* Vibronics having been running things on the UK/European Dub scene for around 20 years with a massive following, a string of albums and singles for their own Scoops label and Zion Train's Universal Egg in-print as well as touring extensively worldwide.
* `Shades of Zion' - dating from 1999 - is an uplifting shuffling melodic head-nodder which features female vocalist Boney L and has never been released before in any format until now which will satisfy the hordes of vinyl-hungry dub-heads.
Night Tide's sophomore release welcomes two new names to the family. THOMMYY RA and Simonn bring us the "Lost Journey" EP, a 6 tracker of analogue laden esoteric house. On the A, we have THOMMYY RA, label boss at Nasty Habits Tape Cltr and prone to a bi-annual name change, he contributed the silty SETH NK remix of Eluize's "Up All Night" on our label's debut record earlier this year. He opens with "Journey Into Nowhere", an eerie, coasting, synth drenched opus propelled by throbbing percussion and rippling leads, follows with "Die Darling Die" a 90s touched, left of centre house cut, complete with a skipping kick and playfully nostalgic horn, and wraps the side with creepy, deep and groove heavy "Razzy Moon". On the B, we introduce Simonn for his first excursion on wax. "Unknown Habits" is a straight up, tried-and-tested party piece, its vibrant chords pulse amongst thumping drums issuing an undeniable call to the floor. He then turns his hand to something more aquatic, amphibious pads swell in "Lost In Progress" while layering percussion build before erupting into a euphoric break beat. Finally, "Raw and Unbleached" is a delicate arpeggio outing, melodic ideas tumble and burst over one another, it's light and dreamy yet gritty, innocence in sound.
Moonshine Recordings continues to coordinate dub into all sorts of directions with its steady throughput of vinyl releases. This time around, it's the Spanish-based Bukkha to uplift all followers with two up-tempo rollers that take part in his crucial 'Ruling Sound' EP. His name has been all over the news inside bass culture lately, as the American released highly noted physical music on critical labels like Killa Sound and Dub-Stuy Records. He's been working his way to the top and the only thing the Moonshine Recordings imprint can do is support his efforts in pushing dub music to the masses at any given moment of the day.
On top of this wicked news, Portland's dub producer and engineer 'Skelli Skel' joins this session to frame the taste of the 'PDX Mandem' collective from back home. His love for complex rhythms and heavy bass lines fuel his adventure inside dub culture, something you'll hear when listening to 'MS028'. And with the familiar voice from don Junior Dread, who jumps in on the hype by illuminating the dub with carefully selected freedom of speech, it's the collaboration that speaks for itself. To top it all, TMSV is added to the release roster, a producer whose been dealing some serious damage with his inventive music repertoire. Whether it's music on the darker tip, or the more laidback sound, both Bukkha and TMSV know how to uplift and please their followers with bass-heavy, eardrums-teasing bass music.
Bukkha's 'Ruling Sound' leads his way through musicality by portraying the right balance of instruments and not to mention the gigantic bassline that disperses vibrantly through the lower bottom of the mix. The reigning vocal support from Junior Dread and dub techniques from PDX Mandem family Skelli Skell work out fantastically, as it makes this record come to life. Listen to the instrumental part that propagates in the exact sense of 'dub music', regardless of spinning on a higher beats per minute. The version 'Ruling Dub' by Bukkha himself plays a more meditative part inside your headspace; a clipping where basslines and effects will act up in a blurred version. It's the real attention to detail the American producer shares with remix boss TMSV, who hits fans with a darker joint that pays homage to Drum & Bass. It's aggressive stance forms the pinnacle of 'the right' B-side of a Moonshine Recordings plate. Just make sure you experience the second drop of this absolutely mammoth interpretation, as TMSV shuts down the place!
Kepler. makes the second contribution to Silencio's catalog with "Planetary Systems I".
With refined ethereal elements rendered from what is surely an eerie origin, "186f", is truly engaging. This track is fueled with a seductive synth heralded by haunting vocals that effectively whisper over its steady, punchy bass line. Meandering in the background is the type of idiophone sound one would associate with a hand-percussion triangle instrument. Its particular effect provides a complex, rolling rhythm that vibrates in a beautiful tone until its objective has been achieved.
On the B-side "452b" is a great track to open up a set with, gentle yet still energetic in how it introduces itself to the audience. It begins with a series of echoing sounds that rise and dive throughout, seemingly reflected off the surface of one's subconscious, in a satisfying manner. Accompanied by a deep pulsating bass line that accents its driving drums, this track will set the tone time and time again.
Imagine the dawning of a realization formed from an inspiring event in nature. The second track, "Luzon", features a laid back tropical tempo and samples that feel transported from a lush, rhythmic rainforest. Kepler expresses this vision within the confines of a catchy groove, utilizing subtle bird sounds and rattles that resonate over layers of atmospheric synth. This is emotional music meant to move a crowd or manufacture a sincere moment of clarity.
Earlier this year, Subwax Bcn made an important contribution to the electronic music community by having the timeless dub techno compilation Vibrant Forms II by Fluxion remastered and reissued. First released in the year 2000 on Chain Reaction, Earlier this year, Subwax Bcn made an important contribution to the electronic music community by having the timeless dub techno compilation Vibrant Forms II by Fluxion remastered and reissued. First released in the year 2000 on Chain Reaction, Vibrant Forms II is widely considered to be one of the greatest achievements in the genre. As it turned out, Vibrant Forms II became one of the last records to be released on Mark Ernestus and Moritz von Oswald's classic label - a suitable swan song if there ever was one. And that's it, right
Well not quite.
If one would search for Fluxion - Vibrant Forms III, Discogs would come up empty and Google would treat it as a misspelling. Until now.
Konstantinos Soublis, aka Fluxion, and Subwax Bcn have decided to pick up the banner and release Vibrant Forms III as a CD as well as four individual 12" records under 2016. It contains everything you could hope for and more: The massive, booming basses, the clicks and hisses, the atmospheric thunderstorms, the opium smoke-scented streaks of reverb and dub echoes. The warmth. Yes, above all else the warmth: Sometimes moist and dripping as in Safe Harbour, sometimes blisteringly dry as in Variant. It's no easy task, giving cold, dead machines warm breaths. And no-one quite does it like Fluxion.
The Reissue of Vibrant Forms II was an act of cultural preservation. It reminded us about the legacy of the Basic Channel label family, in which Chain Reaction played an important part. Without this legacy, the contemporary body of electronic music would look different and make very different sounds. With the Release of Vibrant Forms III, Subwax Bcn takes it one step further. Fluxion's Vibrant Forms III album remind us of the timelessness of truly great music, never mind the genre.
DJ and producer, co-founder of the legendary London club night Lost, Steve Bicknell returns to the fray with a brilliant new 12", 'Modes of Thought'. Comprising three full tracks and six locked grooves, the record represents the debut release on Bicknell's brand new label, 6dimensions. Art by Harumasa Kono.
Throughout his career, Steve Bicknell has retained a true groundedness, with everything he's stood behind being indelibly marked by a progressive and uncompromising attitude. Sticking firm to ideals and principles, he has remained connected to the roots of techno, eschewing the mainstream to follow an unswerving, singular vision, guided by a deep and enduring devotion to the music that inspires him and a desire to present it in the purest way possible.
Stepping out here with new material and a new venture, Bicknell's trademark raw, minimal aesthetics and conceptual underpinning have clearly been retained. He describes new release 'modes of thought' as being founded upon "the awareness of thought processes, understanding the connection between the heart and the brain through vibrations that are created via the blood-stream." Essential floor gear, 'modes of thought' introduces three tracks of taught, lean minimal techno before handing creativity over to the DJ with the inclusion of six locked groove loops.
Lean and precise, with a beautifully controlled pallette, wide dynamics and rich level of sonic detail, the record flies out of the blocks with the pumping 'harmonious balance', described by its creator as a "reflection on hatred and furthering an understanding of hate and how acceptance induces balance". Continuing to unpack the work, 'the moment I stopped' is described as "a realisation of the importance of self-preservation to balance yourself in order to take care of others close to you"; whilst on the flip, 'messenger molecules' depicts "the flow of blood and how it feeds the brain of feelings through coded information".
Analog Africa has now the privilege to present 11 tracks by Verckys et L'Orchestre Vévé at the height of their most funky capabilities.
Compiled over the course of many years in a land of hardship, we welcome you to the grooviest era of the Congo.
Congo's turbulent and exhilarating '70s: Nightclubs and dance floors were packed to the brim in the capital, Kinshasa. Exuberant crowds, still giddy from independence
a decade prior, grooved to the sounds of the country`s classics. In fact the whole continent was submerged into the Congolese Rumba craze. Encouraged by the fantastic
productions of the Ngoma label, vibrant radio waves had been spreading the Congo sound from Leopoldville all over the continent, becoming the countries' No.1 export.
The first instalment in our new 'Mr Bongo Record Club' compilation series - a selection of favourites, recent discoveries and sought after obscurities, which form the basis of our DJ sets and our radio show of the same name. Including cuts by Claudia, Cortex, Dave Pike Set, Fruko, Neno Exporta Som, Connie Laverne, Barbosa and more. The original concept for 'Mr Bongo Record Club' was a radio show that allowed us to air our treasured record collections, recorded and broadcast once a
month. We wanted to create an outlet free from any genre or BPM restrictions, not constrained by the need to beat-mix every record, a space where we could play latest finds alongside favourites. The only self-imposed rule being that
it had to be played from vinyl. We have always DJ'd across-the-board, but playing in an eclectic way hasn't
always been easy. Recently DJ's such as MCDE, Floating Points, Nick The Record, Leon Vynehall, Four Tet, Jeremy Underground, Antal (Rush Hour), Sassy J and Young Marco - to name a few - have opened things up with very diverse sets to
younger audiences; Brazilian samba-rock, next to modern soul, highlife, disco, boogie, jazz, house, techno and beyond.
We're seeing a rare groove like sensibility. A shift towards the attitude of legendary club nights hosted by the likes of Mr Scruff and Gilles Peterson, where you could hear house, hip hop, Turkish funk, boogie, jazz, dub and Latin
back to back. At the same time it isn't a nostalgic or retro movement, people have a progressive attitude and a thirst for new-old music. It is a vibrant and exciting time - we are proud to be a part of it.
Yet again, LabelOwner Gaze ill joins forces with the Danish Dubstep ambassador RDG, this time for a 4 track collaborative EP. On the Aside the artists' minds melt together in two pieces of Dubstepscience. As the title suggests, RDG and Gaze ill show what Dubstep is made of with 'Keepin' It Real' that's characterized by a pressuring hardness, and uplifting energy. 'The Zone' follows with its progressive universe that evolves in just the right way with perfect timing. The Bside shows off the two artists' individual skills with immense, paranoid vibrations on RDG's 'Shapeshift', and thrillingly deep basslines on Gaze ill's 'Combo'. The EP is a refreshing showcase of the genre's finest offerings original sound with a wellbalanced diversity. RDG and Gaze ill keep it real for this first vinyl release on Cue Line Records.
**LP + Download - Bonus track 'Three Tears' on download***Natalie Mering, the being behind Weyes Blood, embeds her sublime song in a harmonic gauze of arpeggiated piano, acoustic guitar, druggy horns, & outer space electronics. Propulsive, spare drums carry us across the album's course. There is a faded California beauty to Front Row. A gentle honesty that recalls the finest folk music made on the West Coast of the '70s. The hue hangs in the sweet-spooky harmonies, the pulsing sway of the vibrato & the ecstatic chord resolves. But this beauty is scratched with shadow, with dark foreboding, alienation, & acceptance of change. Love & loss balance together in suspended alchemy, as the earthiness of the singer-songwriter tradition wears digital sounds like feathers in its hair. Mering, together with co-producer Chris Cohen contrasts live band intimacy with the post-modern electric sheen of A.M. radio atmospherics. The experimental flourishes sparkle amid the succinct, thoughtful arrangements.The closeness of this record - how personal, alone, & frank it feels - conceals its aspirations to the outside, to the "Earth" of its title. Weyes Blood harbors devastating weight while also universalizing the strange ways of identity & relationships. These are not typical love songs or protest songs -- they are painful, poignant riddles that celebrate the ambiguity of love & affirm the conflict of harmonious life within a disharmonic world.
Poker Flat Recordings deliver another killer collaboration, this time between Berlin's youANDme and The Analog Roland Orchestra. The result is Reflection - an EP containing more than its fair share of pure dance-floor moments. The Analog Roland Orchestra is Michal Matlak, the Berliner whose intimate knowledge of dance music's most iconic machines has made him a much-in-demand producer and remixer. Teaming up with party starters youANDme as well as vocalist Black Soda, the title track of this release explores deep vibrations, merging 303 basslines, crisp 909 programming and a highly effective vocal. The Dub Tool reworks the vocals into a more spacey arrangement, adding atmosphere for DJs who like to keep their sets stripped back and trippy. The Hyenah remix flips the script and develops a deep afro-house inspired cut - the man from the Caymen Islands developing an irresistible groove stretched out over seven and a half minutes. The Acid mix gives an opportunity for the guys to get busy working the 303 to its full (un) natural potential, while the Morning Light mix locks into a cosmic vibe - shimmering synths over a smooth, rolling deep house vibe.
We gladly present our first release with artists like Maik Yells, Claude Karl.son, Martin 'M and Andre Lemont.
In 1997, a quiet, unassuming man of 59 years old named Victor Tavares - better know as Bitori - walks into a studio for the very first time to record a masterpiece which many Cabo Verdean consider to be the best Funaná album ever made. Bitori´s musical adventure had begun long before this point. It was 1954 when he embarked on a journey across the seas to the island of Sao Tomé & Principe. The young man´s hope was to return to Cabo Verde with an accordion.
Following two years of hard labour Bitori had succeeded in saving enough money to acquire what was to become his most valued possession, his cherished instrument. The two month journey back to Santiago, his island of birth, proved time enough to master it. Self taught, Bitori developed his own style, an infectious blaze, that quickly caught the attention of the older generation. Before long Bitori was being asked to share his musical talents, igniting the local festivities around Praia with his music.
But not everybody welcomed the rural accordion-based sound. Perceived as a symbol of the struggle for Cape Verdean independence and frowned upon as music of uneducated peasants, Funaná was prohibited by the Portuguese colonial rulers. Performing it in public or in urban centres had serious consequences - often jail time and torture awaited musicians that were caught in the act'. In light of such persecution the genre of Funaná began to slowly disappear.
In 1975 Cabo Verde achieved independence from Portuguese colonial rule. Along with Cabo Verde's independence came a lifting of the ban placed on Funaná. The musical repercussions in Cabo Verde were plenty - many upcoming artists embraced Funaná, translating and adapting its musical form in new ways. It was not to be until the mid-1990's, however, that Funaná in its traditional form was actually recorded. It was a young singer from Tarafal, Chando Graciosa, who was to play a key role in this event. Upon hearing Bitori, Graciosa immediately felt drawn to Bitori's unique playing style - a raw and passionate sound accompanied by honest lyrics that reflected the harsh reality of the Cabo Verdean working class. He eagerly approached Bitori suggesting they join forces and travel overseas with the objective of taking Funaná beyond its rural roots. The two of them, with others in tow, achieved their goal and travelled to Europe, introducing a receptive European audience to the vibrant energy of Funaná.
Eventually Bitori returned to his beloved Cabo Verde. Graciosa opted to settle in Rotterdam in order to pursue his career - he vowed, however, to bring Bitori across to Holland at a later date to record an album.
In 1997 the time was ripe to immortalise the sound Bitori had shaped over a time span of four decades. Built around a formidable rhythm section, formed of drummer Grace Evora and bass player Danilo Tavares, "Bitori Nha Bibinha" was recorded. The recording catapulted Chando Graciosa to stardom, making him Cabo Verde´s No.1 interpreter of Funaná.
The success in Cabo Verde was phenomenal and Funaná rapidly gained the recognition it deserved, especially in urban dance clubs. Bitori´s songs quickly became standards - classics known and loved throughout the country. The musical success, however, was solely limited to the Cabo Verdean islands - until now!
Analog Africa is proud to contribute to the worldwide promotion of Funaná - the once forbidden sound of the Cabo Verde archipelago - by releasing a worldwide re-issue of Bitori and Chando Graciosa´s legendary recording.
The release will herald Bitori´s first European tour taking place during the summer of 2016. Watch this space! And listen!
Matthew Dear's Audion project stands proudly at the intersection between art and hedonism, realised over a decade long dedication to powerful and relevant dance music. Growing out of the vibrant DIY Detroit underground, Audion and his contemporaries were free to feed off the energy reverberating from UK and European dancefloors, but singular in their desire to create their own sound and spirit. An Audion release is techno in it's purest sense - whether it's pushing the bombastic limits, spinning the dancefloor out of control or elegantly toying with just a few sonic elements. 'Alpha' is Audion's first artist album in 10 years and comes at the end of a period of fevered activity. The collective body of work standing as a marker in time and a defining moment in the life of the artist. Drowning out the noise of the outside world, 'Alpha' was a puzzle pieced together sonically in the shadows and wildly brought to life in a matter of weeks. The artwork for 'Alpha' has again been realised by Will Calcutt, Dear's long time collaborator, who has a visual plan for the music that matches the sonic vision, completing the final critical piece of the puzzle. Taken from the album, Gut Man Cometh and Destroyer get the remix treatment from UK producers Matthew Herbert and FOLD
The 2nd release for Re.You on connected - The Brixton / Berlin based label - distributed by Kompakt Records and run by Terranova and Stereo Mc's.
1. 'They Vibed' Featuring Lazarusman. The Master of Tech House electronic soul grooves Re.You teams up with Lazarusman South African Slam Poet and vibemaster. A machine-like groove with driving pistons and staggering drum stabs rises with the introduction of shakers and bass synth pulse and prophet like counter strokes on Re.You's musical canvas. Lazarusman strolls through this mechanical environment scattering his train of thought from the beatbox of my mind' , this really does groove and vibe' .....easy riding and freeform.
2. 'Try To Sleep' . Classic Re.You- An energetic , springy groove that feels like an early summer day with hypnotic , spiral movements in synthesis and female cinematic whispers and shimmering hi-hats and a very 808'esque feel to the groove. Atmospheric Hypnotic and vibrant. Future music.
3. 'They Vibed' Featuring Lazarusman. (Vinyl Version) Excellent vinyl only version stripping back to the original and providing minimal/drone landscape and enhancing the Lazarusman poetry to full effect.
Our planet... IS NEXT! Yes, this is in fact the case, at least according to one Stockholmdwelling, 30-something (wishes-he-was-a) failed pop star, real name Arvid Wretman. Just how he fell from his position as poster boy of Kärrtorp's ever-vibrant noise scene to the pill-popping, Cher-covering discotheque pleaser standing before us today, we could not tell you. What we do know is that Studio Barnhus stands ready to ride that cash train all the way 'til the bitter end! So yeah, wanna pop some pills Or do you wanna chill Varför alltid dansa och spela det ena ...and do you, or not, believe in life after love These and many other questions are posed, but never answered, on this YPIN EP, the starting point of what we hope will be a particularly lucrative bizniz venture between those two powerhouses of Scandi-tronica, Your Planet Is Next and Studio Barnhus. PS. Your Planet Is Next's live show will bring added marketing value and guaranteed customer satisfaction to your dance party
Unshakable integrity, adamant dedication and multi-faceted creativity are all characteristics that define the personality of french electronic artist Marcelus. Following an already fluent relationship with music and a string of single releases on Tresor Records, Marcelus - given name Cedric Bros - thought it would be the opportune moment to dive into his most intimate inspirations and produce Vibrations, his debut album.
This full length project naturally comes at a pivotal moment for Marcelus, his experiences and knowledge coming together to create a homogenous body of work reflective of his expertise as a musician so far. Vibrations is purposefully techno oriented. It is a personal journey through his proficiency in the genre, travelling from techno to house inspired dub techno to futuristic and experimental by the end of the three vinyls.
To calculate the dark, nonetheless melancholic energy of the record, mathematical datas of Pi and Phi were deliberately measured into some parts of the composition of each track. The result is an ever-evolving web of rhythms that redefines pre-established structures.
Through its rich sonic journey Vibrations proves, from A to F, that Marcelus is undoubtedly one of today's most interesting and dexterous producer in the genre, and pertinently lands on Tresor's 25th Anniversary calendar
Chains EP, is a meltin pot of dub vibes, breaking leads, and melancholic vocals.
An obscure path through secret prophecies, sewing new worlds, combining ash and bones.
A born spell, takes you into uncharted lands, a journey up to a mirage of a desert lake.
Axel Boman remix is fresh breath into e melancholic landscape, as a shaman hypnotizes you , and takes possession of your most magical vibration.
Beacon Remix is a velvety story into a melody that cradles you in a soft dream without break away from a wild energy.
Outstanding and miraculous, this record is an international effort, resulting in a great combination, relevant for both bagging it or playing out on a soundsystem. The original music is by one of Russia's most prolific and gifted reggae musicians - Rebelsteppa. Melodic instrumental music, a swing-stepper with a saxophone.
None Shall Escape the Judgement', vocals by Stikki Tantafari from Jamaica is on the A side of the record. This song is rough and tough, dynamic and persistent. Stikki Tantafari has previously released music with Paul Lush on Nucleus Roots Records.
On the B side "Give Unto Jah' by Sista Sherin, the German singer. Compared to the record's first side, this one is smoother, the voice of this young lady is glorious and captivating - positive vibrations.
Both sides feature Rebelsteppa's dub-mixes - His style is always a mixture of classical energy combined with peculiar intelligence of sound given by restrained echoes, created for the soundsystem.
Here comes another release by Echologist aka Brendon Moeller. Brendon did several releases over the year and here comes the next Bomb!!
These tracks were recorded in autumn of 2016 in Brendon's
home studio that is conveniently located in the basement of his home in upstate New York.
The tracks were made using a combination of Hardware and Software. The protocol, well, sync all machines via midi and CV and then jam. Once a jam seems to take on a form he multitrack record all elements in Ableton and then create a nal arrangement and mix down.
