Search:the deli

Versatility has got to be Iron Curtis' second name. There are only few other producers on the electronic scene who are able to display such a variety of musical facets as this talented man from Berlin. With his 'Maple EP' he underlines his reputation of an artist with many faces as his new release is quite a box of surprises: rarley have we heard Iron Curtis in such a dubby mood.

Beginning with the straight and bass centered title track 'Maple' Iron Curtis moves on to the almost beatless and moody 'Collision' and the chord driven Dub House of 'Entago Entery' and finishes the EP with the delicate, Ambient encore 'Reset Me' on B2. With its impressive display of variety this record is a celebration of reduced, understated Dub Techno performed with a distinct musical flair and a clear artistic vision which perfectly fits label owner Baaz' direction of his Office imprint so far. What's surprising is how effortless and 'natural' Iron Curtis' appearance on his long-time friend's record label feels. In such good shape his 'Maple EP' is a definitve tip for the lovers of sophisticated and detailed Dub Techno full of suspense.

After releasing their debut full length Album on Kompakt last year, Hunter/Game return to Just This with another immersive offering.
On the ‚Dead Soul EP' the duo continue to refine their expressive yet subtly arranged sound. The title track unfolds slowly, sculpting the melody, texture and suspense. Joey Anderson's take on 'Dead Soul' is airy and atmospheric without losing it's pulsing flow. ‚Isolation' covers a broad spectrum and is filled with contrasts in which an intense bass interacts with a delicate and breathy melody.
Balance is key to Hunter/Game's music and this EP is no exception.

* Seance presents its fourth EP of quality underground Techno.

* Original material from Dutch duo Monoline.
*This release features Flug as the main remix artist. The Argentinean born Spain based artist has an impressive body of work featured on labels such as CLR & Sleaze and delivers a fine rework of the title track 'Speech Cobras'.

Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Fit of Body (aka Ryan Parks) is part of a new generation of ATL producers; underground artists who draw on the space and grit of Southern hip hop and team it with curveball electronica discovered on late night, weed-fuelled web trawls.Having honed his sound on a string of feted self-released cassettes released on his own Harsh Riddims label - which has also put out everything from bizarro hip hop to gleaming synth pop - and dropped a hyped 12' released on the CGI imprint, the Healthcare EP finds Fit of Body delivering his most accomplished work to date. Five woozy original tracks jammed out on second hand drum machines, bass guitar, cheap mics and creaking synths, this is techno as it was first imagined; raw machine soul made for strange times and unknown futures.
Finding a commonality between Arthur Russell's vocal delivery, Jermaine Dupri's club shaking bass, and the militant drum attacks of Underground Resistance, the EP ghosts past rigid categories, instead taking a journey through heat and haze. On the A side, Parks switches between the languid analogue house of 56k, the melancholic Drexciyan electro of Ridin 2 That Trap or Die, and the lo-fi post punk grooves of 770-997-2341. On the flip he offers the late night 808 soul of Antonio Girl, followed by the uptempo techno ballad All This Time (Since), a song sad and euphoric in equal measure. On 12', the EP is closed with a remix from fellow ATL producer Divine Interface who stretches 56k into a glistening shard of time-stretched trip hop.

We're back from hibernation after releasing the third Roundup at the end of 2016 and we're starting off with a new signing. Milan based Parker Madicine joins Heist with some high tech funk with a serious nod to the 'D' and we've got Byron the Aquarius delivering a great jazzy remix. You'll be more likely to find Parker Madicine browsing through boxes of old jazz and soul records than you'll see him showcasing his social media skills. He's a real vinyl junky and moreover a hip hop fanatic and probably loves his synthesizers more than his mother. Apart from promoting funk and soul oriented parties in Milan, he founded CT-HI records, short for 'Contemporary Theories of Hip Hop Influences". A few years back he teamed up a.o. with his buddies Veez-O and Turbojazz to create some Dilla and early 90's inspired hip hop and these influences are clearly present in his EP for Heist. With Heartbreaker, he lays down a dreamy but heavy groove for the first minute or so, arpeggiating its way to the moment where the airy pads make room for a looser than loose groove where synth stabs and bass line dance around each other creating a killer vibe. Zawinul starts in the same manner, rough kick, loose and degraded hi-hats and dreamy Rhodes chords. The tracks build further with some lovely brassy hits and arps, whereas Placebo is the most stripped back but high tempo track, where an airy and delayed bassline does most of the work to set the mood. We're really happy to have Byron the Aquarius reworking one of PM's tracks.

End of February will see Luciano continue his newly launched Basaec imprint with 'Saved & Slaved', a two-track release featuring collaboration with Argenis Brito. Swiss-Chilean producer and DJ Luciano has been at the forefront of underground electronic music for quite some time now, heading up the infamous Cadenza imprint and releasing material for some of the industry's leading labels such as Perlon, Desolat, Cocoon and Poker Flat amongst many others. Here we see Luciano back on his recently launched Basaec label, delivering some of his signature stripped-back, dynamic and emotive material 'Lost In Lymbo' takes the lead and sees Luciano offer up a typically intricate twelve-minute excursion with subtly modulating and evolving percussion, spiralling synth swells, sporadic vocal chants and a smoothly unfolding aesthetic resulting in an archetypal and intriguing production from this forever forward-thinking artist. The latter half sees Luciano paired with fellow Cadenza artist Argenis for 'Pato's Track', stripping back the vibe to a raw cowbell and rim shot percussive-led state whilst lumpy subs, vocal murmurs and subtly unfolding flute like melodies ebb and flow throughout the composition.

Out for a moment Supra comes back in full swing!
For its return the parisian imprint presents a collab between super talented French producer Onelight and one of the label's dearest and biggest influence, the legendary Egyptian lover.
After TUGGSPEEDMAN, a first release supported by Busy P, Gilb'r and Machinedrum, Onelight continues here his musical path with this SILVER EP.
SILVER is a sophisticated blend of Electro Funk, Break beat and Techno. The song is inspired by his obsession for silver rings and more precisely for their sound, spiritual and magnetic energy. Who else than the Californian legend Egyptian Lover can provide here some hypnotic vocals Indeed the 808's king takes his inspiration from all the symbolic of rings and gems and brings to the song his very unique and charismatic touch.
MAXILLAIRE is going slower but is definitely powerful. It sounds like a 97 BPM Techno music made for a space travel soundtrack with a codeine cup.
Label Boss Luc Supra and Orestt (EVRLST / MB Labworks) team up as SUPRA ALLSTARS and deliver the SILVER DEEP RE RUB that appears to be the perfect bridge between Detroit and L.A. Definitely one for the clubs !

A handful of cables, laptops and a few dusty machines are all it takes to make music. On Stiff Little Spinners Vol. 8 this is proven once again with seven exclusive tracks by Thomas Atzmann, Rampue, Kalipo, Krink, Paradise Hippies, Gimmix and Monopohl. The eighth edition of the Stiff Little Spinners compilation is ready for the next demolition party with a mix of modern deep house, slow jams & dreamy techno future classics. 01 Thomas Atzmann - Skagerrak After a longer release break, Thomas Atzmann delivers the first sure shot of this record. Skaggerrak convinces from the beginning with spheric ambience and tom-tom grooves, dissolving in a wash of big synth emotions. 02 Rampue - Der König und der Vogel King Rampue dishes out an A+ Slow Jam. Minimalistic in the beginning, this track leadsyou directly via screwed vocals to a cosmic breakdown of intoxicating emotions. All of it with a beautifully relaxed bpm. 03 Kalipo - Gernkraftwerk The manifold producer is on the ticket as per ususal - this time with a detroit-y neo trance attack. With the appropriate volume this tune can lead to loss of gravity. 04 Krink - Dazed This track is tuning feedback into filters and synth stabs in your face as if there was no tomorrow. Some tunes will always instill hope that's it's possible to dance forever and never go home. 05 Paradise Hippies - Prosecco Mate The last hippies of Hamburg bring proof that two rad dudes together make an extremely rad pair.

For our 57th release we're stoked to be bringing you some heavy new biz from the one and only Ron Basejam. This man is responsible for some of the classiest disco-influenced House music dating back to '05 when his anthemic For The People blew our minds and soundtracked many an after-party so perfectly. Recent EP's on Eskimo, Wolf Music, Futureboogie and top notch remixes for the likes of People Must Jam, Brownswood and Classic have all delivered in spades.
Here on The Sound Of A Feeling EP we have three brilliant raw, stripped and chopped analogue jams plus the first ever remix from Tee Mango who comes hot off his stunning debut LP Imperfections on Millionhands.

Conceived, as its predecessors, as the ideal musical accompaniment to a packed dance hall, "Blue Latin" reinterprets a musical genre - jazz, of course! - which even decades ago was considered the dance music 'par excellence', and delivers it, extremely modernized, to the present day, contaminated by Afro-Cuban, Brazilian and Latin-jazz elements, all made fluid, compelling and above all..., danceable! The almost-meditative "Incanto" combines spiritual jazz influences and African atmospheres.



[C} A3 | Mulata

Over 3 years ago, Casey Tucker was thrust into the limelight after 15 years in the shadows. Never truly getting the recognition for is Detroit influenced and post rave sound in the 90s, For Those That Knoe reissued some of Casey's classic material and unearthed some gems on DAT in 2013. Fast forward to the current day and a recent treasure trove was uncovered and some fresh DATs untouched since the late 90s were discovered! Ben promptly bought a DAT player on Ebay and shipped it to Casey's home for the un-dusting to commence. FTTK has worked with Casey to present another round of authentic material spread across a further three EPs.The track Carpet Dancer has been in demand since the Fine Balance Recordings gained deserved attention. Originally featuring as the A Side on the very first fine Balance EP, it evokes all of the emotions that Casey's music can muster.Juxtaposition is a slower groovy effort with meandering chords, trademark fizzy percussion and topped off with a lush string finale.Whatever Comes to Mind rounds off the EP with a rolling percussive bassline, delicate arps and smooth sweeping pads.

AL ZANDERS & MOOMIN REMIXES

Following on from Casino Times' debut album Familiar Circles, WOLF Music enlist Al Zanders & Moomin to remix their favourite cuts from the album.
Al Zanders delivers a classy deep house version of Carlotta while Moomin throws a curveball with a Drum n Bass remix reminiscent of a classic LTJ Bukem track from the mid 90's.

* Perc & Truss rework two key cuts, taken from Mumdance & Logos' debut album 'Proto' and deliver us a pair of hard-as-nails techno bangers.

* 'Move Your Body' is mutated from the hardcore-referencing original into a searing industrial belter. Perc & Truss' version makes use of distorted 808 drums and rising machine noise to ramp up the tension before eventually dropping out to the 'move your body' vocal sample and unleashing a terrorising acid line. Dancefloor killer.

* Flip for 'Hall Of Mirrors' which sees the pair re-route Mumdance & Logos' original into a 4/4 roller, peppered with metallic percussive hits and and a robotic bass riff. Hard, uncompromising techno built just the way it should be.

Limited to 500 copies with artwork

While unveiling the 'Mutant Tournament' Quartet last year, label boss Nachtbraker was quietly hunting for new music behind the scenes. Being the fine huntsman he is, he came out of the woods with sonic bits and bobs so delectable he had no choice but to spread them out over two brand new quartets. That's right, eight records in total, to be released over the course of the next 18 months. We're delighted to introduce you to Scott Franka, who's at the helm of the first missive. This creative head from Amsterdam has been making music since the tender age of 11, but it wasn't until he adopted his Scott Franka moniker that he really found his groove. His music encompasses influences from dub and dark techno to classic drumpcomputer and synth-heavy house. Franka's style takes cues from Detroit, Chicago and the UK, and yet is also very personal and forward thinking at the same time. 'The Gym' might be his solo debut, but a smattering of releases from the man is on the horizon. The best way to introduce you to Scott Franka's musicality is 'The Gym' on A1. Starting of with sweet, melancholic chords and 808 hats Scott turns your world upside down after the first break. Try to keep your head steady, and get that dirty look of your face.. doesn't work right It's just too good. 'Toenail' is up next, and its undeniable groove and incredible amalgamation of synths and strings make for an absolute early hours melter. Flip over for 'Sorry' to hear Franka knock it out of the ballpark with its heavy breakbeat and UK-style bass. Finally, there's 'Street', a mesmerising groover, rounding things off nicely. The release doesn't only mark its first artist EP, it also marks a new look for the label. Building on the muscular,pheromone-rich theme of the first Quartet, Elsemarijn Bruys developed a fresh concept for both new Quartets with a little help from Scott Franka,

Aus welcome back label favourite Shenoda for his third release on the label, 'Burn' backed with a remix from Juxta Position. Previous releases on Hypercolour & Electric Minds have seen Shenoda firmly on the ascent but it's in his recent outings on Aus that his bold, rugged club music has really reached its zenith. 'Burn' follows suit with its predecessors with its power being rooted in seismic, analogue drums that are balanced against soft, allaying melodies.

The muscular 'Vista' then rolls out punching stabs and tight, shuffling drums before label mate Marquis Hawkes dusts off his Juxta Position alias and delivers a pacey and forthright take on 'Burn'. Melodies are softly mangled and given a spectral quality that recalls his 'Mazury' on DVS1's Mistress wrapping another solid addition to the catalogue as the Aus Music family continue to deliver the goods.

The Disco Theatre of Manhattan Delivers !

Rekids return with an ethereal release from burgeoning producer Patrick Conway featuring Hessle Audio's Pangaea on remix duties.
"Records inspired by transcendental mediation, UK rave, Sheffield bleep/warp records, Carl Craig circa early 90's, silent servant, Shabba Ranks and joss sticks smoking out the studio..." - Patrick Conway
Syncopated percussion introduces 'Sandy Lane' whilst ebbing pads and metallic nuances add to an overall shadowy aesthetic. 'Orbit' then sees intricate breaks; ghostly synths and murky melodies join piercing vocal cries before Pangaea delivers a cacophonous remix combining crunchy drums with effervescent notes and a throbbing low-end.

Visible Cloaks' Reassemblage is a collection of delicately rendered passages of silence and sound that invokes - and invites - consciousness. The foundation of the duo's second album is gently poured upon the ground their musical predecessors explored, using the materials of chance operations, MIDI translation,' and other generative principles that favor inclusive musical environments over the narrowly constrained.

In 2010, Spencer Doran, one part of Visible Cloaks alongside Ryan Carlile, prepared the first volume of Fairlights, Mallets, and Bamboo, a mixtape indicated by Doran as an investigation into fourth-world undercurrents in Japanese ambient and pop music, years 1980 - 1986.' These mixes contextualized the outré orbit of Yellow Magic Orchestra-related solo projects and their abstract, radiant forays as forever futuristic modes of music.

Reassemblage evokes similar musical futures celebrated on the Fairlights mixes, but does so observantly rather than reverently. The title Reassemblage, for example, is taken from a film essay by Trinh T. Minh-ha, which explores the impossibility of ascribing meaning to ethnographic images. The author aims to speak nearby' rather than speak about.' In other words, to embrace lapses of understanding, and realize that the impulse to map direct meaning across a cultural gap often results in further disconnect.

In an effort to speak nearby' rather than speak about,' Visible Cloaks filters and forms source material to become young again. Often the duo strip tonal elements of their specificity or randomize melodies so they become stirring and lucid. Essential patterns emerge, conscious experience heightens. In these moments, the musical language of Reassemblage finds unlimited resonance and presents a path to uninhabited realities.

The origin of this language could be described as translingual or polyglottal, working within the eastern / western feedback loop of influence, Fourth World ambiguity, and the universality of human emotion. Incorporating an international array of virtual instruments to advance the idea of panglobalism through digital simulation, tones and colors cohere into a living, breathing pool of sensorial experience in Visible Cloaks' environs.

Beyond embracing the fluidity of worldly musical influences, Visible Cloaks works fluently between mediums. The contribution of stalwart digital and installation artist Brenna Murphy's dream dimensions to Reassemblage's cover artwork and surrounding videos extends the album's exploration of global headspace into a visual, visceral reality.

Inwave is pleased to present its 8th vinyl only release, made up of the production by the Villalobos-Luciano boys Felipe Valenzuela, Felipe Venegas, Dani Casarano and the eclectic Inwave homeboy producer Niimm.
Journey through unique brand of melodious and elegant techno, minimal-house sounds delivered in a totaly underground and manner style, open to diverse sounds from around the globe- this Wax is full of grooves.
From Italy to Chile, to Europe and beyond, this four tracker is going to win the hearts of open-minded DJs and dancers alike...
Warm, trippy percussions and joyful, hypnotic vocal samples sure to bring smiles to every dancefloor.

*Singer-songwriter Amelia Harmony is a welcome addition to the Partial Records roster. Although relatively a new comer, over the last few years, Amelia has been playing with bands of varying genres and styles in and around her native Derby, as well more roots reggae-orientated releases on labels such as King Earthquake, Instrument of Jah, Mellow Vibes and her own recently established Soulshine Music label.
*`Fear and Love' is an uplifting rootsy steppers rhythm with a positive message and soulful vocals topped off with some tasteful acoustic guitar licks. Amelia's delivery oozes cross-over appeal. We will be hearing lots more from her.
*Produced by Liam McGurk for his own well-established Partial Records label.
*The Dub version is mixed by UK dub master legend Dougie Wardrop at Conscious Sounds studio, London

Ilija Rudman production continues for Imogen Recordings . Special release - IMO 006 delivers 4 tracks concept - mini lp - space-disco-house influences that formed labels roots.

It was the spring of 2007 when Paul 'Mudd' Murphy and Kevin Pollard announced the arrival of the former's Claremont 56 label with Villa Stavros', a magical frst collaborative 12'. It
seems somewhat ftting, then, that Claremont 56's fnal release of its' frst decade will be N7 Odyssey, the frst collaborative album from Mudd & Pollard. By the time Villa Stavros' came out, the pair had already been regular studio buddies for a couple of years. Initially, Murphy had recruited Pollard - a hugely talented keyboardist and composer - to play on tracks he was working on for Rong Music. One thing naturally led to another, and soon they were joining forces to make music as Murphy's home studio in
Holloway, North London. As the years rolled by, further acclaimed singles followed Villa Stavros' - the bubbly, Rhodes-laden Balearic disco shuffe of Vincent', and the lilting, intergalactic dub disco of Scaffold', most notably - before the duo's other musical commitments began to take precedence. Murphy had his hands full running the Claremont 56 and Leng labels, while Pollard carved out a successful career as a soundtrack composer for both flm and television. Now, the album they set out to make all those years ago is fnally fnished and ready to be
released. N7 Odyssey - titled in tribute to the Holloway studio they recorded in for many years before Murphy moved - draws together freshly re-mastered versions of their previously released singles with a clutch of previously unheard tracks. Built around the duo's own fne musicianship, with Pollard handling synths, keyboards and electric piano, and Murphy guitar, bass and percussion, the album's ten tracks offer a musical journey through their shared love of shuffing grooves, sun-kissed soundscapes and
gentle positivity. Highlights come thick and fast. There's the swirling strings, futtering futes, jammed-out electric pianos and heady female vocals of Far Away', the enchanting new age ambience of December', and the rush-inducing Balearic disco breeze of Mawson's Walk', a former single blessed with sublime horn solos and rising, cinematic strings. Check, too, the head-
nodding beats, fuid electric piano solos and jazzy guitars of Inatin', the gentle Eastern mysticism and vintage ambient house aesthetics of Anura', and the ultra-deep house pulse of N7 Odyssey'. The album fttingly fnishes with a sublime ambient interpretation of Scaffold', arguably the duo's most celebrated track. It may have taken a decade to emerge, fully formed, but Murphy and Pollard have delivered an album that's beguiling, magical, and hugely comforting. Clearly, it's an odyssey worth
taking.

The third release on Ascorbite's own Corseque Records is not for the faint-hearted. Advance the flight and Inadequate Demeanor are clearly twins, delivered from the darkest corners of Ascorbite's mind. The bold, pounding quality of the EP brings Adam X or Grovskopa to mind but Ascorbite has a dystopian touch that's entirely his own. Advance the flight is like a battle track for an intergalactic armada being attacked by an infinite horde of swarming space ants. Inadequate Demeanor, on the other hand, is a grim steampunk fantasy of a black, shining locomotive plainly out of control, raging on red hot rails towards the end of the line. However, while both tracks are rough and unforgiving, Ascorbite manages to invigorate them by the use of subtle melancholic atmospheres - like rainy skies over a concrete desert. A balance between brutalism and vitality. A trademark of Ascorbite and Corseque Records.

'Soak by James Hadfield, featuring Danny Linton, is one of the main reasons for the launch of Me Me Me and a record I love so much I have done my first rem ix for the label,' explains Man Power. Further remixes from Axel Boman and Bird Of Paradise cement a stellar third release on the burgeoning Me Me Me imprint.
Soak is a distinct and uncategorisable piece of electronic music, with a rich thread of emotion running through it so strongly, it remains within each remix, albeit distilled in different ways. Fellow North Eastern Englishman Bird Of Paradise (Correspondant / HAKT) turns in two differing atmospheric interpretations of the track (one appearing as a digital exclusive), while Studio Barnhus supremo Axel Boman brings his own inimitable style to his rework, and Man Power's delivers a dreamy and forlorn infusion on this magnetic record.
James Hadfield has been releasing music over the last ten years under several guises including Lizards and Elizabeth Collective, although remains an elusive figure in the bubbling underground house and Balearic scene. Soak sees him teaming up with Danny Linton , best known as post dubstep producer Funk Ethics.
Man Power's ear for the more captivating and experimental side of electronic music is being championing through Me Me Me, putting discerning dance floors to the test through its releases. 2017 contributions include Mike Simmonetti, Chida, Fort Romeau, Hammer, Rex The Dog, Daniel Maloso and many more .

Two years on from his critically acclaimed self-titled debut LP and 2016's similarly transcendent club hit Safe/Multiply, Ghost Culture is pleased to announce his new EP Nucleus. Due for release on Phantasy, Nucleus, captures the enigmatic London artist's signature sound in the reflection of unexpected, vibrant new lights.
Leading with the understated groove of 'Coma', Ghost Culture quickly reaffirms his unwavering ability to hold the collective energy of a dancefloor, yet colours his latest work with a sense of intimacy and experimentation that resonates stronger than ever.
'ICO130' explores almost every facet of Ghost Culture's electronic form, as gasping synths and stuttering drum patterns flirt with an aching, unfurling emotional vocal sample, acknowledging both classic IDM influences such as Aphex Twin and Authechre, while subtly nodding towards contemporary, crystalline RnB.
The EP's centrepiece, 'NGC1275' adds flavour to a stirring, reflective acid line, amid a complex flurry of minor deconstructions and distortions, highlighting Ghost Culture's unique, contrarian ability to inspire both beckoning darkness and escapist fantasy through his work.
While the opening half of the five track EP is more primed for the night, Nucleus' leads to an introspective denouement. 'Perseus' pits raw electronics against a framework of loose, lucid drums, before 'NGC1265' delivers a wistful, brooding conclusion that makes an emotive case that impacts powerfully across just a short sketch.

Tresor's newest release features BNJMN on Body Reflections Pt. 1.

The four track EP captures a uniquely subdued mood that resides at the nexus of ambient dance music, and that integrates seamlessly with Tresor's penchant for restrained and dub-inflected techno.

Each track on the EP introduces symmetry and rhythm in the form of organic percussion. "Overskies" and "Enceladus" are more lethargic and ethereal, each blanketed with discordant melodies and arcing synth lines. "Hadal Zone" is more dance-oriented - here, a sophisticated interplay of percussive elements loop over plaintive vocals and soft harmonies. "Syzygy" then brings the EP to a techno-focused close with driving kicks, oscillating synths, and repeating minor chords.

Body Reflections Pt. 1 is deeply illustrative of BNJMN's affinity for creating nuanced and delicately balanced layers, and a culmination of his vast experience.

We are proud to welcome Chasindub to the Phonogramme's familly for his very first solo EP.Member of the Romanian trio 'Lisière Collectif' (previously seen on PHONOGRAMME #17), Chasindub delivers here a real piece of deep-break, a timeless record that should cross the ages and stay in many dj bags for a while!

Big remix package on this 12" for three songs of MOP MOP's latest album "Lunar Love". KALBATA, NICOLA CRUZ, DJ KHALAB and sUb_modU don't disappoint with their treatments on this single and deliver great new versions of the originals.

2x12"

Optimo Music are delighted to present the second full-length from The Golden Filter, "STILL // ALONE".
After relocating to London and playing shows around Europe for a year and a half, self-imposed pariahs Penelope Trappes and Stephen Hindman delved into creating a two-sided existential opus by renting out old studio spaces around the UK and using mostly analog 80's instruments, machines and effects.
An album about being in love with pure solitude, when STILL // Optimo Music are delighted to present the second full-length from The Golden Filter, "STILL // ALONE".
After relocating to London and playing shows around Europe for a year and a half, self-imposed pariahs Penelope Trappes and Stephen Hindman delved into creating a two-sided existential opus by renting out old studio spaces around the UK and using mostly analog 80's instruments, machines and effects.
An album about being in love with pure solitude, when STILL // ALONE is separated into two distinct sides, record one, STILL, is a hypnotic meditation for the nightclub. Wavy patterns of sound and light bounce off of Penelope's literary vocal bursts, layered over the ominous deep synths and arpeggiators, held together only by a strict 4/4 beat. The rhythm, ironically forcing the body to move, however internally focused and mindful, still.
Record two, ALONE, takes the club offline and into the fringes of raw, odd pop.

Ever-prominent drum machine beats rule, while love and loss permeate the four atmospheric goth songs. Music for dancing alone.
"Behind the cotton wool is hidden a pattern... the whole world is a work of art... there is no Shakespeare... no Beethoven... no God; we are the words; we are the music; we are the thing itself." - Virginia Woolf

DJ, musician, former saxophonist - there's a combination of skills you don't get to see too often. Get acquainted with DEMIAN, then, aka Damien Pontonnier, a French artist who relocated to Paris after an influential career as

electronic music pioneer and party organizer in Northern Spain. Now an accomplished producer with releases on labels such as Correspondant or Clouded Vision, he presents the MILESTARS EP for Kompakt - a quirky and vibrant track trio with an obvious knack for catchy melodic details in a kinetic techno corsage.

Having amassed quite the experience portfolio when it comes to grassroots club culture, DEMIAN knows a thing or two about inspiring a dance floor - but that doesn't necessarily account for the artistic versatility or genuine lust for sonic adventures and happy accidents that these cuts exhibit: opener DÉCLICA boots with deliciously stoic cowbell-isms that leave the doors of perception wide open for some iconoclastic, yet surprisingly effective synth action.

Meanwhile, the title cut invests in texture-rich atmosphere without forgetting about the precise amount of momentum you need to tip the floor over the edge. Closer NO HYPE FOR THE FISH takes things in a more hypnotic direction, intertwining freeform arpeggios and tape delay with smart beatmanship. Simultaneously lush and lean in its overall aesthetic, the MILESTARS EP will feed both the nerd and the dancer in you - a swiss army knife with all the right tools for masterful crowd control.

Simbad (aka SMBD) is a stalwart of the underground music scene in UK and because of his vast arrays of releases it's very hard to put him into any box or music category. Since his 2007 album Supersonic Revelation & his worldwide acclaimed dancefloor hit Soul Fever, the London based frenchy has been constantly travelling the five continents entertaining delighted clubbers with his super energetic dj skills or producing and recording various artists from many different genres including deeper Dubstep don Mala (DMZ), UK Hip Hop star Roots Manuva, Cuban songstress Dayme Arocena, Detroit House producer Kai Alce, Berlin based deep Techno artist Fred P, Seun Kuti from Afrobeat's most famous family, Brazilian superstar artist/actor Seu Jorge and being production mentor for the king of cool, radio DJ Gilles Peterson (who made him one of the resident at his Worldwide Festivals). With the Moon Theory EP Simbad demonstrates his talent on some deep analog frequencies for the very solid & ever growing label that is Apron Records. As the music wizard puts it himself : 'im just trying to make some timeless shhhhh man, soul in all forms really, trying anyway ! And I guess that the best is yet to come.

Jacob Long's newest recordings under the Earthen Sea moniker deepen his compelling synthesis of shadowy rhythms and opaque atmospherics, drawing on the most potent qualities of melancholic ambient and dub techno.

An Act Of Love' follows 2015's Ink,' released via Ital's Lovers Rock imprint,
and was inspired by internal tribulations and the experience of exploring an empty nocturnal metropolis. Careful waves of tones drift and decay, beats materialize and pulse across twilit landscapes, a noir mood reigns.

Given Long's background as bassist for revelatory tribal-punk trio Mi Ami, An Act Of Love' showcases a musician in the midst of transcendent redefinition, crafting an immersive language of texture and motion.

From Jacob Long:
This record was made over the course of the most emotionally difficult and stressful year in my life thus far. As such, it is both a reflection of that experience and also something that gave me space to begin working through issues to see a way forward, to a better place both psychically and physically.

An idea that was also central to my thoughts while creating the album was the concept and reality of being out in the city at night, wandering around a large urban area after dark - the contrast of empty streets but with life still going on all around, and the openness and possibilities that can bring. This music was an attempt to capture that feeling.

'A Paraiba Não É Chicago' is a smasher from the very first beat! Golden era Brazilian boogie by Marcos Valle from 1981, with a brilliantly hooky chorus section. Originally released on his 'Vontade De Rever Voce' LP. 'Não Quero Mais' is VERY reminiscent of The Doobie Brothers 'Long Train Running', delivered in a Brazilian style - vintage disco-boogie vibes but with
a more soulful chorus section. Originally appeared on Don Beto's 'Nossa Imaginação' LP from 1978.

Side A, put the needle to the groove for an opening introduction to the sound of Midu aka Nicolas Midulla (Funky Monks Records) - "Salcame Selva" is the name of the track and we are presented with some deep, soul-washed house, laced with delicate, shimmering chords and propelled forward by an infectious, rhythmic -baseline. On to track A2 and we find ourselves listening to the unmistakable sound of Tommy Vicari Jnr. Cooking and reshaping the original "Salvame Selva" in a cauldron of bubbling-funk, spring-loaded drum-beats and seasoned with just enough bounce, to elevate the most static of dance-floors. Turn the record over to the B side, where you will find the sound of Prang aka Quitter (Ammo84 / Charmin / Les Temps Difficiles). Meeting you head on and slicing through your consciousness like a scalpel blade, "Last Few Bars" has been designed with precision and intent, to direct the dance floor, enchant and hypnotize, with consuming charm. The finale for the labels second release, comes from Frankfurt, Germany - from the mind of Nils Diezel (Nixwax). "Moody Sundays" plays host to a track, which appears to invoke ecstatic and magical rites, elevating your mind, enveloping the senses and leaving the listener in a dream like state.

Returning to Hypercolour with a second volume of his Sugar Cane Chronicles, Gary Gritness lays down more devastating funk and classy riffing over his trusty Roland 606. After the first volume, released last April, sold out its vinyl run, Gritness delivers more explorations and adventures into his unique and soulful world. Having elusively built his reputation as an outstanding session player, live producer and fantastically dressed Funkateer, Gritness has delivered a handful of releases on labels like Clone Crown Ltd, Nyami Nyami and his own DIY and cassette-only Slikk Tapes. "Steady Choosin" gets downright fusion-jazz and Gritness fires out seductive melodies and latin piano playing of the highest order whilst "Countin Up With Starr" delves into a darker well of synth mania, with a sexual groove reminiscing of Rick James, all the while retaining Gary's signature licks and riffs. "Runner Joe's Revenge" on the flip ramps up the hysteria for a gritty and colossal production that typifies his love of cyberpunk soundtracks and the drama and narrative to be found in this style. "The Sugar Cane Chronicles Vol. 2 closes with the low-slung "Pool Shark Loot", wrapping up on a mysterious and captivating tone; its wandering bassline and melodic touches carrying all the signature Gritness sounds, with the P-Funk sleaziness on top.

Six years after his last album on Miasmah, Schattenspieler, it's great to find Marcus Fjellström resurrected after several long years spent composing his audio-visual opera Boris Christ.

Born out of shattered dreams and an obscured vision of the future, Skelektikon is a delirious yet lucid exploration of the farthest and most conflicted reaches of the heart, teeming with confusion, passion, and ghostly shadows. Being no conventional composer in any way, Marcus stumbles further down his musical domain of detuned orchestral (re-)arrangements and pain-inducing synth passages, arriving at a most unique and personal result. Where Schattenspieler gave way to noir filled alleyways, Skelektikon fills them with paranoia. It's the sound of Limbo, of dancing amoebas, of deviant skeletons, nostalgia and futurism, or quite possibly none of that.

Inhabited by the bizarre and the beautiful, Marcus's music is a blurred yet encouraging representation of how you can never trust your own feelings - or eyes and ears for that matter. And yet, we can't shake the idea that the truth is to be found somewhere within this alien language, as delivered to us through the speakers. Opening our eyes after the final track has dissipated, we wouldn't be surprised to find someone or something there, staring at us, in silent and unsettling knowledge.

Stirred up from deep within, from an abstract spiral of sound and movement, from a sensation of time and space absolving and converging at once, the Black Flower musicians have molded a tangible matter: the album Artifacts. Their second full album sounds international and ageless. Eastern influences, Ethiodub and jazz effortlessly merge. Fantasy and reality seem to fuse. In a word: nourishment for body and soul.

"Psyche-delicious and accessible 20th century Ethiodubjazz. As if John Zorn put on Fela Kuti's shoes and imbibed Mulatu Astatke's whirls."

Piloted by saxophonist /flutist /composer Nathan Daems (Ragini Trio, Dijf Sanders, Antwerp Gipsy-Ska Orkestra), this instrumental band aims for originality. Fellow musicians and 'brothers down the road' are Jon Birdsong (dEUS, Beck, Calexico) on cornet, Simon Segers (Absynthe Minded, De Beren Gieren, Stadt) at the drums, Filip Vandebril (Lady Linn, The Valerie Solanas, Antwerp Gipsy-Ska Orkestra) at the bass and Wouter Haest (Los Callejeros, Voodoo Boogie) playing keys.

For many of us, the Ethiopian aspect once made known to the world by Mulatu Astatke will stand out. Still, Black Flower further adds oriental scales, Afrobeat à la Fela Kuti, jazz in a John Zorn way and varied western music traditions such as rock and dub. The resulting melting pot is undoubtedly inspired by Nathan's distant travels and the multifariously colorful city of Brussels.

...Pretty legit if you ask me - LeFto, Studio Brussel

After their well-received debut album Abyssinia Afterlife (2014, W.E.R.F. / Zephyrus Records) that created an atmosphere of mythical figures and psychedelia, Black Flower now reflects on ancient and modern cultures. The album title Artifacts refers to centuries-old fragile objects or tools that empowered the development of human culture. The world today would look entirely different without those artifacts. The seemingly brittle suddenly becomes a powerful welding cornerstone. Add the musicians' personal musical backgrounds and the result is an album with an ageless mystique. Artifacts is the synthesis of different cultures, of the past and present, and personal and collective memories. It is the soundtrack to modern reality, based on the elements that connect us.

Brilliant - Gilles Peterson, BBC Radio 6

One of Belgium's Best Bands of these past years (...) Black Flower does not simply play a tune, they always groove! - Kurt Overbergh, Ancienne Belgique

Uncomplicated originality, plenty of space for fantasy and an organic tone: those are the ingredients for Black Flower to lay claim to an age-old human ritual: dancing! Still, Black Flower also stands out in various other settings. Their audience at a jazz club will have felt exalted, their audience at a late-night show will not have resisted dancing. The band wields influence over their surroundings in a way only heart-and-soul musicians can. This mastery has repeatedly taken them to United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands and Germany.

Awa Poulo is a singer of Peulh origin from Dilly commune, Mali, near the border with Mauritania. Largely pastoral and often nomadic, Peulh- (or Fula-)speaking peoples are found from Senegal to Ethiopia but predominate in the Sahel region of West Africa. Awesome Tapes From Africa is proud to release Poulo's newest recording of highly virtuosic folk-pop, fresh from the studio, broadcasting her vision of Peulh music beyond the grazing grounds and central markets of her remote home region in southwestern Mali. It's not very common to find a female singer performing publicly among the Peulh. But Poulo's mother's co-wife is Inna Baba Coulibaly, who is a celebrated singer most Malian music fans know. Coulibaly herself was brought into music by forces outside her control when a regional music contest required an entry from her village and she was chosen to be a singer. So, set in motion by a surprising series of events, young Poulo's entree into the music world was auspic ious as she gained popularity across the region. After several locally released tapes and CDs, this record is Poulo's first internationally-distributed record. On Poulo Warali, she and her band combine the hallmarks of Peulh music—warm flute floating over cross-rhythmic n'goni (lute) riffs and resonant calabash gourd hand percussion—with broader Malian sounds like lightly-distorted guitar and a heavier, rollicking inertia. Shapeshifting layers of rhythm and woody overtones match Poulo's commanding voice in a jocular yet deliberate dance. This is a relatively rare example of Malian Peulh music played in a modern, cosmopolitan context, reflecting the mixed society of Dilly, where Bambara, Soninke and Peulh-speaking people live among each other. Poulo's conscious lyrics about community concerns speak to the distinctive identity of her broadly-flung people. While Peulh represents less than 10% of Mali's melting pot of languages, the dynamic music here powerfully resonates well beyond the linguistic borders.

cream coloured vinyl, black poly-lined inner sleeve, heavy card outer sleeve, shrink-wrap and external sticker.

Following 2015's 'album of the year' The Habit of a Lifetime (And How To Kick It), ATIC Records is proud to present the next instalment in the AIM & QNC saga. The How It All Got Started Curt Cazal Remix EP boasts two instant classic re-workings from super-producer Curt Cazal (JVC Force, Strong Island), an all-new, Aim produced track, Lyrical Expert, and the all-important, DJ-friendly instrumentals. The EP is presented on delicious C.R.E.A.M. coloured 140g 12" vinyl with sleeve art by AFU.