quête:the head

repressed !

A memorable Drumcode debut lands from Teenage Mutants, in collaboration with Heehorst and Peter Pahn, as 'Dark Clouds' lights up the sky. Collectively, the artists bring a strong pedigree to the table, having released on Terminal M, Filth on Acid and 1605 Music Therapy.

An anthem in every sense, 'Dark Clouds' already has the makings of one of Drumcode's biggest tracks of the year having highlighted events including Printworks, Awakenings at the Gashouder during ADE week and Resistance Abu Dhabi thanks to its thrilling dramaturgy that combines a stirring vocal line, thundering underbelly of acid and laser-focused b-line.

In the age of viral sensations and fast rising superstars, UMEK shines, a testament to hard graft, talent and playing the long game. We’re thrilled to have him on the label for his Drumcode debut.

The track is a rhythmic peak-time beast, highlighting Time Warp and Exchange in LA in recent times. It also saw the artist experiment with AI to create the heady vocal line. “There’s still a lot of work in the post-production process, but it’s certainly an interesting time when you can make use of these tools,” he shares.

Fate is a funny old thing. One day in 2011, DJ/producer Tom Trago found himself sharing a train journey with Steven Van Lummel, a DIY musician, artist and co-founder of PIP, an underground nightclub and cultural hub in The Hague. Over the course of a rambling, open-ended conversation, the idea of making music together came up; a few weeks later, Trago travelled to van Lummel’s place – a former industrial unit that was now home to a rotating cast of artists and musicians – and didn’t leave for a month.

Cossetted away from the outside world in van Lummel’s loft, with multi-instrumentalists Janneke Nijhuijs and Wieger Hoogendorp joining them to create a musical four-piece, MEGA WEGA was born. Over the course of four weeks, the quartet embarked on an almost continuous creative session punctuated only by impromptu parties and mixing sessions. Life-long bonds were made and over 70 tracks recorded before the mundanity of day-to-day life came calling.

For one reason or another, the project never saw the light of day, with tracks sat gathering dust on hard drives for the best part of a decade. During the madness and loneliness of the COVID-19 pandemic, Trago rediscovered the tracks. Delighted by what he heard, a collective decision was made to add finishing touches and release the resultant album on van Lummel’s PIP Records imprint. Further instruments and vocals were added over two days at Hoogendorp’s studio, before mutual friend Tom Ruig got on board to mix the album.

So, what can you expect from Haunted, Mega Wega’s debut album? First and foremost, it’s the sound of pure creative expression – the distillation of a freewheeling, no-holds-barred, spontaneous musical journey variously inspired by the do-it-yourself ethos of musical counterculture, shared inspirations and influences, epic jam sessions, distant stars (Wega, sometimes known as Fidis or ‘the harp star’, is one of the brightest in the night sky), imaginary journeys across dusty deserts, and the comradeship of four new friends.

Enchanting and alluring, it’s an album that gleefully denies lazy categorization and ploughs its own eclectic, atmospheric musical furrow in vivid sonic detail. It’s a collective exploration of heady musical eclecticism unified by saucer-eyed vocals, low-slung bass, loose-limbed beats, sweaty percussion workouts and hazy electric piano motifs.

Haunted begins with the woozy and hallucinatory slow-burn soundscape of ‘Get Things Done’ – an effects laden shuffle akin to lying flat on your back tripping under an intense desert sun – and ends with the creepy, mind-mangling post-punk funk of ‘Brain Carpaccio’; in between, you’ll find spaced-out, low-tempo lo-fi soul (‘Move Around’, ‘Haunted’), tactile synth-powered boogie revivalism (‘Make Me Work’), deep and off-kilter opioid jazz (‘Copenhagen’), intoxicating psychedelia (‘Last Night on Earth’), piano-laden dream-pop epics (‘Shake Or Fall’), and Latin-infused, percussion-powered hedonism (‘Chopping Heads’).

Born out of spontaneous collaboration and immersive, almost endless recording sessions, Haunted is an album shot through with imagination and boundless energy, captured for posterity by four friends and collaborators at the top of their game.

Hanagasumi Records presents the fifth release, this time you will hear multi-genre electronic music in compilation format from wonderful artists who have their own unique and inimitable musical vision. Many of the artists previously released on labels such as Udacha, Rough House Rosie, Kimochi, Runout, Resonance, Faktura.

On the cover you see the numbered minerals of one large gem, the mineral number is also the track number. Minerals come together to create something beautiful, just like the tracks on this album.

The compilation opens with the instrumental track "Kamerton" by Shine Grooves, which combines classical piano playing with atmospheric synth sounds. The second track "Gods Gave" by Seal Bient & Jon'Smu is filled with mystery and melodic sequences that gently fall on electro rhythms. Continuing the journey, we come to the third track - "Caleidoscope" from the legendary band Bipolardepth, very fragile and thin sound matter, reminiscent of crystals, is connected with an ambient mood. The fourth track "The Sun Changed To Rain" is the work of two musicians - Michel and Shine Grooves, the composition is filled with house percussions and magical synth parts, but has a relaxing effect. The last track on side A is "Smelles" by Psor, you will hear house rhythms, lots of delay and vocals - first class dub! The second side is opened by the melodic IDM track "Muy Fragil" by Jon'Smu, atmospheric melodies are combined with broken rhythms and futuristic percussion. The second track "Fabrika" from the live improvisational band Ryabina is filled with crystal clear sounds, electro rhythm and cosmic chimes. The third track "Kwas" by Ronin combines a very slow and deep house groove that runs very smoothly through synth sequences. The fourth track "Lionwave" from the mysterious musician Phoboz, is an incredibly beautiful dub techno that slowly leads to hypnosis. The album closes with the ambient track "Runout 08.03" by X343 - a loop-shaped synth sequence that can run endlessly in your head.

With his sensational full length debut, now well and truly bedded in - Duncan now treats us to the first of two, super special ‘Return of The Strobelight Kid’ - Remix EPs.

Taking pride and place, as the sole rework on side A, is Mr. G’s beastly ‘Changing Timez’ dub of ‘Rise Above’. A track full of poise, playful experimentalism and sub-licked attitude - it’s one that positively writhes in its own, wonderfully succulent, analogue filth.

Then, kicking off Side B proceedings and taking on album closer - ‘The Future Of Love’ - we have the refreshingly singular, duo-driven talents of Bodhi; who, full of confidence and clarity of vision - boldly choose to take the delicate, soul-quenching OG into unexpectedly fierce, propulsive and heads down Techno territory… a roll of the dice mind, that pays dividends and then some.

And finally - wrapping up Side B on this first ‘Return Of The Strobelight Kid’, remix EP - is Duncan himself…who here we see re-mould, ‘Quantum Particles Falling From Space’, into an even more incisive, heavily snarled and intensely rifling slice of forward-thinking Jungle-meets-Techno weaponry.

Here's the first vinyl record release by Alien Rave. We still can't explain the strange circumstances surrounding this record, which came to our attention in a mysterious and unexpected way. A coded message through Ableton Live led us to a strange place where we found the recordings. The instructions were very clear - all we had to was follow them You'll find the results on this interstellar '94 electro-break track. Alien Rave sets out to get inside your head, introducing evocative and epic mental moments that give way to energetic tunnels built on a solid rhythmic foundation carefully designed to withstand elegant ultrasonic bass frequencies. For electro-break fans, this record could be seen as a journey which originated in the German-inspired Florida scene before eventually finding its way back to Spain. It's funny how Florida, home to some of the most robotic and extraterrestrial electro-break music, is also one of the hot spots of the global UFO phenomenon. Coincidence? Maybe, but we're looking forward to the next contact: we know it's coming.

Sonic Transmutations is an extended compilation album celebrating over three decades of Clone Records. Marking the 31 years - which is coincidentally the national Dutch telephone code - the 8x12 inch box set draws together veteran talent and emerging iconoclasts, transmitting a frequency rooted the imprint's signature blend of essential dance music while journeying off into territories unknown. In a constant state of unfolding, morphing across phases of matter, Sonic Transmutations purveys an elemental energy that stands in testament to Clone's enduring legacy and explorations of sounds and structures.

The first outing of the new label Way to France records, born in Leipzig and raised in Cologne (including an extra long puberty), comes from none other than Robert Johnson legend Lauer.
The title track Law High heads straight for peak time in classic Lauer style between synth-pop, wave and house. Extraordinary DJ Charlie from Berlin transforms Law High into an analog-sounding EBM-Italo stomper with her first remix ever.

On B1 Lauer shows his other side with Enso: Techno Soul in the melody-man manner. Enso got the remix treatment from Leipzig's highly talented Janthe, who (another remix premiere) pulls off a modern, froggy, timeless version that's playable on any occasion. WTF Records headquarter is more than proud (and happy) to have so much talent on their versatile catalog number 001.

SY Rockers is the new project from Ryan Aitchison aka Mella Dee and KALLIDA Festival bossman Reuben G. Their story goes all the way back to 2009, when Reuben invited Ryan to be a resident for his party LSS at Hi-Fi Club in Leeds.

The pair went on to bond over their shared love of bass-led music in the UK underground, a sound that was especially important to their native South Yorkshire. Fourteen years on, Ryan and Reuben revisit those early inspirations as SY Rockers. Their debut EP is a slickly produced expression of bleep, UK techno, bassline and dub, redrawing lines between the sound legacies of cities like Sheffield, Bradford and Leeds across three tracks.

True to those roots, the result is a hypnotic blend of raw drums and subsonic impact. ‘Windy Dub’ introduces the record with a hazy, heads-down bass, occasionally shivering into a cavernous space echo before it locks back into a haunting synth hook. ‘Modem’ does what it says on the tin: gameboy tones bounce around a warm sub, calling back the ‘less is more’ aesthetic of the original bleep era. Finally, ‘Rhythm Resonate’ zooms in on where it all started—the drum machine. 909s, lasers and a touch of perc combine to create the ultimate techno tool.

RTR debuts on UTTU with 4 tracks of IDM infused emotional house music - having turned heads on Analogical Force and WEME - here we are treated to a more laid back club focused EP for both heads and feet”

LA based producer Eric Spire released some very forward thinking music on his Silver Pearl label back in the late 90’s. This type of heavy, psychedelic house music was the bridge to a new era of sound and grabbed a lot of attention from the likes of Craig Richards & Lee Burridge’s Tyrant nights at Fabric and DJ Garth to name a few.

Now, 2 decades later, Sushitech and label head Yossi Amoyal compiled a unique series that includes some of the most inspiring and hard to find tracks out of the Silver Pearl back catalogue.

This is an exclusive insight to one of the most inspiring underground labels coming from the west coast. Essential!

After their debut 12" on Feel My Bicep and their contribution "Halluzinelle" to the Dots And Pearls 7 compilation, DeFeKT and Extrawelt are joining forces again.

In the act of remembering the true spirit of no-nonsense, raw, and direct techno, they created these two masterfully executed, original, and timeless cuts.

Each time they get together they come up with something truly unique, blending their styles effortlessly and seamlessly. Their expertise, knowledge, and recognition of our music's history just radiates out of this release. Both tracks immediately captured our souls here at Cocoon headquarters and we couldn't be more excited to put them out right away on this beautiful, limited, hand-stamped 10" vinyl.

Next up on Toolroom’s 4-track vinyl sampler series, we welcome LA based DJ and producer Noizu to the label, debuting with his remix of Mark Knight, Green Velvet and Rene Amesz – ‘Live Stream’. Diving deep and pulling up a Toolroom classic from the 2016 archives, Noizu delivers a powerful rendition of ‘Live Stream’, ramping up the energy of the original to a whole new level, cutting it fresh for dance floors in 2023.

Next up and landing back on the firm during our 20th birthday celebrations is none other than Danny Howard, who returns to the label with a beefed up edit of a Toolroom classic – ‘Hear What They Hear’ by Adrian Hour. A secret weapon for DJs worldwide, released back in 2016 on Adrian Hour’s ‘Like This’ Ep, this B side became an unlikely hero that still gets hammered today by the likes of John Summit and Eats Everything. After doing the rounds at Glastonbury festival this year and beyond, Danny's update has turned one record with a solid dance floor reputation into a certified slammer!

Next up, we’ve got an absolute belter of a record from two renowned producers in the scene: Watermät And Raumakustik, with their debut collaboration ‘Out Of My Head’. Merging each artist’s signature sounds together, from Raumakustik’s solid production skills to Watermät’s penchant for locking in quirky and catchy vocal hooks, ‘Out Of My Head’ is a certified dancefloor weapon in the making.

Last but not least, is another label debut from London based DJ and producer, deeper purpose, who’s landing with a huge tech house roller, ‘The Stutter’. An artist creating shockwaves across the dance music spectrum, deeper purpose is fast becoming a familiar name in the dance sphere having earned a solid reputation as a producer with killer releases on highly regarded imprints such as off the grid, catch & release and repopulate mars. A staple record in all his performances, ‘The Stutter’ has shaken dancefloors all over the world, from EDC Vegas to Club Space Miami, to Ministry Of Sound London and beyond!

Countless Radio Plays on Radio 1 from Danny Howard, Sarah Story, Pete Tong

DJ Support:
Danny Howard, Annie Mac, Mistajam, Pete Tong, Charlie Hedges, Kraak & Smaak, Maxinne, Todd Terry, Alex Preston, Full Intention, Gw Harrison, DJ Rae, Rudimental, Alaia & Gallo, Illyus & Barrientos, Johan S, David Penn, Sam Divine, Riva Starr, Claptone

Repress!

The EEE crew are back with another headspinner that is destined to do the business. Sweeping minimal rhythms, deep pads and heavyweight bass coupled with an ethereal vocal in signature EEE style, buy on sight!

Ein weiteres Kultalbum von Jazz Room Records mit Danny Ward & Reality, die Mitte bis Ende der 70er Jahre die Go-To-Funky-Jazz-Band für College- und andere Hardcore-Funk-Party-Gigs in und um Seattle im pazifischen Nordwesten waren.

Sie veröffentlichten Coverversionen der neuesten Disco- und Top-40-Hits und nahmen ihr Publikum regelmäßig mit auf einen musikalischen Trip durch die funkigsten und jazzigsten Sounds der Zeit mit Titeln, die durch George Benson, Lydia Pense & Coldblood, The Headhunters, Mandrill, u.v.m. berühmt wurden.

Diese einzigartige Aufnahme, die die Band live bei einem Auftritt unter der Woche in Bremerton, Washington, einfängt, zeigt ihren unnachahmlichen Stil.

Orphic Apparition follow up their inaugural release by RAFRAM, the collaborative project of Toronto's Raf Reza aka Raf Rizzla and UK acid house luminary Ramjac Corporation, with a new two-tracker from the transatlantic bass warriors. Where the RAFRAM 12" gifted us five variations on the same live jam cut from Grow Tottenham, here we have a spontaneous track written by Paul (Ramjac) on the A-side and a fully warped dancehall mix from Raf on the B. (short)

'Press 1 to Repeat' began as an on-the-spot demonstration of the musical self, a natural response to being asked 'What is it that you do?'. Within a few minutes Ramjac had his laptop out and was bashing out a quintessentially English sort of kitchen tabletop version of Kraftwerk - Numbers, the tongue in cheek automated voice on the other end of the line querying his account balance in tow. Proudly showing his friend Ryoko his improvisatory skills, a £10 hifi from a Japanese 2nd hand shop served as the portable monitors whilst the track waited to be brought back to his studio in London. The track is anchored by a bouncy, Irdial-reminiscent percussive workout which punches above its weight for its humble beginnings. Add the dubbed out synth pads and sort of electrical static FX in the background and everything syncs together in cosmic harmony. Hopefully Ryoko now gets the gist!

Raf Rizzla takes the stems and channels some inspiration from the Jamaican movie “Third World Cop” by turning the track on its head with a double-time baseline and half-time melody to craft a big dancehall version with a bit of a modern day On-U twist. Here Raf shows yet another side to his truly versatile production chops which have seen him release house, trance, breaks and downtempo cuts on a variety of Canadian labels prior to starting Orphic Apparition.

Label head Blue Hour steps up for the next release with an impressive two tracker, offering a new exploration of sound from the Berlin based producer. First up on the A side ‘Dimensions’ reveals a dramatic and eery driving Techno track with an atmosphere akin to early British IDM releases but with a more dancefloor-focused approach. ‘Dimensions’ is punctuated by warped mechanical percussive fx, pummeling drums and relentless groove highlighted by a simple yet effective melodic line which boldly opens things up and cuts through the complex layering of sound as the track evolves. On the B side ‘Sun Dogz’ adopts a similar soundscape, however picks up the tempo with a more Trance orientated production inspired by darker Goa/Psy styles and modern Fast-Trance productions. Hypnotic acidic lines, spatial fx and tribal percussion guide the listener to the main event. A heavily reverbed metallic hook and unique piece of sound design which takes multiple twists and turns along the course of the track. The EP wraps up a year of multiple successful releases from the label, with next year marking 10 years since the labels inception - keep an eye on things to come.

Seoul duo Salamanda arrive on Wisdom Teeth with their latest and most focused LP yet: 'In Parallel' - a vividly textural and immersive record that brings a new level of clarity to their typically psychedelic, expansive approach. Since arriving in 2019, the pair - comprised of friends Uman Therma (aka Sala) and Yetsuby (aka Manda) - have been fast at work mapping out their elaborate, dream-state sonic world - prolifically honing their sound across four albums and over a dozen singles to date. Across their already-extensive discography the pair have established a few key calling cards. Mallet instruments and tuned drums play out playful music-box melodies. Thick washes of gaseous ambience invoke otherworldly or ancient soundscapes. And buried fragments of found sound and manipulated vocal give their otherwise synthetic compositions a warm sense of first-person narrative. Ambient and Reich-school minimalism are the music’s most obvious sonic touchstones - yet the pulse of contemporary club and pop music have never been totally out of earshot. All of these themes come in to play here - but 'In Parallel' signals a step well beyond Salamanda’s work to date. Since 2022’s 'ashbalkum' (released on Wisdom Teeth alumni Tristan Arp’s label, Human Pitch), the duo have toured extensively: at classical institutions like London’s Kings Place as well as DIY club dens like Manchester’s White Hotel, all via a series of globally renowned festivals like Mutek, Nachti and Dekmantel. Their creative set-up has grown steadily alongside to incorporate a whole suite of new machines, processes and perspectives, taking their music in bold new directions in the process. The clearest development here is in the duo’s use of vocals - a shift that has been slowly taking place over their last few records, but that comes to a head on In Parallel. The album’s lead single 'Homemade Jam' is the closest the duo have come to writing an all-out pop track: its buoyant beat and autotuned vocals sounding like something SOPHIE and Charli XCX could have written after a particularly potent batch of mushroom tea. It’s a razor-sharp slice of alt-pop that offers a mouthwatering first look at what happens when Salamanda’s sprawling, unbridled creative energy is distilled right down into something concentrated and polished. At other points their sonic explorations lead them to embrace a more upfront approach to rhythm, skirting closer than ever before to the dancefloor in the process. The meandering drums and vocal chops on 'Paper Labyrinth' are underpinned by a firm 4x4 pulse, while the dembow groove of 'Tonal, Fluid' would feel right at home in a Nick León or DJ Plead set. 'In Parallel' is a record about connection, and the warmth and nostalgic simplicity of friendship is felt vividly throughout. Its title refers to the harmony the duo have found between them as friends and collaborators - and sonic parallels are traced throughout the record as testament to this. Motifs come and go before reappearing at later points: take, for example, the melody underpinning ‘Sun Tickles’, which returns in a different key and tempo on album closer ‘Mysterious Wedding’. Parallel lines are traced between each artist and through their music, linking back to their past and pointing ahead to the future. Only Salamanda know where these will take us next.

Prophecy, whose previous releases were received to great acclaim, returns with a new EP produced by the label head honcho Elias the Prophet. This time treating you to four original tracks and a stunning remix by Tensal:

"Creatures" could be described as a walk through the forest, but it's getting dark and thousands of eyes are watching you as you get lost in the thick undergrowth. As panic sets in and dark thoughts take over, you start running towards an uncertain fate!

On his remix of "Creatures", the one and only Tensal has masterfully blended powerful beats, eerie voices and pads from the original with his own frenetic synths, creating absolute chaos and madness!

More uneasy vibes with "Exorcism", as supernatural synth layers and Gregorian chants ride above hard percussion, if Satanists listened to techno (some probably do), this would be their jam!

The Keeper is an ideal dj tool, with its broken beat and ferocious FX it creates an unstoppable momentum that will destroy dance floors!

As a finishing touch, "Crime scene" paints a bleak picture of a dystopian future, warping FX and synths to infinity and beyond.

"Relax Your Body" is a killer slice of narcotic, mid-tempo Italian heaviness from way back in the late 80's.
Coming out on Italy's Full Time label, an Italo Disco imprint that embraced the burgeoning house scene in Italy, and finding favor across Europe and the UK with DJ's like Andrew Weatherall, it's KLF sampling groove and spoken, authoritative, mantra-like lyrics no doubt sound tracked some of the headiest moments in the corners of darkened, dry ice filled dance-floors throughout 1989 and beyond.

"Relax Your Body" is a record that still sounds incredible today, it's still in the bag of contemporary DJ's like Ricardo Villalobos and gets regular airings from those unafraid to inject some old school into their DJ sets.

A true Italian House classic, now re-mastered and re-pressed in conjunction with Full Time Records and made available again for 2014. Essential.

ECHOES OF GLORY return with its second instalment – after the widely received ISSUE ONE – ISSUE TWO see’s SEAN JOHNSTON’S Hardway Brothers guise and GRANT DELL’S Masonic Noodles moniker, meet in fine style. Sean, known for his lengthy residency with the much-missed ANDREW WEATHERALL at A LOVE FROM OUT OF SPACE has also successfully transferred this innate understanding of a dancefloor into studio alchemy. The Hardway brothers mix of ESCAPE ON THE MIDNIGHT EXPRESS has all the hallmarks of being a ALFOS classic, a real - lights off – smoke machine on - ready for a heady dubby trip across the dance floor. The Masonic noodles mix takes it down a notch with bubbly acid undertones and good use of the samples, taken from Giorgio Moroder’s score of the classic Midnight express Film. Heavy Heavy stuff ! Only 300 pressed on this vinyl only outing.

Harry Romero returns to Crosstown Rebels as he links with vocalist Shyam P for ‘Mind Games’.

With a catalogue as rich as any and continuing at the top of his game two decades after his emergence within New York’s fabled nightlife scene, Harry Romero continues to serve up his own take of Latin-inspired and percussive- driven house music via a long list of the industry’s leading imprints. Having previously remixed Chilean favourite Francisco Allendes on the label last year alongside his collaborative ‘It Hurts’ EP with Jessica Eve in 2021 and his contribution to the ‘Spirits III’ compilation before that, the Bambossa Records head honcho is back on Damian Lazarus’ revered Crosstown Rebels for his latest EP project, uniting London-bon, Dubai based singer/ songwriter Shyam P for the excellent ‘Mind Games’.

Crafting a slick and heady groove before launching into a hypnotic haze accenting by a bubbling bassline, ‘Mind Games’ is an infectious and vibrant house cut as Shyam P’s alluring vocals take hold amongst emotive builds and breaks. Nest, ‘Mira’ is a classic Romero offering as the focus shifts to crisp organic percussion arrangements, carnival-esque whistles and hooky Latin vocals for a bustling terrace number, before ‘Analog Bugz’ takes cues from its title as crisp drum shots and sharp stabs unite to create a no-nonsense builder made for the main room.

L'estasi Dell'oro returns with 'Back From the Woodshed,' a 12" EP that showcases a finely-tuned sound and improved groove, marking this comeback on Danza Tribale. The opening track, 'The Best Yet,' features the vocals of Crystal Boyd-a familiar voice for those in the know, as she made her debut appearance with L'estasi on Voodoo Down 001 in 2012. Sadie LaPierre Ernst, known for her lyrical contributions on Field Records and Macro Recordings since 2015, lends her voice once again on this release.

Label owner Adiel offers a high-speed remix that complements Sadie's words with a steady gallop. The overall aesthetic of this record is beautifully encapsulated in 'The Marsh Flower, a Sad Human Head,' drawing inspiration from Odilon Redon's original illustration from 1885. The EP concludes with a beatless edit of 'The Best Yet' under L'estasi's resurrected Penalune alias-a project that debuted over a decade ago with two albums released on Something Records by STL, followed by a collection for TvO's Broken20 label.

Prozpektiva reaches its fifth release so far, and on this special occasion, we are proud to present the rising talent from Ukraine - Aliana.

With a remarkable debut on Variable Records in 2021, swiftly followed by a standout LP (an album for only her second release) for Finest Hour, and a series of co-produced tracks under the alias Midibasics, Aliana now brings us her latest four-track solo EP. Get ready for dubby grooves, plenty of swing, and some serious heads-down action.

LA based producer Eric Spire released some very forward thinking music on his Silver Pearl label back in the late 90’s. This type of heavy, psychedelic house music was the bridge to a new era of sound and grabbed a lot of attention from the likes of Craig Richards & Lee Burridge’s Tyrant nights at Fabric and DJ Garth to name a few.

Now, 2 decades later, Sushitech and label head Yossi Amoyal compiled a unique series that includes some of the most inspiring and hard to find tracks out of the Silver Pearl back catalogue.

This is an exclusive insight to one of the most inspiring underground labels coming from the west coast. Essential!

SPEICHER is going back to its classic double header split EP format. HUNTER/GAME are no strangers to KOMPAKT, having released a number of singles and the “Adaptation” album back in 2016. “Reload” was written in cooperation with Buenos Aires based U S H N U and it’s a total corker of a proto trance inspired track – the kind of trance that would have graced Dorian Gray’s Sunday morning dancefloor.

We’re extremely happy to finally welcome the ever excellent BAWRUT to our family. Hailing from Madrid, he has been one of the most creative forces in recent years, carving his own niche of percussion-heavy, psychedelic techno. “CLAP” is an unpredictable monster, taking so many twists and turns, causing such confusion that your synapses will give up making sense out of the chaos and book a flight to the Bahamas.
SPEICHER kehrt mal wieder zum klassischen Doppel-A-Seiten-Split-EP-Format zurück. HUNTER/GAME sind bei KOMPAKT keine Unbekannten, denn sie haben seit 2016 eine Reihe von Singles und das Album “Adaptation” veröffentlicht. “RELOAD” entstand in Zusammenarbeit mit U S H N U aus Buenos Aires und ist ein großartiger Proto Trance Smasher – jene Art von Trance, die Sonntag morgens den Dancefloor im Frankfurter Dorian Gray geziert hätte.

Wir schätzen uns sehr glücklich, endlich den unglaublichen BAWRUT in unserer Familie begrüßen zu dürfen. Der Madrilene ist eine der kreativsten Kräfte der letzten Jahre und hat sich unlängst seine eigene Nische des percussionslastigen, psychedelischen Techno geschaffen. “CLAP” ist ein unberechenbares Monster, das so viele Wendungen nimmt und so viel Verwirrung stiftet, dass deine Synapsen irgendwann aufgeben dem Chaos irgendeinen Sinn zuzuordnen und einen Flug auf die Bahamas buchen.

Heads High keeps up the good early work with a third interesting offering, this time in the form of a meeting of the fiendish minds of Mike Misiu and Eddie Smilie, aka Wednesday Club. They offer up late-night club sounds with plenty of musical nouse and worldly nuance that comes as a result of late-night sample mining across the African musical landscape. Their tunes are crafted on nice analogue gear so have that lovely freed edge feel and from the space-house of 'Magic Body' to the swaggering dub of 'Magic Dub' via the cosmic expressiveness of cruising groomer 'Love & Care'. This one gets dubbed out to close a fine dance floor adventure.

Following much love for his EPs, remixes and club sets, the virtuosic DJ/producer Simo Cell’s debut album 'Cuspide des Sirènes' doesn’t disappoint. In fact, it takes things to a whole new level.

With a fantastical menagerie of anthropomorphism, sounds create characters and tools; the mermaid-like Sirens, the mind controlling Octopus and the Magic Conch Shell:

“Have you heard of the legend of 'Cuspide des Sirènes'? This is not a simple tale, but an incredible tapestry woven over many years and through countless wondrous adventures. I will recount the legend as it was recorded in the ancient scrolls.

The album’s story explores the themes of magic, enchantment, charm, and allure, but also personal fears. The protagonist (me) embarks on a quest to find the hidden lake and confront his own demons, in order to understand and master his own power.

The protagonist is armed with a powerful conch shell. As he embarks on his journey, he will encounter Sirens who will teach him various chants. These melodies hold unique powers and grant the main character the strength to confront and overcome any danger that may arise.” Simo Cell

Musically, the LP is a continuation of Simo’s journey that began with the ‘YES.DJ’ EP, with a synthesized/modernized take on noughties hip hop, bass music, trap, ghetto house and ghetto tech – but here he broadens the scope, massively.

Exploring new pathways through magical landscapes, via infused melodies, emo and pop, the sensations are bright and addictive, like a sugar and endorphin cocktail. There’s a screen sheen and video game quality too, sounding like the high-octane score to an action flick from the year 3000, with unimaginably wild SFX.

'Cuspide des Sirènes' is the kind of record to stop someone in their tracks, to ask “what IS this?”, provoking bass face, perplexion, fascination and manic glee, all at once. Not so much organised chaos as intricately-crafted-borderline-unhingement, the album is slightly bonkers, in a very good way. There’s a boundless sense of childlike, unencumbered imagination at play, and an abundance of fun, but there are moments of serious-deep-beat-science for the heads, and introspective passages too.

There’s a lot going on, with detail, layers, flourishes, arrangement, melodies and myriad fresh sounds – but it’s never too much; just a really engrossing listen – the kind that that ruins ones appetite for prosaic, vanilla dance music, rendering such 2D pursuits boring and obsolete.

Ideally, the album is meant to be experienced as a seamless narrative from start to finish, so leave any inhibitions or preconceptions at the door, and let the pied piper of electronic futurism lead you way down the rabbit hole.

Steve O'Sullivan's Mosaic label is back with a second volume of its dubs series, this time on nice yellow vinyl with Sub Basics and Fletcher given one side each to shine. Sub Basics goes first with 'Mediterranean', a lovely liquid dub with bottomless depths and perfectly smooth, frictionless drums. Lovely soft melodies drift in and out as the echoing hits and icy hi-hats help oil this most heady of grooves. On the flip, Fletcher offers up 'Sludge' which is a little more tense and menacing, with darker bass and more texture as well as distant groaning pads that keep you guessing and on edge.

Church Boy Lou was born from a dream in the summer of 2014. A captivating and enigmatic fi gure, created by the innovative, genre-bending, DIRT TECH RECK label head Waajeed. Recently crowned DJ Mag’s Underground Hero and just off the heals of his lead single with Defected’s Dames Brown, he continues to cultivate rhythms from the pews of the Baptist church.

This second offering from Church Boy Lou embodies the same spirit and uniqueness as his first release, Weep EP in 2015. "The Night Is Coming" brings you the first hand experience of a minister leading his church with the Word of God. These heartfelt lyrics warn of the dark times ahead of us. However, “Keep On Praying” brings a positive note and beckons us to the dance floor. “Push Em’ in the Face” skillfully integrates high energy Chicago Jack house and techno. Rolling snares and energetic beats fuse with powerful lyrics to face all challenges head on.

This well composed four track offering has an opener, closer and prime time options for all DJ’s across the board. With a sonic steeping of gospel samples and an authenticity that could only come from Detroit City.

2lanes is proud to announce the next single, TINCTURE/ MY SIMULACRA, from his recently minted label AUTO SHOP. The two-tracker finds the artist both deepening his expansive sound and honing it to weave seamlessly into any DJ set. “TINCTURE / MY SIMULACRA” solidifies the cinematic textures and rusty low-end percussive drive of 2lanes’ earlier releases this year, “Diamond Rain EP'' & “Sid Ranger Redux EP.” Spending much of this past year on the road, 2lanes dove headfirst into the contemporary electronic music world, meeting an array of new and exciting producers, some of which are featured remixers on this release.

On the A side, take a dose of TINCTURE and see just how far the rabbit hole goes. Inspired by raving all night with friends, 2lanes linked with Detroit-based singer AKILLACO for a wild talking track like none other. We all know those moments at the party when both nothing and everything makes sense. You want to be prophetic but you just make everyone laugh. You think about the past, future, & present all at once. This is the ultimate message of TINCTURE, which AKILLACO emphatically points out. The long-winded musing is underlined by a heavy swung style beat that 2lanes fans have come to know well. Frequent 2lanes collaborator Salar Ansari joins the fun for the steamy, guitar-laden Howling Diablo remix that could as easily be played at a forest rave as a sleazy dive bar a la Coyote Ugly. Purelink’s MILLIA reduces the solution to an even dubbier chill out mix that begs to be played in the early mornings.

On the B side, we have the bass-heavy vision quest MY SIMULACRA. Ancient percussion meets modern sub bass–and together, they transport you to a new plane of being. This track also features performances from a few regular 2lanes sonic cohorts. Detroit keyboard prodigy Ian Fink (Scott Grooves Ensemble, Omar S) evokes celestial moments with a memotron solo, and Jonah Baseball (Overtone Series) provides a stargate-sounding break beat. MY SIMULACRA features two amazing remixes. The First is from Baltimore-based club aficionado JIALING and the second is a prime cut of rough and ready machine phunk from Los Angele’s 1morning.

Initially recorded at 2lanes’ home studio over Halloween in 2021, TINCTURE has since evolved to its final form that we see now. The tune has even shown up in sets from electric selectors like Scott Zacharias and Livwutang. The record label features beautiful artistic renditions by Norway-based Sverre Brand, whose work can be found on releases by Priori and Dust E-1.

The lights are low and the champagne is on ice.

Welcome to the mysterious parallel universe of David Fostex and a stellar cast of Yacht Rock legends, supervised by Shawn "Silver Fox" Lee.

2020. Full On Lockdown: Musician LaurenceMasonputs together this off the wall idea meshing together two of his biggest musical heroes, Dave Greenfield of the tough 1970's proto-punk band The Stranglers with the oh so cool 1960's jazz of Dave Brubeck. He puts up his demo on Youtube not really expecting much in the way of feedback. And gets ONE MILLION hits. And hundreds of requests for a release. Jazz Room Records Head Honcho Paul Murphy says "Do you wanna record that and release it?"."Affirmative!" The result is this grooving Soulful and Funky Jazz version of "Golden Brown". We're rush releasing this as when announced we were swamped with requests asking when it will be available.

On the "B" side is a languid and super cool version of "Walking On The Moon", originally by 80's Supergroup The Police.

Each copy of the Take Vibe E.P. will contain a Cut Out and Keep Fully Customizable Front Cover Sticker Sheet

This is just a taster for what we're confident will be a must have album to be readied for 2021 release.

Skatebård is one of the very best Classic Techno producers from Norway since the early 2000's - the distinction from others simply lies within his sense of melody, rhythm and live arrangements. The 2002 release "Skateboarding Was A Crime" on Tellektro had a clear thread of Detroit Techno and Electro, a craft and influence that also heavy club hitters "Conga", "Ta-Ta Arr" and "Emotional Bits" on Sex Tags Mania strongly carried. It's unarguably always a "classic touch" in his dance music, but still it always sounds like a Skatebård production - there is simply no blueprinting in true inspiration.

"Spektral LP" has been compiled and edited by DJ Sotofett with material from Skatebård's 2001-2005 recording archive. In short it's recordings nobody else cold get a hold of – fine tuned and restored into a synergetic and consolidated world of riding, mechanical and electronic funk - released on Skatebård's own Digitalo Enterprises.

Tracks "Seventh" and "Vaskemaskin" are both cymbal driven Techno cuts by the former metal drummer, one with chorded synth stabs growing in harmony, the other leaning on a dark sci-fi pad and a flipped vocal loop. There's a bit more of Skatebård's vocals on the beautifully robotic "Ei Anna Framtid", an alternate take of "Future" which Finlands Keys Of Life released in 2003. DJ Sotofett's mix of "Den Anarkistiske Anode" is nothing but a distorted head-schredding basement Techno blaster, while "Strengje", "Bassi" and "Spektral Elektro" punctuates the catchy Electro & Italo grooves Skatebård crafts so much better than most current producers.

The Stallions compilations have become a benchmark of Bosconi's position as one of the leading house and techno labels operating out of Italy. This third instalment marks a shift in sound which also comes full circle to the music that first inspired founder Fabio Della Torre as a DJ and producer around the turn of the millennium, when punchy electro production was driving European house and techno into new zones.

All the artists featured on Vol. III are Italian, holding true to Bosconi's commitment to supporting local talent from Florence and across the country. Amongst the familiar faces is Della Torre's own Minimono collaboration with Ennio Colaci, which indulges a proudly manic palette of tweaked bleeps and dirty low-end. Elsewhere, recent additions to the Bosconi fold include veritable legends Alexander Robotnick and Marco Passarani, who infuse their unpredictable approaches to electro-techno and italo disco with ear-snagging synth-pop and driving analogue box jams respectively to create vibrant, impassioned dancefloor monsters.

The Mechanical Man is an alias from Nicola Altieri, who leans in on a classic Italo arpeggio to create a seductive club sound which builds on his recent Bosconi EXV EP, while Cixxx J switches from the mood of his own Bosconi appearance for a new alias Queen Of Coins and a pivot towards heads-down electro-techno-trance with a whiff of International Deejay Gigolos. Lapucci builds on the promise of his 2021 Bosconi 12" with a sentimental fusion track which lands somewhere between old school Italo house, the snappy pulse of EBM and crisp 00s-era electro house. Meanwhile modern day Italian techno legend Lucretio of The Analogue Cops makes his first appearance on Bosconi with the playful video game stylings of 'Gradius'.
A great deal of space on Vol. III is given over to emergent talent, ranging from Miguel Herr's twitchy detroitian synth-pop braindance and Twovi's vocoder-charged electro funk to DJ Rou's jacking ghetto house flavour. Giammarco Orsini and Jacopo Latini appear as Data Memory Access and deliver an emotive, punchy strain of machine soul. Feel Fly rounds the compilation off in bombastic style with an epic, cinematic workout which draws on Moroder-inspired drama without losing the forthright peak-time focus which binds the whole collection together.

Even the artwork on Vol. III serves as an opportunity to celebrate Italian creativity, as pioneering crypto artist Niro Perrone builds on his accomplished work in the field of NFTs and a background in music production to respond intuitively to the vibrant, synthetic sound of the compilation. For all the futurism in the music though, there remains a strong sense of human feeling which has marked Bosconi out since the beginning. The label remains as inspired and inspiring as ever, celebrating the fertile crossover when people manipulate technology to express themselves in an honest, playful way. Independent of wider trends or fashions, Bosconi remains true to its own idiosyncratic passions, and so Bosconi Stallions Vol. III stands proud as a compilation like no other.

Long-time house music producer, DJ and journalist Anthony Teasdale is back with a new four-track EP for London’s Pamela Records.

The lead track is ‘Tango de la Boca’, an uplifting house tune with an unforgettable piano line and a groovy disco beat. Named after the barrio of La Boca in Buenos Aires, the tango feel is supplemented with layers of percussion, electric guitar stabs and moody strings. So far, it’s been played in clubs and on the radio by DJs like Rocky, David Holmes and Richard Sen.

“I think this is the most uplifting record I’ve ever made,” says Anthony. “Hearing those piano lines come in on a club system is a massive buzz.”

Second up is ‘A Pavement in Palma’ – a chilled jazz-house track. Inspired by lazy afternoons in Majorca’s capital, its swinging beat is joined by electric piano chords, live bongos and a bassline you can’t help but move to.

On Side B, we set sail on the good ship disco for ‘Deep in the Forest Something Stared’. Opening with bucolic bird noises – referencing the title – the track adds ’80s-style bass, glockenspiel melodies and soothing strings. It ends with a haunting piano motif that’s well worth the wait.

Finally, we return to 2023 with ‘It’s 5am Somewhere’, which blends old-school Roland 909 drum beats with minor chord synth stabs and rumbling piano melodies – plus an atmospheric breakdown guaranteed to excite any dancefloor.

Anthony says: “The EP reflects the music I’m listening to at the moment – which goes from classic techno to uptempo disco-house (and lots of synth pop!). The fusion of beautiful, often brittle, melodies with percussive house beats sets these records apart. And they sound as good on a dancefloor as they do in headphones when you’re relaxing at home.”

As we continue the five part journey to say goodbye to the Telomere Plastic series, we as always, are excited to share with you Telomere 020.2.

This second VA, features producers, Anderson, Aspetuck, Bænglund and Watch Patrol.

We begin off the record with ‘Funk Inspector’ from Bænglund. The track name here sums it up pretty well. Full on quirky funk in the airwaves. A delicious cut to keep everyone on there toes!
Next on the A2 we have Aspetuck with his ‘As the Fog Rolls In’, Starting off with a bubbly soundscape the track progresses into a hypnotic acidic journey keeping the mood deep and melancholic. Handle this one with care!

On the B1 we have Anderson who delivers another deep and beautifully crafted soundscape. This is a timeless tune that takes you on a sonic journey from start to finish. This will work wonders on the dance floor and during your introspective moments laying in bed with your headphones bumping.

Lastly, we close out the release with the one and only Watch Patrol who we have all dearly missed. We hope you enjoy this slowed down IDM breakbeat gem!

Very limited black copies as always with a few colored copies available via the Wex bandcamp, be quick!

Regardless of where you’re from, it’s where you at. These wise words are some that the Watch Patrol wants you to remember as we all trying to find and stay on our path..

These wise words start off the A side and prepare us for a funky and synth fueled, cow bell-ing journey.

Next we head into Trial & Error, a bouncing tech which has already been proven to bring some big energy on the dance floor.

The B side contains the breaks you’ve been waiting for. Two big tunes that have been deliciously dialed in to spread groove and funk on the dancefloors. Trance, breaks, arpeggios, chopped up vocals, and special effects that will get you to keep this one in the bag at all times.
Limited copies as always, be quick!

Mella Dee Presents RYAN, a new project from one of the UK’s most prolific electronic producers. Exploring a darker, experimental side of the mastermind behind ‘Techno Disco Tool’, the new project sees RYAN take things underground with new track ‘Static Movement’. Alongside the track, RYAN has announced his forthcoming EP Connected Experiences, a 4-track collection of essential club tools due for release on August 11 via DJ and Body Movements co-founder Saoirse’s imprint trUst. The landmark release will be the first time the label head has featured another artist's music and is testament to the direction of Mella Dee’s new musical project, RYAN.

Already doing damage in the club circuit with support from the likes of Ben UFO, Shanti Celeste, Midland and more, ‘Static Movement’ sees RYAN. go back to basics with a drum machine and analog synths, ending with an infinite groove. Speaking on the track, RYAN. explains: “Trust the process. My name is RYAN. This is a collection of music I wrote for the purpose of dancing. Those moments we can all get lost together and connect through experience. trUst is a label built on love and connection. I just want to thank Saoirse for the trust she has shown and the love she gives.”

Label boss Saoirse adds: “This is the first time I've invited another artist to release on trUst and I'm so delighted it's from my close friend the absolute don from Doncaster - Mella Dee. Tracks I've been playing in every set over the past year with Static Movement being one of my most ID'd tunes ever. Once I heard it I knew this had to be the first track released on the label from someone else. Ryan is one of the best producers I know, completely and wholly committed to the dancefloor and I'm thrilled I will be releasing the first of his new project under 'Ryan'. I had complete trust in him to deliver a solid EP.”

Real name Ryan Aitchison, Mella Dee reached international notoriety with his anthemic 2017 single ‘Techno Disco Tool’, reaching number 1 in BBC Radio 1’s Dance Music Chart as well as one of Annie Mac’s ‘Tracks of the Decade’ (and was even played during her final show on Radio 1). A year later, the Warehouse Music label head won ‘Best Breakthrough Label’ at the DJ Mag ‘Best of British’ awards and he was also named one of Mixmag’s ‘Stars of the Year’, cementing himself as one of the most sought after names in dance music. Since then Mella Dee has delivered his debut Essential Mix for the legendary BBC Radio 1 series, curated a mix for Resident Advisor’s prestigious Podcast series, performed a debut Boiler Room set to rapturous acclaim, toured North America multiple times and joined the elusive Circoloco family for a summer of shows at DC10 and their momentous festival in Thailand. Ryan has also curated tours for his own Warehouse Music label, taking over illustrious venues all over Europe including his hometown at the infamous Doncaster Warehouse.

This is the second time out for the Wormholes on AllChival following on from their You Never See the Stars When it Rains anthology release. This one is a previously unreleased album recorded in a concise burst of seven nights in Dublin’s Sun Studios in the spring of 1996. It was originally envisaged as being The Wormholes’ second album, the follow up to their 1994 debut Chicks Dig Scars. Unfortunately the end result of the sessions - Parijuana - would not only be ignored by their label of the time (Roadrunner Records) - but would also just as quickly be dismissed by the band themselves.

Eamonn Crudden, the manager of the band, had manged to extract some money from Roadrunner to record demos of new tracks as soon as the release cycle for their debut was over. The budget was so tight that it covered studio time but was not even enough to buy the master tapes. With things going south with the label – a classic 90’s tale of the A&R man who championed their cause heading off elsewhere the minute they signed - the intention was to go in and aim to record an album rather than demos - with the intention of releasing it on another independent label to keep the momentum around the band going.

However by this stage the Wormholes were totally wrapped up in listening to Can, Faust and generally exploring music based on casual recording, improvisations and extemporization. For them the album was too ‘rock’ and – having been dropped by Roadrunner - they no longer felt under any obligation to release it. To them it was time for a fresh start. Their next recordings would not be ‘for’ anyone but themselves. Today bassist Anto Carroll admits that “at times we were our own worst enemies” and with the benefit of hindsight both he and guitarist Graham Blackmore wish they had gone ahead and released this album at the time. However, back then, they thought they could do better and they did go on to make inventive and unique sounding versions of some of these songs with Stan Erraught producing just a short time later. These recordings were eventually released by Dead Elvis in 1999 - along with a couple of ‘adjusted’ tracks from the Sun Studios sessions - on Parijuana: 4 Years in Captivity.

It’s highly unlikely that listeners today will share the band’s view that the abum was too ‘clean’. This version of Parijuana is dirty, raw, messy with plenty of experimentation and extemporisation. The songwriting is as strong as that on their Chicks Dig Scars debut. The music is played with a new confidence and swagger, very much the sound of a band rooted in a wave of US ‘lo-fi’ finding their own sound. It’s the missing link between their conventional Pavement/Sebadoh influenced debut to the more drawn out, free roaming and extemporised second album proper Scorpio The Album.

The latest offering from Astral Black comes in the form of the 'Metropolis N' LP, courtesy of Queens, New York's number premier importer/exporter of Jungle & D&B, NIGELTHREETIMES. Having initially garnered a name for themselves as one of New York City's most versatile club DJ's, with the release of their 'Call Of The Void; project in 2020 Nigel also began to build a reputation as a producer in their own right. Resulting in residencies on Rinse FM & The Lot Radio, radio support from the likes of Tom Ravenscroft & Uniiqu3 and press support from Resident Advisor, OkayPLAYER & Mixmag – amplifying their talents throughout New York City and beyond.

With 'Metropolis N' NIGELTHREETIMES distills their eclectic influences through the lens of rolling 160bpm breaks – taking in Jazz, 8-bit game soundtrakcs, science fiction & jump up D&B. Starting off the LP with the rhodes tinged double header of 'TSQ MELTDOWN' & 'EARLY MORNING FROM 103RD STREET', the latter featuring some of the best double bass work heard on a jungle track since 'Brown Paper Bag'. Elsewhere, on 'ROAD2RAILS' and 'PHANTOM SHORES', the producer ditches the instrumentation in favour of oscillated square waves, dubbed out vocal FX & 8-bit melodies, without ever losing site of the projects underlying sense of optimism. On the album closer 'INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION', 3X manages to bring together the influences heard throughout the project, tying together a muted rhodes chords, squarewave basslines, flutters of alien melodies and finely tuned, slices breakbeats into a 5 minute symphony.

The consistency and exacting production skills heard throughout the offering elevate this project from another drop in the digital ocean to a landmark opus, from a producer carrying the torch for this timeless sound and making the project worthy of a spot alongside some of the classics this genre has produced.

'Metropolis N' is available Oct 13th on digital and limited edition vinyl via Astral Black.

Der Londoner DJ/Kurator Sam Don hat mit seinen Comps 'For The Love Of You' neues Licht auf das Reggae-Subgenre des Lovers Rock geworfen. Seine tiefgründigen, aber zugänglichen Tracks haben vielen die Ohren für das Genre geöffnet. Mit der neuen Compilation 'Just A Touch' strahlt Sam seine Fackel auf den UK Underground Soul aus und präsentiert nach sorgfältiger Recherche einige der süßesten Soul-Schnitten aus dem UK. 'Während die USA vor allem für Soulmusik bekannt sind, hat Großbritannien aufgrund des Schmelztiegels der Kulturen und Musikstile seine eigene Sicht auf das Genre geschaffen.' - Sam Don

Echonomist’s synthesizer-driven productions have often circled the fringes of electronic pop. The Greek producer born Petros Manganaris pushes this further on his latest full-length offering Secret Places. Featuring guest musicians Alexandros Miaris, Avangart Tabldot, and Nadia Ali, Secret Places displays Echonomist’s unfiltered and open-eared approach to building songs. The LP moves through gauzy ambient, high-spirited techno, and iridescent indie-electronica to conceive a prismatic world of divergent textures, crystal-clear in melody.

New Fair Deal is back with its second release featuring Girlcop, a Miami based artist with roots in noise, punk, and dance music who has been been fast at work creating a manifesto of electronic beats for freaks. 'Cold Sweat' offers more bang for your buck with 5 tracks that will turn any dance floor into a steam room plus a bonus downtempo electro number straight from the void. Jack beats for sweaty feet, acid lines for twisted minds, and plenty of drum workouts to shake a$$. This is Chicago-inspired house music deep fried for the modern pookie head.

At the helm of a collective immersed in London’s underground house landscape, Bizarre Traxx co-founder Jhobei is keeping things moving in his own unique way, shaping and crafting a sound to call his own. Releasing on labels like Mindhelment, Picnic and Mood Waves while stepping out as 1/3 of trio Felon5, he marries warping and heady territories with loose, spacey spheres, creating immersive trips for all hours of the night. Here he delves deeper once more, landing on Up The Stuss for the first time with his playfully titled ‘Slink ‘N Slide’ EP.

The title cut launches straight into the action and showcases his sound perfectly, harnessing squiggly synths, driving low-end grooves and sweeping astral sonics to unveil a cosmic ride through rich textures. Expect the same depth and unpredictable twists and turns across the EP as he draws for influences spanning those early golden years of tech house through to minimal and hazy late-night electronic realms. As debuts go, this one is stacked with treats and musical goodness from top to bottom - no surprise they’ve been go-to cuts for those deeper moments from the label boss!

Michal Wolski is known for his esoteric, tripped-out and planetary style of techno and the Unfolding EP on Naarm-based label Southern Lights does not disappoint, with ‘Unfolding’ and ‘Elastic’ delivering a heady blend of modular synth reverberations and striking drum patterns.

Remix collaborators Polygonia and Rrose both deliver first-class interpretations of the original tracks, revealing two diverse talents that are at the height of their sonic powers.

Mastered & Cut by Tim Xavier at Manmade Mastering, Berlin

Artwork by Craig McWhinney

Serge Devant returns to Crosstown Rebels with his mesmerising new single ‘A Little Bit Of Love’, complete with a remix from Art Department & MDL Child. Thanks to his fresh house sound, New York resident Serge Devant has turned the heads of tastemakers like Jamie Jones and Damian Lazarus for several years. A regular on Crosstown Rebels dating back to his label debut in 2015, dropping a string of EPs on the label since, he arrives in fine form once again as he unveils his latest single.

His brilliant ‘A Little Bit Of Love’ is an inventive rhythm that soon sweeps you up with its wavy beats and slick hits. Gorgeous chords are draped over it next to steamy vocals to ensure a truly emotive dance floor trip, while the dub version strips out the lead vocal to lay the focus on the remaining musical elements. The remix comes from Jonny White, aka pioneering underground artist and No. 19 Music boss Art Department, and fellow Canadian talent MDL Child. They flip the production into seven minutes of emotionally intense house music with muted acid lines undulating throughout the mix, while immense percussive energy and lush cosmic keys make for a fulsome dancefloor rush.

LOCUS unveils the lineup for the fourth instalment of its ‘LOCUS Trax’ VA series, Danny Snowden, Job de Jong, ADR and OURMINDZ delivering label debuts across the package.

Blossoming as a label with its own identity, FUSE’s sister imprint LOCUS is continuing to serve up dancefloor heat at an impressive level, with 2023’s releases featuring material from Lauren Lo Sung, Youandewan, Nolga, Okain, Garrett David and more. Returning with another edition of its ongoing ‘LOCUS Trax’ VA, shining a spotlight on emerging talent of note, late October welcomes four new names to the label as UK trio Danny Snowden, ADR, and OURMINDZ join Dutchman Job de Jong.

Danny Snowden kicks things off with the euphoric tones of ‘Essence’ as he combines glossy synths with skippy percussion and a snaking groove, while Job de Jong draws for rumbling low-ends and playful, bouncy electronics Across ‘OOC’. Heading up the b-side, ADR’s ‘Bungee Gum’ brings hazy chords, snaking drums subtle acid-dipped melodies, before OURMINDZ merges resonant organ stabs and elastic synths on the lively ‘Dusty’.

LOCUS Trax Volume 4 drops on 27th October 2023 via digital and physical formats.

Back In stock

2020 edition of this total bomb from 93. Re-remastered from the original DAT tapes and fresh new labels to boot.

A Sampling masterclass from a DJ in tune & head over heels in love with his favorite records. This was the first record on Wang's own Balihu label, that went on to release classic after classic well into the next decade. HUGE TIP!

Ed Sheeran’s brand-new album Autumn Variations will be available for pre-order on the 24th August at 5pm before a worldwide release on the 29th September. It will be available to stream on all platforms as well as purchase physically as a CD or various limited Vinyl editions.

Ed Sheeran is an era-defining artist who has sold over 52 million albums and 150 million singles across the world. Through his fusion of thought-provoking songwriting, universal pop and multi-genre influence, his rich tapestry is not only perfectly suited to his audience but it’s something that transcends generations.

Since surfacing on the UK circuit in 2010 with his ‘No.5 Collaborations Project’ – an eight-track EP featuring his favourite grime artists of the time – the Suffolk-raised recording artist has resonated with fans across the world through his peerless songcraft and versatility. And now, with six consecutive UK No.1 albums to his name – ‘+’ (2011), ‘x’ (2014), ‘÷’ (2017), ‘No.6 Collaborations Project’ (2019), ‘=’ (2021) and ‘-‘ (2023) – Sheeran continues to reaffirm his status as one of the most in-demand pop stars on the planet.

Prior to the release of ‘=’ (October 2021) – an album that’s now surpassed five million global sales - Sheeran secured two UK No.1 singles in the UK with ‘Bad Habits’ and ‘Shivers’, which sat atop the UK’s Official Singles Chart for a combined total of 15 weeks. Moreover, the LP saw him take home 2 x EMA’s for ‘Best Artist’ and ‘Best Song’; an American Music Award for ‘Favourite Male Pop Artist’; British GQ’s ‘Solo Artist of the Year’; 4 x Los40 Awards; a BRIT Award for ‘Songwriter of the Year’ alongside a nomination for ‘Song of the Year’ at the 2022 GRAMMY’s.

Sheeran’s most recent album, Subtract, secured Ed his sixth No.1 album. Produced by Aaron Dessner, the album was anchored in his love of singer/songwriter compositions and written against a backdrop of personal grief and hope. Ed’s most critically-acclaimed album to date, it housed the heart wrenching UK No.1 single ‘Eyes Closed’ – a song about his late friend, Jamal Edwards.

But it’s not just his recorded music that’s seen the former Glastonbury headliner become one of the sought-after artists of the 21st century. Possessing a mystical ability to turn 90,000 capacity venues into the pub back-rooms that he first started playing in, Ed made history in 2015 after becoming the first-ever artist to play Wembley Stadium solo - without a band, just with his guitar and loop pedal - over three, consecutive sold out nights. Move forward to the summer of 2019 and Ed would re-enter history books after the completion of his mammoth two-year Divide tour, officially becoming the most-attended tour of all time after it culminated with special homecoming shows in Ipswich, Suffolk. Beginning last summer, Ed is currently travelling the world on his ‘+ - = ÷ x Tour’ (pronounced ‘The Mathematics Tour’), which saw him return to Wembley Stadium for a five-night run last June.

Ed Sheeran, who was awarded an MBE for his services to music and charity in 2017, is the proud recipient of 1 x IFPI Award (best-selling global artist of 2017); 4 x Grammys; 4 x Ivor Novello’s; 7 x BRIT Awards (including two consecutive wins for ‘Global Success’ in 2018 and 2019); 7 x Billboard Awards + more. Moreover, to this day, his blockbusting third studio album ‘÷’ remains the fastest-selling album, ever, by a male artist in the UK, while the LP’s lead single, ‘Shape of You’, maintains its status as the most-streamed song in Spotify’s history.

At the end of 2019, Sheeran was presented with the Official Chart Company’s first-ever ‘No.1 Artist of the Decade’ award following a host of accomplishments in his native UK including the most No.1’s across the UK’s Official Singles and Albums chart from the years 2010-2019. Most recently, Ed scored two more feats with the OCC after becoming the first British Solo Artist to claim 52 weeks – an entire year – at No.1 on the Official UK Singles Chart, with only Elvis Presley and The Beatles achieving more overall weeks at the top, as well as becoming the first-ever artist with four albums spending an entire year or more in the UK Top 10.

ZentaSkai unveils stunning, high-concept house album on Mask Records.


ZentaSkai undertook a period of research into the underlying structure and organisation of the human brain before writing ‘The Architecture Of The Mind’. The Berlin-based artist then took what had been learned and kept it in mind when writing the music that marks Mask's first album release. It comes with extensive background notes on each track, and an operational manual of sorts - notes from the artists as to the effects each piece will have on those who hear them.
"The message conveyed by this album is that life itself is filled with music, but our egos often prevent us from being in harmony with this symphony. Inner chaos and silence can be challenging to bear, leading us to seek solace in external noise. We have constructed a barrier between our inner and outer worlds, causing us to lose touch with the rhythm of harmony. However, by embracing the illusion of separation and dancing to good music, we can rediscover harmony with ourselves and our environment. To fully experience the essence of the album, it should be played loudly on a proper sound system or high-quality headphones. By immersing themselves in the music, individuals can engage with its transformative power and potentially find a deeper connection with their own minds and surroundings." - ZentaSkai.

The gorgeous 'Mind Mapping' opens up with deep and dubby drums and lush harmonies that soothe you to your core, '030' then has more raw, heavy drums with many layers of glowing synths, glassy melodies and organic found sounds. 'Fügung' keeps the deep and introspective moods coming before the crisp tech of 'Flow Dreaming' ups the ante with more drive and layers of vocal whispers, hi-hats and smeared dub chords.


Elsewhere the likes of 'Quiet Reflection' lean into the groove with swirling pads and one-word vocal sounds drifting through the air over propulsive drum loops, and 'Boiling Range' suspends you in deft synth loops amongst the stars over a prickly house beat.
The superb synth craft and well-designed grooves continue through the dusty deep house of 'Karl-Marx-Allee' and minimal dub of 'Dynamic System' before the elegant melodic techno of 'Apeiron' and dreamy synthscapes of 'Parallel 30' close the album in a reflective fashion.


This is a deeply evocative album with a fully realised concept that is as thought-provoking as it is immersive.

Heavenly Recordings release the next two volumes in their series of remixed classics and unreleased versions. ‘Heavenly Remixes 7 & 8’ sees the label going back into the archive, as well as picking off some more recent remixes, and both albums primarily feature either previously unreleased versions or re-workings available for the first time on vinyl and CD.

Heavenly have always seen immense value in the remix, a value way beyond what it might bring commercially. Since their first release in 1990 (where Andrew Weatherall overhauled a one-off single by club kids Sly and Lovechild) Heavenly remixes have been carefully curated and treated as a key part of the A&R process. It’s an opportunity to view an artist through a different prism, to play out a musical ‘what if’ scenario. It’s the kind of exploration that’s happened consistently through the thirty plus years the label has released music.



The ‘Heavenly remixes’ series continues to showcase the very best remixes, versions, meditations, re-rubs and dubs from all around the world of artists right across the roster of the country’s most exciting record label. In most cases, the albums offer the first physical release for a remix, elevating them from streaming playlists to their rightful, spiritual home on super heavy vinyl (or shiny, super-packed compact disc).



‘Heavenly remixes 7’ heads to Belfast, where David Holmes - a producer who first appeared on Heavenly in 1994 amping up the acid on Saint Etienne’s ‘Like A Motorway’ - appears as solo artist and as one third of Unloved, who get a lift right to the heart of a Vauxhall sweatbox by Horse Meat Disco. It draws a line between Amsterdam and Frankfurt as Ludwig A.F. amps up the electronics on Pip Blom’s ‘Keep It Together’. It stops off in a south London studio where super producer Dan Carey plays the desk with Toy, then relocates LA psych rock band Fever The Ghost to an Ibizan shoreline as the sun sets on the horizon. It cements Sheffield’s reputation as the home of modern British techno with the return of true originators Forgemasters. And it pitches up in front of a renegade soundsystem late night at Glastonbury as Erol Alkan’s mighty rework of Con Man gets its third rewind of the night.



‘Heavenly remixes 8’ opens with Space Afrika’s lush, ambient reimagining of the Orielles’ ‘BEAM/S’ before Justin Robertson stretches Amber Arcades’ ‘Turning Light’ into eight minutes of electronic dub. Elsewhere, Baxter Dury’s peerless ‘Miami’ becomes a string-laden electro skank in the hands of French producer Pilooski; Edinburgh’s bedroom techno genius Eyes of Others’ ‘Safehouse’ turns into an East End bathhouse courtesy of disco deviants Decius; Ashley Beedle’s Black Science Orchestra turns Unloved’s heartworn torch song into seven minutes of glimmering dreamlike percussive house and Katy J. Pearson’s freak flag is flown high thanks to The Umlauts’ throbbing filtered electro mix. It ends similarly to how it began as TONE takes

Fran Lobo’s ‘All I Want’ on a gorgeous slow motion spacewalk.

Limited Edition Pink Vinyl Version - 500 Units Only

Berlin-based, DJ, label owner and record store head honcho, Cinthie, provides a sublime remix of Frankie Knuckles ‘The Whistle Song’ for Frankie Knuckles Day via SoSure Music, alongside the ‘Re-Directed’ Director's Cut version of the track.

Known and loved as ‘The Godfather Of House’, Frankie Knuckles’ pioneering sound inspired a movement of love across dancefloors of the Chicago warehouse and beyond. In retrospect of a career that spanned over four decades, there are moments that were pivotal to the movement of House Music and ultimately changed the course dance music forever. Frankie’s 1991 studio album ‘Beyond The Mix’ on Virgin Records, featured one particular moment that would remain in the hearts and minds of generations to come…

‘The Whistle Song’ went on to earn Frankie’s first US Dance Chart number one and has become one of house music’s most iconic and recognisable productions. More recently, the track has been ‘Re-Directed’ under the Director's Cut project that Frankie worked on with Eric Kupper; his long-time studio collaborator and close friend. With Frankie Knuckles Day approaching on 25th August, Cinthie now delivers a brand-new remix on this stone-cold classic.

Berlin based DJ and producer, label owner 803 Crystal Grooves and its sub-label Collective Cuts, we_r house, the Elevate record store and proud parent, Cinthie has grown to become one of the most revered and respected figures in contemporary electronic music in recent years. Her unfaltering drive and dedication to all things House alongside her wide spectrum of some of the most noteworthy vintage drum machines and synthesizers in existence, pinned her as an ideal candidate for a remix of this piece of dance music history.

Living up to exactly that, Cinthie’s remix is a divine update of the original, holding the iconic whistle sample at the forefront whilst including dreamy electronic blends that allow the track to be heard from all angles; peak time club moments, sunrise sets, garden raves, festivals and airwaves…. just in time for the positive times that are ahead.

"BASELINE CAVI" is a collaboration album between Inland Empire/Los Angeles rapper Trizz and producer MIKE SUMMERS (aka Seven) from Kansas City. The album has that classic Westcoast Hip-Hop sound and the intro track gives that feeling right away. Guest features on the album are from Bino Rideaux, XV, T.F, ICECOLDBISHOP, John Givez and Bale.

Though fans may not know it, this collaboration between Inland Empire California emcee Trizz and Kansas City production ace MIKE SUMMERS has been brewing for close to a decade. Back in 2013 SUMMERS (then known as Seven) was already a prolific producer signed to Tech N9ne's Strange Music label and Trizz was part of horrorcore legend Brotha Lynch Hung's Madesicc Muzic roster. The two connected while working on Lynch Hung's "Mannibalector" album and a spark for future work was laid.

Linking up in spring of last year, the two creatively fed off each-other with the resulting album evoking classic West Coast melodicism and car-rattling thump. As Trizz states "this sh*t is so f*ckin authentic. It got bounce, it's swangin' and bangin! When you hear this album, you can feel it and damn near smell the palm trees and bomb ass weed."

As SUMMERS relayed "It's probably different for a lot of my fans to hear a more classic West Coast style of production from me, but that style of production has always been embedded in my sound. I grew up on 90's West Coast Hip-Hops studying producers like DJ Quik and Dr. Dre. The only reason I started using lots of live musicians on my tracks was because I watched Quik do it. BASELINE CAVI really let me dig into that classic L.A. sound that I've always wanted to build with.

Lyrically Trizz's immediately distinctive flow and storytelling abilities are at a new plateau with the emcee admitting "The lyrics on this album are probably more refined and defined because I just turned 30 and I have no more time to waste."

Following on from the recent Elegiac release - a meeting of two mavericks Blurt's Ted Milton and Wire's Graham Lewis we have teamed up with Blurt for a double sided 45 featuring two new tracks "Cry" & "I'll Be There Now".

Milton is a poet, with several volumes under his belt, as well as an avant-garde puppeteer. Yet he's probably best known as vocalist/saxophonist with psycho-funk afro punk fake no-wave pogo jazz trio Blurt. Milton's group has produced an impressive string of albums, not to mention his numerous solo recordings. Brimming with the pogo punk energy the band are known for, the lead side "Cry" is a mesh of raw drums and piercing sax slowing down on the flip side to a head nodding pace with Milton's echoing refrains backed by the raw bounce of the band.

Foundation Music Productions take two of the standout tracks from Lady Blackbird’s critically acclaimed debut album ‘Black Acid Soul’ and enlist the expertise of some of Jazz’s finest talents, Greg Foat and Emma-Jean Thackray, to step up and remix these absorbing cuts.

On the A side, the much-revered London based, jazz and electronic composer/producer Emma-Jean Thackray delivers a downtempo and entrancing remix of ‘Blackbird’, flexing the jazz elements of the original into a smooth and encapsulating mix that's primed to lose yourself in.

Head to the B to find Greg Foat’s irresistibly smooth production touch with his remix of ‘Collage’, layering floaty percussion, dreamy organ chords and delicate guitars to create a sun-kissed, laid back vibe that shines a light on the scintillating vocals.

10 Years Pressure Traxx. 10 Years of genre defining tracks like Suciu – Dusintors, instant classics like Ricardo Villalobos – Wispa or Dj Sneak – 3d Print. Forgotten gems like Nail – Sentipede or Transparent Sound – Punk MF. Now we celebrate 10 years of Pressure Traxx with a big compilation.

The 4 x vinyl box will be released in September and we are looking forward to share it with you.

This new album "Smile Again" a real homecoming for the artist. From pop and sweet melodies, soaring hearts, warm electric guitars, nylons, ukulele and cavaquinho, to the catchy and warm refrains, weaving a little more this solar and soft universe which made the signature of the very first Indie Pop Electro hits of the artist. With this album Broken Back signs his big comeback on the front of the French Indie electro pop scene, in media, radio, and live throughout France.

Seminal early '90s UK business right here from Frontier Man, remastered and reissued with brand new remixes from Monstergetdown and Fantastic Man.

Landing on the mighty Hooj Choons in 1992, 'Express It Thru The Dance' is a real snapshot into the landscape of club culture in the UK at the time. The Skank Mix blends elements of rave, breakbeat and progressive house with that rough and ready, heavyweight low-end. Ramping up the levels, the Techno mix is a furiously paced, acid laced powerhouse.

On remix duties, Monstergetdown hits hard with a rave inspired, techy groove interpretation, whilst Fantastic Man heads down the wormhole with a trademark, trance-leaning techno take on this classic.

Duality Trax first opened its books in 2020 with an EP featuring Radiant Love regular Fio Fa and a remix of the year contender coming from Lisbon’s Violet. Since then the label has become known for its acute attention to detail, giving each release the shine it deserves while avoiding disposable practices and challenging the industry through its dedication to duality and balance, whether that be sonically or surrounding gender identity. It’s really no surprise that one of house music's leading label ¦gures Tywi was destined to make an appearance. Having started the Haŵs imprint in his home city of Cardiff, the label’s wide-spread popularity began to gain the attention from some of the industry’s most respected heads and became a breeding ground for new artists to emerge. A shared love of music resulted in tracks being shared over time and eventually DUALITY6 was born. In what will be his ¦rst full length EP, Tywi continues to join
the dots between 90’s house, prog, breaks and trance, with a huge remix coming from Frankfurt-based artist Maruwa. Title track ‘Reality Checkpoint’ connects various styles with a modern take on progressive trance. Sonics feel as if they’ve been projected from space in a kaleidoscopic mind-warping ride, coupled with the producer's impressive ear for world building soundscapes. A child of the ‘90s, Maruwa combines her classically trained ear with the nostalgia of her upbringing in the remix; channeling early trance records and deep, chugging rhythms into a wave of euphoria ¦t for peaktime. It’s the ¦rst time the label has also delved head ¦rst intofull trance territory, turning the intensity levels up while paying homage to both label owner and artist’s early musical in§uences. The B side opens up with ‘Spellbound’ which feels like a guided tour around the cosmos, sat beside trusted travelers and embraced by everything-will-be-alright energy . The track’s interior is built around synths that feel both effortless and light as our tour guide brings us towards our ¦nal destination. The EP comes to a close with ‘Laws Of Motion’, building slowly with shades of leafy greens and deep oceanic blues as it gently brings us back down to earth.

Duo Drunken Kong step up for their Drumcode debut.

The residents at Tokyo’s legendary Womb have a distinct sound signature, as dreamy melodic and vocal elements rub shoulders with the pair’s trademark groove-orientated rhythms to create hypnotic techno outings that span the breadth of the genre, from heads down rollers to peak-time pleasure.

Their maiden outing on Drumcode is an inspiring four-track work ‘I Want To See’ that lays down this sonic manifesto, with each track built around different vocal samples used to skilful effect.
EP opener ‘It’s Then’ brings atmosphere in spades, mixing up a chugging bottom end, a sleek synth line and a sublime vocal that simmers throughout.

The title track is another late-night dancefloor affair that shifts between function and fun, as a slick mix of polished grooves and hypnotising melodies build towards a thrilling crescendo. ‘That’s It’ brings peak-time energy against a plump electro backbone and ’90-tinged vocal.

The EP rounds out with evocative ‘Need It’, as a stirring vox and metallic drumlines propel the track forward.

Repress!

Steppin up, steppin in. Darius Syrossian’s Moxy Muzik lets loose another bomb, this time in the form of Eskuche ‘Feelings’. The NYC producer delivers a house cut drenched in deep flavours and deft disco touches all the while maintaining a peak time dance floor energy.

On the flip Andrew Kay’s remix is definitely the one that has been turning heads the most – not least because Darius unleashed it at Forbidden Forrest festival and a subsequent online video led to a flood of ID requests. It’s a 130bpm, slamming yet minimal track with monstrous breakdown and dark in your face baseline.

Closing out proceedings, James Dexter remix is a lovely minimal interpretation doused in glitching synthlines and hypnotic rhythms to lock in a dancefloor.

‘The Nature of Nature’ is the debut LP by Hanegi Koen, the Japan-based creative duo composed of British ¦lmmaker Sam King and Canadian label head Sean Mallion (ADSR Collective). Picking up where they left off with their 2021 EP ‘Well Worth A Visit’, this album continues the legacy of spaced-out ambient guitars and driving analog beats the band nicely cued up for us. It has continuity from their previous work, going even deeper this time, further de¦ning the contours of their sound. As the title suggests, Nature was a big influence on the record. Many of the track titles are from the season they were recorded in – for example, ‘Hanafubuki’, when the cherry blossoms fall, ‘Tsuyu’, the rainy season, or ‘Kaminari’ which was written during a crazy thunderstorm. The sights and sounds of those times are reflected in the tracks, with ¦eld recordings helping to supplement the atmosphere. Hanegi’s founding ethos of only using analog instruments and drum machines to compose and perform, minimizing the need for the computer as an interface, is alive and well in this album. The tracks got tested in front of an audience and improved on, based on feedback from playing them live, leading to a psychedelic, synth-rich, analog journey. “We like all things analog. We both use computers and digital screens a fair amount in our day job, so it’s nice to give our eyes a rest from that and allow the music to be created from everything we have on the table.
Similarly vinyl records, ¦lm photography, and simply walking around outside in the forest – all these things are a way of slowing down and escaping the digital world.”

Greatly influenced by the wild contrasting outdoors of their home in Japan, the mountains, forests, and ocean, ‘The Nature of Nature’ is an open invitation to unplug to reconnect, a feeling that Hanegi Koen want to share with you. Released on August 18th, on vinyl and digital via Subtempo. Credits: Written and composed by Sean Mallion and Sam King Mixed by Aoki Takamasa Mastering by Manmade Mastering Album art by Laine Butler Design by Rocco Tyndale

David Byrne & Fatboy Slim’s acclaimed 2010 album Here Lies Love receives its first-ever vinyl release to coincide with a new production opening on Broadway this summer. Here Lies Love is a double-disc song cycle – improbably poignant, decidedly surreal, surprisingly thought provoking – about the rise and fall of the Philippines' notorious Imelda Marcos. It was conceived by David Byrne; composed by Byrne and DJ/recording artist Fatboy Slim, AKA Norman Cook; and performed by a dream cast drawn from the worlds of indie rock, alt country, R&B and pop. Byrne's taste in collaborators is as imaginative as it is impeccable, including Cyndi Lauper (who recounts, to lighthearted disco beats, Imelda's courtship with Ferdinand Marcos), Steve Earle (as the power-hungry Ferdinand), Dap-Kings vocalist Sharon Jones (recalling Imelda's introduction into New York society) and Natalie Merchant (as spurned Imelda confidante Estrella, anticipating the onset of martial law). Along with vocals turns from such stars as Tori Amos and the B-52's Kate Pierson, Byrne works with rising indie rockers St. Vincent and My Brightest Diamond; New York chanteuses Nellie McKay and Martha Wainwright; and dance-music divas Róisín Murphy and Santigold. Byrne himself appears as the voice of imperialistic America on ‘American Troglodyte’, a send-up that wouldn't have seemed out of places in Talking Heads' True Stories.



Byrne originally envisioned this as a musical theatre piece, to be mounted in disco and nightclub settings, reflecting the globe-trotting Marcos' taste for such velvet-roped spots as Studio 54 and Regine's. In 2006, he performed work-in-progress versions to enthusiastic audiences at New York City's Carnegie Hall and the Adelaide Festival in Australia. While plans for a US theatrical production continued to evolve, he delivered this unique recording. The award-winning theatrical production eventually premiered at The Public Theater in New York in 2013, travelled to London’s National Theater for a sold-out run (2014–15), and was remounted at the Seattle Repertory Theater (2017).



Here Lies Love has an effervescent disco feel, redolent of Fatboy Slim's own dance-floor anthems, with warm undercurrents of the Latin rhythms that have percolated through Byrne's recent solo work. The sunny arrangements act in counterpoint to the reality of the Marcos' increasingly repressive regime, reflecting the imagined inner life of the glamour-obsessed Imelda. Explains Byrne, "For me, the darker side of the excesses are, for the most part, a matter of record. A lot of the audience is going to come with that knowledge already. What's more of a challenge is to get inside the head of the person who was behind all of that, and understand what made them tick." Byrne offers no judgment and avoids the obvious – there is no mention of Imelda's infamous shoe collection.



Many of Byrne's lyrics are, astonishingly enough, constructed from actual Imelda quotes, including the project's title, the words that Imelda, now returned to the Philippines from US-assisted exile in Hawaii, would like to have inscribed on her gravestone. In addition to his new liner note, Byrne illustrates the story with archival photos. In a detailed preface, he reveals what drew him to this subject and the bumpy route he took to launch the project and, ultimately, record this album. The booklet is indeed a page-turner, just as Here Lies Love is a wonderfully old-school album that rewards start-to-finish listening. Once again, Byrne – beloved as musician, thinker and bicyclist-about-town – reveals the breadth and singularity of his vision.



The new production of Here Lies Love will premiere at the Broadway Theatre in New York City. Performances begin June 17, ahead of an official opening night on July 20. Tony Award winner Alex Timbers (direction) and Olivier Award nominee Annie-B Parson (choreography) reunite with Byrne (concept, music, and lyrics) and Fatboy Slim (music) to bring Here Lies Love to Broadway, continuing a ten-plus year collaboration on the project. Tom Gandey and J Pardo contribute additional music. Here Lies Love is produced on Broadway by Hal Luftig, Patrick Catullo, Diana DiMenna for Plate Spinner Productions, Clint Ramos, and Jose Antonio Vargas. The staging at the Broadway Theatre will transform the venue’s traditional proscenium floor space into a dance club environment, where audiences will stand and move with the actors. A wide variety of standing and seating options will be available throughout the theatre’s reconstructed space. The producers of Here Lies Love said, “As a team of binational American producers – Filipinos among us – we are thrilled to bring Here Lies Love to Broadway! We welcome everyone to experience this singularly exuberant piece of theatre. The history of the Philippines is inseparable from the history of the United States, and as both evolve, we cannot think of a more appropriate time to stage this show. See you on the dance floor!”



David Byrne’s recent works include the launch of Reasons to be Cheerful, an online magazine focused on solutions-oriented stories about problems being solved all over the world (2019); Joan of Arc: Into the Fire, a theatrical exploration of the historical heroine that premiered at the Public Theater in New York (2017); The Institute Presents: NEUROSOCIETY, a series of interactive environments created in conjunction with PACE Arts + Technology that question human perception and bias (2016); Contemporary Color, an event inspired by the American folk tradition of color guard and performed at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center and Toronto’s Air Canada Centre (2015); Here Lies Love; Love This Giant, a studio album and worldwide tour created with St. Vincent (2012); and How Music Works, a book about the history, experience, and social aspects of music (2012).



Byrne curated Southbank Centre’s annual Meltdown festival in London in 2015. A co-founder of the group Talking Heads (1976–88), he has released eight studio albums as a solo artist and worked on multiple other projects, including collaborations with Brian Eno, Twyla Tharp, Robert Wilson, and Jonathan Demme, among others. He also founded the highly respected record label Luaka Bop. Recognition of Byrne’s various works include Obies, Drama Desk, Lortel, and Evening Standard awards for Here Lies Love; an Oscar, Grammy, and Golden Globe for the soundtrack to Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor; and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Talking Heads. Byrne’s work as a visual artist has been published and exhibited since his college days, including photography, filmmaking, and writing. He lives in New York City. In addition to 2019’s cast album for American Utopia on Broadway, Nonesuch has released eight other David Byrne records since 2003, including 2018’s American Utopia studio album and two versions of his musical Here Lies Love.



















q C6. Please Don't feat. Santi White Santigold

Another banger release for the Spanish label Focus On Egoless. This journey begins among a four trippy tracks solo project by Moray, heading up the label into a electro-hypnotic surface of old school touches.

Evelyn spreads her wings and prepares to fly. This is her first offering for the ESP Institute. On side A, 'Tremors' slams together a plethora of seemingly disparate rhythms, organic percussion, field samples, hypnotic chants and a relentless low end punch, that when in full-swing, works some seriously deep sorcery. Contrasting her pounding kick and rolling sub combo are a softer grouping of melodies, soft mallets and muted tones that lay subtly beneath the aggression, skillfully playing with a sense of spatial depth and room size. Its the kind of track that draws you in with meditative bars, concentric cycles that sit ever so slightly off-axis, inducing the mind and body to obsess and regulating its timing, and then drops you into a very intentionally arranged soundstage giving expansive space to explore. On the flip, 'Pregunta' continues this approach of natural versus industrial instrumentation. The consistent machine kick has a powerful but playful tone, the negative space between each stroke evoking a mighty gesture as its note bends in the decay. Set in 3/4, a community of live percussion successively adds and subtracts, each player’s imperfect attack accumulating into a mechanically smeared and addictive loop that toys with peaks a handful of times yet restrains any unnecessary climax for the betterment of a driving groove. Near the end, as the kick and various players mute and the base of the track is given a moment to breathe, its apparent just how layered the production was in the moments prior, as we’re suddenly at home, smitten with the wobbly and lopsided innocence of the foundational percussion. These two songs will push you headfirst into the light.

The second release from Los Angeles based theroomintheback.

Label head JJ delivers a dusty four track EP ready for the floor.

Nina Kraviz returns to Rekids with remixes of ‘Taxi Talk’ from David Löhlein and Sterac Electronics.

In the years since Nina Kraviz dropped some of her earliest music on Radio Slave's Rekids, she has become a bonafide global superstar. Founding two record labels трип (trip) and Galaxiid, she regularly headlines the world's largest music festivals and has continued to stay at the forefront of electronic music.

'Taxi Talk', initially released on Kraviz’s lauded eponymous debut LP in 2012, still stands the test of time with its spoken word vocals and smoky deep house grooves. Remixing the track alongside its reissue is Vision Ekstase founder and Lehmann Club resident David Löhlein who turns in a fresh remix, and Dutch techno mainstay Steve Rachmad, who unearths a remix made under his Sterac Electronics guise that had, until recently, been unreleased.

Löhlein’s remix sees the Stuttgart-based artist reach for his trademark ’snake sound’, delivering a sleek version flipped into a quick and urgent cut with pulsating synths and dynamic minimal drum funk. Sterac Electronics brings a distinctive sense of electric funk with a boogie-tinged remix full of colourful synths and hip-swinging drums that cannot fail to light up the floor.

You know Krash Slaughta right? The man behind the recent wildly successful DOOM/Sugacubes mash-up LP Sugar-Coated DOOM, not to mention his unofficial remixes of the Wu’s K.R.E.A.M. and P.L.O. Style and collab. 45 with Phill Most Chill, Rebel Base? ‘Is he at it again?’ the monkey hears you ask. Yes, he is at it again, though the closest of the the three aforementioned releases to what he’s about to drop is the Wu remix 45. And what he’s about to drop is Diggin Deeper, not a single this time but a whole remix album of one of his (and the monkey’s!) all-time favourite hip-hop LPs – to wit, Niggamortis – more usually known as Six Feet Deep (especially in the U.S., though minus the best track under that name) by hip-hop supergroup Gravediggaz.

As many will know, this LP with its horror-movie fixated lyrics gave birth to a whole hip-hop sub-genre – that of ‘horrorcore.’ However, none of those who came after seemed to manage the lyrical humour of The RZArector, The Grym Reaper and The Gatekeeper (a.k.a. RZA, Poetic and Frukwan) and the only bit of production by The Undertaker (a.k.a. Prince Paul) that they seemed interested in was the sub-metal rap sludge of the shouty Bang Your Head – i.e. the LP’s one weak spot. But don’t worry, Krash isn’t interested in that sort of thing. Not only does he avoid rap-metal beats for Bang Your Head, he doesn’t use any on the LP at all – hurrah! What he does do is employ, arguably, as eclectic an array of sample sources as Prince Paul on the original – though with an entirely different end result. Bang Your Head with its apparently sixties garage band-derived beat for example is one of the standouts. The skeletal piano skank of 6 Feet Deep is another, while a beat featuring spaced-out eighties synths forms the new musical backdrop to Constant Elevation. Two more of the monkey’s favourites on this one are Here Comes The Gravediggaz, now underpinned by double-bass-led funk and the glorious inappropriately joyous bounce of Blood Brothers. The result? Your favourite cuts on this one might not be the same as your favourite cuts on the original. Two different versions of a much-loved LP, then; it’s why people remix hip-hop. All the vocal stems were created by Krash and the ultimate intention is to do a limited vinyl release. Cover art is by the Dead Residents’ Junior Disprol.