Anyone with a passing interest in disco will be familiar with the fine work of The Reflex, and now he's back with more of his multitrack magic. First up he beefs up the drums of 'Feel It' with a special 2026 rework that leaves the original vocals intact and brings the soul, with the strings add a touch of class and the baseline never quits. On the flip is an instrumental revisited and reworked for contemporary floors. It's a hip-swinging delight with some majestic jazz-funk overtones.
The Great Escape is the debut collaborative album from San Francisco Legend, Larry June & prolific super producer, The Alchemist. Through a process that felt very organic, the two churned out an extra healthy amount of music that resulted in what may be their magnum opus. At 15 tracks, the album includes tasteful features from some of Hip-Hop's most celebrated figures; Action Bronson, Big Sean, Ty Dolla $ign, Slum Village, Boldy James, Evidence, Wiz Khalifa, Jay Worthy, Curren$y & Joey Bada$$. Like a fine wine, sit back, let it breathe, and enjoy the neat yet exquisitely rich complexities of two of Hip-Hop’s smoothest figures.
A year or two back, original Nottingham deep house don Gavin Belton (famed for being part of Smokescreen and Drop Music-adjacent duo The Littlemen) returned to the UK after living in New Zealand. One thing led to another and soon he was back in the studio alongside former creative partner Steve Lee for the first time in 15 years. Featuring heady spoken word vocals from Hector Moralez, the result is 'House For Change', a lightly electrofunk-fired slab of classic East Midlands deep house. Raising funds for homeless charity Help The Framework, this surprise EP also includes 2004 classic 'Tell Me' (a free party deep house classic) and two fresh reworks: a TB-303-bass-driven revision of 'House For Change' by their old pals Inland Knights, and a squelchy, spacey take on 'Tell Me' by Lee under his solo alias, Positive Divide.
In the early 2000’s, David Coker, Timmy S and Justin Bailey were right at the heart of the UK tech house scene, producing some of the finest classics the genre has known to date. The projects they worked on together quickly became standout staples and over time those records have turned into proper collector’s pieces.
This reissue on Endell Street brings back one of their most sought after releases. It features the two main tracks from the original release, both carefully remastered and cut one per side. A long lost slice of UK tech house, brought back to life.
Recorded in 1989, this is one of the rare and sought after recordings by Larry Heard. Never been available since 1990 and a departure from his more familiar style that he released as Mr Fingers, Fingers Inc. and The It). Gherkin has been an outlet for his more experimental and techno-orientated productions. 6 tracks on this record, and everyone seems to have their own favorite... but worth mentioning are the dramatic opener ''Meltdown'', the cosmic ''Saturn V'' and the incredible extra terrestial ''Strange Creatures''. Tracks that are the foundation of the house we live in! - essential!
Original Gravity Records returns with a fresh take on one of the most enduring songs in Jamaican music as Donnoya Drake breathes new life into "You Don't Love Me (No No No)."
The song's remarkable journey begins with Bo Diddley's 1955 recording "She's Fine, She's Mine," before evolving into Willie Cobbs' blues classic "You Don't Love Me." It was then embraced in Jamaica, where it became a foundation stone of the island's musical heritage through Dawn Penn's original Studio One recording.
Rather than recreating any single version, Donnoya Drake's recording draws together the defining moments in the song's evolution. The unmistakable Bo Diddley-inspired riff, popularised by Willie Cobbs, is reimagined by the horn section, while the middle eight pays tribute to Dawn Penn's original Jamaican arrangement. The result is an infectious ska recording that honours every chapter of the song's evolution while bringing a fresh energy of its own.
On the flip, Prince Alphonso & The Fever present "You Don't Love Me Pt.2", an instrumental version that proved far too good to keep in the vault. Stripping away the vocals allows the arrangement to shine in its own right, creating the kind of infectious ska instrumental that selectors and DJs are always searching for.
Produced by Original Gravity Records founder Neil Anderson, the single continues the label's tradition of creating new recordings inspired by the golden era of Jamaican music—not as museum pieces, but as vibrant records made for today's dancefloors. Respectful of the past while unmistakably original, this is another release that bridges the gap between vintage authenticity and fresh interpretation.
60 artists from 9 countries gathered in Armenia for the first edition of Notations Laboratory: a two-week interdisciplinary platform initiated and curated by hosq Foundation, bringing together musicians, sound artists, composers, and visual artists to collaboratively explore new artistic forms. Using Avet Terterian’s Symphony No. 3 as a conceptual and sonic point of departure, the participants created 11 original compositions during the laboratory through collective experimentation, improvisation, electroacoustic composition, and cross-disciplinary exchange. Rather than a fixed-genre compilation, the record captures the energy of a temporary artistic ecosystem formed in real time through shared process and collective creation, moving between ambient, drone, contemporary electronic music, experimental folk, and electroacoustic sonic practices. Recorded and produced during Notations Laboratory 2025 at the State Philharmonia of Armenia.
Telfort continues his considered run of self‑releases with a sixth outing of deep, expressive house music that captures the warmth, emotion and subtle evolution of his signature sound.
Across three cuts, he balances classic dancefloor instinct with a deft melodic touch – from driving grooves and warm, rolling low‑ends to lush, uplifting turns and hazier, introspective closes. The result is a rich, diverse yet cohesive statement from an artist still refining what makes his music resonate, further reaffirming the inimitable style that has defined Telfort’s output since the label’s first release over ten years ago.
Following up from Amadeezy's wildly successful East Side G-Ride earlier this year, Nite Fleit beams onto the International Chrome starship to bring us four tracks of extra-terrestrial electro that will blow your sensor readings. The EP comes on 140g purple vinyl and includes an interstellar team-up with Jensen Interceptor on the track Effe Bee Eye. The Truth is out there...
Maltese producer and live performer Melchior Sultana returns with Rhodes In The Middle, Built around Sultana's signature Rhodes piano work, the title track unfolds with effortless elegance, combining fluid musicianship with a hypnotic dancefloor pulse.
acclaimed German selector and Running Back boss Gerd Janson delivers a remix that transforms the original into a finely tuned club weapon.
This has been a very personal project and a mammoth undertaking for us folks here PACE HQ: 12 tracks unearthed from the cult Scottish figure’s completely overlooked back catalogue. Collected archive material from the past 25 years, originally composed as an OST for the feature length film The Flesher (1992) which was also written, shot and directed by Rae. No copies remain. Deep cuts that span G-funk, hip-hop, house, synth-pop, electro, dub, downtempo, funk/soul, R’n’B with appearances from Rae’s heavyweight list of frequent collaborators… Bernie Worrell, Adrian Sherwood and Jimmy Douglass.
"In 1991, the Scottish Rugby Union & the Royal Bank of Scotland, commissioned me tae make the world's first Scotland World Cup music video... they didn’t pay me so I fought back. It took 18 years tae win, and I nearly lost everything. I turned to audio visual art: under the pseudonym Jock Pleasure - I wrote and directed a feature length film called The Flesher as well as creating 100s of full length DVDs and tracks” (Jesse Rae).
One man took on the banks and won, but it took its toll and in this totemic corpus of work Jesse Rae counts the cost. The Flesher is art as pure defiance: “this stuff is very dark and deep, it is such a vast body o’ work, but when I won my battle against the bank, I secretly returned tae Hodge Close (in the Scottish borders) and dropped the entire work sealed in stone intae the deep deep murky depths of that water, where it has remained since 2009. There are no mair copies."
What we have here then is the salvaged remains. A hopeful dunt of Scottish erotica that gets you right in the pits.
Splice DJ Screw with Dean Blunt, Moodymann, Prince, Cocteau Twins, MF DOOM, Luther Van fuckin’ Dross, Barry fuckin’ White; run that through the B-movie videotape static meets Harmony Korine, Les Blank & early Grand Theft Auto. Empty boulevards. Small-town strip joints. Late-night dial-up. Sacrifice and solace. Outside of the OST, there’s a cast of forgotten characters: primary school kids making house jams, teenage popstars from the Scottish Borders, and the rhapsodic Ayrshire soprano NIKA laying down haunting vocals in Miami.
Celebrated as a cult figure in the USA, Jesse’s work has never fully had the appreciation it deserves at home. Not really. Aye, we know Inside Out and The Thistle. But he’s too easily fobbed off as an eccentric outsider: a helmet-wearing, claymore-wielding gimmick. But do we really know the extent of what this man has done - and gone through - for the sake of art?
A legend returns as the alias of scene stalwart DJ Levi and Curvature co-creator Ghosts of MIDI unleashes an EP of seismic tracks backed with remixes from ASC and Aural Imbalance. A1 - Iron Dinosaurs Opening a fine Curvature debut for the label’s very own Dan Azimuth, Iron Dinosaurs is an epic piece of atmospheric goodness introduced with a long, elegant intro of synths and luscious female vocals. Before long, classy, energetic metallic breaks kick in, set to an immensely memorable key melody and a room-filling bassline, creating a breathtakingly fluid and captivating piece. A2 - Iron Dinosaurs (ASC remix) Taking an incredibly evocative track and lacing it with sprinkles of ASC goodness to create a true gem is the order of the day here, as the heart of the original courses through an ominous intro, quickly beset by fine analogue amens that hit hard for the dancefloor, while allowing the soul of the piece to breathe, syncing in harmony with the distinctive vocal samples and swirling synthwork that colour the atmosphere so perfectly. B1 - Deadly Dimensions A DJ-friendly intro of hi hats gradually ushers in epic, bassy melodies gliding through serene vocals and airy pads, before the drop reveals exquisite breaks with just the slightest hint of an apache in there. Very danceable, the breaks are chopped and diced at will, driving a determined pace for another superbly epic, ethereal piece of atmospheric drum & bass from one of the OG’s of the scene. B2 - Deadly Dimensions (Aural Imbalance remix) The EP closes with a real treat - this is as close as an example you’ll hear to a match made in heaven as the eerily epic production of Ghosts of Midi collides with the inimitable ambient mastery of Aural Imbalance. Intersecting the thoughtful vibes of the original, this remix sees playful old school breaks jostle with swathes of fluid synthwork and delicate pads, creating a unified expression of atmospheric purity.
Proto Exotica notches its third release with The Infinite Hum EP , the debut project from Melbourne producer Mateo Torres Rodriguez under his new alias: Cerro.
Cerro is a personal and transportive collection of recordings owed to four months in Colombia, where Mateo returned to the neighbourhood he grew up in. On a table in his childhood home, he set up a modest travelling studio with a small collection of analogue hardware. At times, he'd pack individual pieces of
gear to travels within his travels, working without a fixed room or routine.
And so from a drum machine, a monophonic synth, a polyphonic synth, a laptop, and a pair of headphones (but no speakers) came five tracks of dub-inflected house and cosy Balearica.
The EP opens with 'The Bright Side' , dub bass, warm analogue pads, housey tempo. 'Unending Journey' slows things down, its deep low-end holding space beneath a synth that drifts in and
out.
'Power Of The Small' brings a dreamy house melody alongside a dubbed-out analogue lead, the filter opening and closing as the track breathes. On the B-side, Andras remixes 'The Bright Side' , keeping the bounce and weaving a jazzy lo-fi Rhodes solo through it. The EP closes with 'Indubitably' , dubbed-out vocal samples and floating pads settling into a downtempo Balearic lilt.
The prolific Lord Of The Isles (aka Scotland's Neil McDonald) has had a string of stunning 12's over the past few years on labels such as Permanent Vacation, Unthank, Shevchenko, Mule and of course his four track 'Year Of The City EP' on Phonica, which was widely acclaimed upon its release in 2012.
This time LOTI presents two long-form tracks, each a mini-masterpiece in itself. The 10 minute plus 'Greane' bursts into life after an intro of kicks and white noise hi-hats. It continues to slowly build, with pitch-bent synth lines and a pulsing bass-line making way for a melacholic shift in mood. Truly original stuff!
On the flip, a swirl of synthetic strings introduces 'Gigha', in a manner that brings to mind Rhythm
Is Rhythm's legendary 'Kao-Tic Harmony', before the drums and infectious acid-line join in. Over the 8 minutes they continue to interweave and play off each other to dazzling effect.
Artwork by Jack Featherstone, the designer of a number of sleeves for Border Community (including the highly praised campaign behind James Holden's 'The Inheritors', its singles and live visuals), Electric Minds, Warm and of course, Phonica.
Chris Scott, Stuart Baker and Julian Bowron ran their own night in Bishop Auchland, a small town in County Durham, back in the mid-90s, then started producing under the same name. They dropped just three EPs, with this being the last one in 1994, but the one that proved the most enduring. The newly launched LA RIOT label reissues it, and it sounds as good as ever: 'Post Chaise' is a timbales-laced jam with driving tech house drums and plenty of crowd noise adding to the wild vibes. 'The Bishops Groove' is deep, steamy and tribal in its nature and 'This Groove' then gets more expressive with vocal yelps and surging synths that come on like a rush. The Sunday Fantasy mix is the EP highlight - a more cosmic and soft-edged but still propulsive deep house groove.
Luca “DJ Rocca” Roccatagliati isn’t just a producer, he’s a shapeshifter of sound. Emerging from the late ’90s under the Maffia Soundsystem alias, he’s spent decades bending genres, dissolving boundaries, and reconfiguring the DNA of club music.
From cosmic disco to leftfield house, Rocca’s catalogue reads like a map of underground excellence. He’s collaborated with a roll call of innovators—Howie B, Dimitri From Paris, Daniele Baldelli, François K, Jazzanova, Zed Bias and many more. Crafting releases for some of the most respected imprints in the game: like Rekids, Toy Tonics, International Feel, Defected, Rush Hour, Hell Yeah, Rotters Golf Club among others.
His output is prolific, restless, constantly evolving.
Partnership is central to Rocca’s universe. With Dimitri From Paris, he co-created Erodiscotique, a sleek electro-disco project that fuses vintage sensuality with future-facing production. Alongside Daniele Baldelli, he’s explored deeper, more psychedelic terrain, delivering albums like Podalirius and Quagga—records that blur the line between Balearic mysticism and dancefloor propulsion.
His aliases Ajello, Supersonic Lovers, Crimea X are parallel auditory dimensions. Each one pushes a different facet of his sound, from Italo-tinged grooves to raw, analog-driven club cuts. As a remixer, Rocca has reworked everyone from Andrew Weatherall to Soul Clap, always imprinting his unmistakable signature.
To say we are excited about this new EP is kind of a massive understatement……
Having been huge fans for over two decades, when he reached out to us it was a bit of an eye rubbing and arm pinching moment.
We have been graced with a 3 track EP titled “Tonight is the Night”
A1. Sun Deck – A link-up with Athens mainstay Lex, drifting somewhere between yacht funk and late-night boogie. Sun-washed grooves, crisp synth leads, and just enough 80s energy to keep it moving without trying too hard.
B1. Italo Boogie Stomp – Does exactly what it says. Rolling Linn drums, sharp synth lines, and a nostalgic flute motif that nods to NYC’s street soul era without getting stuck in it.
B2. Ferroso – Picks up the pace slightly. Deep house drums meet a driving electro bassline, with arpeggiated synths and warm pads rounding it out—focused, functional, and built for the floor.
This disparate collection of material formed Kold Funk Vol. 1, showcasing The Surfers’ sweeping palette developed through 15 years of playing music. Igor Zhukovsky, the band’s frontman, himself selected the tracks. Enjoy your trip to the enchanting world of The Soul Surfers! TSS are the ground-breakers and a vivid example of how authentic world-class groove may be produced anywhere — what matters is the right feeling and the concept.
FELT wade deeper into the murky waters of contemporary Scandinavian electroacoustic music following the recent reissue of Johan Wieth’s Health & Safety project on sub-label LEFT and established gems from the likes of Civilistjävel!
Gintė Preisaitė, a Lithuanian artist and graduate of Copenhagen’s Rhythmic Music Conservatory, reveals her first solo release under her own name, following a collaborative effort with Toshimaru Nakamura in 2025 and a number of cassettes as “Baraboro”. The deliberately genre-blurring sound Preisaitė deploys works with composed pop vignettes, sustained drones, FX manipulations and guttural bursts of noise. Sparse piano movements, sample-laden psychedelia and moments of big beat/trip-hop rhythms gel with crowd noise, close mic’d intimacy and experimental percussion with a focus on instrumental timbres and extended techniques.
With a background in composing for large ensembles, Preisaitė's multi-instrumental approach is evident across the eight tracks, moments of dense concrète-style sound collages anchored by the human voice never being far away. She laments on fantasy, absurdity and relationships as a cast of players contribute string, brass, accordion, and guitar parts. Passages move from delicate acoustic folk motifs through to wide-eyed, cut-and-paste glitch electronics and spectral melodic riffs, making the album an unorthodox and welcome addition to Denmark's current world-class music scene.
Tyler, The Creator made a deliberate swerve away from the dense, personal Chromakopia with 2025's Don't Tap The Glass, which much more chases brevity and fun over concept. Across a brisk 28 minutes, he leans into rough-edged, danceable grooves that recall the rowdier Cherry Bomb era, from the House of Pain-esque opener to the Off The Wall-style disco bliss of 'Ring Ring Ring' and the r&b 'Sucka Free,' which could well be his catchiest vocal turn since IGOR. Despite Tyler's insistence there's no deep concept here, the tracks flow together with real cohesion across a playful but tightly sequenced ride.
We’re delighted to be working with London based deep house label, To The Rocks
Presenting the Visions of love EP from Lucas Moinet, a Paris-born producer with his roots planted firmly in the soul of house music. Through projects like Keraw, Groove Boys Project and Projecture, he’s built a catalogue that doesn’t chase trends, it’s going straight back to the source. Chicago, Detroit, New York. Four tracks. Deep, soulful, deliberate. Made by someone who clearly loves and lives the culture.
In the rapidly shifting tectonic plates of the global Afrobeats scene, few arrivals have been as seismic as that of Ahmed Ololade—better known to the world as Asake. With his breakout project Mr. Money With The Vibe, the artist didn’t merely debut; he effectively recalibrated the tempo of the Nigerian pop soundscape. The EP functions as a masterclass in synthesis, pulling from the ornate, percussive history of Fuji music and grafting it onto the driving, bass-heavy architectures of contemporary Amapiano. It is a calculated, deeply rhythmic hybridization that manages to feel both nostalgic and jarringly modern.
From a critical vantage point, Mr. Money With The Vibe is defined by its brevity and density. Asake treats each track as a focused vignette, utilizing a vocal delivery that oscillates between a melodic, almost liturgical chant and the staccato urgency of a Lagos street orator. The production—characterized by sharp, frenetic percussion and deceptively simple melodic loops—creates a high-intensity atmosphere that mirrors the relentless pace of urban life. He avoids the pitfall of bloated experimentation; instead, he doubles down on a "street-pop" ethos, prioritizing accessibility without sacrificing the complex rhythmic interplay that gives the genre its distinctive texture.
Ultimately, Mr. Money With The Vibe stands as a pivotal document of the current era, capturing the transition of Afrobeats from a regional powerhouse to a dominant global force. By blending the aspirational "hustle culture" narrative with an increasingly sophisticated sonic palette, Asake established a blueprint that has since influenced a new wave of artists. The project is a testament to the idea that authenticity, when paired with relentless precision, remains the most effective currency in contemporary music.
Following the massive, multi-platinum success of the global hit "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" and his breakout contributions to Beyoncé’s COWBOY CARTER, Shaboozey returns with his most ambitious work to date: the new concept album, The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales. Building on the genre-bending foundation of Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going, this project cements Shaboozey’s status as a pioneer of New Americana through a cinematic outlaw revenge story with a tragic love at its center.
The narrative follows Cherie Lee, who, after witnessing her sheriff father’s murder by the Bootcut Boys, abandons the badge to hunt the gang down one by one. In the heat of her vengeance, she falls for an outlaw—not the killer, but a man guilty by association. While he seeks redemption through her love and she seeks a cure for her darkness, both find that violence is not so easily escaped. When her lover kills the real murderer in her name, he proves that bloodlust doesn’t end; it only evolves. In a devastating final act, Cherie chooses her vendetta over her heart, killing the man who loves her most and fully becoming the very monster she set out to destroy. Gritty, soulful, and narratively daring, The Outlaw Cherie Lee is a bold evolution from one of music's most dominant current forces.
The highly anticipated collaborative album, GOLDFISH, sees two of contemporary hip-hop's most revered and distinct production minds, Hit-Boy and The Alchemist, finally join forces for a full-length statement. Far from a simple beat-swap, this project is a masterclass in sonic cohesion, blurring the lines between their signature sounds to forge a new, golden-hued identity. Beyond production, the duo step from behind the boards to behind the mic to trade verses throughout the project, adding a personal layer to their creative vision.
GOLDFISH is a deeply immersive listen, perfectly balancing the West Coast muscle and polished, anthemic quality of Hit-Boy's work with the dusty, abstract texture and cinematic suspense that defines The Alchemist's aesthetic.
The result is a sound that feels both street-tested and museum-worthy. A collaborative manifesto, showcasing the infinite possibilities when two generational talents decide to link up, creating an instant classic in the canon of producer/MC albums.
The Ensemble Al-Salaam, led by saxophonist Kalik Abdul Al-Rouf, released just two albums in the mid- and late-70s, but both have more than punched above their weight in the international jazz canon. The Sojourner was the essential 1974 debut that became one of the Strata-East label's most seminal works and a cornerstone of spiritual jazz's golden era. It draws on modal jazz, Afrocentric rhythms and deep Black musical traditions across highlights like the hypnotic opener 'The Sojourner, 'the Coltrane tribute 'Trace Of Trane' and the dramatic 'Malika', with Beatrice Parker's vocal warmth infusing each sound. A perfect distillation of spiritual jazz.
Melody Of the Soul proudly presents its 10th vinyl release, featuring a stunning lineup of collaborations and solo works.
The A-side opens with the beautiful collaboration “Meera” by M.O.S., Serious Dancers, and Alexandra Savvidi, followed by a solo piece from Serious Dancers titled “Serenity.”
On the B-side, the journey continues with “Dikanda,” a powerful collaboration between Ranta, M.O.S., and Miroshin, before closing with a standout solo track by Ranta, “White Avadon.”
A carefully curated release that celebrates collaboration, atmosphere, and individual artistry across all four tracks.
RAWAX proudly welcomes Mr. Carl Finlow to the artist Family!
We are delighted to announce three releases by this legendary producer as part on his own TRILOGY series!
There is a kinetic energy that binds drummer and producer Karriem Riggins and singer-songwriter, rapper, and producer Liv.e, the spark that happens when instinct meets flow and spirit finds rhythm.
Their collaborative debut as GENA (short for “God Energy, Naturally Amazing,” and loosely inspired by Gina from Martin), The Pleasure Is Yours feels like a playful, soulful conversation between two kindred improvisers: Liv.e’s smoky, unpolished vocals glide through Riggins’ warm, percussive universe. Rooted in jazz, soul, and hip-hop, Liv.e brings a raw, experimental approach to R&B, while Riggins known for his work with Common, Erykah Badu, The Roots, Madlib, and his close kinship with J Dilla, extends his lifelong dialogue between jazz improvisation and beat science.
Together they create a world that’s analog and ethereal, percussive and poetic, bridging eras without settling in one, the sound of two artists finding a new shared language rooted in rhythm, vulnerability, and exuberance.
Pressed on 180g vinyl, the album comes in an embossed sleeve and is avaible in red and black splatter.
‘The Sci-Fi Era’ marks the launch of Utopiality, the new forward-looking project from Berlin-based DJ and producer Rickie. A space where rhythm and texture converge into immersive, ever evolving forms.
On the A-side, ‘Galactica Expedition’ cuts through with aggressive basslines layered against
delicate pads, setting things in motion. ‘Imagination’ follows, diving deeper into unknown realms with a mind-bending, exploratory energy.
The B-side expands the narrative: ‘Stellar’ pairs intricate drum programming with constantly
shifting synths and basslines, while the closing track ‘Destination’ locks into progressive grooves and immersive pads, unfolding toward a hypnotic endpoint.
Big heart US deep house figurehead Chez Damier has opened his studio up to new school collaborators once again, with Italy's Nico Lahs and Adeen chief Camille getting back to work on a new series of tunes inspired by jazz-fusion and the sounds broadcast on legendary radio station WJZZ. 'Dragon Breath' opens with tense rhythmic interplay and expressive horns and vibraphones, while 'Tunita' offers shimmering rhythms. 'Third World Wave' is a busy broken beat with weighty kicks and brilliantly loose percussion all run through with off-kilter horns. The 12" expands the palette, from the lighter touch of 'Haiku' to the driving force of 'Bullet Train'. Another majestic collaboration.
Solid Groove founder Aubrey returns with a definitive EP that throws it back to the 90s with a collection of tracks from his Cheap Knob Gags label that he headed up with Josh Brent aka Schatrax. 'At The Crack Of Dawn (1999) Knob 5' is hot, humid, muscular house with tight synth loops and dusty layers of texture, then 'Bell Ringer (1999) Knob 5' slows it down with a more pensive and dubby groove. Flipping it once more, 'Does He Rent It Out (1995) Knob 1' is a speedy and tightly coiled rhythm with techno synths, tribal percussion and nods to free-tekno. 'Getting Your Palm Read (1995) Knob 5' is an unhinged and manic tool for the freaks and true to the ADHD nature of this EP, 'Manhole (1999) Knob 6' then slows into jazzy loops before 'Manhood 1996 Knob 2' takes off at full throttle once more. Wonderfully mad.
Earlier in the year, Washington, D.C-based Sol Power Allstars launched the Sweet Breeze Sound imprint, seemingly as a vehicle for oddball re-edits and nostalgic, sample-rich productions. Handling side A on release number three in San Fran's King Most, who crafts a hybrid 80s electro/proto-house jam out of echoing electronics, bobdypopping beats, and all manner of effects-laden samples (including a wealth from InDeep classic 'Last Night a DJ Saved My Life' ). Over on side B, Sol Power's own Marc Meistro takes over, laying down his own sparse, lo-fi, analogue-rich tribute to electro-era synth disco that once again nods to a variety of cult classics from the early 1980s.
Younger Than Me announces his debut full length "The Golden Age Of Love", to be released on 90's Wax this coming March 2024. The record is the perfect example of the breadth of his irrepressible and unique sound. Featuring collaborations with Massimiliano Pagliara, Brame & Hamo and Pablo Bozzi. The artist is an Italian native known for a modern interpretation of '90s club music' - a dynamic blend of Progressive House, Trance, EBM, Breakbeat, and Techno ideas. This first album is a love letter to a deep-rooted passion for the idiosyncrasies of rave culture and the crossover points with contemporary electronic music.
Younger Than Me, an artistic project by Francesco Mingrino that is steeped in the nostalgia of ‘90s rave, yet not at all trapped in that past. A project that has cemented a special place in the electronic music scene with a string of records on labels like Bordello A Parigi, Amsterdam-Utrecht based platform XXX, Rotterdam’s Bar and Jennifer Cardini’s Dischi Autunno. To this point Francesco has pushed his fun yet forceful sound, with many releases on his own 90's Wax, and collaborations with people like Skatebård, Francesco Farfa, Timothy Clerkin and Curses (as Y2C).
"The Golden Age Of Love" as a package is curated in Younger Than Me's characteristic style. Opening with "Long Life Death", a track that sets the stage with a cinematic soundscape in a classic Carpenter vibe. Picking up the tempo "Zarathustra Dance" takes you right into the golden age itself, its low slung beat and carefully sequenced lead line pushes an ever building tension designed to crack any dancefloor. The track with Massimiliano Pagliara, "Eternal Sunshine Of Solitary Mind", is one of the highlights, perfectly building around a catchy lead with tight arpeggio and sequenced acid. Leading us into the 2nd half of the record "Sadness Is The Only Way To Happiness" is a proto-trance beast, inspired by that period in the early 90s when Trance was less bright lights and big stages and more dark rooms and smoke filled spaces, an ever building progressive run of haunting vocals, rave stabs and rolling bass.
Whilst YTM is at home presenting dancefloor focussed material, we see him explore the other side too, with "Memory Is A Clock" like the earlier "Vortix", he ditches the 4x4 for breakbeat territory. Whilst the bass keeps the solid metronome you would expect, "Memory Is A Clock" is a track that takes a few moments, contemplative melody and trademark arpeggios take the lead. When it comes to the other collaborations on the record, the appearance of Brame And Hamo on "Raver's Heart Is A Mess" sees them lean into the Progressive nature both artists love so much. Then Pablo Bozzi lends his own unique outlook to "We Don't Know The Way, We Just Stay" in one of the standout tracks, epitomising Younger Than Me’s ability to create profound experiences.
The album concludes with "Music Will Never Stop, Heartbeat Will Never Fade, Party Will Never End", less of a title and more of a personal philosophy – the perpetual essence of rave culture and its timeless impact on music. A rhythmic belter, juxtaposed with incendiary synth-lines and staple catchy sequence work, finishing the record with one of the true highpoints. In addition the release also features four digital bonus tracks, including "The Other Face Of Loneliness" and a Prog Dance Reshape of one of the records more eclectic cuts "Zarathustra Dance" all offering an extended exploration into the creative landscape YTM inhabits.
"The Golden Age Of Love" is a debut album that ticks all the boxes; it's a celebration of a bygone era through the lens of the contemporary. Younger Than Me stands as a testament to the enduring spirit and evolving nature of the music that began in the ‘90s rave scene, with an LP that pushes Love, Progression and Fun to the forefront.
"Some of my earliest musical memories were listening to my local pirate stations in the early 90's. The signal was quite weak in my area, and the sound was doused in FM static, creating this interesting amalgam of rhythm and noise. I found a strange sort of comfort in this, often falling asleep while listening to the radio, in bed, with my headphones on. The stations were run by young people, no older than kids really, relayed from non-descript flats, scattered around Bradford, Leeds, and the surrounding towns of West Yorkshire. The setups were primitive, and the production quality (and often the mixing) were dubious at best. But there was an endless supply of passion, and listeners tuned in because they were thirsty for something the legal stations could never supply. These voices on the other side of the transmission were, for many of us, a bridge into the future. One, which sadly, never really came to be. Hardcore, Static: Pirate Transmissions From The North of England 1990-1994 is a celebration of this unique period in UK history. The North of England feels overlooked during this time, with history's focus firmly gazed on London. But the signal was everywhere. These pirate stations were crucial for many young people, who were trying to find their place and identity in the UK. Many of these transmissions, even the ones which were recorded onto tape, have since become lost media, effectively erased from history. Radio, at least in the analogue domain, isn't something most young people have any experience with. Pirate radio was this unique flashpoint in time, and for me at least, it was important enough for me to want pay my respects to it" Dennis/36
Brighter Discs opens with its first release from label founders Kamma & Masalo. Born out of Brighter Days, the duo’s long running party series since 2014. A colourful get together where generations mix freely, DJ legends share space with new voices, and the dancefloor is treated as common ground. Brighter Discs carries this same spirit into recorded form, a natural continuation following the Brighter Days compilation previously released on Rush Hour.
Brighter Discs starts things off with ‘Can’t Fake The Feeling’, built around the original vocal by Renee Mohannon, taken from the 1989 release produced by house music pioneer Joe Smooth. The vocal is fully cleared and officially licensed, with everything surrounding it newly written and produced, resulting in a club track that honours the emotional core of the original vocal while giving it new space to shine.
The ‘Club Mix’ unfolds with immediate lift, a classic yet upfront house energy carried by Kamma & Masalo’s elevating instrumentation moving in lockstep with Renee Mohannon’s vocal. A pure club track celebrating dance music to the fullest.
On the flip you will find K&M’s ‘Unity Dub’, a darker, percussion driven workout that strips things back and presents the track in a different light. A twilight version that highlights the duo’s versatility and deep dancefloor understanding.
Kamma & Masalo have tested both cuts extensively while touring, from sun soaked festival stages to esoteric club spaces. Each version has been shaped in real rooms and refined on the road, ensuring the tracks are heard in their best possible form.
All produced with care and free-spirited party energy, Brighter Discs 001 marks the beginning!
