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After a successful run of early EPs and his debut double LP You!, Producer and Singer-Sing Writer Alek Lee returns to Antinote with his new album Like a Flower — an 8-track journey (plus 3 digital bonus dubs) that feels like open-heart surgery. With raw vulnerability, Lee exposes his deepest fears, pain, and inspirations, singing straight from the gut, but also sending words of inspiration and hope.

From dub-infused vibes like the opening track Alright featuring My Lord, to grungy ‘90s trip-hop stylings on Compensation and the title track Like a Flower, the album showcases Alek’s wide emotional and sonic range.

He shifts seamlessly into smoky, Sade-esque moods on tracks like Change, Let the Sun Just Shine, and Hold On — intimate ballads exploring heartbreak and existential reflection.

With his signature blend of melodica, live percussion, guitars, vocal choirs, and lush '80s synths, Alek Lee locks you into his unique sonic universe. His brutally honest, yet deceptively simple lyrics are dressed as balearic dub-pop bangers.

Bruno Berle is a singer, songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and figurehead of a contemporary Brazilian music movement. With a quiet mastery of songwriting and an astonishing voice, his music has won hearts around the world. Since the release of his debut album No Reino Dos Afetos (2022), Berle has performed across the UK, Europe, Japan, South Korea, and China, only leaving his home country for the first time in 2023. Shaped by these journeys, Berle’s third studio album, Sem Fronteiras (Without Borders), reflects a utopian vision of a unified world.

Recorded across London, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Germany, and Maceió, the album–co-produced alongside his longstanding musical partner Batata Boy–is the most expansive canvas Berle has worked on to date. Shot through with the imagery that has always animated his songwriting: open skies, morning light, vivid colours and the magic of human connection, Berle’s carefully crafted poetics and warm, delicate instrumentation drive this vivid body of work.

“I came from nothing”–Berle doesn’t take his rise to global prominence for granted.

Born to a working class family from Brazil’s northeastern Alagoas state, one of Brazil’s most economically deprived, Bruno moved frequently in his youth to follow any job opportunities his parents could find, before eventually settling in the coastal capital of Maceió. “I used to travel to Caruaru, Santa Cruz, Recife, Garanhuns, Arapiraca, which I loved and feel it made me ready to be in this rhythm i’, but at the same time I think not having friends from childhood and being in constant change made me a little numb to the constant upheaval”. On Sem Fronteiras, there is a similar duality at play. The album celebrates the collective joy and human connection that live touring brings, but it also sits with the darker realities of crossing borders. While music moves more freely around the world than ever before, our bodies are not granted the same privilege.

Though he’s never lacked self-belief, Berle recognises that talent alone doesn’t guarantee opportunity. “Before my second album No Reino Dos Afetos 2 everything I had ever recorded was made with the help and kindness of people who believed in my ability”. Determined to pay that kindness forward and help others from the sharp end of Brazil’s desperately unequal society, Berle produced and featured on the recent self-titled albums by his northeast Brazilian compatriots, Nyron Higor and Phylipe Nunes Araújo (both 2025), helping propel both onto the international stage. In turn, following the successes of Nyron & Phylipe’s albums alongside his own, Bruno finds himself at the forefront of a thriving community of artists now based in São Paulo, but primarily originating from northeastern states like Alagoas and Pernambuco.

Much like the famed Clube Da Esquina movement that spawned in 1970’s Minas Gerais, they operate with a free-exchange of ideas, writing songs with and for each other, performing on each other’s albums and on the live circuit together. Lead single ‘Manha’ flows from this ethos. It was written by Berle’s friend and fellow Alagoan João Menezes (writer of ‘Ate Meu Violao’ and ‘Te Amar Eterno’ from Bruno’s previous albums) and Marvin Viera, and originally recorded on their 2018 album Areia e Mar.

Sem Fronteiras opens with ‘Você Já Sabe Que Eu Te Amo’, just six beats of one nylon guitar chord ring out before changing key, paving the way for the gentle strike of fender rhodes and the arresting call & response duet between Berle and Higor. On ‘Amor Inteiro’, the album reaches a celebratory burst of catharsis, with the punch-packing drums of Pedro Lacerda and Nina Maia’s joyous backing vocals encapsulating the live energy that Berle and his band bring to the stage.

With the abundant talents of this musical community at its heart, Sem Fronteiras releases 10th July 2026 via Far Out Recordings, supported by a summer tour across Europe. Bruno Berle will perform in a four-piece band alongside Nyron Higor, Phylipe Nunes, and Batata Boy, culminating in an appearance at Roskilde festival, Berle’s biggest live show to date. He’ll continue to carry a hopeful vision of a world where artists and musicians can move as freely as their music flows.

Tracklist:

A1 “Você Já Sabe Que Eu Te Amo”
(Nyron Higor / Bruno Berle)
Nyron Higor – drums, bass, acoustic guitar, electric piano, synthesizers, vocals
Bruno Berle – piano, vocals
Batata Boy – piano
Jorik Bergman – score preparation and conducting
Klara Gronet – violin
Ségolène de Beaufond – violin
Cristina Ardelean Montelongo – viola
Ilektra Stevi – cello

A2 “Não Posso Viver Sem Você”
(Batata Boy / Bruno Berle)
Batata Boy – electric piano, organ, synthesizer
Bruno Berle – drums, bass, synthesizer, vocals
Jorik Bergman – score preparation and conducting
Klara Gronet – violin
Ségolène de Beaufond – violin
Cristina Ardelean Montelongo – viola
Ilektra Stevi – cello

A3 “A Noite de Estrelas”
(Nyron Higor / Bruno Berle)
Nyron Higor – synthesizers
Bruno Berle – bass, drums, vocals

A4 “Outra Noite”
(Bruno Berle)
Nyron Higor – drums
Bruno Berle – acoustic guitar, bass
Felipe Berle – congas
Lucca Francisco – guitar, vocals

B1 “Amor Inteiro”
(Bruno Berle)
Pedro Lacerda – drums, choir
Nyron Higor – bass, choir
Batata Boy – guitars, organ, electric piano, choir
Nina Maia – choir
Bruno Berle – guitars, acoustic guitar, congas, vocals

B2 “Ideias Mágicas”
(Batata Boy / Bruno Berle)
Heloisa Alvino – trombone
Batata Boy – synthesizers, beats, electric piano, organ, bass
Bruno Berle – synthesizer, vocals

B3 “Vim Dizer”
(Batata Boy / Bruno Berle)
Batata Boy – electric piano, organ, synthesizer
Thomas Stankiewicz – synthesizer
Nyron Higor – synthesizer
Bruno Berle – acoustic guitar, bass, vocals

B4 “Tô Assim”
(Bruno Berle)
Bruno Berle – acoustic guitars
Batata Boy – synthesizer
Nyron Higor – bass, synthesizer

B5 “Manhã”
(João Menezes / Marvin Silva)
Bruno Berle – acoustic guitar, vocals, congas, shaker
Batata Boy – piano, shaker, electric piano, vibraphone, synthesizers
Nyron Higor – drums, bass

B6 “Sem Fronteiras”
(Bruno Berle)
Filipe Mariz – guitar
Bruno Berle – acoustic guitar, vocals, bass
Jennifer Souza – vocals, acoustic guitar
Rudson França – drums

Credits:

Produced by Bruno Berle and Batata Boy
Mixed and mastered by Bruno Berle, Batata Boy and Felipe Berle

Audio engineering:
Nyron Higor (track 1 – production; track 4 with Felipe Berle)
Joe Osborne (tracks 7 and 9)
Victor Gelling (strings on tracks 1 and 2)
Filipe Mariz (track 10)

Photography: Claudio Virgínio
Design: Minchai

Recorded in:
Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil
Tamandaré, Pernambuco, Brazil
Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
London, England
Cologne, Germany

Don't Know How To Change: a timeless house music masterpiece.

Since Julian Lindsey slid smoothly into the New York House scene back in 2014, he has become renowned for his sharp musical intuition, slick selections and a symbiotic relationship with the crowd. He takes the groove on the record and transmits it to the groove on the dancefloor.

Don't Know How To Change is Julian Lindsey’s debut EP, released on the Sound of Vast. The title track is smooth beyond belief, funky house keys and a laid back soulful vocal work with the bass to make your hips start to move, before a house backbeat takes you by the hand onto the dancefloor. At 3:15 mins, Julian Lindsey plays his ace card with a TB-303 acid tweak drenched with emotion. Just superb. The Subb-an Dubmix stays true to the original, claps and snares bring a dancefloor immediacy, the vocal line chopped to bring the funk. Ibiza will go wild for this Dubmix.

Miami Air starts with a Funktion-1-lovin’ deep velvet groove. Close your eyes and you can almost smell that dusky, warm Atlantic coast beach at sunset, driving with the roof down as the lights start to twinkle across Vice City and the bass drum beats through your fulcrum. A perfect companion for Don’t Know How To Change. Francesca Lombardo’s remix takes Miami Air from dusk to deep night, A mini Moog 4/4, rimshot claps and a vintage synth line guides you past midnight onto the dark, humid dancefloor where bodies writhe.

Julian Lindsey tells us more: The EP is really the story of my relationship with house music and a snapshot of where I was in my life when I made these tracks. I have an obsession with house music that is borderline unhealthy. The sound is rooted in 2010s house music, which is the era where my love for house music really developed.

東京 / アムステルダムを股にかけるレーベルSound Of Vast から、NYC拠点のアーティスト Julian LindseyによるデビューEPをリリース！

レイドバックしたグルーヴに物憂げなコードとスムースなヴォーカルが踊るレイトナイト・ダンサー"Don't Know How To Change"、現代的でクリスピーなタッチと虚飾を捨てた洗練が宿る"Miami Air”。新鋭と聞いて疑いたくもなる研ぎ澄まされた感覚からは、さながら10年代「Pampa」や「Smallville」作品のメランコリア、Galcher Lustwerkのロウなアウトサイダー・ハウス、あるいはRed Pig FlowerやThe MoleによるSound Of Vast 原典を思い出す。実際Julian Lindsey自身、この年代のディープ・ハウスへの熱狂からキャリアを始めているようだ。

A-2には Sound Of Vast への帰還を果たしたベルリンのベテラン Subb-anの、B-2にはUK拠点のFrancesca Lombardoによるリミックスを収録。ここ数年「X-Kalay」やThomas Melchiorの「My King Is Light」等からプログレッシヴな快作を飛ばすSubb-anがアクアティックに再構築した前者、期待以上のサイケデリックなテクスチャーで時間感覚を狂わせる後者。それぞれの卓越したサウンドメイクで昇華されたDJツールが出揃っており、いずれも現代ダンスフロアからの要請に真正面から応えてくれるはずだ。

本作はJulian Lindseyのバイオグラフィーの第1弾を飾るエヴァーグリーンなディープ・ハウス作品であると同時に、常にダンサーを見つめてきた Sound Of Vast から送り出された、信頼のおけるフロア・フレンドリーなEPでもある。

Text by DNG (CYK / Lighthouse Records)

Peach Discs celebrates peak western-hemisphere summer with the perfectly-timed-and-titled "Soft Serve Summer" EP from I. JORDAN. We were delighted when they sent us these tunes, which represent a brighter, housier and more personal side to their sound than many have seen before. Inspired by their recent tour of Australia, the EP (named after the title track that got the ball rolling on the other side of the planet) bottles a loose, sun-kissed feeling across all five tracks that's keen to be unleashed at festivals, beaches and dancefloors worldwide.

Opener "Your Love" boots things off in style, sitting somewhere between Power House and French Touch as layers of oscillating synths, percolating drums and vocal chops take turns in the spotlight – but when all's said and done it's the bassline that gets the flowers, duh.

Things turn a little more introspective on "Little Tinker", as the titular bells sprinkled throughout summon up something…else? Whatever you think that is, the muscular bassline once again keeps us grounded, as washes of dreamy synths lap at the shore and everything is in its right place, before the urgent organ stabs and diva moans of "Soft Serve Summer" pull us straight back to the middle of the floor.

FIG thief is an Amsterdam-based artist from Greece. This album refers to the healing process of opening up the self to diverse encounters. This diversity represents the transgression of the material and immaterial boundaries. Peonies are the healing flowers. Planting the peonies led this creation to bloom. It is a trip-hop album with pure hip-hop elements. It portrays the playfulness of making music and accepting transformations . Slam poetry, bars, and travelling melodies with punchy breaks. Art doesn't belong to the artist. It is a co-creation.

London groover Sam Shelly plays everything from new jack swing to boogie, disco to soul, jazz funk to soulful house, and much of that feeds into his work in the studio. After outings on the likes of Midnight Riot, he now features on Soul Service Sabrosura with a new 7" full of love, life and soul. 'Spirit Love' is a life-enriching funk and jazz fusion with positive messages in the celebratory vocals, drama in the horns and killer groove in the drums and bass. On the flip, 'The Latin Strut' is a much quicker funk workout with shades of 60s styles and the narrative flow of a cop chase. It's a brilliant flip side to complete a gorgeous 45.

Nearly a decade on from his last release, Andy Hart returns with three tracks for Axis of People’s fourth outing. Inspired by the friends who kept him close to the music through his time away, Life à l’Orange is a nod to the records that brought them together in the first place.

Hemisphere picks up where things left off; dubbed-out, driving, warm. Signal Flow and Serenity Now move into lusher, more uplifting territory, rich with the harmony and texture that define the sound. Fantastic Man closes things out with a remix of Serenity Now that takes the original somewhere looser and more hypnotic.
credits

Transparent Green Vinyl Repress

The Sound of Love International 008 curated by Ivan Smagghe.

The next chapter of Love International's compilation series with Test Pressing arrives through the lens of Ivan Smagghe. Guided by his long-standing mantra, “the style of no style,” the 12-track selection drifts effortlessly between shadow and light - a reflection of the festival as he knows it.

This is Smagghe’s version of Love International: unpolished in the right places, intuitive, and deeply attuned to the stranger corners of the Adriatic experience. The compilation captures the balance at the heart of the festival: connection, curiosity, and a shared rhythm that holds it all together. Slightly out of reach yet exactly where it should be.

One of the key architects of Gospel House Music, DJ Spen, gets set to release his brand new full-length artist album, ‘The Praise Party’ on Quantize Recordings. DJ Spen’s weekly Sunday ‘Praise Party’ live stream was born in the pandemic, when a heartfelt idea from his wife Kelly, “go live and bring hope to people”, grew into a global online family united by music, faith, and irresistible gospel house edits. Six years on, that community still gathers, and ‘The Praise Party’ album carries that legacy forward, continuing to bring hope and inspiration through music. A true labour of love, this album sees DJ Spen deliver fifteen uplifting songs where joyful voices rise together in spine-tingling harmony, and stunning solo performances flow over a musical feast of heart lifting, hand clapping and roof raising Gospel grooves.

A label compilation can be the first sign of a new cycle. After years shaped by individual trajectories, it brings the focus back to what made scenes powerful in the first place: shared language, mutual influence and a sense of collective movement.

For a label built on deep rhythm, organic textures and emotional drive, this carries an even stronger meaning. These musical spaces hold connection, memory and exchange at their core.
In this light, a compilation becomes more than a format: it becomes a statement of identity, a meeting point where different voices contribute to one evolving vision.
Following the previous chapters, “MoBlack presents: COLORS OF INDIA” marks the third instalment in the series. Built around hypnotic percussion, evocative vocals and textures inspired by Indian tradition, the collection moves between organic groove and club energy while maintaining a strong sense of atmosphere.

Rameff – “Ferena” opens the collection with rolling percussion and warm melodic details, establishing a hypnotic atmosphere that naturally sets the foundation for what follows. From there, Bull&Jems – “Asha” brings a brighter sense of movement, introducing expressive vocal textures and rhythmic lift while keeping the groove connected to the same organic pulse. The mood then becomes more immersive with Rameff – “Bondhu”, where repetition and subtle melodic shifts create a steady build in tension without breaking the flow of the journey. Closing the selection, Hefty (CA) – “Taka Dum” injects a more playful rhythmic energy, tying everything together through percussion-led movement and a vibrant late-night spirit.

With “COLORS OF INDIA”, MoBlack adds a new chapter to its compilation series, bringing together cultural references and club-driven energy through a shared rhythmic language. The result is a collection where tradition and contemporary interpretation meet naturally on the dancefloor.

A snapshot of UK tech house in its formative years, OLC002 finds Rob Pearson laying down the blueprint for a sound he’d continue to refine through Evasive Records. Released on Online Collective—the label arm of South London’s Online Studios—this EP captures a raw, forward-facing moment in underground dance music.

The title track Slipstream leads with intent: tight tech drums ride alongside a chopped breakbeat groove, underpinned by weighty sub bass and warped melodic textures. A fluid lead synth drives the track forward, locking into a hypnotic, evolving flow built for the dancefloor.

Vortex channels early Detroit techno through a South London lens—crisp edits, filtered drum machine rhythms, and a hypnotic vocal loop combine for a stripped, late-night roller with serious intent.

On Metaphor, Pearson taps into the spirit of early bleep and warehouse house, fusing it with late ‘90s tech house sensibilities—raw, swung, and deeply functional.

The Metaphor (Bonus Beats) rounds things off as a pure DJ tool, primed for layering and extended blends.

A sharp, authentic document of a pivotal era, Slipstream EP showcases Pearson’s early command of groove, texture, and dancefloor dynamics.

The master of ambient soundscapes, intertwining authentic old school breakbeats with his inimitable style returns with a fresh album of choice cuts for the Spatial crew. A1 - Form of Defraction Opening the LP in his gloriously unique style, Aural Imbalance sets the tone with a powerfully ambient intro of padwork and delicately filtered breaks before dense, analogue old school breakbeats roar to life sending the track skyward. The sublime 808 bassline simmers beneath an ever-evolving soundscape of twinkling melodies and strings, the very essence of serenity captured in just under 7 minutes of audio bliss. A2 - Discreet Function Enveloping the listener with a warm blanket of silky ambience, Discreet Function soon jolts to life with a crunchy breakbeat that counteracts yet compliments the pads and myriad of delicious micro melodies so well, you wonder how it’s possible to take such extremes and mix them down so expertly that our ears accept it as one. After a relatively brief breakdown the track rolls out before the breaks are snatched away at the death - capping off a quite unique composition. B1 - Softlight Light cymbals and delicate textures introduce us to Softlight, a track which sees Aural Imbalance guiding the listener through the clouds to a haven of gentle serenity where your troubles simply fade away, punctuated by a stunningly programmed and memorable Hot Pants break pattern, timid classic basslines and an overall plethora of sun-baked energy - perfect for the headphones and the record box - as always. B2 - Airwave Immensely old school vibes are immediately present in Airwave, with analogue breaks and succinct female vocal samples that mingle with echoing melodies and synthwork to create a beautifully flowing and unique slice of atmospheric gold. Additional breaks are fused into the mix as the track progresses, elevating the piece to the heights we have come to expect from Aural Imbalance, yet never cease to amaze. C1 - Speed of Light Gentle cymbals and filtered breaks open Speed of Light, before a crisp barrage of amen goodness descends and dominates proceedings - just as a good amen should! Programmed to perfection with an immensely danceable rolling pattern, the amens lead us through a sea of washing synths and delicate melodies, intertwining and frolicking in the mix, completing a charming and memorable piece. C2 - Fading Star Playful strings and a luscious 808 bassline play with sumptuous padwork in the intro to Fading Star, a track which sees Aural Imbalance capture the essence of 90’s jungle and it’s symbiotic relationship with atmospheric drum & bass perfectly. Developing throughout with an array of unassuming effects and a quietly moving vibe, Fading Star is the perfect addition to sets spanning the entire history of this music. D1 - Drifting Under Bright Skies Aural Imbalance resurrects the excellent break last featured on Spatial in his sublime track Surface Area, this time chopped and sliced to a different vibe, with kickdrums at the forefront and that fantastically crunchy snare deployed more sparingly. Shimmering padwork and light melodies dance across the mix throughout to leave us with a refreshingly unique and memorable track you won’t be able to get enough of. D2 - Violet Completing this fine LP of old school ambient breakbeat mastery, Aural Imbalance deploys Violet to see us out - a climactic-feeling romp that opens with quiet intent before launching the listener through cheery melodic tones and bustling soundscapes, sprinkled liberally with airy pads and fluttering micro melodies that zip and whoosh around thick analogue breakbeats. A fitting end to a thoroughly enjoyable album. Words by Chris Hayes (Spatial / Red Mist) credits

Sciahri and Sublunar are proud to welcome Spanish artist Vilchezz to the family. Known for his releases on labels such as KEY Vinyl and Vault Sessions, he makes his Sublunar debut with the powerful EP Deadlock, showcasing his unique ability to seamlessly blend contemporary sound design with timeless techno aesthetics. The release opens with the title track, "Deadlock", a highly groovy cut driven by sophisticated sound design and a compelling rhythmic flow. It is followed by "Ghost In The Code", where refined textures and carefully crafted elements create a hypnotic groove that remains effortlessly engaging. On the flip side, "Lamina" explores darker territory, delivering deep, shadowy atmospheres and a more intense energy. Closing the vinyl edition is "Room101", the deepest track of the EP, a versatile and timeless tool capable of creating memorable moments at any stage of a set. With Deadlock, Vilchezz demonstrates an impressive range of moods and sonic approaches, confirming himself as one of the most exciting and versatile artists emerging in today's techno landscape.

What changed between Av. General Roçadas and Junkeira? Seven years in people's lives — yet the team's commitment remains untouched, and the steady hand on the plumb line that keeps dance music (still) upright holds firm. Years of sustained research and field work from both producers, with their own records, mutually independent and independent too in how they brought them to life. Moreno Ácido has been navigating detours through a conceptual yet grounded underground — in sound and in format (two self-released cassettes since 2019) — while keeping one eye on the floor. His post pandemic reawakening carries a clear message: Call to Action is the label that in 2023 put the still-in-demand Trash/Treasure out on vinyl. Diogo keeps Discos Extendes as his shelter, gathering talent and retreating into it. At the same time, a disseminating vocation — that talent turned outward, on a mission to champion the different sensibilities that can converge in music made for dancing.

Junkeira is direct. It hides nothing in its intent, nor does it conceal the origin of its love, nor the way it exercises its fascination with the source. Geography can define movements, described and echoed countless times outside and then inside the net. The signifiers are known to all — it's a matter of applying them with respect and flow. Perhaps the craft in this production really does come down to love, when it comes to it. What is "WTF" if not a declaration of love — at the very least of closeness — to the sonic essence of the English rave? The piano stab, the breaks defining that hardcore state of mind, the string bed lifting feet off the floor. Closing out the EP, "Freak" gathers different emotions — eyes still shut, body in comedown while still moving. Chill. Everything rounded. Bassline, vibes, vocals woven into the rhythm.

Rewinding, the opening track "100 Planos" is a throwback to Roçadas (2019) — harder on the ground, with a 4/4 beat broken up by claps, a circular structure built for DJs, with mix-friendly entry and exit points. Then "Turbo Love" puts the keys in control, foregrounding them, letting a car alarm ring out and balance the beat — a reverential nod to UK Garage felt as raw material, already part of the lineage that has been the continuous evolution from Disco onwards: an evolution that traces a line and its branches, from which you can isolate any chronological point since at least 1977 and combine whatever elements form a personality. The spirit lives, as summer kicks in.

Broadcasting from the Portuguese interior, SARaMAGO returns to Carpet & Snares with four more cuts of deep and streamlined technoid house. ‘Flowing’ matches a jacking beat to addictive 90s organs and acidic accents, while the moody, metallic ‘Inner Peace’ evokes the classic UK techno of Stasis or Luke Slater. On the flip, the pulsing bassline and robot vocoders of ‘The Blackbox’ evoke Belgian body music, but housed in a contemporary groove. Saramago closes out the EP with the quirky electro-funk banger ‘Smile’, which is sure to raise exactly that on the dancefloor.

Vertice Di Convergenza explores the intersection between two rhythmicarchitectures. The sub-driven asymmetry of UK bass and dubstep blends thehypnotic cyclic motion of Dutch psy–IDM trance. Both share a focus on low-end design: basslines as structural anchors, kicks tuned to harmonic tension andpercussive spaces engineered for negative pressure. The result is a sonic plane where mechanical precision meets psychoacoustic flow.

MASK Records founder ZentaSkai joins forces with Berlin-based creative Laura Merino Allue under the name Cuddling Monsters, a project centered on analog processes and tactile sound design. Debuting in March 2024, the project explores Detroit-infused House, dub Techno, and minimal soundscapes shaped by raw texture and spatial depth. Working exclusively with analogue instruments, the duo prioritise warmth, imperfection, and presence over polish. Alongside her music work, Laura Merino Allue is also a graphic designer, bringing a strong visual identity to the project’s wider aesthetic.
‘Cuddling Monsters' is inspired by real-life experiences — the raw, imperfect, beautiful moments we move through. We believe in staying present, feeling everything deeply, and embracing the analog flow of the now. It’s about living the moment fully — and like a cuddle on the dancefloor, creating a space where sound holds you, warmth surrounds you, and even the wildest monsters feel safe enough to soften.’ -
Cuddling Monsters
The Cuddling Monsters ‘Vol. 3’ EP opens with ‘Bubble Bloom’, a melodic house track featuring warped, filtered synth tones that set a hazy foundation before a dub-leaning beat settles in. It’s layered with aquatic, bubbly textures and fragmented samples, adding warmth and movement. ‘Warm Waves’ shifts into a lighter, more atmospheric space, increasing the tempo slightly while maintaining a restrained, ethereal character. The B-side closes with ‘Secret Signal’, a long-form techno piece stretching over ten minutes, where evolving synth lines gradually merge with soft, dubby drums and analogue percussion, building steadily without excess before easing out.

Coming off the back of what could only be described as ‘THAT’ CBRK001 track, we are thrilled to welcome Lindsey Herbert back to circuit|breaker with our first full length artist EP. Lindsey presents four highly effective, stripped back weapons - displaying her artistry in style. ‘You and Me’ opens the A side, perfectly encapsulating the essence of Lindsey’s signature peak time sound. An unfolding journey, leading with a wonky, yet sinister synth on top of driving percussive elements. As we begin to explore the world of the A1, the track is elevated once more, with a homemade vocal cut, paired with some expertly engineered percussion, giving us a greater sense of depth and flow through call and response techniques. Up next is ‘Tunnel Vision’ - a minimalistic tool injected with a thumping low end, dense rhythms and metallic textures, exhibiting a unique atmospheric restraint
with the dance floor in mind. As the track progresses we are introduced to a murky bleep sequence, keeping the track grounded for those deeper moments on the floor.

The B side launches into ‘Fluctuations’, once again presenting us with a classic peak time slammer. Carrying the track, a huge funky swinging hook, enticing the listener into its trance, feeling like it will never let you go. Amongst its energy, there is a sensation of playfulness that will invite the listener into its groove and functionality. We cap off the release with ‘Fragments of Light’ - a stripped back, potent cut, indulging into a more textural approach and allowing the track to breathe through subtle atmosphere, moments of low end resonance and percussive exchange. A detroit-esque dub hitgives the track a soulful offering and reminds us of the nucleus of techno.

LTDBLBL024 welcomes Juando, a Venezuelan-born, Miamibased producer whose sound sits within the evolving space of jazz-inflected house. Fresh off Wind Flow, he returns with a new six-track EP rooted in deep house—raw, groove-driven, and more understated in its approach. Blending analogue warmth with electronic precision, the release leans into what he describes as zen jazz house: stripped-back yet rich in detail, balancing movement and space in equal measure. Set for July, LTDBLBL024 is a fluid and introspective collection, built for both the floor and the quieter moments in between.

Nectax returns to Up Ya Archives with a single that throws three of the most physically demanding genres in club music into the same crucible. Juke’s stuttering vocal chops collide with footwork’s 160bpm grid-locked percussion and jungle’s time-stretched breaks. When asked on his process behind ‘Schematics’, Nectax said:

“I really like how Schematics turned out, it sounds like it was done on an old MPC but in truth was just trusty FL 11. Re-chopping all the breaks into triplets was a meticulous quest, but it’s given the track quite a unique flow & pacing.”

One of modern jungle’s most in-demand producers, Nectax has built a reputation for releases that treat adjacent genres as raw material rather than reference points - as featured on the upcoming EP.

Nectax on the EP:

“Newcastle Juke Party EP taps into the synergy between Chicago Footwork & UK Jungle, two styles I personally love & feel don’t get enough credit for how well they compliment each other.”

Recent output on Over/Shadow, play:musik and Future Retro has cemented him as a key figure in the current wave of UK club music pushing junglism forward.

Never Sleep charity tape series ends up in Thornton Heath, London for the grimiest of bedroom work outs.

Early Fruity Loops philosopher Plasticman aka Plastician teams up with fellow trailblazers DJ Suicide & N Double A crew for a prompt internet radio set of prototype Grime. Rugged, raw and filled with the occasional KAOS Pad trigger / gunfinger FX; the devilish miscreants bring the lyrical vehemence.

Broadcasting from his parents place and utilising early productions Plasticman keeps the fibre optical momentum burning with early production, laser precision polyphonic instrumentals and quantified eski.

N Double A crew have so many quotables but its a "pass the mic" affair as limited equipment fort his bedroom bedlam. L Man spits certified gold on demand whilst Narstie echoes his signature cadence, Typah goes in hard with the colder than waiting in a queue outside Plastic People flow and Uzi destroys the stream with typical flair.

A landmark moment in innovation, internet radio was a key player in the growth of Grime and Dubstep. Helping build profile, connections and galvanize the online community.

Featuring rare- and first-on-vinyl tracks from beloved producers such as 2000 And One, Stasis, and CiM. Remastered by DMX Krew and with an accompanying online essay by Oli Warwick.

Across eight carefully selected slices of starry-eyed machine soul, Cold Blow presents an exquisite tour through backroom techno and downtempo electro. With a focus on thematic flow and an immersive listening experience, the London-based label explores works from leading lights of the 1990s and previously unreleased cuts that celebrate the human heart that can be discovered in synthetic sound practices. The development of techno in the 1990s saw the music evolve in different directions across the world. From the expressive blueprint laid out by the Detroit pioneers, a wide range of tempos and energies emerged. Techno's evocative synthesis and intricate drum machine programming was especially potent for deeper explorations away from the dancefloor. Documents Of A Different Reality casts back to when technology was steering quantum leaps in communication and creativity and the future was shot through with naive optimism. It was also a time when the media and industry hadn't caught up with the music to box it into distinct categories. As such, there's a sense of creative freedom that informs the older tracks on the album, from 2000 And One and Sandy Huner's sparkling example of early Dutch techno to London-based LA Synthesis' detailed take on braindance and the majestic night sky vision of cult legend Stasis. There's also space for rare, late 90s machine funk from Icelandic outlier Thor alongside Connective Zone's charmingly fractured bleep dream and a more contemporary offering from Barcelona-based duo Permutation. Meanwhile Mind Control and CiM both capture the spirit of stylistic fusion with twitchier rhythms that take influence from hardcore and jungle as much as techno. With an atmospheric through-line of melancholic pads and harmonious leads, this small but perfectly formed collection naturally follows on from previous, equally thought-out compilations on Cold Blow, and adds a distinct perspective on the history and continuing legacy of pioneering early ambient techno.

The incredible story that began with The Most Mysterious Song on the Internet (TMMS) now enters an exciting new chapter: Skyscraper, the debut album by FEX.

Skyscraper features ten original tracks recorded in the early to mid-1980s-carefully re-transferred, remastered, and brought back to life. The album cover, designed by Darius S., brings the story full circle. Darius is the very person who preserved the now-iconic track Subways of Your Mind by recording it from NDR radio in the mid-80s. Without him, FEX may never have been discovered.

FEX's debut opens with its namesake, Skyscraper-a brooding, previously unreleased track the band once described as part of their "psychedelic phase." With haunting synth-helicopter textures and deep guitar riffs, it immediately sets the tone and raises tension.

The release flows naturally into the energetic and fully remastered studio version of Subways of Your Mind. This version of the TMMS - re-discovered on the "yellow label tape" by Reddit user Marijn-was long believed to be from a smaller home studio, but was actually recorded in November 1984 at Hawkeye Studios in Ganderkesee, near Hamburg.

Goldrush, first teased in raw form on FEX's YouTube channel, bends toward mechanical rhythm and shimmering synths, a snapshot of the band's experiments with programmed drum machine sound. Rückwardt's lyrics point to greed and criticizes materialism, and while the music leans toward pop sensibilities, it carries a raw, fractured edge.

Heart in Danger and I've Got My Eyes On You offer contrasting experiences-one rooted in classic post-punk tension, the other floating in melodic synth layers. The latter in particular feels like a fragment from a parallel radio history: a precise and one of a kind synth pop love song with a progressive touch.

From a rehearsal tape comes Dirty Slapstick, its urgency intact. Missing keyboard parts were later reconstructed by Michael Hädrich using his original DX7 synthesizer-recovering lost elements without rewriting the past. The lyrics take a wry look at forced optimism. Also included are the songs Talking Hands, Jenny and Strange Feeling, the latter being a slower blues-tinged cut, revealing yet another facet of the band's reach and Rückwardt's songwriting diversity.

The album closes where the legend began-with the original radio recording of Subways of Your Mind from Darius' cassette. This version of The Most Mysterious Song features alternate vocal effects, contributing to the track's enigmatic aura. Digitally transferred using a high-end Revox machine and carefully remastered, it now has its long-deserved official release.

The cover features a photo of the Eichenberg Bunker in Kiel-one of FEX's original rehearsal spaces and a symbolic monument to their sonic legacy.

b A2 Let's Try = Let's Try!; Written-By Original Score Written By – Koji Kondo
[c] A3 お花畑にて = In The Flower Garden; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo

[e] A5 対クッパ戦 = Battling Bowser; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo

[g] A7 Super Pipe House = Super Mario House; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo








[p] B7 ごきげんスター = Irrepressible Star; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo









[z] C5 ねぇねぇジーノごっこしようよ = Play "Save The World" With Me!; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo



[xd] D1 土管からコンニチハ = Greetings From The Pipes; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo






[xk] E1 Long Long Ago… = Long, Long Ago...; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo
[xl] E2 ちょっとドキドキ = A Little Anxious; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo







[xt] F2 対 クリスタラー戦 = Battling Culex; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Nobuo Uematsu
[xu] F3 クリスタラー戦での勝利 = Victory Over Culex; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Nobuo Uematsu
[xv] F4 クリスタラーの会話 = Conversation With Culex; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Nobuo Uematsu





[yb] G5 オノレンジャー参上 = The Axem Rangers Bust In; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo
[yc] G6 クッパ城（其ノ弐） = Bowser's Keep (Second Visit); Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo





[yi] H5 お・し・ま・い・! = The End!; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo


[b] A2 Let's Try = Let's Try!; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo
[c] A3 お花畑にて = In The Flower Garden; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo

[e] A5 対クッパ戦 = Battling Bowser; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo

[g] A7 Super Pipe House = Super Mario House; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo








[p] B7 ごきげんスター = Irrepressible Star; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo









[z] C5 ねぇねぇジーノごっこしようよ = Play "Save The World" With Me!; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo



[xd] D1 土管からコンニチハ = Greetings From The Pipes; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo






[xk] E1 Long Long Ago… = Long, Long Ago...; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo
[xl] E2 ちょっとドキドキ = A Little Anxious; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo







[xt] F2 対 クリスタラー戦 = Battling Culex; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Nobuo Uematsu
[xu] F3 クリスタラー戦での勝利 = Victory Over Culex; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Nobuo Uematsu
[xv] F4 クリスタラーの会話 = Conversation With Culex; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Nobuo Uematsu





[yb] G5 オノレンジャー参上 = The Axem Rangers Bust In; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo
[yc] G6 クッパ城（其ノ弐） = Bowser's Keep (Second Visit); Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo





[yi] H5 お・し・ま・い・! = The End!; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo


[b] A2 | Let's Try = Let's Try!; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo
[c] A3 | お花畑にて = In The Flower Garden; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo

[e] A5 | 対クッパ戦 = Battling Bowser; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo

[g] A7 | Super Pipe House = Super Mario House; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo








[p] B7 | ごきげんスター = Irrepressible Star; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo









[z] C5 | ねぇねぇジーノごっこしようよ = Play "Save The World" With Me!; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo



[xd] D1 | 土管からコンニチハ = Greetings From The Pipes; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo






[xk] E1 | Long Long Ago… = Long, Long Ago ..; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo
[xl] E2 | ちょっとドキドキ = A Little Anxious; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo







[xt] F2 | 対 クリスタラー戦 = Battling Culex; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Nobuo Uematsu
[xu] F3 | クリスタラー戦での勝利 = Victory Over Culex; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Nobuo Uematsu
[xv] F4 | クリスタラーの会話 = Conversation With Culex; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Nobuo Uematsu





[yb] G5 | オノレンジャー参上 = The Axem Rangers Bust In; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo
[yc] G6 | クッパ城（其ノ弐） = Bowser's Keep (Second Visit); Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo





[yi] H5 | お・し・ま・い・! = The End!; Written-By [Original Score Written By] – Koji Kondo

New 4-track Ep From Austin, Texas Analogue Hardware Enthusiast Bill Converse. Immersed In The Early Days Of The 90s Midwest Rave Scene, Bill Began Djing At A Young Age In Lansing, Michigan. Luminaries Such As Claude Young, Traxx, And Derrick May Were Key Early Influences. Techno, Noise, Ambient And Tape Processing Are All Part Of His Uncanny Sound Palette. His Debut Album 'meditations/industry' Was Released On Cassette In 2013 And Edited For A Vinyl Release On Dark Entries In 2016 Followed By Two 12' Singles 'warehouse Invocation' And '7 Of 9' The Same Year. In 2017 Converse Released His Second Album 'the Shape Of Things To Come' Followed By The Double Ep 'salt Of Mars'.

'hulled' Is A 25 Minute Journey Spread Across 4 Tracks Of Glacial Abandon. All Tracks Were Recorded Directly To Tape With No Overdubs, Made At Converse's Home Studio. Bill Says These Tracks Represent 'ocean Waves In Stormy Conditions, Dark Grey Blue Water, Or More Generally Speaking Something Ominous And Beautiful.' The Songs On This Album Reveal A Sublime Influence From Detroit Techno, Idm, And Acid. Built Around Vintage Synthesizer Lines And Gritty Drum Machine Percussion, The Tracks Ebb And Flow Like The Effect Of Sun Shimmering On Water, Woozy, Gauzy And Ephemeral. All Songs Were Mastered For Vinyl By George Horn At Fantasy Studios In Berkeley.

Each Ep Is Housed In A Die-cute Jacket Designed By Eloise Leigh With Peachy Pink Patterns Landing On An Alien Water Planet And Seeing Mysterious Playing Forms Under The Turquoise Water. Each Copy Includes A Postcard Featuring Photo Of Bill With Notes.

Cat.no.: De 222
Format: Ep

Tracklisting

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.

Anthoney J Hart continues to leave an indelible impression on the underground with his latest album as Basic Rhythm, returning to Sneaker Social Club after a string of incendiary EPs to deliver his definitive statement on 8 Bar Techno. The clue's in the name — a deadly fusion of grime sonics strapped to the pummelling locomotion of peak-time techno.

Hart's roots in pirate radio reach back to the 90s, forming a bedrock of uncompromising attitude that has permeated his work ever since. Between his work as Basic Rhythm, East Man and Imaginary Forces he's split the difference between incisive UK club sounds and experimental intention, applying artistic thinking to the physical impulses of grime, techno, D&B, drill and more. It's no wonder his work has been held aloft by labels as respected as Planet Mu, Metalheadz, Future Retro and The Trilogy Tapes.

On 8 Bar Grime Hart stretches out with a potent statement on his vision for club music in 2026. The thrust of the title track's opening 4/4 stomp is quickly interrupted by a none-grimier gun lock and load — an unambiguous thesis for the direction the album is heading in. The pressure stays high for the duration, barrelling through the distorted kicks and rabid wobble breakdowns of 'Weed Killer' before bringing the flawless flow of NyNy into the mix for half step sheller 'Vibez'. Elsewhere Lyrical Strally brings savage bars to 'Clutch' and Eklipse takes it deep and moody on 'Who, You'

In between the vocal spots, Hart maintains the flexibility to bend between styles with poise, edging a touch of UK funky's staggered groove to 'Teutonic' and wreaking havoc with a Drexcyian sound palette on 'More Pricks Than Kicks'. 12 tracks deep and without a moment of respite among them, the first Basic Rhythm album in five years finds Hart operating a peak strength, firing off neck-snapping payloads of ferociously infectious club gear for the more advanced kind of dance.

BAILE & Nuage land on Shall Not Fade with their ‘Back 2 Earth’ EP

Four deeeep timeless tracks on this 12 inch. Sleek, progressive, acidy house & trancey ethereal breaks ‘Back 2 Earth’ is full of that headsy 90’s energy à la Underworld and Orbital…..we’ve been getting very lost in these ones!

Written remotely between Brooklyn, New York (BAILE) and Yerevan, Armenia (Nuage) both producers are more than a decade deep in their craft and it shows. They say “this all began with Nuage sending over a few short demos. BAILE took those pieces and constructed them into more fleshed out tracks, after which the two passed the songs back and forth slowly filling in the blanks.” …and that's the key here - no rush, no agenda just the realest takes expertly hewn.


Same Beat on the A1 is just that.. breakbeats, spoken word vocal chops and repetitive synth lines, but less is more. The percussion, bassline and programming do the work. Sometimes it's more about what you leave out than what you put in.

On ‘TSP’ you Nuage’s signature metallic synths. It’s a definite eyes closed/hands in the air weapon. Hypnotic flow building and ratcheting up the energy.

Flip over to title track’ Back 2 Earth’ and we get a trancey, garage and house blend. Sleek synths & arpeggios and minimal chops that seem to whisper ‘heaven…earth’.. BAILE utilized the Prophet Rev2 for pads and synths and a Moog Little Phatty and Minitaur for the bass but we want to know can a breakbeat soothe?

'Catch Yourself' closes out the EP.. More breaks and arpeggios but this time with an acid lead from the TB-03, grungy bass and warm gated synths underneath. Sample spotters you aren’t scoring any points here, the “I know that sample” vocal here come from Felicia Douglass (a frequent collaborator of BAILE’s who is in The Dirty Projectors and Ava Luna) and makes double the point that this EP is one of those ones that even on first listen you already know it. ‘Back 2 Earth’ has been on the SNF schedule for a minute so big up BAILE & Nuage for the patience but what that extra private time has meant, is that we can say with certainty that this EP keeps sounding better & better & better..

Savor Music celebrates a landmark 15 years in the scene with a three-part compilation series. This first installment sets the tone, bringing together a powerhouse selection of artists that define the label’s sophisticated, groove-oriented sound.

Side A opens with a major debut on A1, as Christopher Ledger unveils his new alter ego, The Nolan Protocol. This track serves as a masterclass in production, delivering a fluid, terrace-ready flow that is perfectly tailored for those golden sun-drenched moments on the dancefloor. Following this, A2 showcases the refined artistry of Colombian producer Donnie Cosmo, who brings his signature classy, swinging vibes to the record. His contribution is characterized by a lush, infectious energy that keeps the groove effortlessly sophisticated.

Side B shifts into deeper territory, starting on B1 with minimal royalty Priku. True to his reputation as a hypnotic master, he delivers a driving number that showcases the technical precision and steady momentum for which he is renowned. Finally, B2 rounds out the EP with a hauntingly beautiful piece from Emu. Combining the creative perspectives of his Venezuelan roots and Belgian base, Emu weaves together melancholic electro vibes to close out this first chapter with profound atmosphere and emotional depth.

Moscow's newly emerging Noots makes debuts with an EP that dissolves genre boundaries. Ambient washes, deep house grooves, jungle echoes and experimental textures coexist in a fluid internal architecture. Field recordings, from the daily hum of Moscow's Preobrazhenskaya Ploshchad metro to a friend's impromptu garage session, weave seamlessly into the music to ground his often abstract compositions in the real world. There is beauty in the green synths of 'Sudden Shift' and a blurry psychedelic edge to the ambient pads of 'Flowing Harmony' while a standout Nookie remix takes things into silky d&b territory.

Label text:

"Conrad Pack returns to SELN Recordings with a three track EP threading the needle between London sonics and
something beyond.

The primary tracks Praise and Guidance were recorded during the height of the Scram events organised by
Leeway (Guy Gormley), and hosted by the late soundsystem luminary Julian Fairshare at Ormside Projects. The
influence of this period, and in particular of Fairshare himself, on the music is clear; both are stepper-esq, leaning
heavily on London’s musical legacy past and present, whilst still pushing a contemporary sound.

Praise is essentially a Dub track. The percussion and bass are of a familiar steppers nature, with the synths
evoking a true Big Smoke feeling. Although the melody itself wouldn’t sound out of place in a UK Drill number, the
song overall still touches on Industrial and DIY sonics, being all the stronger for doing so.

Guidance follows in solid form. Amongst the driving percussion and staunch bassline, droning pads lock in a dense
mood whilst sparse choral melodies echo throughout. Think Shaka meets Muslimgauze, but recorded in a
Woolwich Office Block.

Grotto was originally produced for the group show “The Grotto” held in January 2021 at Ridley Road Project Space.
Restructuring the track from the original stems, Pack presents a new and enchanted “stereo version” for Praise EP.
Angelic atmospheres flow amongst scattered hi-hats as sporadic Freetekno Kicks reverberate across the void.
Most accurately described as “what Curley in a K Hole might have sounded like”. "

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.

Dolomea’s debut EP emerges from sketches developed through live sessions and studio takes. Four tracks shaped from fragmented voice recordings, shifting rhythmic structures and deep, submerged bass lines. A warm, hypnotic A side dissolving into more introspective and abstract forms on the B side. Mastered and cut by scape mastering.

After finding their feet with a couple of remixes for Before I Die, Talking Drums ditch their sea legs and swap the pirate booty of their cult edit series for a five-track EP of original productions, each swimming in LinnDrums, digital chimes and synth-vox sunshine. Summer sounds abound as the crew refract house, disco, ambient and dub through shimmering sea glass, bringing the beach to the bar, club, garden or grotto.

Inspired equally by tropical Sceneries (but Not Songs), Ecco the Dolphin and Echoes of Wally, as well as a few tall tales about trendy whales, this 16-bit caper makes a splash from wave top to bikini bottom. Written and produced as a cohesive EP over three sun-baked weeks in 2025, and stitched together with field recordings and found sounds from Sicily, rural France, Japan and Singapore, Pier Pressure sees each track flow into the next: distinct seas that make up one larger ocean.

Opener ‘Fashionable Whale’ surfaces with mystic motifs and dreamy pads arcing above the spray before a purring low end and drum-box shuffle plunge us into Balearic house depths. A rippling breakdown, bookended by insistent arps, provides respite from the rhythm before the low-tempo pulse returns to take us home. Sticking with Zone 2 cardio, ‘Salmon Hats’ serves wonky disco at Valium pace, its beatific vox and glittering sequences underpinned by a hip-swivelling bassline and topped with a future-primitive melody. After drifting into dream house for a sunset lull, it’s back to the beat and the enduring question of how best to dance on a lilo.

‘Mangrove’ offers an intertidal intermission as tuned percussion finds a place among the cicadas and lapping waves, gently unfolding into an RPGambient ode to humid languor. Refreshed, albeit ailed by a sunstroke haze, we’re back on the dance floor with the optimistic motifs and jolly polyrhythms of ‘Flutti Di Mare’, an uptempo, Afro-adjacent house workout designed to inspire mile-wide smiles. Then the EP sails off into the sunset with the fathoms-deep delight of ‘Squid Dub’, a Cousteau-coded cod-reggae stepper with digi-dub bass, pound-shop marimba and all manner of THCtinged FX. Don’t be deceived by the loose and limber opening: a solid sequencer emerging at the midpoint sees the Squid squeeze every bit of bump out of the finale.

Forget ATOL protection - Talking Drums deliver your summer holiday directly to your stereo.

Originally released in 2005 and now repressed due to high demand, Da Sunlounge's ‘1972' EP remains an underground classic 20 years later. The tracks continue to appear in deep house and tech house DJ charts and influential sets around the world to this day.

The track ‘1972' features a tightly crafted groove that blends tech house elements with a gritty, bumping house sound, enhanced by sampled jazz elements.

‘Elvis' is a playful, bass-driven deep house track that flows smoothly with rich chords and spoken word samples.

'Whore House' is a club-ready banger built around cheeky spoken word samples, gritty hooks, and a funky, bumping bassline!

2026 Repress

Samurai Music heralds a new seam of spacious, rhythmically curious exploration with the launch of the Saibai sub label, opened in mesmerising fashion by Brendon Moeller.

The overarching premise of Saibai is to nurture a more delicate, meditative inversion of Samurai's physical, dense sound, leaning less on the dynamics of the dancefloor while holding true to the intricate drum play and dubby principles that bind the label's sound together.

In this open-eared, inquisitive environment, Moeller is the perfect fit as an artist with decades of diverse offerings across all kinds of dubwise manifestations. On SAIBAI1, the US-based, South Africa-born producer stretches out with a live-sounding drum palette and exquisitely rendered synth work loaded with detail, character and organic flourishes. It's a light-footed approach with plenty of air flowing through the mix, but there's considerable weight in every notch of the production, not least the imposing channels of sub bass coursing beneath the frequency range.

SAIBAI1 is a feast for the senses, wholly immediate and front-loaded with fascination, setting the perfect tone for Saibai as a platform for charming, immersive electronics that take a fresh diversion from the fundamental core of Samurai's sharply defined sonic focus.

Vinyl Only!

Tenampa kicks off 2026 with a release from one of the most respected minds in electronic music, equally renowned for his work as an audio engineer and producer. Known under several aliases including Freestyle Man or Sasse, Klas Lindblad uses the latter for this special outing on the Mexican imprint.

Under his Sasse moniker, Lindblad delivers a refined selection of dubby house cuts, infused with warm, spring/summer energy.Effortlessly groovy with a subtle, hypnotic flow, this is music designed for the dancefloor yet built to stand the test of time, showcasing the depth and sonic excellence that define his work.

This release is strictly limited to 300 copies worldwide and available exclusively on vinyl, reinforcing its status as a true collector's item.

The artwork comes once again from the always outstanding Manuel Cetina, aka El_Stitch, whose visual approach adds an extra layer of character and value to this timeless release, earning it a well-deserved place in any serious record collection.

Art-work by renowned Mexican artist: Manuel Cetina aka el_stitch's.

An introspective journey led to the recovery of five tracks that form Unearthed Forms: The new 12” EP by Gent1e $oul & Finally Julius on Fast Castle. Focused on rhythm, texture, and low-end pressure, the record is built around contrasts between organic movement, sharp percussive design, and fluid, broken rhythmic sections.

The A-side opens with Pantanal, a slow-building, humid groove driven by deep sub pressure and layered percussion. Obsidian Arrows introduces a tighter, more direct energy, a modern fast-paced dub stepper with future-facing sound design. Spore Inscription shifts into more evolving patterns, where rhythmic elements gradually reorganise and reconfigure over time.

On the B-side, Where liquid forgets to flow breaks away from steady structure, moving into unstable, shifting rhythm work and loose timing. The closing track Bloom Archive brings things back into a warmer, more open space, with smoother textures and a slower, more continuous flow that feels reflective rather than resolved.

Across five tracks, the EP moves between dub-weighted bass systems, broken beat influence, and techno-focused arrangement — keeping a strong focus on physical low-end and detailed percussion throughout.

araviglia, the sixth album by Italian percussionist and producer Gabriele Poso, celebrates collective musicianship through a vibrant, groove-driven sound. Inspired by late 70s Italian disco and global rhythms, the record blends Mediterranean warmth, Afro Caribbean percussion and jazz sensibility, with one foot firmly on the dancefloor. Recorded live to tape in an analog studio in southern Italy, with heavy percussion, Rhodes, Hammond and a full brass section, the album delivers an organic, joyful sound built for both deep listening and global dance floors.

araviglia, the sixth album by Italian percussionist and producer Gabriele Poso, celebrates collective musicianship through a vibrant, groove-driven sound. Inspired by late 70s Italian disco and global rhythms, the record blends Mediterranean warmth, Afro Caribbean percussion and jazz sensibility, with one foot firmly on the dancefloor. Recorded live to tape in an analog studio in southern Italy, with heavy percussion, Rhodes, Hammond and a full brass section, the album delivers an organic, joyful sound built for both deep listening and global dance floors.

Tadan’s area127 returns with Sun & Moon, a two-sided exploration of modern psychedelia and exquisite sound design — balancing sprawling daylight hypnosis with nocturnal pull.

The LP’s “Sun” side reflects an uplifting current. Kaspiann’s “Lilja” deploys deep techno finesse, flowing through contours of luminous synth progressions and forest-dwelling resonance. A resurfaced 1996 cut, Deviant Electronics’ “Radio Silence” emerges from the Goa continuum — progressive chord sequences, sci-fi atmospherics, and euphoric momentum recalibrated for contemporary dancefloors.

The “Moon” side turns inward and nocturnal. Whrikk’s “Specter” drifts amid ghostly psychedelia, pairing dreamlike synth work with evolving arrangement pressure and submerged low-end movement. On “Seijaku”, Solarythm distills ritualistic hypnosis and rolling bassline into a fluid story — a forward-facing statement from the blooming wave of trance.

TRANSMISSIONS #1 connects four distinct Skylax signals into a single flow. Each track comes from a precise moment, a specific context, and a clear dancefloor function. Together, they form a transmission built on movement, use and continuity. A1. F.T.G – Tribute ’89 (Fuckthegovernment #001 Mix) is a raw drum-machine workout positioned between dark Chicago house and late-’89 European techno. Stripped, direct and uncompromising, Tribute ’89 quickly became an underground staple, heavily played by Ricardo Villalobos and Raresh — a foundational Skylax signal. A2. Nick Beringer – 57th Corner, taken from Second Floor (Wax Classic, 2016), is a tech-leaning deep house cut marked by restraint, precision and late-night tension, capturing Beringer at a pivotal point in his long-standing relationship with Skylax. B1. Floorfillers – Love Is Growing delivers a powerful house-disco statement rooted in old-school foundations, where filtered disco loops, raw drum programming and uplifting swing echo the lineage of DJ Sneak, Paul Johnson, early Roulé / Crydamoure-era French touch and classic Chicago jack — a modern floor-driver with timeless intent. B2. Nicolas Aftalion – Rue des Wallons brings deep, soulful house with a strong Kerri Chandler influence; warm chords, chunky drums and emotional weight firmly grounded in early ’90s US garage tradition. Supported by Cinthie, it closes the transmission with groove, balance and purpose. TRANSMISSIONS #1 — built to move, built to last, signals in motion. Four tracks. Four signals. Still moving.

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.

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.

Precisely one year after Lézire, Crush of Souls is back with his third full-length album.

The musical endeavour of Charles Rowell – active in the indie/punk global scene since 2008 with bands like Crocodiles, Flowers of Evil, Issue – is just like its creator: always cooking up something. Relentlessly.

Now, as it was perceivable by the trajectory undertaken by after his previous LP, Captive Youth leaves goth rock and dark folk aside and head swiftly towards some old school 80’s EBM & 90’s Industrial dance vibe. After all, any album exploring themes of dystopia, politics and sexuality requires a strong rhythm. So how could this new chapter not mention seminal synth-pop and body music classics such as Technique by New Order, Belief by Nitzer Ebb, Towards Thee Infinite Beat by Psychic TV and Pressure Points by Anne Clark?

Forever a displaced soul, Charles’ album number three feels like a revision of Crush Of Souls and also a reanimation of his captive youth spent moving from town to town. The energy of the wandering worker poet. Warehouse basslines, artillery fire backbeats. Romance and melancholy wrapped in barbed wire. All this and more oozes from nine new tracks that inevitably deliver that blurry sexy urban vibe that’s become the project’s trademark.
Features collabo hit single Domination with Sade Sanchez from L.A. Witch.

Following the celebrated reissue of Classics Vol. 1, Metroplex unveils Model 500 - Classics Vol. 2, a powerful new collection of essential works from Juan Atkins--pioneer of Techno and architect of some of the most forward-thinking electronic music ever recorded. Bringing together key cuts, rare mixes, and long-sought favorites from across Atkins' groundbreaking output, this compilation highlights the full spectrum of his sonic universe: deep, rolling machine funk, shimmering electro-techno hybrids, and timeless futurist grooves that helped shape generations of electronic artists. Each track has been carefully remastered to enhance its original energy while preserving the raw spirit and space that define the Model 500 sound. From expansive, atmospheric journeys to soulful vocal transmissions and Detroit-powered rhythmic science, Classics Vol. 2 presents Juan Atkins at his most inspired--an essential document of a visionary whose influence continues to echo across dancefloors worldwide. Three decades on, these tracks have lost none of their immediacy, imagination, or futuristic pull. Restored for a new era, Classics Vol. 2 celebrates the legacy of Model 500 with pristine sound and renewed force. Pure Detroit heritage. Eternal future music.

LATCh Records returns with a refined and forward-thinking release, welcoming Vlad Arapasu for a record that captures the depth and versatility of his sound. Moving between techno, house, and minimal, Vlad shapes a collection of tracks driven by groove, detail, and atmosphere—equally suited for the dancefloor and deeper listening.

Malin Genie delivers a dub remix, reworking the original into a more spacious and hypnotic journey, where subtle textures and flow take the lead.

The release is completed with abstract artwork by Adrian Calin, echoing the layered and open-ended nature of the music.

Supported by Rhadoo

Factory Floor return to Phantasy with ‘Buzz Saw’, a driving new single that once more re-establishes the trio of Nik Colk Void, Gabe Gurnsey and Joe Ward as amongst the most vital forces in live electronic music.

Following on from 2025’s sold-out vinyl singles ‘Between You’ and ‘Tell Me’, the spacious groove of ‘Buzz Saw’ bridges the sharp, bracing synthesis of the band’s origins in London’s post-industrial warehouse scene. Once again mixed by legendary engineer David Wrench (Daniel Avery, Floating Points), it captures the band’s most dancefloor-forward instincts, recently rejuvenated via appearances at Berghain, festivals such as No Bounds and Simple Things, plus a headlining UK tour.

As before, Gurnsey’s peerless drum work - tracked in the studio by Stephen Morris of New Order - proves forceful and delicate in tandem with Ward’s percussion, encountering suspenseful breakdowns in the space between Voids enveloping basslines. In dreamlike accompaniment, Colk Void’s own voice drifts serenely upwards, itself slowly consumed and obscured into the band’s full-bodied electronic rush, which is also available here as a more minimal, no-less powerful dub version.

In sonic contrast, ‘Guitar_1342’ finds the band experimenting in their starkest terms, stripped back of their luminescent flow and boldly reduced to an abrasive, dissonant guitar feedback.

Factory Floor’s ‘Buzz Saw’ will be released via Phantasy on 29th May 2025, available as a limited-edition vinyl pressing in a risoprint sleeve, as well as digitally.

Daybreakers welcome back Chicago’s Vick Lavender for Essential Traxx Vol. 3, continuing a run of records that tap straight into the deeper end of his sound. A producer, musician and DJ with decades behind him, Vick has always moved in that space where house, jazz and soul naturally meet. It’s music with patience, feeling, and that unmistakable Chicago touch.

On the A side, Atmosphere brings things firmly onto the dancefloor. Rolling drums, deep bass and a groove that locks in and moves with purpose. Proper club-ready deep house that does exactly what it needs to do.

Flip it for There It Is featuring DMillz, and the journey goes deeper. Lush chords, soulful touches and that signature Vick Lavender flow unfolding over time. One for the heads who like to let the record tell a story.

Essential Traxx Vol. 3 keeps the story moving. Real house music from the source.

Deeper than deep house.

Buy or cry.

For the sixth release on their imprint, Voodoos and Taboos deliver “Other Land”, a 4-track EP showcasing their signature blend of diverse sonic landscapes. The record flows seamlessly through 90s-inspired Progressive House, sharp Electro, atmospheric Breakbeat, and clinical Minimal-Techno, balancing driving peak-time energy with deep, futuristic textures. A versatile 12″ designed to bridge the gap between different club aesthetics with high-fidelity precision.

Slacker continues to deliver the unexpected with ‘Norari Kurari’, a collaboration between St. Petersburg-based former video game soundtrack producer Cable Toy and Japanese rap innovator ONJUICY. Unusual in concept, but flawless in club execution, their link-up connects two Slackers across continents and cultures, turning in an ultra-modern interpretation of hip-house that’s guaranteed to leave dancers spinning on their heads.

‘Norari Kurari’ draws on ONJUICY’s playful, positive and fully Japanese flow, easily locking into Cable Toy’s deep basslines and skipping rhythms, where his determined bars bounce alongside timeless M1 organ sounds.

Stripping things way back, the ‘Warehouse Version’ inverts the US garage warmth found on the flip: rhythm takes control of the rhyme, as CT knocks the dust off his vintage drum machines, even finding room for some pleasurably paranoid bleeps and sweeps.

LIP017 welcomes Bochum-based artist Aleeks to Life In Patterns. Despite being born in the early 2000s, he is deeply inspired by the sound of that era, channeling its essence into a forward-thinking take on modern techno. He has already made a name for himself with releases on ARTS, Oktogon, and Rave Your Soul.

His mini album "Bloom" offers a fresh reinterpretation of old-school foundations. Blending early 2000s influences with contemporary techno aesthetics, the record delivers a modern edge while remaining rooted in the fundamentals-driving rhythms, percussion-heavy grooves, and powerful low-end energy. Rich chords and atmospheric pads add emotional depth, shaping a distinctive and immersive sonic identity.

Spanning eight tracks, "Bloom" moves effortlessly from peak-time intensity to ambient textures and functional club tools, capturing the full spectrum of Aleeks's sound and providing versatility for every moment of the night.

Through analog synthesizers and Eurorack modular systems, in “Axis,” Equinoxious establishes an axis between electro and minimal electronics, closely flirting with the harshness of industrial. The pieces unfold under a logic akin to the cybernetics of Norbert Wiener: feedback systems, flows of information, and voltage control intertwine with the experience of the one who operates them; the synthesizer ceases to be a mere tool and becomes an organism that reacts and communicates.

These tracks are inspired by speed, the absurdity of reality, the impossibility of things, imaginaries of dystopia, and protocols of romance, delivered with mechanical frankness and precision.

Recorded between 2023 and 2025, the pieces stand out for their FM synthesis basslines and incisive 808 derived percussion; subtractive synthesis, and 90s samplers dragging staccatos and energetic sequences.

**Vinyl Only**

For their first step into the wax game, Genau Experience land with a strictly vinyl statement straight out of Udine. (Italy)Active since 2018, Genau Exp. have been quietly cultivating parties and pushing underground culture in their corner of the map. Now it translates into grooves. No rush, no noise: just the right moment to press this record.

Leading the charge is resident and long-time digger Stefano Conte. A vinyl collector with a deep-rooted connection to house, techno and electro, Stefano’s sound carries echoes of the ‘80s, ‘90s and early 2000s | raw drum work, hypnotic sequences, stripped tension and subtlemachine funk. These four original cuts, written between 2025 and 2026, feel focused and functional. Club-minded but not obvious. Built for heads who listen.

On remix duties, taking the reins on The Landing, we find Shkedul – selector and producer who hardly needs an introduction. He draws us deeper into his signature style: decisive basslines, dark rhythms, and evolving sound design that flows and morphs across the full length of the track.

A versatile weapon with enough character to work across different floors and moods.

Sometimes the title of an album tells you everything you need to know. Laurence Pike’s Possible Utopias for Jazz Quintet is like that: The music within represents a search for freedom, potentiality—liberatory strategies that transcend the ego and the solitary, atomized figure.

But in this case, the album title is also a red herring, because there is no jazz quintet here—just Pike, his drums, and his machines, not so much an ersatz ensemble as a purely notional one, a thought experiment equipped with drumsticks, circuitry, and the desire to go beyond hardwired limits.

And the results, strictly speaking, aren’t really jazz, though they incorporate the vocabulary of jazz, along with that of ambient, electronica, and post-rock. They are some other thing, cognizant of genre but never beholden to it. Again, we’re talking about a search for freedom here.

The Sydney-based musician has a long history of coloring outside the lines, not just in his solo recordings—including four albums for the Leaf label between 2018 and 2024—but also in the trio Pivot (later PVT); Szun Waves (alongside saxophonist Jack Wyllie and Border Community’s Luke Abbott); Triosk, which recorded an album with Jan Jelinek in 2003; and even post-punk titans Liars, whom he joined in late 2018.

Of his first album for Balmat, Pike says, “My loose concept was: What does music sound like when the expectations of late capitalism are removed from it? How might a jazz musician from an idealised culture of the future, or even another world, utilise musical language when the conventions of style and marketing are no longer a factor in music making?”

That inquiry, he says, connects to his “guiding principle: that the purpose of music is to access something bigger than the individual, and reveal a sense of possibility and freedom in the world to the listener. To create an understanding that the future can be something other than what we imagined or expect, even unconsciously.”

Heady ideas, but plug into his stream-of-metaconsciousness flow and you may start to intuit what motivates him. There is a deeply lyrical expression in these pieces—in the ruminative piano of opener “Guardians of Memory,” for example—but also a sense of exploded perspective, of ideas approached from more angles than any one mind could dream up. Of a collectivized consciousness, of mycelial networks branching across tone and rhythm and timbre, of ideas articulated in distributed fashion, nodal points dancing across drum heads.

Pike’s imaginary quintet is hardly without precedent; it’s a continuation of concepts floated across Jan Jelinek’s Loop-Finding-Jazz-Records, Burnt Friedman’s many guises, and much of the recombinant improv of the International Anthem roster, not to mention the far corners of ECM’s catalog in the late 1970s and 1980s, which Pike says have been integral to his development since he was a teenager. Possible Utopias for Jazz Quintet is a point in a continuum, a voice in a conversation, a question with no obvious answer: How can the search for otherness in music manifest something true about ourselves?

Bahamadia’s 1996 debut album Kollage is rightly regarded as one of the greatest rap albums of the 1990s. For the first time ever, Be With present the definitive double LP version of this eternal hip-hop classic, including the legendary "Path To Rhythm" which never appeared on the original LP or on vinyl, anywhere. An indelible VIBE from start-to-finish, Kollage presents Bahamadia's swirling rhymes delivered with an irresistibly butter flow and razor-sharp assuredness over a steady slew of smoothed-out, jazzed-up, blunted beats. Achingly cool and effortlessly funky throughout, it's an absolute must for true 90s hip-hop fanatics.

The entire Kollage project was recorded at D&D Studios and the ties to Gang Starr are keenly felt, with DJ Premier producing five tracks in addition to the killer songs Guru had already produced with her. Working with the cream of the mid-90s East Coast sound, Kollage is, accordingly, a record that demonstrates a varied musical taste with disparate influences, as Bahamadia has previously stated: “The title Kollage was a reflection of my state of mind. I first got interested in music from playing my parents’ and grandparents’ records, as well what I heard on the radio. I wanted Kollage to reflect that diversity both lyrically and sonically."

With intelligent, poetic lyricism and a laconic verbal style bursting with both warm texture and deceptive energy, Bahamadia’s flow was as inspired by Aretha and Nancy Wilson as it was Q-Tip, Schoolly D and Lady B. Swaggering out the gate, "WordPlay" finds Bahamadia confidently showcasing her considerable old-school battle-rhyme skills over a Guru beat that utilises an infectiously bouncy bassline with splashes of sultry jazz horns and a Jeru vocal snatch for the hook. Up next, the quietly shimmering and ruggedly beautiful "Spontaneity" is one of the most alluring on the record, Da Beatminerz crafting a brilliantly soulful and jazzy soundscape for Bahamadia's effortless vocals to float across. It's followed by "Rugged Ruff", where the rapper carefully constructs a swift off-beat flow over Premier's raw jazzy fire.

With smooth spacey synth vibes overseen by former Geto Boys producer N.O. Joe, "I Confess" is, without question, a fly love song and soothing (p)-funk groove. "UKNOWHOWWEDU" is an airy, chilled tribute to her hometown. Produced by Ski Beatz & DJ Redhanded, it rides a gloriously mellow break. It's a true Philly anthem, shouting out a who’s who of the entire city’s scene. Early banger "Total Wreck" follows, presenting a murky Guru instrumental elevated by jazzy horns. Bahamadia invokes the title's suggestion, firing her brilliant bars more aggressively than we’re accustomed to. More Beatminerz-brilliance comes in the way of "Innovation", an opportunity for the MC to invoke Freestyle Fellowship in her forward-thinking and literary verses. "Da Jawn" features hometown buddies The Roots, with Black Thought gliding into a back-and-forth with Bahamadia over ?uestlove’s warm, snapping percussion. With the strut club banger "True Honey Buns (Dat Freak Sh*t)", DJ Premier provides some laidback vibrant boom bap for Bahamadia to share a wild, cautionary tale about a night out with her girl, Kia.

Fan favourite "3 Tha Hard Way" is a hypnotically sinister cut, with Bahamadia, K-Swift and Mecca Star taking star turns to coast over DJ Premier’s raw beat whilst the tender "Biggest Part Of Me" is a heartfelt stunner dedicated to her son. Incredibly, only the European and Japanese CD versions of Kollage was released with the brilliantly breezy “Path To Rhythm”, featuring Ursula Rucker. Whilst ostensibly a "bonus track", it's anything but, to our ears. Very much in sonic conversation with KRS-One's stretched-out sleeper classic "Higher Level", it's absolutely essential so we had to include it, appearing on wax for the first time here, exclusively. Quite a coup.

Somewhat predictably, whilst Kollage was released to significant critical acclaim, it suffered from disappointing sales. In the intervening years - and for far too long - it was a criminally underrated record, an increasingly hidden gem. We hope this double LP reissue - which looks and sounds amazing - will go some way to correct this. This 2024 Be With double LP re-issue has been mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis, cut by Cicely Balston and pressed at Record Industry. It's too bold and beautiful to remain overlooked and underserved.

We are pleased to announce the first FEX live album, Don't Look Back. The release features selected recordings from two concerts in Paderborn and Uelzen, both captured in 1985. All tracks on the album are previously unissued, including entirely unheard songs such as It's a Hard Life, Just Get Back, Legend, and Waiting Song, alongside a previously unreleased version of Subways of Your Mind, widely known as "The Most Mysterious Song on the Internet."
One of the most striking aspects of the album is the remarkable sound quality of the live recordings, as well as the strength of the performances themselves - particularly given that FEX were still considered a newcomer band at the time. The four-piece lineup consisted of singer, guitarist, and primary songwriter Ture Rückwardt, Michael Hädrich on keyboards and occasional second guitar, Norbert Ziermann on bass, and Hans-Reimer Sievers on drums. In 1985, the band was preparing for broader exposure through a nationwide tour organized by the small promotion company HBM-Musikbüro.
The album opens with the psychedelic Skyscraper, a track Rückwardt reportedly regarded as a personal favorite to perform. Hädrich contributes dynamic synthesizer layers, while Ziermann underpins the track with a distinctive slap bass groove. This is followed by the energetic rock number It's a Hard Life, which once again demonstrates that the band possessed multiple songs capable of matching the impact of their best known track Subways of Your Mind.
After this energetic opening, the album shifts into a more restrained mood with the synth-pop ballad I Got My Eyes On You. It is followed by Strange Feeling, presented here in a particularly compelling live version that arguably surpasses the previously released studio demo featured on the Skyscraper LP, with Rückwardt delivering one of his most expressive vocal performances. On Goldrush, another fan favorite, it is Hädrich's DX7 synthesizer work that stands out.
Don't Look Back continues to flow seamlessly, moving between styles such as new wave, synth pop, and a blues-influenced form of classic rock. On It's Good To Know, a song addressing the theme of stardom, the band returns to a heavier rock sound. In contrast, the synth-driven Just Get Back reflects on the conflict in Northern Ireland, then ongoing at the time. Lines such as "It's the money, it's the money why they come along" are directed at mercenary soldiers, while "even Sunday's a killing time" directly references Sunday Bloody Sunday by U2.
Previously known songs such as Dirty Slapstick and Heart in Danger lead into We Don't Want It No More, perhaps the band's most striking pop ballad. It is easy to imagine that the track had the potential to achieve radio success in the 1980s. The following piece, the epic Legend, explores themes of loneliness and love simultaneously. With poetic and abstract lines such as "some isolate in the falling rain" and "that's why I count all the reasons they call out for living, sadness is falling inside," it builds an almost eerie atmosphere.
One of the final highlights of the album is Subways of Your Mind, recorded in Uelzen. In this version, Rückwardt's vocal performance is even more on point than on the previously issued recording from Paderborn. Another notable moment is the driving, 1970s-inspired rock 'n' roll track Waiting Song. Both the composition and its live performance carry an energy that could easily stand alongside the repertoire of bands such as AC/DC. It was usually the track that FEX ended their concerts with, calling out each band member at the end of the song.
This leads to a broader reflection: it is striking that FEX did not achieve a wider breakthrough at the time. The performances captured here suggest a band capable of delivering consistently, song by song, note by note. It is not difficult to imagine FEX performing in large venues and engaging sizeable audiences. In reality, however, most performances in 1985 took place in front of relatively small crowds. The recordings featured on this album originate from the Roxy club in Paderborn and a small, unknown venue in Uelzen, likely in front of fewer than fifty attendees.
An essential figure behind these recordings is the engineer known only under his nickname Hase (German for "rabbit"), who was responsible for capturing not only these concerts but many other surviving FEX recordings. Bringing his own mixing desk to performances, he developed a deep familiarity with the band's material and was able to shape the live sound with precision, including the timely use of vocal effects. The original recordings existed only on cassette and required careful and extensive restoration work. Zoey Cairs was finally responsible for bringing them to their present quality.
This album marks the beginning of the Live Waves series, following the rediscovery of additional recordings that have gained international attention since November 2024, when they surfaced through what has been described as the largest "lost wave" music search to date. The title of this first live LP Don't Look Back carries a certain paradox. While the album invites listeners to revisit recordings from forty years ago, FEX themselves were always oriented toward the future. In that spirit, further releases of brand new material are already planned.
The cover artwork is once again based on an image by Magnussen from the Kiel archive, depicting the Prinz-Heinrich-Brücke. The bridge, once located in the northern part of the city, no longer exists. As a symbol, however, it remains fitting: a bridge stands for movement and connection - qualities that FEX sought to embody on tour, bringing their music to different places and audiences.

"I wanted to travel / Home into somewhere,"Ana Roxanne breathes across an eerie suspended drone on "The Age of Innocence". "I wanted to try / And go very far." These are the first words we hear on Poem 1 and reintroduce an artist who's in a conspicuously different phase of her life than she was when her debut album, Because of a Flower, sprouted nearly six years ago.

Heartbroken and reflective, Roxanne surveys the transformations that followed and displays a new-found boldness. Her voice is naked, vulnerable and alive, no longer shrouded in tape noise or looped and echoed beyond recognition beneath layered electroacoustic textures.

Throughout the course of Poem 1, Roxanne displays her skill as a singer and songwriter in the classic sense, using the limited instrumentation simply to accent her exposed tones. Muted piano phrases and plucked bass notes languidly trail her anguished siren song on "Berceuse in A-flat Minor, Op. 45", making each word count.

On "Keepsake" meanwhile, she sounds as if she's alone in an abandoned bar, stroking the dust off the piano's keys as she inventories her emotional scars. There's a smell of old whisky in the air, but Poem 1 is a remarkably sober album; never wallowing in self pity, Roxanne finds catharsis in the logic of her expressions, twisting out the edges of her memories into surreal, cinematic asides. "Untitled II", the album's pronounced, uninhibited centerpiece, delivers on the Lynchian promise that's been present since her first EP, 2019's ~~~. "

And when she interprets the Robert Schumann's lied "Stille Tränen" on "One Shall Sleep", she turns Justinus Kerner's words into a whispered echo of her own grief, narrating the 19th century poem over syrupy synthesizers and strings. There's a light emerging on the horizon, though; burying her past on the choral standout '"Cover Me", Roxanne shifts the pace and the mood on 'Atonement', lifting her voice into a gentle lilt.

After a gap of over ten years, the Grammy nominated Jazz Funk band Down To The Bone are back with their groove laden, Acid Jazz tinged new album “This Way Forward”– here on an ultra-limited, special release of a doublepack vinyl album. Bringing together a good groove fueled album of ten original tracks with a diversity of flavours – from Jazz Funk to Soul to Brazilian tinged delights that are sure to get the musical juices flowing. Packed full of the band’s trademark grooves and bringing together multi talented musicians from the past and the present all culminating into a melting-pot of sounds that together represent Down To The Bone’s essential sounds.

The new album also brings together multi-talented vocalists on no less than seven tracks From the exquisite soul talents of Hil Street Soul, who co-wrote the opening soul infused groove track “Get Up And Dance”, to the equally soulful tones of Natasha Watts and then the Brazillian sounds of Guida De Palma. The pulsing horn section of Tim Smart, Ryan Jacob (Bonobo/Alice Russell) and James Arben (Vibration Black Finger/Mulatu Astatke), together with Piers Green on sax solos, along with the driving bass of both Julian Crampton and Jo Phillpotts to the pumping beats of drummer Davide Giovannini (Snowboy/Jazztronic/Da Lata and Pucho/Lisa Stansfield), to the melodic chords of Neil Angilley (Snowboy/Jazzhino/Maceo Parker) and Anders Olinder (PeeWee Ellis/Courtney Pine), to the chugging guitar of Tony Remy( Dave Lee/The Sunburst Band/Incognito/Omar) and Mark Jaimes (Simply Red) plus Gianni Chiarello – and the icing on the cake with percussion from Joe “Bongo” Becket.

All working together to bring a stellar performance on this cracking new release to show that DTTB are a force to be reckoned with both on stage and on the wheels of steel.