Cerca:ro
After a few years of silence, Underplay (Playedby sub-label) is back with its fourth release, welcoming Elia Nafzger and his Music Makes Me High EP.
A rising talent with a strong identity as both DJ and producer, Elia’s music has been regularly played by key figures such as Rhadoo and Praslea. Also part of the Sunrise Agency roster, he has already appeared at Sunwaves, Guesthouse and Supermarket Zurich.
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Shiraz & Jamie Paul team up for a 4-track split EP, marking the debut release on Leeds-based Stick To The Slug.
Club cuts with euphoric touches, carrying after-hours momentum, while A2 brings a more rolling, functional tech house energy to the mix.
Vinyl only.
Love International return with the second release in their Floor Series, welcoming Iñigo Vontier with a remix from Eden Burns, as it rolls on - continuing its run of records shaped by the dancefloor and late-night pulse in Tisno.
For 002, Mexican producer Iñigo Vontier steps in. Known for moving between styles with ease, he lands here with something that locks to the floor - rolling, hypnotic, and just off-centre enough to keep things interesting.
On the flip, Eden Burns comes through with a killer remix that pushes the original into more immediate, dancefloor destruction, completing the four-track EP.
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Off hours, A new imprint series from Metro Beirut Records run by Nephews, focused on what happens when everything else fades out, the in-between hours, the last stretch, and the moments that aren’t meant to be documented.
The Berlin-Beirut duo delivers five unpolished cuts built for the dance floor, crackles running through and a raw edge with 90s energy throughout. Made to hold weight on a system, and simply dialed down to the essentials.
On the B-side, Nephews link with ICTV on B1, locking into a steady, rolling zone, while B2 brings in a collaboration with Emanuele Barilli, pushing things further out, stretching tension without losing grip.
Zuperflex Records from Frankfurt is back. The label from Oskar Offermann and Porco Rosso aka Luca Hartz features a release from Oskar himself.
After a more Italo-influenced EP on Vass’s The Comfort label last year Mr Offermann hits with some old school rumble Tech vibes on Zuperflex. While the A-Side follows a more contemporary approach, the B embraces more imperfection and the maximization of the the old-school.
Kicking things off, Suavy AF sets the tone with a sensual, groove-driven cut that balances raw energy and playful finesse. Tight drums, cheeky edits and a laid-back swagger make this one built for both heads-down listening or late-night dancefloor moments. Lemon & Mint, showing they're not here to play it safe.
On the flipside, Synkro takes the original into deeper territory, stripping it back and reshaping it with weighty low-end and a more introspective swing. He offers a more hypnotic take that hits just as hard in its own way. A perfect counterbalance that rounds out the release with class!
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Seven - a number steeped in mystery and meaning, woven into the very fabric of time and space. Throughout history, the number seven has stood as an immutable symbol: from the days of the week to the alchemical metals, from the kings of Rome to its seven hills. An archetype that unites astronomy, myth, and ancient civilizations, finding its deepest expression in Rome.
According to legend, the Eternal City guarded seven sacred relics, the Pignora Imperii, objects whose possession ensured divine protection, prestige, and political authority. Ovid referred to them as the "pledges of power": testimonies of Rome's Trojan heritage and its connection with peoples such as the Sabines, Etruscans, and Greeks. These artifacts, now lost, were:
I. Lo scettro di Priamo
II. Il velo di Iliona
III. Il Palladio
IV. Le ceneri di Oreste
V. Lo scudo ancile
VI. La quadriga di Veio
VII. L'ago di Cibele
From this mythology emerges the new project by Lykos Records: a narrative journey in seven chapters, each dedicated to one of these relics, unfolding through the various artists releases corresponding to catalogue numbers 7, 14, 21... up to LYKOS-XLIX.
Chapter I, "Lo scettro di Priamo" LYKOS-VII, is dedicated to the symbol of Troy's power, brought to Latium by Ilioneus on Aeneas' command as a pledge of alliance and reconciliation. It is said to have been kept on the Palatine Hill.
To inaugurate this journey, seven Roman artists - PixFoil, DJ Red, Brando Lupi, Luigi Tozzi, Feral, Sunday Bath, and Worg - will give life to a sonic mosaic celebrating the musical heritage of the capital. Their tracks will form a collective work that bridges generations and diverse artistic visions.
Each double vinyl will feature an original illustration by Roberto Mulliri, wrapping the entire front and back cover and included inside as a poster.
Within the Pignora Imperii lies the strength and power of Rome, witnesses of the city's epic saga; likewise, Lykos Records weaves its destiny into the history of these sacred Roman objects, becoming a messenger of their enduring legends.
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- A1: I Can't Wait
- A2: Rock A Little (Go Ahead Lily)
- A3: Sister Honey
- B1: I Sing For Things
- B2: Imperial Hotel
- B3: Some Become Strangers
- C1: Talk To Me
- C2: The Nightmare
- D1: If I Were You
- D2: No Spoken Word
- D3: Has Anyone Ever Writen Anything For You
Looking back on her career in the early 90s, Stevie Nicks described the first track of Rock a Little as “the most exciting song that I had ever heard.” This coming from a superstar who was already closely affiliated with several bajillion-selling Fleetwood Mac albums — to say nothing of her own benchmark solo debut. Her remarks attest to the enthusiasm and effort she invested in her third record, a 1985 work that quickly furthered Nicks’ profile and cemented itself as a piece of 80s pop lore.
Mastered at MoFi’s California studio, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, strictly limited to 4,000 numbered copies, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 45RPM 2LP set presents Rock a Little in audiophile sound for its 40th anniversary. Helmed by a cadre of producers and engineers, and recorded for a reported one million dollars, the platinum-certified album teems with a head-spinning array of colors, tones, dreamscapes, and accents. This reference-grade reissue marks the first time they are all brought to light and conveyed with proper balance, dimensionality, and positioning.
Though Rock a Little doubtlessly has period characteristics of a mid-80s LP, Nicks and company spare no expense when it comes to distinguishing the music with expansive sonics distinguished with lush melodies, high-tech percussion, echoing vocals, sampled keyboards, and layers of sophisticated accents. The degrees of spaciousness, headroom, and dynamics are nothing less than inspiring, while the newly enhanced detail, texture, and clarity make the songs sing like never before. As for Nicks’ voice? Wait ’til you experience the transparency and depth.
Those advantages extend, of course, to the aforementioned “I Can’t Wait,” a statement-making opener shot through with modulating synthesizers, splashy drums, metallic guitars, and serious drama. Holed up in a massive studio, Nicks required just one take to nail her part, which she called “magic and simply not able to beat.” The singer-songwriter also distilled the reverberating emotional essence of the Top 20 tune, stating “when I hear it on the radio, this incredible feeling comes over me, like something really incredible is about to happen.”
The same can be said for nearly all of Rock a Little. Crafted by the likes of Songwriters Hall of Fame multi-instrumentalist/producer Rick Nowels, Heartbreakers organist Benmont Tench, bassist Bob Glaub, jack-of-all-trades Greg Phillinganes, and session-pro guitarists Waddy Watchel, Les Dudek, and Danny Kortchmar — along with another two dozen or so participants — the record spills with diverse ideas, shapes, and moods. Everything is in the right place, as evidenced by the swirling glide and sensual undertow of the slightly funky title track to the snapping rhythmic pace and big hooks of “Imperial Hotel,” one of Nicks’ standout moments.
“What was it she wanted?” Nicks queries on “No Spoken Word,” continuing a theme of contemplation that runs through the narratives. Nicks never lands on a definite answer, but hearing her explore loneliness, love, and the secrets we keep to ourselves proves continuously rewarding. Take her passionate performance on a cover of Chas Sanford’s “Talk to Me,” a Top 5 smash furthered by tasteful saxophone lines and understated folk elements. Immersive yourself in the grand sonic corridors of “If I Were You,” laden with Nicks’ signature mysticism.
Moreover, surrender to the gravitas of the closing “Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You,” a piano ballad composed about the death of Joe Walsh’s three-year-old daughter. As Nicks asserts earlier on the album, she sings for things money can’t buy.
So, rock a little, yes, but dare to feel even more.
Lee Humphreys and Evasive head honcho Rob Pearson returned to the imprint for their 2nd EP together as Lovable Rogues. This followed on from their first collaboration which launched Evasive Records : Look Into Your Eyes / Chica / Twilight Manouvres (EVA001)
For this Ep Rob travelled out to work with Lee in the depths of the German countryside at Lee’s Tofu Studios. EVA003 delivered 3 more tasty underground cuts for main floors and urban warehouse spaces and pleased all the right DJ movers and shakers in the year 2000. It now finds favour in 2024 with Tech House connoisseurs hungry for that early South London Tech sound.
Time Zones delivers some peak time twisted year 2k Tech. Swirling ear candy synths and tripped out almost acidic twangs are the order of the day. A head nodding bass combines with the filtered and sample triggered vocal phrase ‘Eternal Energy Music’. As if the production pair were indeed clairvoyants able to look ahead and prophesize the future state of underground dance floors some 20 years later! This cut has since become a classic requested early noughties gem for those in the know.
On ‘Integer’ Lee Humphreys rides solo to showcase his unique talent and slick production sound. Driving filtered percussion elements and an infectious bass combine with ‘Body Grooving’ vocal cuts and eerie reverse synths and sounds. Lee basically hit this track out of the park here so Rob had no choice but to request this cut and it was snapped up for the EP.
‘Thursday’ see’s Rob & Lee back on the joint production for some Tech Funk shenanigans that are ‘sure to get you high’. Not sure what Mr Humphreys was on to allow Rob to play the lead keyboard solo on this funk fuelled excursion but it stills sounds fresh over 2 decades later.! A very different vibe that has not been equalled or surpassed on Evasive since.
We return to 2005 for the next chapter in the Drugsex repress series, revisiting DSEX003 – Hasty Retreat, a record that captured a rising UK producer shaping his sound within the underground. Produced by Rob Mooney with production from Dave Robertson (Reset Robot), the release reflects a period of exploration and technical refinement in his early career.
The A-side, Hasty Retreat, is a driving tech-house cut — tight, physical and weighted for the dancefloor. Robertson’s engineering contribution to Mooney’s fresh ideas and south coast underground house sensibilities added precision and sonic depth that would foreshadow his future work as Reset Robot across house and techno channels.
On the flip, and exactly the same as the original cut Up All Night appears in its remix form from label head honcho Rob Pearson. Pearson’s reinterpretation ensured it fitted like a glove on the Drugsex vibe . Rob deepened the groove, balancing pressure and atmosphere in a way that typified his trademark Croydon Tech sound of the time.
Looking back twenty years, the early Tech House coming out of South London feels as fresh as ever. These records weren’t about tricks or big drops — they were about deep grooves that you could lose yourself in, hypnotic basslines that carried the night, and subtle percussion and atmospheres that rewarded careful listening.
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Rotary introduces its musical imprint with its first vinyl release.
A project carefully curated and perfectly represented by Francesco Farfa and Paolo Mosca. “Nocturnal Atmosphere” is a sonic compilation that will take you on a unique journey, filled with a deep love for music.
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2026 Repress
This 4 tracker is the 2nd outing on the now legendary Evasive Records imprint out of Croydon, South London in the late 90’s and early Noughties. Pyramids sees Evasive label boss Rob Pearson team up with Leonora Epremian (AKA Autonomy) and his regular production partner Lee Humphreys.
Lee Humphreys had set up his new recording studio in Thanham a remote part of the German countryside just under 2 hours outside Munich and was outputting some amazing tracks in his new creative space Tofu Studios. Meanwhile back in London, UK, Rob quickly snapped up 3 of Lee’s tracks for this EP, ‘Rendered’, 'A Big Issue’ and’4 Faze’. At the same time Rob and Lenonora Epremian were working on multiple music projects at Evasive headquarters Online Studios in Croydon and the cut ‘Future Drift’ saw their styles combine to give us the 4th track of this mixed artist EP. Evasive was starting to shape and create its early South London Tech House sound, something that can be heard clearly emanating throughout this 4 track release.
2026 Repress
We travel back to the early days of proper Tech House during 2003. Picture the scene, in Online Studios, Croydon, London UK and Evasive label boss teams up with his friend Simon Copleston (Iteration X).
Following on from the success of Timecheck by Iteration X, Rob & Simon create this new collaboration to fuse their distinctive production sounds together as one unit under a new moniker 'Rob & Si'. They delivered their first record together with Roll One Up / Zebras which became the 9thEP in the Evasive Records story.
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Pour Me, My Friend, The Nectar of Dionysus PCM004 is a vibrant four-track exploration of deep tech house, crafted with elegance, groove, and an undeniable sense of joy. Rooted in musicality and designed for the dancefloor, this release blends warm, jazz-tinged elements with modern production finesse, offering a rich and uplifting listening experience from start to finish.
On Side A, A1. Andrey Djackonda – Never Disappear and A2. Deep District – Back Room introduce a welcoming atmosphere built on smooth progressions, refined hi-hat work, and dreamy pad textures. The grooves are fluid and inviting, supported by strong basslines and a playful spirit that sets a positive tone from the very first moments — perfect for drawing people onto the dancefloor with ease and charm.
The B-side raises the intensity. B1. Anirr – Still Trying to Be Perfect and B2. Andrey Djackonda – Refresh shift into a more driving, peak-time energy, where tighter rhythms and increased momentum take control. These tracks carry a confident push, designed for those moments when the room is fully alive and the energy calls for a stronger, more direct connection.
Balancing warmth, groove, and power, PCM004 is a well-rounded and versatile EP — an essential addition for those who appreciate house music in its most expressive, dancefloor-ready form.
Panna Cotta Music is a division of MixCult Records
