THE THIRD ADULT ENTERTAINMENT RELEASE COMES BY INSERT NAME HERE.
IS IT ACID? IS IT HOUSE?
IS IT ELECTRO? IS IT TECHNO?
IS IT LEFTFIELD? IS IT LO-FI?
IS IT DETROIT? IS IT CHICAGO?
IT'S MUSIC FOR ADULTS!
21+
MUSIC SPEAKS FOR ITSELF!
Order now. Collecting orders for repress.
Kapoor and Hvitling’s first album, The Odyssey, is monumental. It boasts eight tracks that are generous in terms of length and sophistication. Each has a distinctive feel and predominant mood, balancing intricate sonic arrangements with dynamic and rhythmically pleasant beats. Yet certain ethereal sound textures and melodies
make the tracks echo each other, creating a sense of journeying through uncharted waters. Masterfully produced female vocal synths become spectral presences in several tracks, most notably in Vox Diaboli and Vox Angeli. In the former, seductive whispers hiss a hymed incantation, creating a delightfully spooky atmosphere; while the latter lures the listener into sacred ecstasy with a combination of vibrant synths pristinely arranged with a string orchestra and LFO female vocals. Akumandra’s fourth official vinyl release stays true to its multicultural essence, adding this young Polish and Swedish producer duo to their vinyl catalog.
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On Stock and ready to ship
It is with great joy that we present the Mr Bongo edition of Marcos Valle's 1983 self-titled masterpiece. A pure vintage that features the ultimate Brazilian-boogie cult-classic ‘Estrelar’ and iconic 80s cover art that sees a gloriously sun-drenched Marcos dressed in a pink v-neck t-shirt surrounded by a generous selection of deadly-looking neon cocktails.
The album was produced by the legendary Lincoln Olivetti and Marcos' brother Paulo Sérgio Valle. It showcases a real who's who of Brazilian music at the time, with stellar performances from vocalists and musicians such as Rosana, Serginho Do Trombone, Robson Jorge and Oberdan Magalhães to name but a few. This was Marcos’ second album, after having moved back to Brazil from his time living in Los Angeles, and that US influence is evident through its prominent boogie, soul and funk sounds. It also features collaborations with the US singer-songwriter, composer, pianist, keyboardist, and record producer, Leon Ware, who co-penned three tracks including 'Estrelar'. To complete the album there are tracks such as 'Fogo Do Sol', which is pure AOR / Balaeric vibes, and tracks that are more MPB and pop-inspired, making a well-balanced track list for both home-listening pleasure and dancefloor business.
What could we do to give one of Marcos' most celebrated albums the treatment it deserved and produce the most definitive re-issue possible? The answer was to enlist the services of Miles Showell, Abbey Road Studios Mastering and lacquer-cutting engineer and all-around audio-magician, to cut a special half-speed master edition. Miles had previously worked his half-speed magic on our Arthur Verocai album re-issue, and once again we are totally blown away by the richness which Miles has brought out in his mastering technique. He has enhanced the listening experience and taken this wonderful album to another level.
To celebrate the release we have pressed up several vinyl versions; both standard master, and Miles' half-speed mastering editions on Black vinyl, alongside special limited edition Rose and Mint-Green coloured vinyl variants that were inspired by the audacious-looking cocktails on the cover - sheer 80s excess!
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On Stock and ready to ship
‘80s funk at its best. Originally only ever available on the album ‘Just How Sweet Is Your Love’, New Jersey group Rhyze’s ‘Do Your Dance’ gets its first ever reissue as a single on 7 inch backed with the disco monster ‘Free’.
A staple of some of the biggest DJs and diggers out there, this is a must have record. Your first time to grab this on 7" Official SAM release with original labels and housed in a picture sleeve.
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Clear Repress[26,68 €]
“I wanted to try and showcase as many people as I knew on this mix. My idea of Late Night Tales was to distil a series of relaxing moments; the whole conceptual sonic of relax- ation. So, I was trying to think of all the collaborators and friends that I knew, who’d recorded stuff with this horizontal vibe. Plus, I was also trying to help my friends' stuff get into the world. I know the story of Khruangbin blowing up after appearing on the series (in fact, I think that's how I discovered them). So, the main idea was to create a certain atmosphere, but also to help some of my favourite collaborators and bud- dies to give their songs a little push out into the world. Hope you like it” Jordan Rakei
Due for release on 9th April, Late Night Tales celebrate their 20th anniversary with the release of multi-instru- mentalist, vocalist and producer Jordan Rakei’s majestic compilation. The 28-year-old modern soul icon effortlessly stamps his own jazz and hip-hop driven sound all over this gorgeous array of handpicked tracks. A beautifully layered blend that is mirrored in the music he’s made, itcomes as no surprise that such a supremely gifted songwriter should deliver a mix that is all about the song.
Rakei, born in New Zealand, but raised in Australia, moved to the UK in 2015; he released his debut album, Cloak, with Oz label Soul Has No Tempo, but his two subsequentLPs, Wallflower and Origin, came out on Ninja Tune, the former#2 in Album Of The Year for Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide poll, while Origin was nominated for Best Album at the AIM Awards. Jordan had this to say on his upcoming mix:
As Jordan says,there’s so much more to the song selection on Late Night Tales’latest outing than a random collection of artists. Many have some sort of personal connection, so just as Bonobo provided a platform for the breakout of Khruangbin on a previous LNT, this may have the same ef- fect for Rakei’s friends. After a soothing opener from Fink, good friend and big influence Alfa Mist (part of the Are We Live collective) delivers ‘Mulago.’ “I want to champion their sound and show the world how good he is, and I thought it’d be fitting to start the mix with family,” says Jordan.
Next up is Charlotte Day Wilson with ‘Mountains,’ followed by ‘Count A Heart’ from Moreton, an exclusive collab- oration with Jordan, who grew up on the same street in Brisbane, Australia. “She was the first artist I ever collabo- rated with, and one of the first artists to be involved in mycareer,” he explains. Elsewhere we hear Scottish producer and multi-instrumentalist C Duncan’s haunting ‘He Came from the Sun,’ Barcelona collective Oso Leone deliver a dreamy ‘Virtual U’ and Bill Lauren’s ‘Singularity,’ which evokes a striking sense of time and place.
Snowpoet’s ethereal ‘Evitenity’ is a “long mediative nar- rative over a beautiful soundscape,” which at times seems chaotic, nicely juxtaposed with undeniable beauty, and Maro’s kooky songwriting shines on ‘Always And Forever.’ Long-time buddy Armon-Jones contributes ‘Idiom,’ and Jordan’s exclusive cover version is a two-for-one, Radio- head’s ‘Codex’ merging with ‘Lover, You Should’ve Come Home’ by Jeff Buckley and another exclusive,original com- position by Jordan, ‘Imagination.’ The latter works as a piece with the spoken (Spanish) word voiced by movie director Alejandro González Iñárritu (Babel, Birdman, and The Reve- nant,) who is a big fan of Jordan’s. “He messaged me when I went to L.A and asked to come to my show. I was in such shock and we hung out after. I thought it would be nice to get him to do this in his native tongue, because I don’t think that’s been done yet on the series.” It certainly is a familyaffair. Not theblood is thicker than water kind, but certainly musical kindred spirits.
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Auch ZYX Italo Disco: Best Of Vol. 2 gibt es wieder als 2LP-Set
in farbigem Vinyl. 16 unvergessene Hits und Raritäten aus den 80er Jahren in bester analoger Soundqualität. Mit dabei sind diesmal: Radiorama, Fake, Den Harrow, Hysterical Fit, Jonathan Gable, Italian Boys, Scotch uvm.
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On Stock and ready to ship
Nicky Night Time and Ali Love have collaborated for a hypnotising new single ‘Ubiquity feat. Breakbot’. Filled with classic disco flair, funk riffs, and infectious vocals the track instantly encapsulates a dreamy dance-floor moment and comes complete with remixes from The Magician, Eric Duncan and Lubelski who all add their signature spark.
With each artist living in a different country, ‘Ubiquity’ has already made its way around the globe, Ali Love explains how the track came together, “‘Ubiquity’ started its life in Australia with Nicky Night Time as a drum and guitar track. Then made its way to London where I added electric bass and vocals very early in the morning. I recall there were about 8 Japanese girls in my flat for some reason, so you could say that really added to the song’s vibe. You can feel there’s a party happening. The tune then travelled to LA where, by chance, Nicky drafted in Breakbot, who wrote the amazing string and horn parts, and sent the song into the stratosphere. The stars have aligned and the vibe is ubiquitous." Nicky Night Time adds “It was a love project really and I think we felt it was a cool thing just to put out into the world between the 3 of us amigos.”
For the remixes, globally renowned producer The Magician adds his signature touch highlighting the original’s funk elements and punchy drums while maintaining the driving bassline from the original. Merging disco with French touch, The Magician accentuates the cut-off and phaser effects for a playful and energetic remix. Next up, Eric Duncan hits with a synth heavy cosmic remix as Lubelski closes out proceedings going for a stripped down, late night shuffler.
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Repress
Its been more than 2 years since I did an original release on my own label. Its been 9 months since I had an original NOIR release.I wanted some time without releases. Some time to breathe, to think and most importantly time to be creative and to experiment.I have picked 2 productions I felt sounded different to everything else out here. Eruption was already made in the fall 2017 and I have been road-testing it since ADE17 and changed it quite a lot over the 6 months period from when I thought it was finished to what it actually sounds like now. I wanted the track to be brutal like a volcano erupting but at the same time have beautiful and peaceful elements. Hence the breakdown lava sliding into the middle of the track before it all erupts again. I have spent many hours trying to make it sound raw and unpolished. Disruption is build around a super simple sequence loop I played by hand while jamming with new pluck sounds. As the sequence got layered and washed in effects it became a quite haunting loop and that led me to add a boys choir to give that feel bigger impact.This track sounds simpler than Eruption but its actually stacked with layers. Disruption is meant to make you close your eyes, follow the rhythm, the simple sequenced loop and get hypnotized.
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The 17th in our Attack The Dancefloor Series that is always a strictly vinyl affair. This time we’ve got some exclusive remixes to dish out in this Special Remix edition of the series.
First up we got the Freerange boss in to remix the classic Sunburst Band track ‘He Is’. The mighty Jimpster has turned in a rich and sublime mix that truly deserves to be called Deep House. Warm Rhodes licks twinkle over deep kicks dubbed out guitars and hazy echoes. The whole track is drenched in Jimpster's deft touch as a producer and we think this is one of his best remixes. A Heavenly rework you might say.
Next up is a long lost remix from Andrés of ‘I Recoginise’ by Joey Negro. Never before released this was unearthed deep within a hard drive in the ZR vaults, now seeing the light of day it deserves. Andrés does what you would expect of him delivering a bass heavy MPC driven rework, utilising the synth lines and vocoder to great effect.
Fresh off a run of hot remixes for Glitterbox is Razor n Tape’s JKriv who turns the disco arpeggios up to 11 with his soaring remix of Prospect Park’s ’The Kinda Love’ complete with live strings and percussion.
Last but not least, The Visions’s dreamy piano led remix of the classic 'My Vision' by Jakatta featuring none other than Seal on lead vocals.
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As Modularz approaches it’s 50th release - Label owner Developer decided to feature a 4 track sampler taken from
The new Lp by Chicago’s Zachary Lubin named “Omronicon” this is Modularz 49 to be exact and features a wealth of groove based bangers all carrying the same aesthetic and theme through the recordings. It’s hard to pin point if this is a hard or deep release so let’s say it’s entirely both and with good reason - it’s also very synth heavy and gains ongoing momentum the more you listen. It’s very obvious that Modularz puts out excellent techno and this is by far no exception. TIP
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The Architect is an artist that travels through styles: Swing, Jazz, Electro, Soul, Funk and Hip Hop... A real digger of hidden samples, he is also beatmaker for the famous collective L'Entourloop! 2019 marks its big comeback, with the announcement of a new album and a new immersive live under the name of The Architect & the Unique Orchestra. The 1st EP of the beatmaker The Architect entitled "Foundations" is finally available on vinyl more than 6 years after its original release in 2013 !
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Christophe Salin delivers „It’s Probably Me EP” on his very
own imprint - a modern interpretation of a classic house EP.
Christophe further deepens the love for details in his
productions, which were evident in his recent remixes for
Sable Blanc & Tour-Maubourg. This EP marks a shift in
sound and style that both surprises and arouses curiosity
whilst still retaining Christophe’s sonic signature. House
music is about love, respect and equality. It brings together
beautiful people from all over the world and creates
unforgettable memories. It’s a shelter - a place where you can
be free. This EP is a love letter to house which Christophe fell
in love with back in 1999, a love that never faded. Iron Curtis
joins the Salin family with his remix contribution of the title
track to which he lent his distinctive sound that we love so
much. Daria Salin once again proves her talent for capturing
moods and sharing it with us through her paintings. Holding
the artwork in your hands whilst listening to the music will let
you experience being caught in the moment; at once being
yourself and finding freedom. We hope to meet you in our
house
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Los ingenieros oníricos se sirven de los artefactos para poder manipular su conciencia y diseñar mundos oníricos por los que viajar. De origen incierto, los artefactos se encuentran dispersos entre planos y han intentado ser rediseñados en nuestro mundo mediante el uso de frecuencias, convirtiéndose en elementos de estudio plenamente funcionales para el ingeniero onírico del plano físico. La correcta correlación de uso entre artefactos permite al onironauta saltar entre los diferentes estados de la experiencia para la formación de universos.
El artefacto Onirógeno es capaz de inducir al sueño. Sirve de puerta de enlace al mundo onírico y está presente en un estado de semi-consciencia. Dicho artefacto esférico, de naturaleza cromada, reproduce de manera cíclica el proceso de encendido de la máquina de sueños por un operador en un espacio ilusorio. El ingeniero sucumbe a un estado aletargado que permite el vínculo con otros artefactos al ser testigo de una de estas reproducciones.
El artefacto Hipnagogia es capaz de provocar alucinaciones visuales de intensidad creciente. Permite formar protomundos inconexos. Es un artefacto propio del plano semi-consciente. Debido a lo efímero de los protomundos formados, el ingeniero es incapaz de controlarlos y dotarlos de sentido.
El artefacto Efialtes es uno de los más inestables y volátiles. Este ente del plano semiconsciente provoca la incapacidad transitoria para realizar movimientos voluntarios durante la transición entre el sueño y la vigilia. Permite al ingeniero crear un canal al plano transitorio. Su presencia o interacción puede darse en los primeros o últimos estadíos. Está muy presente en el mundo semi-consciente y puede ser atraído por el uso de otros artefactos. Emite un zumbido muy característico cuando interacciona.
El artefacto Proyector, toroide derivado de Efialtes, solo presente en el plano transitorio. Crea un canal y permite al ingeniero ingresar, precediendo a la separación física, y materializar la consciencia en el nuevo plano.
Extracorpóreo es un derivado del artefacto Proyector, presente en el plano transitorio y con influencia en el plano físico. Permite a la conciencia materializada del ingeniero comunicarse con los impulsos básicos motrices y órdenes cerebrales del plano físico, traduciendo los diferentes protocolos implicados.
El artefacto Vacío es un espacio unidimensional que interconecta el plano transitorio con el plano onírico.
El artefacto Arquitecto, presente en el plano onírico, forma y diseña espacios acorde con las órdenes del ingeniero onírico en el caso de que el canal de comunicación sea lo suficientemente consciente. Es una pequeña recreación esférica del universo elevado a infinito en forma de fractal.
El artefacto Escultor, de hormigón y presente en el plano onírico, crea las diferentes imágenes e inteligencias que habitan el mundo onírico en construcción. Aunque puede ser controlado, a menudo actúa con un mayor libre albedrío, creando imágenes recurrentes.
El artefacto Programador, de código en cascada y presente en el plano onírico, es la inteligencia encargada de dotar a los mundos oníricos de acontecimientos.
El artefacto Devoramundos es el artefacto más inestable conocido y con mayor rango de influencia entre planos. Destruye el mundo creado como un agujero negro engulle todo a su paso.
El artefacto Cordón, de plata y presente en todos los planos, sirve como nexo entre el cuerpo físico y la consciencia materializada. A menudo, debido al influjo de otro artefacto, o a la inestabilidad en el canal creado por correlación, es capaz de obligar a la regresión, clausurando el canal de comunicación. Existe un artefacto Cordón que une cada una de las conciencias proyectadas con sus correspondientes cuerpos así como del cuerpo físico. Se desconoce que ocurre en caso de fisión.
El artefacto Regreso, presente en el plano transitorio-semiconsciente permite al ingeniero recuperar la consciencia y restablecer sus signos vitales.
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Spirit Of House’ is a jackin' 90’s Chicago inspired groove. It’s an uplifting, dance floor ready track from two of House music's finest. Those unmissable vocals from the legendary Gene Farris add a stamp of old authenticity – he’s a bonafide Chicago legend, who’s contributions to the House music scene are undebatable. He’s been pushing musical boundaries for close to three decades, working with world-leading labels and artists such as Relief, Dirtybird, ViVa Music and Defected.
ATFC is a longstanding label favourite and household name in the scene. He has 3 UK top 40 hits under his belt and has remixed tracks for the likes of P Diddy, Missy Elliot, Simply Red, Faithless and Dido. He’s entered Pete Tong’s Essential Mix hall of fame - and the BBC Radio 1 tastemaker himself described ATFC’s productions as ‘verging on genius’. This collaboration is a match made in heaven.
‘Spirit Of House’ is a deeply playable, feel-good House record from two of the most established producers in the scene.
‘R U’ features a catchy piano hook, tough drums and that deep, powerful vocal from Gene Farris himself. It’s a stripped back, gritty house cut and we're proud to be giving it a home on Toolroom.
Whilst sampling can be a sticky subject in dance music, 'Tech House Kinda Thing' is a fine example of how digging deep and being creative can be hugely rewarding. The vocal sample on this record is from another house titan; Harry Romero. This was taken from an event promo video that Harry recorded himself and posted on his Instagram page. Being the creative soul he is, ATFC heard it, sampled it, brought the idea to a Toolroom writing camp last November, and voila, this record was born! The record itself is an energetic club workout, produced with the detail and finesse you'd expect from such a legendary producer such as ATFC. With driving rhythms, off beat quirky stabs and that unique, spoken vocal, this really is a special record!
‘Not Enough’ is an uplifting, funky, feel-good tune. It oozes that ATFC warmth and the vocals from Mia Mendez add some serious sunshine vibes! Her voice is super powerful and within seconds of hitting play on this record you're whisked away to a sun drenched terrace!
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Rising French techno producer Trudge makes his debut appearance on Lobster Theremin with the blistering four-track EP, Self Love Club. Following releases for ARTS, 1Ø Pills Mate and Of Paradise - as well as his transformation from hazier sounds into full throttle techno - Self Love Club is a defining record for the young artist and an ambitious taster ahead of his debut album, slated for release at the start of the
summer.
Opener Ice On My Neck sets the pace of the release combining bone-rattling drums & glacial pads to maximum effect, while title track Self Love Club ramps up the emotion without sacrificing any intensity. On the flip, Bird Ghost’s ethereal synth lines punctuate a pummelling kick and Night Shift lowers the aggression ending the record on a dreamy, break-lined note.
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Red Splatter Viny
Redscale is back! Fantastic news that was hard to keep secret the last few months. After a solid 3 years of working exclusively on building the Greyscale label, owner grad_u felt its the right time to also focus
on his own music. And we all can't be more happy to hear what he's been up to!
Redscale #10 has all the hallmarks of the classic output but the energy is dialed up to 11. 'Siren' is a pure dancefloor packer! It has that ideal combination of underground techno club power and catchy
supporting chords. Think Aril Brikha's 'Groove La Chord' and you get the idea of a true heater.
'Dancefloor is Dangerous' is on the B-side and it was specifically made for a gig where grad_u showcased his live chops warming up the crown for Jeff Mills. That big club dub techno sound made to perform live in China, Iran, France and others.
This vinyl will come with full printed cover and special center label artwork. Pressed with black and orange splatter effect on transparent red vinyl with one side that even plays inside out! Expect to move
the masses with these 2 showstoppers!
We can't say it enough. Redscale is back!
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Lost Souls Of Saturn (Seth Troxler and Phil Moffa) launch their new label ‘Holoverse Research Labs’ as the hub for both LSOS’s audio transmissions and their adventures in media and technology.
The first release HRL 001 presents special interpretations of Lost Souls Of Saturn’s eponymous debut album by the legendary Pépé Bradock. ’Cycloned by Pépe Bradock’ finds Lost Souls of Saturn, in the words of Bradock, “Dreamed, Weighted and Micro-Waved”. This is the album shattered into pieces and brought back together into new forms as the parts and files fall. Deconstruction or reconstruction? It’s unclear. What’s tangible is that the new tracks are very special, with Pépé bringing his unique talents to the control room / operating table.
“Bouillabaisse From Space Remix” is the sound of Pepe singlehandedly launching the French space program to find lost dance floors deep in our own cerebral cortex. “Pacific Limbo Bonus Beat” channels more of the same. This is head music for the dance floor. No amateurs.
Further remixes of tracks from the ‘Lost Souls of Saturn’ album are to follow in March from Mathew Jonson, Freedom Engine and Carl Craig.
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The desire for a dancefloor couldn’t get much stronger right now. Mystery new label DISKOD supply the goods to satisfy that thirst with a double header of club-ready heat, baying for those club doors to open.
One side hits you with a peak time, disco-laced slammer, the other offers up a deep, subby, UKG flavour.
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Twookie aka the baddest talking tucan around, is here to bring the funk back! Gerald Mitchell and his L'lambourghini Crew return on Mother Tongue with another funk-fuelled project. A real who's who of Detroit finest players including Pirahnahead, Billy Love, Duminie Deporres, Mark Anthony and the Mitchell brothers are here jamming and bringing you that classic "D" Parliament sound. The A side sees the epic story of Twookie Wonder Brown, while on the flipside it's time for a revamped/re-thought version of "Celebrity Bbq Sauce".
A real taste of Detroit's finest bbq sauce!
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Informed by a highly influential early 1980s electronic music classic, the title track literally mind-sets the theme of Llewellyn’s latest release, kicking off with a euphoric vibe and drums shimmering with digital artifacts. At times almost dreamy cinematic pads, upfront with energetic Moroder-esque propelling bass lines, are the sound signatures of Llewellyn’s journey through a warm and synthesizer laden EP, reviving the sound aesthetics of both the post-discoid VHS and today’s club era with a contemporary touch. Finishing off with a laid-back facet, this four track EP contains enough warmth and drive to get you safely through the cold months, into a warm and promising future.
Llewellyn is one of Martin Enke’s producer’s monikers, who is closely associated with the Riotvan crew and also known as Lake People. Past releases can be found on labels like Riotvan, Uncanny Valley, Permanent Vacation, Mule Musiq and others.
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The Parisian jazz / funk collective The Big Hustle returns with the release of their third LP titled For Life published by Betino’s records. The Big Hustle here definitively asserts its identity, once again demonstrating the strength of the collective, and positions itself as the guardian of "real" organic music from the US jazz / funk tradition of the 70's.
The group has chosen for this new opus to refocus on the musical core of the band. However a few selected guests are present, for example the virtuoso saxophonist Baptiste Herbin, and Marie Sané, rising star of the Parisian soul scene.
The group returns to a musical approach close to their first LP, favoring instrumental titles to vocal pieces. The artistic orientation here has been to favor mastery and precision over spontaneity and the raw side of the beginnings. Funk in all its forms remains the essence of this album, especially on « 78 Funk ». We can also identify influences from jazz, afro pop, hip hop, modern gospel to rock. The overall sound of the album is marked by a more advanced and worked production. We can discover new sounds brought by the post production work that evoke the sound of dub, hip hop etc ... Nicolas Gueguen (Beat Assailant, NTM, Booster…) is once again in charge of the mixing process and brings his savoir-faire to reveal the best of each track and highlight all the subtleties of the arrangements and the interpretation.
For Life stands as the continuation of the artistic path of The Big Hustle : an odyssey in the making through the African American musical tradition of yesterday, today and tomorrow. The Big Hustle is definitely ready to evolve in the current musical world and well beyond. For Life!
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"Do you feel what I feel too?" Brijean Murphy floats the question at the start of Feelings, the full-length Ghostly International debut from Brijean, her collaborative project with Doug Stuart. Guided by a lush mix of charismatic keyboard chords, grooving bass lines, and radiant bongo-driven rhythms, the "Day Dreaming" lyric doubles as an invitation and a statement of intention. Brijean want you to move, physically, mentally, dimensionally; this is dance music for the mind, body, and soul. With Feelings, they've manifested a gentle collective space for respite, for self-reflection, for self-care, for uninhibited imagination and new possibilities. The album cultivates a specific vibe, a softness Murphy has come to call "romancing the psyche." Growing up in a family immersed in jazz, Latin and soul music, Murphy would become an accomplished DJ, session and live player in Oakland's diverse music scene and one of indie's most in-demand percussionists (Poolside, Toro Y Moi, U.S. Girls). In 2018, she began recording songs with multi-instrumentalist and producer Doug Stuart, who shares a background in jazz and pop in bands such as Bells Atlas, Meernaa, and Luke Temple. Following their first sessions, which resulted in the mini-album Walkie Talkie (released in 2019 on Native Cat Recordings), the duo continued freeform hangs in Oakland, inviting friends Chaz Bear, Tony Peppers, and Hamir Atwal. "We improvised on different feels for hours," says Murphy. "Nothing quite developed at first but we had seeds. We re-opened the sessions a couple months later, after returning from tours, and spent a month developing the songs in a little 400 square foot cottage." Aforementioned album opener "Day Dreaming" is a dynamic celebration of newness: the excitement in finding deeper understandings of yourself as you get to know someone, something, or somewhere new. "Wifi Beach" drops a pin in pure psych-pop exotica. With Atwal on drums, Stuart on bass, Peppers on keys, and Bear engineering, the group improvised the track's intro sequence based on the vision of a lavish 1970s pool party. Establishing the scene is a mid-frequency drum kit disco shuffle augmented by tight congas and timbale effect, as Murphy sings in spurts: "I want to be / Deep in love / I want to be / Say you love me too / I want to be / Honey." The stanzas cut between "reflective moments of wants and being overwhelmed by feelings of the present," she explains. "A lot of the `love songs' I write are to my psyche, self-reflections on how to encourage tender perspectives and make more time for the sweet stuff." Though there is a loose, dance-oriented motif throughout, the material gives way to somnolent turns. On "Ocean," Brijean's anodyne lyrics, reminiscent of Astrud Gilberto's airy croon, float atop a brushed drum pattern, sparkling rhodes lines, and pittering and softly funky woodblock bops. The opening line sets up the rest, "In this gentle space we lay" _ among the album's propensity for movement, tracks like "Ocean" stand out by leaning back for momentary sways of blissful introspection. Murphy calls the charming "Hey Boy" a "psychedelic guide _ the exploration of finding what feels good _ through sorrow, anxiety, apathy." This mentality applies to Feelings on the whole: in these nebulous and verdant worlds of hazy melodies, feathery hooks, and percussive details, the songs simply want us to feel alive. They radiate in wonderful abandon and with a sense of devotion to the self. RIYL: Stereolab, Astrud Gilberto, Air, Little Dragon, Broadcast, Khruangbin, Poolside.
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Two stone cold Roy Ayers classics get the South Street Disco official reissue treatment, one side the feel-good disco-tinged, jazz funk fire ‘Running Away’ and the other the smooth groove, love letter funk bomb ‘Love Will Bring Us Back Together’. Melting hearts, melting minds, is there a better Valentines gift out there then two slices of joy from Roy?
From hip hop to house, ‘Running Away’ has been a favoured sampling treasure since it came out in 1977. Co-produced alongside Edwin Birdsong and William Allen, joyous vocal harmonies dance around grooving basslines, strutting guitar riffs and Roy’s warm soothing tones. Top it off with some trademark vibes and it’s a one-way ticket to happiness, pure sunshine smiles all round.
Flip it to find ‘Love Will Bring Us Back Together’. Straight up seductive business co-produced by Carla Vaughn. It’s silky, it’s smooth, it’s everything you want it to be and more. Clavinet wizardry, buttery Rhodes layers and fiery vocals. Loved up funk at it’s best.
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Conform Re-Touched Series has delivered other 5 gems to collect with the Vol.IV! The result is brilliant thanks to the contribution of great artists such as Radio Slave, Honey Dijon, Mark Broom, Adriana Lopez and Shlomi Aber.
When it comes to Radio Slave, no one can ever remain indifferent to the quality of Matt Edwards' production. Once again it has hit the mark by re-interpreting "Inside" by Gaetano Parisio in a masterly way. The track is a continuous crescendo but always well anchored to its original groove. The great British producer, Mark Broom, once again leaves no doubt about his ability to create real dace-floor killers. Seems that his edit was created to challenge the sound systems of all clubs around the world. It is the dream of all DJs to play a track of such impact during a party. His version remains faithful to the original but it has that broomish which makes it super catching.
Honey Dijon, an absolute star in the world techno firmament, makes her debut on Conform with her Re Rub interpretation of a classic like Dual Ep by C&G Southsystem, the project created by Gaetano Parisio and Marco Carola. Honey puts all of her Chicago background into this version. By adding vocal she manages perfectly to make two such different schools coexist, the Neapolitan one and the Chicago one. The result is simply sublime.
Likewise, it's a debut on the label also for Adriana Lopez absolutely respected throughout the techno scene for her extreme quality music. Her interpretation leaves no room for doubt that she doesn't like middle ways. Her remix is dark and hypnotic at the same time. Adriana gave her best and the delivery is just outstanding.
The grand finale takes place with the digital bonus track. Ben Sims "Carnival part one" re-edited by Shlomi Aber. This is definitely the icing on the cake! If you are a DJ you'll immediately desire to play this track as soon as possible. His edit it's just perfect leaving intact the original vibe of the English legend's track. Its tribal groove echoes the early 2000s sound. For those who love the genre this is unmissable.
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fortunea starts their 2021 release schedule with a new 4 tracker this february. Peletronic is featured on this record and he shows again his love for detail.
‚About The Void‘ is a composition with an arc of suspense. The eerie pads and strings are in control by an imposing hypnotic groove that will guide the listener to the dancefloor.
As a guest remixer they hired none other than Stuttgart’s deep house expert Soulphiction. His take on the title track is placed on A2 and uses the elements of the original in a clever way. The groove is even more thrilling. And a female vocalist gives the track a femme fatale like character.
Peletronic delivers us his lo-fi house ‚Experience‘ on the B-side. Of course with a typical 909 kick drum, shuffled hihats and a purposely raw filtered jazz sample in loop. Intringuingly and playful likewise.
At last the record ends with the track ‚Paixão‘, which means „passion“ in portuquese. And you can clearly hear his passion for experimental latin influenced dub house in here.
The record is limited to 300 copies. There will be no repress! First come, first serve.
Mastering by Patrick Pulsinger.
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Arnaud le Texier (Cocoon Records): "Top quality! Really nice.." 10/10
Cio D'Or (Telrae): "An amazing double Vinyl of different interpretations from some music friends in techno for Hypnus! Thank you!" 9/10
David Att (ATT Series): "SUPER VARIOS ARTIST. THANKS: D" 10/10
Deepbass (Informa Records): "Great remix package here! Will be using most of them, a true showcase of the love for Hypnus" 10/10
Etapp Kyle (Klockworks): "Edit Select and Mike Parker are winners!" 8/10
Exium (PoleGroup): "Great stuff, thanks!" 8/10
Francois X (Dement3d): "Perfect Package of Remix!" 10/10
I/Y: "wow.. really good.. too many of them to choose one favourite" 10/10
Kwartz (Shapeless Records): "Congratulations for this great work, I love every song of the release" 10/10
Mattias Fridell (Gynoid): "This is a very solid compilation congrats." 8/10
MTD (Sonntag Morgen): "AMAZING release! hard to choose a favorite..." 10/10
Mod21 (Prologue): "No words for this release.. Hypnus is flying high!!" 10/10
Nima Khak (H-Productions): "Great bits! The Ness mix is outstanding, but a lot of great stuff in this package! Will play for sure!" 9/10
Nobody Home (Home Records): "Very nice release with many of my favorite musicians! Thank you very much :-)" 8/10
Reggy van Oers (Affin): "Some crazy stuff in here! love it!" 9/10
Samuli Kemppi (M_REC Ltd.): "Fan boy likes. Brilliant release. Full support." 10/10
Svreca (Semantica Records): "Excellent release. Full support." 8/10
Takaaki Itoh (Phobiq): "what a great trks. im sure to play all of them. full support!" 10/10
Terence Fixmer (CLR): "Top release, difficult to choose a favourite here...all are nice." 10/10
The Noisemaker (Par Recordings): "Hypnus is going to be one of the best label on earth! full support! all tracks have his own personality and are well designed.. top for opening a djset" 10/10
Tommy Four Seven (Stroboscopic Artefacts): "Big!" 8/10
Also supported by:
Dimi Angelis, Unam Zetineb, Antonio de Angelis, Artefakt, DARS, Gianluca Meloni, Jonas Kopp, Hector Oaks, Juho Kahilainen, Vilix, Eric Cloutier, Brendon Moeller (Echologist), Iori, Jose Pouj, VSK, AnD, Rasmus Hedlund, Victor Martinez, Antonio Vazquez, BLNDR, Luigi Tozzi and many more.
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We stumbled onto Al Muntzie’s under the radar soul beauty ‘Die Happy’ after conducting an interview with Joe Quarterman for a feature on our website.
It got us salivating about the prospect of further productions, which Joe had recorded, but had perhaps been overlooked. ‘Die Happy’ was originally released in 1976 and was the only release on S.B. Moon Records. The record has a crossover vibe as it sits beautifully between modern soul, funk, and proto-disco.
Initial research didn’t shed much light onto the background of the song. The trail was sparse, other than the record appearing on the sales list of rare-soul collectors and record dealers. So we decided to go back to the source and find out about the record directly from Joe himself.
“I met Al Muntzie through my bass guitar player, Elliot Adams. Elliot informed me that Al was looking for a song that was funky and suitable for a group. At that time, 1976 - 79, I had written the words and melody to ‘Die Happy” and Elliot cranked out a mean bass part that gave the song life. He should be credited as co-writer for his outstanding bass part. At this time my band, FreeSoul, had dis-banded and worked as sideman musicians.
Elliot and I made a demo of the song on a cassette and we let Al Muntzie hear it: he liked it. We set a recording date at the Omega Recording Studio in northern Virginia. We used a combination of two bands; FreeSoul and Experience Unlimited (EU). Al sang lead vocal and me and the Embracebles did the background vocals. Al was very cooperative and did not say much during the session. He followed my direction and got the job done.
The session took all day into the late evening hours where we mixed and mastered the tune to perfection. We had a good time creating this work of art.” We are forever thankful to Joe for giving us the opportunity to present this fantastic production by Al, Elliot, and Joe, and to give it the new lease of life, which it rightfully deserves. Produced by the legendary Joe Quarterman
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"I am sitting in a garden, I haven't left the property in weeks, someone is dropping off food once a week. I haven't seen a human being in ages, I feel like a reverse Schroedinger cat - do I exist when nobody sees me? I must be somewhere in France but I don't remember. I have lost my consciousness again. When I wake up I hear a broken record looping somewhere in the mansion. A washed-out opera. Behind the trees I see the dilapidated hermaphrodite sculpture in a field of verdant nettles and fern. I hear gunshots far afield, aeroplanes in the sky, sirens on the main road.
When unconscious I dreamt of sitting on the Concorde observing the scarab blue ocean and iridescent clouds from above, an erstwhile receding memory. Sometimes I hear the organ of the nearby Renaissance Cathedral merging with the Russian Church bells.
I am hallucinating again. Someone's humming in the kitchen? Singing? A Radio? I overhear two young women talking about art galleries in the neighbour's garden. Bees attack, again…..again and again. The hairspray finally intoxicates them. An amphoric japanese voice is whispering in my head saying I will die soon. Someone (something?) bangs on the vases. The fountain's water turns dark red.
Fleur calls and says mum died. The funeral will be televised on tuesday. We opt for the synthetic choir for the service. The call is suddenly interrupted. Mold is slowly taking over the house.
I go back inside."
Une Fille Pétrifiée is the debut album of new Black To Comm related entity Mouchoir Ètanche (after one recent 12" on Richter's own Dekorder label). Combining real and fake acoustic instrumentation, sampling, field recordings and excessive yet inaudible post production this is another sublime and ethereal statement. Influences are ranging from (French) Classical & Opera to the anecdotical compositions of Luc Ferrari, Chinese Opera, Chanson, Sacred Music / Church Music, JG Ballard and Surrealism.
Marc Richter records as Black To Comm for Thrill Jockey, Type and Dekorder and as Jemh Circs for his own Cellule 75 imprint. He also produces soundtracks and acousmatic multichannel installations for institutions such as INA GRM Paris, ZKM Karlsruhe and Kunstverein Hamburg.
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This year marks 3 years of Needs.
From humble beginnings in 2017, the label has since gone on to release tracks from some of our favourite artists in the scene, curated events with essential charities and initiatives, and in the process raised over L10,000.
To mark this special occasion we're back where it all started, raising money and awareness for mental health. October 10th marks World Mental Health Day and this year's theme set by theAWorld Federation for Mental Health is suicide prevention. To recognise and promote this occasion we've brought along another all-star cast to help us spread the message far and wide.
Needs 008 is a double vinyl compilation which features the talents of Shanti Celeste, OCB, Michelle, Bobby., Peder Mannerfelt, Yu Su, Adam Pits and DJ Sports.
Stay tuned to the Needs channels during our birthday month for regular updates, plus panels and artist features.
We'd also like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to everyone that has supported us this far: especially Juno Records, For The Record PR, all artists that have kindly donated their music, and of course the music lovers, dancers and forward thinkers that have supported us on this wonderful journey <3
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The sublime songs comprising Los Angeles-based musician Ana Roxanne's second release, Because Of A Flower, germinated gradually across five years, inspired by interwoven notions of gender identity, beauty, and cruelty. She describes her process as beginning with “a drone element and a mood,” then intuiting melody, syllables, and lyrics incrementally, like sacred shapes materializing from mist.
The experience of identifying as intersex informs the album on levels both sonic and thematic, from spoken word texts borrowed from tonal harmony textbooks to cinematic dialogue samples and castrati aria allusions. It's an appropriately interstitial vision of ambient songcraft, a chemistry of wisps and whispers, sanctuary and sorrow, conjured through a fragile balance of voice, bass, space, and texture.
Despite a background studying at the prestigious Mills College in Oakland, Roxanne's music rarely feels conceptual, instead radiating an immediate and emotive aura, rooted in the present tense of her personal journey. She speaks of the flower in the title as a body, singular and sunlit, as many petals as thorns, an enigma beholden only to itself. But whether taken as surface or subtext, Because is a transfixing document of a rare artist in the spring of their ascension.
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A MAJOR EXPLORATION OF TOKYO'S CUTTING EDGE 80S SOUND THROUGH THE MUSIC OF CULT JAPANESE LABEL NIPPON COLUMBIA AND ITS BETTER DAYS IMPRINT, SELECTED BY BRITISH RADIO PRESENTER AND DJ NICK LUSCOMBE.
‘Tokyo Dreaming’ is a superb selection picked from the highly collectible Nippon Columbia label and its Better Days sub-label. For the occasion, we’ve teamed up with journalist and Japanese music expert Nick Luscombe who was granted rare access to the much-guarded Nippon Columbia's vaults for a masterful selection encapsulating the fascinating sound of Tokyo in the late 70s and 80s. The selection mixes electro, synth-pop, funk and ambient and features such artists as Ryuichi Sakamoto, Mariah, Shigeo Sekito, Juicy Fruits, Hitomi "Penny" Tohyama and Yumi Murata. The tracklist includes many sought-after rarities and hidden gems which have never been released outside of Japan and the set has been newly remastered by Nippon Columbia. The album has been designed by famed London-based designer Optigram and is annotated by Nick.
Nippon Columbia, one of Japan's oldest music labels is also one of its most collectible thanks to its sub-label Better Days which, in the late 70s, became a hotbed for Tokyo's new generation of pop artists eager to experiment with ambient, electro and funk. Armed with a string of new Japanese-made synthesizers and drum machines that would soon take the world by storm, they made cutting-edge music, which has since become highly sought-after by a new generation of Japanese music lovers. Nick Luscombe, who has long been a leading advocate of Japanese music from this era, has handpicked a selection of some of the sharpest music released on these labels at the time.
According to Nick, “Tokyo Dreaming is a look back to an incredible era of Japanese music, that still sounds and feels like the future. It was a moment when brand-new music tech from Japan helped forge new ideas and experiments that permeated pop, soul and jazz and helped create new forms of music including electro and techno. The perfect meeting point that would help create a new soundtrack for modern living.“
?The selection starts with "The End of Asia" by Ryuichi Sakamoto from his 1978 ground-breaking debut "Thousand Knives Of" (reissued last year by Wewantsounds). The track became a staple of Sakamoto's and YMO's live shows and was even re-recorded by the group for their 1980 album 'X Multiplies'. The track is followed by Mariah's cult Armenian folk flavoured synth pop classic "Shinzo No Tobira" (1983), which first spread outside of Japan when the Scottish DJ duo Optimo started playing the track regularly at their shows.
?Chika Asamoto's "Self Control" (1988) and Jun Fukamachi's "Treasure Hunter" (1985) are perfect songs in the synth-pop canon, while Yumi Murata's rendition of Akiko Yano's "Watashi No Bus" and Hitomi "Penny" Tohyama's "Rainy Driver" both from 1981, move closer towards the slicker, funkier sound of City Pop.
?'Tokyo Dreaming' superbly showcases the breadth of 80s Japanese music and the way electro pop was a playing ground for musicians to experiment with many styles, as showcased by Akira Sakata's dub-enfused "Room" from 1980, Kazumi Watanabe's discoid "Tokyo Joe" (1980) and Juicy Fruits' "kawai" robotic Techno pop song "Jenie Gets Angry".
?The selection flows effortlessly between many shades of synth and ends with two cult classics in the form of Yasuaki Shimizu's "Semi Tori No Hi" and Shigeo Sekito's ambient-jazz masterpiece "The Word II" from his highly sought-after album "Kareinaru Electone (The Word) Vol.2" which, although recorded in 1975, perfectly announces the synth revolution to come. Tokyo Dreaming showcases the groundbreaking sounds of a city turned giant sonic lab which was restlessly inventing the music of the future.
Nick Luscombe is a highly respected and in-demand music influencer who discovers great music from all over the world and shares it internationally through his many radio shows and DJ sets. He has been in charge of music selection for various radio programs since 1999, and from 2010 - 2019, was the DJ for the popular BBC Radio music program "Late Junction”. He has also curated and presented music shows for Monocle and British Airways radio stations. He has worked as both Chief Music Editor at iTunes and Director of Music at London’s Institute of Contemporary Art, and is the founder of MSCTY.
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Superlux Records continues its release schedule this December with a debut EP from Taymor Zadeh. The four-track Life Goes On EP includes three originals from the UK-based artist, as well as a special remix from One Records co-founder, Subb-an. Speaking on the production process behind the EP, Taymor describes how “ Life Goes On was made using a tb303, roland mc505, a 909 which I borrowed from a good friend, some vocal samples from old tape recordings and a load of imagination.”
The A Side gets underway with Bubbleworks , and Taymor’s “imagination” is plain to see. It’s a no-nonsense club-ready cut, with thick hats and an up-tempo lead bassline residing next to an array of bubble-sounding pops throughout. That same late-night feel continues into Life Goes On , as eerie vocals flitter between pulses of acid and punchy, whip-like drums. On the B Side, Gekula takes the lead. Fast-paced with clear minimal influences, we’re graced with eight minutes of dancefloor-geared delight as distorted voices reside atop a driving kick-hat backbone, before Subb-an’s remix continues in the same vein, taking us deep into 5 AM territory with glitchy synths and plenty of dark, low-slung percussion.
With an ethos of quality over quantity at his core, Taymor Zadeh has carved out a bespoke sound within the electronic music sphere. In recent times his releases have been welcomed by Stephane Genacia’s Highpath Records as well as Luca C’s See Double imprint, a testament to his keen ear for production. Berlin-based Subb-an is a leading figure in the UK minimal scene. As co-founder of One Records, 2020 has seen the label celebrate ten years of releases with a two-part vinyl sampler, including tracks from the likes of Anna Wall, Matthew Johnson and more besides.
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2020 sees Jazz & Milk celebrating its 15th anniversary! Since 2005 the label, founded by Dusty, offers an experimental playground for international artists that share a passion for organic and soulful dance music. Many legendary club nights and over 30 releases later, Jazz & Milk has become a household name amongst the eclectic music imprints. The focus has always been to transcend genres, including a broad spectrum of styles ranging from jazz, soul, brazil, afrobeat to house, broken beat and electronic music.
For this very special occasion, the label presents six exclusive tracks by the likes of Steve Spacek, Àbáse, Sam Irl, Feater, Bongani GiveThanks and Moe Fabrik - the club focused collaborative moniker of Wayne Snow, Ziggy Zeitgeist and StyleBoi 92.
With this compilation project, Jazz & Milk is not only celebrating an illustrious 15 years of operation. The label also wants to take the opportunity to highlight the importance of 'community', at a time when racism, greed, injustice and a deadly pandemic are jeopardizing our ability to harmoniously exist with one another.
Peace, Love & (Comm)Unity!
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Twenty vinyl releases is a strong landmark in any labels life most especially in these ever unpredictable days. Tropical Disco Records have reached that number with some verve. Over the last three years they have had a succession of chart-topping, sell-out releases fusing their love of the Jazzier edges of house music with contemporary disco and plenty of sure-fire club hits. So successful has the label been that they have in a short space of time that they have quickly become one of the most established labels releasing across the disco spectrum.
As you would expect Tropical Disco Records have put together a very special collection of tracks to celebrate their twentieth edition. Uniting Italian producer Paul Older with England’s Tung-Sol, Greek disco don C. Da Afro and London’s label head Sartorial the EP marks all points on the European compass. It’s an EP which shows the clear impact that Disco has had across the continent and indeed that we are all united by the power of music.
The opening move goes to Paul Older with his delightful track ‘Nothing’ and it’s the perfect feel-good moment. Wonderfully warm vocals, layers of Saxophone, guitar licks aplenty and some tight drum programming give it an energetic live feel as if Salsoul’s band are playing this in the corner of your club. ‘Nothing’ is a track which transcends pigeon holing and as such is perfect for a variety of situations from sun soaked day parties to peak-time dance-floors.
Tung-Sol’s ‘One for Frida’ is packed with layers of brass giving it a truly enigmatic feel. It’s a track which has discernible African overtones but as seen through the lens of American funk and transcribed by a disco loving auteur. Its effervescent feel is hammered home even further with the addition of Jazzy keys. ‘One For Frida’ is as multicultural a track as you will find in the Disco pantheon and as such will see this picked up by a multitude of genre hopping DJ’s.
‘Shiva’s Chant’ see’s label co-boss Sartorial adding Eastern influences to what is already a globe trotting selection of sounds on Volume 20. Its smooth keys and brass stabs give it an undeniable charm which will see it in heavy demand with sun worshiping DJ’s and for summer playlists alike. Sitars, guitars and trumpets combine here for an intoxicating mix of sounds which help this track stand out from the crowd.
Closing the EP out is perhaps Disco’s most prolific producer C. Da Afro. His sure hands deliver yet another club smash in the shape of 'Street Jam'. Powerful strings immediately establish this as a track which has no intention of letting you do anything other than dance with abandon. It’s a straight to the dance-floor combination of percussion, guitar licks and delightfully effusive vocals. Combining the best moments of 70’s disco he’s crated a sensational club jam.
With their twentieth release Tropical Disco Records continue to redefine the notions of what disco is in 2020. With releases this exciting we can’t wait for the next twenty.
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SUMMER OF SEVENTEEN are MONIKA KHOT (NORDRA, ZEN MOTHER), WILLIAM FOWLER COLLINS, DANIEL MENCHE, FAITH COLOCCIA (MAMIFFER), and AARON TURNER. (SUMAC, SPLIT CRANIUM).
Wildfires plagued Washington state during the summer of 2017, their smoke drifting westward toward the Seattle area and toxifying the air. Shortly before that trauma, MONIKA KHOT, WILLIAM FOWLER COLLINS, DANIEL MENCHE, FAITH COLOCCIA, and AARON TURNER had gathered at the latter two musicians' House Of Low Culture studio on idyllic Vashon Island with revered producer RANDALL DUNN. There they cut eight songs that capture the makeshift band's feelings of what COLOCCIA calls "a kind of doomsday lurking in the background." It's as if these highly attuned players had a premonition.
"Summer Of Seventeen" -which was edited and arranged by MONIKA KHOT, who records apocalyptic music solo as NORDRA and plays in the avant-rock band ZEN MOTHER—is a nuanced admixture of these musicians' sounds and a culmination of all of their previous collaborations. COLOCCIA and TURNER have created eldritch folk and chamber rock for over a decade in MAMIFFER while engaging in various solo and group projects that explore their profound spirituality in sound. MENCHE has been a fixture on the abstract composition scene for 31 years and COLLINS is a savvy explorer of drone and ambient forms. Their ephemeral summit meeting has yielded a masterwork for the ages.
A heaven/hell and beauty/beastliness dichotomy pervades the album—as if a titanic struggle was transpiring in that small studio. The fearsome trumpet fanfare that starts "Chorus Of The Innocents" heralds a baleful fate. With a subliminal industrial rhythm bristling beneath the eerie exhalations, the song submerges us in a slow-motion maelstrom, a horror-film facsimile of MILES DAVIS' "Bitches Brew". "Perceived Slight" threads death-metal screams through a stark, suspenseful atmosphere, with austere glints of guitar and beats like fists on a casket lid intensifying the dread.
Angelic chants and celestial drones perfume the air in several of the songs on "Summer Of Seventeen", countered with muted blast beats, serrated hums, jagged glitches, simulacra of grinding gears and lightning. It's as if no good deed goes unpunished. "Spirits Of Redeemer" could be an elegy for the human race while "Cultural Orphan" sounds like a symphony for a malfunctioning factory. The album ends with "Theatre Needs An Audience," a harrowing ballad somewhere between EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN and MERZBOW; it's a savage rent in the space-time continuum.
"Thinking about this record now," COLOCCIA recalls, "it seems like we were all sort of anticipating something like this current pandemic happening, although we were thinking about it as fire in the hands of man (literal fire, and also gunfire) that would overturn the normal running of things and reveal the current false beliefs systems holding up most of America."
That grave aura infiltrates "Summer Of Seventeen", However, a hopefulness bubbles beneath the foreboding architecture of sound and noise summoned here. The bunker is the new penthouse.
-Dave Segal, April 2020
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