Buscar:vi

Die neue Welle des Indie-Pop. Die Band ,Touch Girl Apple Blossom" aus Austin ist dafür bekannt, ihr Herz auf der Zunge zu tragen. Und vielleicht liegt es ja an ihrem Namen, dass die Leute bei K Records das Gefühl haben, sie hätten bei K. ihren richtigen Platz gefunden.

One of electronic music’s most sought-after names, producer and DJ KETTAMA today announces the release of his long-awaited debut album, Archangel, out 3rd of October. The announcement arrives in tandem with new single “Sort It Out” featuring Clouds, and a landmark moment in his career: his biggest ever London headline show, taking over Brixton Academy on Saturday, October 4th, followed by an expansive tour across Europe, North America, and Australia.



A decade in the making, Archangel is the definitive statement from KETTAMA (Evan Cambell), the Galway-born, London-based artist. The 15-track project is a powerful blend of hard-house energy, trance-inflected euphoria, hip-hop sample-based attitude, and unmistakable emotional depth—sonic signatures that have placed KETTAMA at the cutting edge of contemporary dance music.



The album showcases a curated roster of collaborators who reflect KETTAMA’s reach and relevance across today’s underground and mainstream scenes, including Interplanetary Criminal, Fred again.., Clouds, Prospa, DJ HEARTSTRING, Shady Nasty, SØLV and seantommy. Their contributions amplify the project's scope, offering a multi-sided view into KETTAMA’s musical universe.



Among its early singles, the Interplanetary Criminal collaboration “Yosemite” is a high-velocity anthem marrying speed-garage grit with ecstatic rave melodies, while his track “Air Maxes” with Fred again.. And Shady Nasty blends introspective vocal sampling with wide-eyed club emotion. On “If U Want My Heart” with DJ HEARTSTRING featuring KLP, the ensemble channels high-energy trance, breakbeats, and vocal euphoria into a soaring anthem that fuses emotional intensity with peak-time club energy. Meanwhile, his collaboration with Clouds, released today, “Sort It Out” dives headfirst into industrial-techno territory, conjuring a dark, cathartic energy destined for warehouse euphoria. And reigning as one of the undeniable anthems of the summer so far, “It Get’s Better (Forever Mix)” delivers euphoric waves of uplifting synths and relentless rhythm, bringing an irresistible surge of energy that’s become synonymous with this summer’s club moments.



Archangel has already found a home on the world’s biggest stages and radio airwaves, with early support from key tastemakers including Jack Saunders, Danny Howard, Sarah Story, and Tim Sweeney. Simultaneously, a grassroots groundswell continues to bloom across social platforms—where viral snippets and show footage capture the visceral reaction of a fast-growing, global fanbase.



This year, KETTAMA has elevated his status to a full-blown festival phenomenon, performing at major stages including Coachella, Glastonbury, Creamfields, Portola, Seismic, and ARC Festival, to name a few. In June, he played to 20,000 people in Belfast for a b2b with Chris Stussy—one of the UK’s largest DJ events in recent memory—and is currently mid-way through a 16-week Ibiza residency at Amnesia, playing every Monday night throughout summer. Full list of upcoming live dates can be found below.



Perhaps the clearest signal of his surging popularity is the jaw-dropping response to his upcoming Boiler Room live set, with over 15,000 fans signing up to attend— the set’s release is now highly anticipated as a time capsule moment in a breakout year for the artist.



KETTAMA’s rise to prominence has been anything but conventional. Eschewing the traditional gatekeepers of the industry, KETTAMA cultivated an underground following through the likes of SoundCloud and TikTok, where raw uploads, bootlegs, and viral edits generated a tidal wave of grassroots momentum. Over the years, these platforms became launching pads for a fiercely loyal global community, drawn to his unfiltered energy and boundary-pushing sound. This subversive path to recognition has made him not just a fixture of the scene but a symbol of how new-generation artists can forge success on their own terms.



From his humble roots in the Irish underground to the world stage KETTAMA is now pushing the limits of what a next-gen DJ-producer can achieve. With Archangel, he fuses the sound of his native ‘G-Town’ with a futuristic vision that’s unapologetically global—marking a creative milestone that cements his place among electronic music’s most compelling voices.

CUSDE010 marks the debut vinyl release by DJ PEPER. Four stripped-back house cuts built for the dancefloor, rooted in classic Detroit aesthetics and deep machine groove. Former member of the duo YYYY, now exploring deeper house territories while maintaining a steady, evolving groove.

KKYV09 is a four-track EP by Helsinki-based producer and DJ Valeria Croft, exploring a refined intersection of house and minimal shaped by funky rhythms, rolling grooves, and detailed, tactile sound design. Alongside three original cuts, the release features a remix by Romanian DJ and producer Lumieux. The EP opens with Measured By The Silence, a hypnotic, groove-led track that defines Valeria Croft's sound through subtle progression and layered detail. Floating within a vibrating minimal house framework, the track delivers warm, positive dancefloor energy across its eight-minute journey. Lumieux's remix flips the mood, pushing the arrangement into a tighter, more driving house direction while carefully reworking elements of the original into a fresh, high-impact version. On the B-side, Flex Your Body leans into an old-school minimal feel, enhanced by sensual vocal sampling and a darker, late-night atmosphere. The EP closes with Night Shift Funk, a deep, immersive track that pulses with nocturnal energy, unfolding slowly and methodically as textures stack and tension builds. Together, the tracks form a cohesive, dancefloor-focused release designed for extended DJ sets and late-night sessions.

Elations Recordings presents "Terra Ignota", the long-awaited new full length album from elusive Melbourne-based fusion ensemble Krakatau. "Terra Ignota" marks a return and an epochal shift for the group, a deep exploration of possible sonic spaces and a portent of things to come.

In the years since 2016's cosmic jazz funk-prog-spiritual 12" "Tharsis Montes/Apogean Tide" Krakatau have worked on refining their craft as instrumentalists and writers, expanding further into the world of jazz and fusing influences from world folk musics, contemporary jazz and the European post-minimalist music of the 1980s and early 90s. "Terra Ignota", literally translated as "Unknown Land", takes its name from the cartographer's notation for uncharted territory, the blank spaces on maps where knowledge gives way to imagination and speculation, gesturing towards the group's studio explorations and search for new sonic worlds in the years spent developing the record.

The results are a diverse yet unified combination of sounds and influences across five tracks that see Krakatau drawing closer to the independent underground "world" jazz scene of the 1980s than anything contemporary. The album opens with the digi-minimalism and fourth world atmospherics of title track "Terra ignota", a percussion heavy latin fusion sound in "Birds of Passage", and melancholic ambient saxophone and synthesiser duo "In Memory". Three-part epic "Cosmetic Surgery" journeys through a long, complex post-minimalist arrangement into latin fusion and contemporary jazz, followed by the contemplative ECM-styled acoustic quartet closer "Trial in Absentia".

The album features significant contributions from saxophonist Rob Vincs, former Victorian College of the Arts head of Jazz and Improvisation and a collaborator with Australian musician Brian Brown; layered percussion and wordless vocals from Brazilian percussionist and esteemed songwriter Alcides Neto; and a guest performance from trumpet player Reuben Lewis on the title track.

"We just wanted a kiss that makes you want to kiss..."

From a sample to the most iconic kiss in music video history… When Demon released "You Are My High" at the end of 1999, it created a frenzy. Nominated at the Victoires de la Musique and the MTV Awards, the track was on everyone’s lips—including the CSA's, which tried to censor it. 25 years later, the "You" shines brighter than ever, captivating each new generation in turn.

A Top 10 hit in France upon release and certified gold within months, "You Are My High" skyrocketed thanks to its video—three minutes of a single-shot French kiss. Briefly banned by the CSA (who quickly realized it’s hard to censor something you see in every film), the clip ended up playing non-stop on music channels, defining an entire era.

Today, the "You"—as its creator fondly calls it—is considered one of the crown jewels of French Touch 1.0 (Daft Punk, Stardust, Cassius, Modjo, The Supermen Lovers...). With nearly 150 million streams across platforms, its legacy holds strong and continues to inspire a new wave of artists. Among the most iconic reinterpretations: a lo-fi cover by Agar Agar, remixes by DJ Snake and Central Cee, the You and Me video by Disclosure and Flume, and even a Jean Paul Gaultier campaign.

MASK Records founder ZentaSkai joins forces with Berlin-based creative Laura Merino Allue under the name Cuddling Monsters, a project centered on analog processes and tactile sound design. Debuting in March 2024, the project explores Detroit-infused House, dub Techno, and minimal soundscapes shaped by raw texture and spatial depth. Working exclusively with analogue instruments, the duo prioritise warmth, imperfection, and presence over polish. Alongside her music work, Laura Merino Allue is also a graphic designer, bringing a strong visual identity to the project’s wider aesthetic.
‘Cuddling Monsters' is inspired by real-life experiences — the raw, imperfect, beautiful moments we move through. We believe in staying present, feeling everything deeply, and embracing the analog flow of the now. It’s about living the moment fully — and like a cuddle on the dancefloor, creating a space where sound holds you, warmth surrounds you, and even the wildest monsters feel safe enough to soften.’ -
Cuddling Monsters
The Cuddling Monsters ‘Vol. 3’ EP opens with ‘Bubble Bloom’, a melodic house track featuring warped, filtered synth tones that set a hazy foundation before a dub-leaning beat settles in. It’s layered with aquatic, bubbly textures and fragmented samples, adding warmth and movement. ‘Warm Waves’ shifts into a lighter, more atmospheric space, increasing the tempo slightly while maintaining a restrained, ethereal character. The B-side closes with ‘Secret Signal’, a long-form techno piece stretching over ten minutes, where evolving synth lines gradually merge with soft, dubby drums and analogue percussion, building steadily without excess before easing out.

Mit "Folklore" vertiefen 16 Horsepower ihre unverwechselbare, düster-spirituelle Interpretation amerikanischer und osteuropäischer Traditionals. Das Album verbindet eigene Songs mit radikal neu gedeuteten Klassikern, die die Band in rituelle, minimalistische und zugleich kraftvoll aufgeladene Klanglandschaften verwandelt. Banjo, Cello, Hurdy-Gurdy und Bandoneon bilden ein archaisches Fundament, das David Eugene Edwards" intensiven Gesang eindrucksvoll trägt. Die Oxblood Vinyl Edition bringt diesen Meilenstein in besonderer Form zurück - passend zur Reunion-Tour 2026, bei der die Band erstmals seit zwei Jahrzehnten in ihrer Originalbesetzung auf europäischen Bühnen steht. Folklore bleibt eines der charakteristischsten und atmosphärisch dichtesten Werke der Band: dunkel, entrückt, hypnotisch - ein Album, das die Grenzen zwischen Tradition, Mythos und moderner Alternativkultur auflöst.

Mit der Oxblood Vinyl Edition kehren die frühen Klassiker von 16 Horsepower in besonders eindrucksvoller Form zurück. Secret South zeigt die Band auf ihrem dunkelsten, weitläufigsten Terrain: eine fiebrige Mischung aus Gothic Americana, Folk, Country-Anklängen und okkult schimmernder Schwermut. Bandoneon, Banjo, Hurdy-Gurdy und entrückter Gesang formen einen Sound, der fernab jeder Moderne wirkt und dennoch zeitlos bleibt - archaisch, intensiv und voller Sogkraft. Während die Stücke zwischen asketischer Kargheit und opulenter Weite pendeln, entfaltet sich die volle emotionale Wucht eines Albums, das bis heute Kultstatus besitzt. Parallel zu dieser Wiederveröffentlichung feiern 16 Horsepower ihre Reunion-Tour 2026 in Originalbesetzung, ein Ereignis, das europaweit für ausverkaufte Häuser sorgt. Eine essenzielle Edition für Gothic-Americana-, Folk- und Alternative-Sammler.

Mit "Hoarse" zeigen sich 16 Horsepower in ihrer radikalsten und unmittelbarsten Form. Das Live-Album fängt die Intensität der Konzerte in Denver und Paris ein und präsentiert Songs aus Low Estate und Sackcloth "n" Ashes in Versionen, die härter, wilder und präziser wirken als ihre Studio-Originale. Schon das von David Eugene Edwards" Akkordeon getriebene Intro von "American Wheeze" baut eine Spannung auf, die sich in eruptiver Kraft entlädt. Die Band agiert wie eine perfekt eingespielte Maschine: schwer, aber niemals stumpf; filigran, aber stets von innerem Druck durchzogen. Coverversionen wie "Bad Moon Risin"", "Fire Spirit" oder Joy Divisions "Day of the Lords" werden in eine düster glühende, beinahe rituelle Energie verwandelt. Die Oxblood Vinyl Edition bringt diesen Live-Klassiker zurück - rechtzeitig zur Reunion-Tour 2026 und als essenzielles Dokument der außergewöhnlichen Bühnenmagie der Band.

Mit "Yours, Truly" veröffentlichen 16 Horsepower eine Sammlung, die tiefer in das Herz der Band führt als jedes reguläre Album. Die Doppel-Compilation vereint auf LP1 eine von Fans weltweit kuratierte Best-Of-Auswahl - ein Querschnitt durch die intensivsten Stücke der Bandgeschichte. LP2 ergänzt das Bild um 13 rare Aufnahmen, die bis dahin auf keinem offiziellen Album erschienen waren: B-Seiten, Demos und Radiomitschnitte, die die rohe, unmittelbare Kraft der frühen Phase festhalten. Inmitten der Oxblood-Vinyl-Reissues und begleitet von der Reunion-Tour 2026 in Originalbesetzung wird Yours, Truly zu einem zentralen Dokument der Band: authentisch, emotional und ein unverzichtbares Archiv für neue wie langjährige Fans des "Denver Sound".

Beat Machine Records is proud to drop the sixteenth chapter of its iconic Swinging Flavors series, starring Newcastle’s own Nectax — a breakbeat alchemist pushing jungle and D&B into jagged, unpredictable territory — backed with a remix from forward-thinking bass manipulator Fracture.

Cool Runnings is exactly that: a hypnotic, mid-nineties-tinged jungle cut stripped back and dubbed out, but sharpened with modern production techniques that give every snare and sub-bass a punchy, alive quality. Razor-sharp breaks collide with rolling basslines, weaving a track that’s at once nostalgic and fully of-the-moment.

The B-side flips the energy with Fracture’s remix, injecting fractured percussion, jagged fills, and high-octane bass tweaks. It’s a modern take that preserves the original’s laidback groove while kicking it into full-blown club chaos. Together, the two tracks form a high-voltage 7” that bridges classic jungle aesthetics with contemporary sonic experimentation. “Cool Runnings is my take on a laidback mid-nineties tipped Jungle track. Stripped back, dubbed out, but with a subtle focus on modern production techniques to tie it all together,” says the artist.

Following recent Swinging Flavors contributors like Ac1d Vicious, DJ Sofa, and Ornette Hawkins, Nectax marks the next evolution for the series: tense, textured, and unafraid to push the floor into new territory.
The release continues Beat Machine Records’ mission to highlight forward-thinking club music rooted in underground culture, with a sharp focus on physical formats and hybrid rhythms.

Music For Parents is a low-frequency, vibroacoustically informed album developed through research into sound, rest, and nervous system regulation. Composed between 2019 and 2020, the record explores slow-moving bass structures and reduced harmonic density, inviting a form of listening that is felt as much as heard.

The work emerged from a personal process, shaped by a desire to support rest and release through sound. Music For Parents takes its title reflecting on the dynamics of parent–child relationships - formative environments that shape emotional, sensory, and relational orientation, often without clear language or shared understanding.

While effective on standard playback systems, the album can also be paired with vibroacoustic devices such as bass transducers or wearable low-frequency systems for enhanced somatic engagement.

Originally produced by Visnadi with vocals by Janice Robinson,

this 12-inch includes the re-edited "original club mix,"

and for the first time on vinyl, remixes by Paul Morrell and Michael André & SMB.

Over 13 million streams on Sound Cloud,

over 10 million views on YouTube,

over 50 million plays on TikTok in the last few months.

The "Phunk Investigation vs. James Senese" collaboration, specifically the track "E'na Bella Jurnata,"

is seen as a high-quality fusion of Italian Disco and funky house, praised for its driving beats,

70s disco melodies, and signature saxiness from the legendary Senese,

making it an instant anthem for clubs and Ibiza.

Reviews highlight it as a grand cru of Italian dance music, blending classic vibes with modern house energy,

a must-have for disco and house lovers.

Launched in 2000, Post Office quickly became a landmark compilation series, featuring artists such as Ricardo Villalobos, Daniel Bell, Robert Hood, Dimbiman, Matthew Dear, Seth Troxler, Craig Richards, Losoul, Ark, Mr Oizo and many more. Each new edition stands as both a milestone in Logistic Records’ story and a forward-looking vision of the global electronic scene.

‘An Undying Love For A Burning World follows Converge’s Love Is Not Enough this year as a pivotal metal album about acknowledging the darkness for what it is and trying to accept it.’ - the QUIETUS

‘Neurosis Know You’re Hurting. Their Stunning New Album Is a Life Preserver.
An Undying Love for a Burning World, the band’s first album with new member Aaron Turner, is a reminder of how even the darkest music can be a guiding light’ - 9/10 ROLLING STONE

Evolution can be ugly and beautiful, painful and euphoric. An Undying Love For A Burning World is the first new release from Neurosis in a decade, and a potent statement of intent and rebirth - one that marks the first new steps of resolve and resilience.

An Undying Love For A Burning World is an epic album of colossal hypnotism - beautiful, fearsome and utterly compelling in a way that only Neurosis can be. Aaron Turner (Sumac, Isis) joins the band on vocals and guitar, a name whose legacy is intertwined with the band’s own and a true kindred spirit.

“From the moment I first heard Neurosis over 30 years ago, I felt this was the music my heart and mind had been seeking but not yet heard. Now after many years travelling along various musical paths of my own, the singular sound and spirit embodied by Neurosis continues to speak to the depths of my being. It is an honor and a true pleasure to have been welcomed so warmly into a band that not only shaped my perspective on the limitless possibilities of music - but has lived and exemplified the necessity of upholding creative integrity and camaraderie above all else.” - AARON TURNER

Neurosis have never been afraid of change, and here they embrace endless regeneration, surrendering to the emotional exorcism through heaviness and distortion that their music incites. Just as the universe tends towards balance, Neurosis’cacophony of noise, rhythm and dissonance always resolves towards moments of beauty. The addition of Turner's powerful vocals and wildly creative and unhinged approach to guitar proves to be a vital force as Neurosis find themselves again at the mercy of evolution and expression.

On every song in the band’s history, Neurosis shifts restlessly between tension and relief, invoking a feeling both feral and transcendent in listeners. The band describe their songwriting process as an inescapable impulse to create with each other - a need rather than a choice. Indeed, the band insist that their return is “not a reunion - we never broke up.”

The album was recorded by Scott Evans (Kowloon Walled City, Sumac, and Great Falls) at Studio Litho in Seattle during three weekends this winter, and mixed in three days just six weeks before release at Evan's Antisleep Audio in Oakland.

Neurosis will play their first show in seven years on the traditional lands of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana as part of Fire in the Mountains festival by special invitation of Firekeeper Alliance, a non-profit dedicated to reducing youth suicide in Indian Country.

FITM, is a unique festival known for bringing epic music to epic landscapes with the intent of reconnecting and immersing oneself with the natural world, and strengthening our ancestral roots as human beings - an aim which aligns directly with Neurosis’ deep-rooted power.

Stay tuned for further news over the coming months.

PREVIOUS PRESS:

‘In less skilful hands, this relentless sonic oppression would be gruelling, but by expressing human frailty with such visceral abandon, Neurosis have once again turned darkness into euphoria.’ - 4/5 THE GUARDIAN

‘The Oakland band has evolved from gritty metallic punk to harrowing post-hardcore prog to the majestic doom of their current phase’ - 7.9 PITCHFORK

‘It’s not often an album of such stature exceeds one’s anticipations, but Honor is too astounding to not be revered.’ - The QUIETUS

“Fires Within Fires is the summation of thirty years of experimentation in tonality and texture. Yes, NEUROSIS are firmly positioned within the extreme metal underground yet their music, with its ability to generate images of beauty akin to those many of us have experienced in our own lives – not to mention the loss that accompanies them – challenges this categorization. ‘’ - WIRE MAGAZINE - FULL PAGE REVIEW.

"Their intensity remains undimmed on Fires Within Fires...The already converted will take heart from the evidence that age is unable to wither the fury of this heaviest of bands." - KERRANG! 4K REVIEW

"Every monstrous sludge riff gnashes menacingly for the right amount of time and every delicate moment of folk-inspired drift is emotionally exacting. Neurosis continue to create art without equal, and Fires Within Fires is another worthy addition to an awe-inspiring canon containing a number of truly pioneering and timeless albums." - METAL HAMMER - 8/10 LEAD REVIEW

‘An Undying Love For A Burning World follows Converge’s Love Is Not Enough this year as a pivotal metal album about acknowledging the darkness for what it is and trying to accept it.’ - the QUIETUS

‘Neurosis Know You’re Hurting. Their Stunning New Album Is a Life Preserver.
An Undying Love for a Burning World, the band’s first album with new member Aaron Turner, is a reminder of how even the darkest music can be a guiding light’ - 9/10 ROLLING STONE

Evolution can be ugly and beautiful, painful and euphoric. An Undying Love For A Burning World is the first new release from Neurosis in a decade, and a potent statement of intent and rebirth - one that marks the first new steps of resolve and resilience.

An Undying Love For A Burning World is an epic album of colossal hypnotism - beautiful, fearsome and utterly compelling in a way that only Neurosis can be. Aaron Turner (Sumac, Isis) joins the band on vocals and guitar, a name whose legacy is intertwined with the band’s own and a true kindred spirit.

“From the moment I first heard Neurosis over 30 years ago, I felt this was the music my heart and mind had been seeking but not yet heard. Now after many years travelling along various musical paths of my own, the singular sound and spirit embodied by Neurosis continues to speak to the depths of my being. It is an honor and a true pleasure to have been welcomed so warmly into a band that not only shaped my perspective on the limitless possibilities of music - but has lived and exemplified the necessity of upholding creative integrity and camaraderie above all else.” - AARON TURNER

Neurosis have never been afraid of change, and here they embrace endless regeneration, surrendering to the emotional exorcism through heaviness and distortion that their music incites. Just as the universe tends towards balance, Neurosis’cacophony of noise, rhythm and dissonance always resolves towards moments of beauty. The addition of Turner's powerful vocals and wildly creative and unhinged approach to guitar proves to be a vital force as Neurosis find themselves again at the mercy of evolution and expression.

On every song in the band’s history, Neurosis shifts restlessly between tension and relief, invoking a feeling both feral and transcendent in listeners. The band describe their songwriting process as an inescapable impulse to create with each other - a need rather than a choice. Indeed, the band insist that their return is “not a reunion - we never broke up.”

The album was recorded by Scott Evans (Kowloon Walled City, Sumac, and Great Falls) at Studio Litho in Seattle during three weekends this winter, and mixed in three days just six weeks before release at Evan's Antisleep Audio in Oakland.

Neurosis will play their first show in seven years on the traditional lands of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana as part of Fire in the Mountains festival by special invitation of Firekeeper Alliance, a non-profit dedicated to reducing youth suicide in Indian Country.

FITM, is a unique festival known for bringing epic music to epic landscapes with the intent of reconnecting and immersing oneself with the natural world, and strengthening our ancestral roots as human beings - an aim which aligns directly with Neurosis’ deep-rooted power.

Stay tuned for further news over the coming months.

PREVIOUS PRESS:

‘In less skilful hands, this relentless sonic oppression would be gruelling, but by expressing human frailty with such visceral abandon, Neurosis have once again turned darkness into euphoria.’ - 4/5 THE GUARDIAN

‘The Oakland band has evolved from gritty metallic punk to harrowing post-hardcore prog to the majestic doom of their current phase’ - 7.9 PITCHFORK

‘It’s not often an album of such stature exceeds one’s anticipations, but Honor is too astounding to not be revered.’ - The QUIETUS

“Fires Within Fires is the summation of thirty years of experimentation in tonality and texture. Yes, NEUROSIS are firmly positioned within the extreme metal underground yet their music, with its ability to generate images of beauty akin to those many of us have experienced in our own lives – not to mention the loss that accompanies them – challenges this categorization. ‘’ - WIRE MAGAZINE - FULL PAGE REVIEW.

"Their intensity remains undimmed on Fires Within Fires...The already converted will take heart from the evidence that age is unable to wither the fury of this heaviest of bands." - KERRANG! 4K REVIEW

"Every monstrous sludge riff gnashes menacingly for the right amount of time and every delicate moment of folk-inspired drift is emotionally exacting. Neurosis continue to create art without equal, and Fires Within Fires is another worthy addition to an awe-inspiring canon containing a number of truly pioneering and timeless albums." - METAL HAMMER - 8/10 LEAD REVIEW

Analog Fingerprints Vol. 0 is a compilation bringing together the early 2000s works of Marco Passarani under his Analog Fingerprints alias, collecting key tracks originally released on Rome’s Plasmek and Pigna labels.

For Numbers, the story starts long before the label itself. In their formative years, digging in Glasgow’s Rubadub, Passarani’s records felt like dispatches from a future city. Releases on his own Nature Records and on labels such as Generator and Interr-Ference Communications were mind blowing: rooted in Detroit techno, Chicago house and electro, yet pushing somewhere new. Much like fellow travellers Autechre, who would remix him in 2001, Passarani’s music balanced machine funk with restless experimentation.

Information was scarce, and you would hear these records first on the dancefloor or at listening stations in shops like Rubadub. Print fanzines like Ear and early web outposts such as Forcefield offered only fragments. But there was a palpable axis forming between Detroit techno and a new European wave of record labels including Skam, Rephlex, Clone, Viewlexx and Nature itself. It was the sound that defined Saturday nights at Rubadub’s ‘69’ parties in Paisley, just outside of Glasgow.

Passarani’s records, in particular, were instrumental in bringing together the future Numbers co-founders. Richard had already booked him pre-Numbers; meanwhile Calum (Spencer) and Jack (Jackmaster), then 16/17 year olds working alternate Saturdays in Rubadub, were so enamoured with the Roman sound that they travelled to Rome for the Bitz Festival in 2003 to seek out Passarani and Lory D at their source.

The first Analog Fingerprints release landed as a 12” on Plasmek in 2001, following the fractured, IDM-leaning 6 Katun material. For Passarani, the project marked a recalibration. A DJ first and foremost, he had moved into production via early computer setups, from a Commodore Amiga through primitive PC audio, Cubase and Logic, later experimenting with Ableton. The IDM scene had offered a playground for trial and error, but there was always a tension between abstraction and the dancefloor. Analog Fingerprints became the bridge: still intelligent, but with more dance than distance. After years of broken beats and complex arrangements, he wanted directness without surrendering identity.

Working closely with Francesco de Bellis and Mario Pierro in the Pigneto district, the trio formed Pigna as a vehicle for reclaiming a more accessible dance sound, deliberately steering away from the minimal wave beginning to dominate Europe. Sessions were fast, instinctive, often stretching late into the night with friends dropping by. It was a studio as social space, production as collective energy.

“In that constant search for balance, Analog Fingerprints was my way of expressing something closer to the classic dance floor. The track 'Tribute' - a tribute to my favourite early Detroit techno track of all time, 'First Bass' by Separate Minds - came after I realised I had almost lost my connection with the dance floor. The simplest step was to take inspiration from early Chicago and Detroit and twist it in our Roman ‘Pigna’ way. My goal was to create more accessible dancefloor tracks by mixing my unconscious Italo roots with my teenage love for that early US sound, ensuring the result was as far as possible from the minimal sound that was starting to dominate everywhere.” - Marco Passarani

Technically, the Analog Fingerprints tracks span a transitional era: Roland TR-909, SH-101 and Alpha Juno hardware met early software experiments. A Novation Drumstation rack stood in for the unattainable TR-808, syncing with TB-303 and TR-606. Yet the true secret weapon was Jeskola Buzz, a tracker-style modular environment that allowed step-by-step parameter control and strange melodic constructions, later exported into the audio sequencer. Even the lead on ‘Tribute’ came from an early PPG Wave-style plugin. It was hybrid thinking at a moment when digital tools still felt unstable but full of possibility for technologists like Passarani.

Behind the music sat Finalfrontier, a loose Roman collective orbiting Nature and Plasmek. Distribution and production were intertwined; importing obscure records into Italy built connections with like-minded outsiders across Europe and the US. Expensive phone bills and fax machines forged an “electronix network” that linked Rome to Clone, Viewlexx, Skam, Rephlex, Rubadub and Detroit’s Underground Resistance. There was a shared sense of survival and resistance, of operating against commercial systems.

Passarani recalls “The first time I found a sheet of paper inside an Underground Resistance 12” with info about upcoming releases... and a huge picture of Spock on the back. Imagine that: you love the music, you love Star Trek, and there’s someone on the other side of the ocean sharing those same values and sounds. It was the perfect match. We even gave our original company the suffix ‘Finalfrontier’: that says it all.”

Feedback in that era arrived physically: distributor faxes, conversations with visiting DJs, the experience of playing abroad and meeting kids who had connected with the records. Glasgow became a key node in a scattered outlier network. Passarani personally brought the first two Nature releases to Fat Cat in London, playing them in-store. Shortly after, a fax arrived from Rubadub in Glasgow requesting copies.

“I still remember that phone buzz and the fax paper slowly sliding out, with someone I didn’t know saying they wanted 75 copies of Nature 001. Or like the time we got a fax from the Rephlex crew just saying, “Hello Nature Records, Keep up the good work.” That was how we knew the message was getting through. It was a fantastic feeling; just one piece of thermal fax paper as an analog notification - the mood for the entire week would change.” - Passarani

The connection to Glasgow has since stretched across generations. As Passarani reflects, links often fracture as scenes renew themselves, but in Glasgow something different happened. New and old mixed seamlessly. There was a visible trust in what came before, and a willingness to carry it forward rather than discard it. Observed from Rome, it was deeply encouraging.

Analog Fingerprints Vol. 0 captures that moment of exchange: Rome to Glasgow, Detroit to Europe, experiment to dancefloor. It documents an artist recalibrating his sound and a network of scenes discovering one another in real time, connected by vinyl, faxes and shared intent.