One of the most popular and notorious of all British hardcore acts, the Exploited were formed on a dire Edinburgh council estate in 1978 by singer Terry Buchan and guitarist Stevie Ross, although Buchan’s brother Wattie would soon become leader and the lineup seldom stayed stable. Influenced by the Pistols, they built their large working class and skinhead following through an aggressive, fast-paced, and uncensored hardcore style. Gathering singles from their street punk days and the best tracks from their first three albums, Totally Exploited was the band’s first compilation and it remains the best by far. Essential Exploited!
Hackney based Hidden Sounds Records launches – with support from Emotional Recordings – it’s Dark Times label by diving in the the music of Alkahest, a short-lived project from Canadian brother-production duo Lex and Rew MacCrimmon.
For the second EP, the Twisted Up release is re-examined, with a tweaked track list to represent the times and how their sound continues in relevance today. Released in 2 years (1994-1996), Alkahest was the darker side of the MacCrimmon’s productions and allowed them to focus on twisted, psychedelic electronics, away from their main Legion Of Green Men project.
Self-described music obsessives from a young age – lying under a home-made harpsichord, with their heads in the resonator box was an early indication of a love outside the norm. Experiments with forks and pencils on strings – totally unaware of the likes John Cage – highlighted an interest in sound from unusual places.
Anything with a synth notably grabbed their attention, going to the public library to take out BBC Sound Effects and Morton Subotnick albums, sat alongside contacting European mail order catalogues, to grow their knowledge and record collections.
As early productions formed, working under the sound production name of Incarnate, their love of art was just as influential as music. The likes of M.C. Escher, Salvador Dali, Bridget Riley and the Op Art movement, was all part of brothers in their progression to form the Post Contemporary label in 1992.
Following the DIY ethos of the music they had long been buying, their “indie ethic” influences all coalesced in the label, not conforming to one sound or tempo, placed them within the electronic music coming from Canada, but also, out on their own.
Twisted Up expands the Alkahest sound, the title cut a stomping anthem, it’s unrelenting drums and lifting strings a call to arms. The compelling Shake arrives, acid techno rewiring synapsis, dub static between the beats.
On the flip, Twisted Another is just that, a reversion excursion, pushing the psychedelic synthesis to the forefront, stabs call and respond. Closing the EP with the perfectly titled, Kiss My Acid, a journey of industrial bang, reflexed, Alkahest showing their sound is pulsating, widescreen overtures.
An Elephant Eye; A Frozen Girl; and an Umbrella Man walk into an Icebox. All have been shoveled out of a Jungle-den and are covered in Mud Fleas. The Umbrella Man has been Dolt-ing around on the Machinery for Years. . .knowing it Hasn’t-Really-Rained since he threw his last Bacchanal. He thinks he owns birds; he just listens to them really. The Frozen Girl keeps away from him but moves Incredibly slow given the Circumstances. . .she’s been trying to tie her shoes for 700 years. The floating Eyeball, defying all Man Physics, Miraculously Phases himself All the way to the outside of the Icebox; Barreling through the Crisp air. He then comes to a Grinding halt before a Ginormous Totem pole of Speckled flesh, Grey and exceptionally thick, Wrinkling like telephone Wire. He quickly realizes that’s where the rest of his Body went. The only thing that’s missing is his Trunk. But he’s learned to communicate Decently Well without it. . .Using Semiotic chains of Eyelid-signifiers. . .An Eyeball shaped hole has been Burnt into the Icebox but the Frozen Girl won’t know for another 53 years and by then Big-Pants won’t even be in. The Umbrella Man doesn’t particularly so much as Notice and think its smells a lot like Burnt toast. He says he’s off to the Cemetery.
What do Them Three have in common anyway? Well they all Dig Pins; they also all Exist because of Him. And, Starting today, are Perpetually Entrapped in 10 millimeters divisions of Black resin upon a Circular Plain. I want to hear them cry and shout, You might say, because we are all Up-standers. But all crying and shouting Ourselves into the Icebox. . .
For its second release, the Parisian vinyl-only imprint Mustard & Pickles takes a bold step into the V/A format, a challenging one where balancing diverse styles is key—here, the gamble paid off. The EP kicks off with a stellar deep house cut from Berlin based Hustache, using a hypnotic vocal to lure us straight into 'That Beautiful Place'. Over on the A2, things get bouncy yet mysterious, featuring an addictive vocal loop that keeps you hooked. Flip the record, and M&P label head Tom Cler serves up a tailor-made break-to-4/4 weapon, packed with deep leads and the VA's signature : insane vocal lines. Closing out the wax, Numero 6 drops a gorgeous deep house gem. With its lush pads, quirky textures, and enchanting vocals, it feels like he’s casting a spell on the dancefloor—and we’re totally here for it.
Die Legenden der elektronischen Musik, Soft Cell, bestehend aus Sänger & Frontmann Marc Almond und Multiinstrumentalist & Produzent Dave Ball, veröffentlichen mit "Danceteria" ihr sechstes und letztes Studioalbum - zugleich ein Liebesbrief an das New York der frühen 80er Jahre, wo Soft Cell ihre ersten drei Alben aufnahmen. "Danceteria" ist ein großartiger, stilvoller und verspielter Abschied von 47 Jahren gemeinsamer Musikgeschichte von Marc & Dave als Soft Cell und präsentiert Darbietungen, die für die Karriere dieser Electro-Pop-Legenden prägend sind. Mit Anklängen an Sparks und die Pet Shop Boys sowie Texten, für die Lady Gaga töten würde, nimmt das Album den Hörer mit auf eine lebendige Reise durch einen Tag im New York der frühen 80er Jahre – eine Reise, die rund um die Uhr von der Nacht über den verschwommenen Tagesanbruch bis zum direkten Wiedereintritt in den Club führt.
"Danceteria" ist gleichermaßen eine Hommage an den verstorbenen, großartigen Dave Ball. Dieses letzte Album gehört zu den letzten Werken, an denen Ball als Co-Autor und Produzent mitwirkte, bevor er am 22. Oktober 2025 auf tragische Weise viel zu früh verstarb. Marc Almond führte die Reihe der Nachrufe an und bezeichnete Dave als "geniales musikalisches Genie". Die weltweiten Medien und Musikstars wie Neil Tennant & Chris Lowe (Pet Shop Boys), Daniel Miller (Mute Records), Cabaret Voltaire sowie Richard Norris aus Daves Techno-Duo The Grid würdigten ihn voller Anerkennung und Wehmut als Pionier der elektronischen Musik. Dave stellte "Danceteria" zwei Tage vor seinem Tod fertig, und ganz in seinem Sinne wurde die Veröffentlichung des Albums wie geplant durchgeführt. Auch aufgrund von Daves Tod muss "Danceteria" zwangsläufig das letzte Soft Cell-Album sein, wie Marc erklärt: "Ohne Dave kann es keine weiteren Aufnahmen von Soft Cell geben; das wäre schlichtweg unmöglich. Die traurige Realität ist, dass Dave Ball die eine Hälfte von Soft Cell war, und abgesehen von Live-Auftritten kann ich ohne ihn keine Soft-Cell-Songs schreiben."
DJ Support: Mochakk, Joseph Capriati, Jamie Jones, Purple Disco Machine, Groove Armada, Marco Carola ,keinemusik, Adrian Roman, Bill Brewster, Rino, Ruben Mandolini, Terry Farley, Nicolas Masseyeff, Echonomist, Robosonic, Nuno Dos Santos, diskJokke, Dan Marciano Jody Wisternoff / Way Out West, Eelke Kleijn, Henry Saiz, Digitalism, Sister Bliss / Faithless, Innellea, Adriatique, Judge Jules, Sam Divine, TSHA, Simone Vitullo, Joris Voorn, Tommie Sunshine, Fahlberg, Stijn D'hont / DJ Neon
D Stone is a rising force in Amsterdam’s electronic music scene, blending live instruments with electronic production to create his unique take on house music. His sound bridges true house to proto-disco and deeper percussive elements, as showcased in his release Total Unison. A passionate DJ and producer, D Stone crafts infectious tracks by combining samples with live instruments, driving dance floors with his grooves. Born into a musical family, D Stone was immersed in sound from an early age. His father’s influence exposed him to diverse musical styles, sparking his lifelong curiosity. He began playing piano at eight, learned guitar at twelve, and by fifteen discovered electronic music, exploring house as a DJ. A year later, he ventured into production, gaining recognition and landing his first gigs. Inspired by 70s and 80s disco, funk, garage, and 90s tech house, his music blends energy, groove, and soul. With his foundation in live instruments and his forward-thinking approach to electronic music, D Stone strives to create more than tracks—he’s shaping moments that linger in the minds of his listeners.
Envision remixed by DJ & producer Julya Karma Emerging from Brooklyn’s underground and now rooted in Berlin, her practice isn’t about fitting into a lane, it’s about finding what is alive and letting it shape the moment.
Across diverse stages and platforms from Coachella and Lost Village to Berghain, Cercle, Space, The Brooklyn Mirage, DGTL, Time Warp, Audio Obscura, Tomorrowland, and within the orbit of Innervisions, Julya’s performances reflect a commitment to exploration over formula, earning recognition from artists like Laurent Garnier, Dixon, Âme, Adriatique, Rüfüs Du Sol, and Sven Väth.
Riviera Records presents an uncompromising clash of sounds from all over the globe. 5 tracks from the likes of Lewis Taylor, DJ Pacifier, Cult, Lil Na$$ty, DJ RaDa & X-Coast spanning from house, techno, trap to experimental rave.
KKYV10 is a four-track EP by Bulgarian producer Loopdeville, currently based in Spain. The release explores a flexible space between minimal, breakbeat and house, shaped by groove-led structures, textured sampling and a slightly twisted, off-centre energy. Built to move through different moments — daytime light, peak pressure, late fade. The EP opens with "The Bizz", a track built around jazzy elements, vocal cuts and a jackin low-end. Its warm, rolling groove sets a natural tone for the record, balancing playfulness with reflections. "Shmuck Norris" follows with a heavier, more direct approach. Driven by raw drums and a rolling bassline, the track leans into a big-beat aesthetic while maintaining a stripped structure. On "Rashford", the EP shifts into a breakbeat framework. The track carries a deeper, more introspective mood, with subtle background movement adding acid tension beneath it’s surface. The closing track, "Septimo", draws from UK-influenced minimal with garage elements. Focused on sub frequencies it is designed for systems that favour depth and clarity in low parts. Together, the four tracks form a cohesive yet varied release, reflecting Loopdeville’s recognisable sense of tension and detail while staying totally aligned with Kooky’s sonic direction.
Nine-time GRAMMY® winner Anderson .Paak and GRAMMY®-nominated rapper Cordae have been operating on the same wavelength for years. What started as pure chemical reaction on 2019’s “RNP” slowly turned into one of hip-hop’s most natural, low-ego partnerships, fueled by back-and-forth gems like “Two Tens” and “Summer Drop” and a series of dynamic TV performances that felt more like two best friends hanging out than a polished routine. On their debut collaborative album, Heavy Is The Crown, that organic bond gets the full-length treatment it’s always deserved.
At its core, the project is a tightrope walk between serious real-life stakes and uncompromising fun. The title isn't just bravado—it speaks directly to the shared weight both artists carry as the primary providers and anchors for their families. But instead of letting that pressure crush the vibe, .Paak and Cordae lean into each other. Meeting as total equals, .Paak’s elastic, soul-drenched musicality anchors Cordae’s razor-sharp lyricism, allowing both to unpack the heavy reality of success and family responsibility without ever losing their spark.
That balance is what makes the album tick. To drive the point home, the album art pays homage to the cult comedy Step Brothers—a nod to the silly, irreverent friendship that birthed the music in the first place. Heavy Is The Crown doesn't feel like a forced corporate crossover or a calculated career move. It’s a record about brotherhood, family, and what happens when two masters of their craft step into the studio simply because nobody makes them laugh, rap, or create quite like the other.
Nine-time GRAMMY® winner Anderson .Paak and GRAMMY®-nominated rapper Cordae have been operating on the same wavelength for years. What started as pure chemical reaction on 2019’s “RNP” slowly turned into one of hip-hop’s most natural, low-ego partnerships, fueled by back-and-forth gems like “Two Tens” and “Summer Drop” and a series of dynamic TV performances that felt more like two best friends hanging out than a polished routine. On their debut collaborative album, Heavy Is The Crown, that organic bond gets the full-length treatment it’s always deserved.
At its core, the project is a tightrope walk between serious real-life stakes and uncompromising fun. The title isn't just bravado—it speaks directly to the shared weight both artists carry as the primary providers and anchors for their families. But instead of letting that pressure crush the vibe, .Paak and Cordae lean into each other. Meeting as total equals, .Paak’s elastic, soul-drenched musicality anchors Cordae’s razor-sharp lyricism, allowing both to unpack the heavy reality of success and family responsibility without ever losing their spark.
That balance is what makes the album tick. To drive the point home, the album art pays homage to the cult comedy Step Brothers—a nod to the silly, irreverent friendship that birthed the music in the first place. Heavy Is The Crown doesn't feel like a forced corporate crossover or a calculated career move. It’s a record about brotherhood, family, and what happens when two masters of their craft step into the studio simply because nobody makes them laugh, rap, or create quite like the other.
On their third album, FANGS, London collective HMLTD have created an entirely new genre: Götherdammerüng (or ÜberGöth). Predictably unpredictable, it could not be further away from their last outing, 2023 rock opera The Worm. The sixteen-piece orchestra has been traded in for Ableton, the timpani and violins replaced with side-chained four-to-the-floor and rave synths, and the gospel choir swapped for guttural gothic howling and black metal screams. The result is both unique and terrifying: a total reinvention and rehabilitation of the goth genre, through the looking glass of modern electronic and doomscroll-era dance music.
This new beginning was accompanied by a change in personnel, with Theo Spark and Andrei Martynchyk joining the fray alongside original members Henry Spychalski and Duc Peterman. Decamping to a ruined château in the Loire Valley, the quartet became obsessed with vampire lore, and the EBM and goth sound that inspired their early work: Fad Gadget, DAF, Nitzer Ebb, Suicide and Bauhaus. FANGS also points to more contemporary influences like Crystal Castles, German hardcore, 2000s blog-house a la Justice, and 2020s sleazepop.
The world crafted in FANGS is full of cosmic pessimism, glowing horror, imperceptible evil and digital dismemberment, ancient curses and ruined castles, Vampires. But it is also a thoroughly fun, and funny, record, as danceable as it is deep. Born of the club, some tracks would not sound out of place on Brat. Like a Smiths song which sounds happy and carefree until your brain tunes in to the misery of the lyrics, it can be listened to - and enjoyed - on two levels. One can get lost in the throb of bass and ludic synths, or tune into the horror of the lyrics which overlay them.
FANGS attempts to offer up a reflection to a culture that - like a Vampire - has lost its own. The result is something not only thoroughly modern, original, and inventive - but that feels genuinely dangerous and potent. FANGS delights in this ambiguity: simultaneously indicting decadence, decay, and moral rot, while luxuriating in its intoxication by it. Cacophonous sub-bass becomes a chthonic call of the void; seraphic rave synths become the screech of Valkyries; four-to-the-floor becomes a deathly funeral march. Vampire apocalypse.
On their third album, FANGS, London collective HMLTD have created an entirely new genre: Götherdammerüng (or ÜberGöth). Predictably unpredictable, it could not be further away from their last outing, 2023 rock opera The Worm. The sixteen-piece orchestra has been traded in for Ableton, the timpani and violins replaced with side-chained four-to-the-floor and rave synths, and the gospel choir swapped for guttural gothic howling and black metal screams. The result is both unique and terrifying: a total reinvention and rehabilitation of the goth genre, through the looking glass of modern electronic and doomscroll-era dance music.
This new beginning was accompanied by a change in personnel, with Theo Spark and Andrei Martynchyk joining the fray alongside original members Henry Spychalski and Duc Peterman. Decamping to a ruined château in the Loire Valley, the quartet became obsessed with vampire lore, and the EBM and goth sound that inspired their early work: Fad Gadget, DAF, Nitzer Ebb, Suicide and Bauhaus. FANGS also points to more contemporary influences like Crystal Castles, German hardcore, 2000s blog-house a la Justice, and 2020s sleazepop.
The world crafted in FANGS is full of cosmic pessimism, glowing horror, imperceptible evil and digital dismemberment, ancient curses and ruined castles, Vampires. But it is also a thoroughly fun, and funny, record, as danceable as it is deep. Born of the club, some tracks would not sound out of place on Brat. Like a Smiths song which sounds happy and carefree until your brain tunes in to the misery of the lyrics, it can be listened to - and enjoyed - on two levels. One can get lost in the throb of bass and ludic synths, or tune into the horror of the lyrics which overlay them.
FANGS attempts to offer up a reflection to a culture that - like a Vampire - has lost its own. The result is something not only thoroughly modern, original, and inventive - but that feels genuinely dangerous and potent. FANGS delights in this ambiguity: simultaneously indicting decadence, decay, and moral rot, while luxuriating in its intoxication by it. Cacophonous sub-bass becomes a chthonic call of the void; seraphic rave synths become the screech of Valkyries; four-to-the-floor becomes a deathly funeral march. Vampire apocalypse.
Budapest based concept label Blue Sun arrives with the 3rd edition of their annual VA series, showcasing a colorful taste of the local underground music scene, with some international sidenotes.
Following up on the label’s customs, the 19-track selection is not only released digitally, but also on a limited 200-piece cassette series. Curated by the label heads, the tracks follow Blue Sun's listening-oriented concept without genre restrictions with downtempo, trip-hop, jazz, dub, balearic, ambient, experimental, and electronica as highlights, with pieces that are more difficult to classify.
As before, instead of the usual A-B markings, the two sides are divided by the label's colors: “ORANGE” contains more organic and high-energy music, while “BLUE” contains more pensive and experimental tracks. Moreover, the selection has been carefully curated so that it can be listened to as an endless loop: the end of a side always resonates with the beginning of the other, wherever the listener begins.
The list of contributing artists this year are truly various and just as impressive. From uniqe debuting local artists to internationally recognised performers, it gives a taste of how the Hungarian underground scene sounds like atm. Important to note, that the release marks another debut: the label’s new visual identity by Blue Sun’s new designer, Péter Tóth.
Put your hands together and please welcome Linda Lo to Shall Not Fade's Time is Now imprint. The LA producer/DJ's new 12" EP "Masa" drops 23rd Oct 2026 and f**k is it sick.
Linda Lo fuses* mambo, samba, and salsa with UK garage, dubstep, and club rhythms to make guaranteed rewind material that is gonna light up the dance…
* imma talk about this fuses sh*t in a minute.. First we need to get a bit philosophical. Cos rewinds and fusions aside, this EP is alive. It's part of something bigger and cyclical, without a start or an end. It is music. It was part of someone else's music before and it will be part of other people's music in the future. Right now though, it's Linda Lo's music.
Too esoteric? Let me elaborate and, let's talk about fusion. There is the fusion that is – steal a bit of genre X and culture Y, chuck it on the grid and strut about professing fusion – and then there's actual fusion: Music that is something "new" and real and genuine. Music that you end up describing excitedly as a "fusion of" things (even if it inevitably ends up doing it a disservice). Music that is simultaneously one thing and not that thing, and also something else and not that something else too. Music that is just "music" to the creator but is also part of the progression and evolution of music for others. Mala wasn't making "dubstep". Skream & Benga ended up not making Garage. Like many before and after they were making their music and Linda Lo is making her music so let's hear from her about it. Big up Linda. This is real.
Notes from Linda:
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“Like Croydon by way of Havana”
“Masa, or corn-based dough used to make tortillas and tamales, is a traditional staple food for many in Mexico and throughout LatAm. In the Maya worldview, people's flesh is made out of masa. In order to make masa, corn must be dried, nixtamalized, ground, and mixed (often by hand) to create the right textured dough. I find much of my music work is a collision and a mixing of many elements, all worked into one product. In this way, I've worked these songs, transforming raw rhythms and sub bass into hand-mixed tunes. ‘Masa - EP' presents four delicious heaters. The title track explodes with a fiery double-time dubstep groove. Mambo horn stabs bite through a bass inferno. ‘Cenote' looks down upon a subterranean pool of sound—still on the surface but impossibly deep. ‘Minifalda', pure flirt and gyration, calls in cuica and other voices from a samba bateria. Finally, claves stitch across ‘Mestiza', a fusion of blooming lush orchestration and jagged 2step rhythm.
Around 1960, my grandparents were regular dancers at the Palladium in Los Angeles: young, Mexican, and falling in love to dance music, specifically big band mambo. My mom, consequently, is a fantastic dancer, and her mambo collection along with my dad's exotica records formed the base of my own vinyl collection. When I first discovered garage and dubstep, there was something indescribably familiar to me, something mambo-like about the syncopated offbeat hits and drama. Later, as I began stitching together mambo claves and 2step drums, I assumed I was trying out something totally new. The farther I go, the more I see that I was wrong.
Dubstep, garage and jungle share a parental lineage back to dub reggae, originating from Jamaica. Mambo hails from Cuba, and sister genres of salsa to NYC & PR, and bachata and meringue to the Dominican Republic. Yet, these musical genres of the Caribbean have not developed in isolation. Reggae, mambo, dancehall, salsa, even son jarocho from Veracrúz, Mexico (where my family is from), all developed together, influencing each other fundamentally. Ultimately, all musics of the Caribbean have come from West African polyrhythmic musical heritages. Garage, mambo, dubstep, and salsa are points in time along one musical continuum.
I feel very honored to be a selector working in Los Angeles (and elsewhere!). I hope I can share some music for the next generation of young people to fall in love to. "
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I'm moved by what Linda writes here. #1 Doing what you love, and finding you are part of something bigger. Creating for yourself freely and hoping to inspire others with healthy amounts of care, humility, freedom, self awareness and enjoyment. (It is inspiring and I'm honoured we are now a part of sharing Linda's music). #2 There's something wonderful about finding connection and a sense of place. A place physical, spiritual and in time. Music can help us all find connection and be part of a place. Wheel it up wherever you are.
Celebrating 50 years of dancing, Amnesia represents the heart and soul of electronic music in Ibiza. Telling a story that spans five decades, the 50th anniversary vinyl/CD compilation is a window into a legendary venue that has helped establish some of the world's biggest tracks.
From the iconic piano riff of Eric Prydz' 'Pjanoo' to the laid-back groove of 'Benediction' by Hot Natured. A club that spans eras and genres - the disco of Chic's 'Good Times', the synth-pop of New Order's 'Blue Monday', or the gritty electro of Alter Ego's 'Rocker'.
The soundtracks of 50 summers are represented across 50 tracks spanning 10 vinyl/5 CDs. A hand-picked selection that reflects the incredible breadth of Amnesia's cultural influence, featuring music from Calvin Harris, Donna Summer, Paul van Dyk, Candi Staton, Fred Again.., Robert Miles, Laurent Garnier, Binary Finary, and many more.
Delsin is pleased to announce the second volume of their extensive compilation series combing through the catalogue of landmark Dutch techno label Djax-Up-Beats. The series, curated by Rush Hour co-founder Christiaan Macdonald, continues with a look at the label's legacy in the development of Dutch techno through the early 90s. This second volume in the Djax-Up-Beats 1990-2005 series comprises 25 tracks, presented again as a main triple-vinyl album plus three additional 12" EPs. The compilation also features again all-new illustration from Alan Oldham, design by Lost Communication and liner notes from music journalist Oli Warwick. Crucially, every track featured on the series has been carefully mastered by Johanz Westerman, bringing the best out of tracks that often had very little post-production treatment before they were originally pressed to wax. Volume 2 - The NL Connection takes a deep dive in the development of Dutch techno. Saskia Slegers didn't run her label with a specific focus on any one place, but she naturally connected with artists close to home. Emergent producers from across the Netherlands found a vital outlet in Djax-Up whether they were short-lived dabblers or dance music devotees on their way to lifelong careers. Volume 2 - The NL Connection looks at the first outings in Dutch techno by originators such as Stefan Robbers as Terrace, Dylan Hermelijn as Planet Gong and Edge Of Motion (with Gert-Jan Schonewille) and Sander Friedeman as Random XS. Whether it was sensitive, melodious machine dreaming, gnarly acid tweaking, jackhammer techno or oddball outliers, you could count on Slegers' label to point you to the best underground club music coming out of the Netherlands. With four more, equally extensive, volumes to come in this series, Djax-Up-Beats 1990-2005 is a thorough exploration of a true totem of techno culture -- a renegade label that operated on its own terms and carried surprises and slammers in equal measure.
Bassline brings together Russell Ruckman and Marcia Carr for a 12", which was originally part of a 2025 digital album, but now drops on wax and has been remastered for extra punch. Side A opens with the vinyl debut of Rani G & Raul Riena's 'Feels So Right' (World-Life-music Raw Teaser remix), which will soon transfix the floor while the driving groove of Hot Issue's 'Motion 96' is a cool vibe with wet clasp and dusty drums brought to life by cute little melodies and plenty of snap. Side B leans into deeper territory with Mercedes' Living For The Moment (Booker T remix)' and the uplifting dub energy of Never Gonna Give Up. If you like soulful house with a classic New York edge, this one bangs.
Turn back the clock to an unforgettable era, with 32 huge hits from 1980–1984 brought together across 2LPs.
LP1 launches with Wham!’s feel-good ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’, before Duran Duran’s ‘Is There Something I Should Know?’ and Eurythmics’ ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)’ capture the contemporary sound of the new decade. The Human League’s ‘Don’t You Want Me’, Soft Cell’s ‘Tainted Love’ and Heaven 17’s ‘Temptation’ continue an outstanding run of synth-pop classics, with Blondie and Frankie Goes To Hollywood completing Side One. Culture Club open Side Two with ‘Do You Really Want To Hurt Me’, followed by colourful 80s favourites from Adam & The Ants, Altered Images and Kajagoogoo. Haircut 100’s ‘Love Plus One’ and ABC’s ‘The Look Of Love’ lead into Dollar and Bucks Fizz, rounding out a side packed with pure pop nostalgia.
LP2 starts in suitably anthemic style with Spandau Ballet’s ‘Gold’, alongside Elton John’s uplifting ‘I’m Still Standing’ and Billy Joel’s ‘It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me’. The Cars’ ‘Drive’ and Bonnie Tyler’s epic ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ bring some of the decade’s biggest power-pop moments, while Laura Branigan’s ‘Self Control’ and Matthew Wilder’s ‘Break My Stride’ pave the way for Dexys Midnight Runners’ ‘Come On Eileen’. Side Two brings another burst of ’80s energy with Ray Parker Jr.’s ‘Ghostbusters’, Chaka Khan’s ‘I Feel for You’ and Billy Ocean’s ‘Caribbean Queen’. Diana Ross’ ‘Upside Down’ is followed by favourites from The Police, Pretenders and The Jam, before Roxy Music’s ‘Jealous Guy’ provides an elegant finale to this celebration of 1980–1984.
Stockholm house mainstays Ari Bald & CJ Scott return to Studio Barnhus with Colombiance, their fourth EP for the label and another generous serving of homegrown dance music from two of our most dependable suppliers.
“Trippin’ Totems” opens in suggestive, hypnotic mode, rolling forward on layers of percussion and a groove that seems to tighten the longer it runs. “Coral Capers” brings the piano to the party, bright and buoyant on the surface with just enough melancholia underneath to keep things interesting.
“Mole Patrol” picks up the pace considerably, a chugging and increasingly intense workout built for peak-time deployment, before “Baobab Bonanza” closes proceedings in more spacious fashion, with great waves of sound washing in and out over a floaty, rolling house groove.
Another intriguing chapter in an increasingly distinctive Stockholm house story, out October 30 on 12'' vinyl and digital platforms, with lovely artwork by Eliot Axelsson.
Mit Autobigophonie schuf Françoise Cactus, die unvergessene Sängerin von Stereo Total, einen der charmantesten Klassiker der deutsch-französischen Popliteratur. In diesem autobiografisch inspirierten Roman erzählt sie mit lakonischem Humor, Melancholie und feiner Ironie vom Aufwachsen in der französischen Provinz, von Jugend, Rebellion und dem Aufbruch ins Berlin der Hausbesetzer- und Punkära. Zwischen Schloss, Mädchenpensionat, Revolutionsgeist und Underground-Musikszene entsteht das Porträt einer jungen Frau, die sich gegen Konventionen und Erwartungen behauptet. Fast 30 Jahre nach der Erstveröffentlichung erscheint dieses literarische Juwel nun in einer überarbeiteten Neuausgabe. Ein kluger, witziger und zeitloser Roman über Selbstfindung, Popkultur und die Sehnsucht nach einem anderen Leben.
