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Created in an industrial workplace in Leyton, where Canary Wharf punctures the skyline, Circle Traps craft music made in the image of the modern city. The group consists of Jack Wyllie, Duncan Bellamy and Will Ward and was formed in East London in 2010 and quickly scored their first release on fellow East Londoner Subeena's Opit Records in early 2011. Their eponymous debut EP earned serious critical praise from the likes of The Wire, Quietus and Fact Magazine. Their attention to ambient textures is reminiscent of Actress and Daniel Lopatin, but their unique, multi-layered, crystalline vision is consistently offset by dance floor impulses that nod to Detroit through the likes of Model 500 and Derrick May. The Machine City EP is a lush amalgamation of textural, distorted melody and bassier dance floor leanings.

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

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

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

Fokuz Recordings, founded early 1999 by Dreazz and Drum Origins, has been through a lot over a long, winding road. Thanks to the boundless dedication of our talented artists and the loving fans, we can now celebrate our 15th anniversary! Expect six 12'' records and a double CD packed with tracks by some of the most upfront names in present day drum & bass. This is 15 Yearz Of Fokuz - Episode 2.1.

We're proud to have the mighty Bcee featured on this milestone album. Once again he delivers effortlessly with 'Praying Man' and 'Magic Mirror'. Watch out for these deep, soulful emotional rollers dropping soon on Fokuz! Perfect material for those who like their beats with soul.

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

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

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

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

Strictly Limited. Vinyl Only. The team at WHFM are proud to present a new release from Jesse Bru 'Under The Night", with outstanding remix support from both Exercise One and Hreno. After releasing an outstandingly well received release on Canadian label 'Heart to Heart' in 2013, Jesse Bru is back with a fun disco house twister 'Under The Night". The Vocal loop infects the listener instantly and weaves its way playfully throughout, ultimately crescendoing with deep flowing pads that will fill the dance floor with smiles aplenty. Exercise One take the reins and add their signature sound to create a remix destined for the big room blowout. Not to be outdone, Hreno takes a crack at it and uses his time to add subtle nuances and flair that the Canadian expat is well known for. Each version unique while staying true to the originals intrinsic energy. 'Apocalypse Brow' is the secret weapon that just begs to played at that special moment on a big system, icing on the cake! Vital Sales Points: - Limited Vinyl only pressing - Support from The Mole, Dewalta, Mike Shannon, Ernesto Ferreyra

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

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

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

In the wake of Blocks & Escher's recent outings on Metalheadz, Critical, and Zomby's Cult Music, Narratives present the first solo
excursions on the label from one of its founders, Blocks. Varied, emotive and beautiful, the Séance EP is innately Narratives Music in sound and yet unlike anything the label has delivered previously. The Séance EP fleets between ethereal vocals, forlorn strings and analogue bursts of glassy synths, while drum machines dance with live kits that would be fitting of 90s Mowax records. Bass lines loom heavy throughout, simple and driving rhythms that bed the delicate keys and story telling harmonics above. As immersive as it is succinct, Blocks has created an extended player awash with feeling and juxtaposition; again displaying why Narratives Music has been lauded across electronic music from the likes of Goldie and
Com Truise to Zomby and Rob da Bank. Forming the veritable gem of the collection, is the vocal laden 'Haven', a collaborative piece between Blocks and the hugely talented Jennifer Hall. Live instrumentation of bowed strings and bass provide canvas for the heart wrenching tones of Hall. Doc Scott describes the track as 'Deep, deep blues'. More akin to a personal reflection of the artist than the frenetic speed of a club, more Twin Peaks meets Portishead than dance floor energy; this is music at a Drum & Bass tempo by a producer that doesn't want to be caught in a debate on style or subgenre. In essence it seems to emphasise a recent quote by Blocks, 'Drum and Bass is anything you can get away with'. Label support from Goldie, Kuedo, Doc Scott, Rockwell, Benji B, Paul Woolford, Zomby, Friction, ASC, Jubei, Teebee, Pedestrian,
Rob Da Bank, Midland, Kasra.

Luciaen, AKA Lucien Nicolet, presents the second chapter in his Basaec series, with Origins. The new label from the Cadenza Records boss looks back to the roots of his production career, whilst presenting a wholefully futuristc take on electronic dance music. Origins (Wild Origins) leads release #2, a collosal twelve minute piece of neo-classical electronics. Waves of arpeggio synth dominate the beatless track, its mighty stabs and light percussion propelling the track along at great speed and urgency. The heads will no doubt hear inspirations from Detroit techno in here, but you can't put this piece in any genre box, rather it's a huge musical showcase from one of dance music's most enigmatic figures. The Great Amael finds Luciaen in more familiar territory, a lo-fi bubbling groove and dusted Hammond organs hustle along whilst the live percussions shine through. Energetic and infectious, the tone softens with the oceanic pads that provide its classic melody and threatens to envelope the listener in a wall of beautiful sound.

Furfriend strong-arm their way on to Perc Trax after a run of eyebrow-raising releases on Berlin powerhouse Killekill. Vocal-led techno is not something you hear done well every day but Furfriend's below the belt lyrics fused with their percussive, bass heavy techno has proved the exception to the rule. Their filth driven releases fit perfectly with the anything goes atmosphere of Berlin, but also connect with the UK's love of both tougher techno and close to the bone humour.

'Endless September' is classic Furfriend, a foundation of chest beating kicks and sub-bass provide the perfect platform for their most politically charged release to date, taking pot-shots at everyone's favourite Eastern European aggressor whilst also spotlighting the ongoing global fight for LGBT rights.

Perc is known for delivering remixes that turn a track inside out, yet keep the essence of what makes the original track great intact, with his remixes of Factory Floor and Daniel Avery being recent examples. Here he does it again, as the key vocal message of the original mix is looped to infinity over jabbing kick drums and a snare drum volley sharp enough to cut through any sound-system.

Next up is L.I.E.S. / Avian artist Vapauteen (AKA Shawn O'Sullivan & 400PPM), who adds his own spin on the track, keeping the tiniest fragments of the original's vocal and building two completely different analogue environments around them, serving up the most experimental tracks on the release, but which also perfectly compliment the more club focused mixes...

The debut release on new label Constant State comes from UK duo Al Gobi.
The pair (Ian Blevins & Phil Moody) had a steamroller of a year in 2013 with releases on Disco Bloodbath, Rothmans, Culprit LA and Audio Parallax. 2014 looks set to continue this trend with Al Gobi material signed to Messalina, Keep It Zen and Flight Recorder, amongst others. When they manage to get time together in the studio their output continues to shine.
While the original mix of a Cup of Tea is dark and unsettled - beautifully balanced bass notes and piano cutting through heavy, storm-pregnant air, Cottam's remix is the distillation of a second wind. His tribal, twisted, acidic treatment of this 3am concrete bunker anthem never overwhelms the piano refrain, instead giving it a new life, like the ghost of a party suddenly bequeathed fresh purpose as tired legs find boundless energy.
Meanwhile, Pueblo Grande brings something different to the party. Something harder, more insistent... Submerged snares and synths like razor wire combine with a raw bassline that stomps eloquently from 1994 to present day without missing a beat - and possibly inventing a few on its way - to create something wonderfully unique and very, very special.

Around7 follows up his two laidback funk/jazz albums for Robsoul Jazz with his first ever venture into House music. His Double Crossing EP released through the main Robsoul Recordings imprint on 4th April 2014.The Parisian, who previously delivered the Back To Basics and Soul On Wire LPs to critical acclaim, continues his production style of sampling complemented by live, organic sounds. Producer influences such as J Dilla and DJ Premier continue to be in evidence, alongside the jazz of Miles Davis, Bill Evans and the legendary Blue Note Records, all given a 4/4 twist.The result is four stripped back tracks with a low slung, smoky atmosphere, packed pull of acoustic sounds and live instrumentation. Those who remember Joss Moog's early outings on Robsoul will also find parallels hereAround7's music career began as a bassist and trumpet player in a jazz/funk band. After learning to play keyboard and discovering the Akai MPC sampler and software such as Cubase, he merged all of his skills together to create his own tracks based around live instrumentation and samples.

Nomine's third release on Tempa, following last year's spooked-out Nomine's War, is Enma / Zen Circle / Mindfulness. Containing his most expansive and exploratory music to date, pushing his already intricate and varied sound to new depths of atmosphere and intensity.
As their titles attest, the three tracks here are intense meditations as much as they are club firepower. Drawing equally on his love of UK sound system music and formally experimental composition and sound design, they further highlight Nomine's status as one of the most adventurous new producers operating in electronic music today.Lead track 'Enma' blasts from the tracks in flurries of metallic drums and plucked sino-grime esque melodies, an atmosphere heightened further on 'Zen Circle' whose reedy pipe motifs stalk through the mist like figures through a haunted forest. 'Mindfulness' rounds the EP out with shadowy, delay cloaked digital dub, riding out atop clustered kickdrums and roughly effected drums.

* In-demand Bush Chemists killer from 1993 coming on 45 for the first time, backed with a previously unreleased dub cut.
*This track was championed on dubplate by Aba Shanti I in the early 90s and this is how the track got its name,
*Bush Chemists still have a big following throughout Europe, Japan and beyond.

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

#3 Live Act of 2013 at Resident Advisor, one of the most in demand remixers around, a total of 156 gigs in 2013, releases for Rush Hour, Ovum, Macro; booked out months in advance from Berghain to Ibiza to the main electronic festivals ... KiNK: Arguably the world of dance music has not witnessed anyone else rising so clearly from bottom to top just by the centrifugal force of sheer talent. Being based in Sofia, Bulgaria, without a support network, a campaign or any media hype, his music alone - live and in the studio - created a momentum whose end we have yet to see. Lenin said: 'Communism is Soviet power + electrification of the whole country.' Hardly did Lenin suspect what an inspired take on these words could do: post-socialist techno. A child of 80's late socialism, KiNK grew up on the home computers Bulgaria's IT scientists had created by backwards-engineering Western technology. Fueled by nuclear energy on the edge of desaster, a whole generation of kids was trained to hack. Dance music gradually dripping in through early dial-up internet connections, the acoustic fingerprints of distant parties put Eastern producers from KiNK to Nina Kraviz to Vakula under a spell. Yet KiNK spent years of backwards-engineering the sounds of Detroit, Chicago and early Warp.

Fatima Al Qadiri is a multidisciplinary artist and musician from Kuwait. In just a few years, she has quickly built a reputation as a conceptual artist, exploring themes informed both by her own background and global pop culture, through a number of highly acclaimed EPs, multimedia projects and writings. She is also a founding member of the production team Future Brown. Fatima's debut album is called 'Asiatisch', and as the track titles suggest, the record provides a simulated road trip through an imagined China. Musically, the album is an homage to that quietly influential sub-strain of grime, often loosely termed 'sinogrime' due to its preoccupation with Asian motifs and melodies, pioneered by the likes of Wiley and Jammer at the beginning of the 2000s in East London. 'Asiatisch' is a provocation which asks more questions than it answers. The title is the German word for Asian. Unlike its title, however, the music on 'Asiatisch' revolves around the fantasies of East Asia as refracted through pulpy Western pop culture, in particular Hollywood, literary fiction, music, cartoons and advertising. Fatima asks what is meant by the term 'Asian' in a digital age of viral interchange and the hi-speed trading of cultural bytes; the concept of 'shanzhai' proves pivotal, a term whose meaning stems from a wild, out of control zone of banditry, but which has come to be used to refer to the Chinese counterfeiting of Western brands and goods. While a number of producers have made takes on 'sinogrime' over the last few years, 'Asiatisch' is really the first record that attempts to articulate this weird complex of sonic interchanges between the West and China. With the exception of the opening track, 'Shanzhai', a haunting cover of 'Nothing Compares to You' with nonsensical Mandarin lyrics, and the shimmering 'Loading Beijing', 'Wudang' and 'Jade Stairs' which sample and distort classical Chinese poetry staging an epic confrontation between China's ancient soul and the onslaught of the industrial factory machine, most of the tracks blend mallets, bells, gongs, flutes, steel drums and choral atmospherics with the searing synth-brass and the skittering drums of grime, playing melodies that are inflected as much by classic R&B as to synthetic versions of traditional Chinese music. On "Dragon Tattoo" for example, stereotypical iconography of imagined China is slotted into a threatening, robotic R&B format. The carefree pirating of Western brands blurs into a soft-synth pirating of Chinese musical signs.'Asiatisch' is wrapped in pristine artwork by Babak Radboy from Shanzhai Biennial, and the music was given a 3D sheen by in demand mixer Lexxx. Proclaiming both its love of both ancient and imagined China, 'Asiatisch' is a rare album that is both icily beautiful and conceptually layered.

Lopasura again delves into picturesque soundscapes drenched in emotion and melancholy, illustrating a typically dystopian setting for its latest offering. The A-sides opening track by Mark Forshaw is lean and mechanical in its make-up with an off-kilter combination of thick, stuttering bass stabs and percussion; creating a rather menacing undertone.
As a stark contrast, 'In the Smoke' by The Acid Mercenaries is a nine-minute tracky, steam train of clean and crisp scuttling hi-hats and razor-sharp percussion that dance around the relentless 303 acid line and beautifully soft 808 kick to devastating effect. On the flip side, a thunderous bass drum and freakish electronics stalk the discordant and arpeggiated synth that opens 'Hierarchy of Heritage', evolving it into some kind of hellish themed marching tune for the underworld. Frey then rounds off the EP with a typically rugged yet deliciously intricate piece with Gdn, effortlessly maintaining an intelligent groove throughout.
'Connect Four' is a rather fitting title for this EP, given the undeniable chemistry between all the tracks in how a story is told and tension is created; as Frey has done with the two previous Lopasura releases. The introduction of three debut artists on this release has paid off however, nestling comfortably into the label's aesthetic without compromising on the quality.

Following the release of virtuoso new singles Mr. Cover Up and No-Operative across January and February, seminal DnB duo State Of Mind are to present their fourth album, Eat The Rich, on March 31st. To be released by Black Sun Empire s Blackout imprint, the album celebrates some of the best work of their career to date, underlining their remarkable pedigree and with it, their ability to fuse darker, hard-edged sounds with genuine dance floor mcredibility. Famed for their rugged basslines, steely percussion and huge, driving synth lines, State Of Mind also showcase different sides to their craftsmanship on Eat The Rich, with a number of vocal features taking centre stage. As well as NZ
rapper PercIEve s appearance on the storming, tear-out anthem Mr. Cover Up, the duo also join forces with promising songstress Sacha Vee on the wonderfully eerie Black Raven; although still bullish in style, it highlights a softer, more thoughtful side to State Of Mind. Heavyweight second single No-Operative is also an album highlight, as are further future dance floor anthems like Where You At and Put It On, as well as two unique collaborations with fellow revered DnB figureheads Black Sun Empire. To compliment the rich diversity of sound on offer, the idiosyncratic, breaks-driven heat of Fast Life and the outer-worldly, synth-laden intro on U Control Me complete what is a stunning, career-defining album.
With a European tour in support of the album set to commence in March, ahead of further headline dates in Australia and New Zealand throughout April, Eat The Rich is set to cast State Of Mind into the spotlight like never before.

The Hamburg based Hannes Rasmus released a record in 2013 called "Analog Ist Besser" on Gold Panda's precious label Notown which also featured Luke Abbott from Border Community. This put him on the map for minimal electronic melodic music with a lot of tastemakers and friends of melodic techno. Hannes Rasmus who can be described as a shy person who has eveloped a big knowledge for vintage synthesizers over the years. His challenge has been to write music with hardware, sequence und synths. This may sound not so much of a challenge but for "people who know" the analog sound can bear as much beauty as it can be disastrous since it can be pretty much unpredictable and hard to handle as well. So we are talking here about a person who really loves and lives with analogue g
Time led him through various forms/genres of electronic music making, going step by step towards minimal electronic techno and house music. Meanwhile his aim alongside writing music is to build in Hamburg according to his personal demands, so this is as much of a process as doing music and time as he says. When he is not making music you can see him with a soldering iron building synth
with DIY kits or fixing old synths.
His EP on Traum "Musik Für Fünf Maschinen" refers to the equipment he used to write the music... the tracks however refer to swimming pools.

Gray Hoodie is the debut album from french musician / composer Elise Mélinand. The album, written in Berlin then sequentially recorded throughout various locations in France, was initially inspired by the techniques she was exposed to after being recruited as part of Christina Vantzou's (Kranky / The Dead Texan) Little Prism Ensemble. Her newly adapted recording and composition tool, the laptop, is undeniably the norm today. However, it allowed Mélinand to better visualize her compositions while experimenting with techniques that Gray Hoodie so skillfully showcases. Crafted by Mélinand to tell a story of a friend who gave her a gray hoodie one cold evening. This gray hoodie was a symbol of their friendship and this album is said by Mélinand to be "A way to thank him for everything he gave me". Gray Hoodie showcases Mélinand's childlike voice and legato string work juxtaposed over frenetic experimental beat-work that is injected into ten cinematic vignettes that exude the comfort and warmth of a sweatshirt on a cold day.

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

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

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

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

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

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

DJ FEEDBACK

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

Limited White Vinyl Pressing!
While some of you might think of Planet Rhythm as one of those old labels from back in the day, it may not necessarily be the correct judgement. Not only is it a product of its past achievements, but it's also pushing things forward in the present time, with Woo York being one of a few new artists emerging from the imprint's recent catalogue. That said, 2014 starts with Ukrainian duo taking over Planet Rhythm headquarters as the label's proprietors and getting in charge of all of its future development.

First out of press is the duo's own EP highlighting their shift towards brand new, hardware-driven studio setup. From abstract TB-303-ish structures of Acid Rain, through the building peaks of Analogue Swamp, a perfect example of stripping functional techno, to Come Closer's uplifting trance-y melodies and the closing sequence of Strobe 1, this record is shaping up to be Woo York's strongest release to date.

SHADELEAF reaches out to the tribes and comes home with a serious crop to see us through !

For their debut V.A selection 'Please Come Correct' Thatmanmonkz has pulled in some serious talent from the fringes of forward-thinking House

Ny*Ak fires the opening beatdown salvo,'U Don't Understand', and cooks up another of those loose, low riding, sample heavy and heady jams, reminiscent of Berlin via early Sound Signature that made last year's EP for Intimate Friends via Rush Hour such an essential!

Next up Cape Town's Jumping Back Slash, who's been making some serious music, fusing elements of S.A House with Kwaito and, well pretty much anything else he can throw into the mix to move your assets.
'Bloodlines' however could just as easily have emanated from 8 Mile, a captivating piece of pure, crisply rendered machine soul back lit with township chants and emotive chords.

Mr 'monkz himself handles B1, and to say this guy's on a roll would be something of an understatement!
Much like Graef and Co, 'imgettintiredofyou' is Deep House that dines out on a diet of Hip Hop, dirty hertz in the low registers and deftly manipulated sample work throughout - killer stuff!

Finally our truly global selection winds up in Moscow as another hotly tipped up-and-comer Lay-Far gives us 'Many-Sided'.
Fans of last year's excellent EP on Fifty Fathoms Deep will know what to expect. Again, a loosely pieced together cut, hinting at West London vibes,and shot through with creative sampling and an undeniable ear for melody and groove that really shines.

Cadenza head honcho, Luciano, often collaborates with many other artists, his constant touring schedule blessing him the opportunity to write and produce music with a multitude of like minded producers, and on 'Into The Aether", we get the first part of a two part series of tracks composed with various other Cadenza personnel. 'Arizona Green Song' sees Luciano and Marlowe (AKA Digitaline) get together for a vibrant and busy freak out. A plethora of rattling and sharp percussion cuts through a simple melody line and low slung groove. Building over ten tantric minutes, dubby inflections and hidden voices are woven into the detailed arrangement to great effect. A collaboration with Dani Casarano results in 'Bell's & Tonic", a slower paced vibe here, but with plenty of funk, from it's bending bass line and hand claps to the deft organ touches and shuffling shakers. A world within is created here, again distant voices, rattling cow bells and (yes) livestock and other field recordings are layered here to create a unique ambience. Uncompromising and original music then, from Cadenza's boss and friends. Expect a 'Part Two' to be released in the coming months....

Following his widely celebrated Macro Habitat EP of last year, Santos returns to Dissonant to deliver another three tracks, laying down detailed rhythms that shimmer with the infectious energy in which the man has made his twenty-year career on. 'Garlic' is a roving thrill-ride that hangs on to the commanding groove as it whips through a dense landscape of sound, constantly moving forward with an energy that speaks to primal instincts. That leaves it to 'Invisible' to get deep in the dub, letting masterfully handled delay and reverb pulse out a spiritually enriching techno mantra. 'Cable' takes a different approach, weaving some colour into the mix. The rolling beat flirts with playful swathes of synthesizer and samples for a wonderfully trippy end result that delights the mind, just as it moves the body.

12'' EP in sleeve with 3mm spine + download card!
This is a first 12" offering to the forthcoming album "Tropics Of Love" (featuring among others Luke Jenner on Vocals)
which will also be exclusively through us.

Phil Weeks teams up with Soldiers Of Twilight vocalist Ladybird on his new track Natural High, a deep and soulful house track laden with warm chords and Weeks' trademark MPC beats. Released on vinyl and digital formats through Robsoul Recordings on 14th February, the single comes with three alternate versions - the Unplugged version removes the beats and bass providing a tool on which Ladybird's vocals shine, the Baby Dub takes things into heads down territory, and the Higher Mix reintroduced the vocal.View the video of Phil Weeks and Ladybird performing Natural High in the studio:http://youtu.be/x1YulPP-EqM

Songwriter and vocalist Ladybird is best known for her work as part of Soldiers of Twilight, who released numbers records via 2020 Vision and Serial Records. Her own self-titled album can be found on Peng, while other collaborations, most notably alongside Llorca, DJ Rork and DJ Le Roi, have appeared on F Communications, Distance and Foliage.Since 2000 Phil Weeks has released his unique brand of house music on some of the world's leading underground labels including 2020 Vision, Music For Freaks, Brique Rouge, Magnetic, Detour, Adult Only and his own Robsoul, which is responsible for the majority of his original output. Robsoul has released his three critically acclaimed albums - Love Affair, Raw Instrumental and Yeah, I Like That. 2013 has been one of Phil's busiest years so far, with the release of the three-volumed Crate Diggin compilation, original music for Supplement Facts and Robsoul, and remixes for Saved, Cajual, Snatch!, Homecoming and Bass Culture. 2014 looks set to be even bigger!

Steve Lee's (The Project Club) ABOVE MACHINE label returns with another superb release from acclaimed Italian duo Almunia
Their last single for AM was a best-seller, and their celebrated output through Paul 'Mudd' Murphy's Claremont56 label, including the recent Pulsar LP has seen the their blissful & uplifting Balearic sound win over many a new follower
'Find My Way' is a gorgeous, acoustic guitar led vocal number, conjuring up twilight beach side boogie, balmy breezes and ice cold drinks
Marius Circus gets to work on the B side, taking the irresistible melodies to a much later, darker dancefloor.
Laying a foundation of squelchy moog style bass and a toughened up rhythm track before heavily effected guitars sweep across the mix elevating the whole thing to near transcendental heights !
A superb release and addition to the Above Machine catalogue

Blank Code start 2014 off strong with their latest EP Rituals of Submission, produced by Luis Flores, with remixes by Black Asteroid and DJ Hyperactive. The opening track Discipline starts off with a nice creepy atmosphere supported by a solid kick and just the right amount of percussion to hook you into the tracks core rhythm, which stays consistent while the supporting percussion keeps the intensity of the track in constant motion. Black Asteroid's Discipline remix gives the track a whole new perspective, while staying true to the original's excellent use of classic elements. The straightforward kick and up­beats work perfect with this track's industrial bassline, while cleverly programmed analog synths carry the track with slow triplet rhythms, and quirky stabs that drift off to space.

Luis Flores' second original composition, The Word, follows the same philosophy as Discipline, with many elements coming together to form one solid rhythm. This is a huge sounding track with intricate metal percussion and pitch modulated stabs that form a dark and inciting hook which is overtaken by filtered claps as the track progresses. DJ Hyperactive gets down to business with his remix of The Word and lets his Chicago roots shine through as hats on all fours and hard hitting claps are used to raise the energy sparked by the deep kick and well processed stab.

Freestyle Records is immensely proud to announce the release of this new single from new signing Kalbata & Mixmonster - Prisoner In Love, which is taken from the forthcoming stunning album Congo Beat The Drum.


Kalbata & Mixmonster went into their home studio ago in Tel Aviv, Israel with the purpose of recording a 100% analogue dub album in the spirit of the late King Tubby and the early dancehall era of the late 70's and early 80's. A 16-track tape machine and an old analogue mixing desk were their main instruments, with musicians playing live all throughout the album.


A year after recording the instrumental backing tracks, they travelled to Kingston, Jamaica and started tracking down their favourite singers and deejays from days gone by. The stunning and totally authentic results evoke the heyday of Jamaican music - and on 'Prisoner In Love' legendary vocalist Little John, regarded by some as the first dancehall vocalist, hits just the right feel on this mellow, down tempo number. His voice floats alongside the ethereal piano and on the money drum patterns and deep bass lines perfectly.


On the flip - special guest Kutiman drives the CRB organ on this instrumental version excursion of Prisoner In Love - proper old school JA style!

The Appointment program was launched by Marieu, EMG, John Swing and Lucretio in the early 2010. They started to record coarse functional hardware compositions in the cursory sessions they were able to set up when all the four could summon in the same city. After a couple of seminal releases on LiveJam Records and an official remix made for Moodyman on Decks Reworx, they decided to start their own imprint, with bare handmade ink graphichs on thier white labels and with spare press information and media promotion. To celebrate their 10th release, they have decide to tell the world who they are cutting on vinyl their personal reinterpretation of a live session recorded at the Restoration heaquarters. From Lucretio's post-rave techno, to EMG shrinked deep-house, through Marieu's breakbeat-electro science to John Swing's overloaded hip-house, what you find on this 12 is a true dedication to the sonic quest.
Out at the end of February 2014. ONLY ON VINYL.

As per our collective minds; music is a universal language which is spoken and written around the globe. With his backpack loaded with records and his mind full of ideas, Tagtraumer has been exploring foreign countries and undiscovered sounds. Eight years have passed on his seemingly endless journey. Through different people, extraordinary situations, adventurous experiences and unknown vibes an elixir of magic is created. It is the engine and the resource that drives his artistic inspirations.

June 8th, 1984, a deadly F5 tornado nearly destroys the town of Barneveld, Wisconsin, killing 9 people, injuring nearly 200, and causing over $25,000,000 in damage, only five months later Nenad Markovic was born in Belgrade, Serbia. May 3th 2000, a rare conjunction of 7 celestial bodies (Sun, Moon, planets Mercury-Saturn) occurs during the New Moon, few weeks after that in his room on the 10th floor of a new belgrade skyscraper nenad made his first steps into the wild blue yonder. December 27th, 2005 - Astrophysicists from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Garching near Munich measure the strongest burst from a magnetar. At 21:30:26 UT the earth is hit by a huge wave front of gamma and X-rays. It is the strongest flux of high-energetic gamma radiation measured so far. September 23th 2008, in the Akihabara area of Tokyo, Japan, a 25-year-old man stabs seven to death and wounds 10, before being arrested, that night nenad adopted his pseudonym 33. 10. 3402 (33th of october threethousandfourhounded and two) Jun 11th 2009, a Texas mother was hit by lightning while standing in her kitchen inside her Texas home. Witnesses say the lightning came through a light fixture and struck her chest and exited her foot. Her 9-year-old son franticly called 9-1-1 to save her life. She had to spend three days in the hospital. Few months later nenad performed for the first time under the name 33 10 3402 along with Dj Brka in 'The Wash' club. From that time on, nenad had numerous gigs in prominent Belgrade clubs. Dec 8th 2010, with the second launch of the SpaceX Dragon, SpaceX becomes the first privately held company to successfully launch, orbit and recover a spacecraft. The same year nenad become resident in famous balgrade club '20/44'. Nenad is not responsible for many of these events, nonetheless,he is constantly on the move.

The second EP from Jack Dice sees a huge leap in ambition for the project, a 5 track session that's more addictive, direct and heady than its predecessor.
'Sip Paint' centres around 'Stash's Theme' featuring rapper and producer Stash Marina, a track that deploys crisp triplets and saturated production straddling mainstream signatures on the one hand and a world of analogue/deviant recording techniques on the other. It's an odd, hyper-addictive track - available here in both vocal and instrumental versions.
'Low Glo', 'Kerosene' and 'Radium Dial' are more subdued and immersive; you could draw lines straight through the material here to a number of different projects Twells has been involved with through the last decade, though he seems to benefit immeasurably from Chambliss' presence. The pair find a perfect balance between their respective disciplines, resulting in an EP that at different points throws stylistic references to everything from Prince's Black Album to The Art of Noise, Drake, Philip Jeck and Evian Christ's DUGA 3 sessions - without ever sounding overworked or too knowing, a feat in itself.

Baptise & Pierre Colleu
French brothers Baptiste & Pierre Colleu have been making music together since they were children. They spent a chunk of their childhood in Africa, which they say has inspired their work in the studio. That influence is submerged fairly deep on 'Dolphin Kid,' the title track for these two EPs. There's an undercurrent of eerie soulfulness and woody percussion accents running through this oddly alluring cosmic-house seducer, but its roots are more Balearic than Afrobeat.

The five remixes of 'Dolphin Kid' enhance the Colleu brothers' original in incrementally fascinating ways. On 'Coyote's Intense Mix,' the respected UK duo augment the laid-back rhythm with nuanced 303 twangs and boldface the hand percussion to magnify its latent funkiness. L.I.E.S. recording artist Willie Burns slows 'Dolphin Kid''s pace to a majestic, hollowed-out, dub-funk strut. It's unfathomably deep. Seattle tech-house maverick Jon McMillion serves up the most twisted, sinister version here, warping the main synth part into a disorienting swirl of borborygmi while intensifying the rhythmic urgency and expanding the sound palette. The second EP concludes with two masterly remixes by Black Merlin. His 'Romance in the Dark Mix' turns 'Dolphin Kid' into a chilling, Goblin-esque piece of dungeon ambience. But it's Merlin's nearly 13-minute 'Peyote Mix' that really reels in the cinematic magic, as he launches the cut even deeper into the black, adding thrusting, throbbing disco kicks and enough horror/thriller-film soundtrack signifiers to give John Carpenter a perma-grimace. Poor 'Dolphin Kid' has come to a gory, but very exciting end.

With a self-proclaimed goal to showcase newcomers as well as established artists, Melodymathics hands out their 'second punch' with a killer track by Detroit veteran Gari Romalis. Gari is at the forefront of the Detroit techno scene, working close with Terrence
Parker, Mike Banks, Cliff Thomas and labels such as Tresor, Transmat, Soma and many more. His productions clearly show that his 30 years experience Dj'ing made him realize what works on the dancefloor. 'The Web' on Melodymathics Ltd.002 is a sublime example of soulful keys combined with funky rhythm, resulting in the ultimate Dj tool.

Our new talent 'Barce' was discovered in Spain and sets the tone with his 'SP' track for a possible lifetime relationship with Melodymathics. Barce's music speaks parts of his life and relfects a musical image of his soul. 'SP' brings deepness to another level in this release, with a manipulated organ chord - hypnotizing you throughout the whole chord -
and a story being told on top with various snares, dope basslines and sample work.

The traditional endless grooves, provided byThe Melodymann, are a nice addition for any Dj who wants that little extra..

Dj Feedback

SEAN DEASON (Matrix records)

Very nice! Smooth deep and funky as hell! Great work!

ROBERT OWENS

Great EP, would be nice to play.

SAMUEL JAMES (Elektrosouls Recordings)

One of the deepest releases of the year. Melodymathics is definitely a label to keep an eye on !

JULES WELLS ( KMS, Submerge records)

Great, I love it !!

RENNIE FOSTER (Transmat / Rebirth )

Sick

BEN SOLAR

Great Stuff

FABRICE LIG

Great EP, so deep !

TITONTON DUVANTE

All tracks are solid! Really like the way the Gari Romalis track builds. The Barce track is

cool in the second half. Expect some deck time for this one..

DONNA BLACK

This is DOPE!

SEBASTIAN SAN

Good stuff, Deep as i like it !

DIMITRI ANDREAS

Nice smooth and deep, Like it !

LA WILLIAMS (Peacefrog, DJAX)

PUREEEEEEE DETROITTTTTT ! Richard Pryor sample classic

PAT LEZIZMO

Vraiment Bien !

SATORE (Hizou Deeply Rooted House)

Really nice Ep!

AUBREY

really good .. like it.. deep moody stuff !!

PETE HOWL

Deep & smooth, great package! love it

ANAXANDER

'wow, strong EP, proper dancefloor killers'

BERNY GARDIN

Interesting, can feel lot of infuences, style!

ANDREW DUKE

Veteran artist Gari Romalis brings the heat as expected; both Barce's original and the

remix from The Melodymann hit the spot. With these 3 tracks all in my bag, Melodymathics

Ltd keeps bringing the goods.

DEEP MOVEMENTS LABEL

Instant support, will play for sure !

OLIVER KAPP (Indulge, Raygun Records)

Very nice old school vibe..... love it

LP is available on 180 GRM black vinyl The KVB release their new immersive and hypnotic album 'Minus One' on November 18th via A Recordings. The album follows hot on the heels of outstanding stand alone single 'Run Away' released on Ample Play Records last month. The KVB is the audio/visual project of London youngsters Nicholas Wood & Kat Day, who combine reverb heavy wall of sound guitars, minimal haunting strings and grinding bass synths, messed up motorik drum machine beats and delay drenched vocals with a backdrop of imagery to accompany the symphony, that's nothing short of life affirming. 'Minus One' is in fact The KVB's third album, their second full length LP 'Immaterial Visions' which came with an accompanying remix EP, featuring mixes from underground techno pioneers Regis and Silent Servant was only released in February this year. The KVB is a group with a sense of urgency about it, to do what they need to do, with full commitment and without delay. It's a tangible attitude that runs throughout 'Minus One'. Indeed this year they have undertaken more extensive touring, including shows in Russia & the Ukraine and November 2013 will see them playing the last ever ATP before supporting The Brian Jonestown Massacre across Australia in December.Dates For The UK 23 Nov 2013 Electrowerkz w/ Dead Skeletons, London UK & 29 Nov 2013 ATP Festival, Camber Sands UK

Once again Danse Club Records have unearthed a forgotten and sorely overlooked house track here, then they have enlisted a fine pair of contemporary producers - Sqim and Deepchild - to remix it and bring it right up to date. The original, 'Who's Dick Is This' is a 1994 kicking house bomb by the mysterious Princess Di, who released but three EPs during the 90s on Music Station with this track being the pick of the bunch. German producer Sqim is associated with labels like Exploited and Play It Down and firstly offers up a Ghetto Mix of the track. The result is a big and physical house track with sleazy samples, heavyweight drums and a kinetic energy throughout The warm up mix by the same man is a much deeper affair, as you'd expect from the name. This one resides in a much warmer and more inviting groove and is coloured with deft synths as it slowly builds in phases. The elastic vocals dart about above the drums, bringing with them a lively sense of soul and funk before Deepchild offers his own two unique versions.From quirky, stripped-back techno injected with soul to deep, dub-inflected excursions, Berlin based Australian Deepchild can do it all. Here he offers his 'Cockumentary Retug' a ragged and raging techno version riddled with spoken word samples culled from a documentary about penis size. Its dark and involving and sure will get great reactions on the floor. The final version is a straight dub that journeys in a heavy groove, has some weird spoken word snippets melted into it and is lit up with some celestial synth patterns in the latter half.