Search:versa

Hardcore punk pioneers 'Bad Brains' released their sixth full-length 'God Of Love' in 1995. The original line-up was back together and the album was promoted with a big tour and concerts on the Beastie Boys’ Ill Communication tour.
The album consists of a mix of reggae, hardcore, punk, and hard rock tracks. The band continued to evolve and created such a versatile album that people from different backgrounds felt attracted to it.

'God Of Love' is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on coloured (transparent green & yellow mixed) vinyl and the package includes an insert.

Cynosure returns with OHMS, a playfully uplifting collaboration from Mike Shannon and Ohm Hourani. The three-track EP features two originals laced with twisted drums and slippery synths, equally fitting for intergalactic exploration or a beachside sunrise. The original tracks’ intimately minimal production is complimented by a remix from Akufen of elegant deep house, making for a record that is both contemporary and classic. “Hightower PSA" slips out the gate with a carefree ambling baseline over a slow, swelling tide-like pad. Breezy, pulsing synth stabs pull the groove together while precise, quick hats and snares weave around buzzing tones like alien chatter. “Nova In The Sun” moves into steadier and darker territory: the bass hops between a stark kick-snare, with hats tastefully drizzled on top.

But when singer Ilhem’s sultry voice cues subtle hand drums and squiggly echoes, the track transforms from a slick minimal affair into a soulful throwback. “Nova In The Sun (Akufen’s Aldo Nova In The Sun mix)” takes the female voice of the original and jumps right in with an upbeat staccato piano and swirling violins. A full-blown house arrangement ushers in lush strings, electric piano chords, and loosely fitting open hats and snares, all conspiring to bring a splash of joy to any peak-time crowd. On the whole, OHMS deliver a versatile EP that swaggers with a smile.

Sauce Combo is a powerful and dynamic jazz trio lead by Marcjean, saxophonist from Bestown (Besançon), sided by the mercenary drummer Tom Moretti and the melodious
Victor Pierrel on bass. The trio's music takes place in the modern jazz renewing coming especially from England and the USA. France has now a champion. Inspirated by vintage african and west indies jazz, 70's jazz funk and fusion but also 90's drum & bass, broken beat and hip hop, the repertoire is a rich jazz bomb exploding to the
ears. Each second brings its his new colorful burst to admire. The band's brilliant game makes it a living listening experience. The music is rich and versatile but cohesive and united. Why?
Crash Test came to light in one day during a single 7 hours recording session at the Honey For Bear laboratories. Arnaud Bataillard, the sound's engineer, wanted to try several new
tubes and audio gears added in his studio set up. The trio went to test it in a crash test session. All the recordings could have been compromise somewhere but... What was before planned as a try ended into a fantastic album. The mental disposition, while playing
when you know that all can be lost in a minute, gave the musicians the proper dimension to express their feelings in a total freedom. They were playing for pleasure and without any pressure. It was for all, but it could have been also for nothing. And we can literally feel that. This unique record had to be release as soon as possible to transmit the freshness of this beautiful impact to the listeners. Above all, Clément Laurentin's "Equilibre Précaire VI" achieves this album, offering a painting with four figures at the edge of the fall, in a constant imbalance, playing with time and gravity. It's the perfect allegory for the three band's members plus the engineer while making this record.

London based producer Christian Piers has a decade of production experience and a discography that spans house, techno and drum and bass. He is a long-term friend of 17 Steps, and became the second artist to release on the label after label heads Dusky back in 2015. Acclaimed releases on Curle and with Leon Vynehall as Laszlo Dancehall have sustained Christians' reputation as a truly versatile producer.

With ‘Virus’, his debut LP under this alias, Christian puts himself forward an exceptional and compelling voice in UK techno, drawing on his experience in drum and bass and breaks, a sample heavy hip-hop inspired approach to production and a dubbed out, industrial techno aesthetic.

Opener ‘Extrinsic’ lays the foundations, combining cavernous drones and rattling breaks over submerged kicks, conjuring up images of chasmal warehouses, dusty basements and rattling window frames. Elsewhere delay soaked stabs bounce off combative breaks. A dialogue between Christians’ influences ensues that’s as captivating as it is individual.

Christian creates passages of intense energy without breaking a sweat. Cold atmospheres are navigated with an unhurried authority and confidence that prevents them from becoming desolate. Behind the gritty haze and forceful bassweight Christian hides the playful, agile rhythms that have become his signature – percussive sounds stumble and roll in the background, whip like snares slice through the fog.

‘Virus’ is an exhilarating ride; right up to the final bars of the teasing, anti-climactic dancefloor weapon ‘Resource Depletion’. The infinite rising tones of the closer are a bold and forward looking statement of intent from an artist whose evolution continues to unfold.

I remember the first time I read W.E.B. DuBois eclectic masterpiece The Souls of Black Folk. The way in which this Weberian scholar flowed from personal account to prose to sociological analysis to music and even political intervention has had a lasting impact on my own work as a cultural anthropologist. It made me understand that as scholars we must use different means in order to give expression to the totality of the lived experience: There is only so much in an academic text.

The experience of alienation has always been at the heart of my scholarly and artistic practice. I have used academic writing, lecturing, theatre performance and electronic improvisation to understand and represent it as a theoretical concept, postcolonial condition and lived experience. I believe, some issues need to be told like a story, some analyzed in most abstract terms and others need to be sung like a gospel. The medium changes the message.

In this sense, I guess, I’m a singing cultural anthropologist.

For some time now I have been engaged in the use of dystopian themes and sounds to paint a sonic picture of structural racism and whiteness of our present. But recently I have grown weary of this Ballardian idea of Future Now and the resulting phantasmagorian aesthetics myself and others have been invested in. The widespread availability of Digital Audio Workstations, sequencers, loopers and delay pedals has lead us into a futuristic cul de sac best described by Mark Fisher as the very absence of future.

Likewise, I am most skeptical of the “naturalist” countermovement, the return of folk. Especially in Germany, I am convinced there is no such thing as an innocent or progressive folk musical expression as it is always connected to the idea of the homeland (“Heimat”) which in turn produces the colony. It seems to me, the current zeitgeist is stuck between a “museum of a dystopian future” and a “museum of an idealized past”, but I wanted to sing about the present.

So, I involuntarily returned to pop music in its two-folded meaning of something popular and addressing not an essentialist notion of “Volk” or its woke cousin “communities”, but society as a whole.

I entered the studio just with a few lo-fi sounding melodies and rhythms from my circuit bent CASIO synthesizer. I had no clue what the finished product would sound like. But as soon as Markus started drumming, in a way strangely reminding me of CAN’s Ethnographic Forgery Series, my uptight sounds were suddenly embedded within a warmer global sound spectrum. The alien at home and abroad and the strange overlapped: We were seeing one and the same sound differently but were gently held together by Tobias’ producing.

Making music is about building coalitions. It’s about suggesting an articulation of styles, sounds and people, that hasn’t materialized, yet, but may help us in the current crisis: I wanted Amon Düül II to send their drug induced archangel thunderbird to rescue the refugees, that had tried to escape the police by climbing up a tree in Munich in 2016. I wanted Sun Ra to taunt far-right protesters in Chemnitz in 2018. And I wanted to mourn the loss of a former kebab shop cum discotheque that served as proof that there is such a thing as a minoritarian universalism.

SCHLAND IS THE PLACE FOR ME is a pop album featuring songs of alienation, not only as a tragic experience, but as a pop-cultural promise. Maybe Bill Callahan sung it best, “I am Star Wars today, I am no longer English grey”. I want those who suffer from alienation to stand in alliance with those who seek alienation, and vice-versa. A coalition, that tolerates the possibility that we are moved by the same groove for contrary reasons.

Fehler Kuti
Munich, Autumn 2019

Music by Julian Warner, Markus Acher & Tobias Siegert
Saxophone on RINDERMARKT by Franz Brunner
Trombone on RINDERMARKT and IL by Matthias Götz
Recorded and mixed by Tobias Siegert in Munich.
SONTAGSFAVORIT mixed by Dario Albiez in Dusseldorf.
Mastered by Duphonic in Augsburg.
Artwork by Atelier Grande, Munich.

"The Red" EP by Dominique Fils-Aimé released on vinyl for the first time with new cover art. Special edition Black Friday 2019 pressing.

Dominique Fils-Aimé is a Polaris Music prize-nominated singer-songwriter from Montreal who draws inspiration from soul icons of the 40's and 60's such as Billie Holiday, Etta James, and Nina Simone. While her musical roots are grounded in early soul and jazz, her sound transcends contemporary urban soundscapes.

Dominique's self-produced debut, "The Red" EP, was originally released in 2015. This new version from KingUnderground has been fully remastered and includes a live version of "Love of Yours" as well as two bonus instrumentals.

Sultry vocals follow melancholy guitar and organ on "Like Mama Said." Dominique's calming voice is akin to a meld of Sade and Amy Winehouse. While the edgy 'When You See Me'' has a hypnotic, catchy groove and chorus, she shows off her versatility with a stripped down, acoustic blues-tinged piece on "Ok With You."

The songs were recorded live in the studio in only a few takes with minimal overdubs to capture the unconstrained depth of expression and natural impulse. The faintest of imperfections in the recordings were preserved in an effort to speak the truth, as the nature of her songs reflect on the vulnerability and strength in each of us and their delicate balance. Dominique unifies each song on the record with empowering lyrics, bringing such a commanding voice and precise delivery, you could almost imagine her singing the theme for a new Bond movie.

This cinematic RnB & jazz-inflected debut by one of Montreal's finest soul singer-songwriters is available for the first time on high-quality vinyl.

A six-track release, ‘Fun Is Fun’ opens with the infectious, synth-driven title track, with a dub version and ‘Mamacita version’ also making it onto the record. Next up, ‘Dancefloor Anarchy’ is a similarly slick cut, while ‘Kill Your Friends’ is 140bpm and harnesses a killer bassline and unnerving scream sample to devastating effect.

“The title track ‘Fun Is Fun’ is a heavy bassline track, meant as a provocative poem, or as a joke you tell your friends who DJ,” Kessler explains. “When I did this track I was smiling because it’s my message not to take yourself too serious in this business. I think that's a big problem all over this scene.”

Following energetic releases on underground labels such Coméme, Get Physical and Numbers, the Cologne-born DJ, producer and poet’s distinctive sound has helped him grow into one of Germany’s most celebrated electronic artists. He has previously collaborated with the likes of DJs Pareja and Christian S while his music regularly receives club plays from Dixon and other A-league selectors.

TRICK was initially launched as a platform to exhibit Topping’s versatility as a producer, as well as a platform to showcase the wealth of emerging talent which he has been pushing in his DJ sets. Kessler, who played the TRICK launch party at Gateshead’s 4,500 capacity Mainyard venue, will also return to the tour with a set at the series’ upcoming Warehouse Project in Manchester on 8th November.

“I first heard ‘Fun Is Fun’ when Jackmaster was playing it in 2016 and it's become one of the most ID'd tracks online since!” Topping adds. “This was also the first time I’d heard of Bryan Kessler. Since then I've been hammering so much of his music and I'm absolutely buzzing to sign ‘Fun Is Fun’ a few years later as I think it could be an underground anthem. The other three tracks also show how much of a unique talent Bryan is!”

A collection of club-ready heaters, ‘Fun Is Fun’ sees Bryan Kessler craft six cuts with the dancefloor in mind.

After a three year absence, Kasper Bjørke returns to hfn music with a sublime new double EP entitled
“Nothing Gold Can Stay”. Having followed a deeply personal ambient music path that last year led to
the release of “Kasper Bjørke Quartet: The Fifty Eleven Project” on Kompakt Records, (named 5th
Best Contemporary Album 2018 in The Guardian), Kasper has found his way back to producing some
of his signature leftfield danceable beats, which “the past decade has seen Bjørke steadily rising amongst the ranks of artful, eclectic electronic producers…” (XLR8R).The Double EP “Nothing Gold Can Stay” explores both the analogue and organic side of his production work on Side A - while Side B reflects on sounds that he would play today, in one of his nightclub DJ sets. Side A contains four collaborations with four friends from LA, New York and Copenhagen. “Water” feat. Toby Ernest, the slow mo opener to the EP, revives the partnership with Toby that was last seen on 2014’s After Forever album (on the single “Rush”). Toby also provides the vocals on the cover version of Alessi Brothers’ 1975 classic “Seabird” - a track that came about through Kasper’s friendship and musical synergy with DJ and vinyl digger Christian d’Or, who is lead crooning while Toby delivers his signature falsetto. The “Seabird” cover adds a distinct contemporary feeling to the original version while staying true and respectful to the delivery and mood of the songs core. The 2nd half of the release, Side B, is directly aimed at the floor. Having stepped away from releasing club jams for a few years, Kasper is clearly enjoying getting back to the business of making people move. Side B of Nothing Gold Can Stay is both a testament to Kasper’s versatility as a producer and an all-out dancefloor assault, made with precision and sensitivity.

Amos’ Flat is a three part album by VASE in collaboration with Opal Tapes & INDEX:Records: an odyssey of sonic manoeuvres through ambient, bass and IDM. This trilogy reveals VASE dissecting compositions down to sparse rhythmic explorations, disruptive power shifts and nebulous bass bliss.

Amos’ Flat: Room 1 will be sculpted into the physical form of a 12” vinyl record, released by INDEX:Records, followed by Opal Tapes reeling out Room 1 & 2 on double Cassette Tape.

Room 3 transcends into the digital, where VASE passes the brush to fellow artists, to rework into their own decorative pieces. Featured artists for Room 3 include Basic house, Fis, Katsunori Sawa, Shelley Parker and PYUR.

The blueprint for both the Source Direct and Mirage releases on Odysee Recordings was always about presenting two complimentary styles of Drum & Bass; often a dark Amen track on one side would be paired with a more experimental ambient or Jazz-infused track on the other. Label partner Andy Odysee’s debut solo release remains true to that ethos. Taking a break from the remix/remaster series that has seen Mirage’s Bewildered and No Tomorrow return to vinyl, Andy delivers a 12” that demonstrates both musical depth and stylistic versatility.

DJ Support
Source Direct, Homemade Weapons, The Law, Paradox + more

We’ve been waiting a while for this one… Dark Sky return after a brief hiatus with this incredible EP featuring band of the moment Afriquoi. Many of you will already know one particular tune here: ‘Cold Harbour’ used by Bonobo on his Fabric mix compilation back in January. This gem is now backed with three more blissful, vital fusions. All created with different members of the deeply-rooted London-based live band.


‘Valmer’ sets the tone with its chimes, bells and chants, featuring the drumming of percussionist Andre Marmot aka Minioca. It's measured, restrained and impossible not to get goosebumps to, a near-spiritual experience the deeper you get into the groove. Elsewhere ‘Love Walk’ takes a much more subdued sojourn into the cosmic dusk. Mid tempo and much more focused on the rich layers of atmospherics than the beats, this will disarm a crowd at 50 paces. Next our minds are altered by eight-minute synth-striking mystique marathon ‘Cambia’ featuring the Kora playing of Jally Kebba Susso. Finally, ‘Cold Harbour’, one of the highlights from Bonobo’s evergreen mix from the London club institution, the combination of those rattled strings, pregnant bass staccatos, rolling percussion and deep undulating bass make it one of the most versatile and touching tracks Dark Sky have given us so far. And that’s saying something.


Breaking the Dark Sky silence that’s been almost two years, the ‘Clod Harbour’ EP opens up a whole new page in the London act’s legacy. And there’s plenty more to come. Watch this space...

Mic Mills, "Global Skywatch" boss dog, friend and family man gives us "ILIO002 - Variety Boy". Mic Mills, originally established with the now infamous "Untzz 12 Inch" and "Big Doint" labels, brings us an EP that is as versatile as the title suggests. Take a plunge with us through dubs, drums, synths and acid lines. Joined by long time amigo "Furious Frank" on the A1, Variety Boy then ebbs and flows from start to finish with low end subs, catchy hi's, addictive percussion and lots of "love" to keep you dancing until the cows come home.

Don't snooze, grow wings and take flight.
Limited to 300 copies - ILIO

Here is part two of Etienne Jaumet’s dubs from his latest new album, '8 regard obliques'.

Following on from part one with DJ Sotofett and I:Cube, DJ Athome (from the Belgian 'Front de Cadeaux') turns the jazz classic, 'Caravan' into a slow 90's breakbeat oddball whilst Jaumet himself revisits his own 'Ma révélation mystique' in a more Reggae fashion.

E-Missions co-founder P.Leone returns to Radio Slaves’ Rekids Special Projects dropping four high grade techno cuts. Known for releasing on labels such as Work Them Records and his own co-run E-Missions, P.Leone has firmly become of the most exciting artists within the inner circles of driving underground music. The Berlin-based American artist and Radio Slave collaborator is now welcomed back to Rekids, bringing his versatile sound that encompasses dark techno and groove driven house. 'Beyond Me' opens with eerie warehouse glitches, cavernous drums that ring out into a huge open space while unsettling pads and textures grab your attention, 'Hard to Find' is a rugged, relentless cut with perfectly forward moving rhythm with detailed edgy synths that keep you in suspense. 'Lenox' continues the energy with distorted drums, hitting hard beneath a blistering groove, 'The Genes is of A Flower' then takes control as an atmospheric track with structural synths.

Yellow Vinyl

Serotonin returns to revenge with Serotonin's Revenge 2, a four track compilation representing the depth and breath of what we live for.


While resting with his camel in the Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang this summer, bpmf noticed a shiny object. He picked up a DAT labeled "Static Breaker - 1994". It contained some solid electro, including "Transmission Complete”. Who made this? Did it fall out of a UFO? We may never know. Look for more releases from this find coming from Serotonin Records in the future.

Hailing from Biella, Piedmont and now based in Milan, Kreggo is an eclectic and versatile artist. Defined by Juno as part of "the gum-under-the-schooldesk underground", he has been active since 2014. Along with being the brain behind the Art-Aud label and the cult Secret Rave series, he has released collaborations and projects for labels such as Lobster Theremin, Helena Hauff’s Return To Disorders, Super Rhythm Trax, FTP and Melodies Souterraines to name a few. For Serotonin, he delivers evolved, deep breaks with an edge of electro funk.

Siviyex is Toronto duo Castelvi (Bass Guitar, Vocals, Synths, Vocoder) and M. Gomes (Synthguitar, Programming). Their sound combines elements of Shoegaze, Electro, Italo and New Wave, with the conceptual influence of alternate dimensions, space, dreams and out-of-body experiences. The next wave sound of "Dreams in Wannex" is a definitive part of the world Serotonin envisions.

Schooled in dance culture since a young age, with influences and experiences ranging from rock to rave, London based Nexus 23 brings a "Vortex" of his stark, bass-heavy blend of electro and industrial sound to Serotonin records.

Also included on the vinyl version 4 loops from Serotonin in-house artists: John Selway, bpmf, Synapse and Pointsman.

Look for the digital release everywhere November 5th, 2019 and the vinyl wherever cutting edge records are sold.

Captivity is the next highly anticipated extended EP by Kush Arora aka Only Now, following a triptych of self-released output in 2019. Continuing the project’s ever evolving engagement with themes of time and existence, Captivity encompasses versatile synthesis, mutant kuduro, widescreen sound design, turbulent cold fronts of power ambient and melodic undertones of black metal.

The product of a two-year period in which Arora was contending with transitional shifts in his personal life, Captivity is a culmination of what the project has explored both in a prolific run of recent material and as a whole, across several years of time dilating, mind altering music.
 
Although shaped by adversity and corresponding sentiments of angst and insignificance, Captivity is pitched at total transcendence. Adopting a meticulous approach to production, a methodology which opens up almost every element to transformation and deconstruction, Arora generates forms which possess a sense of pointillist precision, as well as a keen psychedelic potency.
 
Despite consistency with his earlier output as Only Now, Captivity is nevertheless an indication of Arora’s ability to challenge internal and external assumptions. The introduction of new hardware – namely, the Nord Drum 3P synthesizer – as well as the incorporation of far-flung atmospherics – closing track ‘Clock Lust’ features field recordings from a trip to Kyoto – delivers fresh enterprise and experimentation, contributing to the expansion of a sound signature which remains as unpredictable and compelling as ever.
 
With the eponymous opener, Arora combines fathomless underworlds and riotous breakbeats. On ‘Mutants’ a hyper-kinetic onslaught of percussion, low-end and stray cut-ups of noise break out, building to a panorama of thunderous industrial firmaments. ‘Perpetual Slaughter’ maintains momentum with icy, ricocheting FX and concussive, tribal drums, and then unexpectedly shifts into a poignant outro which brings to the fore the enduring influence of black metal on the project. ‘Bound 2’ is cut with relentless sub-bass and rapid syncopation, resembling an abstracted form of juke music, something that could feasibly have been masterminded by Autechre. With the LP’s finale, ‘Clock Lust’, Arora presents a finale of transfixing 3D ritualism, the lone toll of a bell ringing out into a mesmeric emptiness.
 
Together these form a complete statement from Arora, illustrating the fertile and open-ended territories the Only Now project has arrived at after promising outings on Infinite Machine and Discrepant imprint Sucata Tapes. With Captivity Arora delivers a substantial highpoint and a profound voyage into the world of Only Now.

ProForm Series hits you hard with another debut artist on label. This time it is musically very versatile record from Happopumppu exploring different sides of acid house, acid, techno and possibilities of 303 in these genres. A-side starts with a huge acid banger called 'This Is Da Acid' repeating this mantra all over the track where as 303 delivers some treats from the silver box. Next one is deep acid house track called 'Superfluous' which might as well be coming out from Detroit in the late 80s. On B-side there is something more distorted going on when rough floor burner 'Pain' will rip you apart! After this mayhem it's time to relax with some laidback and mellow acid perfectly named as 'Heat Of The 80s'. Once again limited and numbered edition of 200, after that it's gone, no represses, no digital, so you know what to do!

It's a strange new post-everything musical landscape we occupy.
The machines - you could argue - have been playing the humans for some time, and the conversation became pretty one-sided.
But you know, not everyone is singing from that hymn sheet. That Man Monkz enjoyed the apprenticeship at House PLC more than the opportunity to progress to middle management. Itchy musical feet meant extended exploration of fertile avenues of interest like the Madison Washington & Pan Amsterdam Hip Hop projects, meanwhile the pull of the 4/4 was never far from the studio door, and all accomplished with an assured versatility that shines.
Musical alliances formed in the disparate but related playgrounds of Detroit, Sheffield, Berkeley and Atlanta, all underpinned by an emphasis on seeking out collaborations and gigs, which represented a real exchange of energies, rather than a bank raid.
Letting things percolate in this more measured way means we've arrived here, a follow up of sorts to 2016's 'Columbusing'
This is Monkz allowing the ear ringing of gigs to feedback organically into bright dance floor flashes, which by virtue of their careful crafting are destined to last much longer.
On Zero Sum, we get a much greater economy of elements on the pared down dance floor ammo like 'Freaks N Prophets' & 'Chai Tea', a perfect counterpoint to beautifully realised pieces like 'Them Thangs feat Ms Fae' & 'After Dark with Nikki O' interspersed with funk-heavy workouts and sample jams like 'Easy Still', 'LvnLmtd' & the unashamedly KDJ influenced shamanism of 'WhatUthinkIDo'
It's a pick 'em and stick 'em ride of individual gems and a cohesive whole too. The opposite of thrown together, this has been worked and weathered, naturally. The House always wins, but sometimes...just sometimes.

Kusht surfaces with a playful release full of tottery synths, crisp percussions and mind-bending samples.
On this 6-track LP released on almost occult YNFND from Germany's ever rainy baltic coast, the Scottish producer easily blends bluesy guitar riffs
with wailing electronic pads. 
Shuffled backbeats melt with ominous samples into a sticky glue, trapping every listener into a bouncy dance.
Kusht can already look back on a vivid and versatile back-catalogue but still manages to top it off with a many-sided and thought-out work of art in his signature style. 
This 12" full of folkloristic beats has what it needs to become one of this year's secret weapons, with early support of some of Germany's acknowledged tastemakers.

Director Amanda Kramer’s prompts for composer Ben Babbitt’s soundtrack to her enigmatic film Paris Window read like magnetic fridge poetry – “warped ambient bumper muzak tension” – but the results skew closer to some hypnagogic contemporary noir: lulling, low-lit, and laced with lingering dread. Electronics, strings, and percussion swoon and seethe in heady mirages of dreams and delirium, romance and menace. The narrative it accompanies is equally opaque and out of time: two eccentric siblings psychologically unravel through divergent fixations, one obsessed with the hypnotic infomercials of a mysterious self-help institute while the other falls in love with an ambiguous doppelganger.
Babbitt’s background scoring experiential video games (Kentucky Route Zero) and collaborating with exploratory songwriters (Angel Olsen, Weyes Blood, Eartheater) is evident in his versatility and finesse, flowing fluidly between minimal and maximal modes. Like all dynamic film music, the pieces weave a story of their own. Serene synthetic swells decay into murmuring television static and eerie vocal fragments; close-mic’d drones turn acidic then claustrophobic, mirroring sleep paralysis transformed into panic. Babbitt builds a window into a surreal world, seen through shadows and smeared, street-lit glass.

Fleeing her Soviet ruled home of Tbisili at a young age with her parents, Saze grew up as a nomad living in Russia, France, Canada and the USA before finally settling down and pursuing a career in NYC. A classically trained musician and dancer, before long the Georgian turned her back on corporate life to pour her heart and soul into the arts. Becoming a diligent and versatile electronic music producer, DJ and live act, Sophia Saze is as comfortable sculpting intricate and atmospheric productions in the studio as she is decimating dancefloors with robust Techno and frenetic Breaks. Reflecting on her turbulent life and how it’s formed her own identity, Saze composed her aptly titled debut album, ‘Self’. Released on cassette in two instalments, ‘Part I’ dropped in June and was critically acclaimed with support from the likes of BBC 6MUSIC’s Tom Ravenscroft, Mixmag, DJ Mag, XLR8R, Resident Advisor, Future Music, Attack Magazine, TRAX, Tsugi, Ransom Note and Groove Magazine, with the latter drawing a parallel between hers and Burial’s music. Completing the journey, ‘Part II’ meanders through genres like Ambient, Hip Hop and Breaks, and features very personal insights including handpicked samples from Soviet television shows and VHS cassette recordings from her childhood. Hidden allusions of her classical music education bring up distant memories and melt together the organic but thoroughly electronic ambience. Crackles, hushes and hisses are elaborated so well that the record virtually gushes over the ears like mountain torrents. It appears peaceful and quiet, then rousing and it is sparked with bewildering sounds. It lets scattered beats arise from the thicket and drown again in streams of noise. But

Patrick Conway keeps a low profile and wobbles through the alleyways. This is his first offering for the ESP Institute. Side A’s Know The Future is properly moody, a UK rave track skirting the fringe of everything we hold dear from the days of our youth—big grey melancholy chords, mild shuffling breaks and anonymous diva cries peppered sparsely throughout—yet the artist manages to skillfully tick our nostalgia boxes whilst avoiding the road into full-blown pastiche. It's a versatile track, easily suitable for both the early hours in the warehouse or the tender drive home where your terrible Tuesday awaits. On the flip side, Patrick continues his plunge into emotional depths, summoning layers of ghostly sighs, chopping up the beats in half time and introducing a more prominent use of bass, but midway through Digital Warfare he jettisons the angelic pleasantries in favor a more deranged headspace. He’s had us swallow the wrong pills, sending us through a labyrinth of mirrors and echoes for the second half of the track, only to partially find our footing in the last minute. These two songs will send you to another time and place.

For their second release Anopolis Records' presents a versatile V.A. compilation with 4 tracks ranging from breakbeat to lo-fi house and techno while acid vibes are evident throughout.

We've reached a pivotal moment for Local Talk.
What better way to celebrate a centenary of forward thinking releases than to present one of the best kept secrets out there, MLiR aka Modern Life Is Rubbish this time joined by Arnau Obios.

After making a serious impact with their remarkable 'Swedish Lo-Life' and 'Trans-World Junktion' releases on fellow Swedish label Studio Barnhus, we're thrilled to have them onboard for our 100th release on Local Talk.

Yes, that is correct, we’re celebrating the big 100. Since the very beginning we've covered everything from the deeper shades of house to the jackin' and the gritty club jams, released some slower BPMs and also the uplifting, vocal and organic house.
As you probably noticed - we love it all.

The 100th release main track 'Lajbans' is one of those sublime tunes that is bridging the gap between all styles of dance music and got the MLiR trademark, it's epic and manages to offer plenty of subtle details to keep you locked for the full 9 minute experience.
Accompanied with the original is a masterclass in dub 'Lajbans (Bellaterra dub)'.
You got the versatility of the original carefully stripped back but also absorbing layers upon layers of seductive sonic moods, it's a trip for sure and you don't want it to end.
Once again MLiR proves why they will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come...

Artwork by Leolyxxx
Mastered by Sasse at Blackhead Studios

An outstanding artist since his earliest productions, Pablo Mateo now fully joins the ranks of Figure for his first album. On this versatile LP finally expands his complete creative vision of what techno music truly means to him.

Weird Reflections Beyond The Sky is an album that is accessible to all audiences. When engaged with actively, it holds narratives deeply connected to personal experience, going beyond what words or even images can describe. Confronting the listener with their own complexity and emotions is both its feat and feature. A beautiful use of technology and synthetic sounds as a means to journey far within.

An open invitation to drop all expectations and simply let the mind wander, creating an immersive soundtrack for each individual to explore.

Being in a different place and a different studio context changed some things for Gilb’R. The Versatile boss and half of Château Flight selected these 8 tracks, some short, some longer, from his studio sessions in Amsterdam where he has been living for the past 5 years. Reflections of the mind of Gilb’R and thus exploring many sides, from late night techno to West Indies non sense vocals, from dubby/moody sounds to ambient scapes.

Deliquent Delivery’s third EP titled U​ comes from Dublin based label head Stephen Mahoney, who contributed two tracks to the label’s last split EP.

Mahoney’s vision for Delinquent Delivery is visible on this release, showcasing his talents which range beyond A&R and delving into production. ​U features five untitled tracks, contrasting thumping dancefloor driven techno with spacey atmospheric ambient tones. With over twenty years experience as a DJ, Mahoney’s ear for precise, engaging rhythms and melancholic tones can be heard throughout​ U.​

A1​ sets the tone of ​U.​ A thumping kick lays the foundation for the track, with gritty, cutting melodies juxtaposed with polished, pensive tones. Rhythmic structure is a large component of Mahoney’s signature sound, with cleverly placed hats and snares audible on ​A1​. A strong link to the sounds of Detroit sounds of the ’90s is audible here, synonymous with Zenker Brothers et. all.

A2 c​ontinues down the path previously set out, with another dance floor directed track. More subtle than previously heard, Mahoney drives the track with a glossy lead, only to break the track up and juxtapose it with a gritty, murky underlying melody. ​A2 ​also focuses heavily on rhythmic structure, with well-placed spacing allowing energy to be retracted and reintegrated with more tenacity.

A3​ takes ​U​ to a different space with an ambient excursion. Mahoney here showcases that he is capable of creating lush, captivating soundscapes which transport the listener to a place of tranquillity. Dark, harrowing undertones are balanced with ethereal swells, maintaining the aura of the record established.

B1 moves back to the dancefloor, with a thumping kick and jagged, piercing tones. Mahoney’s versatility as a producer is evident here, as ​B1​ moves in the same vein as the A-side of ​U​ but is completely different in style. Prime-time dance-floor material, this track drives forward with ferocity and grace, cleverly being broken up with sparkling synth tones only to hit back harder than before.

B2​ closes out ​U. ​A bouncy kick drum sets the tone, with atmospheric, dark swells creating an engaging sonic tapestry. Sparse, delicately placed lustrous tones take the lead, with airy swells contributing to form a wonderful balance of light and darkness. Mahoney’s focus on precision within rhythmic structure is again noticeable here, with rhythmic elements forming their own melodies throughout ​B2​.

U​ is Stephen Mahoney’s first full release on Delinquent Delivery and captivates the essence of his vision as a producer entirely. Versatile, engaging and polished, ​U​ contains five tracks which all compliment one another wonderfully. ​U​ is a record which is as useful in a DJ’s record bag as it is for home listening.

The English-Irish electronic/dance duo Moloko released their first album Do You Like My Tight Sweater? in 1995.

It’s one of their most experimental records, before moving on to a more mainstream approach. Roisin Murphy is carrying the album with her versatile vocals, both in range and style, while Mark Brydon created the breakbeats, sound effects and groovy disco lines.
This is electronica at its best, danceable and funky.

The album includes their hits ““Fun for Me” and “Dominoid”, besides fan favourites like “Day for Night” and “Where Is the What If the What Is in Why?”. They never slow down in their exiting music and absurd lyrics, but that’s exactly what makes this record unforgettable.

Pure joy to be danced on all night.

Do You Like My Tight Sweater? is available as a limited edition of 3000 numbered copies on turquoise vinyl.

This year, First Word Records celebrates its fifteenth year in the game. The year commenced triumphantly with First Word being named "record label of the year" at Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Awards 2019. Over the past six months, we've seen new music from 14KT, Souleance, Myele Manzanza, Teotima, Don Leisure, Children of Zeus and a range of artists across Europe, on the 'Music! Musik! Musique!' compilation.

To commemorate the 15th anniversary, First Word has a series of releases in the works for the second half of the year which see collaborations by artists from the label's current roster. To kick off, we have this special double-AA sided 7" single featuring Darkhouse Family, Kaidi Tatham & Tyler Daley.

Darkhouse Family consists of two Cardiff beatmakers & musicians, Earl Jeffers - founder of Melange Records and producer of 'A Library Excursion' from 2018, and Don Leisure, who recently provided us with 'Halal Cool J', the beat-tape sequel to 2017's 'Shaboo'. Over the years they've had releases, solo & individually, on Fat City, Metalheadz & Earnest Endeavors to name a few, bridging the gaps between various strains of dance music, beats and hip hop, with the organics of jazz and funk. Recently making noise across the UK with their new live band, and production work for the likes of Kamaal Williams, this is their first new release since their highly-acclaimed 2017 debut album 'The Offering' & subsequent remix project which also featured DJ Spinna, and one Kaidi Tatham.

Kaidi Tatham is one of the most revered multi-instrumentalists in the game. His endless contributions have included Bugz In The Attic, Amy Winehouse, Slum Village, Mulatu Astatke, Soul II Soul, Moonchild, Leroy Burgess, Amp Fiddler and loads more. Dubbed by Benji B last year as "the UK's Herbie Hancock", his versatility as a musician is actually more akin to Prince. He can play most things, and play them well. Providing flute duties on this track, he also graces the flipside with a full "flutestrumental" version. Aside from numerous other projects, Kaidi released three EPs on First Word to date, 'Changing Times', 'Hard Times' and 'Serious Times', and an album last year, entitled 'It's A World Before You', which featured daddy of 2000 Black, Dego, son of Jazzy Jeff, Uhmeer and Children of Zeus, Konny Kon & Tyler Daley.

Tyler Daley hails from Manchester, alongside son of Zeus, MC / DJ / beatmaker, Konny Kon. Somewhat of a veteran in the game, Tyler is currently one of the most-recognisable talents in the British soul scene, also lending his talents to dance music royalty along the way, including the likes of Goldie, Zed Bias, DJ Marky & Lenzman. With Children of Zeus, the duo have had a whirlwind 12 months since the release of their debut album 'Travel Light', performing shows across the globe & gaining new fans daily. The record was named "album of the year" by Complex magazine and BBC 6 Music's Huey Morgan, amongst a number of other notable tastemakers & selectors. Hot on the heels of the 'Excess Baggage' EP, Tyler laces this one with his inimitable brand of bars and soul.

A veritable super-group amongst the First Word stable, this low-slung slinky joint sees the guys work up a unique blend of jazz, soul, beats and hip hop - guaranteed to go 'All The Way'…

'All The Way' is released on First Word Records on July 26th 2019, limited 7" vinyl & digital.

Produced & mixed by Darkhouse Family

Vocals by Tyler Daley (Children of Zeus)


b B1. All the Way (Flutestrumental) [feat. Tyler Daley & Kaidi Tatham]


[b] B1 | All the Way (Flutestrumental) [feat. Tyler Daley & Kaidi Tatham]


[b] B1 | All the Way (Flutestrumental) [feat. Tyler Daley & Kaidi Tatham]

A year on from the highly-acclaimed album 'It's A World Before You', Kaidi Tatham brings more new music to First Word Records - a continuation of his previous EP's for the label (2017's 'Changing Times' & 'Hard Times'), here we enter 'Serious Times'.

Kaidi Tatham is one of the most revered multi-instrumentalists in the game. Dubbed by Radio 1's Benji B last year as "the UK's Herbie Hancock", his versatility as a musician is actually more akin to Prince in the sense that he can play most instruments, and play them well. His contributions as a musician, composer & producer have included work with Bugz In The Attic, Amy Winehouse, Slum Village, Mulatu Astatke, Soul II Soul, Moonchild, Leroy Burgess, Amp Fiddler and loads more over the years, additionally to being a key player on Jazzy Jeff's PLAYlist album 'Chasing Goosebumps' along with Masego, Stro Elliot, 14KT, Tall Black Guy, Rich Medina and the like, and various projects alongside Dego (2000 Black) and First Word label-mates Eric Lau, Darkhouse Family & Children of Zeus.

'Serious Times' is another 4-track set comprised of Kaidi's unmistakable style, encompassing broken beat, jazz, boogie and hip hop. The EP starts off with the hype jazz-funk bruk of 'Cost of Living', maintaining the tempo into 'Don't Cry Now' which leads with a sweet latin-tinged piano riff. Onto the flipside, and we're treated to the slinky synth-boogie of 'Sugar' before dropping the tempo down & closing the selection with a warped but jazzy instrumental boom bap piece entitled 'Zallom'.

Kaidi is a national treasure quite frankly, and this EP is another mere taster of this man's endless talents and unique vibes. Some grown folk music, perfect for these 'Serious Times'…

Vinyl & digital released on Friday 19th July 2019 on First Word Records (Worldwide Awards 'Label of the Year 2019').

Official repress of Love & Regret, the long out-of-print 2012 debut album from LA-based post punk outfit Cold Showers.

Cold Showers, a unit formed in Los Angeles, CA in 2010, fuses the brash power of their shoegaze predecessors with the smoky compulsions of accessible synth pop standards. Cold Showers fits comfortably within the dusty catalog of Factory Records, if only for their modern interpretation of the romantic isolation that signified that long past era. Piston-precision rhythms and angular guitar patterns that drive along songs such as “Alight” and “BC” sit comfortably alongside the opposing raucous-tinged tracks such as “I Don’t Mind” and “Seminary”. This is the pervasive pop mode against which Cold Showers cast themselves. Versatile, memorable and romantically wistful are all common themes that listeners relate to when diving into Love & Regret.

Looking back on the past seven years and the album’s ultimate impact, Love and Regret created and solidified the band’s stark identity in a single, well crafted release. While their early singles on Art Fag & Mexican Summer introduced listeners to Cold Showers simply as a band, Love & Regret debuted the group as something to be taken more seriously. Songs that are intended to be personally unpacked with the listener’s pleasure and heartbreak as personal reminders of more innocent times.

The latest instalment in the International Black series comes from Lock Eyes representing an unusually versatile EP from the Italian producer, catering to both ecstatic peak time dance-floors with ‘Love$lust” as well as exploring new ground with his own twisted take on the slow motion 90’s Tribal Italia sound on La Guida without betraying his signature sonic universe. Something for everyone here by an artist on the ascendant.

Onward and upwards - the Belgian dubstep imprint Overdue maintains its super-heated release schedule with full force. With a meticulously curated artist roster and continued support by the likes of Mixmag and other vital institutions, this release yet again perfectly aligns with their vision of subculture sound system music. Spearheaded by a positively prolific artist, their fourth record features Teffa on the controls. Following up on some massive 12" releases on crucial labels such as White Peach Records and Foundation Audio, the up and coming artist furthers his status as a versatile and highly capable producer with three tracks of unadulterated sound system pressure - including a weighty collaboration with Chad Dubz.

Arming the record, "Shell It" heads straight into the matter at hand, precision engineered weaponry clocking in at 140 BPM. Drums like mountains, effortlessly heaving immense amounts of low-end, smoothly embedded on silky pad swells. Fusing old-school elements with the present like few others, the lively arrangement does the rest to keep the crowd aflame without end. Music with an attitude - rewinds assured.

Fasten your seatbelts as the record kicks into overdrive once again with "Sludge" as faint police sirens and reverberate into oblivion only for it to implode into an instant dubstep classic. Driven by its ridiculously effective and minimal instrumentation, the underground unravels itself in sonic form. Spacious pressure wave emissions, especially primed for the dance.

Stepping up to the title track, "Illegal" tops off the 12" most beautifully - packed with Grime and Breaks influences and mesmeric melodies. As unshackled 808's pound away alongside a murderous set of percussions, the electronic soundscape treads through hypnotic harmonies and dance-inducing groove - Teffa signature style at it's finest.

eudemonia presents a fresh EP by the always surprising Too Smooth Christ. Just in time for summer season the release showcases five playful and versatile tracks ranging from house and electro to ambient - each with their own distinctive character. Profits will be donated to Musicians Without Borders.

Nils Frahm veröffentlicht heute seine brandneue 5-Track-EP Encores 1.Nils Frahm hat die letzten zwei Jahre damit verbracht, sich sein neues Studio im Funkhaus Berlin zu bauen und dort Aufnahmen zu machen: In diesem Rahmen entstand nicht nur sein zuletzt veröffentlichtes, international gefeiertes siebtes Album All Melody, sondern obendrein etliche weitere Tracks, von denen fünf ab heute als - erste Zugabe erscheinen: die EP Encores 1.

Aus insgesamt 60 ersten Ideen und Songskizzen habe er schließlich jene 12 ausgewählt, die auf dem Album All Melody versammelt sind, was bedeutet, dass ein Vierfaches davon zunächst in der Schublade bleiben sollte: - Die Idee zu den Encores hatten wir dabei genau genommen schon vor All Melody: Nämlich drei Veröffentlichungen zu machen, von denen jede ihren eigenen musikalischen Stil hat und ihr eigenes Thema. Wir dachten dabei zunächst an ein Triple-Album.

Doch dann wurde All Melody immer größer und verdrängte diese ersten Konzeptideen , so Frahm. Als eine Art begleitender Anhang zu All Melody gedacht, wobei sich zum Beispiel das Stück - The Dane auf der aktuellen Welttournee bereits als absolutes Live-Highlight entpuppt hat, konzentriert sich Encores 1 durchweg auf akustische Aufnahmen mit zwei Instrumenten: (Solo-)Klavier und Harmonium. -

Ich glaube, man kann die Idee der Encores mit klanglichen Inseln vergleichen, die All Melody erweitern , sagt Nils Frahm weiter - und deutet damit an, dass die Geschichte von All Melody womöglich noch längst nicht zu Ende erzählt ist ...

DJ Haram is a producer & DJ who distinctively ties her New Jersey musical history with more recent involvement in the Philadelphia DIY noise scene, whilst paying homage to her Middle Eastern roots. A close affiliate of New York's Discwoman collective, she is also one half of 700 Bliss with rapper & poet Moor Mother, who features on this EP. Haram’s non-traditional understanding of Islam, paired with a nuanced perspective on folk tradition and mythology, underpins the EP, bringing fantasy and colour to this in-between place. On opener ‘No Idol’, a darbuka rhythm pairs with offbeat claps around a dark synth and a contrasting airy flute melody, illustrating the theme of duality running through the music. The melodies of ‘No Idol’ are revisited in the final track remix, sped up with a classic Baltimore club beat and energetic bedsprings samples.‘Interlude’ is a combination of the sounds and patterns from each song. ‘Gemini Rising's synth is reminiscent of John Carpenter, paired with a darbuka rhythm and war drums that transmit a religious sci -fi horror aesthetic. ‘Body Count’ is propelled by Jersey Club kicks with a distorted drum crunch and ticking rim shot in triplets, and an ethereal melody. ‘Grace (K.O.D.)’ has menacing cinematic stabs that feel like acid raining on the scattered percussion. On the 700 Bliss track ‘Candle Light’, Moor Mother's distorted and doubled up vocal chorus evokes a frantic yet solemn energy as she speaks on themes of life and death.‘Grace’ is an EP constructed through deep feeling, transmitting vital dancefloor energy. It’s music is versatile, imbued with a strong will, personality, and colour.

Running and pushing the boundaries with his versatile musical skills, Giovanni Damico aka Ron Juan tends to be a hard worker. The fact that his musical journey started well about 15 years ago, Giovanni has released top notch records on labels that bring resonance in today's industry such as Star Creature, Lumberjacks in Hell, Bordello A Parigi and swiss boutique label deepArtSounds. His latest piece of work is a five track,afro funk influenced mini Album entitled "Express Yourself". It's an eclectic journey thru Giovanni's deep mind and thru his huge collection of synths and instruments.