Arpy Brown & Kapote Announce Collaborative Album Memento Ludi via Toy Tonics
A sun-drenched fusion of yacht rock, house and modern indie dance energy – out June 26, 2026
BERLIN, GERMANY — Toy Tonics is proud to announce Memento Ludi, the first collaborative album by label founder Kapote and multi-instrumentalist producer Arpy Brown, arriving June 26, 2026.
The album is a funk-driven journey that bridges the warmth of 1970s analog recordings with the pulse of contemporary dance music. Blending neo-soul grooves, yacht rock harmonies and modern house rhythms, Memento Ludi captures the spirit of classic musicianship within a forward-looking club context.
But Memento Ludi is more than a typical house record. The album moves fluidly between dancefloor tracks and fully developed songs. Every instrument was performed live by the artists themselves: guitars, bass, keyboards and percussion recorded in the studio by Arpy and Kapote. After jamming and recording the basis of every song in a live procedure they carefully resample the parts to create the organic, human touch that defines the Toy Tonics sound.
The title Memento Ludi — Latin for “remember to play” — reflects the album’s philosophy: bringing joy, spontaneity and musicality back into dance music at a time when many club tracks feel increasingly mechanical and formulaic.
The collaboration arrives during a particularly busy moment for both artists. While spending countless hours in the studio, Kapote and Arpy Brown have also maintained intensive international touring schedules with the Toy Tonics crew, road-testing many of the tracks as “secret weapons” in their DJ sets from Melbourne to Los Angeles via their homebase Berlin.
“We wanted to make a record that felt like a lost studio session from 1978 — resampled and synthesised in 2026,” says Kapote.
Applying the solid structures of floor-focused Berlin techno to the expressive space of introspective electronica, Answer Code Request returns to Delsin with his first album in eight years. Halo finds Patrick Gr?ser broadening his sound palette more than ever before, matching atmospheric synthesis with dynamic beat constructions true to his impressive legacy while breaking new ground. Across Halo, smoky clouds of pads and chords lend the album an introspective quality in the grand tradition of ambient techno. In front of these haunting melodic forms, Gr?ser is free to explore all manner of rhythmic directions. There are fractured, downtempo micro beats and angular fractals on the likes of 'Fading Shadows' and 'Refraction' that take their cues from breakbeat -- finely detailed drum sequences constantly evolving into new arrangements. A pointed nod to D&B rears its head on the aptly named, hard-edged 'Fracture' and you might hear a firmly submerged hint of ravey acid coursing under 'Sublith'. Elsewhere, the firmer kick-anchored pulse of the classic Answer Code Request sound manifests for more forthright techno excursions such as 'Halo' and 'Bliphar'. In the context of the album, though, these tougher tropes are channeled into mesmerising soundscapes that soften the attack without diminishing the potential for club impact. In this era of his craft, Gr?ser moves instinctively through the sounds and approaches that inspire him, and the end result is an album that feels natural and open, all the while steadily progressing the ongoing evolution of Answer Code Request.
Chlar returns to his Primal Instinct label with 'Modern Survival'
Following the widely praised Funk Assault (Chlar & Alarico) 'Minimum One Post A Week' EP, which kicked off the Primal Instinct label last summer and won the support of the likes of Rodhad, Tasha, and Luke Slater, as well as routine plays from Sarah Story on BBC Radio 1, Chlar now returns to his imprint with solo venture 'Modern Survival'. While the first Primal Instinct release saw references to artist urges and behaviours on social media, this next instalment explores a modern recontextualisation of humanity's hierarchy of needs in yet another high-concept EP.
First up, 'Internet Soulmate' boasts a crunchy bassline as its drum work chugs along the track playfully. The groove twists and turns before the hypnotic and tribal 'Supermarket Hunting' continues with sounds of nature, loopy rhythm and syncopated bleeps.
On the B-side's 'Body Control Officer', human-made grooves intertwine with machine-like thrum, synths whirring and zapping, while 'Competitive Influencing' takes off with rolling percussion, subtle whistles and distorted vocal one-shots. Closing out another stellar offering from the Primal Instinct frontman, Chlar brings the dark 'Scout My Algorithm', a brooding slow-burner offset by smooth arpeggio snippets and warped slices of digital noise.
"In an era where technology entwines our everyday existence, where the virtual realm shapes our interactions, and where the pursuit of influence takes centre stage comes an EP that delves deep into the modern tapestry of human existence. 'Modern Survival' is not merely a collection of songs and visual clips, but a poignant reflection on the intricate dance between our primal instincts and the brave new world we navigate today. The EP invites listeners on a journey of self-discovery and reflection, prompting them to ponder the fundamental essence of our existence in an environment of fast-paced technological evolution." - Chlar
Chicago funk/soul band South Side Movement, who began their career as the backing band for the renowned pair Shintek & Wiley known for “Bootleggin,”
released their debut album The South Side Movement (Wand, 1973). From this album comes the enduring classic “I’m Been Watching You”, a track that remains
highly popular among hip-hop listeners—sampled by artists such as Erykah Badu (“Woo”), Ghostface Killah (“Camay”), and Jadakiss featuring Nas (“Show Discipline”).
This new 7-inch release features a special edit by producer/MPC player KOENMA, who digs deep into the analog-born groove and brings a fresh edge to this timeless cut.
NYC's Afro-Latin house player Doug Gomez, who was also half of the defunct Drrtyhaz, leans into club weight and musical detail on Signals 3, a confident new drop built on persuasive rhythms. 'The Space Between Us' introduces his vocal production with Fe Malefiz, who has a sultry, stylised tone that drifts between deep house and Afro-soul with great control. 'The Red Room' shifts gears into peak-time territory with a groove shaped by late-night exchanges with DJ Loka. Closing cut 'To Do Good Na Em Dem Pay' widens the palette further, pulling from Afrobeat's restless rhythmic energy and layering in some bold and brassy horns.
The world of UKG is as fruitful as ever right now and someone who continues to make fresh moves in it is IsGwan, a Melbourne/Naarm-based artist adding his own twist to the classic template. London label Bad Parrot welcomes him for a series of bouncy and bright originals as well as some on-point remixes. 'Next To Me' has low-key groove that skates and scuffs along with a classic r&b vocal from Amber Ferraro, adding the sunshine. There's a slow, more bass-driven heft to 'All That You Want', 'On Your Mind' is sun-baked and blissed out and 'Feel Free' brings more adventurous synth work to a busier framework. Of the remixes, Harvey Sutherland brings his usual sun-facing synth sounds and Rich Ellis makes 'Feel Free' into a more dark and gritty low-end workout.
Released on Polydor in 1972, He’s Coming captures vibraphonist Roy Ayers at a creative apex, as Ubiquity’s sound settled into the blend of jazz improvisation, funk rhythm, soul harmony, and spiritual import that would define his work throughout the decade. Emerging at the start of the 1970s, the album reflects Ayers’s deepening move toward a groove-centred musical language rooted in soul-jazz and early jazz-funk. The vibraphonist, keyboardist, composer, and bandleader is supported by a core ensemble that includes Harry Whitaker on electric piano, organ, and vocals; John Williams on bass, with Ron Carter featured on ‘We Live in Brooklyn, Baby’; David Lee Jr. and Billy Cobham on drums and percussion; guitarists Sam Brown and Bob Fusco; saxophonist Sonny Fortune; and percussionist Juma Santos. Tracks like ‘He’s a Superstar’, ‘Sweet Butterfly of Love’, and ‘Fire Weaver’ embody the record’s mix of urban narrative, spiritual reflection, and deep rhythmic momentum — qualities that would later make Ayers’s catalogue a source of inspiration for soul, funk, hip-hop, and neo-soul artists.
Mr Bongo are thrilled to have one of the leading lights in contemporary soul joining the label. Melbourne-based vocalist, musician, and songwriter Ella Thompson is an artist whose name is being championed by some of the best in the business. She’s been building a reputation as one to watch, with two standout releases on Hopestreet Recordings, Domino EP in 2023 and Ripple On The Wing LP in 2024, alongside a heavy touring schedule and a stacked list of support slots and collaborations.
For this new 7” single, Ella collaborates with a selection of artists at the forefront of Naarm/Melbourne’s soulful DIY community. Featuring members of Surprise Chef and Karate Boogaloo, Liam McGorry from Temporary Blessings (College Of Knowledge) joins Ella as co-writer and co-producer, with go-to Melbourne engineer Henry Jenkins also producing and recording the track.
Bridging the worlds of classic and contemporary soul, Ella’s songwriting is drenched in emotion and personal experience. With a timeless feel that is hard to tie to any particular period, she has crafted a sound that instantly hits deep. It’s warm, tasteful and distinctly Ella. That talent has also seen her tour with Mark Ronson, and support other contemporary greats like Jalen Ngonda, Lee Fields, and Thee Sacred Souls.
‘Promise To Keep’ is the first taste of Ella’s new material on this 7” single. An irrepressible upbeat groover that echoes mid-to-late-sixties vocal groups. That influence though never overpowers Ella’s own unique creative voice or distinct sense of self. She draws from it, but the colour is all her own. The song tells a story of being carried by the current that keeps us moving, giving us courage. A commitment to oneself that speaks to action shaped by vision, and the pull of following what feels correct even when the distance is far.
The flip side finds Ella in a different mood. ‘Change Of Heart’ is a heavy sweet-soul ballad. Rich in drama, Ella’s falsetto vocals build to a stunning climax in the final section, with triumphant horns that signal the release of letting go. The lyrics reflect on temporality and impermanence, and the way moments can be missed or arrive with synchronicity. It’s that bittersweet paradox of triumph and sadness, where everything contains its opposite: absence and presence, innocence and experience. The song is underpinned by a brooding production quality and atmospheric, beat-heavy flavour that Surprise Chef and cinematic soul fans will relish.
Mixed by Wayne Gordon (Daptone, Womack Sisters), ‘Promise to Keep’ and ‘Change of Heart’ are a glimpse of things to come from Ella. Keep an eye open for more new music incoming from this phenomenal artist at the top of her game.
Odlazak – the third full-length from multidisciplinary artist and musician Ivan Masic as Ex Ponto – takes its name from the Serbian word for departure. It’s a theme that reverberates throughout the release as the motifs of departure, arrival and the journey between the two are woven into an intimate personal narrative from 1980s Yugoslavia to contemporary suburban Coburg and back. Odzalak feels like a bookend to a decade of concerted, illuminating visits to the place of his birth and a countenance to the departure that long defined his youth.
Alongside Ex Ponto’s signature mix of electronic and organic textures, Masic has interspersed moments of exchange from his homeland. The haunting sound of the gusle — a traditional Serbian instrument played by his ancestors — opens the album, alongside 40-year-old VHS recordings of family members reflecting on life and death. The cover was designed by long-time friend Rick Milovanovic (TRiC), whilst photographs from Masic’s visits to Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina by his wife, photographer Sarah Pannell, are featured on the inner sleeve. The release was mastered and partially mixed by Belgrade-based Goran Simonoski (La Plant), a collaboration rooted in shared lineage and a mutual love of the darker edges of the sonic spectrum.
Taking cues from ambient to kosmiche, dub to post punk and everything in between, this is a sonic journey as much as it’s a personal one. Part Balkan Bladerunner soundtrack, part Vini Reilly in wonderland, Odzalak is Ex Ponto’s most pointed and heady release to date, equally at ease in the club and at home.
Turn On The Sunlight is the long-running project of Texas-born, Maui-based musician and producer Jesse Peterson.
Originally formed in New York in the late 2000s, Turn On The Sunlight has evolved into a fluid, location-spanning practice rooted in collaboration, intuition and process. Now based on Maui, Peterson’s work draws together a wide network of musicians and environments, with recordings taking shape across Los Angeles, Tokyo, London, San Miguel de Allende and Haʻikū.
Loosely situated within a framework of organic, ambient-leaning jazz, 'Iseo' unfolds as a series of open, exploratory pieces, with electronics sitting subtly beneath acoustic and environmental elements. Built from layered instrumentation including synthesizers, guitar, zither, flutes, voice and field recordings, Peterson moves between grounded, tactile detail and more expansive, immersive states. A sense of warmth and permeability runs throughout: organic percussion, environmental textures and drifting rhythmic elements lend the record a gently saturated humidity, reflecting Peterson’s base in Hawaii, where the presence of nature is felt as much as it is heard.
Underlying the project is a way of working rooted in gathering, listening and tending. Instruments, ensemble sessions, field recordings and everyday environments are approached with attentiveness, shaped through collecting, refining and allowing things to settle. Relationships, landscape and lived experience shape the sound, giving 'Iseo' a tactile, almost hand-made quality.
Rather than fixed arrangements, the album feels as if it has been organically and lovingly assembled through a process of listening and response, each element finding its place within a wider, evolving whole. This approach reaches a natural centre point in the 15-minute piece 'Medianoche En La Calle Aurora', which unfolds patiently, bending through shifting environments as motifs and textures emerge and dissolve with quiet continuity.
Peterson’s role as both instigator and facilitator is central to the project. Bringing together a diverse group of collaborators including Carlos Niño, Mia Doi Todd, Laraaji, Ko Ishikawa, Luis Pérez Ixoneztli and Miles Spilsbury, he creates space for individual voices to emerge within a shared language. The result is a music defined by openness and generosity.
'Iseo' takes its title from Peterson’s son’s middle name, a word that can be understood to mean ‘one-world life’. The piece itself takes the form of a gentle lullaby, its melody loosely shaped around the syllables of his name and sung to Peterson’s son by Luis Pérez Ixoneztli, a close collaborator whose presence across the record reflects a long-standing relationship that extends beyond the music itself.
Sleeve art and design by Michael Willis.
'Electronic lullabies and folk songs from Ethiopia! A landmark recording from Ethiopia’s vibrant cassette era of the 1980s, Resonance of Time features pioneering composer Wesenyeleh Mebreku reimagining Ethiopian folk melodies through the humble circuitry of an early Casiotone keyboard.
'Historically, the works featured on Resonance of Time (የጊዜ ቃና Yegizie Kana) stand as quiet documents of Ethiopian musical memory. Many of the original songs included in this release emerged during important moments in Ethiopian history when music carried the collective emotion of the nation - love, loss, resistance, dignity, and hope. By arranging these pieces from Ethiopia’s musical heritage instrumentally, Wesenyeleh Mebreku aimed to preserve their essence while protecting them from being confined to a single era or performance style. In doing so, his preservation of Ethiopia’s musical heritage became a contribution to his country’s musical legacy itself, as Resonance of Time serves as an important musical milestone of this composer’s innovative recordings and musical developments in the prolific era of Ethiopia’s 1980s cassette tape culture.
'On Resonance of Time, Wesenyeleh made use of the first Casio electronic keyboard - the Casiotone CT-201 - to arrange and perform Ethiopian folk songs in his own unique style. Implementing the soulful, lo-fi character of the keyboard, Wesenyeleh’s interpretations of these works take on a life of their own. Charming analog tones interpret swirling sounds of organ and piano in kignit modality to the beat of a nostalgic rhythm machine while twinkling synthesizer sounds carry the melodies drifting out of time. The recordings reflect a watershed moment in Ethiopian musical history - when traditional melodies started being interpreted on electronic keyboards, and the advent of cassette tape recording allowed for music to be transmitted more accessibly than centuries-old oral traditions. During this time, Ethiopian musical modes were syncretized with new technology and budding musical experimentation, and Wesenyeleh’s interpretations on Resonance of Time are a landmark recording of this era, following in the tradition of reflecting upon and re-interpreting historical Ethiopian music for a new generation.
'Featured on the release are timeless Amharic folk songs and lullabies, Tigrinya love songs, Gurage and Oromifa popular songs, and even works closely associated with performers from Ethiopia’s 1970s popular music era such as Tiz Alegne Yetintu (ትዝ አለኝ የጥንቱ) which was famously performed by Tilahun Gessesse. Each piece, thoughtfully chosen by Wesenyeleh, is beautifully transformed into instrumental music of his own style - allowing these worlds of song to echo into the future while they are synthesized with the electronic innovations of the 1980s and Wesenyeleh’s own musical history.
'Wesenyeleh says this about his musical approach - ”Instrumental music, for me, is a space of reflection. Without words, the listener is invited to remember, imagine, and feel freely. In Resonance of Time, I hear my own musical philosophy: respect for Ethiopian kignit, careful dialogue with Western harmony, and a deep trust in melody as a storyteller.”
'Each piece performed on Resonance of Time speaks to a time when Ethiopian music was shaped by oral transmission through live performance and communal listening. In today’s fast-moving musical environment, revisiting these works is an act of cultural responsibility. These works remind us that melody once traveled slowly, settling deeply in the listener’s heart. The instrumental format allows these works to cross linguistic and generational boundaries, making them accessible to audiences who may not know the original lyrics but can still feel their spirit.
'Resonance of Time also reflects a broader historical dialogue: the meeting of tradition and adaptation. Ethiopian music has always evolved while holding onto its core identity. These arrangements affirm that evolution does not mean abandonment. Instead, it can be a form of safeguarding - ensuring that the musical wisdom of the past continues to resonate in the present and inspire the future.
'In this sense, the album is both personal and collective. It carries Wesenyeleh Mebreku’s own musical fingerprint, shaped by decades of practice, but it ultimately belongs to a wider cultural continuum. It is the artist’s contribution to keeping time audible so that memory, history, and sound may continue to speak to one another.'
Melody As Truth and Future Days Radio present ‘At the Emerald Pool’, an album by Tomo Katsurada and Jonny Nash.
Netherlands-based artists Tomo Katsurada (Ex-Kikagaku Moyo / Future Days Radio) and Jonny Nash (Melody As Truth) combine forces for an exploration into the sonic potential of the guitar duo, rooted in their experiences performing together over the last 12 months.
Friends and admirers of each other’s work for a decade, their musical collaboration began in 2024 with Katsurada asking Nash to contribute guitar to his debut EP ‘Dream Of The Egg’. Sensing the need to explore this further, they spent the following year performing together in different configurations, with Nash joining Katsurada’s trio and Katsurada in turn playing with Nash as a duo, across a wide spectrum of spaces, from churches and temples to concert halls, theatres and outdoor festivals. With new ideas developing organically out of these performances, recording new material became the next logical step. A short period of three days was set aside with a clear goal: to capture the essence of their fluid, intertwining melodies and guitar playing in a way that felt as direct and unfiltered as possible. Working from a handful of pre-existing sketches, they left ample room for experimentation to unfold within the process.
The results are presented on ‘At The Emerald Pool’, a collection of ten pieces that offer the listener a full immersion into the pair’s sound. With guitar as the primary instrument for both artists, it is no surprise that the core of the album lies here, specifically in the fluid interplay between the two players. Layers of gentle, delay-soaked fingerpicking often make it almost impossible to distinguish where one player ends and the other begins. As soloists, both Katsurada and Nash have a gift for crafting melodic lines that feel open and ascending, expressive and hopeful without becoming saccharine. Longer, more abstract pieces are counterbalanced by a series of shorter songs, with five vocal tracks appearing across the album. The decision to share vocal duties lends the record a unique quality and a strong sense of variation, bringing a wide expressive range out of a deliberately focused musical framework.
‘At The Emerald Pool’ represents the first chapter in an ongoing musical dialogue, an attempt to capture a moment of connection, openness and discovery, laying the foundation for what continues to unfold.
Rhythm Of Paradise captures the essence of modern Italian piano house with the "Ti Sento EP".
A coherent and refined project that blends radio appeal and club depth, all with a warm, Mediterranean soul and pure Italian House Vibe.
The EP opens with the title track, an emotional summer anthem built on a sensual Italian female vocal. Beautiful piano hook in the real Italo style & warm M1 organ bassline, are the foundation that makes this track a unique narrative experience keeping balance between radio-friendly immediacy and a solid timeless club presence.
From the emotional Ti sento going to the festive, sunny mood of "Mi Piace" on A2, where the energy is amplified by a more driving rhythm and piano melodies that celebrate pure joy. It's the EP's track designed to create a peak of collective euphoria on the dancefloor.
On B, Micheal’s partner in crimes St. David reimagines “Mi Piace” track on a tribal dub journey with an Ibizan soul, where the original vocal is deconstructed into echoes, the bass becomes hypnotic, and the groovy organic percussions keeps the floor moving and shaking. A version for emotive charm of early Italo house, evoking euphoric dancefloors, Calypso beach parties in the style of Palmares or Irma records.
Closing with B2. Ti Voglio and its seductive groove, and a refined afterhours atmosphere. It demonstrates how Italian emotion in house music can also be communicated through the power of few elements that hits your sensitive side. Sax atmosphere and deep dub groove capture the rhythm of the listener for this beautiful closing track.
A complete collection of Timeless Italo House journey for those that knows !
Written and Produced by Michele Lamacchia. Includes remix from St. David
Mixed & Mastered by St. David
Be With have raided the KPM archives to re-issue another of our favourites from the KPM 1000 series. They Say: Underscore moods and links—contemporary beat music idiom. We say: Includes some of the most sublime, sub-ten second,
B8 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Suspense
| B9 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Narrative
[] B10 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Seadiver
[~] B11 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Link 1
[] B12 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Link 2
[] B13 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Link 3
[] B8 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Suspense
[|] B9 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Narrative
[] B10 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Seadiver
[~] B11 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Link 1
[] B12 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Link 2
[] B13 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Link 3
[{] B8 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Suspense
[|] B9 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Narrative
[}] B10 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Seadiver
[~] B11 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Link 1
[] B12 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Link 2
[] B13 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Link 3
[{] B8 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Suspense
[|] B9 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Narrative
[}] B10 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Seadiver
[~] B11 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Link 1
[] B12 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Link 2
[] B13 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Link 3
[{] B8 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Suspense
[|] B9 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Narrative
[}] B10 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Seadiver
[~] B11 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Link 1
[] B12 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Link 2
[] B13 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Link 3
[{] B8 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Suspense
[|] B9 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Narrative
[}] B10 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Seadiver
[~] B11 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Link 1
[] B12 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Link 2
[] B13 : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Link 3
Eleven years in the making, Kate Nash’s sixth studio album Cailín is a love letter to her Irish heritage. Produced by KoOoLkOjAk and recorded on the west coast of Ireland at Stiúideo Cuan, under the watchful eye of pioneering trad musician Charlie Lennon, Cailín is a raw, raucous album combining traditional Irish sounds with punk energy, nods to hip hop production and Nash’s knack for a killer hook.
“This was my first music,” says Nash, who grew up in an Irish community in North Harrow, where she attended a Catholic school. When visiting her mother’s “loving, vibrant Irish family” in Ireland every summer, she found that music infused the fabric of life in a way that felt natural and instinctive. “All my earliest musical memories were in Ireland: live music in the pub, going to Sharon Shannon gigs, seeing the best accordion player you’ve ever seen and it’s a bored-looking eight-year-old boy in a puffer jacket. There’s a real respect for musicians.”
Marrying punk protest songs with a joyful celebration of trad music, Cailín explores themes of colonialism, inequality, religion, internalised shame and forgiveness and family, drawing on the rich texture of Irish folklore and mythology. The tradition of strong Irish women is at the heart of the record, from the young girls celebrated on the “90s grunge eyeroll” of title track ‘Cailín’, to the resourceful single mother navigating the housing crisis in ‘Póg Mo Thóin’ (“There’s all these politicians arguing with each other on news programmes, then you cut to people’s real life and it’s like, can’t you just fucking help them?”), to Nash’s grandmother, memorialised in the poignant yet joyful ‘Irish Saints’.
Eleven years in the making, Kate Nash’s sixth studio album Cailín is a love letter to her Irish heritage. Produced by KoOoLkOjAk and recorded on the west coast of Ireland at Stiúideo Cuan, under the watchful eye of pioneering trad musician Charlie Lennon, Cailín is a raw, raucous album combining traditional Irish sounds with punk energy, nods to hip hop production and Nash’s knack for a killer hook.
“This was my first music,” says Nash, who grew up in an Irish community in North Harrow, where she attended a Catholic school. When visiting her mother’s “loving, vibrant Irish family” in Ireland every summer, she found that music infused the fabric of life in a way that felt natural and instinctive. “All my earliest musical memories were in Ireland: live music in the pub, going to Sharon Shannon gigs, seeing the best accordion player you’ve ever seen and it’s a bored-looking eight-year-old boy in a puffer jacket. There’s a real respect for musicians.”
Marrying punk protest songs with a joyful celebration of trad music, Cailín explores themes of colonialism, inequality, religion, internalised shame and forgiveness and family, drawing on the rich texture of Irish folklore and mythology. The tradition of strong Irish women is at the heart of the record, from the young girls celebrated on the “90s grunge eyeroll” of title track ‘Cailín’, to the resourceful single mother navigating the housing crisis in ‘Póg Mo Thóin’ (“There’s all these politicians arguing with each other on news programmes, then you cut to people’s real life and it’s like, can’t you just fucking help them?”), to Nash’s grandmother, memorialised in the poignant yet joyful ‘Irish Saints’.
LP,180g, 2027 REISSUE - REMASTERED FROM ORIGINAL TAPES, CAREFULLY REPRODUCED ORIGINAL ART
Hot Wax is an assured KPM masterclass from a dream team line-up of Brian Bennett, Alan Hawkshaw and John Fiddy. Here we're treated to what happens when all three decide to explore the latest trends in production music'. The latest as of 1976, of course.John Fiddy's numbers are sumptuous, string-led and light. Floaty soft-psych underpinned by a solid groove, particularly on Taste For Living' and "Fresh Start". If you're into Koushik and those early Manitoba/Caribou records - and you should be - you'll appreciate these.
For us, the Bennett and Bennett/Hawkshaw stuf is on another level. Capitol City' oscillates between driving funk and downbeat sentiment. Name Of The Game' is tough, smokin' funk, famously sampled in 2007 by Madlib for Percee P's Who With Me'. Bop On The Rocks' knocks hard and Full Throttle' features a guitar solo with some of the nastiest, about-to-explode fuzz you're ever likely to hear.
As with all ten re-issues, the audio for Hot Wax comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis. We've taken the same care with the sleeves, handing the reproduction duties over to Richard Robinson, the current custodian of KPM's brand identity.
180g 2027 Repress They Say: “Descriptive scores for scenes of visual impact”.
We say: Arguably the single greatest album in KPM history. An ensemble piece of staggeringly heavy works from none other than Brian Bennett, John Scott, Steve Gray, Jim Lawless and Johnny Pearson.
For our immense pleasure, Visual Impact includes the insanely ace “Nuplex” by Brian Bennett, a nagging, sweeping, punchy funk piece that exists in a world of its own. If you don’t know, get to know - the record’s worth getting for this track alone. The same goes for the beautifully paced, string-drenched, horn-fed LP opener “Canaveral Scape”, courtesy of John Scott. Truly sublime. Other highlights on the A-side include Bennett’s easy, bass-heavy jazz groover “Sequence Of Events” and the spare, building, undercover funk of Steve Gray’s aptly-named “Low Profile”.
The B-side is straight-up fantastic. The percussive, vibey exotica of Jim Lawless’s “Keeping Pace” is followed by five tracks of slick, weighty funk breaks from Johnny Pearson. Check the pure groove of “Jaguar” with its head-nod drum break intro, the creeping piano-strings combo and… er… giant neck-snapping breaks of “Giant’s Causeway”, the speaker-smashing progressive bass groove of “Fugitive”, the tense "Rock Climb" and the sheer heft of "Heavy Load". Library largeness. If that isn’t enough, John Scott’s incessant “Flight Of The Phoenix” ends the session, brilliantly pilfered by M.O.P. for their much-loved “We Run New York”.
Originally released in 1976 but wonderfully timeless, Visual Impact is a rare example of a library record that’s genuinely great listen from start to finish. Just too good…
As with all of our KPM re-issues, the audio for Visual Impact comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis. We’ve taken the same care with the sleeves, handing the reproduction duties over to Richard Robinson, the current custodian of KPM’s brand identity.
And don’t worry! Those KPM stickers aren’t stuck directly on the sleeves!
With Panorama, Frank Maston pays homage to the classic era of library records and Italian soundtracks of the 70s. A blissed-out, grooving collection of filmic cues, it continues the unique brilliance of Tulips and Darkland. Elegant and easy, subtle and stylish, breezy and beautiful; this is his Maston-piece. Commissioned by legendary label KPM, Panorama cements Maston as a master of modern classics and the most mesmeric of contemporary composers.
In early 2020, Be With suggested to Frank that he should make a KPM record. He wasn't aware that they were still putting out new library records - but he was super keen: "It was completely surreal and it still hasn't fully sank in that I have a record in that catalog, sitting alongside those incredible albums that were so influential to me."
Frank was visiting family in his hometown of LA in March 2020 when the world ground to a halt so the KPM project arrived at a fortuitous moment. Having fantasised about committing to a record with no distractions, with a proper budget, access to his gear and space to work in - to really dig in and try to write and arrange the best work he could possibly make - it was a real "be careful what you wish for" moment. But, as Frank explained, "it completely saved my year and sanity to have something to focus on and get excited about. It was my lifeline." He spent seven months on it, working almost every day.
Maston had already been making library-influenced music so when KPM outlined the criteria for the tracks it was exactly what he had been doing all along. He thought the best approach would be to make a follow-up to Tulips that had a parallel life as a KPM record. Enjoying complete creative freedom, “gave me the drive to power through and dig in deep. I'm not sure if I could have kept myself on such a rigorous recording schedule under my own steam, and I think the momentum I had writing and recording it is part of the strength of this record."
Maston’s sleek retro-groove instrumentals emulate the classic KPM “Greensleeve” reel-to-reel recordings that provided mood-setting music for mid-century cinema, television, and radio programs. Apparently in close conversation with the John Cameron-Keith Mansfield KPM pastoral masterclass Voices In Harmony, Maston's Panorama could be heard as that record's funky follow-up. Yes, it's *that good*. Another reference point from the hallowed library would be Francis Coppieter's wonderful Piano Viberations.
Opener "First Class" is a blissed-out groove, featuring the soothing vocals of Molly Lewis and a glistening harp over drums, a two-note bass motif (from Eli Ghersinu of L'Eclair) and an assemblage of guitars, synths, French horn and glowing vibraphone. Acid Lounge, anyone? The irresistibly funky "Easy Money" is a gorgeous cut led by more of Molly's vocals, pastoral flute and Rhodes, underpinned by drums and percussion, grooving bass, chilled guitars and synth strings. Kicking the tempo up, the percussive "Storm" is a vibin' filmic-fusion jam where psychedelic guitars (courtesy of Pedrum of Allah Las/Paint) organ, jazzy flute, Rhodes and vibes all compete for a place in the sun, over drums and walking bassline.
The heavenly "You Shouldn't Have" is a delicate, melancholic wonder; a dreamy instrumental where the melody is shared by a whistle, harpsichord and celeste, over a cyclical piano chord sequence and bass, synths, guitars, organ and distant French horn. The tempo rises again with the passionate, sticky "Fling", a summery, nostalgic groove with skipping drums and percussion, warm bass and electric guitar, yearning flute and synth strings. The brilliantly titled "Fool Moon" has that Voices In Harmony sound down pat. A romantic slow-mo dreamscape of Rhodes and harpsichord, piano, light drums and softly strummed acoustic guitar.
Side B opens with "Medusa", a hopeful, mellowed-out track with shuffling drums, feel-good flute, muted horns, glowing Rhodes and synth strings. The soft and gentle "Morning Paper" is an elegant way to start the day; a beatless blend of flute, guitar, percussion, ambient synths and vibes. The upbeat head-nod jam "Scenic" has that widescreen car-chase feel, uptempo drums and percussion, grooving bass, piano, synths and ambient electric guitar. "Adieu" is a smooth summer vibe, relaxing with brushed drums, Rhodes, flutes and horns. Molly Lewis's gorgeous vocals steal the show, alongside vibes, jamming organ and synth strings.
"Hydra" is another laid-back 70s-sounding retro cinema cue with light drums and percussion, walking bass, spacey synths, clavinet, glowing vibraphone, vintage organ and electric guitar. Closer "Jet Lag" is a laconic bow out; bass-driven drum machine soul, featuring hand percussion, Rhodes, vibes, synths and organ.
Multi-instrumentalist Frank played a bit of everything across Panorama. Yet, humble as ever, he believes the time, energy, and enthusiasm of all of the musicians invited to the sessions helped him realise his vision: "There were two Italian flautists who really understood what I was going for. Two french horn players, cor anglais, a vibraphonist and a flügel horn player. I've never involved this many people in my projects before, and yet the result is the most "me" record I've ever made."
Musically, a strong Italian theme runs through the record. Frank is fascinated by ancient Rome and both his parents are Italian (Maston was originally Mastrantonio before anglicisation). So, it felt natural to fully embrace these strands and tie everything together with the striking artwork. The Romans were influenced by Greek culture, emulating their art and architecture, which, in turn, influenced Renaissance era artists. Frank acknowledged this tradition when reflecting on his place in the lineage of library and soundtrack composers. He then asked his friend Mattea Perrotta, a painter and sculptor, for some sketches. What he received was exactly what he had in mind: "Especially the theater mask, which really captures the range of moods on the album". Frank arranged them as per the cover and it soon felt right: "I wanted to make a cover that was reminiscent of the classic KPM albums without making it too pastiche - so it has its own identity and looks at home alongside other library records, while still fitting in nicely in the KPM catalogue." The last step was for us to introduce Frank to Be With-KPM’s Rich Robinson, who helped put together the back and centre labels and align it all within the KPM standard.
Panorama is a perfect title for the album. With no opportunity to travel for tours or recording projects, Frank arranged postcards from his collection on his desk with beautiful views of the mediterranean coast, the Roman Colosseum and Cinque Terre. These also served as visual prompts: "That was part of the sonic concept - imagining myself driving down the mediterranean coast with this music on, with the top down." Additionally, the range of moods and vibes - "I tried to make each song very different from the previous one in terms of tempo and arrangement and feeling" - speaks to the idea of a Panorama of music and sounds and emotions. The last track was originally called Panorama, but KPM already had that title in their catalogue so it was changed to "Jet Lag", which, as Frank notes, "is perhaps even more fitting, since the trip is over".
Mermaids is many things at once: The debut single by Fila Brazillia (named after the mishearing of a Brazilian mastiff breed mentioned on the radio), the second release on Pork Recordings, a deep house master piece, the brainchild of the summer of love, a pen friend to A Man Called Adam’s Barefoot in the Head and most of all pure balearic bliss. Originally released in 1991 and subsequently featured on Old Codes, New Chaos, which according to Frank Tope at Mixmag, is "the Best Dance LP ever made”, it marked the beginning of a long and illustrious partnership for Hull natives Steve Cobby and David (Man) McSherry.
Mermaids still sounds as good and as addictive on any kind of beach or natural environment as it supposedly did on Boris Dlugosch’s Front dance floor or any other basement suffused with strobe lights at the time (or any hedonistic place for that matter). Having been already part of the latter’s and Klaus Stockhausen’s Mastermix Front Compilation, it has now been dusted off and remastered for an individual performance. Added for the first first time though is the original demo version that makes use of a different yet not less enchanting bass line.
Also included is Fila’s 1994 trippy, dare we say progressive, UK house blueprint Slacker. A seismic shift from the traditional tropes of house, it set an example for what should rock the dance music boat just a few years later. Delivered in a previously unreleased extended version for your utmost enjoyment.
Artwork note: The sleeve photograph is a proto-selfie taken by Steve in 1983 (the year the two first met). Man still has those braces.
Equal parts brit-pop, glam rock and art-punk, Palaye Royale has amassed over half a billion streams throughout their career and earned a legion of cult-like fans with their adrenaline-fueled, Rock n’ Roll circus.
First landing in Los Angeles as teenagers, Las Vegas-bred brothers Remington Leith (vocals), Sebastian Danzig (guitar), and Emerson Barrett (drums), worked their way up through the ruthless L.A.rock scene to headlining arenas around the world and touring with the likes of Yungblud, Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, and more.
Across a series of increasingly bold records, the band have laid out their grand rock & roll vision inspired by everyone from The Libertines to The Rolling Stones, by way of My Chemical Romance. Those first four records were driven by a desire to prove just how much the band could actually do, nailing everything from epic heartbreak to snarling vengeance
Palaye Royale return with a bold new studio album built for longtime fans and new listeners alike. Featuring 12 tracks produced by Chris Greatti (YUNGBLUD), Amsterdamage delivers a refined, festival-ready rock sound with strong retail appeal and a dynamic new chapter from one of modern rock’s most distinctive acts.
Equal parts brit-pop, glam rock and art-punk, Palaye Royale has amassed over half a billion streams throughout their career and earned a legion of cult-like fans with their adrenaline-fueled, Rock n’ Roll circus.
First landing in Los Angeles as teenagers, Las Vegas-bred brothers Remington Leith (vocals), Sebastian Danzig (guitar), and Emerson Barrett (drums), worked their way up through the ruthless L.A.rock scene to headlining arenas around the world and touring with the likes of Yungblud, Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, and more.
Across a series of increasingly bold records, the band have laid out their grand rock & roll vision inspired by everyone from The Libertines to The Rolling Stones, by way of My Chemical Romance. Those first four records were driven by a desire to prove just how much the band could actually do, nailing everything from epic heartbreak to snarling vengeance
Palaye Royale return with a bold new studio album built for longtime fans and new listeners alike. Featuring 12 tracks produced by Chris Greatti (YUNGBLUD), Amsterdamage delivers a refined, festival-ready rock sound with strong retail appeal and a dynamic new chapter from one of modern rock’s most distinctive acts.
A deliberate sonic and emotional architecture that doubles down on intensity to shatter and rebuild the listener in one unrelenting wave.
Third album from System Olympia, following acclaimed releases like New Erotica Collection LP (2023) and Delta Of Venus LP (2020), solidifying her as a bold, self-produced voice in electronic and italo-disco-inspired music.
Releases on Okay Nature Records (her own independent label), with digital out now (March 6, 2026) via Bandcamp/Spotify and limited-edition black vinyl 12" LP shipping from April 6, 2026-fully written, recorded, produced, and mastered by System Olympia herself.
Extended tour in the months ahead, kicking off with confirmed live events including a Double Climax Listening Party, plus performances at The Cause (60 Dock Road, Outside) in London on April 3, 2026, and Burgess Park in London on August 2, 2026-expect further dates to build momentum through spring/summer 2026.
Winter Collection arrives a little late, but it arrives right. Four tracks across two sides, drawing from Chicago, Detroit, Oakland, and Portland, mastered for DMM cut by Lawrie Dunster of Curve Pusher. The vinyl sounds like it means business.
The A-side opens with the Bryan Zentz Remix of Basic Analogue, originally written and produced by Mazi and Joshua Collins. Dunster’s remaster serves the synth work well, keeping the melodic lines clear and the low end present without overcrowding the mix. Zentz built something durable here, and the vinyl pressing confirms it.
Sound Whore by DJ Mes follows, and Mes doesn’t waste any time. The wah-wah guitar arrives early, the trumpet not far behind, and then the Latin percussion and vocal samples start stacking up. It’s a lot, but Mes holds it together with a groove that keeps pulling everything back toward center. You don’t resist it. You just follow.
The B-side belongs to the most requested track in the label’s catalog, and it’s easy to understand why. Mike Huckaby’s remix of Cesar Ramirez’s Congo Fury anchors itself to a conga line and then opens outward, synth lines drifting across the rhythm like smoke. Huckaby had a particular gift for this, the ability to make a moment feel like it could last forever without ever losing tension. Ramirez’s own keyboard solo survives toward the end, a subtle crescendo that feels earned. Dunster captures the whole thing with care.
It’s Time to Jack by Da Outlawz closes the record. 909 drums, cracking snares, chopped vocal fragments. Barebones Chicago house, designed for a sound system that can take the weight. Nothing complicated about it, and that’s the point.
Play it loud.
Track A1 written and produced by Maziar Namvar and Joshua Collins. Remixed by Bryan Zentz.
Track A2 written and produced by Jason Sutton.
Track B1 written and produced by Cesar Ramirez. Remixed by Mike Huckaby.
Track B2 written and produced by Gabriel Palomo & Geto Mark.
Mastered by Lawrie Dunster at Curve Pusher, UK.
Copyright Control
2026 Fresh Meat Records
Shorter Version
Winter Collection arrives a little late, but it arrives right. Four tracks across two sides, drawing from Chicago, Detroit, Oakland, and Portland, mastered for DMM cut by Lawrie Dunster of Curve Pusher. The A-side opens with the Bryan Zentz Remix of Basic Analogue, originally written and produced by Mazi and Joshua Collins. Dunster’s remaster keeps the melodic lines clear and the low end present. Zentz built something durable here, and the vinyl confirms it. Sound Whore by DJ Mes follows. The wah-wah guitar arrives early, the trumpet not far behind, then Latin percussion and vocal samples start stacking up. Mes holds it together with a groove that keeps pulling everything back toward center. You just follow. Mike Huckaby’s remix of Cesar Ramirez’s Congo Fury anchors itself to a conga line and opens outward, synth lines drifting across the rhythm like smoke. Huckaby had a gift for making a moment feel like it could last forever without losing tension. Ramirez’s keyboard solo survives toward the end, a subtle crescendo that feels earned. It’s Time to Jack by Da Outlawz closes the record. 909 drums, cracking snares, chopped vocal fragments. Barebones Chicago house, designed for a sound system that can take the weight. Play it loud.
Produced after a period spent alone, surrounded by the elements of nature, this record brought Katatonic Silentio back to her essence and her roots. The result is a dedication to the dancefloor through the genre she first became involved with, and to the music itself as the conductor of her whole life; an ever-changing entity of the essence of the soul; a bridge to the unknown and the depth of existence. A luminous voyage in the profound lightness of sound. Far from being an intellectual exercise, the album - the first club-oriented release by Krisis Publishing - is a physical and spiritual journey. This one is for the body, mind and soul, so that there may be harmony between the parties, between the inside and the outside, between the self and the other.
UK Hardcore Techno badman Dolphin back on PRSPCT XTRM with a killer 4 track audio violent onslaught.
Nature is dying, Trump is in office, The whole Brexit charade, Hong Kong is screwed and this is just a tip of that insanely high iceberg of bullsh** that keeps building up in this world.
Simple fact: C**ts Rule Everything Around us so the title of this EP is not just meant funny as an ode to one of the most legendary hip hop groups to ever live. We are dead serious here. Just look around you. C**nts everywhere for as far as the eye can see.
So blast these protest bangers hard and give those c**nts a super sonic hard as nails punch in the face.
Antuni (translated from Armenian as “homeless”), Margenrot’s third album, was created over five years. It is a personal statement about fragility, vulnerability, and the search for grounding in a world where conflict has become part of everyday life. Antuni is a genre of gusan song (gusans were Armenian folk singers and rhapsodes) – a story told by a homeless, eternal wanderer, exiled and deprived of homeland.
The album’s title also refers to the melancholic ballad Antuni (“The Song of the Wanderer”) by the Armenian composer, folklorist, and monk Komitas. This work was dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Lusia’s new album is about national identity and inner wandering – between contempo- rary wars and deeply personal, existential experiences. She asks an urgent, personal question: “What is my home, and where is it?”
The album weaves together traditional Armenian chants and chorales with electronic music and field recordings. Breakbeat is layered with conversations between Lucy’s relatives about the fading village of Naokhrebi (an Armenian village in Georgia), while samples of Komitas’ liturgy, recorded in a Catholic church, contrast with fractured rhythms.
Still compelled by the space they first opened, Gūsū returns with a second release, “Inhabiting Me”. What began as a shared approach, sprouted from intuition, has grown denser and more defined, holding on to that same fragility and openness. The duo continues to befriend with contrast, friction and proximity, shaping a language that inhabits their uncommon ground.
Vintage drum machines, tape delays and bass guitar widen the sonic ground, adding pulse, grain and instability, while the guzheng holds its place in full clarity. Each sound source becomes each other’s ornament, forming to gesture the next currents.
What emerges is less a fixed composition than a shifting form: precise in detail, impossible to contain. Listeners who have experienced Gūsū’s live performances will recognise this rare quality: a music of great sensitivity that expands with quiet force, drawing them inward rather than confronting them directly. The sound fades, re-enters, and leaves behind the trace of a lighthearted heaviness, echoing back in fragments, reappearing in memory with altered weight and colour.
Time bends inward and tones return altered. Between repetition and resonance, a tensile form begins to emerge. Neither nostalgic nor futuristic, neither static nor loose. Gūsū does not merge its materials into one smooth surface; it lets them stand close enough to sharpen one another.
Gūsū is a transcultural music project born from the confluence of two distinct artistic voices: Xueyan Chen and Nicolas Balmer. Together, they create a complex dialogue of sound that bridges the ancient and the modern, exploring the liminal spaces between tradition and experimentation. Gūsū’s inception was serendipitous, sparked by a shared stage in late 2022. What began as spontaneous improvisations has since evolved into a profound collaboration. The duo has performed under various monikers, finding their ultimate identity in the name Gūsū, a nod to both heritage and transformation.
Terrestrial Funk presents a piece of Detroit history. Born and raised in Motor City, Karl Fultz knew at the age of twelve that he wanted to be the most talented and successful DJ in the world. In 1999 he released on Juan Atkins’ Metroplex under the alias People Mover and in 2000 he released as Black Electric on Puzzlebox. Inspired by British synth-pop duo Eurythmics, Fultz says Black Electric was a way to get more women involved in the techno movement. Together alongside vocalists Tiffany Elliott, Kim Glover & Talena Fultz, Black Electric brought sex appeal to the scene. Their first and only release stays in demand and has become inaccessible until now. Terrestrial Funk’s reissue provides two fresh cuts on the new 12”; ‘Purple’ a chugging Detroit acid track describing soul modification to enhance intimacy and a proper bassed out club mix of the nasty electro sex song ‘Work That’, which was only featured as an acapella on the original release. The release also features updated mixes of both the title track and the half-time anthem 'Come To Me' alongside the original y2k mix of 'Colors'. Black Electric stands as a testament to turn of the millennia Detroit and the city’s undying devotion to expand our connection to music.
Much like the fusion resulting in the output of light and heat within a star, the last seven years for Dave Sumner, aka Function, have been defined by immense change and an outpouring of creative energy. What began in late 2016 as a period of burnout from a relentless touring life became a catalyst for the most prolific recording era of his career. At the time, the studio became the only viable escape, a space to transmute exhaustion into a gestalt work.
Aeternum (Existenz) serves as the missing element in this creative arc. It acts as the final chapter of a cycle, that began with the 2019 album Existenz and moved through Subject f (Transcendence), Awakening from the Illusory Self, and Green EP. Drawing inspiration from the seven stages of alchemy, this mini-album represents a cathartic process; a natural end point of a psychological cycle and the beginning of a new curve.
Across the six tracks on the mini-LP, recorded 2016-2019, Function builds a unique world, one which underlines his place as one of the luminaries of contemporary techno. Opening track, Ascent, traverses the space between ambient and techno; second track City Of Luz almost fades into itself across its twelve minutes before Transmutation brings around a reawakening with a beat that would not have sounded out of place on an early Rephlex or even a Sähko release. Final track on the 12”, Growth Cycle is fittingly a re-version/re-vision of a track on the Existenz LP; Robert Owens’ soulful vocal now Stefanie Parnow's floating Siren-like voice with music that feels reborn: fresh, strong and insistent. The digital pack contains two further tracks, the deep electro of November 29, as well as Rubedo, a spacial ambient track that feels like the final glowing red embers of a fire turning to ash as the sun rises to reveal a new, golden dawn.
Aeternum (Existenz) is the final chapter of the soundtrack to Function’s spiritual awakening, the closing of a door and the clearing of a path. It’s a sonic manifestation of the Magnum Opus completed, a moment of total integration, where the leaden weight of the journey is finally perfected into the incorruptible gold of the spirit.
It is dedicated to John Mendez, aka Silent Servant, Sumner’s dear friend and lifelong collaborator.
Sound Therapy is the culmination of over ten years of sonic experimentation, developed across the past three years between Sicily, the United Kingdom, and Brooklyn. It builds on the foundation of the 2021 Dub-Stuy single Pon Pause featuring Al Campbell, whose success became the catalyst for the album’s eight tracks.
Conceived across two distinct halves, the album reflects the dual nature of D-Operation Drop’s sound, moving from one drop and roots/steppers traditions into more modern, forward-leaning bass music. The whole is intended to move the listener between foundation and progression, day and night, light and dark, a dynamic reflected in both the music and album artwork.
Sound Therapy also reflects the collaborative nature of sound system culture, featuring vocalists Blakkamoore and JonnyGo Figure (US), Galas and Marina P (Italy), and Rider Shafique (UK), alongside instrumental contributions from Brooklyn-based saxophonist Troy Mobius. The album was collaboratively mixed in person with McPullish (US) and mastered at Star Delta (UK), with a focus on depth, weight, and sound system translation.
Sound Therapy stands as a complete body of work while establishing a broader musical direction for D-Operation Drop, with further singles, mixes, and related projects to follow.
First Word Records proudly present ‘One 4 Detroit’; the third single from Above The Clouds (aka kidkanevil & Magic Manfred), complete with a remix by 14KT.
This 7" vinyl release follows on from last Summer's MF DOOM cover 'Arrow Root', which received strong support from the likes of Japan's DJ Koco and Philadelphia's DJ Jazzy Jeff, and their recent cover of ‘Change’ which was originally by Shadez of Brooklyn, most notably appearing on DJ Premier's 1997 mix album 'New York Reality Check 101.
One of the original First Word roster, UK Producer/DJ and all-round laptop music geek kidkanevil has developed a distinctive and progressive sound over the years, gleefully exploring the beats and bleeps of the electronic music universe to international recognition. Leeds born, sound system bred and raised on a (un)healthy diet of video games and anime, his solo work inhabits the curious space between bass frequencies and otaku culture. But as a devoted teenage backpack rap nerd, somewhere in the back of kid's mind was a lingering desire to reconnect with his first love, hip hop.
Not long after moving to Berlin he joined a studio space in graffiti plastered Kreuzberg, where he met multi instrumentalist wizard Magic Manfred; a disciple of all things boogie, disco, funk and soul. Born and raised in Berlin, and currently a touring musician for many an act, Manfred's musical map joins the dots from piano lessons at four, to starting a band with his teenage friends, leading him to his true calling - the bass - via the club vibrations of his hometown, which introduced him to the world of DJing and production, and a stint studying in the explosive London jazz scene to finalise his Jedi training.
Bonding over their mutual love of '90s hip hop, a friendship and musical kinship developed, coupled with a desire to honour past eras but push things forward, Above The Clouds was born; named after their joint favourite Primo beat, with a touch of irony regarding their basement based studio of a windowless variety.
kidkanevil explains that “after we made a bunch of piano joints it felt like time for a switch up, I had these raw drums looped and Manfred started playing this simple synth line on the Prophet - it kind of happened in an instant. This one was really a case of capture a moment and let it be. It had this cold, industrial bounce to it that really felt ‘Detroit’ somehow, so it became something of a tribute to that sound. Obviously there’s a rich musical history there that’s beyond anything we could encapsulate, but I hope the respect comes across. From Berlin to the D with love!
We felt pretty strongly that if we’re gonna nod to Detroit, we needed a remix from someone who reps there directly. I’ve been a fan of 14KT since the early 2000s beat scene, and as he’d previously released music on First Word, it made perfect sense to approach him. We asked and did he oblige!! I’m very comfortable saying we got schooled! He really blessed us with an amazing remix that brought a life and soul to what was originally a pretty stark beat, we’re super honoured to have this as our first ever remix.
‘U3P1’ (named after a synth preset so we didn’t forget!) is on the flip - this also came about pretty fast. I was thinking Ummah-era Tribe with the drums, and Manfred once again put down this super nice riff and it grew from there. It kinda felt like it needed some trumpet and it's always nice to highlight some of the amazing musicianship lurking beyond the club systems here in Berlin, so we called up Berlin based trumpeter and composer Paolo de Jesus, who blessed us with a beautiful performance and arrangement. And that was that; we hope you enjoy!”
‘One 4 Detroit / U3P1’ is released on limited 7" vinyl & digital platforms, June 12th 2026.
International superstar Pitbull presents his 'Greatest Hits' album. The compilation features his chart-topping singles from 2009 to 2014, alongside electrifying tracks like 'Jungle' (feat. E-40 and Abraham Mateo) and 'Locas' (feat. Lil Jon). 'Greatest Hits' serves as a powerful testament to Pitbull's prowess in crafting infectious, energetic, and celebratory anthems. The album features monumental hits such as 'Give Me Everything' (feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack and Nayer), 'Timber' (feat. Kesha), 'Time of Our Lives' (feat. Ne-Yo), 'Fireball' (feat. John Ryan), and many more.
Rafael makes a statement on his Crosstown Rebels debut with his latest two-track release, ‘Gotta Be Cool’. Out on 26th June 2026, the rising talent lands on Damian Lazarus’ imprint with one of the year’s most sought-after IDs, backed by a collaborative B-side alongside close friend N.O.Y. Long before its release, Rafael’s ‘Gotta Be Cool’ had already taken on a life of its own. Passed between dancefloors and the subject of track ID requests for months, the record became a recurring standout moment in Damian Lazarus’ sets, the kind of track that cuts through instantly without needing explanation. Now officially arriving via Crosstown Rebels, the in-demand DJ/producer’s highly anticipated label debut captures the instinctive approach that has quickly put him on the radar through releases on Beltools, Hot Creations, SZR, Planet X and Maccabi House.
Built around slow-blooming synth flourishes and vocal chants that evoke playful, almost childlike memories, it balances emotional weight with direct club energy - a combination that has made it one of the standout records in the label boss’s sets throughout the year.
On the flip, ‘Teder’ sees Rafael team up with close friend and studio collaborator N.O.Y. for a deeper, more understated cut shaped by layered percussion, fluid grooves, and loose, after-hours energy. ‘Teder,’ made together with my close friend and studio partner N.O.Y, represents a more underground side of the EP,” Rafael adds. “The track is named after the studio complex we work from, and it was actually the first record we created there together. I feel like both tracks showcase two different sides of me as a producer and DJ, with one more direct and euphoric, the other deeper and more underground.”
Who, or, what, exactly is a Matured Sinner? In this case it's the result of a meeting of both minds and bodies between Swedish producer Johan Blende, freshly relocated to Athens, and fellow Eskimo artist and native Athenian NTEIBINT. Between the decidedly weak minds of succumbing to night time activities and day time regret an idea was born to create the best Greco-Norse creation since ABBA stole a bouzouki and used it shamefully for the best part of Mamma Mia (OST ?).
"I took one of my half-baked beats to George (aka NTEIBINT) to see what he could add to it and voilà - Mist 9000 was born!" explained Johan. Now complete with pulsating analogue arpeggios, a throbbing bass line and increasinglydistressed synths all writhing together in composed ecstasy that dance floors are made for, the track that emerged from George's studio left them hungry for more.
Returning to the studio, it isn't long before the song that would give this new project its name emerged. Created with the help of a friend Olga on backing vocals and an unnamed, equally sinning, young lad, Matured Sinner paired hypnotic disco beats, sinuous synths, squawking sine waves and almost queasily blissful sighs with a cautionary tale of drugs, flying saucer cults and a spiral deeper and deeper into sin and moral ruin.
Was it enough? It was. But then the third one came around, mainly by sheer want to continue, lingering like the third child of a marriage running out of ideas. Shall we keep going? "Of course we shall, this is our gift to the world!" Like a modern day cult, Bright Bum was conceived in a non-sexual context from leftover sounds after a nightof confusing creations and not necessarily tender compliments in an equal manner, chugging synths squelching their way over a mesmerising guitar loop as bright stabs cut through the humid funk of the track's insistent rhythm which, like all good nights out, increasingly fray at the edges as it rolls towards oblivion. Nobody requested it but like the nature of humanity itself, it must keep going.
Phone Me Tonight was recorded in 1981 at Studio Maïa in Bondy, just outside Paris - a creative hub where many artists of the African diaspora shaped their sound. On this track, Eko Roosevelt collaborates with producer Gabriel Nahas, known for his work with artists such as Pasteur Lappe, Marthe Zambo, Toto Guillaume, and Manu Dibango. The result is a shimmering blend of synth-driven groove and Eko’s signature ‘Funky Disco Music’ sound, capturing a moment where analogue warmth met futuristic ambition.
For this 2026 reissue, Phone Me Tonight has been carefully restored and remastered, breathing new life into Eko’s iconic Yamaha DX7 synth lines. The track has been subtly tightened to the grid, making it perfectly suited for contemporary dancefloors & dj’s while preserving its original spirit and charm.
This EP also offers a glimpse into Eko’s creative world: rare photographs of his home studio in Lobé, featuring the very DX7 synth used during the original recording. In addition, you’ll discover exclusive footage from the Phone Me Tonight video shoot, filmed at the breath-taking Lobé Waterfalls, documented together with Lobé’s community throughout 2025 and 2026.
ABOUT LOBE MON AMI
Lobé Mon Ami was written by Eko Roosevelt in 1981 as a heartfelt tribute to his home community of Lobé in Cameroon. Two versions of the song exist; this EP presents the rare and original version, restored and remastered here for the very first time. Using the download code, listeners can also access an exclusive alternate version of Lobé Mon Ami and the full EP in digital formats.
The song weaves together multiple languages, including Batanga and French, reflecting the rich cultural fabric of the region. Through its lyrics, Eko tells the story of his life - born and raised in Lobé, venturing abroad in pursuit of music, yet always drawn back home. Each return rekindles his deep connection to Lobé. In a poetic gesture, he names surrounding villages in various languages such as Batanga throughout the song, turning it into both a personal memoir and a cultural map.
ABOUT EKO ROOSEVELT
Born on November 13, 1946, to princess Kethy Mbenyo and William Roosevelt, Eko Roosevelt has led a life filled with mythical appeal and musical excellence. Local lore recalls how, at the age of ten, he bravely fought off and killed a serpent near the waterfalls of Lobé. An event that became part of his local legend prior to his enduring legacy as a musician and traditional chief.
Eko Roosevelt discovered his passion for music in church before furthering his studies in Dakar, where he met his wife, Nicole. Together they moved to France, where Eko launched his recording career - first with the Dikalo Group, and later as a solo artist. His discography includes standout releases such as Kilimandjaro My Home, Funky Disco Music, and the hit single Nalandi. In 2020 he renewed his status as hitmaker through his work with Disclosure on the revised version of his single ‘Tondoho Mba’, originally released in 1982. His enduring legacy and pioneership within Makossa and Funky Disco music helped shape the sound of many DJ’s and producers such as Gilles Peterson, Disclosure, Folamour, Diplo, ANOTR, Jax Jones, Sonny Fodera and Daphni.
Over the years, he shared stages and collaborations with renowned artists including Claude François, Nino Ferrer, Manu Dibango, and Miriam Makeba. As a producer and arranger, he became a respected figure across the African diaspora, working with talents such as Toto Guillaume, Marthe Zambo, M'Pongo Love, and experimenting in the studio with visionary artist Francis Bebey.
In 1998, Eko returned to Kribi, where he continues to live, create, and perform. Alongside his musical career, he has composed three albums of Catholic music, still awaiting release, and is currently working on new material. Today, he remains a beloved figure both locally and internationally.
Since 1996, he formally assumed his role as traditional chief of Lobé (usually reffered to as 'Chef Traditionnel'), following in the footsteps of his grandfather; his majesty ‘Bevigna Eko Louis’ - an enduring source of inspiration throughout Eko Roosevelt’s life. Despite his royal duties, he continues to perform regularly across Cameroon. When he takes the stage, entire crowds sing along to Lobé Mon Ami and classics like Nalandi and Attend-Moi, celebrating a legacy that bridges generations.
Balancing tradition and music, his majesty Eko Roosevelt Louis remains deeply committed to both his community and his art. This reissue of Phone Me Tonight / Lobé Mon Ami marks a renewed chapter in sharing his rich musical legacy, and his musical future with the world.
Another 1994 banger from the man named Ellis Dee - released originally on White House Records back in the day. A superb release on that jungle/drum and bass crossover tip.
Featuring virtuosos of "Contemporary Armenian" music such as Bei Ru, Lara Sarkissian and Armen Ra, as well as shedding a light on the independent music scene in Yerevan, "YERAZ" is an exercise in ethnomusicology. Classical songs and instruments collide with the full spectrum of electronic-based music from ambient to techno and everything in between, building a mosaic inside of a specific cultural context. Whether you are looking to get lost in meditation or bring dynamic energy to a room, this record serves as a tool kit for all intents and purposes with a traditional touch. The double-LP is split between Angeleno artists (Sides A and B) incorporating folk instruments and melodies to reinterpret the "Contemporary Armenian" idea outside of the established pop landscape, and Yerevani artists (Sides C and D) emulating popular musical trends of the West through their native lexicons. Critique will be donating 100% of its net profits from sales of YERAZ to Kooyrigs, a non-profit organization providing resources for women and transparent aid to the Armenian homeland.
In the beginning of the 1970’s, Guinea-Bissau was a country broken up into many ethnic groups and at the heart of a war for independence. By reviving traditional musical genres as Gumbé and singing in guinean Kriol, José Carlos Schwarz & Cobiana Djazz established an immediate affective bond with their audiences. Through its music and politically engaged spirit of the lyrics, the band played a significant role in shaping the social and political consciousness of the masses. As well as influencing local bands like Super Mama Djombo and giving back a deep sense of cultural identity to bissau-guineans.
The explosive birth of Cobiana Djazz brought about other kinds of detonation. Schwarz became involved in urban guerilla activities which resulted in several bombings in the centre of Bissau, leading to his imprisonment and torture. He remained in lockup for a total period of about 2 years, between 1972 and 1974.
The process of decolonisation, in the wake of the Portuguese revolution of 25 April 1974, led to the recognition, during the same year, of the sovereign nation of Guinea-Bissau.
Schwarz, a key figure in the fight for independence, played an important part in the transition to the democratic regime, profiting from his popularity as an artist. Soon, his criticism (underscoring opportunism and irresponsibility in high places) became a thorn in the side of the political elite. Uneasy with the disquieting effects of his work, government officials effectively separated the author from the masses by assigning him to the embassy in Havana.
José Carlos Schwarz met a tragic and untimely death at the age of 27, when his plane crashed on arrival at Cuba's José Martí International Airport, on May 271th 1977.
Hailed by african giants like Orchestra Baobab, Letta Mbulu or Miriam Makeba (with whom he recorded his first and only solo album), “Zé Carlos” and his poetry won a lasting position in the annals of Guinea-Bissau. However, this collection of songs remains relatively unknown outside the country and its diasporas.
We are proud to offer, in close collaboration with the Schwarz family, this first official reissue on vinyl. Remastered and pressed on heavyweight vinyl.
There is a quiet, seasoned assurance to how Heimyl operates. Perhaps best known under his Lazer Man moniker the Lyon based producer a fixture in France’s undergroove community.
He burrows deep into a groove and lets the room come to him. On this record, that patience yields a formidable four tracker engineered specifically for proper sound systems and slow-burn dancefloors.
The A side sets the trap with "I Want Speak," a masterclass in tension pairing a skippy lock groove rhythm with a fragmented vocal samples.
"Power Cat" maintains the momentum, threading bell-like melodic fragments through a rolling, hypnotic bassline with a light, remarkably effective touch.
The flip is where the record earns its weight, anchored by "Sector 14." Here, pads rise imperceptibly over a relentless groove, mounting a subterranean pressure.
The closer "New Place" shifts gears gracefully, cooling the room down with a looser, sophisticated house sensibility, a natural exhale that hints at Heimyl's broader sonic palette.
G76 returns to Playedby with a one-sided EP "L5S1" after his debut LP "A World Without Mirrors". The producer is known for a distinctive approach to sound that results in a very original work of art.
"L5S1" represents a part of the spine that is typically subjected to excessive biomechanical stress. The track links emotions in an associative, algorithmic manner with the vulnerabilities of the producer, which are revealed in sonic narratives.
Struggling with severe back pain while in the studio, the producer translated the voice of his physical suffering into arrangements that are arresting. The chords that underpin them are equally insistent and immersive, deep enough to make you close your eyes but with a bass line that could keep a crowd moving forever.
Cote's influence on the imprint adds an extra artistic value to the release, as Playedby strives for a multidisciplinary art vision. The audio is complemented by a special visual support, as the vinyl is fully printed with a stylized, noisy L5S1 MRI scan on its blank surface.
It's clear why Playedby curated this one-sided EP. G76, whose new release already feels like a classic, has reaffirmed his status as an artist to keep an eye on.
Seit der Veröffentlichung seines von Kritikern hochgelobten Debütalbums 'Come Around and Love Me' im Jahr 2023 hat Jalen Ngonda eine kometenhafte Karriere hingelegt. Der Song 'If You Don’t Want My Love' wurde zum viralen Hit und wurde bis heute 253 Millionen Mal gestreamt. Jalen war in einer Reihe von großen Fernsehsendungen zu Gast, darunter 'The Graham Norton Show', 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' und 'Later with Jools Holland'. Er war Support-Act für Thee Sacred Souls auf ihrer US-Tournee und hat als Headliner unzählige Clubkonzerte auf der ganzen Welt ausverkauft. Jetzt, im Jahr 2026, während die Glut seines Debüts noch hell lodert, bereitet sich Jalen Ngonda auf die Veröffentlichung seines mit Spannung erwarteten zweiten Albums 'Doctrine Of Love' vor.
Die harte Arbeit und die unermüdlichen Tourneen nach seinem Debüt haben sein Handwerk gestärkt. Seine Botschaft: 'Die Lehre der Liebe besagt, dass jeder Gedanke und jede Handlung in erster Linie von Mitgefühl für andere geleitet sein sollte, denn Liebe ist der höchste Maßstab für den Wert eines Menschen.' Die Titel des neuen Albums sind aus diesem Credo entstanden. Mit seinem tiefen Wissen und seiner Liebe zum klassischen Soul vermittelt Jalen Ngonda Authentizität in Hülle und Fülle. 'Doctrine Of Love' verbindet Pop-Sensibilität und soulige Melodien mit roher Kraft und Groove und erweitert die orchestralen Arrangements von 'Come Around And Love Me' um bläserreiche und gospelartige Backing Vocals, wodurch ein äußerst stilvolles Beispiel für moderne Soul-Kunst entsteht. Tipp!
Yaka slips into the APPX catalogue a hi-def 8 part narrative. Coated in silky sonic camouflage the Philadelphian sound designer, producer, and apparent amphibophile, conjures an aquatic instrument-rack straight out the estuary, and re-engineers it into a kind of amphibient-bass eco-system: part poolside bio-luminescence, part Severn-side subsidence. Welling with emotion ‘Dream Big’ is a joyride with your favourite frog-sage homies. It’s devotional, yes, but with a wink. Orchestrated by a bayou-mystic who’s just as likely to kiss the ring-modulator as they is to throw a shaka from his boogie board as they carves a line down stream.
The opening track “chrysalis of peace” builds like a choral summoning, beckoning you outward. “blubstep” shakes itself off and stretches into scattered breaks, sprinkles of underworld energy flickering beneath the surface. On “la pari,” the daemons find their stride in a huge leap into bass, punctuated by vocal satire, kitschy melodic fun, and an Amazonian sweat capable of humidifying any dancefloor. “miss that beach” slows the A-side into a thoughtful drift on a lilo, the distant sounds of cousins playing while wind lifts leaves overhead.
Flipping the disc, “buggged” arrives as a beat you can imagine bounding out of a Timbaland studio, tiptoeing in and out of 4/4 club jack. “back at the pad” breaks stride with a halftime depth that keeps you poised, like the surface tension of a water droplet in zero gravity. “weavin’ web” threads ascending melodic patterns over raised nodules of rhythm. Closing the album, “secret dream” dissolves into a private horizon — something half-remembered, half-invented — left for the listener to discover on their own.
About Yaka
A sound designer and musician based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Their work blends emotive aquatic ambience, thick bass layering, and playful rhythmic structures, with an essence that sits somewhere between spiritual and satirical. Their earlier releases Somewhere In That Water introduced a practice rooted in the melancholic and bitter-sweet cuteness dipped in a deep affinity for wet environments.
Beyond their solo work, Yaka co-operates Inner Most, a label run between Philadelphia and Reykjavík alongside Echinacea. The imprint has become a home for boundary-blurring electronic music and features a number of Appendix.files favourites, including a release by our own secret getii, reinforcing a shared ethos of porous scenes and cross-continental collaboration.
Following the exploratory framework of Closer Now, Everlasting Flame sees Bartosz Kruczyński aka Earth Trax moving further into introspection, embracing a more experimental language that drifts between ambient abstraction and rhythm-driven forms.
The album unfolds through cold, shimmering atmospheres and submerged low-end structures, navigating a subtle tension between melancholy and propulsion. Its sonic palette remains fluid, shifting between hazy ambient passages, dub-inflected textures and more fractured, bass-driven moments, while maintaining a strong sense of cohesion throughout.
A defining element of the record lies in its contrasts: low, brooding pads and diffused beats are set against piercing high-end details, distant vocal fragments and flashes of raw, distorted intensity. This interplay creates a sound world that feels at once fragile and forceful, intimate yet expansive, with a persistent sense of longing running beneath the surface.
With Everlasting Flame, Earth Trax continues to move beyond strictly club-oriented structures, shaping a body of work that exists in a liminal space between functionality and free-form expression — immersive, textural and emotionally resonant. A record that lingers in the in-between, where rhythm dissolves into atmosphere and emotion takes the lead.
co:clear is blessed to share the latest offering of Leipzig-based artist, tibslc. Like many, we were introduced to her work through those two stunner long-players on Sferic at the turn of the decade. Five years have passed since then and her work continues to mesmerise – a string of accomplished self-releases have nestled themselves amongst contributions to STROOM.tv and SoundSupply_Service, to name but a few.
In the here and now, we are pleased to showcase ‘City of Something’ – 8 fragments of deluxe hi-fi ambient that further dissolves us in digital haze. Traversing through meticulous fragments of sound, tiblsc entices the listener to her synthetic dreamworld with an album of deep, euphonic electronics. Serene moments of singer-songwriting are sprinkled throughout and remind us of the artist’s delicate ability to captivate with her ethereal voice.
Artwork comes courtesy of Berlin-based artist, Margarita Maximova. Strictly limited to 250 copies of 12” wax and via most digital outlets. Out 29th May 2026.
Out on limited edition 12” vinyl & digital, 29th May 2026. Limited to 250 copies.
After ten years 12 Inch Lovers has become a household name not only because of their parties but also because of the fantastic vinyl samplers they released over the past few years, which were sold out in no time and have become true collector's items.
They now continue in the same vein and once again bring a fresh and contemporary mix of hard to find, original house classics or even classics that never had a vinyl release.
These samplers should therefore not be missing from any 12 Inch Lovers collection.
Sampler 5 begins with the breakthrough record from Norwegian producer "Finnebassen". "If You Only Knew" was a big hit for him in 2012, the record was best known for that hypnotic Aaliyah sample used throughout the entire track. A2 brings the very rare remix of this uber classic "The Sound Of Violence" by "Cassius". The "Franco Cinelli" remix is a very successful approach to this classic.
On B1 we find a real anthem. "World Cup" by "Kiko" is a delightful classic from 1999 but to this day it is impossible to imagine today's DJ sets without it. B2 then brings the delicious "Still In The Groove" from "Reckless", of course in that famous "Def Offenders" remix.
"Phil Fuldner" is still very active as a DJ and producer today. You can find his dreamy "Lights Off" from 2010 on C1. And speaking of dreams. "Winter" by "Aril Brikha" is another incredible classic that should definitely not be missed in your collection.
On D1 we find the Australian and headstrong singer "Sia" with her classic "The Girl You Lost On Cocaine", but in that fantastic and hard to find "Stonebridge Vocal" mix.
Last on Sampler 5 we dive back into the nineties with the memorable club classic "Closer" by "Liquid" on D2.
dgoHn (pronounced “John") is the moniker of John Cunnane, who hails from somewhere between London and Essex. ‘Tessares,’ his fourth album but his first for Planet Mu, is playful, unconventional drum & bass that contrasts sparse effects and melodic elements with complex drumfunk and breakcore. He often uses unusual time signatures and head-spinning polyrhythms inspired by jazz and math rock, sometimes within the same track. Somehow he makes it sound effortless, and occasionally pretty as well, keeping a fine balance that never feels punishing; exploratory without getting lost.
He's built a name for himself over the last two decades performing live at festivals and events around the world, while collaborating with fellow artists such as Macc, Nic TVG, Jodey Kendrick and Badun as well as solo releases.
The album opens with ‘Waiting For’ which combines complex breaks with melodic fills, spacey effects and dubbed out vocals that feel like snatches of lost conversations - a combination he uses throughout the album giving it an eerie touch of humanity. Lead single ‘I Couldn't Remember So I Made Something Up’ is in 15/8 time. It feels like a conventional melodic drum & bass track, but the time signature disrupts the listeners’ expectations, while the detuned melody eases its sense of dislocation. ’Whistling On A Tuesday’ opens with a light echoey piano countdown into bass stabs which introduce heavy whirling amen breakbeats that switch between 180 and 120 bpm. ’Holly Can Swim But She Doesn’t Really Like It’ is the most rhythmically challenging track here. It feels hard to hang on to as its knotty breaks play out over bell chimes, like something Autechre might make if jungle was in their DNA. The album ends on the dubbed-out drumfunk of ‘7 Years Or More,’ with an arrangement that builds a filmic, dusty atmosphere of chimes and electric guitar, layering in vocals, vinyl crackle and echoing synth giving way to tough drums, before all that is taken away so that just a voice remains.
Curated by Brian d'Souza (aka Auntie Flo), Plants Can Dance is a forthcoming new compilation bringing together a global community of artists, exploring the creative possibilities of biosonification - transforming signals from plants, ecosystems and the natural world into sound. Out June 26th, the project marks the culmination of several years of d'Souza’s work across music, ecology and technology.
The album arrives at a time when more artists are turning toward nature as both subject and collaborator, such as Brian Eno’s Earth Percent, which formally recognises “Nature” as an artist. Plants Can Dance sits within a wider cultural shift, which is redefining the relationship between sound and the living world.
The project builds on several years of work by d'Souza, whose Plants Can Dance events have taken place across the UK, Europe, India and Africa, appearing in institutions including the V&A, Tate and the Design Museum. What began as a series of intimate gatherings has since evolved into a global platform, reflecting a growing appetite for work that reconnects music with the natural world.
The compilation features contributions from leading practitioners including Modern Biology (Tarun Nayar) in collaboration with saxophonist Zekarias Musele Thompson, OMMA (Olga Maximovam founder of Playtronica), Jason Singh, Dr Helen Anahita Wilson, Justin Wiggan in collaboration with celebrated Norwegian jazz musician Arve Henriksen, Lamine Touré, Bit Marten and Balam, alongside new work from d'Souza himself. Using a range of tools - from commercially available devices to bespoke modular systems - artists translate electrical activity, environmental data and organic processes into musical material.
The processes behind each piece differ - from interpreting plant biodata to translating wind patterns into compositional structures - and the results are as varied as they are compelling. The record spans ambient, jazz, electronica and modern classical, yet all pieces are unified by a shared intent: to reimagine music as a space of collaboration between human and more-than-human worlds.
At the core of Plants Can Dance is a question about how we define music, and how we choose to listen. Traditional musical forms, with their fixed tempos and predictable structures, give way here to something more fluid and less easily controlled. The listener is invited to surrender expectation and engage with sound as an evolving environment rather than a linear narrative. In this context, the compositions function as what d'Souza describes as “acoustic ecologies” - sonic systems shaped by biological, environmental and elemental forces unfolding in real time.
Accompanying the release is a printed zine offering reflections from each artist, and deeper insight into the ideas and debates surrounding this practice. Rather than presenting definitive answers, Plants Can Dance positions itself as an artistic exploration grounded in curiosity, experimentation and critical thought.
Ultimately, Plants Can Dance is less concerned with proving whether plants “make music” than with changing how we listen. By inviting audiences to engage with sound shaped by non-humans, it opens up new ways of perceiving the environments we inhabit - not as passive backdrops, but as active, dynamic participants in a shared ecological network. In doing so, it offers a quietly radical proposition: that by listening differently, we might begin to relate to the natural world differently too.
Returning from an 18-month hiatus, Companion resurfaces with its long-awaited ninth offering – a six-track EP that beautifully distills the label’s devotion to patient tempos and deep immersive moods. The Garden is the result of a remote, cross-border dialogue between London and Belfast: a project born from a seasonal fatigue with the dancefloor and a collective turn towards our most inner states of being. The debut collaboration between Serenity Complex (Wigs) and Aika Mal, the EP is a meticulously detailed exercise in restraint, trading industrial harshness for a lush, subterranean hush.
The production breathes with a tactile, low-slung urgency: gritty, compressed drums and haphazardly recorded beatboxed percussion captured on a patio beneath the Devon sun provide a raw counterpoint to the EP’s cinematic sweep. Steered by narcotic basslines imbued with the brooding, early DNA of Massive Attack, these undulating pulses coil around the listener with a subtle, magnetic pull. They create a state of suspended momentum where tension never fully resolves and instead becomes the point of return. Aika Mal’s voice acts as a spectral anchor – mellifluous and transfixing as it moves in and out of each carefully curated element.
Drawing from the gossamer, reverb-drenched landscapes of Love Spiral Downwards and the gothic opulence of The Golden Palominos, the tracks lean into a slow, deliberate pace. Dub-influenced low end and trip-hop structures form the backbone, while fractured, gritty breakbeats bring a sharper edge. The release traces low-lit excursions into limerence, thriving in the heavy humidity of the afternoon just as easily as in the blue light of the pre-dawn or the apricity of first light.
The Garden celebrates togetherness by blurring two distinct artistic outlines into a single, prismatic whole. It is an invitation to submerge – a descent into the overgrowth.
COS 010 - Environmental Architecture A fusion of ambient, techno and IDM, often described as a form of “mental abstraction.” Created by Mark Cheney in a bedroom in Clapham, this release captures a moment defined by raw imagination and open-ended experimentation. It sits alongside artists of that era such as B12 and The Black Dog.
It stands as a perfect reflection of that era – raw, inventive and deeply evocative – leaving a lasting sense of nostalgia for those who experienced it. For the first time, this release has been remastered and cut by Mike Grinser at Manmade Mastering. Pressed on 180g vinyl, it sounds exceptional - rich, detailed and full of depth. Originally intended for home listening, it’s been cut loud so it can be played in a club setting.
Want to know who “Poo-Sun” really was? Start here. A landmark masterpiece featuring the era-defining classic “Dancing Mist”.
Widely regarded as one of Japan’s greatest pianists, Masabumi Kikuchi was a towering figure whose unique musical vision and commanding presence helped shape the Japanese jazz scene from his professional debut in the late 1950s until his passing in 2015. Acclaimed both at home and abroad, his discography is filled with essential works, but POO-SUN, named after his longtime nickname, unquestionably stands among his finest achievements.
Driven by the powerful interplay of twin keyboards and twin drums, the album generates a groove that is both weighty and intensely dynamic. The center piece, “Dancing Mist”, can be seen as the culmination of the musical territory Kikuchi had reached during this period, a stunning statement of artistic maturity and vision. The album also features the ethereal beauty of “Yellow Carcass in the Blue” and the thrilling, edge-of-your-seat intensity of “Puzzle Ring”, making every track a highlight in its own right.
Sharp yet resilient, sophisticated yet visceral, POO-SUN is a masterwork that captures Kikuchi’s extraordinary talent at full force.
oom 318 Productions and Laced Records are stepping into the fog to bring Akira Yamaoka’s score for the 2026 motion picture, Return to Silent Hill, to vinyl.
This 2LP features 29 specially remastered tracks carefully curated by series composer and executive producer, Akira Yamaoka, to capture the key themes of love, loss, guilt and obsession from Return to Silent Hill and the SILENT HILL 2 video game on which the film is based.
Yamaoka’s musical signature has been an integral part of the series since the first note of the original video game. His work for Return to Silent Hill marks his third time writing music for a motion picture set in the SILENT HILL universe, but this time he returns as the sole composer.
The score for the motion picture was guided by three guiding principles he’s developed while working on SILENT HILL scores – to “not decide music through emotions,” an aspiration to “blur the boundary between music and environmental sound, between reality and the inner world,” and finally, to “not reject beauty.”
“The horror of SILENT HILL is not merely unpleasant or violent. There is always something fragile, human, and irretrievably beautiful mixed within it. Refusing to deny that has remained unchanged since the beginning,” Yamaoka explains.
Working closely with director Christophe Gans, Yamaoka built the score piece by piece to extract the underlying sensibility of the world of SILENT HILL 2 and reconstruct it into music that can stand on its own as a film score. Series veterans will recognize iconic cues from the video games that have been reimagined in tracks such as “Chasing Laura” and “Brookhaven Hospital”.
“The goal was never to replay the game’s music as it was,” Yamaoka explains. “Instead, the challenge was to reinterpret it—to alter its meaning, its distance, and its placement—so it could breathe within the film’s sense of time, imagery, and the inner lives of the characters. It was not a quotation, but a reimagining.”
Whether you consider yourself a master of survival horror or this is your first time stepping into the fog of SILENT HILL, the Return to Silent Hill Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is a melting pot of distorted sounds and jagged textures unified by a single sensation: unstable, murky, and yet somehow beautiful.
Auf ihrem zweiten Album ,Breaking and Entering" legt GracieHorse mit ihrer direkten, unverblümten Art, Geschichten zu erzählen, noch eine Schippe drauf - mit Songs, die die Details gut geschriebener Kurzgeschichten enthalten und Country, Soul, Americana und Rock nahtlos miteinander verbinden. Die weitläufige, detailreiche Produktion des Indie-Visionärs Chris Cohen unterstreicht GracieHorses Gesang mit einem gewitterten Charme, der diese neun Songs erst richtig zur Geltung bringt.
Auf ihrem zweiten Album Breaking and Entering" legt GracieHorse mit ihrer direkten, unverblümten Art, Geschichten zu erzählen, noch eine Schippe drauf mit Songs, die die Details gut geschriebener Kurzgeschichten enthalten und Country, Soul, Americana und Rock nahtlos miteinander verbinden. Die weitläufige, detailreiche Produktion des Indie-Visionärs Chris Cohen unterstreicht GracieHorses Gesang mit einem gewitterten Charme, der diese neun Songs erst richtig zur Geltung bringt.
Narthex means railed-off western portico or ante-nave in earty Christian churches for women, penitents and catechumens.
Narthex is also a trio featuring (at the beginning) Daniel Denis (Universe Zero, Art Zoyd), Alain Neffe (Pseudocode, Human Flesh, Bene Gesserit) and Nicolas de Villemarqué (Nuwage Music). They had a very different musical background, mostly electric-electronic rock, and decided to work in the field of acoustic music recorded live (two microphones + portable DAT) in churches of their area. After several recording sessions, Nicolas de Villemarqué decides to leave the group. ln order to complete the trio, Daniel Denis and Alain Neffe ask the participation of some of their friends. Anna Homler, Michel Berckmans and Daniel Malempré have accepted the challenge and succeed to fit into their musical universe.
The instruments Church organ, harmonium, sitar, saxophone, oboe, bassoon, zither, valiha, senzas, tarang, voice, percussions, metal clarinet, classical guitar, mew's harp, ongolok, violin, dulcimer, mouth organ, etc.
The music Often dark, sometimes repetitive or experimental, sometimes rhythmical and exotic, always based on emotion inducted by the sound. One could define it as dark age music (as opposite to new age music), a sort of minimal come back to the roots and purity of acoustic sound without the cultural background linked to the 'academic' use of some instruments (for example African senzas are transformed and tuned to sound like Indonesian instruments, sitar or harmonium are used as rhythmical instruments, vahilla is played with a bow).
The places Churches located in an area of 20 kms in the region where Daniel Denis and Alain Neffe live for years and where they feel at home (and feel the vibrations. Every church, place emotionally loaded, has its own specific resonance and sound structure. Every church gave to the musicians a particular inspiration and fill the sound of the instruments with a natural reverberation/echo. The place but also the moment is important. They had the privilege to be allowed to record in the Ecaussines church at night lightened only by candles. lt was one of their most productive recording sessions.
The 41st release on TECHNO Records marks a defining milestone: the first full- scale solo record by the label’s founder, Nastia, in her music career. It opens up a new depth of detail within the character and identity of both the artist and the catalogue.
Rather than making a loud statement, Nastia focuses on a restrained and functional approach to techno, shaped through subtle shifts in tension, texture, and rhythm. The tracks move with intention, avoiding obvious peaks in favour of gradual development and controlled energy—a familiar methodology and a direct analogy to the evolution of the label itself. Crafted with dancefloor energy in mind but not bound by it, the release offers a fresh perspective on the author’s persona, stripping away excess and overexplanation. It leaves ample room for the listener’s imagination and a versatile, expert application within a DJ set.
The trajectory of ascents and shifting attention in an artist’s career is the only honest path, providing material for reflection and the anchoring of values. This depth of experience cannot be replicated by overnight success or short-lived peaks—only decades of exploration, trial, and error can forge a work built to endure. Studio work becomes a new instrument for Nastia to build value capital, while her debut solo EP stands as an artefact marking a historic point for the author and the label.
TECH041
A1 “Indoctrinated” — a masterclass in rhythmic interplay used as a narrative device. It functions as a sonic manifesto: universally accessible yet distinctly individual. A process-driven track, its strength lies in its ability to repeatedly shift the listener’s focus. It serves as an ideal transitional tool, offering a calculated awakening from a hypnotic state.
A2 “Ignorance Is Keelleeng” — a structured dancefloor powerhouse built on a precise understanding of peak-time energy. Functioning as a set-defining anchor, it allows the DJ to pivot the mix in any direction without losing momentum. A true catalyst track that opens up new sonic horizons.
B1 “True Majority” — the most forward-thinking cut on the record, providing a definitive blueprint for the hypnotic techno sound of summer 2026. It presents a multi-layered, all-encompassing sonic tapestry that interacts with the listener while maintaining a strictly restrained narrative. A motif-driven track that subtly exposes an underlying tension.
B2 “Additive Integration” — best conceptualised within an extended set where the goal is to gradually establish the atmosphere and dictate the rules of the journey. A track built on anticipation, it conserves energy and conceals its inner mechanics until the final acts. It compels the listener to decode its sonic language for full comprehension.
MAUROMUSICA first appeared in 1999, when DJ Maurizio Schmitz introduced the name as an underground party brand shaped by long nights, afterhours and a deep passion for electronic music culture. For almost two decades, the project lived through intimate events and dancefloors before eventually going quiet for a number of years.
Now, MAUROMUSICA returns - not only as a party series once again, but finally as the music label Maurizio had envisioned from the very beginning. A long-held dream, brought back to life through a carefully curated first various artists compilation.
The first release brings together six artists from different corners of the electronic music world: Egyptian producer Raxon, German/French duo RE-ST, Italian artists JA:CK and Fedele, alongside Romanian producers Radu Dracul and Sublee.
Moving between warm-up atmospheres, emotional techno, afterhour moods and timeless club sounds, the compilation reflects the musical vision behind MAUROMUSICA - honest electronic music with character, depth and longevity.
Artwork comes from internationally acclaimed artist Tobias Rehberger, while the label typography was kindly provided by Buero New York.
Special thanks to Sven Väth for his continuous support and for championing Raxon's "Based In Space" in his sets for more than a year.
P.S. The handmade coloured vinyl edition of Raxon's "Based In Space" - limited to 100 copies - sold out within less than two hours. The track is now exclusively available as part of this compilation.
MAUROMUSICA first appeared in 1999, when DJ Maurizio Schmitz introduced the name as an underground party brand shaped by long nights, afterhours and a deep passion for electronic music culture. For almost two decades, the project lived through intimate events and dancefloors before eventually going quiet for a number of years.
Now, MAUROMUSICA returns - not only as a party series once again, but finally as the music label Maurizio had envisioned from the very beginning. A long-held dream, brought back to life through a carefully curated first various artists compilation.
The first release brings together six artists from different corners of the electronic music world: Egyptian producer Raxon, German/French duo RE-ST, Italian artists JA:CK and Fedele, alongside Romanian producers Radu Dracul and Sublee.
Moving between warm-up atmospheres, emotional techno, afterhour moods and timeless club sounds, the compilation reflects the musical vision behind MAUROMUSICA - honest electronic music with character, depth and longevity.
Artwork comes from internationally acclaimed artist Tobias Rehberger, while the label typography was kindly provided by Buero New York.
Special thanks to Sven Väth for his continuous support and for championing Raxon's "Based In Space" in his sets for more than a year.
P.S. The handmade coloured vinyl edition of Raxon's "Based In Space" - limited to 100 copies - sold out within less than two hours. The track is now exclusively available as part of this compilation.
Uncompromising Italian DJ/producer The Southern makes his vinyl debut on Mutual Rytm's sub-label, Spectra, with remixes from Alarico, Temudo and Sciahri. An EP marking an impressive label debut, Carmine Portarulo, aka The Southern, lands on Mutual Rytm’s sub- label Spectra with a powerful showcase of his much-loved sound. With the lead track featuring as one of label head SHDW's most requested IDs of the year so far, and packaged alongside outstanding remixes by close label associates Alarico, Temudo and Sciahri, the EP comes having established himself with a sound rooted in old school value and pure techno, favouring energy and authenticity over hype. The track’s backstory comes from the moment Carmine and his partner found out they were expecting a child and went for their first ultrasound appointment. Overwhelmed by the emotion of the moment and the beauty of what nature is capable of, he returned home and poured those feelings into the music. The result, ‘Ultrasound’, is an anthemic, punchy techno cut with euphoric energy rising up through the synths and its catchy lead melody. Joyful melodies sparkle amid vocal groans, adding a raw emotional pull as the warm, driving drums march on. Berlin-based artist Alarico is the first to remix on his return to the label, and his ‘Sad Mix’ has a more melancholic mood, with dark chords and tightly programmed drums that bring lo-key funk. Hayes Collective founder Temudo also returns and flips the vibe on his ‘Neuro Interpretation’ with a more psyched-out, twisted tune featuring trippy synths and booming drums for peak-time impact. Italo-Iranian Sublunar Records head Sciahri then drops his trance- inducing, hypotonic ‘Tunnel Vision Mix’, followed by two digital bonuses: ‘The Stripped Mix’, a bouncy workout with futuristic melodies, and Temudo’s ‘Neuro Interpretation 2’, which is raw, textured, and dark.
In the evolving landscape of modern Southern hip-hop, the pairing of Starlito and Bandplay stands out as a unique bridge between street-level authenticity and refined, calculated musicality. Their collaborative project, Not The Country You Know, functions less like a standard release and more as a manifesto—a masterclass in the chemistry between a seasoned, introspective lyricist and a producer who possesses an intuitive grasp of the region's pulse. It is an exploration of legacy and adaptation, capturing the tension between where they came from and where the culture is currently headed.
Bandplay, long recognized for sculpting the sonic identity of Memphis icons, brings his signature, trunk-rattling 808s to the project, yet he manages to pivot here. The production feels remarkably expansive, masterfully blending the raw, stripped-back aesthetics of classic Tennessee rap with forward-thinking textures that refuse to be confined to a single sub-genre. Complementing this, Starlito operates with his trademark mix of cynical observation and genuine vulnerability. He navigates these beats with the weary grace of an artist who has weathered the music industry's relentless cycles, treating every bar like a necessary piece of a larger, ongoing story.
The album’s title serves as a direct commentary on these shifting tides. Across the tracklist, the duo investigates the growing disparity between the romanticized South and the cold realities of the streets, alongside the inevitable evolution of the music business itself. There is no frantic chasing of streaming-era trends or algorithmic bait here; instead, the project remains a stubborn, confident assertion of artistic identity. By weaving together Starlito’s "voice-of-reason" flow and Bandplay’s evolving, genre-bending sound, Not The Country You Know challenges the listener to abandon their preconceived notions of the region, offering instead a complex, urgent vision of a South that is as haunting as it is vibrant.
Two stone cold classics right here from the Roy Ayers masterminded RAMP, taken from the holy grail album Come Into Knowledge. Sampled the world over, influentially positive and as prized as they get, South Street’s new sub-label South Street Soul couldn’t have picked a more perfect double header to reissue as their inaugural release.
Although the RAMP acronym Roy Ayers Music Productions bared Ayers’ name, he did not perform with the Ohio band instead writing, arranging and producing the tracks alongside Edwin Birdsong and also William Allen. Drafting in some of the best session musicians in the game, from vocalists Sibel Thrasher and Sharon Matthews, The Spinners drummer John Manuel, guitarist Landy Shores and Cincinnati bass maestro Nate White, the result was pure ethereal excellence.
Rare groove at its finest ‘Daylight’ is one of the standout cuts from RAMP’s only album - soulful, sumptuous and laced with a celestial touch that takes this track to another realm of conscious. A track that was famously sampled by A Tribe Called Quest for their hit ‘Bonita Applebum’ and J Dilla’s remix of Common – Come Close.
On the B side, a Roy Ayer’s masterpiece 'Everybody Loves The Sunshine' given the RAMP revamp, an end of the night masterpiece, a hazed-out dreamer - just downright blissful grooves from start to finish. Ready-made to ride out into the sunset with.
DMA & Friends returns with a four-track EP from Groningen-based producer Mathijs Smit, one of the most interesting names emerging from the new wave of the Dutch underground scene.
Known for his hybrid approach between modern techno, progressive influences and intelligent club-oriented dance music, Smit has been steadily building a strong reputation through releases on labels such Superlux, alongside appearances across the Dutch underground circuit.
Built around hypnotic grooves, soaring melodies and emotionally charged atmospheres, the EP creates a constant sense of tension and release while moving between modern techno pressure and progressive inspired dancefloor moments.
Gorizont Sobytiy (Event Horizon), the duo of veteran electronic musician Nocow and his wife, DJ Designer, mark the project's debut with an album worth of material of 'frogg-step' / Pankratov Step. It's safe to say this is an intriguing proposition for even those well-initiated into the world of the contemporary Russian underground. What is perhaps most immediately obvious across the 11 tracks is a clear appreciation for golden-era Rephlex records, as if the duo are reflecting on how the iconic label was perceived in the Eastern bloc at the time. There's a nostalgic touch tugging at the heart strings with the warm ambient tones of 'Bananoivy Twist' or even the ballroom-esque organ melodies of follow up 'Chacha', both swiftly followed by a switch back into frantic gabber style kicks that recur across the album.
To give a little more away in terms of a background story, Nocow and DJ Designer draw influence from a film called Winter Evening in Gagra, a somewhat distant feeling artefact of late-Soviet cinema about a tap dancing champion's late nights spent gallivanting across the glitz of Moscow's pop music scene in the 1980s. Maximalist in its sound design, Pankratov Step draws its name from actor-protagonist Pankratov, not quite an out-of-time soundtrack as such but at the least a wry nod to the former world in which the film takes place. The cascading, brittle synthesis of 'Cemetry's Boss' forms an icy cinematic fusion again with a gabber influence at play whilst a fierce acid line works alongside myriad glitch rhythms and repeating keys on 'Octopus Werk'. Influenced by the local humour and sentimentality surrounding the film, a melodrama with themes of lost art and a kind of old-world transcendence the young circus performer yearns for, the duo use it as a vessel to describe the projects sound - a coalescing of vintage Soviet soundtracks, early IDM, Jake Slazenger and Expert Knob Twiddlers album. 'Pankratov-Step' becoming their own fictional genre. The LP marks another avant-garde chapter in Nocow's long back catalogue, as well as a fully formed collaborative debut for the currently enigmatic DJ Designer. Pankratov Step is the second release on GOST ZVUK sub-label MEMONT, curated by Kuzma Palkin.
he all-time house music legend Roger Sanchez drops his brand new studio album ‘Spectrum’ - his first in twenty years. Previewed by three high-energy bangers - ‘Grinnin’ (with Fedde LeGrand), ‘Come My Way’ and ‘Temptation’ (with Low Steppa, featuring Ragdoll) - the record features the new focus track ‘How Do We Say Goodbye’, a collab with Karen Harding.
The globally celebrated and Grammy-winning DJ, producer and label head has been working on the album for years, much of it during his time in Shoreditch which has informed its euphoric UK summer sonic influences. But its diverse tracks reflect a spectrum of sounds, from pulsating club tracks to dancefloor fillers, through to more emotional moments and atmospheric elements. Lyrically it’s also the result of translating his personal experiences into song.
Roger says, “I’ve been working on this for the past six years, so it’s definitely a labour of love. During that time I got the chance to travel around the world and work with some amazing vocalists and songwriters to help me bring this project to life. I’ve got flavours from the UK, Spain, the US - all of this is part of the spectrum for. This project is about music and frequencies and light: so everything from the light to the soulful to the club-ready infrared, the emotionally-weighted ultraviolet. That’s what ‘Spectrum’ is all about for me.”
The new focus track ‘How Do We Say Goodbye’ was created with the topline extraordinaire and always in-demand collaborator Karen Harding, whose all-star credits include work with MNEK, Armand Van Helden, Rudimental, Wilkinson and many more. It’s a massive highlight of the album, with Karen’s soaring vocal class bringing both an irresistible hook and a touching sense of nostalgia, while Roger’s dynamic production ascends from a trance-like ambience into an electrifying drop.
Beyond the singles, ‘Spectrum’ also features a diverse array of other talents spanning multiple genres and nationalities. These include Melanic C, Kele Le Roc, Chico Castillo, Kelli-Leigh, Carnao Beats, Donae’O and more. It’s a guestlist which lives up to the anticipation for the record.
‘SPECTRUM’ is available as a special 3LP limited-edition pressed on red transparent vinyl.
Signal Threat is the debut vinyl release of DRUUM aka James Orvis, an exhilarating and boisterous chest pumping collection of electro anthems. Raw and packed with energy, DRUUM’s productions are explosive and have serious bite. His sound is distorted and bold unfiltered, drawing inspiration from the infamous electro punk scene where he has carved out a name for himself. His impeccable use of rap vocals is unique and authentic its rhythmic and aggressive.
DRUUM’s bridging of various styles and use of heavy breakbeats are stunningly edgy. Each sound is carefully modulated and designed purposefully; it’s like a cage fight met a high stakes heist, buzzing with ruggedness. As some who have been following DRUUM are aware, he suffered two strokes in 2025. As DRUUM makes a strong recovery, Dionysian Mysteries felt obligated to get a posse of remixers to help raise money and awareness for this bad ass release. An absolute stellar group of producers are behind this release in support of DRUUM. Featuring remixes from the likes of Umwelt and Ben Pest.
Queensbridge duo Mobb Deep were already untouchable by the time Hell On Earth arrived, but this was the record where Havoc and Prodigy stopped sounding hungry and started sounding completely numb to everything around them. The production is brutally spare. Tiny piano fragments repeat for minutes at a time while drums hit with the force of metal doors slamming shut somewhere down the corridor. 'G.O.D. Pt. III' still feels poisonous nearly 30 years later, Prodigy rapping with such flat menace it barely even registers as performance anymore. 'Drop A Gem On 'Em' turns a diss track into psychological warfare, and then 'Nighttime Vultures', alongside Raekwon, moves through the album's nocturnal haze with exhausted precision. Even now, the whole thing feels airless in a way few rap records manage.
Turkey’s first stereo LP. A foundational recording of Anatolian psychedelia. Audio transferred from the original analog master tapes, mastered and lacquer cut by Frank Merritt at The Carvery, London, and pressed on 180g heavyweight black vinyl at Record Industry in the Netherlands.
Released by the legendary Yonca Müzik label in 1973 as Turkey’s first stereo LP, Türküz Türkü Çağırırız! now returns as the first official reissue. The album captures Mazhar Alanson and Fuat Güner at a pivotal moment before their later success with MFÖ, one of Turkish pop-rock’s most influential and enduring groups.
Mazhar and Fuat first met in 1966 through a shared love of The Beatles’ Rubber Soul. Inspired by the close vocal harmonies of The Beatles and Crosby, Stills & Nash, they initially believed this music could only work in English. Producer Ergin Bener encouraged them to develop their own musical language in Turkish.
Previously members of Kaygısızlar, the pioneering group that accompanied Barış Manço, Mazhar and Fuat explored a more intimate Turkish folk-rock sound on this album. Zafer Dilek’s arrangements bring his distinctive guitar and keyboard work to a recording in which acoustic guitars, organ and electric guitar touches frame Anatolian melodies. Country-rock influences and the English-language “Upside Down” add to its range.
The title roughly translates as “We are Turks, and we sing Turkish folk songs” — reflecting a search for a new, distinctly Turkish musical identity. The album draws on works by Âşık Veysel, a defining voice of Turkish folk poetry, and Yunus Emre, the great Anatolian Sufi poet.
“Adımız Miskindir Bizim” was sampled on Action Bronson’s “Easy Rider,” while Stones Throw producer Oh No sampled “Sür Efem Atını.”
Now, following great acclaim for Volume 1, CTR is proud to unveil another equally eclectic Post-Punk Era Selection Compiled by Jason Boardman ( Before I Die Records) Celebrated Manchester club-night curator & record Label Owner , DJ & digger - supreme.
A second compilation of late 1970s / early 1980s Post-Punk era bedroom & small studio innovations & DIY Inspirations - Featuring more rarely & never heard cuts from that period. Including tracks from the enigmatic Prana, Blank Students, Janet Armstrong & The Native Hipsters ..A rich vein .
Jason Writes Of Volume 2 :
"It was a delightful shock that No Ones Listening Anyway Volume One was so well received - thanks to everyone one who bought & enjoyed it. This led to John asking me to collate Volume Two, so here it is.
This time all the material was recorded & released in the UK between 1978 & 1984.
I was conscious that there was minimal female energy on Volume One so have tried to rectify that here on Volume Two. I have also tried to make it as varied as possible with none hit wonders, oddities, collectables, under the radar B-sides & a couple of previously unreleased on vinyl selections."
Originally released by Time Capsule in 2021 and long out of print, Stories From Another Time 1982-1988 returns in an upgraded edition following years of demand and rising collector prices on the secondhand market. Widely regarded as a modern cult classic, Mário Rui Silva’s visionary recordings blend acoustic folk, cinematic soul, spiritual jazz and saudade-filled Lusophone rhythm into a deeply timeless and universal work that transcends genre and geography.
This new edition features half-speed mastering cut at Metropolis alongside an expanded 4-page insert with a tribute essay and unseen photographs following Silva’s passing in 2024.
The roots of Angolan popular music explored in the meticulous guitar studies of Mário Rui Silva. For fans of Naná Vasconcelos, John Hassell’s Fourth World ambient, Eduardo Mateo’s psychedelic folk and Cameroonian electronic music visionary Francis Bebey.
Whether on mesmerising acoustic ballads or hypnotic groove-led tracks, the music of Angolan guitarist, researcher and intellectual Mário Rui Silva has a beguiling, melancholy quality, woven into the dynamics of his deft guitar playing.Rhythmically complex yet supremely effortless, the music collected here stems from three albums Mário released in Luanda in the 1980s that reflect his diverse range of influences, from traditional Angolan and West African rhythms to European jazz and classical instrumentation. It is united by a sense of low-key beauty, whether on the chugging opener ‘Kazum-zum-zum’, the jazz-funk keys of ‘Lembrança Dum Velho’, or the twinkling, late-night poly-rhythms of ‘Kizomba Kya Kisanji’.
Born in Luanda, Angola in 1953, Mário dedicated his life to Angolan popular music. His fifty-year career has seen him live between Angola and Europe, rub shoulders with Cameroonian musicians Francis Bebey and Ewanjé, record the seminal album Angola ’72 with fellow Angolan musician Bonga, and draw influence from Brazilian guitarist Baden Powell.
It was the teaching of Angolan legend and Ngola Ritmos co-founder Liceu Vieira Dias that Mário gained a technical, political and spiritual understanding of Angolan musical culture. In the hands of Liceu, the traditional Angolan semba and kazukuta rhythms of the 1940s and ‘50s helped create an emancipatory sense of national pride and collective agency that awakened its listeners to the racism and tyranny of colonial rule, underpinning the country’s push for independence in the process.
What might sound like the intonations of Brazilian influence are what Mário attributes to the “African rhythms taken by the slaves which gave rise to other musical cultures” around the globe. Instead, this music emerged from a collective instinct to assert a cosmopolitan Angolan identity free from the patronising falsehoods of Lusotropicalism.
“There was a need within me to contribute in doing new things,” Mário describes. “In the sense of solidifying the music of Angola that was the result of the meeting of two cultures, and wanting to value the Angolan part whenever possible.”A selection from Mário’s three 1980s albums, Sung’Ali (1982), Tunapenda Afrika (1985) and Koizas dum Outru Tempu (1988) have been compiled here as a 2xLP release by Time Capsule’s Sam Jacob and Kay Suzuki. Together, they provide a snapshot of one man’s journey to the core of his nation’s music, charged with the search for a culture uprooted by colonialism
Erasmus Hall's 1980 album Your Love Is My Desire' is one of the most collectable and in fact desired modern soul albums of all time. Copies of the original pressing on Westbound have exchanged hands for over £400. Furthermore in-demand gems including Your Love Is My Desire' and Just Me And You' have never previously been on 7' vinyl, so as part of these Record Store Day release those two tracks are included on the format making this package irresistible. Eramus Hall are in fact a group taking their name from a building George Clinton saw and gave them while he was in Chicago. The group comprise lead vocalists Michael Gatheright and James Wilkerson with musicians Ronald Wright, Marvin Williams, Joe Anderson, Grady Smith, Charmie Currie and William Tillery.
Música para Plátanos takes its name — and much of its inspiration — from the group’s recording studio, situated in the heart of a banana plantation on the humid north shore of Tenerife, Canary Islands. The ever-present sight of the green, sun-drenched fields surrounding their weekly sessions seeped directly into the music: improvised jams that are playful, layered, and deeply connected to place.
This release gathers a distilled selection from those sessions — a kind of “greatest rotten hits” distinct from their ongoing Imaginary Island Music volumes.
The album functions as a living archive bringing together a distilled selection of recordings spanning more than five years: from dusty, long-forgotten sessions to evolving tunes that have become staples of the band's live sets but have never before been committed to record. These long-form sessions served as a petri dish for the Lagoss sound, allowing their experiments to putrefy into their chaotic signature strain of cyber-exotica, unstable kosmische or heavily-corroded dub.
The title obvs nods to Brian Eno’s Music for Airports, but the logic is inverted. Instead of clean, ambient drift, the record inhabits a dense and fertile environment: polyrhythmic structures, Latin-infused electronics, and shifting counter-tempos that feel weighted by the local humidity.
Ultimately, Música para Plátanos is as much about the process as it is the place. Like the plantation outside, the music is subject to the elements; the tracks change shape depending on the heat of the day, what we drank, what we ate. It’s an unstable, honest harvest of sound—shaped by the weather and the state(s) of mind alike.
DOGMA marks a new beginning for Coloray. As the name suggests, the project explores the endless search for meaning in a world that does not always offer one. Across 11 tracks, the artist reflects on queer romance, grief, youthful hope, and melancholic joy. Emotional, chaotic, and imperfect, DOGMA mirrors both the artist and the messy reality of a life unfolding. Rather than forcing rigid structures, the album embraces looseness and human presence. Live recordings and improvised songwriting take center stage- every lyric was written in the moment, and the tracks remain intentionally raw to preserve their imperfections.
In this way, the album is both personal and political. It calls for belief in keeping humanity alive and for dismantling the societal dogmas that push artists away from the core of their creative identity. DOGMA is an honest journey of self-authorship, unfolding through the sounds of new wave, disco-punk, electro, and ambient music.
Big Crown freut sich, das zweite Album von Thee Marloes, ,Di Hotel Malibu", zu präsentieren. Es erweitert den Rahmen - ein selbstbewusster Schritt weg von den Grenzen, die ihren Sound einst klar definierten, hin zu etwas Durchlässigerem, Gesprächigerem und zutiefst Indonesischem. Zwei Jahre sind vergangen, seit ,Perak", das Debütalbum des Trios aus Surabaya bei Big Crown Records, ihren einzigartigen Sound vorstellte. Dieses neue Album bricht nicht mit dieser Tradition, sondern erweitert sie und zeigt, wie sehr sie als Band seit der Veröffentlichung ihres Debüts und all den damit verbundenen Erfahrungen gewachsen sind. Bestehend aus der Sängerin und Keyboarderin Natassya Sianturi, dem Gitarristen und Produzenten Sinatrya Dharaka und dem Schlagzeuger Tommy Satwick, haben Thee Marloes stets als Einheit gearbeitet, wobei ihre Songs von Satwick, haben Thee Marloes stets als Einheit gearbeitet, wobei ihre Songs von gemeinsamen Referenzpunkten und einem ausgeprägten Sinn für Groove geprägt sind.
Auf diesem Album erweitert sich diese gemeinsame Sprache. Die Arrangements bewegen sich über ein breiteres Spektrum, mit neuen instrumentalen Farben, unerwarteten rhythmischen Wendungen und einem lockereren Ansatz in Bezug auf die Struktur. Die Band beschreibt es als eine Reaktion auf die letzten zwei Jahre ihres Lebens: soziale Realitäten, Liebesleben in Der Album-Opener ,Under the Silver Moon" ist ein kühler Two-Stepper, der die bitteren und süßen Seiten von Fernbeziehungen vor einem luftigen musikalischen Hintergrund thematisiert. ,Six Years" ist eine Seite aus dem Leben der Sängerin Natassya Sianturi und ihrem Kampf, den Schritt zu wagen, einen bequemen und sicheren Tagesjob aufzugeben, um ihrem Traum von einem erfüllten Leben zu folgen.
Cristi Cons returns to Amphia with Out of Cycle Part 2, expanding the narrative beyond fixed frameworks.
Cristi Cons continues his exploration of fluid musical identity with Out of Cycle Part 2, released via Amphia, the label which he co-founded and runs alongside Vlad Caia.
Conceived as a continuation of Out of Cycle Part 1 released back in 2021, the new installment deepens the concept of operating outside predefined structures, both in form and in sonic direction. Rather than adhering to a single aesthetic, the album reflects a wide spectrum of influences, capturing an evolving artistic language shaped by intuition, experimentation, and long-term musical curiosity.
The title Out of Cycle acts as both a statement and a method: stepping outside familiar loops, resisting categorization, and allowing the music to exist beyond rigid expectations. This philosophy extends into the production itself, where subtle variations in structure, tone, and pacing reveal a process driven less by formula and more by exploration.
Across the album, rhythmic frameworks shift between hypnotic, club-oriented patterns and more introspective passages, while textures unfold with a focus on depth, movement, and spatial detail. Each track functions as part of a broader continuum, yet maintains its own identity, highlighting a deliberate departure from cyclical repetition in favor of a more open-ended approach.
Released on vinyl and digital formats, Out of Cycle Part 2 marks another chapter in Cristi Cons’ ongoing dialogue between club functionality and deeper listening contexts. While rooted in stereo composition, the project also opens the possibility for further reinterpretation, reflecting an interest in how the same material can evolve across different listening environments.
With this record, Cristi Cons continues to trace a distinct artistic trajectory, one that prioritizes depth, individuality, and an ongoing expansion of his musical language as it evolves beyond established forms.
Dedicated to my dear friend Laurentiu Gavrila (Funk-e).
Michael Forzza unveils Obscure, a two-track EP navigating the darker edges of atmospheric techno with precision and intent.
A) Obscure is a peak-time weapon built on powerful percussive drive and a commanding groove. The rhythm pushes forward with controlled intensity, locking the dancefloor into motion. As the track evolves, the rhythmic pressure gradually recedes, allowing a shadowed melodic atmosphere to emerge in the final moments, adding depth and contrast without losing its dark identity.
B) Torture ventures into a more industrial realm. Dense textures, mechanical tension and hypnotic repetition shape its core, creating a sustained rhythmic strain. Then, when the pulse finally withdraws, the structure opens into a striking melodic finale, transforming the track into a suspended, almost cinematic closing atmosphere.
With OBSCURE, Michael Forzza explores the fragile line between impact and introspection, pressure and release. A release crafted for intense peak-time moments and the shadows that follow.
Français
Michael Forzza dévoile Obscure, un EP deux titres qui explore les territoires les plus sombres de la techno atmosphérique avec précision et intensité.
A) Obscure est un véritable track peak time, porté par une puissance percussive affirmée et un groove implacable. La tension rythmique s’installe et maintient le dancefloor sous pression, avant de s’effacer progressivement en fin de morceau pour laisser émerger une atmosphère sombre et mélodique, apportant profondeur et contraste.
B) Torture s’aventure dans une dimension plus industrielle. Textures denses, tension mécanique et répétition hypnotique construisent une montée intense. Puis, lorsque la pression rythmique disparaît, le titre bascule vers une finale mélodique surprenante, transformant l’énergie brute en une atmosphère finale plus immersive.
Avec OBSCURE, Michael Forzza joue sur l’équilibre entre impact et relâchement, puissance et émotion. Un EP taillé pour les heures sombres et les dancefloors exigeants.
LOS ANGELES—To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the celebrated Talking Heads and Jonathan Demme’s concert film Stop Making Sense, the set will be re-released as a 2LP and 2CD/Blu-ray set this summer.
Released last year, the sold-out Deluxe Edition of the soundtrack will return as a 2-LP black vinyl on Rhino and 2-LP crystal clear vinyl at retail. Both variants feature a 12-page booklet with liner notes from all four band members –Tina Weymouth, David Byrne, Chris Frantz, and Jerry Harrison—and band photos. The 2CD/Blu-ray version includes the entire 28-page booklet from last year’s Deluxe Edition and a Dolby Atmos mix of the complete concert, mixed by Jerry Harrison and E.T. Thorngren, who also mixed the original release. Both will be available on July 26. Pre-order now.
The band appeared together for a sold-out screening and Q&A last night at the Pantages Theater, the same theater at which Stop Making Sense was recorded. They were joined by Blondshell, who performed “Thank You For Sending Me an Angel.” Another special screening with the band will occur in Brooklyn at the King’s Theater on June 13, with the Q&A hosted by Questlove and The Linda Linda’s performing “Found a Job.” The two events cap off a banner year of celebrations for what many consider to be the best concert film of all time.
The inspiration for Stop Making Sense came when director Jonathan Demme saw Talking Heads perform during the band’s 1983 tour for Speaking in Tongues. Afterward, he approached them with the idea of making the show into a concert film. They agreed and worked together over the next few months to finalize the details. Ultimately, Demme filmed three shows at Hollywood’s Pantages Theater in December 1983 to create Stop Making Sense.
The concert film presents a retrospective of the band up to that point, with a performance that weaves together songs from all six of its studio albums. The show progresses methodically, opening with Byrne onstage performing “Psycho Killer” alone with a drum machine. After each song, he’s joined by a new band member until Weymouth, Frantz, and Harrison are all on stage with him. The group continues to grow throughout the concert as members of the stellar touring band are added: keyboardist Bernie Worrell, percussionist Steve Scales, guitarist Alex Weir, and backup singers Lynn Mabry and Ednah Holt.
The band performs 18 songs in Stop Making Sense, including its recent single at the time, “Burning Down The House.” That summer, the song was in heavy rotation on radio and MTV, helping the song become the band’s first top 10 hit in America. It was, however, a different song from Speaking in Tongues that was destined to deliver one of the film’s signature moments. Talking Heads would perform “Girlfriend Is Better” wearing the now iconic, oversized suit inspired by costumes worn in traditional Japanese theater. For good measure, a picture of David Byrne in the suit also graces the album cover.
Stop Making Sense focuses mainly on music by Talking Heads but does include a few songs recorded outside the band: “Genius Of Love” by Tom Tom Club, “What A Day That Was” and “Big Business” from Byrne’s 1981 album, The Catherine Wheel. Limited edition vinyl versions of both of these albums, along with Harrison’s The Red And The Black, were released for this year’s Record Store Day.
When it arrived in September 1984, Stop Making Sense was an artistic and commercial triumph. The film had people dancing in theatre aisles, and the soundtrack sold over two million copies. Just last year, the Library of Congress added Stop Making Sense to the National Film Registry in recognition of its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance.
Weymouth praises Demme as a collaborator: “…Jonathan was a very enthusiastic, highly adaptive, and imaginative guy who was just as good a listener as he was a talker and collaborator. From the get-go you just got the impression he was as flexible as he was disciplined. Being team players, that boded well for a great relationship and a great film!”
Harrison says the film still holds up today: “To me, Stop Making Sense has remained relevant because the staging and lighting techniques could have been created in a much earlier time period. For example, Vari-Lights, lights with motors to re-aim them, had just come into vogue. Had we used them, there would have been a timestamp on the film, and it eventually would have felt dated...The absence of interviews, combined with the elegant and timeless lighting, created a film that can be watched over and over.”
Byrne says it’s interesting that this album was – for many people – an introduction to Talking Heads. “We had done a live album before this, but coupled with the film, and with the improved mixes and sound quality, this record reached a whole new audience. As often happens, the songs got an added energy when we performed them live and were inspired by having an audience. In many ways, these versions are more exciting than the studio recordings, so maybe that’s why a lot of folks discovered us via this record.”
Frantz recalls the sheer joy surrounding the entire Stop Making Sense experience. “I’m talking about real, conscious, transcendent joy… I’m talking about what the Southern gospel people call ‘getting happy,’ which means ‘to be filled with the Spirit.’ That is what happened to us onstage every night, and from my seat behind the drums, I recognized that this was happening to the audience too. Joy was visible in front of me and all around me every night.”
Internationally acclaimed underground hit record that has been championed by who's who of the good dance music circle in the last 3 years since its first release. Lately it has been picked up and hammered by Jane Fitz. The only way was to give it a new life with fresh new remixes by DJ Sneak, Elia Nafzger, Basic 7 and new deeper subliminal version by Tripmastaz Enterprises.
ALERT: BIG 90s ITALIAN RAVE COMP - a lot of very in demand tunes on here.
Navigators
Franco Falsini and the Interactive Test Universe
There are musicians who follow their time.
And then there are those who seem to move along a different trajectory—like navigators crossing sonic eras without ever truly belonging to any one of them. The story of Franco Falsini belongs to the latter. It is a story that begins long before raves, before techno, before the word “electronic” had even become a recognizable musical genre. A story that moves across continents, technologies, and sonic visions, eventually arriving at a small creative laboratory born in Italy in the early 1990s: Interactive Test. This compilation is a fragment of that universe. But as often happens with the hidden histories of music, understanding it requires going back. Far back.
The Beginning: Machines, Tape and Space
In the late 1960s Franco Falsini leaves Italy and moves to the United States. It is not merely a geographical journey—it is also a journey into a new idea of music. At the time, synthesizers are only just emerging from research laboratories. Multitrack tape recorders allow musicians to build entire sonic worlds on their own. Technology is still far from standardized: every studio is almost an experimental workshop. In Virginia, Falsini builds one of his own. Among cables, oscillators, electric guitars and reels of magnetic tape, a kind of music begins to take shape that resembles nothing else being made at the time. It is not simply rock, and it is not yet truly electronic. It moves somewhere in the space between the two. Out of these explorations emerges Sensations' Fix, the project through which Falsini releases a series of albums during the 1970s. Records that seem to come from a parallel dimension: cosmic landscapes, electronically treated guitars, synthesizers drifting like satellites. Many years later those albums would be rediscovered as visionary works. But at the time they were simply the result of relentless curiosity. A curiosity that would never fade.
The City That Never Sleeps
In the 1980s Falsini’s trajectory leads him to New York. The city is a sonic organism in constant transformation. In its clubs and recording studios something entirely new is beginning to take shape: music built from drum machines, sequencers, and samplers, created for the body before the living room. It is the dawn of modern dance culture. Falsini works as a sound engineer, producer and experimenter. From close range he observes electronic music transforming into a global language. Machines become more accessible, computers begin entering studios, and rhythm takes on an increasingly central role. Yet even in this phase Falsini does not simply follow what is happening. He absorbs. Observes. Reimagines. When he eventually returns to Italy, he brings back not only technical experience but also a clear vision: the conviction that electronic music is an open space, a territory still waiting to be explored.
Tuscany, Early 1990s
At the beginning of the 1990s something is happening in Italy as well. In clubs, abandoned industrial warehouses and clandestine parties, a new scene is beginning to form. It is rave culture: a spontaneous movement bringing together DJs, producers and listeners in a collective experience driven by rhythm, technology, and creative freedom. It is within this context that Franco Falsini, together with his brother Riccardo, creates Interactive Test.
The name almost sounds like a scientific experiment. In many ways, it is. Interactive Test does not emerge as a traditional record label. It begins as a laboratory—a place where ideas, sounds and musical identities can be tested and explored. Around the Falsini studio in Tuscany a small constellation of artists and DJs begins to gather, helping to shape the sound of Italy’s emerging electronic scene. Among them are Andrea Giuditta, Francesco Farfa, Gabry Fasano, Roby Mastelloni, Roby J and many others. Each brings a different musical sensibility. But they all share the same intuition: electronic music is not a genre. It is a language.
The Laboratory of Identities
One of the most fascinating aspects of the Interactive Test universe is its constant play with identity. Franco Falsini releases music under several different names: Open Space, Youth Wave, Agent Fylfoyt, Man Myth Magic. These are not simply pseudonyms.
They are different sonic perspectives, as if each project were a window opening onto a parallel musical universe. Open Space, for example, explores more atmospheric and visionary territories. Youth Wave moves between electronic groove and club-oriented rhythms. Other projects experiment with digital psychedelia or hypnotic techno textures. Interactive Test becomes something more than a label. it becomes an ecosystem.
Domestic Machines, Infinite Worlds
Looking back today at the technology used in those productions, one might almost smile. Many tracks were created on Amiga computers, MIDI sequencers and analog synthesizers wired together in home studios—tools that appear modest when compared to today’s digital possibilities.
Yet precisely these limitations became a creative force. Every sound had to be built, shaped and reinvented. Sequences developed slowly, almost like living organisms. The tracks did not always follow traditional dance music structures; often they felt like genuine sonic journeys. Music built from space.
A Hidden Constellation
Many of the records released by Interactive Test in the 1990s remained for years almost invisible objects, circulating quietly among DJs, collectors, and devoted listeners. Yet it is precisely this underground existence that helped preserve them. Listening again today, one perceives something rare: the feeling of music that does not fully belong to its own time. Music suspended between different eras. Perhaps because it comes from a vision that both precedes and transcends trends.
Continuing the Journey
Looking at Franco Falsini’s entire path—from the electronic psychedelia of Sensations’ Fix to the rave culture of the 1990s—a surprisingly coherent line emerges.
A line defined by exploration.
Each project, each pseudonym, each record appears as a new route within the same great sonic voyage.
Interactive Test was one of its stations.
A laboratory.
A community.
A creative platform.
This compilation gathers some of its traces.
Not as a simple archive of the past, but as a map of a musical territory that continues to expand even today.
Following in the steps of last year's mysterious "Beyond the Garage" 12 inch, L.I.E.S. throws another curveball with a 30 track continuous LP from veteran West Coast producers, Vinny+Charlie. Each side running 20 minutes, this can best be described as a smoked out, haze filled afterparty beat tape on wax. Obscure samples, dusty sp-12 crushed beats, head nodding loops, sweet low rider soul..chopped, sped up, slowed down and ready to wreck your system. Limited edition white label housed in a lp jacket with custom art by LA artist SOB STORY. 300 copies worldwide.
The Dead Mauriacs is the project of French artist Olivier Prieur, "Paravents et miroirs, une cérémonie" is a live soundtrack.
The Dead Mauriacs describe their music as "Exotica Concrete" - their music is composed of field recordings made on a daily basis, as well as a diverse collection of sounds, including piano, Indian harmonium, violin, ukulele, didgeridoo, pieces of wood, glass, paper, and metal plates. The album is a spectacular 40-minute sound collage, assembled by sampling Exotica music represented by musicians and arrangers such as Les Baxter and Arthur Lyman, who were active in the 1950s.
"Exotica is a musical genre or sub-genre that emerged in the 1950s in the United States with musicians and arrangers like Les Baxter or Arthur Lyman. It is an extraordinary music because it is false: bird calls imitate bird songs, you can hear the sound of the waves, it is a Western fantasy, particularly North American, of a world and an imagery that never existed. It is a music associated with mass tourism, mass entertainment, consumerism. Arthur Lyman recorded about 30 records in 10 years in Waikiki. With his band, they played and recorded under a geodesic aluminum dome. The dome belonged to the owner of the hotel he played for every night. They did this at night to avoid noise. It's music that is both profoundly naive and totally flawed. In this, it is seductive and intellectually interesting. It is music that could easily be criticized today, but it is an imaginary in itself, like the Italian film music of the 1960s and 1970s." (Excerpt from the calax's interview)
The Dead Mauriacs are not only involved in music, but also in a wide range of other creative endeavors, including video and painting. He also repsonsible for the artwork of this LP. The inside of the product is also accompanied by an 8-page interview with Mauriacs and compiled his amazing artworks.
The Dead Mauriacs
Paravents et miroirs : une cérémonie / Screens and mirrors: a ceremony
Side A
Courte dérive, une ouverture / Short drift, an opening
Le retour des insectes électriques / The return of the electric insects Les oiseaux étranges / The strange birds Tension, terreur factice / Tension, false terror
Dénouement malais / Malaysian ending
Rituels et vanités 1 / Rituals and vanities 1
Rituels et vanités 2 / Rituals and vanities 2
Italiens dʼHambourg / Italians in Hamburg
Side B
Secrets pour piano / Secrets for piano
La suite Monory, Padoue-Le Caire-Nassau / The Monory Suite, Padua-Cairo-Nassau Hommes à découper / Men to cut out Lassitude moite / Clammy weariness
Le soleil artificiel du pont croisière / The artificial sun on the cruise deck
Pirogues et palmiers, vus de la scène / Pirogues and palm trees, seen from the stage La traversée / The crossing Rideau / Rideau
Fields recordings : Semproniano and Siena, Italy, Figueira, Portugal, Charentes, France. An electrical wire with a frequency shifter gave birth to the insects. Real and fake piano. Everything made with a computer and a midi keyboard.
Music premiered at Hörbar, Hamburg, 28th of December 2017. Music (and video) Olivier Prieur.
Thanks to Thorsten Soltau and all people at Hörbar.
Hello to Felix Kubin & Marie-Pierre Bonniol, Julia & Jan Warnke. Kisses to Hélène.
Nonna Fab returns with the third release on his imprint, Movement and Soul Records, with a 5 track club-focussed EP 'Journey To The Outer Atmosphere'.
Following the success of his last release, we see a deeper dive into the more dance-floor orientated sound that Nonna is curating, spanning deeper soulful house across the release with influences of broken beat, jazz and percussive dance music.
The opening track 'Dawn Chorus' is a trip into a more natural soundscape and deeper arrangement of sound. A perfect track to take a steady dance-floor to higher heights.
The A2, 'Low Winter Sun', aptly named deep house music with no frills. Proper sub-bass tuned for tuned-up soundsystem use.
'Meditations' which is the final track on the A side has clear broken beat influences, percussive, deep and rhythmic. A breather for the dance floor.
The title track of the EP, 'Journey to The Outer Atmosphere' is a big peak time house journey to the cosmos. Expansive synths, 909 kit and if timed well, certified to blow the dance floor up. Clear François K inspiration here.
The final track of the release, 'First Light', is proper deep house music named suitably for an early sun rise roller with a huge hammond organ solo, enough to keep the leavers in the building.
Grammy award-winning titan of dance music Purple Disco Machine joins the illustrious list of Defected House Masters with a celebratory compilation. The German producer, DJ and global household name Tino Pointek, AKA Purple Disco Machine, is the blueprint for what makes a successful dance music artist in the modern age; respected on the underground scene while achieving major crossover success with remixes for the likes of Sir Elton John, Dua Lipa and Mark Ronson. The crate digging kingpin of house and disco first landed on Defected over a decade ago, and has since delivered remixes of iconic tracks like Fatboy Slim’s ‘Praise You’ and the London label’s top tracks including Shakedown’s ‘At Night’ and ‘Coma Cat’ by Tensnake – as well as striking originals like ‘Beat Fantasy’. From edits of the classics to remixes of the modern, as well as uplifting originals, Purple Disco Machine has birthed a distinct sound that is instantly recognisable, one that is not afraid to reference or not reference and is always bursting with joy. Across Defected presents House Masters: Purple Disco Machine, the full breadth of the iconic German selector’s sound is felt from the 2019 smash hit ‘Dished (Male Stripper)’ to deep cuts like his re-work of Fallout’s ‘The Morning After’ as well as remixes of legendary tracks like ‘Lola’s Theme’ by The Shapeshifters and Spiller’s ‘Groovejet’ featuring Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Defected presents House Masters: Purple Disco Machine is here to showcase the sound of a bona fide electronic maverick in full.
The "TRACK TRAX EP" is the new vinyl of the "Computer Controlled Minds"
The yellow vinyl clearly indicates the direction – ACID!
As the name suggests, it will be a fast-paced race.
On the A side, our track days start with a driving track, it quickly becomes clear that this will not be a leisurely Sunday ride. It's going to be a tough race. When approaching the apex, it is always important to remain seated and open the tap slowly.
The second track is a confession of love to Kerb, he wants to be loved and touched. But this love also harbors great dangers. If you drive too hard over the limit, the Kerb will pay back mercilessly.
With B1, the DOWNSIDER brings ecstatic acid acceleration to the slopes. If the braking point is exceeded, it can fall massively to the ground. The experienced technoracer has everything under control and brings the necessary momentum to the next straight.
As the race goes on, the strength dwindles and a clean line becomes more and more difficult, but at the same time it is the key to the thrill. The struggle with body and machine becomes clear, every action makes the body burn. Giving up is out of the question, the race is only over with the chequered flag. But now off to the bar!
Last but not least on the B-side, two short bonus sounds for all mix DJs
The Computer Controlled Minds show their clear roots, ACID and hard RACE.
TCCM can be booked as a live act via insta: __NEXT_DOOR__. You will never forget the race!
Announcing Maara’s new album Ultra Villain, a deeply personal, narrative-driven record that explores desire, heartbreak, obsession, and the freedom that comes with choosing yourself.
Written from a place of hard-won self-trust, the song marks a shift toward clarity. “I realized people can only meet you where they’ve met themselves.”
Written and Produced by Maara Louisa Dunbar
Additional Production and Mixing by Francis Latreille and Patrick Holland at Jump Source Studios
Mastered by Noel Summerville
Cover Art by Dodleyz
Design by Jesse Osborne-Lanthier
We feel like Frank & Tony and Smallville have been on the same musical wave-length since forever. Our musical paths have crossed back and forth over the years and we have always shared a lot of the same values- steadily putting out quality music, that stands the test of time - growing consistently - never stop following our very own way - always not-following trends forever..
Frank & Tony is the collaborative guise of Scissor & Thread co-founders Francis Harris and Anthony Collins aka Grant. Both have long been staples of the underground with material under their own names and numerous other guises shaping the musical landscape of House Techno and beyond since the turn of the millennium. Both lived together in New York and as Frank & Tony the pair have delivered multiple albums and many EP’s on their own label, Tokyo’s Mule Musiq and Pacific Rhythm- now they are warmly welcomed onto the Smallville Records roster with their latest collection of works.
‘Ways Of Mine’ leads on the A-Side and showcases the pairs signature deep hypnotic house style via soft billowing pads cascading metallic chimes psychedelic spoken word and dreamy dubbed out keys floating atop a robust bouncy rhythm
section.To open the flip-side title-track ‘After All’ lays down a subtly blooming chord sequence shuffled drums and bumpy bass stabs at its core all subtly nuanced while the latter half introduces more dynamic rhythmic elements and intertwined melodic touches. ‘Dimension’ then concludes the release diving deeper with saturated ethereal pads and bubbling resonant arpeggio lines alongside heavily swung crisp drums jazzy keys and delayed vocal chants.
After All comes with a full cover artwork by Stefan Marx.
All tracks written & produced by Francis Harris & Anthony Collins
Mastering and Vinyl cut by Helmut Erler at Lathesville
“Nimm die rosa Brille … sag was Du siehst … alles viel besser”
44 years after its original release, one of the most idiosyncratic DIY minimal electronics / synth / new wave records of the early ’80s returns: the legendary 7” by German group DEUTSCHE SCHÄFERHUNDE (engl. German shepherds)—now remastered and reissued for the first time as a one-sided 12” on Anna Logue Records. Recorded in the winter of 1981/82 between rehearsal space, provincial disco and bar nights, and a humble four-track setup, these tracks capture the raw spirit of a generation that simply started creating—no formal training, but plenty of attitude. Minimalist, uncompromising, and inspired by krautrock, punk, new wave, electronic music and dub, the songs move between raw electronics, percussive noise, new wave experimentation, and sharp social commentary. „Rosa Brille“ (rose coloured glasses) in particular feels as urgent today as it did back then—a track that has lost none of its relevance, „Gasmasken“ tells of gas masks dancing in the woods to the sound of sirens, and a timeless Holger Czukay/Jah Wobble inspired „Mein Herz“ (my heart).
Originally pressed in a small run of just 500 copies and later becoming a sought-after collector’s item now worth 200€, the record now returns in a carefully crafted edition featuring a laser-printed reverse side and additional materials such as original lyric sheets and articles, postcard and poster. DEUTSCHE SCHÄFERHUNDE thrived on paradox—a provocative name paired with a clear stance, and lyrics that still resonate today. Shaped by Cold War tension, political unease, and youthful rebellion, their sound refused to fit into any neat category. Only few other bands, such as Der Musikant, Im Namen des Volkes, Thorax Wach, Klinisch Sauber oder Stephan Eicher spielt Noise Boys come to mind.
This release is more than a reissue—it’s a document of its time that still hits with full force.
12″ features: limited to 400 copies, hand-numbered, one-sided 180g black vinyl, laser-etched B-side, outer sleeve printed on reverse side of the board, printed inner sleeve with original lyrics sheets and original articles, DIN A3 poster, double-sided postcard
Check The Description Before Asking For A Track ID is a thoughtfully curated four-track journey through modern deep tech house, balancing forward-thinking sound design with emotional depth and dancefloor functionality. The release unfolds across two distinct yet complementary sides, guiding the listener through evolving textures, moods, and states of energy.
On Side A, A1. Overt – Annular and A2. Third Echo – 31th Session introduce a spacious and immersive atmosphere. Built around shimmering arpeggios, airy melodies, and fluid progression, both tracks explore a subtle interplay between progressive motion, trance-like elements, and dub-infused textures. The result is a weightless yet driving experience — refined, hypnotic, and perfectly balanced for setting a tone that feels both futuristic and deeply engaging.
The B-side shifts into more introspective territory. B1. Eric Louis – Grooving In The Future and B2. Severin – Shiti bring a melancholic edge, focusing on emotive melodies and transitional energy. These tracks are crafted for pivotal moments within a set — where the atmosphere deepens, emotions unfold, and the narrative takes a new direction. Warm, bouncy grooves intertwine with cooler, more restrained tones, creating a contrast that feels both elegant and expressive.
Spanning a wide emotional and rhythmic spectrum, NRP006 is a versatile tool for selectors — designed to navigate the subtle shifts of a dancefloor with precision, intention, and depth.
NOREPRESS is a division of MixCult Records. Limited Edition.
Packed with live classics and brimming with his frenetic brand of mutated, electronic, anti-pop, this album marks the next step in Anklepants' march to world domination.
Anklepants' act gets a reaction from everyone that witness it. The hysteria surrounding him has gained momentum since the release of his 12' vinyl 'SPEEK You Little Re-facéé' on Love Love in 2013, propelled by a European tour last year with Otto Von Schirach and his sensational Boiler Room set. The 'SPEEK You Little Re-facéé' vinyl single served as a taster of what was to come with its 2 bombastic extended cuts (both also featuring here). Now, having sown the seeds of his message around the world, his debut album has arrived on Vinyl and CD.
The CD version of this album comes with a second disc containing reworkings of Anklepants' original tracks by other artists similarly carving their own paths through the modern übergründé, including Eomac, Valance Drakes, Kraig Grady, Lenkemz, Monster X, Bintus, FUKNO + more.
Vier Jahre nach ihrem gefeierten Debüt ,International Love Affair" kehrt Tigerbalm (Rose Robinson) mit dem aufregend kaleidoskopischen Album ,Bubblegum Discos" zu Ubiquity Records zurück. Als mutige Weiterentwicklung ihres global geprägten Nu-Disco-Sounds spiegelt das Album ein neu gewonnenes Selbstbewusstsein wider sowie den Wunsch, mit handverlesenen Musikern und Sängern aus aller Welt zusammenzuarbeiten. In lebhaften Klangfarben gehalten, präsentiert ,Bubblegum Discos" Tigerbalms zwei große musikalische Leidenschaften: die brasilianische Musikkultur und Vintage-Dancefloor-Hits vom afrikanischen Kontinent, angereichert mit Anspielungen auf Italo-Disco, Proto-House und Soca. Die erste Hälfte des Albums ist stark von südamerikanischen Einflüssen geprägt. ,Nayar", entstanden in Zusammenarbeit mit Giorgio Lopez aus Neapel, macht den Anfang mit leicht vom Reggaeton inspiriertem Nu-Disco, gefolgt vom brasilianischen Disco-Rausch von ,Diga Me" und dem luftigen Samba-Disco von ,Vera En Paraty". Robinson liefert ihren allerersten Leadgesang auf dem teilweise improvisierten Neo-Boogie-Track ,Coco Makoko". Das Album wendet sich dann Afrika zu, mit herausragenden Beiträgen von Andre Espeut, der in Montreal lebenden haitianischen Sängerin Waahli auf dem hornlastigen ,Do Da Soca" und dem Afrobeats-Sänger Idd Aziz auf dem körperbetonten ,Afro-Disco". Der Abschluss ,Conga" rundet das Ganze mit schweren, afrozentrischen Disco-Rhythmen und tiefem Dub-Bass ab. Actiongeladen und makellos produziert: ,Bubblegum Discos" ist der Sound einer Künstlerin, die ihr frühes Versprechen mehr als nur einhält.
Danish producer Kasper Bjørke returns with a new release on Tropical Animals, the “Veri/Gliss” EP a work that fully captures his signature blend of cinematic depth, refined production, and forward-thinking electronic aesthetics.
“Veri” opens the EP as a richly layered and immersive experience. Built around an evolving tapestry of textures, the track unfolds through pulsating synths, shifting sonic details, and a steady yet powerful rhythm. The result is a truly intergalactic journey, where each element seems to orbit around a constantly transforming emotional core. This is Bjørke at his most visionary-bridging club functionality with intricate sound design in a hypnotic and expansive narrative.
On remix duties, label head Ricardo Baez reinterprets “Veri” with a sharper, more direct approach. Stripping back the original’s layered atmospheres, he delivers a driving electro version that’s lean, tense, and fully focused on the dancefloor. With its tight groove and immediate impact, the remix is built for peak-time energy and club intensity.
On the flip side, “Gliss” reveals a more intimate and emotive dimension of Bjørke’s sound. A modern electronic ballad, the track blends sensual rhythms with delicate, suspended melodies. Its subtle yet captivating groove carries the listener to an unknown planet, where everything moves in sync, locked into the same pulse and flow. It’s a piece that radiates both mystery and warmth, showcasing Bjørke’s ability to craft deeply atmospheric yet rhythmically engaging compositions.
With the “Veri/Gliss” EP, Kasper Bjørke and Tropical Animals reinforce a shared artistic vision where sonic exploration meets club-ready precision, balancing introspection and dancefloor energy, cosmic textures and physical groove.
If you’ve been keeping your ears to the ground, chances are this won’t be your first encounter with the glistening, shape-shifting sounds of Yushh. She has spent recent years DJing across the globe and releasing a series of standout tracks and remixes, cementing her status as one of the most vital flag-bearers of the Bristol continuum.
Somehow, it has been three years since her last solo outing. Making up for lost time, we finally welcome Yushh to Timedance for a searing five-track EP, “Full Body AXY”.
Yushh’s sound resists stasis, nothing feels formulaic. Instead, each track moves with an expert sense of detail, striking a rare balance between precision and instinct, dancefloor science and raw emotion. With a natural flair, she bends low-end pressure into something airborne. Heavy sub frequencies dissolve into a feeling of weightlessness that is both physical and elusive.
How can music hit with such precision and still feel like it floats beyond the rules of gravity? Yushh answers in her own language, where tension and release blur, where sounds flicker between density and light, and where the dancefloor becomes a space for both body-centric exploration and emotional catharsis.
Dewa Alit, master of radical Balinese gamelan, returns to Black Truffle with Baur Bentur. Genetic (2020, BT063) introduced international listeners to the magical sound-world of Alit’s Gamelan Salukat, who perform on instruments tuned to a unique scale derived from modified versions of two traditional Balinese scales. The two pieces heard on Chasing the Phantom (2022, BT093) further demonstrated his radical fusion of tradition and experimentation, with passages where unorthodox techniques make the acoustic ensemble resemble glitching electronics. Baur Bentur now highlights another aspect of Alit’s work, presenting pieces composed in 2024 and 2025 where Gamelan Salukat performs alongside virtuoso pianist Sri Hanuraga. Alit’s music is grounded in deep reflection on the tradition of Balinese gamelan and its place in the contemporary world. His title, ‘Baur Bentur’, which translates as ‘mixing and smashing’, points to his embrace of the intercultural mixture of Eastern and Western elements in the search for innovation. Against the calcification of Balinese music into tourist entertainment, Alit poses his searching, experimental work, which celebrates the communal values and performance practices of traditional gamelan while pushing into startling new directions.
‘Sukat Tacara’ is a study in layered tempos, meters, and polyrhythms, a constantly shifting dialogue between piano and the instruments of Gamelan Salukat. It begins close to a traditional concerto, pairing a brisk sequence of melodic variations from the piano with a spare but propulsive accompaniment of drums and hanging metallophone tones, punctuated by low gong strikes. The piano builds in volume and density across a rapid succession of fragments, at points recalling George Antheil’s ticking wind-up machinery, though Hanuraga’s jazz background shines through in the fluidity with which he navigates the complexities of the score, where chromatic movement co-exists with bluesy phrases. An abrupt change in the piano to patterns of dense clusters introduces a new episode, during which the metallic instruments of the gamelan enter the foreground. The piece dazzles with its inventive rhythms and dynamics, building to a stunning passage featuring the signature heavy muting technique of the Gamelan Salukat metallophones in kinetic patterns that would be at home on a Príncipe release.
The title piece begins at high intensity and rarely lets up, working through bracing unison ensemble melodies and punctuation points where piano and gamelan together seem to become a single, thudding drum. For much of the piece the piano is tightly integrated into the ensemble, the harmonic extensions of the melodic line subsumed into a moving cloud of complex overtones generated by the gamelan instruments. Wildly kinetic on the rhythmic level, the piece swarms with microscopic movements of beating patterns generated by the ‘blend and crush’ of three simultaneous tuning systems: the equal temperament of the piano and the saih cenik (small scale) and saih gede (big scale) used by the gamelan instruments. Accompanied by the composer’s thoughtful liner notes and images of the musicians, Baur Bentur is a stunning next step in Alit’s radical combination of tradition and innovation.
The British duo Andrew Eggleton and Daniel Hird, better known as Definite Grooves, return to Groove Culture with a new vinyl release that is pure energy for the dancefloor. Titled "Alive", this EP perfectly captures the essence of the label: delivering high-quality dance music curated with exceptional detail.
The record opens with the title track "Alive", a vibrant anthem that immediately sets the duo's intentions: solid grooves and infectious atmospheres. It follows with "Everyday (Move My Soul)", a track that, as the name suggests, hits all the right notes thanks to an impeccable rhythmic section and irresistible soul-infused warmth.
Side B keeps the momentum high with "Feel It", a track designed to keep the club moving during peak moments, while the closing is entrusted to "Don’t Do Disco". Despite the ironic title, the track plays with sophisticated house sounds, reaffirming the technical mastery of Eggleton and Hird.
In short, "Alive" is a must-have for vinyl collectors and DJs looking for that distinctive, elegant, and powerful sound that only Definite Grooves can deliver under the Groove Culture umbrella.
Seven - a number steeped in mystery and meaning, woven into the very fabric of time and space. Throughout history, the number seven has stood as an immutable symbol: from the days of the week to the alchemical metals, from the kings of Rome to its seven hills. An archetype that unites astronomy, myth, and ancient civilizations, finding its deepest expression in Rome.
According to legend, the Eternal City guarded seven sacred relics, the Pignora Imperii, objects whose possession ensured divine protection, prestige, and political authority. Ovid referred to them as the "pledges of power": testimonies of Rome's Trojan heritage and its connection with peoples such as the Sabines, Etruscans, and Greeks. These artifacts, now lost, were:
I. Lo scettro di Priamo
II. Il velo di Iliona
III. Il Palladio
IV. Le ceneri di Oreste
V. Lo scudo ancile
VI. La quadriga di Veio
VII. L'ago di Cibele
From this mythology emerges the new project by Lykos Records: a narrative journey in seven chapters, each dedicated to one of these relics, unfolding through the various artists releases corresponding to catalogue numbers 7, 14, 21... up to LYKOS-XLIX.
Chapter I, "Lo scettro di Priamo" LYKOS-VII, is dedicated to the symbol of Troy's power, brought to Latium by Ilioneus on Aeneas' command as a pledge of alliance and reconciliation. It is said to have been kept on the Palatine Hill.
To inaugurate this journey, seven Roman artists - PixFoil, DJ Red, Brando Lupi, Luigi Tozzi, Feral, Sunday Bath, and Worg - will give life to a sonic mosaic celebrating the musical heritage of the capital. Their tracks will form a collective work that bridges generations and diverse artistic visions.
Each double vinyl will feature an original illustration by Roberto Mulliri, wrapping the entire front and back cover and included inside as a poster.
Within the Pignora Imperii lies the strength and power of Rome, witnesses of the city's epic saga; likewise, Lykos Records weaves its destiny into the history of these sacred Roman objects, becoming a messenger of their enduring legends.
Quinoa’s 8th reference goes off the beaten track, literally. Carola (f.k.a. Mägitee), comes at us with four stripped-back cuts that invite us into unexplored emotional realms. Consistent, throbbing, and rich in texture, it contains just enough of everything and not too much of anything.
The story starts on the A side with “Siouxsie”’s melee of drums and swells that instantly transport us to the smokey comfort of a dance floor, lost in the ecstasy of intertwining bodies.
It follows with “0863”, with a name that winks at his roots hailing from the Appenine mountain chain in central Italy. Its warm, intimate touch sets a suspended tone to the release.
On the flip side the energy shifts, with escapism-anthem “Getaway” whose strings and dreary vocals invoke a nostalgia of futures-to-be in places that may never exist.
Finally, the EP closes off with the title track “The Observatory”. Named after the Griffith Park Observatory, a place where he regularly used to wander at night in the company of deer, coyotes, and the Los Angeles lights. Its deep bassline and intense echoes aim to captivate the most avid stargazers.
We hope this music will touch you as much as it touched us.
A founding member of the legendary Wu-Tang Clan, Ghostface Killah is Hip Hop’s masked poet — known for his cinematic storytelling, gritty slang, and razor-sharp delivery. With classic albums like Supreme Clientele and Fishscale, Ghostface carved his name into rap history as one of the most original and consistent voices in the game. The Wait is Over. Supreme Clientele 2 is FINALLY here. The highly anticipated album is a vivid- late-night noir where every bar brought Ghost’s inner thoughts to life. From Staten Island to sold out stages worldwide.
madness" she whispered as she tried to navigate through an onslaught of people.
She carried a feeling of numbness within her that helped her manage the constant distortion and the all to obvious hypocrisy surrounding her. Mindless wandering after having just survived another day in the trenches was a welcomed exercise in fact she had already begun to dissociate from the commonly perceived reality; entering the one of her choosing. If one was to observe her, a sway to the hips could be noticed furthermore, as if momentarily height on a good thought the woman now strutted around attracting all sorts of attention, from negative to overtly admiring.
All the cages in her mind were artfully crafted with beautiful bars made of gold and the ceilings had their own stars and suns that shone upon them. None of them were locked
New album by FLOCKS, the duo of drone specialist WERNER DURAND and percussionist ULI HOHMANN. Musical landscapes that move between traditional as well as experimental sounds with influences from Krautrock and JON HASSELL's "fourth world" aesthetics.
WERNER DURAND has made himself a name with various projects with Dhrupad singer AMELIA CHRISTIANSEN, DAVID CHRISTER HENNIX, as the co-founder of THE 13th TRIBE, ARMCHAIR TRAVELLER and TONALIENS (with ROBIN HAYWARD and HILARY JEFFERY) plus numerous solo albums, released on labels like Black Truffle, Unseen Worlds or Edition Telemark. Having studied saxophone as well as Indian / Persian flutes, the Berlin based DURAND is a highly reputated protagonist in the drone scene, famous for his self-built wind instruments like buzz-clarinets or his PVC neys & horns.
His partner in FLOCKS (and longtime personal friend) is ULI HOHMANN whose early encounters with music from Asia, India and Africa led to studies with the Ghanaian master drummer MUSTAPHA TETTEY ADDY and later Tombak and Daf with NEMAD DARMAN (Iran). HOHMANN played in a couple of projects that explored the language of classical Persian music, and started building his own stringed instruments (being an educated carpenter). In 2014 he joined DURAND and AMELIA CUNI for the album "Clearing", and 2018 DURAND and HOHMANN decided to con- tinue as a duo: FLOCKS was born.
On “Lagoon”, the duo further explores the aesthetics it has crafted on its selftitled debut (2023, on the now defunct ZEHRA imprint): DURAND and HOHMANN shape drone-y soundscapes based on their self-built wind- & stringed instruments, Persian percussion and subtle electronics, drawing ad- ditional inspiration from Krautrock (listen to the irresistible, hypnotique, ever-changing rhythmic pattern of the title track) as well as JON
"I don’t understand Bernardino. He seems to take pleasure in sabotaging himself."
"Or maybe I’m simply refusing to play the game someone else wrote for me?"
Memoirs of Self-Sabotage unfolds as a musical drift: fragments written and recorded on tour between France and Italy, shaped by precariousness, administrative tension, loss, and paranoia. The tracks emerge like scenes from a psychological film noir—a distorted discotheque of monologues, songs, skits, and anachronisms—where the voice oscillates between seduction and rupture.At its core lies a troubling insight: the most insidious exploitation is that of one’s own intimacy. As emotions and desires become commodities, the project resists absorption. Each track becomes a site of desertion—refusing roles, codes, and systems of control, even those posing as critique. Alliances blur, betrayals loom; lucidity tips into paranoia.Warped echoes of nostalgia, cinematic layers, voices in tension: the music becomes an unstable space, a laboratory of drift and survival. Neither record, manifesto, nor autobiography, it unfolds as a mental disco where desire, fear, and self-sabotage coexist.
Mit "Deep Hate" präsentiert Marc Dwyer (Buzz Kull) aus Sydney sein bisher intensivstes und zugleich raffiniertestes Werk. Die vier neuen Tracks bilden eine mitreißende Suite aus Industrial-Pop-Hymnen an der Schnittstelle zwischen Darkwave, Minimal Synth und Industrial Dance Music – unerbittlich und treibend, durchdrungen von einer Atmosphäre der Distanz und Sehnsucht. Jeder Song verkörpert den Puls der modernen Nacht, für die Außenseiter, für das Herz, das in der Leere noch schlägt. Eine moderne Fortsetzung der Tradition von Depeche Mode (Black Celebration) und den energiegeladenen Rhythmen von Front 242, neu interpretiert durch eine moderne Linse. Dwyer tourt mit Cold Cave, Boy Harsher und Molchat Doma. "Deep Hate" ist sein erster Release seit 2022 als 4-Track-Vinyl und CD mit zusätzlichen Remixen von PIG, Kontravoid, Cold Cave und Spike Hellis.
Mr Bongo presents a reissue of one of the rarest releases on the illustrious and now ultra-rare tax scam label TSG Records. A label with a checkered past, operated by Lloyd Price and with alleged ties to boxing promoter Don King. The album in question, Disco Party by Reality, is a stunning journey through ‘70s dancefloor-focussed funk into early proto-disco grooves. Back in mid-‘70s Manhattan, Dr. Otto Gomez and a group of fellow New York musicians including Tony Dixon, Norman Drayton, Tony Dupree, Al Jones and Fred Nanton were brought in for a recording session by songwriter and producer, Billy Nichols. Laying down one of Nichols' songs and a selection of the group's own, they were paid as session musicians and thought little of it. The tapes came to the attention of Lloyd Price who struck a deal with Nichols unbeknownst to Gomez and the rest of the band. Price then pressed the album and put it out in 1976 on a newly formed subsidiary label, TSG Records, that would later be documented as one of the US tax scam labels of the ‘70s. Such labels were created to exploit a loophole in the US tax system, running up inflated production costs / losses that investors or the parent label could write off against their tax bills. Releases on these labels were never intended to have commercial success. They would usually be produced in incredibly limited pressing numbers and have little to no promotion or distribution. As such many of these records instantly fell into obscurity, becoming mythical amongst DJs and record collectors. Sadly, this meant that artists like Dr. Otto Gomez and friends never had the chance for their record and their talents to shine at the time. In fact, it was only when Jazzman reached out for their 2022 reissue that Dr. Otto Gomez became aware that the album had ever been released and heard the story behind it. Disco Party is a time capsule where ‘70s instrumental funk edges and intertwines into an early disco sound. The sessions are for the dancefloor, minimalist and groove-based. The bass and drums are at the forefront, providing the pulse of the album. Driving funky guitar licks, and a brilliant horn section weave their way in and out of the productions. Highlights include the uplifting feel-good ‘Let's Party People’, the early disco swagger of ‘Reality’, and ‘Disco Party (Let's Have A)’ with its wah-wah groove and percussion break, which could easily have found its home on a Blaxploitation film soundtrack of the period. It’s not just rarity that makes this record so sought after, but rather the fact that it is a superb example of dancefloor-focussed mid ‘70s funk and disco.
Revered selector Moodymann remixes ‘Take Me As I Am’ by Detroit artists Dames Brown, from their 2026 Defected LP of the same name. First distributed as a super-exclusive dubplate at Amsterdam Dance Event in late 2025, this avant-garde remix showcases a master at work, transforming the soulful feel of ‘Take Me As I Am’ into a provocative, groove-laden sonic experience for heads in the know.
Kicking off 2026 with a bang, Dames Brown’s hotly anticipated full-length LP ‘Take Me As I Am’, presented by Amp Fiddler, paid homage to the late Detroit pioneer while re-introducing the vocal-house trio to the world. Across 14 tracks, the Dames weaved together their disco, R&B and house influences and collaborated with Eddie Fowlkes, Andrés, Waajeed and Amp Fiddler himself.
The critically acclaimed LP was recognised by DJ Mag, Mixmag and Billboard, with the latter noting the project is “dripping with all the soul, style, funk and feeling that you might expect from the powerhouse Detroit trio.” Title track ‘Take Me As I Am’ represented the album’s elevated house sound in full, and now this fresh re-arrangement by fellow Detroiter Moodymann has arrived.
Komatssu, Lefrenk, Vema Diodes y Celine Arnauld comparten este various artists de cuatro cortes para el tercer disco de Undancel.
La tercera referencia del sello discográfico de Undancel se caracteriza por una fase de transición entre varios sonidos. Representado un punto «ni aquí ni allí» donde la identidad o el estado anterior se disuelve antes de alcanzar uno nuevo, cuyo nombre LIMINAL.
Cuatro cortes en vinilo de 12″ de varios artistas más una canciones extra en formato digital con código de descargas en su interior.
A1_KOMATSSU_DESTRUCTOR DE MUNDOS: En activo desde 2005, Komatssu es el proyecto más personal de Héctor Sandoval (Tensal y 50% del reconocido proyecto Techno Exium). Un proyecto cimentado sobre la fusión natural entre la IDM más melódica, el Electro, el Breakcore y el avant-techno espectral que concibe el sonido como catalizador de emociones, dando lugar a un imaginario sonoro sumamente personal.
A2_LEFRENK_INDECENT: Lefrenk es un productor y DJ coruñés con más de 20 años de experiencia y más de 100 lanzamientos.
También es profesor en Fanzine School.
En el ámbito editorial, destaca como cofundador del sello Deep Different junto a Ikke Alra y fundador de Knerfel, su sello centrado en el techno.
Su trabajo se distingue por la fusión de texturas sonoras orgánicas e innovación digital, lo que refleja una constante evolución personal y creativa. Siempre innovando, Lefrenk ha expandido su influencia a través de colaboraciones dinámicas y actuaciones en directo junto a figuras de renombre de la industria.
B1_VEMA DIODES_MINDNIMALIST: Productor con raíces en el Baix Llobregat, cuya identidad se define por la experimentación técnica. Su trabajo es una exploración constante de la síntesis, donde las máquinas dictan el mensaje.
Desde sus primeras producciones en 2002, ha refinado un sonido que transita del electrobass crudo a estructuras más complejas y horizontales, fusionando la calidez analógica con la precisión digital.
Fundador del sello ÚTIL Records, Gente Seria Viste Chándal y Dialecto Periférico, plataforma desde la que reivindica el sonido de máquinas icónicas como la TR-808, tratadas con distorsiones y texturas de corte industrial.
Entiende el electro no como un género rígido, sino como un proceso de «electrificar» la señal. Su música es un equilibrio entre ritmos sintéticos y pinceladas de IDM, buscando siempre una narrativa sonora avanzada.
B2_CELINE ARNAULD_GLITCHED DANCE SYSTEM: Celine Arnauld es el nombre artístico de Pablo Miranda Caballero, artista y productor de música electrónica especializado en géneros como el IDM y el glitch con texturas ambientales. Recientemente, ha creado los alias DJ Don’t Sleep, donde da rienda suelta a la vertiente más rave del jungle y el breakbeat, y Paul Basscoigne, donde explora el electro, el acid, el IDM y el braindance.
Ha publicado su música en varios sellos, como EVEL, Clean Error, Dynamic Form, Mahorka, Hypnotica Colectiva, EC Underground, Dead Trax, Not 4 Human Consumption, New York Haunted, Point Source Electronics Arts, Moatun 7, Polygon Network, Colorsquad Records, Opal Tapes y Zabra Records.
Balancing glitch-pop and contemporary piano, the Belgian pianist explores the edges of her voice, language and twisted electronica
The Belgian pianist and producer maya dhondt releases a new album titled 'wow, x', marking her debut solo album under her own name. Navigating between bedroom glitch-pop and contemporary piano, she presents sounds of alienating beauty.
The album ‘wow, x’ will be released on September 13 on vinyl and all digital platforms via VIERNULVIER Records.
“I find beauty in the uncomfortable and disorienting" - maya dhont
The first single, 'desire,' is a mutated synth-pop track that gets under the skin. The song centralizes longing for something you don't know (yet). Perhaps it's the smell of damp earth, which can be both pleasant and unsettling? The single is now available on all streaming platforms and comes with a schizophrenic video by Sakis Brönnimann.
The first release show is scheduled for Saturday, October 5, at De Koer, Ghent.
More shows will be announced soon.
A postmodern cramp, that's how one could describe the music of pianist and producer maya dhondt. Her music is an intuitive and a never ending exploration that has the potential to be and become a multitude of things at once.
On her first solo album under her own name, 'wow, x,' she presents 10 varied tracks in which she creates equally idiosyncratic sound worlds. She takes the liberty to endlessly experiment with vocals, piano, and a mix of distorted lo-fi electronic sounds with an open mind. The result is sometimes synthetic and weird, sometimes compellingly beautiful, and always captivating, drawing you into its underlying melody. These intelligently crafted productions are connected by a penchant for alienating beauty: like a warm, but damp cave where it’s pleasant to linger just a little longer. Her original sound moves within a sonic spectrum reminiscent of contemporary artists such as Lolina, Astrid Sonne, claire rousay, aya or Carla Dal Forno.
"What I create never stands alone, it can be many things at once"
If the world were a sculpture garden, maya dhondt eagerly picks from it to draw inspiration from both visual and literary passages as well as personal experiences. Her highly personal bedroom productions are grounded firmly in the world due to philosophical references and politically charged messages. And the world she lives in is being questioned on 'wow, x', as the title refers to "What Or Why?". This is evident in the single 'desire': "What is the thing that matters / to exist / or to know you’re existing?" What does one choose in life: to live in the moment or to live to remember that moment?
In the lyrics on 'wow, x', maya dhondt plays - at times childishly - with language and its boundaries. On 'tip toe tip,' banal wordplay leads to an unexpected confession, and the seemingly simple phrases in 'untitled' conceal hidden life lessons. dhondt's world of words is multilayered and multilingual: Dutch ('kleine cijfers, groot verlies'), English ('desire'), and French ('untitled') are at her disposal. And on the fierce track that is 'minimalinvasiv,' not only she turns to hardstyle, but also to German - a language dear to her due to her Swiss heritage.
Esfand ist der letzte Monat des persischen Kalenders, der mit dem Nouruz-Frühlingsfest endet. Seit 2020 ist ESFAND auch eine Band - bestehend aus dem Iraner Rouzbeh Esfand und dem Neuseeländer Patrick Stewart. Ein Duo, das traditionelle iranische Folk-Elemente mit westlichen Beats und Vocal-Features bekannter exil-iranischer Künstler*innen zu etwas völlig Neuem verschmilzt. Ihr Debütalbum "Piltan" ist ein fulminant tanzbares Statement ohne Anflüge von Ethno-Kitsch. Pure Instinktmusik. "Wir haben die Samples ausschließlich aus musikalischen Gesichtspunkten ausgewählt. Das Folk-Element in unserer Musik ist groß, aber es ist nicht unsere Aufgabe, die Reinheit dieser Kultur zu wahren. Wir werfen iranische Traditionen nicht weg, wir behalten einfach die, die am besten passen. Am Ende des Tages sind alles nur Sounds." "Piltan" ist eine akustische Reise quer durch ein riesiges Land voller kultureller Eigenheiten: von den Zar-Ritualen aus dem Persischen Golf im Süden zum Reiter-Volk der Bachtiaren im Südwesten, bis hin zu den Qaschqai im Westen und zu den Kurden im nordwestlichen Iran mit ihren Derwisch-Ritualen. Die ersten beiden Songs haben ihren Ursprung in den repetitiven Rhythmen der Zar-Rituale, bei denen der Dämon Zar Personen in Form eines Windes befällt. Der Begleiter der zu behandelnden Person wiederholt bestimmte Phrasen immer wieder, um den Patienten in Ekstase zu versetzen. Auf die von Handtrommeln befeuerten Techno-Beats in "Bibi Saghi" folgen die düster-hektischen Synthie-Grooves von "O"seda". Ob der dunkle Dub von "Shawl" oder die maschinell stampfenden "Zar Bits" und "Without Foot, Without Head" - alle acht Songs sind raffinierte Produktionen auf höchstem technischem Niveau. Auf zwei Songs ist der Sänger und Perkussionist Habib Meftah vertreten (Rouzbeh: "Ich liebe seinen Instinkt für Songs!"). Auf "Shawl" gastiert Mohsen Namjoo, der sich ähnlich viel mit Folklore befasst hat und hier Texte der bekannten iranischen Dichter Daqiqi und Farrukhi Sistani singt. Aus einer jüngeren Generation stammt die Londoner Sängerin Misagh Moradi. Ihr "Without Foot, Without Head" basiert auf Texten des weltbekannten Dichters Rumi. Sich im Moment verlieren, sich dem Rhythmus hingeben, ganz unabhängig vom eigenen Hintergrund - das geht mit der jahrhundert- und grenzüberschreitenden Musik von ESFAND. Loslassen, abschalten, ohne Kopf und Füße zu kontrollieren. Darum geht es ESFAND. Übersetzt heißt es im Text von "Without Foot Without Head": "Oh du mit der anmutigen Taille, wirbele herum! Tanze weiter!"
Die in Kyoto geborene und heute in Berlin lebende Midori Hirano schafft minimalistische, ätherische Musik, in der akustisches Klavier nahtlos mit elektronischen Texturen verschmilzt. In Anlehnung an Ryuichi Sakamotos spätere Werke (Async, 12) erforscht, dekonstruiert und erfindet Hirano den traditionellen Rahmen der klassischen Musik neu und verwandelt jede Klaviernote in eine introspektive und immersive Reise. Unter ihrem Pseudonym Mimicof produziert sie auch elektronischere, Ambient Techno/IDM-orientierte Werke. Es war daher fast unvermeidlich, dass Midori eines Tages mit Ivan Pavlov zusammentreffen würde. Der russische Künstler, der heute in Frankreich lebt, ist eine Schlüsselfigur der experimentellen elektronischen Musik der letzten 30 Jahre. Als ehemaliger Akustikingenieur der russischen Marine ist COH ein Freigeist mit chirurgischer Präzision. In den späten 1990er Jahren trat er mit avantgardistischem, präzisem Post-Techno hervor, bevor er sich mit Glitch beschäftigte und später akustische und Ambient-Sounds in seine Klangskulpturen einbaute. Seine frühere Zusammenarbeit mit Peter Christopherson (COIL), Cosey Fanni Tutti und Abul Mogard (COH Meets Abul Mogard) sowie Veröffentlichungen auf renommierten Labels wie Raster-Noton und Editions Mego unterstreichen sowohl seinen Einfluss auf die elektronische Avantgarde als auch seine bemerkenswerte Fähigkeit zur Kollaboration. Mit Sudden Fruit liefern COH und Midori Hirano ein immersives und chimärisches Werk ab. Vom ersten Track an, ,Wave to Wave", spürt man das empfindliche Gleichgewicht zwischen dem Organischen und dem Digitalen, dem Fließen der Natur und der Poesie, die es verkörpert.
The Trip To Vega is about deep outer space odyssey that occurs in the process of traveling from Earth through the Cosmos to another "favorable" star system 25.3 light-years away.
The time is year 2097, Sept 23rd.
To this day, Earthlings have managed to dodge some of nature's more dangerous extremities, massive volcanic eruptions, Earthquakes, solar burst that knocked out the Planet's entire electrical grid for 3 years, numerous plagues of disease, food and fresh water shortages, domestic and International Wars and many other life-changing operas, but for this event, what remains is a realization that has no remedy. The cause: Earth's physicality has changed. It is no longer favorable for living things.
It is the constant shifting of the planet's internal tectonic plates which has unfortunately produced an unexpected and impassable dilemma.
Because of the collisions, deep within the planet's core, the planet is now producing an extraordinary amount of sound that includes a specific harmonic frequency that erodes the natural senses of all life on Earth.
It is intensifying. It is intolerable and it is unlivable.
Yet, some humans prefer to stay, to "ride it out" like the Titanic captain going down with his ship. Some, in total disbelief as some have concluded it is the second coming of Jesus Christ. But for most, the decision is clear. Tolive another day, leaving is the only rational choice.
At an increasing rate, scientific research data shows that humans and most animals, excluding the Jellyfish will eventually lose the usage of hearing and are to greatly suffer from an array of other neurological and psychological effects. The sense of touch and taste, sleep depreciation, severe nerve damage, constant hallucinations. Everyone will lose many of their cognitive abilities within an estimated 12 months from now.
On this day and every 7 days afterwards until all registered passengers have departed, the first of a fleet of large number of massive size spacecraft carrying approximately 1 million humans per vessel will permanently leave Earth to begin the long and adventurous trek across outer space to a new home: Vega.
This is not a precautionary tale as there is nothing to learn. Instead, a decision has been made and a Trip To Vega is the consequence.
Combining Bach with traditional Gabonese music, Lambarena pays tribute to Albert Schweitzer, a doctor and musician who settled in Lambaréné in 1913. Conceived by Hughes de Courson and Pierre Akendengué, this extraordinary project brings together more than 250 artists and blends organ, baroque choirs, and African percussion in a musical celebration of rare intensity. A true timeless classic, it is now available for the first time on double vinyl, accompanied by a 4-page bilingual booklet (English/French) recounting the history of this unique album.
b 02: Sankanda (traditionnel) + Lasset uns den nicht zerteilen Passion selon St. Jean
[e] 05: Mabo Maboe (traditionnel) + Gigue de la quatrième suite en mi bémol majeur pour violoncelle [extrait]
[f] 06: Bombé (extrait) + Ruht wohl, ihr heiligen Gebeine [Passion selon St. Jean, mouv. 62]
"This majestic Italo-Disco tune, arranged by Pierluigi Giombini, possesses something magical and mysterious. "On Ice" begins with Natasha King's a cappella vocals and a sweet piano melody by the same composer who wrote "Masterpiece" and "I Like Chopin" for Gazebo. A classic Italo-Disco piece from the mid-1980s, which, more than its sales, achieved success in live performances and on TV shows for the grace and charm exuded by the artist, who was also a dance teacher at the time. The elegance and precision of every move are the foundation upon which Natasha builds her technique. The reissue of "On Ice" was never fully embraced by lyricist Natascia ''Nati'' Maimone, straying from her tastes in soul, blues and jazz. It was also overshadowed by her previous hip-hop track, "AM-FM" - released from Best Record in 1983 - which made the artist world-famous at the age of twenty. This reissue in both original versions was also created to allow new generations to relive, at least in part, the great musical era of the 1980s, a period of incredible musical richness combined with a carefree spirit."
Suburban Base Records welcomes Spinscott with his debut release on the label, Pure Magic / F2.
Hailing from the USA, Spinscott is a lifelong drummer, international performance DJ, and producer who has built a global following through his distinctive approach to Jungle and Drum & Bass. His 100% real-time live sets, performed on drum machines and samplers, have set him apart, combining technical precision with the energy of live musicianship.
Through a steady output of widely shared Live Jungle Drum Machine videos, DJ mixes, and original productions, he has carved out a unique space within the scene, earning recognition for both his skill and his commitment to pushing performance boundaries.
Pure Magic / F2 marks his first release on Suburban Base Records, bringing that same ethos into the label’s catalogue. The pairing reflects both his foundation as an artist and his forward-facing approach to the genre, aligning naturally with Suburban Base’s long-standing role in championing authentic Jungle and Drum & Bass.
With a growing international profile and a clear artistic identity, Spinscott’s arrival on the label adds another distinct voice to the roster, grounded in craft, driven by performance, and built for the culture.
Destination Unknown is an EP by Unpronounceable born from an archive of sounds collected between 2019 and 2024—sonic fragments that took shape without a predetermined direction guided only by an open idea in constant transformation. The original track conceived as a “destination unknown” composition developed its own independent identity. However precisely because of its fluid and cross-genre nature Unpronounceable chose not to place it within a traditional EP context instead opening it up to a multiplicity of perspectives by inviting five artists to reinterpret it freely without genre constraints.
The result is an EP that unfolds like an alternative map of the same sonic territory where each remix explores a distinct direction transforming Destination Unknown into a multifaceted and ever-evolving experience.
In Carl Finlow’s remix Destination Unknown takes on a strong cinematic and narrative dimension. Inspired by the title Finlow imagines a mysterious journey toward a futuristic dystopian city turning the track into a kind of electro soundtrack—dark yet ironic rich in character and capable of evoking vivid images and motion.
MANASYt pushes the track toward more physical and ritualistic territories focusing on the dark pads and the more oneiric vocal elements of the original. The result is a hypnotic pulsating tribal-industrial reinterpretation where rhythm and sonic material become central intensifying the track’s most visceral qualities.
With Gay Horror the focus shifts to an emotional and narrative dimension. The vocals are deliberately made elusive and undefined while the structure develops through a slow controlled crescendo that recalls the atmospheres of ’90s trip-hop. This version also reflects a long-standing human and artistic relationship conceived as a story that travels through time and reaches the present day.
Kevin Follet adopts a more conceptual approach overturning the perspective of the original track. Rather than working with its main elements he brings the underlying structures to the foreground transforming what usually remains hidden into the core of his reinterpretation. His remix is elegant and deep balancing sound exploration with a strong attention to songwriting.
Closing the EP is GP The Synth Roller with a radical and highly experimental reinterpretation. The track behaves like an unstable system: parameters shift without warning surfaces lose coherence sudden accelerations collide with moments of arrest. There is no resolution only a sonic condition in constant tension eventually condensing into a dark compact mass.
Taken as a whole Destination Unknown is far more than a simple remix collection: it is a collective exploration of the potential of a single composition. Unpronounceable’s original track and the reinterpretations by Carl Finlow MANASYt Gay Horror Kevin Follet and GP The Synth Roller move across electro techno industrial and experimental territories offering six different perspectives from the same starting point. An open journey with no fixed destination where every detour becomes an integral part of the path.
Massimiliano Pagliara celebrates 20 years of music production with a special anniversary compilation on Funnuvojere. The release brings together solo productions and collaborations spanning a rich and abundant period that began when Pagliara acquired his first analogue machines, five years after moving to Berlin from Milan, where he worked as a professional dancer and choreographer.
The compilation features 20 previously unreleased tracks, deeply infused with italo grooves, wonky bass-lines, balearic pads, drama, love, sex, and dreams. These tracks evoke a wide spectrum of moments, ranging from intimate, pleasure-driven home listening to full-blown dance-floor euphoria. Throughout the compilation, one can feel Pagliara’s enthusiasm for discovery—his excitement in encountering new machines and immediately putting them to work.
Pagliara’s sonic identity is unmistakable, present in every track and in the compilation as a whole. Like the facets of a crystal, the music reflects his many nuances while maintaining a strong, coherent core. Tracks such as Waves of Desire pay homage to Dream House, reimagined through contemporary production with cosmic tones and infectious drums. Flicker Of Us reveals a dramatic tension between a rowdy bass-line and melancholic pads, while We Can Touch The Sky features Pagliara himself on vocals, blending synth-pop with elements of new wave and glam rock. Cool Breeze unfolds as a sunlit, optimistic walk through a wide Berlin avenue—funky, warm, and filled with curiosity for what lies ahead.
A notable strength of the compilation lies in its collaborations, which highlight Pagliara’s joy in working with other producers and vocalists. Each collaboration reveals a distinct character: the balearic sensibility of A Journey of Discovery with Gatto Fritto, the French house flavour of Neon Memories with Alinka, the 70s disco inflection of It’s In Your Eyes with the late Aérea Negrot, and the driving techno attitude of Whirlwind with Fabrizio Mammarella, to name just a few.
Ultimately, this compilation stands as both a gift to Massimiliano’s long-time fans and an open invitation to new listeners. It offers entry into a world shaped by beauty, order, balance, and ecstasy—guided by an enduring love for the craft.
With Mr. Coconut, Cosmo Dance delivers a four-track EP that strengthens a distinctive sonic identity, blending retro aesthetics, club culture and cinematic sensibility into a cohesive body of work.
The title track unfolds through refined dynamic control. Warm multilayered percussion, textured guitars and a deep yet restrained bassline create an organic groove that evolves gradually rather than relying on obvious drops. The production favors subtle progression and hypnotic growth, resulting in elegant, mature dance music.
Goodbye expands the project’s narrative dimension. Inspired by the atmosphere of Italian ’70s library music, the track represents the protagonist’s theatrical exit from the club — not a melancholic farewell, but a charismatic closing scene. A playful detail emerges when Dandolo (Cosmo Dance’s alter ego) delivers an ironic “cough solo” precisely as an off-voice introduces Mr. Coconut, adding a self-aware cinematic twist.
Dub nuts explores deeper dub-informed territory. Built through layering and subtraction, the track showcases careful spatial control and restrained low-end management.
The EP closes with the Coccappella Version, a stripped-down reinterpretation of the title track focused solely on percussion and voice, revealing the rhythmic backbone of the project.
Mr. Coconut is a refined balance between club functionality and cinematic storytelling — controlled, elegant and unmistakably personal. It’s not about peak-time fireworks — it’s about atmosphere, detail and identity.
MUSAR is proud to introduce Koloah, the newest voice in the family. Making his label debut with You Can Get Me EP, the Kyiv-born, Berlin-based artist arrives fully formed: three original tracks that move between restless grooves and expansive, immersive sound design, accompanied by a brain-melting remix from rising French star Binary Digit.
The EP opens with "You Can Get Me" - a UK-leaning groove anchored by a snaking acid line and fragmented vocal cuts that surface and dissolve, insistent and hypnotic, one of those tracks that lands fast and stays with you. "Get Me Close" follows, shifting the A-side into electro territory: harder edges, colder mechanics, but the atmosphere holds. Koloah keeps the tension tight and the space wide.
The B-side reaches further. The braindance producer Binary Digit takes "You Can Get Me" apart and rebuilds it in his own image - known for his deeply idiosyncratic approach to rhythm and texture, he turns the original into a real summer anthem, faster and focused, the same raw material carrying a completely different emotional weight
The EP closes with "Liminal Forest", a full IDM statement: intricate rhythmic programming, layered synthesis, and a sense of place that feels earned rather than constructed. Koloah signs off somewhere between the forest and the machine.
Recorded in Koloah's Berlin studio, the tracks were built in different periods - which is exactly why they breathe the way they do. Not a forced coherence, but a natural one.
"Atmosphere is the core of all my music and what I pay the most attention to."
- Koloah
This is the beginning of something. Welcome, Koloah.
Copenhagen-based DJ and producer Anastasia Kristensen presents her debut album Bestiarium Sombre, a vivid and cinematic techno work shaped by UK bleep, jungle and dubbed IDM influences. Known for headlining major clubs and festivals worldwide and for releases on Houndstooth, Turbo and Arcola, she now delivers a cohesive long-form statement on Intercept, home to artists such as Tsepo, Coloray, DJ Aya and Ineffekt. The album follows an anthropomorphic concept where each track embodies an animal, creating a distinctive narrative world with strong visual identity. This vinyl edition arrives as a limited transparent yellow marbled pressing housed in full-colour artwork. Designed for both peak-time DJs and collectors, it combines dancefloor impact with strong shelf presence.
Mean Streak (Joe Koshin & SSSLIP) chose Suckerpunch as the vessel for their first outing under the new moniker. 4 killer cuts of nasty, freaky & wigged-out tech house. Proper mean business.
Following his previous appearances on Figure, French producer Arkan returns with Mad Race, a four-track EP that further sharpens his distinct vision of mental techno. Balancing hypnotic restraint with driving intensity, the release finds the artist navigating deeper into textured, immersive territory while maintaining a strong sense of propulsion throughout.
The title track Mad Race opens the record in forceful fashion, locking into a tightly wound groove as restless synth movements and looming atmospheres continuously build pressure around the rhythm section. Revival follows with a more spacious approach, letting emotive chords and swelling layers unfold gradually over a firm, rolling foundation, capturing a feeling of momentum suspended somewhere between tension and release.
On the flipside, Sawlim pushes further into trippy terrain. Dense percussion and spiralling effects interact with pulsing low-end pressure to create a heads-down club tool filled with subtle movement and detail. Closing track Interlude shifts the focus once more, exploring a more restrained and introspective mood through cavernous textures and hypnotic repetition while still holding onto the EP's underlying drive.
Digital bonus track Make You Horny rounds out the package with a rawer and more playful energy, bringing punchy drums and jagged synth work together into a functional late-night workout.
With Mad Race, Arkan continues refining his own blend of deep, atmospheric and cerebral techno, further cementing his place within the evolving sound of Figure.
![Dolphin - Cunts Rule Everything Around Me EP [full colour sleeve / incl. dl code]](https://www.deejay.de/images/l/8/7/945087.jpg)
