it is by the dubplate logic of the Darkside Continuum, yet it does so at its own tripped out speed.

Spin begins with the laid-back but constantly shifting 'Global Overgroove'. Its breakbeat science moves in & out of DSP glitch-work & dub reflections. When its slinky bassline melody arrives, a certain dread sets in.

'Weyward Fold' drops into a driving, hard-edged chug, threaded with snippets of Malcolm X's disobedient pedagogy. The momentum carries into 'Headnod Doctor', where the bass distortion thickens & the cymbal circuit is overloaded, landing somewhere between Hip‑Hop grit & metal weight.

Side A ends with the downtempo roller 'Dogs and Moles (Skylurk Mix)'. The familiar break drifts into new territory, pulled along & wrapped in a slap-back echo. A quirky melody cuts through the haze, giving the track a fresh tilt. The mulch of the track forms a steady, unhurried pulse.

Spitbender's spacious atmospherics & groove-focused approach comes further into focus on 'Nothing Here But the Recordings'. Creating his own chapter in the book of Trip Hop, his minimalist touch is laid out in full.

'Force the Hand Ov Chance' pulls Boom Bap gently into dub mechanics, letting space do the heavy lifting. Its simplicity hides a deep pocket.

Returning to broken-up distortion, 'Mirrors of Flesh (Dub Mix)' finds Spitbender using the mixer as an instrument to push & pull the heavy drums of Benjamin Brejon of Méchanosphere alongside the voice of Rui intoning the title phrase.

Sitting between the album's two poles, 'Out Take Dub' fuses the clipped‑obsession timbres of Spin's heavier moments with its blissed out flow. Feedback & distortion are welcomed & drawn long.

In the end, Spin hits like a fully formed statement—lean, focused, & unmistakably Spitbender. Every track pushes its own angle, but together they land with a clarity that feels earned. It's a sharp marker in his trajectory, & it leaves a charge in the air.

With a glorious flourish of melodious club abstraction, cult producer Quirke makes a welcome return by delivering his most upfront tracks to date for Dekmantel.

Josh Quirke first came through on Young Turks (Young) and Whities (AD93) through the 2010s, offering a distinctive, slanted take on hardcore and house music alike that came shrouded in dense atmospherics and shot through with wistful melancholia. Comparisons to artists like Burial and Skee Mask weren't unfounded, but Quirke was very much operating on his own terms, as he has continued to ever since. The last we heard from the low-key producer was his debut album Steal A Golden Hail, released on Whities in 2019, and now he comes through with a strong update to his sound that finds a natural home on Dekmantel.

After ten years 12 Inch Lovers has become a household name not only because of their parties but also because of the fantastic vinyl samplers they released over the past few years, which were sold out in no time and have become true collector's items.

They now continue in the same vein and once again bring a fresh and contemporary mix of hard to find, original house classics or even classics that never had a vinyl release.

These samplers should therefore not be missing from any 12 Inch Lovers collection.

"Gregor Salto" is at it again! Sampler 6 opens with that other and hard to find classic of his "Your Friend". A club classic that has won the hearts of countless clubbers and house fanatics around the world since 2009. And speaking of hearts; Belgian dj-producer "DJ Wout" released this beautiful and emotional remix of "D. Van Horn's" "Somebody Now To Love". A true trance classic and typical in sound for that period that you can find on A2.

On B1 we find a more recent track but which you can already say is a future classic. "MZ" from "Sascha Funke" is still played to this day by top DJs like Solomun and very hard to find on vinyl. A must have! Dutch producer "Karmon" delivered this catchy deephouse remix of "Fabo's" "Where I Stand" in 2012. You can find it on B2.

On C1 we find the beautiful "Andain" classic in the "Gabriel & Dresden Unplugged Mix". "Beautiful Things" was picked up by "Tiësto" at the time and has made it a true classic. Hard to find on vinyl.

"Moko" "Fly" on C2 is a very catchy and quirky track from 2010 that never had a vinyl release! Highly recommended!

D1 brings the dreamy and highly sought after "Today" from "POB & Taylor" in the "Seismic" remix after which we close with D2 with a true classic.

"My Moon My Man" by "Feist" is probably that record which remix is better than the original. "Boys Noize" was responsible for this in 2007 and the rest is as they say history.

Joe Davies back on Smallville, providing his skills to double the magic on the fly!

Soundscapes that will tickle your sweetspots. straight-but-quirky, far-out but still to the point – Joe is a master of his craft. His highly-acclaimed 2023 longplayer „Shields In Full Sunlight“ is still on the plates of oh-so-many heads out there, same for us. We are truly happy to present his latest vision of a cloudy night- all with Wonderful Tempo.

Comes with a stunning full cover artwork from Stefan Marx.

After a five-year hiatus, Basic 7 returns to Tripmastaz "Respect The Craft.Enterprises" sublabel with his highly anticipated new EP. Renowned for his dynamic live sets, he delivers a solid four-track release that fuses quirky electronics with infectious dancefloor beats.

Back in 2022, Is It Balearic? Recordings founders Coyote (AKA long-serving producers Richard Hampson aka Ampo and Timm Sure) took time out from releasing music on their own labels to deliver a near perfect mini-album on Phil Cooper’s similarly mind-ed NuNorthern Soul imprint, Everything Moves, Nothing Rests.

A superb exploration of their trademark sound, where gentle downtempo rhythms and nods to dub came cloaked in colourful ambient chords, sun-bright melodic motifs, organic instrumenta-tion and quirky spoken word samples, Everything Moves, Nothing Rests deserved a sequel. So, three and a half years on, the duo has delivered just that: a fine six-track EP that offers an even deeper and more atmospheric exploration of their signature sound.

It is a sonic approach that should now be familiar to Balearic en-thusiasts the world over. Aside from delivering a steady stream of singles, albums and remixes on their own imprint, Hampson and Sure have also showcased their skills and loved-up musical mis-sives on International Feel, Music For Dreams, Needwant, MM Discos and Citizens of Vice.

The Higher The Sky, The Deeper The Ocean, their hotly anticipated NuNorthern Soul return, is named in honour of a quote from Ped-ro Alonso’s documentary series On the Ship of Enchantment, an extended voyage in which the Money Heist movie star meets healers and masters of ancestral medicine across his native Mexi-co.

There’s naturally a meditative and slightly psychedelic sound to much of The Higher The Sky, The Deeper The Ocean, which offers a subtly varied exploration of Coyote’s style and influence. Yearning, soft-focus opener ‘Muted Beauty’ – the kind of immersive, effects-laden and sample-sporting ambient bliss found nestling on Fila Brazillia albums of the mid 1990s – is followed by the similarly gentle ‘Go All The Way’, where delay-laden acoustic guitars, spo-ken word snippets and gaseous chords stretch out atop a languid, slow-motion groove.

‘A Drop in the Ocean’ picks up the pace a little via a glorious hat-tip to turn of the 90s ambient house – all dub-wise bass, heady deep house sonics, spaced-out chords and half-buried references to sunrise-ready Balearic synth-pop records of the late 1980s. Late psychedelic guru Terrence McKenna appears in sampled form on ‘Dolce Far Niente’, a tabla-driven drift and musical hallucination which conjures mental images of lying in the Mexican desert, gazing intently at a starry sky.

In contrast, ‘Riviera Sound’ is a chunkier, brighter and more sun-splashed affair – all deep, dubby bass, sustained piano parts, punchy downtempo breaks and the duo’s trademark ambient pads – while superb closing cut ‘No Coincidences’ fixes jazzy double bass samples, twinkling keyboard motifs, subtle acid lines and Latin-laced percussion to a street soul-adjacent beat.

Heady, impeccably crafted and thoroughly enveloping, The Higher The Sky, The Deeper The Ocean is Coyote at their dazzling best. It marks another significant chapter in their ever-evolving musical journey.

Based out of Brighton, UK, Murmurations have been steadily carving their path as an essential label for distinctive dancefloor moods. The fourth record on the imprint is the launch of a new series titled 'Flock', focusing on bringing different artists together who share similar visions and tastes. Volume one features Evasive frontman Rob Pearson with Paul Donton and label founder Leo Christopher on the A-side. On the flip, you have rising Manchester talent Huw Shipps and Bubble resident The Adventures Of Dogman. This amalgamation of producers has materialised into a record that focuses on nostalgic tech house textures, infused with modern elements and deep, dub tones.

First up is Rob Pearson & Paul Donton's excursion, 'Ideas Abstract'. Slinky drums pave the way, as pensive vocals circulate around the distinct and perky drive of the track. The aptly named 'Underground' from Murmurations boss Leo Christopher teases a more mysterious energy, with pulsating bass in combination with tight drum arrangements. The emerging producer Huw Shipps kicks off the B-side with a playful outing; quirky elements splash in and out throughout the track. Finishing off the release is dancefloor heater 'Cruising Around On A Pair Of Naughty Pennies', chunky and driven as it moves, ready to do the damage, keeping the club locked in.

The Murmurations curation thus far has seen each release shine bright, with timeless music for the club, no-nonsense, heads-down action, and long may that continue.

HAVEN co-founder Keepsakes is finally back on his own imprint with 5 fresh originals filled to the brim with warped alien sound design, driving and grooving drum rhythms, and acerbic track titles fresh out of a twisted after-hours chat. Following on from releases in recent years on KAOS/OAKS, Turbo Recordings, Perc Trax, and Boys Noize Records, this latest EP maintains his signature toughness alongside his fun and quirky sound choices while taking his sound further in to jacking and groovy territory.

The EP launches with 'Vocoding Your Nan Out Of Existence' on the A1 - full of growling and tortured alien vocoder melodic experimentation combined with driving funky drum work and organic atmospherics, this slab of freaky techno weight is aimed directly at the most debauched of dance-floors. 'Get To Know It In The Flesh' follows up on the A2 with rolling, grooving rhythms and dramatic string stabs alongside outlandish synth melodies, looping vocals and eerie creatures lurking in the background.

On the flip 'Ready2BeginWot?' gets things jacking with swinging rhythmic funk and and ear-worm repeating vocal line in a fast house-inspired slammer. 'Hollow And Suited' follows on the B2 with its tribal driving drum work and mutating resonated vocals sitting alongside debased synth melodics for the most haunted club creatures. Finally, 'Corvid House' closes out the record with its swung and grooving drum loops, bird call sound effects, vocal hooks and euphoric pad bliss to finish off another plate of dance-floor degeneracy.

We are excited to continue our work with Art P / Art Programming by finally offering the first full-length work from this Bremen-based electronic group. Originally released only on cassette in 1983, the self-titled album has now been fully restored and remastered, complete with bonus tracks and unreleased mixes unearthed from a rare demo.

The LP opens with "Wesen vom anderen Stern" ("Beings from Another Planet"), a downtempo, 808-driven electro synth wave track with German lyrics telling a story of aliens capturing earth, becoming the new "Herren" (lords), while humans are reduced to mere "objects." Art Programming founding member Jens-Markus Wegener notes that this track has always been a favorite during live performances, and it's easy to imagine how the futuristic sounds would have blown people away at the time.

Next is the electro/proto-techno title track "Art Programming," which we previously issued on a limited 12" in its full-length form. With its straightforward Roland 808 rhythms, catchy synth lines, and vocoder vocals, it's a classic example of German electro, and one of the earliest proto-techno tracks - long before Cybotron claimed the techno mantle. Its extensive break and electronic twist make it an early precursor to the genre. Wegener recalls that this track was created exclusively by him and Grotelüschen, with Grotelüschen contributing most of the melodic elements, while Wegener focused on drum machine programming and vocoder vocals.

On "That's Me," the album welcomes back singer Claudia Roebke. Although it's an electronic composition, Roebke adds a rock-infused, almost psychedelic vibe to the song. The lyrics, written by Wegener, depict a person obsessed with their appearance, using irony to critique societal beauty norms, questioning the obsession with perfection and attraction.

The album continues with a series of uptempo electro tracks: "Videoscreen," "La Gare," and "Genscher Pull 'N' Push." The first two feature slightly different mixes from an earlier demo that we personally prefered over the versions that were available on the final cassette release. "Videoscreen" expands on the theme of social isolation, with lyrics reflecting on a world obsessed with watching video all day - a topic that resonates strongly with today's culture of doom scrolling and social media addiction.

Next up, "Genscher Pull 'N' Push" is an incredible electro/wave/proto-techno track recorded in October 1982 with a political edge. Originally omitted from the album, it was only available on the demo cassette we mentioned earlier. The song takes aim at German politics, with lyrics that shout "bitte geh nach links / bitte geh nach rechts" ("please go to the left" and "please go to the right"), referencing the shifting political allegiances during the 1982 coalition change, when Genscher's party, the FDP, left the Helmut Schmidt cabinet to join the CDU/CSU opposition. The track was never released as the political topic had become outdated just a few months later.

The album closes with "Light and Fire," which originally served as the album's opening track. Its quirky, upbeat vibe now makes for a fitting outro.

The gear used on this album reads like a dream list for early 80s electronic music production: Roland Jupiter 4, TR 808, TB 303, System 100, SVC 350, Korg Mono/Poly, Moog Prodigy, FRICKE-Sequenzer, Roland CSQ-100 Sequenzer, Coron DS-8, MM 12/2, Sony TC 399, TEAC-244 Portastudio, Ibanez DM 1000, EH-Electric Mistress, EV-Micro. This unique lineup of equipment sets the album apart from NDW releases of the era, lending it a distinct sound with heavy proto-techno leanings and that straightforward electro vibe we all love.

The album is being released as a very limited edition of 300 copies on transparent red vinyl, complete with a full picture sleeve and lyrics inlay. This is yet another rediscovered and restored 80s gem on our label that you definitely don't want to miss!

Rising star Storm Mollison lands her debut on Heist with an ep blending House & R 'n B and we're completely hooked.

The future is looking bright for Storm Mollison - Heist's newest. Marked as artist to look out for by Shazam on their fast forward 2026 list, Storm's got a bright and busy year ahead, after an already big 2025. Last year alone, she featured on Kiki's hit 'Getting ready for the party', featured on a Mixmag London event and a Raw Cuts X Heist ADE party, had her first cover feature on Spotify, multiple radio 1 appearances, released several singles, a full EP on Noir Fever and a Luuk van Dijk remix.

If that's not enough to get you excited, we suggest you just listen to her 'Act like that' EP on Heist. In Storm's own words: "it's the most exciting music I've made so far" and we couldn't agree more. Her EP is a perfect blend of her love for house music and soulful R 'n B with its 4 tracks smothered in deep chords, smooth vocals and crunchy textures.

EP opener 'Doing Sumthin'' has been a staple in Dam Swindle's sets ever since receiving Storm's first demo and has never failed to make the crowd bounce from left to right with its quirky and equally cool vocal courtesy of Aaron Pfeiffer. Sometimes, you just need someone to tell you which way to move and before you know it, the whole club is doing it. The beat is chunky, and the sax lick is a nice wink to the old school house that has influences Storm's sound so much.

Act Like That - the EP's title track -, is a modern R' n B song that could have easily been on Rochelle Jordan's latest album. The lyrics are perfectly delivered by Storm herself and celebrate women who stand up to unreliable men. It could well be the badass soundtrack of womanhood for 2026 delivered in a silky-smooth package that'll live rent-free in your head for the foreseeable future.

On the flipside is "Gotta Go', an undercover dancefloor burner with lush keys and a lean-back groove. The track relies on crisp textures and little frizzles all throughout the track, with a big breakdown for ultimate release.

Ep closer 'Workin' takes us back into R 'n B territory, this time in a very danceable form. Storm's soft vocals lie on top of a steady beat with deep chords and a bassline so sexy It'll make you get down no matter where you're hearing this.

It's hard to speak about a breakthrough for an artist that has already seen such a rise in the scene, but if we're talking about her music, this will be the record that people come back to after years and say, "remember when she releases ALT!?"

As always, enjoy the music and play it loud!

Yours, Maarten & Lars

Father Sheed steps up to deliver a saucy meze for M.A.D Records sixteenth outing, following the groove-laden "Pancumbia" for A MAD 5 Years compilation!! The Austin, Texas based producer brings 5-tracks to ignite the discotheque with quirky sampling, punchy drum grooves and immaculate synth-scapes!

Kompakt is ringing in the New Year in style! ‘Freeze’ is a collaboration between Joyce Muniz and Andre VII, a beacon of Mexico City’s nightlife . This powerful hi-NRG track is reminiscent of Bobby Orlando’s finest moments and would have set ‘80s dancefloors in Rimini alight. A collaboration that celebrates diversity, friendship, and the power of music as a bridge between cultures and communities.

With Greta Levska, Kompakt is welcoming a fresh new artist to the fold. Her sound is hard to pinpoint, which is an attribute we’re traditionally attracted to. ’Who’s Here’ is one of these late night tunes that take their sweet time to cast their spell – but when it does there’s no holding back. With ‘Lizard Lick’ Greta ventures in quirky Electro waters… When that proverbial elevator door opens we see Superpitcher and Mr. Oizo sharing a laugh and some Mezcalitos, obviously.

vladimir dubyshkin has always stood sideways from the rest of the techno world whilst attaining the highest achievement for a musician: having an unmistakable signature sound.

possessing a level of instinct that can only be called supernatural, vladimir is the sort of visionary who can chop up some vocals, mix them with an insane melody that no ordinary person could ever dream to imagine, and turn it into a surreal circus that feels like the entire room has tipped over.

along with contributions on several concept albums and hot steel compilations, trip has been honoured to have released five of vladimir's solo masterpieces: ivanovo night luxe, the botox queen, pornographic novel, budni nashego kolhoza and cheerful pessimist. each one expands the strange, addictive universe only he could map out.

his new record, "jane doe's secret" is sharply futuristic, charged with quirky rave energy. "jane doe" might be a placeholder, but this collection of tracks is far from it. it's a reminder of how rare it is to witness someone create their own gravitational field.

Repress !

Way back in 1981, two musicians got together to make a record. Mike Collins played guitar and had just bought a Roland CR78 - the first programmable drum machine. Keith O'Connell played Fender Rhodes piano and Prophet 5 synthesizer. Excited about the quirky and unusual instrumental track they'd composed, when the duo entered London's Utopia Studios to finish off their creation, neither could have predicted what was to follow... Now viewed by many as one of the most influential early electronic dance records, 'Rude Movements' was swiftly picked up on by David Mancuso, who used it to devastating effect at his infamous 'Loft Parties', in turn introducing it to Larry Levan, Frankie Knuckles, David Morales and Kenny Dope, a group of young DJs who would go on to write the blueprint for dance music as we know it.

In the more than 35 years since its release, 'Rude Movements' has continued to inspire and excite, sampled by The Bucketheads' classic House track 'Whew!' (featured on recent BBE compilation '20 years of Henry Street Records') and listed by a veritable 'who's who' of dance music's elite as an all-time favourite. Rare and much sought-after on vinyl, BBE are happy to announce the release of a fully remastered version of 'Rude Movements' presented alongside the original demo version 'Raw Movements', plus three other versions of the iconic track. Also included on the vinyl package are the Afrika Bambaata inspired 'Street Beat' and 808/MiniMoog workout 'Palace Strut', as well as three other 80s SunPalace compositions. CD and digital versions expand the catalogue still further, with more experimental SunPalace magic. Timeless original, quirky and unique, these recordings are set to inspire yet another generation of DJs,
producers and music fans.

"On its Various 2 compilation, Altered Circuits returns with a gripping four-track selection by an equal number of distinct-voiced artists. Perrax En La Calle sees tINI merge sturdy drums, arpeggiated basslines, and ominous synth work. She knows what makes the floor tick blindfolded, and keeps the energy high here, channelling electronic body music and Italo into a contemporary club knockout. Up next is Ionic, a fusion of quirky, pointillist hooks that play call and response, driven by 909 kicks and a sub pattern underneath. Mogwaa spellbinds, and often pulls the rug only to reveal more intricate melodic needlework -- it's done so nimbly and enticingly, there's no way not to get drawn in. On the flip side, rising talent Desiree Falessi joins with the peak time Scandal. Statically-charged basslines mesh with reverb-drenched percussion salvos, and as slinky pads and subtle theme variations emerge, the intensity builds toward a tipping point. Closer Flex features a sharp arpeggiated bassline that funnels through misty, LFO-steered synths, scattered alarm-like melodies, muffled vocals, and gated-reverb snares. When classic high-pass modulation intermezzos are introduced, Monile demonstrates how sparse means, when deployed precisely, can sustain considerable tension."

WOLF proudly welcomes the return of Tom Esselle to the label. Fresh from his latest release on Rhythm Section, Tom follows up his 2022 Praise Bes EP on WOLF with a new four-track collection of deep, dancefloor-ready cuts.

Opening track Livewire sets the tone immediately, pulling you in with a heads-down, UK garage influenced groove. A-side follow-up Don’t Have To is a strong contender for standout moment, pairing luscious keys with a sweet vocal for peak-time soulful impact.

On the flip, Small Talk delivers a quirky vocal sample over an undeniable groove, before EP closer Spaced Out dives deeper, unfolding beautiful, emotive chords. Another standout release that oozes quality from a producer hitting their stride and firmly establishing himself as one to watch.

2026 Repress


DJ Koze's 2013 album opus Amygdala has continued to bewitch all who encounter it since its release. Tipped as his own personal Sgt. Pepper, the sublime long-player revealed a fully-realised and personal body of work, complete with a classic songwriting at its core, House in its heart, and veins coursing with psychedelic color. La Duquesa' was the album's dreamy single standout, a journey into deep, tropical ecstasy. XTC' begins in the same spirit, and captures the all the blissful allusions of its name, but its initial gentility belies the deep intensity to come. Floating pads glow with celestial ambience as a kick drum is gradually coaxed into solid form, and the introduction of spoken text begins the second act. Many people are experimenting with the drug Ecstasy,' it says, ...is the drug like the lie and meditation the truth Or am I missing something that could really help me". XTC' then transforms: sweetly imploring tones become demanding, gentle gradients between chords turn hard-edged, and sharp hi-hats cut through the haze. Complete with Koze's signature percussive quirks, it drives towards the track's final pay off: an undeniable, all-consuming, irresistible high. Knee On Belly' recalls Koze at his most tongue-in-cheek and overt, it is bright, bold and literally brassy, using cut-up horns of all shapes and sizes to patchwork together his own unique arrangement. With the highs and mid ranges accounted for, Koze adds in a swollen, thrumming bass line to mix to bring this floor-filler to life. Knee on Belly' recalls a raw, filtered and funky approach to groove, with a nod to disco house and the art of artful sampling, as it orbits between its own neon highs and simmering lows.

Hot Creations latest Vinyl Sampler featuring four of the Hottest recent release on Hot Creations.

The A Side features two notable figures in the electronic scene: Steve Bug and Denney, who team up with Mikey V creating an old-school house gem which has been going down a storm on dance floors. Next up is Collier’s rework of Joshwa ‘Bass Go Boom’, Collier comes in hot and heavy with booming low-ends and snaking bass grooves, infusing 'Bass Go Boom' with a quirky funk and a deep, dubby bounce!

On the flip and Vintage Culture & Vinter ‘High”, huge anthem finally gets a vinyl release. This hot as hell house anthem is an essential weapon! Finally Hot Since 82 ‘Sonedo’, dives deep into a lush bass-driven groove that envelops the senses, with rhythmic builds and playful percussion accents transporting listeners into an all-night hypnosis.

Repetitive Rhythm Research presents: FW25/26 The sound of the season? Or a tongue-in-cheek reflection on fleeting trends? Techno has always moved in cycles--styles fade in and out of focus, but true character stands the test of time. As the genre enters its fourth decade, it's fascinating to see how experimentation sometimes becomes formula, and how fresh ideas can either break the mould or quietly slide into the mainstream. This new compilation on Repetitive Rhythm Research explores exactly that tension. 12 tracks by 12 artists--ranging from rising talents to established names--each bringing their own distinct approach. This isn't your typical 'cut from the same cloth' compilation. It's a diverse journey through contemporary techno with all its depth, quirks, and raw energy. From Marcel Dettmann's dark and spooky slow-burner This Is a Test, to Peder Mannerfelt's forward-thinking Alternate Current. Force Reaction dives into trippy terrain with Mysteries Unfolding, while Sanna Mun and Dynamic Forces channel classic Detroit vibrations. Section 6 (a well-known Dutch producer) and Sonic Propaganda (aka Earwax and Rosati) deliver peak-time power. UFO95 takes you on an epic trip with Apollo95, while Conrad Van Orton's Plaintive Drift operates in a lane of its own--fast-paced, hypnotic, and emotionally rich. And then there's the ever-consistent Jeroen Search, the fierce energy of Kerrie, and the unmistakable sonic fingerprint of Aleksi Per?l?--each contributing to this wide-ranging exploration of techno's current landscape. This Fall/Winter 25/26 release isn't just another techno compilation. It's a curated statement that embraces contrast, personality, and forward momentum. Pick your favorites. Revisit the outliers. Let the rhythms unfold.

Five years after the release of 'The First Circle' Neroli celebrates its 25th anniversary with a new volume.
'The Second Circle' picks up from where its predecessor left and expands its aestethic into more musical territories.
The album moves from still ambience and majestic uplifting strings to quirky electronics, it explores expansive fusion landscapes till landing into Detroit beatless territories accompanying the listener to multiple musical places and to embrace this unique spiritual journey. Featuring original unreleased compositions by: Nu Era, Lar Bartkuhn, Molinaro, Claude Young jr, Joe Claussell, EDB, Jordan GCZ, Other Lands, Stephen Lopkin, Meftah, Zopelar and Volcov.

Figure is celebrating its 150th release with a loaded triple vinyl compilation, showcasing artists both old and new to the label – a testament to what the Figure sound is today. The cover art has been commissioned from Berlin-based graffiti artist Erik Winkler, whose spray-painted work is adorning the thick triple-pocket sleeve housing three colored records.

The compilation features some important recent additions to our growing roster: both Jancen and Arthur Robert deliver their unique take on tunneling techno, be it searing or psychedelic. And Brazilian shape-shifter Vinicius Honorio carves out his own gliding bass frequencies while A-STS relies classic drum machine bleep hypnosis.

Label head Len Faki’s own energetic appearance echoes his versatile style found on his recent album release. The all-out production featuring strings and quirky synths sits in contrast with Jeroen Search & Decoder - a pairing of veterans, whose minimal hardware sound slowly builds over trippy acid loops. The flipside belongs to a younger generation of producers, namely IGLO turning out a superb techno roller teeming with life and lush with details. The duo of Munich brothers Glaskin already remixed Faki for his Fusion album, their first original release on Figure comes a skillful blend of distorted stabs and deep grooves.

Equally refined but with a harder edge to it, Scheermann practices a dark, minimalist approach where each element gets time to shine for maximum effect. His bleak track is aptly paired with a rare solo release of Obscure Shape whose fractures of a dreamy, twinkly melody make for one of the most emotional moments of the compilation. The final side holds Roman Poncet’s seasoned understanding of groove, balancing perfectly the dubby stabs and vocal chops for a dazzlingly perfect loop. The final tones to this milestone release come courtesy of another of Figure’s bright new voices: Arkan manages to conjure up a powerful sense of progression, where colourful synths converge in harmonies over an effortlessly bouncing beat.

It is a rare moment for an independent label to make to number 150. But to keep finding new talent who help re-shape the signature sound while expanding the family roster, that’s a true blessing. This package shows how Figure is growing and adapting as a label, staying relevant as one of the leading voices in modern techno.

The 12th release on ALIM Music, Brazilian singer-songwriter Rogê delivers a radiant and rhythmically rich reinterpretation of Talking Heads’ “Road to Nowhere,” setting the tone for BBE's Naive Melodies - a bold and visionary tribute to the music of Talking Heads, reinterpreted through the lens of Black musical innovation. Curated by Drew McFadden - the creative mind behind BBE’s acclaimed Modern Love (David Bowie tribute album) releasing this October via BBE Music. Now based in Los Angeles, Rogê, a Latin Grammy nominee and longtime torchbearer of Rio’s samba-soul vanguard - reimagines the Talking Heads classic as a soulful samba jam, infused with earthy guitar, syncopated percussion, and his signature smoky, magnetic vocals. Where the original rides on quirky tension, Rogê’s version flows with saudade and sway, steeped in the Afro-Brazilian traditions that have defined his sound for over a decade.

Produced by Tommy Brenneck (Amy Winehouse, Mark Ronson, Cuco, Charles Bradley, The Budos Band), the track carries a raw, analog warmth that nods to classic MPB (Música Popular Brasileira) and the golden age of 1970s samba-rock, while subtly weaving in the existential overtones of the song’s lyrics. Rogê's “Road to Nowhere” captures the essence of Naive Melodies: a reimagining of Talking Heads’ catalog through the rhythmic and cultural lens of the global Black music traditions that helped shape it. From samba and funk to soul, dub and jazz, the album brings together forward-thinking artists from across the diaspora to revisit, reinterpret, and revive the sounds that have always lived in the band’s DNA.

Evelyne/Masao bring TESTPATTERN to Dark Entries for the label’s first foray into vintage Japanese electronics. Masao Hiruma and Fumio Ichimura’s project Testpattern is known for their release Apres-Midi, a cult slab of synthpop perfection released by Yukihiro Takahashi and Haruomi Hosono’s legendary Yen Records in 1982. While Hiruma and Ichimura parted ways following Apres-Midi, Hiruma’s musical endeavors would continue after meeting French/American model and vocalist Evelyne Bennu in 1984 at a café bar where she would sit and write poetry. Their collaborative efforts as Evelyne/Masao were fruitful, and the duo first performed together in June 1984 on a television program called TOKYO ROCK TV. The album TESTPATTERN comprises seventeen songs recorded in Hiruma’s home studio, which have never been released previously. The Evelyne/Masao duo continues building on the soundworld of Apres-Midi: lush, sophisticated electronics with intricate yet minimalist production. Tracks like “Sakuramochi” and “Bird Island” bear influence from Hosono most clearly, their soaring melodies revealing a subtly ironic redeployment of East Asian musical tropes. But TESTPATTERN is more than homage to Yellow Magic Orchestra. “Tabac” and “Le Soleil Se Leve” display oddball sensibilities closer to Sky Records icons Asmus Tietchens or Cluster. Elsewhere, the project shows affinity for the punkier ethos of continental DIY electronics, like on the quirky “Alien Go Home” and a positively skewed cover of “Singin’ in the Rain.” Bennu’s vocals provide a common thread through these explorations, as she alternates deftly between New Wave deadpan and unhinged chanson singer—check her waxing maximally Francophone on “Au Clair de Lune,” based on an 18th century French song. TESTPATTERN will be available on both double LP as well as CD, and includes a fold-out poster with liner notes with lyrics. This album is dedicated to Masao Hiruma, who passed away in 2011.

The prolific, party-starting Det Gode Selskab collective continues to strengthen its wax artillery with another spaced-out exploration from label affiliate A:G. Based in Oslo, the label and artist have built a strong affinity over the years, with DGS regularly releasing his music and inviting him to perform at a host of events. His “Time Factor” EP is essential electro listening, wandering between rippling shades of acid and tripped-out minimalistic movements, synonymous with the Norwegian beatmaker’s sound. It’s a hazy quest through four original cuts, packed with raw and gritty attitude.

The slinky first outing of the EP goes by the name “Crash.” Anticipation builds as the winding bassline and quirky drum patterns create a sense of retro gaming exploration. “Sleepwalking” is another diverse entry from the talented producer—a pensive yet driven motion propels the track’s energy, laced with slick hi-hats and acid-laden beats.

On the B-side, outer-galaxy transmissions go full steam ahead with the title track “Time Factor”, animated grooves and continuous evolution, climaxing with bright, uplifting synths. Plucky, tight drums lead the way in the final frontier, “Cognitive Resonance”—another classy dance floor outing from A:G, once again showcasing why he’s a producer to keep close tabs on.

Striking while it’s hot, A:G delivers another heater on a label that shows no signs of slowing down in the years to come, and if their previous releases are anything to go by, this one will be moving fast!

"After years of audio exploration and creativity together, Bizarre Trax co-founders B.Love and oliver.r unveil their much-anticipated LOVE.R alias with a dynamite, four-track EP on the ever-vibrant Dias de Campo imprint. This powerhouse pairing has been on the label's radar for a while, and their Dos Cremaet Por Favor EP proves exactly why.

Brimming with intricate textures, playful grooves, and the duo's unmistakable flair for left-field dancefloor energy, each track delivers a heady mix of quirky rhythms and off-kilter beats that define each of their signature sounds. The A-side marks the grand entrance of LOVE.R with two innovative collaborations, while the flip lets each artist shine with a solo cut of their own.

And if that's not enough, you can catch these prolific tastemakers lighting up the decks at this year's festival. See you front left."

How enduring is the signature song from Harry Chapin’s Verities & Balderdash? So timeless that it became the subject of a 2025 documentary in which artists from multiple generations weigh in on its impact on their lives and craft. “Cat’s in the Cradle” doubtlessly remains the main event on the singer-songwriter’s 1974 album. The legendary opening track also serves as a guidepost for the bold personal and social material that follows — as well as the gorgeous folk-rock arrangements that underpin the New York native’s most commercially successful work.

Sourced from the original master tapes, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, housed in a Stoughton jacket complete with a four-page insert, and strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 33RPM LP of Verities & Balderdash presents Chapin’s fourth full-length in audiophile quality for the first time on vinyl. Captured during a golden era for sonics and production, the Top 5 effort features remarkable tonal balance, instrumental separation, and organic naturalism. Those valued aspects come into supreme focus on this reissue, which plays with dead-quiet surfaces and a low noise floor.

The newfound clarity, openness, and imaging underscore the lasting appeal of Chapin’s tender deliveries, soulful timbre, and careful phrasing. Every word comes across with incredible realism, while his underrated guitar playing occupies its own distinctive space. Also notable: The extension of the tasteful string accents; airiness of the backing vocals; depth and shape of the spare bass lines; and width and depth of the soundstaging. When on “Six String Orchestra” Chapin calls out names of instruments, they appear like magic, the band performing feet from you. Chapin has never sounded so lifelike on record.

Certified double platinum, Verities & Balderdash resonated with the times and public. “Cat’s in the Cradle” reached No. 1 on the chart on its way to being inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. The romantic ballad “I Wanna Learn a Love Song” flirted with the Top 40 and wrapped listeners in the equivalent of a cozy blanket. The record’s other single, the mini-epic “What Made America Famous?,” helped establish Chapin as one of the country’s most incisive and insightful commentators.

Verities & Balderdash teems with situational devices and topical matters. Chapin observes everything from the polarization of the nation to changes in moral standards and cultural priorities. He investigates pressing themes without ever turning preachy or elevating himself above the matters at hand. On “Halfway to Heaven,” whose coda races to the finish and ranks as the most urgent moment on the record, Chapin inhabits the mind of his frustrated protagonist akin to an eagle-eyed novelist.

Conveying emotions that range from melancholic to carefree, Chapin is as much of a singer as a storyteller. He assumes the voice of multiple characters within a single narrative. During the quirky “30,000 Pounds of Bananas,” a tale based on a delivery-truck accident in 1965, Chapin alters his delivery, pronunciation, and diction to become an old man reflecting on the mishap and mess. The tempo, too, adjusts to match the speed of the vehicle Chapin describes.

Adorned with timely laugh tracks to reinforce the bittersweet humor, the stripped-down “Six String Orchestra” takes everything up another notch, with Chapin intentionally missing guitar notes or playing a broken passage to illustrate the failures of the hopeful protagonist who doesn’t have what’s required to make it as an artist.

Chapin, of course, did not have any such problem. The lynchpin of a career cut short by a tragic traffic incident, Verities & Balderdash is Exhibit A of the savvy craft, feeling, and perspective he lent to American music.

Introducing OBI02 – Plight of the Gifted EP by TB Shine, the second release on
Dutch-label OBI Trackz.

Operating under various aliases since the early 2000s, TB Shine is one of the many expressions of Norwegian artist Terje Bakke. Plight of the Gifted EP holds five tracks that drift between hypnotic minimalism and raw percussive workouts, told through disjointed rhythms, haunting atmospheres, and layered tension.

The A side kicks off with Dopamine Dungeon—a slippery, low-end-driven roller wrapped in hazy textures and unstable euphoria. The track traps the listener in a quirky haunt, like the title describes accordingly. Red Army Moody Troopers follows with a tougher edge: straight drums, spectral pads, and an undercurrent of unrest. It’s a track that marches forward but never fully lands, suspended in an unresolved urgency.

On the B side, Plight of the Gifted appears in two versions. The original leans into emotional melodic motifs and fragmented structures, evoking both vulnerability and defiance. The Haunted Version strips things back further—bleeding with space, odd grooves, and a kind of post-club phychosis that lingers long after. Closing the EP is Plague Doctor, a slow-burning piece where a hopeful melody echoes and distant percussion round off the release with a sense of closure while being wrapped in a warm blanket.

With Plight of the Gifted EP, TB Shine offers a layered and personal collection— one that walks the tightrope between control and collapse, rhythm and mood. A fitting next step for Obi Trackz: cryptic, cinematic, and carved with intent.

Twin Dots is a brand new Music label founded by Alexia & Just1 based in Berlin exploring the interplay between sound & sight. The first release on the Twin Dots is by Moroccan/French DJ & producer Kizoku.

In Arabic, "Suad" suggests happiness, yet these nine tracks navigate more complex emotional terrain – bittersweet foundations supporting quirky, smile-inducing melodies born from contemplative moments.

"Suad" documents a musical journey from sample-heavy constructions toward more synthesized landscapes, paying tribute to the hip-hop Kizoku loves, from its organic roots to electronic contemporary developments. Each composition is a carefully assembled patchwork of sounds, transformed through his distinctly dreamy yet melancholic lens.

The vinyl release features a trippy illustration by Achot, whose dripping style echoes Kizoku's sonic world. Roger brought Achot's artwork to life through analog animation, adding his own experimental touch.

Bobby Caldwell is legendary for his blue-eyed soul masterpiece What You Won’t Do For Love but a deeper look into his catalog reveals there’s plenty more where that came from. Danny Krivit heads straight to the source, and uncovers a breezy treat in the form of The House Is Rockin’, Caldwell’s very first single. Kicking his edit off with a highly mixable extended drum break intro, he teases this upbeat mover into the fully extended version it deserves.

From the sunshine of the A-side Krivit pivots to a monster moody groove on the flip, Eddy Grant’s proto-house classic California Style. Leaving just a touch of the soca-fied vocal at the top, Mr. K quickly delves into the depths of the percolating instrumental break, emphasizing all the gloriously quirky synth bloops and relentless bass that made it a favorite of house producers (check Mateo & Matos’s New York Style for proof). We believe this is the first time the extended mix has been available on 7-inch, but we’re absolutely certain it has never sounded so good! Another crate staple in the always excellent Mr. K edit series.

DJ Support: Mau P, Jamie Jones, BLOND:ISH, Noizu, Bob Sinclar, Martin Garrix, ACRAZE, Steve Angello, Kaskade, CID, Bob Sinclar, Afrojack, Oliver Heldens, Nicky Romero, MK and more.

Toolroom’s latest vinyl offering sees 3 big releases from label favourite, Tony Romera. For what is arguably his biggest single to date and brimming with feel-good 80s flavour, Time To Move has been on repeat for Tony at every show. LFO kicks of the b-side and showcases Tony’s trademark tough drums and low-slung bass line, resulting in another dancefloor weapon. The quirky Dance Naked rounds off the EP with an unmistakable rolling, tech groove, hooky synth stabs and hooky vocals on top.

2025 Repress

Deep In Dis Intl. is back with another killer release, this time by Brazilian sound system culture precursor Rassan and his Don't Hesitate EP. It includes a remix by UK's rising DJ Producer Bailey Ibbs. It is widely known by now that the Brazilian electronic music scene is one of the fastest growing and its artists are gradually developing a unique style with a strong international influence. Rassan, co-founder of the Nice & Deadly record label is a promising talent, making noise with his 90's raver influenced productions.

A1. "Don't Hesitate" is like stepping into a time machine. Nostalgic piano riffs, classic breakbeats and catchy vocal samples. Perfect summer anthem.
A2. "Rota De Fuga" is one of those tracks that can really transport you just by closing your eyes. It has a darker, trippy and speedier vibe that stimulates and submerges you deeper into the night.
Flipping the record, B1 is just a perfect example of Bailey's dynamic skills to program beats, adding some quirky sounds, an infectious electro pattern and a super deep breakdown. Robot dance style for this one!
B2. 'Bury The Hatchet' closes this wicked EP with a sublime energy. Proper deep jungle vibes. Four special tracks for any special moment of the party.

2025 Repress

After a short hiatus Deep In Dis intl. is back in the game. This time bringing you a split EP by two young prolific producers who have been in our radar for quite sometime now, Eric OS and Lewis. With both artists being based in Sweden and each one of them with a characteristic sound, we thought it would be a good idea to split our next release between these two cutting edge talents and that's how the Timebomb EP came to life.

We first discovered Eric tunes through a Binh set last year at the Nostromo Festival and we instantly knew we had to get Eric on board for a future project with us and here we are. With releases on System Error, Eya Records and his own imprint Space Trace, Eric brings to the table all those elements that made us get up off the back stage sofa and lose it on the floor. Flipping the record we have the Data Flow head label Lewis bringing us another two special club cuts. Having released a digital EP with us before, we couldn't wait to press some of Lewis analog soundscapes.

A1. 'Eden' is a true dance floor filler , endless groove and quirky sounds penetrating your brain while taking you in a break with some dreamy pads and even stranger synth lines. A2. 'Timebomb' keeps the vibe going, even higher this time. The formula seems to be timeless. Progry melodies, wonky bassline, and solid drum patterns.B1. 'Project Mayhem' invites us to close our eyes and travel without moving with its hypnotic groove, the feeling of pleasure, energy and empathy increases and floats the dancefloor in a never ending way. Closing the EP 'Acid44' spills a lysergic groove on the floor with no possibility of escape or return. Infected synth lines, snappy snares and some serious bassline are the powerful potion of the track.

Schwefelgelb show their diversity in an impressive manner. A vibrant record with a very positive
aura, which makes you want to dance with a smile. Minimalistic and clearly arranged, showing each
element's full potential. Unfolding dance music's power with no distraction.

"Ay" is all about its irresistible groove, which is smooth but yet punchy. A compelling opener which
reminds Leftfield House.

"Randseiter" is an intriguing Techno track balancing stomping EBM rhythm and playful syncopic
melody patterns.

With "Sie Lacht" we turn to a cheerful and uplifting combination of subtle Jungle rhythms, prominent
bass and quirky lead, undoubtedly referencing UK Bass music.

If you're out for some rumble you'll find it in JANEIN's remix of "Ay". Despite its Industrial darkness
it's not too shy to implement melodic parts. A haunting mix of pumping kick and funky stab
sequences.
There isn't really a box for Danny Daze's remix of "Sie Lacht". This digital bonus track is full of
creative surprises.

"Marginale" will be released 5th of September on n-PLEX, 140 g colored vinyl including download
code.

raum…musik welcomes Italian producer Santos for his debut on the label with Human Factor EP — a versatile four-tracker blending tech house, deep house, minimal, and acid, crafted with the finesse of someone two decades deep in the game.

The EP opens with “Some We Are,” a deep acid house track driven by a steady groove, bubbling 303s, and teasing vocal snippets. Atmospheric pads and warm chords emerge as the track evolves, balancing dancefloor function with rich detail.
“Paragonal” shifts gears with sampled breaks and emotional synth stabs layered over a 4x4 pulse. Hazy vocals and spacey effects give it a bright, euphoric edge while keeping it floor-ready.

On the B-side, “Done Everyday” leans into swing-heavy deep house territory. Shuffled hats, micro-programmed percussion, and a solid sub-bass glue everything together — minimal house with punch and precision.
“Kink In Me” closes the record with a more experimental mood. Sparse and hypnotic at first, it patiently unfolds into a deep, quirky, and rhythmically rich groover of jazzy chords and dubby textures.

With Human Factor EP, Santos delivers a polished and dynamic record that speaks to seasoned diggers and fast-moving dance floors alike. raum…musik continues its tradition of top-shelf, club-focused curation with this timeless release.

Musique de Niche Vol.1 barked for a Vol.2. The second opus of any relevant trilogy (did I just spoil a Vol.3?) undergoes always the hardest trial by fire: but the bois, Pierre Marty and Admo, once again delivered these flavors you didnt know your collection was missing.

Same city, different district and new inspirations: following the world premiere in Berlin of their Liveset, they hit the home studio, refining the last bits of this new EP and giving it a new twist while still echoing the first volume.

Tech-house yes, but is it really ?

Indecisiveness feels like we could've said maybe yes but no but...
Well: Alpyren did the quite impressive feat of pressing this feeling on a record - that's A1. The haunting voice sample is this sassy inner self trying to tell you whats up. At least, you're not alone: the quirky bleeps and the punchy bassline are there lending you a hand to make that surely bad decision.

By flipping the record or the usb, you get to the two tracks where they let their new inspirations hit the speakers.

B1 is out before GTA VI, but it could've been in the soundtrack if the game was actually happening between Los Santos and Marseille.G-funk with the Alpyren touch: for the floor, a tune that will make you sway. Broken beats, almost broken legs.

B2 is the freaky one of the bunch: starts with the gloomy sound signature of the duo, but we're back with more 80's inspirations.Darker synth pop with a twist: you end up following the kick with the head bobbing in sync, while all the FX sounds bring to the track this extra spice.

It's 5pm here at the Ordinateuf HQ and we've just finished listening to the latest masters of the new E.P by Alpyren 'Musique de Niche vol2'. Before we're back to more phone calls, we'd like to thank all the friends that bought the first volume: the support has been quite amazing so far.

Enjoy this new one - its got our paw of approval.

Back in 1999, nestled in a cramped box room in his parents’ house in Cambridge, George Aretakis, one half of the newly-formed “I Like It” label (ili records) was on a sonic mission. Fresh from releasing their debut 12" All Alone by Hal, he dove headfirst into the world of self-engineering — no acoustic treatment, a sketchy Yamaha sound card, and a PC with a mind of its own.

What came out of that chaos is a collection of raw, imaginative tracks that blend hardware glitches with human quirks. Computer Rage was born from a technical meltdown — literal computer voices, warped vocals, coughing, and all. Its sibling, the Silicon Circus Mix, takes that same glitchy DNA and pushes it even further into bizarro territory.

Then there's Space You Know — a groovy slow-burner driven by a sticky bassline and the haunting vocal of Katie Jeans (courtesy of friends at Tummy Touch), chopped and recontextualized into something beautifully strange.

Rounding it out is Environ Mental, a moment of playful spontaneity made in a single night. Early morning birdsong, passing cars, and absurd vocalizations collide in a whimsical microcosm of lo-fi joy.

This release is a love letter to the unfiltered creativity of early bedroom production — messy, noisy, and bursting with heart. A must-have artifact for fans of DIY electronica and late '90s experimental house.

Ewan's Makati EP, named after his birthplace and dedicated to his mother, draws inspiration from his earliest memories of life in the Philippines. As a house music producer in Perth (now Melbourne) for over 25 years and releasing dozens of records ... this one hits close to home and his heart as a positive, affirming set of cuts for your ears and feet.

The record starts by jumping onto the mechanical funk of JEEPNEY. A roving mural of quirky synth rhythms riding on a solid stomping house groove.

PELOTA finds the beat and bass marking firm lines of a game of call-and-response. Bouncing from wall to wall, the melodies trade licks while a stoic flute tops out the dance.

On the flip, SEREMONYA mixes spritely conversing synth lines on alternating chord stabs and sustains. With the erratic bass and matching snare guiding both anticipation and reflection as equal partners.

SKYFLAKES encourages the listener's mind to run away with a simple mind-object of the past. As a downtempo hymnal of chords, pads, strings and bells it leaves us high in altitude and higher in hope.

Facta and K-LONE’s Wisdom Teeth imprint returns to the V/A format with ‘Pattern Gardening’: a new collaborative project that leans head-first into the label’s love of minimal-, micro- and tech-house, carving out the label’s distinct, contemporary take on the sound - one that swims between warm, bleepy, rolling, dubby, psychedelic and bass-heavy channels across its duration. The vinyl sampler brings together 6 highlights from the wider 22 track digital project. Wisdom Teeth heads Facta and K-LONE appear alongside longtime label associate Lurka and new signees Polygonia, rRoxymore, Sub Basics and Jichael Mackson.

By now, Wisdom Teeth and its founders are well known for their unabashed love of minimal and tech house, which - alongside ambient, UK club music, experimental electronics and a broad palette of other influences - makes up a key cornerstone of their distinctive sound. The duo’s DJ sets often see them mixing ‘00s gems from labels like Perlon, Mosaic, Minibar and a:rpia:r with more contemporary club sounds, creating a hybrid style that sits somewhere between Balearic terraces and dark UK club basements. Likewise, the label has become known as a go-to outlet for artists occupying a similar crossover space, with names like Jorg Kuning, Parris, Steevio, Duckett, Leif and LUXE all known for pushing house and techno into experimental and refreshing new territories.

‘Pattern Gardening’ follows loosely on from the label’s previous V/A releases ‘To Illustrate’ (2021) and ‘Club Moss’ (2023), which explored downtempo (100bpm) and uptempo (150-170bpm) styles respectively. Here, the focus is fixed on lush, groovy, quirky 4x4 jams, joining the dots between a global spread of producers that bring new energy and perspective to these well-explored frameworks.

As is always the case with Wisdom Teeth’s output, the results fit somewhere between the club and a more contemplative, home-listening headspace, with texture, melody and mood afforded as much significance as rhythm and functionality.

The artwork features photography by Hong Kong-based photographer Jimi Chiu, who captures seemingly ordinary corners of city life in glossy, cinematic detail.

Open Mike Eagle might not have all the answers, but few in life ask smarter questions.

Recorded in London with producer Paul White, Hella Personal Film Festival artfully dissects modern life's banalities and perils. Continuing where his 2014 Dark Comedy left off, it blends whimsical anxiety, social media addiction, and scorn. Known for collaborations with artists like Danny Brown and Mos Def, Eagle and White create tense, emotionally rich anthems that capture the disorientation of daily life and examine societal double standards and casual bigotry.

Rising French producer and live act Akyki is out on Quinoa for the label's 5th instalment. Delivering a quacking slice of summer, the 'Egyptian Geese' EP offers a groovy and multifaceted narrative that will get your backsides giggling like uncle Waldo's. Techy-er than previous references on the label, the release doesn't leave out some essential hallmarks of the Quinoa sound: playful vocals, quirky breaks, signature enveloping basslines, and a breadth of sound that finds its cohesion in a warm, comfy place.

DISCLAIMER: This vitamin D-drenched mini-album has been found to induce a condition known as PSSS or "Prolonged Summertime Smiling Syndrome". Symptoms may include euphoria and a sudden urge to dance. They may appear when listening and are not affected by seasonality. The record is to be consumed at the dancers' discretion and should not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet. If the symptoms persist please consult your local physician.

ANORAX sticks to its’ #eatsleepmantra with the reissue of the perennially in demand TIGHTEN UP by Melbourne soul disciples THE BAMBOOS.

The track - a catchy as you like instrumental slant on Archie Bell & The Drells USA #1 million selling smash from 1968 - was originally released in 2006 on Kenny Dope and Keb Darge’s KAY-DEE label.

It immediately became a favourite in Soul & Acid Jazz circles, and it’s’ popularity rapidly spread across all dance genres, THE BAMBOOS main man LANCE FERGUSON showed genius by ditching the idea of vocals and lyrics in a composition hailed by Rolling Stones magazine “as one of the greatest songs of all time” and instead coming up with the quirky irresistible instrumental we all love. Funky flute anyone?

The Kay Dee 45 was reissued some years ago but enduring demand has outstripped supply.

Limited edition press so grab em while you can….

here may still be electronic music artists in this age of overflow and convenience who follow their own artistic vision regardless of what attention it might bring, if any. With an output that shows individualism, ideas and a signature sound. An ongoing creative process, uncompromising and adventurous, even eccentric, with results of consistent quality and determination. Dennis Busch aka James Din A4 is an archetypical example for this type of artist. He flooded the scene with releases in the 00s with numerous monikers, mostly on his own Esel imprint, and they were all great. On the outside you had his singular artworks (he is also a very accomplished collage artist) and quirkily humorous titles, and on the inside you had his music, also seemingly informed by a collage approach (only with samples), managing to sound focussed and out of focus, often at the same time. If you listen to a James Din A4 track it probably is simultaneously playful and disciplined. Anything can happen, and a lot if it actually does.

For quite some years, music releases by James Din A 4 were scarce. Jan Jelinek, an ardent fan, re-interpreted some of his favourites from the vast back catalogue as an album in 2014, then ten years later the album „Ins Licht“ appeared, and it quite nonchalantly continued what seemed to have stopped, right on the same level of greatness. And now we know that it still continues, as the label Live At Robert Johnson releases the new album „Never Look Back“. Its title should not be taken too literally, as all the trademarks of his musical legacy are perfectly intact. You will find the light and air that seems to seep through the sounds, the frisky structural details, the jolly melodies, the subtle deepness, the minimalistic yet not too strict grooves.

But do not be mistaken, this album is not looking back too much, of course. After all, this is music that is still evolving. Let’s hope for more glimpses of James Din A4‘s special and spacious world, they are ever
needed.

We all remember with mixed feelings the past two years of domestic isolation: a temporary anomaly in which the world had to adjust to a new routine, a new rhythm. In these daunting yet precious circumstances, Italian producer Markeno has found his rhythm back, dusting off old records and re-approaching his past musical love affairs that he believed to be long forgotten. Here, in the fertile limbo that connects past and future, “Dock lown (exploring)” is born: a 3-tracker release with a chameleonic nature and an undeniable groove, in which Markeno is able to tactfully combine different genres such as indie, post-rock, African mu- sic, electro and funk.

In the contemporary music scene, overly saturated with catchy melodies and seductive lyrics, it is refreshing to encounter a composition like “Fase 01”, which starts from a purely percussive structure. Just when the ear is settled and well inserted into the tangle of drums, here comes the melodic twist, no less than at the fourth minute, injecting an unexpected groove and chalking out the contours of a track with multiple personalities: a little esoteric, a little synth-wave, quirky and badass. The temperature rises with “Zona Ros- sa”, in which the electro hint sketched in “Fase 01” becomes more pronounced, opening the doors to a dense psychedelic scenario. A shamanic loop accompanies the electric bass and escorts us through the smoke of the bonfire, veils swayed by the wind and colored lights that sparkle in the night. The ritualistic humming of ‘’Zona Rossa”’ is still hearable, floating in the rarefied atmosphere, while the last track “Limbo” makes its entrance and confirms once again the poliedric but congruous essence of this release, whose percussive attitude lures you in and whose hypnotic and groovy body makes you stay. At least for one more dance.

Sara Berton

Rhythm By Nature, the latest addition to Berlin's vibrant music scene, proudly unveils its inaugural release featuring none other than Nottingham's seasoned virtuoso, Nail. "Shake Two EP" is a testament to his enduring prowess, promises a distinctive auditory experience that transcends boundaries. The tracks showcase Nail's mastery with a distinctive sound that encompasses proper deep house excursions, Detroit and Chicago vibes, with dubby elements.

The A1 track, "Thoughts," takes listeners on a deep house excursion with mystic undertones, deep percussion, spheric vocals, and a euphoric after-hours feel, creating a truly distinctive ambiance.
On the B-side, Nail's groovy craftsmanship continues with "Ribs," offering his typical quirky minimal groove, influenced by funk and housed within a danceable, swirling soundscape. Additionally, label head SaPu contributes to a more dubby approach on the original B1, a spacey filtered infused groove excursion, with old school sample-based elements, phat basslines and deep atmospheric synths.

In September 2022, Munir and Boochie spent two days at House Sangkuriang Hotel in Bandung, capturing a series of raw, impromptu recordings. Armed with a Roland EG-101 and a microphone, they filled various corners of the hotel with spontaneous jams and Indonesian lyrics. The sessions were playful and unpredictable, each take capturing the playful energy of the moment. The result is a vibrant and unfiltered musical experience.

Budak Cinta, which translates to Slave of Love, is an album that showcases the artists’ quirky personalities and playful approach to music. With a humorous take on the ups and downs of love, the album explores the lighthearted side of romance, infusing each track with a comedic twist. It’s all about embracing the thrill and folly of being head over heels, delivered with a wink and a smile.

Marshall McLuhan said:
"Knowledge gets in the way. It is only the very ignorant person who can get past that problem because he is not fogged over by knowledge. When you're looking for new answers to new questions, it is knowledge itself that blocks progress. It is knowledge that creates rear currents just as wealth creates poverty. Knowledge creates ignorance."


We are very happy to announce the second instalment in our collaboration with SMEM. Dorian Concept spent 10 days at the Swiss Museum for Electronic Music Instruments to record Music From A Room Full of Synths. Even though he doesn't consider himself a "gear-guy," his unique approach led to a record defined by its playful curiosity and free-form arrangements. The entire album was recorded live, with no sequencing or programming involved. Thus, capturing the rawness of the moment, while celebrating the quirks and imperfections of older electronic-music gear, became the core of this project.


Dorian Concept is a highly respected electronic musician who has been releasing music for close to two decades. As a cross-genre "synthesizer virtuoso," he mixes experimental electronic sounds with jazz, ambient, and club music. Due to his unmistakable sound and singular live show, he has become a sought-after performer. Over the course of his career, he has collaborated with musicians and producers such as Flying Lotus, Thundercat, and Kenny Beats.

***** AUGMENTED REALITY COVER *****

For the third release on Dust In Grooves, Olivia Mendez curates a compilation EP that honours the boundary pushing spirit of the vinyl-only imprint and presents a collection of mind bending tracks by emerging and established techno producers. The first VA instalment on DIG showcases adventurous, challenging, and dynamic cuts while maintaining the groovy and raw signature sound of the label. Bridging the analog format with a forward thinking design is the animated cover created by visual artist Deniz Bicer, she is also known as Ojelibalon.

LKY - Bitter
Bitter by Manchester based producer LKY is a direct immersion in the atmospheric depths conveyed within a minimalistic tool track. With trippy loops and changing beats, this opener leaves a bitter taste of the sweaty, trance-infused 90s.

Deluka - R.A.W
R.A.W glistens with a mind-bending sound design, produced by the No Signal Records founder Deluka. He delivers a visceral, hypnotising track with quirky highs and stomping, rhythmic lows, captivating the attention all throughout the end.

Metapattern - Tamakotuma
On the B side, the relentlessly driving and layered Tamakotuma by Metapattern, beams with melting synths, intense rhythm and skewed melodies. After joining the Mord and HAYES families, Metapattern contributes a dynamic track with evolving retro-futuristic design, journeying across dimensions.

Dotdat - Take me to Detroit
An homage to the roots of timeless sound and community, Take me to Detroit by Dot Dat is a soothing dance-floor energy tamer, filled with melodic arpeggios and spacious drums. After his release on Truncate records, Dot Dat closes out the DIG VA with a slower-paced track, laced with classic synths.

Words by Lora Mateeva

Animation - Deniz Bicer
Master - Nihad Tule
Graphist - Ferdinand Prat

PulciPerla will unveil “Tatekieto”, their new album, on its release, January 04, 2025, on Prado Records / Cie Pulcinella / The Pusher. This opus will be presented on Wednesday, February 05, 2025, on the stage of FGO - Barbara, Paris (France) during an exceptional launch concert. The eponymous single “Tatequieto” was released on all platforms on November 22, 2024.

Take an iconoclastic and energetic quartet from Toulouse, combine it with a female power trio from Bogotá, shake it up, and you will get Pulciperla!
After an explosive encounter in Colombia in 2019, the fiery trio La Perla and the unclassifiable Pulcinella decided to create an original repertoire: a hybrid, swaying, and sensual music where vocals, saxophone, keyboards, double bass, and percussion blend generously, driving a powerful trance-like pulse. A quirky and striking repertoire infused with bullerengue, reggaeton, funk, and champeta influences, which stirs the fire and gets you moving. The tribal music of La Perla’s percussionist singers merges with Pulcinella’s explosive groove to electrify the audience and awaken their primal instincts!

PulciPerla is composed of :
La Perla: Diana Sanmiguel: vocals, maracas, guacharaca;
Giovanna Mogollón ‘’Roberta Leono’’: vocals, tambor alegre;
Karen Forero:vocals, gaïta, tambora
Pulcinella: Ferdinand Doumerc : saxophones, flutes, keyboards;
Jean-Marc Serpin: double bass;
Bastien Andrieu: keyboards ;
Pierre Pollet: drums

‘One of the finest jazz guitarists of her generation, Halvorson is possessed of a questing, restless spirit.’ – Jazzwise

‘With an album of string quartet music as strong as this one, she is worthy of as much renown in the classical field as she holds in the jazz community.’ – New York Times

‘One of America’s finest guitarists. Halvorson’s musicianship is open-minded, demanding and richly engaging.’ – Uncut

Nonesuch Records releases Cloudward by Brooklyn-based guitarist, composer, and MacArthur fellow Mary Halvorson on January 19. The album features eight new compositions by Halvorson, performed with her sextet Amaryllis, the improvisatory band that performed on her critically praised 2022 albums Amaryllis and Belladonna comprising Halvorson, Patricia Brennan (vibraphone), Nick Dunston (bass), Tomas Fujiwara (drums), Jacob Garchik (trombone), and Adam O’Farrill (trumpet). Labelmate Laurie Anderson also is featured on the album track ‘Incarnadine’. Halvorson and Amaryllis will tour internationally following the release of the new album, including January dates in Europe, as well as at the Big Ears Festival as part of Nonesuch’s 60th anniversary celebration.

Halvorson says, “All of the music on Amaryllis was written in 2020, during the thick of the pandemic, in one of the more bizarre time periods I’ve experienced in my life. While composing for Amaryllis, I expanded upon certain musical concepts I’d developed in my life up until that point—the ones that felt fruitful—and left others behind, hitting the reset button and attempting to build from scratch. Two years later, after the release of the first album, I was still writing music for Amaryllis.

“All the music on Cloudward was written in 2022, mostly in the fall and winter, when things started moving forward. Life felt like a creaky machine starting up again,” she continues. “Air travel, however chaotic, had resumed, and we were once again cloudward. Performances and tours and recordings were happening after a long hiatus and with a renewed sense of gratitude. This band, for me, was quite simply working, both musically and personally, and the main thing I felt while writing the music was optimism.”

The Guardian said Halvorson’s 2022 double release “shows how far this single-minded original has come, and affords a glimpse of how far she may go. Both sessions confirm how years of jaggedly lyrical solo and ensemble improvising and a quirkily subversive affection for mainstream music have now nurtured a composer of unpredictable but warmly expressive character… These are new landmarks in Halvorson’s already inimitable discography.” Pitchfork said, “Amaryllis and Belladonna are distinct statements; one could hear either album on its own without a sense that something is missing. But they are most powerful when taken together, like a landscape and its reflection in rippling water.”

Halvorson has released a series of critically acclaimed albums, from Dragon’s Head (2008), her trio debut featuring bassist John Hébert and drummer Ches Smith, expanding to a quintet with trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson and alto saxophonist Jon Irabagon on Saturn Sings (2010) and Bending Bridges (2012), a septet with tenor saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and trombonist Jacob Garchik on Illusionary Sea (2014), and finally an octet with pedal steel guitarist Susan Alcorn on Away With You (2016). She also released the solo recording Meltframe (2015), and most recently debuted Code Girl (2018, 2020), a new ensemble featuring vocalist Amirtha Kidambi (singing Halvorson’s own lyrics), trumpeter Adam O’Farrill, saxophonist and vocalist María Grand, bassist Michael Formanek, and drummer Tomas Fujiwara.

One of New York City’s most in-demand guitarists, over the past decade Halvorson has worked with such diverse musicians as Tim Berne, Anthony Braxton, Taylor Ho Bynum, John Dieterich, Trevor Dunn, Bill Frisell, Ingrid Laubrock, Jason Moran, Joe Morris, Tom Rainey, Jessica Pavone, Tomeka Reid, Marc Ribot, and John Zorn. She is also part of several collaborative projects, most notably the longstanding trio Thumbscrew with Michael Formanek on bass and Tomas Fujiwara on drums.

Following Anna Kohlin & Basement Space’s bold split EP on her recently formed Inside Out imprint, the Stockholm native brings a smörgåsbord of delectable treats from fellow Swedes - Basement Space & Måns Glaeser, Eric OS, Baby Rollén and Anna Kohlin herself. 002 is packed with quirky dancefloor tones that span from Anna’s own inimitable techy-house sounds, through to the experimental melodics of Basement Space. Baby Rollén brings a dusty balearic track with moving pads and Eric OS dishes up a punchy club workout!

Repress!

Mint Condition - A record label focused on excavating the outer fringes of classic House and Techno. Unreleased mixes, classics, overlooked gems and never heard before material, mined from the last 30+ years of contemporary dance music are the order of the day. From Chicago, Detroit and New York to London and beyond. Mint Condition have got their digging hats on to bring you exclusive heat and those rarer than rare jams that have been in your wants list for years. Dig in....

Tobias Menguser, AKA Leon De Winter, was a very influential figure in the 90's Frankfurt techno scene, releasing around 100 records under various aliases, including collaborations with Ricardo Villalobos, but it was his Leon De Winter alias that really caught the ears of legendary London label Eukahouse, who originally releases this 12" all the way back in 1997. A one-off, it is not only unique in its sound design but also genre defying, spanning deep house, tech-house, techno, electro and breaks.
A-Side 'Apollo Jazz' is truly that, sounding like it was composed from a freeform jam on a trip to the Moon. Opening with emotive chords, the track lifts off and builds, melodies effortlessly twist and turn, superbly pulling together a variety of well crafted synths, bass and percussion whilst keeping the energy to the fore. Over to the B-Side, 'Metamat', is bold and more playful in its execution, more sonic trickery abounds as the opening riffs and breakbeat percussion give way to a solid 4/4. The bass is as memorable as it is quirky, but again it's the strength in the way all the elements build and combine that creates some real tripped-out musical moments without ever losing its dance floor appeal.

This is one of Tobias's most sought after releases and it's no wonder his collaborative work with Ricardo Villalobos is legendary. The tracks themselves have remained exciting and relevant, achieving cult status amongst the most discerning DJs, record collectors and music heads alike. Legitimately re-released with the full involvement of Tobias Menguser, lovingly remastered by London's Curve Pusher from the original DATs especially for Mint Condition. 100% legit, licensed and released. Dug, remastered, repackaged and brought to you by the caring folks at your favourite reissue label - Mint Condition!

"Slim Media Player returns to Pacific Rhythm with a wonderfully original EP, Quicksand, his first new material since 2016's Rhythms Of The Pacific Volume 3. The EP is the product of Slim Media Player & DJ D.DEE culling through 20+ hours of live jams recorded in Vancouver at Deep Blue Studios from 2016 to 2018.

The EP opens with the records namesake Quicksand, a playful piece of peak-time material that's quirky, uplifting, and dare we say a touch heart-warming. Mouthfeel comes through swinging but plays a touch more koi than the opener, serving as an effective tension-builder on the dancefloor that builds into a thoughtful groover with some light at the end of tunnel.

On the b-side S.M.P explores deeper territory with Memory Bias (Nostalgia Mix), an aquatic roller blanketed with warmth and a contemplative aire that stretches for nearly 9 minutes. The EP fades out with the gentle drift of Tschüs, a warm swaddle that will quell your anxieties and affirm that there are indeed some things that are right in this world, this track being one of them."

Light Touches Records is devoted to shed new lights on hot rarities, unknown grooves as well as forgotten classics.

While the older numbers are much sought after on Discogs, Andrea Passenger digs deeper into the best shades of disco, afro, boogie and funk to deliver the 10th release on the highly revered Light Touches Records.
On A side, “Roots” is a relentless disco tune for incendiary peak times, while “Psych Afro Roller” keeps faith to the name going into crazier territories. On the flipside, “New Dance” adds some boogie tones and quirky synth arrangements, while “Feel The Feeling” rounds things up with its moody and deeper vibe.

All tracks have been carefully edited by Andrea Passenger without overdubs, in order to bring the spirit of classic disco manipulators to today’s dancefloors!

12” limited to 300 copies (no digital).

Crackazat seamlessly blends contemporary electronica with dancefloor euphoria on his new record “In the sky”

Crackazat has had quite the run of amazing releases on Heist since his first outing back in 2021. Alfa, 2022 follow up Demucha and his mini album ‘Senses’ released last year have shown that Heist is the perfect label for him to show off his keyboard wizardry and broad musical influences. Whether he’s doing his ‘Monday Jams’ from his home for his dedicated Bandcamp followers, or he’s on the road to South Africa where he has a huge following, Crackazat always brings something special with his music. ‘In the sky’ hits you right in the feels and sees the talented musician navigate from synth-happy dancefloor cuts to electronic & jazzy deep house.

What might stand out most on his new record is how Crackazat feels totally at ease with all these different styles and how he blends his voice seamlessly in the tracks to add depth, meaning, and energy. This might be most apparent on the title track, which is built around a syncopated ‘Alfa-esque’ key loop (Crackazat fans will know what we’re talking about here). There’s gorgeous vocal chops and warm arpeggiated synths in the background that give the track lots of texture, while the percussion shuffles along in perfect swing with the song’s energy. Add some lovely strings, leads, and a moody breakdown, and you’ve got yourself a fine piece of dancefloor magic.

On “Burnin’”, Crackazat channels his inner raver with 90s inspired percussion, a honky
piano loop, and some very catchy & quirky vocal chops. He freely sprinkles claps and snares around like it’s Christmas and the big breakdown has the kind of madness-inducing energy that gets every clubber going!

EP closer ‘Dark’ is Crackazat in his most contemplative mode; a vibe he always loves to explore on his Heist outings. The bass is deep, the kick heavy, and the synth licks are mellow but powerful. His voice and effects give this track a beautiful extra dimension that would even make Fred Again jealous. The stripped-back percussion has clear influences from contemporary African dance music, which adds yet another layer to Crackazat’s broad sonic landscape. All in all, Dark is a track that makes you want to close your eyes and just sway into oblivion.

Crackazat once again manages to take us on a deep trip into his sonic world and showcases a level of craftsmanship that most of us can only dream of. ‘In the sky’ is a lovely end to our 2024 releases and we hope you enjoy the music.

As always, play it loud and dance, dance, dance!

Maarten & Lars

Schlammpeiziger, who had previously only been known to us for his top hits and T-shirts, burst upon us like a wild boar in search of affection in the middle of the coronavirus lockdown. He nested in our fully vaccinated home, drank our Eversbusch, ate from our plates, slept in our bed (wait - wrong fairy tale) and repeatedly urged us to organise egg runs with his testicles (after some contortions, we gave up trying). Childish faecal humour, far-fetched obs(t)enities, juicing, a desire to dissolve, composting of thoughts. In excesses of lack of concentration, the chains of associations curled and meandered like Jo's famous curlicue drawings. Every evening, after we had forcibly levered him out of our flat, he would ‘walk’ home to put together very unique , dreamy pieces. In the blissful brainfog of those days, for example, ‘Handicapfalter’ was created, for which the congenial °Bär° made our flat into the corresponding video. Among other quirks of the little gut-breather, we were fascinated to observe his phobia of literature and books. Just hold a printed page in front of his face for a few seconds and he writhes on the floor crying. A level of phobia that only my own laughable disgust and fear of writing myself can compete with. Jo shudders at the thought of reading sentences that build on each other in a meaningful way, and I shudder at the thought of having to write them down because I have something ‘to say’. A certain affinity cannot be denied. We are much, much more pleased by snatched-up, misunderstood or misheard snippets, hollow but unforgettable phrases, the diamond stoner humour of our ancestors. ‘From one turn/ I stop/ to walk on/ in all directions’ (as it murmurs in “Selten Gesehenes”), describes the process quite nicely. After all, Jo is ahead of me in that he can simply break off every tedious sentence and let it fade into music. Back to the essentials. It's five to 12 for the Schlammpeitzger (scientifically Misgurnus). The shy goby is under threat from climate change, so perhaps this vinyl is the last expression of life of the specimen that we have been allowed to look after sporadically since the lockdown phase of the corona epidemic. And it's turned out pretty. Even the aesthetically gutted like me and my beloved husband can THINK about sex when they see these sublime, silvery fart bubbles! It's tender as a fart. Make love!!!!!

Schamlose Dubtöse: Do you have words. Do you have sounds. Impertinently harmless piano tinkling turns into tugging zounds of increasing severity. It is not dubbed (would be unethical) but dubbed. Sounds dubby, as you can imagine. (Instrumental)

Loch ohne Licht: Possibly vaguely misogynistic. Could also be that there was simply no light in the hole. The sparse snippet of lyrics (‘du biss mir och esu e Loch ohne Licht’) sounds like one of those stroppy Cologne replicas whose anti-charm is hard to resist. Buzzing and grooving.

Selten Gesehenes: Casual. Confident. Soft. Fragrant. Thoughtful but lively.

The Arabian Vietmanese (instrumental) is probably the food we trust in the case of the munchies we get when we watch other people smoking weed. Transcendental and psychedelic states casually permeate the humdrum of everyday life. Klar Knuspermarsch: Marches and floats at the same time. Klebt Runner: Soundtrack to the cult film of the same name. Tyrrell Corporation loosens up. Ungenutzte Sätze: Stinks somehow, because there is dangerous proximity to comprehensible and then also critical statements here. Instead, the sinister electronic cheapness of Carpenter soundtracks can be heard. Parzipan: Actually, the time of origin was not so roaringly funny and simple, but for Jo it was also a gruelling, slow letting go of his brother. Here he sends him off with a gentle nudge into the vastness of a hopefully happy beyond.

Clara Drechsler

Schlammpeiziger, der uns bislang nur durch seine Top-Hits und seine T-Shirts bekannt gewesen war, brach mitten im Corona-Lockdown über uns herein wie ein wilder Eber auf der Suche nach Zuwendung. Er nistete sich in unserem durchgeimpften Zuhause ein, trank unseren Eversbusch, aß von unseren Tellerchen, schlief in unserem Bettchen (Moment - falsches Märchen) drängte uns wiederholt dazu, mit seinen Hoden Eierlauf zu veranstalten (nach Verrenkungen gaben wir den Versuch auf). Kindischer Fäkalhumor, weit hergeholte Obs(t)zönitäten, Entsaftung, Auflösungswunsch, Gedankenkompostierung. In Exzessen der Konzentrationsschwäche ringelten, kringelten und schlängelten sich die Assoziationsketten wie bei Jos berühmten Kringel-Schlängel-Zeichnungen. Jeden Abend, nachdem wir ihn gewaltsam aus unserer Wohnung gehebelt hatten, „ging“ er dann heim, um dort sehr eigene, verträumte Stücke zusammenzubasteln. Im seligen Brainfog dieser Tage entstand z.B. „Handicapfalter“, für das der kongeniale °Bär° aus unserer Wohnung das entsprechende Video machte. Neben anderen Marotten des kleinen Darmatmers beobachteten wir fasziniert seine Literatur- bzw. Bücherphobie. Halt ihm nur sekundenlang eine bedruckte Seite vors Gesicht, und er windet sich weinend am Boden. Ein Grad an Phobizität, mit dem sich nur meine eigene lachhafte Abscheu und Angst vor dem Selberschreiben messen kann. Jo schaudert beim Gedanken, sinnvoll aufeinander aufbauende Sätze lesen, mir wiederum beim Gedanken, sie hinschreiben zu müssen, weil ich irgendetwas „zu sagen“ habe. Eine gewisse Verwandtschaft ist nicht zu leugnen. Viel, viel mehr freuen uns aufgeschnappte, falsch verstandene oder misshörte Fetzen, hohle, aber unvergessliche Phrasen, der diamantene Kifferhumor unserer Vorfahren. „Aus einer Drehung/bleibe ich stehen/ um in alle Richtungen/weiter zu gehen“ (wie es in „Selten Gesehenes“ raunt), beschreibt den Prozess schon ganz schön. Immerhin hat Jo mir voraus, dass er jeden leidigen Satz einfach abbrechen und in Musik ausplempern lassen darf. Zurück zum Wesentlichen. Es ist fünf vor 12 für den Schlammpeitziger (wissenschaftlich Misgurnus). Die scheue Grundel ist von Klimawandel bedroht, vielleicht haltet ihr mit diesem Vinyl also die letzte Lebensäußerung des Exemplars in Händen, das wir seit der Lockdownphase der Corona-Epidemie sporadisch betreuen durften. Und die ist hübsch geworden. Selbst aus ästhetischer Erwägungen Entdarmte wie ich und mein geliebter Mann, können bei diesen sublimen, silberhellen Pupsbläschen DENNOCH an Sex denken! It´s zart as a fart. Make love!!!!!

Schamlose Dubtöse: Hast du Worte. Hast du Töne. Impertinent harmloses Klavierplätschern geht über in ziepende Zounds von zunehmender Strenge. Es wird nicht domptiert (wäre unethisch) sondern dubtiert. Klingt dubtig, wie ihr euch vorstellen könnt. (Instrumental)

Loch ohne Licht. Möglicherweise vage misogyn. Könnte auch sein, dass im Loch einfach kein Licht war. Das sparsame Textfetzchen („du biss mir och esu e Loch ohne Licht“) klingt nach einer jener pampigen kölschen Repliken, deren Anticharme man sich schwer entziehen kann. Schwirrt und groovt.

Selten Gesehenes: Lässig. Souverän. Softig. Duftig. Nachdenklich aber beschwingt.

Beim Arabischen Vietmanesen (Instrumental) gibt es wahrscheinlich die Speise unseres Vertrauens im Falle der Munchies, die wir kriegen, wenn wir anderen Leuten beim Kiffen zusehen. Transzendentale und psychedelische Zustände durchziehen beiläufig den schnöden Alltag. Klar Knuspermarsch: Marschiert und schwebt zugleich.

Klebt Runner: Soundtrack zum gleichnamigen Kultfilm. Tyrrell Corporation macht sich locker. Ungenutzte Sätze: Stinks irgendwie, weil hier gefährliche Nähe zu nachvollziehbarer und dann auch noch kritischer Aussage gegeben ist. Dafür klingt die sinistre elektronische Billigkeit von Carpenter-Soundtracks an.

Parzipan: Eigentlich war die Entstehungszeit gar nicht so brüllend lustig und einfach, sondern für Jo auch ein zermürbendes, langsames Loslassen des Bruders. Hier schickt er ihn mit sanftem Schubs hinaus in die Weiten eines hoffentlich schönen Jenseits.

Clara Drechsler
Downloads

Here at Mr Bongo we have been inundated with people asking us to reissue this release. Ana Frango Elétrico's petit cult classic masterpiece 'Little Electric Chicken Heart' from 2019, which was only ever released on vinyl and CD in Brazil and Japan, has fast become a collector's item.

Well received by fans, DJs, and reviewers on release, The Needle Drop expressed "Ana Frango Elétrico's authentically vintage fusion of chamber pop, rock, samba and jazz is a real blast!" listing it as one of its Top 50 Albums of 2019. The album's reputation has been slowly building ever since, gaining a Latin Grammy nomination in 2020, and now solidly cementing itself as a gem of contemporary Brazilian music.

Across the albums nine tracks, Ana blends elements and influences from MPB, Tropicália, indie rock, punk and pop, forging them together with a sumptuous dose of her signature style. The finesse of 'Saudade' kicks off the LP, one of Ana's most known tracks to a non-Brazilian audience. A sublime opener, beginning with a spellbinding piano solo before transcending into a beautiful dream-laden slice of warmth, complete with luscious jazzy horns and deft vocal delivery. ‘Promessa e previsões’ follows, the only track on the album not to be written by Ana, instead being penned by Chico França. It’s a swelling and sweeping twilight groover, building and breaking across absorbing peaks.

Other highlights on the album include the anthemic 'Chocolate', which was a firm favourite with a packed sing-along crowd when we heard Ana perform it live. Elsewhere, 'Se No Cinema' hits with its quirky allure, charm and catchy melodies before transforming into a carnival spirit.

Tapping into the richness of Brazil’s new wave of musical energy, the album also includes a heavyweight lineup of collaborations with artists such as Dora Morelenbaum (Bala Desejo), Tim Bernardes, Antonio Neves and Guilherme Lirio to name but a few.

A short, sweet and refreshing record, that leaves nothing to waste, marrying playful ideas with poignant themes. 'Little Electric Chicken Heart' is a future classic and will beguile fans of ‘70s Brazilian recordings, Gal Costa, Mac DeMarco, Stereolab, Superorganism, Caetano Veloso and more.

After a terrific first release by AlleyOP aka Atree & Hagel, Tutto Bene welcomes Christopher Lawrenz for the imprint's second release. "Double Tree EP" features three original works by Christopher and a remix by seasoned veterans and Berlin underground sound wizards Foehn & Jerome. The result is a package of funk-infused dancefloor-ready tunes that nicely follow up Tutto Bene's debut while further expanding its vision.

Double Tree EP kicks off with "Double Tree" (A1), a minimal, groove-focused track laced with dub elements and a quirky tech-house edge. Shifting basslines, off-kilter percussion, and playful vocal samples create a lively vibe, perfect for peak-hour energy. Foehn & Jerome’s remix (A2) reimagines the track as a deep house groover, with smooth, sophisticated melodies layered over an understated bassline, adding both depth and elegance. On the B-side, "Tutto Bene" (B1) delves into more experimental territory with syncopated rhythms and robotic textures, combining off-beat percussion and modulated sounds for a distinctive, driving rhythm. "Quarantäne" B2 rounds off the EP with its warm, organic feel, layering deep melodies and gentle vocal samples for a lush, deeply hypnotic track perfectly suited for the early morning sets.

With Double Tree EP, Christopher Lawrenz showcases his versatility as a producer, delivering a set of tracks that range from peak-hour energy to chilled, introspective vibes. Tutto Bene's second release reaffirms its commitment to fresh, underground sounds.

Elektorni, based in Oulu, Northern Finland, lands with their second release, this time with three original cuts from the singular Finnish legend Mesak (Klakson, Orson) and a mesmerising remix from Århus-based Picture (Help Recordings, Kalahari Oyster Cult), who you might know from many different aliases as well.

The a-side opens with Mutella, a slapping electro track dripping with gothic emotion and powered by a growling bassline. Next up is Ei Damagea, a smooth slice of electrohypnotism calling to you from an otherworldly dimension inhabited by floaty rhythms and quirky synth stabs. Flip the record, and Mesak flexes his versatility with the 155bpm piece Musantropia, cruising top down and top speed somewhere between IDM, d&b and electro. Fresh! The journey ends with Picture’s remix taking Musantropia deep into an eight-minute techno meditation reminiscent of Basic Channel material, but with an Århusian take on the sound.

A bass heavy record with intricate detail, this is a release as ready for the club as it is for your home hi-fi system.

After two collaborative releases on raum…musik — first with Federico Molinari and then Giuliano Lomonte — Alexis Cabrera steps into the spotlight for the 118th release of the label. "Dreaming Of A Silver Future" is a club-ready 3-track EP exploring various shades of Tech House, solidifying his talent for crafting fresh dancefloor groovers brimming with swag.

The title track, 'Dreaming Of A Silver Future' (A1), is the most colourful offer of the EP — a relentless groover immersed in organ chords, synth stabs, addicting vocal samples and a fully pumpin' bassline. 'Your Name On My Arm' (B1) puts its wicked bass and hypnotic vocal samples at the centre of the stage, creating an atmosphere of frantic, slightly wicked vibes drenched in hip-hop swagger. 'Do You Wanna Wonder' (B2) closes the EP in full swing, forefronting yet again its ominous-yet-hypnotic bassline between bouncy drums, shuffly rhythms and quirky vocal samples reminiscent of some sort of hypermodern pop.

"Dreaming Of A Silver Future" continues Cabrera's reputation for delivering groove-heavy music for the hottest dancefloors, showcasing his ability to navigate, with style, the infinite nuances of the Tech House spectrum, all while keeping things undeniably club-focused. And raum…musik, known for its refined curation of underground top-shelf dancefloor records, is the perfect home for this release.

Into The Woods London returns with their first VA of the series. They have curated a collection of artists for the heads on this one as they welcome seasoned production warriors, Crihan, Jay Tripwire & Miller and Vlad Arapasu alongside the up and coming t.na. The VA is very much sequenced for the club as Vlad leads this release with an A1 roller made strictly for the dance floor. On the B1 t.na adds something with a little bit more grit as quirky vox drops and a sub filled baseline carry the track throughout. On the inner sides you’ll find the deep and textured craftsmanship from both Jay Tripwire & Miller A2 and Crihan B2 have a palpable effect! In the world of minimal and tech, there is something for everyone here!

Roi, a rapidly emerging and highly talented Spanish techno producer, is making his debut on Nachtstrom with this dark, quirky and psychedelic 4-tracker.

The vinyl is strictly limited to 100 copies and will not be repressed!

Label boss Ste Roberts makes his debut on his imprint Private Parts, and he has invited his favorite Dutch duo the Young Adults along for the ride. X-Change Of Parts Vol 1 brings one original track from each artist, and then remixed by each other. Kicking off the EP with the quirky and twisted minimal throbber of Brain Freeze. Fun and ideal to wig out any dancefloor in those early hours. Young Adults with a perfect remix, maintaining all the fun for a heads down shuffle. A cheeky toast-apella to round of the A. On The flip, you have Young Adults ramping up the tempo, and delivering some incredibly funky tech. This sounds like it could be 20 years old, timeless stuff. Rounding off the EP Ste Roberts twists things up with a pulsating bass heavy Electro remix.

Dutch artist Shakèd, renowned for his unpolished, live and unpredictable sonic alchemy, makes a powerful statement with his "Space Invader" EP on Det Gode Selskab. This release is a masterclass in sleek minimalism and intricate sound design, featuring tracks like "Right Nothing," which weaves hypnotic textures with tight, plucky drums, and the title track "Space Invader," a futuristic journey through robotic rhythms and pensive vocoders. "Space Invader (Earth Landing)" offers a bass-driven interstellar intermission, while "14143" and "Whatever" delve into underground rave territory with pulsating basslines and quirky noughties house vibes. Shakèd's raw energy and innovative approach promise to captivate dance floors worldwide, solidifying his status as a trailblazer in the electronic music scene.

A vibrant kaleidoscope of sound, colour and emotion, British multi-hyphenate James Alexander Bright's new album 'Cool Cool' is set for release on 26th July via Athens Of The North. A dynamic set of urgent funkers, gentle soul ballads, head-nodders, fuzzy folkers and straight-up disco bangers span 10 songs that soundtrack fertile daydreams, esoteric dancefloors, languorous reflection, and wild excursions in nature and beyond. James' voice, pitched somewhere between Eddie Chacon, Beck and Michael McDonald, takes a confident lead on this new record. Whether tenderly caressing on the title track's beautiful soul minimalism or deployed passionately on boogie machine 'Straight Line'; it's an immediately recognisable signature. Impressive multi-instrumentalism sees him perform on guitar, bass, keys, programming, percussion, production and myriad quirky effects; across song subjects that cover searching for truth, imagining the distant future, teen nostalgia, relaxation exploration

As 15th installment Chat Noir Tools releases its first split EP! For his second appearance on the label our dear Lungo is joined by Numero 6, a producer on the rise you already heard on Velvet Spirit or La Boomerie! These two merrymakers provide your summer soundtrack with four quirky house tracks perfectly crafted for your sunniest afterhours sessions.

DSSC001 VA is made of 5 tracks across the wide electronic music scene, involving the listener in a trippy safari through the mind, with quirky musical accents. As humans have an infinity of nuances, vibrations and perceptions, eclectism is the main point of this first opus. A spicy cocktail between retro vibes, nostalgic synths, sweet trancey touches and wild electro-house.



With no boundaries, D.ssoci8 has his heart set on feeding the prism of freedom, which fluctuates in the direction of the creative genius. It’s all about the third eye, diving into an ocean of levels of consciousness and identity processes, inviting everyone to connect with the true Self, the others and the universe.

2024 Repress

Straight in the wake of their eponymous debut LP released on the label back in 2016, Weval return to Kompakt this year with their sophomore album, 'The Weight', breaking their pop-mellow, nostalgia-friendly facet further out in the open as they arrive "at this place again were everything felt spontaneous, new and exciting, like we had in the beginning". Orbiting around that ever luminous yet wistful melodic halo that surrounds their music, this second full-length effort sweeps an extra-wide and languidly woven palette of emotions and moods, making for a uniquely ambitious and generously coloured mosaic of sound. If the recording sessions "often started grumpy and emotionless" by Harm and Merijn's own admission, the pair was "surprised by the joy it gave us, which can be compared to the emotions we felt back in the first days of making music together"; subsequently reconnecting with that fresh, naïve feeling of "absolute creative freedom" they were after. The album is also the fruit of a whole new working process for them - more playful and unpredictable - which saw them switch from "guitars lying around to piano, onto our own synths and the most cheap quirky toys synths you can imagine", and involved "recording all of our own samples, voice and almost every instrument out of the box - which for us was a totally new way of working". "We've always wanted a narrative for the album, and finding the right order perhaps took the most effort" they explain; "we felt anxious, felt insanely positive, felt heartbroken again, felt in love again, and there was death, and even suicide around us. It was quite chaotic. As a whole, 'The Weight' breathes with that transformative richness, free of limits and rules, except perhaps to "do quick and not think too much". Amidst this collection of songs and instrumentals that live by Weval's singularly positive take on music - one that can "lift you up, and make you feel hopeful without being necessarily straight out 'happy'" as they define it, the title-track and lead single stays true to the duo's dynamic approach, putting on a fine balance of floor and dream inducing adaptability that sound engineer David Wrench (Frank Ocean, The XX, FKA Twigs, Caribou… etc.) subtly made palpable. There's heavy showers of funk drops pouring from endless bars of thunderstorm clouds and laid-back riffs beating a restrained poolside-party kind of pulse, but also sensual vocals rising from beneath the sheets and rueful polaroid-filtered ambiences to soundtrack all possible moments in life - from the most euphoric to those when music seems the only viable healing potion. More on the post-KLF, BoC-inflected electronica side of things, 'Are You Even Real' takes its listener for a round-trip across the star-studded dome and beyond, before songs like 'Someday' and 'Same Little Thing' head back down to a state of pulsating, earthly organicity, tense and mercurial as get. An arpeggiated slice of piano-strewn kosmische, 'Heaven' is another invitation to an epic-scale odyssey from the inner-spheres into the distant fringes of the outer-world. Weightless and airy, yet texturally dense and widely magnetic overall, Weval second LP is a synthesis of the duo's multi-angle take on electronics: blissed-out, heartening and infinitely free.
Nur zweieinhalb Jahre nach der Veröffentlichung ihres selbstbetitelten Debutalbums finden sich WEVAL zurück "an jenem Ort, an dem sich alles spontan, neu und aufregend anfühlt - so wie als wir anfingen zusammen Musik zu schreiben". An diesem Ort entstand "The Weight", ihr zweiter Longplayer, auf dem Weval sich ganz den Pop-verliebten, Nostalgie-freundlichen Facetten ihres Sounds öffnen. Stetig um den sehnsuchtsvollen Strahlenkranz ihrer Melodien tanzend, legt diese Platte noch vielschichtigere, mit feinster Präzision gewobene Gefühlswelten frei.

Obwohl die Aufnahmesessions nach eigenem Bekunden oftmals "miesepetrig und emotionsarm" begannen, so war das Duo überrascht darüber, wie schnell sich bei der Arbeit jene Freude einstellte, die sie aus ihren künstlerischen Anfangstagen kannten, eine Woge des frischen, naiven Gefühls der "absoluten kreativen Freiheit". Dieses Album ist die Frucht eines verspielteren und unvorhersehbareren Arbeitsprozesses innerhalb der Band, in welchem alles zum Einsatz kam, was ihnen in die Finger kam - von der ollen Gitarre, die in der Studioecke stand, über ein Piano und den bandeigenen Sythesizern und den sonderbarsten Spielzeuginstrumenten, die man sich vorstellen kann. All dies sowie zahlreiche Vocalaufnahmen dienten als alleinige Samplequelle - "was für uns eine völlig neue Arbeitsweise war". "Es war uns wichtig für das Album den perfekten Erzählbogen zu spannen. Die richtige Reihenfolge zu finden war ein extrem aufwendiger Vorgang", erklären Harm und Merjin. "Uns war bange, wir fühlten uns total selbstsicher, uns zerbrach das Herz und wir verliebten uns erneut. Wir waren sogar von Tod und Selbstmord umgeben. Alles war Chaos. Insgesamt atmet "The Weight" die Reichhaltigkeit dieser sich ständig verändernden Gefühlslagen, frei von Einschränkungen und Regeln - außer vielleicht "mach es schnell und zerdenke die Dinge nicht." Inmitten dieser Ansammlung von Songs und Instrumentals, die aus Wevals einzigartiger, von Zuversicht geprägter Herangehensweise entstanden sind - "Musik, die dich hochzieht und Hoffnung spendet, ohne dich notwendigerweise happy zu machen. Der Titeltrack "The Weight" steht exemplarisch für Wevals ambivalenten Ansatz, die feine Balance zwischen Dancefloor und Traumzuständen, perfekt in Szene gesetzt von Soundengineer David Wrench (Frank Ocean, The XX, FKA Twigs, Caribou… etc.).

Der schwer aus gewaltigen Gewitterwolken tropfende Funk, die eine verhaltene Poolparty suggerierenden Riffs, die sinnlichen, geisterhaften Vocals und ein verwaschenes Ambiente, das wie ein Album alter Polaroidaufnahmen alle erdenklichen Momente des Lebens festhält - von den euphorischsten bis hin zu jenen, in denen Musik der einzige Trank ist, der Linderung verheißt. Das post-KLF und Boards of Canada evozierende "Are You Even Real" führt den Hörer auf einen imaginären Flug ins Sternenzelt, während organisch-klingende Songs wie "Someday" oder "Same Little Thing" wie Quecksilber am Boden haften. "Heaven" ist eines jener "kosmische" Stücke mit wilden Arpeggios und Pianosprengseln, die Weval in den vergangenen zwei Jahren zu einer Live-Sensation werden liessen. Wevals Musik ist schwerelos und luftig, aber gleichermassen von dichter Struktur und von einer magnetischen Anziehungskraft. Ihr zweites Album "The Weight" ist eine Synthese aus dem multi-perspektivischem, kaleidoskopischen Verständnis von elektronischer Musik: Herzerwärmend, alles umschmeichelnd und unendlich frei.

Following the success of their first release with Serpico’s ‘Just Can’t Stop’, Moonworks are reissuing a highly sought-after UK house 12” from The Outsiders, originally from 1995.

The Outsiders’ Beyond The Ego EP is a lost London gem born from the UK capital’s rich musical heritage and the transatlantic influence of deep house. Produced by two close friends Mark Mellor and Paul Murphy within 48 hours in their Westbourne Grove home studio, its fusion of US house production techniques with a myriad of UK influences has cemented its status as a timeless and unique treasure.

The record received few plaudits on release but has since become a sought-after underground rarity, with scarce original copies trading hands for hefty prices. Whether you draw for the euphoric Warp Factor 9 Mix, the stripped back Ego Dub or the sun-kissed grooves of Do Dat Scat and Shu Bop, the record epitomizes the tasteful and quirky sound of UK house music from the 90s.

Moonworks have once again worked closely with the original artists to restore and remaster these tracks to modern standards, as well as revamping the original artwork in their own style.

Splatter is a new vinyl and digital underground techno label from Austrian artists Luca Tresque, Joe Haensn and Rotary Motion.

'Exceed Limits' follows their special prequel EP and launches the label catalogue in style.

Florian Meindl is a Berlin-based artist who runs the FLASH record label and who has appeared outside of his own imprint on labels like Stephan Bodzin's Herzblut to Oliver Koletzki's Stil vor Talent. "Gridlock" is a true jackin' cut with a multitude of mechanical elements and raw analogue energy.

Linear System is a Spanish artist who has released music on esteemed labels like Edit Select, Ben Sims' Symbolism and Dynamic Reflection. "Taurinom" is a moody, rolling groove with gripping suspense and haunting touches from gothic effects and an eerie atmosphere.

Leipzig is the home of JANEIN, a respected artist known for releasing on Index Marcel Fengler, Slam's Soma, Fiedel's Fiedeltwo, Exos' Planet X and Electric Rescue's Skryptom. "Neowise" is punchy and percussive track with a metallic, siren-like hook and infectious energy.

Daniel Heinrich is also from Berlin, and shows himself to be a top talent following his EP's on Elektrotribe to Inherit with remixes by Arnaud Le Texier an Hadone. "Close Your Eyes" has a pacey style with superb stabbing chords that create an old-school feel alongside vocal chants for extra impact.

Stuttgart-based Egotot runs the Schimmer label and also lists BCCO, OECUS and Ketch's SYXT in his quality back catalogue. "Name It As You Want" has a quirky, bouncing beat with Detroit-style stabs and a light-hearted vibe ready for the dance floor.