quête:vi

In 2021, in the midst of COVID, in a desire to continue to share music and stay connected, Gauthier worked to produce collaborations with artists from all over the world, Ottoman Grüw (Canada), Nekro TFFV (Turkey), Lucas Martins (Brazil), Lethal M (Macedonia). The result is four techno tracks both melodic and powerful inhabited by voices that resonate like the whisper of a music that, whatever happens, will never stop to exist.

Never Alone is the testimony that even isolate we continue through the music to be together.

The widely beloved Romanian producer and DJ Barac delivers his new EP ‘Hypnotic Grayscale’ via Yecad this May, comprising three original compositions across the vinyl only release.

Since his debut release over a decade ago, Bucharest, Romania’s Barac has grown to become one of the most prized producers and DJ’s in the microhouse movement coming out of his home turf. A name synonymous with high quality, subtly nuanced and hypnotic grooves tightly woven together to create a sound that’s distinctly his and has found a home on many reputed labels such as Meander, Pressure Traxx, Adam’s Bite and of course his own Shamandrum. Here though, we see Barac joining the roster of Yecad, a fledgling London based imprint that has played host to music from Sepp, Vlad Arapusu, Mihai Pol, Dragutesku and Constratti since its inception in 2023.

The title-track ‘Hypnotic Grayscale’ opens the EP and encapsulates all that is loved about Barac’s productions, delicately unfurling atmospherics, haunting voices and softly reverberated chimes intertwined with airy dub chords and stripped back drums.
Following to open the B-Side is ‘Everything that is seen comes from the unseen’, stripping things back to a rawer, percussive driven state with crisp drums and a bubbling acid- tinged bass line carry the groove while sporadic resonant flutters and vocal murmurs ebb and flow within. ‘He restores my soul’ then rounds out the EP and sees Barac explore his more experimental side, fusing together ghostly synth melodies, echoing chords, spiraling resonant swells and a hypnotic Romanian spoken word vocal.

GU presents Unique #2, we have chosen twelve of the most exciting producers in electronic music to create exclusive tracks for this release. With music from Pig&Dan, Solee, Victor Ruiz, Hannes Bieger & Tara Brooks, Spencer Brown, Johannes Brecht, Musumeci, Helsloot & Rose Ringed, Brian Cid, Biesmans, Mariano Mellino and Gorgin. Available as a limited edition double, heavyweight, coloured vinyl format and a special digital album edition.

Hailing from Denmark, CTRLS takes the steering wheel for KEY042, delivering an EP that embodies techno and raw industrial energy, marking his third appearance on the label.
The A-side begins 'ectomagnetic', a highly rhythmical track building through layers into a dreamy chord progression thats traddles the line between eyes-closed fantasia and full-body pump. In the midst of it all, the bassline drags our attention as its earthy, round essence stands out from the metallic universe created around it. A2 'injection shuffle' is a heavy hitter, characterized by distorted, ringing textures and old-school methodology, boasting menacing drum programming thatsolidifies its status as a peak-time big room monster. Continuingon the B, 'subsumed' offers another mystical journey blending body music with spaced-out melodies, all stamped with CTRLS's unmistakable touch. A sort of sci-fi tension, eerily drawing listeners into its other worldly atmosphere. Closing with 'nanocaust', the EP dives into intense atmospheres led by a broken beat bone and cavernous soundscapes - once again - presenting a general sound which will make you feel a different kind of energy.
Strong package of densely populated sonic environments, all inline with the sound of KEY.

Repress.

The follow up of the acclaimed first volume of this compilation, a real discovery for many DJs and music lovers worldwide who didn't know that much about Zouk or DIY electronic music of the french west indies.
.
The selectors Julien Achard and Nicolas Skliris continue the excavation of French Antillas vinyl from the 80's and the 90's and for this second volume, they found some really exciting new references which should be soon « classics » on the dancefloors.

Repress

M.O.S. are celebrating the 4th anniversary of their Melody Of the Soul imprint with an exclusive vinyl-only Ep entitled 'Ask The Universe'. This very special release showcases 4 outstanding tracks, carefully crafted to ignite the dancefloor with its hypnotic rhythms and soul-stirring melodies.

Einen der größten Hits von Mauro Picotto „Pulsar“ gibt es jetzt
wieder als farbige 12“ Maxi Single. Im Jahr 1999 schaffte es
der Song auf alle Tanzflächen der europäischen Clubs.
Diese Maxi Single gibt es exklusiv in farbigem Vinyl und in
einer streng limitierten Auflage.

Make The Ting is a project born out of my writing on creativity that lives online as post it style notes known as the ‘Yellow Squares’ found across Instagram and Twitter. The first square was posted on July 31st 2021, as covid-19 restrictions were lifting in the UK and I was thinking about what the music scenes and wider creative communities are after 18 months of lockdown. The idea’s developed into lectures presenting them in real life, but the platform felt right to explore my own creativity more broadly to challenge my own ideas in real time. My history as a DJ, Label Owner and Promoter in the Grime scene wasn’t at the forefront of these ideas, but I wanted to reconnect back to the ecosystem that inspired and gave me a creative career in the first place. Blay Vision’s ‘Cammy Riddim’ in the summer of 2022 inspired an idea to translate the ideas in the squares into song form. I approached Grime MC Jammz about the idea, and the first song ‘Yellow Square’ was done with the core principles that I had written about so far. 6 months passed, and while on a Muay Thai retreat in Thailand in February 2023 I thought about expanding the musical side of the Yellow Squares further. I text Jammz about turning this idea into an album, that we make as quickly as possible using my writing as a guide, and his voice and creativity to turn them into songs. We gave ourselves two weeks, set up a shared notes in iPhone did two zoom meetings, one phone call, exchanged messages on iMessage and he wrote 7 songs in a week, then recorded them all in one day at Ten 87 Studios in Tottenham, London. Jammz wrote all of the songs to one of his own beats, then we selected the final instrumentals we liked that we thought fit the ideas from both our camps the day before recording. The speed forced our hands creatively and it would have been a completely different project if we worked on it for months. Time is the creative director. Albums don’t have to be blockbuster projects with big budgets and huge campaigns behind them. Albums are just collections of ideas. Removing the pressure of trying to make a perfect one meant it got done and released with the least stress possible. Even the business of the album took 5 mins to handle. An equal revenue split on each song between me, Jammz, and the producer. Everyone gets paid quarterly into their own account automatically by our distributor. On announcement of the album in March 2023, we released the acapellas, for people to do their own versions, before most of the original songs had been heard by anyone. We encouraged people to Remix The Ting, and I did custom artwork for everyone that sent me a complete remix before the album came out on the 30th June 2023. The front covers are drawn individually by me. I wanted to make the record an extension of what I do with the yellow squares themselves and capture the energy of where my head is at in 2023. If it’s blank, it’s space for you to draw your own yellow square. Maybe what you think about the album, what it’s inspired for you, or just a snapshot of where your creative brain is at on the day you are picking up this record. This could be the first of many albums, this could be a one off. Nobody knows what is going to happen next. It all may make sense in the end – Elijah

Mastered and cut on 140g transparent vinyl by legendary mastering engineer Matt Colton at Metropolis Studios, London. Pressed at optimal media, Germany.

About the Album

‘Isthmus’ is Ross Tones’s 5th album for Houndstooth in 10 years.
It only seems fitting for it to return to the eclecticism of 2014’s ‘Mosaic’.

An isthmus is a narrow strip of land that connects two larger bodies.
The two islands contrast in time, topography, chaos and character.
One sears.
The other, buried by blizzards.
A land bridge fights the tide; offering harbour.

Connecting the estranged.
Giving battle to the noise.

It is uncertain who won.

Even as a relatively new face on the scene, Boaksi, isn’t a stranger to longer format releases. The budding Zurich based producer made a splash with his first two releases “Under The Pavilion'' and "I Thought It Was Yesterday” which featured remixes from Soela, Louf and Al Zanders. Now he debuts on Seb Wildblood's all my thoughts label with a 4 track emotionally visceral EP titled Keep Movin’.

The title track, "Keep Movin'," takes a dynamic approach, layering creamy pads and impactful percussion with subtle dub techno influences that create a refreshingly deep groove, propelling a carefully positioned vocal sample into the forefront.

“Didn't I", leads with a beautiful, progressive melody that evokes a sense of yearning, and the ever-relatable Romanticism of the club. Delicately triggered chords dance off the wonderfully unpredictable drum patterns, while Boaksi's minimalist vocals add a touch of human emotion.

"Running Out Of Time" takes a more introspective turn, featuring distant, detuned textures that set the stage for a bed of soft, distorted pads. Stripped-back percussion allows the climbing arpeggios to take centre stage, building to a cleansing break that allows the atmosphereto expand before settling back into a warm, percussive groove.

The EP closes with "Wanna Be With You," another emotionally intelligent piece that showcases Boaksi's
prowess for crafting captivating soundscapes. Elemental drums and breathtaking, climatic chords provide the foundation for a beautifully free-forming synth arpeggio that flutters playfully around an unforgettable vocal hook.

140g transparent blue and green galaxy marble vinyl housed in a matte 3mm cardboard sleeve with lyrics insert featuring photography and artwork by Hidrico Rubens. Limited to 300 copies. The creation of ‘Chrysalis’ was a retreat from a seemingly endless string of unfortunate events, a cocoon from which Zanias could weave hope from hopelessness. In each of its eight songs she has engineered unique worlds to express alternate facets of the modern human experience, from burnout and the toxicity of capitalism to processing death and the inherent isolation of personal trauma. Written and recorded between Berlin and the rainforest of Queensland, Australia, the sound design of ‘Chrysalis’ reflects the rich biodiversity of the latter environment, where she drew much of her inspiration. Her voice shifts and morphs into ghostly, alien forms between catchy hooks that plant this album firmly in the ‘pop’ genre, without losing the underground rawness and lyrical depth for which she is known. With her third full-length album, Zanias is expressing her truest form thus far, fusing her seemingly discordant influences into a genre-defying electronic artpop, as dark and evocative as it is ethereal and uplifting. Written and produced by Alison Lewis Bass guitar on ‘Lovelife’ by Laura Bailey Mixed by Ewan Kay Mastered by Alain Paul Photography and artwork by Hidrico Rubens Sigil by Nat Soba Design and layout by Alison Lewis Makeup by Eavan Derbyshire

The record ‘Rīgas Elektromašīnbūves Rūpnīca (RER)’ has many distinctive characteristics. I would like to draw listeners’ attention to the fact that the recording was made with 16 microphones in an abandoned factory in Sarkandaugava (Rīga, Latvia). Over two days, KODEK recorded how the music sounds specifically in this vast space – how the window panes vibrate, how the metal lockers rattle, and how the sound waves propagate uniquely. This created a special and unparalleled musical sound. In this record, KODEK not only plays musical instruments but also the space itself, resulting in an added value or a new chapter in the history of world music – The Sound of Sarkandaugava. – Kaspars Rolšteins Artist bio: Musician Raivo Vainovskis, widely known as KODEK represents a narrow nonacademic electronic music genre while having proven his excellence and gained international recognition performing in countless electronic and experimental music festivals like CTM Festival in Berlin, Amsterdam Dance Event in Amsterdam, Cynetart Festival in Dresden, MUTEK festival in Montreal among others. KODEK is a core figure behind the globally acclaimed Latvian electronic music instrument manufacturer Erica Synths and often uses their synthesizers in his work. Since 2011 he co-organizes experimental music mini-festival Brīnumu Nakts in his native city of Madona which is one of the rare occurrences of such events outside the Latvian capital Riga. Since 2005 both in his releases and live performances he challenges his audiences with his unique stage presence and sonic aesthetic that is rooted in the spirit of truly independent music and art. KODEK has been nominated (and has won) The Annual Latvian Music Recording Award in the category ‘’The best electronic music album’’ for his ‘’Flavours From The Future’’ LP in 2012.

Once upon a time on planet -M-E-L-M-A-K- two teenagers visiting
their grand parents at their village compound were blissfully sleeping
late in the morning when a LOUD BANG!!! made them jump off their
beds. The bewilderment quickly grew into confusion of how was this
possible and then into respect. It appeared to be a soviet era polish
made vacuum tube TV set thrown out the window of the 2nd floor of
the house. Grandfather was doing the spring cleaning of the house,
obviously, the Balkan way – almost meeting the criteria to qualify for
Valhalla! The old cathode ray tube usually being under pressure as a
technology were famous to make a loud violent and deeply sounding
burst when broken that it reminded us a heavy drum machine and the
almost perfect and most brutal and deep and powerful bass drum we
have ever heard. So, us… being techno freaks by that time and
fascinated by the idea of techno music inspired and recreating the
heavy industry and machinery in an auricular way – we took a field
recorder, found another old TV set of the make and…. threw it out the
window… while recording all the sounds coming out of the impact ?
Later dissected and re-looped and re-worked through sampling here’s
a record that’s been years overdue in the making.

Temporize focuses on putting out diverse and leftfield electronic music with no real boundaries. The label is based in Palermo, Italy and is run by Scottish native Maiú DJ. Mastering: Martin Maischein Artwork painting: Janne Räisänen Photography: Jussi Jääskeläinen Design: Juha Puuperä Gruth: Black arts, misanthropy & abhorrence KuJo: Original violin, cello and kantele recordings Igor Souza: Throat singing on track 6

Bordello Travels presents the fifth volume of ‘Buone Vacanze’ with your tour guides Karassimeon, Nude Disco, Maltitz and Lennart. Comes with a limited edition gelato sticker sleeve. Andiamo!