quête:ware

After dancing with HNNY under the disco ball and staying up late listening to Mella Dee's warehouse tracks it's time to go visit Detroit with Esa.

Have a listen to Umatic 3000 and you'll understand why Tooli started sweating while listening to the demo the first time.
Futuristic and deep dance music from a space ship that crashed somewhere in Detroit. 8/8 (Son Op) on the flip is a dramatic interlude that leads straight into Big Snoek, a track that both sounds and smells like a modern Global Communication tribute.

Gut zwei Jahrzehnte sind vergangen, seit Mary J. Blige mit ihrem Debütalbum die R&B- und Popwelt revolutioniert hat, und noch immer schlägt die Erfinderin des Hiphop-Soul aus New York mit jedem Album neue Wege ein und erfindet sich neu: Für ihr kommendes Studioalbum The London Sessions ist die Königin des R&B wochenlang ins Reich der Queen eingetaucht und präsentiert nun ihre ausgelassenen Session-Recordings mit UK-Senkrechtstartern wie Sam Smith, Disclosure, Naughty Boy und Emeli Sandé.
Auslöser für ihren verlängerten Aufenthalt in London waren gleich zwei inspirierende Kollaborationen: Zunächst veredelte Mary mit ihrem Feature-Auftritt bei - F For You' den Track des jungen UK-Duos Disclosure, und wenig später stand sie auch noch für einen Remix des Rekord-Hits - Stay With Me' mit Sam Smith im Studio. Da sie von der Energie und der musikalischen Vielfalt, die in der britischen Metropole auf sie wartete, regelrecht umgehauen war, fasste die neunfache Grammy-Gewinnerin kurzerhand den Entschluss, für einen ganzen Monat in diese Szene einzutauchen und ihr neues Album in den legendären RAK Studios aufzunehmen...
- Ich wollte mich hier nicht nur wie ein Gast, sondern wirklich heimisch fühlen für diese Zeit', so Blige über die Arbeit an The London Sessions, zu der sie neben Disclosure und Sam Smith auch Emeli Sandé, Naughty Boy, Jimmy Napes, Eg White und Sam Romans als Gäste begrüßen konnte, wobei der Produzent Rodney Jerkins als Executive Producer hinter den Reglern stand. Nachdem mit - Right Now' ein erster Vorgeschmack erschienen war - in diesem Fall machen Sam Smith, Disclosure und Mary gemeinsame Sache -, schrieb MTV bereits: - so innovativ wie schon lange nicht mehr.' Kein Wunder, denn man merkt sofort, wie sehr die 43-Jährige von der neuen Umgebung inspiriert wurde: - Das gesamte Album klingt ausgelassen, nach guter Laune. Es war eine wirklich grandiose Erfahrung, in die Londoner Szene einzutauchen.'

Poker Flat is gearing up to celebrate fifteen years strong, with a series of releases that will assure their standing as one of electronic music's best known and most loved imprints. Poker Flat's unwavering dedication to the finest underground house music has unearthed new talent, developed rising stars and welcomed veterans into the fold, and the first of the label's 15th anniversary compilations brings together four of the brightest leading lights of the scene. With four seminal labels - Raw Elements, Dessous, Traffic Signs and Poker Flat - to his credit, Steve Bug has little to prove, but the tireless artist has never been a slouch on the DJ and production front, as he's proven time and again. Tracks like 'A Shot In The Dark' showcased his musical chops, and tied together elements of classic warehouse sounds, deep and sophisticated production and an uncompromising techy edge. The anniversary reworking of the tracks made for 4 Jacks boasts the remix talents of Taylor, whose sleek approach chops up the old school piano chords of the original for a bumping, more streamlined result. Another smashing new remix features in the form of Boris Dlugosch's 2012 acid-disco-house hit 'Sweet Talk". Here The Organ Grinder crafts a bass-heavy monster with a walloping kick drum and syncopated handclaps that enhance Boris' acid melodies and make it rough and ready for underground tastes. Two brand new productions round out the Jacks package.

With focus battling between murderous bass and bewildering soundscapes throughout the EP, the choice of three energies and tones makes Kalawila's debut a surely applicable dance floor tool for techno and house devotees alike.

Stockholm/Berlin-based Kalawila debuts on his own imprint, Mountain Explosion Device, with an EP made for warehouses.'Slagsmål utbröt på Mount Everest EP' is an ensemble of three dark house tracks on the verge of techno, each sonically similar and yet delicately versatile in function.

'Slagsmål utbröt på Mount Everest' is a forward-leaning and fast paced roller with long build-up. Meanwhile 'Khajuraho' is steadily reclined on cooler percussion and kindred warehouse bass-sounds. 'Pluto får sparken' then shifts focus slightly to the peripheries in a deeper passage of harmonics and reverberations.

A1 - GettinDown: a nice rework of Funky Space Reincarnation made for the floor, B1 - A proper tribute to one of Stevie's greatest. B2 - Killer rework of a Warehouse classic.

Treat Your DJ Right releases Seidensticker & Salour from Hamburg. Some of you might know Jakob Seidensticker as one of the masterminds from Wareika whose productions have been released on labels such as Perlon and Visionquest amongst others. After years of playing as a DJ-team in Hamburg's famous clubs like EGO, Waagenbau, Purgatory etc, they are eager to focus on their own 'house-influenced

The latest drop from Retrometro is not for the faint-hearted, as Germany's Myk Derill brings the metal machine music. You Are is a stomp and grind monster, with speaker-troubling kicks and torture chamber soundscapes. Zerone is a brutal, relentless Berlin warehouse workout, with deep reverbs, on-point percussion and a juicy roll on the low end. Alert brings yet more of the factory floor pump, with its white noise build-ups and decayed percussion. And the caustic rhythms and haunting synths of Between bring another dynamic to the EP! Bruising!

6th Borough Project are back with the follow up to their 2011 debut One Night In The Borough. A hectic couple of years have been lived out by Graeme Clark and Craig Smith during the making of this LP with Graeme continuing to play week in and week out as Revenge and setting up his new imprint Roar Groove whilst Craig has established the brilliant Fifty Fathoms Deep label. Studio time has been tight to say the least but that
hasn't stopped the duo from pulling out all the stops and ensuring that this LP surpasses the already sky-high benchmark set by it's predecessor. Followers of 6th Borough Project will be pleased to hear that all the low-slung, loopy, hypnotic vibes we've come to
expect are present and correct whilst the duo have still made sure to push things forward with their sound, bringing a minimalist, housier edge to many tracks.

Things kick off with the Intro setting the mood, coming on like a bizarre dream that's over in a flash but seems to include an entire episode of your life and succeeds in encapsulating the sentiment of the entire LP in 40 seconds! Soul, Beach, City, Gig, Party,
Energy, Relaxation.... It's all here.
On Our Love we find a brilliantly lop-sided shuffling groove laying the foundation for some classic 6BP-style vocal chops, easing us in gently with the warm up vibes. Things take a slightly darker direction on U Know U with this heads-down track, a crisp, stripped-back beat being joined by filtering pads and a distant vocal for company. Think It Over and In Your Arms follow seeing the boys building things perfectly and increasing the party
atmosphere with two floor-friendly tracks which look set to be just a couple of the DJ's favorites from the LP. Dropping things down a notch we're treated to the beautiful slow-mo gem entitled Through The Night before heading deeper still on the tripped out, dark and dubby The Call Back.

Back 2 Black picks up the tempo again for a percussion heavy workout with just a hint of Africa emerging through the echoing stabs and sub bass. The party continues with Read
My Mind which brings us some brooding, up-tempo warehouse vibes to get immersed in before F.E.E.L and a brand new LP version of previous single The Vibes pushes further still in a darker, more abstract and clubby mood. Finally, we wind down with Walk Away, making the perfect close for a brilliant, fresh and original LP from a highly talented couple of producers whose passion and knowledge of music shines brightly here. Difficult
second LP clearly not an issue with 6th Borough Project!

6th Borough Project are all set to release the follow up to their 2011 debut LP One Night In The Borough at the start of March. A hectic couple of years have been lived out by Graeme Clark and Craig Smith during the making of their Borough 2 Borough LP with Graeme continuing to play week in and week out as Revenge and setting up his new imprint Roar Groove whilst Craig has established the brilliant Fifty Fathoms Deep label. Studio time has been tight to say the least but that hasn't stopped the duo from pulling out all the stops and ensuring that this LP surpasses the already sky-high benchmark set by it's predecessor.

As a taster for the LP we present you with this sampler single containing three gems that'll whet your appetite and leave you gagging for more! Kicking off we have In Your Arms which sees the duo deliver some classic 6BP business with a party-starting house track laced with Philly strings and a heavy dose of soul. Next up things take a slightly darker direction on U Know U with this heads-down track incorporating a crisp, stripped-back beat joined by filtering pads and a distant vocal for company. Flip over for Read My Mind which brings some deep and brooding warehouse vibes to the table. This is the sound of 6th Borough Project doing techno with just a hint of 909 ride adding to the layers of bouncing stabs and off-kilter vocals.

So it seems that 2013 was the year Skudge team decided to camp by the pressing plant! The Skudge imprint is indeed growing along its artists as we're now ready to embrace longer formats, a testimony to the future and most than anything a continuous effort to grasp the present's relevancy.
After their wonderful EP from a year ago, the Fishermen are ready to take you on a diving trip with their very first album, an accomplishment in itself With 'Patterns and Paths', Thomas Jaldemark (YTA) and Martin Skoggehall (MRSK, Smell The Flesh) have crafted a rather mesmerizing story of abstract and figurative tropes altogether, and eerie is probably the best word to describe the general mood of this, but hard and raw eeriness! The affair starts with 'Green Horn', a gentle foreplay setting the tone for an imminent journey into the lightless abysses. 'Hope Is gone' further enhances the incoming grim turn of events in a coil-like fashion before 'Serpents' makes our feet and hips take over our fear of the unknown. The trance has indeed begun and we're soon entering a hidden warehouse rave cave of un-earthy shamanism, the unforgiving stomp of 'Get None'. 'Dyspnea' manages to find a path into deeper regions the groove shift towards a darker funk with 'Lost Teeth', a caribbean techno banger that'd wake any zombie in the making! 'The Four Skulls' suddenly hints of a safer journey with healing percs and melancholic pads, but 'Rise' soon shatters those false hopes with an evil lurking motoric groove. Then, you hit 'Scurvy' where the pace slows down a little only to introduce the seductive side of this gloomy adventure, a challenge to you feet inducing lascivious moves. Keeping you in trance, 'In Solitude' kind of combines both previous tracks strengths with an added Twin Peaks value. Now finally reaching the far bottom of the ocean, the mood gets even more claustrophobic with 'Sunken Mosque', the last stage of this trance before maybe getting back to the surface. Indeed, if 'Torments' might let you catch a breath of air, it is filled with minerals, the world above has changed, and you might very well feel safer back under the water, a reverse mirror to Mike Ink's old Gas project. While this tour guide concludes his narration, the Skudge camp proudly hopes to see you embark on it very soon!

Limited to 300 copies.




It's been a while since we've heard a jam as bruising as Nonsense. Titles in techno often don't tell you much, and we'd go as far as to say this badboy is really more no-nonsense. This one will blow the stack, with cavernous kicks, down-the-line 909 claps and hats, and good old fashioned warehouse bells. Decision is a jackin factory floor jam. Spitting percussion that's reverbed to the roof, combines with a one-note synth and pacy high-end work for a full-on strobe light track. Myk Derill goes DIY on his re-work of Nonsense, bringing more detailed rhythm work and creating a dynamic jam that ebbs and flows, constantly moving in and out of focus. Polishing off this belting release is Imprinted - an atmospheric sci-fi rhythm reminiscent of Convexion or even Monolake - a very nice little surprise on an otherwise heads-down release.

WAX CLASSIC is a brand new SKYLAX Sub - label.For our 10th release, we give you the opportunity to grab 4 fantastic trax done by one of the best deep house producers in UK right now : OLI FURNESS !Oli had underground electronic music firmly embedded into his life during the early warehouse scene that thrived in Manchester during the 90's, the sounds of Detroit and Chicago filtered through to the UK and his love of all things house was born. Fast forward a decade and Furness has obsessively built up a strong collection of analogue hardware and is now steadily building a legacy of his own analouge drenched and intelligent House music."Sklyax has been a hugely influencial label for me growing up, some of my hero's reside on this label so its an honour to be able to sit beside them with this release

Shlomi Aber returns to Ovum with 'Slack Tide". It has been three years since Shlomi Aber's acclaimed album Chicago Days/Detroit Nights was release on Ovum. It was followed by an incredible remix package in 2011. He returns to Ovum in fine form with the 'Slack Tide' EP. Shlomi has stayed busy the past two years focusing on releases for his own Be As One imprint as well as big releases on Desolat and Cadenza Lab. He returns to Ovum coming off strength after strength with his releases. For his Ovum return Shlomi has come back with a bang. The title track 'Slack Tide' is a rolling ball of energy. The track ebbs and flows delivering builds that should drive the dance-floor crazy. For the B side, Shlomi returns to his techno roots with 'Warehouse". You can seen this being played in a dark sweaty warehouse space and driving the crowd insane. Both tracks will rock any crowd and show Shlomi's diversity. Welcome back!

Poker Flat Recordings has long held a talismanic role within the house and techno underground -responsible for countless classic moments and pursuing a vision that propels the scene ever forward.




Here, Dutch DJ and producer Wouter de Moor continues this rich tradition, dropping an essential release for Steve Bug's ever-important imprint. The Lectures E.P features the words and wisdom of the ultimate DJ's DJ and king of the underground - Theo Parrish. Wouter de Moor's original mix intertwines a driving house groove and insistent synth riff around Mr Parrish waxing lyrical about the art of DJing, producing and life in general. The vocal track is also provided as an accapella for DJ's looking to spice up their own sets or productions, while a pair of remixes come courtesy of scene stalwart Kirk Degiorgio. The Brit delivers a vocal and dub that hit hard- toughening up the groove and taking the track further in the realm of late night main room vibes. The EP is rounded off with 8 Voice- a knowing nod to the old school with firing percussion, tight snares and a filthy warehouse-ready bassline.



[C] B1 | Lectures feat. Theo Parrish Words (Kirk Degiorgio Remix)

Mazzy Star gründeten sich 1990 aus den noch rauchenden Trümmern der SST/Rough Trade-Helden Opal. Hope Sandoval trat in die Band ein und veröffentlichte in den folgenden sechs Jahren zusammen mit ihrem Partner David Roback drei phänomenale Alben. Seit 1996 wurde es still um sie. Doch Hope gilt nach wie vor als das US-Indie-Darling schlechthin, Mazzy Star ist - vielleicht auch wegen dieser langen Pause - eine echte Indiefolk-Kultband. Seit Hopes 2009'er US-Rolling-Stone-Interview gab es immer wieder Gerüchte um eine Reunion und ein neues Album. 2011 erschien dann mit "Common Burn/Lay Myself Down" eine grossartig und mysteriöse Single. Und nun ist es soweit: das Comeback-Album "Seasons Of Your Day" erscheint Ende September 2013. Eingespielt wurde es von der Urbesetzung von Mazzy Star, als Gäste dabei waren Colm O'Ciosoig (My Bloody Valentine) und Bert Jansch mit einer seiner letzten Aufnahmen.

Six years have passed since the last album by Andi Otto alias Springintgut, ("Park and Ride", City Centre Offices, 2007). In this period, Otto has done nothing less than inventing a new instru- ment: His "Fello" is a cello with movement sensors attached to the bow and a corresponding software. The development has been kicked off at STEIM in Amsterdam already in 2007. Since then, Otto has achieved vital refinements of the system, cooperated with artists of various fields as diverse as choreographers in Macedonia, theatre in Nigeria and Techno DJs in the Berghain Kantine in Berlin or the Fusion Festival. He even played solo with his instrument on different continents. For this third album, "Where We Need No Map" Otto takes the "Fello" to his studio in Hamburg for the first time. He records his instrument which has until today only been presented live on stage. In these Fello Sessions, the bow gestures immediate- ly modulate and process the amplified cello sound. In the subsequent editings he selects and cuts these sessions and merges them with other styles, such as Skweee, House and Jazz. Springintgut's trademark sound, this unique playfulness, is pre- sent throughout, while the live-processed cello adds an unrivaled deepness. The artist's expeditions even add more colour. Two tracks have been recorded in India. The lead voi- ce in "Bangalore Kids" is a field recording of a schoolboy in Cubbon Park, Bangalore. Andi Otto spends three months in Japan as artist- in-residence in the Villa Kamogawa in Kyoto. Du- ring this concentrated period he produces the more contemplative tracks of the album, like "Ka- mogawa Cycling" and "Western Kyoto". In Sri Lan- ka, finally, he meets Sasha Perera, the voice of Berlin's Dub Techno band Jahcoozi. They record two songs together. Especially in "Bullet" one can sense the lazy, muggy, peaceful heat of the after- noons in which this beautiful track has been com- posed. These stories may help to locate the music's orig- ins but still the sound of "Where We Need No Map" points us to unknown territories. The journey itself is the reward, let's listen!

Sechs Jahre sind seit dem letzten Album "Park and Ride" (City Centre Offices, 2007) von Andi Otto alias Springintgut bereits vergangen. Diese Zeit hat der Pingipung-Mitinhaber genutzt, nicht weni- ger als ein eigenes Instrument zu erfinden: das "Fello", ein Cello mit Bewegungssensoren auf dem Bogen und einer dazu gehörigen Soft- ware. Die Grundlagen dafür entstehen bereits 2007 am STEIM in Amsterdam. In der Folgezeit gelingt es Otto, das Instrument immer weiter zu verfeinern, mit unterschiedlichen Künstlern zu kooperieren und international aufzutreten. Für "Where We Need No Map" trägt Otto das Fello erstmals ins Hamburger Studio und nimmt unzählige Sessions auf, in denen die Gesten des Bogens direkt den verstärkten Sound des Cellos verändern und neu formen. Diese Fello-Sitzungen werden anschließend editiert und mit anderen Ein- flüssen vermengt, die von Skweee über House bis hin zum Jazz reichen. Der Markenzeichen-Sound von Springintgut, diese ureigene Verspieltheit, ist weiterhin vorhanden, gewinnt durch das live-pro- zessierte Cello aber eine bisher unerreichte Tiefe. Weitere Farbe erhält das Album durch Ottos zahl- reiche Tourneen in ferne Länder. Zwei Stücke ent- stehen in Indien. Die Stimme von "Bangalore Kids" ist eine Feldaufnahme eines Schuljungen im Cubbon Park in Bangalore. In Japan verbringt Andi Otto drei Monate als "Artist in Residence" in der Villa Kamogawa in Kyoto. Während dieser kon- zentrierten Zeit entstehen die ruhigeren Tracks des Albums wie "Kamogawa Cycling" und "Western Kyoto". In Sri Lanka lernt er dann Sasha Perera kennen, die Stimme von Jahcoozi. Sie nehmen zwei Songs zusammen auf. Vor allem in "Bullet" kann man der faulen Nachmittagshitze nachspü- ren, in der die Stücke entstanden sind. So lassen sich die vielfältigen Entstehungspunk- te von "Where We Need No Map" zwar karto- graphieren, aber der Sound des Albums schickt einen trotzdem in unbekanntes Terrain. "Der Weg ist das Ziel, frag nicht viel, hör mal..."

Die beiden Jungs von Audision melden sich wieder zurück und ihr nächstes Release kann sich durchaus sehen (farbiges Vinyl) und hören lassen. "Chimes 1" wurde für ihr Live-Set produziert und hat somit bereits Reaktionen direkt von den Dancefloors einfangen können. Kristallklar klingen die Bells des neu im Studio integrierten Roland JD 800 und schwingen magisch im Raum. In der Vorbereitung für ihr Live-Set im letzten Jahr in Frankfurt waren noch nicht alle Maschinen auf Ursprungszustand gestellt und plötzlich meldete sich der JD 800 mit einem neuen Sound auf einer alten Soundbank. Die Maschine einfach sprechen lassen, ist ihr Motto von Beginn an und so wurde sofort die Record Taste gedrückt und es entstand "Chimes 2".

"Away" war der beatlose Track der letzten Erfolgs Single "Up & Away" (2012). Kein geringerer als Gez Varley aka G-Man machte daraus ein Tech-House Dancefloor Monster vom Herrn. Als Mitbegründer der legendären Kombo LFO (Warp Records) schrieb er zusammen mit Mark Bell Musikgeschichte. Als G-Man glänzte er als Solokünstler auf Labels wie Wir, i220, Force Inc. und nicht zuletzt Swim, auf dem er mit "Quo Vadis" die Clubs in den 90ern weltweit aufmischte.

Nicht weit entfernt saß im letzten Jahr noch Christiopher Rau. Der Tausendsassa ist in der Zwischenzeit von Hamburg nach Berlin gezogen, konnte aber vorher noch einen Remix beisteuern. Der Typisch, rohe aber immer deepe und warme House Sound aus den Kreisen der Smallville Familie, rundet die 12inch perfekt ab. Wir meinen ein Must-Have!