quête:the scene

"Thin Peaks" is the sixth album by the microtonal tuba trio Microtub, featuring Robin Hayward (UK/DE), Peder Simonsen (NO), and Martin Taxt (NO). Initially developed during an artist residency in Andersabo, Sweden, the two pieces "Thin Peaks" and "Andersabo” underwent several adaptations before being recorded in 2022. The pieces draw on the acoustic phenomena of half-valve combinations, creating distinctive timbres and harmonic spectra based on the unique half-valve signature of each tuba. Whilst "Thin Peaks" hockets between the pitches arising from a single half-valve combination, each of the four movements of "Andersabo""results from a different half-valve combination, sometimes resulting in surprisingly consonant harmonies.

Formed in 2010, Microtub have performed at prestigious festivals such as Sonic Acts in Amsterdam, MaerzMusik in Berlin, Wien Modern, FIMAV in Victoriaville, and Intonal in Malmö. Their music works particularly well in reverberant spaces. Some of the most memorable venues have been the Ex Teresa Cathedral in Mexico City, Brønshøy Water Tower in Copenhagen and Wasserspeicher in Berlin. Their latest performance in Sweden was at Lumen Projects in the Eric Ericson Hall in March 2024, where they also collaborated with Paris-based Egyptian singer Abdullah Miniawy. While Microtub primarily perform their own compositions, often in Just Intonation using the Hayward Tuning Vine software, they also frequently collaborate with composers such as Ellen Arkbro and Catherine Lamb. At the Ultima Festival in Oslo in September 2024, they will premiere seven new works by emerging composers from Norway, Poland, Iran, and the USA.

The band members are all very active in the experimental music scene worldwide. Hayward has collaborated with legends such as Eliane Radigue, Alvin Lucier and Christian Wolff, Taxt has performed with Verdensteateret, Tetuzi Akiyama and Toshimaru Nakumura, and Peder Simonsen has worked with Jo David Meyer Lysne and Bendik Giske.

The single release from Jimi Tenor's second thematic album on Timmion Records offers two very different moods. "Summer of Synesthesia" takes us back to those dreamy summer days, a natural overpour of sensations mixing together, sounds becoming colors before turning into flavors. Synthesizers grow into delicate layers over Cold Diamond & Mink's rhythm, and when your heart can hardly bear the beauty of it all, Tenor's soft lyric places the cherry on top. "Tsicroxe" on the flipside couldn't be more different, kicking into gear with a demonic organ arpeggio that sounds like you've just been dropped into a Dario Argento scene. Even though the familiar funk from Cold Diamond & Mink eases the dread a bit, when Tenor busts in with the eerie flute solo, the ritual closes in on its conclusion.

The contents of the backwards vocal bits at the end shall be saved for your turntable so make sure to rewind that track, selector! Also Available From Jimi Tenor & Cold Diamond & Mink: Is There Love In Outer Space? 7", Gaia Sunset 7", Is There Love In Outer Space? LP / CD. The single takes listeners on a sonic journey: “Summer of Synesthesia” flows with warm, dreamlike beauty, while “Tsicroxe” dives into intense, mysterious depths, showcasing Tenor’s dynamic range. Blending synth layers with Cold Diamond & Mink’s classic funk rhythms, both tracks bring elements of 70s soundtrack-style tension and ethereal soul, appealing to fans of both cosmic grooves and suspenseful soundscapes. Tenor’s layered synthesizers, haunting flute, and even backward vocal elements add a captivating texture, making “Summer of Synesthesia” b/w “Tsicroxe” a must-have for fans of genre-blending, atmospheric music.

bendrik's 'Aqualung EP' draws inspiration from the club scene of Brussels and his recent travels to diverse countries. It showcases bendrik's ability to bridge electronic genres with a refined touch. The A-side features hard-hitting tracks like 'Dr. Martens' and 'Trust'.
These cuts deliver raw, driving melodies with his signature style - perfect for peak-time moments on the dancefloor! The B-side includes the cover track 'Aqualung' that bridges the previous energy with relaxation. It invites the listener to make its own choice of experience, blending a steady bassline with hypnotic textures.
'Shirahama' paints a portrait of his time exploring distant lands where you join him in the driving seat.

Canada's Andre Zimmer makes his SEVEN debut with his 'Wait a Minute' EP - a stellar collection of faster, chuggy, pacey style of house gems. The EP's title track is the first to slam, with a heavy-handed 909 kick blistering beneath a chugging bassline.

Taking influence from the Berlin house scene, it serves one purpose: to galvanise dance floor energy.
Parisian producer Vitess lands a remix of 'Wait A Minute' with his '90s-focussed sound and penchant for deep, minimal sounds being the pull. Lucious pads and electro synth lines across the hip-hop influenced vocals bolster the track's impact. 'Ice Lolly' came together at a friend's pad in Los Angeles, with a jam session grabbing UKG and speed garage influences and infusing those with a distinct '90s tech house vibe.

For its '90s influences, 'Round Two' finds its muse in a classic rave organ, while other elements that evoke a sense of the heady warehouse parties from that era include sampled vinyl scratches, breakbeats, and chunky bass from his Yamaha DX200 vintage synth.

The Pink Fairies were and English Rock band in the London underground and psychedelic scene of the early 70s. Their first album Neverneverland, from 1971, is a mix of psychedelic, proto-punk (“Do It”), rock (“Teenage Rebel” & “Say You Love Me”) and even American R&B (on “War Girl”) sounds which shows their wide style. Also included is the b-side of their debut single “Do It” which was later covered by The Henry Rollins Band on their 1988 Do It album. The 50th Anniversary edition includes an insert with extensive liner-notes by Mark Powell, credits, cutout pieces and photos.

At last, another chance to get a classic soul masterpiece on 7” vinyl, even if you can score an original copy for about £800.

Timeless Legend were Jackie Hogg, Allen B. Burney, Donald Harmon, and Michael Harmon from Columbus, Ohio. Their music is among the most elusive on the rare funk/soul scene with the 7” of “I Was Born To Love You” a huge crossover club. Few have actually ever set eyes on this album either, and those who own one have paid £2,000 for the privilege.

Musical powerhouse Jitwam invites listeners back into his colourful world with the Deluxe Edition of his hit album Honeycomb, marking five years since its release. Featuring a fresh art direction and behind-the-scenes photography taken from the Mumbai-filmed music video to "busstop", the Deluxe Edition is a true collectible item. Inside the vinyl cover, a download code gives fans access to all 20 digital titles, including a remix package by Max Graef and Glenn Astro and three new ambient versions of HONEYCOMB tracks by jitwam himself.

Marilyn Manson"s ninth studio album, "The Pale Emperor", is available as a White 2LP housed in a Gatefold Sleeve and a 12" photo art print. This iconic record marked Manson"s return to the forefront of the music scene with its highest opening week sales since "Eat Me, Drink Me" (2007). Topping Billboard"s Hard Rock Albums chart and achieving chart-topping success throughout Europe, "The Pale Emperor" solidified Manson"s status as a rock icon. Featuring hit singles like "Third Day Of A Seven Day Binge" and "Deep Six," the vinyl edition of "The Pale Emperor" offers a tangible glimpse into Manson"s monumental achievement. This is a must-have for collectors and music enthusiasts alike. Experience the electrifying resurgence of Marilyn Manson"s commercial dominance and relive the unparalleled success of "The Pale Emperor".

Panamá-born, Chicago-based drummer Daniel Villarreal is known to many for his work in Dos Santos, Wild Belle, The Los Sundowns, Valebol Rudy de Anda, and many more. He's one of the busiest players on the Chicago scene. If you're in the Windy City, find him almost any night of the week at a bar, club, or venue near you, either behind the drumkit or behind the turntables, donning a beaver skin stetson hat, with his baby blue vintage Mercedes parked out front. For his lead artist debut Panamá 77 he engages a diverse array of friends and collaborators - including Bardo Martinez (Chicano Batman), Jeff Parker (Tortoise), Marta Sofia Honer (Adrian Younge), Anna Butterss (Jenny Lewis), and Aquiles Navarro (Irreversible Entanglements) - to create a vibrant and verdant suite of multi-textural psychedelic instrumental folk-funk.

Founded by Matt Hodgson in the mid 90s, 7th Voyage quickly became a cult imprint.
 Despite a modest catalogue, the label earned a devoted following among vinyl collectors. Revered for its raw energy and timeless quality, these records have become treasured, often commanding hundreds of euros on the second hand market - some of the rarest electro tracks out there for those who know…

London based Hodgson, a passionate music lover and vinyl purist, poured his heart and soul into every release, crafting records that resonated deeply within London’s underground scene of the 90s. Following the recent reissue on Sushitech, Matt and Yossi have joined forces to present a
retrospective 7th Voyage release on Pariter, a label sharing a natural synergy with the ethos of 7th Voyage, this release honours the legacy of Matt’s work while breathing new life into these rare and sought-after tracks.

‘The Return Voyage’ is a carefully curated compilation of seven standout tracks from the label’s back catalogue, encapsulating its signature sound and unique musical journey.

Mannequin Records is thrilled to announce the upcoming release of Chromium Industries, a double LP (MNQ 162) capturing the innovative spirit of two pioneers of electronic music: Andrew Lagowski and Paul (Howie D) Howard. This long-anticipated album marks a return to the seminal sounds of the Chromium Industries label, which emerged as a crucial platform for boundary-pushing techno and electronic music in the early 1990s.


Andrew Lagowski, a name synonymous with exploration in electronic music, has been at the forefront of sound innovation since the early 1980s. Known for his work under various aliases, including Lagowski, Legion, and S.E.T.I., his early output in experimental and industrial sounds paved the way for his later techno-focused ventures. Albums like Knowledge (S.E.T.I.) and Nadir (Lagowski) highlighted his pioneering approach to unconventional sound sources and production techniques. In the 1990s, his work with Chromium Industries brought him into the techno spotlight, with a series of influential 12” singles that helped shape the electronic music landscape. With over 60 albums and 10+ singles to his name, Lagowski’s versatility and dedication have garnered him a loyal following and lasting influence across genres.


Paul Howard, aka Howie D, brought his DIY ethos from the punk scene of the 1970s into electronic music. As a founding member of The Frames and co-founder of the Brain Boosters and Spacematic labels, Howard has consistently pushed boundaries. His early forays into hip-hop saw him release the genre-pioneering jazz-rap track Miller Light as Fission. The transition from punk and hip-hop to electronic music was a natural one, culminating in his creation of Chromium Industries after a fateful night hearing Lagowski’s Vermilion at a London party. The label brought some of the most unique techno releases to the scene, with tracks like Blue Anomaly causing near-riots on the dancefloor. Since then, Howard’s work has evolved to include multiple aliases, including The Legend That Is, Phase Collective, and Skulpture.


Chromium Industries 2xLP will be available for purchase from January 2025 through Mannequin Records and select distributors.


This is an essential release for collectors, DJs, and anyone who reveres the legacy of 1990s techno and early rave.

Mirae Arts proudly presents The Way I Am and The Way You Yawn, the debut album from Katsunori Sawa under his KWARP alias. This six-track release explores the fleeting nature of youth and the weariness of aging, blending Sawa’s experimental roots with fresh, modular synthesizer-driven soundscapes.
From the forward-driving hi-hats and alien voices of "Frog FM" to the mechanical aggression of "Ultra," the album offers an imaginative auditory journey. Highlights include the playful chaos of "PlayStation" and the metallic rhythms of "Metal Gear."
About Katsunori Sawa: First emerging on the scene in 2008 as EOC with his debut on the UK-based Ai Records, Sawa has steadily built a reputation for innovation and collaboration within the underground music community. He co-founded the influential 10 Label and has paired his talents with an array of respected artists, including Yuji Kondo (as Steven Porter), Martsman (under the moniker Bokeh), and DJ Nobu (Nobusawa). These alliances have birthed releases on prestigious labels like Kynant Records, SNTS, and Token.
Creating his sound in a hidden studio set within a striking Tadao Ando-designed building, Sawa crafts a sonic landscape that fuses rhythmic noise with pulsating bottom-end rave abstractions. His work reached new heights with an album on Opal Tapes, making him the label’s first Japanese artist and firmly establishing his place in the global music conversation. His tracks have even been woven into the sets of electronic stalwarts such as Aphex Twin.
* Artwork by Jesse Osborne-Lanthier

Few sounds transcend time and space quite like the driving pulse of Afrobeat, and few artists, for that matter, have defined their own domains quite as profoundly as Tony Allen—the very beat of Afrobeat itself. In 2011, Allen recorded one of his inimitable rhythmic dialogues as part of the Afrobeat Makers Series for the Parisian imprint Comet Records. Charged with the same fervour for uninhibited expression that defined his trailblazing career, Tony Allen’s drumming, free from convention and charting its own course, emanates a cadenced stream of consciousness that speaks its own truth.

If Allen’s language was his beat, then on this record, La BOA—La Bogotá Orquesta Afrobeat—becomes his latest and most fitting interlocutor. What began as a tribute—a song named after Allen—now feels like the prelude to a deeper dialogue in a meeting that seems more like fate than mere happenstance.

Led by producer Daniel Michel, the ever-evolving band has spent over ten years embodying the fluid, transformative spirit of Afrobeat, imprinting it with their distinctly Colombian sensibilities. From Casa Mambo in Bogotá, Michel’s Mambo Negro Records has become a cornerstone of Colombia’s underground scene championing Afro-Colombian and independent music throughout that time.

Across this LP, Allen’s recordings lay down the canvas upon which La BOA paints its own vision of Afrobeat—raw and expansive, locking step with his drum tracks while building around the unmistakable blueprint of their Colombian rhythms: exuding Caribbean beat, rolling with Pacific groove, and, above all, shaped by the rarefied air of the Andean melting pot that is Bogotá. What ensues is an enduring conversation that crosses eras, borders, even life and death—a celebration of the passing of the baton and the boundless nature of Afrobeat as a genre that refuses to settle. Where the beat of Lagos meets the brass of Bogotá, so too La BOA meets Tony Allen.

Over the last few years, New York based producer umru has applied his vivid sonics to an expansive pool of sounds through his own work, or with those operating on the cusp of the underground and mainstream space such as Charli XCX, 100 gecs and ericdoa. After opening a new era late last year with the carnal rap chaos of ‘check1’ ft. Tommy Cash and 645AR before following it out with the hyperactive love story of ‘heart2’ with Rebecca Black and Petal Supply, umru today announces his second official EP on the PC Music label; comfort noise. Alongside the announcement, he’s sharing another taste from the project - a collaboration with Fraxiom titled ‘all i need’, also featuring Hannah Diamond and Tony Velour. Opening more gently than his most recent previous efforts, ‘all i need’ is centered around a pervading tenderness that glitters even through the song’s more hectic moments. Fraxiom’s vocal glides in a breathless fashion as if they’re expressing their crush in as descriptive fashion as possible, becoming the main melodic centrepiece as the track transforms into a relentlessly percussive workout. Tony Velour’s verse brings a more laid back rhythmic approach to the track before Hannah Diamond lays down a twinkling contribution to the track’s closing moments, making ‘all i need’ one of the most sonically diverse electronic pop tracks of recent times. With comfort noise, umru has compounded his reputation as one of this generation’s most inventive crossover producers. Taking his truly versatile sonic palette and applying it to classic pop songwriting, umru is pushing the boundaries of what is possible within his scene, and as unpredictable as his sound is, you can be sure it’ll be one hell of a ride. North American tour with Hyd through November 2022 followed by Boiler Room stage (OOM ROOM) curated by umru featuring ericdoa, Petal Supply, William Crooks.

First released over 30 years ago, this EP, as with Volumes 1,2 & 3, is where The Future Sound Of London started in 1991, these tracks under their pseudonyms. All four tracks were instrumental in establishing a new genre of electronica within dance music. They were ahead of their time and extremely progressive, and here three decades later they are making an impression. All four tracks are iconic, and big influences to the hardcore scene that followed. This edition of The Pulse EP is the first reissue in this original vinyl form since 1992, those initial pressings now expensive on Discogs. Genuine underground hardcore/rave history on vinyl to obtain one more time, all sounding as fresh today as it did back in the early 90s.

fabric bring together Pangaea and Leonce for a pair of UKG influenced / US club tracks.

“With both of us playing each other’s tracks, it felt natural to collaborate in the studio on original music. Both ‘Dusted’ and ‘Stuck’ bridge the UK and US scenes, and are the result of multiple studio sessions in London when Leonce was touring in Europe” ~ Pangaea.

‘Dusted’ is UKG influenced with out-of-this-world textures, fast paced drums, expertly-chopped vocals that build on the styles Pangaea and Leonce are known for whilst 'Stuck' takes a more restrained approach, taking influence from classic 90s US club tracks.

Pangaea co-runs cult UK label Hessle Audio, widely regarded as one of the finest electronic music producers of a generation whilst Leonce has been honing his US underground Club styles with the RA Recommends critically acclaimed 2024 album, System Of Objects.

It took a village to create Le Motel’s Odd Numbers / Số Lẻ. Beneath its pulsing, shimmering tones, the record is alive with the sounds of everyday life—purring mopeds, idle whistling, the din of kitchens and whisper of rain, voices joyful and contemplative, scenes of bustling cities and domestic intimacy.

Le Motel—who runs the Brussels-based record label Maloca—gathered sounds, photographs, and videos while traveling in Vietnam in 2023. From Hanoi he ventured to Hmong communities in the mountains near the border with China, building out a network of contacts gathered from friends and friends of friends. But Odd Numbers / Số

Lẻ—which takes its title from traditional Vietnamese numerological beliefs and customs—is wholly unlike the extractive product typical of exploitative modes of Western tourism; the album’s final shape was deeply dependent upon the participation of the people the artist met in Vietnam.

Back in Brussels after his travels, as Le Motel began working with his materials, he sent early drafts to his contacts, inviting their input. This back-and-forth eventually yielded a dynamic collective effort in which nine of the album’s 15 tracks feature multiple composer credits. Among the album’s diverse collaborators are Yvonne Quỳnh-Lan Dươn, an educator and ethnomusicologist; Chi Chi, the daughter of a Hmong shaman; and Phapxa Chan, who contributes three poems inspired by landscape and Le Motel’s own music (and, in one case, psychedelics).

The result is an album that is not about making sound, broadcasting it as a one-way communication, but instead about the empathic practice of listening—about listening as an integral and even ethical part of musical creation, even (especially!) when that music is created on a computer, rather than conjured by a group of players sharing space in real time. It’s an album that adopts many of the traditional trappings of ambient music while reminding us of the importance of intentional modes of creation. Brian Eno famously said that ambient music must be as ignorable as it is interesting, but Le Motel’s Odd Numbers / Số Lẻ suggests, to the contrary, the richness of experience available to us should we make the effort to open our ears.

Complementing the album, Le Motel’s Odd Numbers / Số Lẻ also takes the form of a multimedia exhibition including photographs, video, and text-based works created in collaboration with Belgian designer and programmer Antoine Jaunard and Vietnamese poet Phapxa Chan. The exhibition is on view from January 23 until March 2, at Brussels’ 254Forest gallery, as part of Photo Brussels Festival 2025.

First release of 2025 is The Coin EP Vol.3. Marcello Cassanelli is back on Ten Lovers Music with two stunning tracks and a beautiful outro solo on his Rhodes. Starlight kicks off side A with some superb Italian Disco for 2025, following that a trip to Cuba for Tropical Breeze on which Marcello employs long time collaborators and super talented Giulia Barozzi on vocals and Antonio Rapa on drums.

Across both tracks Marcello plays the keys, bass, flute, guitar and drum programming. Rounding off side A is Dream Horizon an improvised one minute beatless outro jam on the Rhodes. On the AA side we have a new project from Caruso and Helen McCormack. First up is Have and Hold which harks back to the Manchester Street Soul scene of the late 80’s. Very simply constructed with electronic drums, bass, piano and a lead synth on top of which Helen’s vocal sits perfectly. Second on side AA is Love You More, a very atmostpheric track written by Helen with the strings arranged by Cormac Fulton. The percussion is from fellow TLM artist Takashi Nakazato (Kyoto Jazz Massive/Jazztronik).

Both tracks were produced by Steve Conry who also assisted Jose Rico on the mixes. Finally to finish on side AA is Central, a beautiful Deep House instrumental using only real analogue synths like the Solina String Ensemble, ARP Odyssey and Oberheim Xpander, mixed by Steve Conry and Matt Cox