quête:tim le el

Strut team up for the first time with respected French label Heavenly Sweetness for the brand new album by the inspired poet, novelist and musician, Anthony Joseph.The Caribbean is an influence that runs through Joseph's discography, obliquely or headon, suggested or on full display. It resonates on each of his albums, from the furious trance of 'Bird Head Son' to the more polished 'Time'. On 'Caribbean Roots', he has now decided to turn a guiding thread and a reference point into a communications cable - a powerful bond that makes light of distance and braves the seas to link his island to that of his friends in the Caribbean arc, dancing to the strains of tumbélé and mendé only a few miles
from Port of Spain where people live it up to rapso and soca beats. Caribbean Roots' represents a return to his roots for Anthony Joseph, who has always remained true to a powerful, deep-seated sense of his Caribbean identity. Having started
out as a joint project with the outstanding percussionist Roger Raspail (Cesaria Evora, Papa Wemba, Kassav), 'Caribbean Roots' swiftly grew into a creative force incorporating
the rhythms, sounds and vibes that rock the Caribbean from San Fernando, Scarborough, Kingston and Les Abymes to Port-au-Prince and Havana. Backed by a band made up
of a blend of local musicians, the album attempts to unite the different islands into a single entity whilst ensuring that the identity of each is in no way diluted by the mix instead creating a richer and stronger alloy. The saxophones of Shabaka Hutchings (The
Heliocentrics) and Jason Yarde, the trumpet of Yvon Guillard (Magma), the bass of Mike Clinton (Salif Keita) and the trombone of Pierre Chabrèle (Creole Jazz Orchestra) all combine to form a group of Caribbean All Stars to which Andy Narrell, the master of the steel pans, brings ringing drum beats. The album features bursts of catchy rhythms and slow percussive riff progressions, as on a film soundtrack, incandescent voodoo funk and rhythmic high-speed frenzies shot through with free-jazz sax. This reunion of the Caribbean diaspora was never meant to come up with a formula divisible into eleven separate tracks - its goal was to explore and discover new sounds. And all of this under Anthony Joseph's guidance, as he spins his lyrical blend of afro-futurism and surrealism, commemorating the Caribbean people's sometimes violent resistance to colonialism. Anthony Joseph, one moment a chronicler reciting his text against a background of simple percussion, the next a storyteller possessed by the power of a hypnotic bassline, then an adventurer chanting among mangroves where the rhythm section and the brass have created an impenetrable thicket. At turns, an MC too, strutting to a fat, throbbing groove in vocal tandem with Sly Johnson or David Rudder to pay tribute to Mighty Sparrow, the undisputed and indisputable king of calypso

For the second vinyl release on DNA_rec, Emiel Zwart hit the road again with a brand new EP "Counterattack". The package includes 2 original cuts and remixes from Ritzi Lee & Remco Beekwilder. As a result they've managed to create a distinctive EP which has a variety of tracks that suits everybody's needs for every club moment. Counterattack opens up with constantly driven synths and sturdy basslines and Ritzi Lee made perfect use of these elements for his remix. Church is the more minimalistic approach compared to Counterattack but when that vocal gets in your head and combined with some hard hitting claps and hihats this track can be played at any time of the evening. And to top things off Remco Beekwilder has made a hard banging remix from this cut as you can expect from the talented producer.

The first release on new Berlin-based label Per Musica Ad Astra is Mick Clarke's 'Zusammen!' LP, the follow-up after many years to his debut solo release 'Games' on German label Blubberlips in 1979. A pioneer of UK electronic music, Mick was also in legendary synth-wave band Naked Lunch, and apart from producing music under a few different aliases over the years he also finds time to run the Flight Recorder label and is a regular programmer on Intergalactic FM, hosting both the Radio Oscillations and Magic Waves shows. The music here is very much in the spirit of the label's kosmische/space Berlin-school agenda, both reflecting his earlier work and exploring new territory simultaneously. Lush orchestrations and beautiful synth pads contrast against hypnotic rhythms and delicate melodies, and while the label's mission might be electronic listening music' tracks like 'Red Bird' and 'Mistral' are surely DJ material too. The latter evokes a sound similar to vintage Basic Channel, while other parts of the album flow through sonic territories as diverse as Tangerine Dream and the Berlin school of ambient, Warp Records' classic 'Artificial Intelligence' series, deep electro and even atmospheric Italo as well. The record comes in a beautiful sleeve with notes from the label, and comes free with a nice space insert! Definitely not one to miss!

Following contributions by DJ Deep and DJ Hell, Tresor Records are proud to present the third instalment in their Kern mix-series, this time headed by Berlin based producer Objekt, his first release following his 2014 debut album Flatland for PAN. In keeping with the series mission of showcasing a more personal approach to mixing Hertz describes his process as such;

Kern Vol. 3 is made up of tracks that I know I will play and love for years to come. Some of these records have been in my bag for years; others are almost as new to me as they are to you. A handful are by lesser known artists whom I admire and who I think deserve wider recognition. Planned, recorded, embellished, reworked, tweaked and chiselled away at over a period of 6 months, the mix was gradually carved out in a way that makes use of new and old techniques alike, presenting itself primarily as a DJ mix but settling in a sweet spot between live recording and studio trickery. The tracklist spans styles, decades and BPMs in an attempt to craft a mix that's unpredictable and compelling in equal measure - one that draws from the more adventurous corners of my club sets, but above all, one that's a pleasure to listen to.

Clocking in at 75min across 36 tracks, Kern Vol. 3 delivers on Objekt's promise, stitching together everything from the playful breakbeats of Beatrice Dillon's "Halfway" to Kirk DiGiorgio's classic techno "Nebula Variation" and the lightspeed IDM of Aleksi Perälä and Ueno Masaaki without missing a beat. A descent through ambient bliss, thundering cello drones and vocal contortions (courtesy of Anna Caragnano, Yair Elazar Glotman and Senyawa's Rully Shabara respectively) give way to the stoned haze of Sensational vs Sotofett and metalwork of Machine Woman and Skarn, rounding up a highly eclectic and adventurous mix which also includes previously unreleased tracks by Bristol's Shanti Celeste, rising Brooklyn producer Via App and accomplished electro technicians Clatterbox and Polzer.

Some believe that the environment in which you make music - from the studio space, to the location itself - has a profound effect on the creative process. Immerse yourself in the world around you, the theory goes, and it will shape the music you make. Listen to Gorthleck, the third album from veteran downtempo alchemists Benjamin Smith and Paul 'Mudd' Murphy, and you can almost visualize the craggy, windswept and breathtakingly beautiful environment in which it was made. Reconvening after a near seven-year hiatus last summer, the duo headed up to the Scottish Highlands to spend a week recording in the surrounds of Gorthleck House, nestled on the shore of Loch Mhor in Inverness-shire. Earlier this year, they returned to the same venue, with its' stunning views of the tranquil loch and rocky, wooded hills rising in the distance, to complete the nine-track set. Certainly, the immersive environment and famously changeable weather seems to have inspired the longtime friends and studio partners. The album's epic centrepiece, the nine-minute Mhor', sounds like an emotional love letter to the body of water they strolled alongside every day. Its' undulating synthesizer line - reminiscent of classic Tangerine Dream and the Orb's A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain' - mimics the slow ebb and flow of water across the loch, while Smith's shimmering guitar lines mimic the glint of sunlight reflecting off the surface. Elsewhere, the audio references are a little more subtle, but no less relevant. The hazy jazz guitars, twinkling pianos, rich grooves and fluttering clarinets of Nether' sound like the perfect accompaniment to a single malt whisky-fuelled sunset session at the water's edge, while the quietly foreboding aural textures, layered guitars and urgent electric violin of Enos' evoke memories of watching storm clouds gathering behind distant Highland mountains. The same could be said of Mr Coats' - a track arranged in steamy Mexico, and blessed with all the humidity you'd expect from such an excursion - while you can hear gale force winds whistling around the rafters on Dogwood'. As for Errogie', it's as bracing as a crystal clear morning in the Highlands, chilly, but hugely life affirming. The duo's previous two albums, 2007's Blue River and its' 2009 follow-up, Le Suivant, were both hugely evocative, but neither captured a distinct a sense of time and place quite like Gorthleck. Listen carefully, and you could almost be there with them, watching the sunrise and sunset.

Nick Höppner returns to Ostgut Ton after last year's Folk album and a split release with Fort Romeau (Cin Cin, 2015). The Fantastic Planet EP sees him collaborating with Japanese DJ and producer Gonno on three bouncy, clubenabled tracks, steeped in early 90s House and UK Electronica vibes.
Höppner met Sunao Gonno on his first travels to Tokyo in 2008 where they clicked immediately: A similar musical upbringing from Post Hardcore to club music paved the way for Gonno and Nick where the language barrier would've been a stumbling block otherwise - firstly as a foundation for a personal relationship, later for an ad hoc three day stint in Höppner's studio when Gonno visited Berlin for his DJ debut at Panorama Bar. Despite the limited time together, all three pieces evolved from initial jams and sketches to tidied up tracks, not only sharing a resembling emotion but also playful and detailed musical elements.

Spocking Fivers' on A opens on a more jazzy and breakbeat note, with snapping fingers, various synth pads and percussion slowly building layer upon layer, up until a warm kick, some gentle melody and bubbling sounds take over. It's a grower, in terms of running time and track development.

Fantastic Planet' on B1 comes with a strong, continuous 4/4 bassline and organic percussion from start to end, further on dominated by hypnotic melody stabs and a swelling climax - a muscular yet detailed piece. Finally As Above, So Below' follows more romantic and dreamy motifs, by using a more mellow downbeat theme it lets all squeaky sounds mesh nicely.

After making some massive claims regarding electronic music last year which caused a stir in the dance music community, Mat Zo had a lot to live up to with his long awaited second album "Self Assemble". What didn't help was the fact that his first album, "Damage Control" was critically acclaimed by many within dance music and is now considered a modern-day masterpiece with mesmerising tracks such as The Sky and the massive Easy with Porter Robinson.Blending genres and sounds in a way only Zo can achieve, this record flows incredibly well as the tracks move from one to the other almost telling a story of the different styles of electronic music. At times the album is reminiscent of Zo's incredible Essential Mix from back in 2013 in the way that it progresses and constantly surprises the listeners. A lot funkier than Damage Control, it's no less incredible.
Beginning with the beautifully atmospheric "Order out of Chaos" which starts with an absolute wall of sound that boggles the mind in how Zo even went about designing something so complex, this sets the tone for the rest of the record in a cracking way. The melody soon crescendos and we're introduced in to the meat of the album with "The Enemy". Bringing out all the good funky vibes on this track, again Zo exhibits his insane production talents which are a staple of the album. Featuring vocals from the wonderful Sinead Egan, this is a great uplifting tune that'll no doubt have you dancing in your chair or in the club.
'Sinful" acts to continue the funky good-time vibes and transports us to a cool summertime drive. It has us yearning for happier times and again the guest vocals from I SEE MONSTAS go a long way in getting across this happy vibe. Featuring an uplifting almost french house inspired bassline and squelch synths that wouldn't look out of place on a Daft Punk or Madeon record, this is another stunning track from the record. "Patterns Emerging" feels like a bridge into the next section of the album and is unfortunately short. The orchestral element really brings out the emotion on this track and we only wish it was longer. "Killing Time" has those classic chopped up vocals that Zo uses to great effect and some nicely programmed drums that could be a nod to the drum and bass he used to put out under MRSA.'Smacked up on Jack" features some cool middle eastern sounds and a wacky vocal sample that helps to progress the album and keep the listener interested, again though we feel like it's a bit too short and are left wanting more. The next tune "Ruffneck Bad Boy VIP" is an absolute mammoth and one of our favourites off the record. Opening with an immense rhodes melodic sequence and after some nice vocals, the track rips into the electro house and dubstep infused banger that it really is. Some dirty, dirty sound design and drum production will have the dance floors going wild and shows us again why Zo is so good, it's a far cry from the funkier elements of the earlier stuff on the album and shows how Zo can show off a range of electronic sounds. "Lights Out" is a straight up hard hitting electro banger with an infectious vocal sample that only needs to be heard to be understood. Not much more needs to be said about it! Coming into the last section of the record, "Soul Food" returns us to the groove with an astonishing house beat and bass line that have us questioning how Zo makes it so hard not to smile listening to this album."Stereo no Aware" starts sounding like it's taken straight from a space movie epic and soon transforms into a goose bump inducing melody with a driving growling bass line that bring back the epic dubstep we all used to love a couple of years ago. Skrillex eat your heart out. Finishing off this record on a more emotional note, "Too Late" starts off like a guitar ballad and then transforms into something totally different. Egan's melancholic vocals enhance this track to great effect and is all backed by Zo's lovely downbeat production until we're treated to a monster of a climax around half way through the track which will surely blow the cobwebs right off you. Zo says goodbye to us with the phenomenal "The Last Transmission" and what a way this is to close out an incredible sophmore album for the English producer. The melancholic piano chords are a subtle and pleasing way to close out this journey of a record. Mat Zo really has outdone himself here and we're really looking forward to hearing some of these bombs dropped live. Surely a contender for album of the year at such an early stage, yet again it's only the best delivered by Mat Zo.
Latest album, Damage Control was Grammy-nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album last year

House pioneer Thee J Johanz reworked his 1992 Irdial house classic 'Move Your Butty'. With remix by Prins Thomas and the sublime remastered 1992 original.

The original Move Your Butty (1992) gained cult status and the time seems right for a re-release of this gem. It was originally out on the legendary London based Irdial Records. Thee J Johanz decided to replace samples with synths, which gave him the freedom to create a totally fresh and moody remix, good enough to keep our butty's moving for the next 20 years. The strings of the Elka Synthex give you wings, while the typical Move Your Butty bassline is pumpin you up. Expect the unexpected from Prins Thomas' remix: very refreshing funky eighties electro vibes, or is it the sound of the future An original approach with an oasis of Move Your Butty references in the middle. An excellent remix of the remix.

Figure SPC inevitably arrives at the alphabet's last letter and therefore the end of what has been a most prosperous runtime and success story. Already accountable for its first release 'A' seven years ago, Jeroen Search has proven essential to the sublabel's course with his many cornerstone contributions. This final, special extended release grants him the ample scope to tell the closing chapter in all proper detail. Spread across two fully packed 12s the Dutch veteran producer wastes no time but lets his ever evolving array of machines do the talking. They speak in many tones - be it snappy or propelling, vivid or restrained, stomping or intricate - yet they all retain Search's consistently singular voice. Each of the nine tracks was composed as a live take, with elements being reduced to the utmost minimum but always carrying the kinetic energy onto the next bar. Thus this ultimate catalogue number SPC Z not only bears witness to an artist's impressive ability to reliably distill the pure essence of a groove. It is also the grand conclusion to an esteemed series that has become a staple in many DJ's bags, brought forth plenty of future classics and left its unmistakable mark on techno. Crafty, refined and irresistibly moving, this record is sure to be stirring up dancers around the globe.

Raw electronix all the way from Medellin, Colombia. It's Retrograde Youth making his debut on Radio Matrix. By serving us three different kind of tunes, he shows us he is definitely an artist to keep your eyes and ears focused on. Where the first track shows his more melodic side with a grimy twist, the darkness really starts to unfold on the flip. 'Love Fantasy' will fill the room and leaves no escape with its haunting bassline, flanged hihats and Earth shattering leads. And on the B2, 'No Time' is the one for the dark basements, straight up acid for the tough kids! And this is only part 1...

Ep number four of this series of eight remastered tracks with remix-tributes to the techno legend Christian Morgenstern is here, and kicks off with D_func's remix of Steigreider on side A. Creating a warm grayscale atmosphere, the track is carried by a heavy sub kick groove that's saturated with the modern industrial energy that proves Kowalski's skills as a techno craftsman. As a contrast, Jeroen Search's remix of Aces High on B1 is a more minimal interpretation, carried by a slowly developing beat and playing skillfully with the most recognisable elements of the original. The final track, a remastered version of Morgenstern's Lydia To The Edge Of Panic is a timeless classic, painting a Morgenstern-typical distant and dream like landscape and opening up into a widescreen chord progression, with an epic build up.

Our latest Looking for Mushrooms' EP comes to us from a collaboration between long time Dirt Crew resident Tigerskin and gifted jazz pianist and composer Grambow. We first heard from Grambow when his fluid key stylings featured on Tigerskin's Faint' in 2015. The title track is a suspenseful and moody journey, lead by live double bass from feature artist Das Eb". Building in intensity with Tigerskin's warm production and steady percussive instrumentation until Grambow's live lead on a gritty synth growls in over the top. A true modern electronic classic as far as we are concernred. Tsukiji' is a playful deep house groover. Balmy tuned percussion and shaken highs roll along under the light hearted piano which cruises along throughout the whole tropically touched endeavour. This track has Party' written all over it! Octocat' is a tougher italo disco tainted work out, tightly programmed live and analogue percussive elements push along, while wailing keys lick over a tenacious grunting bass. You can really taste and feel the long studio sessions the guys had to compose this great track. It is so much more than generic dance music. Red Fox' is a divine culmination of the pair's compositional prowess and dance music knowhow. A cinematic and spirited house track that glides and glistens via delicate piano, plucky percussive riffs, bright strings and woodwinds. We are very honoured to release this outstanding musical release by Tigerskin and Grambow.

'Ye Mele' double sider, featuring Elis' version and an incredible Turkish cover by the wonderful Senay. Luiz Carlos Vinhas 'Le Mele' is an all time favourite of ours, and these versions take it in brilliant new directions.

Elis' starts in a similar vein to LCV, building with huge vocals and soaring synths, before dropping into a latin-esque section. Appeared on 7' in 1968 on Philips Brazil, not easy to find.

Senays psychedelic soul version is a B-side from a rare Turkish 7' released in 1972. Her classic 1980 LP Honki Ponki has just been re-issued too, which is equally as great.

The master jammer returns! Opal are so proud to release this set of four beautiful, sun filled pieces of pure electronic music. Ged Gengras' Personable project is the boiled down syrup of many years spent learning his craft within synthesis. Captured directly from live home studio recording, each track lives and breathes in it's own space, 'Gambetti' serves a light structure of rattling snares and resonant bass boops dressed up with gorgeous, almost gothic hanging notes. 'Window' is a funked slice of Ged at his best, referencing grime/garage structure but extended out into am 11+ minute epic that conjures buccolic idyll, like funky sunshine. B-side opener 'Oyster' flips the vibe inward into a more paranoid number, similarly long form and rolling but with all melody turning in on itself and riffs decaying away into thin whispers. To close; the stunning 'Cormorant' forms itself from a bed of padded out bliss. Reminiscent of Oval or Pinkcourtesyphone, the track haunts with a breathy sadness which pulses forwards into squash court squeaks and deep forward facing kick drums. Every time I listen to Personable I'm hearing someone who approaches their instruments as a player, no concepts or grand ideas, just playing a synthesiser and doing it so well.

Electro kicks, raw textures, ominous choirs: L' immaginario, Previsto's opening track, ties a bound between Martelli's two releases on Antinote, giving us one last glimpse at the uninhabited post-apocalyptic landscapes drawn in Menti Singole.
However, this time Leonardo Martelli explores a more urban universe, as the use of rap samples on Negli abissi and Lo Schema suggests. Martelli exploits their aggressiveness in a way that somehow reminds us of minimalist rap tapes from Memphis. The third track's title makes it even clearer: called Leggende Metropolitane, the song is
a trip into the darkest blind alleys of the city, an invitation to wander among human wastes, driven by its light kick.

La Luna, is the most contemplative moment of the album, offering us a meditative break before the nightmarish Il
registro, Martelli's brutal come-back to raw electro with a tune which depicts us a hellish engine room for expiating souls. Finally, the record concludes with Previsto, a haunted title track, filled with wailings that give us to contemplate a cruel vision of the urban misery we're stuck in.

Already played & supported by Laurent Garnier, Patrik Skoog, Marko Nastic, Jamie Behan, Patrick Lindsey, Martin Landsky, Ramon Tapia,

Orbis X is a sublabel of Orbis Records and will be mainly focusing on softer yet often usable as DJ material for the broader mass interested in Electronic music. This sublabel is an extension of Orbis Records' softer, more melodical and experimental side. Music will be ranging from house, dub, chicago over melodic acid and even breaks. Not any track makes it to this sublabel if it can't stand on its own and stand the test of time!

Maik Richter was born 02.02.1987 in Karl-Marx-Stadt / Chemnitz / Germany. He lives in Switzerland since 6 years.
In 2005 Maik Richter gets his first appearances as Live-Act... Professional Music Production is the order of Maik R. The project is going to professional song composition but in which live performance will remain further a component. The sound of Maik R budges to minimalistical domains - the contrary to beginning of its musical representation. Gentleless and deep pressure sounds are significant for Maik's musical interpretation - the music should be stimulating you for dreaming. For new inspirations Maik R. leaves himself by other artists and external influences (e.g. society, nature) to enrich.

Known from his debut on Orbis Records, Grg is back with his typical warm & analog sound, we appreciate very much!
Born and raised in the GDR, today East Germany, Grg started making music in '94 using analog Equipment.
early 1995, he already played live-sets with 2 friends as Ensemble Acid Paul and later as "grg" on his own. He released on TeKknik Experimental and EAP records.
Still producing with the amazing MPC3k, he never focused on one single Genre. "it's just Electronic Music" he told us. A modest guy.

This EP contains a full side of each Artist.
The A-Side, by Maik, shows you how beautiful and wide dub can be. If you're fan of dreamy dub, you'll love this for sure!
The B-side is a melodic beauty. No words needed. Grg pur sang!
"Leidenschaft" is very dreamy soundscape based on smooth dub rhythm. Gentle, Subtle. Amazing. An ideal track to open or close the dancefloor. A secret weapon for laid-back moments with friends and a good glass of red wine.
"Klangbaum" feels like a statement. Deep, Dark, Swiss dub. Great stuff if you like the deeper side of dubby tracks.
On the B-side, "Chroma": a track that starts as a very basic yet surprising arrangement evolves in a very clean and sharp gentle melodic danceable track. Works on the floor as well in the background having dinner with openminded and electronic enthusiastic friends.
The second track "Fuer Pe Mi" could be categorized under trance, but it isn't. It's just an amazing track full of warm feelings. A track Grg wrote to celebrate the love between his and his wife. We're very honored he's willing to share this track with the rest of the world. Big respect.

When Kompakt came across Amsterdam-based Harm Coolen and Merijn Schotte Albers aka WEVAL back in 2014, we were blown away when we heard their slow-burning, darkly emotive tracks.

Their debut EP 'Half Age' on Atomnation featured painfully intimate and surprisingly kinetic electronic chamber pop that convinced us they were a perfect fit in Kompakt's family. Following two widely acclaimed EPs for Kompakt and playing numerous festivals including DGTL, Reeperbahn, Iceland Airwaves and Piknic Electronik, we now see the two tackle their self-titled debut full-length WEVAL. What you have before you is not a mere collection of tracks, but a complete listening experience with organic flow, emotional heft and a narrative thread.
Smitten with WEVAL's uniquely personal and catchy approach to producing dark electronic music, it didn't take much to win us over... and so came WEVAL's acclaimed 2014 label debut EASIER EP (KOMPAKT 318), followed by the bold and beautiful 2015 offering IT'LL BE JUST FINE / GROW UP (KOMPAKT 344) which saw the two soundsmiths digging deeper into the granularities of electronic funk than ever before. However, Harm and Merijn's music - while astonishingly fully-formed even in its earliest stages - always seemed destined for more, a bigger format, more space to explore the nooks and crannies of their rapidly evolving sound cosmos. Simply put, they needed to think about an album and their beloved living room studio wasn't cutting it anymore.
An old school building became WEVAL's new home, repurposed to house small creative businesses - but in the summer of 2015, it was abandoned most of the time, with everybody out in the sun while our heroes turned the building's attic into a sweet spot to make some noise, have 24-hour access and lose track of time. And apart from a sketchy tenant being evicted, the occasional soccer game with friends and live gigs across Europe, there really was no interruption to the focussed vibe. It's not like they were looking for distraction anyway: "working on the album all by ourselves in this bloody hot attic was all we had on our mind", the artists admit. And they decided that their album shouldn't sound too clean: "We try to find the beauty in imperfection. It makes things sound more human".
Weval draw their inspirations from no single genre of music but a cumulation of music that inspires them. The results present an astonishingly coherent vision - cuts like the dramatic THE BATTLE, bass growler I DON'T NEED IT or the trippy epic MADNESS share the same DNA of zestful nostalgia, a knack for immersive sound-sculpting and that certain kink in the groove. They also feed on deeply personal experiences and moods, as exemplified by the haunting electronic ballad YOU'RE MINE, the carefully layered, polaroid-tinted JUST IN CASE or the beautifully voiced closer YEARS TO BUILD. And sometimes, it's just an old, out-of-tune piano that stands in the hallway: "Whenever I'd pass by it, I couldn't resist playing it", says Merijn, "so Harm decided to start recording and it became an integral part of YOU MADE IT (PART I)". No doubt about it: this is WEVAL's most powerful and organic material yet - which means a lot, considering the amount of skill already on display in their small, but weighty portfolio.
(de) Als sich 2014 in Amsterdam Kompakts Wege mit denen von Harm Coolen und Merijn Schotte Albers aka WEVAL kreuzten, waren wir sofort Feuer und Flamme für ihre schwelenden, emotional aufgeladenen Tracks. Ihre Debüt-EP "Half Age" auf Atomnation präsentierte intimen und überraschend kinetischen, elektronischen Kammer-Pop, der wie angegossen zu Kompakt zu passen schien. Nach zwei vielbeachteten EPs auf dem Label und einer Reihe von Festvialgigs (inklusive DGTL, Reeperbahn Festival, Iceland Airwaves und Piknic Electronik) nehmen Weval nun mit dem gleichnamigen Release ihr erstes Album in Angriff. Und legen dabei nicht einfach nur eine Ansammlung von Tracks vor, sondern kreieren eine komplette Hörerfahrung mit organischem Flow, emotionalem Gewicht und einm roten Faden.
Angetan vom einzigartig persönlichen und mitreissend düsteren Klang WEVALs brauchte es nicht viel um uns zu überzeugen... und so kam es 2014 zum gefeierten Labeldebüt EASIER EP (KOMPAKT 318), gefolgt vom kühnen und wunderschönen 2015er Release IT'LL BE JUST FINE / GROW UP (KOMPAKT 344), für das die beiden Soundtüftler tiefer denn je in die Granularitäten des elektronischen Funks abtauchten. Nichtsdestotrotz - und obwohl sie schon von Anfang an ausgereift klang - schien die Musik von Harm und Merijn auf dem 12"-Format stets bestimmt für mehr: mehr Freiraum um auch die äussersten Winkel ihres rapide expandierenden Soundkosmos zu erkunden. Sie mussten schlichtweg zum Langspielformat wechseln, und ihr heissgeliebtes Wohnzimmerstudio konnte da nicht mehr mithalten.
Ein altes Schulgebäude wurde schliesslich WEVALs neues Zuhause, umfunktioniert für kleine Kreativunternehmen - doch im heissen Sommer 2015 stand es zumeist leer, da alle draussen in der Sonne badeten, während unsere Helden im Schweisse ihres Angesichts das Kellergeschoss in ein lärmfestes Aufnahmestudio verwandelten. Mit Studiozugang rund um die Uhr liess es sich bestens die Zeit vergessen. Und abgesehen von der Räumung eines zwielichtigen Nebenmieters, dem gelegentlichen Fussballspiel mit Freunden und natürlich Live-Gigs in ganz Europa, gab es auch keine Ablenkungen vom hochkonzentrierten Kreativfluss. Ablenkungen, die das Duo ohnehin nicht suchte: "ganz allein in diesem verdammt heissen Keller am Album arbeiten war alles, was wir im Sinn hatten", geben die Künstler zu. Und sie entschieden sich, dass ihr Album nicht zu sauber klingen sollte: "Wir versuchen die Schönheit im Makel zu finden. Es lässt die Dinge einfach menschlicher wirken."
Weval beziehen ihre Inspiration nicht aus einem einzelnen musikalischen Genre, sondern eher aus einer Akkumulation von Musik, die sie inspiriert. Die Ergebnisse zeichnet eine beeindruckend kohärente Vision aus - Aufnahmen wie das dramatische THE BATTLE, der Bassknurrer I DON'T NEED IT oder die Trip-Saga MADNESS teilen diesselbe DNA aus schwungvoller Nostalgie, einer Schwäche für immersive Klangschnitzerei und einer gewissen Delle im Groove. Sie nähren sich auch aus zutiefst persönlichen Erfahrungen und Stimmungen, wie zum Beispiel bei der eindringlichen elektronischen Ballade YOU'RE MINE, dem vorsichtig geschichteten, polaroid-gefärbten JUST IN CASE oder dem wunderschön gesungenen Schlussakt YEARS TO BUILD. Und manchmal ist es nur ein altes, verstimmtes Klavier, das im Flur herumsteht: "Immer wenn ich dran vorbei lief, musste ich darauf herumklimpern", erklärt Merijn, "also wurde es ein zentraler Bestandteil von YOU MADE IT (PART I)". Kein Zweifel: dies ist WEVAL's stärkstes und organischstes Material bisher - was durchaus was bedeutet, wenn man das Talent bedenkt welches bereits in schmalen, doch gewichtigen Portfolio der Band steckt.

Raime's second album, Tooth, arrives June 10, 2016 on 2xLP, CD and digital formats. The widescreen melancholia of their 2012 debut, Quarter Turns Over A Living Line, gives way to an urgent and focussed futurism, in the shape of eight fiercely uptempo, minimal, meticulously crafted electro-acoustic rhythm tracks. The DNA of dub-techno, garage/grime and post-hardcore rock music spliced into sleek and predatory new forms.

No let-up, no hesitation. Needlepoint guitar, deftly junglist drum programming, brooding synths and lethal sub-bass drive the engine. The production is immaculate, high definition. No hiss, no obscuring drones or extraneous noise: the music of Tooth is wide-open and exposed. The seeds of its supple dancehall biomechanics can be found in the self-titled 2013 EP by Raime side-project Moin, an ahead-of-its-time synthesis of art-rock and soundsystem sensibilities, but Tooth pushes the template further, binding the disparate elements together so tightly that they become indistinguishable from one another.

If Quarter Turns was an album that confronted total loss and self-destruction, even longed for it, then Tooth is the sound of resistance and counter-attack: cunning, quick, resolute, calling upon stealth as much as brute-force. At a time when so many pay lip service to experimentation without ever fully committing themselves or their work to it, Raime return from three years of deep, dedicated studio research with a bold and original new music: staunch, rude, and way out in front.

For their latest slice of saucer-eyed Balearic perfection, Leng Records has looked to the North East of England for inspiration.
Lizards is a freshly minted project from Newcastle-based twosome Lee Forster - better known as one third of Balearic house combo Last Waltz, whose impressive releases have appeared on World Unknown, Futureboogie, Endless Flight and Is It Balearic - and long-time friend James Hadfeld of Nein Records' Elizabeth Collective. Despite writing music together on and off for the last 15 years, the duo only made their debut this month. As frst 12' singles go, their Tanni EP on Not An Animal was something of a gem, and featured two winding, ear-pleasing chunks of dreamy, sun-kissed Balearic disco loveliness. Their Leng debut is just as strong. A-side 'Frontier' sets the tone, layering bubbly, psychedelic electronics, vintage synthesizer arpeggio lines
and strummed acoustic guitar riffs over a head nodding, 102 BPM drum machine groove. By the time the jammed-out, eyes-closed electric guitars and jaunty synthesizer melodies come in, you'll be lost in the music. Flipside 'Coming In' stares at the sunset wistfully, effortlessly capturing the twilight humidity associated with lazy Croatian festivals and beautiful Bali beaches. Analogue synth lines futter in the breeze, whilst picked guitar lines,
spinetingling chords and a druggy bassline move the action forwards at a pleasingly loose and groovy pace. Go on, hug a stranger; after all, we're all friends in Lizards' baggy, melody-rich world.