The eye of the storm: welcome to Tornado Wallace's debut album! The accumulation of about four years of work, with tracks written in Berlin and Melbourne, 'Lonely Planet' is nothing like you may have expected from the Australian expat. No stranger to fans and followers of ESP Institute, Beats in Space and Music From Memory's sister Label Second Circle, Tornado Wallace's strain of releases so far merged functionality with a musical playfulness that led him to find himself as one of the producer's behind José Padilla's International Feel album. Here, he leaves the needs of the dance floor behind in order to create a magical mystery tour de trance into his and our inner jungle. How about some references New Age sounds meet new wave melodies, Grace Jones runs into the Dire Straits at Compass Point, while a Korg Mini Pops and a Roland CR78 make amends for Sly & Robbie's absence, Michael Mann pictures Joseph Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness', Robert Rauschenberg tries his luck at naturalism and an imagined Wally Badarou echoes through all of it. Sandwiched between the title track and the yearning beauty of the album's final point 'Healing Feeling', you get all of that as well as collaborations with and contributions of NO ZU, David Hischfelder and the voice of Sui Zhen on 'Today', who would easily make Anna Domino take her proverbial hat off. Tornado Wallace created an album that supersedes the requirements and expectations of a debut. Like a lost Island Records or a never released Made to Measure album, 'Lonely Planet' soundtracks notions and ideas that recall the nostalgic future in the past as much as it looks ahead.
Naná Rizinni is a São Paulo-born drummer, producer, and composer whose work sits at the intersection of progressive electronics, jazz improvisation, and Brazilian rhythmic traditions. After relocating to London in 2020, Rizinni further expanded her distinctive sound, drawing on influences ranging from contemporary UK experimental jazz to forward-thinking electronic music. A respected collaborator and session musician in Brazil, she has performed with artists including Tiê, Johnny Hooker, Ana Cañas, and Thiago Pethit, and has appeared at major international festivals such as Lollapalooza, Rock in Rio, SXSW, and Primavera Sound.
Her new album,Epiblast, is a deeply personal and sonically adventurous statement. Written and co-produced with saxophonist and producer Mark Cake, the album explores themes of transformation, grief, new parenthood, and self-discovery through a rich blend of acoustic and electronic textures. Combining expansive sound design, intricate rhythmic interplay, modular synthesis, and Brazilian musical foundations, Epiblast draws comparisons to artists such as The Comet Is Coming, corto.alto, Mark Guiliana, and Richard Spaven while maintaining a unique voice of its own. Available on vinyl and digital formats, Epiblastshowcases Rizinni's most fully realized artistic vision to date and positions her as a compelling new voice within the global contemporary jazz and experimental music landscape.
Step back to the mid-1960s with NOW Yearbook Presents – The 60s – Volume 3: 1965–1966, featuring 54 essential tracks across a 3LP set, pressed on beautiful blue vinyl.
LP1 opens with some of the decade’s most iconic vocal performances; Dusty Springfield leads with ‘You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me’, a UK No.1 hit that also reached the US Top 5, followed by The Righteous Brothers’ classic ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’’, a chart-topper in both the UK and US. The Walker Brothers’ ‘The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore’ was a UK Top 3 hit, while The Beach Boys follow with ‘God Only Knows’, widely regarded as one of their finest moments. Huge chart hits from The Moody Blues, Manfred Mann, Small Faces, The Kinks and The Animals with ‘We’ve Gotta Get Out Of This Place’ completes the first side…and flip the LP over for The Mamas & The Papas with ‘California Dreamin’, a major hit on both sides of the Atlantic and The Byrds and capturing the rise of folk-rock with ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’, another US No.1. Cher announced one of the most successful and enduring careers in music with ‘I Got You Babe’ – a #1 duet with Sonny, and is followed by the pop brilliance of Sandie Shaw with ‘Long Live Love’. Following The Mindbenders and The Fortunes, LP1 closes with a pair of soul standards: ‘My Girl’ from The Temptations was a US No.1(and eventually a UK #2 in 1992), and Percy Sledge’s ‘When a Man Loves a Woman’, another US chart-topper and a UK Top 5 hit in 1987 when it featured in a TV ad campaign.
LP2 opens with the explosive sound of 60s soul and crossover pop. Ike & Tina Turner kick us off with the timeless ‘River Deep – Mountain High’, a UK Top 3 hit. Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons had a huge hit with ‘Let’s Hang On’ and Motown is strongly represented with The Four Tops, whose ‘Reach Out I’ll Be There’ hit the US No.1 spot, alongside The Supremes, who scored another US chart-topper with ‘You Can’t Hurry Love’, plus Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Stevie Wonder and a future Northern Soul Classic from Gloria Jones. Following James Brown, the side closes with the enduring soul classic ‘What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted’ from Jimmy Ruffin… while over on the other side Horst Jankowski’s instrumental smash ‘A Walk In The Black Forest’ leads in to pop classics from Tom Jones with ‘It’s Not Unusual’, a UK No.1, alongside Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames’ UK chart-topper ‘Yeh Yeh’ and Chris Montez with ‘The More I See You’. Sophisticated easy listening pop from Andy Williams and Frank Sinatra’s iconic ‘Strangers In The Night’ come ahead of Elvis Presley’s ‘Crying In The Chapel’, with LP2’s closer’s coming from Roy Orbison and Roger Miller, with the essential ‘King Of The Road’.
The Righteous Brothers’ undeniable ‘Unchained Melody’, a hit on release and a #1 in 1990 following it’s feature in the film ‘Ghost’ opens LP3 ahead of a wealth of huge pop hits from The Walker Brothers, Cilla Black and Cher – and rock oriented chart-toppers from The Troggs with ‘Wild Thing’ and The Spencer Davis Group with ‘Keep On Running’. The Everly Brothers’ ‘The Price Of Love’ leads into era-defining hits from Barry McGuire and Bob Dylan’s hugely influential ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’ reflecting the growing social awareness and changing approach to songwriting…and over to the final side opened by The Supremes with ‘Stop! In The Name Of Love’ ahead of The Toys with ‘A Lover’s Concerto’ and The Shangri-Las’ legendary ‘Leader Of The Pack’. Classic singles from Marianne Faithfull, Petula Clark and Sandie Shaw feature before the collection closes with a trio of timeless tracks: The trans-Atlantic top 5 ‘Sloop John B’ from the Beach Boys is alongside The Mamas & The Papas’ ‘Monday, Monday’ (a US No.1 and UK Top 5), whilst the aptly titled ‘Homeward Bound’ from Simon & Garfunkel – their first UK hit - signs off this superb collection.
NOW Yearbook Presents – The 60s – Volume 3: 1965–1966 – a snapshot of a rapidly evolving pop era where pure pop, soul, rock, beat, easy listening and songwriting sophistication converged.
ORUMA is a trio formed by Ola Rzepka (drums, zither, percussion), Artur Rumiński (electric guitar) and Mat Barski (electric guitar). At its foundation is the musical dialogue previously developed by Rumiński and Barski as a guitar duo and documented on the albums “On the Margin” and “At the Junction”. Their encounter with Ola Rzepka during Kraków’s Kakofonie series opened this music to a new sense of dynamics, pulse and
collective form.
ORUMA’s music exists at the intersection of free improvisation, noise, experimental postrock and post-kraut repetition. It avoids the conventional division between soloist and accompaniment. Instead, two electric guitars and drums gradually abandon their individual roles to form a single, constantly shifting sound organism — moving from silence, open space and isolated gestures towards dense masses of sound.
The trio’s debut album consists of five pieces: “Satellites”, “Stranger”, “This Mountain Is Alive”, “A Rough Plan For Nostalgia” and “Hyperborea”. Together, they form a coherent journey: from distant signals and the first moment of contact, through friction and increasing physical intensity, to an expansive fourteen-minute finale.
Ola Rzepka
Drummer, pianist, composer and performer. She graduated from the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, where she studied at the Faculty of Composition, Interpretation, Education and Jazz. She was also a scholarship student at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen, studying piano and percussion. She teaches piano improvisation at the Wojciech Kilar State Music School Complex in Katowice and runs her own music lessons and workshops. As a composer, she collaborates with acclaimed theatre directors in Poland, Germany and Switzerland. Her musical collaborators have included Raphael Rogiński and Antoni “Ziut” Gralak. She has performed her original music at numerous avant-garde, popular, jazz, improvised and contemporary music festivals across Poland and Europe. In Jazz Forum magazine’s 2024 Jazz Top critics’ poll, she was named among Poland’s leading drummers.
Artur Rumiński
Guitarist and member of bands including Furia, Thaw and ARRM. He also composes and improvises under his own name and performs in the experimental duo Marmur, which he co-founded with Macio Moretti. He has released several solo albums on labels including Antenna Non Grata, Gusstaff Records, Zoharum and Szara Reneta.
Mat Barski
Guitarist associated with the Kraków and Tricity music scenes. His projects include the duo Ekotonika, the Rumiński / Barski duo. He has released albums through Gusstaff Records and Antenna Non Grata. Alongside music, he works in motion design and visual postproduction. He is a member of the Kraków-based Skład Solny Association, where he coorganises concerts and exhibitions.
Sentimental Ultra marks DJ HEARTSTRING’s debut proper on Steel City Dance Discs, and their first album project, releasing November 13th 2026. Starting life as a mixtape before a happy accident or two took it down a different path, the 15-track album finds the pair chasing not just peak-time euphoria and what they can conjure in a club setting, but everything around it, too. The befores and the afters. The soft and the supercharged. What life felt like when they were young. Featuring collaborations with SWIM, Spriitzz, BAUGRUPPE90, Sam Gellaitry, Saidah, DMA’S, KennyHoopla, Monk, 3NDLES5, David Jackson and secret act, they fold formative years influences such as indie rock, rap, ambient and breakbeat into their sought-after sound, and balance them with contemporary-coded ideas.
This blend of worlds is at the crux of the album’s concept visually as well. Sentimental Ultra is an exploration blurring the lines of hard and soft, taking inspiration from subculture communities around football hooliganism and skateboarding. The cover is shot by iconic British photographer Ewen Spencer, renowned for his work around Skins, The Streets and more. The collaboration has seen DJ HEARTSTRING land features in Numero Berlin, Notion Mag and other cross-cultural editorial platforms ahead of the album announcement.
To date, the project has already received various milestones across international radio, including Arielle Free’s Big Whopper for third single ‘Another Year Alone’ and DJ HEARTSTRING landing a coveted BBC R1 Residency in November. Adding to this is the slew of digital looks and accolades for DJ HEARTSTRING’s set recordings including their closing set at Soenda Festival earlier this year which is on 115k views since being published in May 2026, their Melbourne Boiler Room published in 2025 with +1 million views and their Belfast Boiler Room published in 2023 with +1.1 million views.
Since DJ HEARTSTRING’s 2021 debut, when they rollicked through the club door with their Destiny of the Moment and Eternal Euphoria EPs, alongside a slew of self-released, pop-and-R&B-indebted edits, DJ HEARTSTRING have followed their hearts and won over legions more with an emotional dance music style that’s fast become synonymous with their name.
There’ve been big releases such as 2025’s You Are The Sun, I Am The Sky EP, and buzzy collaborations with fellow synapse-igniters like SWIM, Narciss, southstar and S.C.D.D.’s KETTAMA. The past few years have also seen remixes for Charli XCX and Sam Smith, Romy, Sugababes and Empire of the Sun, sets everywhere from Berghain to London’s 3000-capacity Roundhouse, their own Teenage Dream parties and a must-listen contribution to the BBC Radio 1’s Essential Mix series, which showcased just some of the sonic inspirations behind their signature, like Eurodance and trance, plus heaps of DJ HEARTSTRING material.
And now, Sentimental Ultra arrives off the back of DJ HEARTSTRING’s busiest summer to date with landmark festival plays at Awakenings in the Netherlands, Lost Village and Maiden Voyage in the UK, We Love Green in France, Lost Paradise in Belgium, Movement Festival in Detroit and Arc Festival in Chicago. Hot off the heels of their festival run, the Berlin duo show no signs of slowing down with a 3-date Australia tour at the end of September whereby they sold a cumulative 15,500 tickets across Melbourne, Sydney and Perth shows, all on presales. In addition to some pop-up in key markets around album release including Ireland, Scotland, Berlin and London, the Sentimental Ultra official tour also encompasses a European hard ticket run including Belfast’s Telegraph Building (2,000 cap), Brussels’ Braindance (2,000 cap), Paris Phantom (3,400) and DJ HEARTSTRING’s biggest London show to date - Brixton Academy (5,000) - an apt follow-up after selling out Magazine (4,000 cap) weeks in advance in February 2026.
There’s plenty still in store, and plenty of places to catch them throughout the rest of what’s set to be a landmark year. Shows from Miami to Manchester (for the sold-out KETTAMA presents Steel City Dance Discs WHP takeover) to Dublin’s District X, a hometown Teenage Dreams event and 2 colossal ADE headlines at Dockyard and Sugar Factory - with more plans bubbling behind the scenes. DJ HEARTSTRING season is well and truly upon us.
Tectonic Recordings presents Tectonic Sound: Vol. 2, the second instalment of the various artists series curated by label founder Pinch. Following the first Tectonic Sound collection, released in 2025 to mark the twentieth anniversary of the label, the series continues Tectonic’s forward-facing approach; bringing together artists from their wider family and connecting dots across the underground.
Longstanding figures of the UK Bass scene such as J:Kenzo and Roska sit alongside a new gen of artists including Ehua, Manami, Cimm, Denham Audio, Henry Greenleaf and SHXCXCHCXSH. Beatrice M. also returns following the release of their acclaimed debut album Sinking earlier this year, while Jay Carder and Sir Hiss make their first outings as solo artists on the label, after both appearing as collaborators on Sinking.
Pinch says: ““As Tectonic enters its third decade, the spirit and passion behind the music hold true to its roots. I love every single track on this compilation and how it shows off the various corners of the label's sound. Each artist has delivered something truly special!”
Each artist arrives with a distinct sound and history of their own, but across these twelve original tracks there’s a shared understanding of what Tectonic represents. Different strains of the UK bass continuum come together, creating a space where sounds collide, and new forms take shape.
Pinch leads the charge with ‘Hold On!’, an upfront, high-definition 4x4 propulsion tool that pairs rolling momentum with seismic bass pulses. Manami enters with ‘Turning Point’, further solidifying her newer direction, leaning into deep, dubbed-out territory with a sound that feels both vast and exploratory, while remaining heads-down and locked in. Henry Greenleaf steps in with ‘Whist’, an ominous and otherworldly offering, reminiscent of early dubstep productions that fell somewhere between the lines of dark garage, 2-step and grime.
Elsewhere, SHXCXCHCXSH’s ‘NexxxD’ and Sir Hiss’s ‘2TUFF’ form a middle climatic point of pure chaos, with Sir Hiss serving up a raw slab of gnarled grime waveforms and cascading claps. Beatrice M. & Cimm bring things back down with ‘Pad City’, a cool, meandering cut of shuffling house, while Lorem closes the compilation with ‘Console Corners’, exploring the outer rims of sound manipulation and deconstruction before tying it all together.
Since its formation in 2005, Tectonic has been a trailblazing force in electronic music, helping to define and continually redraw the boundaries of dubstep and its surrounding sounds. The compilation arrives in the middle of a serious run for the label. Earlier this year, Tectonic released Beatrice M.’s debut album Sinking, a major moment for the label that was embraced across the electronic music community. Pinch has also continued his long-running creative relationship with legendary grime MC Trim this year, following their joint 2025 EP No Caller ID, with recent single Striker.
Across Tectonic Sound Vol. 2, those different strands of Tectonic’s history and present day meet head-on. The music moves between familiar forms and stranger territory, with rhythms and frequencies refracting across the collection. It’s a record that feels cohesive without being uniform, reflecting a label whose sound has always been defined by forward movement.
The record stems from a deep-seated urge to craft something entirely personal; the vocal is CARISTA's own, a result of a discarded Ableton sample that lacked the necessary soul. By recording it herself, she captures a raw, magnetic intimacy. This process, taking standard materials and transmuting them into something deeply individual, mirrors the very alchemy found on the most transcendent dance floors. Whether you find yourself in a sea of strangers or flanked by your closest kin, there is a singular moment where every element aligns. It is a feeling of stepping past your own physical limits to truly experience the best of times.
Bassist, composer and arranger Bill Lee (who is the father of celebrated Director Spike Lee) helmed numerous Strata-East projects, but this is the one that most stands apart. The Descendants of Mike and Phoebe is a one-off 1974 album uniting Lee with his siblings Cliff Lee, Grace Lee Mims and Consuela Lee Moorhead under a name that pays honour to their enslaved ancestors. Elements of jazz, gospel, soul and blues are threaded into a work of complexity but spirituality, with nimble, dancing grooves next to more pensive explorations. It's a sought-after rarity from the label's catalogue that has been freshly remastered for this reissue. Essential Strata-East history.
The Godfather of Hardcore, Marc Acardipane, needs no introduction. His outstanding releases over the past 30 years speak for themselves. He has been instrumental in helping to create electronic music history, with countless well-known productions which have been unsurpassed by any other artist of this calibre. His timeless masterpieces have been and always will be heard at hardcore raves spanning the circumference of the Planet. With "9 Is A Classic", "Slaves To The Rave", "Pitch-Hiker", "Stereo Murder" and "We Have Arrived", just to name a few, he clearly proves who's the boss. "The Most Famous Unknown" is a well compiled collection of Marc's music, which showcases a mere portion of what he has composed and produced since the early nineties! The vinyl and digital selection of "The Most Famous Unknown" features remixes by Body Sushi a.k.a. VTSS & Randomer, Dasha Rush, Gabber Eleganza feat. Delirio, Jasss, Kilbourne, Minimum Syndicat, Nina Kraviz, Perc, Solid Blake, Stranger, Umwelt and VTSS, which all deliver excellent interpretations of tracks they have chosen to revamp. All original tracks have been re-mastered to the highest possible standard of quality.
You asked for one more. Laibach duly oblige with MUSICK : ENCORE, a follow-up album to their 2026 record MUSICK, out on Mute.
They answer the crowd's demand with six brand new tracks and reworks of songs from the original album, reimagined by an eclectic line-up. Vinyl takers get the core 10-track experience, pairing new songs with four key reworks from the band, Richard X, PUNCHBAG, and Balžalorsky. The CD goes further, expanding to 13 tracks with additional remixes, including a rework of new track ‘#US’ from SILVERWINGKILLER, an Algorithm remix of fan-favourite ‘Allgorhythm’, and a bonus version of ‘Love Machine’ courtesy of The Lincolnshire Poacher.
Where MUSICK turned maximalist, hyper-driven pop into a reflection on our oversaturated, AI-warped media landscape, ENCORE pushes further into that fractured hall of mirrors – glitching, distorting, and rebuilding the original tracks into new shapes, from pulsing electropop to warped Eurodance detours and everything stranger in between.
Ihr habt nach einer Zugabe gefragt. Laibach liefern: Mit MUSICK : ENCORE erscheint auf Mute das Nachfolgealbum zu ihrem 2026 veröffentlichten Werk MUSICK.
Als Antwort auf die große Nachfrage präsentiert die Band sechs brandneue Tracks sowie Neuinterpretationen von Songs des Originalalbums, umgesetzt von einer vielseitigen Auswahl an Künstler. Die Vinyl-Version umfasst zehn Tracks und kombiniert neues Material mit vier ausgewählten Reworks von Laibach, Richard X, PUNCHBAG und Balžalorsky.
Die CD-Version erweitert das Programm auf insgesamt 13 Tracks und bietet zusätzliche Remixe. Darunter befinden sich eine Neuinterpretation des neuen Tracks „#US“ von SILVERWINGKILLER, ein Algorithm-Remix des Fan-Favoriten „Allgorhythm“ sowie eine Bonusversion von „Love Machine“ von The Lincolnshire Poacher.
Während MUSICK maximalistischen, hochenergetischen Pop als Spiegel unserer reizüberfluteten und durch KI zunehmend verzerrten Medienlandschaft inszenierte, führt ENCORE diesen Ansatz konsequent weiter. Die ursprünglichen Tracks werden zerlegt, verfremdet und neu zusammengesetzt – von pulsierendem Elektropop über verschobene Eurodance-Ausflüge bis hin zu allem, was dazwischen noch eigenwilliger und unerwarteter wird.
Blu:sh and Georgia Bird channel their shared Berlin orbit into Freq-E Functions, a collaborative exploration of the stranger edges of club music. Chugging tech-house rhythms, rolling percussion and seductive vocal cuts move through the record with a steady sense of tension, creating a playful and distinctly nocturnal atmosphere ready for peak hours and beyond. The EP includes a vocal feature from Coffintexts.
Spanning Portland, Bristol, London and beyond, Cold Light has evolved from a friends-and-family label into something stranger but more cohesive. It's a collective spanning Best Available Technology, Birthmark, Withdrawn, the wind between, CSNL and Rael, plus a wider orbit including Elaine Malone and Tony Onuchukwu. What began as a 2019 tour experiment and crystallised during lockdown into the Live at the Laundromat sessions has now fully matured into a singular sound rather than a patchwork of ideas. Dub sits at the centre, most clearly on the sprawling 'Fields in B', but the group folds in haunted boom-bap, gritty noise-rock and ghostly trip-hop with equal confidence. 'Riot' and 'I've Known Fires' both hover in that murky, half-familiar space the collective has made its own.
"Lost Weekend" ist das erste Album von Phoebe Bridgers seit dem mehrfach für den GRAMMY nominierten Vorgänger "Punisher" aus dem Jahr 2020. Bereits ihr gefeiertes Debüt "Stranger in the Alps", veröffentlicht kurz nach ihrem 23. Geburtstag, machte deutlich, welch außergewöhnliches Songwriting-Talent in Bridgers steckt. Mit "Punisher" löste sie dieses Versprechen eindrucksvoll ein: Das Album wurde für seine kluge, eindringliche und zugleich fesselnde Komposition weithin gefeiert und etablierte sie endgültig als eine der prägendsten Stimmen ihrer Generation. Wer nun "Lost Weekend" hört, wird jedoch feststellen, dass Bridgers noch einen Schritt weitergeht. Auf dem neuen Album präsentiert sie sich auf dem bisherigen Höhepunkt ihres künstlerischen Schaffens. Mit bemerkenswerter Präzision verfeinert sie die Motive, die ihre bisherigen Werke ausgezeichnet haben, und erweitert ihren Sound gleichzeitig um zahlreiche überraschende Facetten. Das Ergebnis ist ein Album, das vertraut wirkt und dennoch immer wieder neue Wege einschlägt. Vor ihren jüngsten Pop-up-Shows stand Bridgers zuletzt mit ihrer Supergroup boygenius auf der Bühne, die sie gemeinsam mit ihren engen Freundinnen Lucy Dacus und Julien Baker gegründet hat. Für das 2023 erschienene Album "the record" erhielt die Band mehrere GRAMMY Awards, darunter "Best Alternative Music Album" sowie "Best Rock Song" und "Best Rock Performance" für die Single "Not Strong Enough". Phoebe Bridgers verließ die Preisverleihung zudem als meistprämierte Künstlerin des Abends. Ihren vierten GRAMMY gewann sie in der Kategorie "Best Pop Duo/Group Performance" für "Ghost in the Machine", ihre Zusammenarbeit mit SZA auf deren Erfolgsalbum "SOS". Zuvor war Bridgers als Support-Act auf ausgewählten Terminen von Taylor Swifts "The Eras Tour" zu sehen. Davor absolvierte sie fast zwei Jahre lang ihre eigene "Reunion Tour" mit mehreren ausverkauften Nordamerika-Etappen, rund dreißig Konzerten in Europa sowie abschließenden Shows in Südamerika, Asien und Australien. Auch abseits der Bühne prägte Bridgers die vergangenen Jahre mit einigen der eindrucksvollsten Live-Performances im Netz und Fernsehen, darunter ihr viel beachtetes NPR Tiny Desk Concert sowie ihr Auftritt bei Saturday Night Live. Seit ihrem letzten Soloalbum veröffentlichte sie zudem zahlreiche Singles, Coverversionen und Kollaborationen mit Künstler wie Paul McCartney, MUNA, Bright Eyes, The 1975, Lorde, Taylor Swift und The National.
Originally released in 2014, Travellers, the acclaimed album from Bison, returns in a newly remastered edition as a limited double vinyl LP.
Created by an exceptional cast of collaborators including Paul Mudd Murphy, Ben Smith, Ursa Klose, and the late Holger Czukay of the legendary German group Can, Travellers occupies a unique space between experimental electronics, psychedelic soundscapes, and leftfield dance music.The album also features reinterpretations by Conrad McDonnell of the influential DJ and production duo Idjut Boys, helping to cement its reputation among adventurous listeners and collectors alike.
Over the years, Travellers has quietly become a cult favourite. Long unavailable on vinyl, original copies have become highly sought after and increasingly expensive on the second-hand market, earning the record a near-mythical status among collectors and fans.Fully remastered from the original recordings, this new edition of Travellers brings renewed depth, clarity, and presence to an album that has quietly earned cult status over the past decade, while preserving the atmosphere and character that made it so distinctive.
More than ten years after its original release, Travellers returns not as a nostalgic artefact, but as a vital and enduring work whose reputation has continued to grow through word of mouth, discovery, and devotion from collectors and listeners around the world. Travellers remains a document of a unique moment in time, a collection of friendships, ideas and happy accidents that somehow found their way onto tape.
***
He strode towards a long drink.
Running in the gutter,
scanning patterns.
Skin staring, stirring unbelief.
Scarred metal faces
on the iron streets,
spitting blood.
***
Early support by: Luke Slater, Tommy Four Seven, Dave Clarke, Marcel Dettmann, Chris Liebing, Ben Klock, Oscar Mulero, Speedy J, Len Faki, Shifted, Psyk, Pfirter, Objekt, James Ruskin, Sigha, Myler, Stanislav Tolkachev, Rebekah, Par Grindvik, Max M, Gary Beck, Dave Tarrida, Kike Pravda, Samuli Kemppi, Happa, DVS1, Joseph Capriati, Juho Kusti, Cassegrain, Kwartz, Clouds, Pacou, Octave, Stranger, Ansome, Black Asteroid, Hector Oaks, DJ Hyperactive, Christian Wunsch, Endlec, Kriz, Paula Temple, Exium, AnD, Joe Farr, Martyn Hare, Eomac, Dimi Angelis, Norman Nodge, Xhin, Dax J, Wire, Drvg Cvltvre, Sawf, Jamie Bissmire, Paul Mac, Inigo Kennedy, D. Carbone, J. Tijn, CTRLS, The Noisemaker, Jeroen Search, Dustin Zahn, Svreca, Unbalance, Truncate, Jeff Derringer, Jonas Kopp, Developer, 3.14..
The Mighty Diamonds are one of the most famous vocal groups to come out of the Jamaican Reggae scene.
Their perfect harmonies ride over the wholesome and Garveyite influenced lyrics to such great effect that they will always evoke memories of that time and place, but also like all great music never seems to date.
The Mighty Diamonds consist of Donald ‘Tappy’ Shaw (lead vocals) Fitzroy ‘Bunny’ Simpson and Lloyd ‘Judge’ Ferguson providing those fantastic harmonies.
They began their recording career working with producers Stranger Cole and Rupie Edwards but found their breakthrough success with producer Joseph ‘Joe Joe’ Hookim at the legendary Channel One Studios recording ‘Hey Girl’ and covering two foreign tunes namely ‘Country Living’ (The Stylistics) and ‘Stoned Out of Mind’ (The Chi-lites) which suited their vocal styles perfectly.
The vocal group also cut tracks with other famous producers of the time Joe Gibbs ,Gussie Clarke and Mr.Tappa Zukie of which we focus this release on.On listening, these tunes work perfectly with harmonies weaving together and lifting the songs to another level.
The group also leave some room for a history lesson in the shape of ‘Morgan the Pirate’ and the thought provoking ‘Do You Want to Spend Your Time Wasting Time’.
Well waste no more and enjoy this set by one of Jamaica’s finest vocal groups….
The album from an association of Ukrainian artists called Noneside brought musicians and painters together under the famous words of the writer Lina Kostenko "Sometimes I'm Blinded By Beauty..".
The painting by contemporary figurative artist Danik Manzhos “Decadence/Zaruba” frames the prog, trance housy music of such performers as Saturated Color (Neptune Discs, Nerang Recordings), with a real acid test for you, JJ Fortune’s (Late Night Superglue, BOOOoo! Rizzwax) LSD trip remix on Lostlojic’s tune, Brooht (Mr.Banger, Silias Records) with summer electro fairy-tale, and Slava Los backs with his timeless work “M-14”.
Mastered by Taras Bril, also awesome typefaces of Ivan Tsanko-Khlibovich used in design as always.
First of all, this is the music of love and unity, wherever you are - at home dancing in the kitchen or on the big festival floor - common feelings will unite and spin you in a crazy rhythm, will make you understand that we are not strangers to each other. Together we dance for a better future!
Looking back on her career in the early 90s, Stevie Nicks described the first track of Rock a Little as “the most exciting song that I had ever heard.” This coming from a superstar who was already closely affiliated with several bajillion-selling Fleetwood Mac albums — to say nothing of her own benchmark solo debut. Her remarks attest to the enthusiasm and effort she invested in her third record, a 1985 work that quickly furthered Nicks’ profile and cemented itself as a piece of 80s pop lore.
Mastered at MoFi’s California studio, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, strictly limited to 4,000 numbered copies, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 45RPM 2LP set presents Rock a Little in audiophile sound for its 40th anniversary. Helmed by a cadre of producers and engineers, and recorded for a reported one million dollars, the platinum-certified album teems with a head-spinning array of colors, tones, dreamscapes, and accents. This reference-grade reissue marks the first time they are all brought to light and conveyed with proper balance, dimensionality, and positioning.
Though Rock a Little doubtlessly has period characteristics of a mid-80s LP, Nicks and company spare no expense when it comes to distinguishing the music with expansive sonics distinguished with lush melodies, high-tech percussion, echoing vocals, sampled keyboards, and layers of sophisticated accents. The degrees of spaciousness, headroom, and dynamics are nothing less than inspiring, while the newly enhanced detail, texture, and clarity make the songs sing like never before. As for Nicks’ voice? Wait ’til you experience the transparency and depth.
Those advantages extend, of course, to the aforementioned “I Can’t Wait,” a statement-making opener shot through with modulating synthesizers, splashy drums, metallic guitars, and serious drama. Holed up in a massive studio, Nicks required just one take to nail her part, which she called “magic and simply not able to beat.” The singer-songwriter also distilled the reverberating emotional essence of the Top 20 tune, stating “when I hear it on the radio, this incredible feeling comes over me, like something really incredible is about to happen.”
The same can be said for nearly all of Rock a Little. Crafted by the likes of Songwriters Hall of Fame multi-instrumentalist/producer Rick Nowels, Heartbreakers organist Benmont Tench, bassist Bob Glaub, jack-of-all-trades Greg Phillinganes, and session-pro guitarists Waddy Watchel, Les Dudek, and Danny Kortchmar — along with another two dozen or so participants — the record spills with diverse ideas, shapes, and moods. Everything is in the right place, as evidenced by the swirling glide and sensual undertow of the slightly funky title track to the snapping rhythmic pace and big hooks of “Imperial Hotel,” one of Nicks’ standout moments.
“What was it she wanted?” Nicks queries on “No Spoken Word,” continuing a theme of contemplation that runs through the narratives. Nicks never lands on a definite answer, but hearing her explore loneliness, love, and the secrets we keep to ourselves proves continuously rewarding. Take her passionate performance on a cover of Chas Sanford’s “Talk to Me,” a Top 5 smash furthered by tasteful saxophone lines and understated folk elements. Immersive yourself in the grand sonic corridors of “If I Were You,” laden with Nicks’ signature mysticism.
Moreover, surrender to the gravitas of the closing “Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You,” a piano ballad composed about the death of Joe Walsh’s three-year-old daughter. As Nicks asserts earlier on the album, she sings for things money can’t buy.
So, rock a little, yes, but dare to feel even more.
Dub techno runs on ghosts and twins. The ghost is the echo that outlives the hit – the reverb tail, the delay feeding back into empty space. The twin is the dub itself: every sound shadowed by its own double, the original and its darker reflection locked into the same groove. Ghosts & Twins gathers four cuts that work that space.
This is BLACKINSTOCK's Black Gold Dub Techno with both feet on the floor – measured but muscular, weighted, no filler and no drift. The groove stays locked, the low end does the talking, and every echo earns its keep. Music for a dark room and a loud system, not a candle and a beanbag.
Curated by Kirill Matveev, who called in friends and long-time collaborators from across the MixCult circle, the record plays as four takes on one idea. Spectral Model opens with "Distancial" – a new name here, making a first outing on the MixCult family, and a fitting one to raise the ghosts. Djalo follows with "Model Dub," dubbing minimal and techno the way he has across MixCult, Souplex and Apnea: economical, hypnotic, built for the low end. On the flip, Schime – Hungarian producer Sanyi Egyed, working dub techno, deep and minimal since 2013 across Phonoda, Welter and the MixCult ranks – turns in "Phased." Closing the record, The Don Of Dubhouse is the new alias of TM Shuffle, Finnish producer and head of Vuo Records, no stranger to MixCult.
The Body Works begins from a simple idea: sound does not end at the speaker, and music is something that is not only heard, but held, felt, and carried. By translating sound into physical form, the project creates an encounter that exists between listening and touch.
Rhythm is anticipated by muscle, voices affect breathing, and repetition changes our sense of time. Listening is already a physical act. Rather than treating the body as a subject represented by the music, The Body Works treats it as the place where the music happens; the physical and perceptual space through which sound is experienced.
Primarily consisting of left-leaning club music, the LP moves between trap-tinged tech funk, sweaty nocturnal throb, bottom heavy breaks, seedy cowbell acid, pumping techno workouts, doting hi NRG, cosmic homoerotica, and electronic disco. Interspersed and laced atop are more exploratory approaches to sound. Synthesis, field recordings, voices, electroacoustic and musique concrete techniques, plus a dose of offbeat humour are all treated equally as compositional material.
The record travels through ordinary human actions and situations - partying, sleeping, travelling, cooking, flirting, drinking, dancing and listening. These are not presented simply as themes; they become compositional material through which sound, attention, movement and the body interact. "A lot of the record is just weird normal things happening around me. Sleeping, travelling, flirting, drinking water, trying to kill a fly. The more attention you give these things, the stranger they become", comments Bjarki.
US outfit Garth only left behind a small trail of records, but this obscure 1980 7" still carries the peculiar charm of disco's stranger back rooms. Recorded between New York and Los Angeles across the late 70s, 'Special Part Of My Life' opens in warm, soulful territory through Henrietta Pam Garth's soft vocal glide, before J. Albert Garth gradually enters the frame and pushes the track somewhere more feverish and floor-facing. There's a lovely looseness to it all: the groove is slightly frayed at the edges in that very particular pre-digital way. On the flip, 'The Groove' heads somewhere far murkier, featuring wiggling synth effects and huge hovering atmospherics drifting over the top of the beat that gives the whole thing this faintly eerie quality which, honestly, makes it all the better.
A portage is the stretch you carry across – the overland pass between two waters, where you shoulder the boat and the paddles and keep moving even after the current runs out. It isn't a break in the journey; it's part of it. TAMIZDAT's fifth release takes that as its shape: four artists carrying a single, measured groove from one shore to the next. Rooted in deep house, techno and minimal, Portage isn't built for the peak – it's an unhurried, warm, buoyant passage that stays light on its feet.
Genning is no stranger to this water — a MixCult regular since his 2018 debut, and his Sunlight EP was TAMIZDAT's second release. He returns from the heart of the family that shaped the label's dub-leaning sound.
Dot (Dotan Bibi) crosses over from Tel Aviv — an Israeli producer with roots in Detroit house. His Intergalactic Ride EP already landed on MixCult in 2024, and he returns here working out of his analogue home studio.
Overt has been a prominent MixCult voice since 2021, known for an ethereal, galactic juno sound that drifts easily into dub chords — records like his Simple Astral 12" mark him as one of the label's steadiest hands.
zekeN, the Romanian producer and one half of zekeniaN, brings more than fifteen years in electronic music: deep, energetic grooves, dreamy pads and percussive basslines that lean minimal rather than strictly rominimal. His zekeniaN project has surfaced on MixCult before; here he steps out on his own.
The Sound of Love International 008 curated by Ivan Smagghe.
The next chapter of Love International's compilation series with Test Pressing arrives through the lens of Ivan Smagghe. Guided by his long-standing mantra, “the style of no style,” the 12-track selection drifts effortlessly between shadow and light - a reflection of the festival as he knows it.
This is Smagghe’s version of Love International: unpolished in the right places, intuitive, and deeply attuned to the stranger corners of the Adriatic experience. The compilation captures the balance at the heart of the festival: connection, curiosity, and a shared rhythm that holds it all together. Slightly out of reach yet exactly where it should be.
DJ Support - Job de Jong, Boss Priester, Reeshy, Dennis Quinn, Moxie, Kepler, Burnski.
Kepler and Burnski join forces once again for a 4 tracker on Kepler's Contact Imprint. They are no strangers to working together with previous releases on labels like Up The Stuss, Homegrown, Constant Sound and Fabric.
Continuing its run of putrid plates, Leeds imprint Wrong’uns returns with WRONG’UNS 004. A no-nonsense four track EP from label foreman Mehlor, built for selectors who like their records snarling and enough bite to keep dance floors sweaty and limbs flailing.
Ready for a hot summer? It will get hot when listening to the new Mat Chiavaroli EP called "Ammaro"!
Mat has a long time connection with Quintessentials and released his first ever album "No stranger to madness" back in 2017. His new sound is more driving and club friendly, ranging form the mediterrainina inspired "Ammaro" the the UK garage styled "Need" to the classic deep house tune "We can figure it out". To top if off, Quintessentials buddie Ralph Session adds a NY influenced remix to heat things up even more! And yes, artwork provided by Mat's son Divo, a real family affair!
Belgian saxophonist, composer, and producer Mattias De Craene (Nordmann, MDCIII) announces a new solo album, ‘A House Where I Dream,’ on VIERNULVIER Records. On his second album, he delivers a highly personal and healing journey, presented as an alternative soundtrack to the 1973 cult film ‘The Holy Mountain.’
The record will be released on October 11 on vinyl LP and through all digital platforms.
"The Holy Mountain" is a surreal Mexican film from 1973 directed, written, and produced by Alejandro Jodorowsky, who also stars in the film. The film holds a prominent place in avant-garde cinema and explores themes such as spirituality, mysticism, and the quest for enlightenment. It is in this vein that ‘A House Where I Dream’ is crafted.
“My mind and soul - and thus my music - come home to this motion picture” - Mattias De Craene
The album will be presented live with the film on October 16 at Videodroom during Film Fest Gent.
ABOUT THE ALBUM
With hypnotic tape loops, grainy textures, and mesmerizing saxophone, Mattias De Craene creates possible worlds that herald a spiritual transformation. From the Scottish Highlands and desolate mountains to the deepest recesses of the soul, this music has the power to create cinematic landscapes that transcend time and space. The sound of these 8 tracks is closely related to the minimalist compositions of Terry Riley, but the work of contemporary artists like KMRU or William Basinski is also drawn from the same material.
Above all, this album is a deeply personal journey and unintentionally serves as a metaphor for De Craene's ascent of his own mountain. For the Videodroom festival by Arts Center VIERNULVIER, the saxophonist began working on a new soundtrack for the film ‘The Holy Mountain’ in 2023, but his body and mind abruptly called him to a halt, forcing him to take a professional break. However, this project never left him, leading to an honest and raw quest to find himself as both a person and an artist, with Jodorowsky as a companion de route and music as an anchor. It initiated a long process of dismantling, searching, healing and back again. The album not only provides a sanctuary for dreaming to all who listen, but for its creator it also serves as both an outcry of despair and a source of comfort during challenging times.
All the tracks on 'A House Where I Dream' share an unfiltered grain of life, as one can almost feel the damp breath of the saxophone blowing.
The album opens with the three-part strong 'Transcention,' where the hypnotic interplay between soprano sax and lo-fi tape loops leads to higher realms of the mind and soul.
Alternating between deep frequencies and farout folk modalities, this mantra-like triptych acquires an alchemical character and ultimately transcends time and space.
In the ethereal 'Away,' one can peer into an abyss of resonance while a saturated tenor sax lends guidance in the spirit of Terry Riley's productions. 'You and Me' also bathes in a similar atmosphere, albeit in the vein of healing 90s ambient as granular sax tones converge with celestial chants. 'Gazing Upwards Towards The Sky,' offers different shades of blue as a slumbering tenor sax is juxtaposed to swift sax patterns. On 'A Stranger That Moved Me,' beauty lands in a soft and subtle manner, while the closing track 'Shepherd's Glow' drifts like a mountain wind flaring up at the darkest hour of the night.
The artwork is created by Gent-based artist Sam Timmerman, who portrays the world of 'A House Where I Dream' with playful repetition and mystique.
Cloudy Pink / Cloudy Green 2XLP. Before being called “the coolest man in music” (The Line of Best Fit), Paul Castelluzzo was a teenager surfing the beaches of San Diego and playing bars with local jazz greats like Curtis Taylor, until Rodney Jerkins brought him to Los Angeles to perform on tracks for Britney Spears and Justin Bieber. In between driving for Lyft and serving as the music director for a Russian Pentecostal church to make ends meet, he was enlisted for Romeo Santos’ album, Golden, but soon returned home to begin his next chapter as Hether.
Since then, his self-taught guitar style, songwriting talents and profound production palette have led to him working with everyone from Clairo, Dominic Fike, Remi Wolf and The Marías to Paul McCartney, Anderson .Paak, Benny Blanco, Kali Uchis, Kenny Beats, Mac Miller, Rick Ross, Vince Staples and more who continue to discover Hether. Having already amassed millions of streams and hundreds of thousands of fans, landing music in HBO shows and scoring films, Holy Water marks both the culmination of everything Castelluzzo has experienced and accomplished, and an expansive new evolution of a project that has shaped the present and predicted the future, but remains entirely his own.
More Modern Soul madness from the team at Celestial Echo. No Stranger To Love is one of those rare tracks that crosses over both Modern and Northern scenes & has long been a favourite of collectors and selectors with original copies regularly changing hands for £100 + on the second hand market.
This lead to the synth laden funk track being picked up by Dam Funk & the Stones Throw crew, who shone a new light on the track via online mixes which has only increased the demand.
Officially reissued for the first time in 40 years and as always, officially licenced and remastered by Celestial Echo Records. Needless to say, buy or cry.
Hekt's debut album Forever is released 1st May 2026 on Numbers, with the first single "Someday" featuring Valeria Litvakov out now.
Made with his friends Henriette Motzfeldt & Catharina Stoltenberg (solo and together as Smerz), Copenhagen-based composer/producer Fine Glindvad (who records as Fine), and Valeria Litvakov, Forever is built around juxtaposition: pop and bass brushing shoulders with dopamine fueled EDM. The record is a funhouse of mirrors where polystyrene arpeggios skitter underneath uplifting chords.
As Hekt describes the record: "Forever is desire and digital synthesis, car rides and lingering perfume. It’s missing someone who was never really there, holding on to something you didn’t want in the first place. The songs you hear when you’re falling in love on the dancefloor, and the songs you hear when you open your eyes and realize it’s just you alone with the DJ, the last one to leave. Songs to make out and break up to. A party so good you get depressed it can’t last forever."
Forever is a continuation of Hekt's work exploring the emotional core of pop music. "Someday" is the soundtrack to a hundred imagined futures with strangers in the club, as pristine arps and heartswelling chords skitter under Valeria Litvakov's ruminations, both lovestruck and terrified. Smerz add a level of fantastic to the slanted otherworldly pop of "Up in the Air, So" and "Forever." On both tracks, the melodies are squishy and impressionistic, the sound of all those memories we make in dance floors, taxis home, and in the blurry morning sunshine as we adjust to reality.
And while guest vocalists abound on Forever, Hekt also takes a turn at the mic himself. On "Without You" he shakes up a perfectly mixed cocktail of melancholy and beauty. And on "Promise" his voice is turned into another melodic accent against the fragile IDM sound design. Elsewhere he turns up the aggro. Dueting with Catharina Stoltenberg on Boys Noize's secret weapon, "Anytime Anywhere," the two trade bars across a compressed field of static and feedback while little hints of sub and wiry synths circle the edge of the stereo.
Hekt's music has always attempted to redefine what club music can and might be. This reimagining of the very basic building blocks of the dance floor is felt across Forever where he leans into the emotions of 2010s EDM. "What I loved about hardstyle and jumpstyle was the emotional intensity that kind of music can bring if you’re in the right setting. And I think that is what has stuck with me from EDM too. Emotional intensity," he explains. "It’s just been the soundtrack to some of the most fun moments in my life." On "But I Can't Really Show You," he compresses the EDM-era into 3-minutes. Vocal catharsis, dubstep womp, and soaring chords make it sound like the entirety of Tomorrowland being processed through MAX/MSP. This Skrillex-meets-Calvin Harris colossus is designed to destroy every sub woofer as it pulls on every last heart string.
And then there are the straight-up club stompers. "Baby" is UK club music reimagined with the steely lines of Danish modernism - think DJ Q going b2b with Errorsmith. It has a bassline made out of flubber with a vocal chopped beyond recognition as it bounces across chromatic synth lines. Even when he strips things down on the slinky garage-esque "Big Things," there are still unexpected twists and turns. The melody sounds like an Ibiza House compilation played in reverse, alongside drums that swing in and out of psilocybin bleeps and bloops. On other tracks like "Dream" and "You Won't Believe," the tropes of dance musics past, present, and future are dissolved in baths of synthesis and polished sound design.
Forever is a record where club music and Scandinavian EDM seamlessly mixes into avant-garde pop. Hekt has crafted singular and unclassifiable love songs alongside effortless bangers, making an ode to those eternal dance floor moments where time stops and you start hoping for something big.
Mit gerade mal 17 Jahren releaste Joey Bada$$ sein erstes Mixtape "1999" welches den Sound der goldenen Hiphop-Ära der 90er Jahre adaptierte, so authentisch und selbstverständlich als sei er mit dabei gewesen.
Die Kritiker überschlugen sich in ihren begeisterten Rezensionen und es folgten Features mit Asap Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, Mac Miller & Action Bronson. Der junge Brooklynite ist schon längst mehr als nur ein Geheimtipp. Die ersten audiovisuellen Kostproben gab es in den vergangenen Monaten in Form von "Big Dusty" und "Christ Conscious". Am 20. Januar erscheint nun sein Debütalbum, das den Titel "B4.DA.A$$" trägt.
Let The Light In is Tommy Chikara his debut album, functioning as a true discovery journey in his way to exploring new sounds and energy. The album is a curation of 13 tracks ranging from Techno to House, from Ambient to Jungle.
The Godfather of Hardcore, Marc Acardipane, needs no introduction. His outstanding releases over the past 30 years speak for themselves. He has been instrumental in helping to create electronic music history, with countless well-known productions which have been unsurpassed by any other artist of this calibre. His timeless masterpieces have been and always will be heard at hardcore raves spanning the circumference of the Planet. With "9 Is A Classic", "Slaves To The Rave", "Pitch-Hiker", "Stereo Murder" and "We Have Arrived", just to name a few, he clearly proves who's the boss. "The Most Famous Unknown" is a well compiled collection of Marc's music, which showcases a mere portion of what he has composed and produced since the early nineties! The vinyl and digital selection of "The Most Famous Unknown" features remixes by Body Sushi a.k.a. VTSS & Randomer, Dasha Rush, Gabber Eleganza feat. Delirio, Jasss, Kilbourne, Minimum Syndicat, Nina Kraviz, Perc, Solid Blake, Stranger, Umwelt and VTSS, which all deliver excellent interpretations of tracks they have chosen to revamp. All original tracks have been re-mastered to the highest possible standard of quality.
Repress 2026
Inox Traxx joins Somov, drifting between deep melancholy and moments of peak-time reflection with her signature sound. Label head Ignez closes the release with a reinterpretation of Circle.
VISOLUX is back and excited with a very special release.
This one was crafted in Lille by our homegrown artist and dear friend, Dyswalter, in the very garage where all the Kepler-129 adventures started, where generators and equipment were stored, after-parties went on and special music was made.
Dyswalter has been performing live with Kepler for years, bringing his special energy and obvious UK influence to the dancefloor. Finally printing his music feels as a most satisfying outcome for the label.
(Extrawelt Remix) The second vinyl installment of 20 shifts focus toward cinematic structure, melodic depth, and genre-crossing reinterpretations. Collaborations and remixes involving Extrawelt, Noga Erez, Perfect Stranger, PRZ, and A. Balter underline Eitan Reiter's refined and flexible production approach.
20 (Part 2) is a 12-inch vinyl release featuring exclusive vinyl cuts that are not available digitally, offering collectors insight into Reiter's evolving sonic language.
LS003 completes the vinyl-only snapshot of 20, presenting carefully selected collaborations adapted for the physical format.
It’s True What They Say is the debut EP from Edinburgh-based, husband-and-wife duo Sarah/Shaun (pronounced simply Sarah Shaun), aka Sarah and Shaun McLachlan (pronounced “McLochlin”).
“Sarah and I both have a love for nostalgia,” explains Shaun. “We watched that amazing old 80’s Sci-Fi, (John) Carpenter movie, Starman, a few months back. Myself and my brother David used to watch it all the time. We must have been, roughly, 5-7 at the time. I remember loving the movie but the end, you know, with the beautiful, atmospheric, synth ending, I love that particular moment the most - best part of the movie, you know, when he goes home… It’s heartbreaking but stunning, all the same. It’s the music that moves you most… It did when I was 5 and it still does to this day. It must have had some form of a (much deeper) impact on me.”
The duo narrates stories across themes of love, hope, family, friends, dreams and sadness - the good that comes with the bad in everyday life, not just on a personal scale but within a community as well.
“Starbed is the first song I have ever written and just came out of the blue really, with Shaun playing a melody and me singing along,” says Sarah. “It’s simple and just about two people in love. Love songs are always the best songs, after all… Music has been a big part of my life from a young age. I was unwillingly dragged to piano and violin lessons, which I’m thankful for now! I’d say the first band I really became obsessed with growing up were the Beatles, and on the back of that a lot of 60s music and fashion. From then on, I had a love for music.”
“Shaun definitely opened my ears to a lot of sounds and got me thinking about soundtracks and all the noises that can be made,” she goes on. “We love just spending time experimenting in the house with instruments, pedals etc and Ali is a real magician to work with, too…”
The recordings took place over the summers of 2022 and 2023, with fellow Delta Mainline member Ali Chisholm (aka Jaguar Eyes) plus long-term friend and collaborator Gavin King. Further collaboration then came via the ‘net from the (international) likes of Chris Dixie Darley (Father John Misty), Darren Coghill (Neon Waltz) and Daniel Land (The Modern Painters), among others (see a full list of credits below).
Both Sarah and Shaun have a love for uber-soundtrack producers such as Hanz Zimmer, Max Richter, Cliff Martinez plus live acts such as Beach House, Spiritualized, M83, Suicide, Moby and OMD (to name a few). Shaun also credits the work of Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein (from Survive) on the Stranger Things score… “Even a moment in a movie, whether it be just 30 seconds during a particular scene, it grips you,” he says. But there’s something much deeper at play as well. “Music is a healer,” he goes on, “and I write from my own perspective but more so for others. Once I've done my bit, it doesn't belong to me any longer. It belongs to whoever wants it or needs it.”
The result is a cinematic, synth-wavey, dream poppy and downright beguilingly beautiful body of work. And they’re just getting started…
REVIEWS/RADIO/FEEDBACK:
“Starbed is folky, flavoured by pedal steel, cello, and brass. Dust Tears, in stark contrast, is a mini synth-pop rave epic. Part Bicep. Part Human League. Keep Your Eyes Closed summons a mood that’s romantic, but also dark and potentially doomed – like David Lynch’s Twin Peaks meets Cliff Martinez’s Drive score. My pick though is It’s True What They Say, whose interwoven jangle and picking recalls New Order’s more introspective moments (Love Vigilantes, Love Less… ). Drums crashing, cathartic. Guitar raising dramatic arcs. Its chorus a rush, like a reprise of Pains Of Being Pure Of Heart’s ‘Higher Than The Stars’.” BAN BAN TON TON
"Dust Tears sees them sharing vocal duties over a synth foundation reminiscent of Moby’s Go - Artist Of The Week” THE SCOTSMAN
"Woozy pop" NEMONE (Mary Anne Hobbs Morning Show, BBC 6Music)
"Nice one, very David Lynch meets Euro dream pop" YOUTH (Killing Joke, Paul McCartney, U2, The Orb, Spiritualized etc)
"Music sounds killer! Real emotion” DAVID HOLMES
"I’m enjoying it” TIM BRINKHURST aka LONDON (IKLAN, Young Fathers, Callum Easter)
“Oh, this is lovely!” SEAN JOHNSTON (A Love From Outer Space)
"It’s totally my cup of tea with milk and biscuit" BRENT RADEMAKER (Beachwood Sparks/GospelBeach)
"Beautiful, ecstatic electronica! Short and to the point" KEVIN BALES (Spiritualized, Julian Cope, Soulsavers, BE)
"Makes me wanna sit in the sun and sip an Arnold Palmer" CHRIS DIXIE DARLEY (Father John Misty)
“Really beautiful - Cocteau Twins / Spiritualized vibes but has its own thing going on, too - worth checking out!” JULIAN CORRIE (Franz Ferdinand, Miaoux Miaoux)
‘Sounded nice on a sunny day, makes me think of Twin Peaks, nice moods’ EAMON HAMILTON (Sea Power)
"Dealing in nostalgia, no bad thing at all, great to play that (Dust Tears) for you” RODDY HART (BBC Radio Scotland)
“I'll give the vocal tracks a spin before the release." VIC GALLOWAY (BBC Radio Scotland)
"Rather good!" IAIN ANDERSON (BBC Radio Scotland)
CREDITS:
Lyrics, Guitars, Keys, Synths, Drums, Drum Programming, Percussion, Mandolin, Glockenspiel: Shaun McLachlan
Lyrics, Vocals, Keys by Sarah McLachlan
Guitars, Synths, String Arrangements, Drum Programming, Engineering: Jaguar Eyes Percussion/Drums/Effects, Fire Extinguisher: Darren Coghill (Neon Waltz)
Guitars by Daniel Land
Slide Guitar by Chris Dixie Darley (Father John Misty)
Brass by Bruce Michie
Keys, pre-production & engineering on “It’s true what they say”: Gavin King
All produced by Jaguar Eyes and Shaun McLachlan and then mixed at Glasgow’s Chem19 Studios by David McCaulay (From Scotland With Love, Rick Redbeard, BBC TV’s Attenborough and The Mammoth Graveyard score).
Artwork: Jamie Walman (Fourteen Admirals)
MORE INFO:
Although Shaun released a pair of solo singles (When We Dance and Give Your Love To Me) during Lockdown, he will be better known to many via his work as the multi-instrumentalist in Edinburgh band Delta Mainline. With two albums released to date, Oh! Enlightened and Bel Avenir, both rapturously received by fans and critics alike, Delta Mainline have developed an international, cult following. Oh Enlightened (2013) achieved widespread critical acclaim on release, earning the band comparisons to Arcade Fire and Echo & The Bunnymen, while 2019’s Bel Avenir pulled in references to The Flaming Lips, Pink Floyd, David Bowie and krautrock. A third DM album is currently being mixed and due for release later this year…
Jack’s House Recordings kick starts 2026 with a brand new VA featuring talent from all corners of the globe, with artists coming from Portugal, to Australia, the USA and Ibiza !
First up is Alex Arnout with “Baby Let You Know” which is another solid production giving punchy and techy energy with a baseline that will wake you right up when it drops in ! It’s dark, edgy, and has a powerful signature sound that is perfect for the big dance floors as well as your underground intimate ones. Alex is no stranger to the imprint, having been the first artist signed to the label which is about to celebrate it’s 10th year as an independent record label.
Next up, we welcome back popular and talented producer Carlo Gambino with “Time Of Need” which takes you through 6 and a half minutes of a lovely gritty underground groove, and vocal snippets of the track title throughout the arrangement with his warm and unmistakable signature sound.
Then we have AMO (um) & Mills with the more minimal track of the VA, “Therapy” This is a stripped back track but instantly memorable after just one listen. Driven by a simple kick, snare, haunting fills and a riding dark baseline, the track also presents a conversation between two Women having a slightly confusing conversation in a therapy session.
Last up, it is a pleasure to introduce and welcome USA’s Jordan Bernardo & Sharktooth from the Tasteless Thieves crew to the label with their excellent collaboration on the track “So Sorry” This is the light on the VA with this massively uplifting infectious groove. The track is giving skippy swinging beats, filtered vocals which tease in and out of the arrangement, and a great energy that takes you back to the early 2000’s era.
In a nut shell, this fresh Jacks Tracks VA offers 4 unique tracks that can serve any DJ at various points of the night, from warming up, a hands up moment, 3am pushing energy, and a perfect afterparty vibe too. That is always the aim with the Jacks Track VA series, to give vinyl buyers a bit of everything while maintaining talent and the nature of the underground.
No stranger to the game, Jay Tripwire returns bringing his usual caliber of stylish, late night tales.
2 extended no-nonsense cuts combine to form his ‘Jazz is Pain’ EP. Ethereal themes bleed through a body of meticulously programmed rhythms and beats that bubble and bleep in “Jazz is Pain”. With sprinklings of deep tones and jazz notes creeping in throughout, Jay delivers some otherworldly weaponry fit for the darkest hour.
“Jazz is Life” embodies the spirit of world music as he tells the story through twisted and tweaking lenses, as a plethora of drums, calls and crashes lead the way, punctuated by a tight rhythmic section that ticks away.
Following her acclaimed 2023 release Flood City Trax, a dreamy, lo-fi take on footwork inspired by the crumbling rust-belt city she calls home, Nondi returns to Planet Mu with her second self-titled album, Nondi…While Nondi… retains some of the hazy, nostalgic atmosphere of Flood City Trax, it pushes her sound in bold new directions. “I made this album to capture the sense of freedom I used to get from music when I was first discovering it all,” Nondi says. “It’s meant to be cute, fun, kinda weird and emotional — but most of all, it’s a presentation of some of the prettiest tracks I’ve made.” Though she hasn’t really experienced club culture where she lives, her impressionistic productions evoke the surreal, lingering sounds of a night out — the melodic haze that hums in your ears as you drift off to sleep. Lo-fi and melodic, yet fluid and free, her music carries a sense of flight and intuitive logic. Nondi’s influences range widely — Actress, Aphex Twin, footwork, and the stranger edges of dub techno are all felt, yet she hallucinates them through her own weathered, dreamlike lens. Her tracks often build from clashing loops that evolve and transform organically, or from familiar genre elements reshaped by her instinct for misty, heart-wrenching melody. Some moments stay closer to genre, like Broken Future 175, a drum-and-bass tear-out that dissolves into lush, blurred chords, or Just Hanging Out, a bruised and beautiful take on 2-step. Lead single Tree Festival feels like a blown-out fusion of rave energy and sped-up new-age bliss, while Death Juke drifts through off-beat vocal samples, pulsing drums and 8-bit FX, reminiscent of early Steve Reich reimagined through a Game Boy. Nondi… is a uniquely moving and exploratory album that expands her sonic world even further. Lo-fi yet luminous, playful yet profound.
TSTD NEO returns with smooth slow disco remixes for three tracks, originally featured on THE SUNSET MANIFESTO Volume 2:
One of the standout tracks of THE SUNSET MANIFESTO 2, the super smooth Westcoast inspired "Hands of Love" gets an even smoother remix treatment by Liverpools BEN JAMIN, perfectly suited for your next late night bar dj sets.
Stockholm meets Mexico City! TSTD resident producer Monsieur Van Pratt returns from remixing Poolside on The Sunset Manifesto 2, and comes back with a romantic slow disco version of Kimchi's "Do You Ever"
Last but not least UK producer Matt Hughes already did a funky electro disco remix for Goodvibes Sounds' "Stay For One More Night" on The Sunset Manifesto 2. Looks like the original tune didnt leave his head, so he returned to his studio for new remixes. Here you can find the "Echo" version of his new 80s cinema sounding "Late Night Radio Remix", which would sit well in the soundtrack oft he Stranger Things TV series. The long version of this remix will be relased later digtially.
The new album by the collective that for
over 25 years has been among the most
representative names of the Italian dance
and electronic scene worldwide.
“BLOOOM”, this is the title of the new release,
will be available in all traditional stores and
on digital platforms starting January 16.
Set against the soundscapes that have become
the Planet Funk trademark, the lyrics by Dan
Black attempt to give voice to a fragile and
contradictory condition of our time: an
intensified sensitivity that, instead of
turning into openness and connection, often
becomes emotional overload. A generation
constantly overwhelmed by excessive stimuli,
relentless information, anxieties, and fears,
called upon to find its way in a world thaoffers neither pauses nor silence. In this paradox, sensitivity is no longer just a natural gift, but
a daily effort: staying open and receptive without being overwhelmed, trying to preserve a human and
vulnerable gaze in order, despite everything, to fully appreciate life and the present moment.
The single’s artwork—like that of the album—curated by Nationhood, visually conveys this tension: the
distant sirens of a city that amplifies feelings of disorientation and loneliness even when we are
surrounded by thousands of people.
“BLOOOM”, preceded by the single “FEEL EVERYTHING”, arrives at the end of an intense, creative year
full of music, which saw Alex Neri (DJ, keyboards, synthesizers), Marco Baroni (keyboards, piano,
programming), Dan Black (vocals and guitar), and Alex Uhlmann (vocals and guitar) engaged between
studio work, collaborations, and live performances in Italy and abroad. A journey that today
transforms into new energy, into an even more open vision oriented toward the future.
Exactly one year ago, PLANET FUNK released “Nights in White Satin”, a single that reached the top
positions of the radio charts and launched a season rich in concerts and DJ sets in Italy and around
the world. The subsequent “I Get a Rush”, the collaboration with Alfa and Manu Chao on the remix of
their hit “A me mi piace”, and the track “È Naturale” together with Francesca Michielin, confirmed
Planet Funk’s ability to renew themselves and engage with different musical worlds while always
remaining true to their own identity.
Throughout this journey, music has inevitably intertwined with life. The memory of Sergio Della Monica
and Domenico “Gigi” Canu, pillars and founding souls of the PLANET FUNK project, is a living part of
this new chapter. Their vision, creative spirit, and way of understanding music continue to be a
constant guide, a deep root from which new ideas and new directions can grow.
“BLOOOM” is also this: a personal and artistic blossoming that, starting from the legacy left by
Sergio and Gigi, transforms into a living process of growth, metamorphosis, and discovery. An album
that does not look back with nostalgia, but forward with awareness, momentum, and a desire for
renewal.
Founded in 1999, for over 25 years PLANET FUNK have represented one of the most important, solid, and
influential realities in the international electronic music scene. Born from the meeting of Souled
Out! (Domenico “GG” Canu and Sergio Della Monica) and Kamasutra (Marco Baroni and Alex Neri), and
following their debut with “Non Zero Sumness” in 2002 (a gold record and a turning point for the
band), PLANET FUNK have managed to reinvent themselves over time while maintaining a unique sonic
identity. This has led them to collaborate with internationally renowned artists, deliver iconic
performances around the world, create soundtracks and international advertising campaigns, and
continue to demonstrate constant creative vitality
Hailing from the city of Brotherly Love, Terri Wells first came to prominence as a session singer for Philadelphia International Records in the mid 1970’s following the breakup of her group City Limits. Wells soon began recording and touring as a featured vocalist with artists such as Lou Rawl, M.F.S.B., Leon Huff, Jean Carne and Dexter Wansel. In 1979, she joined the band of Roy Ayres and eventually sang on “Turn Me Loose” and co-wrote the track “Let’s Stay Together” from his 1982 album “Feeling Good”. Recruited by staff producer Nick Martinelli, Terri signed as a solo act with the Philly World Records in 1983 and released her one and only full length offering “Just Like Dreamin’” The album features the singles “You Make It Heaven” and “I’llll Be Around” which both charted in the United Kingdom. To this day her sensational debut remains a classic example of the soulful Philly sound of the the early 1980’s.
- Features the hit singles “You Make It Heaven” and “I’ll Be Around”
- Produced by Nick Martinelli (Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, Regina Belle, Phyllis Hyman, Stephanie Wells)
- Backing and arrangement fine the cream of the crop Philly Soul session aces
“The group has no niche, it doesn’t fit in anywhere,” explains Necessaries drummer Jesse Chamberlain in a 1980 Melody Maker interview. “We just state the facts about life in America, like The Clash did about England, but we’re not so heavy about it.” The Necessaries rose from the ashes of Harry Toledo & The Rockets, a little-known New York art-rock band playing gigs at Max’s Kansas City during glam’s metamorphosis into punk. —From the liner notes by Michael IQ Jones The Necessaries came together in 1978 and in the too-brief lifespan of the band counted among their members, Ed Tomney (Rage To Live, Luka Bloom), Jesse Chamberlain (Red Crayola), Ernie Brooks (Modern Lovers), Arthur Russell (The Flying Hearts), Randy Gun (Love Of Life Orchestra). First championed by John Cale on the strength of Tomney’s songs, Cale produced their first single for Spy Records (under the I.R.S. umbrella) which was released in 1979. With the forward momentum brought about by the single, the band set about tracking demos intended for Warner Bros., but The Necessaries ultimately would sign to Seymour Stein’s Sire Records. These rough demo basic tracks lacked overdubs, mixes and any finishing touches that would have made them viable for commercial release, but due to tour commitments, the band had to put the sessions on hold to hit the road. While on tour, the band was shocked to discover that Sire had issued the unfinished tracks as their debut album Big Sky (issued in 1981). The band had Big Sky withdrawn and replaced with Event Horizon (issued in 1982) which included half the original tracks from Big Sky and continued to record throughout 1982 aiming for a follow-up. It was not to be and their final studio sessions remained unissued until now. Completely Necessary (Anthology 1978–1982) is the first authorized collection of recordings by The Necessaries and includes 37 tracks, 28 of which are previously unissued. Completely Necessary represents the most accurate musical history of the band laid out across three albums. Disc one is the band-approved first album Event Horizon, followed by Pilots Facing North, a disc collecting studio recordings spanning 1978–1981 and disc three finally sees the release of their final sessions, Songs From The Blue Colony. Album notes by Michael IQ Jones trace the history of the band for this compilation produced by The Necessaries’ Ed Tomney and Cheryl Pawelski (Omnivore Recordings). The audio has been restored and mastered by Michael Graves at Osiris Studio, and both the 3-LP and 2-CD sets feature previously unseen photos across the package. Finally, an essential missing piece of the late ’70s/early ’80s New York scene that was just slightly ahead of the college alt-rock soon to come, is finally available to rediscover—this time it’s authorized and absolutely necessary. BUY! HERE’S WHY! • The first authorized and comprehensive anthology by The Necessaries. • Mid-’70s/early ’80s New York rock/punk/art scene band included members: Ed Tomney, Ernier Brooks, Arthur Russell, Jesse Chamberlain, and Randy Gun. • 37 tracks, 28 previously unissued. • Liner notes by Michael IQ Jones, plus unseen photos.
PROMISE is the latest album from Brooklyn-based producer Ibe Soliman, aka Bad Colours. Known for his blend of house, proto-techno, rap, and soul, Bad Colours delivers a dynamic, emotionally resonant record. Driven by hypnotic rhythms and personal storytelling, PROMISE explores themes of vulnerability, desire, and transformation. It's a versatile album designed for both dancefloors and introspective listening.
PROMISE is the fourth LP from Bad Colours on Bastard Jazz, following 2024's collaborative album with Cor.ece, Been Here Before. Soliman's career spans over a decade—DJing alongside artists like James Murphy, Mark Ronson, and Q-Tip, and producing for Kendrick Lamar, Faith Evans, Keyshia Cole, and Rick Ross. His work has received support from KCRW, KEXP (including multiple Midnight in a Perfect World mixes), and CBC Radio 3, and has charted on both the NACC Top Electronic and Top 200 charts. Bad Colours has been featured in press outlets like NYLON, Nonderland, Resident Advisor, Electronic Groove, and Fusicology. His music has appeared in Netflix's Escape from Spiderhead, Hulu's Woke, Disney's Chang Can Dunk, Showtime's American Gigolo, Valorant's Rising Stars, and more.
On her fourth full-length album as Shedir, Sardinian sound artist Martina Betti offers a profound meditation on what it means to be human on the threshold of uncertainty.
We Are All Strangers is a series of ambient tapes-tries shaped by duality and introspection, where sound becomes a space to explore the tension between identity and ambiguity, presence and disappearance, connection and solitude. Inspired by the idea that we are all strangers, however, first and foremost to ourselves, Betti crafts seven fluid, slow-burn compositions that inhabit a sociological liminal zone—what she comments as an “inner elsewhere.”
These aren’t songs in the traditional sense, but evolving sonic environments that feel like emotional states made audible. Environmental textures, submerged electronics, and deep low-end pulses coalesce into a dreamlike architecture of sound: immersive, fragile, and quietly transformative.
Rather than offering answers or closure, the album invites us to live in radical openness—to stop trying to define everything we see and feel, and instead bathe in what remains unnamed. In this sense, We Are All Strangers is an invitation: to sit with uncertainty, to embrace the unfinished, and to find resonance even in our collective disconnection.
For listeners drawn to the introspective frequencies of Rafael Anton Irisarri, Félicia Atkinson, or Lawrence English, Betti’s music offers a similarly haunting and immersive experience—one where strangeness is not a flaw, but a starting point. In her hands, ambient music becomes a kind of reflective shelter: a place to brush against each other in the dark and begin to learn, as she puts it, “the difficult art of closeness.”
Der legendäre Frank Sinatra (1915 - 1998) war zweifellos einer der größten Sänger aller Zeiten. Diese großartige Sammlung präsentiert 75 Highlights aus seiner Karriere begleitet von herausragenden Orchestern unter der Leitung von wichtigen Persönlichkeiten wie unter anderem Nelson Riddle, Gordon Jenkins, Billy May, Sy Oliver und Don Costa. Die erste CD zeigt The Voice in seiner schwungvollsten Stimmung, während sich die zweite einigen seiner besten Balladeninterpretationen widmet und die dritte schließlich Songs aus berühmten Filmen kompiliert, von denen er in vielen auch die Hauptrollen spielte.
No stranger to the music world, but making his first appearance on Riotvan and what a debut it is. We talking about Man Power. Deep, Detroit-tinged, and playfully intricate, this EP delivers anything but a repetition of his previous work Iteration. Adding even more dimension, two outstanding artists also make their Riotvan debut, elevating the release with their remixes. Jordan Nocturne shows what true club music can be — no bigroom theatrics, but perfectly tuned for the warehouse. Meanwhile, Inigo Vontier takes things into a trippy orbit of his own, sending dancers spinning off to another planet.
From start to finish: serious entertainment with that touch of playfulness we love!
A special 15 year anniversary record celebrating L.I.E.S. Records! L.I.E.S. and Nation join forces on this huge release.
New collaborative project out of Chicago from "DuKe" and The Stranger!
Two sided-12 inch housed in a full picture sleeve, once again we hear and see the scope of the broad range of what is, and can be "dance music" through the adventurous production of DuKe & The Stranger.
Two eight minute versions alternating in time space and rhythm..this is the future, past and present wrapped into one from the visionaries.
A surefire Salsoul classic and comfortably one of the label's finest moments, the self-titled LP from The Strangers was originally released in that golden year of 1983 and is one of the greatest albums of the post-disco era. It’s one of Be With's favourite ever LPs and it's a complete honour to be giving it our reissue treatment.
Still strangely overlooked but not for much longer, The Strangers contains flawless tracks with truly top tier production and includes the eternal Paradise Garage favourite "Step Into My Dream."
Are they Strangers to us? Well, no, they shouldn't be. The Strangers were a US electronic-funk studio concept group comprising Edward "Tree" Moore, Howard King and Hubert Eaves III, all key members of Mtume and Gary Bartz NTU Troop and, in the case of Eaves, one half of D-Train.
Now I KNOW you're gonna dig this!
We kick off with the dope electro-funk of "Wanna Take Your Body" which features Gary Bartz on sax (!) and becomes more sensational and irresistible the longer it plays. The wonky super-bomb "Let Me Take You Home" has a punk-funk, post-Prince feel, driving and delicate all at the same time while "Show Me How You Like It" is pure FUNK, the groove just pure fire.
Side B is perfection. It kicks off with the NTS favourite "Love Rescue", a track so slick it positively SLAPS out the gate and, while it bangs throughout, the vocals and melodies elevate this to the status of EMOTIONAL POP.
Next up, "Step Out Of My Dream" swaggers forth, the undisputed masterpiece that was huge with the London DJs and UK Soul fraternity; it's not hard to see why. It's a gliding, smooth, soulful piece of once-in-a-lifetime magic.
Gladio Operations continues its expansion into the electro universe and, with this fourteenth release, lands in Viking lands, giving Danish producer Martin Stoffregen his debut on the label.
This artist, who releases his work under the alias Krypton 81, is no stranger to the scene, having released on major labels such as Bass Agenda and Mars Frequency, among others. On this EP, entitled “Quantum Entanglement”, we sense a breath of fresh air in its three original tracks, which are refined and elegant. With strong sequences and adorned with sublime textures, we encounter “Binary Encoding”, the track that opens the EP and shows us the way to “Particle Proximity” and “Quantum Computing”. These two Kraftwerk-flavoured tracks are imbued with captivating melodies and subtle vocals, transporting us to an infinite emotional state of continuous well-being. This EP is reinforced with two heavyweight remixes. The first is by producer Univac, who returns to the label and gives us his particular vision of “Binary Encoding”, once again showcasing his unmistakable and classic industrial sound, dark and emotive. The second remix is by German producer Vertical67, who gives “Quantum Computing” more hypnotic tones than the original
Discotchari is delighted to release a first-of-its-kind various artists compilation: Tehrangeles Vice (Iranian
Diaspora Pop 1983–1993), fully licensed from Taraneh Enterprises. The album is a groundbreaking exposé of
the vibrant subcultural hub of Tehrangeles (portmanteau of Tehran + Los Angeles), and the action–packed, true
story of the Iranian diaspora music industry. Featuring 12 tracks remastered by award–winning Osiris Studio,
lyrics and translations to all featured songs, original cassette covers, a 20+ page album note booklet by Dr.
Farzaneh Hemmasi and more! Sprawling from Westwood to Glendale across the San Fernando Valley, the
Tehrangeles scene was cultivated by the same producers and artists who industrialized the “golden age” of
entertainment in pre–revolution Iran and fled from the 1979 Islamic Revolution along with millions of Iranian
citizens. Through music and visual media, Iranian producers and artists working out of Tehrangeles have
engaged in what the Iranian government calls a “cultural attack” against the Islamic Republic for over 40 years.
The album title Tehrangeles Vice underscores the illicit nature and daring circumstances from which
Tehrangeles pop music was born and compares its legacy within Persian media to one of the most significant
crime–drama TV shows of all time. In the same manner that Miami Vice and its aesthetics had a dynamic
impact on sonic, visual and cultural trends in the United States and around the world, Tehrangeles media was a
shock to the systems of Islamic Republic ideology and Iranian expatriate communities. Listening to these songs
in hindsight, the contribution of Tehrangeles can be better understood as a triumphant effort to preserve Iranian
identity by realizing it in conjunction with prevailing music genres of the ‘80s and ‘90s, and to rebel against the
oppressive regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran through the most seductive of means: dance music.
After a successful album on DJ Hell’s legendary International Deejay Gigolo Records, Berlin-based but globally-minded Tunisian artist Skatman returns to his own ever-evolving label, Cognitive Prophecy, with Temples, a four-track EP steeped in the spirit of Detroit and laced with its own boundary-pushing vision.
The title track, ‘Temples’, channels a number of timeless Detroit cuts like Rolando’s Knights of the Jaguar into something deeply personal. It feels like stepping into a crowded, smoke and sweat-filled dance floor at 3 a.m., only to emerge into the sunrise hours later. ‘Can It Last Forever’ shifts the mood with pure euphoria, the kind of track that makes strangers grin at each other when the night is ending but no one’s ready to leave. Swiss techno mainstay Deetron steps in with two heavyweight reimaginings of ‘Temples’. His main remix is pure peak-time club tackle, big, propulsive, and precision-crafted for the moment when the night slips into another gear. The Dub strips things down to the bare essentials, locking you into the groove with relentless, club-sharpened focus.
Emily Jeanne returns with Past Through Desire, the second release on her quỳnh imprint. Four advanced experiments in tripped-out rhythms, kinetic crossroads through the lunar-lit abyss.
What blossomed with quỳnh’s debut Call Of The Sea, now further develops with follow up Past Through Desire. The second edition on Emily Jeanne’s imprint truly clarifies her sound, an emblematic swirl of experimental nodes bunched tight into a nocturnal bouquet.
Twice Not Nice shimmers within its percussive hive, a psychedelic wormhole that furrows taut towards the circular infinite. Vague Gestures cuts sharper, a snarling stepper etched finely into its minimalist holding pattern for a proper skank-out. On the flip, Fire Lily marches a stranger; a psychoactive chant summoning the percussive half time with an eerie glint. Closer Traversal returns to the dimly lit dancefloor path, writhing around in slippery configurations until the broken loop reaches its end. A mesmerising second instalment from Emily Jeanne and her quỳnh stable.
An exclusive collaboration lands on Drumcode, with Bart Skils linking up with rising German artist A.D.H.S for the divine ‘Can’t Hear You’. Fresh off the excellent ‘Torn Clouds’ single with Weska on Drumcode, Bart Skils is on-point as ever with his production output. The Dutchman has enjoyed a strong summer highlighted by Awakenings and a sunrise set at the iconic Fusion Festival. Meanwhile A.D.H.S is no stranger to Drumcode, having shared slick contributions to past A-Sides compilations including ‘Razor’ and ‘2Step’. He’s otherwise dropped strong releases on Exhale, Spannung and Electric Ballroom. “Can’t Hear You” was born during a Sri Lanka holiday after A.D.H.S injured his back and spent time sketching ideas on his phone. “I started playing around with samples on my phone and found this beautiful vocal and just started sketching some ideas. No pressure, just emotions,” A.D.H.S explains. “Back at the little jungle studio I had set up, I kept working on it – really taking the time to find the right chords to match what I was feeling at that moment. It’s a bit of an unusual track, and I had no intention of ever releasing it. It was just for this moment,” he shares. A.D.H.S begun testing an early version at open airs and festival, later uploading a teaser clip onto Instagram. When Skils heard the track’s unique vocal line, he was hooked. “It was a no-brainer for me to decide to work on the track with Bart, I’d been a big fan of his for years. He brought in his ideas, worked on the mix and arrangement, and together we shaped it into a version that we both absolutely love.
It’s one of those rare tracks that just capture a moment.” Indeed ‘Can’t Hear You’ is an emotional behemoth; one of those rare tracks that sounds genuinely unique and is simultaneously a banger and tear-jerker in one. “When I first heard the clip Michael (A.D.H.S.) shared of ‘Can’t Hear You,’ I was hooked by the infectious vocal. We decided to craft a full collab blending both our signature sounds, and the result is a rolling party weapon that’s become my go-to closing track,” shares Bart Skills.
A remarkable release in John Lee Hooker's vast catalogue, Folk Blues, released by the Crown label in 1962, puts together tracks originally recorded for Modern Records between 1951 and 1954.
Among its many highlights are Bad Boy, one of the finest examples of Hooker's wordless humming and singing in unison with his guitar figures, and Rock House Boogie, which offers a sampling of Hooker's use of bottleneck style.
"Essential in any collection of postwar blues." - ***** Downbeat:
After a short hiatus Deep In Dis intl. is back in the game. This time bringing you a split EP by two young prolific producers who have been in our radar for quite sometime now, Eric OS and Lewis. With both artists being based in Sweden and each one of them with a characteristic sound, we thought it would be a good idea to split our next release between these two cutting edge talents and that's how the Timebomb EP came to life.
We first discovered Eric tunes through a Binh set last year at the Nostromo Festival and we instantly knew we had to get Eric on board for a future project with us and here we are. With releases on System Error, Eya Records and his own imprint Space Trace, Eric brings to the table all those elements that made us get up off the back stage sofa and lose it on the floor. Flipping the record we have the Data Flow head label Lewis bringing us another two special club cuts. Having released a digital EP with us before, we couldn't wait to press some of Lewis analog soundscapes.
A1. 'Eden' is a true dance floor filler , endless groove and quirky sounds penetrating your brain while taking you in a break with some dreamy pads and even stranger synth lines. A2. 'Timebomb' keeps the vibe going, even higher this time. The formula seems to be timeless. Progry melodies, wonky bassline, and solid drum patterns.B1. 'Project Mayhem' invites us to close our eyes and travel without moving with its hypnotic groove, the feeling of pleasure, energy and empathy increases and floats the dancefloor in a never ending way. Closing the EP 'Acid44' spills a lysergic groove on the floor with no possibility of escape or return. Infected synth lines, snappy snares and some serious bassline are the powerful potion of the track.
As The Matrix ushered in the new millennium, voices of apocalypse and optimism alike wrestled for the narrative high ground over what the future held in store. Ever more inclined toward skepticism than hope, we have since grown prone to withdrawing in exhaustion when confronted by such gargantuan expectations — “lost in the Matrix,” if you will.
Less’s new album opens by building a bridge back to his previous album “Stranger” (released on the “Freude am Tanzen” label and conceived as an imaginary Blade Runner soundtrack). In the intro, breathy references from vocalist Alice immediately set the tone for the journey ahead: Electro, High Energy, Acid, Chicago, Italo Disco.
A full-fledged club album quickly unfolds—one that invites the listener to dance and switch off, while at the same time, if you allow it, provoking reflection through its lyrics. Now a Berlin-based artist with Thuringian roots, Less draws on deacades of DJ experience and channels it deftly into ten tracks. Less (real name Stefan Leßner) isn’t afraid to go “old school.” Classic touches like vocoder effects are as integral here as Alice’s irresistibly
cool spoken-word vocals—delivered in English (“I Care”, “Mirror, Mirror”) and German (“Alles was du willst”). This retro spirit even extends to his remix of the French-language Underground Cottage track “Canada (2003 Less Remix)” which surfaced in DJ Hell’s setlists last year—bringing things full circle.
“Living in the Matrix” on Lebensfreude Records is not merely a nostalgic reference to times past, but also counters exhaustion with a sense of trust in the future. It is, in essence, a call — an appeal — not to lose oneself in any kind of ‘Matrix.’ Accordingly, the album will be released both digitally and analog. The latter will come as a 180g double vinyl with a high-quality, thematically appropriate gatefold cover.
After the first, extremely successful "Motor City Days Vol.1" release from 2002/04 with all those then-and-now enduring tracks by Jeff Mills, Tronic Pulse, Drivetrain and St. Andy, the "Motor City Days Vol.2" follow-up comes along now as another ambitious showcase of the continous work of that other electronic music axis Detroit-Cologne in full effect!
The extra limited MLP-Vinyl offers 6 more, typical Planet Detroit tracks on the cutting edge of Techno, House, and Electro by Teknobrat (Bunkerbliss, Ottawa), Claus Bachor (remixed by the D's own Lockstep, Soire Rec. Int.), Ferndale Parking Attendants (House Gallery Detroit), Thomas Barnett (Visillusion Rec.), Eno Justin (BangTech 12/ DTM), and Jason Garcia (Cryovac Rec. / House Gallery).
They all pay attention to the innovations that have come before them. And this is where some experiments in the Motor City's E-Funk fusion show a high fondness for the past while sacrificing none of the production tricks of the modern day. Brimming with full spirit and box-energy.
Finally, this is one of those records that when you hear the DJ play it, you'll leave your drink behind and run out to the dancefloor. While all these trainspotters ran up to ask what was playing? So "Motor City Days Vol. 2" is definitely on fire!
STRANGER STILL was Julian Cator (guitar), Paul Cator (piano, organ, synthesizer), Tim Warnes (bass), Frank Warnes (vocals, drums) and Ian Johnson (vocals, drums) from King’s Lynn, Norfolk, UK. The two sets of Cator and Warnes siblings had been playing together in bands since 1974, with Ian joining in 1979, and with their musical style evolving from glam influenced rock to punk/new wave (punk came late to Norfolk) and finally post-punk, influenced by Ultravox!, Magazine, Joy Division, Bauhaus and Killing Joke. Their first gig together was in September 1979 with John Peel being in the audience. The Solitude/Survivor single was recorded in July 1981, released in November and sold well locally. John Peel played Solitude, between singles by Winston and Screen 3. When Julian left in autumn 1981 the others continued, later changing their name to Nothing Sacred. Ex-members have since played in a number of other bands, most notably Paul and Tim in Shine!, and Julian and Paul in Ivy.
Solitude opens in a perfect analogue way with a ‚primitive’ rhythm machine pattern and a dark synth sound fading in. We shall be glad for the band’s move towards electronics while knowing „given the negative reaction we got from some of the local bands when we got the synth a Moog Satellite“, quoting Julian. When the real drums, guitar, bass and vocals also come in, you’re in for one of the most perfect post-punk songs, yet playful but ultimately bleak. “And then I can feel nothing more. Alone again, with no sensation.“ Survivor is more uptempo and bass-driven, reminiscent of early Death In June (who came later though). Lyrics like “4 minute warning warning – the sound of today. Our new dream world – Enola Gay.“ set the mood there.
The band composed a dozen of songs, demos to get gigs, which were unfortunately never recorded properly in a studio. So these are demos or rehearsal tracks, never released to the public and presented here for the first time ever as an additional 15 tracks download-only (due to the poor sound quality). You’ll find fantastic tracks like Brave New Berlin or Cardiac Arrest, which is reminiscent of Death In June’s In The Nighttime, and then, there is a demo of Solitude too!
We’re thrilled to announce the release of “Strangers Become Friends”, the soulful new single from Incognito featuring the powerhouse vocals of Zebulon Ellis. This uplifting track, rich with timeless grooves and heartfelt lyricism, is paired with a stunning remix by producer and keyboard maestro Ski Oakenfull. The release lands first on a beautifully pressed 10” vinyl, available from 11th July, with the digital and streaming release following on 25th July. Whether you’re a vinyl collector or a streaming fan, this is one to add to your summer rotation.
Demuir has been driving his jackin’ house sound for over 20 years. No stranger to our imprint, we have been championing his sound down under for years! We are excited to welcome him back to the label with 4 jackin’ house cuts that will definitely fit perfectly in your bag.
Look’n In Your Eyes is a jazzy, groovy joint with an infectious vocal sample that just instantly makes those hips swing. A Night At Patria switches gears and puts the foot down when its comes to energy to deliver a club ready weapon with just the right flavour.
On the B side, Never Too Young keeps the pace with clever sampling, snappy drums and a groove that doesn’t quit. We round out with Sweet Surrender, blending his signature drums, rolling basslines and classic vocal sample that fits into any set. As always, all class and no BS, Demuir doesn’t miss.
A collection of obscure and unheard metaphysical sounds, 1980-1992
Lost Coast: Some Visionary Music from California assembles little unknown sounds from California’s metaphysical underground. Each recording is stylistically different—dream pop, guitar soli, fourth world, avant-electronic—but they are held together by a regional ethos of the “visionary.” This is music that envisions, seeing through the mind’s eye and conjuring new worlds.
Some people say that California is where “the nuts stop rolling”—where those too eccentric to fit in elsewhere ended up. What was meant pejoratively is easily reclaimed as a celebration of the free-thinking and the freely-freaking. Until the turn of the millennium, all manner of seekers rolled westward until they hit the pacific. Stationed along this edge, music was a way to roll still further: to imagine territories unencountered and wavelengths as yet unheard.
Lost Coast is a commemoration of the people who made these journeys and a resurrection of recordings they made little effort to broadcast. While some of the tracks were originally released on cassettes with modest distribution, others were only shared among friends or never shared at all. Assembled from the personal collection of House Rules operator Zully Adler, these recordings were all found on cassettes in flea markets, barn sales, rural thrift stores, and even stranger places—outside a gem and mineral shop, for example, and on the ranch of a retired mescalin dealer.
Nonetheless, these recordings are eminently listenable. California is a place where the strange and the pleasurable are frequent bedfellows.
The Godfather of Hardcore, Marc Acardipane, needs no introduction. His outstanding releases over the past 30 years speak for themselves. He has been instrumental in helping to create electronic music history, with countless well-known productions which have been unsurpassed by any other artist of this calibre. His timeless masterpieces have been and always will be heard at hardcore raves spanning the circumference of the Planet. With "9 Is A Classic", "Slaves To The Rave", "Pitch-Hiker", "Stereo Murder" and "We Have Arrived", just to name a few, he clearly proves who's the boss. "The Most Famous Unknown" is a well compiled collection of Marc's music, which showcases a mere portion of what he has composed and produced since the early nineties! The vinyl and digital selection of "The Most Famous Unknown" features remixes by Body Sushi a.k.a. VTSS & Randomer, Dasha Rush, Gabber Eleganza feat. Delirio, Jasss, Kilbourne, Minimum Syndicat, Nina Kraviz, Perc, Solid Blake, Stranger, Umwelt and VTSS, which all deliver excellent interpretations of tracks they have chosen to revamp. All original tracks have been re-mastered to the highest possible standard of quality.
The Godfather of Hardcore, Marc Acardipane, needs no introduction. His outstanding releases over the past 30 years speak for themselves. He has been instrumental in helping to electronic music history, with countless well-known productions which have been unsurpassed by any other artist of this calibre.
His timeless masterpieces have been and always will be heard at hardcore raves spanning the circumference of the Planet. With 9 Is A Classic, Slaves To The Rave, Pitch-Hiker, Stereo Murder and We Have Arrived, just to name a few, he clearly proves who's the boss. "The Most Famous Unknown" is a well compiled collection of Marc's music, which showcases a mere portion of what he has composed and produced since the early nineties!
The vinyl and digital selection of "The Most Famous Unknown" features remixes by Body Sushi a.k.a. VTSS & Randomer, Dasha Rush, Gabber Eleganza feat. Delirio, Jasss, Kilbourne, Minimum Syndicat, Nina Kraviz, Perc, Solid Blake, Stranger, Umwelt and VTSS, which all deliver excellent interpretations of tracks they have chosen to revamp.
All original tracks have been re-mastered to the highest possible standard of quality.
For his second output on his own label, the Swiss electronic composer Robin Félix, takes this time the listener to West-Africa ; that said, Incantation is lightyears away from “world music”, but closer to the first “Fourth World” LP Jon Hassell recorded with Brian Eno. Moreover, Robin has teamed up with fellow Swiss sculptor, Christian Pauchon, who makes “woodoorina”, inspired by “bolis”, some rather objects used by the Bamanas in Mali and neighbouring countries, that ethnologists view as “fascinating mediators between man and his environment” ; a topic that led the Mauritanian Abderrahmane Sissako and Damon Albarn to compose the opera, The Theft of the Boli. Right from the outset of Goat Skin, one realises that Robin has applied his idiosyncratic way of (mis)treating field-recordings, to dissect and re-model an array of woodoorina calls (sometimes close to drones) entwined to a rhythmic pulse, conjuring up a starry night under which a shaman, adresses his incantations to the spirits of Nature. Robin Félix being who he is, as soon as Corten, his form of quiet electronics show that he is no stranger to Throbbing Gristle or Cosey Fanni Tutti, the self-explanatory Ritual Smoke taking it a little further. The spellbinding organic basses of Rains and Cauris, fused to textures that remind the experiments of David Toop and the electroacoustics of Pierre Henry, lead the listener even deeper into a contemporary avatar of a spiritual journey. In tune with the “call and response” mode, ubiquitous in African music, Pangi brings the EP even closer to the beating heart of the continent, the interactions of the sculptor and the composer blending to such a point that one may wonder if they have exchanged roles. As a meeting point of disciplines and art forms which are not supposed to meet, Incantation is also a convincing demonstration of what the word “inspiration” means, the superb visuals included ; of course, it requires a lot of finesse and respect on all sides
We are excited to present the first release on Stranger Pulse, a solo EP from Chaou.B. Designed for the dancefloor, the SP001 delivers a powerful blend of electro, tech-house, and techno, featuring intricate synths, energetic and driving basslines.
The A1 and B2 are blending tech-house with dark techno elements, creating an atmosphere full of tension and high energy that keeps the vibe up. These tracks are versatile, and can seamlessly fit into any point in a set. Meanwhile, A2 and B1 lean more towards a fusion of techno and electro, ideal for peak-time moments, closing sets, or even open-air quarry raves.
Mutual Rytm welcome back Swiss DJ/producer Chlär for a bustling, high-octane return as he unveils his latest six-track EP, 'Intrinsic Drive'.
Swiss artist and mastering engineer Chlär's last outing on Mutual Rytm, his 'Optimized Grooves' EP, was a standout success that made an impact far and wide across the techno realm. It was another big step for the fast-rising producer, who is also a dexterous DJ that plays across three and even four decks in the club. A craftsman of sounds, his take on techno is full throttle and has come on labels like Iceland's NIX and Stranger's Self Reflektion imprint. Always looking to improve his sounds, he hits a perfect sweet spot with a fresh and visionary approach across six fresh productions with his 'Intrinsic Drive' EP, again showcasing exemplary creative progression in his ever-impressing production skills.
Up first is 'Dopamine Rush', a quickened techno pumper with synths peeling off the straight-ahead drums and locking you into a state of hypnosis. The title track 'Intrinsic Drive' is a tightly woven mix of drums, hits and bass that never lets up, while the supple rhythm is overlaid with alien sound designs to up the intensity. 'For Marco' takes a heavier path with darkened and more weighty kick drums under eerie synth loops. There is a real swing in the drums of 'Steady Pace' as the crisp hits and vocal fragments all up the ante, before 'Greedy Man' delivers a tough panel beater with skewed synths and an industrial undertone. Digital bonus 'May I Dance?' rounds things out with raw textures and unhinged loops that take you to the heart of a strobe-lit dance floor, shaping up another
mighty fine statement of intent from the ever more vital Swiss native.
System Error team up with their pal Anna Wall’s 'The Bricks' to present four stand-out cuts, specially curated for this special collaboration…
The Bricks boss Anna Wall sets the tone with a masterclass in acid-drenched intensity, while Pily & Lis Sarroca keep the energy rolling with a serious bass-heavy groover. On the B-side, J Air’s ‘Pak01’ brings some delightful tension, and Curity takes us home with some late-night hypnotics.
Rico Casazza is no stranger to the Moving Pictures Label and the local scene. Calling Prague his home for the past few years, Italian electro/techno heavyweight is returning to the imprint with another release titled "Climax".
The EP brings to life a pair of high-speed dancefloor weapons, showcasing Rico's signature touch and sonic precision.
Complementing these tracks are two remixes by Moving Pictures' label founders - Roman Rai & Täino, having stayed true to the imprint's eclectic sound and the record's driving essence.
Pressed on black vinyl with a full artwork sleeve & label, "Climax" is yet another chapter to be discovered in Moving Pictures' universe.
The album from an association of Ukrainian artists called Noneside brought musicians and painters together under the famous words of the writer Taras Shevchenko and his poem "Make love, o dark-browed ones..". The painting by contemporary figurative artist Iryna Maksymova frames the trance and tech house music of such performers as Shjva (Warning, Terra Magica, Viscera), Lostlojic (Secret Feta, Infinite Pleasure, Deeptrax), Saturated Color (Neptune Discs, Nerang), Peshka (Visionquest, Re.Face, Banoffee Pies) and Yevhenii Loi. Mastered by Taras Bril, also typefaces of Ivan Tsanko-Khlibovych used in design. First of all, this is the music of love and unity, wherever you are - at home in the kitchen or on the big festival dance floor - common feelings will unite you and spin you in a crazy rhythm, and will make you understand that we are not strangers. Together we dance for a better future!
Brussels-based artist Adja Fassa releases her debut album, two years after her well-received EP IRONEYE - and it is promising to be quite a ride.
This contemporary body of work showcases 11 stories, each telling their story of the impact our capitalistic society has on our most intimate moments: from dystopian neo-soul tales of Deliveroo-drivers being stalked by telemarketers (both of them selling/delivering literal 'hope and dreams'), to re-imagined jazz standards and classical songs about conditional friendships, based on time and money. We even get her take on the 'stick-it-to-the-man-sing-along-rock-song', which she called 'Sucking on my Emphatitties'. And then we have the title song 'Golden Retrieve Her' which is as much an accumulation of feelings as of musical curiosities
" 'Golden Retrieve Her' is a wordplay on wanting to retrieve my kindness in a violent social system. Simultaneously, it is criticizing the fact that we, the masses, are often asked to either be naive or pretend we are. All of this accumulated in a visual image of what our social system considers 'the perfect, obedient nuclear family': a kind couple with 2.4 children, a house in the suburbs and... a Golden Retriever." ~ Adja
Serious and concrete topics, wrapped up in a symbolic package, as Adja values both straightforwardness, critical thinking and, paradoxically, a bit of mysticism. For her visual artwork, she created four, self-made tarot cards, that represent the four themes on the album:
'The Wheel Of Fortune', embodies the desire to get the upper hand in a system that doesn't align with your values. 'The Mirror', represents projection and likeness within lost connections (whether with strangers or with friends), 'The Dark Wheel' embodies the turning point of the wheel of fortune, where one is completely surrendered to their own moral demise and 'The Cave' stands for the - sometimes painful, sometimes blissful - return to one's own mind and heart.
Musically, this album contains as much variety as song titles, as Adja continues to explore her own depths as an artist and musician, together with her partner-in-crime, guitarist, composer and jazz-arranger Alexis Nootens. She collaborated with music producer Adam Scrimshire, who was featured in the Guardian as UK's one of three most significant soul music producers alongside Swindle and Inflo, and renowned Belgianproducer, mixer and musician Koen Gisen, who both mentored her into deepening her own productional skills. Last but not least, she gathered 13 musicians to deliver the sound she brings to her album, among them her 5 steady band members and 8 studio musicians from all over Europe. As we said: it promises to be quite a ride.
LIVE:
09/05 : Ancienne Belgique, Brussels
11/05 : Jazz à Liège
Following releases from Dublin’s Fio Fa & naive label head Violet, LA-based Cromie & Timedance affiliate rRoxymore and various artists compilation Visions Vol. 1, Holly Lester prepares the next chapter of dualistic bleeps, bloops and blends from Utrecht producer Tifra on Duality Trax. Re-imagining vintage club sounds through a contemporary lens, Tifra is no stranger to stretching the electronic music template into new forms and ideas. His left-field house and old-school breaks have found their way onto Gestalt Records and Rough Recordings, and here the producer turns in three cuts of blissed-out electronica, hedonistic progressive and jungle-run club with its sights firmly fixated front left, complete with a wicked remix from one of modern dance music's most reliable names Roza Terenzi. ‘Plastic Replicant’ is a vocal-laced electro-house roller that takes inspiration from the golden-era of 90s electronic music and fuses it with the organic, multi-genre blends of the current gen. The ravey continuum is laced with high-frequency vocal stabs and deep basslines designed for a heads-down approach on the dancefloor, before ‘Entomology’ captures the playful side of the club with its shape-shifting acid-lines, trance-licked melodies and kaleidoscopic blend of colour, feeling and mood. Out of the club and onto the beach, ‘International Waters’ is a trip-hop inspired, downtempo dub that will delight ambient and laid-back electronic-revellers with its chirpsing birds and aqua-like aesthetic, before Roza keeps the dualism alive with a stripped-back jungle flip of the original; the perfect score for the perfect daydream.
Released in September 1978, a mere two months before YMO’s debut, Cochin Moon is a clear precursor to the groundbreaking synth and sequencer-dominated sounds that would come to define the iconic trio. Huge tip!
Credited to Hosono and Pop Art legend Tadanori Yokoo (who created the cover art), Cochin Moon is a fictional soundtrack to a journey into unknown worlds, inspired by Hosono and Yokoo’s trip to India.
The unbelievably prolific Haruomi Hosono is one of the major architects of modern Japanese pop music. With his encyclopedic knowledge of music and boundless curiosity for new sounds, Hosono is the auteur of his own idiosyncratic musical world, putting his unmistakable stamp on hundreds of recordings as an artist, session player, songwriter and producer. Born and raised in central Tokyo, his adolescent obsession with American pop culture informed his early forays into country music, which he would revisit later in his career. Hosono made his professional debut in 1969 as a member of Apryl Fool, whose heavy psychedelia was somewhat at odds with his influences, which leaned towards the rootsy sounds of Moby Grape and Buffalo Springfield. The latter was one of the main inspirations for his next group, Happy End, whose unique blend of West Coast sounds with Japanese lyrics proved to be highly influential over the course of three albums. After the band’s amicable break up in 1973, Hosono began his solo career with Hosono House, an intimate slice of Japanese Americana recorded inside a rented house with recording gear squeezed into its tiny bedroom. Hosono’s solo career would take many twists and turns from this point forward, with forays into exotica, electronic, ambient, and techno, culminating in the massive success of techno pop group Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO).
Released in September 1978, a mere two months before YMO’s debut, Cochin Moon is a clear precursor to the groundbreaking synth and sequencer-dominated sounds that would come to define the iconic trio. Credited to Hosono and Pop Art legend Tadanori Yokoo (who created the cover art), Cochin Moon is a fictional soundtrack to a journey into unknown worlds, inspired by Hosono and Yokoo’s trip to India. Initially the album was to be a kind of ethnographic musical document, using found sounds and field recordings made by Hosono himself. Instead, after Yokoo introduced Hosono to the sounds of Kraftwerk and krautrock during the trip, Cochin Moon became something much stranger. Created almost entirely on synthesizers and sequencers with the help of future YMO collaborators Ryuichi Sakamoto and Hideki Matsutake, the music on the album is the perfect encapsulation of Hosono’s concept of “sightseeing music,” transporting the listener to an exotic place that may or may not exist. This highly sought-after album sees its first-ever official release outside of Japan.
