Search:the sound of now

It was a little bit quite around the wirrwarr label in the last few years, as the boys focused on other projects like building up an bookingagency, a 2nd recordshop, new labels and for sure producing new music.
Now they are back with some fresh and crazy minimal techno tracks.
On A1 we have Mr.Wigbert with his first appeareance on WirrWarr, A2 comes from labelhead Locke in cooperation with MC Shaver.
B1 is a freaky brain damaging minimal monster by Matt Star.
And last but not least B2 called "Piano", a old but still fresh sounding work of Locke. Freak out!

After releasing his stunning debut "Diamond Days" on Traum and the follow up "Nothingness EP" Egokind told us he had the idea for an album already sitting in the back of his head.
To be able to convert all of his ideas he asked his long time friend and collaborator Ozean to work with him. For both of them "Transition" is their debut album, but both artists can draw on a lot of experience recording music from multiple genres.

The A1 track "Mega" is a track which illustrates Egokind & Ozean's approach to touch many grounds resulting in something gigantic. The track itself begins rather acoustic inviting you to the private world of Egokind & Ozean, before it becomes a joyous balearic tune that despite its wealth keeps slight dissonances coming and going.

"Every Time You Smile" is an energetic piece of warped music which swells and and then in the next moment is diminished to small islands of voices that turn like mad creating a new cosmos almost comical at times, but always very kind and gentle as well.

On the flipside "Light Realms" flows into "Silverbird" with no pause: "Silverbird" then opens the curtain and lets the sun fill out the whole room with yellow golden rays. Egokind & Ozean then unfold a garage house track which makes small turns but stay very organic and warm.

And "Everybody Dance Now" by its title makes things very clear. Egokind & Ozean have crammed all their skills here into an hi-energy dance track, still keeping one big surprise to come halftime, when they decide to leave the trail of club culture by introducing a fantastic acoustic intermezzo, juggling and bending their sounds to the max.  

Pulshar return to Desolat with another stunning long player filled with a selection of sumptuous productions that further demonstrate their grasp over intimate and deeply ethereal electronic music. Vinyl version of 'Blood and Mathematics' features the originals and instrumentals via download code, and is perfectly timed for when the days begin to draw to a close. Barcelona based duo Sergio S. Vidal and Pablo Bolivar have cemented the Pulshar name and reputation as proponents of dub-heavy, soulful and at times psychedelic electronic music. Their first Desolat long player 'Inside' received critical acclaim and effortlessly bridged the gap between the dance-floor and the home listening environment. They returned to Desolat in 2013 with a deliciously deep and trippy EP in 'Different Drum', and now continue their relationship with the label with 'Blood and Mathematics'. Pulshar continue their affair with Electro, Instrumental Hip-Hop, Dub and Psychedelia. They have distilled this to create a distinctive and soulful brand of electronic music and the new Long Player represents where the artists are in 2014. All the tracks are written and produced by them, with only Guti as a featuring artist on 'Running Away'. This has resulted in them cultivating a traditional 'album' experience where one track effortlessly segues into the next and takes the listener through a range of emotions across the record. Blood and Mathematics is a contemporary electronic music listening experience that will be revisited again and again.

Erlend Øye is a skinny nerd, but maybe that's what makes him a pop star. His huge thick spectacle-lenses act as an interface between his inner life and his numerous collaborators and fans. Erlend Øye is a travelling singer-songwriter, who has been making music in various constellations since the late nineties. He sang for Röyksopp, while his own bands are Kings of Convenience and The Whitest Boy Alive, who recently split up. A laid back, everyday vibe runs through Erlend Øye's music. Erlend is not larger than life, at the most his songs may be. The pop star from next-door doesn't make any drama, but leaves that to life itself. His relaxed, laid back sound opens your eyes and ears for places, situations and encounters. A certain mournfulness runs through the songs, although they deal with a longing for self-fulfilment. Erlend sings of loneliness, and in doing so, he creates a 'we'. Until now Erlend's projects have often been based on simple concepts - two guitars and two vocals with Kings of Convenience, and four instruments with The Whitest Boy Alive. With his new solo album he frees himself of these parameters; for the first time everything is possible, for the first time Erlend Øye stands alone. The songs on 'Legao' were arranged and recorded with the Icelandic reggae band Hjálmar.

The magic of 'Legao' lies in the fact that Erlend's vulnerable vocals and his sincere lyrics are supported by the elegance and consistency of the band. Today roughness is often used to counterbalance roughness, whereas on Legao a equilibrium is sought - and found. A simplicity, clarity and minimalism is created that is rarely found in pop music. Erlend Øye has grown up. He accomplishes nothing less than the step towards an independent, free-standing solo musician, who can perform in any constellation - with a band, orchestra or alone with a guitar.

PAULINE MURRAY , LEGENDARY VOCALIST OF MUCH LOVED PUNK BAND PENETRATION.
GUEST MUSICIANS JOHN MAHER (BUZZCOCKS) and VINI REILLY (DURUTTI COLUMN).
PRODUCED BY THE GOD-LIKE MARTIN HANNETT.
ARTWORK BY PETER SAVILLE AND TREVOR KEY
LINER NOTES BY JON SAVAGE
The double vinyl edition also includes a bonus CD featuring instrumental versions of all the album tracks (a must for students of Hannett's unique production sound), along with alternate takes of key singles.
Les Disques du Crepuscule presents a deluxe remastered edition of Pauline Murray and the Invisible Girls, the debut album by post/punk icon Pauline Murray, produced by revered sonic architect Martin 'Zero' Hannett.
Recorded at the famous Strawberry Studios in July 1980, the album offered epic electronic pop written by Pauline and partner Robert Blamire and marked a radical departure from their shared past in pioneering punk band Penetration. 'This is sophistication,' enthused Paul Morley in NME. 'Lovely songs of anxiety, malaise and self-doubt.' According to Melody Maker the album was 'unquestionably a musical highpoint of this year or any other.'
As well producer/arrangers Martin Hannett and Steve Hopkins (aka the Invisible Girls), the album features a stellar cast of guest musicians including John Maher (Buzzcocks) and Vini Reilly (Durutti Column). Indeed Pauline Murray and the Invisible Girls presents almost a Factory record, exquisitely sleeved by Peter Saville and Trevor Key. Stand-out tracks include the popular singles Dream Sequence and Mr X, with the newly remastered Hannett tracks now augmented on CD by a wealth of bonus material including non-album singles, live recordings (from tours in 1980 and 1981) and a John Peel session (1980). The liner note is by Jon Savage.
'It's a bit of a missing link album,' says Pauline today. 'Written and recorded after punk, but before Martin Rushent and the Human League made airy pop respectable again. We chose the other Martin in 1980 because we wanted the incredible sounds he achieved for Joy Division and Magazine. Thundertunes, basically.'

Crooked Man is Richard Barratt from Sheffield, better known as Parrot. He was first off the blocks playing house music in Sheffield back in the 80s, had a top 10 hit in '88 as part of Funky Worm, collaborated with Richard H Kirk on the seminal Sweet Exorcist releases on Warp and had another top 10 hit in the 90s as part of The All Seeing I.

Retiring from DJing, a few years ago he started putting out 12" singles as Crooked Man. Song-based and devoid of house music vocal clichés, often epically long, always full of character, endlessly hypnotic and with razor sharp production they would always cut through in every DJ set they were played in. Twitch was an instant evangelist of the Crooked Man sound and is delighted to now present his debut Optimo Trax 12" EP.
Vocals on A1 and A2 by Rachel. Vocals on AA1 by Pete Simpson.

After great success of 2 previous releases, 'Sound Of Vast ' is now about to hit 3rd release. The producer of this deep monster is one of the most respectful Japanese artist, and Womb's resident Dj 'The People In Fog (aka DJ Sodeyama).'
Even though DJ Sodeyama is more known as techno producer, The reason that Sodeyama used the other nickname was, As you could guess from poetic sentence, to express his music in more deeper and emotional ways, he even choose EP name as 'Deep', also, all the track's titles contains the word 'Deep', funny but straight forward way of thinking, if you want to deliver right moods on the dance
floor, by not only sold beat but also unusual emotions that come from organic percussion, this whole EP will give you the answer.
As usual of SOV policy, this EP contain one each of exclusive digital, and vinyl only tracks, this time, 'Deep
Woods Remix' chosen as vinyl only exclusive, the remixer 'Elbee Bad' is the legend of US House, as known as 'The Prince Of Dance Music', if you are fan of Rush Hour Records you should be heard about his name, as he is one of the be loved, and featured artist from the label. His remix of 'Deep Wood' is indeed funky and sexy, one more reason to have this vinyl in your collection.
Lastly, this EP will pressed 500 copies only with out repressing, quicker people will have a benefit as usual.

After their very large re-make of 'Dinosaur's 'Kiss Me Again' on Volume 2, Pablo and Shoey go straight for the jugular again here, extending an old housed up bootleg version of Eddie Kendricks' 'Keep On Truckin' into 8 minutes of dancefloor devastation.
Pre- Discogs, pre MP3's of everything ever recorded on the 'net, this little gem was one of the most potent secret weapons for The Unabombers in the heyday of Electric Chair. Some old fashioned, dusty crates digging by Pablo turned it up - now the world gets to have a listen !

Also included in the package is Detroit legend Terrence Parker and his deep, shimmering 1996 house classic 'Your Love', an after hours staple for the DTS boys since year dot.
Drenched in a hypnotic organ loop and a beautiful, tender vocal, it's house music with a warm heart and a sharp kick, perfect for a 'Let's All Have A Hug' moment at 5am !

Steve Frisco, of Serie Limitee fame, brings us the latest bundle of hot tracks to hit Wax Classic in 2014. As the title suggests, Steve takes us on a journey through low fidelity sounds and production techniques. Think dark, moody, yet crunchy basement house tracks with inspiration taken from all over the U.S and the rest of the house world. It's a generous offering as well. Six whole dusty tunes for those diggers who are looking for something with a bit more range than another record of generic piano laden, house-by-numbers pieces that still seem to be flooding the record store shelves in 2014. The moods do vary from track to track, but they remain very reflective and almost melancholic at points. The title track, 'Adventure in Lo-Fi', is the deepest of the lot with filtered chords, echoing claps and a sporadic kick pattern that often clears way for the track's bass hits. Now, compare that to 'Da Brooklyn Beat'. Whilst the former had a distinct sunrise/sunset kind of feel to it, the latter is definitely more of a club affair. Skippy snare hits and a strong organ lead the track on, and at the risk of utilizing very overused buzzwords such as 'raw' and 'ruff', this track, and the rest of the A-side for that matter, certainly captures that essence.Stalwart Wax Classic fans will no doubt be picking this one up to add to their collection. However, I strongly recommend this EP as a jumping in point to the label for any newcomers out there!

Took a bit of a break from demos and releases after extending the family with a cute little boy, but now we're back with some of the best deep techno and house lined up for you! But first, something completely different.
Michele Mininni hails from the south of Italy and counts everything from post- and krautrock over new wave, house and disco amongst his influences. He's been a DJ for years, but only recently released his debut EP on Optimo Trax in Glasgow. He immediately found himself on the playlists of Beats In Space and Rinse FM. We were literally blown away when he sent us his music and didn't hesitate to release it although it's not what you're used to hear from us. It's hard to describe 'Endless Ceremony'. Epic, but not as you know it. Cosmic, definitely.
For the remix we thought of Rocketnumbernine. Two brothers with releases on Soul Jazz, Four Tet's Text label and more recently an album on Smalltown Supersound. Currently touring with James Holden and Neneh Cherry. Their remix could be described as almost dreamy electronica/idm.
We think this is a really special release. The following people already agree: Gavin Russom, Âme, Ripperton, A Made Up Sound, James Holden, Optimo, Deadbeat... First pressing on coloured vinyl!

Founded by Matthias Schildger & Carlo Ietri in 2013, Repeat is finally ready to conquer the world and bring it's sound to all music lovers out there.
The first imprint of the new label was made by Wigbert // Matt Star & Marvin (incl. Dorian Paic, Dragosh Rmxs) and is called - Play, Stop, Repeat'. It will be out very soon on vinyl and digital.
With the label comes a new booking agency which contains a nice mixture of already well known artists and a few fresh and talented ones.

Here a little overview what you can expect from the first release - Play, Stop, Repeat':


Wigbert - Destroy me:

Wigbert unleashes a monster of a track with - Destroy me' on the dancefloors worldwide. Powerful beats combined with hypnotic rhytmic and some dark vocals will shake your body for sure! This tune will destroy some speakers if you are not careful with the volume... :)

Dorian Paic Remix:

Dorian Paic transforms Wigberts tune into a more happy and melodic but not less uplifting setting with the addition of some nice piano chords. It will put some sunshine into your hearts!

Matt Star and Marvin - In the Trees:

Matt Stars long experience in production combined with the freshness of the very talented Marvin resulted in this deep and groovy track driven by some nice drums and a fat bassline. Dark Athmospheres meets broken beat dubbish minimalism is the best way to describe it.
This track will go straight to your bones!

Dragosh Remix:

Dragosh's interpretation of - In the Trees' is a more percussion orientated track wich will put a lot of smiles on the faces of dancers. Crispy, rhytmic and simply good.

And now, Play, Stop and REPEAT!!!

NDATL continues with new tracks crafted by Brett Dancer known for his deep productions and being the creator of seminal label Trackmode. After a long hiatus he returned about year ago with the highly sought after Euphonic Moods EP. Now he he comes with three stormin deep tracks that encompass the Dancer sound. The title track 'Hybrid' is a hypnotic journey that dance!oor will enjoytaking. 'Someone' is a lost dub of the hit by Kai Alce & Phil Asher feat Kayenne released on Restless Soul in 2010. Here his rendition takes a very warped sublime aproach and with a little help from Glenn Crocker aka Glenn Underground this one will de"nitely set a mood. Now 'Something' rounds out the 12' with straight dance!oor mover! The light & uplifting key work & bouncin bassline shows Brett's ability to keep it deep and bumpin.

The world of roots reggae & dancehall has been fully awoken to the fantastic analogue sounds of Kalbata & Mixmonsters' music - and even Rob Da Bank, Robert Elms, & Toddla T and The Wire magazine have supported and enthusiastically raved about their brand new yet wonderfully old school music.

And now - in time for summer festivals and carnivals, the floor shaking, speaker rattling track Congo Beat The Drum featuring Major Mackerel gets the 12 inch single treatment. The pounding drums and the larynx busting vocal performance from the Jamaican veteran is an unstoppable, unforgettable and frankly mesmerising experience!

Released alongside the original (and an instrumental version of stand out album track Out Of Road) is an amazing remix by Kahn - the Bristol based producer, renowned dubstepper, remixer, member of the Sureskank Collective - who with this remix displays his mastery of blending all kinds of styles, and injects his remix with some of his favourite influences - including Middle Eastern music scales - which ensures his reworking of Congo Beat The Drum is fresh, original and inspiring.

This single will be one of the sound system hits of summer 2014!

Sparse and daring sonic experimentations, as the name suggests, on this fresh imprint by the upstream collective that is John Swing, EMG and Battista. The first two have now established their patterns of work via the Livejam and Relative stables, while the third has been busy pushing his sound through the younger and ever-promising Uaudio label. A common obsession with machines and spontaneity has led them to this latest collaborative effort; two extended, wide-eyed jams - one per side of the plate - which shift from moments of stability to sudden bursts of chaos. The A-side represents the former; a thick layer of chords, gritty low-ends and icy percussion slither out of the whirlpool only to become locked into a moody, cut-throat groove. The flip cuts the formalities and dives head first into a deluge of saturated hardware fuzz, showcasing the trio's more abstract personalities as conjurers of fine noise-funk.
Limited to 300 hand numbered copies, 180g.

Sitting down and writing about our latest EP was a fun but challenging exercise, we scratched our heads and this may sound bad but we couldn't think of deep, dark interesting stories on how we made these tracks or what they represent. These jams are simply a combination of previous and random happy accidents that have come together and saying anything else would be a lie. This however does not mean that the thinking behind them is completely random, the three cuts that we selected for this EP we feel are a journey of experimentation and a culmination of unexpected sounds and feelings. A word that we found best described the EP was 'Irony'. The most ironic thing we feel is that the main basis of these tracks were born on the stage during our live performances and they have now been reworked and moulded into a record. We however feel that this brings an interesting element to the EP that yes it is recorded and set, but you are not quite sure where the next sound or feeling will come from. A hi hat A kick It is pure 'organised randomness'... I suppose we should talk about some of the music and try and explain what we mean! We start with 'Pe dos', which in plain English means inside out and it was a track that we had started back in 2011. We were flicking through our 'curiosity closets' one day and found it, we played around with it and heard a kick drum that was not arranged correctly in the sequence due to a random manipulation of the sequencer. Our first thought was to just change it, but then we decided to wait..... when all the other sounds of the tracks came together we threw the kick back in and BAM, Even the acapella voice of the track was screaming. Therefore it was a simple for us to name this track as we worked on it in a completely back to front and 'Inside Out' way!

Fokuz Recordings, founded early 1999 by Dreazz and Drum Origins, has been through a lot over a long, winding road. Thanks to the boundless dedication of our talented artists and the loving fans, we can now celebrate our 15th anniversary! Expect six 12'' records and a double CD packed with tracks by some of the most upfront names in present day drum & bass. This is 15 Years Of Fokuz - Episode 2.3.

In this last part of the 15 Year vinyl series we find drum & bass all star Lynx remixing 'Midnight Runaway' by Intelligent Manners & Enei. Fresh sounds all over, we're very happy to have him as a part of this project. On the flip Amaning and Dramatic deliver the goodness with Moods! Superb rolling sounds that are perfect for sunny, chilled days. Better get both tunes for the full effect!

During the '70s, work days at Umiliani's Sound Workshop Studios were hectic; thousands of sessions were held in order to keep up with a very busy Italian movie industry: Hundreds of soundtracks alongside with music library were recorded and released on vinyl in very limited quantities for TV and film production use only. Those LPs are now proper collectors' items, extremely hard to find.

Filled with hypnotic bass lines, heavy drums and screaming fuzz guitars "Underground", the first LP of the fictitious group known as Braen's Machine, is one of the rarest and the most expensive of them all, always "reaching" sky high prices throughout the second hand vinyl market. A fast-beat jam with hammond scales and a twin lead guitar theme ("Flying") opens the A Side soon followed by "Imphormal", a classicfunk-beat-meetsfender- rhodes-and-psychedelic-guitar number. The music then switch to "thriller territories" with "Murder" which is based on prepared piano swells and a deeply hypnotic walking bass, reminiscent of the best Morricone's soundtracks for Dario Argento's movies. Two highly percussive songs complete the A Side: "Gap" is an improvised song with guitar and keyboards dwelling over an infectious drum rhythm while a marching snare and a vibraslap effect are the special features on "Militar Police".

The mood relaxes slightly on the opening of the B Side with a lazy jazz groove on "New Experience" but the rock influences are soon brought back on the following track "Fall Out". "Obstinacy" is all about keyboards with syncopated rhodes themes and distorted hammond sustained notes whilst the fuzz guitar is back again screaming through the left channel on the last song of the album, "Description". We could happly say that that was the golden age of the Italian music library. But who's behind the name "Braen's Machine" On the original cover the songs are credited to the composers Braen and Gisteri. Braen was a pseudonym often used by Alessandro Alessandroni, an extremely skilled and versatile musician, and one of Umiliani's closestcollaborators. He could write, conduct and arrange, he could sing (ever heard "Mah Na Mah Na"), he could whistle (ever heard Morricone's "For a fistful of dollars") and he could play almost anything: guitar, bass tuba, accordion, sitar and the list grows..... His first album "Alessandro Alessandroni e il suo complesso" (Sermi, 1969), had transformed the Italian library music from orchestral sound beds into the psychedelia we all love; the extremely fuzzy guitars are very "present" on "Underground" too. For a long time Gisteri's real identity was rather mysterious; often wrongly attributed to Umiliani. Gisteri was the pseudonym of Oronzo De Filippi, art name of Rino De Filippi, music supervisor to the Italian public broadcast company (RAI) between the '60s and the '70s. De Filippi composed other notable pieces such as "Riflessi" (Edipan, 1975) and "Nel mondo del lavoro" (Sermi, 1972).

De Filippi passed away few years ago but we were able to contact Alessandroni to talk about this LP. Remembering "Underground" recording session as one of the thousands he took part of, Alessandroni told us that this record was produced very quickly, in two days maximum. This was made possible by a team of wonderfully capable session musicians and the creative genius behind the mixing desk; this incredible combination helped to focus on the mood of each track even more. Unfortunately there are no liner notes but Alessandroni's memories and speculations, based on other music tracked in the same period at Soundworkshop by resident engineer Claudio Batussi, led us to identify this as the most probable lineup: Munari on drums, Majorana on bass, Vannucchi on keyboards and Alessandroni himself on guitar. For this reissue the sound has been restored and the cover art reproduced exactly as it was.

Fourth release for Serie Limitee. 180g, pressed loud and limited, as always. Now Berlin based, Californian Lady Blacktronica provides a raw beatdown pearl with -Never Heard The Word Impossible-... Straight from Japan, Yusuke Yamamoto aka Freischwimmer joins the SL crew with a classic-house track named -You Want-. With -Back to the House-, Deymare pays his regards to the original Chicago sound with this timeless piece. SL004 also announces the return of the mysterious Parisian duo ERMAN & Abtomat, with five minutes of steamy after-hours disco-influenced house-music! As usual, expect a short bonus track by Monsieur Cedric.

Recording artists Jimi Tenor & Nicole Willis, husband and wife team whom together brought you Call of the Wild on Tenor's Out Of Nowhere, (Warp, 2000), Feeling Free on Willis' Keep Reachin' Up, (Timmion Records, 2005), release their follow up album of project COLA&JIMMU, to album Enigmatic, (Herakles Records, 2013). The album is featuring their production as well as compositions. With instrumentations by Tenor and beats procured from the vintage gear of Jori Hulkkonen in his Turku studio, Alppihouz by Willis, the album has a warm feeling and yet sufficiently exciting for the electronic house heads. There are plenty of string pads, flutes and flute pads, etc to prick up your ears. COLA&JIMMU once again capture the genuine, old school sound.

in the past ten years lots of little and big stories happened in the music culture. house literally disappeared almost from the scene in order to come back as strong as never before. 

minimal morphed back into techno while leaving the question mark why the term minimal ever got invented. some originators like frankie knuckles or romanthony passed away, while others like larry heard just stopped to perform. 

in-between countless new artists appeared, twisted dance music with new perspectives on the old, and released their fresh ideas on even more countless labels out there in the void called music market. 

one of the rare platforms that stayed solid as a rock in all these years is mule musiq, the tokyo based label that spreads miscellaneous sound vibes that long from jazz to disco, house, and unobtrusive ambient since 2004. 

with a versatile artist roster consisting of producers such as henrik schwarz, lawrence, dj sprinkles, dj jus-ed, kuniyuki, eddie c, roedelius, or new kids on the blog like barnt or lord of the isles the japan based record company developed a status of her own for being one of the most free spirited organisations in contemporary music. 

'if the music is good, any kind of music is welcome. i don't like labels which release one style music.' 

mule musiq's mastermind toshiya kawasaki once said in a rare interview. now he celebrates a ten years of freedom jubilee with the sixth instalment of his famed 'i'm starting to feel ok' compilation serial.  a real massive international anniversary celebration that is ventilating all what happened in the past ten years in order to form something that travels right into the future. and that is where mule musiq tries to be since a decade to tell some unheard musical stories that stay for good even when the future is long past.

Fokuz Recordings, founded early 1999 by Dreazz and Drum Origins, has been through a lot over a long, winding road. Thanks to the boundless dedication of our talented artists and the loving fans, we can now celebrate our 15th anniversary! Expect six 12'' records and a double CD packed with tracks by some of the most upfront names in present day drum & bass. This is 15 Yearz Of Fokuz - Episode 1.2.

On the A-side Malaky brings the sweetness with 'Connected'. Heavy delayed chords, spacious strings and vocals in combination with a warm bass make this an abolute beauty! Great sounds coming from a producer you need to watch.

On the flip 'With U' by Moscow based Impish turns up the heat. Don't let the groovy intro fool you because the drop comes in unexpected! Rolling amens with soaring bass sounds make this a proper dancefloor banger, with a bit of class ofcourse. Not to be missed!

Among a thousand projects, Para One is back on the dance floor with 'Club", a new album which was not meant to be one, but believe it or not: it's serious stuff! 'The 'Passion' album is the background for this, as I decided to reshape it for my live act, explains Para One. I've rebuilt the tracks entirely, making live versions for festivals and bigger clubs. Then I found myself with a totally different album. It's not a live album. The tracks have been modified and reinterpreted. It's my tribute to Soulwax's 'Night Versions". Subtlety was not really an option, it had to hit kind of hard. The tracks had to sound real in a club situation and people are now meant to dance to them! It's also a 'treasure hunt' kind of record with many references. It sounds like my DJ sets, when I mix many things and styles, old and new, because that's how a club should sound. It's a place where memories belong.' The pop, melancholic and highly danceable 'Passion", was meant to be listened to at home or on quiet dance floors, but 'Club' only retains the melodies and vocal hooks. It smells like sweat, joy and abandoned bodies. Packed with English acid house piano, huge beats, elegiac vocals, references to UK Garage, EDM filtered french touch and house, 'Club' dives into the heart of dance music. It's a 3.0 rave emblem, a daring record to make people dance without selling out.

'You become responsible, forever, for what you've tamed", Antoine de Saint-Exupéry writes in his modern fairy tale 'The Little Prince', in which his protagonist travels through various worlds in search of friendship and benevolence. The quote is, no doubt, fitting for Niko Schwind, since the Berlin-based DJ and producer consistently demonstrates a deeply anchored love for and close bond to house music, the art form he himself has tamed. As a DJ, he travels the globe, having played in Europe, Australia, Thailand, Brazil, the US and Mexico, and in his sets he creates a feeling of connectedness between himself and others, as well as within the crowd. On Stil vor Talent, Niko Schwind now presents the fruit of his labour in the from of his third album: 'Grippin' World' captivates the listeners with its versatility and coherence, and kidnaps them to a world of sound, made up of elegantly reduced grooves, organic arrangements and accessible vocal-melodies. With 'Perfect Fit', the first single of the album, we are handed an absolute highlight, as Heartbeat's warm voice and a simple guitar-loop form a flawless musical symbiosis, accentuated by a synthetically creaking bass-line. Niko thus proofs he's more than capable of practicing restrained Minimalism with a pop-impact. 'Perfect Fit' then gets the floor treatment: while Niko turns in a reduced, tool-oriented club cut, the hitherto unknown Proud bursts onto the scene with a dreamy arrangement centred around atmospheric synths on his remix. Grippin'!

Perc's second album 'The Power And The Glory' despite being released in mid-February has already been predicted to be one of the standout releases of 2014, receiving excellent reviews, DJ feedback and radio support. Now Perc Trax is proud to announce the remix EP for the album, featuring remixes by three UK artists who all make their Perc Trax debuts on this release. Each remixer was given free rein to manipulate the source material as they wished and the results speak for themselves, as Perc's original mixes are transformed into something new yet still retaining the innovative, forward looking attitude of 'The Power And The Glory'

First up is R&S artist and Poly Kicks label owner Tessela, who thanks to 'Hackney Parrot' and his new BBC Radio 1 residency has been making huge waves recently. Already previewed on his debut Radio 1 broadcast and in Perc's FACT Magazine mix, the Tessela remix of 'Take Your Body Off' is a heavily swung, bass heavy take on the track, still featuring the unforgettable screaming vocal of the original mix.

Next up Hemlock main man Untold, who himself been enjoying a great reaction to his own recent album provides an experimental take on the already out there 'Bleeding Colours'. Sounding like a lost cut from his album the track revolves around a foundation of ever morphing layers of bass.

Finally Scotland's Clouds get their hands on 'Dumpster' and focus more on groove than big room dynamics as they show off another side of their already impressive production talents with a deeper than expected remix to close off the EP...

117 Presents Forbidden Codes.
This compilation project is compiled and envisioned by DJ Trace, a veteran of UK dance music.New School players Verb and Quartz take on two classics to kick things off.
Mutant and Sonar get a modern and minimal touch up on crystal clear 10" collectors vinyl. Three more 10's continue this sonic experience featuring a group of the finest underground producers in today's scene.Kid Lib, Tim Reaper, Gremlinz & Homemade Weapons, Friske, Fade and Genotype appear over 3 plates.
Artist's on the LP display their 2014 vision which compliments the direction that 117 is heading.This moves far away from the soulless noise that plagues in various electronic dance music genres today. They use in this compilation, modern studio techniques enhanced with a passion and respect for the history of drum&bass.This LP is not to be filed under throwaway music.
Breaks and vibes unite to reminisce the days agone whilst outlining a new blueprint that pushes the boundaries of music technology.The essence of the 117 sound is explored and continues into the 24 digital tracks written by a gifted selection of hand picked talent from around the world.
Now is your turn to be possessed by the sounds of the 'Forbidden Codes' Released 28th April via ST Holdings.Mastered by Beau @ Ten Eight Seven, London.

You Know Who You Were Multi-faceted producer and DJ Ben Westbeech has accomplished something that eludes most artists - after ten years in the industry he successfully stands with 'one foot in the underground, one in the commercial' - and nowhere is this more apparent than on his first release on Aus Music as Breach which see's Ben digging deeper than ever before. After a year of high-power, unshakably catchy chart topping singles ("Jack' and 'Everything You Never Had"), a killer collaboration with Naked Naked cohorts Dark Sky and a well-received DJ-Kicks mix, Breach indulges some of his more underground and experimental tendencies on the 'Artis' EP. Bringing in bits of his past (the exotic, colorful vibe of 'Fatherless' can be detected in the lush atmosphere of 'Artis") along with some sounds newer to the moniker, Breach gets beautifully moody here and will once again keep people guessing as to what's coming next...

The last time Fennesz released an album on Austrian label Mego it was 2001 and the name of that release was 'Endless Summer'. Now, in 2014 Editions Mego is extremely proud to release the conceptual follow up that landmark of abstract pop. Eschewing the more drone orientated works of 'Black Sea', 'Bécs' returns to the more florid pop mechanisms as deployed on Endless Summer. ' Bécs is not just an album or a series of songs, it's a world to inhabit, a landscape ripe with sounds, songs and that esteemed Fennesz signature. A singular work by a singular artist.

It's now almost two years since German producer Sawlin made his debut on Ann Aimee, but now he is back for a third EP on the Delsin sister label. Entitled 'Niedertracht', it features four more tracks of searing techno in truly uncompromising Sawlin style.

'Kontraktion' goes first with heavy metallic hits, lots of industrial machinery found sounds and thumping kick drums. It's lumpy, mechanical and stiff stuff that is slow and purposeful. The surface of 'Padjam' is then covered in squirming, scratchy little effects as syncopated drums swing deep down below. Eventually the thing gets fleshed out with some malfunctioning melodies and slurred vocal stabs yet still it sounds like no other techno out there.

'Niedertracht' takes up the b1 with a spangled techno track that has gurgling synths and fizzing drills all encased in a ravey arrangement of horns and windy howls. The broken sounding 'Weißhaupt' is made up of metal loops, punctured drums and rasping synths that sound like factories in melt down. This is truly inventive electronic music that's laced with a very real and unmistakable sense of industrialism, and proves Sawlin is one of the day's most exciting producers.

Dutch DJ, producer and Wolfskuil label boss Darko Esser is to self-release his sophomore album, Anipintiros, in April 2014. The eight track album comes four years after his debut and is his first as Tripeo, the techno leaning alias he has been working under most often in recent times.

Working as Tripeo has reinvigorated Esser, who under his own name has been producing his unique take on electronic music for a decade now. 'It was liberating to have another persona take over,' says the man himself. 'I have been so inspired and productive ever since that I woke up one day with the thought 'I'm ready to do another album' and started straight away that day.'

Tripeo music is aimed squarely at the dancefloor, and there sure are some full blooded cuts on the album, but so to are there concessions to the listening experience, meaning deep, dark passages and more leftfield experiments help tie the whole thing together into one cohesive and coherent whole. 'Like all albums, this is a very personal statement,' explains Esser. 'It's just me trying to translate the overwhelming inspiration I feel right now into sound. That, and making the record as diverse as possible without losing the purist identity of Tripeo.'

That identity shines through right from the off on the album, which has been made using a knowing blend of both soft and hardware. 'Anipintiros #1' is a firmly rooted, rubbery bit of deep techno that works you into hypnosis and comes detailed with plenty of otherworldly ambiances. From there, Tripeo explores gallivanting techno run through with celestial pads on 'Anipintiros #2' and tripped out, ever shape shifting and dusty minimal sounds on 'Anipintiros #3'.

'Anipintiros #4' channels the widescreen and pumping techno of Detroit's finest whilst 'Anipintiros #5' is a more industrial and muscular track of the sorts that would sound perfect in the bowels of Berghain. 'Anipintiros #6' is one of the busier and more kinked techno rhythms with punchy drums and fax machine like melodies, before 'Anipintiros #7' thumps with real menace and 'Anipintiros #8' hums and hisses, spits and stutters like the suitably epic and melodic comedown you need after such a captivating ride.Everything, though is backed with serene synth work and an otherworldly sense of alien spirit that runs through all great techno.

There is plenty to get lost in throughout Anipintiros and it proves once again that Esser is someone able to coax far more feeling out of his machines than most.

DJ FEEDBACK

Early support from Blawan, Rødhåd, James Ruskin, Reeko, Exium, Mike Parker, Ben Sims, Rolando, Pfirter, Craig McWhinney, Cadans, Sandrien, Nuno Dos Santos

The Tenses is a duo comprised of Ju Suk Reet Meate and Jackie Oblivia, two veterans of the weirdo art collective that is known as the Los Angeles Free Music Society. They also form the core of legendary experimental juggernaut Smegma.

The LAFMS have been a singular force in DIY culture ever since the early seventies and encapsuled an endless string of projects and bands that married a sort of proto-punk with trashy guitars, avant-garde music, tape manipulations, free jazz, improv and absurd vocalizations into a hyper original and singular form of music. They're seen by many as the originators of noise music, and have been an immense influence on bands like Sun City Girls, Merzbow, Wolf Eyes, No Neck Blues Band, etc...

The Tenses is one of the latest vessels for Ju Suk and Jackie to explore the outer realms of sound and space. Compared to the mothership that is Smegma, it is a more compact and intimate project where turntables, tape collages, distorted surf guitar and coronet are used to create elaborate, haunted atmospheres.

After releases on Harbinger Sound and their own Pigface Records, The Tenses now add another chapter to their history with 'Howard', their new LP on Belgian imprint audioMER. 'Howard' is a mind expanding tour de force that scrambles spoken word deconstructions and spontaneous freak outs into a musical non-sequitur; a strange and disorienting trip.

Loops of voices from long lost instruction movies, shortwave radio dramas that get overrun with sirens, various non-instrumental sounds, and an bewildering stretch of Link Wray-like guitar riffs; 'Howard' is a record that oozes paranoia, the perfect soundtrack for making explosives in your basement.

Comes in a limited edition of 300 copies with artwork by Wouter Vandevoorde and design by Wouter Vanhaelemeesch and Jeroen Wille.

An intriguing project by singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist G.T. Moore, he of G.T Moore and the Reggae Guitars (first album 1974) fame, he of the folk group Heron who recorded their first album in a field by the Thames in 1970, he who recorded on Lee Perry's final album at the Black Ark studio 1980, also was a part time member of Radical Dance Faction and who's done session work with the likes of Johnny Nash, Joan Baez, Poly Styrene and more.
*Fast forward to now: G.T. collaborates with the Lost Ark Band creating some beautiful shimmering, dreamy, deep phaser-laden sounds giving more than a nod the aforementioned Perry's studio from way back then.
*Features two compositions - `Be True' and `One Two Three' - the latter originally recorded with Heron - with respective dub versions playing at 33 and weighing in at 25 minutes.

clear vinyl pressing!
Soundtravels Recordings proudly presents "Point Of View Part 1". We have compiled six contemporary, electronic bombs from artists all around Europe.

For some we didn't have to travel that far though...

The Hagues Baz Reznik provided us with "Nightdrive To Stuttgart", a moody, sinister track with that typical raw Reznik sound and a melody that will stick in your head for days after you first heard it.

Amsterdam based Arctic Boogie boss Endfest came up with another killer, "Von Heijden En Verre". Almost ten minutes filled with frosty synths and arctic melodies, accompanied by an ever present, very sophisticated 303 which peaks halfway the track, shivers!

Our last, but not least, Dutch contributor is Rotterdam based Louis Guilliaume who you might know from several straight forward techno releases on various quality underground labels. "Promiscues" is a rough edged, energetic track which fits somewhere between Detroit techno and Dutch Westcoast elektronica. At the end of 2013 he will release the "Unknown Forces EP" on Soundtravels.

Okay, now we fly all the way over to Croatia for Le Chocolate Noir with "Futu.e Is B.ight". A short but powerful EBM track with vocals from the man himself. Dark industrial mechanics accompanied by a threathening bassline, but no need to worry... cause Futu.e is B.ight! In 2014 he will release his first EP on Soundtravels.

Next stop... Düsseldorf. After discovering Dircsen's tracks we definitely had to have him on board. The first result of that can be heard on his astonishing "Aspiration EP" (Soundtravels 003). This guy keeps on producing his solid, high quality electronics and shows us his love for the TB 303 machine in a brilliant way. "Exist" is actually a downtempo dubtechno track but off course it has a fierce 303 all over it. Timeless again. Early 2014 his second EP named "Acid Wheel EP" will be a fact.

New to our family is the Russian Neotnas. He makes his first appearance with "Rewind". Typical for his sound is that warm, organic feel all over his house and dubtechno productions. Very often accompanied by female vocals and it's almost like you hear somebody play a live instrument if you listen carefully. At the end of 2013 he will release his "Slow & Steady EP".

For his new EP Nicolas Aftalion is still paying his due respects to the early House Meisters. 3 brand new trax of heavily NY influenced House Music. Still Old school but always fresh. From Paris with love, THAT'S SOME SERIOUS SHIT ! is a record label dedicated to old House music and to dancers. Following the steps of Kerry Chandler, Mr. Fingers, Ron Trent, Masters at Work and so on... Away from the hype, we want to bring back the spirit of the early 90's when House music was not only music, but a communion of body, soul, freedom and love. We hope to get you with us... in the dance, in the club.
Now ride on the sound

JUSTUS KÖHNCKE & THE WONDERFUL FREQUENCY BAND - his first major release in five years after SAFE AND SOUND


JUSTUS KÖHNCKE & THE WONDERFUL FREQUENCY BAND - his first major release in five years after SAFE AND SOUND (Kompakt CD 63) - is JUSTUS KÖHNCKE's long-awaited return to the full-length format: neatly coinciding with Kompakt's exuberant 20th anniversary activities, the leftfield house virtuoso, former Whirlpool Productions member (see "From: Disco To: Disco") and producer of seminal cuts such as "Was Ist Musik", "2 After 909" or "Timecode" hits the floors with an entirely new set of future classics, remedying desolate crowds in dire need of a party to remember.

With France's long-fallow club scene back in international resurgence as Paris storms back into fighting form, Europe now has found a new source for yet-unheard music. It was a long time brewing, but names like Concrete, Katapult, Zadig, and Society of Silence, have begun to appear in the international clubbing circuit, and the growth is not limited to the capital. Further south in Lyon, a city quickly gaining its own renown for busy club parties booking bigger names, there exists a smaller circle of energetic operators whose name is also spreading rapidly and whose recent accomplishments include Nuites Sonores, Boilerroom and more. Spearheaded by Kosme, a DJ and producer of quickly increasing notice, the provincial powerhouse has already turned heads throughout France as Kosmo's Caramelo Records was snapped up by legendary Parisian distributor Syncrophone; he has a new label set to launch in 2014. It is with this background in mind that THEMA proudly offers Kosme's international debut, the 'April Moon' EP.

Kosme comes to the table with six tracks of low-slung Detroit-referencing house music laced with extra grit. 'Fondamental' rides shuffling hats and a building acid line to dramatic heights. 'Ever Shake My Mind' is slower and dirtier yet, with crushed hats and a bottom-lurking bass between Theo Parrish-esque drum-machine-down-the-stairs breakdowns. After an interlude, 'Mothafunka' resumes the beatdown with a talkover house track that escalates uncontrollably in intensity as drums shuffle before breaking down in congos & pads. 'Deep Function' dials down to sexier sounds with sultry vocal samples and sampled hiss, but it doesn't lose the drum kink. Finally the digital bonus 'A Thought for Yvonne' is the most subdued and skeletal of all with echoed drums and a lonely bassline tumbling over each other in slow motion.

Following the explosion of new sounds from the capital, it is no surprise to find the movement spreading, and THEMA arrives first with the freshest France has to offer.

WAX CLASSIC is a brand new SKYLAX Sub - label.For our 10th release, we give you the opportunity to grab 4 fantastic trax done by one of the best deep house producers in UK right now : OLI FURNESS !Oli had underground electronic music firmly embedded into his life during the early warehouse scene that thrived in Manchester during the 90's, the sounds of Detroit and Chicago filtered through to the UK and his love of all things house was born. Fast forward a decade and Furness has obsessively built up a strong collection of analogue hardware and is now steadily building a legacy of his own analouge drenched and intelligent House music."Sklyax has been a hugely influencial label for me growing up, some of my hero's reside on this label so its an honour to be able to sit beside them with this release

D-Edge are proud to present "Black Belt", the stunning debut from one of Brazil's most important figures.




D-Edge Records are proud to present Black Belt, the debut
album from Brazilian DJ, producer, club and label boss Renato
Ratier. After emerging with some already impressive EPs, the
time has now come for a full artistic statement that spans 17
tracks of slo mo electronics, deep house ambiance and tripped
out, disco inflected grooves.
Rather than this being a collection of dancefloor tracks, its
more a carefully programmed journey that takes you up and
down through many different moods and grooves, but all of
them untied by Ratier's analogue textures, unfamiliar hooks
and futuristic melodies.
Opening with the found sound recordings and muffled ambiance
of 'Love Me Tokyo' the album goes through the funky licks of
'Jamaicanese', the well-sampled 'Midnight Sun' and freewheel-
ing deep house and ethereal melodies of 'Teatime'. The latter
half of the album points more towards the dancefloor with the
title track's knotted bassline, the deep and spaced out house
hypnosis of 'Fetisshu' and plenty more besides. It's a stunning
debut from one of Brazil's most important figures.

The funk king of Sweden is back! After having major success in the 1990s, selling hundreds of thousands of records all over the world and touring with the likes of Tina Turner, Paulo Mendonca returns with 'Does Anybody Wanna Funk'



In the early 1990s Mendonca released three chart-topping albums. Now, his first full length release for eighteen years is easily identifiable by his signature guitar sound and funky grooves, the intense playing and strong melodies topped off with tongue-in-cheek lyrics.



The vinyl version of the album includes two exclusive tracks that are not on the CD version plus a download code for a high resolution 24 bit/96 KHz digital download.
Tracks: BBB / Me and My Friends / Yeah Yeah Yeah / Birds and the Bees / Heaven / Diving In (exclusive to the vinyl version) / 21 Century / On Top / Music is the Power / Honey / Doggystyle / Someone's Lover (exclusive to vinyl version)