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Yellow Vinyl

Serotonin returns to revenge with Serotonin's Revenge 2, a four track compilation representing the depth and breath of what we live for.


While resting with his camel in the Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang this summer, bpmf noticed a shiny object. He picked up a DAT labeled "Static Breaker - 1994". It contained some solid electro, including "Transmission Complete”. Who made this? Did it fall out of a UFO? We may never know. Look for more releases from this find coming from Serotonin Records in the future.

Hailing from Biella, Piedmont and now based in Milan, Kreggo is an eclectic and versatile artist. Defined by Juno as part of "the gum-under-the-schooldesk underground", he has been active since 2014. Along with being the brain behind the Art-Aud label and the cult Secret Rave series, he has released collaborations and projects for labels such as Lobster Theremin, Helena Hauff’s Return To Disorders, Super Rhythm Trax, FTP and Melodies Souterraines to name a few. For Serotonin, he delivers evolved, deep breaks with an edge of electro funk.

Siviyex is Toronto duo Castelvi (Bass Guitar, Vocals, Synths, Vocoder) and M. Gomes (Synthguitar, Programming). Their sound combines elements of Shoegaze, Electro, Italo and New Wave, with the conceptual influence of alternate dimensions, space, dreams and out-of-body experiences. The next wave sound of "Dreams in Wannex" is a definitive part of the world Serotonin envisions.

Schooled in dance culture since a young age, with influences and experiences ranging from rock to rave, London based Nexus 23 brings a "Vortex" of his stark, bass-heavy blend of electro and industrial sound to Serotonin records.

Also included on the vinyl version 4 loops from Serotonin in-house artists: John Selway, bpmf, Synapse and Pointsman.

Look for the digital release everywhere November 5th, 2019 and the vinyl wherever cutting edge records are sold.

Featuring Prince Jazzbo, Dillinger, Dennis Alcapone, Lone Ranger, Michigan & Smiley and many more. Soul Jazz Records’ new Studio One DJ Party is the latest installation from the mighty Studio One Records catalogue, a wicked new collection of the finest DJs and toasters ever to inhabit the world of reggae – seminal Jamaican artists including Prince Jazzbo, Dillinger, Dennis Alcapone, Michigan & Smiley, Lone Ranger as well as a host of lesser known artists and rare cuts from Studio One. From the earliest days when Clement ‘Sir Coxsone’ Dodd ran his Downbeat soundsystem up and down the length of Jamaica, DJs and toasters such as King Stitt and Count Machukie were always a part of the sound of Studio One, introducing new records and exciting audiences with catchphrase lines such as: “No matter what the people say these sounds lead the way It's the order of the day from your boss deejay” King Stitt So when DJ emerged as a distinct reggae style at the start of the 1970s, Studio One was, as always, way ahead of their competitors. Legendary artists of the calibre of Dillinger, Dennis Alcapone and Prince Jazzbo all queued up to record for the equally legendary label. At the end of the 1970s, as dancehall exploded onto the island, Clement Dodd was once again able to maintain Studio One’s position on the throne as the number one sound in the Jamaica, fighting off upstart competitors such as Channel One and Joe Gibbs who tried to replicate Studio One’s unique sound. During this period Clement Dodd released a series of stunning dancehall releases from young DJ/dancehall artists at the label including Lone Ranger and Michigan & Smiley. This selection spans the early 70s up until the mid-1980s, from the earliest days of deejay toasting right up until digital dancehall, ground-breaking tracks over the finest selection of the ultimate Studio One rhythms and tracks. Who could ask for more? Studio One DJ Party includes specially commissioned sleevenotes by Chris Lane, founder of the legendary British reggae label Fashion Records, as well as fantastic original artwork commissioned by the illustrator Ski Williams. The album is released as double heavyweight vinyl (+download code), and distinctive Soul Jazz Records CD with slipcase

This is a big release for Tectonic as label boss Pinch combines forces with Kahn to produce two killer rhythm tracks that meld deepness with futuristic dancehall powers. Normally this would be plenty to get excited about anyway - but if you then add the vocal talents of Killa P, Irah & Long Range - aka ‘Killa’s Army’ - there is even more reason! Dubstep meets grime meets dancehall, while Bristol meets Brixton.

All three MCs in Killa’s Army have their own, very distinctive but complimentary styles, bringing a hard, uncompromising vocal delivery to match Pinch & Kahn’s tough beats.

Long Range opens the track and sets pace, his rapid, agile lyrical flow bouncing off the distorted thumping of a darkside 142bpm dancehall-flavoured rhythm. Killa P unleashes the chorus with full force, then setting up the next verse. Irah drops it an octave and holds the mood with his unique tone and delivery. The track pulls back then for a moment, like a filmic interlude, before the General himself, Killa P comes in to finish off anyone who might try test, like an end of level boss. ‘Crossing The Line’ will be rattling out of speakers for many years to come, no doubt!

Flip the vinyl over and you’ll find another, instrumental track, from Pinch & Kahn. ‘Send Out’ is a dubstep banger that holds a deep mood whilst pushing the energy levels through the roof. A rhythm track that has been pulled up, wheeled; set dance floors ablaze with it’s almost heavy-metal levels of energy. An early version of ‘Send Out’ originally appeared as an exclusive track on Kahn & Neek’s Fabriclive mix but is now available properly for the first time.

Influential Spanish artist Coyu is stepping out on his own Suara label with a long overdue debut album entitled ‘You Don’t Know’ that is going to shatter all conceptions about him. Due for release this September 23rd, the 16 track affair showcases his broad range and takes in collaborators like Moby, Lazarusman, The Horrorist, Thomas Gandey and many more.

Coyu quickly rose through the ranks to become one of the most prominent names in underground dance music. The Spanish man famous for his love of cats has established his Suara label as a go-to outlet for the most essential house and tech tracks, as well as releasing his own expressive grooves on Cocoon Recordings, Diynamic, Bedrock Records, Turbo Recordings and MORE. Now he really stretches his legs across a fantastic full length album that goes way beyond the dance floor and shows many new sides to his sound. The artist has been working on it since 2012 and aims to show people that whatever they think about him is wrong.

Says the artist himself, “the album is named ‘You Don't Know’ because many people have a preconceived idea of who I am. Until now, maybe I wasn't smart enough to show them my roots, what I love and what I can offer to the music. I'm not just a DJ or a producer who can play or make grooves – I love many different genres and many different kinds of music. With this album I want to change that preconception.”

The album kicks off with a dramatic spoken word from legendary vocalist Lazarusman before exploring low slung and sleazy grooves on ‘The Three Chimney’, floaty light melodic and dreamy house on ‘Out of The Pain’ and more club focussed but just as dreamy fair on ‘We All Try’ with Mike Leary.

Proving he can do everything from poolside gems to peak time techno, ‘Fear Is Gunna Be A Player In Your Life’ is one to get you in a trance with its sonar like synths and rolling deep space drums. Thomas Gandey aka Cagedbaby then steps up to guest on ‘1+1’ which is a hands in the air piano anthem to pump the party, and ‘Wanna Do Right, Wanna Do Wrong’ is a techno cut with brilliantly energetic drum programming and a big, perfectly placed vocal sample.

Switching up the vibe is ‘I May Be Dead, But One Day The World Will Be Beautiful Again’ with none other than dance legend Moby. It is a heavenly track with break beats, angelic melodies and a celestial feel that leaves you refreshed. The second half touches on raved-up drum & bass, gurgling minimal techno and harder techno with mind melting acid synths. The Horrorist contributes to the banging ‘My First Pill’, while the techno journey continues with ‘Unite’ featuring Gabriella Vergilov before the album finishes on the fluttering ambient track ‘Insania’, with mad church bells and manic percussion all bringing things to a close in style.

This is a broad, adventurous album that covers plenty of music ground and takes you on a true electronic trip from one of dance music’s most accomplished names.

The Beartone label continues to make moves with a six superb release from the boss himself Bearface (A.K.A. Panasa from Afrobeat duo Bana Kuba). Renowned for his slick final house on a range of top labels, here he offers four more such cuts that will melt the mind.Opener Outers is a slippery and sleek number with icy hi hats and rugged basslines. It’s heady tackle that really gets under your skin.Veda ups the pace with more super well programmed drums and deft little hi hats and drum fills as well as some warped vocals that bring a brilliantly freaky feeling.Milenial then gets down and dirty, with kinetic kick drums and rasping synths, popping cow bells and a relentless sense of groove.Closing things out is Cause, a deep, bubbly number with underlapping bass, gloopy synths and a dry, catchy groove that gets you locked.All in all this is another first class EP.

Support from: Vlad Caia (SIT), Mahony, David Gtronic and Moskalus.

Very few albums manage to unveil their roots so honestly and at the same time succeed in creating something utterly distinct. "Of All The Things" from Jazzanova is one of these albums.
Originally released in 2008 on Universal, it now gets a luxurious reissue on Sonar Kollektiv as a 3LP with pop-up gatefold cover including previously unreleased instrumentals.
This format corresponds perfectly with the elegant opulence of the music that shines even brighter eleven years after its initial release. At no time is it unclear that this album is a deep bow to soul from the 1960s and 70s as well as genres like jazz, brazil and pop music in the vein of the early Beatles.
Along these lines, "Of All The Things" is meant to be perceived as a tribute to the music that Jazzanova has been honoring affectionately in their DJ sets and which has always had a decisive influence on their own productions.
At the same time, the Jazzanova guys have been successful in casually creating elaborate musical pieces which convey a deeply contemporary vibe - not least because of the multifarious references to electronic productions.
The path to this sophomore long player, which features the contribution of over 50 studio musicians, had been laid out beginning with Jazzanova's first album "In Between" from 2002.

Introspection Recordings is proud to present his new limited 300 copies series.

A four-track EP that practically oozes class, the debut offering from Italian label Introspection is nothing if not an auspicious one. Featuring four tracks from an evidently shrewdly chosen bunch of artists, Introspection001 takes on numerous different styles and sounds, with the end result one that's thoroughly uncompromising and always engaging throughout. Featuring the work of four Italian producers; E-dward!, Matthew Redden, Lorenzo Magnozzi and BCFHBH, it's a release that dazzles from start to finish.

We get going courtesy of Edoardo Scarpellini aka E-dward!'s 'Got It'. A firm fixture in discerning Italian circles, as a DJ he has played in practically all of his country's foremost nightspots, not least Cocoricò in Riccione, Spazio 900 in Roma as well as Tenax and Fortezza da Basso in Florence. Equally renowned as a producer, his sounds have brought him to a wide range of respected outlets, including Bosconi, Stardub and Apparel Music. A minimal track that's but a sum of a few parts, Scarpellini's contribution here is a dubby, weighty, emotional cut that's high on intensity throughout.

Next up is Matteo Salvadorini aka Matthew Redden. A native of Livorno, Redden's contribution here, the whimsical, curious strands of 'Melancholic Probe In A Sad Space' serves up a very different sound to what's come before. A nimble, microhouse-inspired cut that's both happy and sad while serving up a host of introspective vibes, Redden's contribution here is truly a joy to behold.

The B side kicks off courtesy of label owner Lorenzo Magnozzi and his track, the wonderful 'Acid Morning (Space Time)'. Another track on display here that's been suitably named, it's teeming with peak-time prowess, with its sporadic vocal stabs only adding to the sense of drama. A considerable move into a different sound sphere, it signals the EP's intentions with some prowess. Supported by a host of respected names such as Ricardo Villalobos, Dana Ruh, Raresh, Tobi Neumann and Nastia, his is a sound that defines categorisation but one that always follows a discerning script.

Born in Huntingdon in the UK but raised in Pisa, BCFHBH started his musical journey at the age of 11, meddling with his parent's vinyl collection, a move that would ultimately inspire a life-long love affair with all things electronic music. His deep house flavoured track, 'Kin' is a wonderfully deep number that harks back to the days when deep truly did mean deep. A classy, sophisticated and wonderfully restrained track, it signs off the release in some style.

VSK is honoured to start the journey of his new imprint with a selection of great artists. “Equilibrio volume 1” is a presentation of the different visions of techno the label wants to focus on. Modernity, deepness and hypnotism, sound design and complex textures will be the key elements of the label.

The first track is a collaboration between VSK himself and the Polish producer Michal Jablonski. X&Y is a combination of Epic drones, glitchy fx and a metallic fm synth line. Speed and fast modulation are the main ingredients for the development of an obsessive groove.

Malaria by the Spanish artist Kwartz, is an hypnotic dance between extreme ranges of frequency ; white noise and rising screams are wonderfully mixed together with an aggressive broken-subbeat.
The surgical touch of Ansome brings with “Operational Amplifier” a really complex sound design and fierce rhythmic programming, while a distorted roar

beats hauntingly the time.
The last cut, Shori by the italian artist Flaminia, is an obscure and elegant march. Cinematic and ethereal strings come together with an aggressive raw beat , providing an excellent techno experience.

With their 2013 debut single "Vintage Voudou," Conjunto Papa Upa cemented themselves as the torchbearers of a rare breed of Afro-Caribbean psychedelic soul, a clear delineation from the wonderful world of Venezuelan poly rhythms. That original song, named after the short lived but heavily influential Amsterdam brick and mortar record shop that band leader Alex Figueira founded, was a perfect clue into the deep exploration that Papa Upa would begin to take on their musical journey. Like the store itself, known for its solid connection to the musical footprints put down in relatively undiscovered places like Suriname, Curacao, Cabo Verde, Portugal and of course Figueira's native Venezuela, Papa Upa has captured a sound that is entirely unique, a new concoction of influences that at once sound strange, yet totally familiar. Perhaps because Venezuela shared such a rich & diverse mix of sounds from the Atlantic, Caribbean & US, a kindred spirit to their neighboring country, Colombia, an equal in terms of their industry output from the 60's & 70's, yet not nearly as publicized and compiled in recent years. Like many places in the greater Afro-Caribbean nexus, they were musically ahead of their time.


This futuristic mélange of sounds is reflective of Papa Upa itself, made up of musicians from Venezuela, Uruguay, Cuba & The Netherlands, all living, practicing & recording at Figueira's Amsterdam studio, Barracão Sound. With such a wide range of tropical influences, in a cosmopolitan and diverse city like Amsterdam, it's no wonder that Papa Upa's first extended project would find kinship in a collaboration with New York's Names You Can Trust.


Their lead single for the label, a preview of an upcoming full-length project in 2020, features "El Secreto Del Metalero" & the 45-only bonus B-side, "Chicharrón Pelúo." Metalero, or "The Metalhead's Secret" is a fitting anecdote for Papa Upa, with Figueira's synthesized vocals leading the way. It's an allegorical exorcism of a debauched headbanger on a discreet dance floor of a tropical rave. The shedding of a gruff & gothic exterior for the buckle-to-buckle bliss of the changa. Similarly in the music itself, under the cloak of vintage synths and a woofer exploding bassline, lies a frenetic fusion of afro-latin percussion that is highlighted by the intense rhythms of Angola's giantguacharaca (or scraper), thedikanza. At its heart is a sugary sweetness that is capable of converting the roughest of rockers into a tropicalista on the dance floor.

Beijing-based techno producer HWA (aka ELVIS.T) is releasing his first 12" EP "Granular Line" on Ran Groove, the sub-label of Bejing's Ran Music. This EP has 2 Deep Pulsating Techno tracks included as well as one Droning Ambient track produced using his customized modular synth system. As one of the leading figures in China's techno music scene, HWA's left-field experimental sound design, delicate poly rhythmic beat groove, dark and twisted massive soundscapes and the full hardware workflow, have earned him a reputation across China's dance music scene. Granular Line is the crystallization of HWA's persistent efforts on using the modular synth to produce techno music, it is the new envelope of his techno sound aesthetic.

HWA was born and grew up in Taipei and kicked off his DJ career in 1998 and soon started to produce his own music. He relocated to Beijing in 2006 and immediately became a part of China's electronic music scene, which had just emerged a few years before and was on its fast-rising phase. HWA is considered a brute force in the promotion of techno music and culture in the country, he was the early co-founder of Beijing's Lantern club, the most influential techno club in China's capital, he was also the co-owner of Acupuncture Records, which is the only techno label in China back in the 00's. In the past decade, he has played in the finest clubs and festivals in Europe, such as Tresor in Berlin and ADE festival in Amsterdam, as well as the top clubs in Toyko, Seoul, and Taipei, where Asian's best dance music scene exists. In 2016, he appeared in China's first ever Boiler Room event with his modular synth system, created the climax of that night and his live set was considered one of the best moments of Boiler Room China.

HWA has deeply embraced modular synthesis in recent years and it has become the centerpiece of his music production workflow and live performances. He attempts to explore randomized beat sequences and experimental sound design furthermore. He's one of the initial members of The Modular Commune, a Beijing artist community focused on the use of modular synths, which has gained a lot of attention across the globe. Through his music work and live sets, HWA's unique athletics and understanding of techno music made by machines, has become a unique label of his.

An outstanding artist since his earliest productions, Pablo Mateo now fully joins the ranks of Figure for his first album. On this versatile LP finally expands his complete creative vision of what techno music truly means to him.

Weird Reflections Beyond The Sky is an album that is accessible to all audiences. When engaged with actively, it holds narratives deeply connected to personal experience, going beyond what words or even images can describe. Confronting the listener with their own complexity and emotions is both its feat and feature. A beautiful use of technology and synthetic sounds as a means to journey far within.

An open invitation to drop all expectations and simply let the mind wander, creating an immersive soundtrack for each individual to explore.

Sometimes you know it’s coming, sometimes it’s unexpected, but the time to hang your boots will always come. It’s better when you have total control, even better if you end up on a high (or on a low). After seven years of sonic interferences, calibrating the soundscape of field recordings and helping to recreate the old sounds of today, Gonzo is retiring from music. It’s a goodbye, yeah, and a well-crafted one.
But “Ruído(s)” doesn’t sound like an intentional one. You won’t listen to it on any of the thirteen tracks that scavenge for a solution in the space between ambient music and field recordings. You won’t feel it in the intense connection between human and natural sounds and how sometimes everything oscillates in opposite states of mind. You won’t even read it in the intense, but subtle, humor present in some of the pieces. You won’t, because it’s not an intentional goodbye. You only know it is, because you’re reading this.
What is it then? It’s a celebration of random sound. How can you experience something scholastic and, simultaneously, deeply hilarious? Just think about the amazing triad formed by “A Fuga dos Grilos”, “Degredado(s)” and “Cantiga Parva”. First, you’re blessed with six minutes that build up on the idea that sound can be an intense religious experience, echoes going back and forth to create a fantastic Boiler Room feeling (one populated with raving Gonzos doing dabs in front of the camera) that eventually ends up with a cinematic touch: someone saying the title of the song out loud. One second after we are into the Flying Lizards world, with two songs that shake any pretentious seriousness of the previous track.
Is it serious or not? It is. But it doesn’t have to be. In “Ruído(s)” Gonzo recounts pop/electronic history through field recordings and weird-soft beats. More than compiling his seven-year history, Gonzo is more worried to understand where he’s leaving his ideas, Caretaker style. Speaking of Caretaker, Leyland Kirby should think about reviving Caretaker and do a whole album around “Brilhante Cortejo”: it’s haunted ballroom in a ‘cracked’ nutshell.
As the album progresses and the need to revisit it grows, it becomes clearer(?) that “Ruído(s)” is more than an artist self-indulging on his work – in a very good manner. It’s also a condensed catalog of Portuguese music and its sounds, a circular trip down the memory lane of a forgotten country and its landscape. “Ruído(s)” is a goodbye to a country and its traditions. It does it without sulking but with the most respectful loud laugh - the Gonzo way.

After last year’s excellent ‘Insula’ album, Proc Fiskal returns to Hyperdub with the six track EP ‘Shleekit Doss’; in his own words, “a kind of representation of the time I was running the club night of the same name in Edinburgh. These tunes represent the night’s ethos of genre-defiance and high-energy futuristic sets, ecstatic and transcendent while still being fun and stupid. I was getting my friends to play and I made all the posters on my phone - like this EP’s artwork. I also started hoarding old FM synths which crop up a lot on the EP, and was reading a lot of sci-fi like Isaac Asimov’s ‘Foundation’, and ‘2001’. The night ran until last November when the bouncers and some punters got in a fight, the club got damaged, and unfortunately I got banned too.”

Through this mayhem and misdemeanour, ‘Shleekit Doss’ feels like an oasis of calm; light, bouncy and melodic, the EP sees Proc developing the depth and range of his music in satisfying ways. The beatless, processed male voice choirs of ‘Satan’ open the set, breaking into glitchy drums before the melodies are time-stretched into a pretty drone and gentle rolling piano. Clouds of bittersweet synths waft across cut-up voices and clattering drums on ‘Smith’s Deli’, while ‘Pico’ is a driving mix of tight, tiny micro-edits that feel like micro-house crossbred with jungle breaks. ‘2 Moros’ takes the Sinogrime developed on ‘Insula’ deeper into dense rhythmic abstraction, and on ‘4 minutes’, charming synth melodies and 8-bit bass lines are threaded through skeletal drum machine kicks and snares. ‘Prop-O-Deed’ finishes the EP, Proc Fiskal displaying his inimitable gift for heart-wrenching anthemic melody, built around tuned Asian percussion and scratchy synth violin.

Death & Leisure is proud to announce the sophomore album from the very special Autumns.
6 tracks of raw sneering electronics. Coming out in spring.
Autumns is the solo project of Christian Donaghey, From Derry, Ireland, an outlet for electronic post-punk with a lethal pulse. After a brace of rough demos without preliminary hype, the project emerged fully formed on Karl O’Connor’s (aka Regis) illustrious label Downwards back in 2014, the youngest act in a new vanguard of artists that included the likes of Tropic of Cancer, DVA DAMAS and The Kvb.

– Extended Autumns biography here-

Autumns is the solo project of Christian Donaghey, From Derry, Ireland, an outlet for electronic post-punk with a lethal pulse. After a brace of rough demos without preliminary hype, the project emerged fully formed on Karl O’Connor’s (aka Regis) illustrious label Downwards back in 2014, the youngest act in a new vanguard of artists that included the likes of Tropic of Cancer, DVA DAMAS and The Kvb.

Preceding releases for Clan Destine Records, iDEAL Recordings and DKA Records have seen the project engaged in a rough trade of transgressive noise, dysfunctional metal dance and DIY punk angst, yet each of these milestones has represented a different proposition. 2016’s ‘A Product of 30 Years of Violence’ saw the project moving into vast glacial spaces after propulsive post-punk discord of 2015’s ‘Das Nichts’. 2017 presented a further progression into Autumns’ journey from his post-punk beginnings to producing some of the tautest and no bullshite electronic music around with the release of his debut album ‘Suffocating Brothers’ on Clan Destine Records. Gaining radio play from selectors like Trevor Jackson, Regis, Debonair and Giant Swan.

Alongside progressive appearances on cult labels the project has developed a notorious high-intensity live show, having played and toured with artists such as Silent Servant, Veronica Vasicka and Wire, performing to audiences from Los Angeles to Beirut, and Moscow to Berlin. Autumns’ has also ventured outside the typical music world by taking up projects such as performing alongside Samuel Kerridge at the 2016 edition of Paris Fashion Week for Downwards, creating a sound installation at Void Gallery, and improvising a desolate live score to David Lynch’s ‘Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me’. Earning Autumns a fierce reputation not only as a live act, but as a multi-disciplinary artist.

Following contributions to labels such as Amok Tapes, Touch Sensitive, Veyl (Maenad Veyl) and Earwiggle (Sunil Sharpe), as well as remixes for Strange Therapy, Infidel Bodies, and Clan Destine Records. 2019 see’s Autumns’ experimentation in the studio go much deeper, with the release of his sophomore album ‘Shortly After Nothing’ on Oliver Ho’s (aka Broken English Club) innovative ‘Death & Leisure’ label, alongside a heavy touring schedule, a collaboration with post-punk legend Eric Random, the launch of his radio show ‘Dyslexia Tracks’ on Dublin Digital Radio and more upcoming releases to surface throughout the year.

It’s no secret that the Irish know how to party. That energy is epitomised in the bubbling scene of homegrown talent rising through the ranks all over the island. House of Disco, having recently moved back to the Irish shores, let loose their first 4 track sampler EP in 7 years, ‘Home Turf’, showcasing the best in under-represented young Irish producers.

Taking the first slot, Dublin’s LPM hones in on that signature HoD sound with some expertly interlaced late ‘70s samples, reworked and repackaged into a bomb of a filtered, disco house, hand-raiser that’s got sunshine stamped into it’s very core. Newbridge locals, Mix & Fairbanks then offer up a deep, synth-laden gem, drenched in weighty stabs, analogue melodies and squiggling top lines.

On the flipside, the young gun from Killarney, Shee gets soulful for ‘Me You Us’ with low-slung vocal samples and hazy pads layered over the top of swirling disco loops. Lastly, Wicklow native Purple Ice signs off this killer Irish EP with a blissful, piano infused groover that’s eyes closed ecstasy from start to finish.

Bang on!

In-demand deep modal jazz tune from Belgium featuring Babs Roberts!

The lesser-spotted jazz atoms that formed the fusion of Futurist Flanders! It might sound like an ambitious claim but having been a firm fixture at the top of many European jazz collector want lists over the past decade Finders Keepers wouldn’t be alone when proclaiming this extremely rare, lesser-known two-track 7” from 1969 as one of the best jazz 45s of all time! Alongside Polish pianist Krzysztof Komeda’s soundtrack 7” for the film Cul-De-Sac and ranking closely with François Tusques’ commemorative Le Corbusier exhibition 45 (featuring Don Cherry) this format-specific release known only as Brussels Art Quintet might well sit at the top of the podium while striking similarities and arguably combining the best stylistic traits of both aforementioned contenders.

This is all speculative and clearly a matter of individual opinion but it’s not often that one should find a recording from this era, comprising such high production qualities, keen compositional values and robust craftsmanship spread across two equally spellbinding individual tracks, all of which awards this record justified hyperbole albeit subject to a 50 year delay. It is safe to say that this unique release is “rare” on many levels. Like all privately pressed art projects this 45 comprises some serious outsider art trappings. However, on closer inspection it also stands as a pivotal record in the micro-genre of Belgian jazz, pin-pointing an early axis for some vital progressive jazz players who went on to become sturdy pillars of the central European happening.

Essentially as a five-piece, the short-lived Brussels Art Quintet neatly combines members of both the mythical Babs Robert Quartet (early exponents of Belgian spiritual jazz) and key players from the leading progressive jazz/rock/funk unit known as COS (formally Classroom) who would stand as close affiliates of the likes of Marc Moulin, Kiosk and Placebo through the 1970s. Reproduced in close collaboration with COS leader Daniel Schell, who, under the early guise of Daniel “Max” Schellekens, authored both tracks that make up this facsimile 45 single, this one-off single includes the only known output by the Brussels Art Quintet thus marking the essential in-road to instantly start and complete your entire BAQ collection not without reliving the early germination of the froward-thinking jazz fusion that came to shape Belgium’s truly unique movement.

Ascetic Limited is excited to present our seventh release returning with our VA series and a new design line from Plastica. Side A begins with Trastiber by Fabrizio Lapiana. Fabrizio's work needs little introduction, known for his ambient backdrops and mesmerizing melodies this track is a perfect fit for our catalogue and any DJ wanting to ensure a moody ambience and great for opening doors into deeper realms.
Secondly we have Journey with Castenada by Greenbeam & Leon, the duo from Georgia. The residents of Khidi club in Tbilisi, take us on a heavy set journey with their particular sound that ranges from tripped out to industrial bangers. A Journey with Castaneda is an ode to mind exploration and the psychedelic realms we can find within ourselves.
On the B side Aleja Sanchez, known for her pounding yet well thought out tracks, provides her track Sanctuary, truly mesmerizing from the Colombian mainstay. This track reflects in totality the sound we strive to provide on Ascetic Limited, pounding yet deep a perfect balance of body mind and soul.
To close it out, Cliche Morph s Sinusoid is a broken bass line heavy hitter with amazing sound design that will fit into any set, from the most moody to the deepest of selections. Overall a perfect track to close out our fourth VA selection, reflecting our concept as a label.

Albert’s Favourites co-founder Adam Scrimshire is set to release his fourth album 'Listeners'. Musically, 'Listeners' draws from Scrimshire's passion for jazz, soul and electronic music of all styles; from an energetic combination of Afrobeat and garage on 'Won't Get Better', to the lushly orchestrated neo-soul of 'Thru You', and the harmonious jazz experimentations of 'I Never'. The album features a host of esteemed guest vocalists and musicians telling their own personal stories, including Georgia Anne Muldrow, Emma-Jean Thackray, Joshua Idehen, Madison McFerrin, Chip Wickham, and James Alexander Bright.

"With this album I wanted to get a more focused sound after six years of relearning and development in the studio. But I also struggled to find my own words, to speak about where I/we are now. So I allowed my collaborators total freedom to tell their own story and as they came back to me, they were telling the same stories I wanted to. It's resulted in some deeply personal confessional pieces: mourning family, collapsing relationships, extremes of self doubt and analysis, trying to balance public and inner persona, and a reminder that life in all forms is important.

It’s called 'Listeners' as I am a listener here, I feel like I've been given these very personal experiences to care for. Listeners because, the travesty of the last few years is that we stopped listening to each other, everyone is shouting at each other and no one is learning. And Listeners because I hope I've made something that is for other people more than I have before. I've tried to craft something warmer and more enjoyable, made for those who give me their time in listening to my music."
- Adam Scrimshire

Since joining the Wah Wah 45s label in 2007, Scrimshire has released three albums of experimental cinematic jazz, and electronic sounds. Following his 2009 debut ‘Along Came The Devil One Night’, his second album ‘The Hollow’ (2011) was a BBC 6 Music Album of the Week, with Gilles Peterson calling it “A late contender for album of the year”.

In the time since the release of his last album ‘Bight’ (“An eclectic range of influences ranging from disco to fusion to more contemporary electronic styles” XLR8R) in 2013, Adam has worked with long-time musical accomplice Dave Koor on new project Modified Man, and launched Albert’s Favourites releasing projects by The Expansions, Hector Plimmer and Jonny Drop. He has continued to gain radio and DJ support for his successful “Scrimshire Edits” series and has produced and mixed records for artist including Stac, Daudi Matsiko, Bastien Keb, Ronin Arkestra, Jonny Drop. He has also continued to develop the Wah Wah 45s label, where he is now a co-owner and director.

Preceded by singles 'Thru You' featuring Georgia Anne Muldrow and 'Life Is Valuable' featuring James Alexander Bright; 'Listeners' is set for release on LP and digital formats via Albert’s Favourites on 19th July 2019.

DJ Support / Press:

Huey Morgan (BBC Radio 6 Music)

Jamie Cullum support on BBC Radio 2

Jamz Supernova on BBC Radio 1Xtra

Thru You Premiered By Mary Anne Hobbs on BBC 6 Music “So Beautiful

Enzo Elia – one who knows how to conceive Italo driven audible passion with the machines that surround him. His releases on cult labels Compost, Free Range and Black Pearls Records have long spoken to us here at KOMPAKT.

We welcome this summer heater which is “Gilli 88 EP”. A tribute to the 80s phenomenon…THE PANINARO. Without any ideological basis or connection to a particular lifestyle THE PANINARO was based around fashion imagery and luxurious clothing. Enzo found this translatable to today’s social network dynamics and is prime for the retrofuturistic dancefloors of today that are inspired by the golden days of Italo-Disco.

“Low Red” is a Italo-Pop gem conceived with Quique Aldebaran and Quique on vocals that takes inspiration from the legends that were – the mighty Suicide. An instrumental version dives deeper into the groove for DJ play persuasion. “Aj Squinza” takes a classic 80’s disco approach with sound-scaping synths that endlessly jam with an everchanging rhythm. “Volpinata” succumbs to a classic EBM groove that finds its way out of focus due to fat synth melodies that engorge this elevating track.

LTD to 300 / SPLATTER VINYL. Planet Mu Recording artist, Gobstopper label boss, and Boxed club night founder Mr.Mitch provides the third PRESSURE release of 2019. This strictly limited, blue and yellow splattered vinyl platter is futurist dancehall at its most exhilaratingly demented. Random synth patterns, chaotic bleep emissions and all round oscillating madness ensures this furiously fresh track, flows freakily, like a bogle frenzied droid transmitting from Kingston, Jamaica, year 2049. Kevin Martin aka The Bug, nagged Mitch into submission, to release this Acid Ragga killer, after the PRESSURE label CEO, heard ‘Not Modular’ standing out clearly from Mitch’s gobsmacking one hour ‘Techno Dancehall Mix’ at the end of 2018. And as a tribute to South East London don dada Mitch, The Bug himself decided to slice, splice and dice ’Not Modular’ into two additional atomised remixes. The Bug’s ‘Straight’ remix, is sub aquatic bashment, pulsating deeply from the bottom of the ocean, buried in a blizzard of white noise and disembodied, hypnotic chimes, with panic sirens set to stun. Whilst the ‘Raw remix’ is no less disorientating and funky, sounding like Lenky’s classic ‘Diwali’ riddim rewritten by an 808 clap addict, with hips set to full rotation. Conclusively alien and ridiculously infectious.

In a landscape increasingly dominated by surface-level sonics and a lack of true organic – man-made-machine-driven - sound, the newly found and London-based Gaia Tones project rises with an unforgiving grasp over the science of improvisation and mystery. Like a gust of wind from Mother Nature herself, the duo comprised of John Swing and David Soleil-Mon breathe a new, highly perceptible form of life into the UK’s long ‘dub and ‘bass’ dynasty.

Contrary to the consumer plastics found across much of the ‘digital’ musical spectrum, the two artists impose their own vision and aesthetic to a framework of sound that has somehow always existed but never fully explored before. Heady, stoned-out and surely emanating from physical matter, their two debut tracks are set to redefine the standards going into the next decade.

The A-side “Lychees”, stutters its own brand of dread paranoia over a sea of complex, morphing percussion that together create a whole new palette of exploratory sound, loosely tied up into a hazy, nomadic groove. On the flip, “Wonkadonk” feels like its natural extension, evolving that familiarly off-kilter assembly of drums to work around a devotedly dystopian swell of bass that pushes further and further out into the ether.

In the end, the universe tends to unfold as it should.

Label artwork by Egidio Sterpa

A cryptical presence hiding behind many different aliases spread across a range of underground labels: co-owner of LiveJam Records alongside EMG, John Swing begins producing with a live and spontaneous approach that pushes the boundaries and general conceptions of club music while digging deeper into the techniques of the past.

The production process through ananlog equipment that John Swing so strongly supports with an uncompromising attitude is the key to his underground success and esteem.
With a back catalogue of over seventy releases including collaborations with established artists such as Mr. G and Ben Sims, the London based talent has been receiving recognition by established artists including Floating Points, Gerd Janson, Levon Vincent, Theo Parrish and many others.

Inspired by London's Plastic People and it's bonding vibes, through a well refined spectrum of musical knowledge John Swing engages with the dance floor in a physical yet emotional way: the strength and power of pure house is blended with black soul music in a constant crossover between underground aesthetics and cherry-picked funk and disco. His subtle understanding of the dance floor guarantees a deep-rooted experience for the mind, body and soul.

The Black Keys’ long-awaited ninth studio album, “Let’s Rock”, their first in five years, is a return to the straightforward rock of the singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney’s early days as a band. Auerbach says, “When we’re together we are The Black Keys, that’s where that real magic is, and always has been since we were sixteen.” The album includes the hit single ‘Lo/Hi’. The Black Keys’ touring begins in North America in September, with further international dates to be announced soon.



“Let’s Rock” was written, tracked live, and produced by Auerbach and Carney at Easy Eye Sound studio in Nashville and features backing vocals from Leisa Hans and Ashley Wilcoxson. “The record is like a homage to electric guitar,” says Carney. “We took a simple approach and trimmed all the fat like we used to.”



The “Let’s Rock” Tour will hit cities including Chicago, Nashville, New York, Los Angeles, and Austin. Special guests Modest Mouse will provide support on all dates, and Shannon & The Clams, Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, *repeat repeat, and Jessy Wilson will each open select shows on the tour. The band also headlines 2019’s Life Is Beautiful festival in Las Vegas on September 21.



Rolling Stone named ‘Lo/Hi’ a “Song You Need to Know” and said, ‘the Keys have officially returned, louder than ever’ and the New York Times calls the song ‘the kind of garage-boogie stomp that the band never left behind.’ In the words of the NME, ‘It’s the soundtrack to the type of party that doesn’t exist anymore, but one you still wish you were cool enough to get the invite to.’



Formed in Akron, Ohio in 2001, The Black Keys have released eight studio albums: their debut The Big Come Up (2002), followed by Thickfreakness (2003) and Rubber Factory (2004), along with their releases on Nonesuch Records, Magic Potion (2006), Attack & Release (2008), Brothers (2010), El Camino (2011), and, most recently, Turn Blue (2014). The band has won six Grammy Awards and headlined festivals including Coachella, Lollapalooza, and Governors Ball.



Since their last album together, both Auerbach and Carney have been creative forces behind a number of wide-ranging artists:



Dan Auerbach formed the Easy Eye Sound record label, named after his Nashville studio, in 2017, with the release of his second solo album, Waiting on a Song. Since its launch, Easy Eye Sound has become home to a wide range of artists including Yola, Shannon & The Clams, Dee White, Shannon Shaw, Sonny Smith, Robert Finley, and The Gibson Brothers; it also has released the posthumous album by Leo Bud Welch as well as previously unreleased material by Link Wray.



Patrick Carney has produced and recorded new music with artists such as Calvin Johnson, Michelle Branch, Damns of the West, Tobias Jesso, Jr., Jessy Wilson, Tennis, *repeat repeat, Wild Belle, Sad Planets, Turbo Fruits, and more. He also created the theme music for the Netflix TV show BoJack Horseman with his late uncle, Ralph Carney.

With 20 years passing since his first foray into recorded jazz, Nat Birchall now ranks as one of the premier saxophonists of his generation. With several highly acclaimed albums in the locker, he now returns to JAZZ45 for the second time to wrap his chops around the 45rpm 7" format. This is the format that takes no prisoners - there's no time for noodling - and the result is an intense yet sensitive message of deep jazz, modal jazz, esoteric jazz, spiritual jazz; refined and concentrated into 2 whirlwind sides. Watch out for a double long-player to come later in 2019!

Bastard Jazz is proud to present the new EP from Vancouver's AstroLogical, also known as one half of production duo Potatohead People. With a long list of collaborations outside of the group ranging from Pomo, Phife Dogg, Illa J and Chin Injeti - Astro's new EP "Private World" resides somewhere in between jazz, soul, ambient and future electronic vibes with it's lush keys, chunky breaks, and deep musicality.

Nate Drobner aka. AstroLogical is a multi-instrumentalist producer/composer based in Vancouver, B.C. Canada.
After releasing a number of solo instrumental hip-hop projects through the net label Jellyfish Recordings in the early 2010's under the AstroLogical alias, he had began focusing his energy on the producer duo Potatohead People; a collaborative project with his old friend Nick Wisdom, eventually getting noticed signed by Brooklyn-based record label Bastard Jazz in 2012 (with the help of Nightmares On Wax). Their 2018 full-length sophomore album 'Nick & Astro's Guide To The Galaxy' was released to great acclaim and led them to be invited to Jazzy Jeff's annual Playlist Retreat alongside such luminaries as Lord Finnese, Young Guru, and Pharaohe Monch.

Number Five is alive! Red Ember Records presents nothing short than another subaqueous house odyssey on its ‘Deepsounds’ imprint. On in the wax, number five sees its first duo appearance with Sauco & Prakash, alongside Frankie Soukal, Erell Ranson and ‘TH pressing’ boss Tominori Hosoya.
Continuing the noble pursuit of underground electronic deepness, house music and beyond, from all corners of the globe.

A multifaceted debut EP from the Berlin-based producer Crore.

The record starts off with “Ultraviolence“, a stomping acid workout, climaxing with the help of sharp hi-hats and its smooth but effective arrangement. On the flip side, the less pragmatic “Thinking In Code“ renounces the 4/4 kick and works more subtle while diving into the deeper spheres of contemporary techno music. Spheric pads meet a pulsating synth in the “Final Sequence“ and create a fuzzy and uncanny atmosphere.

Sonic weapons for a wide range of club settings.

ONLY 300 PRESSED - VINYL ONLY

The 13threlease on GIANT is a various artists EP – this is VOL 1 and VOL 2 will follow later in the year. This EP features tracks from three exceptional new breed producers and one band who have been making waves for well over ten years now. This release joins up artists from across Europe and Russia. First up is CLAUDIO IACONO who hails from Italy. Then its PYSH who is from Poland followed by Russia’s ANTON LANSKI then last but no way least is Bulgaria’s BABYFACECLAN – The four tracks range from after hours deep techno to sublime deep house and BABYFACECLAN’S track has an Andy Weatherall flavour to it. Only 300 pressed.

Buoyed by the success of Endless, their 2015 primer on forgotten electronic explorer Dimitris Petsetakis, Into The Light Records has worked with the Greek composer to compile a follow-up album that takes an even deeper dive into his archive of previously unreleased material. Like its predecessor, On Shores draws on music recorded in the 1980s and early '90s. It contains just two previous released tracks, the humid 'Clearance (Part 2)' and poignant 'On Endless Shores', both of which first featured on Petsetakis's cult 1991 album Missing Links.

On Shores offers another unparalleled insight into the picturesque and atmospheric soundscapes created in the Piraeus-based composer's basement studio using a mixture of electronic and acoustic instruments, a wide range of global influences and a keen interest in both minimalism and new age ambience. Listeners will encounter a range of stunningly beautiful and beguiling compositions, from the creepy, slow-burn exoticism of 'Pythia's Dance' and rhythmic, otherworldly escapism of 'Violated Asylum', to the gentle bliss of 'Like a Knife' and sun-bright joy of 'Nearxi (Minimal Marimba Edit)'.

* The third release on SLEEVE fearlessly defies doubt-both internal and external-and continues its self-assigned mission forward. This last EP in the trilogy by STRIPPER™ completes a foundational artistic statement defined by it’s auditory, visual, and physical presence, with each piece playing equally an important part. The underlying theme of the EP is defined using a lexicon of atypical beat patterns and deep atmospheric textures. 

“Personal Nightmares” and its corresponding Farron remix explore two deep emotional extremes: from sinking hopelessness to the manic commitment to self-resurrection. “Clairsentience” is a cavernous journey that allows little for the listener to hold on to: there won’t be any guide ropes here. The final track “No Vision” is built around a snare reminiscent of a surgical scalpel, but is otherwise deprived of a musical theme. It’s only purpose is to cut through swiftly and efficiently through the listener’s mind.


* This is a physical release of a four track EP. It contains music tracks intended for social settings. Suitable for DJ Sets of varying styles in the range of 125 — 135 BPM. The material presented here is also available digitally.
All tracks produced, mixed, and stripped by Stripper™ using digital synthesizers and sequencers.

"A manner or style, a frame of mind, thought or existence" (Mode).
"Intelligence quotient, the use of perception or awareness." (IQ).

Mode I/Q, the self-proclaimed unknown band, was a richly textured, bold project starting life in 1979 out the embers of punk and new wave resulting in a hypnotic convergence of love, the future, life and art.

Lucian and Nicolas, two creative spirits who viewed the world through their own prism, augmented by a moving cast of friends and acolytes, were together compelled to make great music. This was a concept from the heart, with transformativelive performances, channelling spaces into art "Mode" events orchestrated to bring about a full integration of site and sound.

Psychedelic, punk overtones. A funky electronic hybrid, mixing Kraftwerk with black music. Guitars delayed and twisted through echo boxes and micro synths. Casio and Commodores delivering the machine funk. CBGBs, Max's Kansas City and Danceteria - Mode I/Q played and much, much more.

Just 3 releases deep, 1984's mini LP Mind/Soul captures the band at their best. 6 songs to immerse, dance and shake the mind.

As a winemaker hailing from the Palatinate, Florian Hollerith understands a thing or two about vintage. It's something that also comes through when you sample his music - rich, full bodied with just the right level of acidity. 2018 was already a good year with Ohrenzirkus featuring on both Sven Väth's Sound of the 19th Season mix CD as well as this year's Dots and Pearls vol. 5 compilation. Florian certainly announced his arrival on the scene in style, so it's only fair that he gets the chance to demonstrate his full range of skills on his very own Cocoon Recordings release. 2019 however, has a darker, more complex flavour...

Florian certainly knows a hookline when he finds one. On the EP's title track Perlas, he's working from the inside out with complex layers creating a vortex of sound. This dense sonic mesh is playful yet dangerous, with ethereal voices and jagged chants adding to the disorientation of the opening exchanges until the congas and skipping bassline give us something to hold onto. The dance floor melts under our feet as a raw, tripped out groove takes hold before the bass suddenly morphs into a brassy acid line that spreads its wings and soars. It's music for the headstrong, a celebration of the timeless tribal ceremonies that have come to define us.

Love Summer adds a contemporary twist to the melodic joys that drenched the early nineties in pure ecstasy. The soulful vocals soothe the mind as horn stabs punctuate the sensual groove, generating power and passion in equal measures. It's a straightforward approach, revolving around a familiar yet eminently seductive riff that just keeps on rolling, propelled forward by the force of its own momentum. There's no need to fuss when you hit on a winning formula like this.

More retro futurism abounds on Electro Indianer as arpeggiated bleeps usher in another vast, sprawling soundscape designed to induce a collective trance on the dance floor. Whistling, circular effects wash back and forth increasing the tension notch by notch as we're led deeper into the wormhole. Finally, the track deconstructs slightly, creating enough space for classic Casio-style bleeps and percussion to embellish a beautiful blissed out ending that trails off into the sun rise, as ancient Native American pipes pick out a haunting melody in the distance.

smog’s music has been on a steady path towards monumentalism since emerging out of the recesses of Berlin in 2015.

Originally from Paris, growing up cutting his chops in the capital’s hip hop undergrowth, the young producer makes music that is as challenging as it is evocative. On “sequel’70” – his debut album – bass, techno, electroacoustic music and jungle are rung through his singular take on the hardcore continuum. The production is powerful, dynamic and geared to bulldoze the dance. It’s clear why the likes of Resident Advisor have tipped smog as an “important artist to watch” and why his tracks have been appearing in sets from artists of the calibre and creative range of Objekt, Donato Dozzy, Samuel Kerridge or Go Hiyama.

With his debut album, smog lays bare a world of start and stop mechanics. Tracks twist and turn through stuttering panoramas of crashing beats, majestic peaks and post-rave intensity. On its most moving moments the gorgeously burnt out cinematic pads of “Mécanique Oblique” are a particular highlight – “sequel’70” feels like coming up in the middle of an industrial wasteland. It’s almost as if the end of the world wasn’t such a terrible prospect after all.
Jungle architectures are pulled apart and reconstructed on “Gelid”, “Dazzle” and the phenomenal “Abschluss SCAN”. Souvenirs of gabber echo through heavy handed kicks and speaker defying noise blasts. IDM inflexions creep their way in opportunistically, but even at its most abstract – album midpoint “Straightforward” sounds like a geiger counter being set off – it all sounds more like the possibilities offered by the future of rave rather than an attempt at paying homage to the genre’s heritage.

There’s a special energy and irreverence to smog’s music and there’s deep reflection in how he connects the dots of the subfamilies of rave. His attention to sound design would almost be worth the trip alone, but the album remains superb even at its most disorderly.

Tallinn's Rando Arand joins up with LIITHELI to release four deep cuts entitled 'Alles' EP.

Rando Arand is an electronic music producer from Tallinn, Estonia with a background in sound design and experimentation. Arand released his first record on Asphalt Soliloquies back in 2017 and has since gone on to perform live at clubs and festivals around the Baltics sharing stages with likes of Dorian Concept, Gerry Read and King Midas Sound.

His 'Alles' EP sees him join Ali Asker's LIITHELI imprint who focus on supporting local artists from Estonia's capital following the likes of Mava & Nebukat, 1212a and the label boss himself, in addition to remixers from across the globe like Vakula and SH2000.

'Maandub' gets things rolling with dubbed-out aesthetics fusing hypnotic low end, meditative chords and eccentric synth stabs before 'Moondub' delivers soulful keys, deep riding bass grooves and fluid percussion.

'Joondub' maintains the breezy atmospherics as it delicately layers alleviating pads, organic pulsations and floaty modulations before 'Avardub' finishes things off with emotive melodies, fast-pitched, natural drums and melancholy tones throughout. Rando Arand 'Alles' EP drops on LIITHELI on 1st May 2019.

Having previously collaborated with the likes of Shafiq Husayn, Chester Watson and Foreign Beggars, electronic space funk outfit Paper Tiger return from an explorative journey to the dark edges of the cosmos with their long-awaited third album ‘Rogue Planet’.

The Leeds and London-based outfit (whose collective playing credits include Yellow Days, Werkha, Nubiyan Twist, Cinematic Orchestra & more) once again seamlessly combine elements of live recording and improvisation, their emphasis on blending organic sounds with electronic production techniques. The result is music which is interesting and technically proficient, but remains vibrant, colourful and funky -captivating both in headphones and on the dancefloor.

Just like the journey from debut long-player ‘Laptop Suntan’ to sophomore album ‘Blast Off’, and in-keeping with the band’s space travel fascination, ‘Rogue Planet’ is a cosmic leap from its predecessor. Band leader Greg Surmacz explains: ‘There is still humour and a sense of playfulness hopefully -largely provided by our MC Raphael Attar -but the overall sound is much more lush, jazzy and soulful. We wanted to make something that fits into our universe but hits a deeper emotional nerve’.

With diverse guests ranging from the legendary Steve Spacek on lead single ‘The Cycle’ to Olivia Bhattacharjee (the vocalist of Gondwana Records-signed Noya Rao) on the shuffling, leftfield beats of ‘Bioluminescent’ and Chicago-born but LA-based MC Lando Chill’s quick-fire delivery on the ironically titled ‘Slow Motion’ the album is a rich and varied listen. It’s a record drenched in futuristic soul, brimming with textured samples and intriguing progressions demonstrating the enviable musicianship on show here. G-Funk-esque melodies run throughout, joined by reverberating celestial horns and scattered drum patterns.

After S3A's 'Deep Love' contribution last year we are stoked to present you this great collection of music! Coming from the French underground S3A aka Max Fader is absolutely no stranger to the scene. With releases on Local Talk, Quartet Series and his own 'Sampling As An Art records' he is deeply rooted in House, Hip Hop, Disco, Soul and Funk serving residencies at Paris clubs 'Concrete' and 'REX' he has become a local favourite as well with his DJ and Live sets. We are more than excited to release this special debut album that showcases some older and recent work, with live acoustic songs from early 2017 recorded at the Paris 'Red Bull Music' studios to new sample based House and Disco infused tracks in the signature 'S3A' style we got to love so much in recent years. 'Fever", 'Friends, 'Joint No. 5 and 'Greed' are all funk fuelled jams composed by Max, re-played and recorded again in several live jams with fellow musicians Nicolas Taite, Raphael Vallade and Pierre Vadon and edited in the studio by S3A afterwards, they breath this special Soul and Funk love Max got into by listening to 'Masters at Work' and old Disco jams. The latter 'Greed' has a special story, it is a cover of an early 'Laurent Garnier' track that got reworked by 'Avril' in the early 00's, here Max wanted to present his own Jazz and Funk perspective on that same track. The club stompers 'First Day With Lucien", 'Lockwood", 'Clarence J. Boddicker' and 'Leaving 19th' are the true party business on this album and range from Deep House to more classic edit style Disco tracks with live improvisations played on top of them.

“Introducing COSMIC RESIDENTS v. 1, the first in an ongoing compilation series from Cosmic Resonance Records. This series will showcase emerging talent from Toronto’s underground creative electronic music scene.

This first edition features local favourites and Cosmic Resonance residents Radiant Aura Faculty (aka Raf Reza), KOREA TOWN ACID and Hemingway along with (and making their vinyl and Cosmic Resonance debut) Body Butter, WeTurnToRed and Smoke & Shadows.

On the A-side, Hemingway kicks things off with Astralnauts, a deep, dubbed out boogie breakbeat burner dedicated to explorers of the astral plane featuring fellow label don Chris Evans on rhythm guitar. Radiant Aura Faculty (aka Raf Reza) takes us even deeper with the mystical 'Cid Pit Riddim', a slamming 707 acid bender sure to melt any dance floor. Things get slippery with Body Butter’s debut single ‘Lights In The Hallway’, a timeless operatic pop opus featuring Neil Rankin (aka Burt Sugar), Chris Evans (aka Mr. Bliss) and Hemingway behind the board.

On the flip side, things heat up with Shamanta Chandran’s project WeTurnToRed (recently releasing their debut EP on ORO Records), featuring the progressive modular techno odyssey 'Warm Winter', an escape from Toronto’s long and tumultuous blizzards. Emerging from the Mahogani Forest, Korea Town Acid reinterprets Hemingway’s emotional ode to the jazz aesthetic 'Blue Notes' with her trademark cerebral rhythms and a masterful bassline that elevates the original to new heights. Closing it off, we have an amazing collaboration between Curtis Clark (aka Smoke of Lab.our Music) & Em Zy (member of Nikki Fierce) called Smoke & Shadows with their stellar debut single Convincing Thoughts that features Em Zy’s hazy vocal emanations amidst a backdrop of mystical reverberations and a dark, powerful groove.”

In 2017 Blair French came out of hibernation to release contrasting but similarly sun-kissed EPs on Rocksteady Disco and Claremont 56.

Here, he returns to action with a scintillatingly sunny and sensual six-tracker on NuNorthern Soul that may well be his strongest release to date.

Given French's chameleon-like musical history, that's certainly a bold claim.
Over the years, he's been a member of a multitude of musical collectives - most notably Cosmic Handshakes and Formless Figures - established his own DIY record label (Fat Finger Cosmic) and released music that touches on a dizzying array of styles, from award-winning movie soundtracks and Afro-fired deep house, to skewed techno, blissful ambience and experimental hip-hop.

On Patio Pastel, French is in full on sand-between-the-toes Balearic mood, delivering a range of lucid, ear-pleasing compositions that will sashay their way into your consciousness.
Contrast, for example, the drowsy organs, glistening pedal steel and undulating hand percussion of opener 'Patio Pastel' with the Serge Gainsbourg style chanson-goes-tropical bliss of 'La Playa De Tercipelo', which features some deliciously breathy vocals from Stephanie Lyon.

Then there's 'Morning Sail', a sumptuously evocative soundscape rich in toasty, dub disco bass, shuffling percussion and lilting, Jonny Nash style guitar solos (see also the effortlessly horizontal Lounsbury Gardens'), and the kaleidoscopic, saucer-eyed Balearic pop brilliance of ;'Human Make Human', where new age synthesizer melodies and the fuzzy vocal refrain of Kasi Seguin gentle dances above an Afro-flecked, mid-tempo groove.

Throughout the EP, French mixes electronic and acoustic instrumentation, drawing together musical elements from a myriad of styles to create sumptuous new fusions.
It's particularly evident on superb closer 'Belle Isle Sunsets', where colourful synth motifs, eyes-closed guitar riffs and Mediterranean-warm chords wrap themselves around a gently pulsating, impressively layered groove.
Like the rest of the EP, it's perfectly pitched, expertly executed and wonderfully atmospheric.

French producer Erell Ranson's affinity for the deeper shades of Detroit sound is well known, but his ability to absorb those influences and create beautiful music with his own signature is the reason we're so excited to welcome him into our family. Having previously released on labels such as Kalahari Oyster Cult, aDepth audio, Nice & Nasty Records and his own MySelf Recordings, amongst others, Erell's became quite skilled in crafting sophisticated and emotional tracks which still seem to feel perfectly at home in a crowded 3 AM club situation. EP for Barba, titled "Dreams Of Nila", is a 4-tracker consisting of "Dreams Of Nila", "Reminiscence 0f The Past", and "Far Away Of Your Side", with the latter receiving an additional remix treatment by a Rotterdam-based project Duplex. "Dreams Of Nila" is a somewhat more leaning towards Chicago-ish side of things, with its huge bassline enveloped by shuffling 707 drums. Soft-sounding synth pad sequences work as an emotion injection and appear perfectly timed, without removing the edge of this, essentially, club track. "Reminiscence Of The Past" is the most direct of the bunch. Syncopated bass drum, forward-leaning groove and those classic techno snare roll fills make this track hard to ignore as it is, without mentioning complex interaction of synth lines, chords and beautiful detroit-reminiscent string stabs. Wonderfully executed counterpoint of hard edge and soft touch is what makes this cut a truly special one. Techno in its fullest form. "Far Away Of Your Side" is somewhat closer to the energy level of "Dreams Of Nila", and is a well-paced deep cut perfect for later moments in the night when subtle approach is everything. Slow synth pads give your mind some time to relax while the groove keeps your body occupied. Duplex remix of "Far Away Of Your Side" takes the track another notch down but in a more sideways manner. Broken electro groove is what keeps the foundation of the track while Chris Aarse & John Matze (aka Duplex) masterfully work their synths and pads to keep the tension for the whole duration of the track. Melancholy mood is tangible here, and at its best, ready for the dancefloor.

Erell Ranson signs his debut EP on Subconscious Algorithms with four techno tracks showing his own vision of the deep side of techno, largely influenced by Detroit, B12 and much more.

Erell Ranson (Kalahari Oyster Cult/Childhood Electronix/Where We Met) offers up a delicate and beautiful EP of accomplished texture and melody for his Distant Worlds debut. He shows a real delicate touch here and multiple listens will ensure the melodies and earworms penetrate deep into the psyche. Future soul music dripping in emotion, indebted to Detroit, outta France....