quête:robert owens

H- side is etched
The American cable-television industry exploded in the 1980s, pushing broadcasts of diverse programming and emissions of low-laying cultures into homes. Community stations piggybacked on the digital developments of the time, extending their existence through telephony and broadcast a iliates. For those growing up in this time, in locations such as New York City, the localized communications beamed into their homes exposed them to an impressionable array of disparate sounds and visions.
Move into the 1990s and New York was filled to the brim of emergent cultures drawing from this ebullition of communication. From Rammellzee’s shapeshifting to the late Judy Russell and Frank and Karen Mendez’s Nu Groove imprint fusing reggae, poetry and house, nascent ideas emanated from the city walls, from within stores such as Sonic Groove store and on VHS releases such as Stakker’s The Evil Acid Baron Show, a legendary technicolor psychedelic trip along the wildest frontiers of acid house. As scenes expanded and identities developed, such individuals weather the events of the visceral now, expressing themselves right into an unpredictable future.
Function’s long career has seen him uncover a vast range of sonic identities, a mainstay through house, techno and industrial with collaborations with the likes of Regis, Damon Wild alongside his highly influential Infrastructure imprint. With influences deeply tied to pop art, rave and gay scenes, and early memories of block-parties emitting Kraftwerk and Strafe, he found himself seeking out the undercover illegal nights of the 90s on a quest of sexual unearthing, mixing the ever-yearning escapology mission of disco with the influential DJ sets of Jeff Mills.
For his new album Existenz, he marks a clear step away from the corporeal techno of his recent releases. Pivoting around themes of religion, sexuality, trauma and healing, it is a work expansive and celebratory, a clear liberation from a deeply internalized past. Formed from a collection of recordings made in a period from late 2016 to mid 2019, Existenz takes the form of a creative outburst in reaction to a number of traumas - recent, childhood and throughout Function’s life. Life partner Stefanie Parnow assisted the production process in its entirety, providing inspiration, spiritual healing and featuring vocal contributions.
Cosmic synths soar and swoop in ‘Pleasure Discipline’ through towering stacks of rhythm that stutter and creak to a halt before rebooting, a firm robotic response to human intervention. ‘Zahlensender’ reflects a spatial tetris of urban life, as digitalization set within an XYZ matrix confronts the sprawling city. Constant arpeggiated meditations echo synaptic transmissions, e ecting a dissolution of boundaries. ’The Approach’ recalls the unification of the self, a state of delirium non-subjective and smooth, as all connections and functions give way to simple intensities of feeling, crossing the threshold into spirituality. ’Golden Dawn’, featuring Stefanie Parnow, marks a further elevation of dubbed-out euphoria, as once more positive rays emerge. His ode to the effortless short-trip urban navigation 'Kurzstrecke' finds Function in motion, upfront and bold, snapshots of conversation and flickers of light. 'Ertrinken' finds metallic bass jabs swamping snipped synthetic voices, with hidden stores of emotion set as a nod to the history of vocoders as a tool for encrypted military communication. House icon Robert Owens features on 'Growth Cycle' and 'Be', entrenching a celebratory atmosphere over Function's clubwise leanings. Closing track 'Downtown 161' reflects the unmistakeable filtered and squashed interjections of television, and sampled dance vocals - a sound for the curious, dreamers and dancers.
With Existenz, Function reveals an essential body of work, spread over 4LP - thought experiments on the role of identity and spirituality after a lifetime of upheaval and trauma. Leading up until the release date, Function will undertake an album promo tour with select dates - A/V shows at Berlin Atonal and Rural festival in Japan, and three dates as part of his Bassiani residency.

Limited Edition Orange Repress of the massive “You'll Never Find”. Recently voted one of the most influential tracks of the last decade at the Winter Music Conference.

Supported by the likes of Pete Tong, Cajmere, Grant Nelson, Sonny Fodera, Quentin Harris, Robert Owens, Tony Humphries, Danny Rampling, John Morales, Graeme Park, and many more worldwide.

Good For You present a special Paradise Garage inspired 12 Inch sampler from the ‘Paradise Garage : Inspirations’ compilation, featuring two of Kenny Summit's collaborations with the Director's Cut duo, and Godfathers of House, Frankie Knuckles and Eric Kupper.

The A side houses the last ever Frankie Knuckles production, a project Frankie and Summit worked on with Eric Kupper - remixing 'You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine' by the legendary Lou Rawls – pure soulful house brilliance from the very first second. On the flip you’ll find a further Kenny collaboration with the dynamic duo entitled ‘Loving You’ – the trio teaming up to deliver a stunning Motown inspired dance floor stomper with an uplifting vocal by the one and only Yasmeen.

Sudd WAX is a vinyl only label of Sudd Records. K'Alexi Shelby, considered one of the Chicago's true heroes and known as pioneer of Chi-town's sound. Deeply connected with Frankie Knuckles, Ron Hardy, Robert Owens, Larry Heard, Derrick May, Paul Johnson, names that prove his respect into the House Music Scene. Shelby's K.A.S. Sounds shows all those influences. Turn up the volume, and let the release gets into your mind.

Campbell Owens, Douglas MacIntyre and Mick Slaven worked on the album alongside founding members Robert 'Bobby Bluebell' Hodgens, David McCluskey and Ken McCluskey to create the new collection of tracks. The result is a stunning body of work; rich, melodic, thoughtful and infectious. First single No Pasaran! premiered on BBC Radio Scotland and in The Herald in September 2025. The Bluebells rose to fame in the 1980s as jangle-pop pioneers of the Sound of Young Scotland era with their three hits Young at Heart, Cath and I'm Falling.

Despite only releasing one readily-available album during their initial run (Sisters, 1984) the band have remained as one of Scotland's most beloved bands, currently boasting over 144,000 monthly Spotify listeners. The band enjoyed a post-breakup revival in 1993 after a Volkswagen advert featured Young at Heart, pushing the single to No.1 for 4 weeks. They have since reunited over the years, to play various festival slots and develop new material. In 2023, the band released The Bluebells In The 21st Century, their first LP in decades. In 2025, The Bluebells played Glastonbury.

Campbell Owens, Douglas MacIntyre and Mick Slaven worked on the album alongside founding members Robert 'Bobby Bluebell' Hodgens, David McCluskey and Ken McCluskey to create the new collection of tracks. The result is a stunning body of work; rich, melodic, thoughtful and infectious. First single No Pasaran! premiered on BBC Radio Scotland and in The Herald in September 2025. The Bluebells rose to fame in the 1980s as jangle-pop pioneers of the Sound of Young Scotland era with their three hits Young at Heart, Cath and I'm Falling.

Despite only releasing one readily-available album during their initial run (Sisters, 1984) the band have remained as one of Scotland's most beloved bands, currently boasting over 144,000 monthly Spotify listeners. The band enjoyed a post-breakup revival in 1993 after a Volkswagen advert featured Young at Heart, pushing the single to No.1 for 4 weeks. They have since reunited over the years, to play various festival slots and develop new material. In 2023, the band released The Bluebells In The 21st Century, their first LP in decades. In 2025, The Bluebells played Glastonbury.

First issued in 1990 on the UK's 'Faze 1 FM' label, Trevor Dale's SMILING / SUMMER 88 has become somewhat of a holy grail house record. This is the first time these tracks have been re-issued in any form.

Also included here are two other tracks from his Torrington Foe side-project: 'Take Me Back' from 1990 (featuring vocals from Chicago's Robert Owens) and the deep acid cut 'Morning Shuffle' from 1994.

Dale had the ability to create timeless tracks that still echo decades later - this release will leave you nostalgic for the early London club days.

Introducing the 4th instalment of the Pacific Coast House rebirth. We bring back another much sought-after 12” from The Coastal Commission & Jesse Outlaw. “Bring down the Walls” was a nod to Raze’s “Break for Love”, Robert Owens “Bring Down the Walls” and Ritchie Hawtin’s use of the Roland 606 throughout “Sheet One”. Long out of reach and fetching $100+ on Discogs, Atjazz’s freshly remastered editions are finally available .. “Let it Go” was never mastered & only ever cut to dub-plate. It has now been mastered & available in all it’s glory.

Coastal Commission “Bring Down the Walls” “Bring down the Walls” was a nod to Raze’s “Break for Love”, Robert Owens “Bring Down the Walls” and Ritchie Hawtin’s use of the Roland 606 throughout “Sheet One.” We gave the tune a Californian psychedelic twist with conga laden drums, a moody synth, low pulsing 303 patterns + Benjamin Zephaniahs patois call to “Move the Body Rhythmwize!” The first PCH releases had dropped Worldwide to International acclaim from DJ’s far and wide across the Globe with support in London, Paris & New York. However the local scene here in L.A that preached “Love, inclusion & Unity” was anything but that. L.A at that time was very tribal & divided up into 3 camps. If you weren’t affiliated with any of them (aka independent) then you were pretty much locked out of getting any kind of gig support or the Dj’s from those camps actually playing the music. The local feedback from Dj’s was that what we were making wasn’t “house,” but “Techno” which was absurd to me. “Bring Down the Walls” was a mantra to “move the bod”y and in doing so “bring down the walls” of separation not just in L.A but throughout society in general. Thank goodness for support from people like Terry Francis, Eddie Richards, DJ Deep & Philly Stalwart King Britt. After years of copies going for upward of $100+ on Discogs the now freshly remastered copies by At Jazz’s Martin Iveson are finally hitting the platters this Spring.

Jesse Outlaw “Let it Go” I met Jesse at Beatnonstop Records on Melrose Ave with Miguel Placencia in the late 90’s. Miguel (RIP) was a mainstay in the Underground scene and had always been very supportive of my endeavors. He had had success with a huge release on Yellow Orange and was working with Jesse under the moniker “When Worlds Collide.” I signed “Brighter Days” & “Set you Free” from them and released the tracks on my Seductive imprint. They told me that they were making the tracks on a Sony Playstation “Music Now” program and I was like FFS “What.s more Underground than that!?” Later Jesse gave me some of his solo work. The track “Let it Go” was never mastered & only ever cut to Dub-plate and featured on my 1st PCH mix “Pacific Coast House Sounds.” It has now been mastered by Martin Iveson and is available in all it’s glory. The dreamy vocal “You need to let it go” beckons over the top of driving percussive Latin beats and church organ which is a great compliment to the flip side of “Bring down the Walls.” All in all two West Coast stompers now finally available remastered on PCH in Orange vinyl.

James Ruskin's Blueprint Records celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026. Kicking off the festivities Vinicius Honorio returns to the label but this time it's alongside R.M.K who makes his Blueprint debut.

Vinicius Honorio is a Brazilian-born, London-based DJ and producer whose vision of techno is built on hypnotic repetition, gritty textures and emotional weight. With a career spanning over 2 decades, Vinicius has emerged as a powerful voice in contemporary techno - raw, focused and unflinchingly honest. His productions blend relentless drive with intricate groove, often laced with haunting melodic undertones and has released music on the likes of Figure, Token, Mord andSK_eleven, as well as Blueprint.

Hailing from London, R.M.K is the alias of Fossil Archive label head Roberto, representing a faster and more intense take on his unique brand of Techno. During his 20+ year career in music, he has formed friendships and worked in partnership with other respected artists such as Trevino (Marcus Intalex), Jamie Anderson, Robert Owens, Goldie and Nastia. Although the focus is always on the very heart of the most raucous of raves, R.M.K never shies away from groove and funk

Skylax Records is proud to welcome one of Germany’s deepest and most respected producers to the family: Sascha Dive, with his stunning Cosmic Ritual EP, featuring house music legend Robert Owens and Zimbabwean vocal virtuoso Vusa Mkhaya. From Frankfurt to the world, Dive has spent nearly two decades carving a unique space where deep house, Detroit techno, and spiritual soul converge—this new release is a testament to that lifelong mission. On A1, Owens delivers an uplifting sermon on the irresistible "Don’t Let No One Or Nothing Stop You", a timeless piece of motivational house drenched in analog warmth. A2’s “Deep Connection To Detroit” is exactly that: a hypnotic, percussive journey into Motor City groove science. Flip the record for “Take Your Time”, another Robert Owens collab that slows things down into deeper, more introspective terrain. Then comes "Cosmic Ritual (Vocal Mix)", where Vusa Mkhaya’s voice channels ancestral energy over shimmering pads and tribal percussion—pure transcendence. Closing things off is “Ultimate Mind”, a stripped-back, late-night cut for meditative floors and after-hours revelation. All tracks are deeply rooted in the vinyl tradition, made for DJs, dancers and dreamers. With this EP, Sascha Dive reaffirms what real house music is all about: soul, message, rhythm, and ritual. Limited 12” vinyl – no repress.

To celebrate the imprint’s 20th release, it only feels right for label head Pegasvs to be left in control, with ‘Extend and Play’ a wonderful representation of not only Pegasvs’ signature style but the start of a joyous new chapter for the label as it looks forward to another 20 releases.

Well known by now for his simmering and infectious house-laden cuts, ‘Extend and Play’ is yet another wondrous piece of house music that cuts across the genre’s horizon line with aplomb.

The title track unravels with a myriad of Jazz and funk fusion melodies nestled atop a delicate rhythmic section that never ceases to get the room shakin’.

‘Wonky Business’ is a slice of hands-in-the-air dance music that pairs infectious disco guitar riffs with infectious melodies and an irresistible bassline.

‘Hidden Sounds’ sits somewhere in the midrange between the previous two numbers, with driving chords sitting atop a rolling rhythmic bed that simply oozes energy and feet moving.

Finally, ‘Not Far Behind’ slides into view to facilitate a little trip into paradise, as euphoric pads and scintillating acid lines lift the listener to new heights of being.

Early Support from Bill Brewster, Laurent Garnier, Robert Owens, Bradley Zero, Jimpster, Crazy P, Auntie Flo…

Vinyl comes housed in a custom sleeve with artwork by Cerri Studio.

Housey Doingz, widely regarded as one of the most influential collectives to emerge from the London scene, returns to Sushitech with an extraordinary new release, set to become a cornerstone for discerning collectors.

This exclusive 10x10” series reflects Sushitech's 20th anniversary, featuring remastered tracks, rare and previously unreleased material carefully selected from the legendary Strange Weather DAT archives.

The seventh installment features a long lost, unreleased session with house legend Robert Owens. These tracks, recorded over two decades ago, have remained unheard until now. A true house classic vinyl with both original and dub versions. Think, I'm Your Brother or New Day but with a more techy Housey Doingz twist.

Sushitech 20th anniversary

DJ Merci collabs with kickin’ up dust & shows his soulful side with a 4 Song EP incl. Track ’’Let’s Love’’ with Vocals by House Music Icon Robert Owens. Grab it while u can! (Download Card in Sleeve + Bonus Track „Dreams“)

Limited Edition Grey vinyl repress!

Two certified anthems that have had heavy rotation with DJs like Cajmere, Grant Nelson, Sonny Fodera, Quentin Harris, Robert Owens, Tony Humphries, Danny Rampling, John Morales, Graeme Park, Pete Tong and still continue to get played the world over.


Good For You present a special Paradise Garage inspired 12 Inch sampler from the ‘Paradise Garage : Inspirations’ compilation, featuring two of Kenny Summit's collaborations with the Director's Cut duo, and Godfathers of House, Frankie Knuckles and Eric Kupper.

The A side houses the last ever Frankie Knuckles production, a project Frankie and Summit worked on with Eric Kupper - remixing 'You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine' by the legendary Lou Rawls – pure soulful house brilliance from the very first second. On the flip you’ll find a further Kenny collaboration with the dynamic duo entitled ‘Loving You’ – the trio teaming up to deliver a stunning Motown inspired dance floor stomper with an uplifting vocal by the one and only Yasmeen.

DJ Support: Jimpster, Terry Farley (FAITH), Bill Brewster, Kruder & Dorfmeister, Laurent Garnier, Black Coffee, Jazzanova

Fred Everything’s latest album, 'Love, Care, Kindness & Hope', came out last May to critical acclaim, gaining support from various players such as Laurent Garnier, Kruder & Dorfmeister, Jimpster and Jazzanova to name but a few.

Not content with having an A-List cast of guests on the album (Stereo MC’s, Robert Owens, James Alexander Bright…) Fred also enlisted top Remixers for the singles. We decided to put 4 of the best ones on a Vinyl sampler for record lovers.

Osunlade leads the pack here with his Yoruba Soul remix of Never feat. Robert Owens, keeping things steady for the dancefloor with his signature sound. Waajeed takes the same track and flips it into a different territorry, both musically and sonically, with his Hi-Tech Jazz feel.

Next, we have the enigmatic Clive From Accounts, re-imagining Soul Love featuring Stereo MC’s, with his precise and soulful beats. And to close the EP, Rocco Rodamaal takes Breathe featuring James Alexander Bright and turns it into a solid floor burner.

Belgian-born producer Gratts and pioneering Chicago vocalist Robert Owens first collaborated on 'Brighter Future' back in 2021 after meeting in the streets of Kreuzberg years before. The pair now join forces again for follow up 'Today', a powerful and emotive, 90s inspired deep house cut with layered backings and Owens' lilting affirmations soaring above. The extended club version takes you straight to house music's ecstatic heydays, while the twelve also includes an acapella tool for those singalong moments. On the flip, Mark Hand's slower, soulful rendition takes things into sideroom territory. Finally, 'Mount Olympus', home to the Greek deities, fuses a rattling drum machine, arpeggiated synth lines and a potent analogue bassline - with added bonus beats to bang the box and get weird!

Vick Lavender is back with another quality vinyl release on his Sophisticado label. First up is the title track "Afro Go", an Afro jazz influenced piece that's sure to inspire dancers & deep house music lovers world wide. Next up is "Ambrosia", an atmospheric yet deep house cut. The B side features a previously release collaboration with house music icon Robert Owens: "Tonight". Bringing this EP to a close is the slow burner "Acis outpost", with iconic Chicago acid house overtones, but then Vick & company (Justin Dillard) turns the acid concept on it's head and it becomes their vision totally

As Freerange hits another landmark release with their 300th EP we see label head Jimpster join forces with Philippa who together deliver 3 original tracks which epitomise the labels’ sound over the past (almost) three decades.

With recent releases appearing on Slothboogie and Razor n Tape, remixes for Roach Motel on Faith, and James Curd and Robert Owens on Pronto, not to mention her recent Panorama Bar debut, it’s safe to say Philippa is making waves. The Berlin-based New Zealander has a sound all her own with an organic, deep and musical style winning her many fans from Terry Farley and Aroop Roy to DJ Spen and Dave Lee.

Lead track All I Wanted sees the duo pooling their influences with both producers sonic touches shining through. Chunky drums and bassline are the bedrock for pulsing synths and MON’s vocal which is chopped up and looped bringing a rolling momentum to the track.

Dreaming features the wonderful vocals of Care and goes on a floaty vibe with chiming synths and crusty Rhodes keys layering up to produce a densely textured track. The mood is powerful yet subtle and refined and will work as nicely on a chilled house playlist as it will on a discerning dance floor at 4am.

Closing out the EP we have Say What which goes on a jazzed out, UKG inspired excursion. Shuffling beats, bouncing square wave bassline and big brash synth chords all combine to form a track which sounds both retro and contemporary.

Paolo Rocco delivers his ten-track debut album ‘Life In Pieces’ this April on FUSE.

Born Canadian of Italian descent, Montreal-based DJ and producer Paolo Rocco has emerged as one of the most consistent names within house music over the past decade, with a wealth of material via the likes of Hot Creations, PIV, Berg Audio, Constant Sound, Taverna Tracks, and Rutilance Records showcasing his own take on house, deep house, and minimal territories. Having closed 2020 with fresh music on his own RAWMoments imprint, late-April welcomes the arrival of his biggest project to date as he makes his label debut on London’s FUSE to deliver his eight-rack debut album, ‘Life In Pieces’.

A body of work rich in classy collaborations with artists such as Robert Owens, Alix Alvarez, Kiki & Mavi and slick solo production, ‘Life In Pieces’ delivers a blissful journey through Rocco’s rich sound palette, revealing the most in-depth project of his career while marking his long-awaited debut on FUSE in style.

A very special double-LP gatefold edition celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the legendary Mr Ms club that opened its doors in 1974.

Ursprünglich im September 2000 auf Science/Virgin veröffentlicht, festigte Solaris Rupert Parkes' Rolle als unverwechselbare Kraft im Bereich des Underground-Dance und führte einige seiner Zuhörer in die Irre, indem es sich vom mathematischen Drum and Bass seines Debüts Modus Operandi entfernte. Diese Wiederveröffentlichung wird hier mit akribischer Aufmerksamkeit für die Details der ursprünglichen britischen Erstpressung präsentiert und ist auf zwei 140g-LPs erhältlich. Modus Operandi wurde 1997 veröffentlicht und war sowohl ein Kritiker-Liebling als auch ein kommerzieller Erfolg, der Photek als eine Art schattenhafte Leitfigur in der Welt des Drum and Bass etablierte, nachdem er in den Jahren zuvor bei Metalheadz gelernt hatte. Solaris, das drei Jahre später erschien, wurde mit Spannung erwartet; hier spielte Photek mit Form und Genre. Glamorama mit seiner stark verhallten Bearbeitung der Stimme der Künstlerin Marie-Jos Jongerius klingt nicht unähnlich zu David Byrnes und Brian Enos klassischen Cut-ups von My Life In The Bush of Ghosts. Wo Solaris von seinem Vorgänger abweicht, ist der wunderschöne Deep-House-Sound von Mine To Give und Can't Come Down, die beide von der Chicagoer Legende Robert Owens gesungen werden und Photeks Techno-Seele mehr Herz verleihen. Wie um seine Kritiker zum Schweigen zu bringen, zeigten die unerbittlichen achteinhalb Minuten von Infinity, dass nur wenige die Grenzen von Drum and Bass so weit hinausschieben können wie Photek. Photek ist heute ein etablierter Film- und Fernsehkomponist in Hollywood. Dennoch wird seine Arbeit liebevoll in Erinnerung behalten und sehr respektiert.

Repress!

Twenty years ago, London Elektricity unleashed one of the most seminal drum & bass albums into the world. 'Billion Dollar Gravy' was Tony Colman's second longplayer, following the iconic debut project 'Pull The Plug' released in 1999. Widely acclaimed and well-respected for a multitude of reasons - from the iconic album artwork of Tony holding the 'Billion Dollar Gravy' picket sign, to revolutionary anthems such as album title-track 'Billion Dollar Gravy', 'Different Drum' and 'Fast Soul Music', two decades on, the album is revisited with a fresh sonic injection.

'Billion Dollar Remixes' is a meticulously crafted project which aligns a selection of some of the finest drum & bass talent with the album originals, making way for the likes of Watch The Ride, Whiney & Unglued, Mozey, Dogger & Mindstate, Zero T, Kimyan Law, Bop x Subwave, imo-Lu, Hugh Hardie and Conrad Subs to put their spin on the 2003 classics.

Pressed onto 2 x pink transparent heavyweight 12" vinyls.

Warehouse Find! Test Pressing

Pattern Select aka Milton Jackson and Show-B have gone well and truly back to the raw on this, their first collaborative work together and debut EP for Delusions Of Grandeur. Both producers have been busy on some top quality projects just recently with Milton Jackson remixing Recloose for Planet E and Show B producing for Robert Owens on Compost. The pair met at a party in Munich, promptly fell in love, and soon enough Pattern Select was born.

Kicking off Tale Of The Tape sees the pair go deep n dark on this low-slung groove where demonic laughter rides the driving hats and insesant crashes until the filtering arpeggiated synth line joins the fun. Tale Of The Dub gives us a stripped back, dub-infused version which goes a little lighter on the craziness of the first version but without losing any of the deep, hypnotic funk.

Cottam is a producer who will need little introduction seeing as he's been getting hyped from all corners of the electronic scene following a series of untitled vinyl only EP's on his own Cottam label. Brilliant releases on Story and Use Of Weapons followed, and now we're very happy to have him bring his own unique take on house music here on this remix of Tale Of The Tape.

Finally, another original entitled Matrix drops the bpm's further for a lazy, hazy, hiphop inspired jam with deep atmospherics and simple rolling groove.

One day early in the global lockdown, Frédéric Blais scribbled four words on a Post-It note and pinned it up in his studio. When he headed to a studio in the mountains north of Montreal to start work on his fifth album as Fred Everything, those words went with him. They would not only provide inspiration during two weeks of isolated music-making, but ultimately provide the subsequent album with its title: Love, Care, Kindness and Hope.

Those sentiments – a positive mantra during a period of personal and collective vulnerability and isolation – resonate throughout the album, a gorgeously warm and beautiful affair that counts as Blais’s most personal, musically expansive, mature and sonically detailed set to date.

While each of the tracks began as a rough sketch laid down during Blais’ retreat, they evolved considerably over the months that followed. Blais reached out to a handful of carefully selected guest vocalists and collaborators, including Stereo MC’s, Robert Owens, Sapele, James Alexander Bright, Wayne Tennant, string arranger Pete Whitfield and multi-instrumentalist Finn Peters. He also lent his voice to several tracks, a first in a career that stretches back to the 1990s.

The results are magical, with Blais not only offering subtle variations on his own trademark deep house sound, but also nods to complimentary music styles and classic electronic albums from the late ‘90s and early 2000s.

Naturally, much focus will fall on the album’s high-profile guests, whose contributions work perfectly with Blais’ cultured dancefloor electronica and soul-soaked broken house grooves. Robert Owens – “the voice of house” himself – expertly delivers lyrics full of compassion and reassurance on recent single ‘Never’, Sapele infuses ‘A Long Time Coming’ with lashings of soulful spirituality, and UK hip-hop/soul legends Stereo MC’s make their presence felt on the subtly Latin-infused dub house excellence of ‘Soul Love’.

Then there’s ‘Breathe’, where UK singer-songwriter James Alexander Bright and backing vocalist Wayne Tennant rise above punchy broken house beats, Blais’ trademark square-wave bass and Pete Whitfield’s swelling strings on ‘Breathe’. By the time kaleidoscopic, sun-down breakbeat brilliance of ‘A Good Day’ arrives to draw proceedings to a close, you’ll be overflowing with Blais’ “love, care, kindness and hope” – just as he intended.

EP compilation of essential UK house cuts recorded between 1987 - 1990. TIP!


Before British house and techno found its’ distinctive groove at the turn of the 1990s, one act led the way: Bang The Party, a trio who emerged from London’s vibrant underground party scene in the mid 1980s and proved, beyond any doubt, that UK producers could make music every bit as magical as the pioneering productions put forward by their counterparts in Chicago, Detroit and New York.

By the time long-running DJs and party promoters Kid Batchelor and Leslie Lawrence joined forces with trained engineer Keith Franklin at legendary North-West London reggae studio Addis Ababa in 1987, they’d spent years as DIY dance music activists in Britain’s capital city. They channelled these experiences and their love of imported house and techno sounds into a new project, Bang The Party, in the process becoming the first British act to appear on Transmat, a reflection of the quality and authenticity of their music.

The latest Rush Hour Reissue Series release offers a snapshot of some of the numerous gems nestled in the Bang The Party catalogue, delivering a much-deserved celebration of one of Britain’s most significant early acid house collectives. It features four fully remastered cuts recorded and released between 1987 and 1990 – on-point and far-sighted club workouts that sound as fresh and timeless now as they did when Britain was sweltering under its infamous ‘second summer of love’.

Fittingly, the EP begins with ‘I Feel Good All Over’, the group’s ground-breaking debut single. Dedicated to their home city and one of the earliest UK interpretations of house music, the track exists in the grey area between Chicago house and New York ‘garage house’ – all jaunty organ stabs, jacking Windy City beats, restless bass and soulful vocalizations. ‘Jacques Theme’, which follows, originally nestled on the B-side of that single release. An early, acid-flecked expression of hip-house with a British twist, breakdance-friendly bongo patterns and a dose of Larry Heard-inspired deep house dreaminess, the track remains an under-appreciated classic whose rap verses reflect the popularity of hip-hop in London at the time.

1988’s ‘Release Your Body’, Bang The Party’s most celebrated early release, was reissued in the United States by Transmat, reflecting the strong working relationship between Derrick May and Kool Kat Records’ Neil Rushton. A hypnotising affair propelled forwards by sweat-soaked drum machine beats, jacking fills and an addictive bassline, the track offers another near perfect distillation of the band’s Black American musical influences while delivering something genuinely new and fresh.

Rounding off the EP is a choice cut from Bang The Party’s sought after 1990 album Back To Prison. Doused in the star-lit synth sounds of the Motor City with jaunty organ stabs inspired by the kind of New Jersey jams championed at East Orange institution Club Zanzibar, ‘Let It Rip’ is a superb slice of deep house soul featuring a lead vocal every bit as emotive as anything laid down by Robert Owens. Like the rest of Bang The Party’s output, it has stood the time better than anything laid down by their London contemporaries.

Balearia series stunning with a more groove-driven tracks made for the dancefloor. Starting with four new dancefloor tracks, a combination of 90s underground energy with modern grooves, a summer feelings the sea spoils you just like good wine and lots of sun... Includes Ricky Montanari remix

Brand new Berlin based Label and Party Series "kickin' up dust" teams up with German Producer George Davis and brings out their first EP incl. a Kai Alcé NDATL Interpretation.

"Lovedancin" is the name of an event series by kickin’ up dust. Founder Tom Kutsche and his staff have dedicated their energy to bring together a diverse crowd celebrating in a field of Disco, Acid Jazz and Proto House. The bookings have the task of bringing together "from the old to the new" with dinosaur acts like Maurice Fulton, DJ Deep, Alex from Tokyo and Roy Davis Jr paired with new & local talents. Be sure to attend one of the next Lovedancin events and check out the debut release by George Davis on their freshly founded kickin’ up dust label.

Early DJ Support by: DJ Sneak, Honey Dijon, Charles Webster, Terry Farley, DJ Seinfeld, Jimpster, Horse Meat Disco, Robert Owens, Luke Solomon.

The first of a very special series of EPs to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Selador Recordings featuring especially created collaboration tracks between artists from the label’s roster and extended family.

Three fun, disco sample lead tracks from ex Southsea resident Sopp and a slammin’ remix by Inverness producer Mark Mackenzie

Sopp has been building his way into the scene since 2015. His sets blend a mix of highly energetic, bass heavy rhythms with disco inflections and odes to classic 90’s and 00’s rave scene. So far having released on Chequered Wax, QRUK, Moodygurl and TheBasement Discos. Each of his productions showing a different aspect of his behind the decks personality.

Radio play from the likes of Jamie Jones, Sarah Story, Shadow Child & Jaguar.

Selected DJ Feedback:

Jamie Jones - Digging it.

PEZNT - Whole EP is dope but I think Take Me will work for every true underground head. Great job!

Piem - Dope!!!!

Hifi Sean - This E.P is hotness !

Nathalie Capello - groooooveeeeeyy. Nice!

The Magician - I like "Living" a lot as well
Robert Owens - Cool tracks

Inland Knights - great versions....

Chrissy - nice one!

Raphael Hofman - just awesome!

Ramon Tapia - Dope pack right hurrrr!!

Ammo Avenue - wicked cuts! Take me is my fav

Mirko Paoloni - super bomb!

Round Table knights – Coolio

Oliver Dollar - nice one!

Red hot Modern Soul 45 recorded in Memphis, Tennessee in 1985. Big thanks to Robert Garcia @mrbighappy & Daniel Mathis @quartzwatches for the research and words on this one!!

Brotherhood Band was started by Ernest Coleman(EC) and Clint Hyson, who met thorough a US Navy band called "Mid-South", which was the US Navy's premier musical organization operating out of Millington, Tennessee (20 min outside of Memphis). The group initially played as an instrumental jazz band. In keeping up with the times, they shifted gears towards a more contemporary sound. Shortly after, they decided to cut a single. Enter "Nicci's Theme", which is the B-side here and it's a beautiful jazz tune EC wrote for a girl he fell in love with. This song was supposed to be his door way in, but he actually never opened the door with her.

A few weeks later Clint called EC and played this syncopated bass line for him over the phone. And then EC being the ladies man that he was wrote the lyrics to "Leather Pants" to it. Part of the lyrics read "The pants they stretch, but they don't bust. Enough to make a blind man cuss", but it originally read as, "The pants they stretch, but they don't bust. Enough to make a PREACHER cuss". The song was ready, but they needed to find a singer. That's when member Richard Owens mentioned that he had a young cat back in Atlanta named Taji. In a gamble Taji drove up to Memphis for the Sunrise recording studio session to record the track. According to EC when Taji laid the vocals down he took the song to the next level. In fact it was so impactful that EC, who is now a Grammy producer, still references Taji's sessions when working with new artist.

After the single dropped the group played at Memphis hot spots, Bills Twilight Lounge and Club No Name. EC even had an idea to host a local leather pants contest as a way to promote the song. This lead to a frenzy of women seeking to be "Miss Leather Pants".

Red hot Modern Soul 45 recorded in Memphis, Tennessee in 1985. Big thanks to Robert Garcia @mrbighappy & Daniel Mathis @quartzwatches for the research and words on this one!!

Brotherhood Band was started by Ernest Coleman(EC) and Clint Hyson, who met thorough a US Navy band called "Mid-South", which was the US Navy's premier musical organization operating out of Millington, Tennessee (20 min outside of Memphis). The group initially played as an instrumental jazz band. In keeping up with the times, they shifted gears towards a more contemporary sound. Shortly after, they decided to cut a single. Enter "Nicci's Theme", which is the B-side here and it's a beautiful jazz tune EC wrote for a girl he fell in love with. This song was supposed to be his door way in, but he actually never opened the door with her.

A few weeks later Clint called EC and played this syncopated bass line for him over the phone. And then EC being the ladies man that he was wrote the lyrics to "Leather Pants" to it. Part of the lyrics read "The pants they stretch, but they don't bust. Enough to make a blind man cuss", but it originally read as, "The pants they stretch, but they don't bust. Enough to make a PREACHER cuss". The song was ready, but they needed to find a singer. That's when member Richard Owens mentioned that he had a young cat back in Atlanta named Taji. In a gamble Taji drove up to Memphis for the Sunrise recording studio session to record the track. According to EC when Taji laid the vocals down he took the song to the next level. In fact it was so impactful that EC, who is now a Grammy producer, still references Taji's sessions when working with new artist.

After the single dropped the group played at Memphis hot spots, Bills Twilight Lounge and Club No Name. EC even had an idea to host a local leather pants contest as a way to promote the song. This lead to a frenzy of women seeking to be "Miss Leather Pants".

New school techno pioneer Avision will release his debut album ‘In My Mind’ on Ellum Audio this winter.

Avision grew up around the rich club culture of New York City and is now part of a new wave of artists defining the contemporary techno landscape. In just a couple of years, the American has become an absolute mainstay on labels like Drumcode, Machine, and We Are The Brave. His hard-hitting productions have found their way into the record bags of tastemakers like Adam Beyer, Maceo Plex and Chris Liebing. At the same time, he has been featured everywhere, from The Brooklyn Mirage and Time Warp in New York to festivals like Elrow, The BPM Festival, Electric Daisy Carnival and Dockyards. Now he offers up ‘In My Mind’, a widescreen artistic statement across 13 immersive tracks.

Says the artist, “I’m truly proud to share ‘In My Mind’ with the world, as I feel like this is another side of music that people haven’t heard from me. This album touches on a little bit of everything, and I wanted it to represent where I’m from. 90% of the album was written during the time we couldn’t be ourselves and do what we love, but I turned that frustration and disbelief into an album with emotion and meaning. I couldn’t be happier with the final outcome, and I hope everyone enjoys it.”

The LP kicks off with ‘Real Talk’, wasting no time getting going on a lush wave of Detroit-style techno full of hi-tek soul. 'Cut The Rope' features Robert Owens, the legendary house vocalist who lights up the deep, driving house drums with a typically impassioned vocal. The energy levels stay high on 'No Disco' with its oversized hi-hats, nimble bassline and chattery claps, while 'Baby' traps you in metallic techno loops with a playful vocal sample. After the bright lights of lead single 'Contrast,' and grinding peak time weapon 'In My Mind' is ‘Ground Rule’, an atmospheric spoken word interlude about NYC.

The album’s second half kicks off with the far-sighted cosmic pads of 'I'll Take You' with Xander and has you lost in another world. There is angst in the tense synth loops of interplanetary techno cut 'Your Soul' and hands-in-the-air trance energy on 'Where I Want To Be.' The monstrous 'All Night' is another wall of rich synth sound over big drums, and 'Lost Symmetry' then releases the pressure with a more dreamy melodic vibe built on tumbling breakbeats. 'In Your World' closes in an uplifting fashion across eight minutes of cantering techno and epic synth work.

‘In My Mind’ is an accomplished and adventurous album that takes melodic techno in bold new directions.

H- side is etched
The American cable-television industry exploded in the 1980s, pushing broadcasts of diverse programming and emissions of low-laying cultures into homes. Community stations piggybacked on the digital developments of the time, extending their existence through telephony and broadcast a iliates. For those growing up in this time, in locations such as New York City, the localized communications beamed into their homes exposed them to an impressionable array of disparate sounds and visions.
Move into the 1990s and New York was filled to the brim of emergent cultures drawing from this ebullition of communication. From Rammellzee’s shapeshifting to the late Judy Russell and Frank and Karen Mendez’s Nu Groove imprint fusing reggae, poetry and house, nascent ideas emanated from the city walls, from within stores such as Sonic Groove store and on VHS releases such as Stakker’s The Evil Acid Baron Show, a legendary technicolor psychedelic trip along the wildest frontiers of acid house. As scenes expanded and identities developed, such individuals weather the events of the visceral now, expressing themselves right into an unpredictable future.
Function’s long career has seen him uncover a vast range of sonic identities, a mainstay through house, techno and industrial with collaborations with the likes of Regis, Damon Wild alongside his highly influential Infrastructure imprint. With influences deeply tied to pop art, rave and gay scenes, and early memories of block-parties emitting Kraftwerk and Strafe, he found himself seeking out the undercover illegal nights of the 90s on a quest of sexual unearthing, mixing the ever-yearning escapology mission of disco with the influential DJ sets of Jeff Mills.
For his new album Existenz, he marks a clear step away from the corporeal techno of his recent releases. Pivoting around themes of religion, sexuality, trauma and healing, it is a work expansive and celebratory, a clear liberation from a deeply internalized past. Formed from a collection of recordings made in a period from late 2016 to mid 2019, Existenz takes the form of a creative outburst in reaction to a number of traumas - recent, childhood and throughout Function’s life. Life partner Stefanie Parnow assisted the production process in its entirety, providing inspiration, spiritual healing and featuring vocal contributions.
Cosmic synths soar and swoop in ‘Pleasure Discipline’ through towering stacks of rhythm that stutter and creak to a halt before rebooting, a firm robotic response to human intervention. ‘Zahlensender’ reflects a spatial tetris of urban life, as digitalization set within an XYZ matrix confronts the sprawling city. Constant arpeggiated meditations echo synaptic transmissions, e ecting a dissolution of boundaries. ’The Approach’ recalls the unification of the self, a state of delirium non-subjective and smooth, as all connections and functions give way to simple intensities of feeling, crossing the threshold into spirituality. ’Golden Dawn’, featuring Stefanie Parnow, marks a further elevation of dubbed-out euphoria, as once more positive rays emerge. His ode to the effortless short-trip urban navigation 'Kurzstrecke' finds Function in motion, upfront and bold, snapshots of conversation and flickers of light. 'Ertrinken' finds metallic bass jabs swamping snipped synthetic voices, with hidden stores of emotion set as a nod to the history of vocoders as a tool for encrypted military communication. House icon Robert Owens features on 'Growth Cycle' and 'Be', entrenching a celebratory atmosphere over Function's clubwise leanings. Closing track 'Downtown 161' reflects the unmistakeable filtered and squashed interjections of television, and sampled dance vocals - a sound for the curious, dreamers and dancers.
With Existenz, Function reveals an essential body of work, spread over 4LP - thought experiments on the role of identity and spirituality after a lifetime of upheaval and trauma. Leading up until the release date, Function will undertake an album promo tour with select dates - A/V shows at Berlin Atonal and Rural festival in Japan, and three dates as part of his Bassiani residency.

Toolroom founder and Grammy-nominated producer Mark Knight announces his new album Untold Business: 13-track collection of vocal house music which aims to inject a much-needed dose of meaning and longevity into the world of dance music.

Mark Knight has gone back to his roots on his new album Untold Business, reprising the sounds and records that made him the artist he is today. Diving through his extensive collection of classic Funk, House, Soul and Disco records from the 1970s and 80s has provided the bedrock for the album, which is an homage to the soulful, vocal-led house music that Mark first fell in love with in the 90s.

Step forward Mark Knight with a collection of meticulously crafted, positive, life-affirming records with a focus on real instrumentation and properly crafted songs that will stand the test of time. Untold Business is the antithesis of the functional, cookie-cutter dance music that has become increasingly ubiquitous over the years, and it sounds absolutely glorious.

Lead single ‘Everything’s Gonna Be Alright’ features vocals from Beverley Knight as well as the London Community Gospel Choir, who together bring a powerful message of positivity, solidarity and hope: themes that echo throughout the rest of the album.

“I wanted to write a song of hope as we come out of this incredibly tough time. I feel that musicians and producers have a responsibility to provide the soundtrack to people’s lives, and with this glimmer of hope on the horizon, I wanted this song to be a moment of positivity for the future ahead.” Mark Knight

From the string section, to the 14-piece London Community Gospel Choir, to the incomparably brilliant Beverley Knight on lead vocals – Mark worked with some incredible musicians on the single: an approach that informs his approach for the entire album. Untold Business features further collaborations with the likes of Shingai (Noisettes), Michael Gray, Robert Owens and many more.

In addition to the 10 new tracks recorded especially for the album, Untold Business also includes three of Mark’s singles from 2020, including one of the biggest releases of his career to date. All 4 Love was a collaboration with Rene Amesz and Tasty Lopez which became firmly lodged on the Radio 1 A list for six weeks with worldwide success following soon after. Picking up more than 10 million streams on Spotify it was without doubt one of the biggest house records of the year. Also included here are ‘If It’s Love’ - a joyous celebration of a soulful house sound that came to prominence in the 90s – and ‘Tonight’, which took inspiration from the brisk, looping, filtered house music of the early 00s.

Simoncino is back on the iconic label that launched his career: SKYLAX RECORDS. In the meantime, he has become a benchmark artist in particular for his passion, his extreme mastery of analog material and his ability to craft dream like soundscapes and mystical house atmospheres; who has seen him collaborate in recent years with the biggest names in house: Larry Heard, Boyd Jarvis, Tevo Howard and Robert Owens on excellent labels such as Lies, Vibraphone, Crème organization, Hotmix or Mathematics. For this new release, the fruit of a maturation of several months in his studio, the made in Perugia prodigy has once again surrounded himself with the master of chicago house, the legendary Merwyn Sanders of Virgo Four (who already appeared as a remixer on the Warrior Dance part 4 in 2012 on SKYLAX) on vocals. Its inimitable style is a clever mix of chicago house tinged with the most classy techno touches, “on the dance floor” will delight both fans of the purest house but also those who are also followers of the original techno made in detroit. A mix brilliantly revealed by the golden voice of Merwyn Sanders. On the B-side, the pair reward us with a high-end remix signed by the brilliant and bulimic producer from La Hague, the furious madman Danny Wolfers aka Legowelt. To conclude, the title In Viaggio reminds us how much Simoncino is also able of creating real house bombs that send us straight into the stratosphere. ON THE DANCEFLOOR we tell you.

The second release from Wax Ninja, a Moscow-based record-shop-turned-record-label, is the longed-for gem cut by Artem Xio, the humble leading light of the local underground scene. Can't Stop Now EP is a universal musical weapon, perfect for a DJ bag in which a variety of genres - from hip-hop and jungle to garage house and techno - coexist peacefully. Each side reflects Xio's stages of formation: not only as a collector, DJ and artist, but primarily as a an educated listener with a sensitive ear. The title track Can't Stop Now was written in 2010 to be rethought 10 years after and become a house banger powered by emotionally charged vocals. The dramatic opus that is Crucial Moment pleases with its Detroit-style anguish, while the U Took My Love, an ode to electric organ, gives out some proper Jersey house vibe. Raw and heavy, True School was born out of an unreleased remix for the local rap group, and finally Now U Know takes you back to the beginning of 00s thanks to Cream Soda d'n'b rework. In other words, this "unstoppable" EP is a true delight both for nostalgic old school heads and for those who expect some quality time on the dancefloor.

DJ Feedbacks: (please find all feedbacks in the pdf sheet)
Laurent Garnier: “GREAT EP -- Love the whole thing”
Tensnake: “can't stop now is big thanks”
Robert Owens: ''cool tracks!"
Ka§par: "“For me the house tracks are fun and all, but it's the
Cream Soda jungle mix that's got me into this release,
thanks!”
Anja Schneider: “Great thx .”
Portable: “Wonderful summer vibes post lockdown!”
Black Madonna: “Nice!”
Moodsetter: “Damn Yeaaah !!!
This is classic New York underground sound...
what a vibe !!!
I just L. O. V. E. I. T !!!

Moscow's leading deep and underground house label Deepology presents a series of releases, Four Seasons. Four releases, vinyl only, each corresponding to a specific season of the year.

The first record, EP 1, includes four tracks by residents and friends of the label - an international team of the artists from Russia, Ukraine, Germany and Finland.

Limited edition of 300 copies. Spread the analogue love!


DJ Feedback:

Mark Farina, Sascha Dive, Luna City Express, Martin Landsky, Jimpster, DJ Linus, Charles Spencer, Nick Holder, Terry Francis, Jay West, Igor Marijuan (Ibiza Sonica FM), Glenn Underground, Jesus Gonsev, Robert Owens, Patrick Lindsey, Lars Behrenroth, Carlo Gambino, Mucho Soul, Finest Wear, Fer Ferrari, Sumsuch and more.

Portuguese artist Armando Mendes makes a huge statement with his debut album 'Parallel Universe', which was written and recorded over two and half years between LA, London and Berlin with legends including Robert Owens,Ithaka from the N.W.A. crew and Defected's Jinadu.

Armando Mendes is one of Portugal's most assured artists. His rich and musical sound is informed by jazz and funk and he has played all over the world from Russia to Australia, all while picking up more than 80,000 monthly plays on Spotify for his music. His tremendous debut album ranges across the electronic music spectrum from downbeat and jazzy to deep house and electronica.

Ithaka is the guest on the album opener 'This Life's All We Got,' which is a lush downbeat song with pensive lyrics. Late night jazz house stylings define 'Things U Do 2 Me' while 'Acid Yardies' looks to the club with its serrated 303s and dub wise drums. Chicago vocal royalty Robert Owens lends his heartfelt and buttery tones to the perfectly deep 'No Regrets' and after an acid and piano ambient fusion on 'MS20 Interlude' there is more rich, spiritual and jazzy house ('Parallel Universe,' ' Khun Pui - Mae Nam' and 'The Melody Inside') as well as more synth laden and electronic grooves to get dance floors moving ('One Night in Bangkok').

The majestic, percussive and colourful 'Tropical Affair' is just that, then things get tender and introspective on the gorgeous 'Electric 88' before a radio edit of the classy pop house that is 'The Melody Inside' feat. Jinadu closes things out in emotional fashion. This is a widescreen musical journey that makes a lasting impact from an artist who is looking set for big things.

REVE is a new label from Paris. Dedicated to artists from all around the world, genres & areas, respecting the 12' history, its heritage and available as digital too.

This new label brings its first issue with PAUL JOHNSON's cover aka THE P.J. PROJECT of one of considered best LARRY HEARD & ROBERT OWENS track : 'bring down the walls'.

Originally released in 1986 on Trax Records, Paul does the whole track with the last gear generation, 'the best ear of Chicago' goes back to the house roots.

On the other side, one of the few Ron Hardy's protégé : K ALEXI SHELBY interpretation of GLENN UNDERGROUND 'Indians & Bagpipes'. K refreshes this anthem with the highest Chicago Edit level you can aim. Deeply thinked structure. Doubling the bagpipes adding subliminal frequencies, colors wish is refreshing the track. He follows his rules and put his style in it. After playing it for years. It is both "handbanging" as we say here & subtile. Hit.

To conclude this extended play, PROFESSOR INC brings a remix focusing on the filters moves & trackey part of GLENN UNDERGROUND, big sound, infrabass & fatness underground dj tool.
This is how it is, 12' at its best, legit and godness. Mastering by Mathieu Berthet.

You may want to stock up on this one because who know when the pressings may stop.