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Wired was an ephemeral improvisational music project formed by Michael Ranta, Karl-Heinz Böttner, and Mike Lewis. On 28 April 1970, the trio recorded an extended studio session of approximately 140 minutes, in collaboration with Conny Plank, who engineered and mixed the recording in real time, incorporating elements of live electronics. This session was subsequently edited to album length and released in 1974 as part of the Free Improvisation 3LP box set issued by Deutsche Grammophon, alongside recordings by Iskra and New Phonic Art.

Owing to its exploratory electric sound world and Plank’s distinctive spatial production techniques, the Wired recording acquired a degree of underground cult status, particularly among listeners associated with krautrock and psychedelic improvisation.

Shortly after the studio session, Ranta and Böttner travelled to Japan, where they spent approximately six months performing with Karlheinz Stockhausen at Expo ’70 in Osaka. In addition to these activities, they engaged in various independent musical projects and performances.

The present release, sourced from the personal archive of Michael Ranta, documents a live duo performance by Ranta and Böttner, recorded on 27 July 1970 in an outdoor setting in Kyoto (the exact location remains unknown), before an audience of approximately 200 music teachers. The recording exhibits sonic and aesthetic characteristics closely aligned with the previously recorded studio material, retaining the distinctive “Wired” sound while situating it within a live, site-specific context.

Michael Ranta: percussion, voice, home-made instruments, tapes, tape delay, effects Karl-Heinz Böttner: guitar, organ, ocarina, voice, effects

KNEECAP return to bend genre, language, and rules. The most talked about artists in the world are turning the page. A new chapter, new sounds, new manifestos.
A blistering album that revels in darkness while bursting through the void with illuminated revery. This is FENIAN.

Produced by Dan Carey (Fontaines D.C., Kae Tempest, Wet Leg), FENIAN upends expectations with an expansive sonic palate, traversing acid house, trip-hop, dubstep, and more - Masters of rave and rap theatre, FENIAN represents Kneecap’s most sophisticated exploration of language and sounds.

More darkness. More confrontation. More craic. More energy. More solidarity. More absolute bangers. And more fuel for the unrelenting engine that powers this unstoppable force. For their remarkable second album, Kneecap have come out fighting.

Throughout, the sirens and alarms ring, and the chorus’s blast. Revolutionary and rebellious, confrontational and impossibly catchy, inescapably intelligent and brilliantly rendered, FENIAN doesn’t just represent the next phase in Kneecap’s trajectory but stands as a remarkable record that thrills as much as it surprises. The mayhem of their breakout year is a memory now. But Kneecap are neither dwelling on that nor merely persevering through it. In FENIAN they excel, reaching a new peak that is undeniable in its mastery.

Pressure makes diamonds, and FENIAN glistens with Kneecap’s uncut gems.

KNEECAP return to bend genre, language, and rules. The most talked about artists in the world are turning the page. A new chapter, new sounds, new manifestos.
A blistering album that revels in darkness while bursting through the void with illuminated revery. This is FENIAN.

Produced by Dan Carey (Fontaines D.C., Kae Tempest, Wet Leg), FENIAN upends expectations with an expansive sonic palate, traversing acid house, trip-hop, dubstep, and more - Masters of rave and rap theatre, FENIAN represents Kneecap’s most sophisticated exploration of language and sounds.

More darkness. More confrontation. More craic. More energy. More solidarity. More absolute bangers. And more fuel for the unrelenting engine that powers this unstoppable force. For their remarkable second album, Kneecap have come out fighting.

Throughout, the sirens and alarms ring, and the chorus’s blast. Revolutionary and rebellious, confrontational and impossibly catchy, inescapably intelligent and brilliantly rendered, FENIAN doesn’t just represent the next phase in Kneecap’s trajectory but stands as a remarkable record that thrills as much as it surprises. The mayhem of their breakout year is a memory now. But Kneecap are neither dwelling on that nor merely persevering through it. In FENIAN they excel, reaching a new peak that is undeniable in its mastery.

Pressure makes diamonds, and FENIAN glistens with Kneecap’s uncut gems.

Phonica welcomes Mattias El Mansouri, a Swedish-born DJ and producer of Moroccan/Chilean descent who has been behind some of our favourite releases over the past few years on labels such as Aniara and Nous'klaer.

On the 'Sense Data' 12", El Mansouri expands on his atmospheric House and Techno explorations with three deep yet dancefloor primed pieces that hold personal resonance for him.

El Mansouri, who holds a degree in Theoretical Philosophy, explains:

"'Sense Data' are the immediate elements of perception; what is directly given to the senses before any judgment or interpretation. In vision, these appear as colored, shaped patches; in other senses, as sounds, tastes, smells, or tactile qualities. For example, seeing a brown table with a white coaster involves sense data of a brown patch and a white roundish patch, from which one infers the presence of a table and coaster."

On the record's flip, we have the beautiful "Cielo Vacío' and 'Ouzo Hallon' dub version of 'Sense Data'. El Mansouri continues:

"Cielo Vacío translates to “empty sky” in Spanish. The track serves as a eulogy for my brother, who passed away in December 2023. I chose this title because it resonates with the sonic and emotional atmosphere of the piece. Its ambiguity is intentional, carrying both the weight of grief that lingers after losing someone you love, and a strange, fragile peace you extend toward the departed. It reflects the hope that, wherever they are, whether or not one believes in an afterlife, they have found rest.

Ouzo Hallon translates to Ouzo (the Greek liquor)+Hallon (Raspberry). It’s a long drink that my (Greek) ex came up with last summer, mixing ouzo, raspberry syrup/raspberry juice and ice. It became a thing in our little friend group, consisting of mostly Greeks, and every time we all hang out we would all just drink ouzo hallon until we couldn’t stand straight. I always wanted to name a track Ouzo Hallon, just for the fun of it, and what better way to get the chance than now!"

Repress

Underground stalwarts Voodoos & Taboos make their Duality Trax debut alongside a remix from rising talent Bertie, set to drop on November 8th. Now on its seventh release, Holly Lester’s vinyl imprint blends seasoned pioneers with the next generation of producers. A serendipitous moment at London’s E1 in 2023 was the genesis for the labels latest release, when DT label head Holly Lester unknowingly dropped a Voodoos & Taboos track only for the duo to walk in mid-way. Already known for their standout releases on iconic labels like Phonica, Bordello a Parigi, and Palms Trax's
CWPT, this chance encounter sparked a creative connection between Holly and the pair.

‘Time Out’ kicks things off with swirling synths and the duo's signature alien electronics, set to a playful breaks infused rhythm and morphing bassline, as command and control rings out overhead. ‘Endless Game’ comes with the usual V&T trimmings; an infectious bassline and with a scattering of curious sounds and samples, with a healthy dose of italo-inspired groove - the type of track reserved for bringing a dash of joy to the dance­oor amidst a heads down body-moving groove. On the B-side, Australian newcomer Bertie steps up with her remix of ‘Time Out’, following her breakout EP and high-pro¬le remix by Ciel. In a short space of time, Bertie has already developed a signature sound injecting her productions with nostalgic 90s house and contemporary subtext; glued together by crunchy drums and a penchant for wide-eyed rhythms. Sticking to her guns, Bertie’s ­ip of ‘Time Out’ packs a serious punch, showingwhy she’s an artist on the rise. The EP closes out with the psychedelic ‘All Action’ with its vocoder vocal samples, bubbling acid and teleporting top-lines.

One of the most notable features of the duo's music is their ability to let things evolve over time, their music often accompanied by strong storytelling, an art that has been almost lost in today’s era of instant grati¬cation; their instrumentation often taking on a life form of their own and dosed with surprises.

The return of Jonne Lydén aka 53X is an exhilarating welcome for Emotional Especial with 4 more seismic analogue psychedelic jams that are becoming recognisably a unique and hypnotic statement.

Lydén’s studio time is distillation for personal contemplation and perfection just 3 releases in 5 years that are worth the wait. The heady demand for his debut ‘Synapse’ and the following ‘Zen ‘23’ on Especial (limited repress incoming!) show constant development a sound of widescreen technoscope where dub beats trance pyrotechnics and 303 mind-melt swirling in a cosmic matter.

His return takes this further his music heritage in Finland’s hardcore punk scene to finding the techno of Detroit and Berlin before submerging in synths and drum programming jamming recording and mixing these trip-out electronic journeys live.

This heavy 4/4 jack is apparent on opening Sanctuary. Like his recent outings ‘Radar’ found on the Especial 50th “sampler” release ‘Gracias Especial’ (EES050) and also ‘Simulaato’ hidden away on blink and you miss it cult label Avidya (AVI003) this is a pure undiluted bang. Straight forward heavy bass kicking charged with acid 303 and monotonic vocal insights the track is a flourishing temple a call of embrace.

The eponymous Cyan Haze showcases 53X’s cinematic finest panoramic audio and sound design creating expansive phonics. BPMs drop samples flourish around break drops and rolling bass – breathing looping shouting lifting.

Owls enlightens. Hardware rumbles cerebral a temporal universe awakening. The collage of found sound successive sequential all encased by hypnotic broken chords rolling bass and melancholic piano refrain. Meta worming braindance ecstatic tribal industrial gliding by Shiva into the night.

Dust closes apt its basement collage pounds Lydén to techno genesis. Proto-zeitgeist steppa dark room incantation pulling and expanding the fantasy to strange dreamscapes. Reincarnation and hope in 2026.

Rolando’s back in the game with Syncrophone Remixes Vol.2—flipping DJ Qu’s “Undescribed3,” Detect Audio’s “Synchronize,” and Anthony Shake Shakir’s “Arise.” Three exclusive remixes, pure underground techno for real heads. Detroit spirit, cop this 12” before it disappears!

DJ Feedbacks :


Honey Dijon : DJ Qu is the one for me. Will def support!
Raresh (ar:pi:ar) : super! thanks
Truncate : Thanks!
The Advent : Smooth bgrooves on here.. 3 - Anthony 'Shake' Shakir - Arise (Rolando Remix)
Anika Kunst (Symbolism / RSPX) : Cool release. Arise rmx is beautiful. Thanks!!
Harvey Sutherland (MCDE / PPU / Voltaire Records) : DJ Qu flip for me, thanks!
Scott Grooves : The Shake is the one
Satoshi Tomiie (Abstract Architecture) : Wooow hot hot hot
Roman Fluegel (Roman Fluegel, Dial, Cocoon, Playhouse, Robert Johnson) : The Remix for Shake is the one for me.
Erol Alkan (Phantasy Sound) : Downloading Thanks!
Enrica Falqui (ERIS, Plexus 4) : I like it!
Daniel Avery (Phantasy / Fabric) : Awesome
Laurent Garnier : cool release
Elisa Bee : Only love for Rolando, thanks x
Slam (Soma) : Brilliant - thanx
San Proper (Perlon / Rush Hour / Proper's Cult) : Totally what i needed to hear, Rolando remixing Shake & Q, my heroes lined up. I will enjoy playing all 3 mixes. One Love.
Axel Boman (Studio Barnhus) : killer remixes!
Terry Farley : DJ Qu mix my fave - heads down LETS GURN
D'Julz (Bass Culture) : great work !
gilbr (Dj Gilb'R / Chateau Flight (Versatile)) : Like the Shakir remix thanks for sending
Ben Sims : Now downloading... will check asap!
Lea Lisa (Phonica Records / Folklor Club) : mental, really good one
Dj Deep (Deeply Rooted) : Super nice package! Dj Qu's Undescribed3 remix for me here! Thank you
Mike Shannon (Cynosure) : Rrrrreeeeemix!! Thx
Efdemin (Dial) : Wonderful remix package!
Inland (Inland) : Hellooo. These are great. Qu and Shake versions both killer! Thanks
Kai Alce (Real Soon) : DJ QU remix bangin
Uncertain (RSPX, WRKTRX, Suara) : remix 1 for me
Harri (Sub Club) : very nice all three will play and support
Blasha & Allatt (Meat Free) : Thank you!
Marcel Dettmann : thx
Richie Hawtin (M_Nus) : downloaded for r hawtin
Luke Solomon (Classic / Freaks / Music For Freaks) : all killer
Luke Slater : Thanks Ro!
Ame (Innervisions) : thanks
Felix Dickinson (Futureboogie, Rush Hour, Cynic) : I like this
Geir Aspenes (G-Ha (Sunkissed)) : Thank u
Alienata (about blank) : Very nice remixes, all of them, thx!
Nat Wendell (Depth of My Soul, Courtesy of Balance, Love & Loops) : Dope remixes!
Dave Clarke (white noise radio) : Not my sound, but please keep them coming !

repressed !

It's been a busy 3 years since Danny Berman aka Red Rack'em released on his own Bergerac imprint.

Since then he's toured relentlessly, released a whole album of live music based disco/punk funk for Sonar Kollektiv as Hot Coins, managed to completely update his biggest track 'In Love Again' to make it a hit the second time around plus released spaced out, wonky party smashers on Wolf Music, Phonica, City Fly and Telefonplan.

While all this was going on Bergerac was largely on ice but now Berman is turning his energy back to the label with a vengeance.
Wonky Bassline Disco Banger is accurately titled. An uplifting intro breaks down into a slamming disco house number and just when you think you know what's going on...
Then the trademark Red Rack'em wonky bass drops in. 150% Guaranteed party smasher... Jazzy House Extension is super vintage Red Rack'em from around 2004 - something for the jazz heads out there - cracked out piano and far too loud double bass come together to birth a euphoric yet banging snapshot of a producer learning his chops. Destined is a slightly demented leftfield house number featuring mangled, pitch shifting fretless bass and vocals samples discussing someone's destiny.
A woozy end to the EP.

Tom Sharkett has been one to watch in the last year via his remix work for DFA, Sub Pop and more plus his edits that are quietly out there doing damage with those that know. Here he arrives on Test Pressing Recordings with ’25’. Hot on the heels of his remix of LCD Soundsystem’s ‘Home’ – ‘Easily one of the biggest records of the Summer’ (Phonica Records) – here is his first solo EP for the label. ‘Painting On Glass’ arrives and sets the mood. Heavy synths and breaks. ’25’ features the vocals of mui zyu and pulls from the likes of New Order but takes them somewhere new. The third track, 'Sleepwalk', sees mui zyu return — a love song that sets a mood then drops into a vocoder loop midway before a fitting finale. ‘I’ll Call If I Want You’ closes the EP with a vocal from Tom himself. It’s a perfect closer. This isn’t a straight up dance record. It’s an artist showing they’ve got big ideas and a home for them.

Phonica AM welcomes long-time friend of the shop Voigtmann, appearing under his A Thousand Futures alias with a release that feels perfectly at home on the imprint. Known for precision engineering and playful groove work, he delivers a 12″ that’s subtle, characterful and built for repeat play.

Across four tracks, Voigtmann moves between sleek, futuristic club moods with ease: from the ghostly, cosmic drive of “Leftfoot Lover” and the acid-flecked momentum of “Outer Edge,” through to the jacking electro-funk tension of “No Room For Squares.” The record closes on “Sunshine Capital,” a warm, chord-led cut that still carries his trademark grit - a deeper moment without losing focus.

Curated by Phonica’s Luther Vine, the AM series champions the stranger, more late-night corners of the dancefloor, and this release fits the ethos with style. Touching lightly on progressive house, tech house and electro-leaning minimal, the record avoids strict genre lines and instead prioritises feeling: trippy, functional and made for DJs.

Repress

Via their studio in London, the Illusive Gluten People have crafted a timeless 4-track EP of precision minimal heat—chunky, rolling club grooves designed for the dancefloor.


Supported by:
Raresh | SB-Unit | Prosper | Joseph Capriati | Voigtman | Tai Lokun / Rinse FM | SUCHI / Rinse FM | Amaliah / Rinse FM | Archie Hamilton | Bartolomeo | Jimpster | Sean Sines | Hutch / Rinse FM | Hayley Zalassi | La Fleur | Subb-an | Timo Maas | Rupert Ellis / Circa Groove | Severino / Horse Meat Disco | Storm Mollison | ADMNTi | Ryan Clover / Homage NYC | Azo | Aletha / Rinse FM | Jad & The | Alec Falconer | Call Super | Rupert Ellis | KT | La Fleur | Raw Silk | Francesco Mami | Paperkraft | Miley Serious | Byron Yeates | Mr Redley | Michelle Manetti | Ysanne / Phonica | Scarlett O’Malle

Raw deep house pressure from Sascha Dive, four cuts blending soul, groove, and late-night mood, with Roland Clark blessing the mic. Limited green vinyl for those who still move to the real sound.

DJ Feedbacks :


Laurent Garnier : Cool tracks
Josh Wink (Ovum) : Liking 'Im Inspired' the best here.
C-Rock : Those Nights for me, nice NYC dub House touch!
Radio Slave (Rekids) : I've always been such a big fan of Sasha's productions and "There Is No Tomorrow" hits the spot.
Fleur Shore (Undergrowth / Cuttin' Headz) : im inspired, beautiful track
Reboot (Cecille / Cadenza) : schöne tracks ️
Satoshi Tomiie (Abstract Architecture) : Solid release!
Alinka (Twirl, Classic, Crosstown Rebels, Batty Bass) : Nice one
PBR Streetgang : Invocation and Im Inspired are great
D'Julz (Bass Culture) : those night is the one for me here
Damian Lazarus (Crosstown Rebels) : Thanks for sending. Xx
Ben Sims : Now downloading... will check asap!
Archie Hamilton (Microhertz / FUSE) : Nice thanks
Eddie Fowlkes (Detroit Wax, Rekids, Classic Music Company) : thanks
Tim Sweeney (Beats In Space) : Lovely
Doc Martin (Sublevel) : Sascha on a good one,with the voice of house music Roland Clark no less!!!
Terry Farley : THOSE NIGHTS WORKS FOR ME
Chloe Caillet (Smile Records) : love this!
Oliver $ (Classic Music Company / Play It Down) : Sooo gooood!
Ame (Innervisions) : thanks
Danny Tenaglia : Downloading for Danny Tenaglia, thanks!
Robert Owens (Trax / Musical Directions) : Cool tracks
Kai Alce (Real Soon) : Nice deep tracks from Sascha
Mark Farina : dig them.
Lea Lisa (Phonica Records / Folklor Club) : Really good definition of House
Alexkid (Rawax / FUSE / NG Trax) : Phonogramme (and Sascha Dive) on fire at the moment...
Harri (Sub Club) : lovely stuff, will play and support

Utter presents Marshall Jefferson's previously unreleased meditation opus 'Yellow Meditation For The Dance Generation' alongside two remixes from French production maestro Joakim.

Marshall Jefferson: Chicago House music pioneer, creator of the anthemic ‘Move My Body’, an original collaborator of Adonis, Ce Ce Rogers and Roy Davis Jr., production mastermind of countless dancefloor classics such as Phuture’s ‘Acid Tracks’, Sterling Void’s ’It’s All Right’, Hercules’ ‘7 Ways’… and the soothing voice behind a 36 minute healing meditation guide. Yes, really.

But let’s rewind, slightly.

In 2017, Marshall was approached and encouraged by Ian ‘Snowy’ Snowball to write his autobiography and the pair set about putting Marshall’s account of the history of House music together. The book, ‘Marshall Jefferson: Diary of a DJ’ was published in 2019.

Following the book’s release, Ian and Marshall's collaboration continued and during the pandemic an outlandish idea arose to create a piece of music combining Ian's interest in meditation (he runs Club Chi specialising in Shibashi Qigong - a form of Tai Chi Qigong - which is a gentle form of movement therapy/exercise) and Marshall's willingness to experiment musically to see what might be possible.



The result is ‘Yellow Meditation For The Dance Generation’, where Marshall vocalises Ian’s lyrics in his instantly recognisable voice. The keen-eared out there may also recognise aspects of the music itself as a stripped back, lengthened and far mellower version of Marshall’s 1985 obscurity ‘Vibe’:

“I would take tapes to the Music Box and Ron Hardy would play my music. ‘Vibe’ was one of those tracks. I recorded ‘Vibe’ in 1985, but it became one of my tracks that I just forgot about until some guy on Facebook sent me a recording of it that was taken from a club. The only person who I ever gave a recording of ‘Vibe’ to was Ron Hardy. The other people I know who had copies of the track were Gene Hunt and Emanuel Pippin (DJ Spookie).

"The original version of ‘Vibe’ was made using a Roland 707, Roland JX-8P keyboard and a Roland 727 drum machine. I was still working at the Post Office at the time, and this was pre-‘Move Your Body (The House Music Anthem)’. ‘Vibe’ has the building blocks for ‘Move Your Body’ because it was using the instruments on the track that I discovered what I could do with the bass sound, to make a track like ‘Move Your Body’.”



Still, Ian’s initial intention for ‘Yellow Meditation’ was function and it was designed to be a ‘Sequential Relaxation Exercise’ focusing on the Solar Plexus. Bearing this in mind, Marshall took a bare-bones and hypnotic approach to this particular re-recording of ‘Vibe’ so that the voice takes centre stage and listeners (hopefully) find themselves on a meditative journey. In fact, this long-form track was always intended as a private tool purely for meditation at Club Chi rather than released to the public - after all, Marshall had also created and released a more drum heavy, ’traditional’ club-focused 'Vibe Three' instrumental version for that very purpose - but a chance airing of the full 36 minute version changed its path.



Much like those 1985 ‘Vibe’ cassettes, Marshall had sent the track to a few close contacts, one of whom was Kieran at Phonica Records who aired it over the shop’s basement soundsystem. Its unorthodox nature caught the ear of colleague Alex (of Utter) and the seeds of a physical release were planted.

Eventually, with the full-version carefully whittled down to a vinyl friendly length of 24 minutes, full track parts in hand and a b-side to fill, Alex sought out one of his favourite producers to take up the remix reigns: Joakim. The Tigersushi co-founder and Crowdspacer boss has a long history of boundary-pushing remixes that straddle both dancefloor functionality and experimentation. This time the original material resulted in Joakim coming up with a number of ideas and he finally delivered two versions - one club focused (‘Vertical’), the other more introspective and meditative (‘Horizontal’), both of which appear on the final 12”.

The limited edition 12” also includes a download code giving buyers access to all of the vinyl tracks plus an 18 minute extended version of Joakim’s ‘Horizontal’ remix, its instrumental counterpart (for those who can live without Marshall's voice) and full 12 minute acapella (for those who can't!)


Alex

a A1. Yellow Meditation For The Dance Generation (Edit) 24:00
b B1. Yellow Meditation For The Dance Generation (Joakim's Vertical Remix) 9:09
9:05

Up next on Brooklyn's Scissor & Thread is the latest EP from Snad, aka Shyam Anand (also known as Spandrel), the Berlin-based artist whose discography already spans labels like Smallville, Minibar, 20:20 Vision, Phonica AM, TerraFirm, Running Back, Cabinet, Kimochi and Dungeon Meat with remixes for names including Seafoam and Chez Damier.
A trusted selector and producer in the underground, Snad has steadily built a reputation for deeply considered productions that balance classic inspiration with his own forward-thinking edge.
The AM Yard EP opens with its title track, a warm, hazy cut rooted in the kind of bassline architecture that recalls Chez n Trent's Morning Factory but reshaped with Snad's signature dreamlike touch.
Anticip8 fanchors the release with a more direct energy, rolling, insistent and focused on the floor, balancing stripped-down drive of dusty samples wrung through his digitakt with just enough harmonic flourish to pull the listener inward.
On the flip, The Pursuit follows in a slightly different mode, drawing on experimental vocoder techniques and filtered percussion creating a hypnotic push-and-pull that feels as intricate as it is understated.
Rounding things out, label heads Francis Harris and Anthony Collins, under their Frank & Tony alias, reimagine The Pursuit with their Housebeat Remix, extending its atmospherics into an even deeper headspace that glides effortlessly into late-night territory.

To mark a decade as one of Ibiza's most iconic musical sanctuaries, Hostal La Torre announces 'La Torre Ibiza Volumen Cinco', a new compilation curated by long-standing residents Pete Gooding and Mark Barrott. Released June 27 on CD and double vinyl, the 15-track collection captures the spirit of the venue that has come to define the golden-hour soundtrack ofthe island's west coast.

Since opening in 2015, La Torre has established itself as a bastion of Balearic culture-set high on the cliffs overlooking the sea, where music flows with the sun rather than the clock. The fifth volume in the celebrated La Torre series is a journey through Brazilian soul, ambient electronica, classic deep house, orchestral minimalism, and dusk-lit Detroit techno-an emotional arc designed to mirror the progression of an evening at the venue.

From timeless icons like Nina Simone, Mazzy Star, Talk Talk (with their Spirit of Eden closer "Wealth"), and Boards of Canada, to boundary-pushers like Auntie Flo, Eden Burns, and µ-Ziq (aka Mike Paradinas), Volumen Cinco weaves together deep-rooted classics and leftfield discoveries. Mark Barrott contributes a brand-new exclusive, 'When Devils Become Gods', while the compilation closes on a rare gem from Yellow Magic Orchestra's Yukihiro Takahashi. Also includedis Software's 'Present Voice', a quietly powerful tribute to the late José Padilla, the spiritual architect of Ibiza's sunset sound.

Volumen Cinco is more than just a listening experience-it's a tribute to La Torre's ethos: open-hearted, genre-fluid, rooted in place and time. Each track is carefully sequenced to evoke a feeling, a shift in light, or a shared memory beneath the fading sun.

Over the years, La Torre has welcomed some of the most influential names in Balearic and electronic music, from José Padilla, Alfredo, and Jon Sa Trinxa to DJ Harvey, David Holmes, Lovefingers, Heidi Lawden, Wolf Müller, Don Carlos, and Phil Mison. With each summer season and each release, the venue continues to build a musical legacy that has earned critical acclaim from Resident Advisor, Phonica Records, Juno, and Piccadilly Records, regularly featuring in their year-end lists.

As Test Pressing once wrote, "La Torre is not a party, it's a place of pilgrimage. It feels almost sacred." That spirit resonates deeply in this anniversary compilation-a celebration of music, community, and connection that spans a decade.

La Torre Ibiza Volumen Cinco is dedicated to the artists, friends, collaborators, and guests who've shaped its story so far-and to everyone who continues to gather, listen, and lose track of time as the sun slips beneath the horizon.

Romanian producer and DJ, Cîmpian Mark Alexandru, known as Cim Pian, proudly presents his milestone vinyl release, Chronosphere, on Phonichouse1. Hailing from Reghin, Romania, Cim Pian has been a dedicated figure in the electronic music scene, with a deep connection to the country’s influential minimal house movement. Over the years, he has released multiple tracks on Phonichouse1, a respected Romanian label known for curating refined underground sounds.

The release features two original tracks that highlight his distinct artistic vision. The title track, Chronosphere, is a profound minimal breakbeat composition, enveloped in textured, dark atmospheres, guiding listeners through an immersive sonic journey. Complementing this is Djinn, a classic 4/4 minimal house track infused with oriental influences, building tension with its ghostly textures and hypnotic groove.

Adding an extra layer of depth to the project is a masterful remix of Chronosphere by Barac, one of the most revered artists in the minimal scene. His interpretation brings a fresh perspective to the track, reinforcing the release’s impact.

The mastering has been handled by Rob Small, ensuring a refined and high-quality sonic experience.

The artwork is an original drawing by Andrei Ardelean, with layout design contributions from Cim Pian himself, visually capturing the essence of the music.

Chronosphere marks a pivotal moment in Cim Pian’s journey, showcasing his evolution and dedication to pushing the boundaries of minimal house. Released on Phonichouse1, this vinyl is a testament to his enduring presence in the underground scene.

repressed !

It's been a busy 3 years since Danny Berman aka Red Rack'em released on his own Bergerac imprint.

Since then he's toured relentlessly, released a whole album of live music based disco/punk funk for Sonar Kollektiv as Hot Coins, managed to completely update his biggest track 'In Love Again' to make it a hit the second time around plus released spaced out, wonky party smashers on Wolf Music, Phonica, City Fly and Telefonplan.

While all this was going on Bergerac was largely on ice but now Berman is turning his energy back to the label with a vengeance.
Wonky Bassline Disco Banger is accurately titled. An uplifting intro breaks down into a slamming disco house number and just when you think you know what's going on...
Then the trademark Red Rack'em wonky bass drops in. 150% Guaranteed party smasher... Jazzy House Extension is super vintage Red Rack'em from around 2004 - something for the jazz heads out there - cracked out piano and far too loud double bass come together to birth a euphoric yet banging snapshot of a producer learning his chops. Destined is a slightly demented leftfield house number featuring mangled, pitch shifting fretless bass and vocals samples discussing someone's destiny.
A woozy end to the EP.

Since its founding back in 2014, Blume has carved a unique place in cultural landscape, issuing free-standing works, spanning the historical and contemporary, that represent singular gestures of creativity within the field of experimental sound. Joining their broad efforts in building networks of context and understanding that already includes the works by Werner Durand, Sarah Hennies, Bruce Nauman, John Butcher, Jocy de Oliveira, Mary Jane Leach, Valentina Magaletti, Alvin Curran, Julius Eastman, Alvin Lucier, and shortly after returning with the first ever vinyl release to attend to James Tenney’s legendary “Postal Pieces”, the label is now offering a brand new, ambitious work by the American composer Ben Vida, entitled “Vocal Trio”, conceived, performed, and recorded in Bremen, Germany, during the Spring of 2022. A truly stunning work of compositional conceptualism, combining the ideas of systems based synthesis with real-time vocal collaboration - issued in a highly limited vinyl edition of 200 copies mastered by Stephan Mathieu, featuring specially commissioned liner notes by Bradford Bailey and a leporello insert offering the piece visual score - it’s a landmark in contemporary experimental practice and arguably the most forward-thinking and exciting piece by one of the most exciting American artists working today.

Ben Vida first emerged during the mid 1990s within a loose constellation of experimental musicians, centred around a performance series of improvised workshops at the Myopic Bookstore in Chicago, alongside Jim O'Rourke, Kevin Drumm, Chad Taylor, and the other future members of Town and Country - Jim Dorling, Joshua Abrams, and Liz Payne - the band within which he would gain widespread recognition over the following years. Like many other members of that scene, Vida remains a restless product of a fleeting context - Chicago during the 1990s and early 2000s - continuously undermining concrete notions of idiom and signifier within a practice that witnessed him rendering bristling abstractions within Pillow, glacial melodies with Town and Country, the art-rock mayhem of Bird Show Band, and the angular, driving indie rock of Joan of Arc, before becoming immersed in a practice of systems based synthesis, beginning in the 2010s, that guided much of his first decade of output as a solo performer and composer.

As early as 2013, he began to incorporate acoustic sound sources - specifically the human voice - into his work. It was this shift, evolving and refining itself over the last decade, that underscores radically the leap in his practice represented by “Vocal Trio”, a work that encounters Vida composing for the human voice with the ideas that allow for synthesis - transferring the underlying concepts and structures of both subtractive and additive synthesis to the acoustic realm - without using a synthesiser.

During the Spring of 2022 Vida was in Bremen, Germany, collaborating on a dance piece with the choreographer Fay Driscoll, when the production fell into delays. Finding himself with time on his hands, a space at his disposal, and the company of two dancers - Amy Gernux and Lotte Rudhart - who were also singers, the idea for the piece - to utilising the larynx as audio paths (multi-harmonic or harmonically pure) while conceptualising each person’s mouth as a filter to sculpt the timbre and resonance of a given tone - began to take shape in his mind. Considering how typographical scores might be developed into a non-linguistic social framework, Vida drafted a single page of text - what became the score for “Vocal Trio” - accompanied by a set of harmonic suggestion and loose parameters, seeking a core meaning from each word's phonic make-up by each of the three singers (Vida, Gernux and Rudhart) singing as slowly as possible.

At the core of the pulsing vocal drones - intoxicating, harmonically rich long-tones - that make up the duration abstraction of “Vocal Trio”, is Vida’s regard for music as a social space. It is an experiment that seeks liberation through the act of collective music making, by challenging the terms through which the act of composing is perceived and then relinquishing control. The piece’s rehearsals were simply the three performers hanging out, allowing their knowing each other and natural dynamics to contribute to its form as the score, before recording during a single afternoon at the end of a number of days sharing company and space.

Creatively visionary and groundbreaking on numerous terms, as well as being intoxicatingly beautiful and remarkably listenable, Ben Vida’s “Vocal Trio” represents a striking step forward for one of the most ambitious and outstanding sonic artists working in the United States today. Issued by Blume in a highly limited vinyl edition of 200 copies mastered by Stephan Mathieu, featuring specially commissioned liner notes by Bradford Bailey and a leporello insert offering the piece visual score, this is hands down one of the most important contemporary records we’re likely to encounter in 2024.

Colombian Sensation Felipe Gordon Drops "Phasing the Shit" Ep on Phonogramme Records Colombian Dj and Producer Felipe Gordon Is Gearing Up to Shake Up the Electronic Music Scene Once Again With His Latest Ep, "Phasing the Shit," Slated for Release on Phonogramme Records This May. Featuring Four Electrifying Tracks, "Phasing the Shit" Is a Testament to Gordon's Unparalleled Talent and Musical Ingenuity. From the Infectious Grooves of "Who’s Gonna Be"to the Soul-Stirring Vibes of "Wait on You (Say Goodbye)", Each Track Promises to Take Listeners on a Sonic Journey Like No Other. "Keep Doing What You Love" Is a Rallying Cry for Self-Expression and Authenticity, While "Phasing the Shit" Serves as the Ep's Crowning Jewel, Enveloping Listeners in a Kaleidoscope of Sounds and Emotions. With His Latest Release, Felipe Gordon Solidifies His Status as One of Colombia's Most Exciting Musical Exports, Captivating Audiences With His Infectious Beats and Genre-Defying Style....

Early Feedbacks :

Laurent Garnier : lovely bluesy tracks ... Great EP for sure
Lea Lisa (Phonica Records / Folklor Club) : Phasing the shit, Dope !
Nightmares On Wax (Warp Records) : Whos gonna be is great ! Wait on you is dope ! Keep doing is tuff! Phasing the shit is dirty ! Love the e.p
DJ Bone (FURTHER) : Keep Doing What You love works for me.
Ame (Innervisions) : thanks
Kassian (Phonica White / Heist Recordings) : keep doing is so cool
Harri (Sub Club) : liking these, will play and support
Oliver $ (Classic Music Company / Play It Down) : lovley tracks!
Cesare vs Disorder (Serialism Records) : nice! will play, thank you
Satoshi Tomiie (Abstract Architecture) : Phasing The Shit is THE SHIT :)
Domenic Cappello (Subclub) : love phasing the shit ,class track
Marcel Dettmann : thx
Ugly Drums (Quintessentials) : Wait on you is a jam
Jon Hester (Rekids, EDEC, Les Enfants Terribles, L.A.G.) : Title track sounding good!
Domenic Cappello (Subclub) : love phasing the shit ,class track

One of the most consistent new labels around, Cyphon Recordings, marks double figures with another standout release that gleans from the past, but faces the future. This time they look to the talents of Emotive Technology, a new alias from Chilean Massiande who provides a five-track EP of machine-wielding, soul-rousing techno from across the spectrum.

Although this may be the first release under his new moniker, Massiande has spent the last decade putting out productions with labels such as Housewax, Phonica, Freerange and Groovin. Firing on all cylinders from the get-go, ‘Rise’ kicks off the Walk Into The Light EP. A hyperspace melding of new beat, Italo and arp-operating techno that opens out into a slice of peak-time revelry.

The swirling textures of ‘It’s On’ follow, pushing you into the next dimension. A hypnotic, entrancing and arresting heads-down powerhouse. Crunchy and considered it's the kind of strobe-stuttering basement jam that turns heads inside out.

Two Detroit-leaning tracks ‘Your Zone’ and ‘Walk IntoThe Light’ are up next. The former is a heavyweight machine workout. Layered synth lines and crisp drum programming transfix, as that grooving low-end powers bodies into bedlam. The latter, a Motor-City-influenced tour de force. One that sees Massiande recode the circuitry to hit with a piano-laden stunner, balancing power and presence, with emotion and nuance.

Closing out proceedings, ‘The Swing’ sucks you in deeper. A resonating world of synth stabs, pulsating basslines and atmospheric electronics.

Doing the Emotive Technology namesake proud, Walk Into The Light is machine music hardwired with a heavy sense of soul.

Glasgow's finest Austin Ato is first out of the blocks off this mysterious new series “I Love Your Edits” with a 4 track EP of Disco Edits & Reworks following on from his work on Classic Music Company, Percolate, Phonica White, Defected, Me Me Me, Futureboogie, Delusions Of Grandeur and our very own Pantai People.

Two tracks on the funkier edge, whilst two are full on face-melters, both will tear the floors up.

Limited 100 copies.

London lyricist Slim Papi returns for the 3rd and final release in his ‘Châteauneuf-du-Papi’ series with this 4-track EP.

Following collaborations with the likes of Crimeapple, Sonnyjim & Jam Baxter, this time London’s Slim Papi teams up with the Madlib-cosigned Chris Crack, who makes a rare appearance singing his way through the Max-B reminiscent hook as well as handling a 16 bar verse. Crack appearing fresh off the back of his latest ‘Free Sex’ LP and fellow wine-afficinado Griselda/Alchemist affiliate, Willie The Kid.

Continuing the trend set through his ‘Chateauneuf-du-Papi' EP series, the EP once again sees artwork courtesy of Dublin’s Johnny Brennan and includes tracks named after cult a movie directors, iconic restaurants and highly coveted bottles of plonk. The Jon Phonics produced lead single ‘Wim Wenders’ also features Luke Mills-Pettigrew of psychedelic-jazz experimentalists, Lunch Money Life, on bass guitar. Making the 4 track opus a truly all star cast.

Continuing the self proclaimed ’travel rappers’ world hopping theme (his last ‘I’ve Long & Prosper’ project written & recorded during a stint in Brazil) the EP was written during a short stint working the harvest at a friends vineyard in Portugal’s Douro valley, working 16 hour shifts, breaking only to cook twice a day. A vibe summarised in Papi’s effortless lyrics - “Precipitation, maceration, elevation, information highway generation, microphone mathematics, fry the amoratics” - and a work ethic translated to the music we hear. With his trademark themes of vintage vehicles, water sports and the finer things in life, the guest verses from Willie The Kid & Chris Crack match this energy with a little more bravado to spare.

Finger Prince recordings debut with the ‘Make U Feel Project’

A four tracker with the same assignment handed to four artists including some of the original Music For Freaks and Classic Music Company recording artists.

The first release is a close-knit affair with Lil’Mark handing out the project to who he regards as three close family members. No brief was given with the material so that all versions were unique. No spoilers either.

First up on side A, Mark provides a true groove with the swing he’s renowned for. Chords, catchy muting, stabs of vocal and a heavy rolling bassline sets the scene. Straight up house.

Track 2 is from Pale People who takes a great dub approach looping the bass and keys beneath the Vox adding tight percussion reminiscent of his Phonic Crunch collab’s with Mark. After a long hiatus it's great to have him back.

Side B Track 1 comes from Rob Mello doing his ’No Ears’ spectacular. It’s the Classic No Ears sound making great use of original elements and sounding fantastic as always.

Belgium’s export to Ibiza Bart Ricardo gets the final say on track 2. Taking it deeper Bart brings stretched chords into focus over a HEAVY kick and big bottom end. This track has a relentless groove with some well executed breaks.

The label ZIEMIA (Polish for EARTH) is centred around a growing group of friends from Poland. Administered by Bartosz Kruczyñski (Earth Trax), Adam Brocki and Jan Wójcicki (Private Press), it is a natural extension of a studio in the heart of Warsaw, where the majority of their music is being created. Ambient sounds and club vibes make the foundation layers of this collaboration, and you can see this theme evolving in some of their first releases on labels such as Growing Bin, Into The Light, Shall Not Fade, Indigo Aera, Phonica Records and Dopeness Galore. ZIEMIA's focus positions itself between club music and ethereal with an Eastern European background.

The second release captures different shades of club environment, from the straight-forward, rough DJ tool by Earth Trax and Newborn Jr. (A1) to deeper and more ethereal dub oriented grooves of Private Press (A2, B1). The last cut on the EP is an after hour downtempo anthem (Earth Trax and Newborn Jr. again), with uplifting pads and chilling leads layered over deep TR-808 drums.

From Ace Records’ early days, there’s always been a place in our hearts for music’s feminine side. A year having flown by since the release of our last compilation spotlighting the US girl group sound of the 60s – think castanets, anguished teen sirens, Svengali-esque producers and mini-sonatas about dreaming, dancing and moody boyfriends (sometimes deceased) – means the time has come for a new vinyl-only volume.

As 1968 drew to a close, the golden age of girl groups had seemingly been and gone: the Shangri-Las, Ronettes and Chiffons, for example, hadn’t had a hit record of note since 1966. Then along came ‘Condition Red’, a cleverly produced psychodrama performed by the Goodees, who grace the front cover and open the top side of this new comp in dramatic style. Over on the generally more soulful second side, Les Chansonettes are first up with ‘Don’t Let Him Hurt You’, a big production stomper written with Martha & the Vandellas in mind.

Elsewhere, Beverly Williams performs the very Lesley Gore-like ‘One Way Street’; ‘Go Away’ by the Murmaids (of ’66) is a lavishly produced number with a chamber pop vibe; ‘What Did You Do Last Night’ by the Drake Sisters was recorded in Phase-O-Phonic Sound; the lyrics of Denita James’ ‘Wild Side’ call to mind genre classics such as ‘He’s A Rebel’, ‘Out In The Streets’ and ‘Chico’s Girl’; and the Sweathearts close the show with a gorgeous harmony-filled update of the mid-50s oldie ‘Eddie My Love’. As usual in this series, the inner sleeve features a picture-packed 4,000-word track commentary by long-serving compiler Mick Patrick.

Nacho Marco drops Colors in Dub Vol.1—deep house soaked in warm analog dub. From the hypnotic “Midnight Blue” and its Satoshi Tomiie remix to the raw pulse of “Bumblebee Yellow” and “Electric Green,” this wax rides late-night frequencies straight from Valencia to Paris.

DJ Feedbacks :


Francois Kevorkian (Wave) : Love the Satoshi mix
Eddie Fowlkes (Detroit Wax, Rekids, Classic Music Company) : thanks
Travis Kirschbaum (Warehouse Preservation Society) : Loving this. Especially Midnight Blue!
Sascha Dive : Midnight Blue for me!!
Brothers' Vibe (Luv4Wax) : Super ep, great works!!
Radio Slave (Rekids) : Another superb ep from Phonogramme and Satoshi's mix is great.
Giles Smith : "midnight blue" is nice
Alexkid (Rawax / FUSE / NG Trax) : Totally my vibe. <3
Aleqs Notal : Yes !!
Italojohnson (Italojohnson) : Track 1 for me!
Ben Sims : Now downloading... will check asap!
Okain (Talman / Infuse / Pleasure Zone) : Electric Green is dope!
Satoshi Tomiie (Abstract Architecture) : Receiving great feedback from the dance floor!
Steffi (Dolly) : lovely release!!
Laurent Garnier : Cool tracks
DJ Bone (FURTHER) : Electric Green and Satoshi Tomiie remix work for me.
Harri (Sub Club) : lovely stuff, will play and support
Rob Pearson (Evasive Records / Sine 102.6fm) : lovely - right up my street, cheers ;-)
Felix Dickinson (Futureboogie, Rush Hour, Cynic) : Solid E.P. current fave Electric Green
Jorkes (Freeride Millenium) : lovely, thanks so much. xo
Kassian (Phonica White / Heist Recordings) : wicked
Jaye Ward (Dalston Super Store / Netil Radio) : massive quality as ever!! super deep and pulsing gear, electric green is ace! thx
Tim Sweeney (Beats In Space) : Sounds great
Chloe Caillet (Smile Records) : love this!
Stevie Cox (Sub Club) : really lush, thank you !
Raresh (ar:pi:ar) : thanks
Ame (Innervisions) : thanks
Geir Aspenes (G-Ha (Sunkissed)) : Thank u
Saoirse (Body Movements) : Super nice dubby vibes
Amotik : Very nice :)
Kai Alce (Real Soon) : Satoshi remix is hot!
Domenic Cappello (Subclub) : nice dubby house
Cee ElAssaad (ENSOULED) : Just the way I like it! dubby and groovy.
Mike Shannon (Cynosure) : Excellent work here from Valencia's finest!

Warehouse Find

Massiande has become one of the most captivating talents South America has produced for authentic House music.
An artist of multicultural roots, he was born in 1988 in Santiago, Chile, has lived most of his life to the side of US American people, has Dutch family heritage and his name derives from a Sierra Leone dialect. All of these global influences have had a great effect in the way he perceives and lives music.
Growing up as a profound and dedicated fan of Soul, Jazz and Disco; discovering House, a genre that connected these genres' roots with electronic experimentation, was a life turning point.
DJing since 2007, he is known for performing emotive and dynamic sets, with a moving soulful drive that resembles much of the spirit of New York, Chicago and Detroit pioneers.
After starting to focus on music production, 2013 brought his debut record "Heart Rushed Love" through German label Housewax, a record of classic vibes that received praise for its charm and character on underground scenes worldwide and, most notably, from House music artists in Chicago, including his personal hero, House maestro Larry Heard. Such a start would be a sign of great things to come.
Inspired by the same Chicago spirit, in 2015 the release of "Stand", through the prestigious MOS Recordings, represented a step further in his career as a producer, finding its place on the crates of DJs as diverse as Patrice Scott, Voiski, Apparat or Honey Soundsystem.
These days, Massiande brings a deeper and mature House sound which is reaching a wider audience, with his conceptual "Freedom" EP through UK's Phonica Records and the landmark "Yesterday, Today, Forever" EP on Jimpster's Freerange, while also revealing a consistent variety of skills on a fully dancefloor-oriented EP for Hercules & Love Affair's Mr. Intl imprint.
With a growing discography whose flair endures the test of time, Massiande's path thrives with a true passion for House that's appealing to both casual listeners and the most loyal purists of the genre around the world.

Frankfurt's legendary producer Roman Flügel returns to Phonica Records with the 'Cooking The Books EP', another four track collection of his idiosyncratic leftfield Techno.

Roman sets the tone of this release with the quirkily foreboding title track 'Cooking The Books', all zippy, skittering percussion and deep pulsing basslines. The sneaky off-kilter melody of 'Sensitive Contacts' continues the dark and sparse feel of the release, while on the flip 'Shameless' provides the EP's dancefloor climax while retaining its bleak, ominous theme. Finally, the clouds disperse and the tension melts away with gorgeous introspective ender 'Flowers'.

Orange Vinyl Repress

Thermodynamic Indieswing group Mindy Misty"s debut album Protoplasma Produced by Kramer of Shimmy Disc, 2nd Shimmy, Butthole Surfers, Ween, B.A.L.L, Galaxie 500. Handmade Records Best selling album to date.

Francois Kevorkian (Wave) : Lovely EP, atmospheric vibes.
Chris Udoh (Various) : Lovely !!!
Lea Lisa (Phonica Records / Folklor Club) : Fred P is a master of deep house. Live Long Love & When in Miami for me.
Will Hofbauer (Third Place, Wisdom Teeth, Rinse) : nice n deep ty!
Radio Slave (Rekids) : The King is back and what an EP ! Full support.
Jon Hester (Rekids, EDEC, Les Enfants Terribles, L.A.G.) : Lovely vibes on When In Miami and Live Long Love!
Jacques Renault : Nice EP, into When In Miami and The Heights in particular
Danny Howells (Dig Deeper) : Love Fred so much, always the highest quality music with soul. All four are stunners.
Dan Beaumont (Chapter 10 / NTS) : Always brilliant.. deeep! When in Miami for me
DJ Sprinkles (Comatonse) : thank you
Kai Alce (Real Soon) : Live Long Fred P!
Tomoki Tamura (Holic Trax) : pure class, deep house
Raresh (ar:pi:ar) : super! thanks
Laurent Garnier : FRED P alwayssssssssssssssss
Marcel Dettmann : thx
Archie Hamilton (Microhertz / FUSE) : Nice thanks
DVS1 : thanks
Alinka (Twirl, Classic, Crosstown Rebels, Batty Bass) : Beautiful tracks
Pat Hyland (Northside Loft Society) : Fred P is a master of deep. AWEsome EP!
Thor (Thor-Thule Records) : Another great release by the master of Deep House. Full support
Colin Dale : One of my fave producers from way back! Excellent 4 tracker with all the cuts 'hittin' the mark'. Will rotate & support.
Geir Aspenes (G-Ha (Sunkissed)) : Thank u
Jaye Ward (Dalston Super Store / Netil Radio) : Syncrophone just continues to churn out the goodness.. love Fred P too. so deep and full of the good soul ace! thx
Ame (Innervisions) : thanks
Domenic Cappello (Subclub) : love this
Greg Gow (Restructured / Transmat / KMS) : cool vibes full support
Jerome Sydenham (Ibadan) : When Miami is the business! Overall nice E.P!
Bill Brewster (NTS) : FRED P RETURNS!
Bailey Ibbs (Metafloor Records / Habits / Dansu Discs) : Live Long Love <3

As they landed from their extended hovering adventure – a journey en(capsule)ated by twists, turns and various chops – the Fast At Work crew found themselves drawn to the idea of a new, singular sonic flow. Always on a noble mission for a future-forward vision of higher-deeper tempos, the crew realized that often the most meaningful iterations of their gospel can be found in the most inconspicuous places – “not even noticed,” some might say. Within these subtle crevices, a rising duo emerged to carry this torch (disc) forward into new, uncharted realms. Taking inspiration from “Eteus,” the god of light and knowledge, this duo expertly crafted four original offerings, all with a distinctive, minimalistic fusion of breaky, hopeful expansion. While the title contribution echoes a sermon of oozing bassline flows and siren signals, “Drip Advise” equally mesmerizes with its spiraling melodies and strong percussive foundation. On the disc’s flip, the anointed duo broadened and refined their journey via the acid-tinged bedrock of “Creamavity,” while the final offering “Anxious” ironically synthesized the full pilgrimage into a polished musical (and vocal) definition – “release yourself, into the unknown.” With the hope of sharing this glistening gospel far and wide, the mystical duo prescribed a set of two reshapes from enlightened phonic gurus in their own right. While Wisdom Teeth’s K-Lone opted for the always reliable essence of strong foundational grooves and deep airy textures, Maara (founder of the newly formed Ancient Records) crafted an oceanic odyssey – over 10 minutes of timeworn atmospherics and sensorial sensibilities.

Peach Discs’ first EP of 2025 comes from DJ, producer, curator and all-round doer of great things James Priestley aka Secretsundaze.

The Mordisco EP accumulates inspiration from James' past and present, whether it be echoes of his time as a drum & bass DJ in the late 90s on "Closer," the UK Bass-referencing percussive drive of "Treat That Doll" or the title track's vocal contributions from partner Paula Juana, the result is a personal and true record that always retains the laser-focused dancefloor energy that James is so good at dishing up.

Lead single "Mordisco" serves to highlight both the UK x Colombia connection found in James' relationship to Paula, as well as his love for Latin American music in general. Paula's sultry vocals wrap themselves around tumbling drum fills, arcing synths and an insistent rhodes riff, creating something unclassifiably groovy, riding the line between house and techno while never settling into either. Sansibar takes the baton and runs further into propulsive, progged-out, dubbed-out territory on his remix – the first officially released remix on Peach Discs.

James founded Secretsundaze as a party series in 2002, and since then it's established itself as one of the most reliable names in electronic music, encompassing a record label, festival (Multi Multi), live band (Spirit of Sundaze Ensemble) and production outfit. The four tracks that make up this EP fit neatly into the lineage that James has cultivated over the past 23 years – paying tribute to history while not being beholden to it. Mordisco continues the deep, rhythmically ambiguous approach to house music that Secretsundaze championed since the first EP for Phonica Records in 2018, and continued with stand-out releases for Mule Muziq, Live At Robert Johnson and more recently Warning.

As long-time fans and affiliates of Secretsundaze (Shanti released her Alma EP on the label back in 2015), we're thrilled to be working together again and releasing this record into the world.

After recent excursions on X-Kalay and Craigie Knowes, Melbourne's Escape Artist follows on from his excellent 'Energy Breakthrough EP' on Phonica's main label with another special release, the 'Forgot Who I Was / Remembering' 12".

As ever, euphoria and energy are his production calling cards, with A-side 'Forgot Who I Was' gradually building and releasing its intensity, all delicately programmed melodies underpinned by a potent shapeshifting bassline.

B-side 'Remembering' is almost a flipside of the same coin, maintaining aspects of the previous track's two-step-esque drum pattern yet slowing and gliding along in a more uplifting direction, touching on ambient techno with flourishes of acidic breaks.

Phonica Records welcomes Nuage back to its main label for release number 40: the 'Only You EP'.

The Armenia-based, Anjunadeep and 20:20 Vision affiliated producer has been busier than ever since his last Phonica outing (2022's 'Pink Television') with yet another 5 EPs and a 12th (!) LP under his belt in the meantime.

Needless to say, he's an extremely experienced producer, able to turn his hand to a multitude of styles, with this 'Only You' 12" showcasing another four tracks of his signature atmospheric melodic House.

Chilean-born, Bristol-based DJ, producer, and vocalist Shanti Celeste is back with her highly anticipated second album, Romance, set for release on May 16 via the label head’s own Peach Discs, in collaboration with Method 808. Marking her debut LP on the cult London-based label, Romance sees Celeste fully embracing her artistic evolution, delivering a lush and deeply personal exploration of love, longing and self-discovery across its nine tracks. The album’s bubbling lead single, ‘Thinking About You’, is out now - an emotional and dancefloor-facing glimpse into Celeste’s new era with her voice at the fore.

Shanti Celeste has long been revered for her radiant and infectious sound in a vibrant blend of house and techno. Romance takes this signature style to new heights, exploring the depth of romantic and platonic relationships that permeates the record with a pop-infused sheen. With her vocals placed front and center for the first time, Celeste weaves a sonic tapestry that is as introspective as it is euphoric; it’s a love letter to romance, but also an ode to the transformative power of opening your heart.

For all of Romance's soft focus, it still functions for the dance floor - lead single ‘Thinking About You’ is poignant and heartfelt, driven by a shimmering groove and Celeste’s ethereal falsetto. Inspired by memories of a late friend, the song is a tribute to the enduring nature of love and loss. “He was my first boyfriend but also a really good friend,” Celeste shares. “He was a really important person in my life.” —a beautiful, danceable meditation on the power of remembrance.

The majority of Romance was crafted between Celeste’s home of Bristol and London, featuring collaborations with longtime friend and esteemed producer Batu on ‘Note to Self’, ‘Light as a Feather’ and ‘Softie’. The album also sees Celeste teaming up with Austrian-Ethiopian harpist Miriam Adefris, whose delicate instrumentation adds a celestial edge to tracks like ‘Butterflies’ and ‘Medicine’. It follows her previous smash hit ‘Ice Cream Dream Boy’ last summer, which was named a track of the year by both Mixmag and DJ Mag. Earlier this month, Shanti celebrated the release of the vinyl version with a packed-out in-store set at Phonica Records in Soho.

Shanti will be taking her Club Celeste event series to The Cause for the third year running on May 17, in celebration of the album release. The day & night party will feature sets from Shanti as well as Daisy Moon, Gabrielle Kwarteng, Lishy, Peach and Ryan Elliot b2b Ogazón. Tickets are available here: https://ra.co/events/2062135

With Romance, Celeste steps into her full potential, creating an album that is as deeply personal as it is universally resonant. The album arrives this summer via Method 808. Stream ‘Thinking About You’ now.

Since 2013 - Brighton & Barcelona duo PAYFONE have been releasing records on respected NYC and UK labels GOLF CHANNEL , LENG and DEFECTED.

Now releasing on their own OTIS imprint - PAYFONE deliver another deep 12 in preparation for their debut album.
In September 2024 PAYFONE released their WILD BUTTERFLY EP which appeared in many best of 2024 end of year DJ charts whilst gaining the support from the likes of Richard Dorfmeister, Leo Mas and Daddy G.
Phil Passera and Jimmy Day's productions continue to gain fans across the disco world with a template of synth and bass that equates to a heady and intoxicating excursion into early electronic soul disco circa late 70's / early 80's.
Known for their atmospheric, mid-tempo sultry selections, PAYFONE offer up another deep dive of synth-driven drum machine pleasure with remix duties courtesy of San Francisco trio 40 Thieves: Corey Black, Layne Fox and Jay Williams.

Latest offering VOLT to VOLT is a moody meltdown of Moog bass and full frontal vocals featuring the talents of North Carolina's JO GABRIEL HARRIS and New York City's TERI JACKSON.

Always a cut above, this Payfone release will be VINYL ONLY.

Get with it !

Payfone have released over 16 individual 12" releases, including Phonica's 'Record of 2023 - 'I Feel You'

Indian born, UK artist Michael Diamond, co-founder of Vasuki Sound label and club night, announces new EP Placid Wakefulness, featuring single ‘Reverse Entropy’. available on all platforms 5th December via Vasuki Sound.

A uniquely multifaceted talent, Michael Diamond’s unforgettable ‘jazzed electronic’ sound is informed by a spectrum of influences, not least by intersection of the scientific and practical worlds of electronic music. From the music scholarship he won to read Medicine at Oxford where he quickly discovered new ways in which the two worlds can co-exist, his days were spent immersed in academic studies of music perception and cognition, while his nights were spent alongside the likes of Ben UFO, Batu & Ross From Friends, playing at one of UK’s most long-established nights ‘Simple’. A chance encounter there also led him to connect with musical collaborator Alex Wilson – the BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year semi-finalist and then musical director of Oxford’s Jazz Orchestra – who appears frequently across Diamond’s compositions and on Placid Wakefulness.

No stranger to a concept piece, Diamond’s previous project, the highly personal and critically acclaimed exploration of culture and identity, Third Culture (album of the month/year acknowledgments from Stamp The Wax, Juno and Phonica Records, also earning him a DJ Mag ‘One To Watch’, a Youth Music Awards ‘Rising Star’ nomination and a Gilles Peterson’s ‘Future Bubbler’ accolade) explored the experience of being a ‘third culture kid’ born in Kerala, India and growing up in the UK with a sense of fractured identity.

On Placid Wakefulness, Diamond honours his academic research working alongside world-renowned musicologist Professor Eric Clarke. Specifically how music may affect our sleepfulness and wakefulness, how instinctively we are soothed by some sounds and energised by others - ‘what it is about dance music that makes people go hard all night long?’ and ‘what is it about ambient music that makes people feel the opposite way - to lull them into this sense of calmness or rest?’, mindful of the unconscious ways his findings were already manifesting in his work as an artist. And while his research provides a framework for some of the ideas within the piece, Placid Wakefulness can be viewed as more of an unintentional byproduct, or case-in-point of his findings, rather than a piece consciously constructed in their image.

Across Placid Wakefulness’s four tracks we find the artist unpacking a range of sonic ideas on this theme, from ambient calm to club-adjacent rhythms. The EP opens with hypnotic lullaby of ‘A Way of Listening’ complete with transcendent flutes provided by Alex Wilson, cello by George Lloyd-Own and a mellow groove. On the more energised ‘Reverse Entropy’, rhythmic ambiguity moves to rhythmic disambiguation with a four-to-the-floor beat as the track progresses, releasing tension and inviting an urge to dance as a jazz sax moment transmutes into glorious techno percussiveness.

On ‘Turning and Turning’ the bpm shifts down a gear, a sonic dreamstate where tough textural rhythms create a kind of liminal state tension. Closing out the EP we return to a sense of restfulness with the EP’s title track, where a gorgeous picked guitar loop interplays with vibrating ambient pads and a slow and steady beat. The Placid Wakefulness EP is a captivating testament to Diamond’s singular artistic talent and the fascinating interplay of neuroscience and how we experience and enjoy music.

Phonica AM proudly introduces the latest release from upcoming Irish-born producer and DJ, Rhythms Of Prescott. For fans of Pepe Bradock and Derrick Carter, this record is a must-have.

The A-side kicks off with 'Beat Heat', a driving filter house monster underpinned by dubbed-out percussion, playful vocal interjections, and infectious disco stabs. Following up is 'RGRT', which delves into a deeper vibe with slick jazz samples and a pulsating filtered bass line. The B-side brings 'The Instigator', a tension-filled mind melter perfect for early morning trippiness, featuring Rhythms Of Prescott's masterful sample manipulation and unique wonkiness.

This release showcases Rhythms Of Prescott's raw approach and jackin' sample manipulation to rock any dancefloor.

Onimikìg Algonquin: (n. an.)- thunder Timothy Archambault's unaccompanied flute pieces for this album have been inspired by Indigenous brontomancy (divination by thunder). Each piece highlights a different extended flute technique metaphorically related to types of thunder sounds: claps, peals, rolls, rumbles, inversions, and CG (cloud-to-ground). An important document of new music meets contemporary musicological research via Stephen O'Malley of SUNN O)))'s Ideologic Organ. The Indigenous flute used in this recording is made of cedar respective to the traditional woods used by the Kichesipirini and other tribes who live along the Ottawa & Saint Lawrence Rivers. To the Algonquin the flute (Pibigwan) is the wind maker or essence of the wind. Unlike other tribal nations whom the majority used the flute as a courting instrument, the Algonquin generally utilized the flute for more contemplative singular usage to mimic the sounds of nature or as a signaling device during times of conflict. When love songs were required, they were usually more plaintive in character expressing sadness, loneliness, or concerning the departure of a lover. The album intro begins with the shaking of a necklace of otter penis bone, fish spine, bear claw, elk teeth and deer hide, gifted from Algonquin Elder Ajawajawesi. It is meant to focus the listener's attention before the flute pieces begin. The warble or multi-phonic oscillation prevalent in all the pieces traditionally represented the "throat rattling" vocalization of the tonic note, sometimes known as the horizon of which the melody floats from. Due to the repetition of multi-phonic oscillation the performer will breathe erratically creating an altered state correlating with similar traditional ceremonial practices.

Dam Swindle return to Heist in excellent form with a 4-track EP in their signature style.

The iconic Amsterdam duo returned to the studio after their much-lauded ‘Minor Fools’ EP, where the lead track ‘That’s Right’ became one of the most heartwarming tracks 2023. Their recent contribution to the Phonica 20-year compilation -‘Allright (just a tribute)’- is turning into one of the biggest hits of this year with big plays on pretty much every festival around, whether it’s Glastonbury or Dekmantel. The guys are known for their ability to bend different styles into something very much their own and their newest addition to the Heist catalog is no different. The ‘Touch Me Again’ EP sees them go from sample-heavy house to classic 90’s piano-driven tracks with a touch of acid and it’s one you don’t want to miss.

The record starts with ‘Touch Me Again’, a house jam with chopped vocals, energetic synth stabs and a big breakdown. Add to that a touch of acid and you’ve got a follow-up to their Phonica hit of 2023.

‘Hang On’ takes you back into classic Swindle territory, with their signature sampling style and knack for finding those lush vocals. The synth chops and bassline give the track its upbeat energy and the distant filtered pads move in an ever so subtle way, that there’s always something new happening while keeping the attention on that catchy main hook.

On the flip, we see the guys take things a bit deeper with emotive vocals and introverted keys layered over a steady groove on their track ‘The Joy of Melancholy’. Fast-forward to the drop and all that energy comes free with a huge piano break, which propels the track into a blissful ‘hands-in-the-air’ dancefloor moment.

The EP closes with ‘Forever and Ever’, a gospel-inspired Deep house tune full of organ hits and off-kilter sample chops. This 4-track EP gives you jam upon jam upon jam and sees Dam Swindle solidify their position as the go-to artist in the house scene and keeps them at the forefront of electronic music.

Grab this record while you can and share the love,

Heist Recordings.

Over the course of a couple of years in the mid-1970s, several musicians from the St. Louis, Missouri area gave notice to club and festival crowds that they were there to rock the house down. Their cover and original songs were accentuated by a bedrock rhythm section, heavy guitar riffs and tasty solos, topped off with powerful vocals. Rockers that witnessed them agree—Back Jack created solid songs and high-energy performances. Beginning in 1971 as Trellis, the band members changed their name to Back Jack when they saw the bumper sticker that Kim McKinney’s dad, Jack McKinney, distributed during his election bid for the Mayor of Pacific, Missouri, home of the core three-piece band: Kim McKinney, Mike Collier, and Hans Myers (RIP). The 1974 version of Back Jack was active from very early 1974 to late-fall of 1974. The core three-piece band, Collier, McKinney, and Myers, recorded several tracks during their tenure and four of those tracks are included on this release. Temporary band members not on the recordings were Gary Reed (piano, RIP), Greg Witt (guitar, keyboards), Paul Cockrum (guitar), and Bill Niehoff (drums). The four-piece, 1975 version of Back Jack was a merging of members of Back Jack 1974 (Mike Collier and Kim McKinney) and another local band, Osage Lute (Jeff Ballew and Mike Lusher). They were active from late-fall of 1974 to late-summer of 1975. Four of the tracks on the Back Jack LP were recorded by these four musicians.

Bonobo alias Simon Green - heute einer der größten Namen in der Dance-Musikszene - tauchte erstmals Ende der 90er Jahre als einer der hellsten Sterne des Downtempo-Genres auf. Ursprünglich um die Jahrtausendwende veröffentlicht, ist Bonobos Debütalbum "Animal Magic" ein zeitloses Album und ein Kultfavorit unter den Fans geworden.

Aufgenommen auf einem Akai 4-Spur-Tonbandgerät, nimmt "Animal Magic" einen besonderen Platz in der Geschichte des in Brighton ansässigen Independent-Labels Tru Thoughts ein, denn es war das erste Album des Künstlers, das auf der Tru Thoughts-Compilation "When Shapes Join Together" debütierte. Bonobos Anfänge als talentierter DJ und Produzent begannen unter der Anleitung von Tru Thoughts A&R Robert Luis und seinen Label-Nächten in Brighton, wie z.B. phonic:hoop, wo Simon seine ersten Erfahrungen sammelte und begann, die ganze Nacht hindurch DJ-Sets zu spielen.

"Animal Magic" ist das Ergebnis von Simon Greens Zeit in der kreativen Küstenstadt Brighton und markiert einen wichtigen Meilenstein in seiner musikalischen Reife. Die Stadt übte einen entscheidenden Einfluss auf ihn aus und ermöglichte es ihm, seine Fähigkeiten als Drum-Programmierer und Produzent weiterzuentwickeln, während er unermüdlich als DJ in diesem kreativen Zentrum auflegte.

Während er in Brighton lebte, veröffentlichte Bonobo neben seinem kultigen Debütalbum "Animal Magic" eine Handvoll EPs und Singles wie "Scuba", "Terrapin" und "One Offs, Remixes & B-Sides" und legte mit anderen Künstlern von Tru Thoughts und Ninja Tunes in ganz Europa und Nordamerika auf.

Mit der Veröffentlichung von "Animal Magic" im Jahr 2000 wurde Simon Green als ernstzunehmendes Talent in der Szene bekannt, das der elektronischen Musik eine echte musikalische Note verleiht. Seitdem wurde Bonobo bei Coldcut's Ninja Tune unter Vertrag genommen und veröffentlichte sechs weitere Alben, darunter das GRAMMY-nominierte "Fragments" im Jahr 2022, während er seine DJ-Performance zu einer voll orchestrierten Live-Band weiterentwickelte, weltweit auf Tournee ging und zu einem beliebten Mainstage-Performer auf den größten Musikfestivals der Welt wurde.

BELFAST PARTY THE NIGHT INSTITUTE LAUNCHES NEW ELECTRONIC MUSIC LABEL

The Night Institute, the legendary cult club night at the forefront of Belfast's thriving electronic music scene, announces eponymous new record label.

Spearheaded by scene stalwarts Timmy Stewart of Black Bones fame and Jordan Nocturne, known for his contributions to labels like Correspondent and Polari, this new venture aims to showcase Belfast's true independent club scene on a global scale.
The Night Institute has long been synonymous with cutting-edge music, providing a haven for the city's electronic music aficionados.
With the label, the vinyl and digital project features tracks by both resident artists as well as global artists who've played at the party.
The inaugural release boasts a stellar lineup.

Alongside Night Institute residents Timmy Stewart (Ft. Northern Irish vocalist Megan Sylvan) and Jordan Nocturne, the record showcases guest appearances by Justin Cudmore, resident of New York's renowned The Bunker and regular contributor to Phonica Records, and Hifi Sean, who has been making waves with his collaborative project alongside David McAlmond while working with icons like Ce Ce Peniston and Yoko Ono.

The label aims to capture the essence of Belfast's underground electronic music scene, while joining the dots with global collaborators across four tracks of acid, odd-ball house and dance floor electronics.

Good Vibes for Uncertain Times

2023 Repress

Maston’s Darkland is a breezy collection of the material from the Tulips sessions that didn’t make it on to the original LP. Originally a digital-only release for those in the know in the autumn of 2018, after re-issuing Tulips in 2020 it made too much sense for Be With to give Darkland a vinyl release.

Like Tulips, Darkland was recorded mostly in Hoorn, in the Netherlands, between 2015-2017 during downtime from Frank’s touring duties with Jacco Gardner’s band. Bits were also done in Los Angeles on some extended trips back home.

The collection plays like an alternate view of Maston’s instant modern classic Tulips; a companion piece to the LP proper with similar mixture of shorter themes and more full length tracks. As Frank Maston explains: “I think Darkland is the shadow of Tulips in a way… what it might’ve been in a different universe. But the heart of Tulips beats in these songs as well and they evoke the same memories and feelings for me. I see my process playing out across these songs - lots of experimentation and trying out new techniques and sounds and just sort of going for it.”

Frank goes on: “It was all from the same pool of material, like 30+ ideas. I was making a lot of little demos… some would be more fleshed out and become songs and others would just be a cool riff and not go anywhere. When I started trying to form it all into an LP I went through all the sessions and ideas and collected the ones I thought were the most fleshed out and cohesive together as a whole. There were a fair amount of songs that were finished and in hindsight really should have been on Tulips (like what would’ve been the title track). And the rest of these songs are either very early versions of tunes that ended up on Tulips or some cool ideas that just ended up being dead ends. It definitely shows how wide my net was in the beginning before I narrowed the record down stylistically.”

Darkland opens with its ornate 39 second title-track before striding into “Tulips”, that full-length title-track that never was. It’s a real head-nod, percussive-rich electric piano stunner that would’ve been a comfortable standout on the album proper. But now this “downlifting” gem is given ample room to shine on this record.

The funky organ-led bass and drums workout “Immaculate Conception” will keep your neck gently snapping while MPC fiends go reaching for their sampler. And that’s gospel. “Love Theme No 3” cuts a breathtakingly stylish vibra-slapped swathe through the middle of the opening side before we’re startled by the pronounced bass and twinkling percussion of “The Owl In Daylight”. Charming digi-drums underpin the wonky synth (quiet-)banger “Innovative Patterns” which has a lovely melodic switch-up in the final third before the tempo (and hairs on your neck) rise on the faintly creepy yet imminently groovy “Osiris”. The gorgeously soft-focus “Groove Experiment No 3” closes out the first half in slow-mo wonderment.

The lushly melancholic “Raincloud” ushers in side B before the emotionally-stirring “Phonic” taps at the door, coming on like the long lost sister to Pet Sounds’ “Let’s Go Away For A While”. Next up, the swooning beauty “Love Theme No 2” keenly sways in front of you, growing ever more insistent and hypnotic. The too-short “Italian Summer” conjures the same flirtatious imagery as the title hints at whilst “Endless” is a fascinating “piano-pella” alternative version to “Rain Dance” from Tulips. “Wonder Theme” has a nostalgic, exotic 60s swing and album closer “Willow” is a hushed, campfire folk gem. The gently circular strumming is just magical.

Speaking to Aquarium Drunkard back in 2019 about the sessions that became Tulips, Frank noted: “I was really surprised by the lack of sunlight during my first winter in Holland, so I would call it Darkland which then became the name of the first demo I wrote during that time. It was also the working title of the record when I first started writing. Some are full songs that didn’t make the cut (including what would have been the title track), some are just ideas that I never finished.”

Whilst we were working on Darkland’s vinyl release Frank explained more specifically about the music that didn’t make it on to Tulips: “When I was putting together the tracklisting for Tulips I was already thinking that whatever didn’t make it onto the LP would be cool to release eventually somehow. The response to Tulips has been so passionate over the years that it’s nice to be able to offer another piece of that world. And for me personally it’s amazing to have more of my work out there in the world. Most common bit of feedback was that many of these songs should have been on Tulips. The odd friend says it’s much better than Tulips.”

Just like Tulips before it, Simon Francis’s vinyl mastering for Darkland has been cut at 45rpm so you can trip out to this as well at a woozy 33 1/3. The artwork too has been designed by Frank himself as a literal visual continuation of the Tulips cover.

We couldn’t possibly say whether Darkland is better than Tulips, and luckily we don’t have to decide.

After her stunning and well acclaimed debut album 'For Trainspotters Only' Ann Eysermans now releases 'Moonlight Shadoh', a tribute to her dog Shadoh. A record on which she explores the bond between herself and her faithful canine friend, Shadoh, through an extraordinary musical odyssey.

Ann Eysermans masterfully weaves together a tapestry of field recordings, candy-like harmonies,and Shadoh's distinctive houndly expressions. Creating otherworldly compositions that transcend genres which include recorded and integrated snarling feedback sounds. From the hauntingly beautiful melodies to the experimental sonic landscapes, every track tells a story that resonates deep within your soul.

Feel the heartbeat of Shadoh as his barks, whimpers and playful antics merge seamlessly with Ann's soothing vocals,harp and viola da gamba. These evocative arrangements will transport you to a realm where the bond between human and dog is translated into an aural spectrum swaying between desolate harp sounds, recollecting the eerie Jandek spirit lacing with doomy, and catchy as hell, new beat vibes.

Moonlight Shadoh is an exceptional journey blending acoustic instruments, phonic melancholy, analogue tape footage of Ann's personal sound archive and audio poetry.

RIYL:
Cross dressed Jandek in a vegan mood, Claire Rousay on expired XTC, Andy Stott with a hangover, William Bassinski on a happy moment, Kali Malone discovering new beat, Mica Levi in a dog shelter and other excellent music.

Hark! Joel Paterson returns to your holiday turntable with "The More The Merrier" (Hi-Fi Christmas Guitar Vol. 2). The guitar wizard from Chicago slides down your chimney once again with this latest program of instrumental gems. Recorded in lifelike "holiday-phonic" high fidelity, these 14 selections are a study in artistry and sound. "The More The Merrier" is a companion piece to the perennial fan-favorite, "Hi-Fi Christmas Guitar". No mere sequel, this new album will soon join its predecessor as an integral part of your holiday gatherings for years to come. This is music to please guitarists, carolers, and hi-fi enthusiasts alike. Limited "Ruby Red" colored vinyl.

Lonefront's new label Uncoiled returns with a four track offering featuring two collaborations with Dallas-based producer Decoder. The joint tracks are bookended by explorations in spectral tonality and employ subtle stereo-phonics with euclidean modulations to deliver a techno purity redux. Within, Decoder takes the lead on 'Null' a spacious yet jacking groove fit for peak-time. '56' defies Colundi convention with a monotonic motif before yielding with soft, undulating drones and harmonically-rich stabs.

Outer Order presents his debut EP on his own imprint with a journey through his sonic vision with 5 tracks that suit different moments on or off the dancefloor.

Heavily inspired by late 80s and early 90s UK, Detroit and Chicago productions that were brought to his knowledge by his father, Outer Order set out to recreate his own view on this era by indulging in the hardware and techniques used at the time, setting a timeless tone to this 5 track EP.

Recorded, produced and mixed by Reece Ashibende-Dunn aka Outer Order at his home studio in Mallorca, Spain.

No stranger to the limelight with a string of forward-thinking, sought-after releases under his belt, Snad joins the roster of cutting-edge artists bringing his spark to Phonica AM under curation of Luther Vine.

The 'Labyrinthine EP' opens with a relentless 4 to the floor club ready firestarter. Aptly titled 'Quark' hits the spot in all the right places. Its swinging drum work out and oscillating chords swirl to a frenzy and guarantee to set any a dance floor ablaze.

The A2 'Labyrinthine' boots off with Snad's unique take on UK 90s Tech-House, full groove, snare syncopation and whirlwind of off-centre synth cords, adding to his effervescent sound design.

The flip side opens with a killer remix fellow Berliner expat, Huerta's take on 'Quark'. The remix retains the destructive dance floor potential of the original and adds somewhat in the hypnotic trip out department. Full engagement is guaranteed from start to finish even for the more of an absent-minded listener on this one.

Snad closes the EP with 'Revival'. This cross-genre juggernaut effortlessly marries puncy breaks with dubbed out echos while the resonant synth chords and muddled vocal chops expand listener's perception of sonar possibilities to places few have imagined possible. One of the rare tracks which hovers on the fringe of experimentation but guarantees to move the peak time crowd of the most discerning listening habits.

Now in its eleventh year and following hype for recent releases from Osaka's Kiji Suedo (Hosek EP & Riot album) and Edinburgh's George T (Roll On, King's Cross single), Edinburgh's Hobbes Music label burrows deeper into experimental ambient terrain with brand new signing Galun. With a discography over 15 years deep, Galun brings no shortage of his own props.

Galun is the solo project of Moscow musician, artist, and producer Sergei Galunenko (currently based in Tallinn), who has performed at numerous prestigious Russian events and collaborated on projects internationally in a career spanning more than 15 years, with a discography to match, turning his attention to myriad styles: IDM, funk, techno, juke, post rock, beatboxing, free improvisation, drone.

“In my project, Galun, I do not use musical instruments,” he explains. “All the sounds are produced with only the use of my voice through beatbox and special vocal skills. Some effects are used to produce electronic sounds.”

Hot on the heels of the new Golos album (out now via Berlin's One Instrument) plus a remix for US collaborator Alek Finn via Nevada's Mystery Circles label, Galunenko’s eighth studio album, Glagol (or Glagolь / Глаголь in Russian) is an ambient collection, recorded between 2013 and 2022. The title is an old Russian word which translates as ‘Speak’.

"This album consists of tracks written in different periods, so it turned out to be diverse," he says. "There are classic ambient tracks, as well as experimental ones in search of new possibilities for voice processing."

Why "glagol"? “Since the music on this album is 90 percent processed voice, it's a form of conversation for me," he reveals, “where I talk about my thoughts and mood, so speak music, while using my voice, is an amazing way of expressing.”

Five singles will be released on streaming platforms only, at intervals, over summer, with the full album released on digital 25.8.23 and a limited edition cassette plus lathe cuts out from 8.9.23.

"How gorgeous is that?! I have heard the rest of the LP and it is all equally gorgeous" DEB GRANT played ‘Mirror’ (New Music Fix show, BBC 6 Music, 17.8.23)

"'Glagol' translates as 'speak', an apt title when you consider 90 percent of the noises contained on it originated as recordings of his own voice, and that lends the ambient experiments here a very human, tactile feel. Closing tune 'Mirror' is a serene masterpiece, '1981' is an evocative phase-fest, the stuttery 'Stone' is endearing and enrapturing and Galunenko generally displays a knack for communicating clear emotions through abstract sounds. Recommended." ELECTRONIC SOUND
‘Really beautiful’ AVALON EMERSON (US)
‘Really loving the Galun tracks!’ INTERGALACTIC GARY (NL)

‘Super!’ JD TWITCH (Optimo, UK)
'Wow, this sounds amazing. Loving the atmosphere here, ambient with some groove somehow, really feeling this one.' DAN CURTIN (US/DE)

"Sounds great. Looking forward to getting into this properly" LORD OF THE ISLES

‘Wicked. It’s great stuff’ DRIBBLER (Pikes, Ibiza // Paradise Lost, Red Light Radio, Pure; SP)
‘Very nice, will play on Cashmere Radio here in Berlin. Keep up the good musical works x ALEX VOICES (DE)
‘Sounds really nice. The sort of thing I’d absolutely listen to on streaming etc’ AUSTIN ATO (UK)
‘Excellent stuff as always’ PAT BENSBERG (The Eccentric Selection, Phonic FM, UK)
‘Digging this one! Right up my street and just the ticket for my Radio Buena Vida show’ TOM CHURCHILL (UK)

Bartosz Kruczyński, also known as artist Earth Trax, is arguably among the leading names in Poland’s current electronic music scene. Based in Warsaw, his music is deeply emotive and explores a wide-ranging sonic palette that is complemented by well-defined artistic concepts. He has already featured on labels including Phonica Records, Growing Bin, Into The Light and Shall Not Fade –with whom he released his acclaimed debut album in 2020–.

His Lapsus release 'Closer Now', takes a different trajectory to his previous album 'The Sensual World' Shall Not Fade, 2022, fundamentally an energetic and high tempo club record. In contrast, 'Closer Now' focuses on fresh and disparate ideas, with tracks that could typically be classified as more unrestrained B-sides that deconstruct sounds aimed at the dancefloor.

‘Closer Now' is influenced by liminal spaces and cultivates surreal and dreamlike qualities. Conversely it also possesses a sense of strength and grit, highlighted by moments where electronic distortion bares its teeth. It is an album that both refers both to IDM and chill out rooms.

repressed !

Nachdem sie in den vergangenen zwei Jahren die Saat gesät hatte, ist Peggy Gou nun dabei, 2018 die Früchte zu ernten. Im April hat sie beispielsweise ihr Coachella-Debüt in Kalifornien, aber begonnen hat ihr Jahr mit dem Podcast für die Kolleginnen und Kollegen von Resident Advisor, der mit ihrer großartigen neuen Single - It Makes You Forget (Itgehane)' endet und ihrer kommenden EP - Once' entnommen ist, die am 2. März 2018 via Ninja Tune erscheint. Geschmeidig, unmittelbar tanzbar und eingängig in seiner Einfachheit, hat Peggys charakteristischer Produktionsstil das nächste Level erreicht, mit dem sie die Single nicht nur selbst komponiert, sondern zum ersten Mal auch selbst eingesungen hat. Die in Südkorea geborene und in Berlin wohnhafte Peggy Gou hat sich mit einer Handvoll Knaller-12' bei Labels wie Rekids und Phonica White, sowie mit ihrer 2016er - Seek For Maktoop'-EP über das Ninja Tune-Sublabel Technicolour einen starken Namen in der Szene erarbeitet und ist quasi zu dem gegenwärtigen DJ-Postergirl schlechthin avanciert. Die Kombination aus ihren zutiefst Groove-geleiteten eigenen Produktionen und ihrer Leidenschaft für das DJ-Pult, das sie Woche für Woche auf der ganzen Welt aufs Neue besteigt - von Glastonbury zur Panorama Bar, De Schoon, DC-10 und dem Dekmantel Festival - hat ihre Fanzahl in kürzester Zeit auf ein Vielfaches anschwellen lassen.

This year we have the chance to have onboard some of our favorite new talent from the scene with the like of Burrito Eats, Emapea, Oksami, Flughand and Wun Two. We also have the chance to have standard bearers like Okvsho, Saib, Handbook, Phonics, SamuW, Shuko and Vanilla.

We want to thank so much all the artists who took part in this project and that were as enthusiastic as we are in its realization. It’s been such a thrill since this venture started and this is just the beginning. Much love to all of you guys listening and supporting wherever you are.

PEACE.

Hip Dozer Fam.

Chilean producer Massiande returns with another record on Phonica's family of labels, with his new 'Through The Walls' EP landing on the deep house focused Karakul imprint this time round.

Since his well received 'Freedom EP' on Phonica White, Massiande has had a string of strong releases on Freerange, No Fuss and Midnight Riot, adding to an already formidable back-catalogue including 12's for Housewax and M>O>S.
'Through The Walls' may be his most accomplished project to date, with the level of production at a particular high, ranging from the crisp, punchy title track to the submerged Dub Techno of 'Dub At The Beach' and on to the melodic beauty of 'I Remember When I First Met You'.
He rounds the 12" off with 'New Life', another new classic sounding like a rediscovered anthem from yesteryear...

We can see this 12" lingering in record bags for quite some time!

Remembrance follows a similar formula found on zake's previous effort, Geneva (released on Past Inside the Present, 2020). He produced eight short phonic motifs and then invited artists to collaborate, rework, and expand upon the source material resulting in a new, unique creation. The album consists of eight short vignettes by zake, six collaborative pieces, and eight completely reworked tracks. The track titles and overall theme of these works are based off the gorgeous poetic narrative "Remembrance" written Julia Frizzell.

Chìsake Algonquin: to chant; to conjure; to cast a spell; this generally involves a shake-house, or shaking tent, in which the conjurer goes into a trance; the conjurer then has an out-of-body experience, going into the future to predict coming events, or into the past; as well as going into any locality in the universe to seek out someone or something generally practiced for ancestral divination.

The unaccompanied flute pieces within this album are adaptations of Anishinaabeg shaking tent chants. The Anishinaabeg also known as Anishinaabe are a group of culturally related Indigenous peoples that reside in areas now called Canada and the United States. They include the Odawa, Saulteaux, Ojibwe (including Mississaugas), Potawatomi, Oji-Cree and Algonquin peoples. The word Anishinaabeg translates to "people from whence lowered". The Anishinaabeg origin myths describe their people originating by divine breath.

The shaking tent or conjuring lodge was the setting for a divinatory rite performed by specially trained shamans otherwise known as Chìsakewininì. During the shaking tent ceremony the Chìsakewininì would construct a special cylindrical framework typically of birch or spruce uprights planted in the ground with respective wood hoops to bind it together. This created a tensile structure of which birch bark, deer skin, or cloth was used as a covering. Rattles of caribou and deer hooves, or cups of lead shot, were tied to the frame. The floor was usually softened with freshly cut spruce boughs. The vertical axis of the shaking tent represents the realm of mediating beings, while the horizontal axis the earth or world of humans. The Chìsakewininì would enter the shaking tent at night and once inside would not be visible from onlookers. The singing of chants and drumming would summon the Chìsakewininì's spirit helpers, whose arrival was signified by animal cries and erratic tent shaking. During this transcendent state, the Chìsakewininì could dispatch these spirit helpers or Manidò to distant regions to answer questions from the onlookers about the most auspicious places to hunt, the well-being of a distant relative, and what would happen in the future.

The chants were usually sung using vocables before, during, and after the Chìsakewininì entered the shaking tent. Like many other similar divination ceremonies, singular or collective, the opening chants begin lyrically. They gradually turn to more reductive abstract structures midway and then end in lyrical chants. This symbolizes the performer and listener leaving the external literal world, entering a more abstract state of mind, and then returning. Traditionally all songs were carved on birch bark for record-keeping with mnemonic pictographs or other marks for future use. Tally mark clustering, sometimes used for song-keeping throughout the Anishinaabeg, is used for this album's track titles and numerical sequence.

The album intro begins with the shaking of a necklace of otter penis bone, fish spine, bear teeth, elk teeth and deer hide, gifted from Algonquin Elder Ajawajawesi. It is meant to focus the listener's attention before the flute pieces begin. The warble or multi-phonic oscillation prevalent in the middle tracks traditionally represented the "throat rattling" vocalization of the tonic note or sometimes known as the horizon of which the melody floats off of. Due to the repetition of multi-phonic oscillation the performer will breathe erratically creating an altered state correlating with the Chìsakewininì ceremonial actions. All songs are repeated seven times to signify the seven sacred directions: east, south, west, north, above/sky, below/earth, and center.

Psychemagik are the renowned duo of Daniel McLewin and Thomas Coveney hailing from the UK, best known for their carefully crafted DJ sets and distinctive edits.

In 2019 they released their long lost LP ‘I Feel How This Night Should Look’ featuring for the most part a collection of unreleased material written and recorded over a decade ago. Two of the tracks had made it out ahead of the album with a life of their own; a self released EP that featured ‘Above the Clouds’ and the 10th Anniversary of Phonica which included ‘Triumph of the Gods’.

Here Psychemagik revisit the latter with brand new remixes from Prins Thomas and Richard Norris. Thomas stays true to form with a percussive, glacial take that vibrates around the existing arrangement composed by Richard Chester at the infamous Air Studios. Whilst Norris ups the psychedelia pulling on Renate Staal Nygard’s stunningly melodic vocal accompaniment.

The Pineapple Thief, are one of the leading lights of Europe’s experimental rock domain, led by post-progressive mastermind Bruce Soord & reinforced by Gavin Harrison (King Crimson) on drums.
Following the release of their latest studio album ‘Versions Of The Truth’ in September 2020, the band were preparing to start the album’s live campaign, when like so many other artists, their plans were put on hold by the continuing global pandemic.
Eager to still perform & connect with their fans across the globe, in April 2021, The Pineapple Thief filmed an extravagant on demand live event entitled ‘Nothing But The Truth’ directed by band videographer George Laycock (Blacktide Phonic/Visual).
Bruce Soord explains” “The Pineapple Thief is equally about the studio & the stage, so it was hugely disappointing that we were unable to tour, especially as we were excited to be able to perform the
new album ‘Versions Of The Truth’ live for everyone. Being able to do this film, especially under the circumstances, was invaluable. We all knew we did not want to shoot a film of us standing on stage staring at an empty room. We wanted something special, something ‘cinematic’ so we have created something unique & something very, very special that I am proud to have been a part of. I can’t wait for people to hear it.”
Drummer, Gavin Harrison adds “Nothing But The Truth” is a highlight for this band in terms of captured performance.
The Pineapple Thief’s 2018 anthemic release ‘Dissolution’ garnered worldwide acclaim from both media & fans, earning them their first UK Top 40 album, #1 UK Rock & Metal album & #22 on the German album charts. It took them on two extensive sold-out European headline tours & their first ever tour of North America.
‘Versions Of The Truth’ raised the standard yet again by delivering, quite possibly, one of the most important rock albums of 2020.
‘Nothing But The Truth’ captures The Pineapple Thief at their very best performing songs from their illustrious catalogue including for the first time live, songs from ‘Versions Of The Truth’.
The release will coincide with the rescheduled UK & European live shows this autumn & continue into 2022 with more dates to be announced.
The soundtrack to ‘Nothing But The Truth’ will be released on a gatefold black vinyl double LP with an 8-page printed colour booklet.

Phonica White is back with a special four track EP from up and coming London-based producer Keisuke titled ‘At Last’.

Hailing from Manchester, Keisuke (aka Christopher Iwatsu) has a long and varied background in music. From an early age he learned and performed orchestral percussion, touring the UK and Europe. Then, while studying in Glasgow he became immersed in the city’s fertile club scene and began to fuse his percussive experience with dancefloor production, slowly honing his craft over the past decade.

For a debut 12”, the record is therefore a refreshingly refined statement of intent. The four tracks range from uplifting rolling rhythms (‘At Last’) to serpentine melodies (‘For Petre’) and bumping introspection (‘Going Nowhere’) to lighthearted complexity (‘Hatsu’). Every piece is carefully considered and executed, primed for the floor and the mind.

Artwork as always is supplied by the talented Pedro Carvalho de Almeida.

TRANSVITAEXPRESS is a psycho-phonic tale of the afterlife. Maybe one of the weirdest italian albums ever released.

'TRANSVITAEXPRESS is the sonorous realization of an idea that had been developing in me for some time and to which the encounter with the poet Barbarino gave the decisive push. I used the "tape-sound" technique, that is the organization and integration of sounds, noises, speech, song and rhythm, of which the resulting sound, being the result of electronic manipulation of the sound events themselves, is audible, therefore repeatable, only by means of magnetic tape. The sound material is, in part, reportage, so the work often takes on the character of a “disc-truth”, in part it is a faithful reconstruction of parapsychological events. We have defined this work "Psycho-phonic tale" in fact it is a sound experience, that is, a journey into the world of sounds of an "afterlife", rooted in us due to childhood, ancestral reminiscences, superstitions, legends, anxieties, utopias and above all fear. Fear of the mystery, fear of the unknown.

TRANSVITAEXPRESS is therefore the sound representation of these cultural and existential limits, and is therefore a critical, liberating, provocative work. I certainly do not expect, and perhaps I do not want someone after having listened to tell me that it is "beautiful".

TRANSVITAEXPRESS is the name of a train full of ... that travels in an afterlife so "beyond" that it coincides with the most central point of my ego. Perhaps the most logical "end-continuation" of life, the least imaginative, the least corrupt. The distortions, things that are too, or too little, defined, realistic situations, clichés, monotheisms and captions are embedded in the most traditional dream fabric, the most suitable in my opinion to promote approaches with the mysterious, with the esoteric, with the magical.'

M. GIOMBINI

Harry Wolfman has been a staple member of the Dirt Crew family since his debut collaboration with Loz Goddard in 2016. We’ve since seen considerable growth with EPs on Phonica’s “Karakul”, “Omena” and “Outplay” all lending a hand to the development of his signature sound into its now established lo-fi style, delving into a range of genres... ethereal ambience, electro and left-field rhythms, and of course deep, often break beat laden house grooves.
This new EP is no exception, Harry drops some irresistible dance tunes with “Walk With Me” and the banging title track “Sly Contrast” but also explores the boundaries of his palette with the vocal interludes “A21z” and the majestic “Courage” featuring the voice of “Mona Vale”, dipping a toe into the floaty world of lo-fi pop.
We also find ambient and Jazz elements cleverly combined in “Fhloston Paradise”. And the closing drum break joint “Wokit Shep” loops live drums, strings, piano and brass elements, twirling towards a majestic finale reminiscing dusty jazzy Trip Hop and instrumental Hip Hop pieces.
This record offers hope for better times... we are really glad to have Harry back with these strong tunes and can’t wait to hear these out again on a juicy sound system. Enjoy!

Angel Tears in Sunlight is Pauline Anna Strom's first album in over thirty years; an assemblage of music that refracts the expansiveness, and minutiae, of imagined realms while embracing the kaleidoscopic echoes of our distant epochs. The capacity to collapse time might elucidate the enigma of Pauline Anna Strom. A mystic force in music, emerging during the dawn of new age as the Trans-Millenia Consort, the pioneering synthesist channelled primordial energies into future-facing sound through a series of full-length releases between 1982 and 1988. Little was known about her, except by a constellation of devoted followers who saw a unique legacy forming amidst the (mostly male) synthesist canon of the time. Following the 2017 release of Trans-Millenia Music, an anthology revitalizing the most evocative parts of Strom's catalog, the Bay Area visionary sensed the universe telling her to return to music. As with her work in the 80s, Angel Tears in Sunlight was composed and recorded in the same San Francisco apartment where Strom has lived for almost four decades in synthesis with her machines and "dinosaurs." Populated by a compact array of modern instruments that streamline the sound of her analog past and her beloved iguanas, Little Soulstice and Ms Huff, the terrarium of her home forms an intimate yet limitless ecosystem that defies the constraints of the outside world. Within this sanctuary, Strom becomes lost in time, drawing on the ancient energies of her inner visions. Her hardware forms the crux of translating these ideas into sound. "It's the only way this stuff can be pulled out of myself, the universe, Little Soulstice, an ammonite_," Strom notes. "It couldn't be done without this machinery, because there's no other way to draw and capture these frequencies into sonic interpretation." Strom's process of recording transient live-takes enriches the mystery of her work. She renders the machinery a composer itself, a cohabitation with a living other. "Many musicians wouldn't go that far because of ego," Strom muses. "The equipment has to become part of you and your creativity. That's how I think it all comes together." Music-making becomes a harmonic language of intuition with an instrument, where Strom cultivates sound for a harvest that defies season. Shaped by circadian contours, Angel Tears in Sunlight is a celestial observatory of earthborn phonic mosaics. Strom uncovers a symbiosis between hardware frequencies and apparitions of nature in the record's arena of organic tones, emulating the melodic pulses of primeval terrain. The album transcends both shadow and light, falling to hushed stretches of sound as if not to awaken antediluvian animals, before soaring through the treetops where ancient skies peer over reptilian traffic and unsparing rains.

There are few things in design (both sound and art) that are more subjective-or more important-than the use of color. 'Color Language' takes the listener through various characteristics of four different colors. Cultural differences can have different reactions to color. A color that cultivates joy may be depressing or melancholic in another culture. The phonic output of Color Language may reveal similar characteristics that leave the listener to decide how the react to each arrangement.

In 1978 Pharoah Sanders went into the studio with pianist, Ed Kelly, who was an important figure in the local San Francisco and Oakland jazz scene. The two of them recorded six tracks which ranged from covers of standards, through soul jazz through to two real gems. The album was originally released as Ed Kelly and Friend due to Pharoah being contracted to Arista Records at the time. Indeed, as you can see, the cover shows Kelly playing next to Pharoah’s hat, shoes and Selmer tenor saxophone.

Rainbow Song, a Kelly composition, opens matters in a manner far removed from Pharoah’s work on his Impulse albums (although there had been a dramatic change of course when he signed with Arista and recorded). This is firmly in Grover Washington Junior territory with a liberal sprinkling of oh so tasteful strings. The Master’s sound is full and mighty as ever.

With the radio track out of the way it is business as hoped for and Newborn is a Sanders composition that burns with intensity. The power of his solo is as good as anything he has produced and he runs over the full span of the tenor’s range and onwards into territory lesser known or explored by 99% of sax players.

Sam Cooke’s You Send Me is treated with reverence and respect, with Pharoah delivering a sensitive and heartfelt rendition and ending with some extraordinary phonics, which we will meet again on later albums. Kelly’s accompaniment complements Sander’s playing before he receives his own space for a shimmering yet restrained solo which discloses what this non-pianist assumes to be an agile right hand.

Answer Me My Love is an early 50’s ballad with a fascinating back story. On its initial release in post-war Britain, covers of this fine melody stirred sufficient controversy for the song to be banned by the BBC. What led to it being barred from broadcast on the Light Programme and treated like Anarchy For The UK, Wet Dream and Give Ireland Back To The Irish? I can reveal that the reason for this draconian action was that the original version was entitled ‘Answer Me, My Lord’. In the olden days, it seems that a direct appeal to God was considered to be blasphemous- especially if set in a secular or selfish. Further research indicates that Nat King Cole made the most celebrated recording and that Bob Dylan used to sing it live in the 1990’s, presumably during his overtly Christian phase. Anyway, it is a grand tune.

Pharoah went on to record at least three studio versions of his great anthem You’ve Got To Have Freedom but the one here is the earliest incarnation that I am aware of. It is also the most restrained treatment of the theme, although Pharoah’s solo shows his ability to play with fire and power over the entire range of the horn. There’s plenty of space for Kelly’s piano too and he provides an elegant setting for Sanders’ exploratory work.

*repress*

Justin Cudmore returns to the Phonica White shelves with four new tracks, and his long-awaited first full EP since 2017's "Forget It" for The Bunker New York. With the dancefloor seeming far outside our reach right now, 'Train Dance' transports us back to a simpler time lost in the mix.

Across the disc, Cudmore reflects on the sounds and scenes closest to his heart and record bag, flexing his knack for crafting catchy hooks and the kind of ear-worm melodies that helped cement his status as one of house & techno's fast-rising stars. A1 "Train Dance" is his ode to the urban symphony of train cars whirling past his apartment in Brooklyn, with eight minutes of swingy, jacking house built for a sunny afternoon set across the pond at Panorama Bar.

"Club Fetish" shifts to a more introspective, heads-down vibe crafted instead with a dark and sweaty basement in mind. A touch of psych à la classic John Tejada, Cudmore's subtle, squelchy synths rub shoulders with cerebral drums and floating basslines.

The B-side nods to Cudmore's acclaimed acid sound for two deep slow rollers. "Expectation Game" and its no-nonsense 303s chug through a couple of understated breakdowns, while "Realize" was written with a Detroit outdoor patio in mind, with a sleazy acid bassline and cut up vocal groans sounding like Cudmore riffing on a late-night Moodymann jam.

Recorded during a productive time of new beginnings and positive headspace, ‘Train Dance’ comes out during a strange and unclear present for Cudmore and many of his contemporaries in the scene. However given it all, Justin remains excited to share new music and sounds, and hopes to return to the dance floor with everyone again as soon as safely possible.

Artwork as always is supplied by the talented Pedro Carvalho de Almeida

A fresh but already affirmed face, Joannes likes his techno solid. With Noordster he gives us a showcase of a certain aesthetic, which on a certain day, for a certain ear, on a certain floor is simply the shit. Spartan in his sparsity, varied in diversity, Joannes knows what he wants. With 3030 he takes us into a Millsian orbit warp, Whisper lands us on Hoth where ice and wind abound. Tripyness is the chugger here, deep and beautiful, like the sea in a storm. Wake goes down the quirky path, with small audio-phonic nuances piercing the air and the riddim holding the groove. And then, out of nowhere comes Ghetto bird, as soft and gentle as the Nightingale and the Rose. Wilde stuff. To top off the package, we go south, to the lands of sun, sea and dance with Housey Yo! Nice tribal atmospherics and smart Four Tet-like melodies. This one has that B-side moment. Let’s make it happen. All in all, a welcome addition to the label, bring on the sounds Johnny boy.

Rising Welsh producer // DJ Harrison BDP has been making some serious noise as of late, with a string of stand out releases on Phonica, Berg Audio & Lost Palms. This time making his debut on Shall Not Fade with some of his most weighty productions to date. ‘Sound Expansion Meditation’ takes the listener on a voyage of discovery with spacey synths, dusty drum sequences and floating bass riffs.

Frankfurt dynamo Shan, fresh off the back more eclectic fire for Running Back and Live at Robert Johnson, get's to dive into the legendary Candi Staton vocal vaults, and comes back up with 'One Day' : classic sounding, piano-lead house on the Deep Mix, tough, big floor bumper on the Ruff Mix.

Remixes come from fast rising Bristol newcomer Litherland and Phonica's Earth Trax, both strong, with breaks and piano's on the former, space and widescreen dub all over the latter.

The next release in the Phonica Special Edition series comes from Ukrainian duo Asyncronous who first came to our attention after hearing their critically acclaimed debut on Berlin label Slow Life, 'The Art of Fighting In A Dream'.
A Phonica favourite, it provided the soundtrack to many days in the shop throughout the year, culminating in its inclusion in our top ten Best Singles of 2019!

The Phonica Special Edition series is focused on one-off projects, special remixes or collaborations, highlighting music that is slightly left of the dance floor and pairing it with unique artwork.
This time featuring a beautiful piece by celebrated Ukrainian artist, Mykyta Storozhkov.
The pair initially joined forces in an effort to explore human imagination and life experiences through music, focussing on creating feelings and atmosphere rather than be constrained by genre limitations. The result on this EP is a hazy cosmic trip through their universe of synth swells, deep sub bass and meticulous percussion.

The journey begins on 'Padma Kirtanam' with a constant drone providing the backbone to a building tension scattered with drums. The tension releases and makes way for A2 'Shinkansen', a beautiful track with minimal drums and dubbed out synths which echo around the listener's ear. Closing the A side 'Volta' continues this aesthetic but adds a 4x4 kick drum upping the groove to a cosmic deep house jam.

'Avalanche' kicks off the B side of the record with a syncopated bass line and skitterish hi hats. The energy is at its highest level here and only stops to make way for the next track 'Blocks of Despair'. The tempo drops and drum hits reverberate above stretched out bass notes creating arguably the most heartfelt tune of the release.
The EP ends with 'Midnight Sun' an ambient excursion that invites you to drift off with Asyncronous into outer space.

Today we have many opportunities to discover the world and travel through it without leaving your own room. In the age of globalisation, with the help of knowledge, technology and imagination, you can instantly teleport yourself to mystical temples of India or see the sun above the polar desert at midnight. No more borders - we are connected like never before, as if we are not at different ends of the globe, but on a single and indivisible continent that is not mapped but exists in a plexus of global events, information flows and digital environment.
This is our common home. Our new Pangaea.

Having re-launched the Secretsundaze label last summer with their 'Stand Up' EP, the Secretsundaze production team make a marked return with the aptly titled 'Devious' EP. This follows on from a bunch of releases on the label from Silvestre, Carista, Eliphino and Joe Claussell.Secretsundaze also recently started a new re-edit series 'Secretsundaze Edits' with a contribution from themselves and Ge-ology topping Juno's Bestsellers charts (no.1 All Genres) for a good stint of February, gaining love from the likes of Gilles Petterson, Mary Anne Hobbs & Antal along the way. The pair have also recently released on esteemed labels such as Live at Robert Johnson, Phonica and Mule Musiq.

Like many electronic artists, Ryan Lee West aka Rival Consoles spent his early years experimenting with IDM, glitch and dance, but one consistent element in his musical journey has been his desire to create a more organic, humanised sound. Through these experimentations he has found a process of producing electronic music that feels close to this urge. Restricting himself to a small selection of analogue equipment, West engages his hands directly with instruments and is very selective about what he then records into the computer. He reduces musical parts even further, leaving enough space around the sound for it to breath.

‘Odyssey’ is a reflection of West’s quest to create atmosphere and space from minimal arrangements. ‘I don’t like music to sound overly laboured, so I restrict how much is going on. I’m kind of obsessed with the idea of reduction.’ The new 5-track EP was mastered by Naweed and will be released worldwide on October 21 in the form of a 12" Vinyl and Download via Erased Tapes.

‘Odyssey’ and ‘Voyager’ are both incredibly stripped down and have a great sense of space throughout them. It's all about using the right ingredients at the right points in time. A lot of these ingredients are short recordings, such as ice cracking, mechanical clicks, clicks from synth errors, sounds of debris, guitar plucks etc., which interact with the simple arrangements and create little hints of rhythm. I also love the technique of swelling in music, but I realised that hardly anyone has done that in electronic music. So when I first got the synth to swell in and out with the opening chords of ‘Philip’, it was a great moment. Because it creates a human mood in a matter of seconds, which is very difficult to do with electronic sounds. That track is very important to me, and I think it will influence how I make music in the future.’ – Ryan Lee West

West will perform alongside his contemporary composer mates Ólafur Arnalds and Nils Frahm for a special electronic Erased Tapes night as part of London’s The Hydra series on October 18. The same day will also see a special in-store event at Phonica Records, where West will showcase the ‘Odyssey’ EP amongst other tracks on his beloved analogue gear, joined by South London artist Supermundane creating a live art piece in the shop window.

Clear Vinyl Repress!

Taken from a mysterious Acetate cut by Derrick May in 1987 this release was originally penned for KMS offshoot Pheerce Citi.

Both these sides were later released - 'The Darkside' = as 'A Relic' (by Longer Than Long ago) and 'Tic Tic Tic' was later released on the limited edition compilation as Music Institute 20th Anniversary as 'Untitled'.

Both tracks are however, very hard to get on vinyl and have now been re issued as loud 45rpm pressings in Pheerce Citi artwork and remastered for 2014.

300 copies of this release were released in different artwork at Phonica Records as part of RSD 2014 which sold out in a week...

Frustrated with UK club music's current fixation with tempo, London based artist Kouslin's '2020 Vision' EP delivers four cutting edge, high energy clubs tracks that hover around the 100bpm mark. Drawing on both dancehall influences and the productions of artists such as Harmonic 313 / Mark Pritchard and The Bug, Kouslin carves his own vision for a new decade in UK club music where fine tuned low frequencies and a slower pace can deliver maximum impact.

When he's not working at London's Phonica Records, Kouslin runs the Le Chatroom record label and has a regular slot on London's Balamii radio.

This 12” vinyl release comes with full colour artwork reverse board sleeve with artwork from Tess Redburn.

Livity Sound is a label set up by Peverelist in 2011 as a vehicle for a raw and exploratory strain of UK techno, rooted in the heritage of UK dance music and sound system culture. It has since become one of the UK's foremost protagonists for cutting edge underground music.

To coincide with the announcement, the pair have shared a video for the album’s title track directed by Sam Davis and Tom Andrew, who has previously received two UK Music Video Awards nominations for his work with Avery. Speaking about the video, Andrew explains, “We were keen to capture a visual representation of the tempo and atmospheric emotion of the track and make a video exploring the notion of collaboration. A super-motion approach allowed us to explore details of motion shared between two people, in tactile actions of aiding and supporting.” Cortini adds, “The video embodies the volatility and hidden nature of the music’s subject and meaning. A meaning that is ultimately personal and unique the listener/spectator.” Watch the clip .



Beginning as a collaborative experiment before the pair had even met, Avery and Cortini then worked remotely and free of concept or deadline over several years. The result, finally completed when both artists were touring with Nine Inch Nails in 2018, is a quietly powerful album rooted in trust, process and experimentation. The first fruits of their labour were unveiled last year when ‘Water’ and ‘Sun’ appeared online, subsequently released as a very limited 7” run that was sold at FYF Festival and Mount Analog in Los Angeles, and Phonica Records in London. Both tracks are included on the album.



“It was very much a shared process”, notes Avery. “I would like to credit Alessandro with his belief that music has a life of its own, as well as the importance he places on the first take... That even something that may be considered out-of-step by some should be respected. Some of the tracks were borne simply out of a tiny synth part, or a bit of tape hiss that we had recorded. And that approach taught me a lot. It’s a record that’s been worked on hard, but not laboured over.”



“I was a big fan of Daniel’s, and his work always spoke to me in a certain way,’’ explains Cortini. “Then, when we started working together, it just clicked. It’s very hard to explain, but I can always hear the love in his work, and that is true on this record. After our first collaboration, we just kept sending each other music and maintaining that dialogue. Next thing you know, we’re sitting in a hotel room in New York and had finished the record in three hours.”



The collaborative album follows Avery’s second record Song For Alpha, released in early 2018, and last year’s expanded edition B-sides & Remixes. Mixmag called the sophomore LP “A beautiful maturation of Avery’s work as a producer,” while The Guardian hailed its “Majestic, cavernous techno” and Loud & Quiet praised Avery as “A producer fast approaching the peak of his powers,” “This album cements Daniel Avery as one of the best,” wrote DIY. The London-based producer will perform at BBC Radio 3’s Unclassified Live on April 3rd, a new series of concerts in the Southbank Centre's Queen Elizabeth Hall presented by Unclassified host and presenter Elizabeth Alker and conducted by André de Ridder – tickets are available here. Avery has also just been announced in the first wave of acts for London festivals Re-Textured and the inaugural Wide Awake, taking place in April and June respectively.



Cortini released his most recent solo album Volume Massimo on Mute in July 2019, following Fine, the Italian artist’s final album under his SONOIO alias, which came out the previous year. The Quietus called the former “an album that showcases just how much Cortini‘s aesthetic has developed since his early days,” while Exclaim! hailed it “a melodic exploration of textures and layers … an instrumental masterpiece that adds to an already incredible body of work by the gifted and skilled composer.”