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Jeff Parker’s 2016 album The New Breed was a turning point for both Parker and for International Anthem, changing the trajectory of his solo career as well as drawing an abundance of attention to our fresh imprint despite our then very limited catalog. Most importantly though, the album is the first to give voice to Parker’s wholly unique take on sample-based beat construction augmented by a crack squad of improv-savvy LA breezers—the high-level crew of Paul Bryan (bass), Josh Johnson (alto sax), and Jamire Williams (drums), augmented by Jay Bellerose (drums) and Ruby Parker (vocals).
What began as Jeff’s interest in understanding his own idea of hip-hop processes (and how they related to his work in jazz) expanded into a blueprint for much of his work since then. (see also: The New Breed’s rock-solid followup Suite For Max Brown, the gentle deconstructionist solo guitar of Forfolks, and the long-form slow bloom dub improvisation of The Way Out of Easy—all released via International Anthem)
The IA11 Edition LP features our IARC 2025 obi strip, plus a new 16-page 11x11" insert booklet with unpublished session photos, new liner notes by New Breed bassist / co-producer Paul Bryan, and an in-depth conversation between JP and IARC co-founder Scott McNiece.
“...equally rooted in jazz and funk, and built upon beat-making experiments…”
- Jason P Woodbury, Aquarium Drunkard

Special new 25th anniversary edition of this most popular and highly-acclaimed of all Soul Jazz Records' Dynamite! series - 300% Dynamite is jam-packed with reggae tunes that crossed-over to become dancefloor hits and are 100% guaranteed to rock any party!

Out of print for the last 15 years, this new edition is being released in a one-off limited-edition heavyweight special-edition yellow coloured vinyl pressing + download code exclusively for Record Store Day 2024. This album is fully remastered, relicensed and with new tracks exclusively for RSD 24. Wayne Smith's booming anthem "Sleng Teng", Althea & Donna's worldwide hit 'Uptown Top Ranking', Sister Nancy's classic "Bam Bam", Augustus Pablo, Lee Perry - it's all here as 300% Dynamite joins the dots between reggae, jazz, funk, dub and soul.

A pioneering force in African music, Jo Tongo has always been on top of the game. Since the late 60s he has been recording music under his early Jojo L'Explosif moniker. His debut album "Jo Tongo" was released 1976 on Fiesta/Decca and features classic tracks like Jangolo and Piani. Now, after decades of underground influence and global recognition, his second album Sa Discossa (1980) is re-released for the first time. Being an electrifying fusion of African rhythms, disco, makossa, reggae and funk it is reflecting his lifelong journey of musical exploration and cultural storytelling and claims its place as an essential recording in the Afro-disco movement.
Jo Tongo's music is inseparable from his life's story-a journey that spans continents, struggles, and victories. From his early years as a leading African musician before the global rise of Afrobeat, to his deep roots in classical training, and his time performing in France and Germany, his sound is shaped by a rich blend of influences. Having played in bands across Europe, from American military bases in Germany to the jazz and soul circuits of Paris, he absorbed the pulse of multiple musical worlds, creating a sound uniquely his own.
"My music is my life. I never saw it as a way to become a star-I am a simple man," Tongo explains. "I came into music to say something, to tell about life, to share my experiences with the world." His perspective on fame and artistry is deeply rooted in his Cameroonian background. "I wasn't interested in business. I wanted to build something with music, to create a sound that was mine."
But Jo Tongo's music has always carried a deeper message. His work reflects his strong political stance against colonialism, social injustice, and oppression. "I cannot stay silent while my people suffer," he says. "Music is a way to resist, to stand strong, and to remind people of their dignity and their power." Throughout his career, Tongo has used his platform to advocate for African identity and independence. His songs, layered with messages of social consciousness, have continued to resonate with younger generations who recognize the relevance of his words even today.
Sa Discossa is more than just a disco record. It embodies Jo Tongo's philosophy of resistance, identity, and celebration. The title itself is a blend of "disco" and "makossa," reflecting the seamless fusion of African groove and the dancefloor energy that defined the era. Tracks like Bunya, sung in his native language, carry messages of love, gratitude, and resilience-sentiments that remain as relevant today as they were nearly 50 years ago. As Tongo describes it, "Every day, give thanks and praise to your Lord. Every day, show me your love. Every day, let me show you my tender love."
Tongo's musical journey also took him through the world of reggae, inspired by his exposure to American and Caribbean artists. "At first, I didn't like reggae-it was too slow for me," he admits. "But then I heard Bob Marley, and I realized the power in its simplicity. The rhythm, the
message-it was all connected to something bigger." He later found himself embracing reggae as an essential part of his musical DNA. "I realized that my music and reggae shared the same roots. We are all connected, all telling the same story in different ways."
Having spent much of his career performing across Europe, Jo Tongo reflects on his connection with international audiences. "I've played everywhere-from Africa to Germany, from Paris to other cities in France and what I've learned is that music speaks a universal language. You don't need to know the words to feel the message."
Despite taking a step back from the stage in recent years, he remains open to new possibilities. "Music is like a fire-it never truly dies. I have a lot to say, and music is the best way to say it."
For Jo Tongo, music is more than entertainment-it's a language of truth, a testament to history, and a bridge between cultures. The rhythm of Sa Discossa lives on, stronger than ever. With Sa Discossa returning under the African Edge series on The Outer Edge label, Jo Tongo's legacy continues to resonate, proving that real music never fades.

DJ support from - Hector Romero, Marco Lys, Mousse T, Sam Divine, Vintage Culture, Ferreck Dawn, Mat.Joe, Claptone, Joseph Capriati, Claude VonStoke, Dennis Cruz, Huxley, Mark Knight, Format:B, Nic Fanciulli.

Riva Starr presents his fifth album 'Keep Me On The Dancefloor' on Snatch! Records.
An opportunity to demonstrate his growth as a producer and as an artist, the album showcases an unexpected Riva Starr sound – one that explores a fresh creative approach, focussing on songwriting, collaboration, and telling stories that are firmly rooted on the dancefloor.

Featuring collaborations with Chromeo, Flight Facilities, Harry Stone and more.
'The album was entirely crafted through writing sessions with talented musicians, writers, and singers. This approach brings something unique, as being in the room with other creatives adds an extra layer of creativity and depth, enhancing the production quality. Most of the tracks came together quickly, thanks to the incredible vibe and chemistry in the studio. Sometimes, the process needed a bit of back and forth and more than one session to perfect.' – Riva Starr

Fusing sounds that represent different eras of Riva’s career, 'Keep Me On The Dancefloor' wistfully and effortlessly glides between disco, funk, soul, filtered house, and even the guitar licks of classic rock; a sum of his career to date, it is a body of work that focusses on amplifying the positive moments, memories, and experiences that can only be found in music. Exploring what it means to connect with someone in the moment; a celebration of losing your inhibitions to the music and finding yourself completely in sync with someone you’ve only just met.

Charged with storytelling and heartfelt lyrics, his most personal work to date is the result of a considered approach to making music, one of collaboration with one foot still on the dancefloor, and the other firmly in the studio guiding an array of talent to build something unique with him. Moving away from the DJ-friendly cuts that have underpinned much of Starr’s career, the fifteen tracks on 'Keep Me On The Dancefloor' are much deeper. With singer Harry Stone providing catchy toplines and infectious vocals across at least half of the album, there is a clear maturity on display at every level.

Additional features come from electro-funk duo Chromeo on the irresistibly groovy 'I Was Lost', and Prince-esque vocals from Nic Hanson on '(I’ll Be Your) Paradise'. 'Know You Love Me' – the laid-back, sun-kissed cut with Flight Facilities – compliments the melancholy vocals of Biishop on “Wildfire” and the disco-infused 'It Feels Much Better' with Harry Stone.

Music is a tonic for the soul, but it feels much better with someone else.

Der Italo-Disco Klassiker Dolce Vita meldet sich zurück — auf einer exklusiven, farbigen 12“ Maxi Single! Auf der A-Seite findest du die zeitlosen Original-Versionen, die den Kult-Song unsterblich gemacht haben.

Die B-Seite bringt frischen Wind: Hier erwarten dich brandneue, elektronische Remixes von Szenegrößen wie Klaas, DJ Blackstone, Block & Crown sowie BK Duke & Bootmasters. Die modernen Club-Edits verpassen Dolce Vita ein tanzbares Sound-Update, ohne den nostalgischen ItaloDisco-Charme zu verlieren.

Ein Muss für alle Vinyl-Sammler, DJs und Liebhaber von klassischen Melodien im neuen Club-Gewand!

This album is probably one of the most outstanding jazz discoveries of this year and highlights the significance of earlyJjazz-Rock recordings from East Germany in the late 60s to the early 1970s.
The highly talented organist Ulrich Gumpert, along with top musicians like drummer Günter "Baby" Sommer, bassist Gert Lübke, and guitarist Günter Dobrowolsky, formed a powerful independent quartet as well the rhythm section within the Klaus Lenz Orchestra and later of the group SOK. Their modern, soulful, and funky Jazz-Rock compositions gained popularity and were even promoted by the
East Berlin youth radio. Guest artists like the famous Günther Fischer contributed to their first recordings. This retrospective LP celebrates a groundbreaking yet underappreciated era in East German Jazz and Rock history.

Imagine having a song go viral for 17 years - without even knowing it. That's exactly what happened to the German 1980s band FEX. And this isn't just any song - it's The Most Mysterious Song on the Internet, a track that puzzled music detectives for decades before finally being identified in November 2024. Now, it has been officially released - twice.

The Story in Brief:
Sometime around 1984, a song was broadcasted on NDR Radio. The name of the song was Subways Of Your Mind - only found out 40 years later in November 2024. Back then, a listener recorded the NDR show on cassette, a common practice at the time. Decades later, the tape resurfaced, but while most songs from the recording were identified, one remained an enigma. On March 18, 2007, the track was uploaded to the internet in an attempt to uncover its origins. Due to its now-iconic opening lyric, it was tentatively titled Like The Wind. Over time, the mystery deepened, and the song was given a nickname: The Most Mysterious Song - or simply TMMS.

Starting in 2019, a dedicated Reddit group, TheMysteriousSong, now boasting over 63,000 members, took up the search. They meticulously documented every lead, hoping to solve the riddle of the song's origins. Then, in 2024, the breakthrough: Reddit user marjin1412 reached out to musician Michael Hädrich after discovering a reference to his band FEX in an old newspaper article. Hädrich, FEX's keyboardist, provided a recording from an old demo cassette which included an alternative version of the song. On November 4, 2024, the mystery was officially solved: FEX was the band, Subways Of Your Mind was the title.

What Happened Next:
Since then, FEX has released two singles - both featuring Subways Of Your Mind - through the Berlin-based independent label The Outer Edge. First, the demo cassette version was pressed onto vinyl, as the original NDR radio recording remained lost (see EDGE-028). The Remastered Demo Mix single instantly topped Bandcamp's global charts, holding the #1 spot for several days. By then, it was clear: this was more than just an internet curiosity. A real fanbase had formed. Enthusiastic comments on the sales page ranged from "best post-punk song to ever exist" to "FEX themselves (are) perhaps the most underrated musicians of all time."

But the story didn't end there. A higher-quality version of the NDR radio recording was rediscovered in late december, remastered, and now sent for a second vinyl pressing: the TMMS Version. This new vinyl 7" is backed with Talking Hands another great and unissued song that was found on the demo cassette.

Fame Comes with a Price
Suddenly, time isn't standing still for FEX. The band had to come to terms with the fact that they had become Lostwave super stars. A FEX fan club quickly formed on Reddit, fan-hosted FEX parties are popping up, and the internet is demanding more - an album, merchandise, live performances. But how does a band prepare for a comeback after a 40-year hiatus?

For now, FEX is carefully considering their next steps. Their demo cassette contains six songs - and a few other recordings have resurfaced which probably could be restored and compiled. But foremost, a brand new re-recording of Subways Of Your Mind is in progress.

One thing is certain: The Most Mysterious Song will continue its unstoppable journey around the world. Don't miss this (second) chance to own a piece of music history!

Arkeo is my most eclectic and techno-driven album to date—a fusion of my love for subterranean aesthetics and my deeply-rooted connection to Detroit’s underground music scene.

While always keeping the dance floor in mind, this album also reflects something more personal: my spiritual journey and how it applies to my daily life.

Arkeo represents the awareness that I have weaknesses, but rather than seeing them as limitations, I view them as opportunities for God's power to work through me. It’s a reminder that my dependence on Him allows me to walk more fully into the abundant life I’m meant to live.

Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9

As you listen, my hope is that you don’t just hear the music, but that you feel a connection to something deeper.

Nach über 25 Jahren Pause meldet sich Planet Pump Records eindrucksvoll zurück – und wie!
Label-Artist Stan-Lee aka Stanley Hottek reanimiert das legendäre Leipziger Technolabel mit einer kompromisslosen Vier-Track-EP: roh, druckvoll und tief verwurzelt im Sound der 90er – made for the underground.
Die EP „We Are“ versteht sich als klares musikalisches Statement: elektronische Musik mit Seele, Haltung und Herkunft – kein generisches Tool für Social-Media-Content, sondern echte Club-Energie.
Der Sound ist puristisch, treibend und analog produziert – ganz in der Tradition früher Planet Pump-Releases: raue Drum-Maschinen, wummernde Basslines und hypnotische Sequenzer, konsequent für den Dancefloor gedacht.
Die erste neue Planet Pump kommt auf klassisch schwarzem Vinyl, verpackt in einer bedruckten Stecktasche – limitiert auf 200 Stück.
Support Vinyl. Support Independent Labels. Support True Techno.

After more than 25 years, Planet Pump Records makes a powerful comeback – and how!
Label artist Stan-Lee aka Stanley Hottek revives the legendary Leipzig techno label with a relentless four-track EP: raw, driving, and deeply rooted in the sound of the ’90s – made for the underground.
The EP "We Are" stands as a clear musical statement: electronic music with soul, attitude, and heritage – not just another generic tool for social media content, but real club energy.
The sound is purist, driving, and produced with analog gear – staying true to the spirit of early Planet Pump releases: gritty drum machines, rumbling basslines, and hypnotic sequencers, all crafted strictly for the dancefloor.
The first new Planet Pump release comes on classic black vinyl, packed in a printed sleeve – limited to just 200 copies.
Support vinyl. Support independent labels. Support true techno.

Eko, or Eko Roosevelt, is a Cameroonian composer, pianist & vocalist. He was born in Kribi in 1946, the son of a local Tribal Chief. Eko developed his love for music at church, later pursuing his growing passionwith music studies abroad, first in Dakar and then in Paris. After concluding his studies in France he went on to a recording career and between 1975 - 1982 released a number of full-length LPs, 7" singles and albums on cassette, before returning to Kribi to take over the role of Tribal Chief from his father, a role he holds to this day.

While the name "Eko" may not be immediately familiar to all, his music will be well known to many, from the DJs to the dancers, the heads to the home listeners. Evergreen classics like “Kilimandjaro My Home”, have remained a mainstay in the record bags & USB crates of disco jocks since its release in the late 70s, while numerous of his other crossover Afro-disco gems have been bootlegged, edited and remixed by a seemingly endless number of both greater & lesser-known producers who have all paid tribute to his work. Eko Roosevelt’s position in the ranks of Cameroon’s great musicians cannot be overstated. As a composer, songwriter, pianist and singer he has influenced generations of musicians both in Cameroon and France and further abroad, while he has written & arranged for many of the Cameroonian musical community.

Here Canopy, with the benediction of Eko himself, officially reissues two of his works that have not been rereleased since their first outings. Stylistically the two songs straddle the line between Afro-disco, funk and pop, with a slightly Balearic, almost AOR sensibility.

“Phone Me Tonight” is taken from a 7” record that has barely resurfaced since it was self-released in 1981 on the “Eko Music’ imprint. The song is an uplifting opus that demonstrates Eko’s deftness for creating catchy songs that succeed in their songwriting prowess and melody crafting, both on and off the dance floor. It is a stripped back composition that employs the key elements to great effect. The groovy bass line is underpinned by a tight Afro-disco beat as Eko’s unmistakeable voice draws us in and with a masterful use of repetition and hooks, creates a song that feels familiar from the outset, while being brand new to almost all listeners. As the song develops, the synth lines lift the song higher and higher, culminating in a euphoric transcendence perfect for elevating the mood of any dancefloor.

“Take Me As I am Now”, is sourced from Eko’s first album, “Nalandi” which originally came out in 1975 on Dragon Phenix. Here we have another fine example of Eko’s ability to hone compositions that blend thelines between pop song writing and more loopy dance floor orientated structures. The vocal hook repeats throughout the song, with only minor variations, making the song feel comfortingly familiar from its early bars. An instantly appealing bass line sets the stage for the sleek guitars and taut horn arrangements. The end result is a feel-good balance of melody and groove that makes for a timeless feel with a positive message!"

Mama is here. This producer hailing from Italy has been making waves in the underground music community landing a strong string of releases on the prolific labels for you to check out. Now it is time for him to present to the world of “Sottopasso”, the 4 track EP with quite wide range of sound yet all absolutely in line with vision of the label and with utmost touch of freshness starting from A1 and finishing to B2. All the tracks names are with Italian flavor and is very close to the artist’s heart and resonate with the memories and experiences that personally shaped the man we are witnessing today. The artwork as always executed by the legend of the graffiti art Gkoner, which is showing a spooky entrance that one is about to enter if one dares too. This work has found its home on the label with a sense of proudness of Mama and excitement for it to find homes to its rightful owners brings a lot of positive feelings.

Compiled by Philip King
“And then came the rise of synth pop : blokes with dodgy haircuts hunched over keyboard-operated
machines stuffed with wires and do-it-yourself tone oscillators making sounds like a brood of geese
passing gas in a wind tunnel. Whoopee! This is the way the ‘70s ended : not with a blood-curdling bang
bang but with a cheap, synthesized, emasculating whimper.”
NICK KENT, NME.

All The Young Droids: Junkshop Synth Pop 1978-1985 is a new compilation that charts the
underbelly of the epoch-defining sound of the synthesiser in 80s popular music. Compiled by Philip
King (previously seen compiling All The Young Droogs, Glitterbest and Boobs - The Junkshop
Glam Discotheque), the music here connects the dots between DIY synth enthusiasts grappling with
new, cheap synthesisers at the tail-end of punk and wannabe, jobbing songwriters enthral to the new
music pioneered by Gary Numan, Depeche Mode and Daniel Miller’s Mute Records. Featuring rare
tracks of auto-didactic progressive pop music, proto-techno punk, shoot-for-the-stars-land-in-the-gutter
chart flops and heralded, underground synth classics, School Daze paints a picture of beautiful failure.
Complete with extensive sleeve notes written by King and never before seen imagery, all 24 tracks
were remastered by RPM in-house engineer Simon Murphy, many from vinyl copies due to lost master
tapes. The story told on All The Young Droids is one of the dawning opportunity presented by both the
emergence to the market of cheaper analog synthesisers and the distribution networks plus indie labels
that exploded with the advent of punk music in 1976. While the music that sprouted out all over the
globe in the wake of these factors was decried as fake, plastic, a refutation of punk’s guitar-led
revolution, it’s telling that much of the music on All The Young Droids.. was created in bedrooms,
ramshackle studios and home-made set ups with often borrowed equipment. In the era of record labels
jumping to capitalise on the success of The Sex Pistols, The Clash (both on major labels, of course)
these artists struggled to stand out from a new gold-rush with next to no budget or PR team. With radio
and labels desperate for the new Yazoo, what resulted was a testament to necessity being the mother
of invention.

At the time, the synthesiser was the music of the future, a shiny new machine that could paint like an
orchestra with a single finger and a 4-track. In the hands of Manchester avant-pranksters Gerry & The
Holograms it’s a pulsing, sardonic weapon.. the only instrument on the Messthetics classic lampooning
of New Wave fashion. In Hamburg, a 16 year old Andreas Dorau used it to write and record (with his
female classmates on vocals) a global smash in Fred Vom Jupiter (later licensed to Mute Records).
The hard-to-find English version (Fred From Jupiter, natch) is included here. Many artists with alreadystoried careers caught the bug and recorded synthesiser-fuelled peons to space, computers, the future
and, of course, love-interests. Harry Kakoulli, late of Squeeze, recorded a solo album in 1979 that
included the incredible power-synth-pop smash-that-never-smashed I’m On A Rocket. Similarly, Ian
North of Neo and American Power Pop stalwarts Milk ’n’ Cookies bought a Korg MS20 and used a
tape machine to record We’re Not Lonely, an absolute lost-classic of minimal synth pop. We’re Not
Lonely also features on the Junkshop Synth Pop sampler 7” twinned with John Howard unreleased
track You Will See, released April 12th 2025.

There are plenty of compilation debuts in evidence. Sole Sister were a mysterious trio who were
featured on the Scaling Triangles compilation of female-fronted, queer-adjacent post-punk /
underground music that also featured The Petticoats. Selwin Image were from San Francisco and
featured members of the recently defunct power pop/punk group The Pushups. Their stupidly catchy
The Unknown fizzes with New Wave energy - think XTC to Sparks but remains unreleased until now.
Dream Unit’s A Drop In The Ocean is an early synth wave cut, positively teaming with Joy Division
instrumentation, previously only released on a long-forgotten and super rare, self-released EP.
Incandescent Luminaire’s Famous Names belies an archetypal struggle of a small-town trying to
make it in a cruel industry but is a thrilling New Romantic-Synth Wave cross over with a OMD
gloominess that’s a joy to hear. Feminist Minimal Wave track I Am A Time Bomb by performance artist
Peta Lilly and Michael Chance is a revelation destined for new found cult status. It was released on 7”
and lost until now.

The flipside to the subterranean, never-made-it synth pop mentioned above are the ambitious, even
fruity attempts at success that have a perennial elegance to their confidence. New Jersey-ite Billy
London (real name Ed Barth) tried to cash in on the synth boom with Woman, released by a major
label, a lurching new wave track built on the Louie Louie rhythm and a wonderfully camp Lou Reedstyle sleazy vocal before exploding in the synthesised chorus. The song bombed but with a chorus like
this, you have to wonder why? Ex-Glitter Band member John Springate’s My Life is truly epic, with
doomed chord progressions and massive sounding drums turning into at least 3 different songs in the
course of the track. Before you wonder what’s going on the song resolves with a glorious return to the
main refrain.

The dry-ice-dressed dance floor is well catered for too. Design’s Premonition and Vision’s Lucifer’s
Friend are stone-cold minimal synth bangers, well loved but given a new lease of life here. The
Warlord’s The Ultimate Warlord was released in 1978, a homespun proto Hi NRG banger that was
later re-recorded by The Immortals in Canada who had a club hit with it. One-man- band Disco
Volante’s No Motion was re-issued by Synth wave label Medical in 2012 but makes its first vinyl
compilation appearance here. Close your eyes and you can imagine what Lawrence of Felt would have
sounded like with some cheap Korgs a little earlier in his career. Gibraltar-based trio The Microbes
imagined a computer programming people to dance - how prescient - and ended up with a propulsive,
robo-funk track with splendid rubbery bass playing over a tectonic drum machine. Previously picked up
by Belgian label Stroom TV, Dee Jay Bert & Eagle’s heavily Euro-accented I Am Your Master
demands the listener to “come to paradise!” In a frankly terrifying manner.
All The Young Droids is the first compilation to peel away from the narrative that dour, Minimal Synth
and Cold Wave were the only musical children of the first rush of synth pop. Philip King and School
Daze Records describe a much more complicated world: along with the austere, Brutalist children of
Daniel Miller (who produced Alan Burnham’s Bowie-Low-influenced Science Fiction here) was a
plethora of desperate cash-ins, accidental mainstream hits, ambitious pop dramas and major label
punts that went nowhere. Crucially, the compilation blurs the line between junk and treasure. What if the
two things are interchangeable. What if it’s all science fiction?

Atlantic Records is thrilled to announce F1 The Album - the supercharged companion album to Apple Original Films and Warner Bros. Pictures’ high-octane, action-packed film F1, starring Brad Pitt. From the label that brought you the award-winning, blockbuster soundtracks Barbie The Album, Twisters: The Album, The Greatest Showman, Suicide Squad and more, F1 The Album is driven by brand new tracks from an exhilirating lineup of superstar artists.

SofaTalk is an Italian producer known for his eclectic and genre-blending approach to electronic music. Drawing inspiration from the global underground, nu-jazz, and his roots in Italy, his sound is rich, experimental, and difficult to categorize, yet always engaging. Alongside running his label Cognitiva Records and curating events and radio shows, he continues to refine his style through remixes and collaborations.

His latest project, *The Soul's Code*, released via Oathcreations, is an 8-track album that further explores his unconventional sound. Featuring collaborations with Veezo and Zopelar, the album fuses house, funk, broken beat, dub, and jazz in imaginative ways. Tracks like "Dub Lush" and "The Truth" highlight SofaTalk's ability to craft deeply textured productions, while "Paradiddle," "Complex Journey," and "Around" showcase his playful, lo-fi sensibilities and love for rhythmic experimentation. The album closes with "Magpie Rules," a dreamy, breakbeat-driven finale that captures the surreal energy of the entire release. With support from artists like Fred P, Carista, and Bradley Zero, *The Soul's Code* is another bold step in SofaTalk's constantly evolving musical journey.

On June 27, 2025, a long-dormant signal reactivates from Hamburg’s hidden places: Helena Hauff and F#X return as Black Sites with R4 on Tresor Records—their first full-length album and the first release under the moniker since 2014. Like a hieroglyphic recently discovered and translated, R4 feels more like a long-awaited resumption than a comeback.
Recorded to tape with minimal editing or post-production the record is a classic example of the symbiotic relationship that can come from the interaction of human and machine. This punk ethos isn’t invoked through distortion alone, but through method; in the album’s breaking from the received wisdom of hardness tethered to speed as most of the tougher pieces are lower BPM and vice versa (with one notable exception in the mind-melting stomp of BLOKK).
Across ten tracks, Black Sites traverse a landscape where genre dissolves into intention. It migrates through electro’s danceability, acid house’s corrosion, and into the liminal realm of machine funk—a genre coined by Andrew Weatherall, which sounds like the results of technology dreaming of soul where the emphasis is on live execution, on immediacy over perfection—a sound forged in the act of creating, not polishing.
In a 2013 interview, around the time of the first Black Sites EP, Hauff was quoted as saying that she wants “things to fit together properly, but on another level, I really want them to make sense together.” That principle animates R4: The album’s form reveals itself in time, with each movement echoing and amplifying the others to create a synergistic whole.
From the opening crawl of C4 (a name that like the music foreshadows the explosions to come) to the end-of-the-night bliss of MOTHERJAM via the intense peaks of BLOKK, 707, and classic acid track 3D it’s clear that R4 is a work made with serious intent; a refutation of a world where streaming has made the two-minute single the dominant musical form again. R4 demands immersion, not just attention. It is not a collection of tracks, but a singular, recursive experience: a mirror in which sound and listener repeatedly rediscover one another.

Limited Vinyl Box Set including 6x olive 12” vinyl & download code

Cocoon Recordings presents: Cocoon Compilation V

Back for the summer season, Cocoon Recordings proudly unveils the next chapter in its iconic compilation series. With its 22nd edition, Cocoon Compilation V once again bridges past and future, showcasing the essence of electronic music’s constant evolution. True to the spirit of the label, this handpicked collection delivers a diverse, emotional, and forward-thinking selection that drifts through shimmering currents, pulsating machinery, and moments of pure release.

Delenz & Zeitstill set the tone with “Place To Be”, a smooth and warm opener that invites the listener into a meditative microcosm. What starts as dreamy minimalism steadily unfolds into deep, shimmering depth. A sublime invitation to get lost in sound. Superpitcher takes us further into the mist with “Dream B”, an ethereal and cinematic dreamscape that floats between melancholy and magic. Its stretched textures and hypnotic pacing form a gentle passage into inner space.

The energy intensifies with Patrice Bäumel’s “Nat”, a sophisticated tension-builder with a subtle pulse and haunting atmospheres. Sound waves that breathe, evolve, and subtly command movement. Sawlin switches gears with “Der Jasager”, a deep technoid beast that hits with low-end pressure, modulated percussions, and gritty textures and spooky features. Raw, physical, and unrelenting.

A bright contrast comes from DC Salas and his track “Escapism.” Psychedelic, synth-heavy, and effortlessly groovy, it channels the playful side of electronic storytelling. It channels a trancy 90s flair with its vibrant energy, brilliant use of choir bits, and irresistible vibe that transports you back to a golden era. With Tal Fussman’s “Eyes”, we’re taken into euphoric territory. This stomper is a conversation between piano and strings, rising above crisp grooves, weaving emotion and momentum with finesse.

On the second half of the journey, legendary Ken Ishii teams up with Yuada to deliver “Split Second,” a bold, wild and crazy techno excursion full of mechanical grace and Japanese precision. An ode to organized chaos. Marcel Fengler’s “Aura” follows, powerful and deep, pushing air like an engine through tunnels of tension and light. The blend of rhythm and sentiments is a masterclass in functional elegance and states of mind.

Impérieux brings us “Kala,” a track both twisted and beautiful. Its detuned hypnotic melodies and skewed harmonics are unsettling in the best way while the unconventional rhythms cloak the entire track in a mysterious aura. It creaks and twists toward transcendence, underscored by primordial flute sounds. A fractured lullaby for the club. Joe Metzenmacher injects wildness and attitude into the mix with “Da Freak.” Fuzzy, distorted synths collide with a funky bassline, sharp guitar stabs, and mad bleep effects, bringing the raw groove and dancefloor chaos of a bygone funk era into a futuristic setting.

Joseph Capriati debuts on Cocoon with “Cosmopop” and surprises with an unexpected stylistic shift. Capriati explores a more melodic, emotionally driven sound. Subtle harmonies meet a warm, rolling groove. It’s a bold and personal statement, showing a new side of an artist who continues to evolve beyond expectations. To close, Matthias Schildger offers “Distorter,” a raw and emotional cut that leaves room to breathe while keeping the mind spinning. It begins with beautiful pads, before distorted kicks drop in, yet the track retains a certain tenderness, like the feeling of sitting at a tranquil, untouched nature spot, surrounded by the beauty of the world. A grand finale to a compilation that refuses to settle.

From sunrise moments to peak-time madness, Cocoon Compilation V captures the full spectrum of what dance music can be. Transcendent, visceral and endlessly evolving. This isn’t just a collection of tracks. It’s a curated experience for the body, the mind and the soul.

A highly respected figure for dancers and artists alike, Markus Suckut offers his signature built-to-last sound to Fuse with 'Moments'. In this style, confidence is key and Suckut provides soul to club music in a way few have been able to. Simple yet ever so refined, the German artist furthers his sound with the Belgian label with rolling tracks that reach beyond the dancefloor yet again. 'Moments' is just that, a collection of instances spent inside the mind or outwards into the world in order to move and connect.


The A1 remains usually the first impression of every record, so it makes sense that 'Patience' would mark the beginning of this eight release for the Brussels' club. A bubbly yet impactful track, 'Patience' rolls through six minutes in no time with eccentric percussion and a viscous low-end. Unafraid to break the codes in order to push his sound forward while respecting the essence of what makes the genre great, Suckut puts years of mastery at work in order to find balance and air between his elements. This impressive low-end rhythm is continued into 'Resurrection' - which is more of an exploration of dissonance and texture than its predecessor. With hi-hats whipping around the stereo field through metallic bends and a harmonic kick/bass, the record knows for what context 'Resurrection' is reserved for. 'Myth' then comes along to lighten the load with a positive groove and an extraverted arrangement, maintaining balance to the overall EP. Complete with a subtly modulating live-played percussion that echoes the character of a vocal and layered over an almost vintage drum sequence, the persistence of 'Myth' finds a sweet spot between techno and house, making it a versatile tool in almost any record bag. The soul of the EP, however, belongs to its title track 'Moments'. Appropriately named, this fourth piece concludes Markus Suckut's latest statement for the dancefloor. A suspension of time in structure as much as in melody, the producer takes the time to unveil each element of the record while maintaining a burning intriguing throughout. A truly timeless piece reserved for only the most special moments and most deserving crowds, Suckut proves once again that his understanding of emotion through his medium will echo his music across the world for years to come.

From a 4x5m room stacked with vinyl, ashtrays, magazine drafts, and semifunctional synths, Stompin n Risin rises again—reincarnated but not revised.
Originally a spontaneous ritual from the days of blunted dreaming and one-eyeopen ambition, this track first snuck into the world under a different name (Jacobite Fool, courtesy of those tasteful Belgians at International Feel) and went on to become a cult curio. Now, it’s back—rebuilt with the very same machines that once hummed beside the mattress, but still left to run wild like they used to.
The rest of the EP stays close to that spirit: music as lived experience, jammed with friends, lovers, and ex-boyfriends (literally). Lucy’s Electricity is a shimmering daydream, born from a jam with Daniele Labbate, recharged by a whirlwind wedding, and soundtracked by a bittersweet guitar line courtesy of the groom’s bride’s ex. A track for walking into churches—or out of time entirely. A personal favorite of the artist, and maybe the only funeral anthem with this much static joy.
One takes things inward—made with the Moog One for open-air yoga sessions during the era of no-dancing-but-still-dreaming. It’s a sun-dappled, slow-motion dancefloor where breath and bass align. Love 2 Love closes the circle: an unearthed jam with long-time collaborator and platonic supermodel Hanne Uekermann, revived from hard drive purgatory and infused with new life. A love song to the music, the moments, and the friendship behind it.
This record isn’t just a collection of tracks. It’s a lived-in photo album, a soft pulse through oceanic memory, a reminder that all sound comes from life, and maybe all life comes from sound.

Drum Major
this conceptual production from new klan member Nico Babylon creates a hypnotic electronic blueprint focused on vintage synths and syncopated movement of rhythmic dimensions and craftsmanship.
plainly said..this is the next level of jakbeat moving forward!

This Nasty Possession
The Jak collaborates with Nico on this uber old school formula from the days of chicago underground in the mid 80s along the timeline of gherkin/gene hunt era. everything u hear on this tune was created by hand…
No samples were taken!