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2022 Repress

Our POP AMBIENT compilation series returns for its 2018 instalment, with series curator Wolfgang Voigt presenting another batch of hand-picked recordings from genre veterans and newcomers alike. The more seasoned among this year's contributors are easily identified by their individual artistic sensibilities, ranging from the morphing, organic rhythms of THE ORB's sample collages (on SKY'S FALLING) to KAITO's ethereal, trance-infused soundscapes (TRAVELLED BETWEEN SOULS) and MIKKEL METAL's intimate ambient songwriting (SHAME).
They join the ranks of Pop Ambient scholars such as MAX WÜRDEN & THORE PFEIFFER (co-authoring the sparkling PANORAMA), Magazine's JENS-UWE BEYER (creating rich drama out of cinematic textures on ATHOS) or Adjunct's KENNETH JAMES GIBSON (who pairs soaring strings with bubbly percussion on DISINCLINED TO VACATE). Pfeiffer can also be found working with genre mainstay LEANDRO FRESCO on opener SPLINTER, crossing the growth rings of the Pop Ambient family tree with a subtle, atmospheric collaboration. Another welcome return to the roster, Jörg Burger dusts off his iconic TRIOLA project last heard on Pop Ambient 2013 (KOMPAKT 269 CD 103) with the floating, echo-drenched cut L'ATALANTE.
After making his Pop Ambient debut on last year's instalment (KOMPAKT 365 CD 135), YUI ONODERA continues his exploration of deep, intricate string sounds on PRISM and NINE CHAINS TO THE MOON (CD only) - it's compelling material that shows the Tokyo-based musician and architectural acoustic designer as a strong addition to the Pop Ambient talent pool. He's joined by the two latest recruits to the series, both well-established artists in their own right: techno provocateur T.RAUMSCHMIERE flexes his drone muscles on the elegiac ETERNA, while pedal steel guitar maestro CHUCK JOHNSON creates expanding sonic spaces on the meditative BRAHMI - a uniquely immersive cut that draws from the idiosyncratic country post-rock he established on his acclaimed 'Balsams' full-length released earlier this year.
(de) Unsere POP AMBIENT Compilation-Serie kehrt für 2018 ins Rampenlicht zurück, natürlich kuratiert von Wolfgang Voigt, der auch für die aktuelle Ausgabe eine handverlesene Auswahl an Genre-Veteranen und Neuzugängen präsentiert. Bereits vorhandene Erfahrung mit der Mission macht sich unter den diesjährigen Beiträgen schnell bemerkbar - dank individueller Künstlerperspektiven,

von den organisch-rhythmischen Samplecollagen THE ORBs (zu hören auf SKY'S FALLING) zu KAITOs ätherischen Trance-Klanglandschaften (TRAVELLED BETWEEN SOULS) und MIKKEL METALs intim wirkendem Ambient-Songwriting (SHAME).
Im 2018er Line-Up treffen sie auf die neue Pop-Ambient-Schule, vertreten durch MAX WÜRDEN & THORE PFEIFFER (die gemeinschaftlich für das glitzernde PANORAMA verantwortlich zeichnen), Magazine-Mitbetreiber JENS-UWE BEYER (der auf ATHOS reiche Dramatik aus Texturen zaubert) oder Adjunct-Boss KENNETH JAMES GIBSON (mit aufsteigenden Streichern und sprudelnder Percussion auf DISINCLINED TO VACATE unterwegs). Pfeiffer findet sich ausserdem auf dem Albumopener SPLINTER wieder, eine subtile, stimmungsvolle Aufnahme, die er zusammen mit Genre-Wegbereiter LEANDRO FRESCO produziert hat - gewissermassen generationsübergeifend über die Jahresringe des Pop-Ambient-Stammbaums hinweg. Als weiteres altvertrautes Gesicht der Serie entstaubt Jörg Burger sein beliebtes TRIOLA-Projekt, welches wir zuletzt auf Pop Ambient 2013 (KOMPAKT 269 CD 103) gehört haben, und legt das durch die Wellen gleitende, echogetränkte

L'ATALANTE vor.
Nach seinem Pop-Ambient-Debüt auf der letztjährigen Ausgabe (KOMPAKT 365 CD 135) führt YUI ONODERA seine Erkundung tiefer, vielschichtiger Streicherklänge mit PRISM und NINE CHAINS TO THE MOON fort - zwingendes Material, dass den in Tokyo ansässigen Musiker und Architektur-Klangdesigner als besonders überzeugenden Zuwachs zum Pop-Ambient-Talentpool kennzeichnet. Zu ihm gesellen sich zwei Serien-Neuzugänge, die bereits äusserst erfolgreich an anderen Fronten tätig waren: der Techno-Provokateur T.RAUMSCHMIERE lässt auf dem elegischen ETERNA seine Drone-Muskeln spielen, während der gefeierte Pedal-Steel-Gitarrist CHUCK JOHNSON mit dem meditativen BRAHMI stetig wachsende Klangräume erschafft - ein herausragender Track ganz im Stile des eigenwilligen Country Post-Rocks, den er auf dem zuvor in diesem Jahr erschienenen 'Balsams'-Langspieler verewigte.

Remixes from Ruede hagelstein & Amin Fallaha, Scuba, Julien Bracht and Tom (Alt-J) Hymn to the Night is the debut album from rising electronic post-punk duo, Lea Porcelain. The album was writt en and recorded over a two year period in Berlin's FUNKHAUS, a broadcasti ng house created under Soviet supervision that now houses the world's biggest recording studio. We are proud of what we have made and we have learned a lot through the process,' recall the band. The spectrum of the album is extremely wide.

Every song works together, playing with very different moods. We would describe it as atmospheric, cinemati c and melancholic'. Including the singles, 'Bones', 'Out Is In', and 'Warsaw Street' The song is rich in vibrant synthesizers and gentle vocals laced with percussion as lively as a marching band, creati ng a track as quixoti c as a lucid dream. - Stereogum

Ominous motorik kraut rumblings and the thudding electronic trickery of prime era Underworld. - Godisinthetvzine

Music-wise, we're thinking of smooshing together Joy Division with Echo & The Bunnymen (sure) coupled with the modern-downbeatness of The XX. So everything dressed in black basically. Brilliant stuff . - Killing Moon

An electronic duo from Frankfurt, Lea Porcelain have a dark, twisted yet oddly enti cing sound. - Clash Magazine

Transversales is a French label based in Paris founded by Sebastien Rosat & Jonathan Fitoussi.
Transversales is specialised in the reissues of long lost tapes, rare original soundtracks and library.
Jonathan Fitoussi is a French composer residing in Paris. He works on minimalist and contemporary musical forms. He's also audio restoration engineer at INA & INA GRM. Sebastien
Rosat is a French Music Supervisor working for Films, TV and Advertising. He's also a member of French electronic duo Sommet.
This first release is the original soundtrack of the film Rock, composed in 1982 by Bernard Parmegiani (1927-2013). A major figure of Electro Acoustic music and member of the historic GRM
(Groupe de Recherches Musicales) where he composed an important work of concert, among which is the masterpiece: De Natura Sonorum.
The work of Parmegiani, a virtuoso of the magnetic tape, is widely known to the public even without their knowledge, through the famous title he composed for the TV program Stade 2', for the French radio France Inter and also through the jingle adopted by Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris (1971 - 2005).
Bernard Parmegiani produced a large number of jingles, soundtracks and indicatives but ROCK stands apart in his repertoire. He recorded it without any outside constraints in his own studio. On listening to ROCK, one is reminded of John Carpenter or François de Roubaix: a work which mixes the sounds of the TR-808 drum-machine, Synthi AKS, Farfisa organ and Clavinet.
Limited Edition Remastered from the Original Master Tapes / Exclusive liner notes

Distant Images is D.K.'s fourth release on Antinote and we can say quite safely that Dang Khoa Chau fueled a few identifiable obsessions over the years - for those familiar with his work, it probably won't feel like uncharted territory when they'll hear a somehow well-known guitar in the background of the title-track.
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What time spent collaborating with D.K. also showed us is how much his sound magnified itself and its textures sharpened for the past three years. We now know for sure that his music only seems versatile on the surface as Distant Images confirms that the Paris-based musician has been, in fact, digging deeper in the same direction, each new record working like a diaphragm, always more precisely adjusted to capture his inner vision. It feels, for instance, like D.K.'s music is constantly trying to reach a higher level of evanescence from one record to an other, a process which possibly accelerated after a visit from Suzanne Kraft - who he recorded an album with, earlier this year (coming out on Melody As Truth).

With Distant Images, D.K.'s sound also took a step further into reality - the most attentive ears will hear seagulls on Distant Images while rain is softly falling on Leaving - and slightly departed from the digital universes that his previous records seemed to set in motion. From the most abstract songs - like the Steve Reich-ian Shaker Loops

- to the most evocative ones, the five compositions on Distant Images are like stained glass, gently filtering natural light. It is therefore no coincidence if, of all the senses, the titles of the songs mostly refer to Sight: close your eyes while listening to the cinematographic Days Of Steam and visions of an industrious city might appearbefore you.

The beauty that emanates from Distant Images is of a diaphanous kind and the record a collection of kaleidoscopic moments.

As the head of Grounded Theory and MANHIGH, Henning Baer has since 2009 presented his downcast, experimental interpretation of modern electronic music to wide critical acclaim, establishing his forceful presence on Berlin's scene with immaculate curatorial skills and equally imposing DJ abilities. His discography so far, concentrated on Adam X's legendary Sonic Groove imprint and his own K209 and MANHIGH imprints, amongst others, keeps step with his formidable reputation and wide-ranging tastes, moving across the spectrum of hard-edged, aggressively modern techno. With 'Shatterproof', his long-germinating debut album for MANHIGH, he offers for the first time his unified vision in extended format, a varied exploration into the outer limits of the genre. At its centre a work of dark minimalism, he sets and maintains the pensive tone on ambient pieces like 'Angel Dust', 'All Over', and 'MIL-STD 461', which foreground the exploratory electronics that maintain their presence throughout. The corroded textures of the sounds, enveloped in decaying reverb, bring life to pieces like 'Never Ending' or 'Bliss', which sit between rhythmic interludes and the stricter dancefloor material found on the remainder of the album. Once he shifts into techno, he does it unremittingly, from the uptempo fury of 'Code Buster' and 'Burning Chrome', whose starkness only heighten the tension, to denser pieces like 'Drama Sky' or closer 'Vermillion Red', where the cavernous impacts of drum hits punch holes through beds of seesawing synthesizers. Shatterproof like its title suggests, Henning Baer's first album unifies and strengthens the work of an artist whose legacy is already assured.

Ike Yard recombine their music looking across decades of post punk, electronic, soundtracks and come out with some of their best yet and enough to last the next 20-30 years (in Ike Yard´s very own words). Originally founded in 1979 New York City, members Michael Diekmann (keyboard, guitar, vocals), Kenneth Compton (programming drums, synths arrangements, bass, guitar, vocals) and Stuart Argabright (programming drums, synths arrangements, distortion bass, keyboards, metal perc) reformed the band once in 2007 and again in 2010. Each time different and with new ambitions. This time 'Sacred Machine' EP is defined by detailed drum layers supported by multiple basses and keyboards, some off-timing beat patterns that turn in a second of synchrony into a straight four on the floor kick and first time vocal collaborations.

Composition wise 'Sacred Machine' EP is recorded as a 'rehearsal'. As for Ike Yard songs would not be done so very many times in their existence, all threw in on each piece as they came into being. It sounds like a group that could have been doing records in Anthony Burgess and Stanley Kubrick´s 'A Clockwork Orange'. 'Night Klub' revisits Ike Yard´s original 'Night After Night' from 1981 EP. 'Sacred Machine' might be familiar to those who caught Ike Yard dates in Europe between 2007-2014 as one of the extended jams prepared for the dark ambient shows. 'Tear Drop' night airport music with sweet vocals by Camella Lobo of Tropic Of Cancer is followed by 'Spit' that explores Ike Yard NCR style with jittery beats, clomping, stomping cross cut beats. 'Slaves Of Janet' featuring Erica Belle brings to mind scenes in an S&M parlour with unused lyrics from the Factory America LP recordings.

Since making their debut on the imprint in 2013 with 'Blue Aconite', the Italian duo Hiver has since released two more EPs on Curle; 'Same Mistake Twice' in 2015 and 'Soundescence' last year. Since the release of the latter mentioned EP, Hiver have been busy behind the booth, performing in the UK, China, Germany, Holland and, of course, in Italy, where they still hold a residency at DUDE Club. Kicking off the EP is 'Elipse', a stunning four-minute track that nods to avant-garde artists such as Wolfgang Voigt's GAS alias or Brian Eno, as the pair gradually weaves several layers of shining, atmospheric tones before slowly fading into the background. Title-named track 'Air Castles' follows, with the tight selection of drums combined with the ebb and flow of soaring synths creating a melodic style of techno that has become synonymous with their name. Next is 'Aleutine', a song that similarly blends Hiver's characteristically ethereal, hazy synths alongside more vibrant analogue bleeps to great effect. These delicate synths are later given the chance to gleam as the track comes to a close.Closing this excellent four-track EP is deep-groover 'Leisure', seeing Hiver up the tempo through their clever use of percussive elements, sharp synths and headstrong drums.

In 2017, the musical term electronic' is nearly obsolete given the ubiquity of computerized processes in producing music. Even so, the prevailing assumption is that musicians working under this broad umbrella must be inspired by concepts equally as electrified as their equipment. Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith has demonstrated in her still-blooming discography that this notion couldn't be further from the truth, and that more often than not, rich worlds of synthesized
sound are born from deep reverence of the natural world. Smith (who by no coincidence, cites naturalist David Attenborough as a contemporary muse) has embodied such an appreciation on
The Kid in as direct and sincere a way as possible by sonically charting the phases of life itself.
The album, which punctually follows up her 2016 breakthrough EARS, chronicles four defining cognitive and emotional stages of the human lifespan across four sides of a double LP.
The first side takes us through the confused astonishment of a newborn, unaware of itself, existing in an unwitting nirvana. Smith's music has always woven a youthful thread befitting of the
aforementioned subject. Here she articulates it in signature fashion on the track An Intention,' which serves not only as a soaring spire on The Kid, but on her entire output. There is playfulness here, but it's elevated by an undertone of gravity into something compelling and majestic that is fast becoming Smith's watermark. The emotional focus of side two is the vital but underreported moment in early youth when we cross the threshold into self awareness. The subject is profound enough to fill an entire album, but rarely makes its way into a single track, indicating Smith's ambition to broach subtler and deeper subjects than the average composer. This side offers up another highlight in the form of In The World But Not Of The World' which serves its subject well with epiphanic, climbing strings and decidedly noisy textures over a near-Bollywood low end pulse.

Side three emphasizes a feeling of being confirmed enough in one's own identity to begin giving back to the formative forces of one's upbringing, which is arguably the duty that all great artists
aim to fulfill. This side ends with the exploratory album cut Who I Am & Why I Am Where I Am' recorded in a single take without overdubs on the rare EMS Synthi 100 synthesizer. This humble
piece of sound design serves as a contrast to side four's verdant orchestral moments, all written and arranged for the EU-based Stargaze quartet by Smith herself. This final side represents a
return to pure being, the kind of wisdom and peace that eludes most of us until the autumn of life. On To Feel Your Best' this concept is voiced in the bittersweet refrain one day I'll wake up
and you won't be there' which Smith intended to be a grateful acknowledgement of life rather than a melancholy resentment of loss. The song has both effects depending on the mood of the
listener, and both interpretations are equally moving.
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith belongs to an ilk of modern musicians who are defined by their commitment to creating experiential albums despite the singles-oriented habits of modern listeners,
and here she represents her kind proudly. The subjects on The Kid are not simple to convey, and yet through both emotional tone and lyrical content, Smith does just that. There is a similar
gravity to both birth and death, and rarely is that correlation as accurately and enthusiastically mapped as it is here.

Alan Watts, another logical inspiration of Smith's, once expounded that people record themselves to confirm their own existence, and as such, echoes and resonance are reminders that we are alive. You're not there unless you're recorded,' Watts muses, if you shout, and it doesn't come back and echo, it didn't happen.' The Kid speaks to this idea directly. As Kaitlyn Aurelia
Smith explores her existence through music, she guides us in gleefully contemplating our own.

It's already been 5 years since the last Zombie Zombie album 'Rituels d'un Nouveau Monde', after which the group explored other territories by signing 2 film scores, namely 'Loubia Hamra' by Narimane Mari and 'Irréprochable' by Sébastien Marnier, as well as creating the music accompanying a contemporary circus show called 'Slow Futur' created by Martin Palisse and Elsa Guérin. Wouldn't these beautiful parentheses make you want to return to the sources After 10 years at Versatile Records, 2017 also marks the decade anniversary of the release of their first album 'A Land for Renegades' in 2007, at the time considered to be one of the 10 best albums of the year according to Rough Trade.
'Livity' - Zombie Zombie's latest opus seems to plunge us deep into science fiction, with a cover designed by the mythic cartoonist Philippe Druillet, who is also the founder of the cult Métal Hurlant comic series. The title of the album is somewhat misleading, as one could mistakenly think of a certain dub record made at
the famous Island Records Compass Point studio in the Bahamas. For the uninitiated 'Livity' or 'Life force' is actually a Rastafarian spiritual concept based on the idea that an energy exists within, and flows through, all people and all living things. The record was recorded last winter in Paris, in a very short time frame. 7 tracks played live in 7 days, by Etienne Jaumet (synthesizers / rhythm box / metallophone / sax), Cosmic Neman (drums / vocals / sound effects), and Dr. Schonberg (percussion / electronics / trumpet), recorded at the Red Bull Studios by Thibaut Javoy and Jerome Caron, 2 very competent engineers. To keep it in the family, the album was then mixed by another member of the Versatile stable, the mysterious and legendary DJ/producer I:Cube, done in the label's Victor Studio.
On this album the principles that are dear to the group rest being respected, still as far away as always from the standards of 'radio play', A living kind of music, composed of long instrumental moments recorded with analog synthesizers and drum machines, accompanied by drums and percussion. But I:Cube's touch may bring the unique energy that one may find at Zombie Zombie's concerts; on certain cuts like title track 'Livity' that the group recorded in Laos, a wild combination of 808 kick drums and bewitching jungle sounds that sound quite unlike anything else out there, and especially on 'Hippocampe', which gives the impression of hearing an old school hip hop rhythm with the power of a metal band who have replaced their guitars with an army of synthesizers: we recommend you listen to this particular track in a convertible while speeding down the highway.
As with all of Zombie Zombie's music the cinematic component is still strong, on titles like 'Ils existent..' 'Acera' which was originally composed for ciné-concerts accompanying the films of Jean Painlevé et Maurice Pialat. The energy of the beginning is still very present, as is - of course - the kraut inspiration. But it's also an album that takes new directions and sonic risks, like on 'Looose', which brings to mind the Art Ensemble of Chicago, or the groove of James Chance in New York in the early 1980's, featuring the free sax solos of Etienne Jaumet and Dr. Schonberg on the trumpet. The group also offers some slower and calmer titles, like 'Heavy Meditation' as well as exploring more experimental tracks in the line of French 70's groups such as Lard Free or Richard Pinhas, for example on the bonus track 'Black Moon'.
Please - Take your time, and enjoy listening!

SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION X 300 WITH BONUS 7 :
Limited special edition with the 7" containing the track "Lune noire", in 2 parts - one per side.
It's already been 5 years since the last Zombie Zombie album 'Rituels d'un Nouveau Monde', after which the group explored other territories by signing 2 film scores, namely 'Loubia Hamra' by Narimane Mari and 'Irréprochable' by Sébastien Marnier, as well as creating the music accompanying a contemporary circus show called 'Slow Futur' created by Martin Palisse and Elsa Guérin. Wouldn't these beautiful parentheses make you want to return to the sources After 10 years at Versatile Records, 2017 also marks the decade anniversary of the release of their first album 'A Land for Renegades' in 2007, at the time considered to be one of the 10 best albums of the year according to Rough Trade.
'Livity' - Zombie Zombie's latest opus seems to plunge us deep into science fiction, with a cover designed by the mythic cartoonist Philippe Druillet, who is also the founder of the cult Métal Hurlant comic series. The title of the album is somewhat misleading, as one could mistakenly think of a certain dub record made at
the famous Island Records Compass Point studio in the Bahamas. For the uninitiated 'Livity' or 'Life force' is actually a Rastafarian spiritual concept based on the idea that an energy exists within, and flows through, all people and all living things. The record was recorded last winter in Paris, in a very short time frame. 7 tracks played live in 7 days, by Etienne Jaumet (synthesizers / rhythm box / metallophone / sax), Cosmic Neman (drums / vocals / sound effects), and Dr. Schonberg (percussion / electronics / trumpet), recorded at the Red Bull Studios by Thibaut Javoy and Jerome Caron, 2 very competent engineers. To keep it in the family, the album was then mixed by another member of the Versatile stable, the mysterious and legendary DJ/producer I:Cube, done in the label's Victor Studio.
On this album the principles that are dear to the group rest being respected, still as far away as always from the standards of 'radio play', A living kind of music, composed of long instrumental moments recorded with analog synthesizers and drum machines, accompanied by drums and percussion. But I:Cube's touch may bring the unique energy that one may find at Zombie Zombie's concerts; on certain cuts like title track 'Livity' that the group recorded in Laos, a wild combination of 808 kick drums and bewitching jungle sounds that sound quite unlike anything else out there, and especially on 'Hippocampe', which gives the impression of hearing an old school hip hop rhythm with the power of a metal band who have replaced their guitars with an army of synthesizers: we recommend you listen to this particular track in a convertible while speeding down the highway.
As with all of Zombie Zombie's music the cinematic component is still strong, on titles like 'Ils existent..' 'Acera' which was originally composed for ciné-concerts accompanying the films of Jean Painlevé et Maurice Pialat. The energy of the beginning is still very present, as is - of course - the kraut inspiration. But it's also an album that takes new directions and sonic risks, like on 'Looose', which brings to mind the Art Ensemble of Chicago, or the groove of James Chance in New York in the early 1980's, featuring the free sax solos of Etienne Jaumet and Dr. Schonberg on the trumpet. The group also offers some slower and calmer titles, like 'Heavy Meditation' as well as exploring more experimental tracks in the line of French 70's groups such as Lard Free or Richard Pinhas, for example on the bonus track 'Black Moon'.
Please - Take your time, and enjoy listening!

After more than a year of silence, the French duo VTCN RADIO releases its debut album "'Mydriase"

Mysterious and audacious odyssey, 'Mydriase' presents itself as a sensory and confidential journey. Fruit of a nocturnal composition guided by a need of musical introspection and a decisive encounter with an owl, the writing of this album will cut off its creators in an alternative reality for three years. Behind VTCN RADIO are the French producers Nathan Bokobza - a pianist fascinated by the romantic repertoire and the harmonic research of the impressionists - and Louis Martinez, a guitarist passionate about digital technologies and their uses in the process of sound creation. The group revealed its existence at the end of 2015 with the esoteric Riddle Song and continues to surprise the spirits with the release of the compositions Late Night Shuttle and Venus Flytrap in 2016, before creating in 2017 their own label "Five to Six Records". VTCN RADIO presents with Mydriase an experience based mainly on the dialogue between two entities - a dark, deep and a purer and luminescent - to constitute an elegant music, and ambivalent by its capacity to propose different interpretations. This self-produced album marks the first release of their label Five to Six Records, and presents us for the first time in a broader way the hallucinatory and singular universe of VTCN RADIO.

For the label's 50th release, Emotional Rescue returns to the music of Woo to close a trilogy of reissue collaboration albums, in A La Luna. Following Whichever Way You Are Going (1982) and Into The Heart Of Love (1990), their opus A La Luna (1991) was the last of the bands song based albums and represents a wonderful way to close this association.

Reworked, re-ordered and remastered especially for this first time vinyl release, brothers Mark and Clive Ives again present their unique, ground-breaking and at the time, heart-wrenchingly overlooked music, that seems to fit the folk-new age-electronics of today as well, if not better, than when first released.

Across 20 plus songs Mark's guitar, clarinet and vocals are as ever drenched in Clive's mixing desk mastery. Echo and reverb shimmer as the short pieces rise and fall like the wind blowing across nighttime trees. With no song going much beyond three minutes, A La Luna flows as one piece. The unmistaken sound of Woo wraps itself around you in an essence, warmth and glow that is addictive, meditative and uplifting.

Featuring the original vocal performance of Mark's love ode, Magic In The Dark stands as a centerpiece where, as with all their albums, vocals appear at a minimum, as part of the musical journey.

The underlying somber nature of the album comes as the band ended more than a decade of recording with little critical or commercial success. The fact they did not release a full album again and moved towards a more meditation outlook was a loss, however, their recent rediscovery and the excellent releases by Drag City and Palto Flats included, has finally given the Ive's brothers not just a place in appreciation, but has shown that there really is no one like Woo. Enjoy the magic.

DOMINIK might be known as a resident DJ of the CLUB SCHWARZES SCHAF in his hometown AUGSBURG. There he started throwing parties alongside DANIEL BORTZ anddeveloped his style of DJing. Over the past years DOMINIK released music on labels like PASTAMUSIK, SUOL, LIEBE DETAIL and O*RS. He is also part of YANDOM ( a project together with YANNICK LABBÉ).
DOMINIK's productions are influenced by various kinds of music, let it be techno, house, disco or electronica - a mixture you can hear on his recent TRYADS EP on &ND MUSIC.
A sound already loved and played by the likes of SBTH, BARNT, MARVIN & GUY, AERA andmany more.
At the moment DOMINIK is working on EPs following his EP on &ND MUSIC, both solo and
as YANDOM.

The new EP by rRoxymore signals another audacious step forward for one of the most daring artists in the electronic music diaspora. 'Thoughts Of An Introvert Part 1' is born out of introspection, out of the necessity to disconnect from the frenzy of crowds and to create a soundtrack to an inner landscape which exists beyond the reach of government and dogma. In the words of the artist, "it is a sonic diary of sorts, cataloguing the events of a world which has not yet been invented, in the form of three mesmerizing dance tracks free of nostalgia and the expectations of style."

The spatial afro futurist funk of 'Prodrome' finds rRoxymore balancing darkness and optimism as only she can. The title track, 'Thoughts Of An Introvert' is instantly familiar and carries a soothing utopian spirit, so needed today. Mycetozoa, the closing track is bouncing, drum driven and mad, a celebration of rRoxymore's complex musical mind, offset by irresistibly banging toms and rolling rimshot patterns. It is a track which is at once melancholic, happy, vulnerable, and full of hope. Everything seems possible on the dancefloor this music was written for.

Niall Mannion aka Mano Le Tough is set to release his first record on Pampa this Octobre entitled 'Ahsure". The 3 track EP sees the Irish producer showcase his unique ability to combine dance floor rhythms with visceral vocal based songs. The result of which is a piece of work that will find a comfortable home in a variety of settings. While this method has become the hallmark of Mano's discography, 'Ahsure' feels like some of his most honest and accomplished work to date. The A-side, 'Your heavy head' is the most dance floor focused track of the EP. Mano combines crisp, live sounding percussion with various intertwining synth lines and bell chimes, establishing a gentle yet pulsating groove. His vocals compliment the instrumentation, telling a simple story via an array of disorientating effects. 'Kitedub' on the flip settles neatly somewhere between modern house music and weirdo pop. Mano's stirring vocals make up the centerpiece of the track, as strange sounds swell and subside - all the time kept in check with sharp staccato drums. The title track rounds off the record in beautiful fashion. Penned just after the birth of his daughter, 'Ahsure' hears Mano's lyrics sit above swirling ambient sounds and they convey a raw honesty that is palpable.

Brewing another supremely heavy release on the horizon, Moonshine Recordings is stealing the spotlight once again. Proudly presenting Violinbwoy's first solo album, unadulterated sound system pressure at its finest. Slavic chants and drum rhythms meet the unrivaled power of Violinbwoy's eccentric take on modern bass music 'Fyetisov' kicks off the stellar 3x12" release with a high-powered Stepper emission. Setting the tone with a rumbling bassline and supremely energetic lead instrumentation, full force sound system music down to its core. Shining in a different light, 'Moonspell' reveals its melancholic nature gradually intensifying through otherworldly percussion and anthemic vocal sample placements. Stripped down to its bare bones,'Dubplate' unleashes its detuned, percussive shackles for a massive onslaught of four-to-the-floor, while keeping true to Jamaica's music roots. Warbling tape echo spheres and excellence in emotive expression Violinbwoy's collaboration with singer Marina P turns out to be an anthem by itself enthralling, whoever gets caught into the midst of this hymn of a track. Not backing down one step from the established level of quality, 'Sound System' featuring Junior Dread excels once more in a crystal-clear demonstration of modern roots music mandatory repeat listening. Rejoicing in simplicity, 'Rig Alert' holds true to what the name suggests - cinematic bass meditation, fluidly scaling with the size of its speaker counterpart. Moving on to Dan s vocal skills in 'Wanted': Rastafarian wisdom chanting along a skanking rhythm and orchestral atmosphere. Ethereal bells being submerged in moving air and scattered white noise, 'Run & Hide' demonstrates a more experimental side within the LP exhibiting Downtempo/Ambient inclinations in a magnificent combination with Dub characteristics, only increasing in energy to the call of the dub siren. Ready for more, the title track 'dod' captures us within the expressive, introductory playing of the violin, deserting it for echoes and sub oscillations alike. Calling upon the prowess of Rider Shafique, his harmonic toasting is being escorted by a forward-minded halftime groove in 'Find The Way'. Topping the LP off with Sis' excellence in telling a story through song on a hypnotic instrumental. The nature of last tunes is often powerful, serving to concede with an explosion, appropriate of the session as is the case with 'Surfacing' closing off the monumental EP with visceral lead movements, setting the tone alongside driving drums and one more murderous bassline, sure of receiving countless rewinds in the near future. Encompassing a plethora of current Roots- Dub- and Steppa- influenced styles, Moonshine's next LP installment is sure to be received for what it is: a definitive, quality expedition of what's firing up dance floors around the globe.

What A decade deep into its ongoing investigations, documenting and pushing the sonic frisson and fusion between science and technology, SCI+TEC remain at the very forefront of electronic music. Its feet firmly on the dancefloor, its spirit deep inside the machines, its sights set on the future: Dubfire's label has continuously forged its own deep furrow and has been doing so from day one. With breakthrough Dubfire releases such as 'Roadkill' and 'I Feel Speed' SCI+TEC has managed to create a whole new framework for 21st century techno. All the while SCI+TEC has consistently championed and encouraged new and unsung talent from around the world, amplifying legions of rising names; Davide Squillace, Paul Ritch, SHADED, Simi, Delete, Harvard Bass, Joop Junior and countless more include SCI+TEC releases in their rich histories. This precision balance of stark sonic signature, technical ideology and nurturing new ideas and talent has led to SCI+TEC's perpetual momentum into every house and techno DJ's playlists and sets for the last 10 years. Be it the label's penchant for deep, undulating subby grooves or its passion for warehouse-razing thunder-powered techno, the SCI+TEC sound covers every corner of the floor and every chapter of the night; as proved by the label's many world tours. And proved once again by this fittingly stacked anniversary album. 10 tracks to celebrate 10 years from 10 of the label's most exciting artists, every track brings home the SCI+TEC message: The breath-taking atmospheres of Alex Mine's album scene-setter

MICK HARRIS (SCORN, QUOIT, PAINKILLER) returns after several years of hiatus with ten tracks of blasting landmine bass and interlocking shrapnel rhythms.I've been asked to write a press piece for the dark lord MICK HARRIS.Where does one even start Especially for someone with decades of releases over various solo projects, collaborations and pseudonyms, whether it's doing blast beats in the original NAPALM DEATH to crushing techno brutality as MONRELLA, or savage drum & bass as QUOIT. Then of course there's the mighty SCORN and his numerous collaborations with fellow luminaries such as JOHN ZORN and BILL LASWELL (in PAINKILLER).Rather than being tied to genres or scenes, MICK HARRIS is one of those producers who creates a whole sonic world uniquely of his own, in which varying tracks, styles and tempos take form, but yet in which everything sounds unmistakably characteristic of the creator. Needless to say his work has influenced legions of producers like SURGEON, REGIS, ONTAL, VATICAN SHADOW / PRURIENT, FAUSTEN, SHAPEDNOISE et al, and pretty much anyone in the world of powerfully dark, abrasive music you could name-drop. And yet after all this time, it is impressive that HARRIS still stands way above his successors and has never been surpassed in his own production/performance game.After a hiatus of several years, he is back with a new album under the guise of FRET.Working at a faster tempo than his SCORN material, the FRET project first surfaced years ago on the DOWNWARDS label, rooting it firmly in the dark, industrial and technoid world, and appeared more recently on Tresor (Kern mix by OBJEKT), maintaining the characteristic colossal bass-heaviness and textural depth.And now a full album on KARLRECORDS, Berlin. HARRIS fans will be delighted to know that despite the 130 bpm tempo, the newest FRET still resolutely avoids any straight four-on-the-floor kickdrums, every track lurches, stumbles, staggers and charges forth with beats in beautifully broken asymmetry.We get 10 tracks of crushing, percussive destroyers, each itself a storm of precision chaos, with colossal low-end frequencies that'll cause stampedes in the right circumstances. The classic HARRIS sound is there, searing waves of feedback distortion, intricate, interlocking rhythms and cold, abattoir atmospheres, especially track 6 "Stuck in the track at Salford Priors" which sounds like you're being continuously suspended in the air from multiple explosions all around, each kickdrum throwing you up in the air, the next one going off before you can fall completely back to the ground.The lazy-minded would probably lump it in with the term "techno", but the disciplined brutality, blasting landmine bass and interlocking shrapnel rhythms are clearly HARRIS' own trademark style, sitting somewhere between SCORN and QUOIT.The tracks appear deceptively chaotic on the surface, yet each is meticulously and masterfully composed with great attention to layering and detail. MICK HARRIS fans rejoice, the dark lord still remains at the top of his game.

(Derek Szeto / Fausten / Combat Recordings)

Four years since the release of their last full-length All Pigs Must Die have returned with Hostage Animal, a 10-song album that distills aggressive music to its purest tenets.

The band, now a 5-piece with the addition of Brian Izzi (Trap Them) on guitar, is comprised of some of the most well-seasoned musicians on the eastern seaboard —Kevin Baker (The Hope Conspiracy), Ben Koller (Converge), Matt Woods, and Adam Wentworth (both of Bloodhorse). 

 Hostage Animal is their most dynamic collection of work thus far and the album's first single, 'A Caustic Vision,' is an aural representation of the record as a whole; concise, intense, aggressive and carrying a bleak world view.

APMD unleashed their first full length in 2011 with God Is War, and the 30-minute rip was a nod to primeval disdain and anger. Exploring facets of human conflict one track at a time, God Is War introduced the world to a whole new spectrum of rage.

In 2013, APMD upped the ante with Nothing Violates This Nature. Honing their craft with more speed and filth, APMD pushed their sound closer to the edge of the cliff. Now, in 2017, the band is gearing up for the release of Hostage Animal which, like its predecessors, was recorded at Kurt Ballou's GodCity Studio. But that is where the similarities end; Hostage Animal ushers in 10 new songs that pulverize, gnash, and whirl with the band's most punishing delivery yet.

Hostage Animal showcases that All Pigs Must Die are far more than the sum of their parts, and their fusion of crust punk, hard core and metal is more ferocious than ever before.

Gilles Peterson says: "If a Cuban record had come out on Sleeping Bag Records in 1982, I think it would've sounded a bit like this. It's an eccentric middle ground between Latin-styled pop and disco".

Reissued from the Spanish version of this awesome Cuban records with a unique picture cover. Probably one of the best 70's Areito releases, for sure ahead of his times. The entire record minus two tracks of 10 total are all upbeat with afro-latin breaks, dope choral vocal arrangements and chunky bass and conga lines, but don t sleep, the lower bpm songs are great mellow gems. Gilles Peterson says: "If a Cuban record had come out on Sleeping Bag Records in 1982, I think it would ve sounded a bit like this. It s an eccentric middle ground between Latin-styled pop and disco".

(en) Following their much acclaimed surprise debut, VERMONT's sophomore longplayer presented "another set that rewards deep listening" (AllMusic) and "a mix of simplicity and richness" whose result is "a feeling of spaciousness and a thrilling sense of weightlessness" (XLR8R). Stripping away even more percussion than on its predecessor, "II" saw Marcus Worgull and Danilo Plessow zooming in on ambience, texture and sonic cohesiveness, allowing "each electronic voice to come into focus" (Pitchfork). Now, "II REMIXES" puts the beat back into the mix, thanks to iconic artists DIXON, I:CUBE and WASSERMANN who each develop their own irresistible groove out of the immersive source material. As one of the album's most highlighted cuts, DSCHUNA gets the royal treatment by Innervisions head and internationally revered selector DIXON who proves his strong command of the dance floor with a hypnotic ride that surrounds the soaring sounds of the original with tribal- esque vocals. The instrumental version drops the chants, but retains the enchantment, all elegant rhythm and gorgeous strings. Versatile's I:CUBE, legendary producer and DJ in its own right, brings a distinctly Parisian touch to the spectral SKORBUT, whose sci-fi-imbued widescreen aura gets reimagined as laser-gun-wielding space funk machine. Meanwhile, Wolfgang Voigt aka WASSERMANN condenses PARADIGMA's roaming synths into pulsating trance swells on his stomping KRAUTRAMATRIK MIX.
(de) Nach einem hochgelobten überraschungsdebüt präsentierte VERMONTs zweiter Langspieler "ein weiteres Set fürs Tiefenho¨ren" (AllMusic) und "eine Mischung von Einfachheit und Reichtum" deren Ergebnis "ein aufregendes Gefühl von Weitläufigkeit und Schwerelosigkeit" (XLR8R) ist. Auf "II" verzichten Marcus Worgull und Danil Plessow nahezu gänzlich auf Perkussion und konzentrieren sich auf Ambiente, Textur und klanglichen Zusammenhalt, erlauben so "jeder elektronischen Stimme, in den Fokus zu rücken" (Pitchfork). Nun bringen die "II REMIXES" den Beat zurück ins Spiel, dank des Kult-Trios DIXON, I:CUBE und WASSERMANN, von denen jeder einen ganz eigenen Groove im Klangbad des Quellmaterials findet. Als eines der aufsehenerregendsten Stücke des Albums erfährt DSCHUNA fürstliche Behandlung seitens des Innervisions-Chefs und international gefeierten DJs DIXON der den Dancefloor mit einem hypnotischen Trip im Griff hält und die aufsteigenden Flächen des Originals mit tribal-esken Vocals verziert. Die Instrumental- Version lässt die Stammesgesänge weg, behält aber den Zauber, durch und durch eleganter Schub und prachtvolle Streicher. Versatiles I:CUBE, legendärer franzo¨sischer Produzent und DJ von ganz besonderem Format, entwickelt eine ausgeprägt "parisische" Note für das leicht gespenstische SKORBUT, dessen Science-Fiction-getränkte Weitwinkel-Aura als Laserpistolen- schwingende Spacefunk-Maschine neu imaginiert wird. Derweil kondensiert Wolfgang Voigt auf seinem antrittsstarken KRAUTRAMATRIK MIX die umherstreifenden Synthesizer von PARADIGMA zu pulsierenden Trance-Schüben.

On this new EP, DJJ's trademark jagged take on filtered French house is still present, but with Chicago bump, techno and more random elements thrown in for good measure.I Keep Trying To Convince Myself is the tougher, more rugged and even funkier cousin to DJJ's hotly-hyped 2016 summer anthem just a lil. Chi house meets soca in this carnivalesque new classic, which hits the perfect spot between sweetness and dirt.Yn Y Ty is fast, jerky funk and almost a new genre in itself. Both melancholy and pumping, think DJ Rush meets the Tetris theme in an oddball, groovy-as-hell work of genius.The cut-up, loopy loops and tough, tribal beats on Apilli are deranged in a good way and - as with the rest of the EP - demonstrate a quirkiness and subtle humour akin to Basement Jaxx's early golden period.A big sample drives the jacking, sweaty, glitz of Upsqwar's warped take on handbag, which channels the spirit of Modjo and features a ponderous, almost chiptune melody drifting subtly over the top.The EP closes with the Greek flavoured stomper Glas, which wouldn't sound out of place on Richie Hawtin's 1999 mix album Decks, EFX & 909. This new EP is first release since jus a lil for Crazylegs, which gained high praise from NPR, Resident Advisor, Indie Shuffle, Mixmag, Dummy, Hyponik and FACT - who commissioned a video and coined the tongue-in-cheek genre name 'outsider Ibiza'. Comparisons have been made to Thomas Bangalter, Alan Braxe, Todd Edwards and David Morales - albeit a skewed reinterpretation. Like the punks' assimilation of rock and roll, DJJ's fresh and irreverent take on highlights from dance music history make for some of the most exciting sounds since Daft Punk's first forays.Although distorted and with lowered bit-rates, to call theses tracks 'low fi' is to do them a disservice, as DJJ's manipulation of frequencies, distortion and samples is deceptively simple yet not easily matched. There's a mastery of sonics and leftfield sensibility at play, akin to fellow EQ tweakers Heiroglyphic Being, Aphex Twin and Adrian Sherwood.DJJ is a member of the Bristol-based label/collective Crazylegs, alongside artists including Gage, Sudanim, Finn (all of whom remixed just a lil). He's also one half of ISLAND, whose grime-flavoured Nokia EP was release in 2015 - also on Crazylegs.

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With Situational Awareness, post-punk legends Crash Course In Science deliver a ten track album consisting entirely of brand new material. The songs on Situational Awareness sound crisp and ultra-fresh, while the band from Philadelphia, USA, maintains their distinctive DIY sound created by toys, kitchen appliances and self-built synths. Far beyond new wave, the music is experimental and danceable at the same time - science and art, together hand in hand.

Autotomy is a collaboration between Belgium's Sleeperhold Publications, Brooklyn-based musician Patricia (Max Ravitz) and the Dutch artist Louis Reith. This output is the result of a long process of contemplation, discussion and elimination which gave us a record that encapsulates both Patricia's sense for hardware production and dance floor rawness. Describing this release is not a simple task. So we'll just tell it like it is: it's a record that slows down and, in this process, reveals its mystery. Referencing the title of this release, wunderkind Max Ravitz seems to provide the listener with the possibility of transformation, a way to shed part of your own being.When running though the tracks, one discovers the essentials of Patricia's sound architecture: the presence of lightness, of longing, mixed with the ability to deny it in the next instant. Sonically, there's a careful balance in these productions that belies their fundamental function as body music. It's ambient yet danceable, approachable despite it's often deconstructed layout, and ultimately warm and inviting.The entire record is made using Ravitz collection of hardware, which gives it its uncompromising texture. The presence of kicks, beats and soundscapes does not originate from a clean digital source but from a physical action, an excerpt of movement, a tick of the human hand. It is floating versus rhythmical movement, visceral versus strict. But above all, it is alive.The artwork used for Autotomy's sleeve design and the etching on the B-side was provided by Louis Reith. (All three tracks feature on the record's A-side.) Just as Patricia, Reith tries to resist technology in favour of physical and craft-based media, though the contrast between digital and analog is always present.Dutch artist Louis Reith produces works through a variety of different media, ranging from collages to wood sculptures, to paper objects and ink on paper works, always keeping an interest in simple abstract shapes and their combination. With an interest in materiality Louis resurrects found footage and creates new landscapes of shape and color, celebrating the human hand at work. Deliberate compositions form an illegible visual language where hidden words are portrayed as abstract sculptures.Reith also co-runs Jordskred, an independent publishing company worth checking out.Ravitz certainly is unstoppable and releases in a relentless and uncompromising fashion.Besides many collaborative projects with an array of artists (released under monikers such as Masks, Pulpo, Inhalants, DSR.MR...) he's released music on labels like Opal Tapes, L.I.E.S., Russian Torrent Versions, Ghostly Intl.,... 2017 has been quite a year for him so far. He not only founded his own imprint, Active Cultures, but also released a triple LP. Ghostly Intl. describes the release as a 'kaleidoscopic, a multi-faceted techno trip' and we couldn't agree more.

Veranda Culture is the new project from Melbourne artist and DJ, Francis Inferno Orchestra The new album, his second full length LP, follows on from his most recent release, the club-ready 'Oasis and Time', The next step in James' musical journey sees the producer shift-direction with the tranquil and beautiful Veranda Culture, balancing New Age ambience, percussive pulse rides and echoing synths for an album that unfurls with a calming patience and soothing confidence throughout.Recorded over a period of three years between Melbourne and London, FIO began making Veranda Culture after discovering the debut album of Greek-born, Sausalito-based composer Iasos - the New Age masterpiece 'Inter-Dimensional Music' LP — in Melbourne's Liquorice Pie record store. The album is filled with quietly twitching rattles and bells, gurgling talking drums, and snippets of trickling water and bird songs collected through field recordings, creating a bed of sound that is hard to pin down but effortless to absorb as a whole.

- Drone pursues new resonant frequencies with it's twelfth release, a tonal, penetrating, and experimental album.
- VII was recorded by laying full takes of synthesisers and guitar feedback with repetitive melodies as a nod to the tradition of ragas.
- Each song was written for a specific power centre in the body and to engage both active and passive effects of sustained and concentrated sound.

After a two year hiatus, Kiani returns to his Far Out Systems alias for this EP, his first offering for a label outside of his own Tanzbar Records.

Thomas Neyens first left his mark on the dance scene under his alias Kiani & His Legion, with two releases on Red D's We Play House Recordings in 2013 and more recently on Something Happening Somewhere, quickly demonstrating his accomplished production flair. This led the Belgian establishing his own imprint, Tanzbar Records, where he dropped two EPs under his Far Out Radio Systems moniker - bringing a more 'dancefloor focused' sound. Now after a two year hiatus, Neyens returns to his Far Out Systems alias for this EP, his first offering for a label outside of Tanzbar Records.

'Spheres' kicks off the release, with its soft bassline perfectly complimenting the hazy synths, syncopated drums and the mesmerising nuances from the hang drum that feature later in the track. The slow burning style continues on 'Jane Goodall', with the track's atmospheric textures gradually overpowered by a steady selection of drums, percussion and off-kilter effects. 'Vaquita' sees Far Out Radio Systems up the tempo whilst still sonically retaining the melancholy, hypnotic sound of the EP, as the snare-led rhythm gradually gains in momentum over its seven minute duration. Closing this excellent four track EP is 'On A Quest', a pulsating number that combines soaring, ethereal synths with a club ready groove that is perfect for the shadowy dancefloors the Belgian DJ/producer performs to.



DJ FEEDBACK

Early support from

Joris Voorn: Great atmospheric EP!
Blawan: really nice stuff here ! really like Vaquita
DJ Deep: nice release
Aera (Innervisions): Vaquita is a real beauty!
Baikal: whole release is dope. big fan of kiani. big up.
Norman Nodge (Berghain): "On A Quest" sounds promising!
Richie Hawtin: downloaded for r hawtin
Ripperton: Great EP every track get something! Thanks!
Âme (Kristian): thanks
Red D (We Play House): Needless to say I have preordered this one on vinyl ;-) 'On A Quest' is gonna be the one for me. It's got that Kiani-going-emotional vibe I dig so much.
Anthony Collins: Jane goodall track is tight !
Nuno Dos Santos: ah sweeet thanx man!
Brothers' Vibe: Solid pieces, def support!

No-one else makes music like this: devilishly complex but warm and intuitive, stirring together a dizzying assembly of outernational and outerspace influences, whilst retaining the subby funk-and-hot-breath pressure of Shackleton's soundboy, club roots.The result is an evolutionary, truly alchemical music — great shifting tides of dub, minimalist composition and choral song (Five Demiurgic Options), ritual spells to ward off the darkness (Before The Dam Broke, The Prophet Sequence), radiophonia and zoned-out guitar improv (Seven Virgins), even the febrile, freeform psychedelia of eighties noise rock (Sferic Ghost Transmits / Fear The Crown). Over the five years since Music For The Quiet Hour, Vengeance's vocal and lyrical range has rolled out across this new terrain. Throughout these six transmissions he's hoarse preacher, sage scholar and ravaged bluesman, blind man marching off to war, and exhausted time-traveller warning of impending socio-ecological catastrophe. Six dialogic accounts of our conflicted times, then, expanding beyond the treacly unease of the duo's early collaborative work into something subtler and more emotionally shattering — its shades of brightness more dazzling, and its darkness even murkier. "We almost didn't hear it when the foundations went."

Selwa Abd (originally from Morocco, currently residing in Brooklyn) uses the fictional character Bergsonist, from Brooklyn, Slovakia, as her musical guise. Derived from Deleuze's Bergsonism, Bergsonist uses intuition as a method to deliver her/his instinctive psychoanalytic theories.

A blend of different audio sources and samples are used as a way to capture the essence of the 'present' moment, manipulating found sounds along with self-concocted digital fragments to combine in in the span of a set, given time. Bergsonist allows inspiration to come from anywhere, yet she/he limits themselves by the gear/tools that are used. The approach consists of inhaling all the energy of the city - influenced by trips to museums, galleries, shows, talking to people. and sensing nature - and exhaling it sonically. Bergsonist reacts to this energy and inspiration without any specific rules, styles, or genres - extending the array of possibilities by always pushing preconceived uses of the tools.

Following a slew of cassette-only releases from labels across the global map and a split 12" with Isabella on Borft Records last year, Selwa shares her most twisted and considered compositions to date with Mutation. Four fire-stoking tracks of electro convulsions sparked from indecipherable depths inflame new terrains for an artist whose output is inextinguishable - prolific barely covers the rapidity with which Bergsonist shares new jams to a lucky few - proffering Mutation as an indelible moment in Selwa's blossoming career. Mutation features a ripped / thrashed remix from in-the-cut edit wizard, Murray CY. Mutation will be available in a limited vinyl edition of 200 with artwork designed and conceived by Selwa and Benoit Canaud Studio.

After showcasing his knack for emotive productions via various EPs throughout his career, including chart-topping singles on Hot Since 82's Knee Deep in Sound and Dave Seaman's Selador, the Swiss artist Several Definitions now reveals his first full-length album. It should come as no surprise that the artist found familiarity in what he calls the Berlin style' of electronic music and notably, that of Oliver Koletzki's Stil vor Talent. Reborn After The Road is an intense and emotional affair, consisting of 14 tracks crafted using field and live recordings, switching between analogue and digital to mould a sonic atmosphere that emblazons the artist's core ethos. Although the personal experience that sparked the inspiration for the LP is far from pleasant, Several Definitions' style is audibly resolute. Reborn After The Road, the album's eponymous track, creates a fitting intro for the healing process that is to follow. Its airy pads and majestic strings sonically stand at the epicenter of the expressive album. Several Definitions continues to explore these sounds on vaporous slices like Pontceard 32 or the more acidical Last Breath. The mellifluous, feminine vocals of LaMeduza on Learn To Feel and Her, as well as Spanish singer Goldsun's crooner talents on the introspective Trust, on the other hand, showcase Several Definitions' ability to work the human voice into his musical explorations. Taking introspection one step further towards darker realms, Senelity then feels like a rite of passage into the deeper and more intense segment at the album's core. Over You briefly signals a turning point, with its alarm-like synths and grave leads, which is then followed by the glitchy resistance on Modular Spaces. The Escape

Alternatively titled: 'Homoswavesailors', Jack Cccoy's 1984 film about the birth of windsurfing details, through the gaze of the sport as a pre-historic ancient ritual, the exploits of a few of the sports originators. Backing up the clear 80's blue visuals of waves white washed wind blasted FX, is a variety of original pop and synth music made by the films' composer, Chris Eggleton. There are no song titles, rather each track is spiced-up with wind and wave sound fx, which were originally meant to act as sound accents for wave sail action in the film. The pop songs are beach-spiked hits, sounding like New Zealand's flying nun rock, or blasted out prince chorus funk, but with added film sound fx, the essence of the silver screen begins to creep into the medium of audio disc! The synth music on Tradewinds sounds as if Tangerine Dream made inspirational beach movie tracks during the height of their 'Firestarter' period. The mix is arranged by Pacific City, so that the summer doesn't crash and burn. For the first time in history, Pacific City Sound Visions presents: the original motion picture soundtrack to 'Tradewinds' on vinyl LP. Break down..... shake down..... ya busted......

Patrick Weblin gives us this very special EP. 2 Original tracks named after his 2 sons, so a lot of time and heart has gone into making this Ep with a superb remix from IULY.B. "Tadhg's Groove" give us solid house drums,percs and hats but its the pads and bassline that gives it the movement throughout the track, taking you to another level of space and conscious. IULY.B's remix is down right tasty. It takes you on a little trip and makes you loose track of time all while grooving to this great remix. "Ollie's groove is something a bit special, big 909 kick combined with 808 tops but this time some melodic synths add a very soulful and elegant sound.

This is the debut album of Swedish producer Daniel Andréasson, an artist that has both a sonically and artistic resemblance to the Skudge family of labels and artists.

Pushing his eighth year of releasing records, Andréasson has accomplished the task of creating a debut album that seem to tie together the sound of his previous EP's. Andréasson's sound is in line with a more outsider approach, but with a dance floor focus. A sound that he has been pushing since the beginning.

This approach shines through at the most on the tracks such as 'Mc35I# Rushup', 'Stay' and 'Dreams' as these specific tracks shows Andréassons more accomplished style. In between, the album keeps a perfect concept throughout. Taking breathers with its interludes and in general "shorter" tracks that hints of a ambient leaning urge to express himself, he never loses focus. A masterful debut album from a artist to keep your eye on!

Dark Entries and Serendip Lab have teamed up to release 'Prototech', the first vinyl retrospective by German electronic trio Hypnobeat, recorded 1984-86. James Dean Brown and Pietro Insipido formed Hypnobeat in 1983, but it was the addition of Victor Sol only a few months later that found the project reaching, as Brown puts it, "the desired level of technical sophistication." In time, Tobias Freund also lent his talents (and equipment) to this loose-fit sonic scheme, where the protagonists sought a new, electronic manifestation of mankind's tribal music roots. Two cassette releases surfaced - 1985's "Huggables", and "Specials/Spatials" the following year. By this point the Frankfurt-based group had already explored fiercely mechanical creative expression through various configurations of hardware and personnel, revolving around core ingredients such as the TR-808, TB-303 and MC-202. The project lived on in spirit as Brown activated Narcotic Syntax in the 90s. While a more modern, digital concern, rooted in the Perlon label family, NS still channeled the Hypnobeat concept of a "new tribalism", not least on their "Provocative Percussion" double 12" released in 2006. For all the punky veneer, there are instances where these tracks reach staggering levels of sophistication, not least on "Slash! Buffalo Eats Brass" with its intricately programmed 303 lines and nimble beats that sound a far cry from most machine music made in 1986. Prescient "Can God Rewind" is also dazzling in the complexity of its percussion and the richness of its synth lines in C as they throb out a bastardised version of acidic Disco straight out of the rhythm collider. Elsewhere, some tracks are more primal in their execution. Visceral opening track "The Arumbaya Fetish" was a cathartic venting of Brown's least favourite sound on the 808, the iconic cowbell, while the astounding proto-Acid miniature "Moon Jump" places limber 303 lead lines in a hail of thunderstruck patterns. "Kilian" has a stripped down quality that speaks more to the industrial era that Hypnobeat was conceived in, and "Mission In Congo" is a raw, reverb-soaked drum workout that captures the percussive-obsessive nature of Hypnobeat perfectly. Six of the seven tracks selected on this collection were primarily powered by two 808s. "I am amazed that the release sounds like we really had a plan back then..." states Brown, but this accidental magic is in fact the raison d'etre of Hypnobeat. They weren't the only ones prefiguring the next big revolutions in electronic music in the mid 80s, but there certainly weren't many artists stumbling across modes of expression that sound so relevant today.

All songs are remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. Housed in a jacket featuring cave engravings by Pietro Insipido of an archer and animal printed in a wallpaper pattern style designed by Eloise Leigh. Each copy includes an transparent insert of an x-ray photograph from 1984 of Romulus Cœurque holding the circuit board of a BOSS DR-55 rhythm machine.

Double vinyl edition of the Portico Live/Remix album

Portico Quartet still sound like nothing you ever heard before. The Mercury nominated East London based outfit's unique music has expanded to embrace new sonic territories, drawing on the inspiration of electronica, ambient, classical and dance music as they take their strange, beautiful, cinematic, future music to exciting new vistas.

Their new album 'Live/Remix' is a double album offering a unique insight into two distinct parts of the band's personality.

The sub label of Sonic Groove, 'Sonic Groove Experiments', returns after a 4 year hiatus with a stellar re-release of the Electrowave classic 'Eruption' by Beta Evers. Originally released as a Limited Edition 12' back in 2005 on Beta's own Kommando 6 label. Now in 2017 the original pressing goes for quite a fortune on the record collecting market. Often exceeding €60 for a mint copy. For the first time in a dozen years this release is available on vinyl in its original running order but with very sleak new artwork for the normal asking price of a new store bought 12'.

Beta Evers is Brigitte Enzler from Augsburg, Germany. An artist with a substantial amount of accomplished work to her credit including an early release on the storied Hague label, Cre`me and her side project Black Spider Clan. After ceasing Kommando 6 operations, Beta Evers continues on independently releasing music on her other labels Bodyvolt and Venus Noir. Her most recent release is the 2016 awesome 'Delusion' album on legendary Industrial/EBM pioneer Dirk Ivens prestigious Daft imprint.

The opening track's title serves as a warning, titled 'Don't Be Afraid', a cold introduction led by sinister synth lines soliciting our attention to expertly crafted true analog electronic percussion in the EBM/Dark Electro disciplines. Surreal, deep and seductive vocals lie in the wake at the center of the composition giving us a melancholic piece worthy of deep contemplation during listening on or off the dance floor.

The following track 'Move In My Body Rhythm' continues in the same sinister and dark aesthetic in a more driving manner, this track continues to bring forth energy with a precise beat and rhythm accompanied by acidic synth modulations.

Side B continues to hold the heavy weight of this extended player with the track 'Eruptive' This reference track to the title of the EP. is an electronic/vocal robotic analog circuit breaker suitable for dawn light on the floor. Traditional arsenal of classic analog sounds are arranged and rearranged with sonic manipulation at the test. Mutant dance music for cosmic venues.

The closing track, 'Destination Lost' is comprised of lyrics of urban angst and disturbance whispered out through sultry vocals. Dark minimalist and cinematic cyberpunk breaks reinforced by low drone synth waves and crystals of lysergic analog bleeps drifting along the perimeter. Dead serious wave infected electronics.

This sonic document also serves as a good example of a roots approach to creating music whilst at the same time giving us something entirely innovative. This is as futuristic as it is timeless and that reflects the elements of a masterpiece.

This record is meant to be enjoyed like a seascape. It offers a Mediterranean journey, one that Ulysses, Aeneas, and Jason with his Argonauts charted first and Valencian artist, Pep Llopis, retraced and retread — from the islands of Menorca to Santorini. All of his experiences are aboard this vessel of sound: no format in mind, no course but the chasm within self. While Poiemusia La Nau Dels Argonautes materializes at this moment as an album, another object suits Pep's project: Lewis Carroll's Map of the Ocean' from his The Hunting of the Snark. It's a simple illustration: the thin outline of a blank rectangle that represents the sea with no trace of land. Carroll offers this empty space as an object that all can understand, a container for possibility. Likewise, Poiemusia offers a musical language that any listener can understand. Untethered to the meaning of words, one is set adrift and free in minimalist sound and traditional music. Llopis, who often composed for dance, originally wrote Poiemusia for a performance at the Poiemusia festival (the Greek contraction of poetry and music). Peer composers, Carles Santos and Wim Mertens, also participated in the festival, which took place over several days at the Teatro Princesa in Valencia. Llopis paired his newly formed avant-garde compositions with the poems of fellow Valencian, Salvador Jàfer.

In the studio presentation of Poiemusia, voices softly converse, only to evaporate. The poetry is incanted by the poet himself. Jàfer enunciates at the verge of song, drawing dimension from his Mediterranean travels. He is accompanied by Montse Anfruns' vaporous voice. She extends the roll of her r's and the hiss of each s as if casting a spell of Salacia. Pep bathes their conversational performance in slight delays and reverb, allowing their voices to dissolve into an ocean of sound.

Llopis was influenced by minimal American composers like Steve Reich and La Monte Young. He embraces the melodic sides of these masters in the winds of El Vell Rei De La Serp' and the tender piano on Nits de cristall.' You will find yourself submerged in tonality on tracks like Jardins Aquàtics' and La Nau Dels Argonautes' which have a kinship to Philip Glass or Daniel Lentz. Each piece extends from 5 to almost 14 minutes. The music gently laps against listening skin— sometimes placid, sometimes shimmering. Ripples of sound swell and quicken. Flutes like schools of fish. The spray of chimes. Taught strings break like the shore. Tingling, undulating synths. The record cover acts as a map, tracing the forms of the original art and providing the poems in Catalana and Spanish. Once bathed in these sounds one will emerge like Carroll's map: a perfect and absolute blank.' Poiemusia La Nau Dels Argonaute emerges in vinyl and digital formats on May 19, 2017 through Freedom To Spend.

(en) Constantly on the move, never standing still. Always looking ahead and never back. Everything sooner rather than later. This is what our modern lifestyles feel like, keeping us prisoners in the wake of time while everything around us is in a permanent state of change. It seems as though Andrei Anto- nets, aka OID, could sing a song, or at least produce a track about it. But rather than the soundtrack to our hurriedness, the Russian musician has seemingly created the opposite with his new track - Perma- nent Departure'. He achieves this by letting various sounds meander alongside a bass drum for about eleven minutes. Guitars, pads, Hi-Hats, everything comes and goes, arranged with tremendous flair. Antonets has already proven his capability to do exactly this with his project Alexandroid or with his work on labels like Pampa and Sealt Records.
The French Band dOP's remix on the B-side is much shorter but sends us on the same trip as the ori- ginal. Shortened to just eight minutes with a slightly new route, the dOP remix takes us directly to the club and peak time for the advanced. If we have to have a departure, then this is the way.
Also available as a digital mini album together with the MMR 28 and four other tracks by OID.
(de) Stets auf Achse, immer unterwegs. Den Blick geradeaus, nie zuru¨ck. Und alles lieber heute als morgen. So fu¨hlt es sich an, das moderne Leben, das uns gefangen im Sog der Zeit und alles um uns herum im permanenten Aufbruch ha¨lt. Es scheint so, als ko¨nnte Andrei Antonets alias OID ein Lied davon singen - oder zumindest einen Track dazu produzieren. Doch statt den Soundtrack zur Hast, erschafft der Russe mit - Permanent Departure' lieber einen kontemplativen Gegenentwurf dazu. Knapp elf Minuten lang la¨sst er dafu¨r weitla¨ufige Sounds entlang der Bassdrum ma¨andern. Gitarren, Pads, Hi-Hats, alles kommt und geht, arrangiert mit massig Gespu¨r statt purem Geto¨se. Dass Antonets genau das kann, hat er bereits zuvor mit seinem Projekt Alexandroid oder auf Labels wie Pampa und Sealt Records bewiesen.
Fu¨r die Ru¨ckseite lo¨sen die drei Franzosen von dOP mit ihrem Remix von - Permanent Departure' hin- gegen nur ein Kurzstrecken-Ticket - das uns aber genauso auf einen Trip wie das Original schickt. Auf acht Minuten und eine neue Route verku¨rzt, steuert der dOP-Remix ohne große Umwege geradeaus gen Club und die Peaktime fu¨r Fortgeschrittene. Wenn schon Abfahrt, dann bitte so. Auch als digitales Mini-Album zusammen mit der MMR 28 und vier weiteren Tracks von OID erha¨ltlich.

Signum" was initially released more than twenty years ago on cd format and became a larger-than-life cornerstone of P.A.L's discography as well as a historical document in industrial music. recorded over a three year period from 1993- 95 this album displays the past & present face of this artist's sonic variety ranging from sweeping minimalistic soundscapes and powerloaded percussion-driven floorburners to heavily distorted harsh power noise attacks presented as a unified front. the industrial anthem 'Gelo¨bnis' is a truly fine example for the combination of crystal clear mastering and the selective, inspired implementation of samples which was always an important factor for p.a.l and became a trademark of his works.

ant-zen and aufnahme + wiedergabe are proud to present the extraordinary reissue of this long-deleted legendary release on coloured heavy double vinyl in a gatefold sleeve. a timeless opus for being re-discovered by adepts and recovered by novices.

recorded 1993-95 at Upper Meadow Field, Munich. Some overdubs were done at His Master's Studio, L.A.
mastered & co-produced in L.A. by rudy r. 1995.
cut by Christoph Grote-Beverborg at Dubplates & Mastering