Although nearly two decades after its release the legendary album Eksel by D'Arcangelo has achieved cult status, it is worth remembering that it all started in the early 90s in Rome. The twin brothers Fabrizio and Marco D'Arcangelo sculpted this electronic IDM treasure with a minimalist arsenal of hardware and analog synthesizers, achieving a raw though sophisticated sound that immediately caught the attention of Aphex Twin & Grant Wilson Claridge, Rephlex record label heads themselves.
While in 1993 and 1994 a large part of the European scene was carried away by the faster, more commercial rhythms of hardcore or eurodance, the D'Arcangelo brothers preferred to look toward the mental landscapes and abstract textures coming out of Detroit and Warp Records. By fusing the machine-like coldness of electro with melancholic melodies and complex rhythm structures, the Italian duo became one of the undisputed pioneers of braindance music in Mediterranean Europe.
Looking back, Eksel—released on Rephlex in 2007—stood as a challenge to the listening habits of its time. Positioned between mental experimentation and dancefloor functionality, the album moves effortlessly between hypnotic club contexts and intimate, detail-rich home listening. Now twenty years later, its legacy continues to resonate among collectors and lovers of analog sound. Eksel stands as proof that electronic innovation extended far beyond the major hubs of London or Berlin, strengthening the dialogue between British IDM and the Italian school, and establishing D'Arcangelo as architects of a distinctive sound.
Marco D'Arcangelo looks back on the album's origins with characteristic wit: "Eksel was conceived to celebrate our 40th Birthday. At Rephlex, they thought we should include a Roman attribute, just to remind people of our so-called 'ancestry'—which isn't really anything, but being born in Rome did sound cool. The XL in Roman numerals is 40, spelled 'Eksel'. And funnily enough, this year we are turning 60 (oh my god!), and 60 in Roman numerals is LX, spelled 'Leks'."
For this release, the partnership brings together a range of elements into a cohesive and refined sonic language. D'Arcangelo seamlessly blend leftfield electronica, avant-garde techno, and glitch, shaping a forward-thinking sound. Vintage synthesizers intertwine with crisp programmed percussion, while melodic structures interact with classic 808 rhythms. This deluxe reissue also exclusively includes RFLX1902 and Electronic Lounge, two tracks from the same era never before pressed on vinyl. The result is a warm and reflective body of work, deeply rooted in electro's legacy, yet unmistakably oriented toward the future.
With the stunning Planes In Reverse, Sascha Funke, the Berlin-born producer and DJ, and long-time member of the Kompakt family, releases his first album in almost a decade, since 2017’s Lotos Land. It’s a welcome return for one of the most eloquent and elegant producers in electronic and dance music, someone who’s always been able to say more with less, and the ten tracks here, moving effortlessly between techno, house, minimalism, disco house, and home listening tunes, are all gorgeously sculpted miniatures. With guest appearances from partner Julienne Dessagne (Fantastic Twins), with whom Funke has also worked in Saschienne, there’s something homely and family about it, too; a family of sounds, a home of tone. There’s also something consummate about Planes In Reverse, as though Sascha Funke has perfected the album format. There’s no flab here, no excess – it plays out like a perfectly designed experience, ten tracks, coming in under fifty minutes, an album where every moment matters.
It’s full of variety, but everything has the unmistakable Funke thumbprint, one that was developed during the late ‘90s / early ‘00s minimal techno and microhouse moment, but which was always open to other ideas and other sounds, too. Planes In Reverse came together quickly for Funke: “Last winter, I had two or three new tracks, which gave me a core feeling: ‘Ah, this could be the direction of something like an album.’ Sometimes it can be very easy that you wrap it up and then it becomes something coherent and solid. This happened within two or three months; it was very fast and direct.” Everything fell into place – the ten tracks revealed themselves, the album sat together as a whole, and the final piece of the puzzle was returning home again to Kompakt, who have supported Sascha Funke from the very start, releasing his first single, “Campus”, back in 1999.
Planes In Reverse opens stealthily with “What You See”, where rhythms percolate and bass prowls while gaseous textures fill the sonic spectrum. It’s also the first appearance of Fantastic Twins on the album; here, she speaks a hypnotic mantra, a prelude to the title track, where Dessagne has a pure pop moment, her voice ecstatic and vibrant. Indeed, Planes In Reverse plays out like thesis and antithesis ending in synthesis, the tracks nestling next to each other even as they shuttle between sounds, genres, perspectives. There are some beautiful moments dropped throughout Planes In Reverse – the heavenly textures that make the title track feel so cloud-bound; the glassy and orbital tones that drop from the skies through the disco house inspired “Karat”; the clamour and clatter of hyper-edited voices shuffling through “Splitter”; or the field recordings of Sascha’s son football training session that drop “Zockers” into a different place and space, slowly giving way to a beautifully paced electro-pop mantra. “In Germany,when the kids play a computer game, or when they play football, we describe it as zocken. They’re the players, they’re the Zockers.“ Funke explains.
Planes In Reverse winds down with the beautiful “Kruso”, where ticklish, loving arpeggios careen around the room, and drift-work chords shimmer and shuttle between your ears. It’s a perfect comedown to an album that feels breathes in and out at an organic pace, nothing above 130 BPM, everything sitting together just so. Indeed, that’s the feeling you take away from Planes In Reverse; it sums up the spirit of Sascha Funke productions perfectly, while also existing beautifully as its own world dreamt unto itself. It’s Sascha Funke down to the very essence. Nothing unnecessary, nothing extraneous: Pure Funke.
Strut proudly presents an expansive deep dive into the world of Quatermass Sound Lab, the prolific under-the-radar East London studio founded and run by producer, engineer and The Heliocentrics co-founder Malcolm Catto. Over the last two decades, Catto has quietly established himself as a sought-after sonic architect in contemporary music. Revered for his analogue-first approach, he has built Quatermass Sound Lab around vintage recording equipment, valve preamps and live performance, creating recordings that feel warm and timeless. Equally inspired by punk, hip-hop, psychedelic rock, jazz, funk and electronic music, Catto has developed a production style that rejects genre boundaries in favour of instinct and atmosphere. Describing himself as "50% musician and 50% listener," Catto approaches each session as a collaborator rather than a conventional producer. That philosophy has made Quatermass Sound Lab a creative home for an extraordinary range of musicians, from established innovators to emerging voices. His remarkable discography spans collaborations with Yussef Dayes, DJ Shadow, Madlib, Quantic, Mulatu Astatke, Orlando Julius, Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids and countless others, each project using analogue wizardry to shape bold, contemporary recordings with a character all of their own.
Statik Selektah links with Nina Sky for a limited 7" release, bringing together two names deeply rooted in the city’s hip-hop and club history.
Boston-born producer and DJ Statik Selektah has spent the last two decades building one of the most consistent catalogs in underground and independent hip-hop, working with artists including Nas, Joey Bada$$, Bun B, Action Bronson and countless others. Nina Sky — twin sisters Nicole and Natalie Albino — broke through in the early 2000s with their global hit “Move Ya Body,” becoming a defining voice in New York’s crossover between hip-hop, R&B, dancehall and club music.
The full vocal version appears on the A-side, backed with the instrumental on the flip.
Pressed in a strictly limited edition of 100 copies, this one is made for collectors, DJs and anyone looking to add a proper modern 45 to the crates.
DP11BOARDSOFCANADA Disco PogoBooks10.11.202610.NOV.26
ISBN: 978-1-0687642-4-0
Disco Pogo is excited to announce ‘A Disco Pogo Tribute To Boards of Canada’, a deep dive into one of the most important electronic acts of the 20th and 21st centuries. It is the fifth title in our Tribute series – following Daft Punk, Aphex Twin, LCD Soundsystem and Andrew Weatherall – and probably the most requested artist since we launched the series. Containing our trademark mix of timeline, family tree, album essays, thinkpieces, features, discography, gear list and much more.
The book features some of the best music journalists and writers operating today, including Simon Reynolds, David Keenan and Elizabeth Alker. The book is independently authored and published by Disco Pogo with the blessing of the band and their label, Warp.
The Tango N'Vectif: Sessions 2LP contains tracks from the original CD version, the 2001 2CD reissue, remixes and alternate versions of album tracks, music from the Phi*1700 u/v EP on R&S and other exclusives, selected by Mike, completely remastered from DATs by Beau Thomas. µ-Ziq's Tango N'Vectif was released in 1993, a classic year for auteurist electronic music that didn't always fit on the dancefloor. Written by Mike Paradinas in his late teens with some help from Frank Naughton, it still stands up really well today and its influence on electronic music in the decades since is obvious. Across an expanse of ideas, taking influences from early Aphex, Detroit Techno and UK Hardcore, Mike created this spirited, funky, jerry-rigged, lo-fi version of rave; with crunchy drums and a knack for melody that fell somewhere between John Barry and classic TV themes. Without owning a computer, Mike had been writing techno, house and industrial tracks on and off since 1990, playing live keys alongside drum machine rhythms on his 4-track recorder. µ-Ziq started when Mike linked up with Frank who was also writing dance-influenced music, and importantly owned an Atari 1040ST computer with Cubeat software. They pooled their equipment and Mike would travel up to Frank's house a couple of miles away in Wimbledon to record together. By 1992, and after a false start when a proposed EP for Mark Pritchard and Tom Middleton's Evolution label got shelved, Mike had started at Kingston University where he deejayed and met like-minded people including a couple of guys who knew Aphex Twin who was also a student at Kingston too, and they passed Aphex a demo of Mike's material. A few days later Mike got a message from his mum to 'call Aphex Twin' and he gave Mike some advice, and seemed interested in releasing something. So when Frank and his family went on holiday that summer Mike borrowed his Atari and synths and wrote the majority of the Tango N'Vectif album during that 2 weeks. By the end of 1992 a release with Aphex Twin and Grant Wilson Claridge's Rephlex label had been agreed - Aphex had moved to the house in Clissold Crescent where he recorded a lot of his early classic albums and Mike went over to collect his advance, in the form of his very own Atari computer.
California’s beloved Brainstory returns with a new EP celebrating the end of an era. Shoebox Days is an homage to the time spent and the recordings made at their now defunct Long Beach studio, aptly named Shoebox. As the name suggests, the space was tiny and stuffed with gear. While charming, it was riddled with constraints. But, as has been proven time and time again, great art often comes from difficult circumstances, and this new 7 song EP is further proof. The first track, “The Watchers,” opens with an earworm horn melody that immediately pulls you in. The crunchy drums and G Funk bass tones put a bop on it, lush orchestration weaves in and out and sets a mellow vibe. “Blend,” one of only two vocal tracks on the EP, is a California sunshine soaked love song walking the lines of psych rock ballad and B side soul. ”Twin Kitchen” leans you right back into your seat, with Eric Hagstrom’s in-the-pocket drumming carrying the tune.
“Home Alone” is singer Kevin Martin’s ever so relatable tribute to time by himself, time by today’s standards as “disconnected,” but in reality, much more connected… The fellas let some of the jazz background take front stage on “Lone Traveler,” starting out with an air tight groove, and letting loose over it as the track progresses. “Gravity Hill” named after the famed California oddity begins the ending of the EP as Brainstory takes it deep and brings us with them. “Necessary Loss” serves as the closer to this gorgeous journey.
California’s beloved Brainstory returns with a new EP celebrating the end of an era. Shoebox Days is an homage to the time spent and the recordings made at their now defunct Long Beach studio, aptly named Shoebox. As the name suggests, the space was tiny and stuffed with gear. While charming, it was riddled with constraints. But, as has been proven time and time again, great art often comes from difficult circumstances, and this new 7 song EP is further proof. The first track, “The Watchers,” opens with an earworm horn melody that immediately pulls you in.
The crunchy drums and G Funk bass tones put a bop on it, lush orchestration weaves in and out and sets a mellow vibe. “Blend,” one of only two vocal tracks on the EP, is a California sunshine soaked love song walking the lines of psych rock ballad and B side soul. ”Twin Kitchen” leans you right back into your seat, with Eric Hagstrom’s in-the-pocket drumming carrying the tune. “Home Alone” is singer Kevin Martin’s ever so relatable tribute to time by himself, time by today’s standards as “disconnected,” but in reality, much more connected… The fellas let some of the jazz background take front stage on “Lone Traveler,” starting out with an air tight groove, and letting loose over it as the track progresses. “Gravity Hill” named after the famed California oddity begins the ending of the EP as Brainstory takes it deep and brings us with them. “Necessary Loss” serves as the closer to this gorgeous journey.
Here is the debut, self-titled album from a.s.o., singer/songwriter Alia Seror-O'Neill, and producer Lewie Day. 'a.s.o.' is a thematic consolidation of the previous three singles and an impressive artistic progression. Day and Seror-O'Neill show they've mastered the format of the radio-friendly pop song and found how to subvert it completely. Across eleven songs, they have built a rich and compelling body of work.
We know where we are now, emotionally complex, trip-hop torch songs for club freaks. But the palette has broadened to encompass ethereal dream pop à la Cocteau Twins, slow- burning AOR-soul, and dubwise stylings. As a result, 'a.s.o.' is a satisfyingly coherent listen but never a musical monoculture. Variously there are nods toward Julee Cruise, Fleetwood Mac, and the uneasy listening of Portishead. It's an album that wears its influences lightly, is never weighed down by them, and always sure of its own identity.
It's anchored by Alia's unique voice. Her words speak of restraint and release, taking us from the elegiac to the euphoric. This elegantly crafted, perfect pop music sounds like it has had enough of your shit. And Day's music is the perfect foil; deep, slightly menacing, restrained, and powerful. The album has a cinematic texture, as with David Lynch; the seemingly familiar becomes uncanny and strange the closer we look. a.s.o. take our emotions for a joyride before leaving us floating in space.
'a.s.o.' is a journey; by its end, we all are changed
Die in Kalifornien beliebte Band Brainstory kehrt mit einer neuen EP zurück, die das Ende einer Ära feiert. ,Shoebox Days" ist eine Hommage an die Zeit und die Aufnahmen, die in ihrem inzwischen geschlossenen Studio in Long Beach entstanden sind, das treffend den Namen ,Shoebox" trug. Wie der Name schon andeutet, war der Raum winzig und mit Equipment vollgestopft. Das hatte zwar seinen Reiz, war jedoch mit zahlreichen Einschränkungen verbunden. Doch wie sich immer wieder gezeigt hat, entsteht großartige Kunst oft aus schwierigen Umständen, und diese neue EP mit sieben Titeln ist ein weiterer Beweis dafür. Der . Titel, ,The Watchers", beginnt mit einer eingängigen Bläsermelodie , die einen sofort in ihren Bann zieht. Die knackigen Drums und die G-Funk-Basstöne sorgen für Schwung, während sich üppige Orchestrierungen hin und her schlängeln und eine sanfte Atmosphäre schaffen. ,Blend", einer von nur zwei Gesangstiteln auf der EP, ist ein von kalifornischer Sonne durchtränktes Liebeslied , das die Grenze zwischen Psych-Rock-Ballade und B-Seite-Soul beschreitet. ,Twin Kitchen" drückt einen regelrecht in den Sitz zurück, wobei Eric Hagstroms präzises Schlagzeugspiel den Song trägt. ,Home Alone" ist Sänger Kevin Martins überaus nachvollziehbare Hommage an die Zeit, die er allein verbringt - Zeit, die nach heutigen Maßstäben als ,abgekoppelt" gilt, in Wirklichkeit aber viel verbundener ist _ Die Jungs lassen bei ,Lone Traveler" einen Teil ihres Jazz-Hintergrunds in den Vordergrund treten, beginnen mit einem wasserdichten Groove und lassen sich im Verlauf des Stücks darüber hinweg gehen. ,Gravity Hill", benannt nach der berühmten kalifornischen Kuriosität, leitet den Ausklang der EP ein, während Brainstory tief in die Materie eintaucht und uns mitnimmt. ,Necessary Loss" bildet den Abschluss dieser herrlichen Reise.
Portugal-based percussionist Gabriel Ferrandini spent years honing his skills in various free jazz ensembles, where he demonstrated his absorption of the styles of pioneering rhythm liberators like Sunny Murray and Milford Graves while forging his own energetic and agile sound. During this time, Ferrandini performed with everyone from Evan Parker and Alexander von Schlippenbach to Thurston Moore and Dirty Beaches' Alex Zhang Hungtai. At some point, the percussionist grew restless and began taking a more compositional approach, using his drums as primary sources from which to produce spectral tones and timbres via electronic manipulation.
In Ferrandini's hands, cymbals become generative instruments with endless reverb tails and choir samples are distilled into vapor. With its subtle evocations of light and color and meticulous editing, Romance suggests an almost cinematic scale. The strings and grainy synthesizer of "Crying Game" lend an air of giallo dread to the deep sub-bass rumbles; "Afters Lisboa" processes cymbal crashes through a Leslie speaker to create a siren-like Doppler effect; "Fallen Angels," one of the few tracks to feature Ferrandini's mostly untreated percussion work, stacks layers of reverb effects of varying lengths (an old Autechre trick) to add friction and give the spatialized sounds a dissociative quality. Album highlight "Cova da Vaporwave" utilizes creative sidechaining, warbly VHS-like tones and drums amplified through a Fender Twin to gather apocalyptic momentum.
Romance is a formidable artistic statement, establishing Ferrandini as one of the most vital composers on the contemporary avant-garde music scene. He is influenced by Renaissance composer Carlo Gesualdo, whose passionate yet dissonant chromatic approach can be detected throughout the album's seven uncanny tracks.
Das Repertoire des aus Brooklyn stammenden Komponisten, Arrangeurs und Multi-Instrumentalisten Sammy Weissberg umfasst intime Stücke für Gitarre und Holzblasinstrumente, Filmmusik für Kammerorchester und alles dazwischen. Im Mittelpunkt seiner zeitgenössischen klassischen Werke stehen liebevoll geschwungene Melodien, markante Akkordfolgen und insgesamt eine grenzenlose musikalische Fantasie. ,Music for Strings and Brass", Weissbergs neueste Veröffentlichung (und sein Debüt bei Dear Life Records), enthält zwei Werke, die den Umfang seines künstlerischen Schaffens neu definieren und Techniken einbeziehen, die er während seiner Arbeit als Arrangeur für Songwriter (The Lemon Twins, Allegra Krieger, June McDoom, Frances Chang und viele mehr) verfeinert hat. Das Album enthält sein beeindruckendes, impressionistisches Streichquartett Nr. 2 und ein Blechbläserquintett, das die ergreifende, stimmähnliche Ausdruckskraft jedes einzelnen Instruments auslotet. In beiden Fällen erweist sich Weissberg als Komponist, dessen humanistische und unmittelbare Musiksprache keinen großen dramatischen Rahmen benötigt, um tief im Herzen nachzuklingen. Inspiriert von Komponisten der Spätromantik und der Moderne spricht Weissberg eine musikalische Sprache, die manchmal so klingt, als käme sie direkt aus einer anderen Zeit. An verschiedenen Stellen greifen seine Werke die anmutigen und eingängigen Instrumentalthemen von Antonín Dvorák und Sergej Prokofjew, das atomare rhythmische Zusammenspiel von Igor Strawinsky sowie die üppigen Klangwelten von Claude Debussy und Nino Rota auf. Doch stets verwandelt er diese nostalgischen Anknüpfungspunkte in zeitgemäß klingende, zutiefst persönliche Kammermusikwerke, die man unmöglich missverstehen kann: ausgefeilt und unprätentiös, außergewöhnlich und zeitlos. Seine Werke spiegeln die grundlegendsten Instinkte und die Struktur des Alltags wider - das Gefühl, dass wir ständig von irgendwoher kommen und irgendwohin gehen, auf der Suche nach einfachen, zugrunde liegenden Mustern, die komplexen Phänomenen Sinn und Sinnzusammenhang verleihen, und voller Sehnsucht nach jenem Gefühl der Leichtigkeit, das uns über das Vertraute hinaustreibt. ,Music for Strings and Brass" ist der perfekte Einstieg in die Art und Weise, wie Sammy Weissberg das Leben in Klängen verarbeitet - ein Album, das zu den warmherzigsten und zielstrebigsten Instrumentalveröffentlichungen des Jahres zählen dürfte.
“Capsule” is the debut album from Modis, the new solo project of Argentinian producer Rafael Caivano (a.k.a. Frikstailers, a.k.a. Klik & Frik). The album will be released on Latinambient, the newly launched label curated by Populous. In this LP, Modis draws inspiration from some of the great unconventional classics of electronic music, from Mort Garson (Mother Earth’s Plantasia) to Boards of Canada and Aphex Twin’s most emotional work. Each song in Capsule opens a dialogue
This November, Brownswood Recordings will release Mek Do & Mend, the debut album from self-taught producer, multi-instrumentalist, composer and artist Wonky Logic. Although his name may not yet be familiar to everyone, Wonky Logic (AKA Dwayne Kilvington) has spent the past two decades quietly becoming one of the UK's most respected musical collaborators. His career has moved comfortably between London's jazz, electronic and contemporary music scenes, performing and recording with artists including Nala Sinephro, Yussef Dayes, Nightmares On Wax, Shabaka Hutchings and Emma-Jean Thackray. Alongside his work as a producer and composer, he's been musical director for projects with Eddie Chacon, John Carroll Kirby and I.G Culture's LCSM, scored the feature documentary Zandra With A Zed, contributed music to A24's The Smashing Machine, and continues to lead music workshops with young people, refugees and people experiencing incarceration.
Far more than a collection of compositions, Mek Do & Mend is a deeply personal reflection on the people, places and experiences that have shaped Kilvington throughout his life. It's the story of growing up on a Leeds council estate, where music became both a creative outlet and a way of understanding the world. Making music often meant working with whatever was available: a second-hand keyboard, a makeshift studio desk or ageing equipment that simply had to last a little longer. The title itself came from a conversation with his mother, capturing the resourcefulness that defined his upbringing and continued into the making of the album itself, which was written and produced to a tight deadline around touring, family life and Kilvington's work as a musician and educator.
Built from material spanning more than fifteen years, Mek Do & Mend brings together some of Wonky Logic's earliest compositions alongside brand new pieces written during the making of the record itself. Childhood ideas sit alongside music conceived only months before recording, creating an album that draws together a lifetime of writing rather than documenting a single moment. Running throughout are voice notes from family members, teachers, friends, mentors and collaborators—not simply as interludes, but as a reminder that no creative life is ever self-made. Rather than telling his own story outright, Kilvington invites listeners to discover him through the people who've shaped him: an aunt remembering him playing in church as a child, lifelong friends recalling early experiments making beats together, fellow musicians from different stages of his career and his mother describing him in her own words. Together they reveal the invisible network of relationships, philosophies, communities and experiences behind the music. "The album exists somewhere between being a biography and an autobiography," says Dwayne. "The biography is in the voice notes and how other people see me. The autobiography is in the music."
That same philosophy extends to the musicians who appear on the record. Every contributor has played a meaningful role in Wonky Logic's life beyond the studio. Long-time collaborator Luke Wynter, Steam Down drummer Benji Appiah, partner Vanessa Rani, Jonathan Enser, Joe Bristow, Brother Portrait and Nubiya Imani all feature not simply because of their musicianship, but because they form part of the album's story.
Across its fourteen tracks, Mek Do & Mend moves effortlessly between dynamic jazz arrangements, pulsating broken rhythms, delicate, twinkling piano passages, interstellar synth textures and elegant brass lines. Album opener and first single 'Strange Attractor' begins with a shimmering introduction before unfolding into an exhilarating surge of rhythm and momentum. Named after the mathematical concept of the same name, it serves as the conceptual point of origin for the album. Written when Kilvington was just seventeen, the composition reflects the idea that even the most unpredictable lives are guided by hidden patterns that often only become visible with time. Second single 'A Thousand Hands' features the unmistakable vocal tones of Brother Portrait, whose cerebral lyricism drifts over a low-slung, constantly shifting groove as woozy synth lines ebb and flow overhead. At its heart, the track celebrates the family, friends, mentors and collaborators whose often unseen influence shapes who we become, echoing the album's belief that every achievement is, in some way, a collective one. LP focus track 'BAME (Beyond All Marginalised Expectations)' is a lush, spiralling composition, brimming with both emotion and resolve. Reclaiming an acronym long imposed on racialised communities in the UK, the piece transforms it into a statement of possibility rather than limitation: a defiant rejection of stereotypes and a refusal to let identity be defined by other people's expectations.
The album itself only exists because other people believed in it. Isabel Gracefield made the RAK sessions possible, Rick David brought the record together with his characteristically thoughtful mix, and Gilles Peterson committed to releasing it on Brownswood before hearing any of the music. Away from the stage, Kilvington works with the charity Finding Rhythms, writing and producing original records with people experiencing incarceration, while also leading workshops with Arts Train and Dovetail Orchestra.
Recorded live in a single day in Studio One at RAK, Mek Do & Mend was mixed by Rick David through an analogue Cadac console before being mastered by Stuart Hawkes at Metropolis. The aim wasn't nostalgia or audiophile perfection, but to create a record people could return to throughout their lives, discovering something new with each listen.
As Dwayne puts it: "I don't want this body of work to be reduced to a jazz record. It's more like a novel about life told through music."
Cyphon Recordings welcome DJ, producer, musician, and D.KO co-owner Flabaire for the fourth outing on the label.
At just 29, the Parisian artist, already has a fair share of victories under his belt. On his acclaimed D.KO imprint, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year, he’s released three albums and several EPs, as well as charting releases for Organic-Music, Deeppa Records and South Street.
For his next solo EP, he brings his beautifully affecting and nostalgic blend of electro, IDM, and deep house to Cyphon. Doing what he does best, Flabaire’s ‘Entre-Deux’ is an EP brimming with emotion and atmosphere. Pulling at the heartstrings, opener ‘In Between’ layers an electro beat over lush pads with iridescent synth lines rising out of the haze. Cowbells swing into action, pads swell and glisten, making way for a squelchy 303 to bubble underneath.
‘No Minding’ moves into softer realms, a serene blend of deep house and electronica, it’s paced by a warm bass bounce and shuffling percussion sprinkled with chopped vocal samples and bright keys. Flabaire’s bass mastery continues ‘Click Plok’, as does his deftness at producing delicate, gliding pads, this time punctuated by tight bleeps, gentle open hats, and a meandering synth solo.
Closing out the EP the atmospheric ‘FBG’, a balmy syncopated groove joined by twinkling synth melodies that dance over dusty breakbeats and hushed vocal stutters.
Anton Ivanchenko aka Light The Fuse and Ivan Moskvin (who is half of Fankin) met while judging Red Bull's beatmaker battle back in 2021, but it took years before they actually made music together. Decades of vinyl digging and a knack for sampling weird, unexpected fragments turned into studio jams, then into their debut album, Ghettoblaster Twins. There's no forced concept when they work together - they let the music happen naturally and it shows: breezy, curious, over before you know it. Source material ranges from obscure jazz to a Soviet film theme, all floating between funk, hip-hop and breakbeat, laced with a warm, nostalgic pull. A lovely debut, hopefully with more to come in future.
Three years on from the release of his critically acclaimed second album as Tambores En Benirras, Graham Newby returns with album number two, a glorious celebration of the mystical, magical and life-affirming musical meditation on stretched-out sunrises and the breathtaking beauty of dawn.
Newby has more reason that most to cherish picturesque and soul-enriching sun-up moments. During the process of making second set Onda Horizontales, the long-serving Cumbrian DJ, crate-digger, beat-maker and producer’s sight deteriorated to such a degree that he was certified ‘registered blind’. As a result, new working methods were found, with Newby delivering widescreen Balearic visions as much from muscle memory and feel as the visual environmental cues that once fired his imagination.
Third album Alba Amba – ‘amber dawn’ in English – finds Newby in dawn-ready mode, serving up music to soundtrack stunning sunrises and those clear early morning moments where anything seems possible. It’s a simple idea, beautifully executed, with the artist once known as Gripper conjuring up a meditative and mesmerising mix of slow-burn aural colours, tactile textures, gradually unfurling chords, and heady melodic motifs.
Newby sets his stall out with the smouldering, pre-dawn bliss of the jaw-dropping title track, where reverb-laden female vocalisations and twinkling electronics usher in a golden dawn, before reaching for shimmering, sun-bright melodies, heart-stirring chords and undulating TB-303 lines on the ambient acid chug of ‘Bucanero Acido’.
Newby’s instinctive grasp of mood and texture comes to the fore on the drifting, soft-focus ambient dub head-nod of ‘No Se Me Pasa’, where strummed acoustic guitars, echoing vocal samples and weighty low-end warmth catch the ear, while his history of dusty downtempo beat-making – originally explored on his early 2000s releases for Grand Central Records – informed the dancehall-meets-trip-hop fusion of ‘Batalla De Etiquettas’.
With its epic, head-turning ambient intro, raw electronic bass, effects-laden hand percussion and slow, restless build, this triumphant closing cut signals the moment the sun has well and truly arrived above the horizon. It’s a genuinely stunning conclusion to a soul-stirring set.
The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk was an American single-seat, subsonic, twin-engined attack aircraft and is a fitting name for this EP, which is equally low-key, menacing and devastating from RAN. Influences from Loefah, Youngsta and Boddika abound in these stark and dark dub soundscapes, which drip with dank warehouse vibes, ride on booming low ends that melt into an inky night and come with precision-engineered percussion. 'GBU-10 (External Guidance)' is a late-night search across a deserted city, 'JDAM (Signal Without Light)' has a more sub-aquatic feel and rolls more fluidly, while 'GBU-27 (BLU-109 Core)' is ominous, with ghosts of dubstep and broken beat lurking round every corner. Fantastically immersive and meticulously executed, not least because the EP was mastered by the great Transition Studios in South East London (early support from Carrier).
Limited Edition 2026 Black Vinyl Repress.
Up in Flames is Dan Snaith's second album, originally released under the Manitoba moniker on March 31, 2003 .
Made with the same modest home setup as its predecessor, it nonetheless sounds like a different artist entirely - a kaleidoscopic rush of sun-bright melodies, tumbling percussion, and psychedelic pop that traded the hushed intimacy of Start Breaking My Heart for something warmer, bigger, and more joyfully overstuffed, encompassing 1960s psychedelia, Madchaster swagger and shoegaze swoon.
Snaith was later forced to change his artist name after a well-documented lawsuit, and Up in Flames stands as the final album released under the Manitoba name - a high point to go out on. The record was met with widespread critical acclaim, and has since been recognized by Pitchfork as one of the standout albums of the 2000s. It remains, by most accounts, one of Snaith's finest and most beloved records.
Active Systems' debut EP, The Red EP (Split Lip Records), finds beauty in chaos and strangeness in the familiar: drawing from 90s/00s experimental grooves and stark electro (Underground Resistance, Boards of Canada, μ-ziq, Aphex Twin's Rephlex label) to create something rooted in the "dust, dirt and nostalgia" of underground electronica, Detroit techno and weirdcore. A genuine debut rather than an established alias, the four-track release moves from familiar patterns into unexpected new emotions, from the glacial hip-hop beat and starlit melancholia of "Gabbol" to the skippy rhythms of "Itsover" and the clock-shop funk of "Avoid”. This year, Active Systems has been invited to perform at Superbooth Berlin by Sequentix, played a debut show in Lost's much-hyped Club Room and closed Houghton Festival's The Warehouse stage on theopening night.
Blur Records marks eight years of international artists and bright, instrumentally rich disco jewels with the second part of its anniversary compilation. The super reliable Monsieur Van Pratt opens things joyfully with 'Just Wanna Make You Dance' complete with strutting bass and disco-house grace that never stops soaring. Delfonic's 'Diamonds' brings filtered depth and a soulful sparkle that supports the glittering vocals. Reiner Von Vielen & Dizko Kreme's 'Good For You' rounds out the A-side with more rooted, chugging disco and a vocal that tugs at the heart. Flip it over and N.W.N.'s seven-minute 'Twin Souls' is a soulful house dreamer, Andy Bach's 'Keep Going On' samples a classic horn riff in a rolling groove, and Sven Wegner & Reiner Von Vielen close with the sophisticated and jazzy house cool of 'Inside Of Me. ' Here's to the next eight.
Ty Segall, precleared for flight in full rock congress with the band (Ben Boye/Evan Burrows/Mikal Cronin/Emmett Kelly), shifts Chrome. Songs of massive riffs, swung, tightly arrayed lines of fuzz & distortion, twin-guitar attack-and-parry, endopic keyboards kicking, precise & thudding power, a rhythmic core on the march in full BAND energy. The songs are lyrically allusive trips, dark passages in the labyrinth, everything in the air bristling collectively, as minds collide.
Cold, Bold & Together (CBT) CBT was founded in Bellingham, Washington in 1971 by percussionist Tony Gable and musicians Solomon Harris, Keith Hooks and twin brothers TC & Jamar Jenkins. It soon became evident that Bellingham was not a particularly welcoming environment for R&B music, so they moved to Seattle to try their luck and plumb the rich supply of venues, which they successfully did until disbanding in 1978. They spent their early Seattle years playing a combination of covers and originals in clubs, later becoming the "go to" opening act for various nationally known artists, such as Ohio Players, Kool and the Gang and Earth, Wind & Fire. While they were paying their club circuit and opening act dues, they squeezed in recording sessions whenever they could and released their own material, which was well-received and got strong regional airplay. However, because of the feudal nature of the music business at the time, they just couldn't break out, and like a lot of Northwest bands with great potential, they inevitably broke up and went their separate ways. Upon disbanding, they left behind a collection of original recordings at Seattle's legendary Kaye-Smith studios.
Unfortunately for CBT, the studio passed through several owners and at some unknown point in time, one of them did the unforgivable and destroyed the storied studio inventory of two-inch tapes and quarter-inch masters. Unknown to the band, a copy of their masters was smuggled out by their producer who added them to his legacy collection of cloned quarter-inch masters. After several years and many moves, he became concerned about the tendency for magnetic tape to deteriorate over time.
He sent the tapes to a Seattle lab to be restored and digitized, with the hope that perhaps, some day, they might be made available for the listening pleasure of R&B fans. The hoped-for day has finally arrived. Russell Paine and Super Disco Edits has pressed two of the Kaye-Smith CBT tracks: "Go For It", a jazz-influenced instrumental, featuring Kenny G, and "Unity", sung by the group en masse with Tony Gable singing lead. The musicians on these tracks are: Tony Gable, leader, vocals and percussion Harry Alexander, drums Kenny Gorelick (now world-renowned "Kenny G"), sax, flute and horn arrangements Chris Ishi, trumpet Michael Young, Trombone Jamar Jenkins guitar, vocals TC Jenkins bass, vocals 1 Philip Woo, keyboards Footnotes: CBT gave legendary saxophonist Kenny G his start in the music business. Kenny was still in high school when he was recruited to play sax and write horn arrangements. Kenny co-wrote, arranged and played sax and flute on the instrumental "Go For It." He rips a smoking tenor sax solo in the middle, which showcases his already masterful technique and solidifies his R&B bona fides. He went on to have a spectacular career recording for Clive Davis and Arista Records. Before his untimely passing in 2016, Tony Gable went on to found contemporary Jazz group, "Tony Gable and 206" (206 being Seattle's then only area code). With songwriting, performance and production help from Kenny G.
DJ Support: Glenn Underground, Crazy P, Terry Farley, Aroop Roy, Chris Coco, Frank Tope, Greg Wilson, Dom Servini, Francois K, Max Essa, Oliver Dollar, Pete Herbert and many more
Danny Ward’s Balaphonic project, one of many the long-serving performer, producer, percussionist, drummer and DJ has utilised over a career spanning over three decades, has evolved considerably since his first release under the alias 11 years ago. Conceived as a platform to explore his love of Afro-Cuban and Brazilian musical culture, it gathered new impetus during lockdown and the recording of superb first album Resolution Revolutions, which fused these influences with nods to Balearica, dub, dancehall and deep house.
On the Organic Matters EP, Ward’s follow-up to that critically acclaimed set, the Balaphonic musical universe has expanded once more, with the Manchester native showcasing a wealth of eye-catching collaborations and an even more intricately layered and sonically detailed sound rich in live percussion and instrumentation. It’s an ambitious and widescreen musical vision wrapped in sun-soaked melodies, morning-fresh motifs and simmering, sunset-friendly soundscapes.
The dizzying new heights scaled by Ward on Organic Matters is evident from the opening bars of ‘Dew Drops’, a piece created in unison with internationally renowned composer and arranger Robin Dewhirst. Between them, the pair have conjured up a yearning, life-affirming samba shuffler where picturesque piano, xylophone and balafon melodies rise above Ward’s dense, layered Latin percussion and warming bass.
Next, Ward delivers a thrillingly different take on his 2005 composition ‘Switch’, featuring legendary Brazilian jazz vocalist Flora Purim and her equally talented daughter Diana Moreira Booker. Whereas that was a jazzy deep house workout, Ward’s Balaphonic re-make is a shuffling, gentle exploration in 7/4 time – a heartfelt tribute to the Brazilian records with which Purim first made her name in the 1960s and ‘70s.
‘Balaventurers’ sees Ward join forces with an old friend from the North-West scene, R.S.L founder Joe Botham AKA Baleardelica – a multi-instrumentalist and producer whose Flamenco-inspired acoustic guitar motifs provided the starting point for another vividly colourful exploration rich in layered vocalisations, twinkling keys and impeccably arranged percussion.
It’s followed by ‘Life of Strings’, a more up-tempo and dancefloor-leaning excursion written and recorded alongside Amsterdam-based violinist, and composer Katya Gabeli. While Ward’s percussion-rich groove provides propulsion and a rock-solid foundation, it’s Gabeli’s evocative string arrangement that provides the focal point and emotional resonance. It’s a genuinely brilliant collaboration.
To round off a second stunning Balaphonic release on NuNorthern Soul, Ward delivers two simmering, slow-motion delights: the Afro-Cuban rhythms, cascading melodies and melodic percussion motifs of ‘Boxfresh’, and stunning EP closer ‘Home’ – an almost overwhelmingly poignant and beautiful number that gently ebbs and flows on waves of tracked piano, dreamy chords and a comforting sense of closure. It’s a genuinely sublime conclusion to another wonderful Balaphonic release.
Victoryland is the Brooklyn-based project of musician Julian McCamman and Dan Howard.. Their 2026 album, My Heart Is A Room With No Cameras In It, is a triumphant, despondent, and ultimately fun experimental pop-rock album. A year on, the record receives the deluxe treatment from new label home Dead Oceans. My Heart Is A Room With No Cameras In It (Deluxe) arrives December
11th 2026, on exclusive crystal clear vinyl, complete with new song “The Ugliest Girl On The Beach” and a new music video for album standout “I got god.” The sound of the album, recorded between Julian’s Bed-Stuy basement and Dan’s Williamsburg studio, is that of a bright and beaming collaboration. Blending lo-fi and hi-fi production, the songs have the glossiness of a radio-friendly hit mixed with the distortion and rough edges of a home demo. Every song keeps at least one element of the initial recording, while building around the loops and half-songs Julian scraped together. The lyrics on the record span from humorous self-aware popisms (“‘you and I’ will soon be, used to be ‘us’”) to crushing realities of bitterness (“i’ll never forgive you, that’s how I keep you close”) and abstract imagery (“mothers wave from doorways, in ostinato”), all delivered with such an immediacy and fervor that in the middle of singing along, you wonder if this guy slept much last night. Much to their surprise, My Heart’s release ushered Victoryland into a whirlwind of a year. Pitchfork praised the album’s “bright, madcap approach reminiscent of the New Pornographers’ Twin Cinema or Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s Some Loud Thunder.” Stereogum named it their Album of the Week and proclaimed it “a surprisingly cohesive scrapbook of sounds from seemingly every corner of the indie pop umbrella.” The album also received support from Steve Lamacq at BBC 6 Music and Sian Eleri at Radio 1. After a string of sold-out shows in NYC, Victoryland later joined LCD Soundsystem on their North American tour and performed at Pitchfork London, Pitchfork Paris, among other festivals across Europe
2026 Repress
Berlin-based duo Disguised land on Mutual Rytm with a splash of signature driving techno on ‘Nightrun’. German-born, Berlin-based pairing Alvaro and Domenik are Disguised, a duo that feels closely connected to their favourite club RSO and its Robus Floor, where most of their musical inspirations happen. They head up their own label, Inherit Records, and also host parties at Berlin's new C115 venue on the Berlin highway. Already this year, they have dropped an impressive collaborative EP with their studio partner and close friend Fabio, aka FANK, who features on this EP with his own vocals. Their sound is always defined by driving drums and hypnotic melodies that build up to intense dancefloor peaks, and here they showcase this to its fullest on their Mutual Rytm label debut via five vinyl-only cuts and three digital bonuses built and crafted to make a lasting impact. The powerful 'Where Thoughts End (ft. FANK)' rises up through the ground like an oncoming train, as drums rumble, synths peel off the groove, and moody voices have you looking over your shoulder. 'Nightrun' is glitchier and more textured, with a fractured energy that keeps you on your toes. 'Crusher Wheels' is a deep, back-lit, and trance-inducing sound made for 4am, while 'Ashes and Algorithms' layers up eerie melodic details with bulky drums for a spare but atmospheric trip. 'All You Find (ft. FANK)' is dubby, greyscale techno with a muscular rhythm and unsettling synths, taut and tensile, balancing right on a knife-edge. Three digital bonuses explore different moods - the subtle melodic touches of 'Silent Pulse', the cosmic energy of 'Sceptre Rd', and the rising optimism of 'Twinfall’.
Die erfolgreiche „ZYX Italo Disco: Best Of“-Reihe geht in die nächste Runde und präsentiert mit Vol. 8 erneut eine erstklassige Auswahl an Italo-Disco-Klassikern der 1980er Jahre. Auf dieser Doppel-LP erwarten den Hörer 14 sorgfältig ausgewählte Tracks, die den unverwechselbaren Sound der legendären Italo-Disco-Ära widerspiegeln.
Mit dabei sind beliebte Genre-Highlights wie J.D. Jaber‘s „Don‘t Wake Me Up“, Alan Ross‘ „Valentino Mon Amour“, Brian Ice‘s „Night Girl“ oder Cyber People‘s „Doctor Faustu‘s“. Ergänzt wird die Compilation durch weitere seltene Maxi- und Extended-Versionen, die bis heute auf Tanzflächen und in DJ-Sets weltweit geschätzt werden.
„ZYX Italo Disco: Best Of Vol. 8“ verbindet eingängige Melodien, atmosphärische Synthesizer und den typischen Charme der goldenen Italo-Disco-Zeit zu einem authentischen Hörerlebnis – ein Muss für Fans, Sammler und Liebhaber klassischer Dance-Music.
With BALADA, MoBlack continues this journey through a collection of tracks rooted in Afro House rhythms and Brazilian-inspired influences. Across four distinct productions, the compilation explores the meeting point between percussive energy, expressive vocals and melodic detail, highlighting artists who approach the sound from different angles while sharing a common sense of groove and atmosphere.
This has been a very personal project and a mammoth undertaking for us folks here PACE HQ: 12 tracks unearthed from the cult Scottish figure’s completely overlooked back catalogue. Collected archive material from the past 25 years, originally composed as an OST for the feature length film The Flesher (1992) which was also written, shot and directed by Rae. No copies remain. Deep cuts that span G-funk, hip-hop, house, synth-pop, electro, dub, downtempo, funk/soul, R’n’B with appearances from Rae’s heavyweight list of frequent collaborators… Bernie Worrell, Adrian Sherwood and Jimmy Douglass.
"In 1991, the Scottish Rugby Union & the Royal Bank of Scotland, commissioned me tae make the world's first Scotland World Cup music video... they didn’t pay me so I fought back. It took 18 years tae win, and I nearly lost everything. I turned to audio visual art: under the pseudonym Jock Pleasure - I wrote and directed a feature length film called The Flesher as well as creating 100s of full length DVDs and tracks” (Jesse Rae).
One man took on the banks and won, but it took its toll and in this totemic corpus of work Jesse Rae counts the cost. The Flesher is art as pure defiance: “this stuff is very dark and deep, it is such a vast body o’ work, but when I won my battle against the bank, I secretly returned tae Hodge Close (in the Scottish borders) and dropped the entire work sealed in stone intae the deep deep murky depths of that water, where it has remained since 2009. There are no mair copies."
What we have here then is the salvaged remains. A hopeful dunt of Scottish erotica that gets you right in the pits.
Splice DJ Screw with Dean Blunt, Moodymann, Prince, Cocteau Twins, MF DOOM, Luther Van fuckin’ Dross, Barry fuckin’ White; run that through the B-movie videotape static meets Harmony Korine, Les Blank & early Grand Theft Auto. Empty boulevards. Small-town strip joints. Late-night dial-up. Sacrifice and solace. Outside of the OST, there’s a cast of forgotten characters: primary school kids making house jams, teenage popstars from the Scottish Borders, and the rhapsodic Ayrshire soprano NIKA laying down haunting vocals in Miami.
Celebrated as a cult figure in the USA, Jesse’s work has never fully had the appreciation it deserves at home. Not really. Aye, we know Inside Out and The Thistle. But he’s too easily fobbed off as an eccentric outsider: a helmet-wearing, claymore-wielding gimmick. But do we really know the extent of what this man has done - and gone through - for the sake of art?
Under the right conditions, half-remembered dreams can meld seamlessly into hazy present moments. Time spent alone can be an emotional blank canvas, and an opportunity to deconstruct sense and feeling; a patchwork of snippets both rooted in memory and abstracted from reality. The title of ‘quilted lament’ perfectly captures the way Gretchen Korsmo and claire rousay’s overlapping missions come together to do just this. Worn polaroid melodies and snatched everyday noises seem overheard through windows onto the street. They feel emotionally twinned, claire and Gretchen, it’s not always possible to tell where one ends and the other begins. Their musical thoughts and DNA are sewn together into a mini symphony of warmly embracing movements.
Built remotely between pre-existing friends in the underground music scene, the duo layered ideas onto audio files, and sent them back (and forth). And these luscious instrumentals truly do feel assembled by intuition, casually crafted with little need for guidance. “claire and I are both emo,” explains Korsmo. “We are both former texas-dwellers too and relate over both the woes and beauties of being in the American DIY experimental music scene.” Buoyant piano keys and hushed layer vocals tracks sit alongside a humming field-recorded scrapbook; a neighbour caught in a moment of private inspiration while street noise elevates; a private hymnal in the bathroom while the washing machine ends its cycle. Both artists take field sounds from a wealth of Zoom and Tascam recordings made in the last half-decade in Santa Fe, San Antonio, Los Angeles, Kamakura, Japan and elsewhere – from a baseball game announcer in Santa Fe, to the sound of a friend eating a juicy peach. At times, the bedroom walls seem to grow thin amid atmospheric creaks and disembodied whispers. Despite its very emo core, this is a recording engulfed in an intense sense of bliss, more at peace than we’ve heard either artist before.
At the end of the project’s 20th anniversary celebrations, ROME tolls in the next era of the band with a fresh and visionary album: ‘The Tower’. ROME’s new and ever more mature sound is informed by a radically minimalist folk approach, with nonetheless charmingly lush arrangements. ‘The Tower’ is an introspective and enigmatic work at whose centre stands nothing less than ROME’s raison d’etre: The Great Work and the sacrifices both necessary and essential on the demanding path to light. As an unreachable bulwark against the general decline of every value in life, the tower would have been erected long ago to defend the coast.
It would have been raised on a rocky platform resting on the sea floor. It would have been joined to the continent by a thin tongue of sand. It would have offered a heroic, magical point of view. A place for our claim to know and point out vaster horizons. It would have stood firm on the ramparts. This isolated tower would not have been just a refuge for more or less mystic escape, but also a post of resistance and combat.
Dub techno runs on ghosts and twins. The ghost is the echo that outlives the hit – the reverb tail, the delay feeding back into empty space. The twin is the dub itself: every sound shadowed by its own double, the original and its darker reflection locked into the same groove. Ghosts & Twins gathers four cuts that work that space.
This is BLACKINSTOCK's Black Gold Dub Techno with both feet on the floor – measured but muscular, weighted, no filler and no drift. The groove stays locked, the low end does the talking, and every echo earns its keep. Music for a dark room and a loud system, not a candle and a beanbag.
Curated by Kirill Matveev, who called in friends and long-time collaborators from across the MixCult circle, the record plays as four takes on one idea. Spectral Model opens with "Distancial" – a new name here, making a first outing on the MixCult family, and a fitting one to raise the ghosts. Djalo follows with "Model Dub," dubbing minimal and techno the way he has across MixCult, Souplex and Apnea: economical, hypnotic, built for the low end. On the flip, Schime – Hungarian producer Sanyi Egyed, working dub techno, deep and minimal since 2013 across Phonoda, Welter and the MixCult ranks – turns in "Phased." Closing the record, The Don Of Dubhouse is the new alias of TM Shuffle, Finnish producer and head of Vuo Records, no stranger to MixCult.
Welcome back, hope you've had a good trip so far. While we're digging global tunes, let's not forget what's cooking in our own yards. No less then a new dub don has risen from the wastelands of bratwursts, nutcrackers and garden gnomes: Toni Wobble is looking back on over 20 years of roots in punk, free parties and political movements. From anti-nuclear activism to the Gaggeldub performances, Toni's dug deep into the Dub universe: from Dubstation to Rootsbase to Subardo. By 2012, Toni became a respected operator of Leipzig's Plug Dub Soundsystem. Soon after, he didn't hesitate to create the very own solarpowered Sunplugged sound. Toni's live dub sets hit with all depth and energy of low bass sound culture, shaking the foundations with refreshing freakuency adventures. After a guest spot on our 18th release, helping RUZ dubbing out a deep b-side, it's time to unleash the full Wobble fury on 45Seven!
Out In Da Streetz was born in a lockdown, when urban life got stall, opening space for experiments. Inspired by Juke and Footwork at nights such as Bassmæssage, Toni ventured into Jungle production - the genre him love from way back. The result is an opus of subs, breaks, skanks and dubs. Expect 30 Hertz bass, wobbly midranges, halftime snares and Jungle edits sharp like razor. Don't miss the Ini cameo and hand-made skank work straight from the lab. The result ain't just a track, it's a state of inner and outer emergency, a deep dive into groove, texture and creative chaos.
Irie Cruise rolls up like a cloud of green smoke riding through the streets with a sick ride in a surreal vibe. Rootsy rhythms meet subtle Jungle twists inbetween the twinkles of Dub and the flickers of breakbeats. When the hook drops, the impulse fires up, the lowrider bounces through the turns of skanks, throwing dub delays and gliding deep into the night. By the final tone, you didn't just take a ride, you're actually a bit closer to the sun.
Toni Wobble is giving the full hundred. Dub ain't just a genre, it's a portal to infinite spaces of sound. It's a culture, a process and an attitude, all about echo, bass and space. But it's also about experimentation, consciousness and transformation. Each delay loop is reshaping reality, tearing it down and rebuilding it from the ground up. D.U.B. equals to deep universal beats, the universal frequency... Deep, wide and open. Tune in and dub out!
Savor Music celebrates a landmark 15 years in the scene with a three-part compilation series. This second installment continues the momentum, bringing together a powerhouse selection of artists that define the label's sophisticated, groove-oriented sound.
Side A opens with a major track on A1, as Dani Labb unveils a hypnotic Detroit meets Aphex Twin spiritual bomb. This track serves as a masterclass in production, delivering a fluid, dark room ready flow. Following this, A2 showcases the refined artistry of Cosenza, who brings a groovy funky stylish number to the record. His contribution is characterized by an infectious energy that keeps the groove effortlessly sophisticated.
Side B shifts into deeper territory, starting on B1 with Franco Cinelli teaming up with Lucio de Rosa for a classy subtle morning piano house track. True to their reputation, they deliver a detailed number that showcases the technical precision and steady momentum for which they are renowned. Finally, B2 rounds out the EP with a deeper hypnotic track by Shine On You boss, Travis. Combining unique creative perspectives, Travis weaves together profound atmosphere and mysterious depth while keeping a steady groove to close out this chapter.
There is a kinetic energy that binds drummer and producer Karriem Riggins and singer-songwriter, rapper, and producer Liv.e, the spark that happens when instinct meets flow and spirit finds rhythm.
Their collaborative debut as GENA (short for “God Energy, Naturally Amazing,” and loosely inspired by Gina from Martin), The Pleasure Is Yours feels like a playful, soulful conversation between two kindred improvisers: Liv.e’s smoky, unpolished vocals glide through Riggins’ warm, percussive universe. Rooted in jazz, soul, and hip-hop, Liv.e brings a raw, experimental approach to R&B, while Riggins known for his work with Common, Erykah Badu, The Roots, Madlib, and his close kinship with J Dilla, extends his lifelong dialogue between jazz improvisation and beat science.
Together they create a world that’s analog and ethereal, percussive and poetic, bridging eras without settling in one, the sound of two artists finding a new shared language rooted in rhythm, vulnerability, and exuberance.
Pressed on 180g vinyl, the album comes in an embossed sleeve and is avaible in red and black splatter.
If ever an album could transport you to the hazy sunshine and imagined halcyon paradise of Southern California in the mid-1980s, could capture the early evening warmth of hanging at an inclusive boogie jam as it approaches “magic hour” in Santa Ana or Anaheim, then it’s Vaughan Mason and Butch Dayo’s Feel My Love. A brilliantly produced deep slung, low rider funk classic originally released on Salsoul in 1983. It’s a masterpiece of “funk love music”.
Yes, this is indeed a perfectly formed five track “mini LP” of unparalleled heat, but there’s one song here that, above the rest, represents Orange County boogie-funk. A straight killer beloved by all that have had the pleasure of moving to it. A track that can fill up a dance floor within seconds of its starting. That song is the eternal title track, “Feel My Love”.
This is a work of art that made people fall in love with the funk. It transcends the limitations of genre. “Feel My Love”’s deceptive simplicity makes it perfect to drop during a house set, a classic funk party or at a west coast rap jam. It’s sexy, deeply emotional, melancholic, hopeful, passionate and just radiates so, so much raw energy. This is music.
The rest of the record is hardly filler though. Opener “Oh, Love” is a dizzying, emotional slow jam. With heaven-sent vocals riding gorgeous, sweeping keys that alternate between sweet twinkling lines and funk-fuelled stabbing. It’s sensational. A rollerskating jam named “Rollalong Songs” is an ultra-swish piece of dance floor dynamite. Its slick drums, staccato piano and neck snapping claps underscore Dayo’s buoyant vocals. It’s essentially “Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll Part II”.
The flip begins with “Party On The Corner”. Smoother than silk vocals, day-glo synths, a bubbling bassline and guitar licks that surely received the Prince seal of approval. It’s another example of how Vaughan Mason and Butch Dayo flirt with perfection so routinely. The most majestic closer, the kaleidoscopic, cow-bell-assisted synth-funk heater “You Can Do It” is a proto-rap groover that truly smokes.
This prized LP is a stone cold jam and finding original copies on vinyl at affordable prices has been tough for years. Mastered brilliantly by Simon Francis, cut by Pete Norman and with lovingly reproduced artwork, this fresh Be With reissue ensures this legendary LP now sounds, looks and feels as sensational as it should.
Mit „Golden Chart Hits Of The 80s & 90s Vol. 6“ erscheint die nächste Ausgabe der beliebten Vinyl-Serie und bringt erneut die größten Pop- und Dance-Hits zweier legendärer Jahrzehnte auf den Plattenteller. Die neue Compilation vereint internationale Chart-Klassiker und echte Kultsongs der 80er und 90er Jahre in einer hochwertigen Vinyl-Edition.
Mit dabei sind unter anderem Hits von Ace Of Base, Soft Cell, The Rainbirds, Corey Hart und Kim Wilde. Die Zusammenstellung bietet eine perfekte Mischung aus New Wave, Synth-Pop, Dance und Pop-Rock – ideal für Sammler, Vinyl-Liebhaber und Fans unvergesslicher Radiohits.
Die „Golden Chart Hits“-Reihe von ZYX Music steht seit Jahren für nostalgische Musikmomente und sorgfältig kuratierte Hit-Compilations auf Vinyl. Vol. 6 setzt diese Erfolgsgeschichte konsequent fort und liefert den perfekten Soundtrack für jede 80s- & 90s-Party.
Mit „ZYX Italo Disco New Generation Vol. 10“ feiert die beliebte Vinyl-Serie ihre große Jubiläumsausgabe und präsentiert erneut den unverwechselbaren Sound des modernen Italo Disco. Die erfolgreiche Reihe begeistert seit
Jahren Fans elektronischer Retro-Sounds und verbindet klassische Italo-Elemente mit zeitgemäßen DanceProduktionen – natürlich in exklusiven Extended Versions auf Vinyl.
Auf Vol. 10 versammelt die Compilation internationale Szenegrößen und aktuelle Genre-Favoriten. Mit dabei sind unter anderem Funny Twins, Italove, Alba und Radiorama, die mit eingängigen Synthesizer-Melodien, pulsierenden Beats und nostalgischem Disco-Feeling echtes 80s-Clubflair zurückbringen.
Don't Know How To Change: a timeless house music masterpiece.
Since Julian Lindsey slid smoothly into the New York House scene back in 2014, he has become renowned for his sharp musical intuition, slick selections and a symbiotic relationship with the crowd. He takes the groove on the record and transmits it to the groove on the dancefloor.
Don't Know How To Change is Julian Lindsey’s debut EP, released on the Sound of Vast. The title track is smooth beyond belief, funky house keys and a laid back soulful vocal work with the bass to make your hips start to move, before a house backbeat takes you by the hand onto the dancefloor. At 3:15 mins, Julian Lindsey plays his ace card with a TB-303 acid tweak drenched with emotion. Just superb. The Subb-an Dubmix stays true to the original, claps and snares bring a dancefloor immediacy, the vocal line chopped to bring the funk. Ibiza will go wild for this Dubmix.
Miami Air starts with a Funktion-1-lovin’ deep velvet groove. Close your eyes and you can almost smell that dusky, warm Atlantic coast beach at sunset, driving with the roof down as the lights start to twinkle across Vice City and the bass drum beats through your fulcrum. A perfect companion for Don’t Know How To Change. Francesca Lombardo’s remix takes Miami Air from dusk to deep night, A mini Moog 4/4, rimshot claps and a vintage synth line guides you past midnight onto the dark, humid dancefloor where bodies writhe.
Julian Lindsey tells us more: The EP is really the story of my relationship with house music and a snapshot of where I was in my life when I made these tracks. I have an obsession with house music that is borderline unhealthy. The sound is rooted in 2010s house music, which is the era where my love for house music really developed.
東京 / アムステルダムを股にかけるレーベルSound Of Vast から、NYC拠点のアーティスト Julian LindseyによるデビューEPをリリース!
レイドバックしたグルーヴに物憂げなコードとスムースなヴォーカルが踊るレイトナイト・ダンサー"Don't Know How To Change"、現代的でクリスピーなタッチと虚飾を捨てた洗練が宿る"Miami Air”。新鋭と聞いて疑いたくもなる研ぎ澄まされた感覚からは、さながら10年代「Pampa」や「Smallville」作品のメランコリア、Galcher Lustwerkのロウなアウトサイダー・ハウス、あるいはRed Pig FlowerやThe MoleによるSound Of Vast 原典を思い出す。実際Julian Lindsey自身、この年代のディープ・ハウスへの熱狂からキャリアを始めているようだ。
A-2には Sound Of Vast への帰還を果たしたベルリンのベテラン Subb-anの、B-2にはUK拠点のFrancesca Lombardoによるリミックスを収録。ここ数年「X-Kalay」やThomas Melchiorの「My King Is Light」等からプログレッシヴな快作を飛ばすSubb-anがアクアティックに再構築した前者、期待以上のサイケデリックなテクスチャーで時間感覚を狂わせる後者。それぞれの卓越したサウンドメイクで昇華されたDJツールが出揃っており、いずれも現代ダンスフロアからの要請に真正面から応えてくれるはずだ。
本作はJulian Lindseyのバイオグラフィーの第1弾を飾るエヴァーグリーンなディープ・ハウス作品であると同時に、常にダンサーを見つめてきた Sound Of Vast から送り出された、信頼のおけるフロア・フレンドリーなEPでもある。
The second full-length album from Simon Herody - French born, Berlin based multi-instrumentalist and composer. Featuring the visual universe of Paul Waak.
Water from Mars retraces the imaginary odyssey of a near-future conquest of space - a sonic journey conceived as a soundtrack for the imagination. Blending acoustic and electronic instruments, Herody navigates between sci-fi jazz, left-field ambient dub, space lounge, and 4th world music, crafting a world where melancholy and forward-thinking curiosity coexist in weightless suspension.
Indulgent, textured, and uncompromising - for fans of glitchy synthesizer textures, cinematic atmospheres, and music that refuses easy categorization.