quête:sen

Dutch techno duo D&S - or Dennis & Stephan to their parents - hail from Rotterdam and have a penchant for the classic sounds of Detroit. Their previous releases on SK Black, Orbis Records, Indigo Aera's AEX compilations, ARTS and Girada Unlimited have earned them support from the likes of Adam Beyer, Marco Bailey and Ilario Alicante, and this tasty new EP for Abstract Reasoning looks set to find similar favour.

The pitter-patter of classic drum machine hi-hats drive the title track along with swooping, filtered pads and gentle licks of acid, the track gradually evolving into a veritable bubble bath of 303 goodness and gated synth swells. Incidence continues the theme, with gentle cymbal rides splashing over continually evolving acid blips and bleeps while mystical waves of chord melody envelope your senses in a foggy haze.

The second half of the EP flips the script beautiful with two broken beat tracks that show they have a real prowess for melody as well as rhythm. Lost In Sequence's thumping kicks are punctuated by the rolling tribal percussive elements and looming, sorrowful pads. Intricate rhythms and beautiful use of reverb and other FX create a dreamy atmosphere throughout. Partisan sees a morphing, resonant synth motif pulse over another pleasingly thick kick rhythm, and swirling, ethereal layers of atmosphere. All in all it's a superb release that has something for the dancefloor as well as the home stereo.

2024 Repress
ODD OKODDO is a Kenyan/German duo consisting of Olith Ratego and Sven Kacirek.

The two artists met in Kenya, about a decade ago, when Sven Kacirek was recording his "Kenya Sessions", an album that put Kacirek on the map of outernational producers. It was reviewed as a "World Music 2.0" (de:bug magazine), whose "fascination endures" (The Wire). Olith Ratego also made an appearance on the "Kenya Sessions”, on the track "Too Good To Be True".

The duo formed the project ODD OKODDO in 2018, with the two musicians joining their various talents which dovetail in perfection. Ratego writes the lyrics and vocal melodies while Kacirek composes, records and produces the arrangements of all nine songs on AUMA. They create a colourful, dynamic sound which is defined by both Ratego’s enormous vocal compass and range of timbres as well as Kacirek’s outstanding skills as a sensitive percussionist.

Olith Ratego sings in a musical style called "dodo", which originates from the shores of Lake Victoria in Kenya, high in pitch and soulfully expressive. He refers to his music as "dodo blues". His lyrics touch upon the topics of politics, family and of course: love. As a skilled luthier, Ratego builds his instruments himself, like the five-stringed Okodo which lends its name to the project.

Sven Kacirek is a multi-instrumentalist who has been commuting between Germany and Kenya for many years now. In the past he has closely collaborated with various international musicians, among them Nils Frahm and Shabaka Hutchings. Kacirek’s sound builds upon a powerful bass marimba which is present throughout the album. It sometimes invokes the sound of a tuned 808 kick-drum. He works with Kenyan an arsenal of percussion instruments as well as household objects and found materials. Kacirek has now settled into a signature sound which has been described as "thrilling and dizzyingly inventive" by the Australian Cyclic Defrost magazine.

The LP comes with a printed inner sleeve with liner notes by Tabu Osusa from the Nairobi based label Ketebul as well as explanations about the song lyrics.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Temple is proud to present its 6th record to date, this time from Richard Wenger (R Weng) as Richard Lamb.
Drawing loosely on industrial, dub, and early Moog music, Automatic Tango is the result of a three-year experiment in minimal synth maximalism.
Often sentimental, mildly uncomfortable, and bordering on absurd, Automatic Tango will you have asking, who is Richard Lamb, and why is he so greasy?

’La Macarena’ is one of the brightest lights in Barcelona’s glimmering nightlife, and a landmark of the Spanish techno scene. 17 years in daily business brought thousands of electronic artists behind the decks and countless dancers and electronic music lovers on the floor of the legendary micro club. The new music label ’Macarena Musica’ features musical contributions by ’Macerena’ resident artists and special guests - all of them share a big love for ’La Macarena’ and Barcelona. The passionate crafted releases come as limited vinyl-editions and extended digital packages, complete with expressive black-and-white artworks, capturing the atmosphere of the club and the streets of Barna.

For the debut release, ’Macarena’ longterm-resident Patrick Zigon teamed up with his friend Paulo Olarte for ’Belleza Tropical’ - a declaration of love to the club and the heart warming vibe of Barcelona, which is strongly coloured by the latin way of life. It’s not surprising at all that this beautiful inspiration led Patrick Zigon to a tropical excursion into the deep cosmos of latin-infused Techno and House music. As in many previous collaborations, Paulo Olarte refines the productions of the Berlin-based producer with his naughty vocals, resulting in a poetic and love-driven statement for the latin familia. ’Belleza Tropical’ is the first glimpse into Zigon’s third studio album ’Between The Lines’, coming up in summer on his ’Traumraum’ imprint. Beside the Original and Instrumental versions, the single features remixes by the Spanish master of hypnotic techno, señor Eduardo De La Calle, Paulo Olarte and Blanali (digital only). Desde Barcelona con amor!

A regular participant and core member of the CV family since
the very beginning, it was only a matter of time before Simon
Mann would unveil his first solitary vinyl release. Previously,
his appearances on CV’s introductory VA – CVR VI, the
stunning eight-track digital release titled the ‘Shadow Ranger
E.P.’, and performances representing the label both live and
DJing, have allowed Controlled Violence to decipher Simon’s
modus operandi, his artistic milieu, and his sound. Beneath
The Canopy is, however, Simon’s most synoptic work to date,
dancing between labyrinthine environs (natural or
otherworldly), heart-felt progressions, and playful percussion.
From start to finish, the organic elements of Simon Mann’s
artworks present themselves with a sense of wonderment.
The mind begins to lose itself between the defined sounds of
electronic devices, and those derived from reality. Beneath The
Canopy doesn't seek to confuse, but rather define, and
subsequently present the concepts of unity. It summarises the
duality between analogue and digital that occurs in our world,
proving that Simon Mann is both an elite musician, and a being
who is truly sync with the world around him.

Felix Lee has created a world for his debut album “Inna Daze“, a kind of post-human environment where the sun never really rises and everything is lit with a burnt out glow. These are survival ballads for the near future, whose vocals, mutated to fit into this setting, drift in a haze of dissociation. Musically, at first glance, it's sparse and minimal but with continued immersion, subtle iridescent-light shadows shimmer around grainy colour, sub bass rises through kicks and snares retooled from their surroundings, not so much refixed as decaying. Felix has been here before in his incarnation as Lexxi, making his debut appearance on Total Freedom’s 2012 “Blasting Voice“ compilation, and as a co-producer on Elysia Crampton's “Demon City“ album. He then went on to release his first instrumental EP “5TARB01” in 2016 on his own imprint Endless. He also runs an NTS show of the same name, along with previously holding raves, cross pollinating and interacting with the vanguard of the electronic underground. The punky crunch of those earlier releases is reflected in tracks like “Smoke” made with long time collaborator and southside resident Kamixlo. These club moments inevitably give way to the vocals, conveying a feeling of loss and renewal. Intended to exist both inside and outside the club, it's an electronic music that at times feels like a skeletal take on shoegaze, solidifying that feeling with the intense rising synths of the album closer “Slow Decay“.
Inna Daze's features include Drain Gang members Ecco2k and Whitearmor, Yayoyanoh, Quantum Natives' Oxhy, and Gaika, as well as Felix making his debut as a vocalist, his voice filtered through effects to give it a slippery, steam-like texture, echoing around the songs, giving them a second skin of sensed abstraction. One of the most thoughtful and interesting debuts of 2019, “Inna Daze“ beckons the listener into its simultaneously toxic and beautiful sound-world. Keeping enough distance to provoke more questions than answers, the album unfolds in a different way on every listen.

Kanot is Jesper Jarold and Anton Kolbe. With their wide open ears and sharp sense of adaptation they have been involved in some of the last year’s most interesting Swedish musical acts - Fontän, Tross, Uran Gbg, Ultra Satan among others. With the help of Lindha Kallerdahl’s expressive vocals, Jarold and Kolbe weave an eclectic yet durable sonic textile. Call it music for psychadelic hiking, primitive dance beats or speculative folk music - most of all, it is unrestrained music, for the smartest and the dumbest kid in the classroom. In the dense, and at the same time airy production, some drums anchor themselves steadily into the ground while others lash out like reverberating rhythmic gunshots. The tones from Jesper’s guitar and fretless bass float like leaves on the Drangme Chhu River, at times almost drowning in effects only to resurface in surprising and skillfully chiseled melodies that could play forever. This Höga Nord Rekords 7” is just a teaser of an exciting collaboration of which we have yet only seen the opening credits!

Duccio Lopresto is a classic car lover and modernist in the classical sense from northern Italy. His debut on Greta Cottage Workshop was a blueprint for what House Music can be 35 years after it emerged: Funky without copying the 70s, deep without being boring, uplifting without being cheesy.

His second artist EP is now going to be released on Berlin's „Smile for a while“, coming with heavy synths, bouncing basslines, syncopated drums and hypnotizing rhythm patterns. Clearly an approach from a motor city - not Detroit though but Milan.

Pregnant Void returns with another of their deeply involving and thought-provoking albums, this time from Berlin based sound designer and live-performer Francesco Devincenti.

Devincenti has been making music all of his life and quickly established himself back home in Northern Italy. To further his talents he headed to Berlin to study at the S.A.E. Institute and soon went on to a job at Analogcut mastering studio. As such he is a sound design wizard with an exceptional ear for detail and someone who can get real meaning and soul of out the machines he often solders together himself. He is part of a couple of live hardware duos - MORK and TDV - and always fuses ambient, techno, distorted grooves, jungle beats and dub moods into his immersive recordings.

This new album draws on ten years of life experiences and uses music as a way of telling his own autobiographical story. "With the album I try to explain what I have inside in a way I cannot using only simple verbal communication: those moments of Brutal Reality where you lose something very important and cannot fully express yourself." Though always obsessed with finding his own musical voice, Devincenti is also inspired by studio masters like King Tubby, Adrian Sherwood and Mark Ernestus. His experimental music follows no existing path and is made on modular systems that result in unpredictable and unconventional ambience and rhythms. A number of collaborations add more flavours to this most rich and rewarding album, including friend Hi.Mo, label boss Simone Gatto and vocalist Alice Lobo.

Brutal Reality is filled with truly freeform electronic music - sounds without borders, but with very real narrative and an absorbing sense of emotion that makes it a moving listen in more ways than one.

“Dive / 4AM” is the latest outing from San Francisco Bay Area-based six-piece, The Seshen. The 7” outlines thesteps the group has made since their critically acclaimed sophomore album in 2016, both as a band and as individuals. “Since ‘Flames & Figures', a lot has been taking place both internally and externally. We were on tour for the last album when Trump was elected. There was an intense heaviness, a familiar one, one that extends generations and it just sunk in even further”, singer/lyricist Lalin St. Juste explains.

Side A opens with distorted four-to-the-floor chomper, “Dive”. Aggressive yet danceable, gritty but somehow unstoppable, “Dive” is inspired the profound need for change, catalysed through the somnambulant Larry Heard-esque bassline meshed to the warped tones of Lalin’s vocals. “The path towards my power, my strength, being okay with being unapologetic is just starting. I’m reclaiming what I have lost, reclaiming what has been passed down to me. The song is about the ground beginning to shake”, Lalin preaches.

While in contrast on side B, “4AM” untethers the listener by exploring a sense of spaciousness, flourishing the sparseness, distracting with moving snippets of delicate production. Lyrically tackling the insomniacs waking nightmare, “4AM” is about the witching hour, battling against oneself. "I was experiencing anxiety at night...where I would review all my actions and all the things I said throughout the day in search of something that I did wrong. At times it would keep me up, and I felt that I was at war with my mind.”

"We Can Do Anything We Want Because They Say We Can't Afford The Police"

Talking Heads lost in Ancoats. Prince in a Berghaus. The Compass Point All-Stars meet the Piccadilly Gardens Spiceheads.
Welcome to the world of SEE THRU HANDS.

Here to bring salvation to a Broken Brexit Britain, See Thru Hands is a fresh band from Manchester with hooks for days and a SERIOUS live vibe. Their debut EP on Manchester legend RUF DUG's label RUF KUTZ - "The Hot City EP" - brings you two new songs backed with remixes tested on the world's best dance floors.

Opener HOT CITY's energetic punk/funk conveys a dark story of British city life outside the London bubble.
Our councils are fucked, our public services neutered and all anyone cares about is when Deliveroo is gonna be available in their neighbourhood. Throw away your post-apocalyptic fantasies because it's already like that - the only option is to dance. It's grim up north.

After dancing ur arse off and simultaneously coming to the realisation that we're all fucked pls don't worry - See Thru Hands are here to pick up your pieces with NOTHING TO LOSE, a whimsical modern pop banger with shades of New British House that will instil in you a sense of freedom and ease all your worries.
Yes we are all going to hell in a handcart but with See Thru Hands as our companions, I think it's all gonna be just fine.

The package comes backed with a pair of deadly remixes - boss man RUF DUG strips back Hot City to the bare bones, rigs up a couple of jazzy neon lights and a DMX drum machine and brings you his 'Metrolink Vibes In The Area' version, while young upstart METRODOME completes the all-Mancunian lineup on this record with a twisted Marmite 2-step interpretation that is either gonna make you buzz or spew. It's not for everyone.

A mainstay of the independent funk, soul and blues scene - Dr Rubberfunk's home-grown, honestly composed, and intricately produced recordings, combined with a hands-on approach both in front of and behind the mixing desk, have earned him a well-deserved reputation for being a name synonymous with quality.

That quality just keeps coming as he carries his successful 'My Life At 45' singles series into a third instalment. With two sell out runs of limited edition 45's having won praise from the likes of BBC6 Music, driven mixes on Mixcloud to the top of their charts, and garnered support across the blogosphere, it made sense to continue the good work and get to work on number three.

Extending his fruitful relationship producing fellow Jalapeno Records artist and soul gospel specialist Izo FitzRoy, the lead track sees them team up for some timeless songwriting in the shape of 'A Matter Of Time'.

Izo is on a real hot streak at the moment having featured on Pt.2 of this 7" series before going on to work with Shawn Lee (BBE Records) and Dimitri From Paris (Glitterbox) on singles that tore up radio charts worldwide. And she delivers on this track once again, with the catchiest melody you'll hear this year over Rubberfunk's tasteful, upbeat and lively production.

Backing it up is the bluesy 'Slim's Mood' which allows the Rubberfunk band to stretch their legs over a driving soul jazz arrangement that's a must for fans of 'Boogaloo Joe' Jones and Grant Green. ... As before, it's likely to be another sell out run, so move quickly before they disappear!

The veil falls, as the transmitter that is Clear Memory commences to send for a second time. Light is being shed on the works of Milium, Westlake & Hayter, Robyrt Hecht and Varum. Four tracks of scientifically crafted tunes, full of rugged drums, menacing basslines, mesmerizing keys and voices that narrate both hard to swallow truths and declare their attachment. 140 g of Clear Memory Sound at various speeds and styles.

Taking inspiration from a vast musical sphere, the Munich-Vienna pair Jorkes are widely recognised for their open-minded and passionate approach to electronic music which is translated through their Freeride Millenium imprint and own unique productions. ‘Cross The Line’ will be the duo’s first outing since 2016 seeing them join up with the Italian pair Hard Ton who are known for releases on Wonder Stories, Luv Shack Records, Toy Tonics and many more. Jorkes invite Live At Robert Johnson artist Massimiliano Pagliara and Philpot founder SoulPhiction aka Jackmate for remix duties which tops off this distinctive release highlighting the openness and sensibility of their musical philosophy.
‘Cross The Line’ begins the EP with alleviating pads balanced harmoniously with alluring, heart-warming vocals and gentle keys drifting throughout before Massimiliano Pagliara delivers an infectious remix focusing on hypnotic bass grooves, effervescent drums and undulating pads fluttering naturally with the stirring modulations.
‘Jackmate’s Dub Mix’ deploys low-riding resonations fused with muffled tones and thrilling, shuffling rhythms within whereas ‘Jackmate’s 90s Mix’ focuses heavily on organic percussion rolling throughout with robust musical elements and looping vocals. SoulPhiction’s ’Dub Mix’ completes the pack with a tranquil take on the original laying focus on funk-infused instrumentals and subdued jazz drums.

In early 2018, Jas Shaw, one half of Simian Mobile Disco was diagnosed with a rare health condition – AL amyloidosis – a disorder of bone marrow cells. Having just completed SMD’s 7th studio album Murmurations and with a special show at the Barbican scheduled for April, things were thrown into confusion. At the time, no one, including Shaw, knew how the prognosis would pan out. Jas had to start chemotherapy almost immediately, which meant cancelling the tour. The duo decided to go ahead with the Barbican show in spite of Shaw’s illness, which was especially poignant as all involved knew it could potentially be SMD’s last ever live performance – in the end it turned out to be a tour-de-force. If this was SMD’s swansong, so be it.

In the year that followed, Jas spent months receiving weekly chemotherapy, learning to live with his condition, and when he felt well enough, spending hours in his studio making music.

The result of this was twofold, firstly a collaborative album with Derwin Dicker (Gold Panda), released as Selling – On Reflection, on City Slang Records Secondly, a growing archive of solo work, which is now ready for release. Entitled “The Exquisite Cops”, this 20+ track growing body of work will see the light of day via SMD’s Delicacies label – with a 2-track single released every fortnight /month and a limited
edition double LP scheduled for 27th September.

At the end of 2018 a difficult year was capped with hopeful news. With his condition in remission, able to stop chemotherapy Jas is able to start DJing and playing live again.

Jas: “The Exquisite Cops tracks seem to have made their own system for creation. Normally I record electronic music like a band would, as a take. So, it’s kind of surprising to me that that this batch of tracks wasn’t made this way. Instead of a single take that gets edited and developed these tracks were all made in bits, usually months apart. Some days I’d make a drum track, often editing it down so that it’s some sort of semblance of a structure; on other days I’d end up just making a synth sound or texture. This wasn’t something that I gave into reluctantly, it’s nice to be able to give a feedback based pad your whole attention rather than just set it up and only attend to it if it gets really out of hand.

The process of matching these misfits together was originally born out of laziness, rather than break open the synths to make something to develop an idea, what if I could just use something that I already had; slack. The interesting thing was that in pulling two takes together that were done months apart, they cast each other in a different light and though sometimes making them fit together was a hatchet job, sometimes they locked up together in an improbable way, making the rough structures that I’d improvised make a different sort of sense; often a more interesting sort of sense.

The more I did this the more it felt like this was not just a slacker’s way to use up offcuts, this resulted in combinations that I’d probably not have chosen if I’d done the tracks in one go. Also, and I know this isn’t something that’s important to everyone, there was a level of fastidious detail that I’d never have got if I’d had the textural and rhythmic elements playing together. It’s a longwinded process but it’s changed how I record and how I think about recordings I’ve made; plus I enjoy all parts of it so why cut it short?”

Brioski has been redefining his sound and style on a number of labels, Codek, Throne of Blood, Slow Motion, Nang. He is also the mind behind the Boot & Tax and Tamburi Neri projects.

The Mindless Sequence EP is a selection of the industrial post-techno style Brioski iscurrently pioneering. Warm, trippy, synth heavy tracks with a straight beat framed by sentence fragments. The sound signature is there, analog evolving basslines, icy pad stabs and unrelenting beats and the song structure reflects Brioski's art in its constant evolution.

Following his debut on Phantasy earlier in 2019, Joshua James returns to the label with ‘Journeys In Love’, complimented by a propulsive remix from Joe Goddard. Flipping the ruthless sleaze and hi-NRG of ‘Coarse’ on its head, the XOYO and Rinse FM resident presents a release that soundtracks the deeper, more vulnerable and always joyous aspects of London’s queer nightlife culture. ‘Journeys In Love’ lands with immediate effect, building steadily and confidently around a trippy sample and the hugely pleasurable push-and-pull of James’ synths. Breathing deeply and suspended in red-light, James’ new production tastefully recalls the late-hour, sensual attitude classic NYC deep house, while transmissions of a bottom-heavy bass weight anchor the track in the capital’s defiant after-hours scene. As a digital exclusive, the Super Drama remix utilises skittering percussion and cymbal rushes to drive things forward, dissolving with a playful acid coda.
Needing little introduction, Hot Chip and Two Bears co-founder Joe Goddard delivers a soaring and complementary reinterpretation of ‘Journeys In Love’, one built on halcyon, analogue sounds and further bathed in ecstasy and melancholy.

Patrick Conway keeps a low profile and wobbles through the alleyways. This is his first offering for the ESP Institute. Side A’s Know The Future is properly moody, a UK rave track skirting the fringe of everything we hold dear from the days of our youth—big grey melancholy chords, mild shuffling breaks and anonymous diva cries peppered sparsely throughout—yet the artist manages to skillfully tick our nostalgia boxes whilst avoiding the road into full-blown pastiche. It's a versatile track, easily suitable for both the early hours in the warehouse or the tender drive home where your terrible Tuesday awaits. On the flip side, Patrick continues his plunge into emotional depths, summoning layers of ghostly sighs, chopping up the beats in half time and introducing a more prominent use of bass, but midway through Digital Warfare he jettisons the angelic pleasantries in favor a more deranged headspace. He’s had us swallow the wrong pills, sending us through a labyrinth of mirrors and echoes for the second half of the track, only to partially find our footing in the last minute. These two songs will send you to another time and place.