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c Urge feat. Abdominal & DJ Robert Smith - Brainwashed Shortcut

Joe Henderson had fully hit his stride by the time he made Inner Urge, his 4th album for Blue Note, recorded in November 1964. After a series of quintet dates, this was the tenor saxophonist’s first quartet album, and it featured an extraordinary line-up with McCoy Tyner on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. The foursome deliver a diverse set consisting of three Henderson originals including the remarkable title track and the Monkish “Isotope,” as well as a gorgeous ballad performance of Duke Pearson’s “You Know I Care” and a nimble swing through Cole Porter’s “Night and Day.” This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

Originally released on two tapes on Stucco, now available on vinyl. Ferocious, manic Punk via Austin, Texas. Overpublicised rock hack/full-time gobshite Charles Shaar Murray said of The Clash that they were ‘the sort of garage band who should be speedily returned to the garage, preferably with the motor running’. Now that’s all well and good, but what if I told you there was a band that sounded like they’d taken this to heart and replaced the petrol fumes with all the gnarliest uppers and the cheapest booze? Meet Texas’ Insane Urge, a band for whom no fidelity is too low, no riff is too snotty, and there’s no hook that wouldn’t sound better being crushed into the dirt by a combination of velocity and curled-lip, devilish delirium. This is their ‘Two Tapes LP’, compiling their (you guessed it) two tapes for Down South Tapes - and what a compilation it is! Rattling through 15 songs in 18 minutes, it condenses the primal chords of The Sonics, the dumb thrills of the Oblivians and the smash’n’grab speed of hardcore punk to create something that sticks to your synapses like paste. Almost feels like someone should call Bomp!, Sympathy For The Record Industry and Crypt to check this hasn’t leaked out of their archives - that classic raw vibe is unmistakeably here and it’s an instant winner. From the opening instrumental that shares its name with the band to the minute-long thrill ride of ‘Job’, ‘Two Tapes LP’ is rock’n’roll at its stoopid best (and trust me, you’ve gotta be smart to play this stoopid). It’s a record that’ll cement its place on your speakers, its brevity only serving to make you demand another immediate fix - which you’ll do again and again and again. If the band moniker reflects anything, it’s the fact that you don’t make music like this because you wanna. You do it cos you can’t see any other choice. Listen and love.

URGE sind ein Teil independent alternative Musikgeschichte und prägten den Begriff "Hardcorehausen". Anfang der 90er Jahre gründeten sich in Hannover zeitgleich mehrere Bands. Das Musikmagazin "Spex" gab ihnen und damit der Stadt den Namen "Hardcorehausen". Bereits 1990, hatten URGE ihren ersten Longplayer "Listen Carefully To The Powerful Urge Outburst*, und kurz danach des erste Studio-Album "Why Hide The Lie", 1991 veröffentlicht. Im gleichen Jahr haben sie die Washingtoner Legende FUGAZI auf der Europa-Tournee begleitet. Die Lust am Weitermachen ist Anfang 2022 neu entflammt, nun soll der Funke überspringen und einen Schwelbrand langsam und beständig entfachen! URGE haben mit ihren neuen Songs "Interfere the Game", der Anfang 2023 veröffentlicht wurde, und "Brainwashed", bereits das Glutnest für die weiteren neuen Songs entzündet. Wer Genre Schubladen braucht: Post-Hardcore, Alternative, Crossover?

The indie dance and leftfield techno magicians Radial Gaze join the Urge To Dance family after remarkable releases for labels such as TAU, Feines Tier, Calypso and Eskimo. The Saint Petersburg-based project is accompanied by Thomass Jackson and Zombies in Miami on remix duties for the mesmerizingly exotic “In Each Other” EP.

The leading track, In Each Other, is a multi-layered and infectiously danceable combination of addictive bassline, magical Cameroonian drums, Amazonian percussions and mystical marimbas creating a mysterious and exotic track. Psych Subsidy delivers dirty, energising and somehow hypnotic emotions. Entrancing sitars loops, long pitched synthesizer and a twisted old lullaby female vocal will get you on board for an amazing psych-trip.

The B-side is where Thomass Jackson and Zombies in Miami deliver their wild and unorthodox remixes of In Each Other. The Thomas Jackson True Love Remix is emotional, hypnotising and yet so trippy, a true testament of Calypso Records Boss’ remixing skills. The second take of the leading track is by Zombies in Miami, a powerful and forward-looking track that blends the hypnotic percussions of the original with a rhythmic bassline and flawless simplicity of all elements used in this remix.

Joe Henderson had fully hit his stride by the time he made Inner Urge, his 4th album for Blue Note, recorded in November 1964. After a series of quintet dates, this was the tenor saxophonist’s first quartet album, and it featured an extraordinary line-up with McCoy Tyner on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. The foursome deliver a diverse set consisting of three Henderson originals including the remarkable title track and the Monkish “Isotope,” as well as a gorgeous ballad performance of Duke Pearson’s “You Know I Care” and a nimble swing through Cole Porter’s “Night and Day.” This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

THAT'S SOME SERIOUS SHIT ! is a new record label dedicated to old House music and to dancers. Following the steps of Kerry Chandler, Mr. Fingers, Ron Trent, Masters at Work and so on... Away from the hype, we want to bring back the spirit of the early 90's when House music was not only music, but a communion of body, soul, freedom and love.
We hope to get you with us... in the dance, in the club.
Now ride on the sound !!!

Be chosen proudly presents Rich NxT! What a great debut here from the NxT Records owner!
We're more than happy with "The What Is EP"!

This release features KVETCH X, the unkown electronic wizard hailing from within the reaches of the smog of Manchesters industrial city. The voltmeter ep features 3 machine/synth driven tracks which each take you on a different journey from an underground rave bunker to the reaches of outer space. Only you can be the judge, so climb on board & see where it takes you.

Tadd Mullinix's Charles Manier project returns with a third double-LP, Luxus Steroid Abamita, an edict of nine new amorphous transmissions and clustered, clangorous, hemi-synthetic funk. This is experimental machine music: it's inspired by the fringes of dance, but skirts petrified arpeggios and other stock Wave and Technopop emblems. Its spirit elicits Sheffield Post-Punk and Düsseldorfer NDW desiderata, but exploits are crisp, psychedelic, and expansive. Lyrics come as laconic Dada, sociopolitical impressions—in counterpoint to concrète tape smears, echoing guitar deluges, and entrenched in ever-shifting grime. A wide spectrum of density is proffered. Atmospheric zones are submerged, modulating knells. When tempos increase, sample & hold mutations make synthesizers sputter and writhe. The title track and opus, Yopo (Calcium Tree)' carry this with heavy pulses—storming like locomotives.

May 2026 marks the arrival of TYGAPAW (aka Dion McKenzie)’s first full-length album on Tresor Records, entitled Together You Gather All Power Applied Worldwide. An acronym of its creator’s name, TYGAPAW’s third studio album is a deeply personal collection of music building worlds where Black queer and trans siblings can thrive, while unifying dancefloors worldwide. A proposition that collective wisdom liberates us from the matrix of domination we live within. The album unfolds as the latest chapter in TYGAPAW’s ongoing techno opera opus, continuing to center the voices of Black women, which surface as layered incantations rather than lyrics - powerful, haunting, sensual, activating.
With the process of creating the album starting in 2023, as TYGAPAW (Dion McKenzie) was in the first year of their transition, the music reflects the intensity of that period, where they were experiencing deplatforming as a response to the shift in their physical appearance: Tracks like ‘M32 Riddim’ and ‘Helicopter hovers over my Crown Heights Apartment’ feature high-paced rhythms intersecting with intense siren-like synths to form demanding compositions echoing a heightened sense of alert. Yet throughout the album, relief comes in the form of TYGAPAW’s vocal features, co-conspirators, and chosen family, whose voices are treated with reverb and echo, a sonic fingerprint that leads back to the pioneers in the legendary studios of TYGAPAW’s native land, Jamaica, an important reminder that the past will always inform the future. It is an album for dancers first and foremost, where joy, defiance, and integration with the natural body coexist, and every drop feels less like a climax than a transformation. Expect a bass that permeates your soul and melodic synthesized sequenced phrases echoing the dancehall eras of TYGAPAW’s youth, reshaped into hypnotic melodies that glow over industrial kicks designed to command attention, reasserting Jamaica's pioneering yet often overlooked contribution to electronic music.
In the opening track, ‘Can I Live’, Precious Okoyomon’s words feel like the beginning of a ritual; setting the intentions for the rest of the proceedings. As McKenzie puts it, their “work is about regeneration, resetting, getting integrated into nature, and about rebirth. That’s the tone I wanted to set at the outset of the album.” Ms Carrie Stacks continues this thread of support in ‘Don’t Panic’ with heavily processed vocals on top of a beat that takes inspiration from another important ingredient in the antidote to the oppression of isolation: Ballroom culture. “ I feel like I found my queerness in Ballroom, that’s why this track is very important to me.”
Echoes of NYC Black queer nightlife scene also permeate in the energetic drums of ‘Exorcise the Language of Domination’, in which Julianna Huxtable’s spoken performance complements the various movements and tones of the music. “My producer brain thought this was the one that Juliana’s vocals would be best suited for. I hinted: ‘what do you think of this one?’ She just went into her notes and picked some passages to go with the first section of the track. From there, it was a year-long process of development. It required time and space for this thing to evolve, but I think it’s one of the most powerful tracks on the album.” London’s SUUTOO contributes the album’s only musical collaboration on ‘B2B’, a track that emerged from sessions in McKenzie’s New York studio where the real objective was to connect and have fun; a time out from the demands of life outside.
The album closes out with a double hit of emotion in the form of ‘Effects of Resistance and Black Trans Masculine Experience’. The former features South African scholar Khanyisile Mbongwa drawing connections that exist between Africa and the Black diaspora, whilst looking to the future and calling for a shared sense of community.
The latter piece, an instrumental version of the piece which featured on the IMMIGRANT E.P. of 2025 is a gentle and deeply affecting end to the record, a place of peace and acceptance. This end-of-cycle tone is mirrored in the sleeve photography, which also ties back to IMMIGRANT by finally revealing what was hidden: a portrait of the artist fully self-actualized; a step towards true inner liberation. TYGAPAW is sonically defiant across this album; bass frequencies feel tactile — less heard than inhabited — infectious lead synth melodies remain with you long after the track ends. An overall sound that leaves asserting an urgent need for connection. From Detroit to New York to Berlin to Jamaica, despite geographic distance, this album reminds us that we remain in solidarity, recognising that meaningful world-building requires collective input and action, both personal and communal, if we are to move toward liberation.

Hiriketiya is a small, enclosed bay on Sri Lanka's southern coast, where jungle leans toward the water and the days unfold without urgency.
Passing through in early 2025 on the way to Europe, Alex Albrecht spent a week here at MOND's artist residency, allowing the rhythms of the place to quietly shape the work that followed.
During the residency, Albrecht recorded and exchanged ideas with Sri Lankan musicians Dhyan Basho on sitar, Dinelka Liyanage on electronics, Uvindu Perera on double bass and Pasindu Herath on saxophone.
Their performances appear throughout the album, sampled and re-contextualised, influencing its melodic language, pacing and emotional tone.

Much of the music was shaped directly by its surroundings. Field recordings were gathered across Hiriketiya, and instruments were played wherever it felt necessary. This included rocks beside the ocean where waves set irregular rhythms, tall grasslands where wind and insects blend into the recordings, and open decks overlooking the sea. 'Round Table' captures this approach most clearly. Recorded while sitting together overlooking the ocean, a large steel table in front of the group gradually became part of the composition, used instinctively as an unplanned percussive element.

Not everything could be captured. Some of the most meaningful moments occurred before recording was possible. Those sounds exist only in memory, and the album is shaped in part by an attempt to hold onto their feelings.

Rather than documenting the residency in a linear way, the album gathers fragments, recordings, electronic sketches and field sounds, assembling them into a continuous listening experience shaped by place and recollection. MOND owners Jess and Renato foster an environment that supports artists without directing them, creating space for focus, trust and connection.

The result is a record shaped by Hiriketiya's enclosed bay, dense vegetation, heat and night air. Music formed through listening, restraint, missed recordings and the sensation of being temporarily held by a place.

San Diego’s Mrs. Magician has always bent surf music and punk into something delightfully off-kilter — sun-soaked, hook-heavy power pop with a lyrical fixation on life’s darker undercurrents. Their 2012 debut, Strange Heaven, was a nihilistic pop statement that grew into a cult classic. The 2016 follow-up, Bermuda, sharpened the edges with punchy, nervy songwriting. Both records were produced by John Reis (Rocket From The Crypt, Hot Snakes, Drive Like Jehu), cementing the band’s place in Southern California’s underground lineage. Now, in 2026, Mrs. Magician reemerges with their long-awaited third LP, Spiritual Hangover. Recorded at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606 and Singing Serpent Studios with producer Christian Cummings, Spiritual Hangover finds songwriter Jacob Turnbloom trading youthful nihilism for something more reflective. Where earlier records wrestled with existential dread through anthemic defiance, this new collection embraces uncertainty — an admission of ignorance in the face of the human condition, paired with a genuine longing for connection and understanding. The humor remains. The hooks are sharper than ever. But the perspective has shifted.

These songs feel less like a declaration of dominance and more like a celebration of fragility — an acknowledgment that life is fleeting, confusing, and still worth enjoying. The album features Andrew Montoya (drums) and Mark Rivera (bass) of The Sess, Ian Fowles (guitar) of The Aquabats, and John Reis (guitar). Spiritual Hangover channels the bright urgency of late-’70s power pop through a distinctly Californian lens — warm, melodic, and irresistibly alive. “Super fun, well crafted, with great melodies. It gives me that late ’70s power pop energy I loved so much as a kid. Every track has something joyous to grab onto. In a world full of bleak news, Spiritual Hangover is a warming blast of California sunshine.” — Walter Schreifels (Gorilla Biscuits/Quicksand)

On the label's latest, Oath are proud to present 'Times', the latest morphological masterclass from Ukrainian producer extrodinaire Vakula, on which his boundless and intuitively captivating sound remains as absorbing as ever.

Drawing deeply from a rich palette of genres such as deep house, ambient, dub techno, and jazz, and feeding in inspirations from natural and philosophical spheres, Vakula's musical ethos has allowed him to continuously explore the inner and outer reaches of his universal soundscape. By feeling things out through hardware, he allows his music to grow organically, blending humanistic tendencies with technological outputs that always bring harmonious musical riches to the surface.
'Times' represents another seismic chapter in his story, one which contains a series of genre-defying blends that twist, turn, and enthrall with their ever-evolving beauty. 'Atmos Time' plays out as the EP opens up, and draws the listener close with a textured melodic chime and spaced out groove.

Floating along on a bed of cosmic ambience, the groove and melodic features cascade as one, drifting further through the layers of time and thought. 'Break Time' ups the urgency ever so slightly, with a similar atmosphere unraveling above an energised broken beat.
'Drum Time' brings in side B, and this one shifts perspective once more. The melodic sways up above merge and blend with the poly-rhythmic undertones, with the jungle-lite broken beat creating an enchanting energy. 'Soul Time' wraps things up, which moves into a distinctly ambient techno sort of realm. Dreamy pads and looping key lines intertwine amongst a captivating sea of mood and tone, as a laid-back beat shimmers underneath with poise and elegance. . A fitting end to a record filled with moments of tonal excellence, ever-shifting melodic feeling and rhythmic sequencing - an experience that forever drifts through the memory, always capturing the imagination….

STRICTLY LIMITED TO 100 COPIES ARTIST PROJECT After discovering techno at La Concrète, invited by my girlfriend, it was a revelation, and I very quickly felt the urge to contribute in my own way. My intention has been to create tracks infused with positive energy (even if the creative process sometimes leads into slightly darker corners of music). Still, I realized—rather late—the importance of the musical genre known as “techno.” Here is my reflection on it: Nothing is closer to village music (with everything that implies among indigenous peoples, for example—important and respected moments of communion) than techno. On one side, you have basic organic instruments and the voice; on the other, the most advanced technology available. But fundamentally, the difference is only superficial—the essence is the same: a guide, and people who participate intuitively, ultimately finding or discovering their own inner paths… individuation. Techno represents the re-emergence of a kind of initiation rite that had been missing in the West for quite some time—a sort of continuation of Woodstock, more spread out over time but just as powerful from a societal perspective. This release is my contribution to that revival, in the same way a villager might feel free to join trance music with a simple stick that sounds right, or a drum—something intuitive that all our ancestors must have practiced naturally at one point or another. In short, nothing pretentious—just something made with heart

In the rapidly shifting tectonic plates of the global Afrobeats scene, few arrivals have been as seismic as that of Ahmed Ololade—better known to the world as Asake. With his breakout project Mr. Money With The Vibe, the artist didn’t merely debut; he effectively recalibrated the tempo of the Nigerian pop soundscape. The EP functions as a masterclass in synthesis, pulling from the ornate, percussive history of Fuji music and grafting it onto the driving, bass-heavy architectures of contemporary Amapiano. It is a calculated, deeply rhythmic hybridization that manages to feel both nostalgic and jarringly modern.

From a critical vantage point, Mr. Money With The Vibe is defined by its brevity and density. Asake treats each track as a focused vignette, utilizing a vocal delivery that oscillates between a melodic, almost liturgical chant and the staccato urgency of a Lagos street orator. The production—characterized by sharp, frenetic percussion and deceptively simple melodic loops—creates a high-intensity atmosphere that mirrors the relentless pace of urban life. He avoids the pitfall of bloated experimentation; instead, he doubles down on a "street-pop" ethos, prioritizing accessibility without sacrificing the complex rhythmic interplay that gives the genre its distinctive texture.

Ultimately, Mr. Money With The Vibe stands as a pivotal document of the current era, capturing the transition of Afrobeats from a regional powerhouse to a dominant global force. By blending the aspirational "hustle culture" narrative with an increasingly sophisticated sonic palette, Asake established a blueprint that has since influenced a new wave of artists. The project is a testament to the idea that authenticity, when paired with relentless precision, remains the most effective currency in contemporary music.

With Burn The House Down, Ghalia Volt delivers a raw and electrifying blend of blues, garage rock, and roots-driven energy. Fueled by gritty guitar riffs, hypnotic rhythms, and her unmistakable raspy vocals, the album captures the spirit of stripped-down, high-voltage rock’n’roll. Recorded with an organic and live feel, the songs pulse with authenticity and urgency, balancing infectious grooves with a rough-edged charm. Ghalia Volt’s performance is both fierce and soulful, channeling the essence of traditional blues while pushing it into a more modern, rebellious direction. Burn The House Down is a bold and uncompromising release—perfect for fans of The Black Keys, Larkin Poe, and raw, unfiltered blues rock

NEW IDEA SOCIETY signs to Relapse and offers their new album, Fire on the Hill. The band has taken on differing shapes and forms over the years, but at its heart is the duo of Mike Law (Wild Arrows) and Stephen Brodsky (Cave In, Mutoid Man), a pair enraptured and united by the alchemical power of songwriting. With a connection that can be traced back to their high school years, between them exists an intuitive understanding that informs exactly what NEW IDEA SOCIETY is at any given point. Although the pair have come a long way since their earliest explorations in audio in the late 90s, the roots of their alliance were forged in those makeshift basement studios. For Fire On The Hill, Law and Brodsky took a more collaborative approach to songwriting than on previous releases. With Brodsky describing their process as “microscopic” and Law marveling at the particulars of the minutiae they pored over, the attention to detail and their meticulous approach to making adjustments in service of the work shines through in the cohesiveness of this collection of songs. With demos passed back and forth over months - Brodsky sending them in the early morning, and Law taking the evening shift - the songs evolved naturally; refining a chord progression, adapting a lyrical perspective, or in the case of the track Lantern, rewriting the words entirely. Thematically the album is about love, in its many forms. With each track detailing some element of navigating emotional relationships - the beauty, the pain, the loss and the hope - the duo have captured the immediacy and urgency of such feelings, tempered by a sliver of yearning that stops short of tipping into nostalgia. Now with years of experience to their names, alongside a developed vocabulary and extended sonic palette to draw from, they have created something specifically and idiosyncratically NEW IDEA SOCIETY. Fire On The Hill is them in full flight, at the height of their powers. Short: NEW IDEA SOCIETY signs to Relapse and offers their new album, Fire on the Hill. The band has taken on differing shapes and forms over the years, but at its heart is the duo of Mike Law (Wild Arrows) and Stephen Brodsky (Cave In, Mutoid Man), a pair enraptured and united by the alchemical power of songwriting. FFO: CAVE IN, MUTOID MAN, EMMA RUTH RUNDLE, HARVESTMAN, BIG BRAVE, CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX, JESU

Douglas Robinson and Sal Mignano (both of The Sleeping) and Josh Eppard (co-founding member of Coheed And Cambria) share passions for authentic expression and genuine creativity. Held. isn’t so much a beginning as it is a culmination. The post-hardcore trio’s debut album, GREY, arrives fully realized, not as the tentative first step of newcomers, but as the collective fire of seasoned lifers discovering a new language together. It’s the sound of raw instinct coalescing with earned wisdom. GREY doesn’t announce itself so much as it emerges, inevitable and undeniable, like thunder rolling across a dark horizon.

It’s a force that feels eternal. Held.’s music feels elemental, evoking storms crashing against jagged cliffs or burning embers kindling, ready to reignite at any moment. It’s urgent and relentless, yet also spacious, textured, and deeply human. There’s gravity in every note, the kind that comes from survival turned into strength. Their sound is born of paradox: fiercely old-school in its emphasis on live performance and feel, but modern in its production and scope. Each song sounds both timeless and timely. Held. is less a band than a force: fierce yet vulnerable, raw yet refined. They play as if the walls themselves are trembling, channeling a purity that feels rare in an age of algorithmic noise. Listening isn’t consumption—it’s recognition, like rediscovering something thats always been within you. Held. carve out a place that feels both unshakably grounded and dangerously alive. Its more than music—its an invocation, a reminder of the raw pulse that connects struggle to transcendence. For those who find themselves in the storm, Held. offer not escape, but resonance: proof that inevitability can sound like liberation.

You On Repeat is a bittersweet indie pop album shaped by warmth, immediacy, and unfiltered charm, recorded over a summer weekend on Sweden's west coast. Jangly and distorted guitars meet lo-fi textures and disarming melodies, rooted in a DIY '90s indie spirit. Moving fluidly between noise and tenderness, the record balances raw emotion with finely crafted hooks. Fort Not, the Swedish songwriting duo of Robert Carlsson and Fredrik Söderström, return with their new album You On Repeat on Meritorio Records. Joined by bandmates Philip Gates, David Hansson, and Joakim Björnberg, the group recorded the album over a hot summer weekend in a barn near Sweden's west coast - an environment that left its mark on the record's warmth, immediacy, and unfiltered charm. You On Repeat is a bittersweet indie pop record where jangly and distorted guitars, lo-fi textures, and disarming melodies meet. Rooted in a DIY spirit inspired by '90s indie rock and classic pop songwriting, the album moves fluidly between noise and tenderness, urgency and ease, capturing a band equally attuned to raw emotion and crafted hooks. Long regarded as one of Sweden's best-kept indie secrets - as praised by Swedish music magazine GAFFA - Fort Not are ready to step fully into the light. With You On Repeat, that secret is finally revealed. FFO - Guided by Voices, Beat Happening, The Clean, Pavement, Television Personalities, Daniel Johnston.

2026 Repress

ANNE & SERA J return for the second edition of their Symbiosis series on Mutual Rytm.

ANNE, known for potent techno on the likes of Soma and Hardgroove, and Nechto and Life In Patterns associate Sera J, have had standout years that have seen them put out a stream of essential club tracks. They are partners in both life and music, and the first volume of 'Symbiosis' on SHDW's Mutual Rytm imprint was their first release together. Delivering an honest representation of their innermost feelings, having also contributed to the label's 'Federation Of Rytm III' VA in February, this new six-track EP (plus bonus cuts) presents a 'mature and refined connection between their souls'.

The second instalment of 'Symbiosis' reflects not only their deep personal connection, but also their collaborative synergy as musical peers with the same goals. The EP captures the essence of their mutual artistic journey and showcases the strength of their bond both in life and through their shared creative vision - to create a storyline through sounds coming from their souls and convey a narrative that many listeners may find relatable.

SERA J kicks off with the lithe and melodically elegant techno of 'Your Soul Is Art' which will have both heart and heels dancing. 'Illusions' is a more heavy and dubby cut with paired back grooves and pulsing synths, while 'Glacial Pace' is an urgent deep techno roller with turbocharged stabs and huge icy hi hats locking you into a trance.

ANNE steps up on the B-side with 'Floating Waves' exploring physical, chunky drum funk and raw synth textures. 'Planetary Dust' is a dark and moody astral techno journey to the stars, before 'Sweet Seventeen' brings a more melodic cut with a sense of hope and joy in the bright pads that shimmer above the glitchy grooves.

Both artists also offer two digital bonus cuts with SERA J's 'Syncrosonix' and 'Space Velocity' delivering perfectly reduced minimal techno monsters, while ANNE's 'Gentle Loop' and 'Starburst' are interplanetary trips with widescreen cosmic synths.

NOSUCHKEY makes a bold debut on the Art of Memory label with a deadly four track EP of masterfully reduced but stylish and evocative minimal techno. NOSUCHKEY is actually a side project from Nico Purman. He served up the first two releases on the label and this new alias is focused on straight forward techno. Over more than a decade Purman has established himself on Vakant, Crosstown Rebels and Curle, and now heads in an exciting new direction designed to make a huge impact on the floor. Opener 'Stages' is post minimal techno with a focus on mind melting melodic riffs that ripple over the rooted drums. It is sci-fi in style with a hint of Detroit greats like Jeff Mills and really takes you into the future. The excellent 'FMFMFM' is another fluid bit of deep techno that is wired up with languid synths constantly wrapping and warping round the drums. Keeping up the pressure is 'Lunch', with a stripped back but impactful techno style built on rubbery kicks and with modulated synth lines constantly shapeshifting throughout the mix. Direct but dynamic, it is excellently timeless techno that leads on to closer 'ACD RDFN'. There is urgency, paranoia and cyber tension in this one that really keeps you locked as it journeys deep into a blackened yet cinematic cosmic abyss. NOSUCHKEY is a false address, a lack of a word, a character or sign that makes a whole code unable to find its final path: The Specified Key does not exist.

Release week Focus Track: Paint the Rain RELEASE TIMELINE 12/10 - TMR signs Natalie Bergman Announcement with video on Youtube: I Will Praise You (Live) 01/27 - Announce w/ PreSave/PreOrder IG1: Talk to the Lord + (music video) 02/24 - IG2: Shine Your Light On Me + (music video) 03/24 - IG3: I Will Praise You (album version) 04/21 - IG4: I’m Going Home Potential Video Asset - Live set of all the IG tracks released 05/05 - IG5 and Official Music Video: Paint the Rain 05/07 - STREET DATE w/ Focus Track: Paint the Rain Mercy is Natalie Bergman's debut, a self-produced solo album recorded in the strangest of times, during a personal period of profound sadness and reinvention. It's startling, and often beautiful — a rush to the edge of the cliff, with an unflinching look below Recorded at her brother's home studio in Los Angeles, CA, Bergman has already had a lengthy, successful career as one half of the brother-sister duo Wild Belle, but this is the first time she wrote and played all the material. This record absolutely pulses with redemptive power; it is replenishing and original, and deeply cathartic. And before we go any further, you should know that this is kind of a gospel record. It should also be said -- Natalie made this record because she absolutely had to. The music of Mercy began to germinate a few months after she lost her father in a wrong-way, head-on collision. He and her step-mother were killed by a drunk driver. Shortly after, Natalie visited a monastery in the southwestern desert, and there she began to embark on this album. "The first song I wrote on Mercy was 'Home At Last,'" she says. "It is the best song I have ever written. I sing a lot about home on this record. Believing in that place has been my greatest consolation. I had an urgency and desperation to know that my father was there. His sudden death was a whirling chaos that assaulted my mind. This album provided me with my only hope for coming back to life myself. Gospel music brings hope. It is the good news; it’s exemplary. It can bring you truth. It can keep you alive. These songs have kind of written themselves, and they rely on me to sing them.” Natalie Bergman made one of the first great albums of 2021.

Sweden has long had a celebrated techno scene and you'd be hard pushed to find anyone who has contributed to it as significantly as Cari Lekebusch. He has a vast back catalogue dating back to the mid-90s under many different aliases, including this one, Phunkey Rhythm Doctor, which yielded his 'Underground Poetry' EP back in 1995. 'Jazz Maze' is an exceptional start - urgent and punchy with freeform melody that brings the fun. 'Mad Poet' is much darker and has a doom-laden vocal over stiff, crisp drums. 'Sugardaddy' is a dubby bumper with a wobbly bassline and wispy synths, cyborg electronics and a cavernous groove. Don't sleep on this one.

There is an abruptness to waking up to the sight of the other person’s back, a quiet violence hidden in the impression of intimacy, that’s leaving an aftertaste of emptiness. The feeling of losing oneself completely in a love that is given but never returned. Or the slower, less immediate one - the gradual disintegration of a world into which so much was once invested.

Love, Diskito is like a worn out overdubbed cassette found in a drawer, with its underlying tracks flickering between contrasting emotional states. Written, produced and mixed by GbClifford, the release follows up on the elusive, multifaceted output of the Prague-based experimental artist, who dresses fleeting glimpses of youthful yearning, sentiment and fragility in the blunt apparel of distortion and immediacy.

Drawing from their idiosyncratic, collage-like approach to music production, GbClifford condenses on Love, Diskito a varied palette of field recordings, samples, distorted instruments and ambient sounds. They resemble doodles in the corner of a school notebook, tightly overlapping with the evocative, minimalistic artwork by Czech artist Kateřina Šípová.

The guidance of GbClifford’s personless, at times highly decomposed vocals modulates the emotional urgency of the recording and reflects on the past. “I’m so close to relapsing, I’m here for you, closer than ever,” echoes in the elusive track So Only Yours, carrying the undercurrents of surrendering to the sole necessity of caring, even at the cost of individual ache. While the album does not forgo its earthbound, bare setting, there is something deeply pastoral and sky-gazing in the layered, multi-pitched vocals, horn-like tones and sense of space that Love, Diskito evokes.

Neon pink vinyl. Their first new music since 2019, 'Killing The Buzz' sees The Black Wizards entering a new era, with their first release via Hassle Records. Signalling a bold step forward in sound, they shift towards a raw, garage-driven sound, built around direct arrangements, live energy and a strong sense of urgency. The Porto-based trio lay down a striking first impression on the single: Joana Brito's wiry, spitfire vocals volley off José Gomes' gravelly replies, over a chugging, serpentine groove propelled by Helena Peixoto's restless percussion. "Do you print yourself out pretty to look better in banners?" Brito questions archly, referencing the political signage that dots the streets of their home country, Portugal. Speaking on the track, Brito comments: "Killing the Buzz came out pretty funny & sarcastic, while talking about a real subject. The song is about being fed up with people in power positions, be it economical, political or social."

High-definition world building collides with incisive physical urgency around 170 BPM as Pianeti Sintetici makes his first appearance on Samurai Music. Davide Perrone's vivid production style found a more downtempo outlet on last year's release for Samurai sub label Saibai, but he pivots naturally towards the weightier presence of the Exoverse with a richly rendered suite of sonic systems teeming with life and pockmarked with mystery. The spacious drums that lead on 'Agilus' have an acoustic, in-the-room quality that instantly grounds the track before the myriad layers of synthesis start spiralling skywards, pitting twinkling pads against rapid, undulating acid wielded with assured control. By way of contrast 'Mimoide' burrows downwards, using needlepoint marks to puncture the brooding beds of sound looming in the middle distance. At the same time, Perrone weaves lithe, rubbery shapes across the foreground of the mix for a three-dimensional expression you can almost reach out and touch. Opening up a B side tipped towards a mellower pace, 'Living Plasma' leans into a 4/4 meditation as a vessel for another distinctive tapestry of modulating sound design from Perrone's seemingly infinite sonic resources. 'Exoverse' edges towards a more melodic standpoint with its teased flutters of arpeggio that sneak in and out of the mix and a harmonic dimension to the atmospheric layers that shape out the size of the track. Across all four pieces, the sheer detail at play in the Pianeti Sintetici universe is mind-boggling. By rights it should be a busy, stress-inducing experience, but Perrone's gift lies in the ability to take a macro view on these incredibly complex creations, zooming out by boiling the parts down into a symbiotic whole that feels patient and considered. The reward for the listener comes from taking the time to zoom in and marvel at every micro detail writhing across the surface.

San Francisco hardcore stalwarts Western Addiction return with Psychedelic Munitions, a high-octane successor to Frail Bray that captures the explosive fervor and technical precision of their Bay Area roots. Recorded and mixed by Scott Evans at Sharkbite Studios and Antisleep Audio, then mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege, the album delivers a massive, "live-in-the-room" sound that avoids modern polish in favor of visceral, room-shaking grit. Despite the time between releases, the band bridges the gap with a collection of songs that feel both seasoned and dangerously urgent. Psychedelic Munitions stands as a definitive masterclass in authentic California punk, honoring the legacy of the Gilman Street scene while pushing the boundaries of the genre's aggressive potential. Since forming in 2003, WA has defied easy categorization, the band crafting songs that comfortably draw from a wide swath of rock 'n' roll while retaining punk's ferocity with a hardcore feel. Fat Mike often lists WAs "Cognicide" (2005) as one of the greatest releases on the label, also calling it one of the best hardcore albums he's ever heard. Joey Cape from Lagwagon has also stated that it's his favorite album released on Fat Wreck Chords.

Disco-house fusionist Risk Assessment rounds off another successful year with a third and final EP of 2025. Braithwaite deals a near perfect hand on 'Play Your Cards', where excerpts from a Loleatta Holloway/Salsoul Orchestra style maximalist disco hit rise above a chunky, bass-heavy groove, before reaching for elements from a jaunty, piano-heavy disco number on the rolling and ear-catching 'Juicy Smollett'. Elsewhere, 'Testing Testing' is a gargantuan disco-house extravaganza full of sampled horns, rubbery bass, stellar orchestration and urgent male vocals, while 'Baby Call Me' sees him re-imagine a smooth and colourful 80s soul jam as a tactile and funky house workout.

2025 Repress

Chlar returns to his Primal Instinct label with 'Modern Survival'

Following the widely praised Funk Assault (Chlar & Alarico) 'Minimum One Post A Week' EP, which kicked off the Primal Instinct label last summer and won the support of the likes of Rodhad, Tasha, and Luke Slater, as well as routine plays from Sarah Story on BBC Radio 1, Chlar now returns to his imprint with solo venture 'Modern Survival'. While the first Primal Instinct release saw references to artist urges and behaviours on social media, this next instalment explores a modern recontextualisation of humanity's hierarchy of needs in yet another high-concept EP.

First up, 'Internet Soulmate' boasts a crunchy bassline as its drum work chugs along the track playfully. The groove twists and turns before the hypnotic and tribal 'Supermarket Hunting' continues with sounds of nature, loopy rhythm and syncopated bleeps.

On the B-side's 'Body Control Officer', human-made grooves intertwine with machine-like thrum, synths whirring and zapping, while 'Competitive Influencing' takes off with rolling percussion, subtle whistles and distorted vocal one-shots. Closing out another stellar offering from the Primal Instinct frontman, Chlar brings the dark 'Scout My Algorithm', a brooding slow-burner offset by smooth arpeggio snippets and warped slices of digital noise.

"In an era where technology entwines our everyday existence, where the virtual realm shapes our interactions, and where the pursuit of influence takes centre stage comes an EP that delves deep into the modern tapestry of human existence. 'Modern Survival' is not merely a collection of songs and visual clips, but a poignant reflection on the intricate dance between our primal instincts and the brave new world we navigate today. The EP invites listeners on a journey of self-discovery and reflection, prompting them to ponder the fundamental essence of our existence in an environment of fast-paced technological evolution." - Chlar

A collection that balances soulful vibes with modern an edge. Saison's "Can't Get Through" opens with deep textures and a classic house swing, while Piem, Saison & Kid Enigma's "Don't Stop" injects vocal fire and raw energy into the A-side. Flipping over, Matt Gillespie's "Need You Now" layers warmth and urgency into his take on the classic garage sound. Closing the record, Scott Diaz & Miss Yankey's "Intergalactic (Alternate Rub)" ventures into more garage territory with its atmospheric pull and soulful chords. A versatile package that brings together established names and rising voices in perfect balance.

2LP 2026 Repress

Written and produced in a country house surrounded only by vast, empty landscapes and an endless sky,
‘Suicide Disco’ is the fruit of a 3-year long collaboration and Years of Denial’s debut LP for Veyl.
Urged to escape from crowded cities and information overload, the duo sharpened their sound and working
process through isolation and introspection, crafting 11 songs filled to brim with enormous hooks, New
Wave nostalgia and razor-sharp production details.
Barkosina’s voice echoes and oscillates against Jerome’s snares, profound and wounded at once. Her
expressionist narrative take us to unknown yet familiar places, amplified by dub delays and otherworldly
reverbs. Each track tells a story based on the intensity of relationships, a touching and distorted invitation
into intimacy and complicity

Guidelines launches its 2026 schedule with a heavyweight two-tracker from Toby Ross, pairing two cuts built for very different corners of the dance.

On the A-side, “Can’t Do It” lands as a straight-up dancefloor heater rolling low-end pressure, clipped vocal stabs and a hook that locks in quickly and refuses to let go. Built with peak-time intent, it’s direct, physical and engineered to hit hard on proper systems.

Flip it over and “Interruption” dives headfirst into classic amen territory. Chopped, urgent and restless, the track drives forward on tight edits and raw break energy, balancing precision programming with that unmistakable rough-edge jungle feel.

Together the two tracks showcase Ross’ approach: future-focused jungle rooted in foundation sounds — modern production, classic DNA, and zero filler.

Baby T is a space away from her work as B.Traits in which Brianna Price can lean more into the junglist, drum ‘n’ bass and hardcore sounds which she loves so dearly. With BSHEE02, the second drop on Price’s own Banshee label, Baby T delivers a darkside masterclass of an EP. This record is a quartet of system blowers which doesn’t let up for a single second from start to finish.

Opener ‘Times Up’ is urgent from the off - the initial strains of this joint find sirens wailing in the monitors over a twitchy kick/drum/hats combo. From here on it’s distilled raver perfection, the drums taking us on a wild Wipeout-style ride as the subbiest of bass skulks at the bottom of the mix. Imagine a more technoid take on the classic breakbeat freerides of Skanna and you’re not far off the ‘Times Up’ sound.

A remix of ‘Times Up’ from man like Aloka leans with devilish glee into the murky underworld that lurks beneath Baby T’s original. Aloka’s version is extremely eerie in a manner which makes you think of the darkest corners of a DMZ party. When things really kick into gear, driven by an irresistible kick dembow, the effect is hypnotic - think the dubwise junglism of the UVB-76 cohort.

BSHEE02’s B-side kicks off with ‘Coercive Control’. This is a cut which delivers on its title in spades, putting the listener in a trance with an interplay of low-slung bass, whirligig synth tones and more of those perfectly executed broken beats. The acid starts to kick in around the minute mark, and it turns out to herald a total earworm of a lead melody.

There’s plenty of dimly-lit malevolence to BHSEE02 closer ‘Dense Dickwood’s grinding atmospherics and gurgling bass throbs. However, Baby T opting for a half-time drum break here gives the cut a vibe not dissimilar to the weightiest jams of classic Massive Attack - that is, until an absolutely remorseless switch-up occurs halfway through, delivering volley after volley of intense drum hits.

Baby T is a space away from her work as B.Traits in which Brianna Price can lean more into the junglist, drum ‘n’ bass and hardcore sounds which she loves so dearly. With BSHEE02, the second drop on Price’s own Banshee label, Baby T delivers a darkside masterclass of an EP. This record is a quartet of system blowers which doesn’t let up for a single second from start to finish.

Opener ‘Times Up’ is urgent from the off - the initial strains of this joint find sirens wailing in the monitors over a twitchy kick/drum/hats combo. From here on it’s distilled raver perfection, the drums taking us on a wild Wipeout-style ride as the subbiest of bass skulks at the bottom of the mix. Imagine a more technoid take on the classic breakbeat freerides of Skanna and you’re not far off the ‘Times Up’ sound.

A remix of ‘Times Up’ from man like Aloka leans with devilish glee into the murky underworld that lurks beneath Baby T’s original. Aloka’s version is extremely eerie in a manner which makes you think of the darkest corners of a DMZ party. When things really kick into gear, driven by an irresistible kick dembow, the effect is hypnotic - think the dubwise junglism of the UVB-76 cohort.

BSHEE02’s B-side kicks off with ‘Coercive Control’. This is a cut which delivers on its title in spades, putting the listener in a trance with an interplay of low-slung bass, whirligig synth tones and more of those perfectly executed broken beats. The acid starts to kick in around the minute mark, and it turns out to herald a total earworm of a lead melody.

There’s plenty of dimly-lit malevolence to BHSEE02 closer ‘Dense Dickwood’s grinding atmospherics and gurgling bass throbs. However, Baby T opting for a half-time drum break here gives the cut a vibe not dissimilar to the weightiest jams of classic Massive Attack - that is, until an absolutely remorseless switch-up occurs halfway through, delivering volley after volley of intense drum hits.

What do we need now more than ever? Exactly, OPTIMISM. This is the place we long for, the solution we need, and also the name of DIGITALISM's new album, which will be released on May 29. German electronic pioneers DIGITALISM spread the urgent energy of OPTIMISM with their upcoming album and live performances all over Europe. A DIY spirit, in-the-moment energy and a low boredom threshold - all have been crucial to Digitalism's practice since they built their first track in a studio inside a WWII bunker in Hamburg, 20 years ago. OPTIMISM is the logical consequence of the band's steady development.

Shed makes his first appearance on Dekmantel with Rave Echoes — a supple, mesmerising album of angular techno caught between the heat of peak time and the time-blurred hours after the club.

A combination of dreamlike atmospherics and rugged propulsion takes on many forms across the album. It's submerged and restrained on 'Loot 25', speckled with sharply sliced breaks on 'Everybody' and scattered across a sparse, steppy soundscape on 'Rave Predator'. Emotive, swooning strings collide with tough, squashed breakstep drums on 'Double Scoop' and 'Taking You Home' thrusts with urgency and rave romanticism in equal measure.

Wielding his signature blend of UK-school soundsystem pressure and Berlin-school techno momentum with poise and purpose, on Rave Echoes Shed offers a perfect impression of those wild, indescribable sensory overloads that leave their mark on anyone devoted to the dancefloor.

After a relatively quiet year - by his standards at least - Glyne Braithwaite aka Risk Assessment is back with three more simultaneously released EPs. This one, number eight in the long-serving producer's ongoing series, boasts four more happy-go-lucky, party-friendly workouts. Check first 'Love Music Part 1', where disco samples from a cover of an O'Jays classic (including the familiar piano refrain) rise above a typically thickset house groove, before admiring the more urgent, excitable and musically detailed disco-house rush of 'Son of a Gun'. The fun continues on the flipside, where 'Want You Back (Kitchen Disco mix)' - all shuffling beats, lovely Clavinet licks and female vocalisations - is joined by the similarly celebratory 70s soul-goes-disco-house goodness of 'Welcome (Remix)'.

“Nimm die rosa Brille … sag was Du siehst … alles viel besser”

44 years after its original release, one of the most idiosyncratic DIY minimal electronics / synth / new wave records of the early ’80s returns: the legendary 7” by German group DEUTSCHE SCHÄFERHUNDE (engl. German shepherds)—now remastered and reissued for the first time as a one-sided 12” on Anna Logue Records. Recorded in the winter of 1981/82 between rehearsal space, provincial disco and bar nights, and a humble four-track setup, these tracks capture the raw spirit of a generation that simply started creating—no formal training, but plenty of attitude. Minimalist, uncompromising, and inspired by krautrock, punk, new wave, electronic music and dub, the songs move between raw electronics, percussive noise, new wave experimentation, and sharp social commentary. „Rosa Brille“ (rose coloured glasses) in particular feels as urgent today as it did back then—a track that has lost none of its relevance, „Gasmasken“ tells of gas masks dancing in the woods to the sound of sirens, and a timeless Holger Czukay/Jah Wobble inspired „Mein Herz“ (my heart).

Originally pressed in a small run of just 500 copies and later becoming a sought-after collector’s item now worth 200€, the record now returns in a carefully crafted edition featuring a laser-printed reverse side and additional materials such as original lyric sheets and articles, postcard and poster. DEUTSCHE SCHÄFERHUNDE thrived on paradox—a provocative name paired with a clear stance, and lyrics that still resonate today. Shaped by Cold War tension, political unease, and youthful rebellion, their sound refused to fit into any neat category. Only few other bands, such as Der Musikant, Im Namen des Volkes, Thorax Wach, Klinisch Sauber oder Stephan Eicher spielt Noise Boys come to mind.

This release is more than a reissue—it’s a document of its time that still hits with full force.

12″ features: limited to 400 copies, hand-numbered, one-sided 180g black vinyl, laser-etched B-side, outer sleeve printed on reverse side of the board, printed inner sleeve with original lyrics sheets and original articles, DIN A3 poster, double-sided postcard

Shot Caller present 1000 Lamentos, a promising debut without artifice.

Three different cultures and paths converge here for stripped-down songs, unvarnished, where every element feels immediately exposed, the simplicity as its best. There is neither easy nostalgia to lean on—only instinct, balance, and a sensitivity that cuts through the whole listen experience without raising its voice, echoing some of the label’s most defining releases and hinting at a strong path ahead.

The structures are simple, almost primitive. Bass guitar, and rhythm move with quiet urgency, leaving space for what truly lingers: a voice that doesn’t demand attention, yet stays with you. Fragile, intimate, and deeply enveloping—as if each line could break or reveal too much.

1000 Lamentos doesn’t aim for impact—it settles slowly, and refuses to leave. A debut that will leave its mark on the scene.

Hit the North is a DJs’ movement
Not a label. Not a revival. A discipline.

Over the years, the collective travelled across multiple states in the US and parts of the UK, digging deep into private collections, basements, garages, storage rooms and forgotten boxes.

They weren’t looking for classics.
They weren’t looking for hits.
They were looking for attempts.

Artists chasing something bigger than themselves.
Trying to sound like Motown.
Trying to sound like Detroit.
Trying to sound like the records that saved them.

Many of them dreamed — at best — of becoming a one hit wonder.
Most never got that far.

Some never crossed a state line.
Some never crossed the street at the end of their block.
Some never played outside their hometown.
Some never played at all.

What they left behind were fragments.

Raw versions.
Unfinished recordings.
Alternate takes.
Rejected mixes.
Test pressings.
Acetates passed quietly from hand to hand.

Sometimes with real credits.
Sometimes with fake ones.
Sometimes with handwritten labels leading nowhere.
Titles that didn’t match the music.
Stories that changed every time you asked.

Often, the trail simply disappeared.

What remained was intention.

Energy.
Urgency.
Hope pressed into sound.

So the collective worked on it.

They edited certain parts.
Extended others.
Cut what didn’t serve the floor.

Not to modernise.
Not to rewrite history.
But to unlock the power that was already there.

The result sounds like Northern Soul pushed to its breaking point.
Fast. Physical. Emotional.
Built for movement.

Some circulated privately.
Others were never pressed at all.

Recorded in personal studios, borrowed studios, friends’ rooms, temporary spaces.
Always outside the system.

This is not nostalgia.
This is unfinished business.

2026 Repress

Laurie Torres is a Canadian musician and composer raised in Montréal, Québec by Haitian parents. Since 2008, she has been a trusted stage and studio performer for Julia Jacklin, Pomme, and Land of Talk, as well as being a founding member of Folly & The Hunter, with whom she recorded four studio albums and toured Canada, Europe and the UK.

In 2023, Laurie shifted focus to work on her own creations, a process of making time - the will and the need becoming omnipresent. Drawing creative inspiration from contemporary artists like Tirzah, Gia Margaret, Valentina Magaletti, Tara Clerkin Trio and ML Buch, 'Après coup' finds Torres intersecting at a pivotal moment where artists whose marginalized identities are at the forefront in creating a beautiful array of "other options".

"Being othered and tokenized as a woman who plays music, as well as a queer and black person, takes a toll, while also positively feeding a strong urge to push and be seen."

Centering around piano, drums and synthesizer with interweaving field recordings, 'Après coup' follows the precursor ep 'Correspondances' in the form of a sprawling 11-track album. Translating directly from French - afterwards, after the event - its title subliminally points at something deeper between the lines. Recorded in 2023 between tours in a small window of time where 'normal' life hadn't quite recommenced, Torres meticulously crafted her debut solo material in view of surrounding nature, all providing the perfect nourishment for long streams of improvisation. Built right up to the edge of a lake, Studio Wild in St-Zénon, Québec offered an unparalleled location and set up for her freeform creativity.

Instrumental music seemed like a natural response and evolution for Torres who had long basked in the world of "pop music" as she elaborates: "I had an urge to use creativity as a sort of resting place, a place where things can unfold slowly and take time to reveal themselves. In other worlds words, I felt the need to make something slower, more elusive"

The immediacy of Torres' recorded takes doubled with minimal overdubs create a fiercely direct, intimate and unpolished lo-fi beauty. 'Après coup' then is self-reflective, open and inclusive with Torres allowing herself to be fully seen. An album to be felt at close distance with unrivalled authenticity. This album stands as a testament to Laurie's artistic evolution and serves as a beacon, inspiring her to continue nurturing her own creative pursuits and finding exhilarating freedom.

During a job in Cologne, I stayed in a room with a loft bed that had no electrical outlets at the top. Every night, I would listen to my TB303, which runs on batteries, through headphones to help me fall asleep. I loved the sequences, it was like meditation. The TB-303 bassline is iconic in acid music, so I created the Acid Lullabies to bring these two elements together. In 2017, the label Doom Chakra Tapes released ten of the Acid Lullabies on tape. Last year, I felt the urge to rework the tracks, so I mixed them again and created some new ones. I also
asked friends to contribute their own versions.

I’m very glad that the following artists contributed the Acid Lullabies: 47IN4 (Pudel Produkte, Doom Chakra Tapes), Museum of No Art (Séance Center, Cosima Pitz), N:in and Philipp Otterbach (Music from Memory, Offen Music). Two violinists from Ensemble Resonanz performed my piece 'Afternoon Lights' for Acid Lullaby 6. Alex Solman designed the cover, which captures the essence of the project perfectly. Have fun with the Acid Lullabies!

With Dispersion, Loom & Thread return to the volatile architecture of the expanded piano trio - and quietly fracture it from within.

Daniel Klein (drums), Tobias Fröhlich (double bass) and Tom Schneider (keys, sampler) remain the sole agents on stage and in the final recording. The triangle holds. And yet, the field has expanded. For their second studio album, the trio fed their improvisations with the timbral signatures of guest saxophone and vibraphone players - not just as additional voices to be featured, but also as material to be absorbed, atomized and redistributed. The result is not augmentation but thorough refraction.

Where the debut album explored the recursive labyrinth of Schneider's live sampling of his own piano, Dispersion introduces an external grain into the feedback system. Breath and metal. Reed turbulence and struck resonance. The trio sampled extended improvisations by saxophone and vibes players: Victor Fox, Asger Nissen, Volker Heuken, and L&T's own Daniel Klein; dissected their attacks, overtones and decay curves, and integrated these fragments into the trio's internal circuitry. What emerges is a play of presences without bodies - instrumental ghosts circulating through the dense weave of rhythm and keys.

At first, one might hear the familiar relational tension: Klein's polyrhythmic elasticity interlocking with Fröhlich's tensile double bass figurations, Schneider poised at the hinge between tonal field and percussive impulse. But soon, the surface splinters - again. A vibraphone shimmer appears, yet no mallets are visible. A reed multiphonic surges through the texture, bending space between bass and drums. These events are neither quotations nor overlays; they are redistributed energies, dispersed across the trio's grammar. A digital multidimensional interplay ensues.

If the first album unfolded as a two-tiered game - live phrase and sampled reflection - Dispersion adds a further axis. The sampled materials from other improvisers are stripped of their erstwhile two-way interaction and reconstituted as malleable particles. Signifier detached from origin, resonance detached from gesture. The trio navigates a constantly shifting topology in which acoustic memory and electronic manipulation are indistinguishable.

Crucially, the album never abandons the physical urgency of three musicians reacting in real time. The additional timbral layers do not thicken the texture into opacity; rather, they introduce stark points and arrows of diffraction. Density opens into prismatic clarity. Lines splinter and regroup. What seems like a quartet or quintet collapses back into three bodies negotiating an expanded field.

Dispersion is not about addition but about distribution - of agency, of timbre, of temporal perspective. It is an album in which the trio setting becomes a site of multiplicity without surrendering its immediacy. A dissolution not only of the divide between present experience and memory, but between inside and outside, self and other.

Three musicians. Countless vectors. A music that fractures in order to cohere.

CREDITS:
Tom Schneider: piano & sampler
Tobi Fröhlich: double bass
Daniel Klein: drums & percussion

sample sources:
Victor Fox: tenor saxophone
Asger Nissen: alto saxophone
Volker Heuken: vibes
Daniel Klein: vibes

Recorded by Martin Dressler at Bauer Studios, Ludwigsburg.
Mixed & mastered by Martin Ruch.
Artwork by Viet Hoa Le.

The Fuga compilation returns to Token with its seventh installment by a fresh batch of artists emphasizing the cryptic sound of the Belgian record label. The V/A displays urgency as its focal point, expanding and contracting its acoustic space throughout to channel instability. With eight contributions, Fuga VII sifts through nail biting arpeggios, frenzied percussion, and obscure ambiance to recalibrate techno's current soundscape.

Opening the compilation is contemporary techno mainstay Rene Wise with his debut contribution to the record label 'Rough Rider'. In this A1, Wise plays to his strengths by blending deep techno influences with hyper-focused rhythmic work. With a hint of tribalism, he conjures up synthwork from far off to whip motion into heavy drum patterns. Following this first track, STIPP and Sandrien take control in presenting 'Corrie', a sequence-forward groover that slides through drum programing to streamline rhythm. A shrill pad comes in at the halfway mark, completely lifting the energy of 'Corrie' to strain the track's obscurity with an ethereal counterweight. The brief passage of these kinds of elements provides a lot of dynamic to what would otherwise be a powerfully straightforward piece. Diving deeper, Red Rooms unveils 'Limited Sensory' as the next chapter of the compilation. Always swift and exact, the German artist continues to push into the ultra immersive with a web of elements that whiz by for a peaktime lock in. Cold in attitude, Red Rooms tunnels through 'Limited Sensory' with quick drumsand far-off percussive hits that rumble through the track. Stepping up afterwards is Lindsey Herbert with 'Oscillations in Space' - an appropriately named recording that experiments with mania as a tool for the dancefloor. Fast and spiraling, Herbert keeps her hands on the arpeggio's filter to contain tension through thunderous reverb transitions, balancing panic with pace. AgainstMe then stretches out the followup with the commanding 'Phase Shift' to double down on weight. Textural intimidation and stomping percussion is given the space it needs to perform on heavy weight sound systems, making it an austere middle point for Fuga. MAL HOMBRE then guides the listener to more elastic sound design in 'Critical Velocity', in a most appropriate Token fashion. Snowballing in intensity halfway through, MAL HOMBRE pushes the cutoff of his melody and programs snare rolls for vintage craze through the second section. Bells clash with ringing hats to fly the track along its course without looking back or letting go. Conor Wall takes control with 'The Strategy' that focuses on pace rather than melody, weaponizing metallic texture for a deep dancefloor experience. The ambiance does a lot of story telling here, marking breaks and riding through drops to provide grit to an already substantial record. This leads us to the final contribution in Fuga VII - 'Ad Libitum'. Here, Porteix emphasizes the conclusion of the compilation with mystery. The synths slither around pulsating rhythm, creating uninterrupted motion throughout the track's entirety. Porteix draws the curtains on an inquisitive note, keeping the suspense high until the next Fuga compilation comes around.

Following their 2023 LP Presents, Nathan Nelson's American Cream Band bring the Twin City heat back to Quindi with an album rooted in duality. From the yin and yang party-starting A side and meditative B side to the dual-attack boy-girl vocals, the nature of opposites and equals steer the expansive, artful strain of rock n' roll that spill out of this wholly unique Minnesotan export. For the ever intriguing Quindi, it's a strident step into Spring after the frosty introspection of Roudi Vagou & Läuten der Seele's Taghelle Nacht. While the world burns and injustice prevails, Twin is a celebration of unity and radical expression-all the more urgent against the backdrop of authoritarian overreach and righteous protest that has whipped through Minneapolis in recent times.
Twin continues Nelson's drive at the helm of American Cream Band to draw in a colourful cast of players to feed into his orgiastic sound, meshing the trance-induction of krautrock with the irrepressible funk of the post-punk-new-wave explosion. But principal among the cast of characters and forming a central tenet to the identity of this album is Liz Buhmann, lead vocalist and a formidable, playful foil to Nelson's own Midwestern twang. Around the electric spark between Buhmann and Nelson, a heavy duty ensemble wrangle guitar, bass, sax, a cornucopia of synths and a battery of percussion into all manner of sonic forms.
The double-sided concept manifests throughout Twin. On 'Call Me' Buhmann sings in French to contrast Nelson's English, while the strident strut of the NYC disco groove is offset by an inherent dreaminess that turns the track into a more cosmic kind of dancefloor workout. 'Ethical Vampire' is a spiky cut with a garage rock patina that spirals into a psychedelic, synth-soaked get-down. 'Don't Burn The House Down' is a loose and limber roller that captures Can at their funkiest along with the hypnotic vibe of other such esteemed long format jammers, but American Cream Band boils that energy into a hook-laden art pop sensibility before a gentle, drawn out landing.
Even the more pensive moments on Twin find space for friction. For all its tender, smoky temperament, 'Leda and the Swan' lets the electric piano and guitar fray at the edges and bleed into the red while Mat Heinrich's tumbling drums lurch with pent-up intensity on the one. 'No Funeral Necessary' skirts around the mellow pools of new age but prefers to let liberally doused Tape Echo tweak out Alex Meffert's honeyed sax inflections and Buhmann and Nelson's disparate sermons.
Nelson describes Twin as "an oppositorum coincidentia" - a reference to the mystical Latin concept of the coincidence of opposites that suggests contradictory ideas 'fall together' in a higher reality. Beyond the sound of the album, this idea also manifests in the cover photography by Sho Nikado and the swans on the LP labels by Autumn Garrington. As freewheeling and wide-open as American Cream Band feels, nothing appears by accident. The end result feels like a nourishing whole - rich with substance and nuance, deep enough to be explored and absorbed yet also so brazen and immediate you can't help but feel its surface charms from the first thrusts of 'The Hive Is Pissed' to the last ripples of 'We're Not So Sinister'.

2026 Repress

London based composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer Akusmi announces 'Lines', an exhilarating new collection of works born from the desire to take where the acclaimed debut album 'Fleeting Future' left off - in search of new forms.

" 'Secant', I must have listened to this tune 3 times in a row, this one soundtracked my night drive through the winding roads" - Benji B, BBC Radio 1

'Lines' is presented as a Limited edition clear vinyl (500 copies only worldwide), printed in heavy-weight reverse board sleeve with a hand-numbered edition sticker. The vinyl edition also features 'Oblique' (A2), an exclusive version for the vinyl format, plus the now revered 'Longing for Tomorrow' - (Brandt Brauer Frick Remix), previously unreleased physically and now pressed on vinyl format, ending side B. The cover artwork features another collaboration with Dutch visual artist Sigrid Calon and design by label founder Adam Heron.

Formed with a sense of urgency and a reductive approach 'Lines' is almost entirely comprised of alto saxophone, clarinet and piano with embellishments of ambience and minimal percussive elements. Recorded in full at his home studio in London, Pascal Bideau speaks about the process:

"I wanted to go a bit more a bit more horizontal and ambient, work with layers of lines, might they be dotted or straight, and leave them to unfold and see where they would take me."

Akusmi uniquely finds the spaces in between experimental jazz, crossover classical and ambient music.

The long-overdue revival of Bim Sherman’s catalog begins here. These essential recordings will become widely available again for the first time in decades, opening a new chapter in the appreciation of one of Jamaica’s most distinctive voices and representing a major moment for reggae and dub aficionados around the world. This reissue series will not only preserve his legacy but will also offer listeners the chance to experience the depth and timeless resonance of Sherman’s work in its full glory.

Bim Sherman—born Jarret Lloyd Vincent, in Westmoreland, Jamaica—holds a unique place in reggae history. Emerging in the mid 70s, his ethereal, haunting vocal style quickly set him apart from his contemporaries. He was soon collaborating with the top producers and musicians of the era, including Adrian Sherwood and the On-U Sound collective, bridging the gap between roots reggae and experimental dub and laying the groundwork for the fusion of Jamaican sounds with the vibrant underground scene in the UK. His career, from Kingston to London to Mumbai, was marked by an artistic daring and spiritual intensity that has earned him enduring respect across generations.

The centerpiece of this reissue campaign is Ghetto Dub from 1988, a record that distills Sherman’s artistry into its most potent form. Originally released in a limited number, the album embodies the stark yet soulful beauty of dub production. With its reverb-drenched drums, cavernous basslines, and echo-laden atmospherics, Ghetto Dub transforms Sherman’s various tracks into spectral presences that drift in and out of the mix. The arrangement and production—minimal yet profoundly textured—captures both the raw urgency of Jamaican street culture and the forward-looking experimentation of the UK dub scene. Each track unfolds like a meditation, balancing grit with grace, density with space. Ghetto Dub is more than an album; it is an immersive soundscape that reaffirms Bim Sherman as one of reggae’s most otherworldly and visionary figures.

In the evolving landscape of modern Southern hip-hop, the pairing of Starlito and Bandplay stands out as a unique bridge between street-level authenticity and refined, calculated musicality. Their collaborative project, Not The Country You Know, functions less like a standard release and more as a manifesto—a masterclass in the chemistry between a seasoned, introspective lyricist and a producer who possesses an intuitive grasp of the region's pulse. It is an exploration of legacy and adaptation, capturing the tension between where they came from and where the culture is currently headed.

Bandplay, long recognized for sculpting the sonic identity of Memphis icons, brings his signature, trunk-rattling 808s to the project, yet he manages to pivot here. The production feels remarkably expansive, masterfully blending the raw, stripped-back aesthetics of classic Tennessee rap with forward-thinking textures that refuse to be confined to a single sub-genre. Complementing this, Starlito operates with his trademark mix of cynical observation and genuine vulnerability. He navigates these beats with the weary grace of an artist who has weathered the music industry's relentless cycles, treating every bar like a necessary piece of a larger, ongoing story.

The album’s title serves as a direct commentary on these shifting tides. Across the tracklist, the duo investigates the growing disparity between the romanticized South and the cold realities of the streets, alongside the inevitable evolution of the music business itself. There is no frantic chasing of streaming-era trends or algorithmic bait here; instead, the project remains a stubborn, confident assertion of artistic identity. By weaving together Starlito’s "voice-of-reason" flow and Bandplay’s evolving, genre-bending sound, Not The Country You Know challenges the listener to abandon their preconceived notions of the region, offering instead a complex, urgent vision of a South that is as haunting as it is vibrant.

In celebration of the Persianate new year usually taking place on March 21st Afghan-German producer artist Farhot announces his follow up project "Nowroz 1401" which translates into "New Year 1401" - the number marking the year according to the solar calendar which is used in countries like Afghanistan and Iran. While Nowroz is being celebrated in several additional regions like Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan or Kirgizstan and partly also in Pakistan, Syria, Tajikistan, Georgia and Turkey - this 4-Track EP pays tribute to Afghan contemporary artists like singer-songwriter Calid, London based Elaha Saroor and rapper Khan all while referencing the golden era of Afghan psychedelic pop most prominently represented by Ahmad Zahir samples - and with that marking this special release as a contribution to preserving Afghan culture and tradition while Afghanistan"s recent brutal occupation by the Taliban continue to threaten and erase Afghan artistic tradition. Further "Nowroz 1401" was born out of the urgent feeling to uphold and celebrate an essential tradition of Persianate cultures so that the following generations of diaspora children don"t lose access to their cultural heritage while not being able to live or visit their countries of origin, where such holidays are institutionalized and therefore experienced as a community festivity.

French label Latency presents ‘Estradas (Versions)’ - a dynamic reimagining of the acclaimed collaboration between drummer-composer Valentina Magaletti and Afro-Portuguese producer Nídia. Following Estradas’ recognition as one of 2024’s Best Albums by Pitchfork, The Wire, Resident Advisor, Artforum, Bandcamp, and more, ‘Estradas (Versions)’ invites a diverse lineup of producers and DJs to deconstruct and reimagine the raw percussive language initially crafted by Magaletti and Nídia. Where the original Estradas channeled their distinct rhythmic sensibili- ties into a bold sonic statement, this collection pushes those ideas further - opening the material to radical transformation across tempo, genre, and mood.

One of the leading baile funk innovators from Belo Horizonte, Dj Anderson do Paraíso opens the release by transforming “Andiamo” into a slow-burning, hallucinatory drift. Mexico-based Rosa Pistola and Freebot follow with “Rapido,” infusing it with syncopated, raw heat drawn from the pulse of underground Latin dancefloors. Lebanese-Australian producer Dj Plead pares “Sicilia” down to its core, distilling its essence into stripped-back, polyrhythmic ten- sion. On “Mata,” Brazilian DJ and producer BADSISTA delivers a fierce, bass-heavy version driven by slicing synths and unrelenting club pressure. Multidisciplinary artist FAUZIA sharpens the rhythmic intricacy of “Nasty” with her signature blend of speed and emotion.

London-born DJ, producer, and label founder Sherelle - known for her high-octane 160bpm mix of footwork and jungle - injects “Estradas” with blistering breakbeat energy, reframing its urgency through a razor-sharp UK lens. Chinese musician and sound artist Yu Su offers a fluid, atmospheric reinterpretation of the same track, softening its edges while preserving its momentum. Scottish composer and producer Fergus Jones pulls “No Promises” into hypnotic new rhythmic terrain. Dominican producer and multidisciplinary artist Kelman Duran stretches “Ta A Bater Ya” into a shadowy, reverberant space, while Lebanese composer and multi-instrumentalist Charif Megarbane and its Cosmic Analog Ensemble reimagines it with layered, cinematic textures echoing vintage library music and psych-jazz soundtracks.

These artists treat Estradas as raw material - reframing its structures and reactivating its rhythmic possibilities through entirely new prisms. What emerges is not a conventional remix album, but a vibrant constellation of versions : a response to Estradas’ percussive provoca- tions, and an extension of its spirit of exploration - all while keeping its pulse alive.

Pure world magic brims from every groove of this new set of pearlers from the Beauty & The Beat label. We know nothing about Loopico, who is behind the originals, but they blend plenty of Latin, cumbia and expressive percussive sounds into ass-wiggling grooves. Cow bells litter 'Curimbobata', which has stringy rhythms and external synths weaving in and out. 'Maquio' has busy, relentless handicaps and acoustic strings with shamanic spoken words, then 'Upaon-acu' and 'Calma-cara' bring sunny spiritualism to another pair of urgent rhythms. Leonidas lays down hefty, bass-driven rhythms that make these suited to club deployment and open-air dancing this summer.

Through his tracks, Jumo explores nostalgia and memory, from phili to memory, blending memories of youth and fleeting sensations. Tgthr encourages living the moment, while lula unfolds like a raw, cinematic road movie. The synthetic voices of sirens create a hypnotic theme, reflecting free souls suspended between a desire to escape and the fear of falling back. Euphoria tackles the madness of man's race to innovate and his indifference to the world, mixing mechanical urgency and emerging awareness. Each track plays with contrasts; melancholy and euphoria, darkness and light; combining synthesizers, persistent bass, and saturated textures. Together, they form a sonic journey where dancing becomes an act of memory and emotional survival.

2026 Repress

Glaskin is the alias of two brothers, Jonathan and Ferdinand, based in Munich. The pair have emerged as key figures in the citys electronic music scene as longtime residents of the renowned Blitz Club, standing out a homegrown talents amongst its vibrant electronic landscape. Bringing a unique, forward-thinking techno style, as evidenced by their contributions to Mutual Rytms Federation Of Rytm II and III compilations in previous years, they now mark a new chapter and open 2025 in style with their debut 12 on the label, Inertia Of Motion. Each cut on the EP has been handcrafted with analogue gear, reflecting their distinctive artistic and sonic vision. The release is a direct outcome of the creative process behind their live set, which has become an integral part of the duos identity and shows a natural evolution of their singular sound.

Hush Up kicks things off with deep, rubbery and rolling techno rhythms. The drums are stripped back and laced with pulsing synth patterns and spoken word snippets that add a freaky edge. Double Tap ups the anti with classic, pumping deep techno with smart filters adding movement to the track as urgent leads hurry onwards. Inertia bring a more anxious atmosphere with tightly coiled drums and perc and eerie bell sounds ring out over the fat, twisted bassline. The brilliant Tank brings mind-melting loopy techno with dubby chords and textured leads warming their way between the beats to great effect, while Motion is suspenseful techno that locks you into a high speed groove peppered with thumping hits and kicks. Last of all, digital bonus Blushed Blue explores a moody, minimal, late night techno sound that is warm, stylish and hypnotic to close the show

Downtown Boys have pushed relentlessly forward as an artistic and political project since their founding. Singer Victoria Marie and guitarist/singer Joey La Neve DeFrancesco first met at union meetings while working together at a hotel in Providence, RI, writing many of the band's early songs about labor organizing and exploitative workplaces. The quintet is completed by Joe DeGeorge (sax/synth), Mary Jane Regalado (bass), and Joey Doubek (drums). Over years of touring, and three acclaimed albums, Downtown Boys have continued to grow as artists, musicians, and organizers. Now, the band has arrived with Public Luxury, an enthralling album that keeps politics front and center while summoning the band's most urgent and powerful sound to date. The definition of Public Luxury falls very much in line with that of the title of the second Downtown Boys LP, Full Communism. Straight up, Public Luxury means, "everything for everyone." It's the stubborn insistence that a better world is possible, while fully recognizing the horrors we witness daily, and the individual and collective responsibility to resist the nihilism and hopelessness we all feel. Sentiments like "everything for everyone," and "we will have it all" perfectly represent the cathartic, communal live experience this cadre of multi-instrumentalists create. These sentiments also encapsulate the inclusive, joyful sonic fusion that defines the album: anthemic punk and indie rock mix with Latin traditions, drum machines blend with acoustic drums, saxophones punctuate riffs, and layers of synths add flourishes from new-wave to industrial. The amount of ground covered on Public Luxury can't be overstated, and yet the album feels totally vital and cohesive. Public Luxury is a revisitation of the band's past for the sake of their future. It was co-produced by DeFrancesco with recording engineer and longtime Downtown Boys supporter Seth Manchester (Lambrini Girls, Lightning Bolt, Model/Actriz) at the Pawtucket, RI studio and arts space Machines With Magnets, not far from the band's first home of Providence, RI. Victoria Marie's grandmother-a monumental figure for the band throughout their existence-passed away in May of 2025, and her influence looms large over the album; the songs "No Me Jodas" and "Sirena" are crystallized representations of the love between a woman and her ancestor. Beyond the loss, rage and frustration of the present, Public Luxury points boldly towards a vibrant, open-hearted vision of both music and the world: "Our music is simply for anyone and everyone who believes in the new future we can make together," Victoria Marie declares. "A world that will be awkward, inconsistent, yet truly free when it comes to all that matters."

Laid Back in Top Form: New Music Flowing After 47 Years
After 47 years together, the iconic Danish duo Laid Back continue to defy expectations, entering a new and remarkably productive creative phase.
Their upcoming album, Born to Fly, captures their unmistakable sound while showcasing a renewed sense of energy and inspiration

“We feel like we are meant to make music. And when we play music, it feels like we’re flying,” says John Guldberg, reflecting on the album’s title and spirit.

Long known for their unhurried approach to releasing music, Laid Back now find themselves in unfamiliar territory. Guldberg describes a surge in creativity that has
turned their process on its head.
“It’s kind of funny — Laid Back has always taken its time making records. We’ve been behind schedule for most of our career. Now it’s the opposite:
I’m actually starting to worry about whether I’ll have time to release everything I’ve got in me,” he says.

Their current workflow reflects this momentum. Guldberg develops initial ideas,which he shares with Tim Stahl, who then brings them to life with vocals and instrumentation.
“When he sends me something and I start singing and playing on it, that’s when it really becomes Laid Back,” says Stahl.

The duo’s creative output has accelerated to such an extent that even ahead of the release of Born to Fly, they already have enough material prepared for more than a double album for their next project.

“It’s about making the most of the time you have left. I used to feel there was plenty of time and no need to rush. Now time feels much more valuable,” Guldberg adds
.
Alongside their creative resurgence, Laid Back are also seeing a shift in their audience demographics. Streaming data and live performances indicate a growing younger fanbase — a development that has taken the duo by surprise.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back out on stage. We still have the urge to perform, and we love making people happy. That’s what our music is for,” says Stahl.
Born to Fly is set for release across CD, vinyl, and digital formats. Laid Back will also perform in selected cities across Europe later this year 2026.

“We hope people can hear that we’ve grown — and that it still makes sense for us to make new music,” says Guldberg.

New album by SABA ALIZADEH, a groundbreaking voice in contemporary Iranian music who blends classical Persian traditions with avantgarde experimentation.

Born in Tehran in 1983 as son of the world renowned tar and setar virtuoso HOSSEIN ALIZADEH, SABA ALIZADEH established himself not only as a true master on the Iranian spike fiddle kamancheh but one of the groundbreaking voices in contemporary Iranian music, blending classical Persian traditions with avantgarde experimentation. His music, praised by THE WIRE as "a bridge between the ancient and the contemporary", turns sound and image into powerful narratives of memory and resistance. Over the past years, ALIZADEH (who relocated to the Netherlands a few years ago) has appeared at key festivals and venues such as Reeperbahn Festival, CTM, Flow Festival, Philharmonie Berlin, Kölner Philharmonie, solidifying his reputation as a singular live performer.
After the critically acclaimed releases "Scattered Memories" (his international debut, released on Karlrecords in 2019), "I May Never See You Again" (2021) and last year's "Temple of Hope", his new album fascinates again with a unique artistic voice, weaving together centuries-old sonic heritage and the urgency of the present through deeply immersive, meditative landscapes in two epic pieces. "Rituals Of The Last Dawn" may feel like a sad or resigned title (compared to the positively fierce "Temple Of Hope"), but at the same time the highly meditative music provides a good lot of contemplative strength. Appealing to an open-minded "world music" audience as well as fans of current streams of ambient or drone in its most subtle forms, ALIZADEH's latest work is a strongly needed soul food in bitter times. Created on the spot with his musical partners PIETRO CARAMELLI (guitar and electronics on "First Ritual") and LIEW NIYOMKARN (lap steel and electronics on "Last Ritual"), "Rituals Of The Last Dawn" is a pure, unfiltered emotional expression from one of contemporary Iranian music's leading artists.

This all French affairs finds the eponymous Politics Of Dancing label head hook up with deep house head Djebali for a quartet of kicking minimal tech sounds. The swirling, circular bass of 'The Moment' soon gets your fists pumping, then 'Question' is a little more loose and wobbly - the fleshy bass and snappy snares contrasting one another nicely. On the flip, 'Ball Lightning' starts off with ascending synth lines and urgency in the grooves that will ensure plenty of locked-in dancers with withering sci-fi motifs adding a little cosmic escapism. The closer 'Whip' is the most fun sound - characterful synths and drums that duck and dive make for fresh house with a relentless groove.

Harry McCanna is a DJ and producer who might be known to you for his role in running NorthSouth records for nine years with Sam Bangura and Dale Mussington, as well as staffing the decks across the capital for at least a decade and half and taking up a residency at fabric when we came out of lockdown in 2021. Here, he launches a new label, focussed on "the hypnotic, trippy, steady side of things," with his first release under his own name, having released his productions under the Henry Hyde moniker since 2015. Hypnotic it may be, but it's not lacking either in sonic imagination - check the shimmering guitar trimmings, frothy pecussion and vocal flashes of 'A Temporarily Happy Man' - or funkiness, with the basslines to 'Stand & Deliver' and 'Red Moon' the very essence of prodding urgency. Add some sparing but very effective use of neatly edited breakbeats - see the economic propulsion of 'Hard To Leave' - and you've got four track that will slip into the mix very smoothly but come with their own distinctive personality.

Fides Records is ready to introduce the 4th chapter of the10-year anniversary series with. X4 leans into momentum and contrast with its hard-groove pressure, dub-chord depth, and melodic release that showcases a side of the label where functional club tools and emotional storytelling sit naturally together.

Side A begins with Rebecca Delle Piane’s “Genomica”, a driving techno train powered by tightly layered elements and rhythmic tenacity, marking another step forward for one of Italy’s most exciting rising artists. Rorschack follows with “Primeriti”, weaving dubby chords and rolling basslines around a haunting female vocal. Closing the side, Berlin-based SLV lands with “Ritual Resonance”, a hard-groove banger that fuses percussive urgency with dub-chord sophistication.

Flipping to Side B, OFF GRID’s “The Roots” stands out as a colorful, mental hardgroove tool: elegant in detail yet built for drive, striking a heady balance between control and impact. Francesco Devincenti’s “Joanaz” brings trance tinged melodic techno with harmonic depth and cinematic intensity, opening the door to a more emotive register. The record closes with Endrew’s “Alright”, a powerhous

Krope is a six-part conceptual album by Belarusian sound artist and producer Anton Anishchanka. Rooted in archival folk songs recorded between the 1960s and 2000s, it transforms fragile voices of the past into living, cinematic sound worlds. Created in collaboration with ethnographer Iryna Vasilyeva, the album weaves Belarusian traditional music with field recordings, acoustic instruments, and analog synthesizers — an immersive journey where memory, landscape, and resilience converge.

Flowing as one continuous suite, Krope unfolds like a film: memory re-emerges, fragile yet persistent, shaping an emotional narrative of displacement, loss, endurance, and hope. The archival voices at its core — songs of love, exile, and mourning — resonate across decades, echoing the urgent realities of today. The album flows as a single, immersive sonic odyssey. From the tender rejection in Krope (Dill) to the grief carved in Dubrovuška (Oak Grove), it traces an arc of human experience that is both deeply personal and universally shared. By reimagining traditional music through contemporary sound art, Anishchanka preserves endangered cultural heritage while revealing its timeless relevance.

Credits:
Produced by Anton Anishchanka
Engineering by Tenzor
Mastered by Alex at Quitfish Mastering
Lacquer cut by Tim Xavier at Manmade Mastering
Cover Art by Sasha Zeliankevich
Graphic Design by Ihar Yukhnevich
Creative Direction by Nadzeya Burmistrava

Archival materials courtesy of the Institute of Art History, Ethnography and Folklore named after K. Krapiva, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.

Special thanks to Iryna Vasilyeva for her assistance with archival selections and ethnographic material.

Shatkavalka 2025

With Severance, IGLO returns to Figure with a focused yet exploratory EP that reflects his open-ended approach to contemporary techno. The release moves fluidly between restraint and expression, combining functional structures with subtle, unconventional elements that give the tracks a distinct sense of character. Rather than settling into a fixed formula, Severance highlights IGLO's curiosity and willingness to push his sound forward while remaining grounded in precision and control.

Connection opens the release with a restrained, heads-down groove. A firm low-end foundation and sparse percussion lock into a steady momentum, while understated melodic elements add depth without breaking the track's linear drive.
On Kauriraris, the energy tightens. Nervous synth motifs and crisp rhythmic details create a sense of urgency, pushing the track forward through constant micro-variation. It's a lean and effective tool built for sustained pressure.
Flipping the record, Blink Twice moves into darker, denser territory. Murky textures and a weighty groove unfold gradually, building tension through repetition and space. The track thrives on its slow burn, making it well-suited for late-night transitions.
Alive introduces a more open and flowing feel. Warmer tonal elements and a subtle swing soften the edges, while the groove remains firmly anchored and forward-moving.
Digital-only track Forlornly closes the EP with a spacious and introspective mood. Reduced rhythms and airy melodic layers create a calm, drifting atmosphere that rounds off the release with control and restraint.
With Severance, IGLO delivers a tightly structured EP that emphasizes clarity, tension and functionality - a confident addition to the Figure catalogue.

Born Bad Records knew exactly what it was doing when it signed this Nantes-based trio, whose sharply defined sound and raw authenticity stand out. With Rage Blossom, Île de Garde unveils an EP charged with palpable tension, somewhere between dark pop and psycho-wave. A catalogue of modern misdeeds, a David Lynch-like backdrop where Sylvia Plath’s poetry might cross paths with the controlled excesses of Fever Ray.



The EP opens with “Fear The Sun,” its Mike Oldfield-esque soundscapes plunging us into an apocalyptic and unsettling world. “Homicide Volontaire” follows with meticulous narration, a technical exercise evoking the anger and defiant lucidity of a Virginie Despentes. The hallucinatory hit “To Death” snaps like an anthem to collective dancing in the face of the inevitable. Since we’re going to die, let’s dance! On the B-side, “Ageless Woman” weaves together a half-mythological, half-mysterious text, carried by haunting backing vocals. “Birthday Girl,” featuring Kuntessa, radiates an ironic and joyful riot-grrrl energy, an uninhibited celebration of women’s liberation. Finally, “Boy,” a small post-punk jewel, closes the EP with an ending as surprising as it is delicate.

The group’s genius also lies in the complementarity of its musicians. Morgane Poulain anchors the drums with a dynamic that is both subtle and narrative, airy yet jagged. Cécile Aurégan, the architect behind a multitude of synths, builds powerful sonic landscapes, layer upon layer. Klara Coudrais, the band’s poetic figurehead, elevates her texts with a rich and plural vocal palette, giving life to several characters who vibrate with intensity. The band’s writing, hovering between darkness and light, echoes a kind of visceral poetry, exploring the seasons of the soul with authenticity and force.



With this EP, Île de Garde establishes itself as a band to watch closely, capable of translating on stage both the raw energy and the fine craftsmanship that define their music. An immersive journey, full of tension, urgency, beauty, and electric flashes.



Île de Garde, a Nantes-based trio with sharply drawn sonic contours and raw authenticity, unleashes its full arsenal on Rage Blossom, an EP radiating palpable tension between dark pop and psycho-wave. A catalogue of modern misdeeds, a David Lynch-like setting where Sylvia Plath’s poetry would meet the controlled excesses of Fever Ray. An immersive journey of tension, urgency, beauty, and electric sparks.

Opening track “Fear The Sun” plunges us into an apocalyptic and unsettling landscape. “Homicide Volontaire” continues with meticulous storytelling, a crime vignette evoking anger and the fierce lucidity summoned by a situation with no way out. The hallucinatory trance of “To Death” snaps like an anthem to collective dance in the face of the inevitable. Since we are going to die, let’s dance! “Ageless Woman” blends a half-mythological, half-mysterious text, carried by hypnotic backing vocals. “Birthday Girl,” featuring Kuntessa, releases an ironic and joyful riot-grrrl spirit, an uninhibited celebration of feminine liberation. Finally, “Boy,” a small post-punk case study, closes the EP with a simple, sensitive truth.



The three musicians propel and relay one another in this breathless race. Morgane Poulain drives the drums with a dynamic that is both subtle and narrative, airy yet staccato. Cécile Aurégan, architect of multiple synths, builds powerful sonic landscapes, layer after layer. Klara Coudrais, the storyteller, elevates her texts with a rich and multifaceted vocal palette, giving life to all their characters, both mythical and ordinary. The band’s writing, between darkness and light, proclaims a visceral poetry, exploring the seasons of the soul with authenticity and strength.

Arizona-based producer Kareem Ali returns with Renewal, his second EP on the French label Noire & Blanche, a luminous blend of deep house, jazz, and Afrofuturism that captures both personal and collective transformation. Praised by Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and Boiler Room for his visionary sound, Ali continues to expand the language of modern electronic music with a project rooted in emotion, movement, and hope.

Across five tracks, Feel Everything All At Once, On My Heart, Procession, Wake Up My People, and Want, Kareem Ali invites listeners to experience the full spectrum of feeling. Opening with the warm, jazz-infused pulse of Feel Everything All At Once, the EP unfolds into the hypnotic rhythms of Procession and the heartfelt refrain of On My Heart. The soaring horns and urgent groove of Wake Up My People capture the project’s spirit of resilience, before closing on Want, a meditative reflection on desire and renewal.

Drawing inspiration from Sun Ra, Miles Davis, and Underground Resistance, Kareem Ali continues his pursuit of what he calls Future Black Music — a sound that merges the spiritual depth of jazz with the cosmic potential of electronic music. With Renewal, he offers not just an EP, but a vision: music as liberation, rebirth, and awakening.

Yeong Die would typically be described as DJ, musician, or “experimental” composer, but in reality she is a sculptor. Between the rapidly disintegrating boundaries of composition and sound design, her work employs a hunting and gathering of intangible material—bursts of memory, fragments of liminal space, interstitial banalities—materializing as boundless expressions that evade genre constructs. As an integral presence among Seoul’s most forward thinking sound artists, Yeong is in a constant uphill battle rejecting the reverence that so quickly creeps in and infects contemporary craft, that relegates even the most audacious attempts of her peers to pigeon-hole pastiche. Given this style-agnostic starting line, her ESP Institute debut 'Uncapturable' exudes non-urgency, an unfettered pace that allows breathing room, affording the listener freedom to mentally isolate and explore elements without fear of missing a “bigger picture.” There is a warm and welcoming feeling that invites repetitive, even studied listening. While half the work is somewhat singular in presentation—'1km', 'Like Your Flaw', or 'Burnt'—there are moments of meticulous complexity—'Morning Rum Punch' (featuring vocals by Cifika) and 'Did' (featuring a smattering of spoken words by icecream drum), both underground Korean peer artists. These moments feel more of like an acute focus on execution that compliments the overall shape of the album, rather than a dynamic contrast. Cifika’s vocals, in particular, command the listener’s periphery in a playful and refreshing way, exaggerating negative space and in-between moments that not only the paint an arresting stereo field but a remarkable sense of depth, not easily achieved without production sorcery. It is, without a doubt, these beautiful fleeting moments that we describe as 'Uncapturable'.

At the start of this summer, following a three-year hiatus for Daphni (punctuated only by his first ever collaborative Daphni track ‘Unidos’ alongside Sofia Kourtesis), he dropped ‘Sad Piano House’. The track represented something of a continuation in the Daphni catalogue, its roots growing from Cherry’s ‘Cloudy’ and its subsequent Kelbin remix, something in that song’s makeup having a profound effect when played on dancefloors by Snaith and countless others. ‘Sad Piano House’ deployed more intangibly irresistible bendy piano to equally satisfying effect and continues to achieve similarly rhapsodic dancefloor saturation.
Though a sizeable gap for Daphni releases, between Cherry and Butterfly however of course sits Honey, the latest Caribou album and one that saw the more instantaneous and dancefloor leaning traits of Daphni peaking through the cracks more than ever before. This blurring of the lines leads to an intriguing collaboration in Butterfly’s lead single ‘Waiting So Long (feat. Caribou)’. An unlikely duo - in that both artists are the same man, Dan Snaith - ‘Waiting So Long’ is not so much an identity crisis, ego trip, or the result of a chemical spill in the Snaith laboratory. It’s simply a track that Snaith felt for the first time belongs to both aliases, and might appeal to fans of both. He has never sung on a Daphni track before, and did not set out with the intention to do so this time, and yet this strange billing was born.

Daphni music has always been Snaith’s way of hitting directly to the core of the dancefloors he spends so much of his time playing to, and those dancefloors have been steadily expanding as his name grows, with the music following suit. This album however also draws from further back with a definite kinship to the very first Daphni album, the invigorating bag of ideas that was Jiaolong.
Butterfly is a showcase of the wonderful variety and surprising twists and turns that made that album such an exciting new prospect and that still to this day make Snaith such an intriguing DJ. There are more heavy hitters here, tracks that fill those dancefloors better than anyone, like ‘Clap Your Hands’ which picks up the energy of ‘Sad Piano House’ and flips it, exposing the gritty and intoxicating underbelly of Snaith’s hitmaking side, while retaining the playful urgency that runs through all of his work of late. Meanwhile ‘Hang’’s comic-strip horns are unpinned by gleeful force, unrelenting and thrillingly unshakeable. Elsewhere though comes a clutch of other tunes that might creep out somewhere more off the beaten path, a path Snaith has never stopped seeking in amongst his larger billings. ‘Lucky’ is squirmy and elusively intoxicating, ‘Invention’ skitters down meandering, inviting corridors, ‘Talk To Me’ grumbles and broods in the murk, and ‘Miles Smiles’ could roll on endlessly, so confident in its groove. There are no obvious peaks in these tracks or unifying moments, in fact many of them really have no business being on the dancefloor at all, and yet in the right setting, they could be the most fun to be had all night.

One such club is a good microcosm for the ethos of Butterfly as a whole. “Around the time I was finishing up this album I played a long set in a club called Open Ground in Wuppertal, Germany.” Snaith recalls, “It’s kind of, in one sense, the platonic ideal of the kind of club I’d want to play in. Every single decision has been taken, at great expense, with the aim of making the perfect sounding medium sized club room. But on top of it being the perfect acoustic environment it also is run by an amazing collection of people in a way that gives it a sense of community that dance music at its best provides. It is an absolute pleasure to play in that room to a crowd of people who come from all over. Playing in there you feel like you can play anything, and I played works in progress of pretty much every track on this album in my set there. Don’t get me wrong, I love playing a short set at a festival or in a more raw warehouse kind of club where you bang it out and only really functional music works but on record I guess the point of these Daphni records is to keep in mind a more expansive idea of dance music where the parameters are broad and the church is broad. I think that actually, putting really functional stuff next to weirder tracks (both on an album and in a dj set) might be the thing that’s still most interesting to me.”
This is the feeling that’s most palpable on Butterfly, and in every single time you see Snaith DJ. Right from the inception of the Daphni alias - and even before that – the thrill of trying stuff out, pushing at the boundaries has always been there and on Butterfly is present in all its twists and turns. It leaps all over the place and yet it hangs together, never feeling like a grab bag of dancefloor utilities but rather a distillation of all the strings to Snaith’s bow, exhilaratingly human and unified by one singular concept – simple and joyful exploration.

Rhiza Semar presents its fourth chapter with Yildizlara, a four-track odyssey shaped from shadow, rhythm, and elemental texture. Crafted as both visceral tools and introspective journeys, the record navigates between ominous density and luminous release, guided by a deep awareness of space, myth, and matter. As an artist, Hitam paves the way for a new sound emerging from his burrows to build bridges between electronic subgenres while shaping a landscape unmistakably his own. Orb Weaver opens the cycle with jagged IDM rhythms that coil and release like threads of a web pulled taut. Originally composed for the graduation project of fashion designer Tim van der Plas, who's collection was inspired on climbing out of depression, its atmosphere is dark and ceremonial, with textures scraping against silence until catharsis emerges from the tension. A confrontation between inner turmoil and release. On Vanishing of the Anasazi, cavernous reverbs carry traces of lost structures, percussion echoing as if across ruins. A relentless drive holds the ghost of ritual processions, summoning a spectral energy that feels at once monumental and hollowed-out. The track suspends itself between presence and absence, architecture and collapse, leaving the listener in a space where echoes become the only surviving form of memory. Mesh Grip plunges downward into subterranean force. A thundering groove rumbles like minerals being unearthed, goblin-like figures at work in hidden shafts, chiseling away at stone in endless rhythm. From this pressure, a sudden swell of melancholy pads rises, reframing the heaviness with emotional resonance as if the whispers of angelic guardians seep into the caverns, transforming extraction into elegy. What begins as pure drive of endurance evolves into an introspective meditation. Closing the release, Yildizlara unfolds as an epic ascent. Layered rhythms rush forward with urgency, intricate yet propulsive, while chopped vocals bring back a sensual human element, scattering like signals across the night sky. Animalistic atmospheres dart through the mix as spectral cries and furtive movements, adding a primal dimension to the drive. What begins as erratic and untamed slowly converges into warmth and ultimate catharsis: a cosmic tale inscribed in sound, both intimate and monumental, familiar yet born of hidden memory. Yildizlara is both innovative and ancestral; a release where turbulence becomes ritual, and where rhythmic complexity unearths fragments of hidden memory. Beneath its dark and erratic surfaces lies a strange familiarity, like echoes of a primal past resurfacing through sound, reminding us of worlds once known but long concealed. Words by A. Veyra

SKYLAX RECORDS presents the second chapter in a landmark 4-part saga — a secretive and conceptual series uniting two titans of French electronic music: ARNAUD REBOTINI & ACID WASHED. Following the acclaimed Winter Sequences (LAXBLACK 01) and Rebotini’s Musical Component, SKYLAX BLACK 3 pushes further into cinematic rave, electro, and techno territory. On the A-side, Artificial Darwinism ignites the EP with raw intensity — fusing early 2000s Blackstrobe energy, UR aggression, and cold wave tension into a hypnotic, funk-laced ritual. They Are Coming follows with darker, driving techno — mechanical yet alive, pulsing with paranoia and urgency. Flip to the B-side for Space Time 303, a dreamy ambient-acid trip evoking early R&S and IDM — ethereal, timeless, and drifting through time. Closing the EP, A Comet in the Northern Sky delivers melancholic electro in the spirit of Dopplereffekt and Drexciya, elevated by Rebotini’s analog mastery. A visionary statement — intelligent, bold, and essential. The puzzle continues to unfold…

Vohkinne is the alter-ego of Craig McWhinney, close associate and one of Southern Light’s foundation artists. The Way Of All Things is his first album in six years and provides a dystopian sonic journey into contemporary and modern techno that few artists can match.

Internal Collapse is an opening statement of intent; drone-infused and heavily cloaked dark ambient techno. Falling Knife is a chilling half step creation, providing a sense of murky sonics raining down from above. Unearthly Lights shifts gears as it traverses a more linear and magnetic path, while Disintegration diverts again with darker, squelching breaks.

C h r o m e s t h e s i a slows down the tempo but the morose and opaque feel of the album remains ever present, before War Paint is unleashed with a sense of urgency and high-octane intensity. Between Lives continues that intensity by unleashing its dark hypnotic breaks, before closing with the title track, perhaps for the first time on the album revealing a ray of hope amongst the dystopian energy that prevails on the album.

The Way Of All Things is more than a collection of tracks; it’s a look inside one artist’s view of the world, distilled into a singular and expansive archetype body of work.

Were FEX the Wildest & Weirdest German New Wave Band in 1984?

Few cult mysteries in modern music have captured the internet's imagination quite like "The Most Mysterious Song on the Internet." Eventually identified as "Subways of Your Mind" by the elusive German band FEX, the track became a viral sensation decades after its creation-and even made its way into a recent Hollywood blockbuster (Black Phone 2).

Now, two more lost FEX recordings have emerged from an old demo cassette: "Dead End" and "Sarah." And they're every bit as electrifying as the legend suggests.

On both songs, guitarist and main songwriter Ture Rückwardt joins forces on lead vocals with his former wife and musical partner Ilona Rückwardt, forming a vocal pairing that channels raw energy and eerie chemistry. What they deliver are two of the most urgent, adrenaline-fueled post-punk artifacts you're likely to hear this year-even if they were recorded more than forty years ago.

Opening with a sharp, melodic guitar solo, "Dead End" bursts forward with uptempo drive-catchy, fierce, and full of momentum. Apparently inspired by Orwell's 1984, its lyrics depict urban desolation-loneliness, homelessness, hopelessness-yet still shimmer with defiance in lines like, "Truth is amazing - hoping is like waiting."

The second track, "Sarah," dives even deeper into darkness. Mixing post-punk intensity with psychedelic textures, Rückwardt tells an imaginary story of a couple lost in drugs and spiraling through a bad trip, only to wake and realize that sobriety offers little comfort-the real world itself can be just as brutal and offers no easy escape.

Neither song makes the slightest concession to commercial trends. Instead, they feel utterly uncompromising-wild, strange, and defiantly timeless. In a world obsessed with polish and playlists, "Dead End" and "Sarah" sound like transmissions from a different planet.

Both tracks were originally recorded as demos in 1984 in the band's rehearsal room, with Hase engineering. The newly restored versions preserve the raw spirit of the original tapes while adding subtle layers to enhance their atmosphere without losing the authentic 1980s sound. FEX hint that the untouched demo versions might surface later, possibly on a second volume of their archival

From Germany to Montreal, a cross-continental dialogue takes form as Oovation and Jares unite for The Shift, a sweeping coalition of emotion and rhythm marking both artists’ debut on W. Anchored in cinematic depth and driven by kinetic pulse, The Shift stands as a powerful first statement, further expanded through stunning reinterpretations by Coeus, ACNØR, and Turker.

The original take of “The Shift” finds Oovation & Jares constructing a restrained groove before thumping kicks and meandering blips send us off on a highly narcotic affair. With the foundations in place, a swaying bassline takes control of the piece, infusing it with an irresistible sense of movement. As we venture deeper inside the rabbit hole, a lush arpeggio rummages across the piece, taking us closer to an airy break where echoes osurrender to a new directive.

For the first reimagining, Coeus drives “The Shift” into more dangerous, sensual territory. Built on a thunderous rhythmic foundation, the Serbian producer laces the mix with ghostly vocal traces and a relentless synthetic tension. The result feels cinematic in scope: an after-hours odyssey pulsing with urgency and redemption, where desire and danger move in lockstep.

Next, ACNØR transforms The Shift into a perpetual motion device where tension breathes and recedes like a living organism, shimmering under dim light. Reflective and transportive, this version feels like moving through mirrored corridors. Each twist refracts a new emotion, a new identity, culminating in a tantalizing entropy.

Finally, Turker closes the circle with a radiant reconstruction that leans toward transcendence. Textured percussion, raspy stabs, and a gleaming lead line spiral upward, pushing “The Shift” toward a horizon bathed in gold as vocal phrases drift in and out of focus, painting the mirage in full technicolor for a finale that feels both cathartic and luminous.

Phase alternations arise where overlapping waves diverge in phase, revealing the hidden
geometry of sound. A phenomenon that Peryl deliberately allows to happen — thus placing
the physical and technical aspects of music at the center of attention. His new album
builds on a fundamental idea of electronic music — but reimagined.

The person Peryl and his needs steps into the background during production —
functioning merely as a channel that intuitively receives and transmits what long-studied
machines, in dialogue with the subconscious, collectively bring to the surface.

The result is a collection of nine tracks, like emanations of precisely crafted analog
synthesis. No sound returns the same way twice. This fragility fuels the urgency — a
creative necessity to listen, to commit, to allow form to arrive before it dissolves again.

Rhythm is no longer on the grid, but a series of small shifts, offsets, and delays. Loops fall
slightly out of sync. Deviation creates friction, and friction creates energy. Through the
layered interplay of phase-driven effects — chorus, phaser, flanger — the sounds begin to
breathe in alternate rhythms. Hollows emerge. Swells fold into one another.

Challenging these swells is an essential part of Phase Alternations. Effects come alive in
subtle shifts, industrial textures whisper melodies, folding and unfolding in rhythms that
emerge through their own logic.

Peryl presents the result of an experiment: the sound itself chooses its form.

Between 2023 and 2025, L.F.T. split his time between Hamburg and Berlin, slowly piecing together what would become his most ambitious work to date. The result is Hell Was Boring - a double album that plays like a fever dream, unfolding as a dark, mythical tale about life, death, and the strange spaces in between.


L.F.T. - the alias of German producer and multi-instrumentalist Johannes Haas - has always thrived on tension: between punk urgency and electronic precision, between raw emotion and mechanical repetition. On Hell Was Boring, those tensions are amplified. Drawing on the spectral drama of Bauhaus, the melancholic minimalism of Linear Movement, the futuristic romanticism of Gary Numan, and even the sly swagger of Falco, the album feels at once deeply personal and part of a much older musical lineage.


The sound is stripped down to its bones: drums snap and rattle from a Roland TR-808, TR-707 and Korg KR-55; basslines growl from a Roland SH-101 and Korg MS-20; shards of guitar cut through clouds of tape hiss. Everything was tracked to a Teac Tascam 80-8 reel-to-reel, giving each track a lived-in, imperfect warmth. Nothing is overpolished - L.F.T. wanted the listener to hear the edges, the grit, the moments when the music almost comes apart.


Along the way, he invited friends and long-time collaborators into the fold - Das Kinn, Rosaceae, Felix Kubin, Children Of Leir, and Konstantin Unwohl - each leaving their own fingerprints on the record’s world of shadows and static.


Hell Was Boring isn’t a mere collection of songs; it’s a narrative that drags you into its orbit and doesn’t quite let go. It’s music for the late hours when reality feels porous, and for those moments when you’re not sure if you’re waking up or still dreaming.

A heavyweight library record delivered straight from the Gods; truly, we are all blessed: Dubmaster Dennis Bovell presents cLOUD mUsIc. A miraculous set of loose limbed, slinky funk-forward dub on the A-Side with totally blunted, spaced out trippiness on the grooving versions gracing the flipside.

A pioneer of dub and progenitor of lovers rock, genius producer-arranger Dennis 'Blackbeard' Bovell's prolific and eclectic career encompasses a huge range of music: from dub poetry to lovers rock, afro-beat to post-punk, disco to pop and beyond.

His production work encompasses such diverse figures as Ryuichi Sakamoto, The Slits, Fela Kuti, Linton Kwesi Johnson, The Pop Group, Janet Kay, Saada Bonaire, Orange Juice, Golden Teacher, I Roy, Maximum Joy, Steel Pulse and more.

cLOUD mUsIc features 8 new, deep, never-heard heaters, initially created for upstart UK library label FOLD. Dennis had written some music under the influence of Cloud-watching and presented it to FOLD with a view to them presenting it as Library Music to be utilised by anyone interested in having music for incidentals, films, TV and advertising etc.

cLOUD mUsIc represents Dennis expressing himself freely and inviting others to join and express themselves. As Dennis explains: "Library music is what makes the difference between creating for specific reasons and creating for your own individual enjoyment. cLOUD mUsIc was created whenever I felt the urge to create music that I wanted to, with no pressure. It was recorded at various times and in various studios around the world with various musicians’ assistance. Much sonic indulgence with many different recording devices."

Who doesn't like the sound of that?

For SIDE B's fourth release, an EP by Portugal's own DJ Dextro is in line. Ultra efficient, fine tuned techno is put under a microscope by the international mainstay for this record. Using high pressure in the low-end and creative textures to decorate the tracks, Dextro solidifies his place as a mainstay with a biting performance on home turf. Balancing his uncompromising sound with mystical synth work, Dextro opens 'Lost Frame' with the title track. In this A1, he rolls straight into a tunnel with flashing percussion and lurking melodies far out in the stereo field. Dancefloor focused but with a hint of mysticism, 'Lost Frame' creates a captivating ambiance to introduce the project with promises of earworm groove. Quick to follow up, 'Disclosure Of Who We Are' sees more space between the elements, creating a whipping effect in the rhythm and rich in sound design. Synth stabs cut through a booming kick, creating urgency in an EP that was lacking none to begin with.

This spirit is maintained on the record's flip to the B side - this time with an added bit of funk and shuffle. 'Liberdade' throws a vicious synth sequence forward for peaktime use and sees Dextro define his space with concentrated transitions and booming percussive hits. Swinging along with the occasional vocal sample to emphasize the obscurity, the producer maintains his delivery of razor sharp focus in all of his elements. To conclude, 'Panoplia Abstracta' settles things with an ambient, even meditative fourth track. Staying insistent with his kick, Dextro lets go of the wheel to drift his record from the body to the mind with progressive arrangement and soothing textures to see off a whirlwind of an EP for SIDE B records. Words by Noah Hocker