Straight out of the Hungarian underground and straight onto marbled wax, Daniel Meister delivers his debut for Dubøka with the Euphoria EP, three tracks built for the dance floor.
Raw, hypnotic, and unapologetically groovy, Meister’s originals lock into that perfect sweet spot: driving basslines, and crisp percussion to keep the floor locked in. This is proper main-room business.
Rounding out the package is a special remix from Swedish veteran Chris Llopis. He takes one of the cuts and injects his signature warmth and swing, stretching the groove into something even deeper and more hypnotic, a proper late-night weapon.
Pressed on 140g marble vinyl, limited run, no repress planned.
This is the fifth chapter in our vinyl series and easily one of the strongest yet.
Support the label, support the artists, and get this one in the bag before it disappears.
Available now via selected record stores worldwide.
Dubøka Records – keeping the underground spinning since day one.
Münchenbuchsee, a suburb of Bern, Switzerland. Stephan Eicher is the youngest of three children. His father, a radio and TV repairman, is also a jazz violinist and a sound tinkerer in his spare time. In the family home's converted fallout shelter turned studio, Mr. Eicher experiments with homemade sequencers, tortures handcrafted drum machines, and abuses reel-to-reel tape recorders—all under the fascinated gaze of young Stephan.
The boy quickly develops a musical curiosity, exploring sound through various experiments and wanderings. Alongside his younger brother Martin, Stephan crafts audio plays on a homemade multi-track recorder (essentially several cassette decks hooked together!), which they write, record, add sound effects to, and perform for family and friends. Just a couple of nice kids, really...
Then comes 1972, and Lou Reed's Transformer album changes everything for the Eicher kids. For 13-year-old Stephan, it's a revelation—especially "Vicious", the opening track, which he plays on repeat for months. He convinces his father to buy him an electric guitar. Not stopping there, his father also builds him a tube amp using an old radio.
Then comes adolescence. A rough one. Stephan leaves home at 16 and moves to Zurich. With obvious artistic talent, he persuades his art teacher to help him get into F+F, a radical, alternative art school—despite his young age. Accepted, he starts learning video techniques, determined to become a filmmaker.
At F+F, Stephan organizes Dada-style happenings and concerts with a group of friends known as the Noise Boys. Among them: one of his teachers on bass, Veit Stauffer on drums (who would later found ReR/Recommended Records), his girlfriend Sacha on vocals, and Stephan on guitar. In one of their early performances, they release a remote-controlled mouse covered in dull razor blades into the audience to create panic and chaos. Keeping with this aggressive, confrontational spirit, they once played a concert while wearing headphones blasting Tristan and Isolde, trying to perform their own songs simultaneously—to maximize the cacophony. The goal was always the same: clear the room.
Their “songs,” if you can call them that, followed suit. Take "Hungeriges Afrika", for instance—performed entirely with power drills and some drum feedback.
To make ends meet, Stephan returns to Bern on weekends to work as a waiter at the Spex Club, the city’s main punk venue. On September 16, 1980, during a show by proto-electro group Starter, the police raid the club and arrest everyone. Stephan, who manages to avoid arrest, seizes the opportunity to “borrow” Starter’s gear left behind. He suddenly finds himself in possession of a Roland Promars synth, a Korg MS20, and a gorgeous CR78 drum machine, which he runs through a Big Muff distortion pedal to get that perfect gritty sound.
He then sets out to reinterpret some Noise Boys tracks, reworking them during impromptu sessions recorded on a dictaphone (yes, a dictaphone—now the lo-fi sound makes more sense, doesn’t it?). He ironically titles the resulting cassette "Stephan Eicher spielt Noise Boys" ("Stephan Eicher plays Noise Boys"). This gem features seven tracks, which are the ones reissued here.
Back in Zurich, he visits his friends Andrew Moore and Robert Vogel, who have a DIY cassette duplication setup. They make 25 copies of Stephan Eicher spielt Noise Boys for Stephan and his friends. Robert encourages him to visit Urs Steiger of Off Course Records and play him the tape.
Without much hope, Stephan shows up at Urs’s office. But Urs is instantly hooked and suggests releasing a 7” single. Due to space constraints, they reluctantly drop two of the seven tracks ("Hungeriges Afrika" and "One Second"). As for the musical score featured on the cover—it was randomly chosen and remains a mystery to this day. Calling all music theory nerds!
The 7-inch is pressed in 750 copies and released in the first week of December 1980—a date Stephan remembers well, as it’s the same week John Lennon was killed. Smartly, Urs sends a promo copy to François Murner, Switzerland’s answer to John Peel, who hosts a show on alternative station Sounds. Murner falls in love with the record and starts giving it airtime. To Stephan’s surprise, sales follow—and people actually seem interested in his music.
Even this modest underground success scares Stephan a bit. He stops making music for a year and moves to Bologna, where he works as a programmer at Radio Città, a feminist radio station.
Meanwhile, Stephan’s younger brother Martin, who’s also involved in the punk scene, joins the band Glueams as a singer and guitarist. Glueams, named after the fanzine run by two of its members (drummer Marco Repetto and bassist GT), eventually rebrands as Grauzone. Stephan is invited to their shows to project hacked Super 8 visuals live on stage.
Urs Steiger, now working on a compilation titled Swiss Wave – The Album, asks Grauzone to contribute alongside bands like Liliput, Jack and the Rippers, The Sick, and Ladyshave (Fall 1980).
For the album, Martin tasks Stephan with producing their recording sessions. Under Stephan's artistic direction, two tracks emerge: "Raum" and "Eisbär". During "Eisbär", Martin plays a minimalist bass line borrowed from post-punk band The Feelies (just an open string). Drummer Marco Repetto struggles to keep time. Later that evening, unhappy with the takes, Stephan builds a four-bar drum loop from a ¼-inch tape and uses it instead of the flawed original. He then adds bleepy synths and wind sounds to complete the track’s icy vibe before handing it over to Urs.
The Swiss Wave – The Album compilation is released quietly at first, but things snowball thanks to "Eisbär", which eventually becomes a smash hit—selling over 600,000 singles.
Meanwhile, Stephan plays in a rockabilly band called SMUV (named after Switzerland’s social security agency) and begins producing artists, including the debut album of Starter (1981), which includes a more pop-oriented version of "Minijupe".
By early 1982, Stephan starts spending time with the post-punk girl band Liliput (formerly Kleenex). They’re older than him, and he happily drives them around in his Renault Major, acting as their roadie.
By 1983, Grauzone—signed to the major label EMI, which turned out to be a misstep—is falling apart. Stephan begins to pivot toward a more mainstream pop sound with his debut solo album Les Chansons Bleues.
Tone Dropout Records kick off the new year in emphatic style with a brand-new 6-track vinyl EP that stays true to the label’s unmistakable dancefloor-driven sound.
Packed with heavyweight grooves, acid lines, breaks, and bleeps, this release delivers six high-impact tracks designed for late-night systems and packed floors. The EP also marks an exciting moment for the label, welcoming two new artists into the Tone Dropout family while celebrating the return of long-standing contributors.
Joining the roster for the first time are KWAKE and Harry Light, both making a powerful debut on the label. They sit alongside Tone Dropout regulars SkyWave Transmissions and XOTR, while label co-owners DAWL and SWEEN reunite once again, delivering an acid-fuelled opener and a special bonus breaks track on Side B.
As always, the EP is overflowing with breaks, bleeps, acid, and raw rave energy.
Side A – The Head Side
Side A opens strong with DAWL and SWEEN at the helm, laying down a driving four-to-the-floor acid groover that would warm up any dancefloor with ease. It’s a statement opener — and a sign of much more to come from the duo throughout the year.
Next up, SkyWave Transmissions brings his trademark experience and finesse, delivering a tightly produced acid-bleep track that showcases depth, quality, and character. Following seamlessly is long-time collaborator XOTR, who rounds out the side with a pure slice of northern bleep excellence — unmistakably Sheffield in style and sound.
Side B
Side B introduces the first of the new Tone Dropout members, KWAKE. A long-time friend of the label, this marks his first official appearance, and he doesn’t disappoint. His track is a full-force breaks banger, capturing authentic rave energy and guaranteed to ignite the floor.
Next comes Harry Light, making an immediate impact with a pounding house-and-breaks hybrid. Impeccably produced and relentless in energy, the track lives up to its name perfectly — “POWER HOUSE.” Both newcomers arrive firing on all cylinders, delivering two massive dancefloor weapons back-to-back.
Closing out the EP, DAWL and SWEEN return with Tones Breaks 5, a three-minute breaks workout and the latest installment in the label’s breaks series. This track also serves as a respectful nod to one of their musical heroes, Frankie Bones, rounding off the release on a high.
Six tracks. All killers. No fillers.
In challenging times, this EP delivers exceptional value — a complete package of club-ready music pressed to vinyl and built for real dancefloors.
Another quality release from Tone Dropout Records.
London Based Deadbeat is a techno label founded in 2000 as an outlet for the more eclectic, risk taking and aggressive elements of the genre. Dedicated to unveiling forward thinking new talent, championing cult underground producers and celebrating established global acts the label has created a loyal fan base and now after more than two decades presents its first vinyl release, a massive six track EP that covers a lot of creative ground and features three artists well known for pushing boundaries while delivering face melting, dancefloor destroying beats.
Sane ( Don't Recordings / Fun In The Murky ) is a Uk based producer and techno DJ who has featured multiple times on the 'Best electronic music on bandcamp' pages. Described there by music journalist Joe Muggs as 'Filthy, dirty, vile and brilliant. His techno will tear the top off your head and make soup with the contents. It screeches, it blurts, it whistles, and it roars. Above all, it crashes and clangs like a dancing mech warrior, crushing all before it. What more do you need to know?'
TSR ( Analog Records / Hörspielmusik ) are a highly regarded creative force of Swedish musical mentalists, a crazed, technologically berserk band of electronic wizards who relentlessly conjure up the most brilliant, silliest, toughest, most dance bootable funky techno on this train of existence. Known for high-energy, raw, and sometimes humorous tracks they have released to high acclaim on many notable labels and played all over the world.
DJ Ze MigL ( Djax-Up-Beats / Minimalistix ) is first and foremost a DJ, but also a producer & a Dude! Creating crazy, funky and sometimes brutal techno mayhem. Residentially from Portugal, he’s been the one of most prolific Portuguese techno producer/ DJ during the last 25 years. Producing and Spinning his own special brand of honkin’ techno, not changing a single cowbell. Never too serious or dark, always with proper party ON!
The record additionally features full sleeve artwork by Ed Twist ( of the influential 'Ugly Funk' label ) and is pressed on yellow vinyl.
Chris Liebing's first full solo techno LP, 'Evolver' is released on 27th March 2026, via his own CLR imprint. The German techno don's LP features a host of collaborators across music, images, and artwork. Luke Slater, Charlotte De Witte, Speedy J, The Advent, Terence Fixmer, Pascal Gabriel, Daniel Miller contribute to the music, while long-time collaborators Studio Bergfors deliver design, and legendary photographer Anton Corbijn shot Liebing for the project.
The Evolver LP is the sum total of Chris Liebing's three decades at the beating heart of techno. It's the record only someone whose first break as a techno DJ was playing five hours at Sven Väth's infamous Omen in Frankfurt - and who has ridden out every twist and turn of life and subcultures since, while remaining rooted in the true school, dark, sweaty techno sweat pits of the world - could have made. It's the result of deep introspection, but it's about utter immediacy. It's the sound of someone previously driven along by compulsion and happenstance at last finding the confidence to be utterly intentional about their practice, allowing them to take the most classic, familiar, proven elements from the past and render them completely new.
Evolver is also Liebing's first completely solo album. There are collaborations, yes: with old friends from the OG techno generation, Luke Slater, Speedy J, and The Advent, all on uncompromising form, and with new generation figurehead Charlotte De Witte, who provides a thrilling narration of total surrender to the moment on acid clarion call "Symphonie des Seins". But unlike all Liebing's albums to date, there's no co-pilot. Every structure, every mixdown, every choice serves his singular vision of how his untold immersion in the surging currents of the world's greatest clubs should sound. The elements are all those forged in the white heat of Omen and Tresor in the mid 90s - brutal repetition, titanium kick drums, industrial atmospherics, but also dark rave euphoria, ever present surging acid lines just on the cusp of trance, and just enough human voices to remind you of bodies on the dance floor - but rendered with all the extraordinary accumulated skill and technological developments since then.
It's Chris's vision entirely, his musings on sound, technology, and life birthing tracks like "Roy Batty." Inspired by thoughts of AI becoming sentient and hungering for more life like Rutger Hauer's titular Blade Runner character, it was one of the first tracks to emerge and a foundation stone for the album. And in pursuit of that vision, it's built like a "proper album". The anticipation and menace of intro "Unfold" tip over into the glowing hot high drama psychedelia of "Symphonie…" then the breathless headlong rush of The Advent collab and on through an unfolding narrative that goes deep, goes dark, opens out into grand vistas, takes strange turns before finally landing on the alien landscape of… well… "Endtrack".
Not everything is pummelling on Evolver - the dazzling title track feels like you've been welcomed into the courtly dance of a higher dimension civilisation, and the audacious Speedy J collab "Shaping Frequencies" is a beatless flow that tests the boundaries between signal and noise. But for all its complexity, conceptualism, and stylistic branching out, every last part unmistakably powered by that dark techno-cavern energy above all else. All of it positively radiates the qualities of Liebing's greatest work and sets to date - but somehow even more so than before. Whether you're listening for aesthetic inspiration, cerebral stimulation or just that raw physical power, this album will sweep you up into its momentum and won't let go of you until it's done.
Benedict returns with his fourth record in a collaboration with London's So'Fierce, after a strong run of three incredibly well received releases.
For 004 expect a different mood on each side of this timeless sounding driving Chicago House record...
Complimenting his singular debut LP, 2025’s ‘Light Months Will Fly Over Us’, singer-songwriter and producer Addy Weitzman sees his thoughtful artrock and new wave aesthetic expanded by The Time & Space Machine for a limited three-track 12".
The long-running alias of British DJ, archivist and acid pioneer Richard Norris, this trio of remixes from The Time & Space Machine’s central processing unit finds Norris in a jubilant raving mode, his trademark psychedelia contributing to Slacker at its best and baggiest. The initial mix captures Weitzman’s songwriting in full, including his portentous vocal hook – “No man is a prophet in his own land” – a proverb first found in the gospels, blessed with the innovative Norris’s application of hypnotic groove, fat low-end and a ton of percussion.
The B-side sees Norris stripping things back in two directions: the Shango Dub draws focus on the higher vibrations found in the track’s beautifully intertwined percussive and synth elements, while the Riddim Mix reduces the frequencies further still, with a phased, slightly fried drum workout primed to spin heads as the night gets deeper and darker.
Doubting all the time. Fearing all the time. Our Darkness descends upon Dark Entries with a reissue of Anne Clark’s epochal proto-house masterpiece from 1984. As a young poet, Clark found herself drawn to London’s emerging punk scene. She became acquainted with Psychic TV affiliate David Harrow, with whom she would collaborate on 1983’s Changing Places and 1984’s Joined Up Writing. “Our Darkness,” off the latter album, was released as a single on Ink Records that same year, and became an underground club hit. It’s a singular piece of music: Clark’s lyrics, delivered with equal parts muscular confidence and unease, speak of urban alienation and heartbreak, while Harrow’s production pummels the listener with hydraulic beats and gloom-laced arpeggios. The song’s spirit would prove influential on both the early Chicago house and Detroit techno scenes, where mechanistic funk and existential despair could catalyse dancefloor mayhem. This reissue offers three versions of “Our Darkness”: the original 12” remix, the Razormaid mix, and a previously unreleased dub version uncovered by David Harrow. Also included is the extended mix of “Sleeper in Metropolis,” another dancefloor hit of Clark’s, as well as the elegiac “Poem for a Nuclear Romance.” The record includes an insert with liner notes and lyrics. “Our Darkness” channels timeless longing and contemporary dismay, a classic overdue for a little light shed upon it.
Black Truffle is pleased to present Radis, the first recording by the Oslo-based trio of Andrea Giordano (voice and organetto), Kalle Moberg (accordion) and Jo David Meyer Lysne (guitar and snare drum). Now based in Norway, Giordano is a native of Cuneo, in the Piedmont region in the north-west of Italy and her exploration of the Piedmontese language provides the starting point and conceptual anchor of the trio improvisations heard on Radis, which make use of the words of 20th century Piedmontese poets Nino Costa, Bianca Dorato and Oreste Gallina. As the musicians explain, the project is an attempt to preserve the beauty and singularity of a language at risk of extinction.
Fittingly, the first sound we hear on the opening piece ‘Fiorìa’ is Giordano’s unaccompanied voice. She sings a poem from Oreste Gallina as a kind of floating cadenza, the accompanying silence sensitizing the listener to the pellucid quality of Giordano’s voice and the unique sound of the Piedmontese language. The voice dies away and into the silence swells a single tone, sounded by Moberg’s accordion and—special guest on this opening piece—the alto saxophone of Mario Gabola. Extended techniques and preparations create unexpected timbres from the acoustic instruments: Gabola’s saxophone is augmented with tin cans and springs and Moberg’s unorthodox techniques allow the accordion to generate wheezing, buzzing textures and patterns of microtonal beating. Giordano’s voice returns, picking up the thread of the languorous opening melody, coexisting for a while with the shifting drone before the piece takes an unexpected yet organic left-turn into a delicate saxophone solo of sorts.
Recorded in several locations across Italy and Norway over the course of three years, Radis documents an ensemble who have developed both a distinctive sound-world and a remarkably sensitive group dynamic. Moving from folkish duets between accordion and Giordano’s organetto (the small accordion used in Italian folk music) to episodes of metallic guitar scraping from Meyer Lysne, the music is both quietly contemplative and gently chaotic. Ensemble roles shift with disarming ease. If on ‘Profij dëspers’ Meyer Lysne’s prepared guitar adds a haywire noise element to a lyrical episode of organetto and accordion, the next piece, ‘D’antorn a lor’, is grounded in chiming guitar chords of stunning beauty; once Giordano’s joins, the result calls up the most spacious moments of Maria Monti’s Il Bestiario. Throughout the seven pieces, the trio explore countless possibilities of group interaction and the margin between conventional euphony and pure abstraction: at times the voice floats against silence or seems almost disconnected from the gentle clatter of the instruments (sometimes reminiscent of Nikiforas Rotas’ haunting settings of Cavafy), while at other points the instruments touch on conventional harmonic accompaniment. What is perhaps most striking of all is the way that voice and instruments relate to each other, the extended technique reframing the voice as a kind of abstract sound object, while the melodic beauty of Giordano’s voice lends a contemplative, almost melancholic air to the wheezing and scraping of accordion and guitar.
Captured in gorgeously intimate recordings, Jim O’Rourke’s careful and beautifully spacious mix highlights the wealth of textural detail in each element. Accompanied by notes, session photos and the text of the Piedmontese poems, Radis is a work of stunning beauty that demonstrates the vitality of exploratory music in Norway today.
Somewhere long ago in a vinyl galaxy near you We Play House Recordings released an E.P. called ‘This Is Still Belgium Vol 1’. The release was called like that because the music on it could only have been made by Belgians. Vol 2 never happened…until now. Label boss Red D has always been inspired by the rich Belgian club music of the 90’s and inevitably those influences have sneaked into his own productions, but never as clear as on the three tracks you are reading about now.
And so the original WPH series has been revived with WPH 024.5, aptly called ‘This Is Still Belgium Vol 2’. The music is situated somewhere between house, progressive house and early trance music, basically club music with soul & melody at its core.
On the A-side we find Red D teaming up with his friend Mona Lee, a soul sister who has been making waves in recent years in soulful house circles and who comes up with the vocal prowess to match Red D’s emotional trip of a track and heartfelt lyrics. Can you handle the break?
The B-side opens up with ‘Tides’, a deep hypnotic builder for late night eyes-closed dance floors and closes with ‘Papillon’, a track that came to life long ago in the minds of Telepaticos (Marcos Salon & Sandro Valcke). When Red D heard a demo version of this one the melody got stuck in his head and never really left him. Many moons later he rediscovered the parts of this one on a hard drive and got to work on his interpretation that features on this E.P. Safe to say the track holds a special place in Red D’s heart and we’re sure you’ll feel it as well!
"HOPES AND DREAMS - Rare & Unreleased Psych-Soul Nuggets from the 1970s" marks the beginning of a new journey of discovery through the music history of the 1970s, which we hope will be just as successful as its predecessor, PRAISE POEMS. Curated by label headman & DJ Tobias Kirmayer.
MIXED SUGAR - GANGSTER GIRL b/w IT’S A BAD FEELING / I’M SAD WE’VE BROKE UP.
MIXED SUGAR were a 70s soul group from Flint, Michigan led by Regional Garland - The main man toiled in obscurity for years writing, singing and producing a series of revered 70s & 80s soul songs, as in The Perfections, 21st Generations, Vann & Reggie and Brilliance.
All three tracks on this 7” appeared on the 2012 compilation, ‘Regional Garland - Mixed Sugar The Complete Works,1970 - 1987’ from reissue imprint masters, Now Again Records.
Two of the tracks were previously unreleased until this wonderful collection unearthed them. The raw, funky and soulful ‘It’s A Bad Feeling’ came out on F.G.S. Records in 1974 and commands a £500 price tag.
We are highlighting ‘Gangster Girl’, a song with a great storyline and now taken to a new level with an extended edit - wah wah effects, swirling strings and there’s a killer instrumental break!
Step into the spirit of the early rave years with “Parade006”, a high-energy EP rooted in the uncompromising sound of classic breakbeat. Drawing inspiration from the 90s, this release channels the raw pulse of a time when warehouse walls shook, kicks hit hard, breaks were chopped to the bone, and basslines pushed systems to their limits.
Right from the first track, the EP pulls you into a fierce rush of rough-edged samples, piercing rave stabs, and nonstop drive. Each cut blends heavy nostalgia with modern punch, fusing old-school hardcore attitude with contemporary production power.
Brace yourself for pure dancefloor pressure. Arms up. No restraint. The rave is back.
>>> comes in different marbled colored 12 “ Vinyl and ONLY on Vinyl <<<
The breakout underground star of the past year, the deservedly hyped Thought Leadership returns with another X ideas: the deck this time chooses the suit of Cups. This new collection is closer to the Post-Punk tonality of Pentacles, than the breezy Balearic Jazz of Swords. Gone are the brushed drum samples and airy synths and in their place are BIG guitars, 808 thumps and a decidedly more prominent use of bass as a melodic device.
As the suit of Cups reflects the emotional heart of the Tarot, presented within are a further X pieces, this time displaying the full range and fervour of Thought Leadership.
You know the drill by now. Originally out on cassette only, we present the first ever vinyl issue. It's a hideously limited pressing of 300 for the world, so don't sleep on this.
Side A explores the emotional levels of consciousness; angst, joy, love, sorrow, relief, regret – they are all represented across the first seven tracks, and often within the same piece. XXI kicks us off with a huge tumbling D minor passage, layers and layers of guitar front and centre, whilst the drums pound away in the distance. Release is provided with a gorgeous G Dorian section, where we hear the bass take flight with a high melodic line.
We’re still in familiar Durutti Column meets Dif Juz territory here, but things switch up with XXII. This piece showcases a darker, more angular palette of guitars; think Alan Rankine (The Associates), or Deb Demure (Drab Majesty) in the unexpected harmonic shifts, knotty arpeggiated patterns and heavy, goth-adjacent modulation. A real love letter to 45+ years of darkly inclined guitar heritage.
XXIII enters the fray with tight, thumping 808s and Marr-esque guitar figures; and again, the bass providing heavy melodic counterpoint to the guitars. Enter chiming, lyrical lead phrasing, reminiscent of the eternal opening to "Everybody Wants To Rule The World". Another accidental perfect pop moment from the Thought Leader. Whilst on the topic of Tears For Fears, XXIV comes swinging out of the gate with some serious Sophisti-chug; we’re reminded of "Shout" in the A section, before being beautifully juxtaposed in the B section with more Vini-eqsue patterns, reminiscent of his timeless classic, Another Setting.
XXV gives us welcome pause to take stock midway through the A side. No drums this time, but instead a heartbreaking conversation between two guitars; think Kevin McCormick and David Horridge’s masterful Light Patterns, or perhaps even the early solo-Bill Connors mid-70s cuts for ECM. The moment of quiet reflection passes, and is quickly shattered by the thudding march of XXVI – this piece comes across like The Associates playing "Wicked Game"; heavy, moody, and utterly compelling. XXVII ends our journey across Side A with more Marr-inspired playing; one for the heads and already featured on mixes, this one is real testament to the vision of Thought Leadership.
Side B again takes us on a trip through three long-form semi-improvised pieces. XXVIII is like those classic Jonny Nash, early Melody As Truth releases, slowly unfurling, additional details introduced deliberately piece by piece, this idea builds across 7+ minutes culminating in some utterly joyous ebow fireworks at the end – well Balearic.
XXIX again, like XXV before it, dispatches the drums with a focus purely on melody and mood. The piece feels like a lost Save Room Theme from the Resident Evil series, pure golden age Capcom Sound Team vibes. Unadulterated aural nostalgia for hours spent with a PS1 in haze of hash.
XXX completes this majestic voyage with another Modal exercise; this time the Thought Leader has opted for the Lydian Mode. Beautifully dreamy, undeniably Soundtrack-y, and arguably the most concise distillation so far of everything this project stands for; drum machines, guitars, pedals, one-take improvised solos – XXX has the lot, and is surely destined for greatness.
So, another X epic statements for guitar, homespun with the humblest of means, for all the dreamers out there. The first ever vinyl release of IV Of Cups has been carefully remastered by Be With's engineer Simon Francis to ensure it sounds better than ever after its initial tape release. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut at Abbey Road Studios whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry, in Holland. The original tape cover artwork, so crucial to Thought Leadership's striking visual aesthetic, has been rejigged for vinyl issue here at Be With.
Both multi-instrumentalists and seasoned producers, J and Peter took an all-hands-on-deck approach to these original collaborative tracks. The sonic seeds of "Underappreciated" and "Facile" were planted by Peter, JKriv cooked up the demo of "Over Suffa", and all three were completed together in J’s Brooklyn production studio. With live-recorded guitar, bass, analog synths, and drums/percussion by and a cohort of Brooklyn accomplices, the Facile EP marries live elements with modern club-ready production.
The punchy horns and no-nonsense vocals on "Underappreciated" come via Peter’s long-standing stage and studio connection with Ibibio Sound Machine, Favorite Recordings staple singer Olivya delivers the soulful EP title track performance, and Samy Love’s insistent vocal on "Over Suffa" is a pleading message to end the war and suffering in his native Cameroon.
With a remix of "Underappreciated" by French producer extraordinaire Yuksek, songs in both English and French, and influences ranging from boogie funk, 80s R&B, and classic Zouk, the Facile EP is a varied and dazzling collection of music for both listeners and DJs alike.
Romphea lands on Scottish imprint Hilltown Disco with his debut EP, Blind Protocols. A producer who’s been making serious waves worldwide, Romphea’s forward-thinking take on electro has already found a home on respected labels such as Pinkman, Tiger Weeds, FERMA, and recently on Hilltown Disco’s charity compilation.
Romphea distills his sound on ‘Blind Protocols’ into a fierce club-ready statement. The A-side delivers three break-neck electro cuts, loaded with acidic pressure and gripping, sweat-driven drum workouts. Flip it over and the EP slips into darker territory, leaning into EBM influences with two killer remixes from Hayter and Timothy J. Fairplay.
New 12” from WEorUS Records, catalog number WU009, is titled "First Dip" by Wetsuit. The record is written and produced by Vincent Lemieux and Ohm Hourani, two acclaimed figures known for their contributions to forward-thinking electronic music. This fresh EP features three tracks: “It’s OK” on one side, with “Believe it” and “Papapi Papapa” on the other, promising a genre-blurring journey ideal for discerning selectors. Jazz infusion and eclectic electronic production is the best way to identify this masterpiece.
Mastering is handled by Cristobal Urbina, ensuring high-fidelity audio.
Wah Wah 45s present a limited edition vinyl special from Afro-dub masters, Soothsayers. With a history that goes back three decades, having released two classic LPs (Tradition and We Are Many) and numerous EPs and remixes on the imprint, the band deliver two brand new and exclusive versions of one of the highlights of their new LP, entitled Fly Higher.
Love Will Find a Way features vocalists Maia Avery and Akin Soul, both former members of Youthsayers - a South London based music performance and education group, taught by Soothsayers band members. With new mixes by acclaimed Sao Paulo based producer Victor Rice, it's a stepping reggae vocal duo piece with a strong, universal message asserting that despite the current divisive political rhetoric and the championing of greed over human empathy by those in power, love will always be a more powerful force than hatred and division. Maia and Akin Soul's distinctive voices blend and weave beautifully over a hypnotic groove with a fresh and poignant emotional energy contributing to what should be a future steppers classic. These previously unreleased mixes are available in both vocal and dub versions on hand-stamped 7-inch vinyl and Bandcamp only. "We are so proud and happy to be able to feature Maia and Akin on this beautiful song. Both are former members of Youthsayers, the youth music education organisation set up by Soothsayers in 2016. Maia (from recent Wah Wah 45s signings Kotoa) and Akin are now great artists in their own right and it feels very satisfying to feature them on this new Soothsayers release." Robin Hopcraft (Soothsayers)
a A1: Love Will Find A Way (Light Still Shines Version) [feat. Maia Avery & Akin Soul]
[b] B1: Love Will Find A Way (Victor Rice Dub) [feat. Maia Avery & Akin Soul]
[a] A1 | Love Will Find A Way (Light Still Shines Version) [feat Maia Avery & Akin Soul]
[b] B1 | Love Will Find A Way (Victor Rice Dub) [feat Maia Avery & Akin Soul]
Two foundational releases from Toronto's Strobe Records get a well-deserved reissue on the Clone Classic Cuts series, spotlighting a pivotal moment in North American dance music. While often overshadowed by the Detroit and New York scenes, Toronto's underground in the early '90s was brewing its own potent blend of house and techno - and these tracks are prime examples of that cross-border synergy.
The Hayden Andre Project's contributions sit at the perfect intersection of tribal house rhythms and the emotive, machine-driven pulse of early Detroit techno. There's a raw elegance here - a sense of deep groove layered with just the right amount of percussive tension. It's no surprise that these tracks became staples in the crates of DJs both then and now. The production feels timeless, with hypnotic arrangements that still command the floor over three decades later.
On the flip, Kingdom Come, another alias of Ron Allen, delivers lush, blissed-out house music that channels the soulful energy of New York's golden era while adding a uniquely Canadian sensibility. Allen's piano work, layered with warm pads and swinging drums, gives these tracks an unmistakable vibe - equal parts deep house ecstasy and garage swagger. It's the sound of 3 a.m. euphoria, of packed dance floors and emotional peaks.
Skyjoose and Johnnie Clark set out to push the boundaries of UK Garage and 2-Step, crafting a sound that was raw, souldful, and ahead of its time. The project became known as The Stalker – a name that would quietly echo through the underground. Though countless tracks emerged from those sessions, only two saw the light of day on the original Stalker EP released in the year 2000.
Now, 25 years later, The Stalker returns from the depths of the DAT archives – remastered, reawakened, and ready to move dancefloors once again. This special repress features the two original vocal mixes from the Stalker EP, plus four additional club weapons forged in those same legendary sessions – three of which have never been released…until now.
SAMOH unleashes his new dancefloor weapon, four-track EP ‘Changing Worlds’, out on February 26th, as his debut on Charlotte de Witte’s prestigious KNTXT imprint.
Charlotte de Witte: ‘I have been playing SAMOH’s tracks for quite some time now and I am very happy to welcome him to KNTXT. His acid, techno and trance driven approach to music fits my lane perfectly. There is an energy in his work that feels raw, focused and completely unapologetic. This release in particular has that acidic drive that I love so much. This is powerful club material and I cannot wait to see where it will go.’
Rotterdam’s producer, DJ & live artist SAMOH responds, ‘Releasing this as my first record on KNTXT is an amazing opportunity, and I feel honoured to be able to share my music with so many people and let this sound travel further worldwide.’
‘Changing Worlds’ EP: from the title track’s rampant beat, rattling drums, acid-saturated main theme with euphoric edge, and portentous vocal (‘reality peels away...’) to ‘We Are All Waveforms’ with its psytrancey, insanely acidic builds to banshee pitch over shutter & hiss FX at which point you are indeed ‘entering a non-linear dimension’, you are then a willing victim for ‘Reality Is Gone’ to hammer-drill into the brain and take command of your feet. Final piece ‘Echoes Of Tomorrow’ starts with dystopian chattering percussion and spacey FX, before luring you into a healing euphoric dreamstate with moonstruck, melodic trancey sweetly soaring singing.
’Changing Worlds’ represents my approach to acid techno/trance in its most direct and energetic form.’ SAMOH says.‘I made this EP with three high energy tracks, followed by a more atmospheric closing piece that brings everything together. It’s about a driving motion and intensity, creating moments where dancers can disconnect from everything else and fully give themselves to the music.’
You have been warned. You may as well succumb to acid as voracious as Venusian cloudforms, techno beats galloping over your inhibitions, and trance as bewitching as absinthe for the ears. You’ll be glad you did.
With over 20 years of intense production work and prestigious collaborations, Irie Ites Records has established itself as one of the most respected reggae labels on the international scene. In 2025, the label continues it's strong momentum with a brand-new volume of it's flagship series: Cream of the Crop 2025. Following the success of the previous editions (2022, 2023, and 2024), which each reached several million streams and gained strong visibility in reggae media and playlists worldwide, this new release stands as a must-have for all roots & culture reggae lovers. True to it's reputation for excellence, Irie Ites Records has once again teamed up with some of the finest musicians and producers in reggae: Mafia & Fluxy, Bongo Herman, Earl "Chinna" Smith, Lone Ark, Naram, The Ligerians, King Jammy, Willy William, among others. All tracks were mixed at the Irie Ites Studio (France), ensuring a warm, powerful, and authentic sound. To conclude the album, four exclusive dub versions add the final touch to this outstanding compilation.
raum…musik welcomes Giuliano Lomonte for its 120th release with Moonlight EP — a three-track journey cross-sectioning house and techno with hints of 90’s progressive trance, combining precise rhythmic control, atmospheric depth, and club-focused energy. Tools built for tension, release, and maximum dancefloor impact.
The EP opens with “Drynation”, a ten-minute prog-tech-house roller built on hypnotic grooves, rolling low-end, and evolving percussive patterns and synth textures, locking the floor in with a steady pulse and a masterful play of tension and release. “Moonlight” shifts into deeper, proggy techno territory, weaving subtle percussive motifs over a simple interchanged kick-and-bass foundation. Fluid and restrained, the track unfolds slowly, with minimal drum variations and gently filtered synths, creating an elegant sense of forward motion. Closing the EP, “One Step Ahead” balances stripped-back tribal house energy with rolling grooves, detailed percussion, and warm pads, resulting in a deeper cut that is precise, functional, and full of understated character.
With Moonlight EP, Lomonte confirms his mastery of tension, texture, and subtle movement, delivering a record that reinforces Raum…Musik’s reputation for high-quality, dancefloor-ready music while highlighting his signature blend of rhythm, refinement, and subtle progression.
TSTD NEO returns with smooth slow disco remixes for three tracks, originally featured on THE SUNSET MANIFESTO Volume 2:
One of the standout tracks of THE SUNSET MANIFESTO 2, the super smooth Westcoast inspired "Hands of Love" gets an even smoother remix treatment by Liverpools BEN JAMIN, perfectly suited for your next late night bar dj sets.
Stockholm meets Mexico City! TSTD resident producer Monsieur Van Pratt returns from remixing Poolside on The Sunset Manifesto 2, and comes back with a romantic slow disco version of Kimchi's "Do You Ever"
Last but not least UK producer Matt Hughes already did a funky electro disco remix for Goodvibes Sounds' "Stay For One More Night" on The Sunset Manifesto 2. Looks like the original tune didnt leave his head, so he returned to his studio for new remixes. Here you can find the "Echo" version of his new 80s cinema sounding "Late Night Radio Remix", which would sit well in the soundtrack oft he Stranger Things TV series. The long version of this remix will be relased later digtially.
Somewhere between heaven and hell…there is Fallen Angel. Dark Entries continues its mission of shining light on a generation of composers and musicians lost to AIDS with Brandy Dalton’s Fallen Angel, his soundtrack work for the award-winning Fallen Angel series. Brandy was known for many years in the LA underground for his performances with his boyfriend, Robert Woods, who was the resident DJ at Club Fuck. Eventually, they recruited John Munt to form the band Drance, becoming infamous for their high-energy performances and songs that tackled taboo topics like sadomasochism. While Drance explored the aggressive sounds of industrial and EBM, Dalton continued to produce a wide range of electronica, from abstract sonic textures to techno bangers. The Fallen Angel album collects 16 sweaty, sticky cuts composed for the pornographic series Fallen Angel, a trio of leather-focused films released by Titan Studios. The sounds here span from the fractured cyberpunk-rave of “Swelled” to the tabla-laced trance of “FA2,” taking listeners on a journey through hedonistic recesses chock full of crunchy digital drum machines and wailing FM synths.
This album was originally released on CD in 1999 by Titan Studios, capitalizing on the success of the film franchise. It will be reissued on LP as well as CD, featuring 6 bonus tracks. Artwork for the album, designed by Eloise Shir-Juen Leigh, features stills from the Fallen Angel film. Also included is an insert with liner notes and photographs. This album is dedicated to Brandy, who passed away from AIDS-related illness in 2006, after battling with the disease for 17 years. Brandy’s passing was preceded by his best friend and Drance co-founder Robert’s death in 1995. Documenting a sonic shift in the 90s bathhouse music, Fallen Angel provides a hardcore BDSM ride, building upon the analogue archival soundtracks that Dark Entries has previously released.
R.A.N.D. Muzik Recordings welcomes Melbourne’s Willee to the label for his debut release, an EP of progressive house and breaks, true to the early 2000s sound.
DJ Tennis expands the universe of his recent single ‘Playa Paradiso’ featuring vocals by multifaceted British artist Eliza with a deep-diving Club Mix, retooling “Playa Paradiso” into a darker, longer-burning version aimed squarely at the dance floor.
Stripping back the sun-kissed gloss of the original, the Club Mix leans into his precision production instincts; elongating the groove, tightening the rhythm, and letting the low-end shine. With the vocal weaving in and out like a guiding light through the haze, it’s a hypnotic take that trades coastal charm for heady club
elevation. A masterclass in tension and release, the Club Mix underscores DJ Tennis’s ability to balance emotional depth with dance floor functionality. The remix is a reframing of “Playa Paradiso” for the night shift: smoke-filled rooms, peak-time crescendos, and sunrise afterglows. Both versions capture different corners of the
same world, one that basks in the Balearic sun, and the other pulsing in the strobe.
Together, they mark a full-circle return for DJ Tennis’s first solo material in three years as an artist whose sonic world has always defied simple categorization.
Born Bad Records knew exactly what it was doing when it signed this Nantes-based trio, whose sharply defined sound and raw authenticity stand out. With Rage Blossom, Île de Garde unveils an EP charged with palpable tension, somewhere between dark pop and psycho-wave. A catalogue of modern misdeeds, a David Lynch-like backdrop where Sylvia Plath’s poetry might cross paths with the controlled excesses of Fever Ray.
The EP opens with “Fear The Sun,” its Mike Oldfield-esque soundscapes plunging us into an apocalyptic and unsettling world. “Homicide Volontaire” follows with meticulous narration, a technical exercise evoking the anger and defiant lucidity of a Virginie Despentes. The hallucinatory hit “To Death” snaps like an anthem to collective dancing in the face of the inevitable. Since we’re going to die, let’s dance! On the B-side, “Ageless Woman” weaves together a half-mythological, half-mysterious text, carried by haunting backing vocals. “Birthday Girl,” featuring Kuntessa, radiates an ironic and joyful riot-grrrl energy, an uninhibited celebration of women’s liberation. Finally, “Boy,” a small post-punk jewel, closes the EP with an ending as surprising as it is delicate.
The group’s genius also lies in the complementarity of its musicians. Morgane Poulain anchors the drums with a dynamic that is both subtle and narrative, airy yet jagged. Cécile Aurégan, the architect behind a multitude of synths, builds powerful sonic landscapes, layer upon layer. Klara Coudrais, the band’s poetic figurehead, elevates her texts with a rich and plural vocal palette, giving life to several characters who vibrate with intensity. The band’s writing, hovering between darkness and light, echoes a kind of visceral poetry, exploring the seasons of the soul with authenticity and force.
With this EP, Île de Garde establishes itself as a band to watch closely, capable of translating on stage both the raw energy and the fine craftsmanship that define their music. An immersive journey, full of tension, urgency, beauty, and electric flashes.
Île de Garde, a Nantes-based trio with sharply drawn sonic contours and raw authenticity, unleashes its full arsenal on Rage Blossom, an EP radiating palpable tension between dark pop and psycho-wave. A catalogue of modern misdeeds, a David Lynch-like setting where Sylvia Plath’s poetry would meet the controlled excesses of Fever Ray. An immersive journey of tension, urgency, beauty, and electric sparks.
Opening track “Fear The Sun” plunges us into an apocalyptic and unsettling landscape. “Homicide Volontaire” continues with meticulous storytelling, a crime vignette evoking anger and the fierce lucidity summoned by a situation with no way out. The hallucinatory trance of “To Death” snaps like an anthem to collective dance in the face of the inevitable. Since we are going to die, let’s dance! “Ageless Woman” blends a half-mythological, half-mysterious text, carried by hypnotic backing vocals. “Birthday Girl,” featuring Kuntessa, releases an ironic and joyful riot-grrrl spirit, an uninhibited celebration of feminine liberation. Finally, “Boy,” a small post-punk case study, closes the EP with a simple, sensitive truth.
The three musicians propel and relay one another in this breathless race. Morgane Poulain drives the drums with a dynamic that is both subtle and narrative, airy yet staccato. Cécile Aurégan, architect of multiple synths, builds powerful sonic landscapes, layer after layer. Klara Coudrais, the storyteller, elevates her texts with a rich and multifaceted vocal palette, giving life to all their characters, both mythical and ordinary. The band’s writing, between darkness and light, proclaims a visceral poetry, exploring the seasons of the soul with authenticity and strength.
A rising artist of the French electronic scene, Naajet asserts her identity with The Night Starts Now, a four-track EP that celebrates the freedom and intensity of the night. Co-founder of the Bande de Filles collective and known for her explosive universe blending House, Hardgroove and Breaks, as well as for the unique energy inherited from her dance background, Naajet delivers here a sonic manifesto conceived as an ode to club culture and to the present moment.
“I imagined this EP as an anthem to the world of the night. The night offers us unparalleled freedom, an outlet that allows us to be ourselves, to create, to love. The Night Starts Now captures this celebration of the present moment and this declaration of independence.” Naajet Opening the EP, “Ready To Shine” unfolds radiant House nourished by Pop and 90’s sounds. With a clear and ascending rhythm, the track combines euphoria and introspection. “I composed this track as a joyful and introspective journey that prepares us to embrace the night. For me, it is a call to accept our wounds, to transform them into light and strength, so that we may shine brighter when we enter the club,” explains Naajet. Between ethereal vocal lines and shimmering pads, the track acts as a ritual of entering the night, inviting us to turn wounds into strength and to shine on the dancefloor. The second track of the EP, “Sugar”, embodies the effervescence of the club. Carried by a hypnotic voice and an effervescent rhythm, the track celebrates the communion of bodies and the liberating energy of dance. “It is an ode to dance and to bodies coming together. This track speaks of those moments when, on the dancefloor, boundaries fall: we sweat together, we free ourselves together, and energy flows from one body to another,” says Naajet. A true concentrate of intensity, “Sugar” captures the moment when sweat, rhythm and abandon merge into a collective movement towards freedom.
With “I Can Be Anything”, Naajet changes register and flirts with deeper, even techno textures. Built on a throbbing pulse and sharp synths, this track is meant as a manifesto of identity. “I really wanted to propose a track that claims our right to free and plural expression and sexuality. I Can Be Anything is about our multiple identities, our ability to reinvent ourselves and to refuse any form of formatting,” she says. Between club intensity and political resonance, “I Can Be Anything” questions our multiple facets and embodies the assertion of an elusive and free self. Closing the EP on an euphoric note, “May It Never End” stands out with its broken rhythms and powerful synths. The track conveys the transcendent energy of the end of the night, when dawn arrives but we refuse to leave the collective trance. “I wanted to put into music this feeling of infinite energy, when time is suspended and the party seems to never have to stop. It is this euphoric vertigo that connects us all in the same breath, this utopia of a night that would never end,” says Naajet. A true apotheosis, this track embodies the utopia of an eternal night.
DJ, producer and co-founder of the Bande de Filles collective, Naajet has established herself with a singular universe where House, Hardgroove and Breaks blend, nourished by her background as a dancer and an instinctive sense of groove. For the past three years, she has performed on French and European stages – from Berlin to Amsterdam, via Geneva and Oslo – and has made her mark in clubs such as Rex Club, Le Sucre and Badaboum, as well as festivals like Nuits Sonores and Kolorz. On the production side, she has released several acclaimed EPs on renowned labels such as Shall Not Fade and Monki & Friends. In 2025, she takes a new step with the launch of her label SWEAT Records and a residency at Le Sacré in Paris, affirming her role as an ambassador of a free and intense club culture. She also collaborates with the waacking company MADOKI, for which she composes and mixes projects at the crossroads of dance and music. With The Night Starts Now, Naajet confirms her status as an essential artist of the new electronic generation1
Dutch electronic music trio, Noisia, have announced the release of their long awaited new album, 'Outer Edges' on their own label, Vision. The 18 track album is their first in six years, and the band's second in total.
With a peerless reputation and countless awards under their belts, Noisia have transcended their genre and grown into a phenomenon in their own right. Drum & Bass is at the core of Noisia's sound, but Nik, Martijn, and Thijs's visceral brand has always ventured further.
"It's called Outer Edges because it's us exploring the outer edges of what Noisia, the three of us together, is. It's about the idea that all the songs are little islands that we take to their individual edge... They're all like expeditions to far sides. That doesn't mean that it's everything; it's just that every song, if it goes in a certain direction, we've taken it all the way there. There's no real concessions, we haven't been super DJ- or radio-friendly at all and we've done no collaborations or hardly any vocals on the album." - Noisia
To mark 10 years since SOPHIE’s game-changing singles collection PRODUCT, Numbers are celebrating with a special edition featuring 11 songs across Deluxe Vinyl and Compact Disc.
This anniversary release includes bonus tracks, track-by-track slide posters, and a SOPHIE PRODUCT Card. Physical editions are now available for pre-order and released on 11th July 2025.
SOPHIE classics ‘BIPP’, ‘LEMONADE’ and ‘VYZEE’ are joined by two immaculate PRODUCT-era songs ‘OOH’ and ‘GET HIGHER’ recorded and produced at the time, each with colourful single artwork completing the set.
‘OOH’ is one of SOPHIE's earliest productions that has been through several revisions since 2011. It was one of three original tracks that Numbers had signed when SOPHIE uploaded the song alongside 'BIPP' and 'ELLE' to her Soundcloud, and while it had been through several iterations and speed changes, this finalised version was completed by SOPHIE in 2019.
SOPHIE once described ‘OOH’ as “hi tech club dance pop”. Musically speaking, the earworm hook is carved out by her signature portamento-infused synths and candy-coated lyrics, a firm cult classic approved by AG Cook and Charli XCX. Initially titled 'MAKE RESPECT', the track was first performed live by SOPHIE in 2011 to a handful of lucky people at a beach afterparty surrounding Sonar Festival, Barcelona and later that year at Manhattan's New Museum. The vocal was recorded as the first track in the same one-day recording session as SOPHIE's debut single 'NOTHING MORE TO SAY', released on the Huntley & Palmers label, where Sophie's songwriting was performed by the London vocalist Jaide Green.
The genesis of the ‘OOH’ and ‘NOTHING MORE TO SAY’ recording session is lore-worthy in its own right: after watching Jaide Green perform live with Olly Murs during the sixth series of The X Factor in 2009, SOPHIE reached out and invited Jaide to record in her home bedroom studio.
‘GET HIGHER’ was born during joyous sessions in 2013, when SOPHIE’s beat was introduced to the vocalists Cassie Davis and Sean Mullins. The track feels like a visionary precursor to ‘Vroom Vroom’, and doesn't sound out of place next to the sub-clang intensity of SOPHIE’s ‘HARD’ and ‘MSMSMSM’. Striking a playful balance between blissed-out hyperpop and club-ready Atlanta trap, it showcases SOPHIE’s signature, laser sharp sound design. Originally released as a bonus track on the Japanese CD edition of PRODUCT, ‘GET HIGHER’ has remained a hidden gem.
A groundbreaking producer, songwriter and performer, SOPHIE's visionary approach reshaped the landscape of pop and electronic music. Emerging in the early 2010s, SOPHIE introduced a hyper-detailed, futuristic sound defined by metallic textures, elastic basslines, and an uncanny blend of synthetic and emotional tones. Collaborating with artists including Charli XCX, Madonna, Vince Staples and Arca, SOPHIE helped pioneer a new pop movement while challenging conventions around identity, genre and production. SOPHIE's work continues to resonate deeply, leaving a lasting impact on a generation of artists and listeners alike. Discography: PRODUCT (2015), OIL OF EVERY PEARL'S UN-INSIDES (2018), SOPHIE (released posthumously, 2024).
Chat Noir opens its 2025 calendar with the fourth chapter of its hors-série imprint, welcoming a striking new EP from Mariiin, the Italian DJ and producer based in London, previously spotted on labels such as Eya Records and Exarde.
Staying true to her signature sound, Mariiin delivers three exclusive tracks lying somewhere between techno and electro. Dark, powerful and hypnotic, these pieces carry a certain atmospheric tension and depth. Each track unfolds with precision and intensity, confirming her status as one to watch in today’s underground club landscape.
To complete the release, Italian artist Otis offers a compelling reinterpretation of False Memory on the B2. His version closes the EP in the best way, adding his unique twist that elevates the original material.
Indiana Jones never dug this deep.
Church – the brainchild of Joe Washington – were a band both lucky and cursed to come up in the seventies. Lucky, because they rode a wave of community activism, uplifting messages and a moment when music truly mattered. Cursed, because those same times meant their tight, heartfelt output went overlooked.
Mid-sixties to circa 1980 soul and funk were extraordinarily rich. The era’s big releases have aged like fine wine, yet countless hidden gems remain buried. Church’s only single was one of them. Their hypnotic 1976 release “How Long” b/w “Da Da Song” arrived the same year as Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life, Marvin Gaye’s I Want You, Diana Ross’s Diana, and at a time when Black mainstream music was shifting toward disco. Church, however, sounded like Sly & The Family Stone in an alternate timeline — gritty, focused, stripped of additives.
“Da Da Song” is pure grits and gravy: furious, tight drums and lyrics that sound like both a plea to DJs to play their record and an insistence to keep the party alive, noticed or not. It cooks from start to finish in just two and a half minutes.
“How Long” is its own universe. Where “Da Da Song” is skeletal, “How Long” blends key strands of Black music in under three minutes: touches of spiritual jazz with a Gary Bartz-like sax, gospel-blues undertones, and echoes of the era’s flower-power-tinged Black creativity — The Undisputed Truth, The Family Stone, even the poetic freedom of Nikki Giovanni. The lyrics are a timeless plea for love.
Church formed in the Bay Area in the early seventies, shaped by the movement, culture and activism of the time. Joseph Washington, based in San Jose, never chased a music career — for him, music was a way to bring people together. Before Church, he led a backing band called Wash, then added gospel singer Linda Williams (née Stephens) and New York–born Joel Como on xylophone to complete the group.
They rehearsed in Joe’s garage, spread through word of mouth and played every gig they could: Black colleges, opening slots for The Whispers, neighbourhood house parties. Some members studied at Nairobi Junior College in East Palo Alto, then a hotbed of Black community activism, with revolution in the air and messages woven naturally into the music.
This single is a message from that era, resurfacing at last — ready to be sampled just as another Joe Washington track, “Look Me in the Eyes”, was on Drake and J. Cole’s “First Person Shooter”. These rare, spirited tunes are begging for new life through samplers, again and again.
“The music of Season 2 of SEVERANCE is true to what came before in Season 1, while also developing new themes, new sounds, and new variations,” says Shapiro. “The season's bold expansions into new storylines and new locations, along with the incredible filmmaking and performances, provided plenty of inspiration.” “We are beyond thrilled to head back to Lumon with our Season 2 vinyl package,” says Mutant Co-Founder Spencer Hickman. “Working alongside Ben Stiller and his team, Fifth Season, and Apple has been an absolute honour and a joy. Greg Ruth and I are obsessed with the show and the chance to play in this sandbox again. Creating original art alongside in-show ephemera is like receiving a gift. I couldn't be prouder of the package we have crafted for Season 2, blending the Innie and Outie worlds just as the season itself felt instinctual. I really hope fans feel we have done it justice. PRAISE KIER.” Single LP with obi strip and a 16-page booklet featuring portraits of the main cast.
After a longtime interest in the beguiling music of Nathan Dawidowicz, Hell Yeah now hooks up with the leftfield downtempo producer for their second full-length album, FLUFF. The immersive record features three long, winding and mystical soundscapes that blend trance and experimental into spiritual and ritualistic escapes.
Dawidowicz was born in Milan to a Polish-Lithuanian mother and a Cameroonian father, but grew up in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Jerusalem. Because of that, their sound is deeply rooted in childhood experiences playing the piano at religious ceremonies, as well as taking inspiration from their father’s DJing throughout the '80s and '90s. Now based in Berlin, Dawidowicz has explored expression through music on labels like Luspoderosa, where they released their debut solo album, Sanctuary of Ideas.
It was when Calm and David Holmes started playing the epic, 23-minute 'Capricorn Rising Over Jerusalemite Temple' from that album that Hell Yeah founder Marco was encouraged to get in touch with Dawidowicz. A few months later, talk turned to releasing this new album, which comes with artwork by Spain's Alicia Carrera.
'Skeptic Afro Jr.' kicks off and soon sinks you into slinky, ever-evolving rhythms. It's a slowly evolving work of sound where the focus shifts from snaking basslines to lumpy drums, cosmic leads to life-affirming chords. 'Scintilla (Feat. Hannah Schraven)' is a deep and downtempo trip into dub and techno, with undulating drums and exotic melodies that escort you into otherworldly realms of spiritualism. Last of all are 'Deep Fluff' and a hidden track (Feat. Leo Börger), two cinematic explorations of deep space where acoustic frequencies and molten synths rewire your brain and connect you to a higher power.
FLUFF is another deeply personal and inward journey packed with transcendental experiences.
DJ FEEDBACK:
"That's such an outstanding piece of work - played two at the beginning on Saturday. Probably my favourite release of the year so far!" Sean Johnston ALFOS
"this is great! 3rd repeat. It’s so nice" Vladimir Ivkovic
"Just listened to Nathan's record and it really sounds amazing... Probably the best thing you've put out to my ears ;-) I love the way he bridges the sounds of the past with contemporary storytelling, taking you on a very long trip which you never want to leave!" Alexis Le Tan
Hiver completes a trilogy of EPs on Gudu with ‘Blue Hell’, another transmission of space-age machine funk from a duo who are truly shaping their own soundworld.
If you’ve followed Hiver, you should know the deal by now: they’ve spent the last decade honing a sound that draws heavily from dance music history – namely the starry-eyed synthesizer funk of classic techno and electro – that drips in colour and emotion without ever feeling retrograde. ‘Blue Hell’ is their third EP for Gudu, and maybe their most accomplished yet.
In Hiver’s words, “this EP was shaped by a mix of late night club energy and the more introspective, melodic ideas we’ve been exploring in the past years. A big part of it also comes from the tension between how people connect today. This constant, hyper-connected flow of networks, media, and online exchanges and our own way of creating music, which is very physical and personal. We’re always bouncing ideas through messages and files, but the real magic still happens when we meet in the studio, face to face. That contrast between digital connection and human presence became a sort of hidden theme behind the EP.”
“With Blue Hell, our third chapter on Gudu, we wanted to capture a moment of clarity, something direct yet still drifting. In a way, this release completes the excursion we began with the first two records: three points that trace the contours of the sounds we’re drawn to. Each track feels like a fragment of that journey, grounded in rhythm but always leaning toward depth and escape.”
‘Let’s take a trip’ – with major names on the psytrance scene Avalon and GMS releasing on KNTXT for the first time, combining forces for a full-on attack, 4-track EP ‘The Underground’, out December 11th. Their joint mission? ‘Combining two worlds where psytrance meets techno, a fusion which will take you on a mind-expanding journey! Welcome to The Underground…you have arrived!
London DJ/Producer Avalon was recently awarded the number 1 top-selling psytrance artist on Beatport with over 30+ psytrance chart #1s and 5 top-selling LPs to his name, and performs at the likes of Tomorrowland, Boom, EDC Las Vegas, Glastonbury, Exit, Burning Man, Ultra, ASOT, Ministry Of Sound,... GMS (Growling Mad Scientists) was founded by Dutch Ibiza-based DJ/Producer Riktam with the sadly late Bansi, to establish pioneering psytrance label Spun Records and to have director Tony Scott no less, using GMS tracks on three of his films. A prolific producer with over 300K album copies sold, GMS holds the most psytrance records released overall.
‘I'm beyond honoured to release this stunning four tracker from psytrance legends Avalon and GMS. With this release, friendships were formed and worlds truly started colliding. I have massive respect for both these artists and their long standing impact on electronic music. This release feels like a bridge between generations and genres. It carries an energy that deserves to be heard, experienced, and felt on dancefloors around the world.’ Charlotte de Witte
Title track ‘The Underground’: hyperspeed trance beats support a wild variety of acid-dripping pulsations, spacey arps, otherworldly swoops, mind-teasing stabs, it’s like a lightshow in sound. That transports its listeners into another dimension. On ‘Horizen’, psytrance thrives, while ethereal vocals call, with intricate sound design painting a mythical soundscape. On ‘Machines’, it’s driven by hypnotic acid lines, pulsating Kick & Bass with sprinkles of techno infused percussion! Its choral notes and alien-like spoken lyrics, both gripping and disorientating as builds & breaks come thick and fast. ‘Rave to the Grave’: constant pulsing high synth and vocals with twanging acid together with frantic percussion create a sustained, agonizing build, build, build – until ‘On the 7th day, the Lord said ‘Let the beat drop!’’ Phew!
‘We are very excited about our debut release on KNTXT ‘The Underground’ and can’t wait to share this 4 track EP with you all. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did creating it. This fusion of techno/psytrance is brought together by all of our mutual love for acid & driving hypnotic dance music! Enjoy… Play it loud! Welcome to The Underground… You have arrived!’- Avalon & GMS
A mind-bending EP, with racing beats that give the ‘trance’ in psytrance a huge adrenalin shot. This is high energy reaching new altitudes; hold on to your brain cells, they’re going for a ride!
What can be said about Joey Beltram’s ‘Energy Flash’ that hasn’t be said already! The track still gets rinsed, week in, week out, across radio stations, clubs and festivals, testimony to the sheer importance of this techno classic.
Released originally in 1990 on the R&S Records label, ‘Beltram Vol. 1’ included the aforementioned ‘Energy Flash’, alongside three equally ground-breaking dance tracks that possibly get overshadowed by the big lead track. But tracks like ‘Subsonic Bass’ broke the mould and went on to influence a raft of rave and drum ‘n’ bass tunes, thanks in part to its use of the now legendary ‘hoover’ bass sound. The sinister acid of ‘Jazz 3033’ still sounds as fresh today as it did 33 years ago, and the menacingly titled ‘Psycho Bass’ reveals the EP’s most passive moment, as its solid breakbeat cuts through ethereal tones and chugging synths.
‘Beltram Volume 1’ has been remastered by Beau Thomas at Ten Eight Seven Mastering, and the release comes in an updated sleeve, faithfully recreating the 1990 packaging.
‘Beltram Volume 1’ by Joey Beltram is available on R&S Records from 10th February 2023.
“The group has no niche, it doesn’t fit in anywhere,” explains Necessaries drummer Jesse Chamberlain in a 1980 Melody Maker interview. “We just state the facts about life in America, like The Clash did about England, but we’re not so heavy about it.” The Necessaries rose from the ashes of Harry Toledo & The Rockets, a little-known New York art-rock band playing gigs at Max’s Kansas City during glam’s metamorphosis into punk. —From the liner notes by Michael IQ Jones The Necessaries came together in 1978 and in the too-brief lifespan of the band counted among their members, Ed Tomney (Rage To Live, Luka Bloom), Jesse Chamberlain (Red Crayola), Ernie Brooks (Modern Lovers), Arthur Russell (The Flying Hearts), Randy Gun (Love Of Life Orchestra). First championed by John Cale on the strength of Tomney’s songs, Cale produced their first single for Spy Records (under the I.R.S. umbrella) which was released in 1979. With the forward momentum brought about by the single, the band set about tracking demos intended for Warner Bros., but The Necessaries ultimately would sign to Seymour Stein’s Sire Records. These rough demo basic tracks lacked overdubs, mixes and any finishing touches that would have made them viable for commercial release, but due to tour commitments, the band had to put the sessions on hold to hit the road. While on tour, the band was shocked to discover that Sire had issued the unfinished tracks as their debut album Big Sky (issued in 1981). The band had Big Sky withdrawn and replaced with Event Horizon (issued in 1982) which included half the original tracks from Big Sky and continued to record throughout 1982 aiming for a follow-up. It was not to be and their final studio sessions remained unissued until now. Completely Necessary (Anthology 1978–1982) is the first authorized collection of recordings by The Necessaries and includes 37 tracks, 28 of which are previously unissued. Completely Necessary represents the most accurate musical history of the band laid out across three albums. Disc one is the band-approved first album Event Horizon, followed by Pilots Facing North, a disc collecting studio recordings spanning 1978–1981 and disc three finally sees the release of their final sessions, Songs From The Blue Colony. Album notes by Michael IQ Jones trace the history of the band for this compilation produced by The Necessaries’ Ed Tomney and Cheryl Pawelski (Omnivore Recordings). The audio has been restored and mastered by Michael Graves at Osiris Studio, and both the 3-LP and 2-CD sets feature previously unseen photos across the package. Finally, an essential missing piece of the late ’70s/early ’80s New York scene that was just slightly ahead of the college alt-rock soon to come, is finally available to rediscover—this time it’s authorized and absolutely necessary. BUY! HERE’S WHY! • The first authorized and comprehensive anthology by The Necessaries. • Mid-’70s/early ’80s New York rock/punk/art scene band included members: Ed Tomney, Ernier Brooks, Arthur Russell, Jesse Chamberlain, and Randy Gun. • 37 tracks, 28 previously unissued. • Liner notes by Michael IQ Jones, plus unseen photos.
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