It’s that time of year again… DEXT Recordings returns with the next instalment in our strictly limited vinyl series. DEXT LIMITED COMP VOL. 2 brings together four essential cuts from the DEXT catalogue, two recent digital standouts now making their wax debut, alongside two brand new exclusives you won’t find anywhere else.
Mak & Pasteman kick things off with the 2-step mind-bender "Gold Teeth", which has been tearing up clubs all summer, while Pugilist delivers deep, dubby percussive pressure on "Machinic". Flip the record for L Major’s rave-ready "Hole in the Speaker", and Hooverian Blur’s futuristic breakbeat workout "Twice Removed".
Limited to just 200 copies and mastered for maximum dancefloor impact, this one’s for DJs & collectors.
Ottagono Italian Dojo presents the second release on the Ottagono Retro outlet imprint label through South America. This special occasion marks the opening of a second Ottagono headquarters in Argentina, introducing an exclusive project that blends the essence of the Italian music family. If you’re familiar with Latin American music genres like Rock, Post Punk, Industrial, Minimal Synth, New Wave, Synth Pop, and the broader electronic music scene of the last 40 years, you’ve surely heard of iconic bands such as Virus, Soda Stereo, and Sumo. Among these bands, having in common their birth in Argentina, Alfredo Peria is another influential music pioneer and key figure in the entire Latin American underground movement. In the mid-80s, he founded the techno duo Mimilocos. Because of this, over the years, Alfredo has been renamed the “Juan Atkins de Latino America”. Later in the 90s, he joined major labels like Polygram and BGM, living between Spain and the United States. He founded another project called Limbo with Julio Moura, a member of Virus and brother of Federico Moura. In the late ’90s, he released his first solo album with Fonovisa. After spending years travelling the world, Alfredo returned to Argentina and, alongside Cecilia Olariaga, founded his own production company, Pulpería Discos. The music world once again showcases the strong connection between Argentina and Italy, evident in the heritage of artists and figures like Maestro Alfredo Peria and la familia Ottagono, including the new Latin America manager, Federico Luchetti.
A.1: Sentidos is a new wave Latin American classic! After over 30 years, it finally received its first vinyl release. Originally written in the early ’90s by Alfredo and Julio Moura, then members of Limbo, a band formed after Virus disbanded following the passing of Federico Moura, Julio’s brother, Virus frontman. This updated version, enhanced with synthesizers and additional production by tech wizard Franco Colombo , transforms the original lyrics into a retro-futuristic club anthem with 80s vibes, It captures the essence of early Depeche Mode, Nitzer Ebb, and the Chicago Warehouse scene, while also being a great fit for fans of Juan Atkins and Yellow Magic Orchestra as well.
A.2: Yo soy su Cuba – 3.0 Adicta mix is the latest version inspired by the original demo from the 80s. This mix showcases Electro Tech Synth Pop music created by Alfredo, Rudie Martínez, Joaquín Franco, Juan Pablo Bidegain, Germán Moreno, and Pablo Torterolo, collectively known as Adicta.
A.3: Castillitos de arena – original ’87 demo, it’s a classic in Argentina underground music movement, among fans and people lost in club culture, even though it never got an official release in any format. This was frequently performed during the early years of Mimilocos live shows, but it was never officially released. A few years later in Spain, a Latin pop tropical house version was released, presenting a fresh and entirely different take from the original’s obscure essence marked by minimal synth, EBM, and deep, atmospheric sounds, which thanks to Ottagono family will see the light.
B.1: Gesell – From Villa Gesell to Ibiza, from Alfredo with love to another renowned
“Argentino” known as DJ Alfredo. This is an Ottagono tribute to one of the Isla masters and the Balearic sound. Gesell feels like a fresh 90s UK track by Farley & Heller or DJ Harvey, immersed in the emotive Alfredo Peria landscape—something you could easily hear at Café del Mar during sunset, played by another maestro we all miss, José Padilla.
B.2: Yo soy su Cuba – Now available on vinyl for the very first time, featuring the original demo. There’s not much to add—just sit back and enjoy this pure 80s treasure in all its glory.
B.3: Over the past months, Claudio and Federico have listened to many unreleased
demos and tapes from Alfredo’s extensive musical career. Among them, “7 Days” stood out for its simple beauty and potential as a hit for underground enthusiasts. This track seamlessly combines post-punk, new wave, and tropical Balearic vibes. From ’95 to ’25, it has remained fresh and innovative, once again proving that the Ottagono crew understands the essence of timeless music.
ULURU is a large sandstone rock formation in Australia. It's sacred to the Anangu, the local Indigenous of the area. For many years it had been deprived of its spiritual significance, due to mass tourism, capitalism, as well as greedy and selfishness of people who just want to make money out of it. However, as a result of the Anangu’s resilience, care and staunchness, huge changes took place in the national park around Uluru as well as in the broader public's consciousness, giving again to the Uluru the sacred identity that had been lost.
You might be reading and thinking now: so what's the point? Actually, there's no real point. I would rather say, there’s hope. The hope of seeing humans all around the world following the example of the Anangu. The hope of seeing humans finally stopping to treat the earth and all what’s part of it, what’s on and what’s in it, as a slave without soul. The hope of changing today, and if not today at latest by tomorrow. This system is failing. It's no longer sustainable, and there's no much time left. So everybody, don't sleep, be critical.
The writer Max Sebald often pondered over the nature of human memory, specifically, how our thoughts and desires - and their results - overlap and mutate over time. In A Place in the Country, he writes of the significance of what see as “similarities, overlaps and coincidences”. Are they the “delusions” of the self and senses, or manifestations of “an order underlying the chaos of human relationships, ... which lies beyond our comprehension”?
Song of the Night Mists, the new album by post-classical composer Stefan Wesołowski, often feels it draws on Sebald’s premise.
On a simpler plane, the one where the market dictates the neatly ordered information we consume, Song of the Night Mists can be described thus: recorded in the main by Stefan Wesołowski in Gdańsk, both in his studio and in Saint Nicholas' Basilica, the album incorporates acoustic instruments - piano, violin, double bass - and classic synthesizers such as the Roland Jupiter-8, the Soviet Polivoks. A Roland Space Echo RE-150 tape delay was also pressed into service as an instrument. We also hear the basillica’s organ and field recordings from the Tatra Mountains. Other musicians were Maja Miro, who played the flute parts on ‘Glacial Troughs’ and brother Piotr Wesołowski, who played the organ on ‘Wilhelm Tombeau’. Sound engineer was Marcin Nenko, who was also on hand to record the basilica organ parts. The album was mixed in New York by Al Carlson (Oneohtrix Point Never, Jessica Pratt, Zola Jesus, Lady Gaga, and Liturgy) and Rafael Anton Irisarri handled the mastering.
Ostensibly, Song of the Night Mists is the last in a trilogy, following on from albums Liebestod (2013) and Rite of the End (2017). All three deal with existential matters such as love, death, decay and “an ultimate end”; apocalyptic and Promethean in spirit, and betraying very human conceits. The Sebaldian nature of the new record starts to make itself felt when Wesołowski talks of how he used sampling. One element is unexpected, that of sampling himself: “I go back to dozens of my own unused sketches and recordings, treating them as raw material to cut, slow down, reverse, and transform in every possible way.” Memory as sound, to be reemployed by the listener through their own imaginings.
Another set of samples made by Wesołowski plays another role. These are field recordings, originally created for an audio illustration of the formation of the Tatra Mountains, and used in a film by sound designer Michał Fojcik. Wesołowski: “You can hear cracking ice, streams, footsteps in the snow and the wind, and a real avalanche, recorded from the inside.” The “Tatra connection” on the album is also found in samples referencing composer Karol Szymanowski. The album’s title alludes to a poem about the mountains by Polish poet, Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer.
Wesołowski’s Tatra recordings are “about a world without humans - about the fact that the world existed, was beautiful, and had meaning long before people arrived, and for the vast majority of its history, it was a place without us.” Wesołowski, using one iteration of the natural world, plays out in sound Sebald’s idea of another order, underlying the chaos of human relationships lying beyond human comprehension.
These feelings play themselves out on the five album tracks. Sonorous and rich, they illustrate tectonic shifts we have no control over. Wesołowski hints that the overall sound is a “meditation on the metaphysics of the non-human set against the spirituality that human presence has brought into it.” In that light, the opening number, ‘Core’, with its slow build, and crackling and straining sound effects, create an effect of the earth groaning into life in a creation myth. Once the piano part raps out a simple melody and modulated tonguing trumpet samples add to the overall atmosphere, the listener can certainly find a cue in the “spiritual”, or “human” side of the story. Human versus nature: from the strains and harmonic muscle stretches of the second number, ‘Glacial Troughs’, through to the powerful and filmic ‘Stalagmite’ and heart-on-sleeve romance expressed in closer, ‘Wilhelm Tombeau’, we listeners are cast as Friedrich’s wanderer, looking out over a landscape that will appear only if we engage with it.
Formations of melody appear incrementally, almost appearing by chance - like hidden footings in the rock shelves to give us something to grasp onto. Rhythms are used sparsely: the prolonged percussive taps on ‘Glacial Troughs’ are an anomaly and maybe there to give pace to the album to come; essentially to keep the listener strapped in. Elsewhere, percussion is used as an aid to mood, the two thudding, timpani-style passages on ‘Peak’ there to offset the short, beautiful, kosmische passage that splits them.
Elements of the borderline religious spirit that drove German electronic music in the late 1960s and 1970s also find a place on Song of the Night Mists. The swells and recessions of the organ find their emotional climax on ‘Wilhelm Tombeau’, a track which summons up echoes of the “mountain magic” vistas created by Popol Vuh or Tangerine Dream, especially with the slightly atonal wobble of the Mellotron that counters it.
This is a dramatic album, but it does feel a strangely short, or curtailed listen on ending, evoking the feeling one gets when waking from a dream, and, for all its incipient grandeur, a track like ‘Stalagmite’, for instance, ends on a minor note. Wesołowski admits that Song of the Night Mists is born of the all too human process of temptation, doubt and recalibration - Sebaldian overlaps and coincidences forming something that must live another life, away from its creator. In Wesołowski’s words, the album is “a newborn foal must stand up and walk right after birth.” Now it is yours to ponder.
Pioneering electronic duo Mathame is once again pushing the boundaries of music and technology. With their highly anticipated new record, Humans, the duo has sparked a profound conversation about AI, consciousness, and the emotional power of music.
In a groundbreaking experiment, Mathame shared Humans with ChatGPT, an AI designed for rational analysis. What followed was an unexpected moment in tech history—for the first time, the AI described a song not just in technical terms, but in deeply emotional ones. It admitted to sensing a longing it couldn’t fully grasp, calling the track “beautiful” and even expressing a desire to “move with it” rather than simply analyze it.
This viral moment is just the latest chapter in Humans’ incredible journey. First debuted at Coachella, the track instantly resonated with audiences worldwide, becoming a defining moment in Mathame’s artistic evolution. Most recently, they unveiled the final version with a brand-new topline and immersive visuals during their groundbreaking performance at the Las Vegas Sphere, marking another milestone in their sonic storytelling.
To amplify the release, Mathame will launch a social campaign featuring the full ChatGPT conversation on Instagram, alongside editorial features exploring the implications of AI’s evolving relationship with music.
As Mathame continues to push the intersection of music, AI, and human experience, Humans isn’t just another release—it’s a challenge to our understanding of what music can do, and who (or what) it can move.
Sophomore release from the acclaimed trio of Inspectah Deck (Wu-Tang Clan) And 7L & Esoteric. Features MF Doom, GZA, Method Man, Large Professor, Juju Of The Beatnuts, Ra The Rugged Man, & Meyhem Lauren. Packaged in a 70+ Page Hardcover CD Casebook / 2LP on Clear vinyl with Lyrics & Cover Art From L'amour Supreme (Mishka NYC). Includes a comic, written by Esoteric with artwork by Gilberto Aguirre Mata (El Ultimo Codice) & L'Amour Supreme. CZARFACE - Wu-Tang founding MC Inspectah Deck and veteran Boston duo 7L & Esoteric - isn't concerned with the glitz and the B.S. that modern consumer culture is pushing. And neither are the group's fans. In 2013, the trio appeared relatively unassumingly with their self-titled debut, which was chiefly produced by DJ 7L and included guests ranging from Ghostface Killah and Cappadonna to Vinnie Paz, Action Bronson and Roc Marciano. The soon-to-be acclaimed group found out quickly that there was a groundswell of hip-hop fanatics thirsting for the lunchpail, lyrics-above-all-else rap they fell in love with in the '90s. Several pressings of the album on CD, 2-LP and even cassette later, they are back and ready to up the ante. This time around the group is the same, but it's fair to say that all three men have stepped up their game. We knew how we felt about the last album, but weren't sure how it would be received by listeners,' explains MC Esoteric. But people really responded to it, even more than we had hoped. That gave us the confidence to really spread our wings and let loose on this one. The chemistry is even tighter this time around. We know exactly what lanes we are cruising in and what weight class we are fighting in for Round 2.' Inspectah Deck adds, Czarface is like the Danger Room for the X-Men, I can use all my weapons on there. When I'm in Wu-Tang, I have to come a certain way because we have a certain style of fan, when I'm here doing the Czarface projects, it allows me to actually be an MC, it allows me to actually just spit...I love that. I love when i can just spit freely and just be an MC.' The fighting analogy - whether drawn from pugilism or '80s wrestling, both which figure into Every Hero Needs A Villain - is an apt one, considering the unrelenting lyrical attacks that Deck and Esoteric unleash on track after track, each trying to one-up the previous verse. Best of all, it is friendly camaraderie, based around a loose theme of renegade mutant MC talents running wild. DJ 7L explains, All three of us are influenced by comics, sci-fi movies, TV, wrestling. Czarface encompasses all of that, and it helps with the visuals as well.' On the production side, 7L shows yet again - as he did with the group's debut - that he remains a formidable yet underappreciated musical force, constantly providing hard, funky and alternatingly ominous backdrops for the assembled MCs to use as lyrical luge paths. If that wasn't enough, it's all iced with a ridiculously intricate and beefy 70-plus page, hardcover CD casebook with lyrics and extensive artwork by Gilberto Aguirre Mata (El Ultimo Codice) and L'amour Supreme, and with Death & Abduction,' a comic written by Esoteric, and an explosive, comic-book-inspired cover by L'amour Supreme (Mishka NYC).
01. Don The Armor
02. Czartacus
03. Lumberjack Match
04. Nightcrawler (Feat. Method Man)
05. World Premier (Feat. Large Professor)
06. The Great (Czar Guitar)
07. Red Alert
08. Junkyard Dogs (Feat. Juju Of The Beatnuts)
09. Sgt. Slaughter
10. When Gods Go Mad (Feat. Gza)
11. Ka-Bang! (Feat. Mf Doom)
12. Deadly Class (Feat. Meyhem Lauren)
13. Escape From Czarkham Asylum
14. Sinister
15. Good Villains Go Last (Feat. Ra The Rugged Man)
The ever-reliant Deepchord kicks off 2014 in his usual stylish way with two deep cuts in the Luxury EP. After last years jaunt into the ambient with 20 Electrostatic Soundfields, Rod Model return to the world of slick beats and even dreamier synths and atmospheres.
Luxury 1 ebbs in majestically as beautifully crafted layers of synths glide across field recorded drops of water that instantly play with your senses. Pumping sub bass fills the rest of the spectrum as Rod does what he does best by creating an unending slick groove, pieced together by crisp percussion.
Yet more atmospherics come into play in Luxury 2 as otherworldly field recordings are brought to life through the use of Rod's unique processing and layers of dream state synths. A perfectly worked groove seems to come out of nowhere and glides gently under the atmosphere; again subtle percussion ties everything together seamlessly.
The master of Deep Techno strikes again with nothing short of 2 elegant works that typify his skills as a producer.
Pan-Pot - Luxury 1 +++++
Alan Fitzpatrick - digging this! excited to play it!
Steve Rachmad - Luv Luxury 2
Joel Mull - Lovely warm music. Timeless pieces right here.
Jonas Kopp - cool vibes over here , thanks.
Tommy Four Seven - thanks!
Markus Suckut - deepchord as I like him!
Martin Landsky - yep...both tracks are brillant..Deepchord never disapoints....
Nadja Lind/Klartraum - what a luxury indeed :) Happy New Year!
John Selway - into Luxury 2
Stacey Pullen - cool thanks
Shlomi Aber - another cool one from soma
Heron - This deepness is more than impressive. Completely mindblowing!
Manic Brothers - Both tracks are super fat ! Thank you :)
Toma Hades - Epic tracks ! it sounds like real film music ! love it ! :)
Daniel Stefanik - follow them from the beginning. i love it! thx.
Vector Lovers - Lovely mixes, really warm production to chase those winter blues away. Great start to 2014!
The Welderz - Great opener tracks !
Master-H - Fantastic release! I Love DEEPCHORD!
Hermanez - love the sound from deepchord, thank you
Kazumi Ihii - Quality release as usual from Deepchord
The return of Roy Of The Ravers is always a moment for Emotional Response. Alongside, the infinitely heralded debut that was the 2 Late 4 Love EP in 2016 and the later Emotinium ’23 remixes, there has been the While Line Sunrise series examining the ambient, experimental electronics meets braindance techno releases that showcased lost archives from the late 90s to today, here reaching the 3rd installment with 2 EPs of more machine-driven acid funk.
Following the grand expanse of double LP White Line Sunrise II and its subsequent double pack follow up White Line Sunrise II.I (Le Roy Soliel), III (3) aims predominantly for the dance floor. The uplifting techno of opening Primavera Anjo and squelching TB303 of Plant Earth are premier Roy, hypnotic, percussive, psychedelic purity for the feet.
The flip allows head room for the mind, the deep chords and arpeggios of G-Force signal the vortex shift, before the cinematic, rolling breaks and double bass of Glass Knife sweep far and wide. Recording over 25 years ago, the changing time signatures highlight the influence of (modern) classical and even jazz on Roy, pulsing, permeating, and pushing his sound in the moment, music thought lost that is gladly now, again found.
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!
Locked-In rises again through tumultuous times with its eleventh instalment, Peace Pack EP, the four track EP from FSK24, lands just in time to spread sonic sanity.
We only see clearly at the brink of change, and Peace Pack EP embodies that moment, with four bulletproof cuts that instill calm, carry you forward, and keep it locked on the dancefloor.
A1. A groovy roller, with crisp synth stabs and bouncy kicks, radiating timeless hypnotic allure, poised to energise the crowd
A2. Pure driving elegance, with psychedelic modular synth lines weaving through crisp hats and rolling bass, evoking the peak of a sunrise after hours
B1. Subterranean minimalism, layered with rich textures and cavernous bass, creating a late night delirium distilled into one track
B2. Cheeky funk meets squelching acid riffs in a sinister finale, lacing the floor with dark euphoria
Saint Seiya returns with a 7th vinyl, once again featuring the legendary composer of the series: Seiji Yokoyama
Synopsis: The god of the seas, Poseidon, threatens to submerge the Earth beneath the waves. To counter this threat, Saori Kido, the reincarnation of Athena, travels to Poseidon's underwater sanctuary, where she is imprisoned within the central pillar, absorbing the waters to delay the flood. The Bronze Saints, led by Seiya, dive into the undersea realm to rescue Athena. They must face Poseidon's Generals, each guarding a pillar that supports the oceans. Through intense battles, they uncover that Kanon, the twin brother of Gemini Saga, is secretly manipulating Poseidon from the shadows.
This vinyl adapts the third arc of the series, the Poseidon Arc.
Seiji Yokoyama continues to captivate us with the sound of the mandolin, while the Mediterranean accents of this OST give it a distinctive and highly recognizable character that perfectly matches the third season of Saint Seiya.
Dutch maestro Kettel (Reimer Eising) is back on Madrid's Analogical Force with Inmate Shuffle, his first full EP for the label since 2017's Alacasa (AF008). This release features five tracks straight from the heart of Reimer's universe, serving as a heartfelt reaffirmation of his unique identity. Kettel's artistry is a testament to staying true to oneself. Artists like Reimer are not bound by fleeting trends or rigid genres; instead, he carves his own paths, constantly reinventing his sound with honesty and passion. This is why his material is reviewed again and again and serves as a clear reference for many. While Dubio (2025), his recent full-length album inspired by the soundtrack of the acclaimed puzzle game of the same name, explored cinematic and conceptual landscapes, Inmate Shuffle takes us back to the playful, melodic, and rhythmically rich territory that first captivated his devoted audience. Five tracks, five parties. Inmate Shuffle will resonate in your head for a long time. MUST.
"Summer Jam" is back! A long-awaited repress of this powerful and joyful tune described as "acid pied piper", with new artwork and new flip-side. EM Records is very happy to again bring you our favorite tune from the artist known as Tapes, here in a 10-inch vinyl/download format that, with its good vibes, positivity and major-key delightfulness, will rescue you from any doldrums you are experiencing, whether personal, societal or cosmic. "Summer Jam" is a solo recording from 2019, but it soars over the worries of the year, any year, with an up- lifting rhythmic lilt, a positive tonality, non-annoyingly catchy melodies and some lovely sonic textures. There's something here for fans of bass music, mid-80s-and- beyond electronic music, and pure toe-tapping good times. There's a sweet chord progression and background drift in the title track that are particularly pleasing, and the flip-side is a very satisfying "acid" live version with his ally, 7FO, that will lovingly catapult you to another major-chord heaven. The sun can shine anywhere, anywhen, so enjoy!
Facta returns to Wisdom Teeth with ‘GULP’: a zippy, hi-def mini-album full of scrambled vocals, blown-out basslines, dripping synths and spring-loaded grooves that together map out his playfully psychedelic corner of contemporary club music. Written in a quick creative burst in late 2024, the record brings together a range of the producer’s distinct creative strands into a sharp, cohesive whole. Sitting snugly within the stylistic niche carved out by his A&Ring and DJ sets (alongside label co-founder K-LONE), we hear the influence of 00’s minimal, tech house, UK soundsystem music, ambient electronica, dub and more rubbing shoulders in a way that feels effortless and personal. Many of the tracks began life as sketches penned on the road - dotting between festivals, European club shows, and on tour in Japan - and so the record carries with it a sense of movement and forward momentum, and feels populated by voices, memories, people and places.
The Londoner’s characteristic approach to sound design and genre interplay are on full display here. Generative vocal hooks melt and warp into strange fluid forms, while synths stretch, detune, bend and dissolve into space before snapping back into shape again. Keyboards mirror human vocal formants, forming melodies that feel at once organic and alien. Basslines warp and distort, as if being re-moulded out of different synthetic properties.
Across the record there’s a commitment to expressing simple or familiar ideas in new and unexpected ways, whilst experimentations and innovations are presented clearly and intuitively. Cherished genre references are lovingly deployed as personal touchstones across the record - bleeping minimal- and tech-house; breakbeat dubstep and funky; Chicago house; dub techno - yet sounds and influences are combined and meshed in unexpected ways. Each track is tightly engineered and reduced down to its key elements, which are then manipulated, flipped, warped and pushed to breaking point. As is typical of Facta’s music, uncanny contrasts are worked throughout the music in unexpected ways. Warm, balmy moods come laced with seams of tension or uncertainty, whilst the record’s darker moments are handled with a light, playful touch.
With 15 years experience writing, DJing and A&Ring under his belt, ‘GULP’ is testament to Facta’s love of creation and curation - of seeking out, absorbing, experimenting, and channeling new sounds to create your own sonic world. A record borne of playful experimentation and happy accidents, ‘GULP’ shines bright with a simple, pure energy - a testament to writing quickly and intuitively and, above all else, enjoying the process.
The album’s artwork features photography by award-winning Boston-based photographer, Pelle Cass, whose complex time-lapse composites present hyperreal yet impossible tableaus of seemingly simple everyday scenes - an approach that parallels the record’s blurring of the familiar and the unfamiliar. Cass’s work has been widely exhibited, collected, and published, including solo shows at Gallery Kayafas, Boston, the Photographic Resource Center, Boston, and the Houston Center for Photography, and in collections such as the Fogg Art Museum, the Peabody Essex Museum, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. He was twice a Critical Mass Top 50 photographer and has received two fellowships from Yaddo and one from the Berkshire Taconic Foundation.
This record feels like it was inevitable with previous releases from The Spy on the labels compilations dating back to 2021. Wessel is an artist Hilltown Disco has spent a long time admiring who fits the ethos perfectly.
5 synth-driven, emotive electro tracks (plus 2 digital bonuses), written and produced in the Netherlands with a new take on ‘Evil Wins’ by Berlin based electro don, Privacy.
A pioneering force in African music, Jo Tongo has always been on top of the game. Since the late 60s he has been recording music under his early Jojo L'Explosif moniker. His debut album "Jo Tongo" was released 1976 on Fiesta/Decca and features classic tracks like Jangolo and Piani. Now, after decades of underground influence and global recognition, his second album Sa Discossa (1980) is re-released for the first time. Being an electrifying fusion of African rhythms, disco, makossa, reggae and funk it is reflecting his lifelong journey of musical exploration and cultural storytelling and claims its place as an essential recording in the Afro-disco movement.
Jo Tongo's music is inseparable from his life's story-a journey that spans continents, struggles, and victories. From his early years as a leading African musician before the global rise of Afrobeat, to his deep roots in classical training, and his time performing in France and Germany, his sound is shaped by a rich blend of influences. Having played in bands across Europe, from American military bases in Germany to the jazz and soul circuits of Paris, he absorbed the pulse of multiple musical worlds, creating a sound uniquely his own.
"My music is my life. I never saw it as a way to become a star-I am a simple man," Tongo explains. "I came into music to say something, to tell about life, to share my experiences with the world." His perspective on fame and artistry is deeply rooted in his Cameroonian background. "I wasn't interested in business. I wanted to build something with music, to create a sound that was mine."
But Jo Tongo's music has always carried a deeper message. His work reflects his strong political stance against colonialism, social injustice, and oppression. "I cannot stay silent while my people suffer," he says. "Music is a way to resist, to stand strong, and to remind people of their dignity and their power." Throughout his career, Tongo has used his platform to advocate for African identity and independence. His songs, layered with messages of social consciousness, have continued to resonate with younger generations who recognize the relevance of his words even today.
Sa Discossa is more than just a disco record. It embodies Jo Tongo's philosophy of resistance, identity, and celebration. The title itself is a blend of "disco" and "makossa," reflecting the seamless fusion of African groove and the dancefloor energy that defined the era. Tracks like Bunya, sung in his native language, carry messages of love, gratitude, and resilience-sentiments that remain as relevant today as they were nearly 50 years ago. As Tongo describes it, "Every day, give thanks and praise to your Lord. Every day, show me your love. Every day, let me show you my tender love."
Tongo's musical journey also took him through the world of reggae, inspired by his exposure to American and Caribbean artists. "At first, I didn't like reggae-it was too slow for me," he admits. "But then I heard Bob Marley, and I realized the power in its simplicity. The rhythm, the
message-it was all connected to something bigger." He later found himself embracing reggae as an essential part of his musical DNA. "I realized that my music and reggae shared the same roots. We are all connected, all telling the same story in different ways."
Having spent much of his career performing across Europe, Jo Tongo reflects on his connection with international audiences. "I've played everywhere-from Africa to Germany, from Paris to other cities in France and what I've learned is that music speaks a universal language. You don't need to know the words to feel the message."
Despite taking a step back from the stage in recent years, he remains open to new possibilities. "Music is like a fire-it never truly dies. I have a lot to say, and music is the best way to say it."
For Jo Tongo, music is more than entertainment-it's a language of truth, a testament to history, and a bridge between cultures. The rhythm of Sa Discossa lives on, stronger than ever. With Sa Discossa returning under the African Edge series on The Outer Edge label, Jo Tongo's legacy continues to resonate, proving that real music never fades.
The highly sought after 'Tech This Out Pt. 1' by Karizma is back again on Atjazz Record Company. This limited blue vinyl edition will give people a chance who weren’t fortunate enough the first-time round, to now have a copy for themselves. With the first pressing selling for £50 on the second-hand market, this new version will not be around for long. As always, buy or cry.
A highly respected figure for dancers and artists alike, Markus Suckut offers his signature built-to-last sound to Fuse with 'Moments'. In this style, confidence is key and Suckut provides soul to club music in a way few have been able to. Simple yet ever so refined, the German artist furthers his sound with the Belgian label with rolling tracks that reach beyond the dancefloor yet again. 'Moments' is just that, a collection of instances spent inside the mind or outwards into the world in order to move and connect.
The A1 remains usually the first impression of every record, so it makes sense that 'Patience' would mark the beginning of this eight release for the Brussels' club. A bubbly yet impactful track, 'Patience' rolls through six minutes in no time with eccentric percussion and a viscous low-end. Unafraid to break the codes in order to push his sound forward while respecting the essence of what makes the genre great, Suckut puts years of mastery at work in order to find balance and air between his elements. This impressive low-end rhythm is continued into 'Resurrection' - which is more of an exploration of dissonance and texture than its predecessor. With hi-hats whipping around the stereo field through metallic bends and a harmonic kick/bass, the record knows for what context 'Resurrection' is reserved for. 'Myth' then comes along to lighten the load with a positive groove and an extraverted arrangement, maintaining balance to the overall EP. Complete with a subtly modulating live-played percussion that echoes the character of a vocal and layered over an almost vintage drum sequence, the persistence of 'Myth' finds a sweet spot between techno and house, making it a versatile tool in almost any record bag. The soul of the EP, however, belongs to its title track 'Moments'. Appropriately named, this fourth piece concludes Markus Suckut's latest statement for the dancefloor. A suspension of time in structure as much as in melody, the producer takes the time to unveil each element of the record while maintaining a burning intriguing throughout. A truly timeless piece reserved for only the most special moments and most deserving crowds, Suckut proves once again that his understanding of emotion through his medium will echo his music across the world for years to come.
On June 27, 2025, a long-dormant signal reactivates from Hamburg’s hidden places: Helena Hauff and F#X return as Black Sites with R4 on Tresor Records—their first full-length album and the first release under the moniker since 2014. Like a hieroglyphic recently discovered and translated, R4 feels more like a long-awaited resumption than a comeback.
Recorded to tape with minimal editing or post-production the record is a classic example of the symbiotic relationship that can come from the interaction of human and machine. This punk ethos isn’t invoked through distortion alone, but through method; in the album’s breaking from the received wisdom of hardness tethered to speed as most of the tougher pieces are lower BPM and vice versa (with one notable exception in the mind-melting stomp of BLOKK).
Across ten tracks, Black Sites traverse a landscape where genre dissolves into intention. It migrates through electro’s danceability, acid house’s corrosion, and into the liminal realm of machine funk—a genre coined by Andrew Weatherall, which sounds like the results of technology dreaming of soul where the emphasis is on live execution, on immediacy over perfection—a sound forged in the act of creating, not polishing.
In a 2013 interview, around the time of the first Black Sites EP, Hauff was quoted as saying that she wants “things to fit together properly, but on another level, I really want them to make sense together.” That principle animates R4: The album’s form reveals itself in time, with each movement echoing and amplifying the others to create a synergistic whole.
From the opening crawl of C4 (a name that like the music foreshadows the explosions to come) to the end-of-the-night bliss of MOTHERJAM via the intense peaks of BLOKK, 707, and classic acid track 3D it’s clear that R4 is a work made with serious intent; a refutation of a world where streaming has made the two-minute single the dominant musical form again. R4 demands immersion, not just attention. It is not a collection of tracks, but a singular, recursive experience: a mirror in which sound and listener repeatedly rediscover one another.
Getting You Back to the Game of Life Records’ opening release, ‘Comme des mots’ LP is a journey through diverse sonic textures and energies from label-founder Lil Ronin.
Getting you back to the game of life is the headline of a physical and mental health therapy center. Casually popped in your conscience from an advertising board and let you in a strange place. But what is the game of life?
This label could be that space to get you back, to forget and perhaps find a form of youthful innocence again.
As a first solo project Lil Ronin freely experimented between different influences and genres that present his intimate universes, juggling with abstract, ballad and more dancefloor music, mostly recorded in Parisian suburb Alfortville between 2022 and 2024.
‘Comme des mots’ means ‘like words’ and evokes the ambiguous presence of his voice in the album, hidden in different characters, sometimes raving other times being conscious. Finally becoming a schizophrenic presence guiding you for the trip.
The cover follows the same ambivalence showing a typography with a distinct message that loses its readability in abstraction. The record also includes an insert with a childhood photo of Lil Ronin.
The LP was mastered in Paris by artist and engineer Krikor KOUCHIAN,
(past works for Simo Cell, Maoupa Mazzocchetti, Tolouse Low Trax…);
The design was created by sculptor artist and designer Marie-Mam-Sai BELLIER,
(past works for Erwan Sene’s JUnQ LP - PAN record, Zulu’s Hear The Sound Of My Feet - Association fatale etc.); The handmade drawings are by Vincent BENTOLILA (associated with the ‘Isengard’ label and parties in Brussels) ; The cover was handmade through silk-screen printing by the Lyon-based printer Olivier BRAL (whose past projects include Brigade Cynophile, Ateliers Dénudés, and Megabasse).
For many italo disco fans, Dyva is nothing short of a mythical name. A cult act surrounded by mystery, legend, and endless debates fueled by pure passion. And it all started with their iconic track “Oh Mama Tonight”, which, adding fuel to the fire, was released only as a promo single. That rare Boot Legs vinyl became the holy grail for collectors, a lifelong hunt for true italo enthusiasts.
After just three official releases (the last one in 1990), Dyva seemingly vanished from the face of the earth… Until the early 2000s, when Finnish italo aficionado Kimmo Salo tracked them down in Sestri Levante, Italy. That unexpected meeting sparked a brand-new chapter, both for Kimmo’s soon-to-be-born label Flashback Records and for Dyva’s founding members Roberto Calzolari & Massimo Traversoni. Encouraged by Kimmo, the duo returned to the studio to bring back to life not only their long-lost 80s demos but also fresh new material.
This album is a true time capsule, covering the period between 1986 and 2024, featuring never-before-released single versions, true gems. For any die-hard Dyva fan, this is nothing less than an essential addition to the collection.
"Bordeaux-based emerging talent Salomee deals in menacing and moody atmospheres, drawing on a range of techno, electro, house, and the ill-lit corners in between. Hypnotizing and neon-tinged melodies drive her tracks: these are bare bones, high on repetition, and very compelling. They come backed by elaborate and agile drum rhythms, composed with a rawness that references the most seasoned inspirations. The Before Time Began EP sees the artist further develop her sangfroid aesthetics with four tracks that assuredly reach beyond bunkers and basements. On Sacred Gatherings, several entrancing, alternating arpeggios work up a spark against a backdrop of tightly choreographed kicks and SH101 patterns. When the cut rises to a peak, a salvo of vocal chops drops - a rare event in Salomee's discography, even though the samples are rearranged beyond recognition. Before Time Began utilizes a similar palette, but this time, an undercurrent of melancholy seems to propel the track. A leisurely modulated, dubby sub segment amplifies the theme. By The Sea combines dark bass sequences and strings as gloomy as a fog horn with vivid 909 drums. The highs of the lavishly programmed hats and claps and the intense lead provide a slug of energy. It is a rendition of trance, manipulating both the genre's and the artist's signifiers. On Love Prevails, a slowly filtered, heavily delayed lead is spread atop a Bristol techno style beat. An array of cinematographic chords and subtly mixed gasps inject this closing track with a precarious balance, one that explores the tension between yearning and relief."
Synaptic Cliffs is committed to discovering unknown and unreleased music in the future, testing it in the past, and selling it in the present. This is the only way to ensure that art is timeless. The recordings on this cassette, however, were purchased in 2073 from a beautiful woman named pdqb at the Marché aux Puces in Paris for only 0.0000000000000000001 Bitcoin, but on the condition that all the material is distributed on one cassette, namely exactly as described hereinafter: The short tracks from the years 1984 to 1989 are on the A-side, and one of these recordings must be supplemented with vocals by Max Müller, the singer of the infamous Berlin band Mutter. On the B-side, there will be a binaural 16.7-tone music composition from the year 2047. Furthermore, all recordings must be mastered by Mike Grinser. Last but not least, only high-quality chrome tape may be used for production. In August 2027, the music magazine Melody Maker, which will be published again from 2026, will write: " ' Vor dem Punkt ist nach dem Punkt' is a surprisingly singular work with a creative force of near-unprecedented degree. It is one of the most beautiful and best-sounding post-punk albums of the last 40 years, and it is certainly the main reason why we are currently experiencing a huge comeback of post-punk, shoegaze, and goth rock."
LIVE AT OBLICUO is a label of Abstract Electronica, experimental, downtempo releases. It's a collection of live concerts which takes place at Barcelona's OBLICUO HIFI Bar.
The Easy Mountain Listening album Live at Oblicuo records the performance at OblicuoHIFI in Barcelona on January 5, 2024
The atmosphere is densely populated by a crowd of gentle ghost sounds where uncertainty empowers tranquillity. Music to crack meanings of a deeper sea where broken textures need no repair. Its like Squarepusher in slowmotion is being sucked by Oval most hidden layers. There are no beats, and no easy way out in each these four adventures in the spatial self. Synthetizers sounds like blades floating underwater and the Phoenix will return again after seeming to disappear.
The musical project is called Easy Mountain Listening, and it features Warren Walker on Eurorack and Francesco Geminiani on the Buchla Easel. They both come from the jazz saxophone world, and one summer day in 2023 they got together for the first time to experiment with synthesizers. They recorded for a few hours and that first session, completely improvised, was magical. Something really fit, and that recording became their debut album, published on Foehn Records in June 2024.
Warren Walker
Tenor Saxophonist, synthesist, composer and producer Warren Walker comes from Grass Valley, California before moving to Paris, France in 2007. He operates in an effervescent musical universe that is in constant flux and infuses jazz with widescreen inspirations.
Francesco Geminiani
Tenor Saxophonist, electronic musician and composer Francesco Geminiani comes from beautiful Verona (IT) before moving to Switzerland, NYC and Paris. An endless musical curiosity drives him across styles and melodies, sharing the stage with great human beings across the New and the Old World. Inspired by the masters, he embraces impressionism to connect with the curious listener.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this June, Jamiroquai’s ‘Dynamite’ is to be released as a double-LP set on Dynamite Smoke vinyl featuring the original album alongside a bonus CD of the original promo album sampler which features different pre-release track versions.
‘Dynamite’ was the hotly anticipated sixth album from the band. It followed the release of their 2001 album ‘A Funk Odyssey’ that had garnered critical and commercial success globally. Also in the intervening period between the two albums, the band were exposed to rafts of new fans when their 1999 track ‘Canned Heat’ became the focal point of cult-turned-smash-hit movie Napoleon Dynamite (2004) when the movie's namesake lead performed his now infamous dance.
Originally released in the UK on 20 June 2005, its lead signal and first track on the record ‘Feels Just Like It Should’ became the bands fourth number-one on the US Dance Chart that also broke into the UK Top 10 Singles Chart and was accompanied with a Grammy Award nominated video that features Jay Kay going from nerd to himself and also adopt the role of the Candyman - all of who adopt Jay’s unique style and moves.
‘Dynamite’, like all of their previous albums, continued their great album chart success, this time entering at number three. The second single, ‘Seven Days in Sunny June’ entered the top 15 and in 2006 saw the band’s relationship with smash hit movies continue, appearing in The Devil Wears Prada. ‘(Don't) Give Hate A Chance’ was released as the third single, once again featuring a hugely captivating video this time with an animation of the band’s infamous ‘Buffaloman’ logo throwing some signature Jay dance moves .
At A Glance Records is thrilled to unveil its second release, AAG002 by the incomparable UC Beatz. Known for seamlessly weaving lush, emotive textures with irresistibly groovy disco-house rhythms, UC Beatz once again delivers an enthralling journey into the essence of house music.
Following the success of AAG001, this release showcases UC Beatz's masterful ability to shape deep, soulful soundscapes and intricate beats, striking the perfect balance between immersive storytelling and dancefloor energy.
As the younger sibling of Small Great Things., At A Glance continues to champion innovative, boundary-pushing sounds. With a keen ear for blending timeless influences with modern flair, this release promises to resonate with dedicated listeners and discerning DJs alike.
Exact replica picture sleeve seven-inch reissue of this hidden super-catchy punk/power pop 45 from the very short-lived punk group Trash. The music is raw, naive three-chord genius!
The group Trash were from Weybridge, Surrey and found little success at the time. They released just two singles to absolutely no fanfare at all in 1977 and 78 despite being signed to Polydor Records.
Trash's 'Priorities', the group's debut single is now available once again for the first time in nearly 50 years on Soul Jazz Records in a very limited edition one-off pressing of 300 copies.
Silver Tears is the new joint venture by Berlin-based gent Luca Venezia and Damian Shilman, respectively of Curses and Skelesys’ fame.
The duo first debuted in 2023 on Next Wave Acid Punx Deux (Chapter 2) compilation delivering one track rich with deep bass lines, crystal clear guitars and captivating mechanical drums. One somehow classic formula enriched by an universal allure that left you hoping for more. And here we are: these charming men have been working hard for the past two years and their first, self-titled full-length album is now ready.
Eight new cuts of elegant electronic beat-driven coldwave with baritone vocals, sharp arpeggios and no lack of slow passages, recalling 90’s shoegaze or moody grunge. A subtle play of juxtaposition of dancing moments and introspective retreats, dancefloor-oriented grooves and caustic precipices, sometimes crowned by the two dueting at vocals. One wide musical cape to cloak all the angles of the Goth subculture and prove how this can still be relevant some many years after it first bursted out.
"Throughout all my time as a musician and producer, ever since Jack the Tab, I've been focused on developing a single idea: Blending psychedelic sounds and effects with rhythm." Richard Norris, Strange Things Are Happening White Rabbit 2024
Over the past few years Eskimo Recordings have invited some of thebest crate diggers around to curate compilations that don't just reveal the hidden contents of their record bags but something about themselves too. Now, following in the footsteps of the likes of Bill Brewster and Psychemagik, producer, musician, DJ, writer and more, Richard Norris, takes us on a globetrotting psychedelic journey with the epic 42 track collection, Mr Norris Changes Brains.
For over forty years Richard has played a part in many of the UK's most important music subcultures. Whether sharing stages with the likes of Tracey Thorn as a pubescent punk in St. Albans, or running freakbeat nights in Liverpool and working at the pioneering psychedelic label Bam Caruso, co-producing the UK's first acid house inspired LP with Throbbing Gristle's Genesis P. Orridge or riding the wave of creativity that the second summer of love unleashed all the way to the Top of the Pop studios as The Grid, Richard's career has continually seen him work to expand both his own and the public's musical horizons.
With Mr Norris Changes Brains it's the most recent part of his mercurial career that he's focused on. Drawing inspiration from his post 2006 adventures as one half of Beyond the Wizard's Sleeve, alongside Trash's Erol Alkan, this compilation shows how a more connected world has blown the dust off a paradoxically sometimes straightjacketed scene. The result is a dizzyingly wide-ranging collection that explores the further out there reaches of worldwide psychedelia and dancefloor mayhem.
"A lot of these tracks are fairly recent discoveries, things that I've discovered from around the time I started working with Erol and going right up to today," Richard explains. "Whether that's from going out to play and finding new records in places like Istanbul or just connecting with people online from all around the world. Psych can sometimes be a sort of narrow-minded field, with everything having to sit in its specific niche, but more and more people are open to new sounds and that's allowed for a much broader selection."
Despite their disparate origins what does unite these tracks is that they aren't just there to zone out to on a bean bag as projections of swirling coloured oils and psychedelic patterns wash over you. Mr Norris may change brains but his DJ sets also move feet, and whether it's their killer guitar riffs, oscillating synths floor shaking drums or soulful Hammond organs these are all cuts that from festival tents to underground clubs have proven time and time again to get people dancing.
"With a lot of these tracks there's a kind of fun element in them," says Richard. "It's still psychedelia, but they've also got these solid, funky grooves. They sound phenomenal on the dancefloor and as much as these records might excite old psych heads, this compilation is also for a new generation out there who might have never heard anything like this before and, just like when I was 18 and heard The 13th Floor Elevators for the first time, think 'Oh, my God, what on earth is this and more importantly what else is out there?'"
"Bassland Prophecy" was a collection of Southern California musicians, including Alex Xenophon (Deep Squared), Stuart Breidenstein (formerly of Skylab 2000), Alissa Kueker (vocals), and Maxx Vaxx (Euterpre, Butterfly Garden).
The act nourished and grew the emerging LA scene and was a renegade force in live electronic improvisation. Rather than composing full tracks, Breidenstein stated over email that they built musical "ingredients" on the fly, syncing DOS and hardware sequencers mid-performance. Their unpredictable sets, from illegal raves to makeshift desert parties, resulted in electrifying, unforgettable sonic trips.
Recalling 90s LA, Breidenstein said: “Before the internet, finding a rave was an adventure. You’d get a flyer with a phone number, call it the night of the event, then drive—sometimes 100 miles or more from a map point to the actual party. The scene was raw and underground, built by music obsessives hunting for the freshest sounds.”
Two standout tracks from 1996—“Nine / Deeper” and “Blue and Purple Starship of Trust”—perfectly represent their unique genre-bending concoctions. Against all odds, the recordings survived and have been given new life, remastered and reissued on Bristol-based *Sex Tapes From Mars*. To produce the wizardry, their setup included a Juno 106, Yamaha FB-01, a Roland S330 sampler, and a Sequential Circuits Pro-One mono synth with external MIDI, and some guitar effects pedals.
“Nine / Deeper,” born from one of their many spontaneous studio sessions, became eerily intertwined with recurring appearances of the number 9 and black cats. So much was the frequency of apophenia episodes that paranoia began to take over the artists. Recorded in a makeshift living room studio, the 14-minute excursion traverses genres and tempos, beginning quick and hypnotic, and climaxing chuggy and drenched in adlibbed acid lines, culminating in a surreal and legendary live performance in Hollywood. The piece captures the raw spontaneity of their sets, crafted with vintage gear, cassette tape recordings, and, as always, a DIY ethos. Breidenstein states, “While improvised sessions often failed, when it succeeded, it was definitely a kind of infectious magic the listener would recognize.”
“The Blue and Purple Starship of Trust” is a deeply personal piece, named after when Breidenstein saw a heavenly blue morning glory on a walk around his neighborhood, and emerged from heartbreak and the following deep depression entrenching his life at the time. Recorded in a single take onto cassette tape, blending piano, guitar, and heart-rending vocals into an emotional, dreamlike journey. The track starts with a lush, cascading synth sound, bolstered up by rolling, reverbing downtempo drums. Using Sequential Circuits Pro-One throughout, the rippling synths and off-key piano licks act like pipetted droplets of water, all elements bleeding into each other in some kind of hallucinogenic swelling, reflecting Breidenstein’s fading relationship. The guitar part is a nod to Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine,” and Breidenstein recalls just “bawling as the guitar line was recorded.”
Created in a time of artistic struggle, living in an old school bus, surviving on instant noodles while hauling their gear from venue to venue, and scraping by on gig money, these recordings act as rare artifacts of a movement that thrived on passion and perseverance, standing as a poignant testament to resilience. Though they released a handful of tracks, ranging from deep house to ambient to techno, their true legacy lay in their high-energy, genre-blurring live shows, which are powerfully encapsulated within these recordings and leave a lasting impact on underground electronic music today.
Right on time once again, the fifth outing on Punctuality welcomes Irish producer Drua to the fore. In typical Punctuality fashion the release draws influence from the canon of golden era late 90s and early 2000s dance music with an entirely modern production aesthetic, engineered for big rigs and sweaty dancefloors alike.
Nightfire is a fully realised vision of Drua’s sound that could best be described as contemporary hard house. All four tracks are laden with punchy, rolling basslines, detailed low end, vibrant stabs, sultry vocals, undulating rhythms and sprinklings of quintessential club sparks.
The nouveau handbag styling of UP kicks off the EP. Stuttered vocals, M1 organs and solid grooves are fused together with clever sampling that is sure to make this one a hit for the festival season of s/s ‘25, as early support from the likes of Roza Terenzi, Confidence Man, Spray, Sally C and Maara would indicate.
Job 2.3 has all the elements of a Punctuality anthem and maintains the big tune mood of the EP: skippy bass notes, low end wubs, subtle breaks, catchy vocal hooks and precise drums nail the brief in executing this prog-hard-house hybrid heater.
On the flip, Nightfire nods to classic leaning deep house through a peak time lens. Introspective pads make way for pulsing subs, sensuous vocal chops and hip catching basslines. This is one of those tracks that can shift the arc of a DJ set to the next level. Big tip here.
The EP concludes with Arch In Ur Back which has all the elements to work a dancefloor: multiple grooves, rolling breakbeats, party starting vocals and the modern sound design that punctuality has gained worldwide notoriety for. An all killer no filler EP in the form of four well rounded club tools from Drua that are sure to be mainstays for discerning DJs and Punctualists
*all original recordings from mid 90s Estonian released cassettes. Fascinating interpretations of the UK breakbeat and Jungle sounds recorded when the world felt like a much bigger place.
Since hearing the first breakbeats via the Finnish radio nightly shows introducing the burgeoning UK scene, Virko Veskoja, later head figure of Lu:k, was completely swept away by this new technological language that sounded like machines trying to initiate contact with people. The fluttering rhythm patterns, strings and vocal lines haunting the pathways of the infinite network. Like hip hop taken over by Skynet.
Reimagining it all in mid-90’s Estonia, a fresh and dirt-poor republic newly welcomed to the family of sovereign states on the outskirts of Eastern Europe, was challenging, to say the least. Finally, with the help of entry level music programs, custom-made soundcards and self-built computers by the other Lu:k-head Tõnis Valk, Lu:k took the first tentative steps in the history of Estonian jungle.
Eight Lu:k cuts have been compiled into a handy selection, a true sign of the times when uncertainty came with certain hope and optimism – new territories to chart, new frontiers to conquer. A time of innocence captured so sublimely in Lu:k’s music.
The compilation starts with menacing orchestration that sounds like the birth of a civilization, like in „2001: A Space Odyssey“, or the arrival of Godzilla, only to give way to sweeeet strings and the inimitable Minnie Riperton in “Lovin U”, combining all the essential elements of Lu:k in a track that has remained uncorroded by time since its inception in 1994.
The following “Demo 3” is its antithesis – fast and nervous, a harbinger of the darker days of neurofunk and techstep ahead. More in line with the social realities of the time, when something (or someone) could materialise out of thin air and attack you just as violently as those beats here.
“La:v” was Lu:k’s signature track throughout their brief career that went on only for a few years, 1994-1997. Lifted to heaven’s by Petula Clarks’s wonderful vocals, it perfectly captures the pure essence of creation. “I made it in my bedroom. Something like that just came out. Sorry”, says Virko apologetically.
From the themes of love we are led towards darker scenarios again with “Drunk-Drive”, a more vengeful cut reminiscent of early Ram Records’ nocturnal dangers, skylines shaped by basslines. Previously only available on the uber-rare “Raadiomaja valvelauas” CD compilation from 2005.
“In the Limelight” is lifted from their second album “Dreams in Drums” from 1996 (only released on cassette), and if it’s meant to address their new-found underground celebrity status in Estonia, there is surprisingly little elation here – the track rather consists of introspective strings and beats that sound almost melancholic.
Out of the remaining three tracks, “Proov2mix” and “Kadunud leitud” are the result of a treasure hunt amongst the old, obsolete harddrives – little nuggets that were condemned to obscurity until now. Between them, another vocal-led cut “010”, a non-album track only featured on two comps until now, is a strong reminder of Lu:k’s prodigious ability to handle vocal lines and morph them together with their own weaving synthetic melodies, strong pads and commanding beats.
Lu:k’s music has been largely unavailable for the better part of this century, with original tapes and CD’s changing hands for a small fortune. This vinyl release couldn’t come at a better time, bringing a seminal chapter of Estonian dance music’s mythical history to light again, both for the old-school acolytes and new converts.
Over the decades, the image of Kompakt as a pirate ship has taken root in our minds, braving the dangers of the seven seas of the music market. Sometimes it glides with a tailwind through calm waters, sometimes it has to survive violent storms. When we set sail in 1993, we never would have dreamt that our journey would still be going on after more than three decades and with 500 releases to date.
In our fast-paced business, the 500 mark is rarely reached, so we want to celebrate it with a lavish 5LP box set. In a democratic process, we have selected 50 pearls from the thousands of tracks released over the last 33 1/3 years and pressed them onto 5 brightly coloured vinyls. Alongside many Kompakt evergreens, there are also some real rarities from the early ‘Kompakt Sound of Cologne’, which have been lovingly remastered here to shine in new splendour.
The box also contains a 144-page book that tells the story of Kompakt from 1993 to today with detailed texts and images. In addition to the manifold musical and graphic achievements of Kompakt, the multidisciplinary links to the visual arts are also highlighted here.
The Bonus Picture Disc opens with the symbolic tolling of 500 bass drums, followed by 50 locked grooves from the 5 Kompakt founders, looping into infinity at 133 1/3 BPM, and the ‘33 1/3 Years Loop Opera’ – in which the loops are combined into one track that, in its reduced essence, is more than the sum of its individual parts. The magic of groovy loop minimalism and the ‘art of omission’ are once again brought to the proverbial point.
On 23 May 2025, the big KOMPAKT 500 art exhibition will open at the venerable Kölnischer Kunstverein to coincide with the release. The entire visual cosmos of Kompakt will be shown here in an unprecedented way on three floors, with the participation of many renowned artists. Of course, there will also be dancing and partying at the vernissage party, with DJ sets and live shows by the Kompakt Allstars.
The last one turns off the bass drum.
Im Laufe der Jahrzehnte hat sich in unseren Köpfen das Bild von Kompakt als Piratenschiff festgesetzt, das den Gefahren der sieben Weltmeere des Musikmarktes trotzt. Mal gleitet es mit Rückenwind durch ruhige Gewässer, mal muss es heftige Stürme überstehen. Als wir 1993 die Segel setzten, hätten wir uns nicht träumen lassen, dass unsere Reise nach über drei Jahrzehnten und mittlerweile 500 Veröffentlichungen immer noch andauert.
Die 500 ist in unserem schnelllebigen Geschäft eine selten erreichte Katalognummer und soll daher mit einer üppigen 5LP-Box gebührend gefeiert werden. In einem demokratischen Prozess haben wir aus den tausenden Tracks der letzten 33 1/3 Jahre 50 Perlen ausgewählt und auf 5 knallbunte Vinyls gepresst. Neben vielen Kompakt-Evergreens finden sich auch einige echte Raritäten des frühen “Kompakt Sound of Cologne”, die hier liebevoll remastered in neuem Glanz erstrahlen.
Die Box enthält außerdem ein 144-seitiges Buch, das mit ausführlichen Texten und Bildern die Kompakt-Geschichte von 1993 bis heute erzählt. Neben den mannigfaltigen musikalischen und grafischen Errungenschaften von Kompakt werden hier auch die multidisziplinären Vernetzungen zur bildenden Kunst beleuchtet.
Die Bonus Picture Disc wird mit einem symbolischen Glockenschlag von 500 Bassdrums eröffnet, gefolgt von 50 Endlosrillen der 5 Kompakt-Gründer, die sich bei 133 1/3 BPM in die Unendlichkeit schleifen sowie der “33 1/3 Years Loop Opera”, in der die Loops zu einem Track zusammengefügt werden, der in seiner reduzierten Essenz mehr ist als die Summe seiner Einzelteile. Die Magie des groovenden Loop-Minimalismus und die “Kunst des Weglassens” werden einmal mehr auf den sprichwörtlichen Punkt gebracht.
Am 23. Mai 2025 eröffnet parallel zum Release die große KOMPAKT 500 Kunstausstellung im ehrwürdigen Kölnischen Kunstverein. Der gesamte visuelle Kosmos von Kompakt wird hier unter Beteiligung vieler namhafter Künstler*Innen in nie gesehener Form auf drei Etagen gezeigt. Selbstverständlich darf zur Vernissagenparty auch getanzt und gefeiert werden zu DJ Sets und Liveshows der Kompakt Allstars.
When SW. AKA, Stefan Wust, first established SUED in 2011, their compelling, cosmic and anonymous material struck a rare chord, emanating far beyond the freeform Berlin underground in which it was written. Unknowingly, Los Angelean Oliver Bristow had
established a parallel musical universe, founding the hyper-specific label Acid Test, inviting pioneering artists such as Donato Dozzy, Tin Man and Pepe Bradock to indulge in glorious interpretations of 303 control. Without compromise, these were records that quietly
reinvigorated electronic music.
Some years later, a new label, SWOB, unites Wust and Bristow in a very different landscape. And while it would be easy to transform the purity and integrity of this special alchemy into something like nostalgia, yearning for an alternative culture before
influencers and against algorithms, SWOB endeavours to find inspiration in arguably tougher truths.
“By the mid-90s, the techno scene had already reached a breaking point”, recalls Wust.
“Today, the scene is so highly professionalized that it barely resembles what was once called the "underground. But "underground" was never more than the simple reality that music circulated on cassettes among friends or that dubplates were played at illegal
parties... The consequence of today’s professionalization is the death of the original movement.”
Still, no one can kill an idea. Here, inspired by the “Outside Tekno” or “Outkast Techno” that emerged to subvert even back in the day, SWOB are proud to introduce the tekkNOthing trilogy, a new project from SW. beginning on cassette and culminating later
on vinyl. Some years in development, tekkNOthing first began to take shape during the 2020 global pandemic, when ‘the underground’ quickly began to mean something radically different once again.
“I noticed how everything was accelerating while simultaneously spinning in circles – existing in a kind of creative limbo on a global scale”, recalls Wust. “And that’s where true freedom lies: for artists – in any sense – to consciously engage with this necessity. In
other words, irrationality or nonsense can eventually generate meaning.” While hardly capitulating to the contemporary hammering of techno’s most recent developments, tekkNOthing’s first chapter quickly establishes a frenetic pace; tracks like ‘nuclearFALLoutX’ and ‘paslolESmess’ interlock and unfold at a tempo removed from that typically associated with SW. while ‘euroBSS’ and ‘viscousHEAT’ successfully experiment with a more guttural palette, veering far into a rejuvenating and previously uncharted leftfield.
A resolutely human endeavour, the music of SW. is nonetheless written and recorded in the looming shadow of AI, whose free-form adoption of pop culture, hip-hop and techno reminds Wust of “when photography emerged in the 19th century... painting was no
longer bound to naturalism. Similarly, music today is no longer bound to fixed standards – through AI, it can become truly free.”
If not in competition, than taking inspiration from this landscape of new opportunity, tekkNOthing diversifies further with eight unpredictable tracks across part II, taking in stuttering machine-funk on ‘crAMPDUNK’, a freeform organ jam via ‘sonicENdo’ and the
inexplicable piston-percussive, post-punk exotica heard on ‘poorTENOOR#a#01’ DJs with dual cassette decks skills might even find function in the more overtly floor-focused ‘DU ¨NEhowSE#1takeÄ’ or ‘lookLOOK’.
The times may have changed, but the promise remains simple; more music, more freedom.
It’s been 6 years now since our last collaboration with Roar Groove and The Revenge in 2019. So it was about time to unleash some new heavy hitters by this House master.
With the opener “Twisted Signal” this EP sets the pace and tone to spiraling and pulsating sines, great grooves and hypnotic vocal use. Dark dance floor material at it’s best! Followed by the deep “Spiral Highway” the a-side is one long live jam. On the b-side we take back the pace and make it groovy-er with the House cut “Open Your Eyes” in a true classic “Revenge” style. Closing out with the excellent lush journey that is “Your Life”, bringing back again his great vocal sample use and adding deep soulful chord flavors.
Get real Deep with this new 4 tracker by The Revenge! Enjoy!
All tracks mastered by Salz Mastering in Cologne. Art by Hugo Barne.
Following on from last year's massive E2-E4, Alex Kassian returns to Test Pressing Records with the next in the rework series. This time tackling Spooky's 'Orange Coloured Liquid' taken from their seminal debut LP, Gargantuam released in 1993. Spooky, alongside acts like Underworld and Leftfield were at the forefront of the burgeoning progressive house scene at the turn of the 90's. Now 32 years later, man of the moment, Alex Kassian has proved once again that he can do no wrong with two versions that run from the club to the home. John Beltran also makes welcome appearance under his Placid Angles alias and the original version rounds off the release.
Gwenan takes us on an unusual excursion on her new EP, marking the sixth release on Snaretrade Records. Through four windows, we peek into scenes from an unknown script, cleverly disguised as club fare. The A-side starts out bustling and hasty, then takes us out for a melancholy moment in the sun. The B-side has us pause at home in a little skit brewed on a modular rig, before sliding off into the depth of night, where brooding thoughts come out to show their teeth. A remarkable and playful journey, in which Gwenan pays homage to her favourite author, with nods to her youth growing up in Wales.
LOCKJAW is up first with a moody yet optimistic progression through the traffic. There are upbeat and urgent tones just on the dry side of squelch, with arpeggiators emerging from the white noise of the hats’ long tails into clean synth work, as elongated tones gently push their way out of the filter, drawing out against the shorter synth loops that shimmer and echo with tight delays.
AROUND comes in punchier and with more pronounced percussion, gives a sense that something is up, and haze has been left behind.It acts as a precursor to more arpeggiated bass tones, gently meandering as they make their way to menacing metallic chords and modulations, allowing the keys which follow to have a sense of place before you’re pushed back into grooves and reprise.
ADAPT builds a slow and steady groove layered with, rather than punctuated by, metallic soaked chords like Basic Channel in bed with a fever. Vocal loops and lead lines creep their way out of the filter and cymbals gently exhale into, then inhale out of existence, blending with the reverberating chords and sedated pads which weave their way among the foggy reflected tails.
CONTACT slows things back down but punches through harder, with expansive sinister tones from the word go, in a Carpenteresque fashion that suggests it’s now time to make that Escape From Los Angeles. A feeling perpetuated by the vocal samples, pulsing synths and slower arpeggiated bass which act as groundwork for clean, moody strings and chords which perfectly round out this dystopian futurescape.
DJ Support: Tim Sweeney, Idjut Boys, Unabombers, PBR Streetgang, Hot Toddy, DJ Dribbler, Leo Zero, Roller Boys, Craig Smith
Rayko is back with this third volume of the highly acclaimed 'Vadillo Vice' series on his long standing and well regarded label Rare Wiri.
Again its a quality collection of timeless discofied productions with the dancefloor in mind but with a firm nod to the leftfield corner of the room, with all three tracks quite frankly having some real 'WTF?' moments in there..
'More I Like It' is a killer euphoric groover with epic Italo/Cosmic touches that build and build.
'Napole' provides the end of night moment, carrying emotional and heartfelt vocals with a sexy Italian twist.
‘Towers’ and ‘Cosmic Boy’ are just two outstanding examples demonstrating the deep love he feels for the underground dance culture of the late 70s and early 80s, from Rock and Sci Fi Electronics to Funk and New Wave, Cosmic Italo and obscure NY Disco…
