Austrian Ken Hayakawa keeps up Stripped Down Records' fine run of form with two new tracks that get remixed by John Tejada and Whitesquare.
Hayakawa's mother is Japanese but he hails from Salzburg. He is formally trained in piano and has performed Beethoven's music in a number of prestigious venues. That melodic, minimalist style still informs his own output and over the last decade has come on the likes of Audiomatique and Upon.You.
Superbly soothing opener 'Sonic Wave' is a brilliantly warm and spaced out deep house track that voyages into the cosmos. Dreamy pads drift by as muted acid lines flesh out the supple, subtle drums. It's a late-night groove to really get lost in.
American tech house titan and long-time Kompakt associate John Tejada steps up to remix and takes things even deeper, with pulsing, sonar-like acid blips and icy hi hats all working on melting your mind as warm, gurgling bass drives things forwards.
It is Italian producer and DFTD, 2020 Vision and Freerange house master Whitesquare who then remixes. He brings plenty of spine-tingling chords to his version, which is deep yet driven, with layer upon layer of rich sound all oozing real soul.
Hayakawa then finishes things off in style with 'Lost,' a brilliantly atmospheric track that is cavernous, dubbed out and finished with exquisite ambient details that cannot help but calm you.
This is a beautiful EP of deep, dynamic house music.
Cerca:wi fi soul
Legalize Lambada step up for their 4th outing with four delectable afro disco edits from Sputnik.
'Superlove' see's Sputnik channel a South-African take on early garage house before melting 'Feeling Fine', the reggae tinged, afro boogie gem.
On the flip side, 'Groove Me' unearths some feel good Cameroonian disco gold complete with killer guitar solo, whilst 'Rick' closes out the e.p. dropping the tempo for a synth soul, slow jam.
With early support from Hunee, Lexx and the likes, LEG004 is shaping up to be one of the summers standouts.
DUAT (pronounced "do-aht") was the realm of the dead in ancient Egyptian mythology. The deity Osiris was believed to be the lord of the underworld since he personified rebirth and life after death, being the first mummy as depicted in the Osiris Myth. The underworld was also the resi-dence of various other gods along with Osiris. The DUAT was the region through which the sun god Re traveled from west to east each night, and it was where he battled Apep, who embodied the primordial chaos which the sun had to defeat in order to rise each morning and bring order back to the earth. It was also the place where people's souls went after death for judgement, though that was not the full extent of the afterlife. Burial chambers formed touching-points be-tween the mundane world and the DUAT, and the akh, the effectiveness of the dead, could use tombs to travel back and forth from the DUAT
Benny Blanco debuts with a five-tracks "Staraya Ep" onto his Valkea Music. Every detail has been taken care, from mixing
to the master from the WHITE 180 GRAMS vinyl press to artwork. Following a short description about "Staraya EP"
STRY 1 by Ricky L Red "Is Not Dead Mix" intense and majestic, the track of rare and profound beauty.
STRY 2 "Original Mix" it's a tribute to Benny Blanco's origins and to the electronic/progressive sound of the mid nineties
that had great influence on him and became his trademark from the very beginning.
STRY 3 by Giammaria Coccoluto & Luca Vera "As Soul Sonic Remix" an ethnic rhythm full of grooves thanks to the addition
of percussive elements and a masterly used organ, which won't keep you still.
STRY 4 "The THC Revenge Remix" an atmosphere that captures and hypnotizes, where it extrapolates and magnificently
enhances the most melodic part.
STRY 5 "Erly Tepshi Dark Vision Mix" an esoteric and astral journey in the furthest and most remote corners of your mind.
This original project to the artwork that will in essence, satisfy your eyes and especially the ears.
Repress
After two big EP's, DJ/producer powerhouses Steffi and Martyn team up once again for their debut LP on 3024! Punchy, straight forward house and techno with a broken twist and beautiful layers of melodies and sound, dedicated to those who feel..
"When two of the best team up! Melodic techno at its best!"
Jonas Lion / Hello Play
"Wow! Very atmospheric sound! Great album!!! 5/5"
Mixmag
"Brilliance from two masters of the game."
XLR8R
"Has a rough-n-tumbling '90s romanticism that is really hard to capture in a lot of tracks nowadays - that's already an achievement but the tracks are also heartfelt bangers. Terrific LP!"
Mitch Strasnov / URB
"Coming out around my birthday, what a feast. It's You I See makes me wanna play all those old 808 State and Gerald singles again."
Rene Passet / DJBroadcast
"Very soulful and even spiritual, at a time music needs it most."
Matrixxman
"Legendary from the first listen. Five thumbs up. LOVE IT!!!"
Ambivalent / LA4A
"Very VERY VERY Cool release indeed. Quality music as always on 3024"
Laurent Garnier
"Its exactly how I imagined FSOL now, if they took a less arty route"
Kink
Otis Stacks, three syllables. A name and a first name that recall a mythical singer as much as the Memphis music label that got him to it's days of glory. A name that evokes him in particular and soul music in general. Behind a name that sounds familiar are Elias Wallace and Justmike, two men united to become one: Otis Stacks. In truth, the optimized version of a work started long ago, when Justmike was producing the Danish hip-hop sound of Dafuniks and decided to get in touch with Elias after hearing his voice on a friend's tune. He first wanted him to lay his voice on a
chorus, then a verse, and ended letting him take over the lyrics of 'All I Want', the song that would later bring Dafuniks on air and around Europe. After traveling miles and miles across the ocean and the seas separating California from Denmark, Elias undeniably became a member of the group. As gigs went on, stages after stages, Justmike got inspired by Elias's voice and presence. Thus, the idea of a duo collaboration between the two men geminated and grew in his mind. As the evidence of their getting along, 'Fashion Drunk' became the first tune to
infiltrate Nova and FIP radio playlists, as its music video reached 8 million views. This now obvious complicity as extended in the form of an album, also called Fashion Drunk, released by Underdogs Records. With this French stopover, the line between California and Denmark is now completed. The result is an artistic fusion in which Justmike has plugged his instruments to the machines he uses to compose, letting Elias in charge of the
lyrics and singing. Here, the soul music is printed as a guideline in an organic and digital composite matter. In an ethereal and aerial production that perches its arrangements in the air of the mix or buries them in its bases, letting electro music spread on a groove punched with black and white keys. Each element intervenes with discretion to let Elias stories be related with elegance. Frustrated, disappointed or aborted love stories.
After the original comes the remix. Or in this case three. I:Cube, Chinaski and Aera help you refresh your memory and re-draw "Drawn From Memory" from Benjamin Fröhlich's second part of the "Rude Movements" series. It's one single track, but every remixer has taken his very own approach and came up with a new interpretation.
The iconic French producer and Permanent Vacation long time favourite, I:Cube, transformed the original into a soul warming and heart melting late night bomb that lets the sun appear even in the darkest places. Chinaski out of Frankfurt, well known from his releases on Live at Robert Johnson and Uncanny Valley, fuses Italo Disco with a John Carpenter-style soundtrack aesthetic and an infectious bassline completed by a full on guitar solo in the break. Aera, fresh from releasing his album on Permanent Vacation, is slowing down the tempo, rearranging the layers of the original and adding a bubbly and underwater atmosphere that let the dub stabs shine. Three different versions that may represent different memories of one long night.
Timeless Legend are a soul group from Columbus, Ohio. Their 'Synchronised' album from 1980 is one of the rarest 'rare grooves' and both original copies and the single 'I Was Born To Love You' currently sell for over £1,000 a copy.
For RSD, Love Vinyl in conjunction with Expansion bring you an earlier 1979 single 'Everybody Disco' (itself worth over £200), a remix and 'I Was Born To Love You' on a 12' single limited to 750 copies. The remix of 'Everybody Disco' is by The Mighty Zaf & Phil Asher who command major respect from the current disco scene and have transformed the song into what will become one of the most significant disco style dance releases of 2018. This is the first and only time for these tracks on 12' single.
tested 'Then After' EP by New York duo Wild Dark.
'...Stemming from a partnership with two decades of experience behind them, Wild Dark takes on contemporary song-writing and gives it a unique, thoughtful, modern-take using a wide spectrum of electronic music to tell a story. The duo, comprised of brothers Corey & Ryan Negrin, stray from cold digital samples in favour of a warmer approach to writing music. This allows them to merge house, techno and natural vocal work into a cohesive concept that uses soulful yet charming songwriting to nurture a sophisticated palate of contemporary work...'
Then After EP includes two tracks featuring Alex Who 'When we first met Alex there was chemistry off the bat. With inspiration of being young and free, the lyrics and vibe to "Why Not"came together with ease. As the production progressed, the darker tribal elements came to life.
We wanted this track to resonate with the free spirited. This track tends to be a favorite of night.
"Born By The River", A Happy Mistake. The vocals, the elements, the soul, all stemmed from animpromptu recording and this beauty was born. With a list of organic household recordings,accompanied by a warm low end, we aimed to create a track that defied all genres.
"Talky Talkie" is the most club oriented track of the EP, with a persistent groove and synth elements that work perfectly on the dancefloor.
"I'll Wait" brings our bohemian flavour to shine, a track that's comfortable being played anywherefrom Burning Man, lost in the desert to the deep warehouses of Brooklyn's underground.
The digital release will include a special remix by Superlounge, a German duo known for their smooth house vibes. This is a must have release, available first on the label's shop online;
t r u e C o l o r s
A Brooklyn / London based record label that channels artist's most honest version of their
creations and shares it with the world through vinyl and digital platforms.
Sional Records debut on vinyl with it's first 12 various artists featuring 5 artists, each one representing different shapes of techno, expressing their own sound in this release.
Broken Souls contains tracks by: The Horrorist, Æmris, Ontal, FLmm, Kill Acid on Space.
Supported by: Slam, Cleric, Abstract Division, Krenzlin, Pacou, HRTL, RVDE, Raffaele Attanasio,Throwing Snow, Astronomical Telegram, WarinD, Klankman, Metrist L.SAE, Scenedrone and other.
The Viennese label forTunea finishes 2017 with another rendition of their forTunea Cookies recipe. The ingridients on the A-side were added by Klaus Benedek and the newest member of the forTunea bunch, Lukas Poellauer. - Splattered is another typical melancholic KB trip. A chopped hookline, heavy reverbed synths and a vocoder are the signature features in this track. Lukas delivers us on the other hand his interpretation of - Underground house music with Chicago and UK influences. The B-side gets a little spicier. Jakobin & Peletronic serve with - Morning Glory some funky seeds on the plate. Last but not least the Schampus Ghost teams up with Anemona to the baking session. What they are adding to the cookies What they are adding to the cookies Well, it is certanly not sugar. ;-) It is for the better not to unveil the secret ingridient. But lets just say, their tune has some cool disco-techy vibes innit. All in all an enjoyable treat
Already support by Iron Curtis, Blueshift, Dubble D, Paul Cut, Rainer Trüby, Manuel Sahagun, Roman Rauch, Franksen, Claudio Ricci. Tyree Cooper, Sarah Wild, Bart Ricardo, Janefondas, The Soulbrozerz, Eric Davenport, BTO Spider, Jaymz Nylon, Snooba
(en) Good things take time - ideally, including a great deal of oomph. At least when it concerns new tracks from within Monkey Maffia's inner circle. It has been four whole years since we received the momentary last piece of the 'Monkey Maffia Music Club', 12 inches full of funky nasty beasts dedicated to the best dancefloors of this world. In the meantime, a remix was released here and a track was presented there, but now we may once again enjoy a full load of Monkey Maffia. And on top of that the now 75th release of Freude am Tanzen!
Monkey Maffia is personally providing the soundtrack for this ceremonial occasion. His tracks continually supply tremendous amounts of oomph to parties as well as loads of gravity and funk. After all, as an experienced DJ he simply knows what an awesome night looks like - a straight bass drum fractured while simultaneously amplified with infinitely warm synths. On one track, bass and percussion are throwing all our worries overboard, on the next one pads and vocals are shimmering to the bet. Whatever may happen, it can be said with utmost certainty that it will never become boring on either secular flat earth.
A1 - Bad Or Good
A total brain and leg screw, that spins and spins and spins. Any DJ willing to test how much funk a dancefloor can bear up to the third decimal place, will be perfectly served with this track as proof.
A2 - Fake Heroes
Short reminder, but detailed clattering minimal with soul does still exist. At first, 'Fake Heroes' frostily shines through aerial heights; however, then submerges all the more into unforeseen depths.
B1 - MiniMi
Somehow jazzy, but was meant as house. Similarly hypnotic, equally free. Common thread is the bass drum, along which anything is possible. File under: secret weapon for truly late hours and DJs with guts.
B2 - Schörless
This is a track that sends Larry Heard on an Orient trip and thereby extends over a much longer period than its brief four-and-a-half-minute length. For all those who are still serious about 'deep' in house.
(de) Gut Ding will Weile haben - und reichlich Wumms am besten gleich noch mit dazu. Zumindest dann, wenn es sich mal wieder um neue Tracks aus dem engsten Kreis der Monkey Maffia handelt. Ganze vier Jahre ist es inzwischen her, dass uns von dort aus der vorerst letzte Teil des - Monkey Maffia Music Club' erreichte, eine 12-Inch voll funky-garstiger Biester für die besten Dancefloors dieser Welt. Zwischendurch erschien ein Remix hier und ein Track dort, doch nun gibt's endlich wieder Monkey Maffia satt. Und das nunmehr 75. Release auf Freude Am Tanzen gleich noch mit dazu!
Der Soundtrack zu diesem feierlichen Anlass kommt von Monkey Maffia höchstselbst. Stichwort Wumms: den bringen seine Tracks stets genauso mit zur Party wie massig Tiefe und Funk. Denn als routinierter DJ weiß der Mann einfach, was eine lange Nacht alles braucht - hier wird die gerade Bassdrum gebrochen, dort mit endlos warmen Synths unterfüttert. In einem Track klappern uns Bass und Percussion die Sorgen aus dem Leib, im nächsten flirren die Pads und Vocals sehnsüchtig um die Wette. Was auch immer passiert, langweilig wird's auf dieser wie jener weltlichen Erdscheibe mit Sicherheit nicht.
A1 - Bad Or Good
Totale Hirn- und Beinschraube, die dreht und dreht und dreht. Wer als DJ testen will, wieviel Funk bis auf die dritte Kommastelle genau so ein Dancefloor eigentlich aushält, ist mit diesem Track als Messgerät bestens bedient.
A2 - Fake Heroes
Kleiner Reminder, aber kleinteilig-klappernder Minimal mit Seele, das gibt's noch immer. - Fake Heroes' schimmert zunächst kalt durch die luftigen Höhen, taucht dann aber umso weiter vor in ungeahnte Tiefen.
B1 - MiniMi
Irgendwie Jazz, aber als House gedacht. Ähnlich hypnothisch, genauso frei. Als roter Faden dient die Bassdrum, entlang dieser geht aber eigentlich alles. File under: Secret Weapon für die ganz späten Stunden und DJs mit Mumm.
B2 - Schörless
Ein Track der Larry Heard auf Orient-Reise schickt und dabei viel weiter trägt als seine knapp viereinhalb Minuten Spielzeit. Für alle, die das - Deep' im House noch ernst meinen.
Eight releases in, Leonidas & Hobbes have honed a mutual love of soundtracks, disco, jazz, house, techno, acid, psychedelic, African and dub sounds.
Web Of Intrigue is one part tribute to lost 70s soundtracks, when music was created on the finest analogue hardware, featuring full bands, session players and lush orchestrations, one part tribute to 70s disco gods Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards (Chic) and one part mid-tempo but nonetheless cosmic house. The three parts fuse to form an instrumental track sounding as fresh as a whole meadow of daisies in 2017 and one that's been going down extremely well with international DJs who have road-tested the material.
Heavy Weather flips the script for a deeper workout in a 3/4 time signature - more of a cosmic waltz. Taking its main cue from 70s jazz fusion heroes Weather Report and The Doors' Ray Manzarek, it incorporates rich African percussion, spaced-out flourishes exhibiting the duo's love for the dubs of Lee Perry, King Tubby et al, and a good old fashioned arpeggio of an acid line - definitely a more esoteric number, all told.
The 'Dawn' and 'Acid Rain' mixes push different buttons for the heads, as suits the mood. It all adds up to a very Balearic confection, fitting snugly in with the burgeoning revival for this somewhat ineffable sound - a trend that seems to be getting stronger/bigger every year, popping up every time the sun gets his hat on and we all remember how to party like the lucky residents of that infamous White Isle....
MORE INFO
London/Edinburgh analogue electronic duo Leonidas & Hobbes released debut EP "Machines, Tapes & Electronic Setups" via the Hobbes Music label back in May 2013, picking up plaudits and support from the likes of Resident Advisor, Mixmag, Erol Alkan, Ashley Beedle, Alan Braxe, Shadow Child, Jimpster, Nick Warren, M.A.N.D.Y., Leftside Wobble, Mr G, Auntie Flo, Sasha, John Digweed and many more... The duo were consequently commissioned to remix the Pet Shop Boys.
Second EP "Mo' Machines" came out on the label in April 2014 and received equally high praise, with i-D Magazine inviting the duo to record a DJ mix which has to date chalked up a whole lot of love on Soundcloud.
Leonidas has released two other collaborative EPs with London-based Japanese DJ/producer Kay Suzuki via his Round In Motion imprint, equally winning fans worldwide, with a track now forthcoming on new label YAM Records' You And Music Volume 1 EP plus much more in the pipeline for 2017. Leonidas also has his own lovetoparty label, releasing edits of much-loved disco tunes on limited edition 12" vinyl format and free download. Previously, Leonidas made a name for throwing word-of-mouth parties around east London on his audiophile 'lovetoparty' sound system (providing some of the inspiration for much-admired late-night watering hole Brilliant Corners).
Equally, Hobbes ran the widely acclaimed Trouble nights for ten years in Edinburgh/Scotland, working with the great and the good from across the soul/jazz/dance spectrum since '02, and championed up-and-coming live talent via his Limbo 'gig-in-a-club' nights at The Voodoo Rooms for nine years since '07. Hobbes has toured his DJing style to the various corners of the dancing planet, including gigs in the Far East, much of Europe and across the UK. The Hobbes Music label has otherwise featured artists as diverse as Auntie Flo, JD Twitch (Optimo), Neil Landstrumm, Craig Smith (6th Borough Project), Ali Renault, iO Sounds, Joe Howe, Debukas, Fudge Fingas, Marco Bernardi, Dimitri Veimar, Mick Wills and Nightwave, with further support from Ben UFO, Justin Robertson, Motor City Drum Ensemble, KiNK, The Revenge, T.E.E.D, Kiki, Groove Armada, Maceo Plex, OOFT!, Domenic Capello (Sub Club), XDB, Ben Mono, Masa Sutela, Bawrut/Scuola Furano, Numbers, John Heckle and many more...
- A1: The Stowaway - A Suspicious Passenger
- A2: International Anything - When It's Dark (Moonlight Medley)
- B1: Bodycode - Synchronized Sleep
- B2: Kalabrese - Düdingen
- B3: Pile - Noshow
- C1: Dimbiman - Turtle Gone
- C2: Margaret Dygas - Saasafras
- D1: Fumiya Tanaka - Standing North 6
- D2: Baby Ford - Dognosematic
- E1: Narcotic Syntax - Agents With Fatty Acids
- E2: Ricardo Villalobos - Gono Fuznk
- F1: Binh - Wochenbett
- F2: Darren - 1999 / 2017 (Extd. Version)
- F3: Spacetravel - No More
- G1: Soul Capsule - Them Yeah
- G2: Sammy Dee - Marvin Goes Savage Deep
- H1: Maayan Nidam - Trail Of Glitter
- H2: Melchior Productions Ltd - The Hope
When Perlon started releasing their 'SuPERLONgevity' compilation series in 1999, it was not evident that the name, which had initially been chosen just for pun, would become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Now, Perlon is in its 20th year, indeed, and preparing the celebration of this anniversary, the label invites its listeners to enter the sixth round of illuminating expression, once more driven by playfulness and fluffy swingtime. This time, the journey extends to eight sides with no guidepost except maybe the order to set the controls for the heart of the potoo. 18 tracks unfold their magic formulas to release a cascade of funky blobs. The collection reflects the label's unique interpretation of sound and vision, of caring and sharing, of 'glitches and itches' - by forward and froward thinking artists who set landmarks and break standards for the sake of the sound of the extraordinary. Here's what you will find in this brand-new Perlon toy box that adds one more shade to the corporate colour scheme: House bubbles that sound like they come straight from a 'Bällchenparadies". A motor drive with a sexy beat. Tribal dances, warped ballads, romantic fantasies. Heavy bass fundaments with aerial notes that hover above like helium balloons. A meditation machine, chilly chimes and future clockworks. Speaking things with nonsense as a foreign language.
Prime are delighted to announce the long-awaited OFFICIAL 12 inch re-release of probably the most revered Paradise Garage anthem of all time - M.F.S.B. feat The Three Degrees and the now legendary "Love Is The Message". Originally released in 1973, "Love Is The Message" has sustained dance-floors across the world ever since and here we present the full original 11.28 mix from Tom Moulton which is always a £25-30 record if you've ever been lucky enough to find a mint one and copies of the rarer U.S. 12" with the long mix are like gold! Worry no more as the quality on this 180 gram 12" is from the best master and 100% sanctioned by Sony Music. On the flip we are proud to re-release "T.S.O.P. (The Sound Of Philadelphia)" aka the official Soul Train theme, using Tom Moulton's full original 5.42 mix.
Another piece of significant dance-floor history.
As double-siders go, it really doesn't get any better than this. There is already high-demand from lots of DJs needing to replace their battered copies so accept no substitute. This is the real deal.
'an incredible, funked-out live show and production team with their own modern take on boogie, Philly soul, and NY disco.' - XLR8R The Possé are a new face to many people. The five piece run by Andrew Elston and Ross Ferraro is comprised of veterans from all over Australia's music scene. After a year of knuckling down in the studio and a string of sold out shows they've boiled down their favourite influences into an in-credible, raw, funked out live show and production team. Watch out for The Posse's debut EP, Our Thing, featuring contributions from Andrew Elston (Phy-sique/Toni Toni Lee/Catcall), Ross Ferraro & Jarrol Renaud (The Goods), Michael Di Francesco (Touch Sensitive/Van She) and NZ jazz keys prodigy Andrew Bruce.
Australian label Nightime Drama, run by Peter Fincher (aka Vibrio) and Shaun Franklin (aka Trebek) now serves up its second standout release of 2016. This four track affair comes hot on the heels of the last by Yoshihiro Arikawa, and is a second release on the label by Aussie live act, DJ and producer Trinity, with Steven Tang and Italian based Andee on the remix. Trinity has also released on OOC, Coincidence and Android Muziq and regularly performs all round Europe. His sound deep and cosmic, heady and hypnotic, as the fresh tracks here prove. Cascade Drive is seven minutes of direct and elastic house with spacey pads and driving drums carrying you through the cosmos. From the Earthmothern label and one half of RK's, Andee strips it back to a slick rubber kick drum then layers in a forceful acid line and icy hi hats to really get you under its spell. The longform groove is physical and cerebral in equal measure. The next original is Expansion, and again finds Trinity serving up a hi tech and soul infused deep techno sound that is lithe and liquid, smeared with great pads and truly timeless. Emphasis boss Steven Tang is the perfect man to remix given his style, and his version flips the cut into a more heavyweight and banging techno effort, but one that is just as littered with sci fi sounds, spaceship trails and intergalactic energies.
Originally released by Legowelt's Strange Life on a CD-r back in 2007, 'Mons Testaceum' finally has its first vinyl press on Mannequin Records.
First full length released by Heinrich Dressel aka Valerio Lombardozzi, boss of the mighty Minimal Rome, 'Mons Testaceum' together with 'Escape From The Hill' and 'Completion Of The Amphoras Table ' represented the first of a trilogy dedicated to the 'Monte Testaccio', an artificial mound in Rome composed almost entirely of 'testae', fragments of broken amphorae dating from the time of the Roman Empire.
'Mons Testaceum' is the second appearance of Valerio Lombardozzi on Mannequin Records, after the noirish atmospheric 'Sighing Melodies Thru The Graves' mini lp released in 2012 as MNQ 027 on white vinyl.
The sound of the album is moving somewhere hidden between Fabio Frizzi ('Paura Nella Città Dei Morti Viventi') and Goblin ('Buio Omega'), thanks the extensive use of the Italian - better, Roman - legendary synthesizer Elka Synthex in every single track, with touches of the Berlin electronic school, 'mixed with irresistable futuristic soulfunk synth solos (Kool and the Gang goes cosmic!)'.
Impressive stuff, which influenced deeply the sound of Mannequin Records itself during the years after it was released. TIP! Mastered by Andrea Merlini.
Graphic design by Dave Grave and Alessandro Adriani.
Limited Edition of 400 copies.
London centric debut album from Floating Points with a host of guest musicians and vocalists.
the label say " Sam Shepherd spent five years putting together Elaenia, juggling the production with his DJ commitments and his now-completed PhD in neuroscience.
The album takes its inspiration from classical, jazz, electronic music, soul and Brazilian music, much of which can be heard in Shepherd's DJ sets. There's a long list of contributors, with Tom Skinner and Leo Taylor (drums), Rahel Debebe-Dessalegne and Layla Rutherford (vocals), Susumu Mukai (bass), Alex Reeve (guitar), Qian Wu and Edward Benton (violins), Matthew Kettle (viola) and Joe Zeitlin (cello) all featuring. Shepherd also provides some of the vocals.
Shepherd's influence on the album extends to the cover art: he built his own harmonograph to create Elaenia's sleeve, using fibre optic cables that were connected to light sources and responded to bass drum hits and other sounds.
Aside from a couple of early excursions on R2 Records and Planet Mu, Shepherd's solo material has come out through Eglo Records, the label he co-runs with Alex Nut. Records like Vacuum, Shepherd's breakthrough release in 2009, and 2011's Shadows, which scored a five-star review on RA, have cemented his reputation as a classy, inventive producer. On top of that he's also released music from his Floating Points Ensemble project, and produced some of Fatima's 2014 album, Yellow Memories. "
Wenn es ein Wort gibt, das Mathias Kaden in all den Phasen seines Schaffens als DJ und Producer zu beschreiben vermag, dann dürfte energiegeladen weit oben stehen. Nur schlüssig, dass sein neues Album eben diesen Titel trägt. Musikalisch war der eng mit dem Jenaer Label Freude am Tanzen verbundene Künstler von Anfang überaus energetisch unterwegs. In den Präferenzen verortete er seinen Sound selten irgendwo fest: Von filigranem Micro-House und perkussivem
Minimalismus über gemeinsame Tracks mit Marek Hemmann und der Leipziger Band Marbert Rocel (unter dem Namen Karocel) offenbarte Mathias Kaden über die vergangenen zehn Jahre hinweg immer neue Facetten.
Sechs Jahre nach dem viel beachteten und eher clubfernen Debüt-Album 'Studio 10' besinnt sich Mathias Kaden mit 'Energetic' gleichermaßen auf seine musikalischen Wurzeln sowie die Gegenwart als international herumreisender DJ. Dem Dancefloor möchte er mit den zehn neuen Tracks etwas zurückgeben. Einen positiven, zeitlosen Vibe, tief geerdet im Funk und der Würde der frühen House-Jahre, die nicht nur für Kaden das Fundament eines klassischen Club-Sounds
bilden. Angedeutet hat sich diese neue House-Wärme bereits zuvor bei seiner 'Tentakle EP' auf Desolat sowie bei 'Fin', dem exklusiven Beitrag zur gleichnamigen Mix-Compilation von Watergate Records.




















