Buscar:su na

repressed !

Ideal Audio presents the fourth and final instalment of Oliver Huntemann and Dubfire's seminal ELEMENTS series. These techno heavyweights have worked together on numerous projects over the years, but it is their Elements collaborations that have shone impressively as a complete body of work. AGUA is the final piece of the music puzzle and completes the series that first saw the light of day back in 2010 with the scorching FUEGO. 

2011 brought us TERRA, firm and powerful with its devastating breakdown. 2013 saw us breathe in the mystical AIRE, harnessing the elements of the previous tracks to build a fresh and magical moment. AGUA, as its name suggests, flows effortlessly, helped in no small part by the sultry vocal of Xenia Beliayeva, but kicks in equal measure. 

Signing off in such style has also lead to Ideal Audio drafting in some heavy weight talent on the remixes. Carl Craig, under his C2 moniker, dives straight in to strip the original to its core. A single drum beat, siren, clap... and then the kick. Petar Dundov twists the original's elements into a bubbling acidic stream that washes over us.  An impressive package for an impressive finale! 

Having been a fan of Reelow for, well, as long as we care to remember, we are really proud to present you his new outstanding EP on Cellaa Music. Now residing on Ibiza, Reelow has enjoyed yet another successful year. With the talent taking a back seat, its the music hogging the spotlight and rightly so. Two new Tracks and two massive Remixes that look to the past whilst sitting firmly in the present.

- Leave Me Alone' riding on massive percussion and a tough house beat, with this tough Drums and drunken, wubby Sounds it is running right through its core. Plenty of sonic details flesh out the languorous but slightly groove and you'd imagine this Track is to be the sort of many Artits will love.

- Your Crowd' is again about little tiny details and how they evolve with time. This one take you on a voyage of natural rhythms and big Drums. Developing from harmonic FX Sounds and a infectious groove, the track is full of surprises as it twists and turns into different sounds that come and go to take it further than the dancefloor.

The first of the remixes comes from the in form, Massimo Cassini. He team up with a hypnotic rework of - Leave Me Alone' that demonstrates just why he is one to keep a close eye on as he gears up on the production front. Massimo is delivering a muscular house bomb, carefully placed FXs and a nice and catchy line to make this a dancefloor mover.

Next we have Cellaa Music Co Founder Martin Heyder providing a soulful tech house surrogate to the original of - Your Crowd'. His remix has a deeper houseier twist with a smooth 303 pad sound and a concrete percussive arrangement to convey a fantastic production.

We'll meet you on the Dance Floor!!!

Two Irish acts crank up the volume for a healthy dose of sweaty, delirious techno

Starting out in 2001 to tie up some loose ends from our regulars, SPEICHER has since become a guarantee for vanguard dance sounds from all over the planet, allowing KOMPAKT to invite and support electronic artists that comfortably inhabit both the delicate and the more deliberate ends of the electronic music spectrum. For SPEICHER 76, two Irish acts crank up the volume for a healthy dose of sweaty, delirious techno - both acclaimed tracksmith CHYMERA and renowned Speicher favorite NAUM GABO hail from the green island... as is reflected in the color choice of this latest instalment in the series.

This vinyl includes a free downloadcode were customers get the
whole digital release (incl. Bonustrack) for free via Facebook !!
Anyhow fresh but still trusts! 4CR comes with his second vinyl - release,
and it sounds fat. "Menschenskind" has delivered with "Tequila" this time
a real Minimal House bomb with catchy tune character. Organic guitar -
samples and fresh Grooves sound like the fruity sweet taste of summer
which drips in the dusty and dry desert. A touch of western, High Noon
and heat under cloudless sky. "Menschenskind" gives us with Tequila an
acoustic place under the sun, the suitable drink and just the pure groove.
Alec Troniq, Sonntagsmusikant and Tinush deliver their great remixes on
top. While Sonntagsmusikant holds the striking theme first a little more
covered and comes along even more minimally, Alec Troniq with a stylish
variation of the subject rocks more offensively forwards. Tinush adds with
his Remix some Coolness and completes this 4CR Release. This package is
the fruity cocktail, which runs down the dusty throat, while the smell of
the sun and desert is omnipresent. Get a drink, and enjoy Tequila!

Irgendwie fresh aber dann doch vertraut! 4CR kommt mit seinem
zweiten Vinyl - Release, und es kommt dicke. Menschenskind hat mit
- Tequila' diesmal einen waschechten Minimal- House Knaller mit
Ohrwurmcharakter abgeliefert. Organische Gitarren - Sounds und
freshe Grooves klingen wie der fruchtig süße Geschmack von Sommer,
der in die staubtrockene Wüste tropft. Ein Touch von Western, High
Noon und Hitze unter wolkenlosem Himmel. Menschenkind gibt uns
mit Tequila einen akustischen Platz unter der Sonne, den passenden
Drink dazu und den puren Groove. Dabei liefern Alec Troniq,
Sonntagsmusikant und Tinush ihre großartigen Remixe on top.
Während Sonntagsmusikant das markante Thema zunächst etwas
gedeckter hält und noch minimaler daher kommt, rockt - Alec Troniq'
mit einer stylischen Variation des Themas offensiver nach vorne.
Tinush packt mit seinem Remix die Coolness und rundet dieses 4CR
Release gekonnt ab. Dieses Package ist der fruchtige Cocktail der die
Staubige Kehle runter läuft, während der Geruch von Sonne und
Wüste allgegenwärtig ist. Schnapp dir n Drink, und genieß Tequila!

GREEN VELVET MAKES HIS CIRCUS RECORDINGS DEBUT WITH BIGGER THAN PRINCE, HIS MOST TALKED ABOUT TRACK IN YEARS...

BIGGER THAN PRINCE WAS BORN OUT OF A CONVERSATION BETWEEN LABEL BOSS YOUSEF AND GREEN VELVET WHEN BOTH PLAYED THE INDONESIAN LEG OF THE ANNUAL CIRCUS TOUR. THE IDEA OF THE CHICAGO LEGEND CONTRIBUTING A BRAND NEW TRACK FOR THE CIRCUS X // PART 1 COMPILATION WAS FLOATED AND SOON HE WAS JOINING NINE OTHER FRIENDS OF CIRCUS WHO WERE ALL TO FEATURE IN CELEBRATION OF TEN YEARS OF EVENTS.

'BIGGER THAN PRINCE' IS A CLASSIC GREEN VELVET VOCAL NUMBER AND SHARPER AND FRESHER THAN ANYTHING WE'VE HEARD THIS SUMMER. QUIRKY AND DRIVING, ITS SET TO BE ONE OF THE TRACKS OF THE SEASON.

TO BACK THE ORIGINAL, YOUSEF HAS DRAFTED IN MORE FRIENDS OF CIRCUS ON REMIX DUTIES, HOT SINCE 82 AND THE MARTINEZ BROTHERS...



DJ FEEDBACK



STEVE MAC - "LOVE THIS RECORD AND THE REMIXES... GREAT RELEASE!!"

TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS - "I LOVE THIS RECORD!!! I'LL PLAY THE ORIGINAL!"

MATTHIAS TANZMANN - "BOTH REMIXES REALLY ARE GREAT!! PERFECT FOR ME!"

LEE BURRIDGE - "IT WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE THE ORIGINAL FOR THIS GREEN VELVET FAN!"

SINDEN - "ORIGINAL WINNING FOR ME!!!! CLASSIC GREENB VELVET... I LOVE IT!"

ZOMBIE DISCO SQUAD - "WOW! I DON'T THINK I NEED TO SAY MORE. THAT COVERS MY ENJOYMENT MARTINEZ BROS. MAYBE MY FAV."

TIEFSCHWARZ (ALI) - "A GREAT GREAT RELEASE FROM GREEN VELVET. SUPPORT!"

AXEL BOMAN - "THIS IS SUCH A COOL TRACK... LOVE THE ORIGINAL FROM GREEN VELVET!"



DANNY HOWELLS - "MEGA PACKAGE... SUPERB ORIGINAL AND STUNNING REMIXES TOO... ALL GOOD!"

DEETRON - "REALLY LIKE THE ORIGINAL AND THE MARTINEZ BROTHERS REMIX AS WELL. I'LL BE PLAYING."

UNER - "THE MARTINEZ BROTHERS REMIX IS SUPERB!! <3"

DRUMS OF DEATH - "I LOVE THIS WHOLE PACKAGE... WILL PROBABLY PLAY THEM ALL ACTUALLY! "

SOUL CLAP - "PURE FUNK, STRAIGHT UP NASTY!! "

MOXIE - "BIG BIG TUNE!!"

RALPH LAWSON - "THE MARTINEZ BROTHERS REMIX IS BEST OF THE PACKAGE FOR ME. GONNA TRY IT OUT AND LET YOU KNOW."

ALEX WOLFENDEN - "CLASSIC GREEN VELVET TRACK WITH GREAT REMIXS! MARTINEZ BROS' THE ONE FOR ME, FULL SUPPORT."

ANNIE NIGHTINGALE - (BBC RADIO 1) - "HOT SINCE 82 SOUNDS QUITE HOT IN 2013!"

LARSE - (KLUBBING, WDR 1LIVE, GERMANY) - "I LIKE THE MARTINEZ BROTHERS REMIX. WELL DONE GUYS!"

WAIFS & STRAYS (AMOS) - "ALL TRACKS ARE KILLER! THE MARTINEZ BROS REMIX IS AMAZING...FULL SUPPORT."

LUKE SOLOMON - "I HATE TO SAY IT AS I AM SUCH A HUGE GV FAN...BUT MB'S MIX KIND OF TIPS IT FOR ME. SORRY CAJ."

&ME - "I DON'T LIKE IT, I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

GERD - GREEN VELVET = BIGGER THAN PRINCE! LOVIN' THE LINNDRUM WINK... GREAT REMIXES TOO!"



ZDAR - "LOVE THIS TUNE!!! CURTIS IS THE BEST AND ALWAYS BE... VERY GOOD MARTINEZ BROS. MIX TOO! LOVE!"

DJ HELL - "AND ANOTHER BIG TUNE FROM THE NEW PRINCE OF DANCE MUSIC! THIS IS GREAT!"

TOM FINDLAY (GROOVE ARMADA) - "GREAT EP!! MASSIVE, SUPER FRESH! GREAT CHOICE OF REMIXES TOO, BOTH SMASH IT!"

SHADOW CHILD - "YES! THE HOT SINCE 82 REMIX SOUNDS DOPE!!! "

SKREAM - "SICK RECORD!! MARTINEZ BROTHERS REMIX IS MY FAV ON FIRST LISTEN."

JORIS VOORN - "WAHAAHA CLASSIC GREEN VELVET ATTITUDE! GREAT STUFF GUYS!!"

ALIX ALVAREZ - "GREAT PACKAGE. GREAT MIXES, ESP FROM MY GUYS TMB, BEING MY FAVORITE. GONNA TRY IT OUT THIS WEEKEND."

TAYO - "THE COOLEST MOFO OUT THERE. CLASSIC GREEN VELVET. SLEAZY "CONTROVERSY" STYLE BUSINESS. LOVE."

CATZ N DOGZ (VOITEK) - "FUCK!! YES PLEASE!!! THIS IS FANTASTIC... MARTINEZ BROS. MIX MY FAV TO PLAY ON FIRST LISTEN."

IAN POOLEY - "THE HOT SINCE 82 MIX IS WICKED!! I'LL BE PLAYING THIS OUT FOR SURE!"

JD TWITCH (OPTIMO) - "I REALLY LIKE THE ORIGINAL OF THIS!! SUPPORTING."

MARC ROMBOY - "GREAT SELECTION OF VERSIONS AND GREAT TO HAVE A NEW GREEN VELVET IN THE BOX! HS82 IS MY PICK TO PLAY OUT THOUGH!!!"

DIESEL (X-PRESS 2) - "THE ORIGINAL AND THE HOT SINCE 82 MIXES AT ARE THE BEST FOR ME. WE'LL BE PLAYING THESE!!"

COPYRIGHT (DEFECTED RADIO) - "HARD TO CHOOSE A FAV. WHAT A PACKAGE...LOVE THE BEATS ON THE MARTINEZ BROS MIX...KILLER!"

After the great success of 'Der Himmel uber Berlin', the second release on 'Envlp imprint' is signed by another South Italy's talent: Drum Communicate is a project of drummer and composer Francesco Varchetta.
The EP take the name from the first track, 'The Fast Line', which show all his talents as a musician, producing an 'Ambient' track with Detroit's influences.
Tuner is the second track, which has a marked groove and much more dancefloor, also remixed by Brendon Moeller in two versions, goes to conclude a release for true connoisseurs of the genre.

Every record includes a downloadcode to get the whole digital
release for free via Facebook !!
Dawson´s debut for Grain Audio is a grooving outlook for the summer
season of 2013. Motherkiss is hypnotising with strings and female
vocals while Dreamgirl is a real primetime drop with a well-metered
portion of saxophone flavour. Another underlining Dawson release
after the successfull "Holly / Sohno" EP from 2011.
Jede Vinyl enthält einen gratis Downloadcode für das gesamte
digitale Release (einzulösen via Facebook) !!
Dawson´s Grain Audio Debüt ist ein groovender Ausblick auf die
diesjährige Sommersaison. Motherkiss hypnotisiert mit seinen
Streichern und weiblichen Vocals während Dreamgirl ein wahrer
Primetime Track mit einer gut-dosierten Portion Saxophon im Break
ist. Dawson unterstreicht damit seine Ambitionen nachdem er bereits
mit seiner "Holly / Sohno" EP punkten konnte.

Als Compilation-Reihe im Jahre 2001 gegründet um ein paar lose Fäden unserer Stammkünstler zu verknüpfen, hat sich SPEICHER inzwischen zu einem Garanten für fortgeschrittene Tanzklänge aus aller Welt weiterentwickelt, der es KOMPAKT erlaubt Musiker aus allen Bereichen des elektronischen Spektrums einzuladen und zu fördern. Für SPEICHER 73 haben sich Hollands Synth-Epiker QUINCE sowie der in Berlin lebende Techno- und Modekünstler TOM PETERS hinters Mischpult begeben, um in zwei meisterhaft auskomponierten Tracks der Suche nach dem Horizont zu frönen.

Weltweit von DJs zum Einsatz gebracht, sind QUINCE's Techno-Etüden ein bekannter Klang im elektronischen Kosmos, dank starker Releases auf respektierten Labels wie etwa DELSIN oder MUSIC MAN RECORDS. Seine Produktionen beeindrucken generell mit ihrer profunden Kenntnis der großen Skylines, doch irrt der holländische Meister hier ein wenig ab von seinem Kurs durch 4/4-Welten und verliert sich stattdessen in den weitläufigen Kellerkorridoren des wolhltemperierten Schaffelbeats. LOST baumelt fast acht Minuten lang von der Klippe und gibt sich ganz als kubistisches Märchen vom einsamen Helden im dunklen Wald: in Erwartung einer zu errettenden Prinzessin bahnte der sich einen abenteuerlichen Weg durchs Unterholz und berichtet nun von unermeßlichen Schätzen und Momenten großen Glücks. Schon massiv gut, wenn sich die eigene, jahrelange Live-Erfahrung so anstandslos in perfekte DJ-Munition ummünzen last.

Zwei Stunden nördlich von Berlin liegt Kartlows kleiner Ortsteil Unnode, wo der ansonsten eher umtriebig veranlagte TOM PETERS wohlverdiente Ruhe in den Alltag eines DJs, Produzenten und angehenden Modezaren einkehren last. Hier, in inspirierender Nähe zur Ostsee, entwirft er die Skizzen für die meisten Tracks; so auch für TAKE YOUR CHANCE, dessen Silhouette sich deutlich geprägt sieht von der Weite der lokalen Natur. Toms Produktionen weisen alle Anzeichen transzendentaler Melancholie auf, verfehlen jedoch nie das urbane Momentum: sein Beitrag für SPEICHER 73 präsentiert eine simple, doch weitläufige Melodie, deren Haar vom Beat elegant zurückgebunden wurde, Futter für die Beine und die Seele. Ganz wie die handgedruckten Botschaften seiner eigenen Modeserie SAVE FASHION, vermag nämlich auch Toms Musik auf dem dünnen Seil zwischen dem Einfachen und dem Mehrdeutigen zu balancieren... dream on, dreamer.

In its own way, Speicher on Kompakt Extra has always been one of the most uncompromising series in the Kompakt universe. Starting out as a mere compilation series to tie up some loose ends from our regulars, it has since become a guarantee for vanguard dance sounds from all over the planet, with Kompakt being able to invite and support electronic artists that comfortably inhabit both the delicate and the more deliberate ends of the electronic music spectrum. That's also where we found the highly versatile Sei A, native Glaswegian, now residing in London and immersing himself in the hybrid house, firm techno and bass-heavy scenes that happily co-exist within UK's capital.

Schatten Records presents a new cool release: 'The Wrong Thing EP' featuring Abnormal Boyz and Marcus Raute.
'Bad Question' has a unique groove with a great atmosphere and cool dark speech. 'Think Darkly' is a perfect summer groover with a fresh sound and a great rhythmic. Naples based Abnormal Boyz and Marcus released one of their first 10-inches on Schatten Records.

Played & supported by Loco Dice, Afrilounge, Solomun, David K, Danny Tenaglia, Matt Tolfrey, Ripperton, Dan Drastic and many more. Superb follow-up to their last EP by Helly Larson & Rik Elmont.

Evighet proudly unveils its fifth release, EVIGHET005, featuring the Sky City EP by Dave N.A., the prolific producer from Yerevan known for his refined sound design and emotionally resonant compositions. With a catalog that spans labels such as Typeless Records and Uppers & Downers, his work continues to bridge precision and sensitivity, exploring the borders between rhythmic architecture and ambient introspection. On Sky City EP, Dave N.A. constructs an intricate sonic landscape where lush atmospheres coexist with fractured breaks and IDM-inspired rhythms. Rooted in the traditions of Jungle and Breakbeat yet unbound by genre, each piece reveals a narrative built from texture, movement and space. His music invites reflection while maintaining a dynamic forward energy, evoking the sense of motion through memory and dreamlike transitions. A central moment in the release is “Bloom”, which features a collaboration with Hayk Karoyi on flute. His performance adds an organic depth and melodic fluidity, weaving through electronic layers with warmth and clarity. The result is a delicate interplay between human breath and machine pulse, blurring the boundary between the natural and the synthetic. Sky City EP marks a new chapter for Evighet, reaffirming the label’s dedication to sound as a medium of exploration and storytelling. Through this release, Dave N.A. captures both emotional immediacy and compositional detail, expanding the label’s evolving narrative with a vision that feels deeply personal yet universally resonant.

Joe Fujinoki centered the compositions of his latest album Glass Torso round the idea of the fragility of the human body. Fujinoki described the narrative thread of the album as that of “holding the shape of a human body as if it might shatter like glass”. The precariousness of the body, the essence of the body as defined by Fujinoki as the torso, and the object relations between the boundaries of dialectical exercises pack themselves into his creative process.

Fujinoki recorded Glass Torso exclusively with analog synthesizers, stumbling in and out of structural loops to find space for accidental discoveries. The ten pieces of recorded material feel somewhere on the edge of typified form, feeling like a vascular system pumping in and out its undulating liquidities. Maybe this is the hollowed space held together by Fujinoki’s notion of the torso where you hear a microscopic world, dubby and generative. Fujinoki is adept at organizing this realm of subtle sound sources, giving proper considerations of shared tonal space. Seemingly, this handling of the precarity of sonic material elucidates Fujinoki’s mature attention to detail.

Ambient music genre tropes often affirm the listeners vessel for escape and dissociation. It provides an intoxicating allure by respite from an overwhelming exterior reality far outside the listeners controls. Here this space becomes apolitical, or its protest vocabulary softer and subtle. Fujinoki does not aim to tackle hyperobject topics on how to course correct the world, but he does something increasingly rarer to come across. On Glass Torso an alternative space is created not as shelter, but as a meditation on negotiation and compromise. This twenty eight minutes of audio lays down a foundation for imagination, for imagining how to negotiate the fragility of the self. Zoomed out, the implications of his negotiative sonics can be a playground for broader reflections on distributive care and attention.

Fujinoki says he feels “alert” to his physicality and placement in the world amidst vast digital cultures creating impositions on him and his surroundings. On Glass Torso he creates a concretized space on a vinyl record, where the virtual and the tangible antagonize one another that create the spectacle of the listening experience. This spectacle is a soft one, a considered one, and an utmost enjoyable one. Fujinoki juggles opposing forces brilliantly, and formulates an exquisite palette of soft passing music so he can also help the listener with the exquisite burden of their own Glass Torso.”

- Nick Klein, January 2026

2026 Repress

Laster Records launches with a powerful VA featuring Alarico, Yanamaste, Chontane and
Roll Dann

Spanish's techno movement force Laster expands its vision with the launch of Laster Records, inaugurating the label with a fierce various artists EP forged for peak-time madness and emotional depth. The debut release, Laster Records VA001, brings together four essential voices in modern techno: Alarico, Yanamaste, Chontane and Roll Dann, each contributing a distinctive cut to a shared narrative of intensity and evolution.

The A-side opens with Alarico's "Of Which Sugars", a gritty, percussive storm of fast-paced
techno, where tension builds through syncopated rhythms and distorted grooves. Following is
Yanamaste's "Disconnection", a cerebral track infused with cold atmospheres, broken patterns and a sense of controlled chaos - reflecting the Georgian artist's unmistakable mental approach.

On the flip, Chontane delivers "Palindrome", a futuristic and dynamic tool with flickering synth stabs and machine funk energy. The EP closes with Roll Dann's "The Red House", a cinematic and melancholic trip through layered textures and deep basslines, paying homage to the label's own mythology.

Laster Records VA001 sets the tone for a label that, like its club roots, is raw, inclusive, and
uncompromising.

See you under the red light.

Kēpa is built whole, even if life has broken a few bones along the way.

Back when he was a pro skater, he gave everything to the board. Today, he gives that same intensity to the stage, delivering hypnotic cine-concerts where motion, sound, and image blur into one. The only falls left now are the ringing final chords of his guitar — not just an instrument, but an extension of his body.

Fingerpicking is his native tongue. So much so that Kēpa no longer sings — he lets the strings speak. Percussive, alive, essential. This music isn’t about performance, it’s about living: a personal quest, a way to reach others by first going inward. Moving against the current without fighting the wind. Finding breath, essence, and remembering we’re all drifting on a spinning planet, surrounded by forces bigger than us.

It’s easier to look away. Easier to follow noise, fear, or false prophets. Harder — and braver — to truly connect.

Released in late 2025, Hotline Service opened the door, offering a wide-open, spiritual escape. With SOUL WASH SERVICES— produced by Timber Timbre — Kēpa goes further. Warmer, deeper, more focused. The album feels like sunlight on asphalt, a long drive with the windows down, time slowing just enough to let something real surface.

A kindred spirit to Hermanos Gutiérrez, Kēpa plays the role of a modern, pagan preacher — guiding us through a dusty, golden road movie that unfolds entirely inside the listener. His music doesn’t shout; it cleans.

Kēpa does it all: writes, plays, films, edits, mixes. Music becomes image, image becomes music. Nothing is separate, on record or on stage. There’s no excess, no showboating — just an open invitation to slow down, go deeper, aim higher.

Tracks like Solarium and Paradisiac reach the peaks with minimal gear: five strings, a few picks, and total control of touch and space. Listening to Kēpa feels like checking in with yourself — a quiet inner trip shaped by sounds from every corner of the world. Blues, not to feel them, but to leave them behind.

After years devoted to picking, his playing has become something sacred.

And if you let it, it carries you with it.

Backwoodz Studioz is excited to announce the release of Crayola Circles, a collaboration between rapper Fatboi Sharif and producer Child Actor. While both artists have long standing connections to Backwoodz, this album marks their first collaboration of any kind and breaks new artistic ground for all parties.


Sharif’s previous album, Decay, released on Backwoodz in 2023, was a haunting experimental rap masterpiece, an acid trip in a mental hospital. On Crayola Circles Sharif trades menacing psychedelia for a simmering stew of blacklight expressionism, his verses slipping effortlessly through the swells and tides of Child Actor’s masterful production. No matter how uneasy the waves grow, Sharif is at ease, a truth teller whispering anti-riddles in your ear. This album feels like a new chamber for Child Actor, as well. The producer has been on an impressive run since dropping CINE- a collaboration with rapper Cavalier- on Backwoodz in late 2024. Child Actor has shown up in the liner notes of everyone from Navy Blue (The Sword & The Soaring) to Earl Sweatshirt (Live, Laugh, Love) to ELUCID (Revelator) to Open Mike Eagle (Neighborhood Gods Unlimited), to Ghais Guevara (A Quest to Self-Mythologize), amongst others. On Crayola Circles Child Actor’s production is dynamic, shifting and sliding into new phases and movements in an instant. The beats are full and knotty, leaning into jazz and folk, while remaining tethered to the tender minimalism that is his signature. It’s a difficult balance for any producer, and here it is executed perfectly, placing us in a world of wood and brass, cowhide and undersea piano. On any other record, this soundscape would steal the show — and it very nearly does — but Sharif’s command never wavers, ever in control; a lucid dreamer in an induced coma.
There are no guests, no skits, and no interludes. There might not even be songs, instead Crayola Circles seems akin to a great river; singular, traversing forest and jungle, mountain and valley, running from mouth to endless sea.

2026 repress

On his sixth album, The Arc of Tension, the Berlin based DJ, label owner and producer OLIVER KOLETZKI yet again presents his remarkable vision of contemporary electronic music, while he assumes the role of a storyteller. The Arc of Tension speaks to its listener as a singular, self contained work, which communicates by way of its natural flow and arc of suspense. The latter is mirrored not only in the multifarious narrative of the actual album, but can also be understood as evidence for its creator's long musical history. While Koletzki focussed on a diverse range of vocal collaborations on his previous long players, he now moves on to a different form of storytelling, rooted in the quiet confidence of a veteran musician, as well as the hectic lifestyle of a globally in demand DJ. The Arc of Tension is the psychonautic journey through the various continents of Oliver's consciousness. The quiet chirps and warbles, which initially unfold on the opener 'A Tribe Called Kotori', thus act as a loose associative bridge to 'Der Muckenschwarm', Oliver's big breakthrough hit of 2005. The first minutes of the album leave no room for doubt - we are immediately locked into an autobiographical world of sound that knows how to captivate from the get go. The dreamy, exotic timbres of the downbeat tracks 'By My Side', Tankwa Town' and 'Byron Bay' penetrate our minds in a subtle yet purposeful manner. But soon the tension tightens and organic sounds one by one evolve towards a sterner, electronic cadence.