quête:stamp

Hitting release number three, Slush Records remaster and reissue Spacer IV aka James Zeiter’s sought-after 1997 EP on Pleasure Records. The man behind a slew of lauded records under a variety of different aliases, his sound is one that is cherished for orbiting the spheres of progressive trance and atmospheric dub techno. This four-track EP, however, saw James venture into unchartered territory, exploring a more melodic, house-tinted spectrum, before flipping back into the progressive techno-trance underbelly.

Having started life in 1995, Spacer IV had already gone from the leagues of limited white labels, to being the name stamped on one of Pleasure’s biggest-selling records by the time this EP came out. With only 195 white labels of his first record ARC 1/ARC 2 pressed, a copy was passed to Pete Robinson at Robs Records. ‘ARC 2’ was plucked from that release, supplemented with a new cut ‘ARC 3’ and given a proper pressing on Robs Records offshoot label Pleasure to notable success.

Fast forward to 1997 and James chose to depart the trance-infused techno sound of those first releases. Absorbing elements by osmosis, this EP sees James dipping his toes into fresh waters. Using what limited hardware he had available, including an Akai S950 sampler, Ensoniq ESQ-1 and Novation Bass Station 1, James laid down four distinctive and versatile club cuts.

‘Sirocco’ opens the EP, a tingling hit of endorphins that only the most timeless of tracks can elicit. Echoing pads feed acid murmurings, that sit atop dusty breakbeats and rattling sub-bass. An aural exploration, that is equal parts ethereal and empowering, taking cues from breaks, ambient, chill out and house. It’s one of those rare tracks that has the power to float you away or fuel your buzz, giving a healthy tug on the heartstrings in the process.

‘Mono’ follows, merging heads-down dancefloors with the embrace of warmer climates. It’s deep and Detroit-infused yet bolstered by a dream house bassline straight out of the Italian riviera. A dose of eyes-closed euphoria that hits just right.

The flipside sees James in more familiar territory with ‘Jetson’ and ‘Dust’. The former is a hit of space-age progressive house. Trippy, hypnotising, driving goodness, showcasing James’ ability to lock your body into a groove, yet send your mind to another world. The latter rounds out the EP, serving up an acid-swirling club stomper, forever building in intensity before dropping you into the vacuum of deep space.

The year 2024 rolled out in a restless haze, leaving everything a bit cloudy. In search of vision, we sought the guidance of our shaman—through the steady beat of a drum, a deep transformation began. And bam, just like that, the balance was restored and everything fell into alignment. Tokyo, Paris, Zürich, and Helsinki—each location now linked in a cosmic force field.

Fast forward to May 2025, and we are presented with a lush underground journey. The eleventh Common Labour 12” features the works of Omar Santis, Flabaire, Thomas Wood and pothOles. So buckle up and enjoy the ride into the depths. Odd Jobs Vol.4 is a labour of love – hand-stamped and numbered, limited to 199 copies worldwide.

Icons Of Hip Hop a new label out of Toronto with a Ltd edition series of 45’s. First up two hip hop heavyweights make use of an unmistakeable 60’s soul legend sample to killer effect. Limited hand-stamped dinked 45s.

A killer reissue of Jay Tripwire’s sub loaded electro weapon under his Mr. Barcode alias back on wax as a hand stamped, limited vinyl edition! Ultra bass heavy and built to shake the system!

Prick up your ears everybody: Uluru number 3 is ready to take off!

This time Little Beat More's sub-label Uluru, featuring highly acclaimed remix/mash up series, sees the participation of living legend Jstar.
The west London reggae hero delivered a smoothly bouncing rework of the classic “Eye of the tiger” by the Survivor, that originally gained fame through being the anthem of Rocky III.
The flip sees the debut of an Italian duo called “The Dynamates” (The Rebel and Dibba). They put their hands on another precious song that made history, namely “You got to love” from Candi Staton.
Pull up guaranteed!

Pressed on high quality black and yellow lime vinyl (48 gr.)
Edition of 350, coming with “hand stamped” vintage yellow paper sleeve.

ULURU 2020
“Mind Control, Modern Slavery”

The mysterious label Downtown Romeo Records is back with their signature trademark touch: melancholy and intensity. While the chuva de verao remix is a deep downtempo track with a hint of acid that pulls the listener in like a vortex, the ilusao dub pushes forward with an absolutely massive breakbeat tune. As usual, the record comes in a luxurious sleeve with embossed stamp and insert.

Black Vinyl Repress

We have a proud introduced 4th vinyl-only release from our original series, featuring Romanian artists Funky Trip with two original cuts and Barac on remix duties. Titled “Alpha EP”, the record delivers a solid dose of inspiring minimal rhythms mastered by Mike Grinser at Manmade Mastering Berlin.


Funky Trip stands out from the Romanian new wave of electronic music producers, exploring an endless universe of distinct sounds and emotions reflected on his releases with Rawax, Nazca, Stamp Records, Artreform and others. On this EP, he invites acclaimed local artist Barac of Moment Records to join in and leave his fingerprint on the title track, laying out a soothing rhythm influenced by psychedelic elements.

Side A opens with the title track, “Alpha”, an immersive minimalistic composition powered by dreamy background atmospheres, swinging drumming patterns, a solid wobbling bassline and mysterious vocals that seamlessly intertwine with tension-building chords and breathing moments. Following, “Dreams” gets a bit more groovy, focusing on the percussion, the punching keyboard stabs and the phased effects that run throughout the track, all while having a subtle touch of melancholy radiating from the piano and complementary layers.

On the flipside, we find Barac‘s reinterpretation of A1 dropping a twisted progressive sound that constantly evolves as wave upon wave of spiralling synths and chugging drums mix in a massive dancefloor tool perfect for peak-time moments at any party.

Artwork by Jose Alvarez


Early support by Gescu, Sepp, Nu Zau, Mihai Pol, Sublee, Charlie, Lumieux, Tania Vulcano, Costin RP, Iuly.B, Crihan, Primãrie, Zenk and more..

A two-track offering, available in limited quantities on hand-stamped white-label 7” vinyl. The A-side delivers an open, emotional piece perfect for opening dance floors or setting the tone for mixes, while the B-side brings a fierce, high-energy vibe, ready to deliver under pressure. A versatile addition to any record bag, this release offers exceptional fidelity at 45 RPM, optimized for any sound system.

VINYL ONLY

For their third release Ethos Records invites DimDJ. The well-established Greek artist digs deeper,
matching the label’s previous releases, delivering an unfiltered & raw sounding EP.
This will be sent to the record shops.
The release will be a limited pressing with each record featuring a hand stamped number on the label. Ethos Records is a vinyl only record label based in Athens, GR. It’s aim is to present music from carefully curated artists that are consistent & true to their sound regardless the current trends or hype.

NEW LP PRESSING on Opaque Yellow Wax

Released in September 1978, a mere two months before YMO’s debut, Cochin Moon is a clear precursor to the groundbreaking synth and sequencer-dominated sounds that would come to define the iconic trio. Huge tip!

Credited to Hosono and Pop Art legend Tadanori Yokoo (who created the cover art), Cochin Moon is a fictional soundtrack to a journey into unknown worlds, inspired by Hosono and Yokoo’s trip to India.

The unbelievably prolific Haruomi Hosono is one of the major architects of modern Japanese pop music. With his encyclopedic knowledge of music and boundless curiosity for new sounds, Hosono is the auteur of his own idiosyncratic musical world, putting his unmistakable stamp on hundreds of recordings as an artist, session player, songwriter and producer. Born and raised in central Tokyo, his adolescent obsession with American pop culture informed his early forays into country music, which he would revisit later in his career. Hosono made his professional debut in 1969 as a member of Apryl Fool, whose heavy psychedelia was somewhat at odds with his influences, which leaned towards the rootsy sounds of Moby Grape and Buffalo Springfield. The latter was one of the main inspirations for his next group, Happy End, whose unique blend of West Coast sounds with Japanese lyrics proved to be highly influential over the course of three albums. After the band’s amicable break up in 1973, Hosono began his solo career with Hosono House, an intimate slice of Japanese Americana recorded inside a rented house with recording gear squeezed into its tiny bedroom. Hosono’s solo career would take many twists and turns from this point forward, with forays into exotica, electronic, ambient, and techno, culminating in the massive success of techno pop group Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO).

Released in September 1978, a mere two months before YMO’s debut, Cochin Moon is a clear precursor to the groundbreaking synth and sequencer-dominated sounds that would come to define the iconic trio. Credited to Hosono and Pop Art legend Tadanori Yokoo (who created the cover art), Cochin Moon is a fictional soundtrack to a journey into unknown worlds, inspired by Hosono and Yokoo’s trip to India. Initially the album was to be a kind of ethnographic musical document, using found sounds and field recordings made by Hosono himself. Instead, after Yokoo introduced Hosono to the sounds of Kraftwerk and krautrock during the trip, Cochin Moon became something much stranger. Created almost entirely on synthesizers and sequencers with the help of future YMO collaborators Ryuichi Sakamoto and Hideki Matsutake, the music on the album is the perfect encapsulation of Hosono’s concept of “sightseeing music,” transporting the listener to an exotic place that may or may not exist. This highly sought-after album sees its first-ever official release outside of Japan.

2025 Repress
Echospace Detroit’s cv313 aka Stephen Hitchell joins forces with Federsen for the second instalment on the latter’s newly minted Alt Dub label with the ‘Skyspace’ EP. Over the past decade and a half San Francisco based artist Federsen has been making his mark on the dub infused techno and house sound, delivering his vintage tape delay and analogue gear driven sound via the likes of Mixcult, Greyscale, Lempuyang and Ohm Series among others. In May this year Federsen inaugurated his own Alt Dub label with a split EP from himself and Hidden Sequence, and here the story continues following the split format with more original material from himself and cv313, accompanied by both artists remixing each other to run alongside their originals across the 12’’. cv313’s original mix of ‘Skycrossing’ opens the release and in typical Hitchellfashion treats us to eight and a half minutes of deep soundscapes, spiralling dub echoes, muted drums and a subtly unfurling feel throughout. Federsen’s ‘Dub’ remix of ‘Skycrossing’ then follows, offering a more refined and reduced feel with subby pulsations and crisp drums intertwined with dubby fragments of the original tracks. On the flip-side Federsen’s original ‘Skyway’ leads, employing a sturdy rhythm section with nuanced dub echoes and rumbling low-end swells. To conclude the release cv313 offers up his ‘Dub’ interpretation of ‘Skyway’, stamping his mark on things with phasing atmospherics, intricate oscillations and fluttering percussion

Oversized custom cut LP jackets (13” / 33.02 cm width)
Silkscreened with bespoke iridescent citrus green ink by Mark Rice
Short story by Natalia Zuluaga

Flexi 7”:
steaming mescaline (extended mix by bad lsd trips)
Citrus green metallic foil stamp
Pressed in full stereo
Edition of 150

I.

bad lsd trips is the collaborative duo of makers doris dana and domingo castillo flores. Respectively the two have fostered practices that have sprawled out through various approaches and, whether in the lanes of the musical or the contemporary arts, the phenomenology of the social and inclusive prevails. On ultrafest, this motif continues through the psychedelia of its eight time-defying recordings, welcoming the listener into an open temporal architecture of the stereo field as a signifier of environment. It is worth noting that the group began collaborating in Miami, Florida with longer form improvisations recorded to a stereo cassette deck. In these recordings, the paved geographical sprawl and oceanic view permeated the approach to amassing long swaths of sound material. Listening back on that work at the time of this writing, each track feels as though one is walking into an active space, arriving to an event already in full swing and finding your place inside of it. On ultrafest (this album) something different occurs. The space and events are built around you as you move through the record.

II.

The name of the album is ultrafest, which should effectively provoke your mind's eye the imagery of young people dancing, salivating, grinding, and imbibing chemical compounds to the perversely formalized musical genres of “Electronic Dance Music” and latter-era Dubstep often heard in European Uber rides and energy drink commercials. A far distance from the icy and machinic reverie of Techno’s finest rave eras or the notable historical contributions of Miami’s cerebral producers to IDM’s global output, ultrafest is a libidinal catharsis as festival scaled to a multinational corporation of hedonistic excess. The festival has been a hallmark of Miami cultural industry production and optical enticement for tourism, purportedly bringing in nearly a billion dollars in revenue to the city since 2012. Scores of documentation exist wherein this decadent escapism leaves the concertgoer, usually in some neon garment on a near nude body potentially adorned with fluffy faux fur leg warmers, facing a comedown from the combination of volume, sun, dehydration, and methylenedioxy-methylamphetamine. This MDMA experience characterizes an aspect of the way bad lsd trips employs vocals and pitch on this album. The detached, high octaved longing of a high pitched vocal is decoupled from its typical auditory body of song. High-pass clicks and pops touch the (h)air on the back of the neck, promising goosebumps and teasing towards euphoric rushes of dopamine, yet also exist decoupled from the body of song. As the dopamine depletes and the sun imposes itself, Miami’s downtown of skeleton real estate is your company as you meander towards your parked vehicle to rest your fatigued senses, elevated heart rate, and quench the need for air conditioning on your skin. The immediacy of bombastic social immersion to architectural alienation palpable here.

III...

- Nick Klein

Another deep dive into the Steve Pickton DAT archive brings us this gem from the golden age of UK Techno. Not previously credited as a Stasis outing this 4 track EP was originally released in 1995 as a limited run white label and stamped Sugar Plum (with Fat Boy Funk etched into the run out groove).

Each track builds with Steve’s signature Detroit inspired beats and chunky bass lines and those trademark ethereal pads eventually release the tension. Raw and powerful these are classic machine edged productions from a UK Techno pioneer.

Remastered by Simon Davey at The Exchange

Outsider techno artist Anders Enge is back with another offering on his own imprint Ett Annorlunda Hörn after recent excursions to labels such as Blank Forms and Alexi Delanos AD ltd.

From the title track’s polymetric urkraft synth lines paired with a minimal house beat to the ending, a Buchla meditation recorded at EMS in Stockholm, My Head In Flames is pure synthesizer machine groove magic. Edition of 200, hand stamped & numbered. Mastered by Andrea Merlini.

FINALLY! What an honour it is to share this one to the masses in the style of a fresh brand series that I teamed up with Bushman to bring a new label called 'Spiritual Vibes' where we will be bringing dubs that bring the vibes, the whole vibes and nothing but the vibes! Yet to launch it all off we are starting with a special project-build we had started over 2 years ago with a tune from Bushman's 90s archives; re-vamped and re-stamped with inspiration from the original track 'Return to Jah' aka Souljah Step as played by none-other than the mighty Aba Shanti-I as a themed closing anthem at many dances. Once we had played this version to Aba he had resurrected the original dubplates cuts in order so he could start running these new cuts alongside as a remix cut!

As the tenth candle flickers atop the torta alla panna, Archeo Recordings play the Uno reverse card, breaking with tradition to give us a gift in celebration of its birthday: the first in a series of exquisite EPs on which the label's favourite contemporaries pay homage to past masters. Each re-polished gem is plucked either directly from the beatific back catalogue of the fine Florentine label or is at least Archeo-adjacent, perhaps a sign of future wonders to come. Like a musical version of Janus, who can be found at the heart of Bertoldo di Giovanni's frieze in the Medici villa, Archeo Recordings will continue to look forwards and backwards to provide sublime sounds for us all.
Pepe Maina officially joined the Archeo family in 2019 with the much-needed reissue of his 1979 masterpiece Scerizza (AR015), but his astounding music has been a constant companion to label head Manu for much longer. An inter-dimensional, multi-instrumental maverick, Maina weaves the frayed edges of prog rock, new age, organic jazz and global minimalism into a shimmering tapestry all of his own. The results are spread across fifty years and almost as many albums, largely self-released and always absolutely untarnished by commercial concerns.
Based in a small village in the hills of Brianza, just north of Milan, Maina translates the beauty of his surroundings into transformative tone poems, and the folkloric fusion of "The Infinite", originally released on his 2014 CD Tales From The Hill, is the perfect example of his practice. It opens with a recitation of Giacomo Leopardi's 1825s poem "L'Infinito" by famed Italian actor Vittorio Gassman. A leading figure in the romantic movement, Leopardi explores the idea of time and space within the natural world, and the peace that comes with an appreciation of the immensity of eternity. Manu, longtime digger and now a burgeoning producer, expands upon the original with tribal percussion, chirping electronics and a spheric bassline, folding Maina's elegant strings and gossamer pads into a new arrangement suited for a slow dance under the stars.
Unless you had a well-trained ear tuned to Italy's avant-jazz scene, chances are your first encounter with innovative flautist Roberto Aglieri came via the 2017 Archeo reissue of hisalmost untraceable LP Ragapadani (AR011). It's a true testament to Manu's digging credentials that he snatched this masterpiece out of the esoteric atmosphere and brought it attention it so richly deserved. A delicate union of digital synthesis and versatile flute - be it soft and silvery or
brilliant and clear - the 1987 album was a shapeshifting masterpiece, replaying scenes from Virgil, Verdi, Visconti and Pasolini with a neon glow. Quintessentially Italian, but uncanny and previously unimagined - Penthouse and Portico perhaps. Powered by a percolating prototechno sequence, cascading keys, hallucinogenic vocal snippets and a variety of tonal timbres from Roberto's reed, "Danza N. 1" long deserved the praise reserved for Jean-Luc Ponty's pinnacle, so many thanks to Manu for our collective introduction. The tall task of reinterpreting this particular paragon falls to Perugian polymath Daniele Tomassini AKA Feel Fly, whose peerless skills as both producer and musician have delighted DJs and dancers alike. Hot on the heels of his diverse and definitive remixes of Tony Esposito for AR027, Daniele delivers a radical rework of "Danza N. 1" perfect for both day rave sunshine and full moon party alike. Enhanced by snapping breaks and a rattling kick, the bassline gurgle emerges as a progressive powerhouse, laying the foundation for the trilling flute and circular keys to cast a psychedelic spell. As the slow-Goa revival picks up pace, this one is way ahead of the pack.
Archeo take us all the way back to the start of its story here - well almost. Though it bore the stamp AR001 (2015), this Radio Band reissue actually hit shelves months after Tony Esposito's "Je-Na' / Pagaia"; a false start perhaps but a true classic all the same. Radio Band were a group of DJs from Florence who all sailed the airways of Radio Fantasy in 1984 and whose one and only release was this super groovy slice of Italo-boogie. Following the example of Milanese DJs Band of Jocks but far surpassing their formulaic funk fizzle, Radio Band employed an intergalactic bassline, cosmic keys and that undeniably Italian style of rapping to deliver a sophisticated party-starter which even found its way to disco deity Ron Hardy. Back to the here and now, and if you've found yourself pumping an ecstatic fist to a supercharged Italian epic of late, chances are its from the mind of the mysterious Radiomarc. Operating on the ascendent Popcorn Groove imprint, this shadowy figure steers his country's lost classics into peaktime territories, finding a sweet spot between late Italo-disco, early Italo-house and contemporary cool. Pushing the tempo with a club-ready 4/4, setting the sequencer to stun and supplementing the original melodies with a series of synth riffs, the mystery producer send this one into orbit. Radio Band - Radio Rap - Radiomarc, the circle is complete.
Few have done more to develop cross-cultural musical exchange than Futuro Antico. A collaborative venture from musician, archeologist and ethnomusicologist Walter Maioli, keyboardist and tonal theoretician Riccardo Sinigaglia and multi-disciplinary artist and composer Gabin Dabiré, Futuro Antico formed in Milan in 1979, combining ancient international folkloric traditions with otherworldly electronics. The result is an arresting melange of Mediterranean, African and Asian instrumentation, mimicked by esoteric synth tones and hypnotic minimalism, which the group perfected on their acclaimed 1990 LP Dai Primitivi All'Elettronica. The meditative and transportive "Pan Tuning" belongs to their largely overlooked 2005 CD only release Intonazioni Archetipe, and has been amongst Manu's most loved tracks from the first moment he heard it. Who else is better placed to reshape this evocative opus into an immersive, transcendental dance floor journey than label favourites Mushrooms Project? The duo sows the original elements into a sprawling fifteen minute fusion of séance and science, at times propulsive with a ritualist rhythm of tuned percussion and crunching drum machine at others drifting off into ethereal ambience. Mushrooms Project continue to push the boundaries of the Afro-cosmic style, and this remix marks a new zenith.

DJ Support - Wehbba, Ilario Alicante, Marco Faraone, Paco Osuna, Cristian Varela, Mauro Picotto, Adam Beyer, Richie Hawtin, Luigi Madonna, Joseph Capriati, Eli Brown, Marco Carola and Charlotte de Witte.

Joseph & Indira's ‘Mantra’ is another testament to ARTCORE's ever-increasing weight in Techno and global electronic dance music and features a duo of racy cuts laden with signature sonics from both artists, kicking off with 'Ananda' and its potent classic Techno feel, with a prominent Capriati core of thumping kicks, crisp percussive drive and progressive energy shifts and playful twists, laced with Indira's hypnotic exotic vocal chops and gritty LFO shots.

'Mantra' rounds off the release with an inverted sound transition, leaning heavier into the 'Psy' sound that has seen Indira's notoriety skyrocket. Flooded with undulating low-end movement, creative off-beat flare, shifting rhythmic patterns and uplifting musicality, its immersive blend of darker sounds and spiritually utopian nuances makes for an undeniably unique statement track.

Whilst famed for his endless spree of unforgettable mainstage performances and international club shows, including standout residencies in Ibiza, Joseph Capriati's studio productions have been carefully selected and rare in recent years. With the emergence of their latest studio productions, Joseph and Indira's ‘Mantra’ release serves as a stamp of approval from one of Techno's most respected tastemakers and an insight into the potential of ARTCORE's indelible impact on global dance music.

2025 Repress

Demi Riquisimo’s Semi Delicious celebrates its 20th release with a peak-time 4-track EP from Leeds-based production talent, Kepler— another stand out addition to the label’s impressive catalogue, dropping on 29th November.

Opening the Ep is ‘Step Up,’ a sub-bass-driven journey that layers relentless percussive grooves, squelchy acid lines, and proggy chord hooks, encapsulating the quintessential Semi Delicious vibe.

Next up, ‘Swoon’ glides in with a playful FM- bass lead, steering the track’s flow while staccato vocal stabs and soothing pads create a perfectly balanced, dancefloor-ready arrangement.

On the B- side, ‘Acid Flow’ delivers as promised, with classic 303 leads and smooth basstones, set against Kepler’s signature drum palette for a distinct yet timeless feel.

Rounding off the EP, ‘Separation’ brings a swing-infused, stab by house vibe—a nod to classic US house, yet unmistakably stamped with Kepler’s unique UK tech-house sound.

Ceri's 'Don't You Wanna' Original has now been remixed, for this eagerly anticipated Vinyl Only Release, from Find Your Own Records.

Following in the footsteps of the likes of Mr. G and Fred P and D'Julz... Cici, Dee Diggs, Paul Rayner and Zombies in Miami all step up for remix duties, each putting their own unique stamp on the track.

Support from:
I. Jordan, Fred P, DJ Deep, Tristan De Cuhna, Skream, Chez Damier, Cormac, Paul Woolford aka Special Request, Josh Caffe, Jamie Principle, SecretSundaze and more...

Michael Mayer albums don’t come round too often, which is one of many reasons why his fourth collection, The Floor Is Lava, is a genuine event. It’s been eight years since his last one, the collaborative & released on !K7; its predecessors, Mantasy (2012) and Touch (2004), took their sweet time, too. It’s no real surprise, given the many hats Mayer wears – globetrotting DJ, revered remixer, inveterate collaborator, and boss of both Kompakt and Imara – that his solo productions are relatively sparing. But this also speaks to their quality: Mayer’s name on a record sleeve is a sign of quality, of music that’s both looking to the future and calling back to the past, that balances the imperatives of the dancefloor and the loungeroom, that’s as exploratory as it is functional.

On The Floor Is Lava, Mayer seems to be taking the temperature of both the music that surrounds him (past and present), and the ides of the industry he works within. There’s that iconic album title, for a start. “The album’s mindset,” he says, reflecting on those four words together. For Mayer, it’s partly a critique of the way the industry boxes in both producer and listener, focuses them on genre, on market, on the next new thing: “Being a free minded spirit that transcends genres has become an uphill battle.” A battle worth fighting, though, and with The Floor Is Lava, the result is an album that’s varied, quixotic, idiosyncratic, charming, and deeply, addictively listenable.

Throughout, Mayer finds thrills in exploration and juxtaposition, allowing unexpected things to blossom and giving them their life, their platform, throwing the listener exciting curveballs: “It’s a DJ album by a DJ that’s easily bored.” Either easily bored, or endlessly curious, The Floor Is Lava is rich with ideas. It opens with “The Problem”, which looks back to look forward, embracing the rickety way early house productions threw samples together with gleeful abandon. Mayer mentions Pal Joey, and the scene around Rockers Hi-Fi and their Different Drummer imprint, as reference points, and you can hear that freewheeling spirit throughout.

It’s followed by “Vagus”, a slinky, sensual minimal house number that Mayer describes as his “musical catnip”. The flow of these two opening cuts defines the dynamic of The Floor Is Lava, defining the dialectical drive at its core: thesis and antithesis leads to synthesis, but with a welcome prickliness that means you’re always excited, always engaged. It’s also productive in the way it derives energy from rubbing genres and sounds against each other, in unexpected ways, for maximum musical frisson. There’s psychedelic techno on “Feuerstuhl”, more minimal techno with “Ardor” (Mayer mentions ‘Immer 1’ era 90s minimal as inspiration), slippery, Shepard-tone breakbeat through “Sycophant”, a lovely, lush vocal turn on the poppy “The Solution”.

The album closes with the melancholy “Süßer Schlaf”, where Mayer sets a poem by Goethe to one of his most haunted, moving pieces of music yet, in abstract tribute to a lost friend. It’s one of the most affecting moments on The Floor Is Lava. There’s also an update on 2020’s wild Brainwave Technology EP, with the surrealist glitter-stomp of “Brainwave 2.0” (check out those handclaps!),where Mayer’s thinking about the socio-political precipice of the now: “I’m reading with great interest about this whole complex of how humanity is about to cross so many lines and the implications that the resulting financial and educational inequality will bring.”

That’s The Floor Is Lava: then and now, brainwaves and nerve structures, problems and solutions, genres on fire; the real, the unreal, and the surreal. An album for the easily bored and the endlessly curious. Mayer has the last word, telling us all you need to know about the album’s spirit: “Burning for the cause, being zealous, being addicted to the heat of the night, the exuberant powers of music.”

Michael Mayer veröffentlicht nicht oft Alben, was einer von vielen Gründen ist, warum ‘The Floor Is Lava’ ein echtes Ereignis ist. Es sind acht Jahre vergangen seit seinem letzten Werk, dem Kollaborationsalbum &, das auf !K7 erschien; seine Vorgänger, Mantasy (2012) und Touch (2004), ließen ebenfalls auf sich warten. Es überrascht nicht wirklich, da Mayer viele Rollen gleichzeitig erfüllt – weltreisender DJ, vielbeschäftigter Remixer, unermüdlicher Kollaborateur und Chef von sowohl Kompakt als auch Imara – weshalb seine Solo-Produktionen eher sparsam ausfallen. Doch das spricht auch für deren Qualität: Ein Album mit Mayers Namen auf dem Cover steht für Qualität, für Musik, die sowohl in die Zukunft blickt als auch auf die Vergangenheit verweist, die das Gleichgewicht zwischen den Anforderungen des Dancefloors und des Wohnzimmers hält, die genauso erforschend wie funktional ist.

Auf The Floor Is Lava scheint Mayer sowohl die Musik um ihn herum (vergangen und gegenwärtig) als auch die Strömungen der Branche, in der er arbeitet, zu reflektieren. Da wäre zunächst der ikonische Albumtitel. „Die Grundhaltung des Albums“, sagt er, drückt sich in diesen vier Worte aus. Für Mayer ist es teilweise eine Kritik daran, wie die Industrie sowohl Produzenten als auch Hörer in Schubladen steckt, sie auf Genres, auf den Markt und auf das nächste große Ding fokussiert: „Ein freier Geist zu sein, der Genres überschreitet, ist zu einem steinigen Weg geworden.“ Ein Kampf, der sich jedoch lohnt, und mit The Floor Is Lava ist das Ergebnis ein Album, das vielfältig, eigenwillig, charmant und tiefsinnig, aber auch süchtig machend ist.

Im gesamten Album findet Mayer Freude an der Erforschung und Gegenüberstellung von Stilen, lässt unerwartete Dinge erblühen und gibt ihnen Raum, überrascht den Hörer mit spannenden Wendungen: „Es ist ein DJ-Album von einem DJ, der sich schnell langweilt.“ Entweder langweilt er sich schnell oder er ist unendlich neugierig – The Floor Is Lava ist reich an Ideen. Es beginnt mit „The Problem“, das in die Vergangenheit blickt, um nach vorne zu schauen, und die wilde Art, wie frühe House-Produktionen Samples mit fröhlicher Unbekümmertheit zusammenwarfen, aufgreift. Mayer nennt Pal Joey und die Szene um Rockers Hi-Fi und ihr Label Different Drummer als Referenzpunkte, und dieser freie Geist zieht sich durch das gesamte Album.

Es folgt „Vagus“, eine sinnliche Minimal-House-Nummer, die Mayer als seine „musikalische Katzenminze“ beschreibt. Der Fluss dieser beiden Eröffnungstracks definiert die Dynamik von The Floor Is Lava und den dialektischen Antrieb im Kern: These und Antithese führen zu einer Synthese, jedoch mit einer willkommenen Schärfe, die dafür sorgt, dass man immer aufgeregt und engagiert bleibt. Zudem gewinnt das Album Energie, indem es Genres und Klänge auf unerwartete Weise aneinanderreibt, um maximalen musikalischen Nervenkitzel zu erzeugen. Es gibt psychedelischen Techno in „Feuerstuhl“, mehr Minimal Techno mit „Ardor“ (Mayer erwähnt ‘Immer’ Ära Minimal als Bezugspunkt), gleitenden Shepard-Ton-Breakbeat in „Sycophant“ und einen lieblichen, üppigen Vocal-Auftritt im poppigen „The Solution“.

Das Album schließt mit dem melancholischen „Süßer Schlaf“, in dem Mayer ein Gedicht von Goethe vertont und eine seiner bisher eindringlichsten und bewegendsten musikalischen Kompositionen schafft, als abstrakten Tribut an eine verschiedene Freundin. Es ist einer der ergreifendsten Momente auf The Floor Is Lava. Ebenfalls gibt es ein Update der wilden Brainwave Technology-EP von 2020, mit dem surrealistischen Glitzer-Stampfer „Brainwave 2.0“ (hör dir diese Handclaps an!), in dem Mayer über den sozio-politischen Abgrund der Gegenwart nachdenkt: „Ich lese mit großem Interesse über diesen ganzen Komplex, wie die Menschheit dabei ist, so viele Grenzen zu überschreiten und welche Auswirkungen die daraus resultierende finanzielle und bildungstechnische Ungleichheit haben wird.“

Das ist The Floor Is Lava: Damals und heute, Gehirnwellen und Nervengeflechte, Probleme und Lösungen, brennende Genres; das Reale, das Unreale und das Surreale. Ein Album für die schnell Gelangweilten und die unendlich Neugierigen. Mayer hat das letzte Wort und sagt uns alles, was wir über den Geist des Albums wissen müssen: „Brennen für die Sache, leidenschaftlich sein, süchtig nach der Hitze der Nacht, den überschwänglichen Kräften der Musik.“

FRAK was the first act out on the Kontra-Musik White Label series. Back in 2012 the EP Triffid Gossip marked the return of both the band FRAK and the label Borft. Now, 12 years later, FRAK returns to KMWL with the splendid and diverse Safari Modules EP. Machine produced by FRAK, hand stamped by Ulf-Ulf.

Prince Istari attends the Riddim Dub School. 1st Grade lessons brings us computerized acid and dub. Nothing to say about this one, except that it brings you original flavours for computerized riddims and stepper lovers. Made on earth with love, for space exploration and bass. Limited to 300 copies and comes in stamped cardboard sleeves.

Prince Istari in the 2nd Grade of the Riddim Dub School dropping an original classic cover in rockers style on the first side, while on the flipside he comes down for some stepper and playing his melodica. Made on earth with love, for space exploration and bass. Limited to 300 copies and comes in stamped cardboard sleeves.

Repress !

Headquartered in a broader domain of Mixcult Records, Blackinstock Records focuses on the very first release with "Reel Phase EP" BLIS001, representing the most profound property of Mixcult Records' Black Gold Dub Techno. This great collection includes legendary Dub Techno maestro Federsen, plus the innovative minds of Yagya and Ohm.

Submerge in a sea of minimalism and sonic depth, where every single track is a journey in itself. "Reel Phase EP" is such music, emanating from the very heart of Dub Techno. A lot is vested in these expansive and immersive soundscapes, embracing highly detailed constructions. The spaciousness and depth of this release create an unrivalled listening experience, allowing for a deep dive into the pensive and genre-evolutive nature of this sophisticated kind of music.

Federsen, Yagya, and Ohm blend their different skills in masterly fashion, cooking up something timeless and forward-thinking. Each track is a stamp of class and introspection, hallmarks of the Blackinstock Records label, making this EP a must-have for any Dub Techno enthusiast.

Give a different feel to your collection with this genre-defining release. "Reel Phase EP" BLIS001 is not just music; it's an auditory journey to the very heart of Dub Techno. Make no mistake: this is your chance to get a share of musical evolution – get your copy now and dive into the deeper realm that Blackinstock Records holds in store.

Suburban Architecture are pleased to announce the fourth in their 'Architecture Dubs' series of limited edition 10" vinyl releases, which sees some of the most revered names active during the mid 90s golden era of Drum & Bass deliver remixes of Suburban Architecture material in homage to that most innovative of periods.

Following on from the now sold out release of Architecture Dub #001 (featuring remixes from Peshay and DJ Trax), #002 (featuring Blame and DJ Trace), and #003 (featuring Nookie and DJ Crystl), edition #004 enlists two further legendary names to put their stamp on the duo's material.

Ray Keith is a DJ and producer who requires little introduction. From his beginnings in the Acid House scene of the late 80s through to the present day via Hardcore and, of course, Jungle, Ray's output has been a steady presence in UK dance music for over 3 decades. From manning the counters of legendary record stores including London's infamous Black Market Records to masterminding bonafide dancefloor hits such as 'Terrorist' and 'Dark Soldier', Ray has touched every corner of the scene. For this remix, Ray brings some of his trademark Dread flavour to 'The Drifter' injecting some tough Amen and Bassline energy to the track.

DJ Harmony is another DJ who cut his teeth behind the counters of some of the scene's pivotal record stores, having worked in Lucky Spin and Section 5, while releasing music on some of the most important imprints in the genre, notably including Moving Shadow. Today Harmony is best known as the driving force behind the brilliant Deep Jungle imprint which delivers classic, new and unreleased music from Jungle's heaviest hitters. Recent releases have come from names including Adam F, Dilinja, DJ Trace and, naturally, Harmony himself. Harmony's remix of 'The Believer' takes cues from classic Jungle with a half time break down, giving way to a smashing Amen workout accompanied by the rousing vocal refrain of the original.

Pressed on 10" vinyl and housed in brown Kraft paper sleeves, the series makes visual reference to the exclusive dubplate pressings which introduced so many classic cuts to the UK's dancefloors in the 90s.

Kicking off 2024, Modern Life Is War introduces the Tribulation Worksongs sessions as a single 12"EP/Digital album. This release consolidates all three 7"EPs along with "End Times Dub," a dub version of "Feels Like End Times," creatively reimagined by Urian Hackney (Rough Francis, Iggy Pop, The Armed, etc). The packaging for this release features a collaborative visual effort from Jeffrey Eaton, Thomas Hooper, and J. Bannon. Tribulation Worksongs was recorded by Luke Tweedy at Flat Black Studios, mixed by Kurt Ballou at God City Studios, and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege. Originally released as a series of three 7"EPs between 2018 and 2021, the lyrics and credits for each song were typed by vocalist/lyricist Jeff Eaton on his 1950s Royal "Quiet De Luxe" typewriter during the initial presentation. These typewritten elements were later hand-stamped on the front and back covers of the EP by artist J. Bannon, resulting in each cover being entirely unique. Additionally, the labels on the vinyl were hand-stamped before final assembly by the team at Deathwish, which will see physical release on March 22nd.

Viikatory and Manao's "Alt Frequency" EP on A7A features 2 dreamy electro tracks and 3 driving techno tracks. The fifth track is a digital exclusive included with every vinyl record via a digital download code. Each record is hand-stamped and features a stickered artwork on the sleeve.

Introducing the first release from Italy's Ellito's Bakery label, a fresh EP packed with four electrifying tracks by Elliot P, tailored for the dance floor. With a keen focus on stirring emotions, these club-ready tunes are crafted to immerse listeners in a sonic journey. —White Label Hand stamped 12"

Twin Cities duo Feel Free Hi Fi return to their in-house imprint Digital Sting with their first full length entitled “I was so far in I was out.” After two prior EP's and collaborations with Equiknoxx and Duppy Gun Feel Free Hi Fi deliver 8 new tracks of their distinct but eclectic digital dub. Amalgamating many of the sounds, sonics, and aesthetics of prior releases into these eight percussive instrumentals. The industrial dub and weirdo dancehall remain but the focus is further refined while also exploring environmental and cinematic sounds to create often dark and heavy versions that are as singular as they are collective, as introverted as they are expansive.

The records come in double sided silk-screened printed custom DJ Jackets, with Obi Strip style stickers and hand stamped white labels created and printed by Digital Sting.

New edits label from the Deep&Disco crew outta NYC. 2 Killer cuts given a revamp and shine for the dancefloor.

Pressed on heavy weight 180g vinyl limited to 300 pressings hand stamped.
DJ FEEDBACK

Craig Smith (6th Borough Project) - Lovely edits, well produced and expertly put together. Good luck with the label chaps

Guy (Sleazy Beats, Monsieur Monod) - What a delightful debut for your new label. Feel The Rhythm is an irresistable boogie groover. We'll be playing these puppies all over the place! All the best with the release and label.

aliOOFT (OOFT! Music) - Being playing this for ages, good to see it being released. Best of luck with the label - I look forward to more Razor N Tape jams!

Sleazy McQueen (Whisky Disco) - Dig it, man!

Onur Engin (OE Edits) - Nice one! I'll definitely support this.

Jimpster (Freerange) - Nicely done. always a good one to have in the bag. cheers for the good edits.

Trujillo (Apersonal Music) - So Tight is a dope warm disco for the dance floor!, will spin it!

The Glue (Kolour) - Great edits both of them, we will keep an eye out for more stuff from you guys for sure!

Leftside Wobble (Futureboogie) - A pair of filtered boogie beauties.

Alkalino (Much Love) - Like both, but "Feel the Rhythm" is my fav.cheers!

Matthew Bandy (Z Records) - Solid edits here, will be getting support on both from me. Cheers.

Sell by Dave (Bedmo Disco, Juno Plus) - Excellent first release lads - enjoying both tracks. The edits scene needs some fresh cuts/styles, and you've delivered on these. Major props - can see both getting plenty of plays in Bedmo Disco sets this summer x

Daz (Get Down Edits) - So Tight never fails but this is my first time hearing Feel The Rhythm & cant wait to play it out its sounds excellent, have a gig @ Disco Deviance this sat & cant wait to play these at it :)

Mike W (Kolour Recordings) - Been looking forward to RNT001 and it does not disappoint one bit! edits that drip with funk & soul .. just like they should. got a nice batch of gigs in the pipes and these will definitely be seeing their way into my rotation as well as the full gambit of chart support! cheers j. kriv & aaron dae .. got yourselves off to a nice & tidy start .. best of returns to ya!

Nelue (Groove Democracy) - Both sound great!

South West Seven (SWS Music) - Love it!

Kid Color (Dollar Disco) - Slammin' work if I could say so myself!

The Beat Broker (Flexx) - So Tight is exactly that. Killer unstoppable groove. Love it!

Plumbing the depths of the Gaia Tones vaults... full analog sound, hand stamped, vinyl only release, limited edition.

Fool’s Paradise is the exciting new label from Toolroom Records’ Mark Knight - that comes straight from the heart, it’s a natural progression from his hugely acclaimed 2021 album release, ‘Untold Business’, which saw Mark go back to his roots, paying homage to the more funky, soulful, and vocal House from the 1990s from where he came.

With a focus on real instrumentation and production, coupled with great song writing, this new Toolroom sub label will be a platform for high quality House music that’s designed to stand the test of time. Launching the new label with a mighty bang and delivering the first in our exciting new vinyl sampler series is head honcho, Mark Knight who joins forces with Australian Toolroom label mate, Sgt Slick and British Soul sensation, Beverley Knight on a dynamite cover of Prince’s 1979 classic, ‘I Wanna Be Your Lover’.

Respectfully transporting the song onto today’s dance floors, Mark & Sgt Slick deliver a classy uplifting soulful house production, loaded with funky guitars, warm pads and sublime key performances. Adding the icing on the cake and putting her own stamp on things, Beverley belts out one of her signature spine-tingling vocals, garnished with lush harmonies and BV’s that would indeed make The Purple One proud!

Completing the vinyl package is Dance music stalwart, Opolopo, and British Soul icon, Jaki Graham, who together bring the dance floor heat with their new single, ‘Fire’. Powered by a potent soulful house groove from Opolopo, loaded with warm piano hooks, emotive synth melodies and a sublime popping bass hook, ‘Fire’ see’s Jaki flaunt her electrifying vocal talents with a show-stopping performance on this irresistibly catchy song.

- I Wanna Be Your Lover reached Traxsource #1 where it stayed for 6 weeks consecutively - Radio support on BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio Cornwall, Hedkandi, Kiss FM, Mi-Soul, Gaydio, Radio 105 / Montecarlo (Italy), Mambo Radio, Rinse fm, Select Radio, Totally Wired Radio, Point Blank, RTE, Power fm (Ireland), Metro FM (SA), Cool Fm, Radio Reverb, Radio FG (France), Release Radio and many more.

DJ support from Husky, Hector Romero, Javi Bora, Grace Bones, Judge Jules, Sebb Junior, Jay Vegas, Odyssey Inc, ATFC, Claptone, Black Legend, Cevin Fisher, Michael Gray, Kisch, Hoxton Whores, Full Intention, Booker T, Jamie Jones, Knights Of The Turntable, Sam Divine, DJ Rae, CASSIMM, Alex Preston

Unreleased material from 90's mysterious underground legend Acid Pimp! Limited coloured hand stamped copies..

Repress.

Continuing the Cape Verde series Mar & Sol bring this fantastic masterpiece of an LP 'Nha D'stine' from the legendary singer Américo Brito and his band Djarama. Includes insert. TIP!


Originally recorded in 1983 on a private press by Américo Brito , and now in 2018 we bring it back to life with the stamp of our label, from Mar & Sol records to all the world.

The latest Greyscale vinyl release is here and is destined to be a dub techno club staple. Featuring one of the best current dub techno producers in Federsen. This physical release is jam packed with club tracks as the flip side features remixes by the amazing Deadbeat and our own grad_u.

Federsen is elite with making catchy grooves like in the first featured track 'Penumbra'. The hypnotic sounds work terrifically in unison to form one of the most seductive tracks we have heard recently. Subtle movements and engrossing tribal rhythm make this a sure-fire dancefloor groover.

'Viridis' focuses more on the melodic chord side while it balances a wonderful deep dub bassline. Spatial and hypnotic are words that come to mind when we heard this for the first time. This is one of those tracks you sway and close your eyes too. Pure dream state stuff.

Deadbeat's dancehall dub Penumbra is magic. This has classic stamped all over it. The Dancehall description might put some classic dub techno fans off. Just come listen and experience this unique song. You just can't deny this! Sick.

Knowing that he is sharing a side with legendary Deadbeat, grad_u puts some extra muscle into his remix of 'Viridis'. Flighty and techy, we just love this futuristic fast-moving sound and we can't get enough of it. An awesome way to end the record.

Also, for an extra treat, there will be a 2 special remixes by Basicnoise of each main track added as bonuses to those who purchase the vinyl.

Greyscale vinyl #11 is sure to be one of the hottest techno records out this year!