Counterweight is well known for their party series in Munich defined by their strong bookings. Now the guys decided to go a step further and start with their own Vinyl label. Their first release shows already what they stand for and what you can expect in the future CWTs releases. This release is also the debut EP of the Spanish DJ and Producer Gonzo MDF, who shows his ambition and love for rough sounds. High BPM, Industrial, violent synthesizers and really heavy kick-drums are what you'll find in this Sacrificio EP. Get your copy before it's sold out, 180 gr Limited Press!!
Ichisan has been coaxed back behind the velvet curtain of the Bordello, this time for eleven track trip into a land of funk filled machine music. Aperitiv cruises with no single style, instead this Slovenian synthesist glides and slides through a scatting of sounds. Cosmic. House. Disco. Wave. Italo. All are plundered to produce an album overflowing with good feeling. And these feelings are pretty damn good. The road bends- The course changes. Bubrling acid bliss, crisp beats and stunningly delicate key shifts characterise this collection. Inviting strings pull you ever deeper. A soundtrack to coast line journeys along the Gulf of Trieste in a top down convertible, late night romances and evenings of endless warmth. Allow yourself to be whisked off by Ichisan, a trip you won´t want to come back from.
Translated from Spanish as 'The Shade', Chip Wickham's debut album La Sombra drops after a 25-year career touring, recording and experimenting across three decades of jazz, funk, soul, hip-hop, Latin and electronica. La Sombra is a monumental record for Chip as it symbolises the moment he stepped out into the light as a director of his creations with freedom to explore his roots, express and tell his version of jazz and pay testament to his heroes Roland Kirk, Yuseef Lateef & Harold McNair.
Now living in Dubai after an intense and productive six years in Madrid, it was Manchester where Chip studied in the late '80s and became enmeshed in the chaotic and thrilling music scenes emanating from one of the world's most culturally prominent cities of the time. Recording and generally 'keeping things real' with Manchester's hip-hop collective Grand Central Records, Rae & Christian, The Pharcyde, Fingathing, Nightmares on Wax, Graham Massey (808 State), Chip was in a city that was undergoing a music revolution with the Haçienda as its temple. Yet it was the headlights of the M62 motorway and not the strobe lights that were lighting Chip's path during his student years ('88-'92). The lure of the jazz and funk clubs of Leeds, where The New Mastersounds were breaking out and building the blocks that would lead them to UK funk royalty status, proved too strong.
In the 1990s Chip continued to refine his craft in the rainy city and the gigs booked were growing in stature. It wasn't long before he was on the road with Roy Ayers and Badly Drawn Boy. Around that time Chip met up with trumpeter Matthew Halsall that was the beginning of a friendship that lasts to this day. Chip was a recording artist on Matthew Halsall's breakout album Sending My Love and continues to work with him, with live dates confirmed in spring 2017. This close connection with Halsall gave rise to other collaborations, such as with Nat Birchall and Go Go Penguin's Rob Turner.
Three decades after his late night excursions to Leeds, Chip found himself recording with Eddie Roberts from The New Mastersounds in Madrid, as part of their new band, The Fire Eaters, which he'd formed soon after he moved to sunny Spain in 2007 - the same year he released the Fried Samba album under his moniker Malena, his electronic Latin band that became a hit at the turn of the century for Freestyle Records. During his time in Spain he connected with the local scene and brought together many of his musicians colleagues from the UK to Spain and it was for a local and well established label, Lovemonk, that he released two 45s blending raw funk and Latin. These new roads and musical leanings led to an invitation to play for the prestigious Craig Charles Fantasy Funk Band. Based on a poll from Craig Charles' top rated BBC6 radio show, Chip was chosen to play alongside the cream of the UK funk & soul scene: James Taylor (JTQ), Snowboy, The Haggis Horns (Mark Ronson), John Turrell (Smooth & Turrell), and Mick Talbot (The Style Council).
La Sombra takes an altogether more rooted direction than Chip's recent collaborative work, with the jazz of the late '60s and early '70s a dominating influence to the recordings. Comprising of seven tracks recorded in Madrid with musicians assembled by Chip from Madrid's jazz scene, it combines contemplative explorations akin to Yusef Lateef's early work on tracks like 'La Sombra' and 'Pushed Too Far'. There's a fiery cover of Camarón de la Isla's classic 'La Leyenda Del Tiempo' and tracks like 'Sling Shot' and 'Red Planet' are locked in a groove harking back to Freddie Hubbard's Blue Note era and Luv N Haight's Nathan Davis.
Detroit techno pioneer Kevin Saunderson has revived his underground house moniker E-Dancer with 'Into the Future,' a rolling futuristic nod to the sound of Detroit Techno. Swirling retro-future synths, echoed out claps and solid bass line that just screams Detroit. The track's gritty yet groovy sentiment is a perfect continuation of the very first E-Dancer album Heavenly, released in 1998.
Argentina's Unlock Recordings present the third and final instalment in their 'Collaborations' series featuring Deep Mariano, One + 1 & Camilo Gil, Funk E & Bodeler and Ronan Portela.With the previous 'Collaborations' featuring Barem, Jorge Savoretti, Franco Cinelli and Leonel Castillo, Unlock's established ntourage of producers are well known for their distinguishable stripped back approach to house and techno. At the helm of the imprint is Gonzalo Solimano - former 'Mr. X' at Red Bull Music Academy and stalwart within Argentina's thriving scene. Each vinyl release is accompanied by artwork designed by Argentinian graphic talent Gisela Faure.GET SLOW founder Deep Mariano begins the release with 'From Machines To Jungle', a percussive roller fuelled by a sultry bassline and hypnotising atmospherics. One + 1 and Camilo Gil then demonstrate intricate drums and looped pads as subtle vocal samples mutter in 'Bitch Call' before Funk E & Bodeler introduce glitchy nuances and trippy atmospherics in 'Playa Den Bolsa'. Tying things together, Buenos Aires' Ronan Portela incorporates a little more thud whilst soothing synths operate in 'Changing Minds'
LumièresLaNuit is glad to welcome back French Berlin-based music producer and live performer Roisner. One year after his Piano
Roll EP (LLN003) that was released on the occasion of LumièresLaNuit's I anniversary, Roisner delivers this time a more dance floor-
driven EP while keeping some basic components that make his Piano Roll release so poignant and touching.
On the A side, Interstellar is a collaboration between Roisner and the French artist Sibéri. Interstellar is a journey that starts as
an invitation into a meditation state of mind, then slowly the rhythm takeover the pad, the kick and an other layer of percussions
bring you "back to earth".
Then, the B-side opens with Comet that proposes here a more dance floor mood with strong linear rhythms and dreamy melodies.
The gripping sub-bass line is the result of experimenting a patch of the modular system. Finally, the EP concludes with Shooting
Star, a rather mind-blowing and rocking song with a soft melody. Shooting Star remembers us directly of Roisner's Piano Rool, a
poignant and gut-wrenching track.
August 2016 saw Running Back release a first volume of live tracks from Redshape, but January 2017 sees the much loved artist return to Delsin, his most regard label, for a second offering of the same. This time the EP has one track made in Paris, and one in London, and both are filled with the sort of beautifully bleak and lo-fi sounds that have made this man such a standout artist over the years. Up first is 'London,' a chugging track that builds in pressurised layers of coarse hi hats, gurgling bass and pinging kick drums. It is a hypnotic groove that teases you as elements drop in and out and hisses of static and broken little guitar riffs add some cheeky funk. On the flip-side, 'Paris' is much more playful, with colourful pixelated melodies dancing about the mix, industrial drums working down low and steppy synths fleshing things out. Overall it sounds like a future disco for inebriated robots and is one of Redshape's more party starting tracks.
Orphra Clipz are dark synth techno tracks from varum (Leipzig) vs. edgy Electrotunes from overdose (Rotterdam). Hypress based in Connewitz-Leipzig. Techno, Bass, electro, experimental selected, founded and produced by one part of Mod.Civil (ornaments, ortloff) from the Arno-Nitzsche Smoking Box. This is the first sign of Hypress.
Conceptual Records presents you its second vinyl-only release "Inspiratie" written by Andrey Djackonda, musical producer from Moldova. Andrey Djackonda is known for its own style in music, named Organic Techno, compiled from the deep, warm sounding of the traditional Deep synthesizers and soft yet dancing Techno rhythms. This release makes no exception. The original track "Inspiratie" and its remix from the Argentinian talent Alan Castro are presented on A side of this EP. On B side you can find the original track "Avioane de Hartie" and its remix from the famous figure of the contemporary underground scene Gorbani. Mastered by Pheek. Cover art from the young Moldovan artist Anna Ignatova. Get inspired with Conceptual
Villalegre Recordings is back with his second release after an acclaimed debut ep, which is already found in some 'real deejays' " vinyl cases, namely Dj Garth, Stevie Kotey, Timm Sure, Richard Sen and Massimiliano Pagliara.Discómanos ep consists of 4 edits of unknown gems, masterly revisited by collectors and artists as big as Mike Burns, Rayko , the great Sagittarius and Christian Beetz aka Frwctrl. Once again, Jorge Moreira and Crew dig deep down into many underground scenes around the world, to come up with an ep you'll always want to have in your case.
Listen carefully to Jose Rico's mastering work! A unique sound, which brings back reminiscences of Tom Moulton, Larry Levan, Dany Krivit or the very own Ron Hardy's reel to reel edits. Exotic love (Frwctrl mix) The trip starts with a Christian Beetz opus, which edits and extends a wonderful and unknown antique Spanish disco-funk track, with chorus voices flying like eagles to drive the dance floor to a unique climax. Sweat and pleasure lead by a smashing funky guitar, synths which drive you from the beach to the darkest, most hedonist dance floor. For your Love (Rayko edit)
Rayko is an edit master; he has presented his productions on the biggest disco dance floors on the planet, and this work reconfirms him. 'For your Love' tastes like Paradise Garage and nights of freedom and love. An original track with first class drums and a bass guitar, that reaches straight to the heart. The message comes with violins, which create the perfect emotion to wrap up a disco music masterwork that later becomes house. I want your body (Mike Burns Edit)The original track is a treasure that's hard to get, edited by Mike Burns, one of the strongest artists in the European underground disco scene. Mike selects this cut with a killer bass line, crazy synth effects and organs to turn the original track into an extended cut, which not only shakes the dance floor, but also the cloakroom and toilets. Programa Sintético (Sagittarius 1983 Tribute Edit)Sagittarius edits in a sublime way a mysterious track, loaded with energy, synths and effects. A production work, which transforms the original track into a technoid cut with a frequency in tune with Ron Hardy's proto-techno edits and progressive European music.
The mystified sound emanating from the disc in question belongs to the flute wielding monster Ernie Hawks. This dynamic player has grazed the airwaves of the worldwide underground for the past two decades. Now it's his star time.This two-tracker single from Ernie's debut album "Scorpio Man" sinks the listener deep into the moods of European library music and American instrumental funk classics. On "Journey To The Bottom", backed with fuzzy synth lines, he and The Soul Investigators explore emotional funk to the fullest. Their raw sound has pushed artists like Nicole Willis, Myron & E as well as Willie West to new heights before and now it's Ernie Hawks, who holds the torch.The intro of the title track "Scorpio Man" should give the breakbeat friends something to get excited about, while the rest of the track pushes the listener into the midst of a exploitation chase scene. It's possible that it's been a while since you've heard something as hard as well as uncomplicated and sincere. Keep your senses open for the coming full-length, it should drop like a bomb soon enough.
Mint Condition - A brand new record label focussed on excavating the outer fringes of classic House and Techno. Unreleased mixes, classics and overlooked gems mined from the last 20+ of contemporary dance music are the order of the day. From Chicago, Detroit and New York to London and beyond, Mint Condition have got their expert digging hats on to bring you exclusive heat and those rarer than rare jams that have been on your wants list for years! Dig in....
Arthur Forests name should be more widely known in the world of dance music, the man lent his expert to touch to more than one classic record emanating from Detroit during his time and has quietly left an indelible fingerprint on House and Techno history. Here at Mint Condition and for our third release we are extremely proud to present one of Art Forest's (in our opinion) finest moments - The majestic, futuristic 'Expectations' EP. Released in 1992, this 4 track EP has always been sought after by Detroit lovers worldwide. Often very difficult to track down and commanding high prices on the second hand market, this 12" is a real rarity. Showcasing a style that stands out from a lot of records released around the same period "Expectations" still sounds so killer today. Listen to "Flow with me" on the b-side, an insanely deep, melancholic piece of Detroit house, steeped in motor city futurism (those synth pads!) and with an otherworldly vocal performance from Dan Carter it ticks all the boxes, absolutely sublime and worth the admission fee here alone. Stunning.
If you're up to your neck in the history of Detroit dance music, or if you've literally just stumbled upon this entire world of amazing music (Welcome!) you'll want a piece of this. Beautifully crafted deepness from a quiet master of the artform, what's not to dig MC003 has been reissued with the permission and involvement of Arthur Forest and remastered by London's very own Curvepusher. 100% legit, licensed and released. Dug, remastered, repackaged and brought to you by the caring folks at your new favourite reissue label - Mint Condition!
'Mint Condition - We're out there'
Following his debut solo release 'Altar Ego EP' on La Mission in early 2016, J Choirboy returns with more bombastic breakbeats and raucous rave chords for your earholes. Another sharp shot of nostalgia to the heart to have you waking up spluttering in the glory days of '92. Simpler times when the internet was still in black-and-white and you and seven of your mates would pile into Gaz's Vauxhall Corsa and drive to a field somewhere off the M25 for a 'propa wicked' rave which you found out about from a party hotline on a crumpled flyer with some tenuous reference to science in the title. It's once more time to don the boiler suit and your rose-tinted Lennon frames, bask in the smell of Vicks VapoRub, and pour over the Polaroid albums of yesteryear. A colossal bass drum with a healthy slathering of reverb lays the foundation in 'Full Effect'; the interlaced hardcore stab sets a melancholy tone. But lo! In rush the clattering chords of the piano, refuelling the piece with MDMA-laden euphoria. In 'Lights Down', J Choirboy explores the sombre and reflective modes of the hoover synth. Subtle plaintive chords offset the characteristic rumbling bass drum and syncopated cadences of the breakbeats. As the first release on new label Rough Grade, the EP provides an uncompromising dance floor onslaught, occasionally soothing the listener with catchy melodies before continuing course through a stormy sea of roaring beats. Not for the faint of heart. Vital Sales Points: - support from Answer Code Request, Ryan Elliott, Boys Noize, Dustin Zahn, Fiedel, Martyn, and many more for previous release 'Altar Ego EP' on La Mission.
Bonobo veröffentlicht den lang erwarteten Longplayer-Nachfolger auf seine Erfolgalben Black Sands & The North Borders inklusive Vocal-Features von Chet Faker, Rhye & Hundred Waters!
Simon Green, alias Bonobo, kehrt mit seinem sechsten Album zurück, dem meisterlichen, gebieterischen "Migration" - ein Werk mit dem er sich ein für alle Mal an der Spitze der elektronischen Musik verortet. In abwechselnden Zügen opulent, manisch, wunderschön, melancholisch, freudig, voller Emotion und technischer Fertigkeit, ist dies womöglich sein bislang ehrgeizigster Versuch, die grundlegende Beschaffenheit menschlicher Existenz und deren ausgedehnte Dynamik zu erfassen. Neben Zeitgenossen wie Four Tet, Jon Hopkins oder Caribou, zählen Wiz Khalifa, Skrillex, Disclosure oder Warpaint zu Bonobos prominentesten Fans. Sein 2013er Album "The North Borders" erreichte im UK die Top 30 und katapultierte sich auf Platz #1 der elektronischen Charts, sowohl in den USA als auch im UK. Im Zuge dessen spielte sein 12-köpfiges Kollektiv weltweit über 175 Konzerte, darunter zwei ausverkaufte Shows im Sydney Opera House, ein ganztägiges Festival im Londoner Roundhouse, eine ausverkaufte Show im Londoner Alexandra Palace sowie einige renommierte Festival-Slots. Inzwischen verfügt Bonobo rund um den Globus über eine umfangreiche, loyale und engagierte Fanbase. Mehr als eine halbe Million verkaufte Alben und über 150 Millionen Spotify-Streams gehen auf sein Konto und verdeutlichen den Erfolg, den sich dieser ruhige, bescheidene Mann erarbeitet hat. Dank "Migration" wird seine wunderschön raffinierte und gefühlsgeladene Musik in Kürze ein noch größeres Publikum erreichen. Das zutiefst Persönliche kann schließlich ebenso gut allgemein gültig sein.
Leyla's 'Parallels & Influences EP' brings together Mondkopf, Positive Centre, Codex Empire & Yuji Kondo for an assaulting 4 tracks of power infused and industrial strength techno.
Mondkopf starts things roling with militaristic snare rolls and off-kilter analog synthesis into a climatic fervor of dystopian scene-scaping. This then is followed upu energetically by the pounding pressure and liquid 303 squelches of Positive Centre's 'Rub'. Crushed out cymbals battle against booming sub bass as a foghorn call rides high above the tempestuous patterns.
Codex Empire's 'Hessdalen' is as slick and detailed as it is ruff and raw. Huge sweeping backgrounds with intense high end percussion lick over a stomping, staggered kick pattern. Yuji Kondo (one half of the excellent Steven Porter project with Katsunori Sawa) brings things to a close with 'Whip Blow'. Bringing his signature refusal for traditional percussion sources - this peaking track pits high level technicality against deeply hypnotic and brooding rhythm.
Keep on keeping on, that's what they say. We are here at Hizou. So we are delighted to be back with this the ninth release on our main label, another exciting various artists affair and a follow-up to the well-received limited edition EP, Keepin' The Legacy.
First up is the house music equivalent of a heavyweight tag-team in the shape of respected veterans Chez Damier and Abacus, producers with credentials so impressive and lengthy it's eye-watering, alongside the rising talent that is Jorge Caiado (Balance/Groovement). The trio's dub mix of their cut Closer is proper deep-down-and-dirty bumpin' house of the old-school kind.
Another man with an impeccable pedigree, in-demand musician and producer James Duncan (Le Systeme/Real Soon), makes a welcome return to the label with the hypnotic 416 Zone Dub, an irresistible groover aimed squarely at the more discerning dance floor.
Making his debut here at Hizou is yet another seasoned artist, Jacksonville, owner of Doppler Records and gun-for-hire with the likes of Atmospheric Existence and Inner Shift. Having eyed his chugging and infectious Twilight Industries from afar, we are delighted to finally nail it onto our vinyl.
Keeping the fire burning and more than holding his own in such fine company is label head Satore, who unleashes his inner disco diva with the groovy, soul-drenched Keep On.
Born out of a love for Disco records and odd electronics, Casino Times is the project of producers Joseph Spencer and Nicholas Church - a musical partnership that is rooted in House and Techno but often treads into the weird and wonderful.
Since first starting the project in 2010 Spencer and Church have steadily been crafting a back catalog that reflects their varied tastes and unique approach to electronic music. This has seen them release on a wealth of respected labels such as Wolf Music, Futureboogie Recordings & Permanent Vacation, just to name a few.The debut on Omena, 'Decoded EP', consists of four tracks highlighting a distinct development of their musical style.
No need to dissect each and every track here to explain how it sounds, just play it and enjoy. Everyone from your grandparents to your neighbour and best friend will ask for track IDs.
future sessions is proud to bring you a release from the owner and operator
of finale sessions and one half member of the legendary balance recordings imprint with the legendary chez damier . so we will start you with the first track which is a remix of the classic track chez damier - never knew love with michael zuckers take on the track which gives it a real dancefloor driven sound with its funky guitar streams filled with filtered synth's and perfect drum programming and then we get to the second track 'wisdom and knowledge feat. maya angelou filled with her masterful poetry and michael zuckers pads and deeeeep bass and perfect drums gives it what it needs to flow streamingly then last but not least we have 'jacobs ladder' with is smooths pads and it's mesmorizing and hypnotic keys but the drums are the key to this track ..we want to thank you at future sessions for giving us the oppurtunity to do what we do and we thank you for the support.
Barcelona based YAKAZI imprint proudly reaches its fifth installment in the form of a synergic collaborative release signed by chilean artists Alexi Delano and Marcelo Rosselot, counting also with canadian Buchla wizard Marc Houle in the role of never-failing remixer. Presented as a two sided release, and splitted in two original tracks plus Marc Houle's remix, YAKAZI maintains its unwavering commitment to their core values, to move people through good music, prevailing fads and trends and strengthening the label's very own sonic identity. On this occasion, Alexi Delano, a close relative to the label that was also featured on label's previous compilation, joins forces with his studio fellow Marcelo Rosselot building up "Take Me / It's On me", two finely-crafted excursions of heavy bass minimalism and dark vivacious techno based on subtle vocal samples, trippy synth-chords, and layered drum patterns constantly evolving throughout both progressions sounding uniformly fantastic, without falling into the obviousness of a long steady beat narrative and keeping in mind how to charm the dancefloor in style.
From the whip-like crack of Yako's signature staccato vocals and impossible-to-memorize lyrics to the relentless overdrive tempo of their oneof-a-kind prog-core, Melt-Banana have long resided in a cybertopia of their own devising where the limits of technology and human capability are old-world concerns as quaint and cumbersome as bartering with a blacksmith. The demos for Fetch, their first studio album since the severely fried pop-punk of 1997's Bambi's Dilemma, were completed in March 2011, but the Fukushima earthquake changed everything, including
their ability to concentrate on recording. Which stopped completely.
Once they felt ready to return to their music, they decided to approach the songs on a sound-by-sound basis, choosing each tone with meticulous attention to detail, affirming their personal connections, being themselves naturally and openly.
Fetch scrapes glam shimmers off punk's outermost fringes and forges them into a rather intensely technical Deanscape packed with fantastical hybrids. Agata's guitar riffs, seemingly composed in tandem with skipping CD players, are more bad-ass than ever, bright and fractured like the soundtrack for a CC-Hennix-scored biker flick. The album is juiced with electronics and post-rock production, tempering what could easily be a
tiresome and predictable frenzy, yielding unexpected associations: Kate Bush climaxing on Walter White's blue meth; demos of late-period Wire playing metal run through Wasp synthesizers and Autotune; unripe wild
lychees keeping time on an Ankgor Wat tin roof during a monsoon.
They've been performing live as a duo since summer 2012, and will do the same for their '2 do what 2 fetch' tour in support of the album. After nearly 20 years of playing with a live rhythm section, their use of a PC, while opening possibilities for a variety of drum and synth voicings, does not signal a move away from the traditional live band sound, as heard, for example, via the future transmissions from downtown Noiseapolis on
2009's Lite Live: Ver. 0.0. Yako and Agata say they need to feel real band sounds onstage as much as someone in the audience. This is a group that routinely excels at several kinds of impossible simultaneously, so of course any new challenge they come up with for themselves is sure to blow the doors off your Mini Cooper. - First record as a duo expands the M-B sound
into multiple dimensions - LP includes digital download card; first
pressing on clear vinyl
Up first is Get Enough, seven minutes of seductive techno that has an almost machine-gun like disco synth firing across the groove. It is a rumbling peak time track with real force and energy that will bring any floor to life. The title track, Toleranz, is a gritty and stripped back basement cut with dry hits and burrowing acid bass that takes you deep into the night.
Cobra then proves this pair have real breadth in the studio and is a barrel chested house cut with more big hits, rib rattling bass and incendiary techno hi hats that really get you on your toes.
Remixing are the tech duo of Pleasurekraft, whose releases on Octopus and Mood Records have won them plenty of DJ and dancing fans. They layer in some dark melodies to SQ80 and build it steadily before allowing the militant drums and crisp snares to explode and drive you and the whole club forwards.
Following on from Plus Instruments Love Is Enough Remixes EP comes an accompanying Dubs EP, featuring deeper reversions by Jamie Paton, Luke Solomon, Khidja and joining them with a breaks meets dubwise, Alphonse. Truus de Groots return to her Plus Instruments project after a 30 years break saw the label pick up her off-kilter House roller, Love Is Enough for one of our (e)special remixing packages. Here then, we turn out attention to everyones favourite, the Dubs. Starting with label mainframe, Jamie Paton, his Cloudy Dub-Out pulls his mix through modular prisms for heads down basement rumble. Echo chamber vocals, twisted syncopations and a bass to breakdown walls, this is Patons true calling - dub to get lost in and rightful to kick off the EP. Next guest remixer de jour, Luke Solomon stays close to his original bumpin remix, warping the vocal with skatntrippin wonk, all atop a funk bass line and riding shuffle percussion. Cha cha cha. On the flip, Khidja triumph again with a tougher version. Not a straight up dub of their remix, this pushes a nod to colder (wave) vibes, with industrial percussion riding high on their trademark production. Hard kick atop refrained synths, growing out of Eastern protoid routes to glimpse their future. Finally, mystery man Alphonse comes in from the dark to close with a killer breaks inspired dub. Utilising the originals bass with an angular break, the intricate cut up percussion, Theremin and vocals all glide, keeping the head and feet (jazz) dancing for some (free) party sound system love. Dub is enough
Michigan artist John Beltran's 13th studio album and 3rd on Delsin is his most complete and personal work yet. Written largely on modular synthesizers for the first time, it melts 90s intelligent techno with post rock and ambient with leftfield downtempo. The seventeen tracks draw on his expert knack for sound design; for melody and atmosphere and make for yet another hugely absorbing affair.
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Savage Grounds return to Lux Rec for the third time, with their third record. Atrocities comes after Unpleasant Music for Unpleasant People, released in 2015, and Over Fences, 2014. It is, as much as the previous 2, the result of investigations in music, live, composed with a minimum amount of instruments. The duo, comprised of CCO and Daniele Cosmo, worked with a Roland 606, a Roland 909 and a modular synthesiser. Experimenting with FM modulation and loose sequences. The result is concrete noise, anger, ghostly voices, and above all, the sheer conscience of human failures.
Bordello A Parigi. Ali Renault. A gin and tonic combo if there ever was one. The UK synthesizer savant lands with a four tracker of leftfield electro pop. 'Altro Mondo' screams out of the traps, bulbous bass lines elbow sweetened chords and snapping beats. 'Fume' grows from the same soil. Analogue warmth is brushed, even bruised, by the crack and whip of rhythms; a touch of EBM bitterness blended with Italo hope. Nowhere is this more evident than in...'Nowhere', a buckled dancefloor romp with the king of Milano, Fred Ventura, offering vocals. Uabos maintains the tension for the finale, uplifting house currents coursing through his remix of 'Lenticular'.
'I take my guitar and strum and sing some tings and blow people's mind. But I ain't trying to do anybody's music. I'm doing what I feel' - Shadow
When it came out in 1984 the far-out album Sweet Sweet Dreams by Trinidad & Tobago's Shadow (aka Winston Bailey) was described as 'way ahead of its time'. Undeservedly it was panned by critics and, unable to reach markets, disappeared into the dusty record collections of a few music aficionados. Now, more than three decades later that cosmic dance-floor UFO is about to take off again, change all that and set the record straight. Remastered and cut by Frank Meritt at The Carvery the album is truly a masterpiece.
But who is this Shadow behind Sweet Sweet Dreams Shadow is a man of understated magnitude. A truly enigmatic artist, he first emerged in Trinidad and Tobago during the 1970s, becoming a part of the tapestry of Caribbean music and reinvigorating calypso at the time. Calypso, the indigenous folk music of Trinidad and Tobago, has roots in West African kaiso rhythms, French Creole influences, and the hardships endured by the African slaves brought to Trinbago, whose descendants still use it as a tool for satire, self-expression, and social commentary. Calypso has also given birth to several other music genres, including soca, with its uptempo beats and festival context. Shadow effortlessly moves between both.
Shadow came from a humble but musical family and started writing songs as a youth while tending cattle in the fields. To his family's initial chagrin he chose calypso over church music but his talent and drive were undeniable. In the early days of his career Shadow's style was cramped when working with some of the more conservative music arrangers who felt that calypso and soca should fit a mould. But after a while Shadow teamed up with more innovative arrangers, including Arthur 'Art'de Coteau, who followed their and Shadow's intuitions resulting in a long line of hits.
'The first time we met for me to arrange his music we had a heated argument on the arrangement for one of his songs, I was theoretically correct but Shadow was musically right. Shadow broke all the traditional musical rules and made his own and that made him a musical giant. He changed the face of Calypso music in 1974 with the release of "Bassman" a tune in which Bass and magnificent horn line took central stage changing Soca music for ever. What Shadow did with his music was to put calypso on the International Dance circuit, giving it a totally different groove. You could take his music and swing it in any direction, Disco, Pop, Calypso, you name it. His music was different from anything that existed before'. - Carl "Beaver" Henderson, one of Trinidad's veteran producers.
This inert creativeness culminated in Sweet Sweet Dreams which was arranged by Shadow and deals with burning and ever-relevant themes like love and the ups and downs of relationships. a surprising fact for someone mainly known for his satirical and political lyrics. It prompted his manager to wonder if Shadow had written the lyrics while in a state of 'tabanca' (a word used in Trinidad and Tobago to describe lovesickness).
Sweet Sweet Dreams was recorded at the legendary SHARC studios, located on a hill in Chaguaramas (near Port of Spain) and despite a fantastic sound and monster Soca-boogie tunes like 'Lets get it together', 'Lets Make it Up' and 'Way, Way Out' the album was a commercial flop, probably due to the fact that it didn't sound like anything else coming out of Trinidad & Tobago at the time: It fused a range of different rhythms and new sounds, primarily heavy synth riffs.
Shadow took the album's lack of success in his stride with usual aplomb:
'When I did Sweet Dreams I expect something could happen. But nothing big happen because I have no big market and no distribution and all this thing now. So I just cool myself and move on to another song. I wasn't doing just one song. I used to always have plenty songs at the one time. And be writing music'.
What Shadow didn't realise back then was that the proto-electronic cocktail he had mixed in 1984 would only find the recognition it deserved three decades later. Life has swung full circle: Sweet Sweet Dreams has come true and been elevated to holy grail status becoming one of the most sought-after Caribbean disco records in existence.
For this re-release we carried out extensive interviews with Shadow and the musicians and have included as bonuses exclusive photos from Shadow's personal collection and the dancefloor filler tune 'D'Hardest' was added as a bonus track.
Renowned house veterans D'julz and Jordan Fields drop two tracks each for a split release on Radio Slave's Rekids this December.One of the key components in Parisian electronic music, the A side sees a display of groove led cuts signature to D'julz as 'Shy Town' combines sultry bass tones with mesmerizing atmospherics and tranquil piano chords, making way for the crunchy drums and trippy synths of 'In Your Soul'.
Meanwhile, from across the pond in Chicago, Jordan Fields' raw productions begin with syncopated percussion and fuzzy notes until 'Mformation' concludes the package with thudding kicks and ethereal melodies.
Both artists have been commanding forces in electronic music for 25 years each making this split release very special indeed.
EMERGENCE is an epic, operatic, ambitious amalgamation between audio-visual show, scientific research project, art installation and IDM record, the debut release on Max Cooper's Mesh label and his second full-length release.2 LPs housed in a gatefold sleeve, featuring black and gold ink printed onto silver laminated board to create a unique and beautiful effect.The record was conceived as a soundtrack to a new series of 11 pieces of video art, each exploring a different facet of the concept of 'emergence'. The full A/V live show will premiere at Mutek, Japan on November 2nd 2016. Together the work is a marriage between the cosmic awe of a Carl Sagan film and the musical wonderment of Sigur Ros, made for meditating on the mystery of our emotional connection to fundamental natural form.
Cooper collaborated with film composer Tom Hodge and vocalist Kathrin deBoer to put together a rich piece of music that incorporates post-rock, Warp-y brain-dance, hi-def digital techno and shimmering neo-classical. Few musicians are as qualified as Max to tackle as profound an idea as 'emergence' through electronic music. Emergence is the story of the development of the universe, the way in which, very complex things like human beings where created from the immaterial by the action of simple laws.Max has synthesised his skill as a producer and his deep interests in science to create a Hadron Collider-grade ambient techno world, in the lineage of The Future Sounds of London's 'Lifeforms' for 2016. It's also one of the most beautiful records you'll hear all year. Early support at radio pledged from Lauren Laverne and Mary Anne Hobbs.
Back in the days at the west-Saxon highlands there was a missile, which marked the starting point. When Credit 00 saw the legendary rocket rise on Tetris' final screen, it was the first time he became aware of electronic music at all. Since then it actually hasn't changed that much. He keeps pushing that buttons that belong to the impressive pool of music machines towered up next to his bed.
After moving to Dresden in 2000 to study fine arts, his passion for synthesizers and drum machines got nurtured through visits of Dresden's club-canalisation. He quickly made himself a name as a DJ, who is just doing his own thing and got popular for that reason. As a part of the Idealfun-crew he started hosting parties always in the twilight zone between legal and illegal. This led to Robo Dance', Dresden's only and (also for some other reasons) best Electro club night featuring guests like DMX Krew, Luke Eargoogle or Imatran Voima. The track Credit made with Randy Barracuda of Imatran Voima has probably been created some time after the show. Apparently, Randy was not in good shape anymore and so Lebensraum' unmistakably bears Credit's hallmarks.
For his own music he's inspired by cannibal movies, number theory and birds. Still, his music is not easy to pigeonhole. After all, he loves Synth Wave, Electro, Afro, Kraut, Kosmische, Disco, Italo, Miami Bass and other Proto stuff - a lot of machine music.
Deluxe LP w 180g, Reverse Board Sleeve, MP3 Download - HOLOVR is Jimmy Billingham who also records under the alias's Tidal, Venn Rain, Journey of Mind & Holographic Mind - He has released music on Firecracker Records, Opal Tapes and Hooker Vision as well as his own Indole Records Release Information Anterior Space may strike some listeners of a certain age as an echo of the gilded age of "armchair techno" exemplified by Warp Records' Artificial Intelligence comps. There's a similar convergence of the cerebral and the blissful in the four epic compositions HOLOVR (aka Jimmy Billingham) finesses from his analog and digital synths as that found on those early-'90s pieces by Black Dog, B12, and others. Discussing the creation of Anterior Space, which is the first HOLOVR release to feature no beats, Billingham reveals, "Dropping drums gave me a bit more freedom in terms of tempo and rhythm, and it was actually really liberating. Having fewer elements in a track also meant it was possible to record live, which is my preferred way of working, as you can capture an actual snapshot of time and a natural, in-the-moment negotiation of the different elements of a track. I'd know a track was ready if I could sit there and listen to it looping round for long periods of time and really get lost in it, and then I'd try and capture a nice section of that in the space of 10 minutes or whatever." You can hear this on Anterior Space's opening 11-minute track, "Into Light." Its subtle gradations of warped tones and implied rhythms teem with hyperactive elegance. The titular light glints off of several jeweled facets, like a disco ball made out of diamonds. The slow, mobile-like rotation of synth baubles over a foundation of yearning, icy drones on "Apparent Motion" creates the illusion of a shimmering stasis, but there's actually a great deal happening here. .
Night Tide's sophomore release welcomes two new names to the family. THOMMYY RA and Simonn bring us the "Lost Journey" EP, a 6 tracker of analogue laden esoteric house. On the A, we have THOMMYY RA, label boss at Nasty Habits Tape Cltr and prone to a bi-annual name change, he contributed the silty SETH NK remix of Eluize's "Up All Night" on our label's debut record earlier this year. He opens with "Journey Into Nowhere", an eerie, coasting, synth drenched opus propelled by throbbing percussion and rippling leads, follows with "Die Darling Die" a 90s touched, left of centre house cut, complete with a skipping kick and playfully nostalgic horn, and wraps the side with creepy, deep and groove heavy "Razzy Moon". On the B, we introduce Simonn for his first excursion on wax. "Unknown Habits" is a straight up, tried-and-tested party piece, its vibrant chords pulse amongst thumping drums issuing an undeniable call to the floor. He then turns his hand to something more aquatic, amphibious pads swell in "Lost In Progress" while layering percussion build before erupting into a euphoric break beat. Finally, "Raw and Unbleached" is a delicate arpeggio outing, melodic ideas tumble and burst over one another, it's light and dreamy yet gritty, innocence in sound.
An old hero at INT HQ, Andy Meecham(Bizarre Inc, Big 200, Chicken Lips etc.)releases his debut for Internasjonal with Vol.1 of a 2 part series entitled "2500". All synth noodles and doodles written, performed and produced by Andy Meecham and one rework by yours truly. Prins Thomas, INT HQ 24th of October 2016
Dance floor taskmaster REINHARD VOIGT is at it again,
dropping a new set of raw, willful techno cuts that follow his much-acclaimed solo release REISEN & SPEISEN (KOMPAKT 338) and a stirring split EP effort with Michael Mayer on TIME IS RUNNING (KOMPAKT 328). He even found time in his busy Kompakt schedule to throw in a rare remix for El_Txef_A on rising underground imprint Forbidden Colours. Voigt's latest outing KONTRASTE fits snugly in the artist's tradition of powerful, minimalistic techno with a headbanging twist: oscillating between pure movement,
and monolithic, abstract riff, the a side's THE SINGING SAW interweaves several rugged synth motives around a stoic, empowering bassdrum, while b side jam TRUST takes the scenic route, building its simple, yet highly effective lead sounds up into a towering grinder with a touch of silkiness. As we've grown to expect from REINHARD VOIGT, the whole is always greater than the sums of its parts, with these new recordings again proving his mastery of all things banging.
Black Truffle is thrilled to announce Reverse Tree, the new LP from the acclaimed duo of Eyvind Kang and Jessika Kenney, two musicians who have established themselves as powerful voices working at a unique intersection of contemporary composition, improvisation, and Asian traditional music forms. Either individually or as a pair, they have worked in contexts ranging from performances of traditional Persian and Javanese music to collaborations with Sunn O))), but their work together as a duo (documented on The face of the earth and Aestuarium, both released on Ideological Organ/Editions Mego) most clearly represents the central concerns of their diverse practices: a music of the inner life of sound, demanding ritualistic focus and promising heightened sensations.
On Reverse Tree, the duo expand their work together into the realm of the chamber ensemble, presenting two side-long works that feature Kenney's voice and Kang's viola alongside a multitude of other instrumentalists. Kang's Thoughts on Being Exiled to the Frontier, for Lord Wei, inspired by a text by the Tang dynasty poet Hsueh T'ao, features an all-star international ensemble: Kang, Kenney, maverick Israeli conductor Ilan Volkov on violin, Icelandic cellist Hildur Guðnadóttir, and guitarists Oren Ambarchi and Stephen O'Malley. The piece is primarily composed of irregular patterns of pizzicato notes and guitar harmonics, gently falling in and out of sync and providing a subtly unstable support for Kenney's voice, which sings long, wavering tones, at times reminiscent of Michiko Hirayama's classic performances of Scelsi. Drawing on 20th century instrumental techniques, alternate tuning systems, non-western music and the experience of nature (the irregular rhythms of the piece calling to mind nothing so much as drops of rain), the piece opens a space both serene and subtly uneasy.
Kenney's 'Elm features Kenney and vocalist Nova Ruth (of Filastine & Twin Sista) alongside an ensemble of strings and Seattle's Gamelan Pacifica, performing on Javanese instruments tuned to the slendro scale. An uncanny timbre created by bowing the keys of the Gamelan's instruments, supported by bowed harmonics from the strings, is heard consistently throughout the piece. After a long introductory section in which this harmonic cloud slowly descends from shimmering high notes to rumbling bass, the vocalists enter, singing a slow and stately setting of a 19th century Surakarta poem (attributed to Mangkunegara the IV). The melody is sung as a rich and wavering heterophony, with the ensemble sometimes rising up to support individual notes. The poem deals with the idea of a form of knowledge achieved through deeds, as a practice and state of the heart. This is music in slow motion, in which, in Kenney's words,
The drum & bass heavyweight Current Value finishes up 2016 with his first solo release with the Critical crew since his enormous 'Biocellulose' LP earlier in the year. This time notching up some extreme sounds for Systems, Volume 6 is another iron-clad addition to the series.
Originally self-released as a 7'' in 1982, Plath release is definitely one of the obscure gems of the Italian underground. TIP!
Plath were a duo from Prato, formed in 1982 by Silvia Innocenti (voice, bass guitar) and Fabrizio Lucarini (synth, drum machine). Plath were influenced by Throbbing Gristle and early Cabaret Voltaire works, moving in between two essential thematic actions: first, the constant search of a sound which aims to reflect the current reality as they were interpretating it and, second, the constant exposure of their anarchist ideological thinking against the established political and social system.
Mastering by Ruud 66.
Original 7'' graphics reworked for this issue.
While the A-Side includes the original single in full, with the classic 'I Am Strange Now', recently unearthed by Alessio Natalizia/Not Waving in his monumental 'Mutazione' compilation released by Strut Records in 2013, the B-side instead contains a killer percussive edit of Alessandro Adriani made for the most crazy mental dancefloors..
* 'Limerence' is not only Misantrop's debut outing, it is also the inaugurating release of his own label Foul-Up.
* The sound pops out of an industrial mindset, but the title piece reverses out of garage/classic house that nods to 90s r'n'b. On 'Nocturnal Emission' friend Jon Marius Brogaard Aeppli's guitar solo is vogueing out on the floor, psychedelic rock meets psychotic blues by way of sheer UK sound.
* Featuring a wobbling bass on the techno-leaning 'No. 3' - adorned with a reference to classical composition in the cluster strings. 'They Don't Know' puts on a bit of electro, noise and some giallo synth arpeggiation. There's shine, atmosphere and a rather fascinating depth of field.
* 'Limerence' draws its inspiration from all over contemporary music and noise grounds - not wearing its 'influences' in the most opulent manner but well declaring its material with confidence. If the finished product doesn't have the uniformity of a proper industrial product, so much the better...
* Misantrop is out to change the way you listen to music, no matter how chaotic the journey is, showing off a vision that's both deeply human and richly transcendent.
For fans of: Kyle Hall, Actress, Shed, Drexciya, Levon Vincent, Helm, Anthony Shakir, Drexciya, Actress, Mica Levi, John Carpenter, Burial, Aphex Twin
Following releases on labels such as Greco-Roman, TTT and Templar Sound, Dro Carey (Eugene Ward) returns to the scene with his new offering, the industrious yet delicate track 'Queensberry Rules' featuring the vocals of KUCKA, taken from his Dark Zoo EP, out now via Australian label Soothsayer.
Where his previous releases have been firmly focused on the smoke-riddled clubs, Queensberry Rules sees Dro Carey traverse new territory. Working with KUCKA and Collarbones' Marcus Whale on the track, 'Queensberry Rules' sees the Sydney producer creating a unique pop sound, however maintain the gritty DNA that he is so distinctively known for.
As Dro states ''Queensberry Rules' are the set of rules that outline the general code for boxing matches. It's a document about fairness and sportsmanship in a pretty violent activity. That immediately struck me as a great title for a demo. Working with KUCKA and Marcus Whale (of Collarbones) as a co-writer, I think their lyrics perfectly hit upon the sense of irony that I wanted the song to have.'
The track was the first official taste from his Dark Zoo EP which sees Ward push the limits even further within his musical explorations. Whether it's the pop moments of 'Queensberry Rules' and 'Dark Zoo' where he employs the vocals of both KUCKA and FKL respectively to elevate the sonic sensory overload to new levels, to the brooding club explorations that are 'Grow Lithe' and 'Hidden Halls'; the EP is his musical coup d'état from the outset - simultaneously sinister, restrained and intoxicating.
We are absolutely thrilled to present this little gem on Vinyl. This special vinyl release also includes not only the single, but two remixes from heavy weights Mall Grab and Cassius, and a very special new track titled 'Under' which is and will always only be available on the vinyl release of this. Dive in!