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Full of bounce and experimentation in equal measure, ‘Triple Transit,’ Braille’s new album for Hotflush is about leaving his Sepalcure project (with Machinedrum) in the rear mirror, moving back to New York and using its energy to fuel new moves, confronting our hyper layered world and overcoming personal difficulties by being creative.

Focused squarely on utilising modular synthesis in sprawling studio sessions, the album covers a wide stylistic range and draws on the artist’s formidable battery of experience to craft a body of work that packs real emotional punch as well as a dancefloor sensibility.

We had a quick chat with him to wet your appetite…

Praveen Sharma aka Braille:
Moving on from Sepalcure
“That period of time when Sepalcure was at its peak was really inspiring. I’m still really in awe and humbled by the fans. It’s always amazing to hear about how music you’ve made has brightened up other people’s lives in some way, but ‘Triple Transit’ is really about transitioning from that period to something new. I’m intentionally not using many vocal samples on this album. That became quite a crutch for Sepalcure and I wanted to try and find ways to evoke those emotions and connect with the audience in other ways.”

The roots of his Bounce
‘Sour Patch Kiss’ and ‘While We’re Free’ are inspired by classic house and some early Detroit stuff. Songs like ‘Big Fun’ (Inner City), ‘I Wanna Be there’ (Model 500) and slowed down ‘Sex on The Beach’ (DJ Assault) have stuck with me since the beginning. I used to listen to this slowed down and doubled version of ‘Sex on The Beach’ on an early Juan Atkins mix cd on REPEAT when I was in high school.

Getting ambient
Triple Transit slows down and transitions through a bit of sadness and eventually acceptance at the end of the album. A lot of the music I’m making these days is trying to recreate that manic feeling so many of us have in 2024. Between social media, ridiculous hustle culture expectations and depressing global and national political events, it’s hard to not feel overwhelmed. I feel like Triple Transit is kind of a parabolic curve from mania to joy to a sober realization that yeah, actually the world is just fucked but somehow we carry on.

The second instalment from London Odense Ensemble digs deeper into the group's vision of what modern psychedelic jazz should sound like. Cut from the same sessions as Jaiyede Sessions vol. 1, released last summer, vol. 2 presents a more nuanced approach to the material. On this set the ensemble focuses on shorter, layered pieces - travelling from deep spiritual jazz grooves to gorgeous free-flowing minimalism to full-on acid jazz. There's echo-drenched flutes being absorbed into layers of analog synth pads and guitars, bossa beats and double bass sequences merging with electronics. It’s an intoxicating mélange of sounds and styles, spanning wide temporal and geographical distances. London Odense Ensemble came together when two of the finest exponents of London's flourishing jazz scene, flautist and saxofonist Tamar Osborn and keyboard specialist Al MacSween, came over to Denmark to explore new sounds with Causa Sui's Jakob Skøtt and Jonas Munk, as well as local bass player Martin Rude. For two days the group laid down grooves and ideas and experimented in the studio, and later the best segments were edited and mixed by Jonas Munk, who took a somewhat liberal approach to the mixing process, often dyeing the material with external effects and synthesizers. Jaiyede Sessions are the kinds of records that defy genre-terms, yet have its own instantly recognizable fingerprint. It carries a unique shared vision between the players of what modern psychedelic jazz sounds like. bios: Tamar Osborn: Saxophonist, composer and multi-wind instrumentalist is the creative force behind modal jazz ensemble Collocutor (On The Corner Records). She is a member of the Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra, performs and collaborates regularly with Sarathy Korwar, Jessica Lauren, Emanative, Ill Considered and DJ Khalab. Al MacSween: Keyboard player & founding member of Kefaya. Collaborations include American jazz legend Gary Bartz, Syrian qanun master Maya Youseff, London Community Gospel Choir, Palestinian jazz singer Reem Kelani & kora player Kadialy Kouyate. Martin Rude: Multi-string instrumentalist & lead singer in Sun River & Edena Gardens with members of Papir & Causa Sui. Jakob Skøtt: Drummer in Causa Sui with a slew of side projects on El Paraiso, including Chicago Odense Ensemble, as well as being responsible for the label’s visuals. Jonas Munk: Guitarist in Causa Sui & studio wizard on most releases on El Paraiso. Also works with a wide palette of electronic music.

2024 Repress

Thomas Fehlmann remains as one of the most endearing and respected artists on Kompakt. He has inspired generations of fans and musicians over the course of his 30+ year career. From his early days as part of the legendary band Palais Schaumburg, and the pioneering Detroit/Berlin act 3mb (With Juan Atkins and Moritz Von Oswald), to his longstanding membership with The Orb, combined with his contributions as a solo artist to esteemed imprints R&S, Plug Research and of course Kompakt, where we have proudly released two full length solo albums: Visions Of Blah (Kompakt CD 20/Kompakt 67) and Honigpumpe (Kompakt CD 59 / Kompakt 157), his musical works have been prolific, not to mention four singles and a full serving of tracks found on our Pop Ambient and Total collections. Now, after 3 years, Fehlmann returns with 'Gute Luft'…

'Gute Luft' is the result of months of work scoring the hit German TV film 24h Berlin - the longest documentary film in history which featured 80 camera teams following the lives of berliners over a 24 hour period. Obviously a huge challenge for Fehlmann, beyond the scope of the project and hours of music involved in a 24 hour film, there was dealing with the decision making process that went with working with such a large production team. As he shared scoring duties with another musician (separately), inevitably a lot of his music ended up not making the final cut. 'Gute Luft' is about re-tweaking and editing material from the countless hours of recording he had created. In a sense, 'Gute Luft' is Fehlmann's ideal soundtrack to the 24h Berlin documentary.

“while scoring the film and subsequently shaping it into a album, i found myself questioning what holds it all together in Berlin. I figured that 'Air', the good old 'Berliner Luft', is something that is guaranteed to touch everyone and everything in the city. Also with that Berlin is very green, the combination with the unavoidable city dirt makes for a distinctive blend which seems to infuse its vibrant scene unknowingly with a constructive drive. Besides that, 'Gute Luft' was also the title of a song from my old band Palais Schaumburg, of which I have very fond memories. Also (as he says with a wink) “Gut” is one word I have a profound relation to…”

Fans shall rejoice as Thomas Fehlmann doesn't feer far from his signature path of trailblazing the finer links of classic Detroit House and Techno with the submerged beauty of Berlin Dub. One will immediately recognize the classic scoring techniques Fehlmann brings to 'Gute Luft' - various themes and sounds resonate in various forms and versions throughout the tracks. As Thomas states, “There are also More Subtle Connections That Should Give An Overall Feel To The Score. I Also Brought In Elements From Tunes From My Previous Albums In recognition of the fact that I often feel that there would be so many more ways to explore and experiment with certain ideas than just on a single track”. Fehlmann clearly succeeds in synergizing the best of the past 20 years of Berlin's expansive history of electronic and dance music with 'Gute Luft'. A recreational album in every way in which he hopes will make you “Feel at peace with you and your environment, inspire you to lush, imaginative dinners, make babies, or just walk your own way with open eyes”. Well put Thomas!

This is a re-release of " Gute Luft " orginally released in 2010 on Kompakt.

Thomas Fehlmann ist nach wie vor einer der liebenswertesten und gleichzeitig angesehensten Künstler bei Kompakt. Im Laufe seiner über 30-jährigen Karriere hat er Generationen von Fans und Musikern inspiriert. Von seinen frühen Tagen als Teil der legendären Band Palais Schaumburg und dem bahnbrechenden Detroit/Berlin Act 3MB (mit Juan Atkins und Moritz von Oswald), bis hin zu seiner langjährigen Mitgliedschaft bei The Orb, kombiniert mit seinen Arbeiten als Solokünstler für Imprints wie R&S, Plug Research und natürlich Kompakt: Sein musikalisches Gesamtwerk ist beeindruckend. Wir sind stolz, bereits zwei seiner Soloalben veröffentlicht zu haben: “Visions Of Blah“ (KOM CD 20/KOM 67) und “Honigpumpe“ (KOM CD 59 / KOM 157). Ganz zu schweigen von vier Singles und jeder Menge Tracks, die sich auf diversen Pop Ambient- und Total-Sammlungen finden lassen. Jetzt, nach drei Jahren, kehrt Fehlmann mit “Gute Luft“ zurück ...

“Gute Luft“ ist das Ergebnis monatelanger Arbeit für den deutschen Fernsehfilm “24h Berlin - Ein Tag im Leben“ - der wohl längste Dokumentarfilm der Geschichte. 80 Kamerateams verfolgen das Leben der Berliner*innen über einen Zeitraum von 24 Stunden. Die größte Herausforderung stellte für Fehlmann dabei nicht die Komposition für einen solchen Film dar; vielmehr waren es die Entscheidungsprozesse im großen Produktionsteam, die ihm die meiste Arbeit abrangen. Da er sich die Aufgabe mit einem anderen Musiker teilte, endete es unweigerlich so, dass einige seiner Tracks nicht in den Final Cut kamen. Bei “Gute Luft“ ging es nun darum, Material aus den unzähligen Stunden an Aufnahmen neu zu bearbeiten und zu editieren. In gewissem Sinne ist “Gute Luft“ Fehlmanns eigentlicher Soundtrack zum 24-Stunden-Dokumentarfilm.

"Während ich den Film vertonte und anschließend zu einem Album geformt habe, habe ich mich gefragt, was hier in Berlin alles zusammenhält. Ich habe mir gedacht, dass 'Luft', die gute alte Berliner Luft, etwas ist, das garantiert jeden und alles in der Stadt berührt. Die Tatsache, dass Berlin sehr grün ist; gleichzeitig die Kombination mit dem unvermeidlichen Dreck einer solchen Stadt – das ergibt eine unverwechselbare Mischung, die ihrer lebendigen Szene unterbewusst einen bestimmten Drive zu verleihen scheint. 'Gute Luft' war übrigens auch der Titel eines Liedes meiner alten Band Palais Schaumburg, an das ich mich sehr gerne erinnere. Außerdem (das sagt er mit einem Augenzwinkern) ist ‚Gut‘ ein Wort, zu dem ich eine enge Beziehung habe ..."

Seine Fans können sich freuen, denn Thomas Fehlmann entfernt sich nicht weit von seinem charakteristischen Sound, mit dem er die feinen Verbindungen von klassischem Detroit House und Techno mit der versunkenen Schönheit des Berliner Dubs aufspürt. Man wird sofort klassische Soundtrack-Techniken erkennen, die Fehlmann auf “Gute Luft“ verwendet - bestimmte Themen und Sounds durchziehen in unterschiedlichen Formen und Versionen die einzelnen Tracks. Thomas sagt dazu: "Es gibt subtile Verbindungen, die der Erzählung ein zusammenhängendes Gefühl geben sollten. Ich habe Melodie-Fragmente aus früheren Alben einbezogen, um der Tatsache Rechnung zu tragen, dass ich oft das Gefühl habe, es gäbe so viele weitere Möglichkeiten, bestimmte Ideen weiterzuverfolgen und mit ihnen zu experimentieren, als nur in einem einzigen Track.” Fehlmann gelingt es hier, das Beste aus den vergangenen 20 Jahren Berliner Elektronik- und Tanzmusik-Geschichte zu bündeln. Ein wohltuendes Album in jeder Hinsicht, von dem er sich selbst erhofft, dass es seinen Hörer*innen "ein Gefühl des Friedens mit sich selbst und ihrer Umgebung vermittelt, sie zu phantasievollen Abendessen inspiriert, zum Babys machen oder sie einfach nur mit offenen Augen Ihren eigenen Weg gehen lässt." Gut gesagt, Thomas!

Dies ist die Wiederveröffentlichung von “Gute Luft“, erstmals erschienen 2010 auf Kompakt.

Raining Heart is a studio project originally created by the German musicians Peter Heckmann and Tobias Freund in 1986 in Frankfurt. Very much in the same vein as Art of Noise with its studio sound experimentalism, but with a Kraut edge to it. If there was one track that could be played for everyone at the G20 Summit whilst on LSD in hopes of achieving world peace, it might be “Raining Heart”, the first track on this EP, it’s just one of those tracks that makes you wonder what these people were eating for breakfast at the time. Nothing technically mind blowing, just crafted to perfection in terms of all the elements coming together in therapeutic beauty, (also clearly exposing Peter’s relationship with theatrical production). A downtempo chugger with the dreamiest of sounds, effortlessly transporting the listener to another dimension, the vocals are unthinkable, by Yucca Rose, an East Javanese Jazz singer, almost as if she was broadcasting from a radio station in a parallel universe. “Alien Beat” takes a more aggressive turn into some kind of neo rock direction generously decorated with a wide range of studio tricks that might have been ground breaking at the time. B-side offers two new remixes by Castro, a “K-hole Collage” version of “Raining Heart” taking the original theme to another dubbed out realm, and a “Bonus Beat” extension of “Alien Beat” that dissects the key elements of the original track in efforts to develop a more dancefloor oriented DJ tool. Remastered with original artwork.

“In my opinion, the greatest UK street soul tune ever made! It’s all about the message of unity” - Delasy StudioEight.

Penned during the summer of 1991, 'Got To Make Sure' was recorded at H.Q. Studios in Manchester and released in October of the same year on a limited white label for Raggas Records. "H.Q. had just opened its doors, I think it was one of our first-ever sessions", says founder and sound engineer Michael Vindice: "Basically, it was Hughie and friends in the studio tinkering about until something stuck". The record has remained the most coveted of street soul white labels. Not only because of its rarity and not just because it epitomises the genre with bass-heavy independent production, but also because it emerged from Manchester's early 90s underground club scene that embraced street soul like no other; U-Bert's message made vocal for all his homegrown listeners and beyond.

microCastle’s second offering of 2024 welcomes Upercent back to the label for a new EP. Since first appearing in 2011, Valencia based sound architect Upercent has developed a distinct brand of electronic futurism. An enthusiastic attitude towards experimentation, coupled with extraordinary creative vision has made the Spaniard one of the more unique artists to emerge in the last decade. Upercent’s first microCastle project, 2018’s 'Vuit', not only served as the imprint's second ever vinyl release, but continued the Valencia resident’s mission to create contemporary club tools and destabilizing sound explorations. Seemingly in constant motion moving forward, Upercent would go on to record projects for Diynamic, Kompakt and Watergate, amongst others, firmly establishing his place amongst the underground’s premiere talents. Now more than five years on from this elusive string of projects, it has been Habitat, Innervisions, Sum Over Histories and TAU which have been vehicles for his creative swell over the last two calendar years, reminding us of the niche he carved out during his initial rise, as he continues to maneuver himself through the confines of electronic music. With 2024 being highlighted by ‘Falling’, a two-track collaborative project with Germany’s Adana Twins, Upercent now returns to microCastle with ‘Persevere’.

Beginning with the organic monochromes of ‘Oracle’, Upercent’s craftsmanship reveals itself across the slow-burning piece, one where funked-up beats and rubbery basslines get peppered with skittering rhythms, thought provoking vocal samples and glitched-out electronics. Its subdued yet swing-heavy suspense while perfect for an astute dancefloor, also acts as an ideal segue into the hopeful qualities of ‘As It May See’. Paul Brenning’s vocals feature here, falling like raindrops atop woody kick drums and clustered sonics, eventually giving way to an interlude of soulful phrasing, coaxing beautifully with granular textures and ghostly swirls of wind, before tastefully moving forward as panoramic arps emerge for a mesmerizing finale.

Upercent’s distinct aesthetic continues on the fourth selection ‘Cult’. Perhaps the most direct composition on the EP, its six-minute running time quickly sets you adrift in a techno-inspired wasteland of deconstructed vocals and retro chord stabs. Both intimate and wide-ranging, it's a series of crystal-like drones which engulf your attention whole, creating a sombre, ceremonial backdrop for misty glitches and fog-like swells to create a scenic storyboard. Reverberating hits and twitchy rhythms fill the space of closer ‘Blau Cel’, a production where Upercent crafts a trek through mountainous dancefloor trails. Unbound by gravity, orchestral gestures sweep across mossy plains and frost-filled sighs, offering listeners another immersive journey into the uncharted realms of musical expression.

Locked-In is back in the game with its sixth release, The Amigos EP. This four-track exploration sees rising producers Andy Somoza and Juaan take the helm, crafting an EP destined for the crates of discerning DJs.

Leading the charge is "Disperso," a cheeky and extroverted anthem that injects chopped-up rave stabs and nostalgic vocal breaks into a tight rhythm section. It's a classic Locked-In opener with a fresh twist, sure to get bodies moving.

"5am" dials up the intensity with driving, compressed kicks and dry snares, exuding edgy confidence – perfect for those late-night warehouse sessions where the energy is pumping.

A left turn on the B-side. "Waita" ushers in a spooky atmosphere. Ghostly bells and wet synths dance around an electro snare and airy, galloping hi-hats, creating an intriguing and unsettling soundscape.

The EP closes with "Mi Partner," a masterfully woven tapestry featuring silky vocal samples, driving snares, and a killer bassline. This introspective track beautifully counterpoints the playful energy of the A-side.

Debut LP from House On The Strand whose production sensibilities fall somewhere akin to Boards of Canada, Toxe, Fourtet, Khotin & Croatian Amor.

House on the Strand’s debut full length release is a playful, wide eyed and vivid collection of songs that echo the simplicity and nostalgia of 00’s childhood. A collection of colourful and vivid synth tones, fragmented beats and samples across 35mins dance like shapes and colours behind closed eye lids or like imperfect early digital camera footage of summers lost to memory. Sonically, 'Heroine’'s tones and production sensibilities fall somewhere akin to Boards of Canada, Toxe, Fourtet, Khotin & Croatian Amor.

The third collaborative album by ASC & Sam KDC is here, entitled Surfacing. A six track excursion through sombre mood setting drones, relaxing hypnotic melodies, with a heavy slice of melancholy setting the scene throughout.
Pressed on clear/white heavyweight 180gram vinyl, with a high quality picture sleeve, designed by ASC.

Nonna Fab is a core part of Sheffield’s progressive music scene, founding Apricot Ballroom, Footprints Jazz Club, Jazz On The Park Festival, and his band Fuji Speedway. He’s also part of the consortium behind Grub Records, a new record shop and wine bar opening this summer. As well as regularly playing as part of his duo with Apricot Ballroom, Nonna Fab’s back catalogue of releases explores house, boogie, jazz and broken beat. This release shows an organic curation of instruments, touching on live elements, jazz improvisation and dance-floor orientated rhythms. We Still Out Here began a few years ago as a nod to the iconic New York City sound of Dinosaur L and Francois K, and to serve as a message that there are still producers out here working on and inspired by that sound. This release also features remixes by Admin and Comb. Bristol-based collector and beatsmith Admin is known for his sampling finesse, self-releasing some killer 7s, edits on his Community Disc-O's label, and music on others including Boogie Café Records, Take Away, Better Listen, and Future Boogie. The second remix comes from Norwich-based artist and I Travel to You label manager Comb, one half of the duo Dangerous Goods and the producer behind the popular Comb Edits series.

After the standout success of last year’s maiden edition, Drumcode returns with volume two of its acclaimed Elevate compilation featuring no less than seven label debutants. The compilation’s manifesto is simple. Platform a broader range of emerging artists on Drumcode and help elevate the next generation to make strides in their careers. At the same time, the project gives fans a taste of the future and a sneak peak of some of the names you can expect to see featuring on the label and at showcases over the coming year and beyond.

Luca Trentini's 3rd release on Blessyou, further exploring and perfecting his disco sample-based recipe to dancefloor enhancement. A well put together club oriented tool kit put forth by a seasoned DJ himself, Luca shares his club secret weapons with us once again. Coming on strong on the A side at 124 BPM with a driving momentum splashed with acid nuances - peak time main room Cocktail D'Amore material. "So High!" drops down to 120 BPM with a more playful use of his sample pallets.

Moving down to low 90s BPM on the B side with a downtempo chugger jungle flavoured cruise as he befriends a few animals with a lot to share, including what sounds like a Kookaburra and a few big cats. Something here for everyone.

Fledgling label Shadow Pressings already made a mark with their debut release in March entitled the Chicago EP, garnering love from Hunee, Terry Farley and Luke Solomon to name a few.

Striking while the iron is hot, the label are serving up four more heavyweight club tracks which include acidic edits, crunchy deep house, 808 electro grooves and dusty breakbeats.

Lead track Find A Friend jacks up the perennial classic with 808 rims and toms and additional synths but keeps things loopy and rolling.

Holding One Shoe continues with the 808 theme whilst injecting a healthy dose of acid resulting in what sounds like a long lost Yazoo B side filtered through a lysergic lens.

Train Of Fools decontextualises a well known acapella making for a deep and techy basement jam which will keep the floor moving and the speaker pumping.

Closing out the EP we have More Music In The Night, which chops up some familiar samples and layers up an 808 electro groove and breakbeats for a fresh take on early 90’s house.

The story of this EP dates back to 2021, when we—the whole BMP crew—were attending our annual family gathering at the now-defunct Sarcus festival (R.I.P).



On a late Saturday afternoon, we all gathered under the same tent to watch one of our dear friends perform live. You guessed it: this friend is Malouane. From the first track of the live set, we in the audience exchanged astonished looks. We knew he had been working hard on this live set for months but didn't know anything about it. As the live set unfolded, we kept traveling mentally in a perpetual state of amazement.


By the end of the set, we all had the same idea: to congratulate Malouane and ask for the tracks so we could release an EP that would capture the essence of this live set, allowing us to relive that very special moment.



After a long wait, we are now more than happy to share some selected tracks from the set with you, hoping you will feel the same excitement we felt at the time.
As a cherry on top, besides having four tracks from Malouane, we asked our dear friend Gabriel Belabbas—from Positive Future—to craft an additional remix, giving this EP a deep house edge.



Certified floorfiller!

"Trauma and the shock effect of it - the leftover residue of harsh reality so impactful that it shapes the way you imagine, envision and calculate your position in regard to everything and everyone around you.
A new type of psychological radius evolves. Boundaries are reinforced. Relationships are recessed. A damaged brief system float aimlessly. Vulnerable to and for anything reminiscent of a worthy cause. The truth about facts became satirical monologue, dead end expressions that have no critical arrangement. We all know someone that either has been or will be"

- Jeff Mills


The Eyewitness reveals a habitual pattern in the way it symbolizes a mirror reflection of mankind in our most vulnerable moments. It is the forthcoming album of Jeff Mills and it is composed from the perspective of an unknowingly complicit bystander and it is at the very least, psychologically pathological in nature. What this release is essentially proposing is an admission to the diagnosis that no one is immune to shock and trauma. Not the accuser or the accused. And this abnormality s culturally and generally transmittable - handed down and passed over to one another disguised as righteous theatre.

As an artist, what Mills is notoriously known for is the perspectives and paths he chooses to approach hefty, complex, and sometimes, awkward subjects. The best way to recognize the narratives of his mostrecent album works such as "The Clairvoyant", an eerie transcending album that plays through like a Seance for creating a bridge to reach another dimension or "Mind Power Mind Control", a cautionary warning about the consequences of supporting deceit, mind control and mass mental persuasion is to start by first taking a moment to look at yourself in a mirror. He's suggesting sound as a reflection and what we might be able to see in ourselves. Proposing that we might be the problem and a solution. In the same vicinity of his recent solo albums, the direction, scope or target of The Eyewitness is first about us, then about it.

More than the few previous albums he's released lately, this one has a unique relationship in terms of imagery and visual treatments that represent the concept. The front cover shows Mills, neatly dressed in a black suit that appears to be caught in the act of doing something methodically as he cohorts to supportwith a bright white type of surgical light towards the viewer. Stark and in the act of.......something offensive - it could be some type of hypnotic machine at work. Other photos show him in darkened spaces. Remote and deep in thought.

Other clues are the titles of the tracks such as "Sacred Iridescent Mirror (The Pledge)": this refers to the act of installing value and credit to something ambiguous and "Menticide" which means the systematic effort to undermine and destroy a person's values and beliefs. In the opening track, "in A Traumatized World" we hear the narration spoken by Mills. In a language he specifically created for this album. It's a dialect that is designed to be undistinguishable, but spoken with a compassion that it could be sympathized with. In the latter part of the track, it reaches a climatic point. Meaning, "it" has happened. And the album is the evidence.

On extra note:

In this day and age,it's comforting to see a musician like Jeff Mills administer music conceptually without any conditions attached. The artistry and craft of using sound and rhythm to bring forth a concern, a warning or the result of a diagnosis to the listener.

2024 repress

“The doors are where the windows should be, and the windows are where the doors should be”. If you had been in one of the more open minded all night raves in the early 90s you are likely more than familiar with Earth Leakage Trip’s ‘No Idea’.

You could write several pages about the 'Psychotronic EP' and still not nail it as well as Discogs user covert_operative's description of 'urban, British psychedelic music.' The Acid House narrative is all about ecstasy, but for many, especially outside of London, there was a lot of LSD involved. Things were edgier, too, with parties in derelict, liminal spaces. By the time this record came out in 1991, the rave was properly diverging from its house music beginnings.

The Psychotronic EP was the first release on the legendary Moving Shadow label. Its lead track 'No Idea' is both the perfect entry point to the catalogue and something of an outlier. Neil Sanford had been writing music for a few years before playing some demos to Rob Playford in his car outside a nightclub in Wood Green. Simon Carter got involved, and the pair went to Playford's studio to manifest the madness they'd been sketching with rudimentary gear.

'No Idea's use of samples was wholly inspired and far more surreal than so many of the dark-side tracks that were to follow it. A friend of Neil's had given him a record called 'Happy Monsters' and the lead track, 'Adventures in the Land of Ooog,' lent the unforgettable children's vocals. Neil initially had his doubts. Had they gone too far? However, while working on the track, Rob Playford's girlfriend ran in shouting, "you HAVE to use that!" And so it came to be.

As a footnote, the track did prove to be strong medicine, with at least one documented account of a promoter having to be talked down by his friends after hearing it when psychedelically altered.

The Psychotronic EP is a truly visionary piece of work, standing poised on the edge of the rave's burgeoning future and entirely outside it. As such, it's never not been a cool record, as appealing to lysergic adventurers as it is to house heads, hardcore ravers, or experimental music pioneers. And it has now been lovingly reissued by Blank Mind, for which I'm eternally grateful, seeing as my copy is battered beyond belief.


Written by Piers Harrison

Remastered by Graeme at the Exchange

Licensed with permission from Moving Shadow

Played by Autechre, Colin Dale, Colin Faver, Orbital

Guangzhou-based producer and DJ COLA REN released her debut LP, 'Hailu' in June 2023, a ful-some ambient, balearic, and downtempo brew with a gorgeous sense of melody and spirituality that offers a soothing escape.

To celebrate the release, we have invited 8 talented musicians to the enchanting realm of ‘Hailu'. This remix compilation serves as a metaphorical exploration akin to the "Chakras," symbolizing the diverse energy centers within the human body. Through the collective reinterpretation of Hailu's original composition by 8 musicians, each imbuing it with unique hues and symbols, the remix re-flects varied spiritual essences and elemental qualities.

Originally released in 1990, Same Place The Fly Got Smashed was Guided By Voices’ fourth album in as many years. Roughly a concept album about an alcoholic named Joker Bob who goes on a bender, someone dies, and Bob gets the chair (“the electrifying conclusion”). From the moment the needle drops, the listener is served notice that this isn’t going to be an easy listen, as an argument taped off of a TV cuts to a basement recording of a lone, blaring electric guitar with someone yelling over the top. But for those brave enough to pass the opening hazards, there are wonders within. This particular album has come to be held in higher and higher regard by fans, and they are correct to consider it a top-tier release. The story and sequence have a flow, and consideration for approachability is optional. Many of the crudest tracks reveal themselves as necessary stitches in the album’s tapestry. Yet it also contains all time greats like “Drinker’s Peace,” “Mammoth Cave,” the epic “Local Mix-Up/ Murder Charge,” and of course “Pendulum” with its immortal opening line: “Come on over tonight, we’ll put on some Cat Butt and do it up right!”—a rare break in the clouds on one of the band’s darkest albums. This reissue, like the previous ones in this series, is a mostly faithful reproduction of the original pressing of 500 on the band’s own Rocket #9 label. And like the others, the virgin RTI vinyl is housed in a thick tip-on jacket, and includes Robert Pollard’s original handwritten lyric insert.

DJ Support:
Denis Sulta, Austin Ato, Laurent Garnier, Tom / Groove Armada, Idris Elba, Jamie Jones, Oliver Heldens, ACRAZE, Mark Knight, Sam Divine, Riva Star, David Penn, Severino, John Summit & many more.

Massive Sampler from KooKoo featuring some heavyweight names inc Mark Knight & Armand Van Helden, Full Intention alongside up and coming names Ewan McVicar & Fabrikate who combine to deliver club smashing versions of Sharon Redd's "You Got My Love", Cloud One - “Disco Juice”, legend D Train’s Keep On, and Gayle Adams “Plain Outta Luck”. Buy or cry.